Basketball System: Rebound of the Underdog

Yuze gulped as he stood in the jump circle. This was the most nervous he had ever been out of all the games he had played in. It was his first time having to crane his neck so high just to look at his opponent.

Yuze, despite standing tall at six feet, found himself dwarfed by Ming Yao, the literal giant of the court. Almost a foot taller, Ming Yao was an imposing figure, and his presence was a constant reminder of the Giants' physical dominance.

"Crap," Fabin said, covering his mouth. "That guy is so freaking tall. How could he be in the same year as us?"

"He is?" Ailun exclaimed. "I thought he was much older! What did his parents feed him?"

"I think his parents knew he was going to be tall from the very start," Max muttered. "His name is Ming Yao—named after Yao Ming."

"At this rate, he'd be taller than Yao Ming," Fabin muttered.@@novelbin@@

Meanwhile, Coach Guanyu also frowned as he watched the scene before him. The last time he had seen his son, Yuze, look so small was when he was still a small child. An ache went through his heart as he thought of a young Yuze, but all he had to do was bang on his chest once for it to go away.

Chaoxing sighed as he looked at their height differences. "Goodness," he muttered. "I really wish the Shizi Dogs win this one."

"Why, captain?" one of the younger players asked.

Chaoxing smiled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "They need to take one for the team. I don't want to play with those Giants!"

The referee positioned himself between Ming Yao and Yuze, also fearing for their height difference.

It wasn't just Ming Yao either—most of the Giants stood head and shoulders above the Dogs.

The referee finally tipped the ball high in the air. Yuze jumped as high as he could, but all Ming Yao had to do was raise his hand slightly so that he could capture the ball.

The Giants smirked.

Jet nearly squeaked as he caught sight of his defender's teeth. From his view, he really appeared like a titan.

"Mom, I'm scared," he even muttered as his defender looked down at him.

Player Wong from the Giants caught the ball before passing it to Ming Yao.

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He didn't need to dribble; he barely had to move. His long arms reached over Yuze's desperate attempts to defend, and with one smooth motion, he banked in an easy shot off the glass. The crowd erupted, and the scoreboard ticked up in the Giants' favor.

2-0.

"Crap," Rolan muttered. "They scored within the first ten seconds of the game."

Nina bit her lip in nervousness.

Meanwhile, the cheerleaders from the Shizi Dogs also couldn't believe it.

"Oh, I hate this," Yani said. "If I were them, I would have given up right on the spot."

Yuze cursed under his breath. They had anticipated the height disadvantage, but knowing it and dealing with it on the court were two entirely different things. The Giants weren't just tall—they were using their size to bully the Dogs.

Andy found an open look on the perimeter. He knew the team needed points, so he was determined to generate it for them. He squared up and let the three-point shot fly. But just as the ball arced toward the hoop, one of the Giants leaped into the air. A monstrous hand swatted the ball away like it was nothing.

Blocked.

Clean.

Andy landed back on his feet, eyes wide with disbelief. The crowd gasped, then fell silent.

"It's impossible."

"The physical difference is too much."

"They brought out all their tallest players. They didn't even do this for the Longyu Dragons!"

"It's because their rank is in jeopardy. If they lose this, they will have a 5-2 record like the Lizards."

"Crap, they really want to take this game, huh?"

Andy gulped as he watched his defender overtake him with his long strides.

It wasn't just Andy feeling the pressure. Every play felt like an uphill battle. Every pass, every drive to the hoop was met with those long, sprawling arms of the Giants, batting the ball away or snatching it out of the air like it was their birthright. The Dogs were being outplayed, outmuscled, and, worst of all, outsized.

In the first three minutes of the game, they didn't manage to score a single point. Fortunately, it seemed like the Giants weren't too accurate in their shooting, too. So they only managed to widen the gap by eight points.

8-0.

Kai stood near the top of the key, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the court. His defender loomed over him, a solid seven feet of muscle and intimidation. Kai was no stranger to taller opponents, but this was different. A full seven-inch height gap stood between him and his man, and the rim felt a mile away.

Kai's eyes narrowed. There has to be some kind of way.

He caught a quick pass from Yuze and immediately felt the pressure of his defender closing in. The crowd seemed to hold its breath. Kai pivoted, dribbling to his left, but his defender matched him step for step. Kai's mind raced.

Then, he thought of an idea.

He couldn't drive past this guy—he had to go over him.

With a quick crossover, Kai shifted back to his right, creating just enough separation to get a shot off. His defender extended his arms, trying to close the gap, but Kai didn't hesitate. He rose off the floor, jumping higher than he ever had before, pushing off the hardwood with everything he had.

The ball rested securely in his hands as he reached the peak of his jump, his defender's outstretched arms closing in.

Kai hung in the air for what felt like an eternity. The crowd seemed frozen, caught in the moment with him.

Then, a small smirk appeared on his lips as he was met with the face of his defender.

If he couldn't overcome their physical discrepancies, then he just had to compensate with his skills instead.