Chapter 84: Worthy of a Seat at the Table

"Aaron, you let Michael score." Over on the bench, Biyombo and Wu Rui were laughing and chatting, while on the starters' side, Ibaka also smiled. "That guy's only ever made one mid-range shot in his entire career!"

"Enough, Serge, that was just a fluke," Aaron Gordon replied, clearly displeased. "His chances of making a mid-range jumper are lower than my chances of missing a dunk!"

"But he made it," Vucevic chimed in, walking over. "That kid was really decisive with his shot."

Having spent the first half alongside Wu Rui, Vucevic understood that Wu Rui's biggest issue with shooting wasn't technique or power, but his mentality. Shots taken under pressure are never as accurate as those taken in complete relaxation.

When Wu Rui played with the starters, he was noticeably tense, but in the second half, playing with the reserves, he relaxed. Perhaps Gordon's defense, choosing to let him shoot rather than drive, played a part in that basket, but the main reason was the shooter himself—absolutely resolute!

That shot was destined to go in.

"I'll get him back," Aaron Gordon muttered, weighed down by his teammates' words. "In my own way!"

Aaron Gordon—a young forward famous for his appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest. Last season, his duel with Zach LaVine had fans proclaiming it the most thrilling contest in a decade. Some even compared it to the legendary dunk contest where Vince Carter became a deity in the eyes of basketball fans.

Carter, the "Half Man, Half Amazing" from North Carolina, set the bar so high that everyone who came after him could only look up in awe. Yet Gordon and LaVine's showdown was still placed alongside his, proving just how electrifying their performance was.

Now, Aaron Gordon wanted to answer Wu Rui in his own way: with a dunk!

Wu Rui had scored, the starters inbounded the ball, and Payton brought it up the court. With Wu Rui replaced by Gordon, their true lineup was restored. Running Coach Frank Vogel's plays came naturally to them.

Gordon set a screen for Fournier, then rolled toward the basket. Fournier drew the defense and caught the ball near the right wing three-point line.

Payton, quick-eyed and quick-handed, passed it over. Fournier, without pausing, fed it into the paint. Gordon caught it securely, took a large stride forward—his eyes locked only on the rim.

But just then, Wu Rui, who should have been switching to guard Fournier, suddenly chased Gordon and was about to block his path!

"Michael, get out of the way!"

The arrow was nocked, the bow drawn—Aaron Gordon was primed to dunk. Even if Wu Rui stepped in front of his launch path, Gordon would show no mercy, ready to dunk over him.

"Come on, Aaron, show us your performance!"

Wu Rui, fearless, shouted back at Gordon. "Show us your performance"—the very words Gordon had thrown at Wu Rui earlier, now returned to him in full.

"Bang!"

Gordon, undeterred by any objection, gathered the ball, legs coiling, and soared into the air. The athleticism of a Slam Dunk Contest runner-up was on full display; he launched with everything he had.

"Bang!"

On the other side, Wu Rui, though half a second late, leaped with equal determination.

The team was still trailing. Only by giving everything on both offense and defense could he hope to close the gap. Even facing Aaron Gordon—the man who narrowly lost to Zach LaVine in the dunk contest—Wu Rui rose up, unflinching.

He wasn’t afraid of LaVine, why should he fear Gordon?

"Boom—"

White and black silhouettes soared through the air, two young men both gifted with explosive leaping ability, but the victor was clear.

Gordon's leap was spectacular, his physicality overwhelming, but Wu Rui still had the edge. He stretched his right arm to its limit, palm pressing down on the ball, exerting all his strength to swat it away.

"Go! Go! Go!"

The ball bounced into Biyombo's hands, who was still stunned by the play. Wu Rui, already shouting, sprinted toward the front court.

Biyombo, snapped out of his daze by Wu Rui’s call, hurriedly tossed the ball ahead to his teammate charging full speed.

After days of shuttle runs and dribbling drills, Wu Rui had no difficulty sprinting unguarded for a fast break. As he headed for the opponent’s basket, he suddenly performed an action that nobody in the gym expected.

Two steps inside the three-point line—the very spot he practiced his shots daily—Wu Rui stopped, planted his legs, and rose for a jump shot.

"Michael actually chose to shoot in a 1-on-0 fast break instead of dunking!" All the Magic players on the court were left dumbfounded. They knew Wu Rui’s shooting ability better than anyone. Even after making a basket earlier, they never believed he could make another, not even when unguarded.

"Whoosh!"

Yet the ball flew from Wu Rui's hand, tracing a beautiful arc through the air. There was no possibility but for it to go in.

"Boom!"

Inside the Orlando Magic’s training facility, every face but Wu Rui’s was frozen in disbelief. Wu Rui’s decision to shoot on a fast break was shocking enough; now, his pull-up jumper had actually gone in, defying everyone’s expectations.

And not to mention—he’d just blocked the up-and-coming dunk star, Aaron Gordon!

"Michael, can I interview you?" As Wu Rui returned from the half court, his teammate, backup point guard DJ Augustin, couldn’t help but run over. "You actually chose to shoot on the fast break. What were you thinking?"

"Hey, man, we’ve got to make every second count, right?" Wu Rui answered simply. "I don’t want to waste time running all the way to the basket for a dunk!"

"But your choice was a jump shot..."

"So what?" Wu Rui shrugged. "This is a scrimmage. My jumper is as steady as in practice."

"Focus on defense, DJ. We're still trailing. I don't want to stick around after practice running extra laps!"

With that, Wu Rui resumed his tight defense on Aaron Gordon, using a little trick he’d learned watching Gordon guard Paul George in Indiana.

Seeing Wu Rui, lively and energetic on the black team, standing at midcourt as the temporary referee for the intra-squad scrimmage, Magic head coach Frank Vogel kept a straight face, but inside, he was beaming.

Wu Rui wasn’t a finished dish yet, but he was cooked to the perfect degree. It was time to serve him up.

November 19th, American time. Orlando, Florida. Amway Center. Fans filed in, ready for an NBA game to unfold!