Generation Z Artists

Chapter 217

The match ended uneventfully, but the tsunami caused by Fang Xinghe's return to the team had only just begun.

During the routine interview, both teams were bombarded with media attention... oh no, the Wizards were frantically sought after, while the Nets were practically showered with praise.

The local media in Washington were incredibly rude, immediately launching into a tirade against head coach Scott.

Washington Sports: "Coach Scott, what happened? Before the game, you called the Wizards 'insignificant underdogs,' but now you've been slaughtered by them by a whopping 52 points!"

Scott looked extremely embarrassed.

However, as head coach, he cannot violate league rules and must answer reporters' questions directly.

"Well, I think some unexpected things did happen..."

Um, we ran into some trouble, and we didn't solve it well, which caused us to lose, uh, some points...

Um, what exactly happened?
I don't know, this feels like a nightmare.

But how can you call what happens on the basketball court a massacre? My players fought until the very last moment…”

Scott blushed and tried to explain himself incoherently.

"Well, every team has off nights and loses. This is just one of 82 regular season games. We lost, but it doesn't mean the end of the world. We'll pick ourselves up and start again..."

The Washington Post suddenly stabbed them in the back: "You lost by a whopping 52 points! You're number one in the East, while the Wizards are only tenth, and they're not even in the playoffs yet!"

Koster couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Don't you Washingtonians know how the Wizards fell to tenth in the East? Damn!

Scott forced a smile: "Rankings prove nothing; even lions doze off..."

The Washington Youth Daily immediately found a flaw: "So, the Nets' crushing defeat was just because you were dozing off? You're confident you can avenge your defeat next time you meet, right?"

The boy who was faking a smile couldn't keep smiling anymore.

"Um, well, every match is different. SM is indeed very strong, and I can't guarantee anything, but we never lack the courage to fight hard. We accept losing, but our fighting spirit will never be extinguished..."

A reporter from the University of Washington Sports News kindly reminded him, "Why don't you take a look at Kidd and Martin's expressions? They look so dejected and restless, where is there even a hint of fighting spirit?"

Scott glanced to the side and immediately gritted his teeth.

Damn it, get your act together!

The poor Nets head coach was sweating profusely from the attack.

Reporters frantically scribbled down the underlying "meaning" of Scott's words.

"Scott's fear of SM runs deep; he dares not speak of victory!"

Brooklyn Nets head coach Scott: We were just having a bad day, SM is nothing special.

Scott is spouting nonsense; he appears to have been beaten to the point of mental instability!

After tormenting the Nets' head coach, the reporters didn't let captain Kidd off the hook either.

"Kidd, you once said that SR was not worth mentioning. Do you still hold that view now?"

"Forehead……"

When Kidd opened his mouth, he could only manage a series of stuttering "uh-huh" and "ah-ah" sounds

"In fact, I never said that SR was insignificant..."

"No, you did say that."

A reporter from the University of Washington Sports newspaper pulled out a newspaper and waved it vigorously.

"You said in an interview: I am the best point guard in the league today, and I'm tired of you guys always comparing me to him!"

Kidd avoided the reporter's intense gaze, his eyes darting away.

"No, no, no, you've misunderstood me. I'm someone who focuses on myself. I don't like comparing myself to anyone. I am who I am, and SR is SR. I completely respect him. I just don't like comparing myself to others..."

A gasp and a soft laugh erupted from the audience.

The reporters were both surprised and amused.

How can the league's top point guard be so shameless? Can he really go back on his word after saying it himself?
Journalists these days are so inexperienced.

If they live a few more years, they won't take such blatant lies seriously anymore.

"So, Mr. Kidd, do you still insist that you are the best point guard in the league?"

"Forehead……"

Kidd's bald head was covered with eight layers of wrinkles.

"Whether I'm the best point guard in the league shouldn't be decided by me. I claim to be the best only out of pride and confidence. The reality may not be what I wish for, but no matter what you think, I believe I'm good enough..."

His explanation was bluntly interrupted by The Washington Post.

"In what way are you good enough? You got crushed by a freshman by 52 points. The stats are appalling. And have you forgotten about SR's invitation?"

The reporter was referring to a scene that occurred midway through the match.

Kidd was dribbling with his back to the basket at the three-point line when Fang Xinghe took two steps back, stood in front of the free-throw line, and extended his hand to invite Kidd: "Go ahead and shoot, I won't guard you."

That scene made the audience laugh for at least 5 minutes.

Because Kidd was looking around, searching for a teammate to take the blame, but he just wouldn't shoot.

He didn't even dare to look at Fang Xinghe, pretending that the invitation didn't exist.

"What invitation?"

Kidd looked completely bewildered, feigning ignorance as if he were genuinely stupid.

“On the field, I did have some friendly exchanges with SR. I admire him, and I thought we were friends…”

The reporter immediately exposed their lie.

"Come on, Kidd, SR trash-talked you, we saw it!"

Today's game was full of memorable moments. Scott and Kidd struggled to keep up, but were still thoroughly outmaneuvered.

The media's unusually sharp scrutiny sent a chill down the spine of the top team in the Eastern Conference.

But the situation is quite different for the Wizards.

Ah Gou was so moved that he spilled the chicken soup on the reporter.

"We went through a very difficult time before, and it was during that period that we realized how important we were to each other, which made the Wizards truly become a whole, and we wholeheartedly burned ourselves to light up our teammates..."

Inspired by SR, we not only emerged from the mire of failure, but also completely activated a power originating from our hearts…

The reporters below, listening to Ah Gou's excitedly long-winded speech, had only one reaction—rolling their eyes violently.

But Ah Gou's two bodyguards were very tolerant, clapping and laughing, so they could only laugh awkwardly in return.

—With a giant elixir on his left and a saint on his right, and the two of them clapping for him, Ah Gou felt that this was the pinnacle of his life.

But the New Jersey media were very disappointed.

The other party questioned: "Coach Collins, as everyone knows, you once had a prime Jordan, but you didn't achieve any results. You only got the opportunity to coach the Wizards again by flattering Jordan."

However, in this Wizards team, you completely lost the authority of the head coach and became the well-known 'tactical board keeper', always prioritizing the opinions of SR and MJ.

When SR is not around, as the head coach, you struggle to win a single game.

After SR returned, you handed over the whiteboard and shamelessly basked in the victory. Did the Wizards' win have anything to do with you?

Such a sharp and aggressive question caused the atmosphere at the scene to freeze.

The reporters looked at Doug with varying degrees of nervousness, anticipation, or ill intent.

But Ah Gou didn't care at all; he was completely at ease.

"Of course it does."

Ah Gou chuckled and spread his hands proudly, replying, "I handed the tactics board to SR and trusted him completely. Would any other head coach, like Phil Jackson, dare to do that?!"

faint!
The reporters present were completely speechless, feeling that Ah Gou's shamelessness was simply unbeatable.

The implication was clear: What's wrong with clinging to someone's coattails? I clung to them thoroughly, focused intently, and wholeheartedly, and it brought me results and victory!

However, the point is valid; if someone else were the Wizards' head coach, the team atmosphere might not be so good.

Ah Gou's most impressive trait is his self-awareness, or rather, his absolute respect for superstars.

He even lifted Fang Xinghe into the sky in front of the media.

“SR’s wisdom is beyond your comprehension. Only vulgar and narrow-minded people cling to so-called coaching authority. I’m different—”

Ah Gou raised his head, his face seemingly shining with holy light.

"I absolutely trust him; I know his power!"
Basketball, in the eyes of us ordinary people, is an extremely complex game with too many possibilities and too many distractions, so we must carefully adjust all relevant factors and painstakingly explore through the fog.

However, in SR's eyes, basketball is such a simple game.

Even before officially joining the NBA, he knew how to use the Wizards' meager assets to build a competitive team.

From personnel allocation to tactical establishment, from system building to on-the-spot decision-making, from video analysis to targeted fine-tuning, SR accomplished everything with ease!
Do you think we won this game because of talent?
NO NO NO, SR scored 30 points, and McGrady scored 28 points. The Wizards didn't go all out at all.

When SR came out of the video room and started organizing team training, every one of our players was already convinced of victory.

This is a victory of wisdom, and even more so, a victory of the system!
SR is a born strategist; you simply don't understand his value.

"And I, Doug Collins, am good at finding players' strengths and willing to work with them to bring out those strengths. If I may be so bold, there are very few head coaches in the entire league who can do that..."

The reporters were dumbfounded, completely blown away by Ah Gou's blatant flattery...

Good heavens, judging from this, Doug, you deserve a huge credit for the Wizards' victory!

At first glance, something seemed off, but upon closer inspection, it did make sense, leaving a group of reporters utterly bewildered…

Immediately afterwards, Jordan moved closer to the microphone to support Doug.

"Fang is our commander, Doug is our support, and I'm just a brainless enforcer. When I score forty or fifty points in a game and still can't win, you should know how important Fang is to us."

Danzi had a great time playing today, hence his beaming smile and high emotional intelligence.

"How many shots did I take today? Thirteen or fourteen? I made the vast majority of them and drew several fouls from the opposing players."

With the right strategy, I can always play very simply and easily.

It feels great that the team doesn't need me to save it; it allows me to enjoy pure joy.

I think I've found the perfect state—

Just like today, I played 30 minutes, took thirteen or fourteen shots, made two difficult shots when the team couldn't break through, and then watched as our respected commander led us to victory..."

The Chicago media found it incredible.

"Michael, this isn't like you. You actually admitted you're not the team's core player?!"

"No, the Wizards are a team with two stars."

Danzi patiently corrected the other person.

Off the court, I'm the big brother in the locker room;
On the court, I am the most important draw defender, the most important finisher, and the key to help defense and sweeping in the paint within the defensive system. For this weak Wizards team, Fang and I are both indispensable.

However, the absolute commander of this prodigy team can only be Fang. I've never been good at that, and he's the best in history. We each have our own roles and responsibilities, and we fight for the same dream..."

No one knows for sure whether Danzi has truly overcome that mental block.

Perhaps he also feels lost, pained, and heartbroken because he is no longer the absolute protagonist?

However, Danzi's respect for the strong was never fake.

Whether it's the magician or the big bird, as long as he can be defeated head-on, Danzi is willing to admit it no matter what.

Moreover, Danzi remained remarkably clear-headed on the court.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't afford to lose.

After a losing streak of more than a month and more than ten games, it's hard to imagine how the media would have ridiculed his decision to return to the court if it weren't for his average output of more than 30 points per game, which saved him from losing face.

But this output couldn't continue. Just a few days ago, he had already begun to feel discomfort in his knees.

No matter how well he recovers, Jordan is still in the twilight of his god-like years.

Mentally, he never gives up; physically, he's nearing his limit—that's the objective reality.

Therefore, at this crucial press conference, Danzi finally acknowledged that Fang Xinghe was the team leader.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a sense of relief, and all my tension transformed into a pure desire for victory.

"Just like you guys always write in the newspapers, we're becoming the strongest backcourt duo in history. It's like a new legend, isn't it?"

Jordan laughed heartily, with five parts sincerity and five parts bitterness after relief.

The reporters were in an uproar.

Various media outlets have been working to hype up the dominance of the Wizards' dual-core: is God ranked first, or Saint ranked in front?
This is a topic that can particularly boost sales.

Today, they finally received an official answer.

But tomorrow, mediocre people will still be arguing about it endlessly, making it a ridiculous and enduring topic of discussion.

"McClure..."

"McClure..."

A barrage of follow-up questions rained down on the podium, but Jordan stopped responding and simply laughed and waved.

“SR just got back today, and I’m sure you all have more questions for him, so please go ahead.”

After a few minutes of this commotion, the interview finally got down to business.

Now, all the sports media in the United States know that the Wizards' head coach is just a tactical board keeper, and the one who really makes the decisions is Fang Xinghe. So if they have any professional questions, they will only ask Coach Fang.

But today there are no professional questions, only gossip.

The Washington Post was still leading the charge, and the reporter was extremely excited.

"SR, you seem to be in even better shape than before you left. Were you still practicing during the movie filming?"

"No."

Fang Biwang was clearly telling the truth, but he appeared incredibly arrogant.

"I was just focused on filming and didn't have time to practice. I don't have any skills in playing ball, it's all talent."

"..."

The entire audience was speechless, their heads buzzing.

But the media loves him even more; why shouldn't someone like him make the front page?
"You are indeed incredibly talented; your three-pointers and drives to the basket are simply unstoppable."

The Sun reporter initially offered positive feedback, then changed the subject: "But aren't you being a little too disrespectful to your opponent?"

"Oh?" Brother Fang narrowed his eyes slightly. "Be more specific, what do you mean?"

"In the last minute of garbage time in the fourth quarter, you suddenly asked to come on, made a three-pointer, and made a steal. After that, you started to waste time and stopped going all out on offense. Are you controlling the score?"

"YES."

Fang Xinghe nodded generously.

Reporters raised their hands frantically, pressing for answers: "52 points, is it to get revenge on the Nets for beating you by 26 points last time?"

"Yes."

Fang Ge makes no attempt to hide his vengeful nature, brazenly increasing the intensity of his attacks on the basketball court.

"I wasn't there for the last game, and the Nets beat us by 26 points. Now that I'm back, I think 52 points is a great number, which means we'll pay them back double."

No one can humiliate my team. They bullied my old man while I was away, and I'll beat them all back, one by one..."

"puff!"

A chorus of suppressed chuckles rose from the audience.

Danzi's face visibly darkened. He grabbed the microphone and angrily complained, "If you had come back any later, I would have been ready to compete for this year's scoring title!"

Fang Xinghe tilted his head and asked, "What's the score now?"

Danzi raised her chin, a hint of pride in her voice: "A little over 28 points!"

During the month Fang Xinghe was away, Da Dan ridiculously increased his average points per game.

Although it's still a bit behind Iverson's level, that 50-point game brought back the youth of so many people.

Fang Xinghe just scoffed: "Don't even think about the points leader title. Compared to the championship, that's nothing."

The reporters exclaimed "Wow!" and frantically raised their hands.

"SR, are you officially going to announce your championship aspirations?"

"SR, do you really think you have the ability to break through the encirclement?"

"SR, the real tough guys are all in the West. Beating the Nets doesn't mean anything. Aren't you being too optimistic?"

Fang Biwang gave a unified response.

"The reason I take time out of my schedule to play in the NBA is to win a championship trophy to decorate my trophy room at home."

With an unusually serious expression, he paused slightly, waiting for the reporters to hear clearly before slowly continuing.

“I never intended to waste too much time on this, so this year, in just four months, I will get my first ring, and that’s it.”

The audience was in an uproar.

Fang Xinghe's words were too impolite and too domineering.

Many people were dissatisfied, and the New York media were extremely agitated: "How can playing basketball be considered a waste of time? You are disgracing the NBA!"

Fang Xinghe glanced at the other person, who was a black man, and replied, "I am different from you. I can realize my personal value not only in the field of sports."

Wow, that's even more prickly!

But a significant number of Americans, and even the American media, are drawn to this.

The more aggressive Fang Xinghe is, the more lovable he is.

But the Los Angeles media were particularly indignant: "What makes you think you can beat the Lakers?"

Fang Xinghe succinctly stated: "I've won before."

Killer.

The guy's lips were trembling uncontrollably, but in the end he could only emphasize: "That was just a regular season game!"

Yes, but I won.

Fang Xinghe ignored him completely, simply waving his hand lightly, meaning he didn't want to answer his nonsense.

Boston media quickly chimed in, saying, "But you've lost to many strong Western Conference teams."

"I will not do it again."

Fang Xinghe's expression was indifferent.

The questions became increasingly strange, and the reporters' attitudes grew more and more intense.

New Jersey media seized the opportunity to criticize: "Fang, do you realize that you are a rather unsportsmanlike person? You show no respect for your opponents or for the sport of basketball. You should reflect on yourself and reduce the number of times you make such outrageous remarks!"

Fang Xinghe stared at the other person and asked softly, "Excuse me, how many points did the Nets lose by today?"

"Forehead……"

The reporter stammered and dared not respond.

Fang Ge chuckled softly: "I guess Kidd himself wouldn't have the face to ask me for respect."

"Um... but that's a matter of personal character, it has nothing to do with winning or losing!"

That reporter's forced excuses were clearly a huge concern for the home team.

"I have no manners."

Fang Xinghe said coldly and firmly: "Yes, I humiliated the Nets, but stop dwelling on right and wrong. We still have a chance to play another round in the playoffs. Let the results speak for themselves. If you have a chance to beat me, I will accept any humiliation."

but now……

Shut up and sit down!

It's insane, the atmosphere at the scene is absolutely insane.

"That's it!"

A reporter from the US Daily News frantically took notes in his notebook while muttering to himself.

"Wild, domineering, aggressive, disregarding all worldly concerns, focusing solely on himself, doing what he wants, saying what he wants—what a fucking great American icon he is!"

After returning home, this guy wrote a boastful article titled "American Idol from China," focusing on personality analysis.

In the article, Fang Ge becomes a representative of core American culture, free-spirited yet rebellious, tough yet charming.

How many people actually believed this nonsense?

It's difficult to get statistics.

Anyway, Fang Xinghe discovered that the number of American Starry Sky Kuku in the panel had skyrocketed, and the number 0 jerseys on the streetball courts had begun to occupy half of the space.

Older people wear size 23, younger people wear size 0, and the little snake? Its exposure is too low, so it doesn't have much of a presence yet.

But this is just the aftermath.

The real shock came from comparing the two matches held a month apart.

The return of Fang Xinghe to the Prodigy team delivered a resounding slap to the basketball world; no one could remain uninvolved, and no one could help but be shocked.

With the playoffs just around the corner, the entire league is now asking the same question—

Is there any solution to the Fang-Qiao trio's outside triangle offense?
　I seem to have written too many tactics, but I hope that even if it's a case of winning by cheating, it can still be self-consistent. Reasonableness brings more realism, and realism brings more enjoyment. It's just a bit difficult for those who don't play or watch basketball.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)