William Sullivan knew very well that Kobe Bryant, born on the cusp of Virgo and Leo, had both Virgo’s obsessive tendencies and Leo’s vanity. So, when dealing with someone like Kobe Bryant, you do need to flatter him—but you can’t just flatter him carelessly...

Sure enough, as soon as William Sullivan said that, Kobe Bryant’s expression was completely betrayed by his twitching eyebrows...

Although Kobe Bryant still pretended as if nothing had happened, his eyebrows had already given him away.

It had to be said, William Sullivan’s flattery just now was quite skillful.

On one hand, William Sullivan spoke with obvious resentment, clearly “blaming” Kobe Bryant for being too ruthless these past two days. On the other hand, there was a hint of approval in his tone, which Kobe Bryant found very pleasing.

In William Sullivan’s previous life, Kobe Bryant was considered by many to be one of the most difficult teammates to get along with, but in reality, William Sullivan didn’t think Kobe Bryant’s personality was anything special.

After all, keyboard warriors had already analyzed Kobe Bryant’s personality countless times.

In fact, if you got used to someone like Kobe Bryant, he was actually quite easy to get along with.

Just like in the future, when O’Neal met the scheming Riley, he finally understood what it meant to have a simple mind.

Life isn’t worth it, huh!

“By the way, the Finals are starting in a few days. Do you want to come to my place and watch together?” After another day of training, Kobe Bryant looked at William Sullivan and asked.

“The Finals?” William Sullivan was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized...

Indeed, in a few days it would be the 93/94 NBA Finals—the first Finals after the retirement of the old rascal, later known as “the season without a god”...

Most of William Sullivan’s knowledge of 90s NBA came from watching tapes and searching online. If he remembered correctly, this year’s Finals was a peak showdown between Olajuwon and Ewing.

The Knicks and the Rockets would battle for seven games, and in the end, Olajuwon would seize the crown, further cementing his place among the four great centers.

In fact, the reason Olajuwon was considered by many in William Sullivan’s previous life to be the No.1 among the four great centers was largely because he defeated Ewing and a young Shaq in the 93/94 and 94/95 Finals, respectively.

Poor Ewing...

Sure enough, whether on the basketball court or atop the Empire State Building, the big ape was destined to be just a background prop...

“Sure!”

Having become inseparable with Kobe Bryant lately, William Sullivan certainly wouldn’t refuse such a good opportunity to deepen their relationship.

Besides, the apartment William Sullivan was renting didn’t have a TV, and William Sullivan really wanted to watch the Finals live to see if they were as bloody and intense as some keyboard warriors claimed...

“Then it’s settled!” Seeing William Sullivan accept his invitation, Kobe Bryant’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Don’t be fooled by Kobe Bryant’s growing fame—he actually had very few friends at school...

Well...

To be precise, probably none at all.

In William Sullivan’s previous life, Kobe Bryant once said in an interview that he had always been isolated since childhood.

Because Kobe Bryant often moved with his father when he was young, basketball became his only friend.

In high school in Philadelphia, because Kobe Bryant was tough not only on himself but also on others, his teammates didn’t even dare speak loudly to him...

They were all afraid of accidentally offending the school team’s star.

It wasn’t until a few days ago, after meeting William Sullivan, that Kobe Bryant felt he had finally found a kindred spirit.

Because of their deep love for basketball, when William Sullivan shared his dream of playing in the NBA, Kobe Bryant didn’t laugh at him—instead, he looked at William Sullivan with newfound respect.

In the following days of one-on-one battles, the two forged a deep friendship.

At four in the morning in Philadelphia, a bridge of friendship was quietly built.

Kobe Bryant admired William Sullivan’s attitude toward basketball, while William Sullivan was envious of Kobe Bryant’s...

In short, it was wonderful beyond words!

Chapter 7: The Brutal 90s and the Unpopular Three-Point Shot...

For American high schoolers who love basketball, the most anticipated time of the year is probably the start of the NBA Finals.

Because... along with the Finals comes a three-month-long summer vacation.

Damn capitalism!

Whenever William Sullivan thought about only having two weeks off during his senior year in his previous life, he couldn’t help but secretly wipe away a tear.

Because of the previous “school shooting incident,” the school specially arranged a final exam just for William Sullivan.

Final exams in American high schools are far less strict than in China—they’re more flexible. Of course, none of this was a problem for William Sullivan; after all, a top student is a top student, even abroad...

“Sigh, if I don’t play basketball well, I’ll just have to dabble in stocks and become the richest man...” William Sullivan thought to himself with a sigh.

Of course, that kind of life was never what William Sullivan wanted.

Because in William Sullivan’s view, since he had gained a system in this life that could help him fulfill his NBA dream, and met a cheat code like Kobe Bryant, what reason did he have not to play basketball?