Sports Medicine Master System

So when Hardaway ran into Old Miller in the parking lot—they’d arrived at the same time—and then followed an attendant’s directions to find Chen Yu by the track, he was completely dumbfounded to see the massive crowd of players.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Old Miller’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

’Did the NBA change the rules? Are all the teams coming to Phoenix for their games now?’

’Otherwise, why am I seeing Nowitzki?’

"Just wait over there." Chen Yu pointed resignedly toward the equipment room. "There are chairs. Grab one yourself."

Hardaway nodded dazedly, grabbed J Kidd, and asked what was going on.

He wasn’t surprised to see the guys from the Nuggets. After seeing how hard the Nuggets rode their starters yesterday, he knew why they were here.

But the Mavericks?

’Aren’t they supposed to be in Minnesota?’

"Don’t even ask," J Kidd said with an exasperated sigh, and proceeded to explain the situation to Hardaway.

After hearing they had rushed over on a private jet, Hardaway couldn’t help but let out a "Fuck."

"At this rate, aren’t all the teams in the West going to show up?"

"Exactly."

J Kidd gave a wry smile. He had originally thought that facing the Phoenix Suns in the first round and playing on the road would give them a slight advantage. After all, everyone knew Chen Yu was no longer the team’s doctor this season and definitely wouldn’t be traveling to away games.

Now, look what happened. They all came here instead.

Nash was lying on a mat, and Chen Yu began to massage his back.

He groaned in comfort.

Just then, however, Chen Yu suddenly spoke up. "Steve, the degree of your spondylolisthesis has increased. Even if Mark can fly you guys here on his private jet, you still need to control your playing time."

Nash, still on the mat, froze for a moment. He quickly asked, "Chen, is surgery really not an option?"

Chen Yu sighed. "It’s not that surgery is impossible, and I’ve explained this to you in detail. For a normal person, I’d definitely recommend it. But your situation is different. First, the degree of slippage isn’t severe and can be managed for now. Second, surgery would have a major impact on your athletic ability. You’re a professional athlete, after all."

Like Tracy McGrady and TJ Ford, Nash suffered from a congenital spinal condition.

Tracy McGrady had scoliosis, whereas Nash had vertebral dysplasia, which caused an anterior tilt and spondylolisthesis.

The spine is supposed to be like a series of interlocking gears or a hinge, providing excellent stability. But in Nash’s case, one of his vertebrae had a structural defect. It was like a stripped gear—the connection was unstable, leading to spondylolisthesis.

There were surgical options, with the most common being spinal fusion.

That’s like fusing one link of a chain. It would definitely affect the chain’s overall flexibility. For an ordinary person, that’s not a huge issue, but for a top-tier professional athlete like Nash, the impact would be massive.

This was the reason he’d had the condition since the draft but had always put off surgery—he was afraid it would affect his athletic ability.

There was also the option of an artificial vertebra, but it was the same story. An ordinary person could get it and be fine as long as they could move normally. But Nash was a professional athlete in his prime. Undergoing a relatively unproven surgery like that would have a devastating impact on his career.

A top-tier point guard could be ruined just like that.

Since it could be managed for now, the best course was conservative treatment. They would wait and see if medical technology made any further advances.

Nash sighed and said no more.

Chen Yu’s hands never stopped moving as he worked to relax Nash’s back muscles. Ordinary people could never imagine the sheer physical toll a full game took on these professional basketball players. It was no exaggeration to say that after a single game, one scan with the Eye of All-Seeing would reveal muscle contusions all over their bodies.

If they didn’t properly recover and alleviate their physical fatigue before playing again, injuries would come knocking.

Chen Yu considered talking to Old Nelson. ’It’s one thing for Nowitzki and the others to play the full game, but you know Nash’s condition. Making him play the entire time is putting too much strain on him.’

But he decided against it.

It was a crucial playoff game against the Wolves, and the Wolves were genuinely strong this year. In a situation like this, when there was a chance to win, it was a blessing he wasn’t being forced to play through a major injury.

They even sent him here on a private jet for treatment with Chen Yu. What more could he ask for?

Just then, at the starting line of the track, Liu Xiang finished his preparations. He was ready to run.

Chen Yu stopped what he was doing and looked over as well.

The starting gun fired, and Liu Xiang shot forward like an arrow released from its bow.

His reaction time immediately flashed on the screen of the electronic starting block.

0.107 seconds!

"Fuck!"

A series of gasps erupted from the people around them.

That reaction time was terrifyingly fast.

In just eight steps, Liu Xiang was already airborne over the first hurdle.

His body control was excellent. His head was up, and his upper body pressed down hard, maintaining the lowest possible angle.

His overall form was virtually identical to his previous run.

The difference of a few hundredths of a second was all down to the tiniest of margins.

Everyone held their breath as Liu Xiang blurred past the finish line like a gust of wind.

Chen Yu’s eyes immediately shot to the electronic screen at the other end.

A time flashed onto the screen.

12.89!

He broke the record!

Sun Haiping, whose fists were clenched tight, could finally breathe again. He let out an uncontrollable, excited roar.

In his excitement, Chen Yu swung his hand and slapped Nash on the butt.

’He did us all proud!’

’He completely surpassed himself!’

Hardaway and the others around them were also exclaiming in amazement.

"Did he just break the world record?" Nowitzki asked the others, his eyes wide.

"That’s right, he broke the world record! He already broke the Olympic record earlier, and now he’s broken the world record! This is insane!" Anthony jumped up and down in excitement, as if he were the one who had just set a new record.

Liu Xiang had been in Phoenix for a while, so Hardaway had gotten to know him well. He was the first to rush over, throwing his arms around Liu Xiang and shouting excitedly.

"Liu Xiang, you broke the world record! The world record!"

Hardaway pointed at the time on the screen, insisting on pulling Liu Xiang over to take a picture with it.

"Me too!"

J Kidd was already running over.

As professional athletes themselves, they knew exactly what a world record represented.

It was the equivalent of being the Michael Jordan of the 110-meter hurdles, the one true god of the sport.

"Alright, alright, Liu Xiang, come over here and lie down. Quickly."

Chen Yu rushed forward and had Liu Xiang lie down.

Pushing past one’s limits meant the body was under extreme strain. It was only normal for some damage to occur, so it was crucial to start recovery immediately to prevent any serious issues.

"Well done."

As Chen Yu started working on Liu Xiang’s Achilles tendon and leg muscles, he smiled. "If you can break 12.9 in training, then as long as you’re in top form for the major competitions, you should be able to break the Olympic record in May. Then, at the Olympics, you can go straight for the world record."

"Liu Xiang, believe me, after the Olympics, the entire world will know your name!"

"From now on, you are the number one man in Chinese track and field."

If Liu Xiang could break the world record, the impact and historical significance would be absolutely immense.

A powerful wave of emotion filled Liu Xiang’s chest. He was so excited he didn’t know what to say. In the end, he managed to control himself and just said, "Thank you."

Chen Yu had performed surgery on him, resolving the hidden issue with his Achilles tendon, and had even sponsored his training for free. To be able to achieve this result, he felt he could offer nothing but his gratitude. He was truly at a loss for other words.

"What’s there to thank me for? I share in your glory, you know."

Chen Yu chuckled and patted his thigh.

’Your success is proof of my own.’

The news that Nowitzki and his group had traveled all the way to Phoenix was impossible to hide.

There were always reporters staking out the entrance to Chen Yu’s clinic.

Not to mention, the resourceful reporters were constantly trying to get inside.

Some local media outlets even dispatched news helicopters, trying to film the clinic from above.

With a group as large as Nowitzki’s, how could it possibly be kept a secret?

That evening, the game between the Spurs and the Grizzlies concluded.

After Popovich smilingly shook Hubie Brown’s hand, he turned, took two steps away, and couldn’t stop a "Fuck" from escaping his lips.

P.J. Carlesimo, who was walking up to him, happened to hear it. "At least we won," he said with a wry smile.

Popovich sighed. Yeah, at least they won.

He turned his head and saw a crowd of reporters on the court surrounding Dwyane Wade.

"Damn it all."

Popovich couldn’t help but rub his temples.

No wonder so many in the media had called the West a bloodbath before the playoffs, predicting a potential dark horse miracle this year.

At the time, Popovich had scoffed at the idea.

The Spurs were genuinely strong this year.

Their roster might not have been as star-studded as the Five-star Phoenix Suns, but in his opinion, it was absolutely top-tier.

They had signed Mutombo for the frontcourt, and the old guy was truly holding his own. He was incredibly effective, perfectly making up for David Robinson’s departure.

Without having to expend so much energy under the basket, especially on defense, Duncan’s offensive abilities were completely unleashed. He averaged 27.4 points during the regular season, ranking third in the league in scoring.

Parker was becoming more mature, and from the bench, Ginobili had been a huge surprise for Popovich.

In only his second professional season, his scoring average had climbed to 14.1 points, making him a crucial source of firepower for the Spurs.

The fans in San Antonio had even started calling them the "Big Three."

In this situation, Popovich didn’t take any team seriously except for the Phoenix Suns.

Take the Grizzlies. They only had Gasol. With Duncan on their side, wouldn’t the Spurs crush them in a matter of minutes?

The first three quarters of the game had indeed followed that script. If the Spurs were a more offensively explosive team, their 12-point lead at the end of the third wouldn’t have been so small; it could easily have been 22.

Just when Popovich thought the game was in the bag, everything changed.

Wade, whose performance in the first three quarters had been merely average, suddenly found a rhythm with Gasol.

It was one simple play: the drive after a pick-and-roll.

It was as if Wade had been possessed by Jordan. He moved with blazing speed, repeatedly driving to the basket like a bolt of lightning and scoring.

The Spurs simply couldn’t stop him.

His speed on the drive was just too fast, too frightening.

The fans called Parker the "French Sports Car" for his quick drives, but Popovich felt that if Parker was a sports car, then Wade was a bolt of lightning. Their speed wasn’t even in the same league.

In the fourth quarter, led by Wade—a rookie in his very first playoff game—the Grizzlies actually came close to tying the score.

If it weren’t for the Spurs’ experience and Duncan’s clutch play to stabilize the score in the final moments, they might have actually lost the lead.

points in the quarter, 26 for the game. Wade’s performance was stunning, nothing like that of a rookie.

"No wonder the Phoenix Suns were so desperate to trade for Wade. The kid is the real deal. Maybe he really will become a Hall of Fame player, just like Chen Yu predicted," Popovich mused.

Later, media reports gradually came out revealing that during last year’s draft, the Phoenix Suns had been willing to give up three first-round picks to trade for Wade.

That alone was enough to prove how highly the Phoenix Suns rated Wade.

And as it turned out, the Suns’ judgment was spot on.