I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 91 All-Star Encounter with Jordan! Side Quest! Jordan's Rage + Frenzy! [Daily Updates of 20,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

After their two victories over the top team in the West and their crushing defeat of the second-place team in the East, their declaration, though grand, was not something anyone could find fault with.

Who told them to be the defending champions?

After defeating the Spurs, the Lakers can finally return to Los Angeles, where they will face the Indiana Pacers, their opponents from last season's NBA Finals!

This match is also the highly anticipated Christmas game!

However, while the Pacers retained Jalen Rose, the second Most Improved Player last season, with a seven-year max contract, they also lost their starting power forward Dale Davis and starting point guard Mark Jackson.

Although they also acquired the young Jermaine O'Neal from the Trail Blazers, this high school player, who belongs to the golden generation of '96 along with Kobe and Lin Ze, has had a breakout year after sitting on the bench for four years. Currently, like his predecessor Rose, he is the second most popular candidate for Most Improved Player.

O'Neal could fill the gaps left by Davis, but no one could fill the void left by Mark Jackson's departure.

Three years ago, the Pacers plummeted after losing Jackson, going from battling the Bulls to seven games in the playoffs the previous year to failing to make the playoffs altogether.

And this year is the same. Last year they were the top team in the East and fought their way into the Finals. So far this year, their winning percentage is just over 50%, and they can't even get into the top half of the bracket in the East, where there are many weak teams.

So, this Pacers team is naturally no match for the Lakers.

Not to mention that the Lakers also have Kobe Bryant, who is determined to get revenge on Rose!

Throughout the game, Kobe relentlessly attacked Rose, scoring 44 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 3 assists, while simultaneously holding Rose to just 3 of 14 shots.

In the game, he only scored 9 points and committed 5 fouls and 4 turnovers!

This game once again revealed the most ruthless side of the NBA.

Talent reigns supreme!

Last season, Rose and Kobe were barely considered to be in the same league.

Even if Rose is not as good as him, he is at most slightly inferior.

But this season, the gap between the two has become completely apparent.

Kobe spent the entire offseason training hard to improve himself.

Rose didn't sit idle during the offseason either; he trained hard and evolved from an ordinary near-All-Star player into an excellent near-All-Star player.

It's not that Rose didn't work hard; it's just that his talent had reached its limit.

That's his limit!

87: 104!

The Pacers suffered a crushing defeat, and their winning percentage dropped below 50% after the game. At this point, apart from the most die-hard Pacers fans, no one believed that they could continue to contend for the championship this year.

After defeating the Pacers, the Lakers took a short break and then went on to defeat the Mavericks, the dark horse of the West, and the Phoenix Suns, who boasted a super 2000-point backcourt duo.

Thus, for the Lakers, a near-perfect December came to an end.

他们用这一波9连胜为2000年收尾，他们的战绩疯狂飙升，从11月结束时没能排进西部前八再到如今23胜9负！

Their win rate skyrocketed from 50% to 71%!

The Lakers have climbed all the way up to second place in the Western Conference!

During this nine-game winning streak, almost all of their opponents were tough nut to crack.

From their Finals opponents to the biggest dark horses in the East and West, from the top-ranked Spurs in the West to the second-ranked Heat in the East, and then to the high-energy Phoenix, the Lakers have been virtually unstoppable.

The Lakers' Big Three have all been in great form this month.

Shaquille O'Neal made 66% of his free throws, Kobe Bryant took fewer shots, and Lin Ze made the most three-pointers in the entire league this month!

Shaquille O'Neal, who averaged 31 points and 13 rebounds per game this month, has once again won the Player of the Month award!

With unstoppable firepower and devastating dominance, the Los Angeles team has returned to the ranks of top teams!

Those who predicted the Lakers' demise in November, believing they had reached the end and would never win another championship, have fallen silent; their faces have been slapped hard.

However, the Lakers' winning streak did not last. In their first game of 2001, the Lakers lost to the Warriors, who were at the bottom of the Western Conference, ending their winning streak.

Their performance then entered a period of stability.

They have never surpassed the current number one team in the West, but they have always held the second-place position in the West.

By the end of January, the Lakers had a record of 32 wins and 12 losses!

In February, the Lakers continued their stable performance from January. However, just before the All-Star Game, with several players participating in All-Star Weekend, they inevitably relaxed and suffered their first losing streak since December: 2-1.

Losing streak!

Of course, when the team was on a smooth and rapid rise, Jackson didn't care at all about the two losses.

This old man even berated the referee in the team's last game before the All-Star break because of a rather insignificant misjudgment. After receiving two technical fouls, he got his wish and was ejected by the referee, leaving the game early!

Jackson did this because he doesn't have to coach the All-Star Game this year, which means he can go on vacation starting tonight.

With the Lakers not playing for two days before and after the All-Star Weekend, Jackson will get a full five days of vacation!

The old man even left the stadium early so he could make the most of his time to go to Hawaii and get a few days of rest.

When Mendes, who replaced Jackson as the team's interim head coach tonight, attended the post-game press conference, he was quite helpless. What could he say?

He could only sigh and say, "Phil was furious! He was absolutely livid! I've never seen him so angry since I joined his coaching staff in 1992! He was completely enraged by the referee's decision!"

"We hope this never happens again. We've been treated so unfairly. I understand Phil, I understand why Phil is angry. It's truly unfair, it's infuriating, it's incomprehensible. I don't know why we had to go through this!"

"What? You're asking me what exactly happened in that round?"

Mendelssohn paused, completely forgetting what had happened in that insignificant round.

Fortunately, this wasn't the first time he'd taken the blame for Jackson, so he was quite experienced.

"No comment."

The 2001 All-Star Game was held in Washington, D.C.

It has to be said that this is a wonderful coincidence for both the league and the fans.

When Stern announced Washington as the host of the 2001 All-Star Game, Jordan was still living a life of luxury in New York and had no intention of taking charge of a team.

But now, when the All-Star Game is held in Washington, D.C., Jordan, the former king of the league and the legendary Goat, will appear on the sidelines as the host.

As the only true GOAT in league history, Jordan's popularity, influence, and status are beyond question. However, this guy, who was extremely high-profile and flamboyant during his playing career, became mysterious after retiring.

Aside from high-end casinos, top-notch bars and private clubs, or those upscale restaurants, it's rare to see Jordan in any public setting.

For most fans, Jordan basically disappeared completely after retiring.

Of course, things have improved a lot since he took over the Wizards. As president, he has to deal with the media and occasionally appear to interact with fans and players. Sometimes he can even be seen sitting on the sidelines in a suit watching the game.

Countless fans would turn on the TV to watch the All-Star Game just to catch a glimpse of Jordan sitting courtside in a suit.

Countless international media outlets rushed to Washington after learning that they might be able to interview Jordan at this year's All-Star Game.

The league is naturally delighted with this!

Greater attention and more international journalists are definitely a great thing for the NBA!

At this time, the clever AJ also released a pair of All-Star colorway sneakers, which made a lot of money!

It's fair to say that even before this year's All-Star Game started, a guy who would never actually play, and would at most just sit on the sidelines or give a thank-you speech, had already attracted a lot of attention.

Of course, no one would object to this.

After all, that's Michael Jordan!

However, while the young stars may not have any objections, many of them share the same sentiment.

I can take his place!

Ten or twenty years from now, I will be sitting in his position!

Lin Ze wasn't sure how many people thought that way, but he knew that Kobe, who was sitting next to him and going to Washington with him for the All-Star Game, thought the same thing.

"Carter isn't participating in the Slam Dunk Contest this year, and you still don't dare to participate?" With nothing better to do, Lin Ze started teasing Kobe again.

Since O'Neal was fast asleep due to a hangover, Lin Ze had no choice but to kill time with Kobe.

Needless to say, all three of them started in this year's All-Star Game. This is the first time in NBA history that three players from the same team have been All-Star starters for two consecutive years!

These three Lakers players have broken another small record, and it's unlikely that anyone will be able to break it anytime soon.

However, the competition for forwards in the West is too fierce. Duncan and Garnett took away a lot of votes, so this year's vote leader is still Carter.

Unfortunately, this guy absolutely refused to participate in another dunk contest.

So this year, everyone can only watch as the SuperSonics' Dysonmond Mason, the Hornets' Baron Davis, and others compete in the Slam Dunk Contest.

"I already said, I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of anyone!" Kobe felt that he and Lin Ze had discussed this topic countless times, and he didn't understand why Lin Ze wanted him to participate in the dunk contest so much.

Lin Ze: "There's no reason why, I just feel you can't win, and I want to see you lose."

"What did you say?" Kobe's eyes widened. "Is that even human language?"

"Did I just blurt it out?" Lin Ze scratched his head, then continued, "Whatever, you really don't dare!"

"See, I'm not afraid at all. I'll continue to participate in the 3-point tournament this year! I'm sure I can defend my championship title!"

"You, the worst three-point king in history, still have the nerve to talk about defending your title?" Kobe finally found an opportunity to mock him.

5

There is no champion with a lower score than you!

"So what happened?" Lin Ze asked. "The three-point contest was canceled? No, right? Then who canceled the dunk contest after winning? Was it me?"

"You're definitely not going to get rid of the title of the worst dunker in history unless you're willing to participate again, so just give up."

"But I can take off this so-called title of the lowest-scoring three-point king in history anytime. I'll kick it off this year! This year, I'll show you what a super high-scoring three-point king really is!"

Kobe couldn't refute it and just snorted.

Lin Ze whistled happily. Although the two didn't speak again, Lin Ze felt completely comfortable!

The plane landed quickly.

The Lakers' trio disembarked from the plane. This year, Lin Ze was much more experienced, putting on his sunglasses early on, and then easily walked through the frantic flashing lights of the reporters.

"Are there fewer reporters this year?" Kobe asked curiously. "There were always way more in previous years!"

"They've all gone to find that braised egg!" Lin Ze had anticipated this: "I heard there's a mysterious party going on all over Washington right now."

"Kill that plumber!"

"What the heck?" O'Neal got excited when he heard there was a party.

Lin Ze said, "Whoever can interview Jordan will be the winner, so reporters are now frantically roaming all over Washington, D.C. Bars, nightclubs, strip clubs and all sorts of private clubs are full of reporters or reporters trying to sneak in."

"So far, it seems no one has actually been able to find Jordan."

"Theoretically, we should be able to see him soon. I don't think he'd be so ignorant of the rules."

The so-called rule, naturally, is that during the All-Star Game, the host country is responsible for receiving the stars from all over the United States.

Last year, because the Warriors didn't have any All-Stars or veterans, the players basically had to handle things themselves.

But this year—

Okay, fine.

The Wizards also don't have an All-Star.

The Wizards' record is absolutely terrible!

They've only won 8 games so far this season, ranking second to last in the league. Although they have players like Juwon Howard and Richard Hamilton, their record is just too bad. So even though they are the host country and the quality of their Eastern Conference stars is already terrible, they're still struggling.

However, the coaches of each team still didn't give them any face and didn't select any of them for the All-Star Game reserve roster.

But that's also why Jordan wanted to be the leader of this team.

He must really enjoy leading this terrible team out of the abyss and making a comeback to win the championship.

Lin Ze suspected that although this braised egg hadn't done anything yet, he must have already imagined countless times in his mind the feeling of victory he would express after the Wizards won the championship.

This is Jordan.

They were incredibly confident, even to the point of being blindly confident.

On the court, he has the confidence and ability to back it up, but when it comes to management, Lin Ze can only give his confidence one evaluation: mediocre!

"Hey, over here!" Just as the three were chatting, a guy wearing sunglasses waved at them.

Kobe immediately went over to him warmly and gave him a hug.

"Who is this? Kobe's Yan Tou?" Lin Ze looked at the guy and thought he looked familiar, but he didn't recognize him at all.

"You don't know Hamilton?" This time it was O'Neal's turn to be surprised: "We've seen him on the court before."

.

Oh, him!

Lin Ze scratched his head. He really wasn't used to Hamilton not wearing a mask, even though Hamilton wasn't actually wearing one yet. He just wasn't used to it.

Just like he could never recognize teachers who were wearing clothes.

At the same time, Lin Ze also knew that Hamilton was one of Kobe's very few good friends in the league.

Given Kobe's personality, having a friend like that is quite rare.

"Hey Shaq, Lin! Let's go." Hamilton gestured to his lane: "You guys are the last ones left; the rest of you are already here!"

"So early this year?" O'Neal plopped down in the car, quite curious.

"Michael's got the party started!" Hamilton said. "Juwan and Michael have a terrible relationship. Michael doesn't like him and could trade him away at any time, so the guy's pretty lazy."

"He doesn't participate in these kinds of activities at all, as if he's no longer a member of the team."

"I just dropped Karl Malone off, but I didn't even go upstairs. I just took him to the stairwell. I don't know if he and Michael will end up fighting."

"Anyway, Payton said he'd teach Michael a lesson and give him a chance to beat him up."

"Barkley is here too! I heard he wants to start his own team after retiring and wants to join us. Maybe next year we'll have two superstar owners."

"I----"

"Richard, why are you talking so much?" Lin Ze finally couldn't help but interrupt Hamilton. "You're usually so cool on the court!"

"Is there?"

Lin Ze said, "Of course! As far as I can remember, you've never spoken on the court!"

"In a competition, you have to stay focused. There's something strange about me; I can only do one thing at a time. If I try to do two things, I easily get distracted and end up doing neither well. For example—"

Hamilton's voice abruptly stopped, replaced by a sharp, violent screech of brakes.

"Zira!"

O'Neal, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was thrown out and slammed his head into the seat in front of him.

"Fuck! We've gone the wrong way." Hamilton grumbled and turned around. "Right, where were we?"

"This is your best friend?" Lin Ze looked at Kobe and said, "Just as abnormal as you!"

"I can hear you saying bad things about me, but I'm not angry. My friends all say I have a good temper," Hamilton said. "I'm really happy! It's the first time I've been so close to so many stars! Do you think I'll ever make an All-Star game in my career?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I can do it 100 times!" O'Neal quickly fastened his seatbelt and yelled, "Fuck! I beg you, just drive properly! Just one thing, okay? Just one thing!"

After a few minutes, Hamilton parked the car in the underground parking garage of a building: "This is the most expensive luxury apartment building in all of Washington! Michael owns the top two floors! This party is being held here. Forget the paparazzi, you wouldn't be able to get in without our transportation!"

As he spoke, Hamilton led the group into the elevator, which took them straight to the top floor.

As the elevator doors opened, a cacophony of noise and billowing smoke greeted them. A huge lobby appeared before them, though it had been transformed into a temporary casino, where several NBA stars, including players from the Washington Wizards, were having a great time.

There were also several sexy bunny girls and staff members roaming around, providing services to the stars.

Lin Ze glanced around and discovered that apart from that idiot who always stayed out of place and disliked these kinds of occasions, all the other All-Stars from the East and West were actually here.

The remaining starter from the West, Kidd, along with Rasheed, Garnett, Divac, Payton, Finley, Webber, and Malone, were all on the court.

On the Eastern Conference side, apart from Hill, who was selected as a starter but was out for the season due to injury, all five starters – Iverson, Carter, McGrady, and Antonio Davis – and Ren Mason, who was temporarily promoted to the starters, were present. In addition, Ray Allen, Marbury, Glenn Rosen, Sprewell, Stackhouse, Houston, and Mutombo were also all there!

It has to be said that Jordan has a lot of influence; he's probably the only one who could bring so many stars together at the same time.

"Is this legal?" Lin Ze suddenly wondered if Stern would just order him to be killed on the dark web if he called the police and they raided the place.

"Michael's doing really well in Washington!" Hamilton said. "He got a license so he can hang out with his friends here, so enjoy it!"

After Hamilton finished speaking, he looked at Kobe and said, "Come on! I'll take you to do something fun!"

"I'm going too!" O'Neal immediately thought these two must have something fun to do and said he wanted to go too: "What about you?"

"I'm not going!" Lin Ze refused without even thinking.

Just kidding, the things Kobe is interested in, are they things that ordinary people can do?

So the four of them briefly separated. Lin Ze had only taken a few steps when he saw Shi Wei's head at the table in the middle where the two were playing Texas Hold'em.

With a shiny bald head and an infuriating expression, he was smoking a cigar of unknown brand, but that couldn't stop the incessant stream of profanities from his mouth. His arrogant and smug look clearly indicated that this guy had won big tonight.

This guy is still just as annoying!

Sitting at the table with Jordan right now were all the old guys: Malone, Houston, Sprewell, Mutombo, Payton, and Barkley, who just retired this year.

As for those young people, they either didn't dare to play at the same table as Jordan and his teammates, or they were like Iverson, who were unruly and didn't respect anyone, so they simply didn't want to be associated with them.

"Karl, you got thrashed by my buddy Ren last year. I heard you, you sissy, lost seven figures in one night? That's really embarrassing! So, how much are you planning to lose tonight?"

"I'm not your brother Ren." Lin Ze happened to walk up to this table. He was too lazy to come over and say hello. He didn't like gambling unless someone provoked him. But as soon as he walked over, he heard Jordan's price tag and Lin Ze couldn't stand it.

He used to have no skills, no connections, and no status, but he couldn't stand Jordan's bullying and even dared to punch Jordan during practice.

Dude, now that I've got a cheat code, do you think I'd tolerate you showing off like this?

We men have our pride!

Jordan clearly hadn't expected anyone to dare embarrass him like this. He looked up and saw Lin Ze, and snorted, "I thought it was someone important. You've only been to the All-Star game twice, and you think you're someone special?"

"Do we really want to continue this topic, Michael?" Lin Ze naturally didn't mince words: "If we keep talking about it, we'll be entering unspeakable territory!"

"Sit down!" The smug smile on Jordan's face vanished, replaced by the menacing look he always wore on the court: "I'll show you what a real adult battlefield is!"

"You think I'll just sit down just because you tell me to?" Lin Ze shrugged. "No way!"

After saying that, Lin Ze didn't want to get entangled with this guy any longer. As someone who had been bullied by Jordan for a long time, he had no good feelings towards this brat.

He doesn't even want to win Jordan's money.

"Are you afraid of Ren Zi?" Jordan looked at Lin Ze and provoked him.

"You're not qualified! You washed-up old man, go shine in management. You'd better stay out of our business!"

"Stop right there!" Jordan slammed his fist on the table and roared angrily when he saw that Lin Ze was actually going to leave after saying that.

Unfortunately, Lin Ze completely ignored him and instead strolled over to the table where Iverson and Garnett were leading the group to watch the fun.

Iverson and Marbury, who finally made it to the All-Star game, are completely locked in a fierce battle. They're both taking big gambles. Lin Ze can't tell from their expressions whose hand is better, but he can tell that they both want to flip the table and have a more direct showdown.

At this moment, O'Neal reappeared, and upon seeing Lin Ze, he couldn't help but complain, "Those two are idiots! Utterly stupid idiots! Do you even know what they're doing?"

"Hamilton was taken to a video room, which was filled with Jordan's game footage from the past few years! This guy actually wants to watch those game videos tonight, in this kind of environment!"

"No wonder they became friends." Lin Ze was not surprised at all. He had long guessed that the two guys wouldn't do anything good. No wonder Kobe's other friend, McGrady, was having a great time with a bunny girl and didn't join in the fun.

He definitely knew what the other two guys were doing, but he wasn't that interested in things like match analysis or tactical analysis.

This guy plays purely on talent.

His talent, in the history of the NBA, is at the top level of S, but unfortunately, his love for basketball and desire for victory are at most only B, so his peak was very high, but also very short.

Lin Ze continued to wander around this floor at his leisure. Many old friends greeted him and chatted for a while.

The most interesting one was Garnett.

To this day, Lin Ze still doesn't know that Garnett was actually a member of the "Anti-Lin Alliance" in last year's All-Star game, even though that alliance collapsed completely before it was even formed.

But what he did know was that Garnett was now treating him incredibly well, with impeccable manners and courtesy.

This big guy, who was always baring his teeth at Lin Ze last season and didn't get along with him at all, seems to have been completely scared off by Lin Ze.

Lin Ze didn't gamble tonight; instead, he cleared his mind and simply found a comfortable and quiet corner to relax.

Unfortunately, happy and relaxing moments always come to an end.

Just as Lin Ze was leisurely enjoying the complete relaxation, Jordan's voice reached him once again.

"Renzi, come here!"

"He's seriously ill." Lin Ze squinted at him for a moment, then ignored Jordan's calls and turned to leave.

Then Lin Ze heard a burst of crazy laughter behind him, especially from Ma Long, the guy Lin Ze had beaten up before, who made the loudest noise.

As it turns out, while these old guys might give Jordan some face, if given the chance, they would definitely kick over the ladder and embarrass him.

Jordan, humiliated and enraged, heard Lin Ze hear him swear again and then shout, "Renzi!"

Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You think that as long as you rebel against me, you'll make a name for yourself?

"You're daydreaming, but if you come and take the gamble right now, you might actually make a name for yourself!"

"Say whatever you want to play, I'll play along! Name your bet!"

"If you don't dare to accept it, then you're a coward!"

Upon hearing Jordan's words, the group of stars naturally stirred up trouble again. Ichiran seemed to thrive on chaos, as if if Lin Ze didn't accept the offer, he would have no choice but to play in the WNBA.

The loudest voice among them was from Ma Long. This guy suffered a great loss at Lin Ze's hands last year, and this year he's really going all out to get his revenge.

Even if it wasn't him who was returning the favor, or even if it was his mortal enemy, he would still be happy to see Lin Ze lose face.

Even if Lin Ze beats Malone, he won't lose anything, because that would mean Jordan loses face, and for Malone, it would be something to celebrate.

This deal is a sure thing!

Lin Ze simply couldn't be bothered with this incompetent rage; he really didn't want to get entangled with these old fogies tonight.

But just as he was about to leave, a voice called out to him.

The system is acting up!

"A side quest is issued to the host: Make Jordan look bad!"

"Pippen's trade dealings have made Jordan increasingly irritable. He's repeatedly acted disrespectfully and aggressively towards you during practice. Teach him a lesson, make him learn his lesson, and ensure he never dares to mess with you again!"

Looking at the system's task description, Lin Ze was lost in memories.

What happened before the 98 All-Star Game?

It seems that Pippen's back injury has recurred, and he has announced that he will not be able to participate in this year's All-Star Game. Taking advantage of this time, Krause has once again put his mind to work and wants to send Pippen to the Raptors in exchange for the high school player they just drafted.

If Lin Ze remembers correctly, the trade has progressed to the final stage: Krause wants an additional first-round draft pick, while the Raptors want him to take on Sharon White's bad contract.

Then the media exposed the incident, and an enraged Jordan went to Krause's office and subjected him to inhumane and prolonged abuse and insults for two months.

Klaus also went to the owner, Reinsdorf, to protest, but unfortunately, the owner did not support him.

After all, Jordan was the one who made money for him, and Krause was the one who spent his money. Even though Reinsdorf also had a dream of shooting Jordan in the head, he knew what was important.

As a result, the trade fell through, and Krause lost to Jordan once again.

Despite the victory, Jordan was not satisfied, or rather, not completely at ease; he was still worried about a possible trade.

As a result, before the trade deadline, around the time of the All-Star break, he became more irritable during training, games, and daily interactions.

If Lin Ze hadn't already built a good relationship with Jackson and been considered one of Jackson's confidants, and hadn't had to give Jackson face, Lin Ze might have messed with Jordan again to teach him a lesson in manners.

This is probably why the system assigns tasks.

The reason didn't matter at all; all he knew was that he was going to get some benefits again!

So Lin Ze stopped ignoring the jeers and turned around to walk to the gambling table of the old guys. His first words broke the silence of the two loudest ones.

"Michael, have you stooped so low as to be in Carl's group now?"

Jordan, with his arrogant expression, and Malone, who was gloating, both froze.

These words from the Buddha were extremely damaging to both of them.

"Only an idiot would team up with him!" Jordan took the cigar out of his mouth and glared at Lin Ze. "Do you dare to bet or not?!"

Jordan was in a good mood tonight. He had just dominated the gambling table, winning almost $20 by himself. That's why he was determined to get revenge on Lin Ze.

How can such a spectacular night end with regrets?

"Aren't you two in cahoots?" Lin Ze mocked. "Karl, did you cry to Michael in the room? Back then, your bald head was pressed against Michael's chest, and you cried, 'Darling, I was humiliated by Lin Chu, you have to avenge me!'"

When Lin Ze said this, his expression was rich and his tone was exaggerated. Barkley, who was sitting next to him, burst out laughing and was so excited that he almost snorted snot bubbles.

"You've angered me, Lin! You've made me very angry!" Jordan's smile vanished completely; he stared intently at Lin Ze, his face frosty.

As for Malone? Although his eyes looked like he wanted to kill someone, he decided to watch the two annoying guys kill each other first!

"When are you finally going to realize this tactic doesn't work on me?" Lin Ze looked at Jordan mockingly. "So what if you get angry? Call Stern and have him remove my All-Star status, or get Buss to cut me and unite all the league's owners to refuse to sign me?"

"Do you have the ability to beat Michael?"

"Honestly, Michael, you're only somewhat effective on the basketball court when you're wearing a jersey. Otherwise, you're worse than a plumber. So put away your rubbish; it's useless against me!"

"I'll say it!" Jordan spoke, each word barely escaping his lips, showing just how angry he was. "You, do you have the guts to make a bet with me?"

"I get to decide the stakes? And I get to decide what to bet?"

"Yes!" Jordan got excited as soon as he saw Lin Ze was about to accept the challenge. He was determined to beat Lin Ze badly this time!

I don't care how much money I win from him, but I must make him lose!

"Alright, let's play! I'll bet you two million dollars a game, wanna take it?"

"We don't offer credit here, Lin. How about you go have a whiskey, come up with a new number, and then come back?" Barkley quite liked Lin Ze's personality, and seeing that the guy was clearly on the edge of his seat, he actually tried to smooth things over.

"I really didn't bring that much money with me," Lin Ze said, pulling a key from his pocket. "This is the house I just bought in Beverly Hills, worth $270 million. Now I'll call it two million dollars. You win, it's yours!"

However, Lin Ze hadn't forgotten to tell Jordan that he had only paid a 10% down payment for the house and that there was still a 32-year mortgage left, but he believed that Jordan wouldn't care about such a small matter.

"You think 200 million is 200 million?" Ma Long scoffed from the side, looking unconvinced.

"Shut up, you country bumpkin who's never been to the city! Do you even know where Beverly Hills is? Do you even know how to spell it? Go back to your Salt Lake City and live in your slums, you piece of trash!"

Then Lin Ze looked at Jordan again: "Got the guts to take it?"

"Catch!" Jordan wouldn't hesitate at a time like this, looking up and staring intently at Lin Ze. "What are we betting on?"

"Do you have 200 million in cash?" Lin Ze didn't answer, but continued to mock Jordan.

"I didn't, but do you think I'd fucking default on my debts?"

"Yes, that's exactly how I feel. That's how you are in my heart! The money I spent on pizza for you during my rookie year, you still haven't paid me back! And then you even said you'd give me double!"

"You actually ripped off a rookie, Michael?" Barkley looked at Jordan with disgust. "That's outrageous!"

"I've never done anything like that!" Jordan said. "I don't owe you any money."

"Then swear, swear you never let that newbie buy you pizza and never paid for it!" Lin Ze shrugged and said, "Dare you?"

"You fucking bastard, tell me what we're playing!" Jordan dared not swear.

He couldn't remember whether it actually happened or not.

Theoretically, no, he never cheats newbies out of their money. But who can say for sure if he ever forgot or suddenly wanted to cheat someone?

"What if you refuse to pay back your debts, acting like a scoundrel?"

"Fuck you!" Jordan snapped, completely exasperated. "With so many people here, do you think I'd renege on my debt?"

"able!"

Lin Ze nodded solemnly, as if to say, "Ichiran, you old bastard have absolutely no credibility with me."

Jordan was genuinely so angry he laughed. He had dominated casinos across the United States for decades and had never been humiliated like this before.

Go ask around, which top casino in Las Vegas hasn't Michael incurred debts? And when has he ever borrowed and repaid?

When it comes to you, Renzi, do I become a scoundrel?