"What? You're going to put all five of us on the court at once?"
When Webber heard Lin Yu was planning to overhaul the lineup and bring in the Michigan Fab Five, he leaped from the bench.
Even if he dreamed of playing on the court with Chris again, it definitely wasn't the right time. He thought Lin Yu's decision was outrageous.
"Coach, we still have a chance of forcing overtime. What's the point of putting those two in?"
"Sorry, Jamie and Ray, I don't mean any harm to you. I don't want to lose."
Flying Car also grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"Anyway, I support every decision the coach makes. Without his playbook, we might have been blown away by Shaq in the first quarter."
"The coach must have a reason for doing this."
Big Ben's statement silenced everyone, and they all looked at Lin Yu eagerly, hoping for an explanation.
Lin Yu couldn't think of a reasonable explanation at the moment. He still wore a mysterious smile, projecting an air of confidence. "Five seconds left, we're throwing the ball from midfield."
"Remember, you four, get the ball to Chris immediately!"
"And you, Chris, my friend, you're going to hit a three-pointer, and that three-pointer will lead our Bullets to victory."
Lin Yu looked Webber straight in the eye and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.
The words seemed to possess some magical power, and Webber even imagined his own game-winning three-pointer.
"Three-pointer? God, you don't even think of me as a human being."
Fei Che sighed helplessly, wondering how he'd ended up with such a crazy head coach. Any other coach in the league, faced with this situation, would have definitely opted for a safe two-pointer and forced the game into overtime.
He thought Lin Yu had lost his mind.
Lin Yu glared at Fei Che, signaling him to stop babbling and disrupting the solemn atmosphere.
After activating Webber's favorability, Lin Yu could check Webber's stats. His three-pointer stats were far better than Lin Yu had anticipated, which was why he'd bothered to schedule a three-pointer.
Besides, Ben Wallace had already fouled out, so what if overtime was the real deal? I want to give it a try.
"Ding, Jamie King's favorability increased, currently at 55 points."
"Ding, Ray Jackson's favorability increased, currently at 75 points."
With two consecutive beeps, the favorability of the other four players, except Howard, was activated.
For some unknown reason, Ray Jackson suddenly increased to over 70 points, making Lin Yu wonder again whether the system, in addition to racial discrimination, was also influencing these weak players...
Jaime King's career was almost over; he'd already been waived, and it was unlikely any team would sign him in the future. Lin Yu gave him another chance to play, and he was naturally grateful to him.
Ray Jackson was even more unique. His career had never begun. While the other four players had at least entered the draft, he had never played a single NBA game. Currently, he's managing a moving company in Texas, so his popularity has increased more than others, which makes sense.
Watching the Michigan Five take the court simultaneously, the Lakers fans fell silent. The five players who once dominated the NCAA were actually appearing together at their own Staples Center!
Even Lakers fans, accustomed to significant moments, felt that this was a memorable one.
Many fans stood up and cheered for the Michigan Five, and even the DJ enthusiastically chanted their names.
...
[Chris Webber] (Fusion Aura Bonus)
[Strength 91] [Speed 95] [Bounce 92]
[Low Post Offense 91] [Low Post Defense 90] [Rebounds 90] [Blocks 91] [Steals 87]
[Mid-Range Shooting 92] [Three-Point Shooting 94] [Free Throwing 94] [Passing 85] [Ball Handling 80] [Drive 83]
After seeing Webber's stats in his fusion state, Lin Yu was shocked. He looked like a Super Saiyan.
All three basic attributes were surprisingly over 90, and all other attributes were also consistently over 80, with more than half exceeding 90 points.
If Webber could maintain these attributes, even Michael Jordan would have needed two more Chase bags.
Webber's three-point shooting is actually quite unusual. Most players don't shoot it early on, but gradually develop it later. Webber, however, was very effective early on, even hitting 44% last season, and he took quite a few of them. In contrast, he began to decline his three-point shooting in the middle and late stages of his career.
Webber's three-point shooting is currently at its peak, and combined with the additional attributes from the fusion, it has reached a staggering 94 points.
Howard threw the ball from the sidelines, and the other four players quickly ran around the court without the ball.
As the referee blew the whistle, Howard precisely located Webber and passed the ball to him.
Campbell tried to chase Webber, but his speed was far from enough to match Webber's, especially in his combined form. By the time Webber caught the ball, Campbell was at least two lengths behind him.
Watching Webber catch the ball, Kobe immediately stepped forward to cover.
Looking at Kobe before him, Webber chuckled softly, leaped from his spot just outside the three-point line, and launched a three-pointer.
The height of this shot made everyone feel unreal.
Kobe Bryant jumped almost at the same time as Webber, but his fingertips didn't even reach Webber's elbow.
The basketball traced a beautiful parabola, soaring toward the basket.
Just watching the flight, Lin Yu was already standing up and cheering. This shot was going in!
"Swish!"
The crisp sound of the ball hitting the net was heard; Webber's pull-up three-pointer had indeed gone in.
The referee's whistle sounded, and the game was over. The Bullets narrowly defeated the home team, the Lakers, 104-103.
Webber had hit a stunning buzzer-beater!
Game-winners happen quite a bit every season, and even three-point buzzer-beaters, in this era of devaluation, can only happen two or three times a season.
However, Webber's buzzer-beater was of extraordinary significance, a shot that could be called a redemption.
Four years ago, he and four teammates lost the game at the climax because of his mistake.
Four years later, tonight, he led the same four teammates on the game-winning shot, bringing victory.
Webber had long been blaming himself for that mistake. After the buzzer-beater went in, Webber's eyes cleared. He didn't yell, but let out a long breath and waved to Howard and the other two.
"Brothers, come back! That feeling is back."
"We'll definitely make up for our losses in the NCAA in the NBA!"
"We're the Michigan Five, and we'll make this league tremble!"
Webber raised his arm, and Jalen Rose and the other two flushed with excitement, their hearts practically pounding. Even Dwight Howard was beaming.
The pain of the buzzer-beater didn't bother the Lakers fans for long; they all stood up and cheered Webber on.
Webber led the four Tigers slowly off the court, like an emperor returning victorious from a personal expedition.
Seeing Webber's impressive appearance, Lin Yu felt a surge of envy. Some people are born princes, and Webber was one of them.
But Lin Yu wasn't jealous or self-deprecating. Webber was just a little more popular and charismatic. Besides, he could easily earn over eight million dollars a year without doing anything. He wasn't bad either. He had longer hair than Webber and spoke better Mandarin. They each had their own strengths and advantages.
"Ben, you've worked hard."
"You're a trustworthy teammate. With you by my side, I believe no one in this league can take advantage of our restricted area."
Webber walked to the bench and hugged Ben.
This affectionate compliment left Ben feeling uneasy. He grinned and scratched his head, unsure how to respond.
After hugging Ben, Webber walked over to Lin Yu.
"Coach, I want to apologize. I underestimated you earlier."
"You possess coaching abilities beyond your age. Over the past week or so, you've brought us so many surprises."
"It's my honor, and the Bullets' honor to have you as a coach."
With that, Webber hugged Lin Yu tightly. Before Lin Yu could say anything, the players around him cheered.
Lin Yu thought to himself, This is bad news. Why does it feel like Webber is the star, and I'm the supporting actor? And a rather unremarkable supporting actor, one with barely a single line.
"Ding! Chris Webber's favorability has increased. Currently at 60 points!"
Clearly, Webber was genuinely impressed by the abilities Lin Yu displayed tonight, and his favorability skyrocketed.
Lin Yu didn't bother to consider whether he was a supporting actor or not. This match earned him a whopping $380,000. For a broke man like him, nothing could be more refreshing than a splash of green cash. To get by, you had to have some green around you.
The two games have earned him 650,000 US dollars, and the effect of the halo can last for two more games. Lin Yu has a feeling that he will become a real millionaire in a few days.