Back in 84, he became Jordan’s lifelong enemy!

The opening match of Chapter 61 was a box office hit!

"Les, here are the ticket sales for the new season."

Early in the morning, the assistant general manager of the team put a form recording ticket sales data in front of Les Harberg. The latter looked at the data on it and responded.

After the assistant exited the office, Haberg murmured happily: Not bad.

11000 general seats, hundreds of boxes, and 2000+ season tickets are all sold out.

At this time, their home court was not Key Arena, but the old Kings Dome.

At this time, the Key Arena is not called that name, it is called the Seattle Center Arena. It is being renovated and it is not known how long it will be before it can be used normally.

Seeing that the team's tickets for the new season were sold out so quickly, he was inevitably a little excited.

But the only pity is that the Kings Dome has too few seats, only 13000+, which is less than 95% of other club home stadiums, and is not worthy of the city of Seattle.

Haberg believes that even if there are four to five thousand more seats, there is a high probability that they will be sold out.

Because there is another piece of data in his drawer, which is the retail sales of jerseys for the new season over the past month.

The team’s total jersey sales were 21, and Seattle’s local sales were 13.

It is already equivalent to the efficiency of one quarter last season.

And just for Su Wen's No. 9 jersey, pre-sale sales have reached an astonishing 8+.

This is only the local data in Seattle. If you include the United States, it exceeds 15+.

In just one month, the sales data has already reached the monthly sales volume of superstar players, which is too scary.

If Su Wen officially plays in the game, will he be able to fly?

In terms of jersey sales last season, Magic Johnson ranked first, with 109 million units sold across the United States for the whole year. This was despite his years of playing in the league and sales approaching saturation.

By the same token, Larry Bird, the second best-selling player, had 88 sales last season;
In third place, Utah Jazz core Adrian Dantley, the scoring champion last season, had sales of 76.4.

Su Wen hasn't even played a game yet, but he has sold so many tickets purely due to the popularity of the previous NCAA national championships. It's terrifying.

The local fans in Seattle are also quite awesome!

Haberg did not expect that the benefits brought by Su Wen would be so immediate, which made him think that his decision to win over the opponent was a very correct choice.

Just when Haberg was happy to see the team's box office revenue, Su Wen, who was walking on the street and preparing to find a place to have breakfast, met many enthusiastic passers-by or fans along the way.

"Su, come on for tonight's game. We are all optimistic about you and will be there to support you. The tickets have been bought."

An older male fan, holding a newly purchased ticket, saluted Su Wen.

"Yes, uncle!"

Su Wen nodded in response.

He had just taken two steps forward when he met another middle-aged woman. The latter, like the previous citizen, had just returned from buying a game ticket and said, "Young man, play well tonight and God will bless you."

God and the old man cannot bless me. I believe in the God of Wealth.

Although Su Wen wanted to complain, he responded cheerfully on the surface: "Thank you for your support!"

As he continued to walk forward, more and more people knew him, and more and more people greeted him, and some people rushed forward to ask for his autograph.

So enthusiastic!

After walking to a bakery owned by Chinese Americans, Su Wen declined everyone's approach, bought a few loaves of bread, and left quickly.

If he doesn't leave, it will be difficult for him to escape.

Back at the apartment building, when he was about to head in, he unexpectedly met Tom Chambers and Al Wood who were going out.

After more than half a month of training and running-in, the relationship between him and Chambers, although not a close relationship, can be considered friendly.

"Hi Sue!"

Chambers nodded friendly to Su Wen, stared at the pieces of bread in his hand, and asked in surprise: "Is this all you eat in the morning?"

"Yes." Su Wen replied with a smile: "These are enough to fill my stomach."

"Then you really have a small appetite, Su."

Chambers put away his surprised eyes and left first after speaking.

And El Wood behind him seemed to be blind the whole time, ignoring Su Wen's existence the whole time.

Su Wen didn't bother to pay attention to him, walked into the apartment building with his head shaking, and quickly entered the elevator.

"The NBA league officially opens at [-]pm today!"

"There are six games in total, and the one between the SuperSonics and the Jazz will be played at 9 o'clock. At that time, we will be able to watch the debut of Su Wen, a newcomer from China."

"Su Wen, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 198 pounds (90kg), is talented, skilled and has strong scoring ability. He is the ideal choice for the team management to use Jack Sikoma and Guis Williams. Traded from the Dallas Mavericks, please be patient."

Su Wen returned to his apartment, chewing bread on his lips, with a bottle of milk open on the table, but looking at the TV that had just been turned on.

What is playing on the TV is a local TV sports preview, previewing the time of their first game of the new season tonight.

In front of the camera, the host couldn't wait to tell his birth date and horoscope to the entire Seattle audience, introducing his information in great detail.

There is even information that he was born in Fangchenggang, Mainland China, and attended a middle school in Hong Kong.

He had been stripped naked and completely naked in front of the Seattle audience.

Su Wen didn't care, and even felt very happy.

Damn it, why aren't you a TV station targeting the entire United States?

That would make me even hotter!
It seems that worshiping the God of Wealth is not enough, so I have to buy a statue back.

In the afternoon, Su Wen went out again.

This time, it was to meet the team at the training facility.

The game is about to begin in the evening, and both the new players and the veteran players are very excited.

Raising troops for a thousand days can be used in one day, and they can't wait.

Tonight's opponent, the Utah Jazz, is not a very strong team.

In the future, the public's impression of them will mostly remain with the Jazz when Jerry Sloan was coaching.

Whether it’s the Utah duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton, or the Jazz team that made Dayao and Tracy McGrady suffer a lot, the Utah Jazz have always been known for their traditional power, but they always failed to win the championship. .

During Utah's two-year period, they reached the Finals for two consecutive years, only to fall to Jordan and his Chicago Bulls.

Although there have been peaks since then, we have always been a little short of reaching the top.

Now, for this Jazz, their leading point guard for the next 20 years, John Stockton, has been cut off by the Mavericks, and the future situation is even more unclear.

You can only rely on Adrian Dantley, who is still in his prime.

Dantley is 196cm tall and is a very typical player. He has the same outstanding talent as many black superstars and sharp outside skills.

Before the new season, he had already won four All-Star selections, one Rookie of the Year award, two All-NBA teams, and two scoring titles.

During his seven seasons in the league, he had a shooting percentage of over 51% in six of them, and his highest season was an astonishing 57%+.

And averaged 30+ points per game for four consecutive seasons.

One of the strongest defenders before Jordan.

However, he not only plays the second position, but also often plays the third position as a forward and defender swingman.

To deal with Jazz, you have to focus on him.

In addition to Dantley, their chief second position also has Darnell Griffith, who averages 22+ per game.

Griffith, who is 193cm tall, was the second pick in the 80s and won the Rookie of the Year award.

He has an excellent shooting touch and his shooting percentage is stable at 48% all year round. He is an All-Star guard who can shoot well.

Then, something to look out for is their center, Mike Eaton.

This Eton, in the words of later generations of fans, is a blue-collar with bug-level static talent.

He is 224cm tall, weighs 125kg, has a strong build and a lot of beard. From a distance, he looks like a baboon.

But his shot-blocking ability is extremely good, so good that he dominated the shot-blocking rankings for five consecutive seasons, averaging four or five blocks per game.

Not only that, he is also a member of the perennial All-Defensive Team and a two-time DPOY (regular season Defensive Player of the Year).

The Jazz basket with his presence is simply surrounded by a giant beast. Any encroaching enemy may be eaten alive by him and completely crushed.

The ability to protect the frame is too good.

But compared to his defense, the offensive end is simply terrible.

In his ten years in the league, he has never averaged double figures in points per game in a season, and his shooting percentage is unsatisfactory for a center, hovering around 45% all year round.

Last season, under the leadership of this trio with different characteristics, the Utah Jazz achieved a record of 45 wins and 37 losses, ranking first in the Midwestern Conference.

However, when entering the playoffs, they fell in the Western Conference semifinals and lost to the Phoenix Suns 2:4.

For this Utah Jazz, the coaching staff headed by Lenny Wilkens put a lot of thought and made a lot of arrangements in order to win them in the first game.

Even at night, as he entered the locker room to warm up on the court, Wilkens continued to emphasize the importance of perimeter defense.

In particular, he singled out Su Wen and Al Wood and ordered them to defend themselves well and not to let Dantley and Griffith enter the inside easily.

That's right!
Although El Wood was humiliated by Su Wen in the team's first group confrontation, he was teased as a permanent substitute.

In fact, until the end of practice, his scoring ability was still better than others in the same position on the same team.

There's no way Wilkens benched him.

Then it became that Su Wen took the third position and truly became a swingman, while Wood mainly played the second position.

"The game is about to start, oh my God, I can't wait."

"Su's debut, tsk tsk, it's so exciting!" There were already a lot of spectators present, and the two sides hadn't even warmed up yet, and more than half of the entire King's Dome was already seated.

This was something that was simply unimaginable in previous seasons.

In the 80s, the SuperSonics were known as the league's worst attendance team.

It's not that no one watched because of the poor record, but before Tom Chambers arrived, the team's style of play and style were not good-looking and almost pragmatic.

It wasn't until the arrival of Chambers that his violent style of play, which was particularly fond of rushing and dunking, gradually attracted some people to the scene to watch.

It is now the first game of the new season. There are still about 20 minutes before the start of the game, and half of the seats are occupied. It can be said that the attendance rate has far exceeded last season.

"I bought the tickets for the first few shows specifically for Su. I hope Su won't disappoint us, otherwise we might as well watch TV at home."

"Me too. Su's game in the national championship was impressive. I bought the ticket just to watch his debut."

"Let's see how good the rookie this management acquired in exchange for two All-Star players is."

"We are both Chinese, and you must pay attention to Su Wen's debut!"

"Come on, SuperSonics, let's see your new lineup for the new season."

Wave after wave of fans, even before they found their seats, expressed their longing for the team's future.

Especially for Su Wen.

They desperately want to see how each other performs in their first match.

Is it possible to defeat the NBA stars just like Jordan was defeated in the NCAA Final Four against North Carolina?

Their opponent later has a peak scoring champion.

They are looking forward to what kind of performance Su Wen and Dantley's team will put on.

Not long after, players from both sides finally appeared.

One by one, they put on their respective uniforms and entered the stadium to warm up. At this time, more than 80% of the fans were already in the auditorium.

As we get closer and closer to the opening, the atmosphere becomes more and more heated.

Les Harberg and his assistants sitting in the front row were extremely satisfied with the atmosphere.

In the first game of the new season, the fans were so enthusiastic. He couldn't help but look at Su Wen, who had brought a lot of revenue and box office to the team when he first arrived, and secretly cheered him up: "Su, tonight is yours." It’s time for inspection, so don’t miss out!”

In the summer, he braved the pressure of opposition from the team's senior management and fought against all opinions to exchange for Su Wen. He was not just optimistic about the opponent.

More importantly, he wanted to play a big role after he took office, so that he could firmly sit in the general manager's chair.

He must act vigorously to reform the influence of his predecessor.

You must know that the predecessor Zoli Volchok won the team's only championship during his tenure.

Can he be less stressed?

If Su Wen's debut is not good, what awaits him will be a fierce public opinion campaign that can endanger his position.

Just when everyone was looking forward to this new Sonics lineup, the game began.

Players from both sides finished their warm-up, returned to the bench, took off their uniforms, and entered the stadium under the encouragement of the head coaches of each team.

Bob Costas, the NBC commentator who conducted the national live broadcast, sat alone in the studio and introduced the lineups of both sides lukewarmly.

After a period of running-in, the SuperSonics have produced the strongest lineup:

No. 211, Tim McCormick, [-]cm;

No. 208, Tom Chambers, [-]cm;

No. 201, Su Wen, [-]cm;

No. 198, Al Wood, [-]cm;

No. 191, Brad Davis, [-]cm.

Utah Jazz on the other side:

No. 224, Mark Eaton, [-]cm;

No. 211, Thurl Bailey, [-]cm;

No. 196, Adrian Dantley, [-]cm;

No. 193, Darnell Griffith, [-]cm;

No. 183, Ricky Green, [-]cm.

There is a gap in the height of the starting lineups of both sides.

Especially the difference between Eaton and McCormick on the inside is 13 centimeters.

In terms of outside comparison, the SuperSonics have an advantage again.

But the height advantage on the outside is not as good as that on the inside. In actual games, there is such an obvious difference between strength and weakness.

So in general, the Sonics' overall height is still slightly inferior.

That's why the Sonics lost the fight for the ball.

Eaton relied on his abnormal static talent and his super-long wingspan of 250cm to easily get the ball.

Entering the defensive stage, all members of the SuperSonics seemed very active. Everyone was pestering their own people, especially Su Wen and Dantley.

The two of them were on the outside line, entangled all the way to the inside line, and Su Wen's defense was unexpectedly dead.

You run and I chase you, but it’s hard for you to fly!

Dantley was not in a hurry. When Su Wen was constantly pursuing defense and engaging in confrontation, he was running here and there, slipping like a small loach in a ditch.

And while running, he sneered at Su Wen's behavior of giving himself such a high-intensity defense at the beginning.

Rookie, let's see how long you can follow!

He thought that maybe Su Wen was too excited because of his debut and wanted to show off fiercely, so he looked at him desperately at the beginning.

As the game progresses, Su Wen will inevitably encounter a physical crisis and will soon be unable to keep up with his own rhythm.

But he will not discriminate against the other party because of this.

After all, there are many rookies like Su Wen.

Many rookies will make this mistake more or less when they first enter the league.

Turn on the intensity right from the start.

Before the game was even halfway through, he exhausted himself and affected his offensive efficiency.

This is also the reason why many super giants have poor debut statistics.

You have to pay tuition!
Not everyone is as fierce as Wilt Chamberlain.

Su Wen kept pestering Dantley until the Jazz's attack ended with a strike and Dantley couldn't catch the ball.

Seeing this situation, the audience at the scene didn't care about Su Wen's physical ability. Most of them didn't have the awareness. Anyway, they just looked happy.

Su Wen started the game by guarding last season's scoring champion until he couldn't catch the ball. It's hard not to be surprised by his defensive ability.

After successfully limiting Dantley's goal, Su Wen easily ran to the frontcourt.

Seeing that Su Wen was chasing him for nearly half a minute and still had such a demeanor, Dantley didn't take it to heart. He was also guarding the opponent in the same position.

But the difference between Su Wen and him is that his point guard teammates will never move to look for opportunities before halftime, but carefully observe their teammates' positions.

When Brad Davis reached the near point, he started to start and ran inside.

Dantley had already guarded against this move and followed up quickly.

Unexpectedly, when he reached the free throw line, he was blocked by the opponent's No. [-] Tom Chambers and was forced to let Su Wen go.

At this time, Davis sent the ball inward and into the hands of Su Wen. Seeing that there was no one in front of him to cover the position, Davis pulled it up and shot.

"Shh!"

He scored his first career goal in the 35th second of the game, giving him a good start in his debut.

"Oh, he scored so quickly?"

The audience was surprised, but equally excited, "This is so relaxing!"

"Lanny is truly the father of the pick-and-roll, opening the scoring for SU."

"The cooperation between Su and Tom is so tacit, it seems like they are leading the opposing scorer into Tom's trap."

"If the first goal is scored, can the second goal be far away?"

The excited words of the audience aroused Dantley's disdain.

Just one ball, is it worth you being so excited?
After he secretly laughed at his opponents and the audience for their lack of success, he returned to his own offensive end and began to exert his strength.

Still moving without the ball, constantly running inside, trying to get rid of Su Wen.

To his surprise, even if a teammate moved forward to help cover, Su Wen would always reappear in front of him the next second, very annoying, like a candy.

Seeing that he was about to miss the ball again, Dantley became angry and said fiercely to himself: I'll see how long you can keep up.

Su Wen didn't care at all what he was thinking. When he returned to the frontcourt, he moved frequently and slipped into the bottom line through the cover of his teammates.

When Chambers handed him the ball, he jumped up along the basket, almost touching the bottom edge of the basket, and threw the ball backhand.

The figure jumped into the air as light as a flying bird and slid directly past Eaton's eyes. It was so visually beautiful that even Dantley behind him was shocked.

good boy!
So you are Dr. J’s disciple?

　There have been very few people voting in support these two days, I hope brothers can vote more!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)