Generation Z Artists

Chapter 221 Everything is in this day

The flashes of light made the stage look like a sanctuary.

Fang Xinghe sat firmly in the center under the bright light, and the reporters below began to raise their hands frantically.

It was the evening of May 8th. The Wizards had just finished their third game against the Nets at home and won easily.

This is actually quite significant – it means that the Nets, with their strongest perimeter defense, have tried countless methods but still couldn't stop the Wizards' spacing offense. Now, it can be officially announced that Fang Xinghe's "dimensional reduction attack" on the modern NBA is truly effective.

This is really scary, but unfortunately, nobody cares about the Nets or their tactics.

Because the league had just awarded the 02 season MVP.

Award winners...

Fang Xinghe, 17 years old, is from China.

The nuclear bomb exploded over the MCI, but it shocked the entire sports world.

The flashes never stopped.

The Wizards' press officer pointed to a reporter from the Washington Post, a guy named John, who was full of enthusiasm and immediately offered his congratulations.

"Congratulations, SR, you've made NBA history! You're the first player to win the regular season MVP award in your rookie season. What are your thoughts on that?"

Yes, Rookie MVP, what an unfamiliar title?
Fang Xinghe won the MVP award for the regular season with 40.8% of the vote, surpassing Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd.

For the first time in history, the league has bestowed this honor upon a rookie.

The world roared and cracked, and the media went crazy.

"Thank you to the journalists who cast their votes for me, whether it was their first or second vote."

Fang Xinghe spoke slowly, without mentioning the alliance at all.

"Since entering the NBA, very few things have moved me, but the recognition I received today is an exception."

The award-winning actor suddenly stopped playing the crazy type and started playing the emotional type.

American media are like ungrateful wild dogs; you can't spoil them all the time, but you can't whip them all the time either. You have to kick them away from time to time and give them a nice face from time to time. That's how you tame them.

Now is the time to give them a friendly welcome.

The award-winning actor was all smiles, his words witty and insightful.

"In the afternoon, I sat by the training field, reading everyone's comments word by word, and suddenly I felt an unbelievable dreamlike feeling about all of this."

I know I deserve any honor.

But I never knew that so many people believed in me and understood me.

I was just a passerby in the NBA, and I was even prepared to leave empty-handed. It was you guys who prevented me from doing so.

Thank you for every vote you cast for me. Next time, when the media interviews me about the voting process, I'll allow you to shout at me loudly—

"Hey! Star River, I voted for you in the MVP election last time, can we stop and chat for a bit?"

Of course, I'll stop and patiently answer your questions.

This is your rightful privilege, because you guys have such great foresight!

No one deserves this year's MVP more than me, but realizing that takes immense wisdom, and believing it takes immense courage. You all did it, so...

I will share this glory with you all. I will record everyone's voting results and comments on the StarNet official cafe, and I will forever remember your love and encouragement..."

The reporters in the audience were stunned.

What the hell!

Brother Fang…no, no, Father Fang, do you want to hear what you're up to?!

No need, your brother Fang has already anticipated the results.

Three seconds later, about half of the media outlets began to applaud wildly.

American media outlets that cast their votes, Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean media outlets that weren't eligible to vote but came specifically for the event, and European media outlets that, while not directly involved, liked the answer sheet...

Everyone applauded and cheered wildly, feeling that this answer was absolutely amazing.

Why isn't the other half clapping?

Because they were disgusting.

Damn it, the journalists who voted for you, you put them in the official chat room to praise them, making them famous and venting your anger.

Reporters who didn't vote for you, post their names on the official website and lash them out, let the stars spit on them and throw their poop at them.

Is this how you play games?

FUCK, you son of a bitch!

The most furious were the San Antonio media – the San Antonio Express-News, the only mainstream newspaper in the small city, was nearly driven mad by the result.

They had barely caught their breath when Fang Xinghe reignited their anger.

"Fang, do you really think you deserve this honor more than Duncan? Aren't you overestimating yourself? Your victory is not honorable; it's purely a conspiracy orchestrated by the league for commercial hype!"

Such harsh questioning made the journalists see an even bigger story beckoning to them.

They stared intently at Fang Xinghe, waiting for the interviewing genius's response.

But Fang Ge didn't respond at all.

He simply pushed the microphone aside and smiled at the audience.

Do I, the MVP, really need to personally address these criticisms? Are you kidding me!
Come on, close the door and unleash the dogs!
Fang Xinghe didn't even glance to the side, but head coach Doug immediately grabbed the microphone and began to refute him passionately.

Hey, that's what tacit understanding is all about.

"This San Antonio journalist, watch your words! Your baseless speculations almost constitute defamation!"

The opening was a critical hit, followed by Ah Gou's reasoned and well-founded explanation.

"Gentlemen, truth will not be distorted by jealousy. Let's look at the data comparison between SR and Duncan."

Duncan had a truly great season.

He averaged 25.5 points per game, ranking 5th.

He averaged 12.7 rebounds per game, ranking second.

He averaged 3.7 assists per game, demonstrating top-tier playmaking ability among interior players.

He averages 2.5 blocks per game, ranking 3rd on the all-time blocks list.

He had a field goal percentage of 50.8%, played in all 82 games, and averaged more than 40 minutes of playing time per game.

Ultimately, with the Admiral's decline becoming increasingly apparent, Duncan, as the team's absolute core, led the team to 58 wins, the second-best record in the league.

But are SR's individual statistics inferior? No, not at all!
得分24.6、助攻9.5、篮板3.9、抢断3.05、盖帽2.22，同样是一份攻防一体的顶级数据！

This is even a historically significant basic statistic for a point guard!

As an MVP candidate, how big is the gap between Kidd and SR?
Basic data, stadium value, and head-to-head records between the two teams were all covered by SR, yet Kidd still managed to get over ten percent of the votes. Who was really biased?!
All media outlets that voted for Kidd should be ashamed!
In addition, SR broke the high-level data record that had been untouched for many years with the fewest moves and the highest efficiency!
PER and WS values, one proves peak performance and the other proves on-court contribution, and the Commander's two stats are the highest in the league this season, even breaking the league's historical record, giving him a parallel with Chamberlain.

He's so great, if he doesn't deserve the MVP, who does?!
Forgive my bluntness, but many of you are still stuck in the distant past and have no idea about the value and significance of high-level data.

I'm different!
Nobody understands advanced data better than me!

He channeled his inner Know-It-All and started babbling about the value of advanced data, trying to prove that advanced data is superior to basic data.

The reporters were completely bewildered.

Fang Xinghe's true shooting percentage was truly terrifying. His style of play, which focused solely on three-pointers and driving to the basket, allowed him to surpass Shaquille O'Neal and achieve the league's highest efficiency.

This has been particularly evident in the recent playoff games.

He could get close and drive, or stay away and shoot. Even though everyone knew Fang Xinghe didn't play the "inefficient" mid-range game, they just couldn't stop him.

Ah Gou was cunning; he deliberately enhanced Fang Xinghe's unstoppable power.

"No one can stop SR's combination of sudden attack and throw, no one!"
Kidd, hailed as the best defensive point guard, was as vulnerable as a chick in front of SR.

Do you remember what happened in the last game?

Kidd spread his legs, knelt down in front of SR, and looked up at him as he threw that fatal shot!

Wow, that scene was absolutely amazing, it almost gave me an orgasm!
I don't understand why Kidd still got so many votes. It's unfair. Some media people who don't understand basketball and cling to regional biases should apologize to SR. You've insulted the fairness of the MVP selection!

The Nets media were furious. Damn it, why does giving Kidd a vote mean they don't understand basketball?!

Moreover, Fang Xinghe's shot that shook off Kidd was when you were already leading by 12 points. What kind of killer shot was that?

That's fucking shameless!

Ah Gou's shameless performance is not over yet.

Immediately afterwards, he started to criticize Duncan, delivering a classic example of praising one while criticizing the other.

"I don't mean to offend Duncan, but he just improved the Spurs from 50 wins to 58 wins."

Our esteemed commander has led a bottom-feeding team with 19 wins to fourth place in the Eastern Conference!

And please remember, during SR's absence, we struggled to win a single game. The Wizards' 47 wins this year were the result of SR giving you 17 wins!

Therefore, SR's absence gives you the illusion that he played too few games and is not qualified to be nominated for MVP.

Big mistake!

If Star River hadn't missed so many games, you would all be kneeling down and singing his praises by now!
The Wizards with SR are essentially a 60-win championship contender. As the undisputed playmaker for this team, SR must win this year's regular season MVP; otherwise, it would be the biggest joke in the NBA!

Ah Gou's rapid-fire outburst completely swayed a large portion of the media outlets that held neutral views.

Is he right or wrong?

That's definitely true, but it only covers the parts of the other star system that are advantageous to them.

This year, Duncan's defensive impact is the best in the league, and his defensive contribution value far exceeds that of Kidd and Fang Xinghe, which is also a fact.

However, all things considered, both Duncan and Fang Xinghe have good reasons to win this year's MVP.

Those who value defensive impact more will naturally vote for Duncan.

For someone who values ​​offensive impact, casting Xinghe is perfectly reasonable.

After Ah Gou's meddling, the doubts immediately subsided, with only a few media outlets still persisting.

However, they didn't get a chance to ask questions.

ESPN stepped forward to flatter Fang Ge.

“SR, I’m ESPN’s voting reporter. If you’ve been reading the voting comments carefully, you’ll see my name, Sandru, in front of the ballot…”

"Yes."

Fang Xinghe immediately responded positively—we can't let our good friend down.

"I saw it, and I appreciate your high praise. Do you have any questions, my friend?"

Sandru was overjoyed, feeling as if he had suddenly reached the pinnacle of his life.

He smiled modestly and said, "Your foundational role is beyond doubt. It's not my comments that have added luster to you, but rather your performance that has won over ordinary viewers like myself."

My question is: From your understanding, how difficult is it to replicate this playing style? Is it possible that it will become a trend?

This is a rather technical question.

ESPN was always this professional before accepting the Emperor as a shareholder.

Their core comments on Fang Xinghe's vote are as follows:

"Star River is the undisputed engine and soul of the Wizards."

He took on everything on offense, leading his teammates to unleash some of the most spectacular offensive waves in the league.

Michael Jordan is still a god, but even a god can't save this prodigy, while the commander can.

SR didn't guarantee perfect attendance, and it's precisely because of this that we truly realized his pivotal role. This isn't just a historically great rookie; he's a historically great super commander. ESPN didn't mention Fang Xinghe's tactical role, but those who understand basketball know that they actually did, hidden within the phrase "pivotal role."

From a gossip perspective, ESPN's questions weren't sensational enough and had limited reach.

But from a professional perspective, this actually sets the tone—

To set the tone for the future mainstream style of play in the NBA, to establish a consensus on innovation, and to give birth to truly ultramodern basketball.

ESPN abandoned the pursuit of sensationalism and chose to cooperate with the NBA to present a grand narrative.

At this moment, this is certainly not the most talked-about news.

However, this question will have a profound and lasting impact on the entire basketball world for an extremely long time.

If we combine this with the alliance's official award announcement, then this is a show that deliberately propelled Fang Xinghe to a pedestal.

What's being showcased isn't Fang Xinghe's offensive prowess, but rather his revolutionary value.

The league's official website clearly states the following comment:

[The founder of ultramodern space basketball, the textbook of three-point shooting with the ball, a paradox of elegance and wildness, an incredible Chinese miracle]

[Honoring our esteemed Commander, congratulations on becoming the 2001-2002 NBA Most Valuable Player!]

Well-deserved, truly deserving, the alliance is proud of you.

It's short, but it's packed with keywords.

The fact that the founders are listed first means that the alliance likes and wants to encourage this change.

A textbook of three-pointers with the ball: Fang Xinghe has mastered all three-point techniques with the ball, and in this day and age, these fancy three-point skills seem incredible.

This means that all those who come after him must learn from Fang Xinghe and master these skills.

Elegance and wildness: elegance lies in the skill of getting away from the basket, while wildness lies in the attitude of attacking the rim.

The "Chinese miracle" is highlighted, and Stern, the old man, knows how to please the Chinese market, specifically pointing out that this miracle originated in China.

The news is spreading back to China, and one can imagine how excited the 12 billion Chinese people will be.

As for the last sentence, "I am proud of you," it carries a profound meaning.

Stern's plan was to change the phrase "The league is proud to have had you briefly" when Fang Xinghe officially announced his retirement, and then stir up some nostalgia.

Years later, when fans see this concluding statement again... they'll cry, they'll all cry like hell!
The old man's overall strategy was brilliant, and ESPN's cooperation was excellent.

The most important thing now is not to prove how much Fang Xinghe deserves the MVP award, but to quickly determine his impact on the league.

When ESPN asked some technical questions, some media outlets that were only interested in creating sensational news became impatient.

Another group of professional media outlets were extremely eager to hear Fang Xinghe's personal answer.

Fang Xinghe paused for a moment, and thought about it carefully, which was rare for him.

How he answers will not affect his status as a star player in history, but it will affect his identity as a pioneer of spatial basketball.

It's rare that Americans are now willing to deify him; it's time to elevate his status.

Carefully organizing his words, Fang Biwang chose a style that was mildly pretentious and heavily forward-looking.

"Looking back at history from this point in time, our basketball philosophy has actually stagnated for more than ten years."

Since the three-point line was introduced, has any team made good use of the suddenly expanded court space?

You might immediately think of Reggie Miller or this year's Bucks, but in my opinion, they haven't truly understood space.

What is space?
It is not a narrow and aimless expansion, nor is it a crude division of existing stadium space.

Trade in a few shooters, let them run around like crazy, and blast a bunch of three-pointers. This won't guarantee rebounds or stop the opponent's fast breaks. This isn't efficient use of space; it's relying on luck to win.

A true spatial strategy requires comprehensive plans for both offense and defense, and complete control over all spaces.

There's space beyond the three-point line, space in the elbow area, and even more space in the paint.

The Wizards' style of play is a controlled, multi-layered space built on the individual characteristics of all their players.

Multi-layered and three-dimensional – that's the core.

We abandoned the traditional center-centric approach to attack the paint, but we didn't abandon the paint itself; we simply had Jordan and I execute the efficient use of space in the paint.

At the same time, we emptied the mid-range space on both sides of the court as much as possible, giving that area to Hamilton and Michael Jordan, allowing them, who are good at mid-range shots, to move freely in a wider space.

Finally, there's the three-point line.

In fact, the Wizards didn't shoot many three-pointers, fewer than the Bucks, fewer than the Mavericks, fewer than the SuperSonics, and even fewer than the Kings.

But why do people generally believe that the Wizards are a stretch four team?

Because of the sense of layering.

With my absolute three-point threat, I, along with Robinson, drew the opponent's point guard and power forward to the three-point line.

Actually, we're not fixated on using three-pointers to solve problems; what we want is a way to force the opponent to spread out and become overwhelmed, breaking their defense.

Wherever there is ample space to attack, we pass the ball there and let the right person handle the attack.

So I didn't put up particularly flashy stats, and I didn't dunk, but every one of our players got plenty of practice and opportunities to shine, and the Wizards slowly became unbeatable.

So, back to your core question, how replicable is this approach?

very high.

It doesn't require every player on the team to be good at shooting three-pointers, but rather to have more refined outside skills in order to fully utilize the defensive strength.

No matter which position a player excels at three-pointers—point guard, shooting guard, power forward, or even center—as long as they can break the opponent's defensive inertia and fully open up the court space, we can always find a suitable combination to solve the rest of the problems.

The general strategy is basically two outside shots, two mid-range shots, and one shot in the paint.

It doesn't matter who has the ball on the perimeter; what matters is this clear sense of hierarchy.

Has Robinson's extended time on the Wizards' perimeter affected our system? No.

On the contrary, his ball-handling and playmaking at the top of the arc solved a major problem for us: a sufficiently tall and well-viewed pivot point at the top of the arc.

Some experts believe we are employing a variant of the triangle attack, which is incorrect. As the originator and commander of this tactic, I have an obligation to correct your thinking.

In fact, we have established a spatial passing and cutting system consisting of multiple ball-passing points.

I am not a traditional, absolute offensive initiator; I am a new-era point guard who can both initiate and finish offenses.

In the not-too-distant future, you will see many children imitating me in playing ball.

My technology is difficult to replicate, but my thinking will guide them onto the right path.

As they grow and eventually enter the league, my space-time passing and cutting system will become the ultimate answer for the next version of the NBA…

Fang Xinghe did not like the Three-Point League during Adam Silver's era.

The problem doesn't lie in the three-pointer itself, but rather in the excessively low defensive intensity, which makes the non-contact three-pointer the most efficient weapon.

In fact, if a team maintains a high level of defensive intensity, no team can solve all its problems by relying solely on three-pointers.

In that situation, a multi-layered, three-dimensional attack is the only correct solution.

Necessary inside scoring, a large number of mid-range shots, a suitable frequency of three-pointers and drives to the basket...

The more methods you have, the more likely you are to gain an advantage, and the more exciting the game will become.

Defensive intensity doesn't really affect the entertainment value of the game; poor technique does.

Danzi and Xiaoshe were engaged in a fierce physical battle, which affected the quality of their game.

On the contrary, the viewership of the Three-Point League plummeted to an all-time low.

The Wizards are now shining with an incomprehensible brilliance in the face of the most intense defensive environment.

Those key players, Fang Xinghe completely ignored contact, Danzi loved contact, Hamilton used long runs to avoid contact, and Robinson had no contact at all at the top of the arc...

Each brawl brought forth a series of classic scenes, even more spectacular than Show Time itself.

Fans love the Wizards' games, and the ratings don't lie.

Therefore, Fang Xinghe firmly believes that the alliance in the next ten years will move towards a space-based passing and cutting system under his influence, regardless of whether there are any tentacles.

If the Wizards win the championship this year, his words will become golden rules and be forever recorded in NBA history.

This is far more impressive than seemingly explosive personal data; it's not even in the same league.

But not everyone believed him.

At the very least, media outlets holding hostile stances refuse to believe or acknowledge it.

Los Angeles, Boston, New Jersey, San Antonio... multiple reporters raised questions from different angles.

But Brother Fang refused to pay any more attention to them. Faced with their overwhelming emotions, he simply waved his hand dismissively.

"You may question me as much as you like, and I will not argue, for time will prove me right. Next question."

The next question, the one after that, and yet another...

The atmosphere was extremely lively.

However, from then on, Fang Xinghe became concise and sparing with words, a stark contrast to his previous lengthy and professional discourses.

Washington media quietly drafted a press release: "SR's focus and passion for basketball are beyond question. He dislikes hype and dislikes those pointless attention-grabbing topics. The heart hidden beneath his aloof and handsome exterior is so sincere..."

Ha, tui!

Although it is utterly ridiculous, at this moment, praising Fang Xinghe in various ways is the politically correct approach for mainstream media.

The alliance chose SR, creating a huge news story. So, let's cooperate, elevate him to godhood, and create a trend. That's the most important thing to do.

As for what happens next and how Fang Xinghe will ultimately end up... who cares?

The media wants sales, the league wants stories, and the fans want emotions—that's all.

At this moment, few people can truly realize how lucky, how difficult, and how incredible it was for Fang Xinghe to win this MVP award.

Some domestic media outlets are making grand pronouncements: China is becoming increasingly important in all areas of the world!
But this is not a victory for the Chinese market. If the Chinese market had such great power, Yao Ming should not have missed out on a mere Rookie of the Year award.

This is merely a victory for Fang Xinghe himself; it's a win-win publicity stunt he orchestrated using his wisdom and strength.

In peace-loving America, no honor is taken for granted.

They love stories, so Brother Fang helps them make them up.

They love money, so Brother Fang took them along to fleece them.

Whatever they love, Brother Fang will give them. To hell with true feelings! Fang Xinghe just wants to take everything he can, then stand at the highest point and look down on these heartless rotten maggots and happy idiots.

This wasn't his last connection with the United States, but it was essentially his last connection with basketball.

Amidst the explosive public opinion, the Nets were defeated, easily defeating the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the breakthrough of the OK duo in the West, the two top teams finally met in the Finals.

This is the most fantastic script in NBA history. Number 8 has finally gotten his wish to face off against his mentor, number 23, while number 0, Yuan Chu, will launch a righteous attack on number 34, the Great Shark.

The moment both teams secured their places in the next round, nothing else mattered; only frenzy remained.

The frenzy among basketball fans worldwide.

Whether you like these two teams or not, this series is definitely not to be missed.

Similarly, whether you love basketball or not, you have to join in the fun this time.

The printing presses ran day and night, the football stars who had gone fishing returned home, and celebrities and socialites who wanted to watch the game in the front row sought favors everywhere. Major Asian television stations broadcast previews and recaps three times a day...

In Mantianxing's eyes, the world was clearly divided into two halves: one half was fervent anticipation, and the other half was restless unease.

The two constantly alternate and sometimes coexist, together brewing a kind of sublimation.

To be a solitary ruler, to become a god and an ancestor—all this is within reach today.

*************
I wrote a bit more to make up for yesterday's day off, and please stop spreading rumors. I only go to reputable places for massages.

(End of this chapter)