When Su Feng issued a bullfighting challenge to Stackhouse, a group of onlookers—curious but not too large—began to coax:
"Fight him, Jerry! Don't be afraid, we've got your back!"
"Go on, Jerry! Even though you lost to him before, failure is his father!"
"Opening! Opening! I bet 100 dollars on Su Feng. Who's betting on Jerry?"
Stackhouse's mentality collapsed.
Do I need this kind of encouragement?
Even if you don't shout, today I'm the one who has to fix it!
And… Why do you always think I'm being underestimated?
Hall of Fame talent, Brother Jordan—why do you all think I can't beat this kid?
On the court, Stackhouse looked at Su Feng and said: "Ten possessions, each one an offensive opportunity. Three-pointers and two-pointers both count as one point."
Su Feng smiled: "Make it twenty-one points. I'll give you a chance to turn it around."
Stackhouse: "…"
"You don't really think you can beat me, do you?" Stackhouse said after holding back for a while.
Su Feng scratched his head: "Didn't I beat you last time?"
Stackhouse: "…"
He decided not to speak anymore. Otherwise, he felt he'd go mad at Su Feng before even playing.
Originally, the rule was that a three-pointer would decide who served first…
But Su Feng tossed the ball directly to Stackhouse, almost disdainfully.
"???"
"Go ahead, you attack first. Otherwise, people will say the 76ers rookie doesn't respect his seniors," Su Feng said.
"..."
Damn it, you're annoying me!
At this moment, Stackhouse was more than just a furious warrior. And Su Feng was very satisfied with Stackhouse's state of mind.
Hey, to earn the 'iron value,' he was forced to do this kind of thing. At first, Su Feng resisted… But Stackhouse's iron value was… high!
And he wasn't the same as Iverson. Iverson gave him a high iron value too, but it wasn't as useful.
That summer, Su Feng calculated that two hours of battling Iverson were less effective than one hour against Kobe…
Of course, as the one who unlocked his "dribble talent," Iverson still held a special place in Su Feng's heart.
On the court, Stackhouse advanced with the ball. He looked ready to drive left against Su Feng, then suddenly pulled off a sharp crossover, shifting the ball back to the right.
It had to be said—Stackhouse really had improved!
However…
Such an offensive move, Su Feng caught up with ease.
Do you know how steel is made?
In the summer, forged by Kobe Bryant's left hammer and Iverson's right hammer, Su Feng's defensive experience was simply incomparable to that of a rookie.
Not to mention, at this time Stackhouse was only a sophomore.
To give a simple example: according to the usual 2K scoring habits for weaker teams, Stackhouse's overall rating at this point would be at most 79.
Although Su Feng was only rated 75, compared with Stackhouse's general assessment—lacking consistency—Su Feng had as much solidity as he had strength.
In terms of offensive skills and experience, Stackhouse was stronger than Kobe and Su Feng at this stage. But after the first shot was taken, Su Feng felt…
If this guy went one-on-one with Kobe, he would definitely be crushed.
On the court, under Su Feng's interference, Stackhouse's jumper missed the rim.
Su Feng's defense gradually forced Stackhouse into the exact position where Su Feng wanted him to shoot.
And this was magnetic defense!
Unless you could break through Su Feng's line, you would be entangled to death.
Stackhouse's first step wasn't fast enough. Overall, everything was under Su Feng's control.
Then Su Feng attacked.
Because of Su Feng's earlier turnover, Stackhouse immediately rushed at him after the inbound.
At this moment, the crowd on the sidelines thought Stackhouse's defense was a bit…
Too much.
Weatherspoon said: "Su is just a rookie after all. Isn't this too much bullying?"
Bullying?
Brother, do you even know who's being bullied right now?
Nonsense!
Stackhouse felt like he wanted to die.
Unfortunately, if it had been the old Su Feng, the ball would have been blocked by Stackhouse.
But…
"Jerry, times have changed."
On the court, Su Feng, holding the ball with one hand, suddenly exploded forward.
Because Stackhouse was too tight on him, once Su Feng pushed past, he didn't even have a chance to recover.
Bang!
Eh… wait, why did I dunk this ball?
After landing, Su Feng felt as if he had done something foolish.
1–0…
Forget it, there are 20 possessions left. Su Feng wasn't in a hurry.
It was fine to practice dunking and finishing anyway.
On the court, the game continued and Stackhouse attacked again.
After receiving the ball, he suddenly spun toward the baseline. When Su Feng rushed up, Stackhouse abruptly pulled back and shot.
Swish!
1–1.
Although he was a stat-padder, Stackhouse was indeed someone who could always find a way to score.
When Su Feng attacked again, Stackhouse didn't dare to press too hard.
Su Feng dribbled behind his back first. After reaching the three-point line, he suddenly turned and faced up.
Under Stackhouse's interference, Su Feng missed the shot.
But when Stackhouse sighed in relief, preparing for the rebound, he noticed Su Feng's expression wasn't sad at all—he actually looked happy.
"You've really improved, Jerry," Su Feng said cheerfully.
"..."
Unfortunately, there were no earplugs available at that moment, otherwise Stackhouse would have definitely plugged his ears.
Swish!
Stackhouse drove and finished with a half-layup.
1–2.
On the court, Su Feng turned and jumped for a shot, but missed!
Then…
Fifteen minutes passed.
"Seriously? Am I watching a soccer match here?" The onlookers on the sidelines felt their drowsiness creeping in.
Fifteen minutes passed.
"How many? Who scored?"
"13 to 11, Su just made another one."
"Oh, remember to call me when it's over."
Another fifteen minutes passed.
"Has it ended?"
"At match point, Su leads 20 to 16!"
"Ouch, quickly—those who bet on Jerry, get your money ready. I'll collect it one by one."
On the court, after battling through 300 rounds with Stackhouse, Su Feng finally laughed last.
21 to 16.
The process was tough, but honestly, the pressure from Stackhouse wasn't nearly as great as Kobe's.
Because in the second half, once Stackhouse's stamina declined, his defensive strength clearly dropped.
Still, in Su Feng's view, Stackhouse was a useful sparring partner worth investing in.
His defense was average, but against Su Feng, he played with unusual intensity.
On the court, after Su Feng's victory, the 76ers' coaching staff were stunned.
"Su's physical fitness and defense… impressive," said Jason, the first assistant.
"Although Jerry has more offensive options, he still couldn't beat Su one-on-one," Rick added.
As head coach, having seen Su Feng and Stackhouse face off last year, John Davis was thinking more deeply.
Originally, Davis planned to give Su Feng 15–20 minutes per game in the preseason to help him adapt to the NBA rhythm.
Because when using high school players, coaches of that era were still relatively conservative.
After all, the physical potential and overall development of high school players hadn't yet peaked, so this cautious approach was also a way to protect them.
In Su Feng's previous life, Silver Fox Harris didn't give Kobe sixth-man minutes until his second season, precisely to protect his growth.
And Kobe's future durability was also tied to this conservative usage.
After all, the explosive athleticism of a future star wasn't so different from Su Feng's current situation.
"You think Su could be the sixth man this season?" Davis asked his two assistants.
"Wouldn't that be too risky?" Jason asked.
"I don't think so. Su's physical fitness doesn't look like that of an 18-year-old at all."
Rick and Jason had different views. Rick believed the 76ers needed reliable players now. If Su Feng were just a prospect, being conservative would be fine…
But this kind of defense—able to suffocate Stackhouse—was something no other perimeter player on the 76ers had.
"Then I'll gradually increase his playing time. In the preseason, let him play 25 minutes per game and see the effect."
Davis had made up his mind. He knew Pat Claus liked Iverson and Su Feng very much, so now was the time to show loyalty to the boss.
And while the three coaches were evaluating Su Feng's duel with Stackhouse, Su Feng once again issued a one-on-one challenge to Stackhouse.
"..."
Reasonably, Stackhouse originally wanted to refuse.
It wasn't because he lacked courage…
But because he was genuinely exhausted.
This kind of high-intensity, back-and-forth one-on-one requires extreme physical endurance. Aside from Su Feng and Kobe—true Iron Men—who else could keep fighting endlessly?
Stackhouse's style doomed him to struggle in isolation plays, but…
He really wanted revenge.
Because in front of so many people today, Su Feng had won again. Do you know how desperate Stackhouse felt?
He entered the NBA with almost the same script as Jordan. God knows what he had endured over the past year.
Beaten by high schoolers, publicly punished by veterans, and today hammered again by a rookie straight out of high school…
How hard must it be for Stackhouse?
"It's okay. If you really don't want to play, I won't force you," Su Feng said with concern, looking at Stackhouse resting on the floor.
Stackhouse never thought Su Feng would actually say something human.
But before he could thank him, Su Feng added: "Because I understand you. After all, when a man says he can't, he has to admit he can't."
"!!!"
Damn bullfighting!
Isn't it just one-on-one?
Whoever quits today is the coward!
Stackhouse stood up angrily, then…
Half an hour later, he collapsed again in despair.
No more, no more.
He wouldn't fight, even if it meant admitting defeat.
Now Stackhouse felt his stomach turning upside down, more uncomfortable than running 50 laps around the court.
"2–0. Otherwise, I'll let you. How about best of five?" Su Feng said with a sincere smile.
"..."
"It's okay. If that doesn't work, best of seven."
"..."
"Or maybe best of nine?"
"..."
In the third game, Su Feng decided to let Stackhouse go after realizing he truly had no strength left to fight.
After all, his defensive intensity had dropped, and Su Feng's progress in earning iron value had slowed.
"More than 790,000 iron points… If I play three rounds with him every day, that's 79 million in 100 days?"
In Su Feng's view, the only regret was that he couldn't share nutrient solution with Stackhouse.
Otherwise, Stackhouse was simply his humanoid ironing machine.
Of course, at the end of the bullfight, looking at Stackhouse lying flat on the floor, unable to stand, Su Feng didn't forget to say:
"Don't worry, Jerry. We'll be teammates in the future. If you want revenge, just let me know."
"..."
On the side, there was no doubt Su Feng had left a deep impression on his teammates today.
Weatherspoon suddenly said: "Better not be enemies with this kid. He's ruthless."
The onlookers nodded in agreement.
On the court, when Su Feng returned to the Iron Triangle camp, Big Ben didn't forget to massage his back and shoulders.
"Su, you played too hard. I think Jerry will have a shadow about bullfighting from now on," Iverson laughed.
The corner of Su Feng's mouth lifted slightly. In fact, wasn't this exactly why he fought Stackhouse today?
In the NBA, if you're not ruthless, you'll only end up being bullied.
In terms of overall strength, Stackhouse was definitely stronger than Su Feng at this stage. To put it bluntly, Su Feng was just like Kobe—thick-skinned and resilient.
And with coaches present today, Su Feng wanted to seize the opportunity to show them: don't worry, when the new season starts, I'll fight to the death.
In Su Feng's view, "three punches and done" was just laziness!
Playing 48 minutes per game was his ultimate dream!
…
In this way, during the preseason training camp, in addition to participating in the team's joint practices, Su Feng also added an extra subject for himself every day:
Eat, sleep, and fight Jerry.
Although Stackhouse occasionally managed to beat Su Feng a few times…
Every time he did, Su Feng was not angry at all. Instead, he was delighted and immediately sent him another one-on-one challenge.
Hey, you beat me—it's my turn to take revenge!
That September, Stackhouse didn't know how others were doing, but every day he went home…
Forget about having fun at the nightclub—his hands were shaking even when opening the refrigerator to grab milk.
Stackhouse thought about asking the coaching staff to put an end to this endless battle.
But he feared such behavior would make him look weak.
"No… if the coaches think he's better than me, wouldn't my starting spot be given to him?"
After careful thought, Stackhouse decided firmly that even if he had to grit his teeth, he would endure this endless fight!
So, time passed in this way.
On the 11th, the 76ers had a day off. Taking advantage of the break, Su Feng's agent Bill Duffy brought him several pieces of good news.
"McDonald's has sent us the final offer: an endorsement fee of 4 million dollars over 2 years. In this contract, there's an additional clause: if you make the All-Star Game during the contract period, the fee will increase from 4 million to 6 million," Bill Duffy told Su Feng.
Judging by 1990s standards, McDonald's offer was very generous.
Su Feng was just curious—who was so optimistic about him making the All-Star in the next two years?
"I asked them to add it, because it sounds good this way," Bill Duffy smiled.
Su Feng nodded. McDonald's agreeing to such a clause probably meant they didn't expect him to become an All-Star so soon.
Put nicely, it was encouragement for a newcomer. Put bluntly, it was just painting a pretty picture.
"In addition, Nike and Adidas both want to work with us," Bill Duffy continued.
"Oh? Do you have any suggestions?" Su Feng asked. Although he wasn't obsessed with money, it was still something worth considering.
"I suggest not rushing into it. Based on past practice, Nike and Adidas don't usually offer high contracts to rookies," Bill Duffy advised.
Su Feng nodded. He knew many rookies signed sneaker deals too quickly, only to realize later that their performance outgrew the value of their contracts.
Bill Duffy was a steady agent. He preferred long-term, stable deals, and that suited Su Feng perfectly.
"Yes, McDonald's also hopes you can take a promotional photo before the season starts, to advertise their new burger," Bill Duffy laughed.
"No problem. When is the shoot, and what's the theme?"
Take the money and solve others' problems—that was Su Feng's philosophy. He knew he'd have no time once the regular season began, so McDonald's proposal was fine.
"Within a week. They've already booked the photographer. The theme is 'The King,' because McDonald's just released a new Big Mac burger, and they think 'The King' fits perfectly," Bill Duffy explained.
Su Feng: "..."
Hey, is there no end to this?
Can't you leave something for the future kid from Akron?
This is too sad… right?
"Finally, the NBC TV interview has been confirmed. They want an exclusive interview with you on September 26," Bill Duffy said, checking his notebook.
"Not postponed again this time?" Su Feng asked. NBC had originally planned to interview him in April, but it kept getting delayed until September…
"No, the reason they postponed before was because your performance exceeded everyone's expectations," Bill Duffy smiled.
Su Feng nodded. September 26 it was. He checked the team's schedule—it happened to be a day off.
"Then, two days later is media day. The 76ers' management asked me to inform you that you'll take a core team photo that day," Bill Duffy added.
Su Feng couldn't help but feel…
He was simply a child of destiny.
His career path seemed far too smooth.
"Maybe I'm just too handsome?" Su Feng thought silently.