For American middle school students who love basketball, the most anticipated moment of the year is probably the NBA Finals.
After all, the arrival of the Finals often coincides with three months of summer vacation.
Vicious capitalism!
Thinking back to his mere two-week vacation when he was in high school in his previous life, Su Feng couldn't help but secretly wipe away a tear.
Due to the previous "school shootout incident," the school had specially arranged a final exam just for Su Feng this time.
Final exams in American high schools are far less strict than those in his home country, but they are more flexible. Of course, none of this was a problem for Su Feng. After all, he was a top student who had mastered studying abroad.
"Well, if I don't play well, I can always speculate in stocks and become the richest man..." Su Feng mused.
Of course, that kind of life was never what he wanted.
In Su Feng's view, since he had been granted a system that could help him fulfill his NBA dream and had also encountered a "humanoid cheat code" like Kobe, why wouldn't he play?
Unlike others, after his rebirth and resurrection, Su Feng firmly believed that an invisible force was controlling his destiny.
If he didn't play, Su Feng feared he might suddenly die—just like a supporting character in an infinite-stream novel...
Thus, entering the NBA, becoming a basketball star, and marrying Bai Fumei became Su Feng's unwavering goal.
...
The 18 Rockets was the day G1 of the NBA Finals in the 1993/94 season began. According to his agreement with Kobe, Su Feng arrived on time at the court where he and Kobe usually practiced.
"Oh? Why is there no one here besides us to play?" Su Feng asked curiously.
"Humph, because this is my place," Kobe said proudly, his expression amusing beyond words.
"If I hadn't been preparing for my exams for a while, how could you have played on my court that day?" Bryant added.
Observing Kobe's expression, Su Feng could probably guess the truth...
It was simply because no one in this neighborhood could beat Kobe.
And since Kobe's overwhelming strength made it impossible to challenge him one-on-one all day long, well… if they couldn't win, everyone else must have just decided to avoid him entirely.
In the United States, after all, the most important thing is having a basketball court...
Because of his last secret observation of Kobe's house, Su Feng knew that Kobe's home wasn't far from this court, leading him to feel that they were truly destined to meet.
...
At this time in 1994, since Kobe hadn't met Vanessa yet, he naturally hadn't had any conflicts with his family.
Kobe's father, Joe Bryant, was a former NBA player—though more of a street-ball type.
When Kobe was a kid, Joe moved to Italy to support his family, shocking fans at the time. His playing style was flashy—especially his one-handed shot and smooth backswing—undeniably stylish.
After returning to the United States, during Kobe's first year playing basketball, Joe briefly served as his coach. Emmmmm... and then he didn't.
In the future, many would say Kobe was imitating Jordan, but in truth, his smooth shooting form was undeniably influenced by his father's teachings.
"Oh, is this the 'Philadelphia Hero' Kobe has been mentioning to me lately?"
Just then, Kobe's father, Joe, approached them with a joyful expression.
It was clear that Joe was quite happy to see his son making friends. After all, no parent wants their child to be isolated by others.
As Joe walked toward him and Kobe, Su Feng suddenly felt his vision darken—because Joe stood at an imposing 207 centimeters. To the younger Kobe and Su Feng, he was a true giant.
"Well, he's about the same height as Kobe—good arm length, solid hips and waist—not much muscle yet, but a strong frame," Joe remarked as he embraced Kobe. Then, as he hugged Su Feng, he casually lifted and lowered Su Feng's arms while making his observations.
Su Feng: "..."
Americans are certainly hospitable, but Su Feng couldn't shake the feeling that this was a little odd...
Oh, right!
Su Feng recalled how, in his previous life, whenever he brought a girlfriend home, his older aunts would always comment: "She has good hips—she'll have strong sons."
"Come on, guys, the TV is set up—Pamela has prepared some exquisite snacks for you!"
Joe laughed, leading Kobe and Su Feng into the living room. Just as Su Feng was about to sit down, Joe suddenly declared, "Of course, as athletes, you are forbidden from drinking Coke."
Yet, as he spoke, Joe popped open a can of Coca-Cola right in front of Su Feng and Kobe.
Su Feng, Kobe: "..."
It wasn't as if they had wanted to drink soda, but...
Su Feng suddenly felt that Kobe's solitary nature might have deeper reasons.
"Su, which side do you prefer?"
The TV commentators had already begun their routine preview of the Finals when Bryant looked at Su Feng curiously and asked,
"Rockets."
"Why? Don't you think the Knicks have a championship-worthy roster this year?" Kobe looked puzzled. He had assumed that Su Feng, like himself, would believe the Knicks could win.
"I think Hakeem is stronger than Patrick," Su Feng explained. "Although their matchups have gone back and forth, Hakeem consistently has the upper hand against Patrick."
"But the Knicks also have Starks, Oakley, and Davis..." Kobe protested, listing off a series of Knicks stars.
Su Feng smiled and shook his head. "You're right, Kobe. On paper, the Knicks have a stronger overall lineup, while Rockets is at a disadvantage."
Hearing Su Feng's concession, Kobe smirked in satisfaction—until Su Feng continued, "But I still believe that the small gap between Hakeem and Patrick will ultimately decide this series."
With Jordan's retirement, interest in the NBA had declined somewhat during the 1993/94 season. Yet, objectively, this season's Finals were a true classic.
The Knicks had the 1985 first overall pick, one of the league's four premier centers, the "Gorilla" Patrick Ewing. Meanwhile, Rockets had the 1984 first overall pick, the legendary "Dream" Hakeem Olajuwon.
Before the series, many believed the Knicks had the superior roster. But Su Feng, knowing the outcome, understood that their supposed advantage wouldn't translate as expected.
Take the shooting guard position: the Knicks boasted John Starks—a relentless competitor with excellent defense and a dangerous three-point shot.
During the 1993/94 season, Starks averaged 19 points per game, earning both an All-Star selection and a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He later won the Sixth Man of the Year award, serving as Ewing's key ally that season.
On the Rockets side, however, there was Vernon Maxwell—a formidable player capable of going toe-to-toe with Starks.
At first glance, Starks seemed like the superior player, while Maxwell was merely an average starter. Many basketball fans in Su Feng's previous life viewed Maxwell as an underrated figure. However, being unknown didn't mean lacking ability.
As a central piece of Rockets's two championship runs, Maxwell was a force on both ends of the court. His physical, hard-nosed playing style made it difficult for someone like Starks—similar in stature—to gain an edge.
Unless Starks played dirty or pulled some veteran tricks, he was bound to be locked into a 50-50 battle against Maxwell.
As for Oakley—whom Kobe had mentioned—the Knicks' enforcer had earned a reputation for being rough, if not outright dirty.
Some fans romanticized his physicality as "toughness" or "grit," but in reality, Oakley was notorious for questionable tactics.
But against Olajuwon?
Forget it. The Dream was so dominant during this era that even a certain future Hall of Fame center would come to fear his range...
On the Knicks' side, they had Oakley—but Rockets had Robert Horry.
From a superstitious standpoint, Horry was Rockets's X-factor.
Su Feng, aware of future events, understood that Horry was one of the NBA's most powerful "causal forces."
Simply put, if Horry was on your team, your odds of winning a championship skyrocketed to an astounding 43.75%.
Across 16 seasons, he won seven championships—his uncanny ability to land on title-winning teams was legendary.
So, while the Knicks seemed to hold an advantage, in reality, their battle with Rockets was evenly matched.
And when two teams with similar lineups and skill levels clashed, Olajuwon would be the deciding factor.
In Su Feng's previous life, the Knicks had seized control early in the series, winning three of the first four games.
However, Game 6 became a defining moment.
With seconds remaining, the Knicks had the chance to clinch the championship. They passed the ball to Starks for a potential game-winner...
But Olajuwon made a bold choice. Instead of continuing his defensive assignment on Ewing, he rushed toward Starks, disrupting his wide-open three-point attempt.
After the game, Olajuwon explained, "They wanted that championship as badly as we did. I knew John (Starks) would take that shot, so I trusted my instinct."
His decision altered history.
Starks fired his shot as expected.
This time, Olajuwon didn't hesitate. Unlike his college days, he didn't let destiny slip past him.
He blocked Starks' game-winning attempt, securing Rockets's survival and forcing a Game 7.
Starks, shaken by the missed opportunity, collapsed under pressure in the final game—shooting an abysmal 0-for-11 from beyond the arc.
And just like that, Rockets claimed the championship.
Throughout the Finals, Olajuwon carried his team on his shoulders—offensively, defensively, in every critical moment.
Meanwhile, Ewing? Well… let's just say, history hasn't always been kind to him.
This, ultimately, was why Su Feng believed that the slight difference between Olajuwon and Ewing would shape the series.
Kobe, however, wasn't satisfied with Su Feng's explanation.
Knowing Kobe's personality well, Su Feng wisely chose not to argue further.
Instead, Joe Bryant—the father of Kobe—chuckled to himself, thinking that Su Feng was quite an interesting kid.
...
"Too brutal…" As the 1993/94 NBA Finals began, Su Feng couldn't help but sigh.
"Too brutal…" At that moment, Kobe and Su Feng were in complete agreement.
In the future, the 1993/94 NBA Finals would come to be known as the "Fuzzy Finals" by many, as none of the seven games saw a score surpass 100 points. The highest-scoring game only reached 93 points...
Beyond the constant sound of missed shots clanking off the rim, the players from both teams battled like wrestlers in a physical war inside the paint.
"Good thing we practice the right way…" Watching the game on TV, Su Feng swore that he would never rely on inside scoring until the Hand-Check rule evolved into No Hand-Check rules.
Driving to the basket? Impossible. His survival on the court would depend solely on pull-up jumpers and contested shots. And players who mastered that style spoke volumes through their skills—Su Feng absolutely loved the art of a pure jump shot.
As widely known, the suffocating defense of this era was a direct result of the Hand-Check rule.
Simply put, defenders could place their hands on offensive players, restricting their movement and making it nearly impossible for perimeter players to create separation off the dribble.
The difficulty of breaking down a defense under the Hand-Check rule was easily double that of the No Hand-Check era…
Why did Jordan rely on his pull-up jumper so much later in his career?
Why did he master the turnaround fadeaway?
Because shooting was the least affected offensive skill under the Hand-Check rule.
After all, when pulling up for a shot, turning mid-air, or stepping back, the defense simply couldn't react in time.
In Su Feng's past life, many fans wrongly believed that players in the 1990s avoided shooting threes because of the Hand-Check rule…
But in reality, that was a misleading assumption.
When the NBA later shortened the three-point line, did teams suddenly refuse to shoot more threes?
Even Jordan himself couldn't resist…
Honestly, at this point in history, the three-pointer was still a relatively new concept that players resisted.
Take Larry Bird, for example—even he disliked three-pointers, believing they were merely a show-off move rather than a fundamental part of the game.
If the NBA were to introduce a four-point shot tomorrow, teams would need time to adapt to the change.
Even when the Warriors won their first championship in Su Feng's past life, many analysts had doubted that a three-point-heavy team could succeed.
Thus, the reluctance to shoot threes in the 1990s was less about rules and more about generational differences in basketball philosophy.
It's like traveling back to the 1990s and telling people that, in the future, they wouldn't need to carry cash and could pay for everything with just a mobile phone—most would think you were insane.
At this time, society wasn't nearly as quick to embrace new ideas compared to the hyper-connected digital age.
Regardless, the Hand-Check rule remained a nightmare for perimeter players during this era…
"The players in the '90s… way too brutal!" Su Feng exclaimed.