My Superstar Basketball System

"Satoshi, tomorrow you'll be facing Jace Tucker. What do you have to say about that?"

At the press conference for Trenton's season opener, an NCAA reporter directed a question to Rin.

Though Rin had yet to play in a single game for the team, he was the only player from Trenton College who had been a four-star high-school recruit.

Rin shifted in his seat, propped his elbow on the table, and said:

"I will defeat him."

As soon as he said this, everyone in the room immediately turned to look at him.

How could Rin dare to say such a thing?

Leaving that aside, Trenton College was just a Division II team and they had finished last season with a dismal 2-16 record.

On the other hand, Rivers Creek University, led by Jace, had reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA's "March Madness" tournament the previous season.

Even the reporter who had asked the question was stunned. He had just expected some compliments for Jace Tucker from Rin.

"Are you saying you'll defeat the league's top shooter?" the reporter asked, recovering from his surprise.

"Yes. I will score more points than him. I will prove..." Rin leaned forward, trying to get as close to the microphone as possible,

"...that I am the NCAA's best shooter."

The audience buzzed with excitement.

Right now, they only saw Rin as a clown.

Jace had averaged 25.9 points per game last season, shooting 10.3 three-pointers per game and making 4.5, with a 43.9% accuracy rate. Both his volume and accuracy were the best among NCAA shooters.

Meanwhile, Rin hadn't even appeared in a single NCAA game in the past two years.

The difference between the two was not just vast, it was incomparable.

Even Trenton's new head coach, Mathews Brandt, turned his head in surprise.

Satoshi, was he always this rash?

The man in question however, ignored everything as he entered his system space. He frowned as he looked at the meagre "+13" on the system's display.

He had gone so far as to make a cocky statement, yet the reporters had only given him this little bit of backlash?

Was it because there weren't enough people present?

He stroked his chin in thought.

In truth, he wasn't originally from this world.

In his previous life, his family had a bit of money. Since he was passionate about basketball, his family sent him to the U.S. for high school, where he displayed quite a bit of talent, especially in basketball IQ. He learned everything quickly.

However, by his senior year, he began facing the same problem Michael Jordan's brother had faced: he stopped growing taller!

By the time he graduated from college, he was still only 1.75 meters (about 5'9"). Left with no choice, he became a basketball trainer.

But during that time, the global economy was in decline, and every industry was becoming more competitive. To survive, he worked hard, even staying up late to make videos and run social media.

In the end, he accidentally became one of the many victims of sudden death in the 21st century.

When he woke up again, he had crossed into this parallel world.

The reason he knew it was a parallel world was because of the person he had crossed into.

This person was also named "Rin Satoshi" a four-star prospect from the class of 2006.

He had no memory of such a person. If someone like that had existed, the sports media would have hyped him to the moon by now.

This "Satoshi" had a tragic backstory.

He stood 1.98 meters (about 6'6") tall, had a wingspan of 2.10 meters (6'10"), and a running vertical jump of 93 cm (36.6 inches). These were elite attributes for an Asian player, comparable to many Black athletes.

So, why was he considered tragic?

Because of his haters.

Before he entered the NCAA, the media and fans had praised him relentlessly. As the first four-star recruit in the history of Lagos, he was expected to be the next big NBA player from Japan after Yao Ming.

With all these expectations on him, Rin chose to join Pirates, a powerhouse in NCAA Division I.

And then everything changed.

Pirates was full of five-star recruits, and even the four-star players had to wait a few years to get playing time. Rin couldn't get on the court at all.

The Japanese media and fans exploded.

First, they questioned the coach's decisions, then they highlighted the poor performances of his teammates, and finally, they resorted to mocking and insulting Rin personally.

"Does he even know his own skill level? Why choose such a strong team? Would it kill him to pick an ordinary school?"

"Stop fooling yourself. He can't even compare to those American players. And he wants to get into the NBA?"

"Why isn't he playing? It's because he's bad. He probably slacks off in practice. Maybe American girls drained his energy."

...

For a four-star recruit, not playing in a powerhouse school was normal. With one or two years of hard work, he could improve and get playing time as a veteran.

But the immense pressure from the media and fans led Rin to transfer to Trenton in order to get playing time.

However, the criticism didn't stop. It only got worse.

"By choosing a Division II team, he's already given up on the NBA."

"Instead of working hard to earn playing time, he ran to a lower division. He's a coward!"

"What's the point of putting up stats in Division II? Even if you dominate, can you make the NBA?"

...

NCAA rules prevented players from competing for one year after transferring, a period known as "sitting out."

Rin endured nearly a year of hate during this time.

In the end, overwhelmed by the abuse, he went on a sea voyage to clear his mind, only to die in a helicopter crash.

After swallowing a mouthful of salty seawater, the current Rin woke up in this parallel world.

Living another life, and having grown over 20 cm taller, was an incredible joy for him, who was passionate about basketball.

However, the system that appeared next left him speechless.

It was called the [Hate System].

As a young man of the 21st century, Rin had read many novels.

There were systems for spending money, talent templates, and court-side sign-ins, all of which had positive outcomes.

But a hate system? WTF?

After exploring it briefly, he learned that this system absorbed energy generated when others badmouthed him, creating [Hate Points] that could be exchanged for talents.

In simple terms, the more people trashed him, the stronger he became. Once he understood this, his silence turned into excitement.

"What a system!" He thought.

The previous Rin had been constantly hated. Now, he could get stronger just by sitting back and letting it happen.

But he soon realized something was wrong. The Hate Points were increasing, but barely.

It took him a while to understand: Rin wasn't getting hated anymore.

Not because his haters had changed their minds, but because Rin was no longer worth hating.

Everyone's attention had shifted to the Olympics and two new NBA draftees, Jin Woo and Hiori Hyoma.

The harsh truth was that you need to have some ability to even be hated.

Fortunately for Rin, the system came with what seemed to be a starter pack. It contained three options:

[Physical Talent Lv. 1]

[Bird View Lv. 1]

[Lottery Wheel] (activated at 10,000 Hate Points, with selectable prize pools)

After realizing he couldn't pick all three, Rin chose the lottery and Bird View.

Bird View: Enhances catch-and-shoot and pull-up three-point shooting abilities.

"Satoshi, I'll continue the life you couldn't finish!" Rin declared.

After this, Rin threw himself into three months of intense training.

The system had only raised his talent ceiling, so to improve his actual abilities, he had to train.

And as a basketball trainer in his past life, he knew exactly how to do that.

From sunrise to sunset, from spring warmth to autumn chill, rain or snow, he never stopped.

He poured all the passion and regret from his past life into every corner of the court.

Finally, just before the season began, he felt himself reaching a bottleneck.

By then, his shooting skills had greatly improved.

One clear measure was his performance in a three-point shooting contest, where he could consistently make about 20 out of 25 shots in one minute.

His progress was encouraging, but Rin knew it wasn't enough.

A Division II player couldn't make it to the NBA just by shooting threes.

He needed to become even stronger and to do that, he needed more Hate Points. At a school like Trenton, the amount of press conferences in a year would be limited, so he had to seize every opportunity.

After leaving the system, Rin noticed that the press conference has ended. He then exited with his coach, Brandt.

"A smart strategy," Brandt remarked immediately they stepped outside.

Rin was confused.

"Your approach will definitely attract some attention," Brandt elaborated.

Though Rin realizes the coach has misunderstood his intentions, he didn't correct him, since it's was now a common tactic to draw attention with bold statements, unlike in the past where top talent scouts focused on lower leagues as well.

"But you'll also face more pressure for taunting Creek University's star player," Brandt added.

Rin thanked the coach, but he was confident that his summer of hard work has prepared him for this moment. He was really determined to leave a good impression on his new coach. Brandt, pleased with his response, patted him on the shoulder and left.

Rin shares a two-person dorm with Daniel Bryson, a 1.75-meter black guard from the basketball team, common in the second-tier league where most players are not tall. Rin, in fact, was the tallest in the team.

Reflecting on his transfer, Rin found it rather ironic. In his previous life, he would have done anything to stay at Pirates rather than transferring to a second-tier league. Yokohama Pirates had exposure, and with any playing time, making it to the NBA was feasible.

However, the former Rin was introverted and couldn't handle the pressure, fearing failure in the top league. However, Trenton offered him a rare scholarship, which further influenced his decision to transfer.

Back in the dorm, he logged into his ibook account using his new smart phone, which he bought with part of the scholarship money.

While others believed he was using a publicity stunt to attract NBA scouts, Rin knew that scouts rarely focus on second-tier players. Even though reporters from the press conference might ignore him, Rin planned on stirring up controversy online by himself.

He checks Jace Tucker's ibook page, where he's now famous for leading his College to the Elite Eight last season. Seeing a recent post by Jace concerning the upcoming season.

Rin left comments on that post, claiming that a certain Rin Satoshi from Trenton College had boasted about defeating Jace and being the best shooter in the NCAA. Afterward, he logs into several other accounts to like his own comment, creating buzz. Slowly, the likes and replies begin to increase.

Soon, other users join in, questioning who he is and where this university is located. Rin, using another account, replies that Trenton is Creek's opening game opponent from a division two league and that Rin is a four-star prospect. As more users engage, the conversation escalates, with some mocking Rin's bold claim.

Rin continued switching between accounts, building momentum and creating a mix of praise and hate. All the while, he monitored his system's [Hate Points], which topped some numbers as he generated more negative attention.

Suddenly, the door to Rin's room opened.

"Dude, are you watching porn?" Daniel Bryson, Rin's roommate asked curiously, interrupting his flurry of online activity.

Rin quickly stopped and tells Dan to close the door.

Dan closed the door and asked again curiously. "Are you watching porn?"

Rin quickly shook his head. "Who watches that stuff in broad daylight?"

He then waved Dan over.

"The media didn't cover our game, so I checked ibook, and this is what I found." Rin said.

Dan leaned in, curious, and when he saw the offensive comments, his breathing quickened.

"These people are going too far!"

"Tell me about it," Rin sighed.

"I know you're doing all this to boost the team's morale. Don't worry, tomorrow, I'll give it my all to create opportunities for you. We'll show them what we're made of!"

"Thanks, man. Um... Why don't you join me? I'll take you out clubbing tonight." Rin expressed his gratitude.

The previous Rin didn't really socialize much with his teammates. Now, he aimed to strengthen those relationships, something that wasn't difficult for someone like him, who had lived in the States in his past life.

---

On the night of the season opener, the 6,000-seat Ridgewood Arena was nearly packed.

As Trenton College's players entered, they were visibly excited to see such a large crowd for the first time at their home court.

However, their excitement soon turned to mixed feelings.

Aside from Trenton students, a large number of outside fans had shown up, many holding Jace-themed posters.

It was clear that most of the crowd had come to see Jace.

Rin even spotted some Japanese fans.

He noticed one of their posters, which read, "Rin, you're a b*tch," in both Japanese and English.

This instantly reminded Rin of the position he was in, despite being Japanese, he was no where near Jace Tucker when it came to popularity. If he wanted respect, he had to leave a mark on the court today.

Rin smiled then politely gave them a middle finger. The group enthusiastically returned the gesture in English.

[Ping!]

[+56 HP]

See? His Hate Points were going up already.

After a brief warm-up, the starting lineup was announced, and both teams were introduced.

For Rivers Creek University: Jace Tucker, Maxwell Reed, Joshua Sarr, Andrew Ramsdale, and Steve Butler.

Trenton College: Daniel Bryson, Rin Satoshi, Will Gitens, Jamie Davidson, and Aaron Tate.

Although there was a significant gap in height and physique between the two teams, Trenton at least had Dan and Tate, giving them a little bit of "name advantage."

The game kicked off quickly, with Andrew Ramsdale easily winning the tip-off for Rivers Creek.

Jace dribbled up the court, and the crowd erupted in cheers, while Trenton College was getting the opposite treatment.

However, Jace didn't go for the shot. Instead, he organized the play.

Rivers Creek's off-the-ball screens created a quick opportunity and although Sarr missed his shot, Maxwell Reed grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on a second-chance putback.

The gap in strength between the two teams was apparent from the very first play.

"You're finished. I'll lock you down tonight," Reed taunted Rin as they matched up.

Rin tried moving without the ball, but Reed stuck to him tightly, allowing no space.

The two were similar in size, making it hard for him to break free.

However, Tate moved up for a high pick, and Rin used the screen to slip out to the three-point line. Dan whose passes were always pin-point, then threw the ball to him.

The late-night clubbing from the night before had worked- his teammates were solidly behind him.

Rin caught the pass, bent his knees, jumped, and snapped his wrist.

The ball spun perfectly through the air, tracing a flawless arc...

Swish!

The shot was smooth as silk, and the crowd was momentarily stunned.

Especially Trenton's own students. While Rin hadn't played any official games for the school yet, he had played pickup and practice games.

Rin had always had some three-point range, but never as clean as this.

It wasn't just their imagination. Rin had spent all summer refining his shot, adjusting his form to make it more textbook like.

Jace continued orchestrating the offense, and Butler scored an easy floater in the paint.

Trenton's size disadvantage made it tough to challenge Rivers Creek defensively.

Rin kept moving off-ball, and Tate came up for another screen. This time, Reed anticipated it and disrupted the play, leaving Rin with no room to shoot after the pass.

"You won't make another basket tonight!" Reed barked like a goblin.

Rin smiled, signaled for an isolation, then started dribbling.

He made a hard right-side drive, then quickly stepped back, retreating to the three-point line.

Reed was a step behind.

Swish!

Rin's three-pointer pierced the net again!

Coach Brandt couldn't help but pump his fist in excitement.

"All my hard work over the summer has led to this moment," he thought to himself.

He hadn't lied to Brandt.

"You know, your defense isn't even as tight as the girl I hooked up with last night," Rin taunted Reed with a look of pity.

"Trash talk?"

He had heard far worse than anything Reed could come up with.

The crowd began to cheer for Trenton College.

They didn't know why, but they could clearly feel that Rin was different tonight.

Jace finally attempted a shot. Working with Reed, he launched a three-pointer from a meter beyond the court arc- NBA range. Clearly, he was already preparing for the next level.

But, unfortunately, his shot didn't fall.

Tate living up to expectations, boxed out Butler and secured the defensive rebound.

Trenton then pushed the ball on the fast break, and Rin sprinted ahead to the three-point line. He took a pass, dribbled up court, and, seeing Reed chasing him, he abruptly stopped and pulled up for a three-pointer.

The ball, following the momentum, flew toward the backboard.

Bang!

It hit the board.

Missed?

Nah.

The ball bounced off the backboard and straight into the hoop!

4-9!

Rivers Creek called an immediate timeout!

Despite the clear talent gap, Trenton College had taken an early lead, thanks to Rin!

The crowd roared in approval, this time not for Creek!

As Rin left the court, he raised both hands, encouraging the crowd to cheer even louder.

Was he getting carried away?

After all, with the bold comments he made before the game, the worse he played tonight, the more people would trash him.

But he wasn't.

Rin perfectly understood the psychology of haters.

If he played poorly tonight, he would only generate a small amount of Hate Points. And once the haters had trashed him, they'd move on and forget about him.