Generation Z Artists

Chapter 252 Utter Collapse

The people of Los Angeles are in a terrible state.

Despite Kobe's equally fierce offense, he achieved a beautiful 7-for-10 shooting percentage against Fang Xinghe's less-than-ideal defense. However, he only made one three-pointer and his pure mid-range shots, which did not draw fouls or result in free throws, were simply not enough to be lethal.

32:21, home team in front.

Fang Xinghe scored 28 points, from the start to the end.

"My God!"

Many commentators were shouting and waving their arms exaggeratedly.

"SR is on fire! He has already set a new record for points in the first quarter in modern NBA history. I can't imagine what kind of stats he will put up if he continues to attack like this!"

American basketball media are quite adept at creating suspense in games.

Realizing this would be a huge hit, major television stations began to push it out with all their might.

As the news spread, viewership soared, quickly surging from over 2800 million to over 3300 million.

This already ranks among the top 5 in viewership ratings history, and three of the top 4 were achieved by Fang Xinghe.

The three broadcasters were extremely excited and went on a rampage of praising Fang Ge and exaggerating his achievements during the commentary.

"A miracle has occurred again! In just one regular season game, the number of players eliminated has already reached 5th in history!"

"Where there is a Star River, there will always be miracles!"

"The most exquisite and dazzling offensive performance! Basketball players throughout the league and the world should learn from it!"

The Rockets' training facility.

A group of black guys, led by Francis, surrounded Yao Ming, shouting and asking all sorts of questions.

Mobley: "He's amazing! When he comes to the Rockets for an away game, can you get me his autographed jersey for that day?"

At this moment, Yao Ming's English was still quite poor. Just as he was about to reply to the translator's retelling, he was interrupted by Francis.

"STOP! I'm the team leader, so of course I'll swap jerseys with SR!"

"Bro! Don't do this! We're good brothers! Brothers shouldn't use their team status to bully each other!"

"Well, I'm the point guard on the team too. You're a shooting guard, go find Hamilton and exchange jerseys!"

"Fuck! Who wants that dog-walking guy's jersey!"

Yao Ming was surrounded by a noisy commotion. As the translator kept relaying the information, he felt both amused and shocked.

Only after coming to the United States and the NBA did he realize just how high the status of the "discipline disruptor" mentioned by the Basketball Association really was.

As a newcomer, he couldn't understand, so he asked, "Don't you guys hate Fang?"

"Jesus! Where did you hear that from?"

The group of black guys were all stunned.

"That's an SR! Why would we hate him?"

"Um, that's how many media outlets reported it..." Yao Ming thought for a moment and then recounted some of the domestic media reports, "He beat up your brothers and doesn't respect many people..."

"Come on! They deserved it!"

Francis replied firmly, "If it were me, I would never offend SR, that would be too stupid!"

"that is!"

James Posey chimed in, "He's the greatest point guard in history that every player in the league wants to play with! Look at those two idiots, Jim and Robinson, and how much space and opportunities they got because of him!"

"Fuck!"

Maurice Taylor, feeling sour at the mention of this, swore several times.

“I could beat Robinson with one hand, but he’s making three times my salary now, and Chinese companies are even asking him to be their spokesperson!”

Yao Ming finally understood: "So, Fang has a high status and a good reputation in the NBA?"

"Of course!"

Several people chimed in, and finally, it was Glen Rice, the veteran with the highest IQ, who explained the core reason.

"SR brought about a big change to the NBA, a very important change."

今年1月份，联盟和ABC与TNT签署了新的转播合约，转播周期是6个赛季（从2002-2003赛季至2007-2008赛季），金额突破了60亿，达到了64亿这个天文数字。

Although the two media giants were furious and regretted it terribly when SR announced its retirement, the benefits had already fallen into the hands of all of us.

And this is precisely what Your Excellency Commander brought.

I remember the original negotiation amount was only over 40 billion, but because of Fang, each of us could earn 50% more, plus the off-site benefits of expanded influence.

So why would anyone hate him?

No player in the league hates him; on the contrary, we are as grateful to him as we are to MJ.

His appearance at this crucial juncture was like that of an angel!

The unruly Boss Francis chimed in, "So, if we didn't earn his respect on the day of the game, it's only because we don't deserve it."

"Whoa!" the old cat exclaimed. "This isn't like you, boss!"

"Shut up! You idiot!"

Mr. Francis was furious and embarrassed.

"I'm not stupid. I can tell who the leader is who truly brings benefits to everyone!"

"Yes, yes, that's right." Many of the Black guys nodded in unison.

Glen Rice sighed, "It's a pity SR played for too short a time. If he had been willing to stay until his next contract and remain the best player in the league, I guess the league's broadcasting contract might have exceeded 100 billion..."

Yao Ming's small eyes widened: "You mean, Fang Xinghe is now the best player in the league?!"

"if not?"

Everyone looked at him with a strange expression.

"Last season's double MVP, the team's absolute core, a tactical mastermind who pioneered the space-management style of play, and a super killer who uses his long-range shooting to create a deterrent effect in actual combat—if he's not the best player in the league, then who is?"

Yao Ming was completely bewildered and started stammering, "Then... what about Jordan? And also, Shaq?"

"McClover doesn't count."

Glen Rice, who almost worked with Jordan but was prematurely dismissed in exchange for assets, is full of resentment.

"McDonald's comeback is just to enjoy basketball and boost the Wizards' value. Nobody still sees him as the basketball god he used to be; his 25-point-per-game average doesn't even crack the top five in the league. Of course, his defense is important, but it's nowhere near as important as SR."

Actually, that statement is a bit biased. Dan is definitely one of the two core players, and those 25 points were all hard-fought shots in the low post.

Of course, whether you look at the data or the honors, Fang Xinghe is indeed more important.

Old Cat directly refuted O'Neal's claim.

"Shaq has never won against SR in a head-to-head matchup. Kobe is just Shaq's little brother. They are not worthy of competing. So the best player in the league for the past two seasons can only be SR. Look how fierce he is today! He won the championship in June, and the Lakers didn't even force him to play at full strength!"

Okay, yet another new rumor has emerged.

In reality, Fang Xinghe simply cannot play like he does now in every game.

Moreover, given the defensive intensity of the Finals, such a brute-force approach might not be more effective.

But the commentators and viewers didn't care; they only believed what they saw with their own eyes.

That is……

When Fang Xinghe attacks with all his might, he is even more terrifying than Jordan at his peak.

Yao Ming was completely convinced and muttered, "Our country's media reports always have a certain bias, I didn't know that..."

Yes, he didn't know, and no one in the country fully knew either.

In the era of print media, if one-third of the media spoke ill of a person, that person's character was basically established in the minds of readers.

—Even if you praise someone a hundred times, the listener will still be skeptical. But a remark that exposes someone's shortcomings will leave a deep impression after just one reading.

This is media studies.

Fang Xinghe's treatment in the country is far worse than just one-third of the media saying bad things about him.

More than half.

None of the media outlets liked him.

The official media has praised him a lot, but the more they praise him, the more those "independent and clear-headed people" question the value of Fang Xinghe's achievements. There's nothing they can do about it.

However, this is not the case in the United States.

Because Fang Sheng chose the smartest approach—to develop a three-dimensional spatial tactic and spend a season proving its advanced nature, thus becoming a well-deserved tactical master.

Looking at individual statistics alone, some people might feel that this playstyle isn't exciting enough.

But the fact is that, from the NBA to college, most professionals in the United States have recognized the power and uniqueness of Fang's space tactics, thus establishing Fang Xinghe's unique status.

One championship to enter the Hall of Fame, competing with Magic Johnson for the title of best point guard, yet few people disagree – that's the biggest advantage.

Just look at the controversies surrounding LeBron James' historical status, and then look back at the adoration that media experts and fans have for Fang Xinghe, and you can truly feel the difference.

Just like Francis's summary—

"Yao, your NBA journey will be very smooth. No one in the league dares to bully Chinese players. Although we all know that SR is definitely an exception, that doesn't stop us from looking at you differently while respecting him. That's the status of Star River in the league. Seriously, bro, you've caught a great wave!" Yao felt an indescribable absurdity.

My older brother, a proud and upright champion of the 02 class, still has to rely on his younger brother's success when playing basketball.

But he had to acknowledge the reality of this benefit.

From the moment he joined the team, every player on the Rockets showed him goodwill. There were no rumors of "setting rules for rookies," nor any messy discrimination or humiliation.

Francis's generosity was one aspect, while everyone's awe and caution were another.

Today, at this moment, those somewhat hot-tempered Black teammates finally couldn't contain their restlessness any longer and asked the question that had been weighing on their minds for a long time—

"Medicine! How many people in your country actually know kung fu? Do you know it?"

Yao Ming's face was a mixture of amusement and exasperation, and he honestly shook his head.

"No, I can't, and most Chinese people can't either."

He paused for a moment and said leisurely, "I heard from the coaches in the sports team that if Fang Xinghe were in ancient times, he would be a grandmaster, a superhuman who appears once in a thousand years. We ordinary people shouldn't compare ourselves to him and just cause ourselves trouble."

Upon hearing this, Lao Mao raised his head and strained to look up at Yao Ming, who was a head taller than him even when sitting down, and couldn't help but curse.

"Fuck! You call yourself an ordinary person? Damn it, all Chinese people are freaks!"

This is unpleasant to hear, but after tonight, many people believe that there are indeed perverts among the Chinese.

……

The second quarter began in front of 3400 million local viewers and 7 million viewers across Asia.

Fang Xinghe went straight onto the court without resting for a single minute.

Kenny exclaimed, "SR is definitely not at his physical maturity yet. Physical strength and resistance to injury are his weaknesses, but look at him, he doesn't look tired at all! God really favored him when He created mankind!"

Fang Da, whose stamina recovery is 99, has indeed not yet reached the end of his natural physical development period.

His height even increased naturally by 0.5 centimeters, reaching a true 185cm, which startled him so much that he hurriedly locked his height in the body profile settings.

If it weren't for that, he might have grown naturally to 188cm.

He's handsome, but it'll be too much of a hassle for him to film in the future.

Now, with shoes on, he is 187cm tall, with a lean and streamlined physique and very poor muscle mass, but he moves like a gust of wind.

The wind continued to blow towards the Lakers' interior.

To ensure the game remains exciting, the referees are hesitant to call fouls on O'Neal, even when the two collide fiercely once again.

Fang Xinghe rammed into it forcefully, and then twisted his waist and turned his body at the first moment of the collision, changing the frontal collision to a side collision, and extended his arm and pulled the lever while in the air.

Bang, bang, whoosh.

The basketball bounced gently twice on the rim before stubbornly falling into the net.

"Fuck!"

O'Neal slammed the basketball down, his heart aching with anger.

Even though he had regained his former agility, he still couldn't stop Fang Xinghe.

He is only the most agile among the 2.10-meter-tall monsters, but not the most agile among all players. How can he compete with a monster like Fang Xinghe in terms of aerial maneuvers?

"Another incredible layup!"

Barkley yelled in frustration.

"SR's body is as flexible as their Eastern dragon, always able to perform all sorts of amazing maneuvers even when out of balance. The title of God of Leverage should be changed, and today is the day!"

The director was quick to switch the camera to Jordan.

Da Dan stared wide-eyed and shrugged at Fang Xinghe.

That roughly means: WTF? You actually dragged this into this?!
The fans were amused and, after the laughter subsided, an even more enthusiastic and passionate cheer resounded throughout the stadium.

"King of the Air! King of the Air! King of the Air!"

By the middle to late part of the second quarter, Fang Xinghe had collided with O'Neal four times, making 3 of 4 shots and getting 1 free throw, for a total of 7 points.

The score wasn't high, but O'Neal had already committed three fouls.

Hubie's commentary hit the nail on the head: "We probably won't see SR set a new scoring record today. He's not here to score; he just wants to completely crush Shaq and end this feud in the most decisive and ruthless way."

The audience suddenly realized what was happening, while Shaq was trembling with anger.

"You damn fly! You'll never be able to dunk on Shaq!"

It looks impressive, but what's the point?
He kept jumping in vain, and the score continued to widen by two points.

After halftime, there were two minutes left in the third quarter.

Score 88:73
In order to create the best possible environment for Fang Xinghe to charge into battle, the Wizards' other teammates did more than just sit idly by.

Jordan was in the low post on both sides, Robinson locked down the top of the key, and Hamilton darted back and forth. They would punish every double-team the Lakers had.

The score difference remained around 15 points, a very embarrassing score that seemed to be salvageable.

Kobe successfully executed two isolation plays, and both Danny and Robinson missed a shot, bringing the point difference back to 11 points, with a chance to narrow the gap to single digits.

At this point, the Lakers became even more hesitant to double-team Fang Xinghe.

In the next possession, Fang Xinghe once again took possession of the ball outside the three-point line and attempted a one-on-one attack.

He took a probing step back, then faked a drive and pulled back again, unleashing a crossover burst that easily brushed past Kobe, who was worried about a step-back three-pointer.

Fang Xinghe charged towards the inside line once again.

This time, Campbell went all out to entangle O'Neal, and O'Neal finally managed to break free of his grip, return to the basket, and leap high.

No, it didn't jump very high.

O'Neal was breathing heavily when his legs suddenly gave way, and he jumped less than 20 centimeters.

He was exhausted. He was constantly being attacked, constantly being harassed, constantly being explosively leaping and intercepting. The rest time he had was far from enough.

Fang Xinghe realized this in mid-air—Shaq was finally about to be exhausted!
His eyes suddenly lit up, and a flame-like light shone from the depths of his clear, glass-like heterochromatic pupils. His originally relaxed take-off posture suddenly tensed up, and in 0.01 seconds, he switched from preparing to pull the lever to preparing for a full-force collision.

The next instant, when the collision occurred, Fang Xinghe no longer dodged, but instead tensed his waist and abdomen violently, then thrust upwards, and finally swung his arm in a wide arc, smashing it down hard into the gap between O'Neal's hands!
Extreme explosive power results in extreme arm swing speed.

O'Neal's weak jump made his interception seem feeble and ineffective.

boom!
After a loud bang, he stubbornly pushed past O'Neal's long arms and slammed the basketball in!
With one hand gripping the basket, Fang Xinghe exerted force a second time in mid-air, swinging forward at an angle and flipping the massive O'Neal over in mid-air!

The shark leaned back, its heels hitting the ground first, and its massive body fell backward uncontrollably.

As a veteran player, he certainly knew how to deflect force in this situation. The thought of protecting himself instantly filled his mind. He slightly stuck out his buttocks, stretched his arms forward naturally, and then pushed off with his feet...

The massive body first sat down, then fell over, and then slid backward, landing safely.

But the next moment, when he realized what position he was in when facing Fang Xinghe, who was still hanging on the rim, O'Neal's dark face turned purple.

Commentators from all over the world screamed in unison.

"Oh my god! Star River slammed the Great White Shark down!"

"Front-up! Front-up blocker!"

"Unbelievable! This is fucking an execution, a public execution!"

On the screen at the scene, the slow-motion replay of the dunk began.

Fang Xinghe gently landed on the rim, looked down into O'Neal's eyes, and spoke casually.
"Now we're even, Shaq."

O'Neal was clearly furious, but his gaze instinctively shifted away.

In that instant, he recalled the godlike strength within Fang Xinghe's frail body, and felt a strange chill run down his spine.

By the time he realized he shouldn't have shown such weakness, Fang Xinghe had already turned around, raised his hands high, and returned to his throne amidst the roars of the people, like a king in control of the place.

He returned to his throne.

O'Neal didn't have time to respond. He was furious and acted like a wronged child, slapping away Kobe's hand that tried to pull him away. In the end, he simply covered his face with one hand and pressed his waist with the other.

"Don't worry about me! Call the team medic!"

Kobe paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

Her suddenly puffed-out cheeks were clearly visible on camera.

The Lakers are completely finished.

Hubie didn't dare say those words out loud.

But he had already made up his mind...

The NBA's strongest inside-outside duo, the OK combination that almost created a new Lakers dynasty, has collapsed.

They were defeated by Fang Xinghe.

Perhaps it shouldn't be called a beating, but rather an insult.

The bad news is that this humiliation happened a total of three times.

The good news is: there won't be a next time. All the grudges, love, and hate have finally come to a complete end tonight...

(End of this chapter)