Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 253 You Deserve to Have No Son
There was no need to wait until the next day. Late that night, the news that Chinese player Chen Fang led his team to defeat the Warriors became a hot topic in the United States.

Especially the last ball, Durant and Klay double-blocked Chen Fang's buzzer-beater, the number of views exceeded tens of millions.

Chen Fang's 42-point individual performance was praised endlessly, and many NBA columnists interpreted this second pick from a technical perspective.

California Daily's NBA columnist Carey wrote: This was a game that can be defined as Chen Fang's personal show. From three-pointers to two-point buzzer-beaters, from fast breaks to double-teaming, from assists to blocks, Chen Fang's comprehensiveness was fully demonstrated.

What is more worthy of respect is his self-confidence and indomitable inner spirit. Any team in the league would be timid when facing the Golden State Warriors. But when facing Curry, Durant, Klay, Green, the best players in the league today, Chen Fang single-handedly carried the Clippers' offense and defense and defended the dignity of the home court.

Finally, Carey talked about a small matter about how he had the audacity to ask Chen Fang, who was warming up, how many points he could get today. The latter confidently said 30 points. Although he did not fulfill his promise in the end, he took the initiative to apologize to him and said that he would fulfill his promise soon.

Confident and willing to take responsibility, not discouraged by failure, this is Chen Fang, a quality that many stars in the league lack.

This short article was forwarded thousands of times in less than two hours after it was published, sparking heated discussions.

There was a message labeled as a Lakers fan who wrote: I have been following Chen Fang since he was in the NCAA. When I heard that the Lakers chose Chen Fang, I was so happy. When I heard that he was traded to the Clippers, I lost my appetite for several days.

This is a very stupid deal. The Lakers lost their second Kobe. If you don’t believe it, let’s come back and see in ten years.

Here is a reply from a Clippers fan: My situation is the opposite of yours. When I heard that Paul went to the Lakers, I was in a bad mood for several days. Even though Chen Fang performed well after the start of the game, I didn't like him. Today I spent $600 to watch Durant. Thank God, I was able to witness Chen Fang's famous work on the spot. Now I am a fan of Chen Fang.

In the East, on the other side of the ocean it was morning, the golden time period for the dissemination of information on the Internet. From the second Chen Fang scored the buzzer-beater against the Warriors, a large amount of news gushed out like a volcanic eruption, and it continued in an endless stream.

All of Chen Fang's information was dug up again, including his high school basketball playing video and the first video posting on a video website titled "Be Your Own Light, Illuminate the Way Ahead." The value of every word he said increased dramatically.

There are definitely a lot of Warriors fans in China. Their playing style, their dominance, and the styles of their stars are all very popular among Chinese fans. Being able to defeat such a team makes countless Warriors fans feel incredible and proud at the same time.

It can be said that Chen Fang's buzzer-beater today was directly the fault of the Warriors and wiped out all the Chinese fans.

The number of fans of the video account, which had not been updated for a long time, soared by 30 million on that day, becoming the account with the most fans on the short video website.

At the post-match press conference, facing the excited reporters, Chen Fang handled it with ease. He did not appear excited, but looked calm.

When the reporter asked Chen Fang why this happened, Chen Fang replied: "This is just a regular season game, and the regular season has just begun. Yes, my teammates and I are very happy, but now is the time to prepare for the next opponent."

A reporter from San Francisco asked Chen Fang a pointed question. He asked: "Regarding the conflict that happened today and your angry attack on Green after the buzzer-beater, can this be seen as the birth of a new feud?"

Chen Fang shook his head: "We need to distinguish between on and off the court. Whether it is with teammates or opponents, playing is our job. If there is any conflict, it is because of the desire to win and the difference in playing style."

"The game is over, but life goes on. There's an old Chinese saying: if you look down, you may not see me, but if you look up, you will see me."

"What if Green cares so much? He told the reporters when he left."

"What did he say?" Chen Fang was quite interested.

"See you in Jinzhou!"

"That's great sass, and I think that's something that the league and the fans like to see."

"What do you think?"

"Then see you in Jinzhou!" Chen Fang answered without hesitation.

Finally, it was the turn of the Chinese reporters to ask questions. TX Sports reporter Meng Chao stood up. This was her first time asking questions at a press conference. Although she was very nervous, she calmly asked the question she had been thinking about for a long time: "First of all, as a compatriot, congratulations on breaking your new personal scoring record."

"Thank you."

"I really want to know what caused this outbreak?"

Chen Fang was stunned for a moment. He couldn't help but look at Meng Chao a few more times. She was dressed in a neutral outfit and had a light makeup. He seemed to have some impression of her in his mind. Was this the beautiful reporter who was not famous in China but was quite recognized in the NBA circle?
There is very little news about her. It is said that she is a Chinese living in the United States who loves basketball very much. Without any background, she has taken root in the NBA through hard work and belief.

Chen Fang thought quickly but didn't stop talking. He said, "Blake's accidental injury might be a factor. He had been preparing for this match for a long time. We all want to give him the victory. We hope he can recover peacefully."

"In addition, I like pressure. The greater the pressure, the more I feel the significance of the game. Golden State's dominance has inspired our team's desire to win. And this is our home court. We can't let down the 20,000 fans who paid for tickets to watch the game."

"Thank you." Meng Chao's pounding heart finally slowed down. Chen Fang's frank answer made her feel very fulfilled when she asked her question. As a stage she had always dreamed of, in just a dozen seconds, she felt that all her hard work was worth it!

Then came the other reporters. You should never underestimate American reporters. They have strong professional abilities, but they are all vicious and cruel people.

The ESPN reporter asked: "When Griffin was with you, you could only score a dozen points, but when you led the team alone, you not only won but also scored 42 points. Does this mean that Griffin is the biggest enemy that hinders your data?"

"Of course not, man, this question is boring and disgusting." Chen Fang immediately sneered.

"Griffin is the spiritual leader of the Clippers. The Clippers are very different with him and without him. Also, please don't portray me as a person who is trying to usurp power. I am proud to be Blake's teammate."

"He will always be my elder brother who deserves my respect and admiration. Please stop asking questions and thinking about this. This is destructive and has bad intentions."

Chen Fang's harsh words not only surprised the other reporters, but also made them feel recognized by Chen Fang's words, and they all looked at this reckless reporter with cold eyes.

After the press conference, Chen Fang also underwent further physical examinations and had an MRI of his buttocks and thighs to check for potential problems.

In recent years, injury prevention for players has gradually become one of the important daily tasks for NBA teams, and the health of players, which was previously ignored or not taken seriously, has been given top priority.

Core players in particular have to undergo a check-up every week. If they suffer any minor injuries on the field, they will be checked repeatedly afterwards.

Finally, there was a dinner party. Since it was a home game, everything was handled in their own player center. Ballmer was unfortunately not present today due to family matters, but during the dinner, he still expressed his respect to the whole team through video and gave a surprise.

Each person received a Tiffany watch.

This made the whole team cheer in the restaurant. Chen Fang watched this scene with a smile. The joy of NBA is not only on the court, but more about post-game and daily life.

Just like what Garnett once chatted with Chen Fang, when talking about what was the saddest thing after retirement, Garnett said it was dinner parties.

"When you're no longer playing for this team or league, the biggest sense of separation is at dinner parties. Playing with these guys on the court isn't the most important thing, but the strongest sense of identity is at dinner parties. This environment is private, everyone can talk and fool around, act together, and have fun together. There's no hierarchy, only seniority, and everyone is just like part of a big family."

"When you retire, you can no longer attend these kinds of gatherings, and it feels like a big piece of your life is missing, like you've lost a lot of family and friends."

Now, Chen Fang gradually understood what Garnett said. They faced the strong enemy together, and carried it together regardless of winning or losing. When they won, they boasted wildly, and when they lost, they comforted each other and soothed their fluctuating emotions.

Teamwork is the result of collaboration on and off the field.

After finishing the meal, everyone chose to go home. This game was too exhausting, and after eating, the tiredness became even more severe.

It was already past eleven o'clock when Chen Fang got home, and this was a new problem that Chen Fang had to face.

It is no longer possible to go to bed on time as before, and I have to readjust my daily routine.

Wu Zi was waiting for him in the living room as usual, and had prepared some soup and was keeping it warm.

She watched the game and knew how powerful her husband was today, but she didn't show too much. She just asked about her butt and neck if they still hurt.

Of course Chen Fang said it was okay, and then said it would be even better if he could rub it. As a result, Wu Zi kicked him in the butt.

The two of them laughed and played in the living room. Finally, Chen Fang caught Wu Zi who was running away, hugged her and asked, "Is it a bit lonely to be alone at home?"

"It's okay. I video chatted with my mother and was busy making soup. Actually, I didn't wait for you for long." Wu Zi said.

Chen Fang's anxiety was slightly relieved by Wu Zi's comfort. He was adapting to the new life, and so was Wu Zi.

The next day, the topic of the Clippers overthrowing the Warriors really began to spread in North America. The second pick played a masterpiece that overshadowed this year's rookies, and Mitchell, who was in the limelight, suddenly became sluggish. Facing the interview with the reporter, although he still insisted, he still showed respect.

"He can beat everyone in the NCAA. I am not as good as him in this aspect. But this is the charm of competition. It gives me greater motivation and keeps me going."

When facing the interview with reporters, Tatum was obviously happier and smiled: "Congratulations to my brother. I know how amazing his talent is. His efforts and IQ are also far beyond ordinary people. I am not surprised at all by his performance yesterday. Of course, this gave me great motivation. He has always been my role model."

Reporters from all walks of life interviewed almost all the rookies in this year's lottery zone and reached a surprising consensus.

Fox, Lonzo, Fultz, Adebayo and others have all shown their convincing side, and Chen Fang's reputation has made the whole country aware of a fact.

Among the 17th class of rookies, Chen Fang is actually a representative figure. It can even be said that he has always been the leader. This group of rookies have more or less fought and dealt with Chen Fang.

This gave many people in the circle a sense of déjà vu, and they all admired Chen Fang this time.

The video of David's interview with Chen Fang began to appear in the media at the right time. After watching the interview, the label of Chen Fang's high golf IQ suddenly became clear.

If there had not been this game, many people would think that Chen Fang was too confident and arrogant, but now, few people hold this view, because Chen Fang did point directly to the current problems and trends in the NBA.

Even Connor, director of the NBA's player development center, expressed his feelings on Twitter: This is a trend worthy of alarm, and we need to do something to avoid it.

With official recognition, Chen Fang's interview was considered a success.

The well-known basketball podcast VK took the opportunity to invite Garnett and McGrady to be guests for a special discussion about Chen Fang.

VK first teased McGrady, asking if he was the boss behind the scenes, silently training Chen Fang. McGrady, whose beard was beginning to turn gray, laughed out loud, and said, "I really hope what you said is true, but unfortunately, I haven't met Chen Fang yet."

"OK, now someone has seen it, and it was seen a long time ago."

Garnett replied: "Yes, I am one of the first NBA people that Chen Fang met after he came to the United States. I like this guy."

"In fact, everyone knows that I don't like soft, hypocritical, and cunning people, but Chen Fang is not like that, and he is much better than people imagine."

"What's good?" VK asked.

"I'm not exaggerating about his charisma. This guy is very charismatic. Look at the arrogant Kobe Bryant, who was willing to go fishing with him. You can see how charismatic he is."

"Haha, indeed. This morning someone reportedly asked Kobe what he thought of Chen Fang's performance yesterday. Kobe replied very coolly that he deserved it."

"Let's talk about Falcon's skills first, and why people think he is Little Maddie." VK controlled the topic very well and did not let the topic go too far.

Of course, McGrady can't talk about this. Garnett said: "First of all, it's the size. Secondly, the scoring style. He is a bit like you before 01."

"Maybe, but I was better than him back then," said McGrady.

The two of them had no argument about this. McGrady's experience in the Magic was that he fought ten people alone and no one could stop him.

"Just like yesterday's game, let me put forward a point here. In fact, the reason why we were able to beat the Warriors was not only because he scored 42 points, but more importantly, Chen Fang activated the Clippers' defensive system." VK said.

"He gave the Clippers a sense of hierarchy, and in the unlimited switching defense, he delayed the Warriors' rotation and shooting choices very well."

"Double-team, double-team, delay, deterrence, he did a very good job of strong defense on the weak side of both wings, which allowed the Clippers to block the Warriors' sharp offensive points layer by layer, so that the Warriors only scored 90 points throughout the game, and this was after Chen Fang rested for most of the third quarter."

"Defense is most about attitude. We usually regard players with a defensive attitude as playoff players!" Garnett echoed, and then he told a little story about training Chen Fang.

"No matter how outrageous the training indicators I give him, he will try his best to complete them and be very demanding of himself. At first, I was doing this as a favor at Rondo's request, but from the second day on, I started to invest. I knew that this kid could definitely play in the NBA and make it."

"Oh, brother, I don't feel well." Maddie cried out.

"Haha!" VK laughed. He quickly tried to smooth things over: "He's definitely not mocking you. We all know that the more you practice, the worse your performance will be. You've already done your best."

Garnett just smiled. Everyone has his own understanding of success and basketball, and that's what he thought.

The topic quickly transitioned to the next one, with McGrady appearing on stage and interpreting Chen Fang's attack.

"The bounce speed is very important, which makes it difficult for the defender. I played for the Raptors at that time, and everyone knew that maybe Carter could jump higher, but he couldn't jump as fast as me."

"I don't need to use any strength, whether it's shooting or layups, I can handle them easily. After I got to the Rockets, my weight went up, and my knee and calf injuries forced me to expend more energy on jumping."

"Many people say Chen Fang plays like me, but I don't think so. The only thing I agree with is the speed of the ball. I think we are very similar."

"Man, I've always believed that speed means accuracy." McGrady spoke his mind.

He then extended the point: "If you are always worried about your shot being blocked, how can you make it? Every time I jump, I can't see the opponent's head. The basket is at the level of my perspective, which gives me confidence in shooting."

"Whether it's a turnaround jump shot or a long shot, these are what made me extremely confident in my shooting in the beginning."

"What about you, Kevin?" VK asked Garnett.

"Me? I agree with you. When I jump, I can't see anyone. Sometimes, I have to lower my head to find where the basket is." Garnett made a witty remark.

The three of them laughed and then talked about Chen Fang's interview. Garnett shook his head: "I feel like I have to take the blame. God is my witness. I didn't complain to him so much. Well, he said something that I agree with."

“Tracy also shot three-pointers, but that was based on her own strengths, unlike the league now where everyone is shooting three-pointers, which breaks a lot of things.”

"When we were there, every team had its own strategy and method to win, but now everyone is the same. Everyone is shooting three-pointers. Coaches require players to shoot. Scouts are desperately looking for big men who can shoot three-pointers all over the world. Many traditions of this league are disappearing."

"So the audience will get tired of it. Please, the Warriors shooting every day is boring. If all 30 teams are like this, I will refuse to watch the NBA."

Afterwards, the topic shifted to the Warriors, with Garnett and McGrady both expressing their opinions, which were not meant to be offensive, but were critical.

"The Warriors won a championship relying on three-pointers, and then they lost to the Cavaliers. In the review, they realized that three-pointers alone could not solve the opponent, so they recruited Durant."

“So they got the championship again.”

"In the regular season, we can rely on three-pointers to get a good ranking, but in the playoffs, we ultimately need the best small forward to handle it," Garnett said.

"Yes, that's right. In my opinion, since the late 1980s, the NBA has entered the era of small forwards. Until now, it seems that everyone thinks that small forwards are not important. As long as the guards can make more shots like Curry, they can win the championship."

"I'm sorry, that's wrong."

"Without Durant, the Warriors can no longer win a championship. This is a fact."

"I don't think so, Kevin. Sometimes, having a small forward can increase the chances of winning the championship, but it doesn't mean that a team without one will definitely lose." McGrady retorted.

"Well, we've talked so much about the Warriors finale, I really don't want to talk about it anymore."

VK listened to the two people arguing with a smile, and after a while, he brought the topic back to the topic.

"Come on, let's talk about your predictions for the Clippers and Chen Fang this season."

"Kevin, you go first."

"I think there will be no problem in the playoffs. Chen Fang will have no problem averaging 15+ points per game. He is definitely a strong contender for this year's Rookie of the Year."

VK looked at McGrady, who thought for a moment and replied, "I agree with Kevin, but I'd like to add one more thing."

"He has a chance to make the MVP list!"

"Wow, this is the greatest recognition. I didn't expect that Tracy is the real fan of Chen Fang. You can't hide your identity as the behind-the-scenes boss anymore." VK laughed.

"Man, are you serious?" Garnett asked.

"Of course, among the 10-15 candidates, I don't think Chen Fang has no chance. He is not just a scorer, he is very comprehensive. If the Clippers' regular season ranking was higher, he wouldn't even have to be in the top four, he would have a great chance of being selected in the top six." McGrady said seriously.

"OK, I think today's discussion has a landmark topic." VK stopped while he was ahead.

When they separated, Garnett said goodbye to McGrady in the parking lot and asked, "Are you serious?"

"Very seriously," McGrady replied.

Chen Fang saw it that night and he sneezed three times on the spot.

"It's over. I wanted to stay alive and develop, but now it's over. The difficulty of the game will increase in the future."

As we all know, once a player is labeled as an MVP contender, all teams will treat him well and inspect the goods for the league.

Brother Tracy, I didn’t provoke you.

The cell phone rang, Chen Fang looked and saw it was Kobe.

He answered the call suspiciously. Kobe hadn't contacted him for a long time, not even a text message.

"Did you see the interview?" Kobe asked.

"Which one are you referring to, brother?"

"MVP!"

"You did it?" Chen Fang reacted immediately.

"Take this gift. This is what Tracy and I agree on. You are too lazy and need to be whipped up."

"Thank you so much!" Chen Fang gritted his teeth.

Hearing Chen Fang's anger, Kobe laughed like a little boy who had succeeded in a prank and hung up the phone.

Throwing the phone on the sofa, Chen Fang regretted giving this bitch a blowjob for the first time.

Only now did he realize that Kobe had found the most fun toy for his boring retirement life.

"You deserve to have no son. The old Chinese saying is right. It's so immoral!" After Chen Fang became angry, he became depressed and collapsed on the sofa, talking to himself.

(End of this chapter)