Inside the gym, Milicic was on his back on the floor, a barbell of over a hundred pounds on his abdomen, repeatedly performing hip thrusts.
He clenched his jaw as large drops of sweat dripped onto the floor, and the legs supporting his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"20!"
After gritting his teeth to finish the last one, Milicic almost collapsed right there on the floor.
Before he could even take a deep breath, Nelson’s demonic voice rang out, "Don’t stop! Get up! Ten-meter sprints!"
Alex, who was standing beside Nelson, immediately translated the instructions for Milicic.
Milicic glanced at Alex, gritted his teeth, and climbed to his feet. He put on a resistance band to begin the short-distance sprint training.
Nelson also had Alex stand at the 10-meter finish line holding a small dumbbell. Milicic had to sprint to her and grab the dumbbell from her hand to complete one explosive sprint drill.
"Come on."
Seeing Milicic panting like an ox, Alex couldn’t help but offer a word of encouragement.
Milicic felt his vision starting to black out, and he charged toward Alex on sheer willpower alone.
Alex stretched out her arm and quickly handed the dumbbell to Milicic.
For a brief moment, their hands touched.
"Do it again, Dako! Are your legs giving out? Do you need Alex to help you finish?" Nelson’s voice boomed once more.
Alex’s eyes flickered. Not daring to delay, she quickly translated.
A sudden wave of shame and anger washed over Milicic. ’My legs aren’t giving out!’
With a roar, Milicic charged forward again.
Just then, Chen Yu came by on his rounds.
Nelson went over to Chen Yu and said in a low voice, "Chen, you’re a sly one. Getting Alex involved in the training has seriously boosted Dako’s motivation."
It was Chen Yu who had somehow convinced Farooq to take some time off.
That meant Alex had to take over the daily translation duties during training.
Chen Yu secretly shook his head. ’This is just an external motivator. Ultimately, Milicic needs to find the drive to improve from within.’
More than half an hour later, Milicic finally completed all his exercises. The moment Alex told him the training was over, he collapsed to the floor.
His chest heaved rapidly, as if his heart was about to pound out of it.
"Don’t let him lie there. Get him up."
Chen Yu came over with Nelson and urged Milicic to get up.
The workout was just the beginning; post-workout recovery was the most crucial part.
Without proper recovery, not only would the training be ineffective, but it could also lead to injury.
The process involved cryotherapy to reduce lactic acid buildup, a hands-on massage from Chen Yu to relieve muscle fatigue, and finally, half an hour in a microgravity Floating Pod to induce deep sleep, which would stimulate the body’s self-healing abilities and accelerate recovery.
Paul Allen was truly willing to spend money. The Suns only had one microgravity Floating Pod, which the players had to share.
He, on the other hand, had purchased four of them at once.
When Milicic climbed out of the microgravity Floating Pod, he felt like a new man.
Food was already prepared for him in the cafeteria.
Because the equipment was used at different times, training schedules were staggered, so when Milicic got to the cafeteria, only a few people were there.
"Over here."
Alex waved him over. She had already gotten his food for the day.
Milicic quickly sat down, first chugging a bottle of Physical Fitness No.1 before starting to dig in.
Alex didn’t just sit idly by; she took out a philosophy book and began to read.
Seeing Milicic look at her curiously, Alex smiled. "You’re training so hard. How could I possibly slack off? I’m thinking about getting another degree, in philosophy."
Just as Milicic was about to speak, Lynam suddenly walked in and shouted to the few people in the cafeteria, "Don’t go anywhere after you’re done eating. There’s an event this afternoon you need to attend, right here in the arena."
「At two in the afternoon」 The Pioneer had invited a group of students to visit the team’s Hall of Honor.
Inside the Hall of Honor, the most eye-catching exhibit was, naturally, the championship trophy the Pioneer had won in 1977.
Alex accompanied Milicic, who was surrounded by children scrambling for his autograph.
With the toxic elements of the team all cleared out, the team’s culture had shifted. The Portland fans were once again placing their hopes in this group of young players.
As the core of the team’s rebuild, combined with his wholesome, handsome looks, Milicic quickly gained a fanbase.
The old "Jail Blazers" team had been notorious, and Chen Yu felt their looks had something to do with it.
From Wallace to McKinney, they all looked fierce and unapproachable.
"You know, more and more people are starting to like you," Alex said with a grin. "Even my parents know who you are. They were shocked when they found out I was your translator."
Milicic’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.
He could tangibly feel the changes Alex was talking about.
For example, when he walked to the arena, more and more people would greet him along the way.
Milicic was slowly growing to love this city and its people.
Just then, Chen Yu, Rivers, and John Nash walked in with another person.
Many of the students present recognized the man and erupted in screams and cheers.
"The Enforcer!"
A student yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping up and down.
Even Alex’s eyes, right beside him, lit up with excitement.
"Dako, it’s The Enforcer! It’s Lucas!" In her excitement, Alex grabbed Milicic’s arm and shook it.
Milicic subconsciously glanced down. He didn’t recognize the man; his attention was focused solely on Alex’s hand on his arm.
The two of them had never been this close before.
Pioneer legend Maurice Lucas, nicknamed "The Enforcer," walked forward with a smile, high-fiving the students in the front row.
Getting into the spirit, he even struck a boxing stance, bobbing his head and throwing a few mock punches.
This action triggered another wave of screams.
The Portland People would never forget Game 2 of the ’77 Finals. To protect a teammate, Maurice Lucas had stepped up and gotten into a boxing-style brawl with Darryl Dawkins of the 76ers, a man nicknamed "Chocolate Thunder."
Although they were both ejected and the team lost the game, falling behind 0-2 in the series, Lucas’s action galvanized the team. The Pioneer, rallying under the cry "For Maurice," staged a comeback and went on to have their most glorious season.
That moment earned Lucas the nickname "The Enforcer" and made him a symbol of the relentless fighting spirit of the Portland People.
As Alex finished recounting Maurice Lucas’s story at a rapid pace, Milicic looked at the children, their faces flushed with excitement, and felt his own heart fill with a powerful, inexplicable thrill.
In front of that very championship trophy, Maurice Lucas smiled as he recounted the history of their title run.
"I was in the locker room at the time, and I didn’t regret it one bit. My teammate was getting pushed around, so I had to step up for him."
"I remember when Bill and the others came back to the locker room. The first thing I asked was whether we’d won. He told me we lost, but then he fiercely swore that we would absolutely win the next one!"
"And then we won. Fellas, when everyone thinks you can’t do it, when they think you’re going to lose, as long as you don’t give up on yourselves, there’s always hope of winning."
"I was willing to do anything to win, because you only know how wonderful that moment is after you’ve won."
"So, kids, you have to work hard."
Maurice Lucas turned to look at the championship trophy in its glass case, his gaze complex and profound.
Alex was swept up in the emotion, her heart filled with excitement. She suddenly turned her head and said, "Dako, you have to work hard, too! Just like Lucas said, winning is such a wonderful feeling. I remember it clearly, after you guys beat the Fast Ship, your smile was so bright. I bet you were incredibly happy then."
A smile on her face, she looked directly at Milicic, her eyes unwavering.
In all this time, the rebuilding Pioneer had only won a single game.
Milicic froze, his mind drifting back to that game.
That was the game. They had fought hard for that win; it was a narrow victory.
But in the moment he grabbed that crucial rebound to secure their lead, Milicic truly felt an indescribable passion wash over him.
In that moment, he had tilted his head back and roared.
It was as if, in that instant, Milicic had rediscovered his passion for the game.
He had given up music and the tuba to play basketball and had stuck with it until now. Milicic suddenly realized that he had always loved basketball because, deep down, he wanted to win and savor that beautiful moment.
Milicic nodded forcefully. Just as he was about to speak, Maurice Lucas, in the center of the crowd, suddenly called his name.
Alex quickly gave Milicic a push.
Milicic finally snapped out of it and squeezed through the crowd to Maurice Lucas’s side.
Lucas patted Milicic’s shoulder, saying something with a smile.
He spoke quickly and with an accent, so Milicic didn’t understand much, but he could feel the man’s goodwill. It seemed like he was being praised.
"Keep it up!"
Finally, Maurice Lucas turned and hugged Milicic.
Seeing the blank look on Milicic’s face, Maurice Lucas realized what was happening and said with a laugh, "Dako, you didn’t understand a word I was saying, did you?"
Milicic’s dumbfounded expression drew a round of laughter from everyone there.
"Don’t worry," Maurice Lucas said with a grin. "We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other."
His visit this time wasn’t as simple as just being invited to an event.
Rivers and Chen Yu had sought him out together and invited him to join the Pioneer’s coaching staff.
The purpose was to train Milicic, as well as other young big men like Randolph O’Ku.
After the presentation, the players accompanied the children to the practice court for some activities.
Chen Yu hesitated for a moment before pulling Maurice Lucas back to walk with him at the rear of the group.
"Chen, what’s up?"
Maurice Lucas asked, puzzled.
Chen Yu said, "Morris, this may be a bit forward of me, but I was wondering, when was your last physical check-up?"
Maurice Lucas froze. Coming from a top doctor like Chen Yu, a question like that was not a good sign.
"I don’t think I’ve had one in a while. Why, Chen? I’ve always been in great health," Maurice Lucas asked, his smile fading.
Chen Yu chose his words carefully, saying with a smile, "I was in the restroom earlier, and it seemed like you were having some trouble urinating. When you have time, you should get your bladder checked. You know how it is with men, that area can be prone to issues."
Maurice Lucas was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. He gave Chen Yu a playful punch on the arm and said, full of pride, "Don’t worry, I’m still plenty strong in *that* department."
Chen Yu silently rolled his eyes. ’Great. That was a complete waste of breath.’

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