"Covering..."
"Covering completed. Covering effect: Host acquires Level 88 pull-up jumper."
"Only Level 88? System, you telling me McGrady's pull-up is only Level 88? You nerfed my level, didn't you?" Zhao Dong snapped.
"Host's core strength is insufficient, so the technique can only be upgraded to Level 88," the system responded.
"Man, fuck!"
Zhao Dong rolled his eyes, let out a frustrated sigh, then asked, "System, I don't see any subcategories under my strength column. How's my strength divided? What's my core strength looking like?"
"Host, double-tap the 'Strength' column with your consciousness to reveal subcategories," the system instructed.
Zhao Dong did as he was told, and sure enough, three subcategories popped up: Upper-body strength: 85, Lower-body strength: 82, Core strength: 76.
"Damn, only 76? That's some third-rate level shit. Guess an 88 pull-up ain't too bad considering my core strength is ass."
Core strength covered everything from the shoulders to the hips, involving 29 muscles. It was the key to balance, power transfer, and linking the upper and lower body into one smooth system.
For a player like him, aiming to transition to a perimeter-heavy game, core strength was everything. Without a solid core, a lot of perimeter skills wouldn't develop properly.
Thinking about it now, even his cutting ability had different levels. He double-tapped again, and sure enough:
Inside cutting: 90, Outside cutting: 76.
"Inside cutting at 90? Damn, that's elite."
That caught him off guard. He hadn't really thought much about his cutting game. He didn't even cut inside much during games. But looking back, it was Grant's inside cuts that killed the Knicks against the Bulls.
Still, he'd been focused on having the ball in his hands. Cutting was mostly an off-ball skill—didn't fit the way he wanted to play.
"System, if my core strength is weak, can I use skill points to improve my pull-up?" he asked.
"No," the system replied.
"What about my speed? It's already at 86. Can I keep upgrading it?"
"You can raise it to a max of 87," the system answered.
Zhao Dong nodded. Some skills—like post moves—weren't as affected by physical attributes, but others, like shooting off the dribble, were capped by his current body.
"Level 88 pull-up ain't bad. It's close to elite. But shit, if I knew this would happen, I would've waited to cover it after boosting my core strength. System, you scamming me again! Why didn't you warn me?"
"Host, I am merely a program. Please do not assign me additional responsibilities. This is to prevent over-intelligence, which could hinder the host's personal development," the system responded.
Zhao Dong was stunned for a second, then nodded. That… actually made sense.
"Whatever, I gotta crash. Got a back-to-back tomorrow, then we fly to Miami to face the Heat. My stamina's solid, but I need to keep working on it to last the whole season."
---
The next day, December 4th, the Knicks took down the struggling New Jersey Nets on the road, pushing their record to 13-3.
On the 5th, they flew to Miami for their next game.
Zhao Dong kept checking the system for missions, but nothing popped up. No new challenges. That was a letdown.
When the game started, Ewing finally found his rhythm. He went 10-for-20, hit 6-of-7 free throws, and dropped 26 points, 7 boards, 2 dimes, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, and 4 fouls, leading the Knicks to sweep the Heat for the season.
With Ewing stepping up, Zhao Dong's touches went down a bit. He played 33 minutes, shot 7-for-13 (0-for-2 from deep), and went 5-for-6 from the line, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 3 fouls.
Meanwhile, Miami—who came in desperate for revenge—fell apart at home. Alonzo Mourning got locked up by Ewing, shooting just 3-for-10 from the field and finishing with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
On the 7th, back at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks took down the Clippers again, improving to 15-3—still sitting at 2nd in the East.
The Bulls? They were 17-3. Two more wins than the Knicks, but they'd also played two more games.
---
December 9th.
Zhao Dong finally got what he'd been waiting for—a system mission.
[Hall of Fame Sniper Mission: Chris Webber Edition]
Task 1: Hold Chris Webber to under 15 points.
Task 2: Hold Webber to under 6 rebounds.
Task 3: Keep Webber's shooting under 40%.
Task 4: Block Webber 5 times.
Task 5: Commit 2 or fewer turnovers.
Task 6: Drop a 20-point game with either 10 rebounds or 5 assists and 5 blocks, shooting 50% or better.
Mission Rewards:
Complete 3 goals: Earn 1 Quality Point.
Each extra goal completed: Earn +1 Quality Point.
Complete all 6 goals: Double the reward.
No team sniper mission this time—just one-on-one against Webber.
And this wasn't just any sniper mission—this was Hall of Fame level.
Zhao Dong knew Webber was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. The dude was an uncrowned king, the No. 1 pick in '93, and one of the most talented big men ever—but he never won a ring.
At his peak, Webber was a monster.
He was the face of the Kings' Princeton offense, one of the Fab Five legends, and had a rare blend of speed, power, vision, and skill.
And in his fourth season (1996-97), Webber had officially entered his prime. He could score inside and out, pass like a point forward, and crash the boards. Dude was a beast.
Zhao Dong knew locking him up wasn't gonna be easy.
---
The game wasn't nationally televised but was getting regional coverage from MSG Network in New York.
That afternoon, their sports channel ran a pregame breakdown, highlighting the matchup between Webber and Zhao Dong at power forward.
To discuss it, the network brought in two Knicks legends—Walt Frazier and Willis Reed.
Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the 5th overall pick in '67, a Hall of Famer (1987), a 2x champion, a 7x All-Star, and made 7 All-Defensive First Teams.
Willis Reed was the 1964 second-round pick, a Hall of Famer (1982), a 2x champion, a Finals MVP (twice), and even won a regular-season MVP.
Both guys had more rings and accolades than Ewing. Their names carried serious weight with Knicks fans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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