Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Fortunately, the court was empty all throughout his stay there. For once, there were no kids chasing after loose balls or older men playing pickup games. It was just Kai, the silence of the setting sun, and the hollow echoes of the basketball bouncing off the concrete. He dribbled the ball between his legs, feeling the familiar texture of the worn-out grip. He stepped back, eyes focused on the rim and shot a quick three-pointer. The ball sliced through the air and sank cleanly through the net. "Not bad," he muttered to himself, jogging to retrieve the ball. He didn't want to just practice shooting, though. He needed to push himself. What else could he improve? He dribbled down the court, picking up speed as he made a fast break to the basket. He launched himself up, going for a layup, then stopped mid-air and switched it to a reverse. The ball spun off the backboard and slipped through the net. But something felt off. It wasn't his form or his technique—it was something within him. It was like a latent energy he hadn't tapped into yet, something that had been there since the game against Jian and the Juren Champions. He landed back on the court and paused, frowning. "What is this?" he muttered, feeling a faint sensation in the back of his mind. It wasn't like before when he would just be aware of his skills. He stood still, holding the ball under his arm, and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the feeling. It was then that a screen popped up before him, appearing like a heads-up display in a video game. The text was faint but clear enough for him to read. Kai's eyes widened in shock. [System Activated: Player Status Overview] [Current Stats: - Speed - Agility - Accuracy - Strength - Endurance] He blinked, almost dropping the ball. "What the—? I almost forgot about this," he muttered. He bit his lip, staring at the list of stats. "Alright, let's see what these mean." He focused on the first one. Speed : Measures the player's ability to accelerate, decelerate, and maintain top speed. Speed influences how quickly the player can move across the court, make fast breaks, and avoid defenders. Agility : Determines the player's ability to change direction swiftly and maintain balance. Agility is key for dodging defenders, quick footwork, and performing advanced maneuvers like crossovers and spin moves. Accuracy : Refers to the player's ability to shoot the ball precisely from various distances. Higher accuracy improves shooting percentages, including three-pointers and mid-range shots. Strength : Indicates the player's physical power and ability to handle contact. Strength is crucial for posting up, defending against aggressive players, and executing powerful drives to the basket. Endurance : Represents the player's stamina and capacity to sustain performance throughout the game. High endurance allows for consistent play without significant fatigue, especially during intense matches. Kai's eyebrows shot up as he read through the descriptions. It was almost as if his skills had been quantified, broken down into clear, measurable stats like a character in a sports game. "This is wild," he whispered. It was already surreal to have level and concrete skills but to have his abilities to be displayed like this and felt surreal. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Alright, let's see where I stand." He clicked on 'See Current Status,' and the screen shifted, now displaying his detailed stat report. Kai Guo's Current Status: - Speed: A - Agility: A - Accuracy: B+ - Strength: A - Endurance: A+ He stared at the numbers, eyes widening in surprise. "No way," he breathed out. He knew he was fast, but seeing an 'A' grade next to Speed felt validating. His Endurance was the highest, an A+, which made sense given how long he could play without tiring. Agility was just behind it with an A, indicating he was agile, but there was room for improvement. His Strength was also solid at an A, but the biggest surprise was his Accuracy. "B+?" he muttered, feeling a flash of irritation. He knew his shooting wasn't perfect, but he hadn't realized it was his weakest stat. He clenched his fists, already setting a goal to push that score up. "Is this what the system was building up to?" he wondered out loud, shaking his head in disbelief. "And how do I even upgrade these?" Almost as if the system could hear him, another prompt popped up, answering his question. [Stat Upgrades: Each stat can only be upgraded by gambling games. To improve a specific stat, consistent performance and victories are required in sanctioned matches. Hard work and training may influence stats, but significant upgrades can only be achieved through competition.] [The host has the choice whether to gamble a game. If won, then the chosen stat would be upgraded. If lost, then it would be downgraded.] Kai's eyes narrowed as he read the explanation. He couldn't just train endlessly to increase his stats. He needed to win all while being smart. He let out a frustrated sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. He couldn't just rely on his usual method of pushing through with raw effort. He had to prove himself, game after game. "Figures," he muttered, rubbing his neck. After that, he stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers. How far behind was he compared to the pros who were also going to be playing in the Global Games? Was this just another way of telling him he wasn't ready yet? He clenched his jaw, feeling a familiar sense of determination wash over him. He hadn't had the time to look at the pro-players that were currently included in the Global Games line-up. Well, this was the first Global Games that China was going to play in after the 2012 fiasco. Kai was sure that the players were more determined than usual—especially since they didn't make it in the line-up through the world rankings but by default because they were the host country. "How good are they?" he muttered once more. Then, he picked up the ball once more. "Well, there's only one way to find out," he said, a smirk forming on his lips.