You may not believe it.
Su Feng just assisted Kobe with that pass—the first assist of his basketball career in this lifetime...
At the Raul Merion Basketball Hall, the fans watched in amazement.
The 1990s were nothing like the future. Back then, people's happiness was so simple—almost dull.
On the court, Kobe Bryant beamed with joy after his dunk, acknowledging Su Feng's recent pass as he jogged back.
Meanwhile, Raul Merion's other players silently shed tears at the sight.
Clearly, even among "tools," there are gaps between different kinds of "tools."
What happened to freedom, equality, and love?
Oh well—welcome to reality.
On the court, Chester High School responded to Kobe's dunk by calling a timeout.
As Chester's head coach, Conte understood one thing: Raul Merion had no structured plays. They were playing naturally!
And yet, his own team was falling apart.
Frustrating, right?
It was basically a free giveaway!
After the timeout, Conte furiously scolded his star player, DeMarcus, before diving back into tactical explanations.
Exhausting.
Sooner or later, his players were going to drive him insane.
"Coach, I get it now!" On the bench, just as Conte was about to take a sip from his thermos, DeMarcus suddenly blurted out with excitement.
Pfft!
Conte almost choked on his hot water. Wait, what? You get it? Brother, I beg you, please don't "get" anything!
DeMarcus suddenly lit up with realization. "This was their plan all along! They knew I could see through their tricks, so they deliberately did nothing!"
"It's so cunning—I totally underestimated them! Thanks, Coach. From now on, I won't be confused anymore!" DeMarcus clenched his fists, looking at Su Feng with newfound respect.
Watching DeMarcus's excitement, Conte silently rubbed his temples.
Whatever. As long as he plays normally...
Why overthink it?
After the timeout, the game resumed. The score was 7–2, with Raul Merion leading by five points.
Chester went on the attack, but their passing and cutting remained ineffective under Raul Merion's increased defensive pressure.
Then, at a critical moment, DeMarcus stepped up and demanded the ball.
Say what you will—his brain might not be the sharpest, but his physical talent was undeniable.
Especially his first step.
A pure catapult launch.
"So close!"
If Su Feng hadn't reacted in time, DeMarcus would've blown right past him.
Thankfully, Su Feng was used to enduring Kobe's ruthless training sessions.
Plus, after his trip to New York, he had picked up valuable experience in defending speedy players.
Otherwise… he might've been done for on that play.
Across the court, Kobe Bryant grinned with satisfaction after seeing Su Feng successfully keep up with DeMarcus.
After all, he had watched Su Feng grow step by step.
He still remembered their first encounter—back then, beating Su Feng was as easy as slicing melons and vegetables…
Wait a minute!
Kobe's brow furrowed.
Something felt off.
Hiss!
"Su's never beaten me one-on-one, but lately… it's getting harder for me to beat him..."
If he thought about it this way, didn't that mean he had been stagnating?
Of course, being Kobe, he refused to entertain the possibility of Su Feng defeating him in a duel.
So instead, he thought…
Nonsense!
He must not lose to this annoying kid!
Otherwise, who knows how much Su Feng would taunt him?
Kobe clenched his fists and made up his mind.
Tomorrow—no, right after this game—he was heading straight to practice!
Alright...
Actually, Kobe had completely misunderstood Su Feng.
Su Feng never believed he could defeat Kobe one-on-one.
Of course, if Kobe happened to be having an off day and Su Feng seized the opportunity, he'd only dare brag about it briefly before reality set in...
Cough, back to the game.
On the court, DeMarcus failed to break through Su Feng's defensive line. Instead, he was forced into a difficult outside shot.
Su Feng's "death grip" defense was different from a certain famous defensive style that would emerge in the future. He always prioritized a "player-oriented" approach, avoiding completely shutting down his opponents.
With the HC rule in effect, Su Feng preferred to wear down his opponent's stamina and force them into difficult shots.
First, this strategy conserved his own energy on defense. Second, under continuous high-pressure defense, an opponent's shooting accuracy typically plummeted.
This "mad dog-style death grip" wasn't particularly skill-based—it was all about attitude. As long as you had tenacity, you could lock down your target.
Years later, Patrick Beverley would become the prime example of this style of defense. While star players could still score against him, their shooting efficiency often suffered.
In Su Feng's eyes, restricting an opponent's shooting percentage was the true marker of successful defense.
And beyond that, this method eroded the offensive player's confidence. A few missed shots could shake their willingness to keep shooting.
After all...
Not everyone is built like Kobe!
Clank!
Sure enough, DeMarcus forced up a difficult jumper—but it clanked off the rim.
Rasman, the reliable role player, secured the rebound and immediately passed it to Swartz.
Still, Chester was a well-drilled team. They didn't allow Raul Merion an easy transition opportunity.
Raul Merion settled into the half-court offense as Chester set up their defense.
Swartz passed the ball to Kobe, and Kobe—true to his fearless nature—didn't hesitate despite facing a double-team.
After all, if his mentality wasn't tough as iron, how would he become the Iron Man of basketball in the future?
Kobe initially used his speed to create separation. Then, just as he was about to drive left, he suddenly shifted his weight and pulled the ball back with his left hand, sending his momentum toward the right!
A miniature Golden Left-Hand Crossover!
Kobe successfully split the double-team from Chester High School!
Charging straight into the paint, he leaped into the air and executed a breathtaking double-clutch layup, completely dodging the interior defense!
At that moment, Kobe was fluid and precise—almost like a soaring dragon.
Ask the world, what is a perfect layup?
It makes people cry out in disbelief!
Raul Merion's fans were mesmerized.
Kobe's move had no alcohol in it, yet they were all drunk with excitement.
Even the courtside reporters were stunned. Mills and Maxson exchanged glances—they had just witnessed a move never seen before.
Duke University scout Wesley silently thanked himself for having a good rapport with Kobe and Su Feng.
Because this pair...
They were absolute monsters!
If Wesley's thoughts were translated into simple terms:
"If either Kobe or Su Feng rises to the top, they could take over the world. But if both of them do..."
"Then it's game over!"
Back on the court, Su Feng could only feel defeated after witnessing Kobe's dazzling maneuver.
Especially that final acrobatic finish...
His hang time, his body control, his touch—simply incredible!
"That was amazing!" Su Feng said, giving Kobe a thumbs-up as they jogged back on defense.
He had meant to increase his favorability with Kobe... but instead...
"What are you doing? Stop standing around—get back on defense!" Kobe shot him a glare.
"..."
Su Feng was confused.
Had he done something wrong?
Didn't seem like it!
Fine... Kobe is just Kobe. His thought process was on another level.
Actually, Su Feng had misunderstood Kobe again...
Because deep down, Kobe was secretly pleased with himself.
So why did he still look annoyed at Su Feng?
Simple.
Kobe was mad thinking about how much of a nuisance Su Feng was!
No helping it—Virgos never forget things!
And Kobe, born on the cusp of Virgo and Leo, had the fiery "advantages" of both signs.
(Omitting 300,000 words of the next game.)
Eventually, after an intense battle, Chester High School fell to Raul Merion 64–79.
Though Raul Merion's team struggled with keeping up with Kobe and Su Feng's tempo, their raw talent still carried them to victory.
"Unless I start bricking shots alongside Kobe, Raul Merion has a 95% chance of winning the Pennsylvania High School Basketball League this year."
"Hmm... 95% still feels a little low. Next, we need to encourage guys like Swartz to take their open shots."
"Stewart's mid-range game is solid, but Rasman is rough..."
"But if we maximize our teammates' strengths, our winning chances should go up another few percentage points."
"Oh, well. 99%... If you round it down, it's basically zero anyway. So we still can't relax!"
After the game, Su Feng analyzed everything in detail.
In this matchup, Su Feng shot 11-for-26, including 3-for-9 from three, zero free throws, finishing with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Kobe Bryant shot 12-for-28, going 1-for-7 from three, 3-for-6 from the foul line, totaling 28 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
Together, they accounted for almost 80% of Raul Merion's shot attempts.
Su Feng believed this could actually harm the rhythm of their teammates.
If either of them had an off-night, Raul Merion's chances of losing would skyrocket.
Thus, Su Feng realized...
It was time to convince Kobe to spread the wealth.
After all, weren't triple-doubles much more appealing?
If he could snag a high school state championship, it'd be a perfect piece in his future résumé.
Plus—paired with Kobe—they were a steel fortress!
But before Su Feng could plant the idea...
He never expected that this time, he'd actually set off a storm.
After the game, reporters Mills and Maxson rushed forward and trapped Su Feng between them...