Generation Z Artists

Chapter 204 Mars hits the Earth

This season, the league has three media darlings – the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles OK, and the Washington Jofang.

The Knicks' popularity stems entirely from the city itself; the arrogance of New Yorkers and the city's vast media resources keep them in the spotlight year-round.

But under the individual brilliance of OK and Jordan, even the New Yorkers had to take a backseat.

A week before the game, global basketball media began to spontaneously hype this highly anticipated match.

The New York Daily News: "OK vs. JS, the strongest inside-outside combination in history versus the strongest backcourt combination in history, a nuclear explosion is about to happen!"

The Los Angeles Times: "You can skip the Finals, but you absolutely must watch the Christmas Day showdown between OK and JS! Jordan vs. Jordan's successor, the best rim attacker vs. the big man in the paint, this kind of matchup only happens twice, and you'll never see it again if you miss it!"

The Washington Post: "A preview of the Finals! Two championship contenders clash, who will secure a psychological advantage for the Finals?!"

Although no one outside of the Washington media considers the Wizards a championship contender, there is a consensus that this game is worth watching.

Later leagues went to great lengths to hype up the 23 vs 24 (LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant's peak showdown), but that artificial hype pales in comparison to the natural popularity we see today.

The online discussion has been going on for about two months now.

This season is the last year for the OK combination to pursue a three-peat, and in modern basketball, the three-peat dynasty is Jordan's patent, and no other team has ever been able to achieve it.

It just so happens that OK was aiming for a three-peat, Jordan was making his second comeback, Kobe was once again hailed as Jordan's successor, and Fang Xinghe had a feud with O'Neal...

Everything was just right.

This caused what was originally an ordinary regular season game to suddenly take on too much significance.

As the competition date approaches, the media has also begun to spontaneously generate buzz.

There's so much to talk about that the entire entertainment industry is jumping on the bandwagon of this competition.

Tom Cruise: "SR is amazing. God knows how much I want to invite him to join my next Mission: Impossible project. The most authentic Chinese kung fu plus my thrilling stunts, can you imagine how exciting that would be? So, of course, I will definitely support him. I will be there to cheer him on."

Angelina Jolie: "Does this even need to be considered? I definitely support SR. I hope he kicks Shaq's ass hard, hahaha!"

Anne Hathaway: "I can't believe how excited I am to finally see SR play live! I swear, I'm going to get his autograph no matter the cost!"

The season lasted for two months. Judging from the results alone, the Wizards' performance was not particularly good. However, Fang Xinghe's playing style was flashy and beautiful, and his crossover effect was outstanding, with his fan base expanding rapidly and a considerable number of celebrity fans.

Fang Xinghe's popularity doesn't resemble that of a basketball player, but rather that of a Hollywood superstar.

In the United States, arts and sports are not separate, and it is common for them to share similar interests—for example, "I want to drink your bathwater."

Now, our Brother Fang is qualified to be patronized by Hollywood stars. Some people not only want to patronize him, but also want to have a taste of his youthful beauty.

Several female celebrities contacted Charlie Wong through CAA's agent, proposing a publicity stunt with Xiaoji, with the real intention being to gain both money and sex.

Bah! You're despicable.

Even though Fang Xinghe was in Washington, he couldn't escape the Hollywood tabloids' attacks. They even started betting on who could take Fang's virginity, which was absolutely outrageous.

This time, the Christmas Day game was held at the Lakers' home arena, and wow, the first few rows were filled with fragrant scents and beautiful women.

Front row tickets were being resold for tens of thousands of dollars each, and the entire row was filled with celebrities.

There are... well, Fang Xinghe was too lazy to count them and had no interest in paying attention to them.

The first matchup against the Lakers is crucial.

Firstly, with such intense public attention, losing would definitely damage one's personal image.

Secondly, the Wizards players are quite afraid of the Lakers, and a crushing defeat would inevitably affect their confidence and morale.

Thirdly, facing Kobe, Dan suddenly transformed into a pressure monster.

Fourthly, Fang Xinghe and O'Neal had some minor conflicts.

So far, the conflict between the two is not too big. It's just that O'Neal is petty and doesn't like Fang Xinghe becoming a new media darling, especially since the local Los Angeles media often finds various angles to praise SR.

So, in a public interview two weeks ago, the Great Shark made some outrageous remarks when asked by reporters.

"That skinny monkey SR, if he dares to invade my restricted area, I'll swat him away like a fly, pia! That's the sound I'll make. Bring it on if you don't believe me!"

Fang Xinghe did not respond to him.

At this time, American media like to relay messages among the players to create conflict and amplify off-field factors in the game.

The NBA during Stern's era was full of feuds.

The NBA under Adam Silver was all about gambling.

"Sorry, next question."

Fang Xinghe completely ignored the Los Angeles media, and this arrogant attitude made Shaq even angrier.

"If he dares to enter the restricted area, he should be prepared to die here! No one can fly in Shaq's restricted area, that's it!"

The day before the competition started, Fang Xinghe shrugged: "Really? Then let's wait and see."

Danzi also stood up to support his younger brother.

“Shaq? I’ve swept him aside. He’s not as scary as he boasts. That kid is much tougher to deal with. I need to be fully focused.”

Old Joe has a dirty heart; he silently planted a thorn in the middle of OK.

However, this is indeed the truth in his eyes.

Anyone who truly understands basketball can see just how crucial Kobe's perimeter defense, passing ability, strong defensive skills, and tactical support were.

In modern basketball, the all-around perimeter player with exceptional athleticism is the least picky about teammates; with a decent lineup, they can win a championship.

Jordan, Kobe, Wade, and a peak version of Kawhi Leonard... these are all evidence.

Iverson, McGrady, Doncic, Harden, Paul, and others serve as negative examples; they demanded too much roster fit.

The same applies to O'Neal. He needs a teammate who can be a defensive anchor on the perimeter and a strong defender against one-on-one situations to compensate for his weakness of being inseparable from the paint and extremely reliant on passing.

What was the Lakers' condition during the 01-02 season?
Internal conflicts were beginning to emerge, but the team's reputation was at its zenith, its status was the highest in the league, and its arrogance was unparalleled.

Four different dimensions of elements together constitute this complex Purple Gold Legion.

However, in terms of pure strength, Fang Xinghe doesn't find the Lakers scary at all.

Before the game, the atmosphere within the team was tense. This was the Wizards' first time participating in a Christmas Day game, and they were facing the Lakers, who had won two consecutive championships. From Doug to the players, many people felt uneasy.

The two older brothers exchanged a glance and each said a few words.

Pressure on Danzi.

"Guys, if you think there's a gap in strength between us and the Lakers, that's true. But if you think I'll just stand by and watch OK swagger around in front of me, you're sorely mistaken!"

Listen, I've won six championships and played against every top player in NBA history. I don't fucking care how the media hypes up OK's strength or how they look down on us!

My only goal when I'm on the field is to win!
As for you, I won't ask you to do things beyond your capabilities, like shutting down Kobe or holding off Shaq. You don't need to!
You just need to do your own jobs, and leave the rest to me and SR.

Look me in the eyes and answer me, do you have confidence?!

The teammate's morale was greatly boosted.

"Have!"

Fang Xinghe's speech, on the other hand, was of a different style: calm, sharp, logical, and highly insightful.

"O'Neal's dominance in the paint is undoubtedly the greatest in history, but his impact on the game is only average, and he doesn't even rank in the top ten in history."

In terms of attack, he can only launch attacks near the penalty area and relies heavily on exquisite passes after successfully establishing position. Therefore, we can limit his offensive capabilities in two ways.

First, increase his position-seeking costs, allowing him to take a position, but not allowing him to easily obtain a good position.

Second, try to prevent inside passes as much as possible, especially when O'Neal gets into position. Immediately block the ball handler's inside passing lanes until the three-second mark is approaching, forcing O'Neal to leave the paint and waste an opportunity to save energy.

Here's the key point: We're not trying to completely limit O'Neal's scoring; we just want to increase the effort required to score.

Once we get to the crucial fourth quarter, I hope he's a liability on the court.

Defensively, O'Neal couldn't leave the paint and lacked help defense, thus missing the core significance of players like Olajuwon, Duncan, and Mutombo in building a defensive system.

Therefore, we don't play any inside tactics. Instead, Michael and I drive to the basket a few times to draw fouls, and the rest of our offense comes from the outside.

Campbell, you have to give up on offense and focus all your energy on defending O'Neal for 30 minutes.

Each substitute center should have 9 minutes of playing time. Don't be stingy with your energy or your chances to foul. If you really can't hold on, just pull them off the court.

The rest of you should try to shoot from the outside and focus on rebounding.

Don't be afraid of not scoring; I'll get you moving. Finally, in this game, we won't use the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. We'll play a placement match, acknowledge the gap in our conventional playing style, and save our big guns for the finals.

So don't feel pressured. If we lose, Michael and I will stand in front of the media.

Danzi put pressure on his teammates, while Fang Ge relieved the pressure. The two of them worked together to both motivate their teammates and release their anxieties.

Who exactly put these two together?

This is fucking a match made in heaven...

The two leaders exchanged another glance, then extended their hands. Everyone gathered together and roared, "Go! We will win!"

……

The game officially begins.

The number of viewers in the United States has indeed surged to 3800 million.

The previous NBA viewership peak was during Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals between the Bulls and the Jazz, with an average of 29 million viewers and a peak of 3589 million viewers.

Now, this peak has been raised by 240 million.

One of the credits goes to the incident in September, when Dan announced his second comeback, bringing a lot of new attention to the NBA.

Fang Xinghe was also among them; quite a few American teenage girls watched the game because of him.

The OK duo is also included. Their 15-1 sweep of the championship last year has proven their strength. Fans are very curious about just how far the Wizards, this dark horse, can go.

In addition to its home country, the number of people covered in Asia may have exceeded 10 billion.

There aren't that many true fans; most are just watching the spectacle. But it's this spectacle that's making the league incredibly happy.

This is a truly explosive collision between Mars and Earth.

The first goal of the game.

O'Neal won the jump ball, and Kobe faced off against Jordan on the wing.

Hamilton couldn't defend Kobe, so he went to the corner with Fisher, leaving Fang Xinghe to guard Rick Fox.

But instead of defending Fox properly, he left a large gap and positioned himself in the corners of the court, as if he were guarding O'Neal.

Without a second thought, Kobe passed the ball directly to Kobe.

The commentator was dumbfounded: "Fox has a three-point shooting ability, what is SR thinking? Is he planning to double-team O'Neal from the very beginning? That's so stupid. Sure enough, Kobe passes the ball... Oh my god!"

The moment the basketball left his hands, Fang Xinghe dashed toward Fox like lightning.

He does have a three-point shooting ability and his passing and assist skills are not bad, but his ball-handling offensive skills are too poor, he doesn't have many fakes, and his shooting release speed is slow.

Fox thought it was a safe distance, so he jumped immediately upon receiving the ball.

And then... no more.

The moment the ball left his hands, it was a devastating block. Fang Xinghe even had the energy to adjust his posture and dribbling angle in mid-air, sending the basketball bouncing towards the front court before landing and chasing after it.

Kobe gritted his teeth, turned around and chased after him, his legs moving like wheels of fire.

And then... that was it.

Just as Kobe stepped into the three-point line, Fang Dashuai had already completed a 360-degree spin, between-the-legs, windmill dunk, a combination of power and elegance that caused the crowd to erupt in a frenzy of roars.

Male fans felt it was perverted, while female fans shouted for more, making the match a climax from the very beginning.

The little snake looked at Fang Xinghe with a gaze that was both fearful and murderous, its main message being, "Although I am shocked, I am not convinced."

Only by seeing it with your own eyes can you understand just how terrifying Fang Xinghe's speed truly is.

The Lakers players briefly communicated as they inbounded the ball from the backcourt.

"Be careful."

"Try not to give him a chance to counterattack."

"Close-range back attack him, don't face him."

"Yes, SR's defense isn't as bad as rumored; he averages 2.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game!"

"Find a way to get him in front of me, I'll handle him!"

The last sentence was the little snake's resentful response.

Role players are no longer daring to make a move in front of Fang Xinghe. He can cover a distance of more than two meters in a flash, with fast speed and high height. Isn't he a pure monster?
Kobe started trying to switch Fang Xinghe in front of him using pick-and-rolls. He had a hard time against Dan Zi, his skills were completely covered, and his physical abilities were inferior. He was truly a natural counter to Dan Zi.

But your brother Fang doesn't play with him at all.

When it comes to the ability to squeeze through screens, Fang Xinghe is undoubtedly the best in history. He is lean, agile, flexible, and coordinated. Unless you are a super big guy like Shaquille O'Neal, no one can stop him.

Kobe tried twice, but had no choice but to pass the ball to O'Neal.

Two seconds later, bang!
crunch...

The rim groaned in pain as it was pulled, and the Great White Shark, feeling smug, deliberately passed by Fang Xinghe and uttered a trash talk.

"Shaq will utterly destroy you!"

Fang Xinghe completely ignored him and spoke quietly with Campbell.

"how do you feel?"

Campbell is in a very good mental state, replying with a smile: "He's having a harder time than last year, but it's okay. He's not feeling well either. If he plays like this, he can't last more than a few balls!"

Campbell, at 2.13 meters and 127 kilograms, wasn't particularly effective at defending against opponents, but he could reduce O'Neal's offensive efficiency by 15% and increase his offensive energy expenditure by 20%.

As a blue-collar worker who protects the frame, Fang Xinghe was extremely satisfied with him.

"Okay, play like this. The team needs you to test his limits."

Those who play tactics have dirty minds, and Fang Xinghe plans to personally collect O'Neal's various statistics.

Back to the front line, positional warfare.

It was Fisher's turn to cry.

He had just pulled up his pants, intending to assume a defensive posture as if facing a formidable enemy, when he turned and watched Fang Xinghe charge toward the basket.

The same thing happened last year when the 76ers played the Lakers; Iverson went on a scoring spree.

But back then, Kobe could help defend, and power forward Robert Horry was also in the paint, able to block the frontal attack routes and hide to protect O'Neal.

But now, Kobe stood motionless in front of Jordan, while Horry guarded Robinson on the other side of the three-point line, which allowed Fang Xinghe to break into the paint in just one second and jump high over O'Neal.

Many people underestimated O'Neal's agility.

This guy was prepared. He took a big step forward, jumped high to intercept, and slapped the ball down hard, not caring where the basketball was at all.

boom!
tear...

Beep!
The first muffled thud was the sound of Fang Xinghe being knocked away.

The second noise was the friction sound of Fang Xinghe sliding on the floor to cushion the impact.

The third whistle is the referee's call for a foul.

The referee not only called a foul on O'Neal, but also immediately stepped between Fang Xinghe and O'Neal, looking extremely nervous.

Grass!
This is a Christmas battle!

If a fight breaks out, wouldn't the league go crazy?
The audience instantly split into two camps: one group laughed, cheered, and whistled, while the other group exclaimed in concern and angrily cursed.

"Well done, Shaq!"

"murderer!"

"Sissy, get off the basketball court!"

"Ugly wretch! Ugly wretch who looks like a chimpanzee!"

The match seemed to have reached its climax right from the start, bringing endless passion and excitement.

When Fang Xinghe did a somersault and nimbly flipped himself up from the floor and walked straight toward O'Neal, the whole world held its breath.

(End of this chapter)