"Iverson's Talent?"
"Perfect!"
Blake Su felt a surge of excitement.
As the top pick of the legendary '96 "Golden Generation," Allen Iverson had locked down the No. 1 spot despite standing just 183 centimeters tall, battling against superstars like Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, and Steve Nash.
It wasn't just skill—his talent towered over countless others.
Now.
Blake Su had inherited that very talent. How could he not be thrilled?
Back in the locker room, Blake Su rested alone in a corner. With a thought, a pale white light screen materialized before his eyes—the attribute panel formed after fusing Iverson's talent.
[Name]: Blake Su
[Age]: 18
[Height]: 215 cm
[Weight]: 108 kg
[Wingspan]: 228 cm
[Vertical Jump]: 105 cm
Talent Panel (Allen Iverson — Early NBA Period):
[Speed]: 95 (Max 100)
[Jump]: 94
[Strength]: 83
[Stamina]: 91
[Athleticism]: 93
[Explosiveness]: 91
[Mental]: 99
Ability Panel:
[Drive]: 93
[Layup]: 91
[Ball Handling]: 95
[Steal]: 81
[Block]: 89
[Passing]: 78
[Rebound]: 75
[Defense]: 76
[Mid-Range]: 88
[Three-Point]: 75
[Free Throw]: 80
"Hiss—"
Staring at the wall of near-90 and above stats, Blake Su couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. His excitement only grew.
Driving, finishing, ball handling, mid-range shooting—nearly all the key offensive stats were elite. This was Iverson's raw talent and strength. Even as a rookie, he had been this terrifying.
Of course.
After examining everything carefully, Blake Su also saw his shortcomings clearly: his strength was lacking, his three-point and free-throw shooting were mediocre, and his overall defense still needed work.
"Wait a second."
"With Iverson's defensive intensity, plus my height, my defense should be at least 90+, right?"
Blake Su frowned slightly.
[Ding! The attribute panel represents the optimal values formed after fusing Iverson's talent with your own innate abilities.]
That explanation made everything click.
Take the 89-point block rating, for example. Iverson alone could never reach that, but combined with Blake Su's height, it became a respectable shot-blocking stat.
Same logic elsewhere.
Iverson's raw speed would easily be 97 or higher, but after merging with Blake Su's own speed, it settled at 95.
"So that means… Iverson's talent has already fully fused with mine. I'm a center with historic guard-level talent—what kind of reaction will that create?!"
Blake Su clenched his fist, clearly feeling the boost in his physical abilities. Even though he still hadn't touched the court, he was already itching to showcase himself on the NBA stage.
"Blake Su!"
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw Nash walking over, handing him a bottle of sports drink with a smile.
"What're you thinking about?"
Blake Su took the drink and smiled lightly.
"Thinking about how we can win this game."
In the few days he'd been with the team, Nash was the only one who ever spoke to him. The others… mostly ignored him. Blake Su was long used to it.
After all.
Even in basketball, strength ruled everything. A fringe player with no reputation wasn't going to earn much respect. That was normal.
Even top draft picks had struggled to gain acceptance early in their rookie seasons.
"Oh?"
Nash paused, his pupils widening slightly in surprise.
What surprised him wasn't Blake Su's words, but the confidence in his tone and expression—far stronger than before.
"A 21-point deficit at halftime, plus a red-hot No. 1 pick like John Wall," Nash said. "You really think we can win?"
"Yes."
Blake Su answered without hesitation.
"And if you put me on the floor, I think we'll win."
"Hahaha!"
Nash burst out laughing. He didn't know what had changed, but he loved that confidence.
No matter how big the deficit, that kind of belief had to exist in the locker room. Even if they ended up losing, it didn't matter.
"Not bad," Nash said, patting Blake Su on the shoulder. "Come to think of it… I haven't actually seen you play yet. I can't decide your minutes, but if the chance comes, I'm looking forward to it."
"Just wait for it."
After fusing with Iverson's talent, Blake Su truly had become more confident.
After chatting with Nash for a bit and settling back down, Blake Su suddenly remembered something—he still had one beginner gift pack unopened.
Without hesitation, he called out in his mind:
"Open the second beginner gift pack!"
[Ding! Host has opened the second beginner gift pack and obtained the skill: [Peak Anthony Jump Shot].]
"Anthony's jump shot… and at his peak?"
Blake Su's heart leapt again.
After all, Carmelo Anthony—widely known as Melo—was hailed as the embodiment of elite jump shooting. At his peak, his jumper was absurdly accurate.
"Mid-range… 96 points!"
Checking his panel again, Blake Su saw his mid-range rating jump straight from 88 to 96.
There was no doubt—under the boost of [Peak Anthony Jump Shot], his mid-range game had become terrifying.
As for how terrifying?
That would have to be proven on the court.
With that thought, Blake Su became even more eager to play.
But reality was harsh.
After three days with the Suns, let alone starting, he couldn't even crack the regular bench rotation. All he could do was stand by the water cooler and watch.
On top of that, the Suns favored a fast-paced run-and-gun system. A slow-footed big man like him was even less desirable.
Getting on the court tonight would be extremely difficult.
"How do I get minutes?"
Blake Su thought carefully.
"In this situation, the only way a center like me gets on the floor is if the Suns get completely blown out. The starters sit, the rotation empties, and the team fully gives up on the game. That's my chance."
"Yes.
That's it."
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.
So…
When the second half began, while every other player on the Suns' bench was thinking about how to close the gap—or even make a comeback—Blake Su was thinking about how the Suns could collapse as fast as possible.
Soon enough.
When the game reached the fourth quarter.
When there were 5:55 left on the clock.
When John Wall knocked down a mid-range jumper to reach 31 points.
When the deficit stood at 21.
"Beep!"
Alvin Gentry shook his head and called a timeout, subbing five players in and out at once—completely waving the white flag.
"Blake Su, you're up."
Blake Su narrowed his eyes.
He knew.
His chance had finally arrived.