Chapter 336 Three Consecutive Championships Secured, Further Glory Achieved!
Durant couldn't forget the decisive blow Li Feng landed on him earlier.
Li Feng replied modestly, "Your defense was too good, I had no choice. I just threw it up casually, I didn't expect it to go in!"
"Ah, stop being so humble. I get it, that's your skill. I'm also planning to really work on my left hand."
After chatting for a while, Harden also walked over.
The bearded player and Li Feng had a good personal relationship. Li Feng, Harden, and Curry were quite friendly with each other.
"Li Feng, I honestly didn't expect you to achieve the feat of three consecutive championships. I envy you!" The bearded man patted Li Feng's arm vigorously, his eyes full of admiration, envy, jealousy, and hate.
"It's nothing. You'll also be a superstar in the league in the future. Keep it up!"
Li Feng said meaningfully. Harden was taken aback, then shook his head, "I'm still far from it."
"Not far at all. Your future will be very bright." Li Feng didn't elaborate directly; he couldn't say too much.
Who knew what changes would occur in this parallel world? Perhaps the Thunder management would suddenly have an epiphany and keep Harden.
Later, Westbrook also walked over and exchanged a few pleasantries with Li Feng.
Although Westbrook would spew a lot of trash talk and glare fiercely at Li Feng on the court, off the court, Westbrook was quite a laid-back person.
...
After the boisterous celebrations, the championship award ceremony began.
Stern, Russell, and other league executives and legends came to the scene.
Because this NBA Finals journey was full of twists and turns, Mr. Russell had a tough time.
He flew to the Thunder's home court in Game 6. After the Thunder's defeat, he came to New York again today.
First, Stern presented the trophy to the entire Knicks team, and the stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
Then, Russell handed the FMVP trophy to Li Feng.
In Game 7, Li Feng scored 41 points, averaging 32.6 points in the seven-game Finals, playing the role of a stabilizing force.
Especially his last shot in Game 7, which was incredibly dominant, securing the championship!
As Li Feng held both the championship trophy and the FMVP trophy, the fans cheered again—
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"Li Feng is the King of New York!"
"I love you, Li Feng!"
...
Afterward, Li Feng hugged each of his teammates, including those who hadn't played, and the coaching staff.
This was a team victory; everyone had contributed!
The following days were filled with a championship parade, a celebration for the city of New York.
The media headlines were dominated by the Knicks' three-peat championship news for days.
Li Feng's imposing photo, wearing a championship hat and holding a cigar, became ubiquitous.
Even more exciting for the fans was that Li Feng successfully proposed to Jenner during the parade!
Double happiness!
The moment Li Feng took out the engagement ring, all the fans cheered, happy for the handsome couple.
Jenner was so moved that she couldn't stop crying.
She had expected Li Feng to propose after the celebration activities, back at their residence.
She never imagined Li Feng would be so romantic!
Who said men from the East were rigid and unromantic? Li Feng had definitely proven them wrong!
...
With the championship secured and the proposal successful, Li Feng prepared to return to China to discuss wedding arrangements with his parents.
Just as Li Feng was about to head back, Yao Ming called him.
"Li Feng, congratulations first! When are you holding the wedding? Make sure you tell me!"
"Haha, of course. You'll be the first person I notify, Yao Ge. But it's not set yet. I need to go home and discuss it with my parents."
"Okay, I'll be back in the country in a few days. We'll get together then."
"No problem, we'll be in touch."
"By the way, Li Feng, are you participating in the Olympics?"
Only then did Li Feng remember that the 2012 London Olympics were about to begin.
The 2008 Olympics had been Li Feng's moment of emergence.
Time flies; four years had passed in the blink of an eye.
In that Olympics, the Chinese men's basketball team achieved their best-ever result, winning a silver medal, narrowly losing to the USA Dream Team.
Li Feng performed outstandingly, emerging as the brightest star of the men's basketball tournament that year.
In the following years, Li Feng had not represented the national team.
There were many reasons for this, primarily due to Yao Ming's excellent guidance.
He didn't want Li Feng to follow his old path, being summoned and dismissed at will by the Basketball Association.
No matter what the competition, a phone call would get Yao Ming to participate.
This also led to Yao Ming's continuous minor injuries.
If it weren't for his weight loss and protective measures after joining the Knicks, Yao Ming's career would have ended.
"Yao Ge, I want to participate, but the Basketball Association hasn't spoken to me yet."
Yao Ming smiled, "They asked me to talk to you. It's okay, tell me your honest feelings. If you don't want to go, I won't force you."
Li Feng understood Yao Ming's good intentions and replied firmly, "Yao Ge, serving the country is my solemn duty. Besides, the Olympics are the highest stage for bringing glory to the nation!"
Yao Ming was very pleased and said happily, "That's great! I'll be participating too. By the way, let me tell you something from the heart: I'm going to retire. I won't renew my contract with the Knicks next season. The Olympics will be my last appearance on the court; my body can't take it anymore."
Li Feng felt heartbroken upon hearing Yao Ming's words!
Yao Ming was a representative figure of Chinese basketball reaching the world stage. Without Yao Ming, many people wouldn't watch the NBA or know so many star players.
He had made enormous contributions to the national men's basketball team.
Now, the Great Wall of China was heavily injured, and it was finally time to bid farewell to the fans.
Li Feng was also a loyal fan of Yao Ming.
Although he had anticipated it, and the media and fans had been abuzz with rumors, hearing Yao Ming say it personally still brought Li Feng a wave of sadness.
Tears blurred Li Feng's eyes...
"Yao Ge, I don't know what to say. Without you, the Knicks' three championships would have been impossible to win..."
"Haha, don't say that, Li Feng. You are the soul of the Knicks. The three consecutive championships are the greatest affirmation of your basketball achievements. I feel honored to be a part of the three-peat. Thank you!"
The handover between the two generations of Chinese basketball cores had finally arrived!
"Yao Ge, then let's join forces one last time and participate in the Olympics!"
"Okay, let's join forces one last time!"
...
Three days later, Li Feng returned to China with Jenner.
Li Feng's mother's condition had improved significantly; she could walk slowly and speak more clearly.
As soon as the elder lady saw Jenner, she hugged her tightly. She really liked this future daughter-in-law.
"Mom, Jenner was just telling me she wants to take you to the US for recuperation."
Li Feng's mother shook her head, "No, no, I'm fine here. You just need to visit us when you have time."
Li Feng's father, Li Tongshun, smiled with satisfaction nearby.
Actually, last year when he heard Li Feng had a foreign girlfriend, Li Tongshun wasn't optimistic.
He thought foreign girls were definitely not as good as Chinese girls, at least in terms of communication.
But Li Tongshun was a reasonable person. He knew that living abroad, Li Feng's habits would likely be more suited to girls from that region.
It wasn't until Jenner visited China last time and meticulously took care of Li Feng's mother that Li Tongshun looked at Jenner with newfound respect.
"Dad, Mom, we're back this time because we want to discuss our wedding with you both."
The elderly couple was fully supportive.
"Xiao Feng, Xiao Na, since you're handling things in China, how about following our hometown customs?"
Before Li Feng could speak, Jenner eagerly replied, "Absolutely! We'll do it according to Chinese customs!"
Li Feng's mother was very happy. Having such an understanding daughter-in-law was a blessing from a past life.
The wedding was simple, with five tables for relatives and friends in their hometown, and then back in Beijing, they invited friends from the basketball circle, including Yao Ming, for three tables.
After getting married, Li Feng, along with Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, went to the Basketball Association to discuss the men's basketball competition for the Olympics.
The roster for the Chinese men's basketball team for this Olympics had been finalized.
Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Dasheng, Liu Wei, Wang Dazhi, Zhang Zhaoxu, Zhu Fangyu, Chen Jianghua, Wang Shipeng, Guo Ailun, Zhou Peng, Yi Li.
This was the strongest lineup China had at the moment.
The head coach was the American Bob Donewald.
Donewald was a seasoned coach, whose father was also a highly accomplished coach.
His father, Old Bob, served as head coach for several US university teams, advocating a tactical style of fast movement and diverse offense.
In 1992, Old Bob also served as an assistant coach for the Dream Team, leading superstars like Jordan and Johnson to an Olympic gold medal.
Before becoming the head coach of the Chinese national team, Donewald coached at Western Michigan University and later served as an assistant coach and head coach for several university teams.
With years of coaching experience, Donewald had an excellent record. Before coaching the Chinese national team, he had already coached a CBA club in China.
When Donewald met these players, he approached Li Feng first, opening his arms enthusiastically, and gave Li Feng a big hug.
"Oh, my God, Li Feng, I'm your fan!"
Perhaps he was the most enthusiastic head coach on the team.
Li Feng replied politely, "Coach, you're too kind."
In fact, not only Coach Donewald but also many staff members at the Basketball Association secretly came to the training facility entrance to catch a glimpse of Li Feng.
Even the other players on the Chinese men's basketball team were Li Feng's fans.
Guo Ailun, in particular, was over the top. He arrived at the gym very early today, holding Li Feng's poster and endorsed sneakers, asking for Li Feng's autograph.
After some pleasantries, Donewald formally delivered his speech.
Donewald didn't say much, just a few brief words—
"Kids, as an American coach, I hope you can put on a brilliant performance in the Olympics, and ideally, defeat the Dream Team! Because you have Li Feng, you have Yao Ming! You have Yi Jianlian!"
Although the words were few, they greatly boosted the players' confidence!
Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian, the Chinese trio, had won championships in the NBA!
With such top core players, they naturally had to pursue higher goals.
Donewald's coaching style was similar to his father's: multi-point attacks, not a style reliant on a single ball-dominant star.
After simple introductions, Donewald presented his tactical system.
"I will announce that from now on, my tactical system will be the same as the New York Knicks' tactical system!"
Everyone laughed after he said this.
This half-joking statement effectively established a team system centered around Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian.
The other players had no complaints.
Who dared to complain?
They had just won three consecutive championships. If you had complaints, why not try it in the NBA?
After speaking, Donewald then said sternly, "Although I am the head coach, I hope to be friends with everyone. If you have any thoughts, you can directly tell me."
"But if any player violates team regulations, I will show no mercy!"
The players, who had been joking around moments before, all put away their smiles upon hearing Donewald's words.
As time was limited before the Olympic men's basketball competition, with only one month remaining.
Therefore, they had to familiarize themselves with each other quickly.
Under Donewald's command, the players began practicing tactics.
Li Feng once again took on the responsibility of assistant coach. He patiently explained the Knicks' run-and-gun offense, then made complementary adjustments based on the other players' strengths.
Although the Chinese trio were stars in the NBA, the other players on the Chinese men's basketball team did not reach NBA standards.
During practice, Li Feng had to direct the players to compensate for tactical deficiencies as much as possible based on specific situations.
For example, in the Knicks' starting lineup, the positions of Bill Walker and Lowry needed to be filled by the most suitable players.
After discussing with Yao Ming, Li Feng decided to have Sun Dasheng and Guo Ailun fill those roles, considering the players' characteristics.
This decision caused dissatisfaction among several players.
Sun Dasheng had no issues, as he was already a starter for the Chinese men's basketball team, and no one questioned him.
But for Guo Ailun, a newcomer, why should he displace Liu Wei, Chen Jianghua, or Wang Shipeng?
This was a drawback of Chinese men's basketball, or rather, the Chinese sports world in general: seniority and established order.
Yao Ming was more familiar with the atmosphere of Chinese men's basketball than Li Feng. He noticed the players' dissatisfaction.
"Brothers, let's pause for a moment. Everyone, come here!"
Yao Ming clapped his hands and gathered the players with a serious expression.
Although Li Feng was the team's tactical core, Yao Ming, as the elder statesman of Chinese men's basketball, had greater influence.
Therefore, for the team to be united, Yao Ming needed to contribute more and act as the locker room leader.
Li Feng didn't say anything, but he could also tell that several players were unhappy.
"Are you guys unhappy with Guo Ailun entering the starting lineup?" Yao Ming's gaze was sharp as he swept over Liu Wei, Chen Jianghua, and Wang Shipeng.
The three lowered their heads, remaining silent, but their expressions clearly showed their defiance.
"The coach has already said that we are building this men's basketball team based on the Knicks' core. That's why we chose Guo Ailun. His offensive ability and speed are more suitable for the run-and-gun offense."
"The other players are not unimportant; they will play a greater role from the bench!"