Chapter 90: The Next T-MAC? (Three chapters today)

"Coach Frank, could you tell me who that person is?"
As he followed head coach Frank Vogel, Michael Wu asked his question.
Vogel glanced at him and nodded, “Of course I can. Michael, you’re in luck, and this is something the team’s upper management has arranged… Oh, we’re almost there. I’ll introduce you when we meet.”
As they spoke, the two of them entered an elevator inside the Amway Center, heading up to the team’s executive offices. Knocking on the door of one office, Vogel led Michael inside and greeted a middle-aged man in a suit seated at the desk.
“Hey Frank, are we still being so formal with each other?” The man rose slowly, walked over, and patted Vogel on the shoulder, though his gaze fell on Michael. “Michael, it’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”
He extended his right hand. “I’m Richie Caruso, the Operations Director of your current team.”
“Oh, Mr. Caruso, hello.” Upon learning the man’s identity, Michael hurried to shake his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“There’s no need to be so formal, Michael. Treat this place like your own locker room.” Letting go, Caruso returned to his seat with a smile. “Alright, I think it’s time we talked business.”
With the pleasantries over, Richie Caruso, as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Orlando Magic, spoke directly and efficiently. In no time, Michael understood what he meant.
“You mean the team wants to build me up as Orlando’s new basketball star?”
“That’s right, just like Anfernee Hardaway and Tracy McGrady once were.” Caruso pulled a stack of proposals from his drawer. “Originally, the team hoped to shape Victor Oladipo into that kind of figure, but unfortunately, his ability just isn’t enough.”
“But Mr. Caruso, I’m not strong enough either,” Michael said, scratching his head. “I’m not even half as good as they were.”
He wasn’t lying. Not to mention those two Hall of Fame-level players—even compared to Oladipo, Michael was worlds apart, as different as heaven and earth.
Oladipo, after all, averaged 13.8 points per game in his rookie season, and then soared to 18 points per game in his second year!
Meanwhile, even with Michael’s breakout performance today, he’d barely managed to score 18 points.
“Of course you’re not as good as them,” Caruso nodded, appreciating Michael’s self-awareness. “But what the team values is your potential.”
“Young man, don’t you want to become the core of this team?”

“Don’t you want to become the face of this city?”
Caruso opened the proposal, glancing at it. “Don’t forget, you also represent your country. If you could become the next Tracy McGrady…”
He left it at that, which was his usual style.
Off to the side, Frank Vogel was stunned. He’d originally thought the Operations Director was just putting on a show and had invited Michael over simply to praise the rookie. He never expected there would be such a grand plan!
Michael was equally taken aback. Every point Caruso made was a goal that would ignite the passion of any young athlete: being the team’s cornerstone, the city’s leader, carrying the honor of his nation!
“Mr. Caruso, maybe you should tell me what I need to do,” Michael’s heart was stirred and he took a step forward. “I know I can do it.”
Seeing the look in Michael’s eyes, Richie Caruso turned to the main section of the proposal and pointed to the first item: “First, we need you to become the MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend!”
“But before that, Michael, it would be best if you could win Rookie of the Month at least once. That would make the impact even greater.”
Caruso offered a gentle smile, but Michael couldn’t bring himself to smile in return.
Rising Stars Challenge MVP!
Rookie of the Month!
For Michael at this moment, those two feats seemed more daunting than scaling a mountain—and this was only the first requirement on the team’s list!
With his sharp eyesight, Michael could see line after line of dense text below that first item—all additional demands from the team!
Leaving the office, Michael said nothing, his head bowed, heart in turmoil.
“Relax, Michael, they just haven’t seen a talent like yours in a long time,” Vogel tried to comfort his player, patting him on the back. “These expectations are a bit much, I’ll talk to management and ask them to reconsider…”
“Coach Frank, that’s not necessary,” Michael interrupted his coach. “This is a sign of the team’s trust in me. I’m happy about it.”
“It’s just that my abilities are still far from what the team expects. From now on, I hope you can teach me more about the finer points of the game. I want to improve as quickly as possible!”

While Michael and Vogel were meeting with Richie Caruso, all the NBA games for the night had come to an end. The major news sites and fan forums were in an uproar!
“A breakout game for the Chinese rookie—Orlando has no sleep tonight!”
“One game off, then he tears up the court—have you ever seen a Michael Wu like this?”
“A Chinese sharpshooter returns to the NBA stage—Michael Wu writes a new chapter in his career!”
Whether it was TNT, ESPN, or even the official NBA website, bold red headlines dominated their homepages—tonight, all eyes were on Michael Wu!
“12 of 9 shooting, 18 points and 4 rebounds, one dunk all game, but that one dunk was selected as the top play of the night—can anyone tell me what happened in Orlando today?”
On American basketball forums, in the post-game threads for the Magic and Mavericks, many were asking the same question.
“I’m a Magic fan and I watched the game live at Amway Center. Honestly, Michael was incredible tonight—he was unstoppable two steps inside the three-point line!”
“Agreed—the way Michael locked down Harrison, who averages 22 points per game, was unbelievable. Harrison didn’t make a single shot when Michael was guarding him!”
“Say no more, guys. When’s the next Magic game? I think I need to catch it on TNT’s official channel!”
It wasn’t just American fans—Michael’s performance had even stunned the legendary TNT commentary crew.
“Sir Charles, I think your last decision let a donkey keep its dignity,” Shaquille O’Neal chuckled as he watched Charles Barkley flip through the stat sheet. “If you’d bet me on Michael’s shooting, we would’ve witnessed an instant classic tonight.”
“Incredible, Shaq.”
Despite his rival’s teasing, Barkley kept his attention on the stats. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “Man, this kid is unbelievable!”