The Serbian head coach, seeing Li Feng and Yao Ming off the court, was secretly delighted, thinking they could make up some points.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Liu Wei came on, he threw a direct pass to Zhang Zhaoxu!
The Serbian center, Kosta Perovic, who came on as a substitute, could only foul, sending Zhang Zhaoxu to the free-throw line!
This was the result of training; Liu Wei's passes were sharper, and Zhang Zhaoxu's positioning was timely.
Li Feng and Yao Ming stood on the sidelines, applauding vigorously, cheering for the beautiful pass.
Zhang Zhaoxu walked to the free-throw line and sank both shots, widening the gap.
The Serbian players were truly anxious, and they also started to pick up the pace.
However, Chen Jianghua and Yi Jianlian performed excellently on both ends of the court, especially Chen Jianghua, whose defensive ability had improved significantly.
Every day after training, he would practice defensive skills with Li Feng.
At first, Li Feng played him like a game of chess.
But as his defensive skills improved, Li Feng found it less easy.
Chen Jianghua's physical fitness was indeed good, and his competitive spirit was strong, which was important.
Even in training, his defense against Li Feng was very active and dedicated.
Serbia, after all, was a European powerhouse. After adapting for a few minutes, they began to slowly catch up.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 28:22, with China leading by 6 points.
Chinese fans were very excited. They had come to see the Li Feng trio and were not particularly interested in anyone else.
But the performance of the other Chinese players today was eye-opening!
Especially Chen Jianghua, his progress was immense.
Not only did he maintain his explosive style of play, but he was also more mature, and his technical details were more perfect.
Li Feng, watching from the sidelines, nodded frequently.
At least for now, Chen Jianghua was more suitable for the starting lineup.
Compared to Chen Jianghua, Guo Ailun's speed was still a little lacking.
As the second quarter began, Li Feng and Yao Ming remained on the bench for rest, and China successively substituted other reserve players.
Warm-up games were for training the team. With a leading score, players who rarely appeared on the court should be given a chance to experience the game.
Wang Dazu, Zhou Peng, Yi Li, and Ding Jinhui all played for a while.
Of course, Wang Dazu was not out due to lack of skill; it was due to age and stamina that his playing time was limited.
He primarily served as an assistant coach.
After more than five minutes into the second quarter, the score was 40:39, with China trailing by one point.
Serbia had found their rhythm and were scoring frequently.
Deng Huade looked at Li Feng, and Li Feng immediately stood up, ready to enter the game.
Yao Ming, due to his age, continued to rest. Li Feng, Yi Jianlian, Chen Jianghua, Sun Dasheng, and Wang Dazu remained on the court.
This Chinese lineup could play faster. Wang Dazu, with his abundant stamina, was not slow at all.
The backcourt formed by Li Feng and Chen Jianghua was very sharp, and they executed several fast breaks smoothly.
Serbia was struggling to cope. Their center was too cumbersome, not only being outplayed by Wang Dazu but also by Li Feng's occasional small-ball moves.
China took the lead again, forcing the Serbian coach to call a timeout.
Li Feng did not take many shots this quarter, spending most of his time helping teammates with defense and screens, only scoring on fast breaks.
Deng Huade nodded frequently from the sidelines, very satisfied with the chemistry of the Chinese men's basketball team.
With a core player like Li Feng, the coach was very relaxed.
Not only did Li Feng actively guide his teammates in training, but his mouth was also never idle during games.
When teammates were out of position or not moving actively, he would quickly correct them, ensuring players were fully focused and engaged in the game.
His teammates were constantly improving themselves, reflecting on and correcting details.
It was precisely because of a core player like Li Feng that the Chinese men's basketball team could progress so quickly and gel so well!
With Li Feng's long-range three-pointer, the first half ended with China leading Serbia by 14 points.
56:32!
This was Li Feng's first three-pointer in the first half, a signature long-range shot.
The live audience cheered excitedly in unison.
Before, they could only watch on television, but now they could see it with their own eyes.
It was truly shocking!
He shot from more than a meter beyond the three-point line, and it went in!
The Serbian players were also stunned by Li Feng's long-range three-pointer, and even after the halftime break, they were still standing on the court.
For Li Feng, the happiest thing was not the team's lead or his own good performance, but that the other Chinese players were performing well.
They were showcasing the results of their daily training and had made great progress.
Especially in terms of strength, they had indeed become much stronger, and they were no longer at a significant disadvantage in physical confrontations.
After the second half began, Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Dasheng, and Guo Ailun continued to play.
Serbia did not make any substitutions.
Under the leadership of the Chinese trio, halfway through the third quarter, China was already leading by 21 points.
Subsequently, China substituted in their starters and then let the reserves play.
As soon as Chen Jianghua came on, he drove for a spectacular slam dunk!
This play was a perfect replica of his dunk against the Dream Team years ago, blowing past Kobe Bryant for a spectacular score that once again ignited the cheers of the fans!
Thanks to the efforts of China's reserves, they ultimately held onto their lead.
The final score was 103:92, with the Chinese men's basketball team winning their second warm-up game.
This victory significantly boosted the confidence of the Chinese men's basketball players, making them feel that they could compete with their opponents.
Even without Li Feng on the court, they could stick close to the score through hard work and effort.
Confidence is extremely important for athletes, especially basketball players.
This is because shooting accuracy is directly related to confidence.
For players at this level, their shooting accuracy in daily training is generally above 70%.
However, in a game, an open shot with a 40% success rate is considered good.
After winning this game, the enthusiasm of Chinese fans soared to an unprecedented level.
Li Feng already had a massive fan base.
With the upcoming Olympics, his fans multiplied.
The staff of the Basketball Association were overwhelmed, as the gatehouse of the association received hundreds of bouquets every day, all for Li Feng.
His popularity was truly unparalleled!
A week later, the Chinese Olympic delegation departed for London to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics!
The Chinese delegation was a star-studded affair, with familiar athletes from all sports.
And these stars were now becoming fans themselves.
The star they were all fanning over was none other than Li Feng!
Li Feng had become the star among stars in the Olympic delegation, something he hadn't expected.
For example, the women's volleyball star Zhao Wen, who was 1.87 meters tall, beautiful, and had a well-proportioned figure, possessed captivating long legs.
Many fans who didn't follow volleyball liked her.
But Zhao Wen also had her own idol, and that was Li Feng!
At the hotel where Li Feng was staying, Zhao Wen asked Sun Dasheng to relay a message to Li Feng, wanting to take a photo with him and get an autograph.
Unable to do it herself, the young girl, only 19 years old, was too shy to approach Li Feng directly.
"Xiao Feng, someone asked me to do something for them. Can you help?" Sun Dasheng called Li Feng from his room.
Li Feng found it strange, wondering who would ask Sun Dasheng to pass a message.
"Of course, no problem. Tell me, what do you need help with?"
"A girl wants to take a photo with you and get an autograph."
Li Feng showed a troubled expression.
There were regulations in the Olympic delegation; private meetings with fans were not allowed unless it was an officially arranged fan meeting.
"Da Sheng, you know, we have regulations in the Olympic delegation..."
"Haha, it's not a fan from outside; it's an athlete from our delegation."
"Ah? From our Chinese delegation?"
"Yes!"
"Then why are you relaying a message? She can just come and find me herself!"
"She's too shy. Hehe, if you agree, I'll bring her to your room."
Li Feng immediately became wary: "Wait, is it a guy or a girl?"
"A girl, our women's volleyball player, Zhao Wen!"
"It's her, I know her... Sigh, what is this... How about this, let's go to the restaurant for dinner later and chat. I'm her fan too!"
"Okay, deal."
Sun Dasheng knew that Li Feng was a very easygoing person, and even if Zhao Wen had approached Li Feng directly, Li Feng wouldn't have refused.
When it was time for dinner, all three arrived at the restaurant. Li Feng walked up to Zhao Wen and Sun Dasheng, extended his hand, and smiled, "Hello Zhao Wen, I'm your fan."
Zhao Wen bit her lip, her small face flushed red. She stood up and extended her fair hand, shaking Li Feng's.
"Li Feng, can I... can I take a photo with you?"
"Of course. What are you saying? It's my honor!"
Li Feng asked her to give her phone to Sun Dasheng, and then the two of them took two photos together.
Afterward, Zhao Wen took out a pair of sneakers endorsed by Li Feng and asked for his autograph.
Sun Dasheng smiled and asked, "Zhao Wen, are you satisfied now?"
Seeing how approachable Li Feng was, Zhao Wen's initial shyness disappeared, and she nodded, replying, "I'm so happy. Today is the happiest day of my life."
Li Feng was also touched.
Although he had countless fans now, and many of them were female, he was surprised that a women's volleyball star like Zhao Wen liked him so much.
The three of them sat down and chatted casually before returning to their respective rooms.
However, what Li Feng didn't expect was that such a small matter was witnessed by a local London tabloid reporter, who then irresponsibly published it.
Publishing it was one thing, but the report contained significant inaccuracies and embellishments, adding a lot of fabricated details.
For example, it wrote that Li Feng was secretly dating female players from the Chinese delegation, implying an inappropriate relationship, and even suggesting that a female player spent the night in Li Feng's room.
It even claimed that Chinese players engaged in group activities at night!
Utterly shameless!
This tabloid reporter was clearly desperate for traffic, throwing all decency to the wind.
As the saying goes: "Good deeds don't go beyond the door, but bad deeds travel a thousand miles!"
This baseless report spread like wildfire across the internet, not only slandering Li Feng but also the Chinese delegation!
Zhao Wen was so upset that she cried and hid in her room, too embarrassed to come out.
Li Feng and Sun Dasheng were enraged.
The leaders of the Chinese delegation were initially angry and had a talk with Li Feng and Sun Dasheng.
After understanding the situation, they immediately convened a press conference!
Li Feng and Sun Dasheng both attended the press conference.
Facing the media reporters, a leader of the delegation sternly declared, "We will use the weapon of law to defend the honor of our delegation! We will ensure that some irresponsible media personnel are punished!"
Li Feng also angrily retorted, "This matter must be clarified. I hope London will issue a statement and guarantee that such absurd reports will not happen again. The relevant personnel involved must be brought to justice!"
After the press conference, Li Feng returned to the hotel. As soon as he entered, a staff member of the delegation called.
"Mr. Li Feng, your wife has arrived. Can you tell her your room number?"
"My wife? Jenna? Of course, you can tell her. Oh no, where is she? I'll go pick her up."
Li Feng realized that Jenna was originally attending Paris Fashion Week and must have heard the rumors here and rushed over.
Thinking of this, Li Feng hated those tabloid reporters even more.
Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, Li Feng saw Jenna from a distance, holding a suitcase, her face full of anger.
"Darling, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Li Feng spread his arms and walked towards her with a smile.
Unexpectedly, Jenna pushed him away with a stern face.
"Don't act all cheerful with me. Tell me! What exactly happened?" Seeing that Jenna had always trusted him before, Li Feng wondered why she was so possessive after they got married.
"Let's go back to the room, and I'll explain."
"No, explain it here!" Jenna insisted.
Li Feng was truly angered. His expression turned cold, and he said in a low voice, "Jenna, if you don't believe me, then leave. I don't want to explain anymore!"
With that, Li Feng turned and walked away.
Jenna suddenly panicked. After a second of stunned silence, she quickly chased after him.
"Feng... Feng, I was too anxious. I'll go back to the room with you..."
Click, click, click...
Jenna, in her high heels, hurried after Li Feng into the elevator.
The surrounding staff covered their mouths and stifled their laughter. It was clear that Li Feng had complete control over Jenna.
Inside the elevator, only Li Feng and Jenna were present. Li Feng took Jenna's suitcase, and in a gentle tone, said, "I understand how you feel, but you need to be more rational, my dear."
Jenna shed two lines of wronged tears and whispered, "I thought you... you were getting tired of me..."
"Silly, how could that be? Besides, you're not old..."
"You're so annoying..." Jenna's tears turned into a smile, and she playfully punched Li Feng.
Back in the room, Li Feng directly scooped up Jenna and threw her onto the bed, preparing for a passionate encounter!
Jenna giggled, dodging his advances, and shouted, "Wait, I haven't showered yet!"
"It doesn't matter, I'll carry you with me!"
...
The next day, under the immense pressure from the Chinese Olympic delegation, the media in London underwent a major overhaul, and those sensationalist media outlets were shut down.
At the same time, two editors were detained.