Chapter 337 Playing a Warm-up Match Against an NCAA All-Star Team
Liu Wei was fine, as he had been teammates with Yao Ming in the Chinese CBA league for many years.
Chen Jianghua, however, had the most objections.
From his debut, he had been hailed as the genius guard of China.
The media also highly praised him, saying he was the only guard capable of passing to Yao Ming.
Unfortunately, his subsequent development was far from satisfactory.
Firstly, his physical injuries affected his performance, and secondly, his arrogance prevented him from integrating into the team's system.
Before this Olympics, Chen Jianghua's physical condition had recovered well, and he hoped to perform exceptionally to rejuvenate his professional career.
However, Li Feng's selection of Guo Ai Lun made Chen Jianghua very displeased.
Wang Shipeng was relatively okay; his dissatisfaction stemmed from his status as a veteran, believing he deserved a pseudo-starting role and respect.
The three harbored their own intentions, and Yao Ming had to address each of them individually.
"Liu Wei, I understand your strengths best. Your dribbling is stable, you rarely make mistakes, and you have excellent chemistry with the big men."
At this point, Liu Wei showed a proud expression.
But Yao Ming changed his tone and said, "However, in a run-and-gun system, your speed and court vision are not up to par."
Liu Wei's face fell, but Yao Ming's words were irrefutable, and he had to concede.
Yao Ming then looked at Chen Jianghua, "Jiang Hua, your talent is outstanding, you're fast, your dribbling is superb, and your offensive attack is strong!"
Chen Jianghua stared at Yao Ming, waiting for the latter half of his sentence.
"But your turnovers are too frequent, and your defense is average, making you a weak point for the opponent's attack during games."
Chen Jianghua lowered his head; Yao Ming was right, defense was indeed his weakness.
Finally, Yao Ming turned to Wang Shipeng.
"Shipeng, honestly, I didn't want to call you out, but as a veteran, you haven't shown the expected magnanimity and temperament!"
For a meritorious veteran like Wang Shipeng, Yao Ming found it inappropriate to discuss specific technical aspects, so he addressed the broader issue of his mindset.
Wang Shipeng blushed and looked to his right.
Yao Ming continued, "Back then, we played together on the court, fighting for our country. You hit that game-winning three-pointer in 2006! Do you know how happy I was?"
"From then on, you became a hero of the men's basketball team and a regular member of the national team. For years, you've played many games for the national team with great performance."
"But today, do you feel wronged by being placed on the bench? To be honest, if needed, I can also play as a substitute, understand?"
Wang Shipeng realized he was wrong. After a few seconds of silence, he stepped forward and bowed to Yao Ming and Li Feng.
"Brother Yao, Brother Li Feng, I was wrong. I will perform well from now on."
Yao Ming clapped his hands with a smile and said loudly, "I hope we can unite and achieve great results in the Olympics!"
"Unite!"
"China will win!"
"March to the Olympics! Strive for the gold medal!"
...
After this small ripple, the internal unity of the Chinese men's basketball team became even stronger.
After Yao Ming finished speaking, Li Feng also smiled and said, "I am not old, and you all have been playing for the national team longer than me. I have been in the US for a long time, and my ideas might differ from yours in some aspects. Please bear with me."
Zhu Fangyu said, "Li Feng, you played so well in the Olympics four years ago, you were already a superstar. You are too modest."
At this moment, Chen Jianghua suddenly raised his hand, "Li Feng, can I have a one-on-one with you?"
The gymnasium fell silent.
Yao Ming gritted his teeth, thinking how tactless Chen Jianghua was.
Just as he was about to reprimand Chen Jianghua, Li Feng stopped him and smiled, "Okay, Chen Jianghua. I've watched your games before. You have good talent."
Seeing Li Feng agree, Chen Jianghua became very excited. He picked up a basketball and stood outside the three-point line.
Yao Ming was so amused he muttered, "He's truly asking for humiliation..."
However, Yao Ming also felt it was not bad; competitive sports were inherently passionate, and it was good for players to have this competitive spirit.
Although Li Feng had shown immense talent four years ago, he hadn't played in China for four years and indeed needed to showcase himself and teach these players a lesson.
The other players retreated to the sidelines, and Deng Huade watched from a distance with his arms crossed.
Chen Jianghua tossed the ball to Li Feng, who then tossed it back, smiling, "You attack first. We'll play for five possessions. If you score once, I'll consider it my loss!"
The other players gasped. Li Feng's words were incredibly arrogant, but given his stature, he had the capital to be so.
Chen Jianghua was furious. Li Feng was clearly looking down on him, so he raised his voice.
"Alright, let's bet on something then. Otherwise, it's no fun!"
Li Feng knew Chen Jianghua was getting carried away, so he nodded, "Sure, what do you want to bet?"
"If I win, I'll start, and you'll be the substitute. Okay?"
Upon hearing this, Yao Ming's eyes widened, and the other players subtly shook their heads. Chen Jianghua's words were too excessive.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng agreed without hesitation.
"Okay, and if I win?"
"If you win... I'll quit the national team!"
Chen Jianghua was a straightforward person; if he said it, he would do it.
Li Feng was not petty. Chen Jianghua had a role in the national team and could not afford to lose him.
So Li Feng shook his head, "That's not necessary. If I win... How about this: you have to give me an hour every day, and I'll coach you on your defense!"
Yao Ming smiled knowingly and gave Li Feng a thumbs-up.
Li Feng's intentions were truly profound!
Despite Chen Jianghua's disrespect towards Li Feng, Li Feng held no grudges and instead wanted to help him improve his defensive skills.
This magnanimity and vision were truly commendable!
Chen Jianghua was taken aback, and a hint of shame appeared on his face.
But since the challenge had been issued, there was no turning back, so he had to continue.
"Okay, let's start then." Chen Jianghua's tone had clearly softened.
Li Feng clapped his hands and encouraged him, "Go for it, don't go easy on me!"
Chen Jianghua dribbled the ball slowly outside the three-point line, then suddenly changed direction and accelerated, driving from the left.
Frankly, Chen Jianghua's drives were indeed top-tier in China; no one was faster than him.
However, his dribbling was wide and loose, with many flaws, the main one being his poor ball protection.
As expected, the moment he drove past Li Feng, Li Feng suddenly stretched out his right hand and, with a "pa!",
Chen Jianghua's body went past, but the ball was left behind.
"You..."
Chen Jianghua turned around and saw Li Feng spinning the ball on his finger.
It was indeed infuriating.
Chen Jianghua snorted and said, "Alright, it's your turn to attack."
Li Feng slowly dribbled the ball outside the three-point line, while Chen Jianghua stared intently, with his arms spread.
"Swish!"
Li Feng accelerated and drove from the right. Chen Jianghua moved quickly to block him.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng slammed on the brakes, stopping abruptly.
And Chen Jianghua, due to inertia, stumbled to the side.
In that instant, Li Feng suddenly pulled up and shot a mid-range jumper. "Swish!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly!
It was spectacular.
The other players of the Chinese men's basketball team couldn't help but applaud.
Li Feng's two moves were incredibly smooth, executed with effortless grace, like a work of art.
Chen Jianghua's ankle was almost sprained, but thankfully, his strong talent meant he was alright.
"1:0, you continue!"
Chen Jianghua's face was flushed. He was already convinced internally, knowing the gap between him and Li Feng was too large.
But the agreement was to play five possessions, so they had to finish.
Li Feng then easily scored two more against Chen Jianghua: one was a drive, a spin, and a jump shot;
The other was a step-back three-pointer, which he made directly!
After reaching 3:0, Li Feng gave the ball back to Chen Jianghua, letting him attack.
Chen Jianghua held the ball, feeling discouraged, and directly threw it away, saying with his head down, "I lost..."
Li Feng smiled and playfully punched his shoulder, "Don't be so formal. It was just for fun, but our bet is still valid, right?"
Yi Jianlian chimed in, "Jiang Hua, I'll be supervising you from now on. You have to train with Li Feng for an extra hour every day!"
Chen Jianghua scratched his head, "I understand. Thank you, Brother Feng!"
"You're welcome. Let's continue training!"
After the minor disruption, the clouds dispersed, and everyone resumed their training with laughter and cheer!
...
After several days of training, Li Feng discovered that the players who played in the domestic league had many flaws.
For example, their fundamental skills were not solid, their defensive stances were not standardized, and their tactical execution was not decisive.
Especially in terms of defensive movements, the gap compared to international basketball standards was huge.
Many defensive actions would certainly result in fouls in international competitions.
The Chinese men's basketball team suffered significant disadvantages due to this in the 2008 Olympics, and it persisted in 2012.
This illustrated the poor standard of referees in the domestic CBA league.
Li Feng knew that changing the ingrained habits of these players would not be easy.
Therefore, he could only correct a few of the most obvious movements.
For instance, when defending against a player's drive, one should try to move their feet quickly rather than extending their legs to trip the opponent.
Also, during physical contact, one should rely more on chest-to-chest defense rather than reaching out with their arms to pull.
These details could make a decisive difference in the outcome of a game.
The head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team, Deng Huade, like the Knicks head coach D'Antoni, was very hands-off.
With Li Feng responsible for tactical training and Yao Ming providing psychological counseling for the team, the Chinese men's basketball team reached an excellent state in terms of both skill level and team cohesion.
After half a month of training camp, the Chinese men's basketball team welcomed their first warm-up opponent.
For this warm-up match, the Basketball Association did not invite other national teams. Instead, they invited a select team composed of players from the US NCAA league that year.
The reason for inviting this team was to allow the Chinese men's basketball team to experience the talent-filled American basketball style.
The members of this select team were not well-known at the time, but several of them had participated in the 2012 draft and entered the NBA.
Among them were Drummond, selected by the Detroit Pistons; Barnes of the Golden State Warriors; Beal of the Washington Wizards; Waiters of the Cleveland Cavaliers; Sullinger of the Boston Celtics; Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors; Lamb of the Milwaukee Bucks; Barton of the Portland Trail Blazers; and Scott of the Atlanta Hawks.
These players were all highly skilled and had established themselves in the NBA.
Deng Huade's ability to invite these players spoke volumes about his influence.
The Chinese men's basketball team was eager to compete, subconsciously viewing the US Dream Team as their ultimate opponent.
Therefore, everyone secretly vowed to defeat this American college team!
...
Before the game, everyone exchanged friendly greetings.
These American college players were young and fearless, and several of them were unconvinced by Li Feng.
They believed that the NBA allowing a Chinese player like Li Feng to win three championships was a disgrace!
Once they reached the NBA, they were determined to defeat Li Feng!
And today, they had an early opportunity to face Li Feng, so they were determined to show him what they were made of!
Li Feng could tell from their expressions that they were all arrogant and defiant.
Li Feng had encountered many such individuals and couldn't be bothered to engage with them.
If he could handle the superstars in the NBA, why should he fear a few young upstarts?
...
The warm-up match began.
The game was held at the Beijing Indoor Stadium in China, with nearly ten thousand fans in attendance.
Many fans came specifically to see Li Feng, wanting to know how far he could lead this men's basketball team.
After all, in 2008, the Chinese men's basketball team had won the silver medal!
And now, with Li Feng being even more formidable than before, theoretically, they should be able to win the championship this time.
Therefore, everyone had high expectations for this match.
The starting lineup for the Chinese men's basketball team was Yao Ming, Li Feng, Yi Jianlian, Sun Dasheng, and Guo Ai Lun.
The starting five for the US college select team were Drummond, Barnes, Beal, Wester, and Sullinger.
In the tip-off at center court, Drummond secured the first possession.
Drummond was quite athletic in his younger days and was also a formidable rebounder.
Beal dribbled past half-court, and Guo Ai Lun stepped up to defend.
Although Guo Ai Lun's defensive ability was decent domestically, he was outmatched by Beal.
Beal faked, then changed direction, shaking Guo Ai Lun off and driving to the paint.
Sun Dasheng immediately moved to help defend, and Beal passed the ball to Waiters, who was at the 45-degree angle.
Waiters had strong one-on-one skills. Yi Jianlian went to double-team him, but Waiters drove hard to the right, then pulled up for a jump shot. "Swish!"
He made the shot in a tight space!
This was skill, exceptional individual skill!
The US college team led 2:0.
The Chinese men's basketball team attacked.
Li Feng asked Guo Ai Lun to bring the ball up from the backcourt.
The US college team was very arrogant and wanted to impose their intensity on the Chinese men's basketball team.
Beal crossed half-court and immediately began pressing Guo Ai Lun in the backcourt.
Although Guo Ai Lun's dribbling skills were decent, he was in a precarious situation under Beal's aggressive pressure, almost falling. As a result, Beal stole the ball and scored an uncontested layup!
This exchange left the Chinese men's basketball players speechless.
The gap was truly immense, in terms of both physique and speed of movement.
Guo Ai Lun, considered an outstanding player among the young generation, was still no match for Beal.