Chapter Eight: Kobe’s Form (Please Vote for Recommendations!)

As he stared at line after line of Wu Rui’s physical performance data, Frank Vogel maintained his usual calm exterior, but inside, his heart was already in turmoil.

“Coach, this time, you have to let me see it, right?”

On the other side, Wu Rui, having finally completed all the tests, walked over to Vogel with great enthusiasm, leaning in to get a look at the form in Vogel’s hands.

Although Wu Rui didn’t know his exact numbers, he could feel the feedback from his own body. Whether it was the vertical jump, shuttle run, or bench press, he had given his all—there was no way his results could be bad!

“Your data is quite average. Go get ready for the team practice.” As Wu Rui leaned closer, Vogel quickly composed himself, tossed out this line in a flat tone, and turned away without another word, heading off toward the sidelines without so much as a backward glance.

“Huh? Average?”

Vogel’s reaction hit Wu Rui like a heavy blow to the gut.

From the look of it, the coach didn’t seem to be lying. Could it be that his painstaking effort still only amounted to mediocrity by NBA standards?

“Well, there’s nothing I can do. It’s already more than enough that fate has given me a pair of legs that can run and jump again. What more could I possibly ask for?”

“Michael, you’re here early today!”

Just as Wu Rui was sighing to himself, Bismack Biyombo, the Magic’s big man, somehow appeared in the training facility and greeted him with a wave.

As a promising young center brought in over the summer, Biyombo was eager to prove himself. He’d always prided himself on being the first to arrive at the gym, but today, someone had beaten him to it!

“Haha, Bismack, you’re not the first one to say that to me.”

Seeing a teammate, Wu Rui pulled himself together and greeted him with a smile, then asked with some confusion, “Was I always late before? Why is everyone so surprised?”

“You always come early,” Biyombo replied, flashing a small smile as he raised a finger, “just about the last one to show up, though.”

“What?”

Wu Rui’s grin froze on his face.

He was shocked to realize how lazy he must have been before he crossed over into this life.

“Damn, with such a top-notch basketball facility, you really didn’t appreciate it!” The thought of his former self being so wasteful made Wu Rui want to scold himself.

If only he’d known how incredible the team’s training facility was, he’d have happily worked himself to exhaustion there.

“What are you mumbling about now?” Hearing Wu Rui mutter away in his native tongue, Biyombo shook his head, then seemed to think of something, striding over to pat Wu Rui on the shoulder. “By the way, Michael, didn’t you ask me after the last game how you could be as good as I am?”

“Yeah, your mid-range shooting last game was textbook perfect—it was unforgettable!” Biyombo’s words gave Wu Rui the perfect segue. “I could never be as good as you!”

“Who says you can’t? Mid-range shooting is one of the most basic basketball skills.” Biyombo was unmoved by Wu Rui’s barrage of flattery. As he spoke, he casually picked up a basketball from nearby—without even taking off his warm-up jacket—and took a shot.

The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air and dropped cleanly through the net.

He followed up with a dozen more shots, barely missing a single one—and still hadn’t bothered to take off his jacket.

“Wow...”

Watching his teammate shoot so effortlessly, Wu Rui’s mouth twitched. NBA players truly did whatever they pleased in practice!

“See? It’s just that simple.”

Biyombo’s expression was perfectly natural as he picked up another ball and tossed it to Wu Rui. “Come on, Michael, get warmed up too.”

“Uh...”

Catching the ball, Wu Rui froze for a moment.

It was obvious Biyombo wanted him to take a few shots as a warm-up before practice, but Wu Rui had no idea how to shoot!

In his previous life, he’d been paralyzed from the waist down. Forget shooting—he had never even set foot on a basketball court.

Now, though he’d crossed over into the body of an NBA rookie, this body had no muscle memory or knowledge of basketball skills!

“Michael, what’s wrong?” Biyombo, seeing Wu Rui standing motionless with the ball, urged him on. “With your physical gifts, if you could add a reliable shot, you’d be a tremendous asset to the team!”

“Bismack’s right.”

At that moment, Vogel, who had been watching from a distance, walked over and addressed the dazed Wu Rui. “A player’s shooting ability largely determines his future prospects.”

After the team’s rigorous testing, Vogel was certain that Wu Rui’s physical gifts were those of an ideal basketball player. But he also knew that athleticism alone was not enough.

The NBA never lacks for high-flyers; what truly determines Wu Rui’s future is his shooting.

So when Vogel saw Biyombo passing the ball to Wu Rui for a shot, he couldn’t contain his curiosity and came over to watch in person—intent on getting to the bottom of Wu Rui’s abilities.

“Coach Frank, I... I’ll give it a try.”

With the head coach watching, Wu Rui knew he had no choice but to take a shot.

He had no idea how to shoot, but surely there must be some muscle memory in this body, if it was good enough to make it to the NBA.

Steeling himself, Wu Rui lifted the ball high with both hands, trying to recall what he could.

His shooting form made Vogel’s heart skip a beat.

It was a strikingly familiar gesture—the shooting motion of none other than Kobe Bryant, the NBA legend who had just retired last season!

Could it be that the rookie they’d picked in the second round was a scoring prodigy in the mold of the Black Mamba?

Exhaling, Wu Rui assumed his idol’s shooting posture and, deciding there was no turning back, leapt up and launched the ball with all his strength.

With a whoosh, the ball shot from Wu Rui’s hands like a cannonball, crashing hard against the rim with a resounding clang and bouncing straight back.

Thud, thud, thud...

The ball ricocheted off the court, each bounce echoing in Vogel’s chest like a hammer pounding his heart.

“Michael...” Biyombo swallowed, staring at his new teammate. “Were you... serious just now?”