NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Chapter 35: Lottery?

In his previous life, Zhao Dong had come across complaints from Oakley about Ewing after his retirement. Oakley claimed that Ewing failed to take responsibility in critical moments, couldn't motivate his teammates, and lacked excellent leadership skills. Zhao Dong now feared that these complaints might be true. Ewing, despite being one of the four super centers, was the only one who had not won a championship. He also had the fewest personal honors, with only one All-NBA Team selection and no other significant accolades. In the competition among the four centers, Ewing was clearly at a disadvantage, and the reasons for this were likely evident.

This season was likely to be Ewing's last as a superstar. Zhao Dong desperately wanted to complete the task of sniping Jordan, but could a team led by Ewing really defeat the Bulls with Jordan at the helm? He was certain that his strength would improve significantly by the end of the season, but he lacked dominance over the team. He wasn't even in control of much of the ball. How much influence could he truly have on the team? Could he control the outcome of a game? It seemed doubtful.

What could he do? Could he get rid of Ewing and take control as the team's leader? That was impossible. Ewing's status in the hearts of New York fans was too high. When the old Nelson tried to use him to replace O'Neal, the management and fans strongly opposed it. Besides, Zhao Dong was just a rookie who had only played a handful of games. There was only one way forward: he needed to expand his role on the team to gain more control over the ball. No matter how well he played in the low post, with Ewing on the court, the ball would always be concentrated in Ewing's hands. If he wanted to make an impact, he had to step outside.

Zhao Dong decided to find a chance to talk to Van Gundy, hoping that the rigid and conservative coach would listen to his perspective. As he was leaving the court, he happened to run into Iverson at the entrance. Iverson had an impressive performance, scoring 26 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing out 9 assists, with only two turnovers. He played at an All-Star level and was named the game's best player.

"Hey, I don't need to know you at all," Iverson said as the two passed each other.

Zhao Dong was momentarily taken aback before bursting into laughter. Iverson was known for his pride and rebellious nature. In the future, he would have many fans in China, but what did that have to do with him? Stopping his laughter, Zhao Dong lowered his head, glanced at Iverson, and said coldly, "Remember this, Allen Iverson: I'll be the ceiling above your head. No matter how high you can jump, you'll always be beneath me—just like Barkley could fly, but he could never jump higher than Michael Jordan. I hope you'll still say that when the time comes."

"What do you mean?" Iverson raised his head.

"You'll understand when you're disappointed with your career," Zhao Dong replied, then casually pushed Iverson aside and turned to walk toward the visiting team's locker room.

"Crazy with a big mouth!" Iverson muttered, then turned and walked toward the home team's locker room.

Back in the locker room, Zhao Dong received some good news: the Bulls had lost. That night, the Bulls played away against the Jazz. Jordan scored an impressive 44 points, but his teammates were not strong enough. Pippen scored only 16 points, and Steve Kerr added 11 points off the bench. A total of three players reached double figures, but it wasn't enough. The final score was 105-100, with the Bulls falling to the Jazz.

Chapter 35: Lottery?

With 11 wins and 2 losses, the Bulls still held the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks flew back to New York overnight, as they had a back-to-back game at home against the Seattle SuperSonics the next day. The Sonics were the team that made it to the finals last season, only to lose to Jordan and the Bulls. It was clear that they were a strong team. The Knicks were relatively weaker, and this was expected to be the toughest opponent they'd faced all season.

The Sonics boasted a powerful lineup, including the superhuman inside presence of Rainman Sean Kemp, the exceptional point guard Gary Payton, and versatile players like Detlef Schrempf and Jose Hawkins. With five main players, including a super giant and three All-Stars, the Sonics' roster was far more luxurious than the Knicks'. With the state of the game and the back-to-back schedule, Zhao Dong had little confidence in tomorrow's match. It was very likely that he would face his first losing streak of the season.

At noon, the team arrived in New York. Zhao Dong had just returned to the training base dormitory when the system's task notification appeared.

Team Sniper Tasks:

1. Help the team win, or the task will be canceled.

2. Achieve 20+10 or 20+5+5 performance.

3. Commit fewer than 3 turnovers.

4. Make 5 mid-range shots.

5. Hit two three-pointers.

6. Register 5 blocks or steals.

7. Achieve more than 45% shooting accuracy.

8. Rank first in personal efficiency on the team.

Task Reward:

Completing four task options will reward you with either a quality point or a skill point. Completing additional task options will earn more rewards. If all tasks are completed, you will receive a blank gold skill template.

Zhao Dong muttered to himself, "System, you're offering this blank template again. Are you greedy for me? Even an All-Star might struggle to complete all these tasks."

The system's reply came quickly: "Please perform at a super level to earn rewards."

Zhao Dong sighed, feeling helpless. The system's tasks were becoming more difficult. He continued reading the tasks, which now included:

Superstar Sniper Missions:

1. Successfully defend Gary Payton twice to earn 1 skill point.

2. Successfully defend Gary Payton five times to earn 3 skill points.

3. Anger Gary Payton to earn the opponent's trash talk skill.

"Trash talker?" Zhao Dong chuckled. Gary Payton was notorious for his trash talk, often taunting defenders after scoring. This task could be completed even if the team lost, which made it easier to accomplish.

All-Star Sniper Tasks:

1. Block Sean Kemp 5 times, with no more than 2 blocks against you.

2. Dunk on Sean Kemp once.

3. Score 20+10 over Sean Kemp.

4. Limit Sean Kemp's shooting accuracy to under 40% while maintaining your own shooting accuracy above 50%. Make 5 mid-range shots and 1 three-pointer.

Task Rewards:

Completing two tasks will earn a quality point.

Completing all tasks will reward you with Rainman's jumping talent.

"Three missions in one game, with so many options! This is going to be challenging," Zhao Dong thought, feeling overwhelmed by the system's demands. However, he knew most of this game was likely to result in a loss, so he decided to focus on the next two tasks.

"System, what if I don't want Rainman's jumping talent?" Zhao Dong asked.

"The system can recycle it for trade," the system replied.

"Discount recycling? Your business is doing well!" Zhao Dong muttered in surprise before quickly asking, "What can I get in exchange?"

"A chance to draw a lottery," the system said.

Zhao Dong paused. A lottery? This was something new, and it sparked his curiosity. He couldn't help but feel excited about the potential rewards.

--------

Thanks for reading! Send a Power Stone to support the story!

-----

Read 40 chapters ahead

Påtreon.com/FanficLord03