Hidden Stunt: Kobe's Turnaround Fadeaway
After finishing extra exercises with Kobe, Su Feng returned to his apartment and eagerly opened the system interface.
"Hidden Stunts: Unlike ordinary stunts, hidden stunts require the host to trigger them through specific events and can be upgraded through daily training and competitions."
"Kobe's Turnaround Fadeaway (Golden Epic) – Current Level: High School Elite. Current Equipment Effects:
Wrist stability during turnaround and fadeaway +10Delay time during turnaround and fadeaway +10%Influence absorption rate after completing the shot +20%"
Gold... golden ****...
Oh, Golden Epic?
Although the last bonus of this stunt seems tied to Kobe Bryant, after reading the system's description of this hidden stunt, even Su Feng—who was usually calm—couldn't help but take a deep breath!
If it were just an ordinary offensive stunt, Su Feng, who had seen many big moments, wouldn't be so excited.
But it was clear that Kobe's turnaround fadeaway, even among hidden stunts, was an exceptional one…
After all, it was the ultimate move of a generation's Iron God… cough—I mean, the signature skill of a generational scoring machine. Naturally, it was leagues ahead of the flashy, low-quality techniques commonly seen.
Most importantly, this hidden stunt could be upgraded!
Simply put, whether this skill would rank A or SSR in the future depended entirely on Su Feng.
The stronger he became, the stronger the skill would be.
Ever since the system was upgraded to 6.0, Su Feng had been deeply interested in the stunts and badges within the interface.
Unlike shooting, which had only one equipment slot, stunts and badges had five slots.
This meant Su Feng could equip up to five stunts at a time.
And Kobe's turnaround fadeaway fell under the offensive stunt category.
According to the introduction, only three stunts of the same category could be equipped simultaneously.
*"When practicing the turnaround fadeaway, my explosiveness was too strong, but my wrist wasn't stable enough—that was my weakness.
I just wonder, how much of a boost will this +10 give me?
And this delay time bonus... Clearly, this percentage increase requires a strong foundation to be fully effective."*
After assessing his gains, Su Feng quickly regained his composure.
From his perspective, this hidden stunt wasn't something that would make him metamorphose overnight.
Instead, it was more like a long-term, reliable investment.
So, Su Feng quietly equipped Kobe's turnaround fadeaway.
"I wonder if there are other hidden stunts... And if there are, how do I unlock them?" Su Feng pondered.
...
The next day, while training with the team, Su Feng deliberately tested the bonus effect of Kobe's Turnaround Fadeaway on himself.
"This is frustrating... After equipping this stunt, why is my fadeaway so much more accurate?"
It seemed that the reason he had been leaning forward so much before was simply due to unstable wrist control while shooting.
"But why do I need to miss shots in order to upgrade this skill?"
As one of Su Feng's few offensive moves when handling the ball, he realized during training that this stunt had granted him more advantages than he had initially expected.
And now, the same paradox that had plagued him earlier returned once again.
After equipping Kobe Bryant's Turnaround Fadeaway, Su Feng's fadeaway accuracy had improved significantly.
But in turn, his iron value accumulated much more slowly.
Yet if he unequipped this stunt, he wouldn't be able to upgrade the skill at all.
Clearly, the system had blocked every possible method of exploiting missed shots that Su Feng could come up with.
However, he soon discovered that his newly found precision wasn't entirely due to the stunt itself...
Bang, bang, bang...
"Hahaha, Su, is this the 'practice' you were talking about?"
Kobe laughed.
Su Feng: "..."
Sure enough, this supposed game-changing boost was just an illusion!
His newfound accuracy was simply due to the low defensive intensity of his teammates on Nefalia's squad.
Su Feng: ORZ.
...
In the blink of an eye, the 11th had arrived.
This was the day of the friendly match between Nefalia High School and Raul Merion High School.
The game was held at Raul Merion.
Although it was just an ordinary exhibition match, for Su Feng, this was his first time participating in an American high school basketball game.
Upon arriving at Raul Merion High School with the team, Su Feng immediately felt the rush—
The passion of American high school students for basketball.
It could truly be described as: packed crowds, pounding drums, waving flags, fireworks bursting...
Cough, cough.
From the school gate to the basketball hall, Su Feng saw students lining up with banners, signs, and other support items, all ready to cheer for their basketball team.
The whole school felt like it was celebrating a holiday.
"Welcome to Raul Merion!"
Following the staff's guidance to the court, the first person Su Feng and his teammates saw was Raul Merion's head coach, Greg Downer.
As Nefalia High School's head coach, Tony Jones, stepped forward to greet him, Greg Downer shifted slightly with a knowing smile—
And suddenly, the blast of music erupted.
On the court, Raul Merion's cheerleading squad burst into a fiery dance, chanting in rhythm.
The entire gymnasium instantly surged with energy.
Only by being here could one truly feel the adrenaline rush.
"Welcome to Raul Merion."
After the cheerleaders finished their performance, Greg Downer stepped forward and shook hands with Tony Jones.
At that moment, Su Feng overheard the chatter of Raul Merion's students, who had come to support their school team:
"Is this the same team we beat by 58 points last year?"
"Go, Kobe! You can definitely score 100 points tonight!"
"Man, I really hope Nefalia holds out a little longer this time… Otherwise, I'll have to go on that date with my girlfriend."
"Come on, Nefalia! Maybe this time, you'll only lose by 60 points!"
Since Raul Merion's gymnasium seating was close to the court, Su Feng heard these taunts loud and clear.
Oddly enough, he wasn't particularly bothered by them.
But this group of self-proclaimed loyal warriors of Nefalia had been playing for the school team for years—surely, they had some emotional attachment to it...
How could they just stand there and tolerate such mockery?
Had American high school students become this rational?
Fortunately, assistant coach Anthony explained the situation to Su Feng.
It turned out that, aside from him, all the other players had prepared earplugs in advance.
"Survival of the fittest—this is the law of nature and the law of basketball. In competitive sports, if you can't compete, then you deserve to be mocked. We're used to it."
Anthony smiled as he patted Su Feng's shoulder.
Su Feng: "..."
How did this suddenly feel like an overwhelming defeat?
And when Su Feng headed to the locker room with his teammates to change uniforms, he didn't realize—
Someone on the court had been watching him closely.
"Is this the Chinese player Kobe mentioned? The one who's supposedly stronger than Donnell and Swartz?"
Greg Downer narrowed his eyes.
"Coach… uh, Mr. Greg, I don't think you need to take Kobe's words too seriously."
Greg's assistant, Drew Downer, said as he held the tactical board.
Greg smiled, then patted Drew on the shoulder before asking curiously, "Tell me your thoughts."
"Since Kobe recommended that Chinese player named Su, I made sure to visit Nefalia High School for a background check.
According to the data, he was just an ordinary member of the Nefalia High School Basketball Reserve Team during his first and second years.
So I find it hard to believe that he's stronger than Donnell and Swartz.
Nefalia doesn't have a strong basketball program. If they had a truly talented player, there's no way they'd have kept him in the reserve squad.
And during my research, I found that Su is actually quite famous at Nefalia—not for basketball, but for his courage last semester. His story even made it into a local Philadelphia newspaper."
Drew flipped through his notes and explained to Greg seriously.
After listening, Greg nodded in contemplation.
"Drew, you've grown. But just based on this…"
"Of course, I wouldn't make judgments solely based on this. But think about it, Coach—if Su really had the skills Kobe claimed, and given his popularity at Nefalia, do you really think he'd have remained hidden until now?
I believe he and Kobe are good friends, and since they are close, Kobe probably wants to look out for his buddy ahead of this match.
Maybe the only reason Nefalia allowed him to join the friendly match was because of his heroic actions last semester—maybe the school wants to commend him.
Giving him a chance to play against his good friend."
Drew analyzed.
Honestly, it was a shame Drew wasn't pursuing a career as a private detective...
"Still, Drew, you know Kobe's temperament..."
Greg rubbed his temples as he thought back to Kobe's stubborn insistence about this Chinese player just a few days ago—he had even argued with Greg over it.
If it had been anyone else, Greg might have lost his temper.
But this was Kobe Bryant.
Greg sighed and let it go, though deep inside, his curiosity about Su Feng had grown.
Of course, he didn't fully believe Kobe's claims.
A Chinese defender who could play one-on-one against Kobe Bryant?
To Greg, that sounded as unlikely as a Chinese player competing against Deng Yaping in a high-stakes ping-pong match.
Having been in the business for years, Greg knew Kobe might just be trying to help out a friend.
"Coach, Su is really strong. I hope the school gives him a full scholarship. I'll convince him to transfer. If we want to win the state championship, we need him!"
Recalling Kobe's determined expression at that moment, Greg could only scoff internally.
Especially after observing Su Feng today, Greg found it hard to believe this thin Chinese defender was truly as skilled as Kobe claimed.
...
After changing into his team uniform, Su Feng, now wearing the No. 11 jersey, returned to the court with his teammates to warm up before the match.
Notably, during the warm-up, Su Feng and Kobe noticed each other—but neither greeted the other.
This was their prior agreement.
Friends off the court. Rivals on it.
But of course, in a game featuring Kobe Bryant...
Even in a friendly match, Su Feng noticed a number of scouts seated in the stands.
Man, that's seriously enviable.
On the court, once both teams had completed their warm-ups, Nefalia High School's assistant coach, Anthony, submitted the official starting lineup to the scorers' table.
Campa, Wright, John, Thomas, Towns...
Wait... No Su Feng?
In truth, the reason for Su Feng's absence from the starting five was simple. Although his talent was recognized, he had yet to fully integrate with the team.
Tony Jones was a coach who preferred a steady approach. His plan was to gradually increase Su Feng's playing time to help him adapt to the intensity of high school basketball competition.
Although...
From Su Feng's perspective, that was completely unnecessary.
Still, he understood Tony's reasoning.
So, he accepted his role coming off the bench.
But what Su Feng never expected—
Was that when Nefalia's starting five stepped onto the court, over at Raul Merion...
Kobe Bryant exploded.
BOOM—!
"What's going on? Why isn't Su starting?"
An emotionally fired-up Kobe Bryant stormed toward Nefalia's bench, glaring at head coach Tony Jones.
This time... It was Nefalia's turn to be caught off guard.
Aha?
Fortunately, Kobe managed to regain control of his emotions after his initial outburst.
So, after shooting a subtle glance at Su Feng, he trudged back to the court—still irritated.
"Why? No way… That guy John played against me last year—he can't be better than Su..."
Kobe had planned to fire up Su Feng during the game—
But now, his mood had taken a sudden dive.
Meanwhile, on the Raul Merion bench, Greg Downer and his son exchanged a knowing glance.
Of course, neither Greg nor Drew pointed out Kobe's obvious attempt to help his friend.
Because, in Greg's eyes—
Someone who knows how to take care of their friends will never be lacking in potential.
...
As Nefalia's starting five took their positions on the court, Raul Merion's lineup emerged to roaring cheers from the crowd.
David Rasman, Guy Stewart, Kobe, Downer, Robbie Swartz...
As a longtime admirer of Kobe Bryant, Su Feng was no stranger to Raul Merion's starters.
After all, in his past life—whether out of sheer admiration for Kobe or an obsessive need to hype him up—Su Feng had studied a lot about him.
When it came to Kobe's life and career, Su Feng could practically recite it like family lore.
Although none of Kobe's high school teammates would go on to play in the NBA, in a country bursting with basketball talent, that hardly meant they were weak players.
In fact, most people only see the success stories of NBA athletes—
But they fail to notice the countless other geniuses crushed underfoot along the journey.
"A thousand sacrifices for one success."
This was the essence of competitive sports.
This was basketball.
Brutal, unforgiving, indifferent.
Cough. Anyway, back to business.
On the court, while Kobe's earlier over-the-top display had been baffling, his current demeanor was slightly deflated.
Which meant that for John—Nefalia's small forward tasked with guarding Kobe today—the pressure instantly felt lighter…
Because, last year?
John had been humiliated.
He used to have a beautiful girlfriend.
But after she watched last year's game between Nefalia and Raul Merion, she left him.
"I don't like soft eggs like you!"
John had been devastated for months.
To be fair, though—he wasn't the only one wrecked by Kobe in Pennsylvania!
Of course, Su Feng—sitting on the bench at that moment—had no idea about John's emotional turmoil.
Otherwise, he'd probably tell him: "Bro… you're done for."
Because Su Feng knew Kobe too well.
Kobe had been secretly preparing for this match for a long time.
From Su Feng's past life, he knew that whenever Kobe faced an opponent he truly respected—
He entered another level of performance entirely.
So in Su Feng's mind, poor John was about to be the sacrificial lamb tonight.
"Rest in peace, my friend."
...
As the referee tossed the ball to start the game, Su Feng could barely watch.
Oh, poor John…
Kobe won the tip for Raul Merion, securing the first possession.
The rules of high school basketball in the U.S. differ from those of the NCAA. Since these games are played at the state level, each state has slight variations in its regulations.
For example, in Pennsylvania in 1994, high school basketball games consisted of four quarters of eight minutes each.
This shortened game time was designed to protect young players, as they were still developing physically.
Additionally, like the NCAA, following a 1993 restructuring, the U.S. high school basketball league implemented a 35-second shot clock.
This rule was meant to give young point guards more time to set up plays and develop their court vision.
In Su Feng's past life, some people had the ridiculous notion that American high school teams could dominate the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)…
But those people clearly misunderstood both professional basketball and American high school competition.
The level of play in U.S. high school basketball varies greatly.
For instance, Kobe was so dominant that he could practically take on five defenders at once.
On the other hand, a player like Captain Downs from Su Feng's team?
Not only was he 176 cm tall, but he weighed just 68 kg…
Next year, Kevin Garnett—one of the pioneers of NBA preps-to-pros recruiting—would enter the draft.
In high school, do you know who Garnett competed against?
Aside from the occasional opponent standing over 2 meters tall, most of his matchups were against players around 190 cm.
And since American coaches discouraged excessive strength training at younger ages, the players' physiques were relatively similar.
From Su Feng's perspective, comparing high school basketball in the U.S. to the CBA was nonsense.
Of course, in terms of excitement?
It absolutely outshined the CBA.
After all, in the U.S., the spectacle was all about spring-loaded athletes who could fly.
Speaking of which—
Su Feng hadn't tried dunking yet…
Su-completely addicted to bricking shots-Feng.
Back on the court, Raul Merion's point guard, Swartz, had the ball.
Although Swartz never made a name for himself professionally, Su Feng knew him well.
Every devout Kobe fan—or should I say, Kobe hater—knew him too.
What?
You don't recognize him?
Then how can you call yourself a true Kobe fan?
Swartz was infamous—
Because he was the first unlucky soul to suffer from Kobe's death glare.
In Su Feng's past life, Swartz had once been paired with Kobe in a three-on-three practice game.
During crunch time, Swartz chose to take the final shot himself instead of passing to Kobe.
He missed.
Kobe's team lost.
The result?
According to Raul Merion assistant coach Jeremy Tritman, Kobe stared at Swartz for 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Yes—one hour and twenty-seven minutes.
What kind of unwavering commitment was that?!
Since that fateful day, Swartz became a soulless passing machine.
At Raul Merion, his role was similar to the Lakers' future point guards:
Dribble past half-court, pass to Kobe, then get out of the way.
Anyway—back to the present.
Raul Merion's first possession.
Swartz brought the ball up, then passed it to Kobe.
At this time, Kobe had switched to jersey No. 33 to honor his father.
Well… To honor his father?
Su Feng always thought that was a bit odd.
On the court, Kobe dribbled with his right hand, executed a slick crossover, and launched past his defender—John.
John, standing at 186 cm, had an average wingspan.
And worse, he was too scared of Kobe to even contest the shot.
Su Feng thought his ex-girlfriend had been right to dump him.
If you can't stop the shot, at least fight to defend it—that was the correct mentality.
Kobe drove to the rim with sheer explosiveness, leapt high, and threw down a ferocious dunk.
At that moment, Nefalia's center, Campa, beneath him, looked just as helpless as Su Feng had three months ago.
Thankfully, Su Feng's relationship with Kobe had warmed up since then.
Kobe no longer treated him quite as mercilessly.
Sitting on the bench, Su Feng was deeply moved.
Because Kobe's talent…
Was truly terrifying.
Su Feng's past life saw analysts like Zhang Weiping become die-hard Kobe admirers.
Even at this stage, despite his raw technique, Kobe's style, confidence, and magnetism were undeniable.
Kobe Takes Over
0-2.
By convention, the visiting team's score is listed first, followed by the home team.
Kobe's dunk had set the gym on fire.
John, who had just been shaken by Kobe, was reeling.
On the next play, overwhelmed by pressure, he couldn't even secure the ball.
Kobe snatched the steal, then sprinted down the court.
Near the rim, he spun 180 degrees in the air and dunked again!
Terrifying!
In Pennsylvania high school basketball, Kobe was simply untouchable.
Honestly, Su Feng regretted not lighting incense before the game.
Otherwise, he'd offer some prayers for John right now.
"Hang in there, kid. Believe in yourself!"
BAM—!
Another steal by Kobe.
Nefalia's guard, Towns, had just crossed half-court when Kobe charged at him like a bullet.
Panicked, Towns lost control of his dribble.
Kobe stripped the ball clean, then dashed for another fast break.
With one powerful tomahawk slam, Kobe sent a message.
Three consecutive dunks.
Hearing the rim rattle, Su Feng knew—
Kobe was furious, and the consequences would be severe.
Suddenly—
"Do you really have the heart to see him lose his will to play basketball forever?"
"Put Su Feng in—I only want to fight him!"
Before Su Feng could even react, Kobe stormed toward Nefalia's bench.
Pointing directly at John—his helpless defender—he demanded Tony Jones sub in Su Feng.
Su Feng, facing Kobe?
Tony Jones and Anthony exchanged stunned glances.
...
combo (1/4)