Generation Z Artists

Chapter 226 Everyone Was Moved to Tears
The Lakers really can't win.

Not only the Lakers themselves noticed this, but the league and professional media also made the same judgment.

"You know what? I never imagined that a perimeter shooter could completely counter Shaquille O'Neal, this prehistoric giant, but it just happened, right in front of all of us..."

The media is extremely keen to hype up the topic of Fang Xinghe defeating O'Neal, analyzing the Lakers' tactical dead end from different angles.

There are plenty of people who don't want to see the Lakers rebuild their dynasty. It's the same in the sports world all over the world. Whoever becomes the dominant force gets criticized. Back then, Dan Zi was criticized every single day.

But this time the schadenfreude seems particularly different—they are using OK as a stepping stone to elevate a new god.

To bolster their arguments, ESPN and TNT enthusiastically discussed the historical trend of perimeter players ending interior dominance.

First, Jordan ended the era of the four great centers, and then Fang Xinghe is about to end the era of the last super center in the league.

"Perhaps we should face this issue squarely—there has never been a center era. Agile perimeter players are better suited to this sport than bulky interior giants. It's just that guards were too weak in the past, until Michael Jordan and Alex Ferguson appeared."

This judgment spread wildly throughout the basketball world and sparked a strong reaction among fans.

"Bullshit!"

"No, no, no, that makes a lot of sense."

"Riley once predicted that the future NBA league would be dominated by five players with a 2-meter perimeter."

"Idiot! Fang is only 1.85 meters tall!"

"The paint will always be the domain of giants, and Shaq will win, he definitely will!"

"So SR is going to get a new nickname again? Terminator?"

"Why are you all so pessimistic about the Lakers? I always felt they were the stronger team."

"Because perimeter players sell shoes better, Fang + Myles, the top two best-selling shoe teams in history, so forget it, the Lakers have no hope, sigh..."

Many fans were pessimistic about the Lakers winning the championship, but as soon as Game 4 started, they felt that things weren't so bad after all.

O'Neal exploded.

He dominated the paint, putting in more effort on both offense and defense, and making bigger moves.

But the referee ignored it.

This is the league's attitude.

SM Entertainment can win, and Fang Xinghe can reach the top, but not tonight, and certainly not next time.

A gentleman's sweep of 4:1 would seriously damage the interests of the league.

After all, this is the most expensive finals series in history, and every additional game can bring in tens of millions in revenue.

Moreover, the league did a good job on appearances—we just loosened up the intensity and wanted to bring the audience a more intense game, what's wrong with that?

However, the intensity of the confrontation is precisely the factor that most affects the accuracy of outside shots.

After the start of Game 4, Kobe, who had already lost his way, not only grabbed him but also delivered a sneaky elbow after being driven past.

Normally, if the referee intended to control the situation, the whistle would have already been blown at that moment.

but no.

Kobe's eyes lit up immediately.

As a seasoned veteran of many matches, Danzi immediately warned Fang Xinghe: "Today will probably be a contest. I'll test the referee's standards. Wait for my reply."

In the next possession, Danzi took the initiative to defend Kobe, using his forearm to press down and disrupt Kobe's center of gravity.

The referee did not blow the whistle.

OK, the cards are out in the air, nobody can expect to have an easy time today.

The confrontation escalated suddenly.

Both sides have extensive experience in hand-to-hand combat, and the constant collisions and tearing became the main feature right from the start.

Hamilton can no longer easily shake off Fisher, and the likelihood of the referee calling a foul on him when he pulls on the ball during off-the-ball runs is even lower.

Robinson could no longer show off his crossover dribble, and Horry pushed forward forcefully, resulting in a violent collision.

Fang Xinghe's long-range three-pointers went cold, and Xiao She not only raised his hand to press Fang Xinghe's hips, but he also often secretly grabbed Fang Xinghe's waist.

The waist is the pivot of force; if it is pushed or grabbed when exerting force, stability will inevitably be compromised.

The Wizards could certainly use the same tactics to counter the Lakers, but the Lakers don't rely on outside shooting accuracy; their core weapon has always been Shaq.

When O'Neal was boxing out, he could swing his arm horizontally and elbow the ball; people who haven't played basketball can never imagine what kind of destructive power that was.

Simply put, this guy receives the ball with his back to the basket, turns around, blocks it with his thigh, and then uses the momentum of the turn to swing his arm. Campbell can't even stand up straight and can only watch helplessly as he wreaks havoc on the rim.

Compared to Game 2, this game was even more difficult for the Wizards.

Because Kobe had become somewhat accustomed to Fang Xinghe's three-pronged attack, and through persistent harassment, he was eventually able to reduce Kobe's efficiency.

I hate this kind of lousy fighting style that Fang Ge uses.

Especially when they finally managed to penetrate the paint and find O'Neal but couldn't get the free throws, the Wizards' already limited offensive power was further exacerbated.

This is what is meant by "each version has its own god".

However, there are also players who are perfectly suited to their roles on both teams.

The old rogue laughed smugly.

"Give me the ball."

This guy doesn't learn anything good, but he's picked up Fang Xinghe's pretentious ways.

"I will lead you to victory, I swear on my six championship rings."

Fang Ge has never cared who ends the game or who gets the data. The honor he aims for is above the data, not a temporary king, but a pioneer at the forefront.

Therefore, he immediately lay low, used tactics to adjust the defense, and then handed the ball to Jordan to finish.

In the first two quarters, Dan scored 28 points with an efficiency of 52% through one-on-one plays, protecting the Wizards' core.

He's really perfect for tackling tough challenges.

At 39, Dan Zi is no longer extremely agile, but his static strength has increased rather than decreased. Even after losing weight to 96 kilograms, he is still strong enough to hold his own against a power forward.

Against Fox, he only needs the most basic back-to-the-basket move to get a good shooting opportunity.

Then came the crisp, swishing sound of the net being swished again and again.

However, by the middle of the third quarter, his thighs finally gave out.

Having to handle both offense and defense is an immense pressure for the 39-year-old Deng. He didn't back down, but his efficiency is slowly declining.

When he missed his third consecutive mid-range shot, the Wizards were filled with dejection.

Ah Gou called everyone to his side, stopped lecturing them with motivational speeches, and instead tried to persuade them to avoid the fight.

"We can't keep fighting like this."

He looked worriedly at Da Dan, who was sweating profusely and panting heavily, and then at the bloody marks on Fang Xinghe's arm.

"Let's give them another match. It's not worth it to keep fighting like this."

Fang Xinghe's teammates all looked up at him.

Everyone was exhausted and felt frustrated during the fight. This kind of hand-to-hand combat was definitely not something this group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people were good at.

Offstage, the faint sounds of chatter from the TNT commentary booth in the front row could be heard.

"The Lakers have found the only solution to the Wizards' spacing system—play defense with everything they have!"

"Come on, that's just because the refereeing was exceptionally lenient in this game."

"But that's the Finals! We should allow for the highest level of competition in the Finals!"

"What was the cost? The viewership ratings plummeted below 4500 million. Not everyone can accept this kind of brutal, hand-to-hand combat!"

"Basketball is a tough guy's game! All I can say is that if he wants to earn absolute respect, he has to break through all of that and fight his way out of the fire!"

Everyone knows who he is.

It's already a consensus that the Wizards are Fang Xinghe's team.

Fang Xinghe exhaled a deep breath.

"continue."

He opened his phoenix eyes wide and looked around at his teammates one by one.

"Focus on defense, give it your all, and as for scoring... leave it to me."

"What do you intend to do..." Ah Gou hesitated, then stopped.

"Don't forget my signature move." Fang Xinghe patted his thigh and laughed. "Only two matches left. It's time to show you the real Phantom Strike."

The Wizards were dumbfounded, exchanging bewildered glances.

A real phantom raid?
What's the meaning? !

Could it be that the previous Phantom Strike wasn't the complete form?!
The literal meaning, of course not.

Phantom Strike is an overpowered skill with a very simple theoretical framework; it's all about numbers and nothing fancy.

It changes according to Fang Xinghe's attributes.

Greater explosive power, faster speed, and better control can all lead to improved performance.

On his first basket after returning to the court, Fang Xinghe completely outplayed Kobe.

The first step of that explosive burst forced Kobe to take a jump step to follow up and reach out to grab it.

In that fleeting instant before Kobe's lateral jump step landed, Fang Xinghe seemed to lose momentum, bouncing backward, pulling the ball back, and then sweeping past Kobe's other side.

A giant V-shape blooms on either side of Kobe.

Kobe didn't have time to intercept, but he was stubborn. Before he had even landed properly, he turned his head to look and reached out to grab it.

At first, he extended his right hand, but now he subconsciously extended his left hand, shifting his weight to the side and twisting his upper body like a pretzel. Fang Xinghe didn't even need to use his ball-protecting hand to touch him again before he twisted himself over.

With a thud, the superstar collapsed to the ground in a sorry state.

For the first time since the start of the game, Fang Xinghe had ample space to attack the paint.

Because Kobe did not provide any delaying effect, O'Neal was in a bad position—he could have taken one step back to the basket, but he still needed to turn around in the middle.

A center must turn and take a step to reach an effective rim protection position. What this means is something that any basketball fan with enough common sense understands.

O'Neal understood, but he still gritted his teeth and took that step, leaping with his arms outstretched.

Fang Xinghe naturally wouldn't tolerate his bad habits, so he sprang up and rammed into him head-on!

"Fuck off!"

The clash was completed in an instant; the slender 1.85-meter frame and the massive 2.16-meter frame collided passionately in mid-air, eliciting gasps of surprise.

Fang Xinghe felt an immense force pressing down on him, but in the split second, he managed to gain a slight lead in altitude thanks to his faster spring speed.

A sharp pain surged through his mind from the point of contact, but he gritted his teeth, braced his elbow against O'Neal's shoulder, and used the last bit of strength to steady himself. He swung his arm and slammed the ball into the basket!
Since we're both resorting to brute force, let's see who's more ruthless!

boom!
The moment Fang Xinghe successfully dunked and grabbed the rim, he pressed down with all his might, leaning his entire body forward at nearly 60 degrees, almost hovering in mid-air.

O'Neal ultimately had nowhere to draw strength from, and despite his greater strength and larger size, he was still pushed down.

Upon landing, he lost his footing and fell backward with a loud thud, staggering to the ground.

Not satisfied with achieving this feat, Fang Biwang took a step forward after landing, bent down and looked down at the disheveled and bewildered O'Neal, and roared with a fist.

"This is my house! You cannot act recklessly here without my permission!"

Watching the game at home, Wade felt a shiver run through him; intense electric currents surged through his brain, bringing a powerful mix of dizziness and exhilaration. That's what a real man should be like!

In just a moment, he regarded Fang Xinghe as his absolute idol.

But O'Neal was the complete opposite; the intense humiliation and anger made him want to get up immediately and throw a punch.

however……

Before he could even get up, the referee and the linesman teleported between the two of them, one blocking him and the other driving Fang Xinghe away.

Fang shrugged with a cold laugh and turned to walk towards his own half of the field.

As they marched, they raised their arms high, pointing their index fingers to the sky, eliciting thunderous cheers.

"Fang, fang, fang!"

The on-site host, Joe O, shouted at the top of his lungs: "Our esteemed commander has taken down the overconfident little shark!"

You want violence, so I'll give you violence!

No one can stop the Star River Martial Saint from the mysterious China! Lakers, you must fear him!

Whether the Lakers are afraid or not is unknown to outsiders.

The atmosphere at the scene was absolutely electric.

Everywhere you look, there is red light.

The commentators are going crazy.

"What the fuck?!"

“Oh my god!”

"Jesus! Unbelievable! Fang actually knocked down Shaq!"

"This is the most dominant and wildest dunk in NBA history. Star River will be forever remembered in history. He was like a butcher!"

What kind of bullshit description is that?
These Americans were really lacking; just look at how the Japanese media described them—

"The Empire's most ferocious martial saint unleashed a meteor dunk, like the asteroid that destroyed the Jurassic period, annihilating the last prehistoric behemoth on Earth!"

Just imagine how thrilled the Japanese audience must have been after hearing that!

Fang Xinghe himself felt great. Although it was a dunk that was suspected of being a foul and was not a real head-on collision, since the rules of this game were rough competition, this was his milestone.

I didn't complain even when Kobe's big elbows slammed into me, did I?
But O'Neal complained.

He vented his anger and protested incessantly to the referee.

That's a fucking foul!

As everyone knows, the Great White Shark has a narrow mind; he can only accept treating others with privilege, but he cannot accept others retaliating in the same way.

The referee was at his wit's end, and in the next round, he found a whistle to blow Campbell's whistle.

Deducted, plus penalty.

He made the free throw, and O'Neal completed a 2+1 play.

But what's the use?
Fang Xinghe had completely rallied the morale of the prodigies.

Their tight defense and constant movement created excellent one-on-one opportunities for Your Excellency.

Fang Xinghe continued to attack Kobe, using the most physically demanding methods.

The V-shaped crossover, the most undefendable move in the NBA, repeatedly shone at the MCI Center, bringing both extreme spectacle and utter despair.

Fang Xinghe's ball control is indeed somewhat lacking, but it's only the first step that requires a high level of ball control.

After taking that unstoppable first step, Fang Xinghe's already mysterious and unpredictable rhythm became even more terrifying.

Kobe was caught in a dilemma.

The defending side was already on the defensive, and now they are even more on the defensive.

There are only a few types of lateral movement steps when defending: small steps, cross steps, and lateral jumps. Only large lateral jumps can keep up with Fang Xinghe's movements.

Without following, Fang Xinghe simply stepped past.

If you try to keep up, you'll completely lose control of your center of gravity.

After several attempts, Fang Xinghe's slightly larger forward stab step was enough to make Kobe react.

Even with all the pulling and tugging, he was still in a very sorry state.

In the third quarter, on the Wizards' final possession, Fang Xinghe crouched down and took a step, forcing Kobe to react and move sideways.

Then, Fang easily gathered the ball, took a step back, stood at the edge of the logo, and shot his first long-range three-pointer of the day.

The moment the basketball was released, Fang Biwang immediately turned and walked towards the bench.

beep!

After the arrow was fired, the entire audience rose to their feet, cheering and shouting as they paid homage to the king.

The King of Show-offs has left another iconic moment for the NBA, for future generations to admire, and for it to become an indelible memory for a generation.

G4, another victory!
At this point, the Lakers, and even the league, had no other options.

Stern still has some self-respect; he wouldn't do anything too disgusting on the Finals stage.

Since this level of competition couldn't defeat the prodigy, he calmed down and waited for the outcome.

Meanwhile, the Lakers on the other side were completely demoralized.

In Game 4, O'Neal scored 38 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, playing to his absolute limit, but they still lost by a hair's breadth. They simply didn't know how to win anymore.

"SR is simply a monster."

Fisher and Horry whispered to each other.

Horry nodded blankly and sighed, "Defend against drives and shoot, defend against shots and drive, and still have energy at the end... How can there be such an disgusting point guard?"

In Game 4, Fang Xinghe played for 44 minutes, playing until the very last moment.

He used high-intensity breakthrough techniques like the Phantom Strike a total of 10 times, scoring 6 of them despite O'Neal's defense in the paint, and drawing two fouls, which he made both.

If the referee had been stricter, Fang Xinghe alone could have fouled out O'Neal with six fouls.

最终，方星河的数据是32分12助攻6篮板10抢断4盖帽，活生生在总决赛里打出一个抢断三双。

His score alone may not seem remarkable, but upon closer examination, his impact on the game clearly far surpasses that of Shaq.

Naturally, he also surpassed Kobe.

The little snake covered its face with a towel and suddenly spoke in a muffled voice: "Next game, I'll guard Jordan."

The Zen master was taken aback, then nodded bitterly.

Precise alignment is meaningless now, let it be...

In Game 5, Kobe finally got his wish and was traded to Jordan.

Danzi grinned happily, and unusually took the initiative to ask Fang Xinghe for help.

"Hey SR, I'll teach you how to teach Kobe a lesson in the most efficient way!"

The little snake, its forehead covered in black lines, braced itself against the giant dantian, which was standing with its back to it.

Then there is no more...

Coach Da Dan faked a turn, shifted the snake's center of gravity, and then easily lifted the ball with his left hand after a spin and a step-back.

Fang Xinghe was happy to slack off and watched the two of them fight one-on-one for three rounds.

Jordan won 3-1.

Actually, Dan could easily beat anyone in a one-on-one match, but he had an exceptionally easy time against Kobe.

The techniques are exactly the same, the physical fitness is fully covered, and the offensive and defensive awareness is far ahead. It's truly a case of the father beating the son.

It is worth mentioning that in the original history, Kobe Bryant, wearing number 8, played four games against the Wizards' Danny Smith, directly facing him for about 20 possessions. Smith's offensive efficiency was very high, but his defense was completely unable to keep up with Kobe's speed.

At that time, Dan had a very poor rehabilitation and underwent knee surgery. He also gained weight to 100 kilograms and was playing as a power forward, but he had been downgraded to the level of a superstar goalkeeper.

Dan Zi is still almost a superstar, no longer a god, but he is dominant at the small forward position.

They didn't suffer too much in terms of speed, and their experience was enough to make up for it. They really had a good time in the first quarter.

Fang Xinghe was not in high spirits during the match and did not show a strong desire to attack.

In the previous few big games, he had shown everything he could, including a barrage of three-pointers, a crazy drive to the basket, and a full-fledged defense. He had played all the games he wanted to play. In this game, facing a timid Fox, he simply didn't want to exert himself.

Well, the main purpose is teasing, with playful teasing as a secondary activity; it's all about relaxation.

The whistle for G5 has tightened again, making the game really boring.

He scared Fox, passed the ball around, and occasionally launched a fast break. Throughout the game, Fang Xinghe only took 9 shots but made 25 good passes, breaking another record.

Finals assist record.

The previous record was held by Magic Johnson, who recorded 21 assists, 14 points, and 11 rebounds in 1984.

方哥将之提高到25次，还附赠了20分、5篮板、5抢断、5盖帽。

The main reason is that the Lakers' interior players reacted to him. As soon as he broke through, Shaq immediately abandoned Campbell and rushed into his path, giving Campbell so many easy baskets that he was stuffed.

Fang Xinghe made every pass perfectly, and Akan was like a god of war, scoring 22 points, second in the team, which is truly outrageous.

Once he started to explode, the Wizards won without any trouble.

This is different from what everyone expected.

However, when the final whistle blew, the Wizards' substitutes rushed onto the court, surrounding their commander, and the commentators and spectators felt it was only natural.

The Wizards, built around Fang Xinghe as their absolute core, should have won this easily.

The Lakers were heavily restrained from the very beginning.

He was moved to the perimeter defense, one step beyond the three-point line.

A power forward who can't get back into the paint, struggles to grab rebounds, and has difficulty providing help defense.

They could only crouch in the restricted area and wait for the great white shark to charge.

Fisher suffered cramps twice and vomited three times after being walked around so much.

And Fox, trembling with fear as he faced Jordan...

What makes the Lakers think they can win?

Of course, there is only one key factor in winning the game – Washington Saint, Fang Xinghe.

"Dear viewers, as you can see, the NBA champion for the 2001-2002 season is..."

Washington Wizards!
Let's congratulate all the Wizards players, congratulate Coach Doug (who may seem useless but is incredibly important), and...

The most crucial moment, the god of Washington, was when Michael Jordan dunked on him!
Incredible! Washington's St. Square! Star! River!

Everyone stand up!

Let me hear your cheers, and let our divine union lead you to your coronation!

Joe O rambled on for a while, every sentence containing the word "fuck," so CCTV5 cut it off and didn't dare to broadcast it.

However, the image of more than 20,000 people standing up, raising their hands, and bowing in unison was unreservedly captured by the entire nation.

Unbeknownst to many, China has become desolate, bringing tears to the eyes of all...

(End of this chapter)