Sports Medicine Master System

"Jason, did it hurt when you woke up this morning?"

Chen Yu looked at J Kidd. "Also, have you had any accidents in the past couple of days? Like, did you tweak your back?"

If it wasn’t a problem from a game or practice, then it had to have happened off the court.

The most likely possibility was that he had strained his back.

J Kidd’s eyes darted around for a split second before he immediately shook his head, denying it.

But Chen Yu caught that reaction.

’There’s something wrong here.’

"Jason, I’m not kidding around. This affects your follow-up treatment. Most importantly, I’m your doctor. Whatever happened, I don’t think you need to hide it from your doctor, do you?" Chen Yu said with a serious expression.

Figuring out how he got injured was crucial.

J Kidd glanced at Chen Yu, then at Nelson, and said with an embarrassed look, "Just... let’s just say I tweaked it."

After speaking, he quickly turned his head away.

Chen Yu sighed and called the clinic, asking them to send a vehicle to take J Kidd there.

The disc was already herniated.

If he hadn’t verified the effectiveness of his system, Chen Yu could only opt for conservative treatment.

But since suturing the annulus fibrosus had proven effective, surgery was the best option.

A minimally invasive surgery, followed by one to two months of rest, would completely solve the problem of the herniated nucleus pulposus pressing on the nerve.

Although he would miss some games, the good news was that it was still early in the season. If they chose conservative treatment and it got worse late in the season, it would be even more trouble.

Weighing the pros and cons, it was better to deal with it via surgery now.

Before long, an ambulance arrived and took J Kidd to the clinic.

Brian had already rushed over upon hearing the news. He watched J Kidd’s vehicle drive away with a complicated expression.

’The core of our team!’

"How on earth did he get injured?" Brian was completely bewildered. The team had already invested a lot in medical support, yet a player still got hurt.

Nelson had a grim look on his face, also feeling frustrated.

But Chen Yu had a pretty good idea of the reason. "He’s too embarrassed to say it. Thinking it over, there’s only one possibility."

Nelson jolted, asking in surprise, "It couldn’t be... Is that even possible?"

"Nothing’s impossible. From what I understand, the percentage of herniated discs caused by... *that* kind of activity isn’t small," Chen Yu said.

Listening to the two of them speak in riddles, Brian asked impatiently, "What on earth are you two talking about?"

Nelson glanced at Chen Yu and said, half-amused and half-exasperated, "Chen is saying that Jason might have gotten injured in bed."

Brian’s jaw dropped. He understood.

"Shit."

Brian’s face turned pale. This was some seriously bad luck.

Chen Yu patted his shoulder. "Alright, it’s actually good that the problem revealed itself now. The sooner it appears, the sooner we can solve it."

After the initial bulge, it had just been a hidden problem. It was better for it to become a full-blown issue so they could find a way to fix it properly.

Brian sighed. "That’s true, but with Jason injured and set to miss one to two months, what’s going to happen to the team’s record?"

The season had just begun, and the competition in the West was incredibly fierce.

The defending champion Lakers were still as dominant as ever, while the Kings and the Wolves were rising forces.

Behind them, traditional powerhouses like the Spurs and Mavericks were in hot pursuit.

Among the top six teams in the West, the difference in wins was only two or three games. It wasn’t easy for the Suns to maintain their current fifth-place spot.

With J Kidd’s injury, it would be easy for them to slide down the rankings.

And Brian was still hoping to break into the top four to secure home-court advantage.

"That’s a headache for Scott now." There was nothing Chen Yu could do about that.

However, J Kidd’s injury served as a reminder for Chen Yu.

He still needed to pay close attention to the team’s needs.

The next day, they had a home game against the Clippers.

Chen Yu arrived at the arena early.

"Come in."

When a knock sounded, Chen Yu spoke without turning around, busy watering his plants with a spray bottle.

The door to the psychological counseling room opened, and Olajuwon walked in with his head slightly lowered. "Chen, Nelson said I should come talk to you first."

Chen Yu nodded and gestured for Olajuwon to sit down.

Chen Yu always kept the counseling room open.

But he had been too busy recently with National Team games, business trips, and surgeries. He was rarely even with the team sometimes, so the psychological counseling side of things had been somewhat neglected.

But it was still necessary, especially now that J Kidd had just gotten injured.

When a core player gets injured, the other players are bound to have their own thoughts and concerns.

Having a chat would do no harm.

Since coming to the Suns, Olajuwon had gotten used to Chen Yu’s counseling sessions. He sat down familiarly and started talking about his personal life before Chen Yu could even begin.

He mostly talked about his daughter.

"By the way, have you called Jason?" Chen Yu took the opportunity to ask during a pause.

Olajuwon nodded. "He talked to me. He even asked about the herniated disc surgery. I told him he could trust you, that the surgery would be fine, and that he just had to look at me as an example."

He himself had undergone the annulus fibrosus suture surgery.

Chen Yu quietly observed Olajuwon and felt that his mentality was fine. He had been through this surgery, knew its benefits, and therefore wasn’t worried.

After chatting a bit longer, Chen Yu saw him out.

Then they came in one after another.

Chen Yu discovered that having a team full of veterans had its advantages. When it came to things like injuries, it was commonplace for them, making it easier for them to accept.

But there were still a few players who were worried about the team’s upcoming performance.

Ewing, for example.

Many of the veterans on the team were role players. For them, a championship was more like icing on the cake. It would be great to have, but they wouldn’t force the issue if it didn’t happen.

Although Olajuwon had also come to the Suns to chase a championship, he had, after all, already won one before.

Ewing was different. He was a superstar whose unlucky career had run right into Jordan’s prime, and he still didn’t have a single ring to his name.

At his age, Ewing knew very well that his window for winning a championship was getting smaller and smaller. So when J Kidd got injured, he was genuinely worried that the team’s record would be affected.

Chen Yu silently made a note of this but didn’t rush to say anything.

At Ewing’s age, his ability to self-regulate should be very strong. It was fine to just observe for now.

Then there was Hardaway.

After sitting down, he was the only player who immediately and proactively asked about J Kidd’s condition.

"His problem isn’t serious; surgery will solve it. You, on the other hand... Jason will likely be out for quite some time, and during that period, the pressure on you is going to increase," Chen Yu said, looking at Hardaway with a smile.

So far this season, they had played a total of 25 games.

Hardaway’s stats were decent: 20.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Compared to the best year of his career, the ’95-’96 season, when he averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, it wasn’t much different.

But Chen Yu felt this shouldn’t be all Hardaway was capable of.

The Hardaway who put up those numbers was only in his third year, his skills far from fully developed.

Later on, injuries plagued him, so it was normal for his stats to decline year after year.

But now he was completely healthy. With years of refinement, his skills were long-since polished. On a Suns team where he was the offensive core, his stats could absolutely be better.

Compare him to Hill.

So far this season, the Magic were second in the East, and Hill was averaging 26.2 points per game, ranking fourth on the scoring list.

Even Jordan believed that Hardaway was the better offensive player.

At first, Chen Yu thought it might be an issue of readjusting after a major injury.

But he’d already had a quarter of the season to adapt. That should have been enough time.

That could only mean there were other issues at play.

Hardaway pursed his lips and thought for a moment before saying, "Chen, you’re right. Jason’s injured. The team needs me right now."

In front of Chen Yu, Hardaway had nothing to hide.

"I’m already 30 years old, and I still haven’t truly proven myself. Now that I’ve finally gotten healthy, this should be my best chance to do it."

"And then there’s Patrick and the others. They train so hard."

Those few veterans on the team, especially Ewing, had no complaints. They willingly became reserves and were meticulous in practice. Hardaway knew exactly what it was all for: a championship.

They weren’t like him; he could maybe wait another two years.

But Ewing and the others didn’t have the time to wait.

For Hardaway, all of this was a silent pressure.

"I know what they’re playing for. To be honest, I feel the pressure too, like it’s my responsibility. But at the same time, I feel like we’re a team, everyone is playing well, and I just need to do my part."

Olajuwon was averaging 11.4 points and 8.8 rebounds so far this season; he was in good form.

"But looking at it now, I think I’ve been slacking off. Now that Jason is injured—and he’s so important, the key to us winning—I need to work harder and do more."

Once Hardaway started talking, he couldn’t stop.

It seemed like he was talking to Chen Yu, but it was more like he was talking to himself.

Chen Yu noticed that his gaze was gradually becoming more determined.

And in that moment, it suddenly occurred to Chen Yu that Hardaway’s complacency might be related to his status on the team.

Back with the Magic, when Hardaway first entered the league, he was proud and arrogant. Even with O’Neal by his side, he felt he was the team’s leader and needed to shoulder the responsibility for winning, especially after the Magic’s management chose him over O’Neal.

But what followed was a constant string of injuries.

Hardaway’s fighting spirit was worn away just like that.

Later, he was traded to the Suns.

Before Hardaway came to the Suns, it was J Kidd’s team.

Perhaps at first, Hardaway harbored the idea of starting fresh in a new place and continuing to be the team’s leader.

But after getting injured again, he probably felt that he was washed up. ’What’s the point of being a leader?’ He figured he should just play his role, cooperate with others, and be the second or third option.

That’s why when others were playing well, Hardaway would have thoughts like, ’I’ll just play like this, this is good enough’—the so-called complacency.

But on this Suns team, he was the brightest star. He should be the one to bear the responsibility of a leader.

Before, Hardaway didn’t have this realization.

But now, it seemed he did.

"Chen, do you think I’m right to think this way?" Hardaway looked up at Chen Yu.

Since he was playing the role of a psychologist, Chen Yu certainly couldn’t give a simple yes or no. He smiled slightly. "I think you already have the answer in your heart, don’t you?"

Hardaway was stunned for a moment, then nodded firmly, a smile appearing on his face.

"Alright, go warm up."

Chen Yu stood up and saw Hardaway out.

After closing the door, Chen Yu couldn’t help but marvel to himself. ’No wonder these psychologists make so much money. Every single one of them is so damn clever.’