Chapter 28: Random Attributes? (Please Add to Your Favorites)

It’s over.
It’s really over.
My playing time is in jeopardy...
Li Rui was dumbfounded.
"Sorry, Coach. I, I didn't mean to." Li Rui quickly waved his hands, shifting the blame, "This celebration ritual was started by Bynum and Lamar and the others."
The Zen Master swept his gaze toward Odom and Bynum. Both men felt their backsides tighten; they had only just been punished before the game...
Fortunately, the Zen Master merely glared at them without pursuing the matter further. He took a tissue from Daniel, wiped the water droplets from his face and beard, then took off his suit jacket and tossed it to Bynum. "You’re paying for the dry cleaning."
Bynum caught it hastily and nodded repeatedly.
The Zen Master walked to the center of the locker room, scanned the group, and said, "Guys, we played a fantastic game today. Everyone was great, and we maintained our focus on the court throughout."
"But we cannot let this make us arrogant. On this road trip, we will encounter even stronger opponents—the Heat, the Pistons. I hope that after playing them, you will still be able to maintain this same joyful atmosphere as you did today."
The Zen Master’s tone was authoritative, and the locker room quickly fell silent.
It was only a regular-season game, yet the mood was as if they had just won the championship. The players could all hear the dissatisfaction in the Zen Master’s voice.
They were being too undisciplined.
The Zen Master then looked at Li Rui and Kobe, saying, "Li, Kobe, you two go take a shower quickly. Come with me to the press conference in a moment."
"OK!"
"Got it!"
...
In the shower room.
Li Rui closed his eyes and entered the system.
"Ding, mission accomplished. Received 'Random NBA Player Single Attribute Fusion x1'. Would you like to fuse now?"
"Yes!"
Soon, two large wheels appeared in Li Rui’s field of vision.
The first wheel featured portraits of NBA stars. Looking closely, there were 100 of them, including several superstars.
Curry, Irving, and Nash were easy to recognize, each occupying three slots.
Then there were players like Fox, Brunson, and Butler, who occupied about 10 slots as secondary stars.
The rest were role players. The more recognizable ones included Brogdon, Lamb, White, Whiteside, Gordon... and there were about 20 slots where Li Rui didn't even recognize the names; he had no idea which era those role players were from.
Li Rui understood immediately that this random draw was tiered: Superstars, Stars, and Role Players, with the higher tiers being harder to hit.
The second wheel featured specific attributes: Stamina, Ball Handling, Shooting, Rebounding, Defense, Willpower, Dunking, and so on.
It seemed he would draw the player first, then their attribute, making the randomness quite high.
This was Li Rui’s first time receiving this reward, and he was curious to see what would come of it.
Li Rui’s biggest hope was to get a superstar-level ball-handling attribute; that way, he would have no obvious weaknesses.
A moment later.
The first wheel started to spin.
It picked up speed.
One round!
Two rounds!
Three rounds!
...
It spun faster and faster, reaching its peak before quickly slowing down.
"Irving."
"Irving."
God of Luck, help me!
When the pointer slowly passed the Irving slot, Li Rui went quiet.
Eventually, the pointer stopped on a face he recognized well enough.
Aaron Gordon!
In Li Rui’s memory, Aaron Gordon was a top-tier dunker. He was drafted by the Magic, but later it was discovered he wasn't suited to be a franchise cornerstone, so he went to the Nuggets to pair up with Jokic, where he was successfully carried to a championship.
Li Rui remembered that this guy was most famous for—dunking!
Back in the day, the dunk contest duel between Aaron Gordon and "Golden State LaVine" was a classic.
Wait, what "Golden State LaVine"? I’ve been a hater for so long that I’m even getting names wrong. It should be Zach LaVine.
Li Rui poked fun at his own memory. Klay’s dunks were lackluster anyway.
Aside from his poor ball handling, Klay’s dunking was also an eyesore.
Li Rui had seen a TikTok video where Klay, during a tour in China, tried to show off to fans with a 360-degree spin dunk, only to have the ball blocked directly by the rim, causing him to fall over. It went viral and became a laughingstock for fans worldwide.
The Splash Brothers' dunking ability was the window God had closed for them; it was mostly for comedic effect, standing in stark contrast to their supreme three-point ability.
Li Rui’s eyes brightened. If he could get an increase in Aaron Gordon’s dunking attribute, that would be pretty good. After all, every boy who loves basketball has a dunking dream.
Although he wasn't as tall as Gordon, if he drew the dunking attribute, it would likely improve his vertical, power, and overall athleticism, allowing him to throw down some decent dunks.
"Dunking!"
"Dunking!"
"System, help me out!!"
Seeing the second wheel start to spin, Li Rui continued to shout internally.
The pointer once again slowly passed the dunking slot, and Li Rui lost hope.
Calling the system "Godfather" was useless; this thing was cold and heartless.
Eventually, the pointer stopped on the Ball Handling attribute.
Ball Handling?
"What’s the point of Aaron Gordon’s ball handling? The guy’s best skill is dunking."
Li Rui was full of resentment for not hitting the dunking attribute.
"Ding, obtained Aaron Gordon’s ball handling attribute. Aaron Gordon’s ball handling attribute is higher than the host’s; fusion successful!"
Even though Li Rui didn't have high expectations for Gordon’s ball handling, he opened his attribute panel to check the latest stats.
Name: Li Rui
Age: 19
Height: 2.01m
Weight: 90kg
Wingspan: 220cm
Average Hand Length: 27cm
[Offense]
Close Range: 79
Mid-Range: 88
Three-Point: 94
Free Throw: 90
Shot IQ: 80
Inside Scoring: 56
Layup: 70
Standing Dunk: 35
Driving Dunk: 65
Hook Shot: 35
Fadeaway: 65
Post Control: 64
Draw Foul: 30
[Athleticism]
Athleticism: 78
Speed: 71
Agility: 80
Strength: 63
Stamina: 91
Hustle: 80
Total Endurance: 94
[Skills]
Hand-Eye Coordination: 85
Playmaking: 60
Pass Accuracy: 57
Ball Handling: 72
Speed with Ball: 72
Passing IQ: 59
Passing Vision: 43
[Defense]
Defense: 70
Interior Defense: 61
Perimeter Defense: 81
Steals: 47
Blocks: 54
Help Defense IQ: 80
Pass Perception: 80
Defensive Consistency: 76
[Rebounding]
Rebounding: 44
Offensive Rebound: 36
Defensive Rebound: 51
[Other]
Clutch: 70
Potential: 95
Overall Rating: 80.
...
What surprised Li Rui was that his ball handling attribute had increased from 55 to 72—a jump of 17 points in one go.
Is Aaron Gordon’s dribbling that much better than Klay’s?
Li Rui thought about it and began to understand.
Appearances can be deceiving. It’s hard to tell because Aaron Gordon rarely initiates the offense in the NBA, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to handle the ball.
Often, it’s just because his position doesn't require him to be the primary ball handler, and his efficiency in doing so isn't high, not that he lacks the skill.
Li Rui felt more and more that the NBA is full of talent, and he could no longer look at players purely through the eyes of a fan.
The talk about "NBA centers who can't dribble," "Curry’s poor defense," or "Kobe’s inefficient shooting"...
Those are all relative; it depends on who you compare them to.
If you compare them to non-NBA players, look at big men like DeAndre Jordan, McGee, or Griffin—they are all like Irving on the playground, showing off with ease.
Even a blue-collar player like PJ Tucker plays like Jordan on a local court.
It wasn't strange that Gordon’s ball handling was better than Klay’s.
After all, Klay’s ball handling is at the bottom tier of the NBA.
His mindset had to change; he shouldn't underestimate anyone.
Now, with 72, he should be able to handle basic ball advancement and pick-and-roll initiation.
Of course, compared to primary playmakers like Doncic, Irving, or Harden, Gordon’s creativity and ability to perform complex maneuvers were clearly lacking.
"Take it slow, Rome wasn't built in a day," Li Rui consoled himself.
Overall, Li Rui’s total attributes were slightly better than when he first transmigrated, and his overall rating had reached 80.