"How’s the knee?"
Chen Yu used the Eye of All-Seeing to look at Jordan’s knee, then furrowed his brow slightly.
’Still some fluid buildup.’
At the mention of his knee, Jordan had a pained expression. Seeing no one else around, he lowered his voice. "Chen, if I have surgery, can it completely fix the problem with my knee?"
Chen Yu had treated this same knee for him last December.
But even after the treatment, it was the same old story: recurring pain and fluid buildup, affecting his athletic performance.
Jordan was sick of it, which was why he was now considering surgery.
"Surgery?" Chen Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Michael, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?"
Coming back at his age, no one had any major expectations for Jordan. Frankly, just being able to see him play on the court again was enough.
And yet, he had somehow still become the Wizards’ leading scorer.
Jordan grimaced and gritted his teeth. "I’m just not happy about it."
This past half-season, he had truly experienced what it meant for a hero to be in his twilight years—a tiger stranded on a plain, tormented by dogs. Watching the team lose time and time again while being powerless to help, Jordan was genuinely frustrated. Only one thought filled his mind: ’If I were just five years younger, would I still let you little punks show off like this?’
"And Brown is just terrible. I must have been blind last year to pick him," Jordan added, venting his frustration.
He must be talking about Kwame Brown, the number one pick that Jordan himself had selected.
Chen Yu chuckled to himself, silently praying for Brown.
Chen Yu understood Jordan’s personality well enough. He had incredibly high standards, and few could ever meet his approval. Plus, he loved to talk trash. Given that Brown, his hand-picked prospect, was playing so poorly, one could only imagine the things Jordan must be saying to him.
And with Jordan’s status, Brown probably wouldn’t even dare to think of talking back.
"He’s a young guy. You should encourage him more," Chen Yu said.
Jordan pursed his lips, returning to the topic of his knee.
Chen Yu thought for a moment. "If you want to be healthy, the best way is to get traded to the Phoenix Suns. I’ll personally keep an eye on you. I should be able to keep you healthy enough to play."
The trade deadline wasn’t until the 21st, still a few days away.
Jordan’s gaze wavered for a second before he quickly shook his head. "Forget it. You know I don’t really care about the team’s record."
He chose the Wizards because of his ownership stake.
"Then that settles it. If you don’t care about the record, then don’t push yourself so hard. Get more rest." For Jordan’s condition, the best solution was still more rest.
Jordan shot Chen Yu a look. "Stop messing around. I’m serious."
Chen Yu replied, "I’m serious too. You’re averaging over 30 minutes a game right now, right? Control it. Cut it down to 20 minutes, and your knee will definitely feel a lot better."
He was supposed to be coasting into retirement with the Wizards. Instead, the 39-year-old veteran was playing over thirty minutes a game and had somehow become the team’s crutch.
Jordan sighed and waved his hand, not wanting to talk about it with Chen Yu anymore.
Having been through one All-Star Game already, Chen Yu wasn’t too interested in this exhibition match. He was just a background character the whole time anyway.
That evening, Chen Yu didn’t even go to the arena for the Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest. Instead, he chose to have dinner with Lexi at a top-tier restaurant in Philadelphia.
The next day, the All-Star Game officially began.
"Huh, why are people booing?" Thanks to Chen Yu, Lexi was once again sitting in the seats closest to the players’ bench. She asked curiously during the player introductions.
When Kobe was introduced, the cheers from the crowd were noticeably quieter, and there were even some boos mixed in.
Chen Yu shook his head. He had no idea. ’And if I remember correctly, isn’t Kobe from Philadelphia?’
Just then, the Mavericks’ Trainer, Roger Hands, who was standing next to them, whispered, "I think it’s because he had a falling out with his father. The Philadelphia media has been blasting Kobe, and a lot of fans have been influenced by the reports."
Chen Yu just said, "Oh," and didn’t ask any more questions. He wasn’t very interested in this kind of off-court gossip.
However, when it was Hill’s turn to be introduced, the boos from the crowd reached their peak.
Tracy McGrady also got a lot of boos when he was introduced.
Chen Yu immediately realized why. It was probably because the Magic had pulled off an eighth-seed upset against Philadelphia last year.
Chen Yu had later seen some reports claiming that if the Magic hadn’t upset Philadelphia, the 76ers would have likely made it to the Finals.
After all, the Magic had gone all the way to the Finals, and their five-game series against Philadelphia suggested their strengths were comparable.
Faced with the boos, Hill just kept smiling, acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
A flash of unease and anger flickered in Tracy McGrady’s eyes. ’That eighth-seed upset last year... was the Magic really just lucky?’
Tracy McGrady knew better than anyone how difficult last season had been for the Magic. Hill was out with consecutive injuries, and just as they were making their final push for the playoffs, he himself got injured. Then Hill returned early while still hurt, and by Game 5 of the first round, he even dislocated his arm.
Philadelphia was strong, but the Magic had won fair and square.
After the opening ceremony, the game officially began.
Last year, in the final moments, the East, led by Iverson, had mounted a comeback to win with a buzzer-beater.
That game was incredible. In the end, both teams were clearly playing for real, with an intensity comparable to the Finals.
This year, however, it had clearly reverted to its entertainment-focused nature.
Not long after the tip-off, Jordan provided a memorable moment by blowing an open dunk.
This was the Jordan who could dunk from the free-throw line. Who would believe he could miss an uncontested dunk?
"He must have done that on purpose," Lexi whispered beside him, her voice filled with disbelief.
She even suspected Jordan did it intentionally to entertain the crowd.
"On purpose?"
Chen Yu sighed silently, his eyes falling on Jordan’s knee.
’The old man really can’t jump anymore.’
Just as Chen Yu was lamenting that even gods grow old, Hardaway, with the ball, faced off against Jordan.
The entire arena fell silent in an instant.
At that moment, countless pairs of eyes were locked on those two players on the court.
One was Jordan. The other was the man the league had anointed, and Jordan himself had acknowledged, as his successor.
One had come out of retirement twice, his form no longer what it once was.
And the other, bearing the title of "Jordan’s successor," had flashed across the sky like a meteor before fading away, only to finally return to the court healthy with the Phoenix Suns, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Jordan instinctively lowered his stance. The nonchalant expression on his face vanished as he spread his arms, staring intently at Hardaway.
And Hardaway, holding the ball, suddenly felt as if he had been transported back to ’95.
That was the year Jordan made his high-profile comeback after playing baseball.
That was the year he, in just his second year in the league, had been selected as an All-Star, his future shining bright.
That was also the year the two of them faced off for the first time.
In that game, O’Neal was out with a fractured thumb, and the media across the United States was eagerly anticipating his first showdown with Jordan.
And he had won, not only scoring an efficient 22 points but also holding Jordan to 7-of-23 shooting for a hollow 21 points.
It was after this game that Jordan told the media, "If I have to choose a successor, I’d cast my vote for Hardaway."
"Come on."
Perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, Jordan even lifted his chin slightly at Hardaway and said tauntingly, "Come."
His first playoff loss after his comeback had been at the hands of Hardaway.
A glint of light flashed in Hardaway’s eyes. He made his move, using a crossover to gain position with lightning speed and drive straight to the basket.
You could say that with that one step, Hardaway had blown past Jordan.
But a serious Jordan didn’t give up. He used his experience to keep from being completely out of position.
He caught up and cut Hardaway off on the wing of the paint.
But Hardaway’s attack wasn’t over. With a pump fake, he baited Jordan off balance, dipped low, and slipped past him into the lane.
Facing the help defense from Mutombo, he showed no fear. He rose up strong, absorbed the contact in mid-air, then finished with an acrobatic layup.
On the sideline, Chen Yu clapped, feeling a wave of emotion.
Times had changed. Hardaway had returned healthy, and his speed was still there.
But Jordan was no longer the force he once was.
That play, however, seemed to have ignited Hardaway’s desire to score. He began to take over the West’s offense.
Halfway through the first quarter, the West led by 4 points.
O’Neal came off the court in a huff, plopped down next to Chen Yu, and said breathlessly, "Chen, did you see that? It’s all your fault I can barely even play anymore."
"Shaq, you should go talk to Phil. I just made a suggestion. The person actually in charge of your weight loss is Phil."
It was about the weight loss again. During practice yesterday, O’Neal had been rambling on to Chen Yu about how painful his diet was.
The problem was, he hadn’t actually lost any weight. When Chen Yu asked, he was still 380 pounds.
’And he can’t play? Then who’s second on the scoring list?’
When Chen Yu didn’t take the bait, O’Neal turned his head and started complaining to Lexi about him instead.
Chen Yu ignored him, his attention still focused on Hardaway.
Hardaway had a good chance of winning the All-Star Game MVP today. He was the West’s starting point guard, and as the primary ball-handler, he’d get plenty of shot opportunities if he played a little selfishly.
Players like Duncan, O’Neal, and Garnett wouldn’t actively try to steal the spotlight.
Kobe, on the other hand...
Chen Yu noticed that Kobe was playing with some extra fire today, possibly because he wanted to compete with Jordan, or maybe because of the boos from earlier.
But it was fine, since the ball was in Hardaway’s hands, after all.
Then on the East’s side, Hill wouldn’t be competing for the All-Star Game MVP, and Iverson, with his arm still injured, didn’t have a strong desire to score either.
As for Jordan, it was clear he wanted to go head-to-head with Hardaway, but his body obviously wasn’t up to it. After trying to go one-on-one twice, he just gave up.
There was also a skill gap between the East and West. As long as Hardaway could score twenty or thirty points, he would definitely win this year’s All-Star Game MVP.
Most importantly, he had the talent to do it.
After venting for a bit, O’Neal lowered his voice and said to Chen Yu, "Chen, you think Penny wants to win the All-Star Game MVP?"
Chen Yu was taken aback. ’This guy noticed.’
O’Neal grinned and patted his chest. "Don’t worry, I’ll help him."
Chen Yu gave O’Neal a strange look. Although time had passed and their relationship had softened, he didn’t think they were *that* close.
O’Neal snorted. "Anyway, I think Penny is the only one in the West who deserves to win the MVP."
The subtext of that statement was that no one else was worthy.
’Who was he talking about?’
It surely wasn’t the big men like Duncan or Nowitzki. Although there was no official rule, guards and forwards generally had a better chance of winning the All-Star Game MVP.
So he must have meant a guard or forward.
’Kobe?’
Chen Yu then remembered seeing media reports about the friction between O’Neal and Kobe, that their relationship wasn’t that great.
Thinking back to yesterday’s practice, O’Neal had barely spoken a word to Kobe on the court.
They were teammates, but this was professional basketball, a job. Just like working in the same company doesn’t mean you have to be friends.
"I hope so," Chen Yu said lightly.
As for the conflict between O’Neal and Kobe, Chen Yu didn’t want to gossip about it.

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