Chapter Three: The System's Complete Form!
After flipping off the void a few times and uttering some curses, Lin Tian quickly composed himself, ready to activate the system and see what this "Basketball Talent Emotion System" was all about.
Unconsciously, his mindset had already shifted drastically with his rebirth compared to his previous life.
Whereas before he was meticulous and calculating, this time Lin Tian was more relaxed and carefree. His attitude was less about clutching tightly to the hourglass of life and more like a player coming to game-life, eager to experience a completely different way of living.
So... now Lin Tian no longer fretted over gains and losses, nor did he torment himself over trivial matters.
If it works out, it works out; if not, just find another path.
Having obtained three top-tier talents, Lin Tian immediately activated the system.
“Activation command received, system activating...”
“Ding! Basketball Talent Emotion System fully loaded!”
Accompanied by the cold mechanical voice, in less than twenty seconds a sleek, transparent panel appeared out of thin air before Lin Tian.
Name: Lin Tian
Age: 22
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 83 kg
Physical Evaluation: Vertical Jump B-, Speed S+, Strength C, Stamina C+, Explosiveness A+, Coordination A-, Awareness A+
Overall Physical Rating: A-
Offense Evaluation: Shooting B, Dribbling B-, Passing A+, Driving B, Post Play D, Dunking B, Fast Break S
Overall Offense Rating: B-
Defense Evaluation: Rebounds D+, Steals A-, On-ball Defense D+, Blocks C-, Help Defense B, Positioning C-, Individual Defense C+
Overall Defense Rating: C-
Traits: All-Seeing Eye, Handsome Boy, Lightning Speed
Skills: Pick-and-Roll Shooting Level 2 (233/2000), Quick Passing Level 1 (691/1000)
Items: None
Experience: 0
Mission: Play over 20 minutes in 10 consecutive games
“When athletes face the host and generate emotional fluctuations, there is a chance to drop experience, skills, items, traits, etc., for the host to collect. Note: the stronger the emotional fluctuation, the higher the probability and quality of dropped items!”
Reading through the system’s introduction, Lin Tian’s little irritation vanished instantly.
What was his background?
A graduate of the world’s top psychology university!
Twice over!
His specialty was reading people’s expressions and manipulating mindsets—a true master of psychological insight.
This system was perfectly tailored for Lin Tian.
He chuckled to himself; the top players better brace themselves.
When it came to messing with others’ emotions and trash-talking to throw opponents off balance, Lin Tian was basically the founding father in this league.
He was at least thirty versions ahead of these players.
The likes of Miller, Payton, Barkley, Jordan—those supposed trash-talk masters—were mere untrained amateurs before him.
It was time for Lin Tian, the fully equipped ace armed with the highest-end American gear, to teach them a lesson.
As for those two skills—pick-and-roll shooting and quick passing—they were precisely why Lin Tian had established himself and posted impressive stats in the NCAA.
His best moves there included the mid-range jumper stepping off the pick-and-roll and his ability to distribute and handle the ball on fast breaks, which accounted for his standout numbers.
Yet, surprisingly, in the NBA, these signature skills were only at Level 1 and Level 2.
Beyond the system’s perfect fit, this clear, concise stats panel revealed much more.
If not for unlocking three top athlete skill packages that significantly boosted his speed, vertical, awareness, and passing, Lin Tian’s current stats would be all Cs and Ds.
By Lin Tian’s estimation, the NBA’s elite level was S-grade, B was roughly average, and C or D was failing to bottom-level.
In other words, aside from a few abilities, most of Lin Tian’s skills were far from NBA caliber.
Moreover, at 22 years old, considered somewhat “old” in draft terms and without the bonus of the Asian market, his draft value was only around the late second round.
Many others of similar value went undrafted.
In short, getting drafted, entering the NBA, and activating the system was a considerable stroke of luck for Lin Tian.
But that was all; without the system, he would likely be a fringe player cut within 2-3 years, leaving no mark or memory.
With the three abilities activated, however, his situation was entirely different.
Bolt's "Lightning Power" instantly boosted Lin Tian’s speed to S+ level, and his fast-break ability correspondingly reached S.
His improved explosiveness was also thanks to this “human speed essence” physical trait.
It was a pity he received the "speed physical quality" rather than the full "physical quality," or else Bolt’s monster vertical—comparable to Jordan’s—would have made Lin Tian dominate dunk contests outright.
Besides the direct surges in speed and explosiveness, Mayweather and Brady, despite being industry elites, were not basketball players. Their talents naturally suffered some reduction on the hardwood.
Otherwise, if on the NFL field, Brady’s quarterback long passes would justify Lin Tian’s passing rating being at least S+ and potentially pushing his stats even higher.
For now, though, what Lin Tian had was more than enough.
How much stronger he could become in the future was a matter for later; he was in no rush.
Taking it step by step, with this system in hand, how could Lin Tian be worse than Kobe, Jordan, or LeBron?
Impossible!
What Lin Tian hadn’t anticipated was that neither Chicago’s local fans nor the Bulls’ players welcomed this rookie with open arms.
To Bulls fans, who considered themselves a royal dynasty team, they had no need for an Ivy League graduate bookworm and pretty boy.
They would rather have Phil Jackson and fat Klaus trade this draft pick for a washing machine than see a pretty boy disrupt their team’s tough, fierce style and momentum.
They certainly didn’t want other fans labeling Chicago as the league’s gathering spot for sissies.
This unfriendliness and disdain greeted Lin Tian from the moment he arrived in Chicago.
Here, the fans offered no respect or hope for his performance; instead, he faced ridicule and boos, with countless fans clamoring for the team to trade this pretty boy quickly.
Whether it was votes in the Chicago Times, questions during media day, or petition letters flying like paper to team president Klaus’s office, all one thing was clear—
Lin Tian was not welcome in this city.