Volume One: First Steps into the NBA

Chapter 0001: Did I Drink Fake Liquor?

　　“Damn! Did I drink fake liquor or something? Why does my head hurt so much?”

　　Brian Carter tried to prop himself up to sit.

　　Brian Carter opened his eyes. The room wasn’t exactly dark, the window was open, and he could still see fairly well.

　　What he saw wasn’t the ceiling of his own rented apartment. He looked at the blanket—it wasn’t his, either. He lifted the blanket!

　　Brian Carter looked at the person lying next to him, whose appearance fit the Asian aesthetic very well. His mind felt like a muddled mess.

　　Two sets of memories were intertwining. To be precise, it was Brian Carter’s own memories “devouring” the original memories of this body. It was kind of like a rapidly advancing slideshow. Brian Carter quickly grasped the general memories of this body.

　　But unlike “watching” a slideshow, Brian Carter didn’t just “see” someone else’s memories and remember them—he simply knew these memories, as if they had always been his. When he thought about related things, as long as they weren’t too long ago or too detailed, he could recall them.

　　But at the same time, Brian Carter also knew he wasn’t “himself”—he just had those extra memories. Now that he occupied this new body, he knew the identity and past of “himself,” and could clearly distinguish between the main and secondary memories. The secondary memories were like memories of a dream, except he could actually remember what happened “in the dream.”

　　Once he figured this out, it was simple, but right now Brian Carter’s head hurt terribly, his mind a complete mess.

　　After struggling for a while, Brian Carter simply gave up on struggling, lay down to rest for a bit, and gradually his mind cleared up and he remembered a few things.

　　“Did I transmigrate?”

　　“My name is Brian Carter, born in June 1994, 25 years old, from Chengdu. My dad liked the Three Kingdoms, I’m 175 cm tall, a chubby homebody graphic designer. He gave me such a domineering name, but my life wasn’t so domineering. My father died in an accident early on, my mother passed away from overwork soon after, and my grandfather who raised me also passed away. My relatives saw me as a jinx, but at least I had some talent for studying. After graduating college, I became a design grunt……”

　　“My name is Brian Carter, born January 7, 1990, 19 years old, from Chengdu. My dad wasn’t very educated, and the day before I was born he happened to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so he gave me this name. I’m 190 cm tall, weigh 80 kg, an overseas student, a fan of ping pong and basketball. My parents run three fairly large hotpot restaurants in downtown Chengdu, so we’re well-off. My not-so-educated but honest, hardworking parents spoiled me. After high school, I was sent to study abroad in Phoenix, USA, for some reason……”

　　“Yesterday I just got my year-end bonus, went drinking with colleagues, got wasted, and fell off a bridge?”

　　“Yesterday something good happened to me… What was it? Did I win the lottery? Like those so-called beauties in American TV shows who all throw themselves at lottery winners…”

　　Gradually, Brian Carter started to sort out the chaotic memories and got a rough idea of his current situation.

　　“Fell off a bridge, and since I can’t swim, I’m probably dead. Somehow, I ended up in someone else’s body—did I die suddenly?”

　　Thinking of this made Brian Carter’s head hurt a bit.

　　Now that Brian Carter had taken over this body, there wasn’t much difference, and he didn’t have any psychological barriers.

　　But still……

　　His head didn’t hurt as much now. Out of habit, Brian Carter reached toward the nightstand for his phone.

　　He didn’t find his phone, but instead touched an envelope.

　　“What’s this?” Brian Carter picked up the envelope. There was a familiar logo on it.

　　Back in middle school, he’d go to the cafeteria to watch live games. In high school and college, he’d secretly watch text live updates on his phone during class, and after class he’d rush back to the dorm to watch NBA live streams on his computer. The envelope had the Phoenix Suns’ logo on it.

　　On it was written: Dear Sun, personally opened.

　　“Sun? As in the sun? Dear Sun? No, that’s my surname. Written like this, not even my parents would recognize it…”

　　Brian Carter opened the envelope. Inside was an invitation. As he looked at it, the memories related to this part surged up in his mind……

　　The 2008-2009 season, the Phoenix Suns’ second season with Shaquille O’Neal. This season, O’Neal, under the care of Suns team doctor Thomas Carter, had recovered some of his strength. He actually played 72 games this season, and with three regular season games left, O’Neal might play 75 games this season. Such attendance was something he hadn’t achieved even during his three-peat or double-MVP seasons.

　　The Suns’ team doctor’s magic amazed people once again. Unfortunately, even though O’Neal’s form recovered this season and he averaged 18 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game, the Suns’ record collapsed……

　　By the time Brian Carter received this invitation, the Suns were 43-36, while the Jazz, eighth in the West, were already 46-31. Even if the Suns won their last three games, they’d only have 46 wins, and the Suns had been swept by the Jazz this season. The reason was simple: O’Neal was completely outmatched by the Jazz, and the Suns’ half-court offense was also completely countered this year.