The longest river

Chapter 2 A small test of one’s skills
Training ended at 5 p.m., which is usually the time when the team members would be rushing home for dinner.

But today, everyone stayed in the training hall, and everyone was eagerly waiting.

Yang Shuai's head-on confrontation with Luther today was already shocking enough, let alone his current daring to challenge him to a one-on-one fight. How could we miss such a spectacle?
What's even more surprising is that Johnson also stood on the sidelines with great interest, arms crossed, looking like he was watching a show.

American basketball has a strong one-on-one culture, so this kind of thing is not uncommon. However, Johnson, like everyone else, was clearly curious about where Yang got the courage to accept Luther's one-on-one invitation.

Luther dribbled the ball onto the court, and the way he looked at Yang Shuai was like looking at a fish that had been placed on a chopping board, wondering where to cut it.

However, Yang Shuai looked very relaxed at this moment.

He had already used the newbie pack before the training ended.

He first used a single attribute enhancement card to raise his three-point attribute to 60.

The reason for choosing three-pointers is that the original owner's shooting talent was relatively average.

Three-pointers are the most efficient type of shot, and they align with the future development trend of basketball.

Immediately afterwards, he used an all-attribute ability enhancement card to raise all his abilities to their maximum limit.

At this moment, all of his attributes on the system panel have been pushed to their maximum limits.

With multiple attributes of 50+, defeating a high school loser is a piece of cake.

They played American-style one-on-one, with the basic rules being that the ball is inbounded from the three-point line, you can only dribble three times, and each attack cannot exceed 10 seconds. Whoever scores 8 points first wins.

After Yang Shuai entered the game, Luther immediately signaled for him to go to the three-point line.

In a one-on-one matchup, there's usually a process involved, like flipping a coin, comparing three-pointers, or free throws. But Luther simply gave the first shot to Yang Shuai.

"Are you sure?" Yang Shuai asked to confirm.

"Don't let anyone say I'm bullying you." Luther is the captain of the school team, while Yang Shuai is just a substitute player on the junior team. The two sides are mismatched in this one-on-one match.

"Then you won't have a chance to touch the ball." Yang Shuai said with a regretful expression.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +58".

Luther snorted and tossed the ball over.

He didn't understand why Yang Shuai, who used to be bullied by everyone, suddenly seemed like a different person, but basketball is about skill, not words.

The more Yang Shuai talks now, the more ridiculous he'll seem after he's been thoroughly humiliated by Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai received the ball and made no extra movements, raising his hand to shoot a three-pointer.

His current open three-point shooting rating is 62, which is NBA level.

Luther never expected Yang Shuai to pull up for the ball like that. He knew that three-pointers were very inconsistent, and if they missed, the ball would have to be switched.

"Shh!"

The basketball traced a perfect parabola through the air and swished through the net.

The crowd of onlookers stirred.

Is Yang Shuai very accurate with three-pointers?

Or was it just good luck?
They weren't really sure at the moment, since Yang Shuai, who rarely got to play and often missed training, was practically invisible on the school team.

Yang Shuai looked very excited at this moment.

Although he only made an open three-pointer, the feeling of shooting was one of ease he had never experienced before.

Compared to his previous life, the original owner's basketball talent in this body was far superior.

Unfortunately, the original owner couldn't even get enough to eat, so basketball training was out of the question, and naturally, he had no chance to realize his talent.

"So that's where your confidence comes from. Turns out you've been secretly practicing three-pointers. But you won't be making a second one." Luther passed the ball to Yang Shuai again, then pressed his defense directly in front of Yang Shuai.

Then he paid the price for his choice, because Yang Shuai accelerated and passed him.

Yang Shuai's speed in breaking through is not particularly fast. Even with the enhancement card, his ability to break through and lay up is only 50, which is just enough to reach the level of an NCAA player.

But Luther, wary of Luther's aggressive three-point defense, gave him an excellent opportunity to score.

However, Luther did not give up. Known for his running and jumping abilities, he gritted his teeth and chased after Luther with all his might.

The two rushed into the free throw line one after the other.

Yang Shuai jumped from a position more than two meters away from the basket.

Another gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.

Luther, who jumped after him, quickly realized something was wrong.

Because Yang Shuai wasn't going to go for a layup, he was going to... dunk!
This distance?

Yang Shuai was in the air at that moment, and he was also startled.

There is a big difference between dunking and shooting. Although his sprint dunking ability of 52 is definitely enough, he didn't get the timing of his jump right on his first attempt, and the ball went too far.

Fortunately, his wingspan is quite good.

"Oh!"

The moment Yang Shuai slammed the ball into the basket with a powerful two-handed gliding dunk, the crowd went wild.

Johnson's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Yang Shuai's talent is truly enviable.

Upon landing, Yang Shuai couldn't contain his excitement and shouted.

In his past life, he couldn't even touch the rim no matter how hard he tried, but just now, even though he missed his jump, he was still able to easily slam the ball into the basket. It felt so good!

"What did you just say?" Yang Shuai turned around and looked at Luther with a smile.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +108".

Luther's face flushed red; he was both shocked and angry.

He never imagined that Yang Shuai's basketball skills were so strong!

So all that previous subservience was just a prelude to giving him a hard time today?

You're just pretending to be weak to take advantage of others!

Yang Shuai received the ball again, and Luther was already at a loss as to how to defend.

If you give him a step, Yang Shuai can shoot a three-pointer, and his release speed is very fast; if you close him down, Yang Shuai can directly break through.

In the brief moment Luther hesitated, Yang Shuai received the ball, made a quick breakthrough into the paint, and easily scored a layup. 3-0.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +60".

Yang Shuai looked at Luther again, whose expression was extremely dejected.

Three consecutive rounds were enough to prove one thing: there was indeed a huge disparity in strength between them, just the opposite of what Luther had imagined.

"You can choose to surrender, but surrendering means you lose half the battle," Yang Shuai suggested with a smile, looking at Luther who seemed to have lost his fighting spirit.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +216".

Luther's dejected expression instantly turned into anger, and he glared fiercely at Yang Shuai.

If looks could kill, Yang Shuai would have been torn to pieces by now.

However, Yang Shuai simply shrugged.

His change of heart and agreement to fight Luther was not primarily about getting breakfast from him; his main goal was to continue earning points from Luther.

Although he doesn't fully understand how the system acquires points yet, one thing is certain: someone with Luther's temperament is the best target for acquiring points.

Luther served the ball again, still pressing forward, but unlike his previous defense, he placed his hand directly on Yang Shuai's arm and then directly on his body.

Yang Shuai was unable to get the ball across the field due to this defensive method.

Although his stats on the panel have reached their maximum, his weight will not change, and combat is his biggest disadvantage right now.

Moreover, the no-handcheck rule had been in effect for over 20 years in his previous life, so Luther's defensive style was not allowed, which made him very uncomfortable.

Luther's eyes shone with renewed confidence.

As long as he can defend against Yang Shuai's attacks, he still has a chance to turn the tide!

"6, 5..."

As his teammates on the sidelines began counting down the seconds, Yang Shuai turned his back and then made a breakthrough by turning to the right.

Luther moved quickly to maintain his defensive position, but Yang Shuai's next move once again surprised him.

Because after Yang Shuai turned around, he chose to step back and shoot a three-pointer after the initial shot.

Just as Yang Shuai's defensive style is not suited to this era, Luther was also caught off guard by this modern basketball three-point offensive style.

In fact, even if he had realized it, it would have been useless, because Yang Shuai's step back had already quickly widened the distance between them.

Yang Shuai even had time to shake his shoulders and adjust his posture before taking the three-pointer.

"Shh!"

The basketball, as if equipped with a positioning device, swished through the net once again.

4 is better than 0!

The players on the sidelines couldn't help but cheer.

Yang Shuai's offensive choice just now was truly unbelievable.

After scoring, Yang Shuai made a Jordan-esque shrug at Luther.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +160".

Luther, who had just begun to build confidence, suffered another blow to his self-confidence.

"Are you regretting giving me possession of the ball now?" Yang Shuai received the ball from a player on the sidelines, dribbled it twice, and then passed it to Luther.

Luther paused for a moment after receiving the ball, then a glimmer of new hope appeared in his eyes.

Is Yang Shuai giving him a chance because he feels he has too much of an advantage?

Although he couldn't stop Yang Shuai just now, he knew that he had the advantage in the confrontation. If the offense and defense switched, it wouldn't be so easy for Yang Shuai to stop him!

"It's a pity there's no use regretting it now." Yang Shuai stretched out his hand to him, signaling him to continue serving.

"Negative energy from Mike Luther +210".

"Fuck!" Luther cursed out.

If Johnson hadn't been there, he would have really wanted to fight Yang Shuai.

Suppressing his anger, Luther served the ball once again.

He didn't believe Yang Shuai could make that three-pointer again.

Moreover, knowing that Yang Shuai would retreat three steps, he would no longer just watch Yang Shuai make a move as he had done before.

That's what Luther thought, but Yang Shuai's main strategy was unpredictability.

This time, after receiving Luther's serve, Yang Shuai didn't give Luther a chance to block, and immediately broke through with a shot.

Luther didn't have time to react and could only retreat while engaging Yang Shuai in physical confrontation.

The two players came to the vicinity of the free throw line during their confrontation.

Right at this position, after dribbling the ball for the third time, Yang Shuai connected with a Euro step ①, avoiding Luther's contact while making a light step-up layup.

Faced with a footwork technique that was still rare even in the NBA at this time of year, Luther was once again caught off guard.

He could only watch helplessly as Yang Shuai sent the ball into the basket over his head.

5:0.

In addition to cheers, whistles also rang out from the crowd.

This was a completely one-sided massacre.

Johnson couldn't help but touch his chin at that moment.

After these few rounds, Yang Shuai impressed me not only with his physical abilities but also with his basketball IQ.

While players with exceptional physical talent are not uncommon in the United States, those who possess both exceptional physical talent and high basketball IQ are rare, and it could even be said that with proper training, they are destined for success.

At that very moment, he made a decision.

-Dividing line-

①: The Euro step was introduced to the NBA by Sarunas Matthew Liones (now a player for the Sacramento Kings), but it did not become popular in American basketball due to rule issues.

(End of this chapter)