Tanking in the NBA for Points, Then Beating Up LeBron, Kobe, Shaq, and Durant

Chen Bo, the last pick of the second round, is a benchwarmer for the Cavaliers. While everyone else is fighting for their lives in the playoffs, he is snoozing on the bench, until his System activates: "You grow stronger by slacking off. Win Game 5, and you get the Nikola Jokic template."

He enters with six minutes left and delivers threes, blocks, a pulled-away chair, and a quarterback-style long pass. He scores 15 points in half a quarter and hits a buzzer-beating game-winner. The crowd goes wild, but he cracks open an ice-cold Coke and downs it on the spot. The System announces: Slacking-Off Score: 100. After the game, every media headline praises "LeBron James carrying the team," while Chen Bo's name is tucked away in a corner. He curls his lip. "Fine, I'll keep slacking."

He shows up late to practice before Game 6 and misses 150 three-pointers in a row, maxing out his Slacking-Off Score. His teammates make snide remarks, and the head coach wants to send him back to the bench. Chen Bo tosses aside his practice jersey. "Whatever. I'll slack off whether I'm on the court or off it. Once I've earned enough points, let's see who can stop me." While the entire league is caught up in a cutthroat race to outwork one another, this center, sipping Coke and munching fried chicken, is using "slacking off" to rise toward the throne of the league's top player.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.