The car arrived at the First Union Center parking lot.
Hardaway got out of the car with his bag and walked with Chen Yu toward the media center.
"I heard you and Latasha are fighting again?" Chen Yu asked casually.
Hardaway sighed helplessly. "We just have too many problems. It might actually be better if we split up."
Their relationship had never been great, and with the gun incident from the year before last, the conflict had grown too large to resolve. Just as Hardaway said, it was probably better for them to go their separate ways.
And from Hardaway’s reaction, it seemed like he had come to terms with it.
"Oh, right. Let me tell you something." Chen Yu’s tone shifted. "From what I’m hearing, the league wants to push you for All-Star Game MVP this time. So you’d better take tomorrow’s game seriously."
Hardaway froze for a moment, surprised. "Are you sure?"
Chen Yu nodded.
Being inside the league, Chen Yu’s information was more reliable. Employees gossiped, and word always found its way to his ears.
"Look at the league’s promotional photos. For the East vs. West matchup, the East has Michael, and the West has you." The media’s promotional photos weren’t worth much; you had to look at the ones the league itself produced.
In all the various promotional photos featuring a showdown between East and West stars, Hardaway was always the one front and center for the West.
This was enough to demonstrate Hardaway’s status and importance.
"This is your first time back in the All-Star Game after overcoming your injuries. Plus, your stats aren’t bad—they’re even better than your peak."
Due to injuries, Hardaway hadn’t made the All-Star team in several years. Besides that, his performance this season was the biggest reason for his return.
So far this season, Hardaway was averaging 24.4 points per game, which was his career-best regular-season average.
It was enough to prove he was still in his prime.
Looking just at the guards in the West, although Kobe was ahead of him, Kobe’s stats in areas other than scoring were inferior to Hardaway’s.
This season, Hardaway was also averaging 5.8 assists per game.
And that was with an assist leader on his own team affecting his numbers; otherwise, his assists would be even higher.
Add to that his 2.1 steals and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Hardaway’s all-around game was still superior to that of Kobe, who was only in his sixth year.
Most importantly, even though Kobe already had two championships, Hardaway’s influence and fame among the general audience were still greater than his.
"Besides, David probably still wants to groom you as the face of the league," Chen Yu added.
Although Jordan had made another comeback, everyone knew he couldn’t save the NBA’s declining ratings this time.
The NBA still needed a franchise-level star. With the television broadcast contract expiring this year, ratings would directly impact the next deal and, by extension, the future of the NBA.
As a result, Hill and Hardaway, both considered Jordan’s successors, had once again entered Stern’s sights.
Analyzing the gossip Chen Yu had heard, Stern’s idea this year was a showdown between Jordan and his successor, with Hardaway lifting the All-Star Game MVP trophy as a symbolic passing of the torch from Jordan.
Even the media was pushing this narrative in their coverage.
Kobe, the young upstart, wasn’t the media’s darling just yet.
Hardaway nodded thoughtfully but didn’t seem very enthusiastic. He shrugged and said, "Honestly, that stuff isn’t that important."
Years of devastating injuries had long since given Hardaway a more tranquil mindset.
Most importantly, he had already experienced glory.
Peaking the moment he debuted, he had enjoyed immense attention and honor from the second he entered the league. For those two years, he was the league’s focal point, the one and only Penny in the hearts of countless fans, with enormous influence.
Because of that, he could face anything with composure.
Chen Yu patted him on the back, a bit speechless. "Why do you sound so old and jaded, like an old man? You’re still a few months shy of 31. By the time Michael was 31, he already had three championships. You’ve wasted a few years, and now that you’ve finally gotten healthy, can’t you push yourself and take back the honors that should have been yours?"
Counting from the season Hardaway first got injured, he had already squandered a full five years due to constant injuries.
If he had stayed healthy for those five years, a championship might not have been guaranteed, but he would certainly have racked up some All-NBA First and Second Team honors.
"Actually, if we’re analyzing personality, neither you nor Hill are suitable successors," Chen Yu added with a sigh.
Hill was famously a perfect gentleman. Although his style of play on the court was fairly dominant, he still lacked that "it’s my world" kind of swagger.
And in that regard, Hardaway was the same.
"Kobe and Iverson, on the other hand... especially Kobe. When it comes to competitiveness and the hunger for glory, he’s got you beat." Chen Yu still remembered how, on the eve of last year’s All-Star Game, the kid had argued with him, desperate to play, shouting that he’d even die on the court.
"He really said that?" Hardaway looked surprised.
Chen Yu nodded. "So that’s something you should learn from him. To be fair, you’ve done a great job while Jason has been out."
With J Kidd out, Hardaway had been carrying the team on his own, truly shouldering the responsibility.
"But it’s not enough. You’ve already wasted five years, and you don’t have many left to prove yourself. So work hard." Chen Yu patted Hardaway again.
Hardaway nodded thoughtfully. It seemed some of it had sunk in.
Just then, the two of them reached the locker room.
Hardaway suddenly stopped and asked, "Chen, was it Brian who told you to say all this to me?"
The more he thought about it, the more it sounded like a therapy session.
"Guess." Chen Yu laughed and turned toward the practice court.
Some of the more punctual players had already arrived, like Hill.
He was surrounded by reporters for an interview, but when he saw Chen Yu, he immediately pushed through them and walked over.
"Thanks for the gift. I think Mira really likes it," Hill said with a smile as he hugged Chen Yu.
Having just returned from China, Chen Yu had also prepared gifts for Hill, Tracy McGrady, and the others. As it was Chinese New Year, Chen Yu had bought a festive cloth tiger doll for Hill’s daughter and mailed it to him. It seemed he had received it.
Tracy McGrady naturally followed him over.
Chen Yu deliberately glanced at Tracy McGrady’s waist and saw he was still wearing a back brace.
"That’s right. Just because the injury is better doesn’t mean you can stop wearing the brace. Keep it on for the whole season, and I’ll help you deal with the underlying back issues in the summer."
Last Christmas, Chen Yu had made a special trip to Orlando to help Tracy McGrady with his back injury.
At the time, Chen Yu’s advice had been to wear a back brace.
Chen Yu had kept an eye on him at first, but then he got busy and couldn’t follow up as much. He had actually been worried that Tracy McGrady would stop wearing it once his back felt better, but it seemed he hadn’t forgotten his instructions.
After a few more words, Chen Yu turned to go talk to the other players from the West.
But he had only taken two steps before he was blocked by reporters.
They all seemed to be reporters from China.
Chen Yu also spotted Su Jun, whom he remembered from before.
The man pushing to the front was a smiling older gentleman, none other than Zhang Weiping. He stopped Chen Yu and immediately asked, "Doctor Chen, I know you went to China last week and watched the Eastern Team’s Yao Ming play live with a scout from the Suns. Does that mean the Suns are interested in Yao Ming and plan to select him in this year’s draft?"
It had been just a three-day trip, and on the day Chen Yu watched the game live, he hadn’t accepted any media interviews afterward.
However, the Eastern Team had proactively released some information, claiming the Suns were interested in Yao Ming.
Chen Yu smiled. "We were just conducting routine player scouting. Besides, I’m just the team doctor. I have no idea who will be selected in the draft."
With that, Chen Yu smiled and squeezed through the crowd to leave.
The reporters didn’t dare stop him again. Su Jun said with a sigh of resignation, "He’s so tight-lipped. He really won’t reveal a single concrete detail."
Zhang Weiping sighed and nodded in agreement. ’Might as well ask Brian directly rather than Chen Yu.’
"Don." Chen Yu walked up to Old Nelson to greet him.
The head coach for the West at this year’s All-Star Game was Old Nelson of the Mavericks.
The Mavericks had moved to a new home arena this year. New arena, new atmosphere.
After an early-season slump, they had quickly found their form, surged unexpectedly, and charged to first place in the West before the All-Star break.
It had to be said, the competition in the West was incredibly fierce this year.
The top team in the East was the Magic, with a 30-18 record.
Meanwhile, the Suns, who also had 30 wins, had slipped all the way down to sixth place in the West.
It was simply unbelievable.
After exchanging a quick pleasantry, Chen Yu looked up and noticed a familiar face standing behind Nelson.
Doug Rivers!
He was wearing an assistant coach’s uniform; he must be one of Nelson’s assistants.
Chen Yu hadn’t really followed the news about him and had no idea he had gone to the Mavericks as an assistant coach.
He had clearly seen Chen Yu as well. He hesitated for a moment, gave a slight nod, and then turned and walked away.
They were in the same league, bound to run into each other. Rivers did want to ease the tension with Chen Yu.
He didn’t want to be enemies with Chen Yu.
You could say that no one in the entire league wanted to be on Chen Yu’s bad side, especially not the coaches. Every coach had players who could get injured, and if they did, they might need to ask Chen Yu for help.
But whenever he remembered that he had been demoted from head coach to assistant coach because of Chen Yu, Rivers couldn’t bring himself to smile. The fact that he could even manage a nod was something.
Chen Yu’s gaze followed Rivers as he walked away, then he looked away, pretending he hadn’t seen him.
Just like last year, it was called a practice, but it was more of a get-together for the stars from various teams to hang out and chat.
Chen Yu was talking with Kobe when Hardaway and Jordan walked onto the practice court together.
Instantly, the reporters who had been surrounding the other players swarmed over to them like a tidal wave.
Now *that* was star power.
"What, jealous?" Chen Yu noticed Kobe beside him staring intently at the two in the distance, his eyes filled with defiance.
Kobe snorted softly and didn’t say a word, but that snort was the best answer he could have given.
Chen Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. ’This kid’s competitive streak is a little too strong. I mean, come on, the man is your senior, after all.’
Of course, based on his individual stats, Kobe was now a star in his own right, more or less.
Even though he had two championships under his belt, he was constantly ridiculed by some media outlets as being a sidekick to O’Neal—a Lakers mascot, or something like that. But at the end of the day, he had the rings, didn’t he?
A guy like Ewing was still dreaming of winning a championship.

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