All-Star System
Youth has passed away... As a business tycoon on Wall Street, serving as the vice president of a publicly traded company, Arjun Singh's life seemed to have it all: mansions, luxury cars, stocks, and even a beautiful and charming female secretary. But despite the material abundance of Arjun's surface life, he faced daily power struggles among executives, various conspiracies and schemes that left him physically and mentally exhausted. He even discovered secrets of securities fraud and insider trading within the company, putting his life in danger. One day, an NBA Finals game reminded him of his days playing basketball in Senior Secondary School, as if he was the one making the decisive shot on the court. After watching the Milwaukee Bucks win their first NBA championship from a luxury box, he silently left. His fighting spirit reignited, he wanted to expose the mastermind behind the scenes at his company. Late at night, Arjun walked alone in a dark alley. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three gunshots rang out, and Arjun lay powerless in a pool of blood, silently closing his eyes. When he opened his eyes again. He was reborn... Back on the basketball court of his Senior Secondary School days, he awakened the All-Star player System...
Is this guy really a point guard?
The Staples Center was alive with the roars of the fans.
From the get-go, Arjun had everyone who hadn't seen him play before absolutely dazzled.
Smooth and decisive!
Simple and straightforward!
No messing around.
Whenever there was an opening, he didn't hesitate to shoot.
And when he shot, it usually went in.
The UCLA fans were pumped.
Even Scarlett Johansson was on her feet, screaming for Arjun.
Arjun was looking slick out there.
With that height and his long shooting range.
On the court, Arjun high-fived his retreating teammates with a wide spread of his arms.
He was all over USC's point guard, pressing him hard all over the court, making it tough for him to even pass the ball.
USC on the offense.
Their shooting guard, Gabe, moved to receive the pass, dribbled up, and passed it to Nick Young.
Nick Young was a one-trick pony: scoring.
That's all he did.
Oh, and yeah, he could steal too—steal the spotlight with a last-second game-winner from his own teammates.
Nick Young, not caring how much time was left, used a screen from the center, took a quick step to the right, and pulled up for a jump shot!
It was a bit of a forced shot, but Afflalo really couldn't handle him.
"Swish!"
2 to 3.
Nick Young answered Arjun's score.
After the basket, Nick Young struck a cheeky celebration pose.
UCLA's offense surged like a tide.
Arjun caught the ball on the baseline and shifted into high gear, charging up the court.
"Whoosh!"
So fast!
Gabe and USC's point guard couldn't keep up with Arjun,he sped past them with a quick change of direction.
For Arjun, playing in the NCAA, getting past defenders was a breeze, just a step or two.
He smoothly carried the ball into the paint.
As soon as Arjun drove in, USC's big men quickly collapsed on him.
"USC is really wary of Arjun's driving force,they're not taking any chances."
"There are a lot of bodies inside. Let's see how Arjun handles this," the commentator shouted.
Indeed, USC was tight on Arjun's drives, showing him more attention than other teams did.
Arjun likes to blow past guards and score, right?
So, I'll pack the paint and see what you can do.
Pete Smith's strategy was firm, not hesitating even after Arjun had just hit a three-pointer.
Just when everyone thought Arjun was going to pass, he took off with the ball.
He leaped from the ground, barged past USC's power forward, and forcefully drove towards the basket.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Arjun, wearing jersey number 10, maneuvered the ball in mid-air with both hands, continued to battle the USC center without losing ground, and as the defender came down, Arjun switched the ball to one hand, showing off his incredible core strength, pushed closer to the basket, and made a difficult layup off the backboard!!
2 to 5.
"OMG!!!"
"God, what was that."
"Is this guy really a point guard?"
"His finishing at the rim could be compared to Tony Parker."
"He's even stronger than Tony Parker."
The commentator exclaimed, "Arjun just bulldozed a power forward and then scored over a center, playing almost like LeBron."
The cheers at the Staples Center just kept coming.
Arjun's performance was a total surprise.
A three-pointer, a layup, and he had the whole arena buzzing.
Such enviable basketball talent.
"That guy's incredible, coast to coast!"
"Breezed past four guys and just slammed it in."
"USC's defense is way too loose."
"It's not that they're slack,it's that Arjun's offense is just overpowering."
Even the USC fans were bitterly discussing it.
On the sidelines, Westbrook stood up to high-five Arjun as he passed by, shouting, "Nice job, Arjun!"
Even knowing how good Arjun was, Westbrook was still stunned by that layup, a move he hadn't mastered yet.
Arjun grinned at Westbrook, "Come on, you could do this easily."
Right now, Westbrook just lacked game time and wasn't fully aware of his own capabilities.
Arjun knew that among UCLA players, only he and Westbrook could pull off that move.
Westbrook shrugged, "I'll learn from you."
The game continued.
USC on the offense.
Nick Young looked indifferent, as if the stunning basket didn't matter to him.
Gabe dribbled up to the frontcourt.
After a series of passes, Gabe drove hard to the free-throw line for a mid-range jumper.
With Arjun's interference on the side, Gabe missed.
Afflalo grabbed the rebound.
He quickly passed it to Arjun for a fast break.
UCLA wasn't settling into a half-court game,they were all about the fast breaks.
Only if there was no other option would they grind it out with the opponent.
Nick Young, quick on his feet, grabbed Arjun just as he was picking up speed.
"Whistle!"
The referee called a foul...
The game continued.
UCLA was forced into a half-court set.
Nick Young was now guarding Arjun.
Nick Young indeed had NBA-level physicality and skills, on par with Arjun in terms of intensity.
It was just a matter of skill level.
When Nick Young got serious, he could still trouble Arjun.
Nick Young prevented Arjun from accelerating on his first step.
Arjun quickly figured out how to handle Nick Young.
He deliberately dribbled back a few steps.
"Arjun, this isn't your style, backing down?" Nick Young taunted with a laugh as he saw Arjun retreat.
But Nick Young's smile soon froze on his face.
Arjun changed direction to the left, then suddenly exploded forward, leaving Nick Young scrambling in place!
"Whoosh!"
The wind from Arjun's speed whistled past Nick Young's ears.
How is he still so fast?
Before Nick Young could figure it out, Arjun had cleanly passed him.
"Bullet-like speed, Arjun just blew past the hot rookie Nick Young!" the commentator exclaimed.
Arjun continued to drive towards the basket, but this time USC's interior was more crowded.
Arjun didn't charge at the basket like the last play.
Facing multiple defenders, Arjun drew them in and then slammed the ball to the right corner.
Afflalo was ready!!
Afflalo caught Arjun's pass comfortably and shot smoothly.
"Swish!"
"Beautiful teamwork, UCLA just dismantled USC's defense with a simple drive and kick."
"Arjun makes UCLA's offense flow like water," the commentator shouted.
"Great pass," Afflalo came over to high-five Arjun.
"You ran well too," Arjun responded.
NBA-level rookies really are different.
They can show stability and talent in various details.
Afflalo's shooting was very stable,if he was open, it was basically a sure thing.
...
Arjun was really enjoying this high-profile derby.
Under his leadership, UCLA unleashed an offensive frenzy.
Six minutes into the game, the score was 4 to 20.
USC's Coach Smith called multiple timeouts, but to no avail.