On draft night in 2003, at Madison Square Garden, Zhao Xiang is unexpectedly reborn in the body of a rookie.
The original owner choked to death while eating in the green room, allowing him to take over the body. He has just heard David Stern loudly announce that the Los Angeles Clippers have selected him with the sixth pick.
At 198 centimeters tall and weighing 140 kilograms, he activates a System that combines 70 percent of Barkley's build with 10 percent of Zion's. The scouting report is full of controversy: he went toe-to-toe with Anthony in the NCAA Final Four, scoring 19.8 points and grabbing 12.2 rebounds, with an unstoppable post game and transition offense. But his body fat is too high, his stamina is questionable, and his volatile temper is a major liability. His rapidly increasing weight has even sent his draft stock plummeting.
The 2003 Golden Generation is all there. LeBron James, Wade, and Anthony gather for the rookie photo shoot. Anthony teases him about the fat on his belly, while Wade publicly exposes his history of binge eating. After moving into a luxury apartment in Los Angeles, he unexpectedly becomes neighbors with the 24th pick, Brian Cook. In a one-on-one game, Zhao Xiang overwhelms his opponent 7-1 with strong post-up attacks and a suddenly awakened three-point shot, revealing his terrifying hidden potential.
A brutal fat-loss training program begins at once: long runs on the beach, extra strength training, and five hundred free throws every day. The Summer League begins as scheduled. He faces the Dragon Bosh head-on, grabs rebounds, powers his way to a three-point play, and throws down a fast-break dunk. He scores 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists in a single game, crushing doubts that he's a bust with a dominant performance.
The legend of China's short big man begins on the night of the 2003 draft.
For a while, um, for a while, Shan was so embarrassed that he had cancer.
Don't do those embarrassing things. If you like writing ancient prose, just do it.