After going through his data over and over, Zhao Dong thought of something and asked, "Yo, System, why did my physical attributes boost my rebounding and blocking, but my offensive skills never leveled up?"
"Offensive skills are more complex and can't be upgraded just by improving physical attributes," the system replied.
"Oh, that's how it is." Zhao Dong nodded in understanding.
On the morning of the 15th, the Knicks were still knocked out in their hotel in San Antonio, while the Bulls had already touched down in Minnesota. Over at their hotel, Jordan was chopping it up with the media.
"That's the deal, Mike. You'll meet him on the 21st. If you accept, the bet is set in stone, and the media will be your witnesses," said a reporter.
Among them was a familiar face, a reporter who had interviewed Zhao Dong in Houston. He brought up Zhao Dong's challenge to Jordan.
When Jordan heard about the bet, he was pissed and straight-up unimpressed.
He couldn't understand where this rookie got the balls to challenge him.
In his eyes, Zhao Dong was putting up decent numbers, but that's it. He was just another solid starter—maybe an All-Star at best—but nowhere near great. Plenty of guys in NBA history had put up similar numbers. Was that enough to come at him? Hell no.
"This dude just loves hyping himself up. That's all he does. He's smart, I'll give him that…" Jordan scoffed.
"But he made the bet, and you're not gonna take it?" the reporter asked with a hint of disrespect.
Jordan snorted.
Man, he was a gambler to his core. He'd bet on anything. There was no way in hell he'd back down now. He just hated that Zhao Dong was getting another excuse to stay in the spotlight.
But this bet? It was too damn good to pass up.
The God of Basketball.
That title. That level. That supreme status.
Even the most die-hard media and fans had never officially crowned him like that.
Even he had never outright thought of himself that way.
But now? A rookie just put it out there as part of a bet.
How could he not take it?
This was his shot at sealing his legacy as a god. And best of all? He knew the Bulls would stomp the Knicks. This was a win-win.
"Michael, ignore that rookie. He ain't even on your level to be making bets with you," Jerry Krause interrupted.
Jordan glanced at Krause, snorted, then said firmly, "Tell Zhao Dong I'm in."
Krause shook his head, already knowing how stubborn Jordan could be. His determination made him great—but if he ever crashed, it'd be because of that same relentless personality.
"Oh, hell yeah!" the reporter cheered.
Other media members got hyped too.
Jordan himself felt a rush of excitement. He could already picture it—the day he officially became a god in basketball. Including this season, he had maybe two years left at his peak.
And right now, his confidence was on another level. He was ready for war.
That afternoon, the media blew up the story. News of the bet between Jordan and Zhao Dong spread across North America like wildfire.
This was the first time the title "God of Basketball" was officially linked to Jordan. Before this, no media outlet had really put that label on him. The impact was huge. Major outlets started running headlines:
New York Daily News: "The Air vs. The Tyrant: The Hottest Sports Bet of the Year!"
Los Angeles Daily News: "Michael Jordan's Path to Basketball Godhood Begins Here."
With this news, Zhao Dong's fame skyrocketed.
Just like Jordan suspected, even though Zhao Dong wasn't trying to stir up hype, the hype was now insane.
Dude was more famous than most NBA All-Stars.
At this point, Zhao Dong was one of the most talked-about names in the entire league.
When he found out Jordan accepted the bet, he didn't feel nervous—he was ready.
This was an all-or-nothing gamble.
If he didn't take down Jordan within two seasons, he'd be a laughingstock. Meanwhile, if Jordan pulled it off, he'd cement his god-like legacy forever.
"Two seasons. That's all I need. I will kill a god," Zhao Dong muttered to himself.
This was his god-slaying mission.
That same day, the league dropped their Top 5 Plays, and Zhao Dong's disrespectful three-pointer over Barkley made the cut for the third time. His cocky trash talk and early celebration had fans going crazy.
Later that night, the Knicks took down the Spurs in a back-to-back game.
San Antonio was in a slump, and even though they had Gregg Popovich leading them, they were getting cooked on losing streaks. After taking the L against the Knicks, they dropped to 9-26, second-worst in the West—only ahead of the Grizzlies.
On the 16th, the Knicks arrived in Phoenix to prep for their game against the Suns on the 18th.
Phoenix was sitting at 13-25, and their playoff hopes were fading fast.
Offensively, they were still solid, averaging almost 103 points per game. But Jason Kidd, who had just been traded, was out with an injury.
Steve Nash, the 15th pick in the '96 Draft, barely got playing time—averaging just 10 minutes per game, 3.3 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists. The dude wasn't trusted by head coach Danny Ainge yet.
The Knicks were clearly the better squad, so they should've walked away with an easy win.
But in the NBA, ain't nobody a pushover. If a team caught fire, anything could happen.
And this time? The Knicks got caught slippin'.
Ewing went off, dropping 28 points and 13 rebounds. Zhao Dong had a solid game, too—taking just 12 shots but finishing with 25 points and 9 rebounds.
But then there was Allan Houston.
Dude took 18 shots, hit 7, and ended with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Zhao Dong was baffled. Why the hell was Houston chucking up shots like crazy? The ball barely came out of his hands. If he had just dialed back on the forced threes, they might've won.
Back at the hotel, Zhao Dong went straight to Tom Thibodeau to get some answers.
Turns out, Houston's agent had been pressing the team to get him more shots.
"Wait… so that's settled?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Nah," Thibodeau shook his head. "The team can't just guarantee him 15 shots while also guaranteeing you 15 shots."
"Fifteen?"
The hell?
Houston jacked up 18 shots tonight—six more than his usual.
Zhao Dong was not happy about that. He never even pulled something like that, and he was a rookie.
"Tonight was just an outlier. Jeff's already pissed and having a talk with him," Thibodeau added.
Zhao Dong nodded.
Van Gundy was still a young coach, and with a veteran star like Ewing in the mix, his control over the team wasn't rock-solid yet. If he hadn't been with the Knicks for years as an assistant, things would've been even rougher.
At that moment, Thibodeau smirked and said, "Zhao Dong, you were a menace tonight. You showed some serious firepower—keep that up."
Zhao Dong grinned, feeling a bit of pride.
His game was evolving fast.
His improved lateral quickness made him a monster in the paint. His footwork was sharper, making it easier to shake defenders. And his boosted explosiveness? That just made his attacks deadly.
Right now, his interior game was straight-up lethal.
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