Chapter 1: A World Without the NBA
Parallel World
Breaking News:
ESPN Report: "The American ABA 3x3 basketball league is in full swing! The Harlem Runners defeated the Locke Warriors 31-25 to secure their first victory in the finals!"
TNT Report: "The WABA 3x3 women's basketball league is heating up! The Los Angeles Sparks triumphed over the Chicago Sky 28-20 in the finals opener!"
NBC Report: "The ratings for both the ABA and WABA leagues have hit a record low. Could this be their final season?"
CBS Report: "With basketball's popularity dwindling, investors are growing restless. What's next for the sport?"
---
Manhattan, New York
In a luxurious Manhattan villa, Nathan Cole sat frozen, eyes locked on the TV screen.
It had been a month since he woke up in this parallel world.
Tonight, he had planned to relax by watching an NBA game—until he discovered something shocking.
The NBA didn't exist here.
Instead, the only basketball leagues were 3-on-3, half-court tournaments.
No five-a-side, full-court basketball.
No NBA.
And no legends.
No Magic Johnson. No Larry Bird. No Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, or Stephen Curry.
Nathan sat in disbelief, piecing together the information from news reports.
In this world, every other major sport was exactly as he remembered—Formula 1, European football leagues, Grand Slam tennis, the NFL, MLB, and NHL.
But basketball? It had never evolved beyond street-style, three-on-three games.
At first, Nathan was confused. But then, an idea hit him.
If there's no NBA in this world... why not create it himself?
On Earth, the NBA had become a global powerhouse, broadcasting in 42 languages across 212 countries. With over 750 million viewers worldwide and annual revenues exceeding $4 billion, it was one of the most influential sports leagues in history.
Even people who never played basketball knew about the NBA.
Nathan understood that the excitement of sports was universal. The NBA could be just as massive here—if not bigger.
The more he thought about it, the clearer his vision became. He had to establish the first-ever professional basketball league in this world.
Not just to revive basketball. But to make history.
Then another realization hit him.
Who was he in this world?
Here, his name was Nathan Cole, a recent graduate of New York University.
His parents, successful business owners, had lived in New York for years. But a tragic plane crash had taken their lives, leaving Nathan with a $500 million inheritance and a luxury estate in Manhattan.
With that kind of wealth, he could live a carefree, extravagant life.
But what if he used it to build an empire instead?
To bring real basketball to the world?
To create the NBA.
Nathan clenched his fists.
It was time to change sports history.
Nathan leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
$500 million?
In his previous life, the average market value of an NBA team was over $2 billion.
The New York Knicks alone were worth $5.42 billion!
The total value of all 30 teams, combined with the NBA's brand value, was nearly $70 billion.
If he wanted to build an NBA in this world, he would need arenas, operations teams, marketing strategies, TV deals, and—most importantly—elite basketball players.
But that was the real problem.
There weren't any.
The ABA 3x3 league's players were nowhere near NBA-level talent. No one had the athleticism, skills, or competitive fire that he remembered from his past life.
What was he supposed to do?
Would he have to wait decades for basketball to develop slowly, just like in his previous world?
And even if he built the foundation of the league, what would stop capitalists from swooping in, stealing his idea, and creating their own rival league once they saw its potential?
Nathan sighed.
At this rate, it was impossible.
Just as he was sinking into frustration—
Ding!
[System detected. Binding host… 1%... 50%... 80%... 100%]
[Congratulations! The host has successfully bound the NBA System!]
Nathan froze.
A system?!
His eyes widened in shock.
Before coming to this world, he had read plenty of web novels where protagonists gained powerful systems that gave them abilities beyond imagination.
And now—he had one too.
A rush of excitement shot through him.
"System! What can you do?" he asked in his mind.
[Host, the NBA System is designed to help you restore the glory of the NBA in this world.]
Nathan's heartbeat accelerated.
The NBA had taken over 70 years to become a global powerhouse in his past life.
But if he had a system to accelerate that growth?
He could make it happen in a fraction of the time!
Suddenly, a virtual status screen appeared in front of him:
---
[Host: Nathan Cole]
Age: 22
League: NBA (Not Activated)
Teams: 0
Revenue: $0
Market Value: $0
Salary Cap: $0
Broadcast Deals: $0
Newbie Gift Pack: Available
---
Nathan scanned the screen.
Right now, he had nothing. No teams. No TV deals. No infrastructure.
He was starting from absolute zero.
But then—his eyes landed on the [Newbie Gift Pack].
A grin spread across his face.
"System, open the newbie gift pack!"