score maniac

Chapter 14: No Brains and No Joy

“Thump, thump, thump” Inside the practice court at the Sacramento Kings’ team facility, two young players poised to rewrite the team’s future history were engaged in a unique one-on-one showdown. There was no one else in the practice facility besides the two of them. With a few days still left before the team’s official reporting date, the veteran players were enjoying a rare vacation, while the rookies were busy with their own affairs and generally wouldn’t show up this early. From this alone, it’s clear that these two are both basketball fanatics. “Cousins—nice name. What a fucking sissy.” Gu Yu dribbled the ball, fire in his eyes. Although he had absolutely no idea how he was going to beat this super big man who had been dominating the NCAA, once his temper flared, not even eight horses could hold him back. “Gu? What a crappy name.” Cousins wasn’t one to hold his tongue either. His arms spread wide, as solid as city walls, completely blocking Gu Yu’s path—leaving him no room to break through. “But after today, you’re going to have to change your name.” Gu Yu took a few steps back, trying to find the three-point line, but when he reached the top of the key and looked up, he thought, “Whoa, holy crap—the three-point line in the NBA is this far away?!” “Haha, change my name? Cousins is my last name, you idiot!” Cousins sneered, noticing that Gu Yu’s ball-handling was actually shaky, and immediately darted forward a step to apply pressure. “Thud…!” Gu Yu seized the opportunity to make a crossover. Although his physique, speed, explosiveness, and ball-handling skills were still far from up to par, he was, after all, a backcourt player. Stumbling and weaving, he managed to dodge Cousins’ block. “Beep, beep, beep” A hoop appeared before his eyes. That’s the spot…! With a whoosh, Gu Yu sprinted toward it. The moment one foot touched the hoop, he leaped without hesitation and released the shot. “After today, you’ll go by the name Sa’n.” “Phew…!” “Because you’re my son now, hahahahaha…” “BAM!!!” The Giant Spirit’s Palm came crashing down from above. Before Gu Yu’s shot had even fully left the range of his own cylinder, it was already violently swatted away by Cousins! What…! As he hit the floor, the whoosh of air from Cousins’ block still rang in Gu Yu’s ears—that swat was absolutely brutal. But what surprised Gu Yu even more was the speed of this nearly seven-foot-tall giant! “Pfft, trash!” After completing the block, Cousins didn’t seem the least bit surprised. He shot Gu Yu a disdainful glance, the corner of his mouth curling up in his signature smirk, then shook his head and went to inbound the ball. That guy…! Now even Gu Yu was at a loss for words. Cousins had clearly been completely shaken off by him—so why did he block the shot the very moment he released it?? What the hell kind of reflexes are those?! “Boom…!” Turning around, Cousins—though he was a hot-tempered guy himself—executed the move flawlessly. He leaned back against Gu Yu, pushing him all the way to the basket as if he were his own grandson, then spun around and slammed the ball home for the score. “Grand-son, did you enjoy that?” After completing the dunk, Cousins couldn’t resist throwing in a taunt, the smirk on his face growing even more contemptuous. “…You’re fucking done for.” If he could let that slide, he wouldn’t be Gu Yu. When it was his turn to inbound the ball, he walked to the top of the key and, without a word, raised his hand to shoot. “No way!” Cousins reacted with lightning speed; in that split second, he was already in the air, and Gu Yu finally saw exactly how Cousins had blocked his shot. On an NBA-level court, Cousins’ explosiveness wasn’t exactly historic; his vertical leap and agility were far inferior to those of interior powerhouses like Howard. But Cousins’ basketball instincts—or rather, his awareness of the game on both ends of the court—far surpassed those of the average player. “Whoosh—!” The giant soared in front of him, his massive frame blocking out the sky and making Gu Yu look as tiny as a toy. What was even more impressive was that Cousins’ block wasn’t just about jumping directly into the shot’s path—since his jump wasn’t particularly high and he didn’t leave the ground by much, he even deliberately spread his feet slightly to shut down any driving lanes as well. Is this… really the level of an NBA rookie? Fortunately, Gu Yu was only faking a move. “Thud!” Dribble drive! Having fooled Cousins, Gu Yu dribbled right past the giant in front of him and took two steps to the right. Think again! Cousins didn’t let his guard down; the moment he landed, he immediately retreated on defense, flinging one hand into the air—and somehow managed to block Gu Yu’s path even from a full body length away. Still unable to shoot, Gu Yu had completely lost confidence in his dribbling—in this situation, his only option was to accelerate and drive to the basket! “Thud, thud, thud” He charged toward the basket! Accelerating sideways, Gu Yu charged straight toward the basket. But Cousins was like a nightmare he could never shake off, sticking right on Gu Yu’s heels with his arms held high at all times. The moment Gu Yu came to a sudden stop, Cousins would immediately box him in completely. What should he do?? The rim was right in front of him—just one more step forward, and Gu Yu could make a layup. But if he went for the layup in this situation, it would definitely be blocked! So, there was only one option left. “I’ll take it!” He raised the ball with one hand, leaned forward as if to drive to the basket, and completely threw Cousins off balance—Cousins stumbled and nearly lost his footing. Then… “Whoosh!” A lightning-fast spin! Gu Yu’s body spun like a top; after faking out Cousins, he immediately turned back to the center of the court, held the ball in his left hand, and launched a one-handed floater. “Whoosh—!” As the ball flew through the air, a faint smile appeared on Gu Yu’s face. It’s going in! This move is the signature play of NBA personality Rajon Rondo. Countless times, Rondo—who lacks consistent mid-range and long-range shooting—has used this lightning-fast spin move to leave opponents spinning in circles, before effortlessly sinking the floater. Although Gu Yu was only a semi-professional player, as long as he got the timing right, the move itself wasn’t difficult. Right now, however, Cousins’ weight and height were working against him—the Kings’ rising star in the paint couldn’t pull his body back once he’d already committed to the jump, and could only watch helplessly as the ball in Gu Yu’s hands headed straight for the basket… …or did he? “…BAM!!!” “Wh-what…?!?” Just as the basketball was about to pass its apex and begin its descent, that massive hand reappeared before Gu Yu’s eyes, once again violently swatting away the ball that seemed certain to go in. That wingspan…!! Making a reckless block, Cousins’ body flew through the air almost sideways, completely off-balance, and looked set to crash hard onto the floor. …Danger! Without a moment to spare for his surprise or frustration, Gu Yu instinctively accelerated toward him, reached out, and wrapped his arms around Cousins’ thick waist. He then gave a powerful shove, bracing Cousins’ body with all his might. But as for Gu Yu himself… “Thud…!” …landed flat on his face… “You…?!” Thanks to Gu Yu’s push, Cousins finally regained his balance and didn’t fall when he hit the ground, but the look in his eyes as he turned to face Gu Yu had changed. That slick-haired guy… “Oh my god…” Watching Gu Yu roll back and forth on the ground, rubbing his waist and constantly crying out in pain, a strange feeling began to spread through Cousins’ heart. This slick-haired guy… “He’s actually got quite the knightly spirit…!” A bright smile finally broke out on Cousins’s previously sullen face. I’m on a business trip, struggling to find Wi-Fi to update here and there—ahem—votes and clicks keep me going!