Since he was 7 years old, he had been doing this until he retired at 40. Basketball was a part of his body; that feeling might degrade, but it would never disappear.
With that undiminished part of the feeling, he was confident he could take down this rookie in front of him.
"Let’s start, we’ll play with 5 balls! Whoever scores 5 first, wins, no alternating possessions."
Jordan, feeling more confident after warming up, said.
"Who goes first?" Su Wan asked.
"The respect you have, that’s really all there is to it," Michael Jordan wanted the ball but was too embarrassed to say it outright, once again speaking with sarcasm.
Su Wan had intended to give Jordan the ball to avoid being accused of bullying an old man, but now he didn’t feel like giving the concession anymore: "On the court, I don’t need to respect anyone." — Su Wan’s attitude had softened, but Jordan’s continuous scorn made him realize this guy really wasn’t going to speak nicely.
As if you respected me off the court.
Michael Jordan couldn’t help but complain internally.
In the end, the solution was to call over a staff member for a jump ball.
Thanks to his youthful edge, Su Wan easily won the right to the first attack.
Jordan, perhaps fearing a loss, said, "Cherish this, it might be the only chance in your life you’ll ever have to beat Michael Jordan, even if it’s a 42-year-old Jordan, it’s enough to stir up some heat!"
"Why don’t I just confiscate all the camera’s tapes in this room after I win? That way, nobody will know." Su Wan suggested.
"Shut up, you damn rookie!"
Jordan couldn’t hold back his ire any longer with Su Wan’s constant yammering, and let out a roar, his entire body aggressively pressing forward, trying to disrupt Su Wan’s dribbling through force and confrontation.
But he needed to accomplish one thing.
And that was to keep engaging Su Wan consistently.
Yet, Su Wan was well aware of what his advantages were.
He immediately dribbled backward, creating distance from Jordan with greater speed.
Then...
There was no then!
Su Wan widely bypassed Michael Jordan, and, as he strained to catch up, rushed to the basket and completed a slam dunk.
"4 more to go, Michael. Need me to go easy on you?"
Jordan didn’t respond. He waited for Su Wan to reset the ball, tossing it to him and as he threw it back, moved quickly forward again.
This time he was faster than before.
But Su Wan, facing the "Evil Dog Pounce" of Michael Jordan rushing at him, wasn’t fazed at all, calculating the distance between them and directly executing a "ground pass," sending the ball through Jordan’s legs to his rear.
At the same time, he brushed off the hand Jordan reached out to entangle him with and smoothly bypassed him again.
Jordan stood rooted to the spot, watching as he scored yet again.
It never crossed his mind that Su Wan would pull off such a trick.
His first instinct was to confront immediately upon approach, preventing Su Wan from getting inside the three-point line, requiring him to lower his stance and move laterally like a "crab." Su Wan exploited the large gap between his feet, performing a "Crossing Soul" move.
"2 to 0!"
"How about we end it here, Michael? I’m only 19, it’s embarrassing to shut you out! I don’t make it a habit to pick on the elderly."
Damn!
Jordan was cursed at for the first time without being able to retort.
He had to admit, Su Wan was smart. The kid was very clear about his advantages and utilized his athletic ability and quick motion effectively. Jordan simply couldn’t catch him.
Another point Jordan overlooked.
Su Wan’s control over his own body was also outstanding.
That was the key.
But Jordan didn’t easily concede defeat, licking his lips, his fighting spirit in his eyes growing more intense.
On the third offense, Jordan continued his aggressive close-up strategy, this time being successful, nearly stealing the ball from Su Wan’s hands.
But with a twist of his right wrist, Su Wan forcefully changed a dribble from front to back, passing the ball behind his back to his left hand.
With that failed steal attempt, Jordan’s body weight shifted, and Su Wan, with a fierce start, completed another layup. Looking back at Jordan, his balance lost, he looked like a robot without batteries, frozen in place, unable to move.
"Is this your ’The zone’?" Jordan finally acknowledged Su Wan’s exceptional body control.
The split-second reaction required for that "behind the ball" move was something not every All-Star Player could accomplish.
Yet 19-year-old Su Wan did.
Jordan started to believe that Su Wan could enter "The zone," because he knew that such body control only came with that state. — That was also why he was interested in Su Wan; he thought Su Wan was just bluffing with "The zone."
Su Wan’s reply was sharp and biting: "Do I need to enter The zone to deal with you? Michael, it seems like the two years of failure with the Wizards haven’t woken you up..."
"You’re no longer the Michael Jordan that demands one’s utmost effort, and how many people buying AJ now are doing it because of the name ’Michael Jordan’?"
That was another heavy blow.
Others might not get it, but Jordan, as the boss of AJ, was fully aware that AJ’s current focus was more on appearance than utility.
It has become a "trendy" shoe.
While the kids playing ball nowadays were wearing signature shoes from Allen Iverson, McGrady, Kobe, and the like.
"Fuck off, rookie, do you think Nike gave you a hundred million just like that?" A stung Michael Jordan roared again.