Chapter 49: The Future He Speaks Of
Before entering The Palace of Auburn Hills, Xu Ling didn’t know that he was about to witness how spectacular a game it would be.
He received celebrity treatment, with people asking for his autograph and photos wherever he went.
When the tenth person appeared, Xu Ling refused.
“We should get a bodyguard.”
Xu Ling turned back and said to Roderick Craig.
“I’ll arrange it.”
Craig nodded in agreement.
“Maybe two,” Xu Ling said. “Like 2-3 zone defense, they can guard my flanks.”
“No problem.”
Most of the game was uneventful, especially after entering the fourth quarter, as the Pistons maintained the lead throughout. The advantage wasn’t large, but they firmly controlled the game’s rhythm and direction, as if victory was already in the bag.
However, at the critical moment when the Cavaliers were almost suffocating, LeBron James, after nearly five games of feeling things out, finally fully awakened—he clearly realized that once he fully unleashed his offense, no one on this Pistons team could stop him.
He began a crazy individual performance, scoring consecutively on offense, tearing open the Pistons’ ironclad defense single-handedly. And in the final moment before the end of regulation time, he forced his way to the basket with a powerful slam dunk that tied the score! It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he single-handedly pulled the team back from the brink and dragged the game into overtime.
Xu Ling sat in the media seats, originally just coming with the mindset of watching an ordinary playoffs game, but he never imagined that he would witness on-site the fully unleashed LeBron that even before his time travel, he hadn’t seen in many years.
Roderick Craig, who was with Xu Ling, said stunned: “This is the first time I’ve felt that there might be someone in the world greater than MJ!”
Xu Ling rolled his eyes at him, but he could understand—if it were his past life self, seeing LeBron perform like this, he’d probably sincerely shout GOAT, but now… The competitive desire ignited deep in his heart made him think, just like Rukawa witnessing Sakuragi slamming over Maki, that this level was nothing.
Interestingly, the reporter sitting in front of them was the Pistons’ beat reporter. Seeing James save the Cavaliers in this way, he couldn’t help but say: “I just want to say, we better pray the Cavaliers lose this game, because if LeBron wins it, his confidence will inflate infinitely like MJ after winning his first world championship, and then he’ll be unstoppable. The Eastern Conference will be ruled by him for the next 10 to 12 years. We’re fucking done!”
Hearing this, Xu Ling burst out laughing.
Because this reporter was spot on.
James did rule the Eastern Conference of the 2010s, though most of it was the Big Three teaming up to beat others, but you have to admit it was rule. And he wasn’t without single-core carries—ruling over depressed DeRozan, peak Oladipo, rookie Tatum, wasn’t that rule? Don’t say the level was low or competition weak; that year’s Eastern Conference was like that, the environment was such, can you say he ate dividends? People with destiny are like that.
However, shockingly, in overtime, James still decided to solve everything alone.
His teammates didn’t touch the ball again.
Relying only on James with the ball on offense against the entire Pistons team, both sides fought to the end, entering the second overtime.
Then, James continued attacking and flew up for a layup buzzer-beater on the Pistons with 2.2 seconds left in the second overtime.
When the final buzzer sounded and the Pistons missed their last shot, LeBron James seemed to be falling from the edge of the Grand Canyon into prolonged free fall. Exhausted, he could barely stand, leaning forward with hands on his knees, head down staring at the floor of The Palace of Auburn Hills arena, like a sculpture drained of its soul.
Xu Ling often saw “LeBron haters” online say that what they couldn’t accept most was fans describing James as “dominant.” As a pure anti-Durantist, James never chose the “hardest path.” He was skilled at planning, step by step, bringing the precision of life calculations into basketball, as if every possession had to maximize efficiency in the stats.
It was precisely this mindset that often made him seem hesitant, weighing, anxious in do-or-die games. But once he cast aside all calculations and truly entered that “fuck it, I’ll explode on you” mode, the energy he unleashed was so powerful that even skeptics felt unfamiliar.
This night was the first time LeBron James truly entered the world’s view, and the first truly great individual performance of his career.
Coincidentally, Xu Ling had watched the live broadcast of his last great game—Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, where James dropped 50 against the invincible “Universe Warriors.” That was the Knights’ closest to victory that year, but after JR Smith’s blunder that could join the “most incomprehensible Finals mistakes in history” club, James punched the locker in rage, injuring his finger, and the momentum shifted. The Knights were ultimately swept. What could have rivaled Iverson’s 01 lone hero legend was deconstructed over time. In the end, he became basketball’s Qianlong, Song Gongming who fulfilled others everywhere, LeBang James in AI face-swap videos.
What to say? Xu Ling would remember tonight, remember this initial great performance.
As he slowly walked out of the arena still echoing with cheers and gasps, reporters who had been waiting surged forward, flashing lights nearly swallowing him. One reporter squeezed to the front, raising the microphone eagerly: “Eli, how do you evaluate this epic game?”
Xu Ling stopped, his gaze calm yet bright, and slowly replied: “This is why we love sports. We tune in to every game on time, hoping to witness something special, memorable. So we remember Jordan’s ‘Flu Game,’ Kobe’s 81 points. Many years from now, I’ll still remember this night—I’ll remember that the first NBA game I attended live was such a historic great showdown.”
The reporter couldn’t help asking: “Does this LeBron make you feel pressure?”
Hearing this, Xu Ling shrugged slightly: “That’s another matter.”
Afterward, Xu Ling simply stayed in Detroit to rest.
Because tomorrow was the NBA Lottery Draft, and once the results came out, preparations for tryouts would begin.
Since the 2007 draft was hailed by many draft experts as the most potential-filled class since 1996, this draft class was seen by many teams as an opportunity to reverse their team’s destiny.
Xu Ling’s emergence caused this draft to unusually produce three superstar rookies who could serve as a team’s core.
In other words, as long as they drew one of the first three picks, there was no way they’d lose out.
Xu Ling roughly knew the situation of this draft lottery: Oden was the infamous bust Number 1 Draft Pick, Durant went without saying, Horford was still playing until 2025, Conley too.
So, when Xu Ling saw the Hawks draw the fourth pick and the Memphis Grizzlies unexpectedly get the Third Pick, he slightly raised an eyebrow. Destiny’s trajectory seemed to have subtly shifted because of this butterfly’s wings.
Naturally, the final Number 1 Draft Pick and Number 2 Draft Pick fell to the Trail Blazers and SuperSonics.
Once the picks were set, NBA fans across the internet vented their emotions. Memphis fans fell into a complex mix of ecstasy and doubt—they got the coveted high draft pick, but faced a simple choice: select the one who fell to third pick.
Rose had two plans, one bold, one conservative.
The bold plan was to try out only for the Trail Blazers holding the Number 1 Draft Pick.
“Isn’t that a bit too bold?”
However, Xu Ling had seen bolder—just before time travel, he watched the 2025 NBA Draft, where next-gen American son Cooper Flagg locked the top spot early, and draft market value steady top-three Ace Bailey thought he could lock top three without tryouts, only to fall to fifth, picked by the Jazz.
Though Xu Ling had confidence not inferior to others, Oden’s Number 1 Draft Pick position was still hard to shake.
On one hand, the inertia of contemporary drafts—big men still represented everything; on the other, Oden’s college performance was solid, eliminated by Xu Ling’s team but with gaudy stats, not falling behind.
Moreover, the Trail Blazers had a notorious jail team reputation this year, and Xu, considering himself from a good family, still wanted a more normal team.
“So, I have a conservative tryout plan,” Leon Rose said. “We’re prepared to accept tryout invites from top-five teams.”
“Top four.”
Xu Ling suddenly interrupted.
“Hm?” Rose looked up slightly surprised.
“I don’t like the Celtics,” Xu Ling said. “More precisely, I hate that green.”
More accurately, what Xu Ling loathed was Danny Ainge. This notorious scumbag from his playing days, even after retiring to front office, kept his detestable ways—and the weirdest thing about him was, unless he was your team’s guy, it was hard to like him.
“Fine.” Rose smiled. “According to current predictions, as long as you perform normally in tryouts, it’s impossible to fall out of the top four picks.”
Once the picks were set, all draft prospects entered the final special training before tryouts.
The NBA generally starts widespread player tryouts after the season ends.
Especially for potential lottery picks.
For this, Xu Ling found a training team, tuning out the world to focus solely on training, waiting for the NBA season to end.
As for the NBA division finals, after the Eastern Conference Finals Game 5, the Pistons’ spirit was crushed by young James. Game 6 dragged into the muck, but the Cavaliers ultimately won, James leading the team to historic Finals advancement, where destined Tim Duncan awaited.
As you know, the Cavaliers had no chance against the veteran Spurs.
James faced full targeting: Bowen guarding him, zone defense locking him, and even if he broke through, Duncan was there—no one in the league could handle that.
Once James went cold, the Cavaliers couldn’t make waves, swept 4-0 by the Spurs, Parker lifting the FMVP trophy.
Just like that, Duncan became the pinnacle of pro basketball again after two years. Some say his past decade’s resume is basketball history’s most valuable ten years: regular season 559 wins 239 losses, playoffs 82 wins 49 losses, four championships. In the NBA’s vast river, fewer than three people could match that perfect ten-year tally.
More importantly, his honors spanned two eras. In the “Dark Defense Era” （1999-2004） before rules changed, he won two championships; in the league’s new rules encouraging offense “New Era,” he steadily claimed the fourth. Duncan proved with calm and resilience: no matter the environment, he stood unbeaten at the storm’s center. Thus, like all great athletes, he began passing on his philosophy.
You know, Duncan is a good guy, so he decided to say some heartfelt words to James: “Thank you for letting us win this championship. I hope you know, the future is yours.”
Even thick-skinned as James, he couldn’t help laughing, then hugged old Duncan hard. At that moment, he was still young, unaware how far or hard Duncan’s “future” would be.
PS: Since I haven’t decided the female lead for this book yet, our operations officer ran a special event in the book review section—you can name your ideal female lead candidate, join if you have ideas.
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