Generation Z Artists

Chapter 200: Old Man
Even in his later years, Dan Zi was still Jordan.

The Wizards' comeback trended at number one on trending topics in 80 countries, causing a surge in US stocks. NBA stars expressed their congratulations, and Asia immediately added the Wizards to its broadcast schedule.

Now, half of all this attention has been transformed into Fang Xinghe's glory.

In just this one short game, 6 million stars and 8 Glory Points were earned—and before the final victory, Fang Xinghe had also earned 5 Glory Points with his brilliant gameplay.

A single victory grants him a total of 13 Star Points.

Could winning a Nobel Prize in Literature, an Oscar for Best Director, or an Olympic 100-meter champion bring such a rich reward?
Certainly not.

All achievements with clearly defined nationalities can only inspire the Chinese people, but the glory of a person of Asian descent who can dominate Dwight Howard in the NBA belongs to all of Asia.

Only a larger scale, a larger battlefield, and an ambiguous identity can achieve such a miracle.

The "Da Dan" staged accident was truly a landmark promotional event.

Therefore, when he was interviewed after the event, Fang Xinghe deliberately acted with a highly infectious passion.

At a point like this, it would be inappropriate to keep a cold face.

TNT won the first question.

"SR, could you share your thoughts on winning the first game?"

Fang Xinghe's expression was solemn, showing great respect to Danzi... Pshaw, what Danzi, it's Teacher Jordan.

"It was very hard and difficult, a hundred times more difficult than I had imagined."

I went through a very difficult time at one point, and even doubted whether I could win.

Jordan is not the clumsy middle-aged man I remember. Compared to the last one-on-one, today's Jordan is agile, strong, decisive, accurate in shooting, and extremely aggressive... possessing all the elements to win.

Honestly, this is unbelievable. Can you imagine that this is a 38-year-old athlete who has been retired for two and a half years?
Mike is even lighter and more agile than he was in '98. I don't know how he did it, but I think he must have put in a lot of effort.

I was deeply shocked and pleasantly surprised by this.

I ignited his desire to win, and he rediscovered his best self. Together, we delivered a peak showdown, and nothing could be more memorable.

Victory is no longer so important; what matters is fighting against such a respectable opponent.

In fact, during the final offensive and defensive maneuver, I was already prepared to lose.

Fortunately, luck was on my side...

The stronger Coach Dan is, the more valuable the victory will be, so now it's time for praise.

Anyway, we've already reaped enough star power and popularity in Asia, now it's time to win over Western audiences.

Fang Xinghe's response brought smiles of relief to the faces of reporters and fans at the scene.

Americans admire tough guys who aren't afraid of power, but Jordan is an icon. Continuing to swagger after winning is clearly not a smart choice. You, Brother Fang, know too well how to cultivate your followers.

Once the tone was set, the subsequent questions became much more harmonious.

Sports Weekly asked, "Are you confident of winning the second set? You know, if you win another set, you can take home the final victory for today."

"No, I won't take that kind of chance."

Fang Xinghe immediately shook his head, extremely modest.

"I ultimately won by a narrow margin, which had an element of luck involved."

As you all saw, Michael's playing style is simpler and more efficient. He completely overshadowed me with his height and wingspan, and every goal I scored was so difficult.

How long can I maintain this attack stance?
I do not know.

Michael Jordan is a historically great defensive player. Will he be able to adapt to my drives quickly?

I do not know.

When he puts more energy and effort into both offense and defense, will I be able to maintain my current shooting percentage?

I do not know.

All I know is that this will be an extremely difficult, even painful, battle. We will be locked in a clash of wills until the very last moment, until we are completely drained of our last drop of flesh and blood.

I still believe in victory, but I wouldn't say I'm guaranteed to win. Michael is a true fighter; he earned my respect.

When Fang Xinghe solemnly expressed his respect for Jordan, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

This response was anything but cowardly; it still exuded youthful spirit, but it also revealed a genuine sense of camaraderie between heroes, adding a tremendous legendary quality to the duel.

It was as if destiny was slowly unfolding before the world.

Bonus points, and more bonus points, it just happens naturally.

On the other hand, Danzi, who was being interviewed, did not complain or try to shift the blame.

"Fang Xinghe is very strong. You've seen it. His speed and agility keep me running around like crazy."

"No, I have no excuses. When the opportunity was there, I missed that crucial game-winning shot. That was my own problem."

"The reason? I was still not prepared enough, that's all."

"Next game? I won't make predictions, but I invite you to watch how Jordan plays when he's giving it his all."

Danzi never makes empty promises about basketball; he truly lives up to them.

At the start of the second game, he used an extremely brutal breakthrough to "squeeze" past Fang Xinghe.

Fang Xinghe's lateral movement was certainly fast enough to keep up, but this kind of confrontation while moving was really difficult to withstand.

bump!
After a powerful slam, Danzi stood menacingly in front of Fang Xinghe.

Without saying a word, he urged him to catch the ball quickly with his eyes.

Wow, the full-power pill is terrifying.

When it was Fang Xinghe's turn, Danzi firmly stood a step away, defending against drives but not shots.

Fang Xinghe thus gained ample space to find his rhythm and initiate a shot. With his explosive speed, his pull-up jump shot could no longer be blocked.

However, the problem is this: pull-up jump shots are less stable than regular shots. Whether you use a step-back or a knee-bending motion, it is still an explosive jump shot.

Even with 99 points of coordination, it's impossible to make a tiptoe shot and a jump shot the same. The energy consumption, accuracy, and stability of the two are worlds apart, not to mention the elusive issue of feel.

With Fang Xinghe's three-point shooting ability of 89 points, his pull-up three-point shooting percentage is roughly between 35% and 60%.

On nights when the ball is in particularly hot form, you can score more points, but unfortunately, today is clearly just a normal average.

Therefore, the more long-range shots you take, the higher the probability of losing a game.

Danzi presented Fang Xinghe with a difficult problem, and he had no choice but to face it head-on.

Step forward, pull the ball, step forward again, pull the ball again, after two dribbles, facing Jordan's close pressure, he breaks through with a three-step back dribble.

He was closely guarded, jumped, and used his 99-point flexibility to twist his body and pull up for a layup.

Goal! Absolutely gorgeous! But everyone knows that his goals are becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

Danzi not only clarified his strategy on the defensive end, but also began to exert his strength on the offensive end.

He played with more patience, especially his turning movements after closing in head-on, which became more deceptive and aggressive.

To reiterate: When a tall, strong guard with his back to the basket plays against a smaller guard, his back-to-the-basket posture is virtually unstoppable.

This is not just a question of whether it can be broken or not, but a very clear triple trap.

If Fang Xinghe's center of gravity shifts too far back, he will turn and lean back.

If Fang Xinghe's center of gravity is too far forward, turn around and block him by half a body length, then use his height and weight to force a layup.

Even with his perfect balance, Danzi's numerous feints did not affect his judgment. He then had to face Danzi's continuous attacks until his defense found a weakness.

As a seasoned veteran in the basketball world, Danzi's ability to read the defense was simply too abnormal. In the end, Fang Xinghe had no choice but to defend against drives and allow shots, testing Danzi's shooting consistency.

Overall, the initiative remains in Danzi's hands.

After 12 possessions, both players missed 3 shots each, making the score 9-9.

In the last two shots, Danzi exploded. First, he forcefully pushed Fang Xinghe to the basket and made the layup. Then, he relentlessly attacked Fang Xinghe, forcing him to jump urgently in the paint and miss the crucial shot.

Then it was Danzi's turn again. He took a strong drive with the ball in front of him, followed by a crossover dribble back, and then pulled up for a shot from the most inefficient and sudden position. A long two-pointer with his foot on the line occurred after the first step of the fake drive.

Swish!
The basketball swished cleanly through the net, 11-9, Jordan won the second game in the most unexpected way.

During breaks, Danzi's performance stage was transformed.

But he didn't put on a show of politeness; he simply said with a stern face, "The competition isn't over yet, and it's far too early to celebrate the victory."

Similarly, Fang Xinghe did not show any hostility from the media during the interview.

Regardless of the country's media outlets, they were all excited, without the slightest denigration of Fang Xinghe.

"The situation doesn't seem good."

The Washington Post asked, "What other secret weapon do you have for turning things around?"

"No."

Fang Xinghe shook his head and smiled easily.

"It's all about fighting."

The rest time was too short; he couldn't possibly add strength now to gain better combat capabilities.

External attributes like strength and speed require time to digest after being improved before they can be fully mastered.

Endurance, on the other hand, does not need to be mastered; it is a passive energy reservoir.

Therefore, before the start of the third game, Fang Xinghe added 2 points to both endurance and recovery, and returned to the court in a very energetic state.

In this game, he put in more effort, engaging in intense confrontations and fierce attacks with Jordan.

Danzi realized Fang Xinghe's determination and chose to hold back, patiently wearing Fang Xinghe down.

As a result, Fang Xinghe won by a narrow margin.

However, the consequence was that Fang Xinghe had less than half of his energy left, and he was soaked in sweat when he left the field.

The current score is 2-1. The next game is Danzi's match point.

Then the situation suddenly reversed, and Danzi's aggressive desire became extremely strong, and he fought very resolutely.

Fang Xinghe tried his best to move Danzi's defense, sometimes creating an opportunity but not shooting, usually grinding him down until his third dribble before forcing a layup.

The success rate began to decline, but at the same time, Danzi's backward lean stability also decreased.

Finally, when Danzi won the game, the two of them bent over, supporting their knees, and stared intently at each other.

TNT captured this scene, and the two commentators were so excited that their voices cracked.

"Dear viewers, what you are witnessing is the greatest one-on-one duel in history!"

"Performed by basketball legend Michael Jordan and kung fu master Fang Xinghe, this is a peak battle of brilliance versus simplicity, agility versus grandeur, and brutality versus nobility!"

"The match has lasted for a full hour, and the score is still very close!"

"Yes, I was so nervous that my underwear was soaked with sweat. I didn't dare to blink. This is a miracle that can never be repeated in this lifetime!"

"Michael has shown an extraordinary level of recovery, my God, he's already 38 years old!"

"Star River, on the other hand, displayed dazzling skills completely beyond his age. He is only a regular second-year high school student, but it's as if he was practicing basketball in the womb. He is a monster from the East!"

"More importantly, the two possess equal willpower. A 16-year-old minor and a 38-year-old man have already fought four rounds in a high-intensity one-on-one battle that lasted for an hour. What kind of insane will to survive is that?!"

"Everyone could see that they were exhausted, but the fire in their eyes never went out!"

"This mutual torment will continue. It's a battle of freaks. I no longer dare to make any judgments about who will win the final victory."

"Wow! I'm so excited I'm trembling all over. Even standing on the finals stage back then didn't make me this nervous!"

"Director? Director! Quickly give them dual-screen close-ups, I don't want to miss a single glance from them!"

People in all the commentary booths were shouting and yelling.

Jordan and Fang Xinghe, one possessing masterful basketball artistry and the other having the most dazzling footwork in history, have given their all to reach this point, contributing an absolute feast.

After a long and drawn-out battle, almost 99% of the audience had a clear supporter in mind.

Fang Xinghe holds an absolute advantage in Asia, just as Jordan does in Europe and America. However, Dan Zi also has staunch supporters in Asia, and Fang Xinghe has also opened up huge opportunities in Europe and America.

This is precisely the significance of his choice to fight head-on.

He inflated his own value by at least two times.

At this point, winning or losing is no longer important.

Fang Xinghe, panting heavily, splashed ice water all over his head and smiled heartily at the camera.

"Winning or losing is no longer important. I had a great time. Michael is a good opponent, and I just want to keep fighting him."

That's what he said, but as soon as the reporter left, he evenly distributed the last 4 points of Star Power to Endurance and Recovery.

The head of the online trolls never lies, really, it's just the art of language~
In fact, Fang Xinghe didn't take the outcome of a one-on-one duel too seriously. At this point in the competition, losing wouldn't diminish his prestige in the slightest, and winning wouldn't earn him any more Star Glory. He had already let go of most of his negative emotions.

However, China's first victory in the NBA was also very important.

So he chose the most ruthless fighting style—officially known as "fight to the death," and staged as "Old Man Enduring Hardship."

Back on the court, Danji won the fifth game.

Fang Xinghe, having regained his composure, immediately retaliated in the sixth game, tying the score at 3-3.

In the seventh round, Danzi was starting to feel tired and couldn't jump anymore.

The intensity of one-on-one games is actually quite high. In official games, there are many opportunities to shoot after running and positioning, and you can also make a move to draw attention and catch your breath. But one-on-one games are a full-on offense and defense game, and the intensity is terrifying.

Although Danzi's fighting style consumes less energy, Fang Xinghe is also quite cunning—his small size, combined with 97 points of stamina and 97 points of recovery, allows him to recover a lot of energy after just two rounds.

Therefore, starting from the eighth round, this one-on-one match became a pure test of willpower.

The offensive consistency of both players has dropped to around 50%.

On average, Fang Xinghe could only score one basket every two possessions. He could no longer interfere with Danzi's pull-up jump shot, and Danzi could no longer keep up with Fang Xinghe's breakthroughs.

The scales tilted subtly, and the factor that caused the biggest tilt was...

three-pointer.

Fang Xinghe's 89 points in three-point shooting ability and 99 points in coordination attribute ensure his minimum performance level when his physical condition is low.

He suddenly unleashed a pull-up three-pointer, followed by a step-back three-pointer on the next possession. After making two lucky baskets, Danzi had to close the distance to defend him, and was then driven past twice more.

Although Fang Xinghe missed two more shots in a row, his multi-dimensional playing style eventually exhausted Danzi's last bit of energy.

In the 9th inning, the score was 11:10.

In the 10th inning, the score was 11:8.

With a total score of 6:4, Fang Xinghe secured the final victory.

At the moment when everything was finally over, Jordan didn't say anything, but slowly turned his head and stared blankly at Fang Xinghe.

If you can maintain your accuracy at this level, is that right?
From the first game, your breathing was very rapid, but you still hadn't collapsed by the tenth game. Is that right?

You couldn't hold on for several rounds before, but you kept going until I ran out of battery. Is that right?!

Dan suddenly turned to Tim and asked, "Damn it, is that little bitch acting like I am?!"

Um... most likely... yes...

Tim was naturally aware of the problem, but he didn't dare to admit it directly.

At this moment, Da Dan felt a grief and indignation that was more intense than anger and more painful than grief, as if his intelligence had been greatly insulted.

But even more painful things were yet to come—

Fang Xinghe's revelry was in full swing, and he had no choice but to witness it firsthand.

A sudden wave of sorrow quickly overwhelmed him...

(End of this chapter)