Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 179 - 130: Jordan: I’M BACK

In the medical center, everyone stood watching the television screen in silence. The atmosphere was unbearably tense.

Lexi covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as a nurse comforted her.

Nearby, Hardaway, Hill, Jamie, and the others were all frantically trying to get through on the phone.

"Lexi, I heard from a reporter I know that communications are probably down. That must be why we can’t get through," Hill said, walking over with a serious expression. "Chen boarded the plane before it happened, so he should have already left New York. He has to be okay."

Lexi looked up at the apocalyptic scene on the screen, unable to stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks.

Hill sighed, not knowing what else to say to comfort her.

The medical center was filled with people. Ronaldo and Olajuwon were among them, and every face was etched with a complex expression.

Just then, Hardaway suddenly exclaimed, "I got through!"

He shouted, drawing everyone’s attention, and immediately put the call on speakerphone, asking where Chen Yu was.

Chen Yu’s anxious voice came from the phone. "Sorry, I’m fine. My phone was off on the plane. I’ve just landed in Saint Louis. All flights have been grounded. We were circling in the air for a long time. How are you guys? Is Lexi there?"

Lexi had already rushed over, her hand trembling as she grabbed the phone. "I’m fine, we’re all fine," she said frantically. "Oh my God, as long as you’re okay. I really thought you..."

She was too choked with emotion to finish.

Chen Yu sighed and asked if everyone had called their families to check on them.

"Things are too chaotic right now. The airport here is a mess. Tell Leonard to be sure to pay attention to security at the clinic."

Leonard was the clinic’s head of security.

"The planes probably won’t be flying. All flights are grounded. I’ll figure something out, see how I can get back. Don’t worry about me. I’ll stay in touch."

Chen Yu quickly hung up and called his mother.

The call went through, and after confirming his mother was safe, Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"How about this, I’ll come back and see you." Saint Louis was only a few hundred miles from Chicago, so Chen Yu decided to rent a car and drive there directly.

It looked like flights would be grounded for several days.

"And then you can come to Phoenix with me." He had already established his career in Phoenix and could buy his mother another house there.

His mother said, "Can you even get back? Is it safe to drive at a time like this? I’m fine. And going to Phoenix... that’s too far. I’m actually doing well in Chicago, and everyone I know is here. By the way, how is Lexi? Are she and her parents okay?"

His mother had lived in Chicago her whole life and couldn’t bear to leave.

Chen Yu didn’t press the issue on the phone. It could wait until they met in person. He hung up, rented a car, and headed straight for Chicago.

Along the way, Chen Yu contacted other people he knew to ask about the situation.

Especially about New York.

The NBA Headquarters was far too close to where it all happened.

It had all happened so suddenly. All sorts of information was mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish fact from fiction.

Moreover, no one knew if something else was going to happen.

He stayed in Chicago for two days before flights gradually began to resume.

His mother was still unwilling to move to Phoenix.

Having no other choice, Chen Yu could only return to Phoenix by himself for now.

Lexi didn’t want Chen Yu to fly again, feeling it was unsafe. Chen Yu was scared too, but the distance from Chicago to Phoenix was too great. After thinking it over, he took a plane anyway.

His heart was in his throat the entire way, but he finally arrived safely in Phoenix.

Outside the airport, Chen Yu pulled Lexi into a tight hug.

Tears were already streaming down Lexi’s face. For those few hours, she had truly felt as if her world was collapsing.

"Don’t cry, I’m okay," Chen Yu comforted her softly, holding her close.

What had happened was a horrific tragedy.

But life had to go on.

Fortunately, the people he loved and cared about had not been harmed.

Every day, Chen Yu followed the latest news.

But he was powerless. The only thing he could do was to live his own life as best he could.

The new season was set to begin in twenty days, and he needed to start preparing.

On this day, September 20th, a week after the incident, an unexpected visitor arrived at Chen Yu’s clinic.

"Michael, welcome."

In front of the medical center, Chen Yu went up to greet Jordan with a hug.

Jordan had suddenly flown to Phoenix.

His arrival livened up the clinic a bit; he certainly had a lot of fans.

Even a superstar athlete like Ronaldo was one of his fans.

"I’d like a complete physical to check my current condition," Jordan said with a smile inside the office.

Chen Yu was taken aback and said in surprise, "Don’t tell me you’re really planning a comeback?"

The recent incident had a huge impact, and the sports world was naturally affected as well.

Many media outlets were saying that the sports world would take a hit, as every game was a large-scale gathering of people and could become a target for attack.

Besides, after such a horrific event, who would even be in the mood to go and watch a game?

At the same time, however, there was a counterargument that this was precisely the time when entertainment was most needed to soothe people’s wounded spirits.

Then the media’s focus landed on Jordan, discussing whether or not he should make a comeback.

Chen Yu was something of an NBA insider, so he knew even more about the situation.

For example, as early as August, Jordan had been planning to sell his shares in the Wizards.

Chen Yu had also heard from Tatum that Jordan had already started training.

And the media had been circulating rumors about Jordan’s comeback even before that.

But Chen Yu hadn’t taken it seriously.

After all, Jordan had already been retired for two years.

Two whole years.

Once an athlete retires, their physical condition deteriorates incredibly fast. Plus, he was already 38 years old. ’How could he possibly stage a comeback?’

At the time, Chen Yu had assumed it was just news deliberately hyped up by Abi Polin and Stern during the offseason.

After all, NBA viewership wasn’t just low this year; it was abysmal.

They always said Jordan saved the NBA, and it really wasn’t just a joke.

As for selling his Wizards shares, that seemed perfectly normal to Chen Yu. The Wizards were in such a sorry state that owning shares wasn’t profitable. It was only natural he’d want to sell.

But now, showing up out of the blue for a physical, it was obvious he was serious about a comeback.

Jordan sighed. "That’s right. I’m planning a comeback."

Chen Yu’s heart skipped a beat. ’So it’s really true!’

This was absolutely massive news.

’But why does he sound so strange?’

’He sounds conflicted, almost as if he’s not entirely willing to come back.’

Jordan seemed to guess what Chen Yu was thinking and explained, "Chen, I won’t hide it from you. I actually had the idea of coming back during the summer, because the Wizards’ record was just too awful."

They were a bunch of scrubs, playing like a pile of crap. Jordan couldn’t stand to watch it any longer.

Most importantly, a bad record affects attendance, which directly affects my earnings.

Back then, Jordan genuinely thought, ’Even at my age, I could get on the court and play better than you bums.’

Coupled with Abi Polin’s prodding, Jordan started training and planning a comeback.

But he had never made a final decision. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Then this incident happened. The sports world needed a superstar to boost morale. Taking everything into consideration, Jordan finally made the decision to return.

"I injured my ribs back in June, and I want you to take another look at them, see how they’ve recovered."

Chen Yu finally understood completely. He activated his Eye of All-Seeing and looked at Jordan’s ribs.

The seventh rib on the left side indeed showed signs of a hairline fracture.

But that was a straightforward physical injury, nothing too serious.

The main issue was his age.

Ewing was still playing at 39, sure, but Jordan had been retired for two years. ’How is he supposed to get back into playing shape?’

’Look, he’s even got a bit of a potbelly.’

"Alright, I’ll take you to get checked out," Chen Yu said, getting up to lead Jordan to the examination area.

On the way, Chen Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Michael, are you sure you really want to come back? You haven’t played for two years, after all. It won’t be easy to train your way back and maintain playing condition."

’If this were the middle of the offseason, maybe I could help him out. But with the new season about to start, it’s too late now.’

"Aren’t you worried you won’t be in top form if you come back?"

When Jordan retired the second time, he did so with the attitude of looking down on everyone, feeling like there was no one left who could challenge him.

’If he comes back now, isn’t he afraid of tarnishing his legacy?’

"What if you get on the court, play poorly, and the media starts saying that so-and-so dominated Jordan and became the new ’Jordan Stopper’?"

That last sentence clearly hit a nerve.

Jordan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and wanted to punch Chen Yu, but after a moment’s thought, he said arrogantly, "Those little guys in the league? They’re not worthy."

Chen Yu gave him a thumbs-up. ’You’re the man.’

But regardless of Jordan’s reasons for ultimately choosing to come back, deep down, Chen Yu really admired him.

Especially at a time like this.

"By the way, you’re planning to join the Wizards after you come back, right? Have you ever thought about other teams? Like the Suns?" Chen Yu added.

"With me at the Suns, I could probably guarantee you play a full, healthy season."

’They’re already a team of old, infirm, and injury-prone players anyway,’ Chen Yu thought. ’What’s one more Jordan?’

Jordan glanced at Chen Yu. He was actually quite tempted by the suggestion.

Everyone knew that Olajuwon and Ewing had signed with the Suns specifically because of Chen Yu.

Although Jordan was preparing for a comeback, he still had concerns about his own body.

Having Chen Yu keeping an eye on him would definitely be a safer bet.

"How about this instead: you come to the Wizards?" Jordan asked in return.

Seeing Chen Yu didn’t respond, he added, "I’ll think about it some more."

Chen Yu nodded. ’The fact that he didn’t shut it down means he’s seriously considering it.’

"By the way, I heard from Brian that his old man is thinking about selling his shares in the team," Chen Yu added.

The news had broken in Phoenix as soon as the season ended.

One of the current owners of the Suns, Jerry Colangelo, was thinking of selling his shares in the team.

It wasn’t because the Suns’ record was bad, but because Jerry himself was facing financial difficulties and wanted to cash out to relieve the pressure.

Of course, nothing ever came of it in the end.

Shares in an NBA team weren’t something you could buy just because you wanted to.

From that perspective, if Jordan wanted to become a team owner, the Suns were also an option.

"Oh, that’s happening?" Jordan’s eyes lit up. He asked for more details but didn’t express any particular opinion.

He took Jordan through a series of detailed examinations.

The results were not encouraging.

His structural health was still good; he had been remarkably healthy throughout his career.

The major injury, a navicular bone fracture, had been given enough time to heal back then and hadn’t left any lingering issues.

The minor injuries after that were, at worst, just minor bumps and bruises. Nothing serious.

His most critical joints—the ankles and knees—were still in good condition.

But his conditioning—his "software," like his cardiopulmonary function—was in pretty bad shape. He was also showing early signs of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

After all, he’d been retired for two years, living a life of indulgence without training. There was no way he’d be in good shape.

In a situation like this, he would have to train, and train hard, to get back into form.

After some thought, Chen Yu made a suggestion.

"The regular season doesn’t start until the end of October, so you still have over a month. If you’re willing, you can stay in Phoenix. I’ll put you through a month of training to get your body back into shape as much as possible. You should know that when it comes to training and rehab, I know what I’m doing."

Making Jordan participate in things like preseason and training camp would be a bit ridiculous.

"Sure," Jordan agreed with a nod, without much hesitation.

He had made the special trip to Phoenix with this exact intention in mind.

"By the way, when are you planning to announce your comeback? You’re not going to just use ’I’m back’ again, are you?" Chen Yu asked curiously.

Back in the day, that "I’m back" line was such a legendary flex, it almost put him on the same level as the king of trash talk, Larry Bird.

At the mention of this, Jordan’s face darkened slightly, and he simply shook his head.

How could he have the nerve to pull the same stunt twice?