Roll!
After bouncing twice, the basketball actually rolled into the basket!
It’s in!
A buzzer-beater!
BEEP…
Almost simultaneously, the red countdown timer lit up, and the entire game ended!
Everyone in the stadium was stunned. For a full two seconds, it was only after the Chinese players and the fans present reacted that thunderous roars erupted!
“Holy crap! That works too?”
“A floor buzzer-beater? Oh my god!”
“Li Feng, you’re a god!”
“Li Feng is awesome!”
…
The Chinese players rushed over, tackling Li Feng to the ground. Even Deng Huade raised his hands and charged over, celebrating with the players.
“Li Feng! Li Feng! Li Feng!”
Many players shouted until their voices broke, but they continued to shout!
Yao Ming, Wang Dazhi, as well as the assistant coaches and team leader off the court, all ran onto the court to celebrate wildly with the players!
“Champions! We are champions!”
“Fellow countrymen, we did it!”
“The gold medal! We got the gold medal!”
…
Surrounded by his teammates, Li Feng was already in tears!
His previously energetic body suddenly felt weak. Li Feng’s body had been completely drained. In the past few minutes, he had been fighting purely on the strength of his willpower!
The superstars of the Dream Team were still in a daze, frozen in place.
James, Kobe, Durant, and Davis were still on the court, completely bewildered…
Coach K also stared at the big screen next to him, still clinging to a sliver of hope that the basket wouldn’t count.
Because the timer lit up as the ball went in, almost simultaneously, according to the rules, the referee still needed to confirm.
Li Feng’s action was not a shot, but a bounce of the ball off the floor, which was equivalent to a dribble.
If it were a shot, then as long as the ball was released before time expired, the basket would count.
But Li Feng’s action was not a shot, so it depended on the time the basket was made.
After carefully reviewing the replay, the referee confirmed—
The basket was valid!
The timer lit up only after the basketball went into the hoop, as could be seen from the slow-motion replay.
“Arise! Ye who refuse to be slaves…”
The deafening sound of the national anthem echoed through the stadium, as tens of thousands of Chinese fans excitedly sang the Chinese national anthem!
At this moment, all Chinese compatriots felt the pride and honor of being Chinese!
…
After a while, Kobe walked over and hugged Li Feng to congratulate him.
“Li Feng, you are truly amazing. I never imagined our Dream Team would lose to you!”
Although Kobe was genuinely congratulating him, Li Feng didn’t like hearing that.
“Isn’t it normal for us to beat you? Four years ago, we were just a little short. Besides, you’re not unbeaten, Argentina and Spain have beaten you, haven’t they?”
Li Feng had an extremely strong competitive spirit, and Kobe was left speechless after a few retorts.
They looked at each other for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.
Durant then walked over, offering a wry smile as he hugged Li Feng.
KD was truly unfortunate, having just lost to Li Feng in the NBA Finals and now losing to him again in the Olympics.
It was truly something…
“Li Feng, are you my nemesis?” Durant said with a half-joking tone.
Li Feng shrugged and replied, “Maybe this year, but who knows about next year? You better keep working hard!”
This answer was clever, acknowledging Li Feng’s achievement this year while also giving Durant an opportunity.
It was like another version of "The future is yours"!
Then Harden also came over and chatted with Li Feng for a few minutes.
Their relationship was too good off the court, so Harden skipped the pleasantries and directly questioned, “Hey, man, what were you thinking with that last shot? Was it pure luck?”
Li Feng couldn’t help but laugh.
In fact, that shot was something Li Feng and his teammates occasionally did for fun after training.
He was inspired by Curry.
In his previous life, Curry and his Warriors teammates often practiced such unconventional shots.
For example, Curry would bounce the ball off the floor, letting it rebound into the basket.
Or he would throw the ball very high into the air, let it fall, and then rebound it into the basket.
These shots were almost impossible for others, but Curry had a very high success rate.
Of course, Curry never did this in official games, but Li Feng had actually brought this style of play into reality!
“Heh heh, you’re calling me lucky? Next time we train together, I’ll show you how high my shooting percentage is with this!”
Harden was stunned and speechless for several seconds, then sighed, “You are destined to be an all-time superstar. Three consecutive championships in the NBA and now an Olympic gold medal, I really can’t catch up to you!”
Li Feng’s heart stirred, and he understood Harden’s feelings at this moment.
“Listen to me, Harden, you should try to stay with the Thunder for a few more years. I have high hopes for you guys.”
Harden looked confused and scratched his head, “I never thought about leaving the Thunder…”
Li Feng smiled mysteriously and nodded, “That’s good. Then I wish you good luck in breaking out of the Western Conference next year and reaching the Finals again!”
Harden thought Li Feng was provoking him and snorted, “Don’t worry, if we reach the Finals next year, we will definitely win the championship, regardless of whether it’s you guys, the Knicks!”
Li Feng praised, “Great, then I’ll see you in the Finals!”
The NBA superstars also had a good relationship with Yao Ming. When they learned that it was Yao Ming’s last game, they all walked over to express their blessings to him.
Kobe, in particular, knew how difficult Yao Ming’s journey had been.
If it weren’t for the stinginess of the Rockets owner, Yao Ming would not have had any decent teammates with the Rockets, and Yao Ming wouldn’t have wasted his prime with the Rockets.
Fortunately, Yao Ming joined the Knicks at the end of his prime and achieved the feat of three consecutive championships with Li Feng.
Combined with this Olympic gold medal, Yao Ming’s basketball career was nearly perfect.
…
Half an hour later, the award ceremony began, and the entire Chinese men’s basketball team stood on the highest podium.
As the Chinese flag was hoisted, all the Chinese players placed their hands on their chests and sang the national anthem in unison. This scene would become an eternal memory for all Chinese players and fans!
…
The grand Olympic journey had concluded. Li Feng planned to travel in Europe with Jenna for a few days before returning to China to spend time with his parents.
Just as they arrived in Switzerland and were preparing to ski, Li Feng received a call from Burke, the Knicks’ team manager.
Li Feng had just finished showering and was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Burke’s call, he guessed what it was about.
“Heh heh, Burke, it’s the trade deadline again, right?”
“Alas, Li Feng, first of all, congratulations on winning another Olympic gold medal. But, what about next season? Yao Ming is retiring, and the other players’ salaries are too high. The championship hangover has set in.”
Li Feng was mentally prepared for this.
The NBA system was generally fair. If a team became too strong and had top-tier performance, it would be difficult to sign talented players.
This was due to the salary cap and luxury tax restrictions.
The Knicks were wealthy enough to pay the luxury tax, but the NBA also had a rule that the luxury tax couldn’t be paid consecutively.
If the luxury tax was paid consecutively, it would trigger the “super luxury tax,” which was even more daunting.
These rules were designed to prevent any single team from dominating and to maintain balance between teams.
Furthermore, the draft order was determined by the team’s performance in the previous season.
Teams that won three consecutive championships couldn’t expect high draft picks.
They could only find gems overseas or pick players that others overlooked, discovering hidden talents.
As the team manager, this was Burke’s job.
However, with a team that had won three championships, they couldn’t afford many players or get good draft picks, which made his job difficult.
If it weren’t for Li Feng’s shrewd management over the years, helping the team select high-value players, the Knicks would have collapsed long ago.
Lowry, Yi Jianlian, Bill Walker, and even Yao Ming were all signed during their lows, and they played significant roles after joining the Knicks.
“Manager, please explain the current situation of the club, and I’ll consider it.”
“Okay, you see, Yao Ming has retired, and we need to sign a starting center. Chandler isn’t suitable to start, and our backup, Billups, has also retired. He’s already 35, and we need a backup point guard.”
“Also, Li Feng, your contract is…”
Li Feng was on his rookie contract, a 3+1 deal, with the third year being a team option.
For the future of the team, Li Feng should sign a longer contract to reassure the team owner and the fans.
Of course, Li Feng could also choose not to re-sign and enter the free agent market.
In that case, other teams would likely go crazy trying to acquire him.
Li Feng understood what manager Burke was implying. After all this talk, the core issue was Li Feng’s contract renewal.
Simply put, as long as Li Feng stayed, the Knicks would be championship contenders for the next few years.
If Li Feng left, they would have nothing.
Li Feng was not an ungrateful person. Although the Knicks hadn’t done him any great favor, the Knicks’ scouts had noticed Li Feng since his college days.
At that time, the club’s senior management had accompanied Li Feng and Curry for many days in New York, promising many incentives.
Later, it proved that the Knicks had treated Li Feng well.
Li Feng had also repaid the team, bringing unprecedented three consecutive championships!
At the same time, Li Feng had fulfilled his promise: to establish a winning culture for the Knicks!
“Manager, I understand. How about this, I’ll fly to New York next week, and we can all sit down and discuss it properly!”
Burke was pleased to hear this, seeing it as a sign of Li Feng’s sincerity.
However, he then thought about it and felt a chill down his spine.
Was Li Feng suddenly returning to New York because he was planning to leave the Knicks…
“Oh… Li Feng, can you give me a heads-up beforehand? Do you want to continue staying with the Knicks?”
Hearing Burke’s cautious probing, Li Feng smiled.
“Of course, why would I leave? The Knicks have treated me well, and I’ve gotten used to life in New York.”
Burke was overjoyed and repeatedly said, “Great! Great! That’s wonderful! We’ll be waiting for you in New York then!”
“Okay, see you!”
After hanging up the phone, Jenna also gracefully emerged from the bathroom, her wet hair accentuating her stunning figure and face.
Li Feng was in a good mood and couldn’t help but stand up and sweep Jenna into his arms.
Jenna giggled, gently patting Li Feng’s back, “What are you doing? We’re an old married couple, and you’re still so impulsive…”
“Old married couple? How come I feel like I’m getting more energetic?”
Saying that, Li Feng carried Jenna to the themed bedroom and began a passionate encounter with her…
…
A week later, Li Feng and Jenna flew from Paris to New York.
The owner of the Knicks, the team manager, and head coach D’Antoni were all waiting for Li Feng.
“Li Feng, I’m so sorry to call you in during the offseason,” manager Burke said as a greeting.
Li Feng didn’t waste time with pleasantries.
He understood that the so-called "one person, one city" and player loyalty were directed towards the city, or rather, the fans.
The owner?
In their owner’s eyes, players were money-making trees. As long as players couldn’t make them money, or if there were bigger money-making trees, the owner would abandon the players without hesitation!
Therefore, Li Feng stated directly, “I agree to re-sign with the Knicks, but I also want to hear your terms!”
The owner knew Li Feng’s temperament – he responded to kindness, not threats – so he smiled and said, “Max contract! An absolute max contract, five years for two hundred million, how about that?”
Li Feng remained expressionless, but he was quite satisfied inwardly.
After all, in 2012, the highest-paid player in the league, Kobe, earned only thirty million dollars a year. The Knicks owner dared to offer two hundred million over five years, which showed his genuine desire to keep Li Feng.
After speaking, the owner looked at Li Feng’s expression, hoping he would agree immediately.
Everyone looked at Li Feng.
Ten seconds later, Li Feng slowly nodded, “I agree…”
The owner, team manager, and head coach all breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Feng’s agreement to stay meant that the Knicks would be a top NBA team for the next five years.
Even if they didn’t win championships, they would still make a fortune.
Of course, being in New York City, the Knicks would be the most profitable team in the league even if they finished last every year.
But the owner’s goal wasn’t just to make money; having a superstar like Li Feng offered a great chance for the Knicks to become a dynasty like the Lakers, Celtics, or Bulls!
Profit and fame, the owner wanted both!
“That’s great, Li Feng, thank you!” The owner excitedly stood up, extended his hand to Li Feng, and embraced him, his excitement evident.
Li Feng remained calm, pushed the owner away, and said seriously, “We need to maintain our championship-contending strength, and this offseason is very important. We need to make a few trades.”
As the manager, Burke naturally hoped to make some big trades to prove his capabilities.
“Okay, tell me, I’ll handle it!” Manager Burke picked up his pen and notepad, looking at Li Feng expectantly.
“First, we need to sign a backup point guard. After Billups retired, we need a player to organize the second unit.”
Burke nodded repeatedly, “Right, right! Do you have any ideal candidates?”
“Yes, we can sign Jeremy Lin, the backup point guard for the Warriors.”
Burke was stunned, as was head coach D’Antoni.
In this parallel world, the Knicks were a championship team, so they hadn’t signed Jeremy Lin.