Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 356 - 297: The Name of the Divine Doctor

"Let’s welcome the head of the league’s top medical team, the Miracle Doctor of the Suns, Chen... Yu!"

In the middle of the court, David Stern gripped the microphone and shouted in a firm voice.

The lights flashed, and the next moment, the bustling stands erupted with a massive roar. Cheers for the "Miracle Doctor" then swept through the entire US Airways Center like a tidal wave.

On the sidelines, Chen Yu, dressed sharply in a suit, froze for a moment before a spotlight enveloped him.

The applause was thunderous.

Brian, Skiles, and all the Suns players were applauding. Hardaway was clapping and roaring in support.

Even the opposing Lakers, led by Jackson, joined in the applause.

"Chen, what are you standing there stunned for?" Nelson gently nudged Chen Yu from behind.

Chen Yu snapped back to reality and glanced at Stern in the distance. The little old man was watching him with a wide smile.

’Is this old guy doing this on purpose?’

’Otherwise, why would he specifically use the term ’Miracle Doctor’?’

’This is basically an official NBA certification.’

’But thinking back on my journey... from defying the Magic’s management to heal Hill, to Tracy McGrady’s clutch return at the end of the season that let the Magic complete their eighth-seed miracle. Then there was Hardaway, McDyess, Duncan, and Jordan. I even helped old guys like Ewing and Olajuwon make one last successful run for the championship. With a resume that star-studded, calling me a Miracle Doctor really isn’t an exaggeration.’

’That’s right. I am the Miracle Doctor. The NBA’s number one Miracle Doctor!’

Chen Yu took a deep breath, smiled, and walked onto the court, waving.

Taking the gleaming gold championship ring from Stern, Chen Yu looked down to inspect it. The inner band was engraved with the initials of several names.

And among them was a very special Chinese character: the character for Chen.

It represented him.

’Brian was truly thoughtful.’

After the coaching staff and support team received their rings, it was the players’ turn.

Dan Majerle, a retired Suns legend, was the first to come up. He received the first championship ring of his life, crying with emotion and kissing the ring over and over.

On the sidelines, Barkley, standing next to O’Neal, was yelling and clapping nonstop, congratulating his old teammate.

For the Suns’ first championship in franchise history, Old Kolangelo had personally come forward and invited all of the Suns’ legends.

The franchise’s all-time leading scorer, Walter Davis.

The "Accountant," Jeff Hornacek, of the three-tap face routine, who later became one of the three elders of the Jazz.

Chen Yu had actually heard Jim Boylan mention that, during the summer, Skiles had wanted Brian to invite Hornacek to join his assistant coaching staff.

He could be a shooting coach or help the team with their pick-and-roll tactics. Having spent the latter part of his career with the Jazz, he was familiar with Jerry Sloan’s system. Plus, when he retired, he’d said himself that he hoped to transition into coaching if the opportunity arose.

However, he had only been retired for two years and wanted to spend more time with his family, so he had no plans to take up a coaching position for the time being.

Of course, they couldn’t forget Kevin "Lightning" Johnson.

One by one, the players came up, and then it was the Lakers’ turn.

Olajuwon stood on the sidelines, champing at the bit. The moment his name was called, he immediately straightened his collar and stepped onto the court with a smile.

The crowd gave him a great reception, and the applause was thunderous.

Last season, the 39-year-old Olajuwon had battled through the entire season. In the playoff series against the Lakers, he had gone head-to-head against O’Neal, and the Suns fans all remembered the sight of him being knocked to the ground several times.

As Chen Yu was watching, he suddenly felt someone touch his hand.

He looked down and saw it was that little rascal, Little Curry, who was cautiously touching the diamond on his championship ring. Upon being discovered, the boy jumped in fright and quickly pulled his head back.

Quite a few family members had come to the sidelines today. Dell had brought his two sons, in his words, "to experience the championship atmosphere."

Later, Chen Yu had once suggested to Dell that, if possible, he should have Little Curry switch careers to tennis or golf, two sports whose income in the United States was on par with the NBA’s. But Dell ultimately refused. Deep down, he still wanted his son to inherit his mantle.

"So, you like it, huh?" Chen Yu caught Little Curry, chuckled, and ruffled his hair.

Little Curry nodded emphatically.

"Here, try it on." Chen Yu took off the ring and put it on Little Curry’s finger.

Behind him, Seth immediately came closer, clamoring to wear it too.

A few steps away, Dell, who had been watching the others receive their rings with a look of envy, saw this and immediately shot them a glare.

Little Curry secretly made a face, but not daring to disobey his father, handed the ring back. Then, in a voice still full of childishness, he said seriously, "Dr. Chen, in the future, I’m going to make it to the NBA and get a championship ring of my own."

Chen Yu was amused. ’This little rascal sure talks big.’

"Then keep working at it," Chen Yu said, ruffling his hair again. ’You want a championship ring, huh? First, you need to bulk up a little.’

A game this important was, of course, being broadcast live on China’s sports channel.

During the ring presentation, the director cut several times to Yao Ming on the sidelines, who towered over the crowd. His youthful face was filled with envy.

"Actually, I really think the Suns have a pretty good chance of defending their title this year," the host, Yang Jian, chimed in.

’If Yao Ming had joined the Suns, maybe this time next year, he’d be in the middle of the court instead of on the sidelines.’

The guest commentator beside him, Xu Jicheng, subconsciously wanted to say that the Suns’ hopes of defending their title were high because they had traded for O’Neal—a trade that involved Yao Ming.

But on second thought, even if they had kept last season’s roster, the Suns’ strength was not to be underestimated. They were a championship-caliber team.

"You can’t blame them. The Suns chose to win now," Xu Jicheng said after a moment of thought.

This was the evaluation of the trade from many media outlets as well. The Suns were aiming to build a dynasty, so when a player like O’Neal becomes available, any team knows what choice to make.

Xu Jicheng continued, "But as you said, even with their original roster, their chances of winning the championship were still high. Look at how many veterans they added in the summer."

No other team in the league was as star-studded as the Suns, even if some of those stars were fading.

"That’s why I think it was no exaggeration at all when Stern called Chen Yu a ’Miracle Doctor’ earlier. As long as he’s with the Suns, the team’s appeal to stars with injury problems is just immense." From O’Neal to Oakley, that whole group of players went to the Suns because of Chen Yu.

Players teaming up is common, but for them to team up because of a team doctor? That’s definitely a first in history.

So the title "Miracle Doctor" is well-deserved.

Yang Jian nodded in deep agreement. This was the general consensus in the media as well. The Suns were able to win the championship partly because the players were completely united, but more importantly, because of Chen Yu.

Otherwise, with Hardaway’s knees, his contract might have turned into a bad one this year. Leading the team to a championship? That would have been something that only happens in dreams.

As the two were chatting, the game finally began.

Suns starters: O’Neal, McDyess, Marion, Poseidon, and Hardaway.

For the Lakers, as expected, Yao Ming was not in the starting lineup.

The starting center was Olajuwon, followed by Horry, Devon George, Kobe, and Fisher.

As O’Neal and Olajuwon stood at center court, Xu Jicheng suddenly had a sense of déjà vu from last year’s Western Conference Finals.

It was still the same two men, just with their jerseys swapped.

O’Neal leaped up and won the tip.

Xu Jicheng frowned slightly, then said, "Is it just me, or does O’Neal seem to be jumping higher?"

He was already taller than Olajuwon, but with this jump, his hand was a good deal higher than Olajuwon’s.

Yang Jian said, "It’s probably because he successfully lost weight."

During his time with the Lakers, O’Neal had seemed to swell up, gradually getting fatter. But when his media day photos came out this year, it really shocked many in the media.

His face was much thinner, and from his waistline, you’d think he had an eight-pack.

Xu Jicheng shook his head. "It’s not just his weight. I feel like he’s more explosive."

You have to remember, when O’Neal first entered the league, he was a high-flyer. But after he gained weight, it was obvious that he couldn’t move as well, like his feet were glued to the floor.

Just as he finished speaking, Xu Jicheng gasped and winced. "That’s just brutal."

The Suns were clearly focusing their attack on the inside. To create space under the basket, McDyess even proactively pulled Horry to the other side of the paint.

O’Neal immediately posted up on Olajuwon. Before he even put his hand up to call for the ball, it had already been passed in.

On draft day, Hardaway had said in person that if O’Neal came to the Suns, he would willingly pass him the ball and treat him as the team’s number one offensive option. Starting with this play, he was already making good on his promise.

After receiving the ball, O’Neal was like a bulldozer. He took one power dribble, backed him down, then instantly spun past Olajuwon, took a drop step, and scored with ease.

After scoring, he ran off shaking his head, as if to say, "Is that all you’ve got?"

Yang Jian couldn’t help but comment, "That spin move was much faster than last season."

Starting last season, O’Neal’s games played had begun to decline. No major injuries, but a constant stream of minor ones.

Of course, he could still wreak havoc in the paint with his unparalleled dominance, but anyone with eyes could see that he was relying more on his sheer weight to overpower opponents. His low-post agility and explosiveness had declined significantly.

It wasn’t like a few years ago, when he was truly both powerful and quick. One person couldn’t stop him at all; he could score with two guys hanging off him.

Xu Jicheng nodded in agreement. "Looking at it this way, when the Suns chose to make the trade, they must have considered that Chen Yu could get O’Neal back to full health. If O’Neal can really return to his peak form, then the Suns this season will be truly terrifying."

An out-of-shape O’Neal could win back-to-back championships with Kobe. So now, a healthy, slimmed-down O’Neal, paired with a Hardaway whose scoring, technique, clutch performance, and ability to make tough shots are even better than Kobe’s right now... wouldn’t winning a championship be even easier?

Besides, beyond their core players, the Suns’ roster depth was also greater than the Lakers’.

Apart from the OK Duo, the Lakers didn’t have an All-Star power forward averaging 20 and 10, let alone a super rookie like Marion who put up 17 and 10 in his second season.

And on top of that, their bench was full of a bunch of veteran stars who were once brilliant.