Generation Z Artists

Chapter 196 World Famous Paintings
The warm-up session, which was supposed to be boring, turned into a lively and exciting one.

The commentary booth was in an uproar, and the same was true off the field.

Barkley and Smith talked on and on, marveling at the spectacle.

"I've been playing basketball for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever seen something like this blown apart with one hand!"

"Spalding is in big trouble, bro."

"Never mind Spalding! They can die! Bullshit! Do you know who the last person did this kind of thing?"

"Shaq?"

"NO, Shaq has only ever shattered a backboard with a dunk, no one has ever blown up a basketball!"

"So, SR was the first person to do this?"

"Perhaps they existed in ancient times, but the basketballs used back then were obviously different, so they can't be counted."

"Jesus...he's really terrifying..."

"No, no, no, this doesn't mean SR's power is stronger than mine and Shaq's. It must be some kind of kung fu technique to dismantle your empty stomach!"

"YES, YES, I know, what I'm trying to say is that SR is definitely the strongest man in the NBA, do you agree?"

"Of course, since I've retired anyway, I agree that he should be the strongest."

"But I'm still very curious, how exactly did he do it?"

Everyone is curious about this.

How exactly was such pure and extreme violence achieved in Fang Xinghe's "frail" body?

A few minutes later, Spalding's senior vice president, Johnny Johnson, sat down at the commentary booth, drenched in sweat. He was originally an audience member who came to watch the excitement, but he never expected that Fang Xinghe would slap his own company and send it trending on social media.

What the hell is this, this is it?

The moment this guy sat down, he started explaining, holding the damaged basketball.

"Hey friends, this isn't a quality issue with Spalding basketballs..."

Barkley chimed in with a sly grin, "Hey buddy, would you consider having Fang Xinghe endorse your basketball?"

"what?!"

Johnny paused, then hurriedly stammered, "Uh, it's a good idea. The board will definitely consider it carefully. I really like Star River..."

"Hahahaha!"

Barkley and Smith laughed together, and many audience members in the audience also laughed.

Fang Xinghe blew their basketball away. When they wake up tomorrow morning, Spalding's stock price will probably plummet, and then they'll have to offer them an endorsement contract. That's hilarious.

After the minor incident, Johnny began to defend his products.

"The new standard ball for the league adopts a low-pressure inner bladder design. The composite structure of the 2.5mm outer skin and the low-pressure inner bladder can effectively disperse pressure and avoid local cracking."

In the test, after the static pressure climbs to 220 kg and lasts for 4 seconds, the outer skin will rupture first, and then the inner liner will lose its ability to deform in the 6th second and finally burst open.

Theoretically speaking, humans cannot destroy a basketball by hitting or stomping on it…

“But SR did it,” Barkley suddenly interrupted him, “right in front of all of us.”

"That's not because the inner liner exploded, but because the outer skin came unglued and the inner liner was leaking air."

Johnny corrected him very seriously, as if there was a world of difference between the two.

A big question mark appeared on everyone's forehead.

Johnny picked up the basketball, and the camera immediately zoomed in for a close-up to see how he would try to justify himself.

"This is an extremely special technique. Fang's hand strikes the center of the basketball like the tip of a whip. In that instant, the force on the basketball is much greater than the force on the whole body. So before the basketball can fall down, the upper part has already deformed and dented violently."

Do you understand? The ball wasn't hit down normally; instead, it was struck with a single-sided force, similar to a chop, creating a huge dent before accelerating downwards.

During this process, a small area of ​​the outer skin was subjected to excessive pressure, causing it to delaminate and crack, which in turn damaged the inner liner and tore open a small hole.

So it didn't explode with a bang, but rather leaked air with a "poof" sound..."

The audience at the scene couldn't see it very clearly, but the viewers in front of the television had a very clear view. Two pieces of genuine leather on the basketball had come unglued from the bottom of the valve core, and the crack was about ten centimeters long.

The basketball was dented into a deep, narrow hole; it didn't look like it was slapped, but rather cut out.

This made it seem even more mysterious to them.

Using one's hand as a knife?

It looks like something out of a movie, is it really true?

Barkley was completely bewildered, but he knew it was for entertainment purposes, so he kept nagging Johnny to keep up the fun.

"In short, SR slapped your basketball so hard it deflated. Would you apologize to Michael Jordan for that?"

"Why?" Johnny was completely bewildered.

"Because Michael was terrified by SR!" Barkley declared confidently, pointing at Danny, who was warming up: "Look how dark his face is!"

This is a hellish joke that only Black people can make, and countless people laughed themselves silly both at the scene and in front of their TVs.

Jordan couldn't help but turn around and give the middle finger to the commentators.

Then, he easily jumped and shot.

Swish!
The crisp sound of the net being rinsed rang out, clearly indicating that he was not frightened.

Or rather, Jordan, before a battle, would not be defeated by any other emotion except that anger would unleash his potential.

Johnny muttered back, "Mr. Jordan obviously doesn't need our apology. Instead, Mr. Fang needs to apologize to us... Basketballs are for dribbling, not punching bags or sandbags. How can they be treated so roughly?"

Fang Xinghe heard this, turned around and glanced at them, smiled, then grabbed the rebounding basketball, held it horizontally with his left hand, and raised his right hand to aim again and again.

It seems to be looking for a convenient place to make another cut.

Johnny almost peed his pants in fright.

"STOP!"

He sprang to his feet instantly, braced himself on the table, and reached out to grab something.

"Sorry, sorry! We should be apologizing to you. Oh my god! Stop scaring my ball, just hit it!"

Fang Xinghe tossed the ball with a smile, pulled his right hand back to his brow, and gave Johnny a playful military salute.

"Hahahaha..."

Barkley was laughing so hard he collapsed in the commentary booth, and the roar of laughter from the entire arena almost lifted the roof off.

It's so interesting! Fang Xinghe's non-violent side, his roguish charm mixed with a peaceful demeanor, his humor radiating a carefree spirit—it's truly fascinating.

Reporters from NBC and ESPN were green with envy. How could Fang Xinghe have so many shows?
If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have gone all in, even if it was $1500 million, let alone $2000 million...

A mere warm-up segment, and the viewership is almost 3300 million! Where the hell is the justice?!

"Grass!"

ESPN's general manager smashed an ashtray and, panting, yelled at his assistant, "Get me on Stern! Tell him I want the broadcast rights to all of the Wizards' non-live games this year!"

Fang Ge is not the only one who finds him likable.

With 3300 million viewers across the US, most people felt that this kid was cool and trendy.

The tough guy image is actually not uncommon in the United States.

There are countless muscular guys crowding this track: Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lundgren... the list goes on and on.

What's truly rare is Fang Xinghe, a suave rogue who's irresistibly handsome and even more eccentric in his actions.

That's what they like.

The American people were stunned for a moment, then suddenly started frantically dialing the betting hotline of the online gambling group.

In the next second, Fang Xinghe's odds plummeted wildly, and the sudden influx of buy orders quickly leveled the odds.

It wasn't that they believed Fang Xinghe could win the one-on-one fight with his kung fu; kung fu is something that's almost always considered a foul. Rather, it was because they had more expectations of Fang Xinghe based on their emotional inclinations.

Barkley quickly reported this change, exclaiming, "Oh no! The odds on my bet on Mike have gone up!"

Actually, the odds for this match are disgusting. The expected return for a single win on either side is not high. It's just working for the betting companies. The main reason is that Jordan's recovery status is an absolute secret, and Fang Xinghe's actual combat ability lacks data support. It's like opening a blind box when these two play.

You can only make big money by betting on scores. The score with the highest odds right now is Fang Xinghe 7:5 Jordan, with odds of over 2700.

There are no options for a battle of 12 rounds or more; the highest score is 7:5.

In the Asian underground betting market, if Fang Xinghe can hold on until the 8th game without losing, the odds will be over 300.

This means that the whole world is not optimistic about Fang Xinghe's physical abilities.

On the contrary, the odds for Fang Xinghe to win 2-0 against Jordan are only slightly more than 4, meaning that the calculation department believes that Fang Xinghe has the potential to quickly defeat the veteran, but his advantage will decrease as the game progresses.

Master Zhang Heli watched enviously as TNT presented various data for analysis. He understood the analysis but dared not use it, so he could only chat idly with the domestic audience.

"Xiao Fang is only 16 years old, and his development is not over yet. It would be too hasty and too painful to have him beaten at this time."

"But we can't wait, right, Teacher Zhang?"

"Yes, Jordan is 38 years old. We really can't wait any longer. In a few more years, Fang will reach his true peak. Jordan will be just an old man, panting even when he goes for a layup. It's pointless!"

"Therefore, we have no choice but to fight today, and though we may lose, we will still be honorable."

The Chinese people's expectations were raised to a fever pitch, filled with excitement and anticipation, yet also mixed with a strong sense of pessimism.

As time ticked by, the number of viewers in the United States gradually approached 35 million, while the domestic viewership share was close to 50%. The attention from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia was not as high, but combined, it should have reached hundreds of millions.

The center of attention?

No, it was a massive event that covered at least 5 million people!
Before the match officially started, the referee called Danzi and Fangzi to the center of the field, giving them a chance to "argue".

This is the final battle, and also the starting clarion call for war.

Jordan didn't say anything, he just chewed his gum and stared down at Fang Xinghe.

Fang Xinghe didn't say anything either. He didn't even look up—at eye level, he could only see Danzi's Adam's apple, his upper shoulder was 6 centimeters shorter than Danzi's, and the lower edge of his fingers was 5 centimeters shorter than Danzi's.

但两人的臂展差不是（6+5）×2=22公分，而是整整26公分。

There's still a slight difference in shoulder width.

Looking at their physiques, Danzi was as strong as a monster, while Fang Xinghe was as thin as a stick. And this was after Danzi had lost weight.

Danzi, who has reduced his weight to 95 kg, has his static strength at its lowest level since 96, but his movement speed has returned to its peak in 98. He is not as good at fighting, but for Fang Xinghe, who weighs 80 kg... it makes no difference.

Therefore, no one believed that Fang Xinghe could beat Jordan; a victory would be a major upset.

Only Fang Xinghe believed in himself.

If you are no less strong, no less physically fit, far faster, far more responsive, but far inferior in physical condition and experience, then you are a formidable opponent.

If you can fight, you can win.

It's just a confrontation, right? Come on!

……

At 8 o'clock sharp, the referee blew the whistle, and this unprecedented, historic one-on-one match finally officially began.

Because of the goal-scoring change, Danzi voluntarily gave the first attacking opportunity to Fang Xinghe.

"Sure?"

Come on!

Fang Xinghe didn't refuse again, and grinned, revealing a bloodthirsty smile.

He received the ball beyond the three-point line, bent down to hold it with both hands, and looked up at Dan.

Given Danzi's footwork and wingspan, this ball-handling posture actually exposes the basketball to his reach.

But Da Dan remained motionless, maintaining a defensive posture with one hand slightly raised and the other outstretched.

He's smart; no wonder he's the best defender among guards.

The slightly raised hand was used to interfere with the step-back shot, and the outstretched hand was not used to steal the ball, but to create obstacles for Fang Xinghe's forehand breakthrough, forcing him to break through to the left.

Fang Xinghe is equally adept with both hands, capable of both driving to the basket and shooting. However, his leftward drive naturally gives Dan the advantage of moving laterally and taking the shortest route to intercept the layup.

The reason he didn't take the ball was because Dan knew Fang Xinghe's reaction speed and movement rate very well.

With his center of gravity shifting, the kid disappeared in a flash.

Fang Xinghe swayed the ball left and right twice with both hands, and with a forward thrust of his right foot, he still couldn't get Da Dan's center of gravity off.

Wow, you learn really fast.

This is what makes Danzi so terrifying. Although there was only one confrontation last time and no more recordings, Danzi has clearly found a way to deal with Fang Xinghe's abnormal pace.

You're best at punishing those who move around too much, so I'll stay still and use my stride and wingspan to disrupt the layup space, giving them a little room to shoot.

Fang Xinghe sensed Danzi's unwavering will, abruptly retracted his forward thrusting leg, and threw it.

If you dare to release it, I dare to throw it!

In a one-on-one fight, you must not only relentlessly attack your opponent's weaknesses, but also relentlessly attack their strategies.

Otherwise, if you get completely caught up in the rhythm the other party wants, it will become increasingly difficult as time goes on.

With his unparalleled speed, Fang Xinghe leaped high into the air. Danzi only managed to jump up and interfere after Fang Xinghe's feet were completely off the ground, just one palm's distance away.

It took less than 0.5 seconds to reach the highest point. Fang Xinghe gently tightened his waist and abdomen, not only fixing his body at the highest point, but also creating a slight sideways effect. His left and right feet were naturally separated, one in front of the other, and his right hand gently flicked the ball, completely ignoring Danzi's interference.

The basketball traced a beautiful, slightly angled arc and landed crisply in the net.

"Shh!"

The goal stands, 2 points.

"Wow……"

A gasp rippled through the stadium.

So beautiful.

Barkley exclaimed excitedly: "Holy crap! SR's shooting form is fucking awesome! Just as cool as Michael Jordan's dunk!"

"No! Even more graceful!"

Teacher Zhang Heli was so excited that his face turned red and he almost jumped up.

"His jump is like flying, yet his shot is so graceful, like a swallow leaping on its wings or a scholar plucking a string—ethereal and otherworldly!"

"Stunning, absolutely stunning!"

This was a standard two-stage shot from the highest point.

It's not that Curry's three-point shooting skills aren't good enough, but rather that everyone has different needs.

Gen Z fans generally learn their long-range shooting skills from Curry, with a low release point, sudden release, pursuit of extreme release speed, and extremely high consistency.

Fang Xinghe's biggest advantage is his super-fast jumping speed and high jumping height, so most of his three-pointers are pull-up jump shots. His characteristic is that he jumps suddenly and shoots at the highest point. He does not need to release the ball at the highest point to seize the opportunity. Therefore, he is not suitable for one-way shooting with a low release point.

As for shooting consistency, he can compensate with his superior strength.

For most players, relying solely on wrist and finger flicks can only guarantee the consistency of mid-range shots; long-range two-pointers are not very effective. For example, McGrady's pull-up jumper accuracy decreases as his energy is depleted.

But Fang Da's coordination of 99 and strength of 90 make him virtually indistinguishable from the free-throw line one meter outside the three-point line; it's all about the same hand technique, which makes him unstoppable.

Therefore, his shooting motion is standard, but to the audience, it doesn't feel like he's exerting any force; it exudes an extreme sense of ease and composure.

Add to that his slender, streamlined physique, and the sense of elegance he exudes is simply off the charts.

The last person to elevate the shooting motion to a level of aesthetic beauty... was precisely that bald guy on the other side.

The audience cheered non-stop; the one-on-one match had barely begun when it seemed to have reached its climax.

(End of this chapter)