Humble and polite yet arrogant and proud.
Jordan couldn’t understand...
Why would these two completely different attributes exist in the same person?
But when Qin Yue earnestly said the words "I’m really worried I might hurt you," this was the most direct impression Qin Yue had given Jordan.
At this moment, as their eyes met, Jordan saw nothing but honesty and sincerity.
But the more he thought about this, the more furious Jordan became.
Because doesn’t this mean...
The kid standing in front of him truly believes he could hurt him?
If you’re afraid of injuries, don’t play basketball.
In the eighties and nineties, this saying was a golden rule in the NBA.
For Jordan, who had fought his way through those times...
If he feared injuries, he wouldn’t have faced the rough tackles and fouls from the "Bad Kids Legion" of Detroit courageously back then.
Fearing injuries only makes you weak.
For a long time, Jordan had been telling himself that.
But now, after only a year away from the basketball world...
"Don’t worry about my identity and status; next, just use all your skills." Putting a lid on the burning anger rising in his chest, Jordan told Qin Yue on the training court.
Seeing this, Qin Yue, aware that rejecting Jordan further might land him in the hospital due to hypertension, finally nodded under Jordan’s undeniable gaze.
Immediately, Grover, working well with Jordan, assigned four trainers from his team to the teams of Jordan and Qin Yue.
Just before the half-court 3-on-3 game began...
Out of goodwill, Qin Yue pointed at the floor and said something that made Jordan even more exasperated, "Then, later, I’ll shoot from here, and you defend me here."
I told you to use all your skills, I’m Michael Jordan, not as delicate as you think!
And what do you mean by shooting from here later?
Do you think you’re Larry Bird?
On the training court, looking at Qin Yue’s sincere eyes, Jordan made up his mind as he became increasingly angry.
When this 3-on-3 game starts, he must show some real skill and let the young ones know what "the old master is still the master" means.
To Jordan’s utter surprise...
As soon as the game started, Qin Yue, who won the ball toss, shot right from where he had pointed earlier, with Jordan’s furious defense bearing down on him.
Compared to his peak, Jordan’s bouncing speed and movement ability had significantly declined.
Despite still competing in the NBA last April...
A year of idleness had already caused his physical capabilities to deteriorate.
If he were a few years younger, even if Qin Yue had a height advantage, Jordan could likely use his cheetah-like reflex speed to intercept the basketball before Qin Yue’s shot reached its highest point.
But just as Qin Yue shot right before him, despite saying he’d hold his ground, all Jordan could manage was to give Qin Yue a strong contest.
With Qin Yue scoring from the position he designated earlier, the entire training hall fell silent.
Actually, as the person involved, Qin Yue didn’t expect his shot to go in either.
Qin Yue knew clearly that his shooting was still unstable at the moment.
This fact was visible in the data visualization provided by the Mountain Peak system.
After all, he had just modified his shooting form a few months ago.
Plus, during his weight-loss period, with the change in body weight, he’d had to continuously adjust.
Later, to obtain more perfect muscle lines and strength in opposition, he’d have to re-establish new muscle memory.
So, even though Qin Yue had never slackened in his shooting practice daily, he still had to follow the objective rules of the basketball world.
Since Jordan had given Qin Yue a chance to shoot earlier, naturally, there was a possibility for Qin Yue to get it in.
After scoring, to show that he had merely hit a lucky shot, all Qin Yue unconsciously did on the court was shrug at Jordan.
Having grown up reading The Jordan Story, that unconscious shrug was deeply etched into Qin Yue’s DNA.
Every time he played and scored some lucky shots, he’d habitually use this gesture to express his helplessness to the opponent.
But today, Qin Yue evidently forgot...
The man standing before him at the moment is Michael Jordan.
In the 1992 NBA Finals, due to hitting six three-pointers in the first series game against the Blazers, after making the sixth three-pointer, Jordan shrugged to Magic Johnson, who was watching from the sideline, which later made that game known as the "Shrug Game."
Ever since, shrugging had also become one of Jordan’s trademark moves.
First, you claim you’ll shoot from here later.
Then after scoring, you dare to shrug at me.
Not even in the NBA yet and already so arrogant...
At this moment, a laughing Jordan was suddenly drawn to that figure he had been fond of in his mind...
Qin Yue was the person he had been looking for all along!
A template of Andrei Kirilenko?
Inheriting characteristics from Tim Duncan?
Charles Barkley’s successor?
In Jordan’s mind at this moment, Qin Yue was undeniably the reincarnation of Larry Bird! (Bird: ?)