Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 191 - 141: Did Hardaway Ever Reach His Peak?

"What are you doing here again?"

Chen Yu looked at Jordan, who had just sat down beside him.

Jordan pouted, his tone aggressive. "I’ll come if I want to. None of your business."

Chen Yu turned and pointed to his own eyes. "What are these?"

Jordan frowned, not understanding.

"The whites of my eyes," Chen Yu said, rolling them at Jordan.

’This guy has such a bad temper.’

Chen Yu had invited him to watch a game at the US Airways Center before, but the old guy didn’t come.

Now, just as he was about to leave, Jordan had shown up on his own.

Jordan shook his head, speechless. He then gestured toward Olajuwon on the court with his chin and asked, "You’re not going to do anything about that? It’s so embarrassing."

Chen Yu retorted, "It’s not embarrassing you. He likes it, so why should you care? By the way, don’t worry. Your Wizards will be practicing it too."

"What do you mean?" Jordan was so startled his eyebrows nearly flew off his face.

Chen Yu grinned. "Exactly what I said. It’s an excellent warm-up method and good for the body, so I plan to promote it throughout the league. Besides, this is also what David wants."

Jordan stared blankly at Chen Yu.

’Promote it throughout the whole league? Is he serious?’

"You’re not joking, are you?" If this was promoted to the Wizards, wouldn’t he have to practice it too?

Still smiling, Chen Yu asked in return, "What do you think?"

Jordan immediately fell silent. With a dark expression, he said, "I’m not practicing it, no matter what."

Chen Yu just laughed and ignored him.

Of course, Chen Yu was just kidding. He acknowledged that the Five Animals Qigong had some benefits, especially after incorporating breathing techniques, but he didn’t believe it was superior to professional, scientific training.

You could say it was more like the icing on the cake.

If a player felt it was good, liked it, and wanted to practice it, then they could, just like Olajuwon.

If they didn’t like it, Chen Yu wouldn’t force them.

When Stern asked him to share his experience, he meant his experience with scientific training, not making every player in the league perform the Five Animals Qigong before a game.

Chen Yu turned his head to look at the opposing bench and saw the tall player from China he had met in Denver.

’The new season is about to start. I wonder if he’ll be able to stay on the team.’

Before the game, Isel had come over specifically to ask about McDyess’s condition.

The old man was clearly filled with regret; his decision had nearly ruined an All-Star.

"Actually, he just had his surgery today. It was very successful."

"That’s good. Thank you."

Isel didn’t chat for long before turning to leave.

Jordan’s gaze followed Isel as he walked away. Then he said with a sigh, "Dan is a good person. If Antonio’s career had been ruined because of this, he would never have been able to forgive himself."

A former member of the high-flying trio, the "Sprite of the Colorado Plateau," and a legend who had helped orchestrate the league’s first-ever eighth-seed upset.

Chen Yu sighed.

Back when he was with the Nuggets, Chen Yu had been furious, but thinking back on it now, Isel couldn’t shoulder all the blame.

The doctor who made the initial diagnosis was the real culprit.

’Incompetent doctors can kill people.’

「At 6:00 PM, the game officially began.」

Olajuwon leaped up and cleanly won the tip-off over Reef LaFrentz’s head.

Hardaway struck first.

He caught the ball on the baseline, shook off Wahad, and postured as if to drive to the basket.

Directly in front of the hoop, Olajuwon cut toward the basket, also looking like he was about to attack the rim. Hardaway raised his arm, seemingly about to pass to him.

That single motion faked out all three Nuggets players near the basket.

Wahad, in particular, turned his head and lunged toward Olajuwon.

But the pass never came. Hardaway took a gather step and threw down a powerful dunk.

"Not bad." Jordan clapped politely.

In his mind, Hardaway was just that kind of smart, or rather, cunning player who often used his exquisite passing skills to deceive his opponents.

At that moment, Chen Yu suddenly recalled something Hardaway had once said to him back in Orlando.

At the time, Hardaway had said that for Hill, injuries had come knocking before he could even reach his peak, that his prime had yet to arrive.

As for himself, Hardaway said that he had already reached his peak, and it was injuries that had dragged him down.

But thinking about it carefully now, had Hardaway really reached his peak?

In his third season, he had averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

But in the very next season, he began to suffer from injuries. After that, he was constantly injured and never played a full season again.

Hill, at least, had played six full seasons with the Pistons.

By that logic, Hardaway’s career had started to decline in his third year, at the young age of 25.

He said he had already hit his prime, but in reality, he hadn’t at all.

But now, after a full year of rest and recovery, Hardaway’s body was finally back to its peak condition.

So this year should be the one where he had the best chance of hitting his peak—his true peak.

"Michael, do you think Anfernee can average thirty-plus points, like you?" Chen Yu turned to ask the Jordan beside him.

"Thirty-plus?"

Jordan’s voice rose a little. Weren’t those numbers exclusive to him, the God of Basketball?

But in the last couple of years, a bunch of young guys had started to rise up.

Last season, Iverson averaged 31.1 points, nearly catching up to him.

As for Hardaway?

Jordan grinned but didn’t answer right away.

"What about Grant?" Chen Yu pressed. In last season’s playoffs, Hill had put up huge numbers and completed an eighth-seed upset.

"They’re different," Jordan said, shaking his head.

One’s a small forward, the other started as a point guard. They don’t even play the same position, so it’s not fair to compare them directly.

Hill is physically strong; he can back you down in the post.

"Let me put it this way." Jordan had clearly given the question some serious thought. "Grant is the kind of player whose ceiling I can see at a glance. He’s incredible, of course—very well-rounded, can score a lot of points. When healthy, he’s still the best small forward in the league, and he’ll definitely make it into the Hall of Fame."

"But while many players can get into the Hall of Fame, there can only ever be one God of Basketball—me."

Chen Yu silently rolled his eyes. ’He can’t go three sentences without talking about himself. You’re really something else.’

Jordan continued, "But Anfernee is different. All I can say is, he has limitless potential."

Chen Yu was starting to understand. "So you’re saying Anfernee’s ceiling might be higher."

Jordan grinned, then added arrogantly, "Of course, neither of them are as good as me."

Chen Yu shivered. He didn’t want to talk about this anymore and focused on the game.

As he watched, Chen Yu noticed that Hardaway seemed to have a very strong desire to score today.

Chen Yu hadn’t watched the previous few games in person, but he had watched the recordings afterward.

He had been keeping a close eye on Hardaway’s condition.

In those games, the team was still under J Kidd’s control. Hardaway wasn’t actively calling for the ball or even bringing it up the court to initiate the offense himself like he was tonight.

But he was really making his shots.

Chen Yu wasn’t keeping track of the stats, but it seemed like Hardaway had barely missed a shot in the first quarter.

’Could it be because Jordan is here?’

’As the "heir apparent," maybe he feels the need to compete now that the man himself has shown up.’

"Hakeem’s in good shape," Jordan suddenly said from beside him.

He had been busy with training and hadn’t paid much attention to the preseason. This was his first time watching the Phoenix Suns play, and he was surprised to find that Olajuwon seemed to be able to jump around again.

Facing this big white guy from the Nuggets whose name he couldn’t even recall—a big man who inexplicably liked to run out and shoot threes—Olajuwon was putting on a clinic, schooling him under the basket so badly he didn’t know which way was up.

Chen Yu smiled, pleased. "What did you expect? He’s very healthy now."

Actually, Olajuwon had kept himself in pretty good physical condition throughout his career. He had rarely missed games or suffered any career-ending injuries.

After the surgery and with so many recovery treatments poured into him, aside from his age, his body was perfectly healthy.

Just as he said that, on the court, Olajuwon turned to provide help defense and blocked Scott Williams’s shot.

In that instant, his turn and his vertical leap were nothing like that of a 38-year-old veteran.

Even Jordan grinned at the sight.

At the center position, aside from not having O’Neal’s freakish physique, Olajuwon was the perfect answer—omnipotent and skilled in every aspect.

Defensive coverage under the basket with no blind spots, the all-time leader in blocks, getting a quadruple-double with blocks—that was all him.

It was only in the last two years, when he really couldn’t jump anymore, that his block numbers began to plummet.

But now, it was as if he had rediscovered his old shot-blocking ability.

It wasn’t just Olajuwon, but Ewing too.

Coming off the bench against the Nuggets’ weak interior, he played with an air of dominance, taking whatever he wanted.

Jordan’s expression grew a little more serious.

He knew how important a top-tier team doctor was for maintaining a player’s condition.

But for two old guys approaching forty to have this kind of resurgence was still too incredible to believe.

He turned to look at Chen Yu, and a thought that had crossed his mind more than once resurfaced: ’It would be great if Chen Yu went to the Wizards.’

’At my age, I also need a top-tier team doctor to keep me going.’

’Or maybe... I should just come to the Phoenix Suns?’

’Winning a championship with a guy like Ewing, who doesn’t even have a Championship Ring... he’d have to get on his knees and worship me.’

But the thought was fleeting. Jordan wasn’t actually that concerned about another championship.

He already had six rings. If he won a few more, he’d run out of fingers.

In the first quarter, Hardaway played for over eight minutes, shooting 4 for 5 and adding free throws to score 11 points.

His performance was so incredible that even Skiles on the sideline exclaimed in disbelief.

It wasn’t just a feeling. According to the scientific data Chen Yu compiled, Hardaway’s condition had been steadily improving.

But today, he was clearly performing a little too well.

But Skiles didn’t say anything. He was more than happy to see Hardaway in such good form.

This season’s Phoenix Suns were full of old guys.

J Kidd was a guy who, for the life of him, wouldn’t attack, and Marion was still a bit green. This Phoenix Suns team’s ceiling would ultimately be determined by Hardaway.

The only thing giving Skiles a bit of a headache was that everyone in the current starting lineup was too good at passing.

Never mind J Kidd, the assist king—he had no desire to do anything but pass.

Hardaway also loved to pass.

Robinson and Olajuwon were older and had reached an age where they were no longer obsessed with stats, content to contribute to winning.

This was especially true given this season’s core tactical philosophy, which had Olajuwon frequently operating outside the paint and often passing from the high post.

With things being this way, it felt like no one was left to attack.

Under these circumstances, it was actually a good thing if Hardaway could play more aggressively and focus on scoring.