Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 257 Money is hard to make

At the post-match press conference, when asked by reporters about the incident with James, Chen Fang replied: "It's nothing to be surprised about. There is no such thing as a disrespectful interpretation."

"James rarely quarrels with others on the court. Was it your words that angered him?" The reporter did not let it go but asked further questions.

Before Chen Fang could answer, the Cleveland Daily reporter quickly asked, "Is this related to the Clippers winning the game? Is this your winning strategy to anger James?"

These three questions not only made the atmosphere of the press conference noisy, but also made Chen Fang's face gloomy.

"If I can win by talking, I'd like to talk every day."

"In addition, the reason why a superstar is superstar is that he is perfect in every aspect. A few words can make him lose his balance. I believe no one can accept your words that belittle James."

"Winning is a collective achievement of the team. Our desire for victory after four consecutive losses is greater than anything else. This cannot be erased by a few simple questions."

After resolving the problem, Chen Fang remained calm when faced with questions praising him. When the reporter asked him why he didn't smile, he replied, "I don't take it seriously. Playing well or poorly is a necessary process for me to enter the league. I am gradually becoming immune to doubts and praises. Playing is my job. Winning is of course very happy, but losing is not the end of the world."

Back in the locker room, Chen Fang was ambushed. Jordan Jr. sprayed champagne on Chen Fang, while other teammates used water and drinks. The soaked Chen Fang quickly raised his hands in surrender. After some fun, Rivers gave a summary speech.

"Guys, today we defeated last year's champions. I'm proud of you. It also makes me believe that we have the strength to beat any team in the league. Come on, rinse off, we have to rush to the next away game."

The news that the Clippers beat the Cavaliers, who had won four consecutive games away from home, immediately became a hot topic, especially Chen Fang's performance in this game, which outperformed James, which became the hottest topic.

The data of 44 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists is not something that ordinary people can achieve, especially when facing James.

Chen Fang's rookie performance has become a phenomenal topic, so the TNT quartet set aside 20 minutes in their program to discuss Chen Fang.

The "NBA Insider" program, hosted by veteran host Ernie Johnson and three well-known NBA stars, is the most well-known in the United States. Anything and anyone that they use as a topic of conversation will immediately become more well-known in the United States.

"Let's first listen to what they said at that time?" Johnson asked the director to play the video.

So Chen Fang's shout at the audience who were mocking him, "Don't yell at me," echoed throughout the studio.

O'Neal and others burst into laughter, and Barkley almost cried.

"Don't give me wa wa say?" Barkley laughed and leaned on the table, pounding the table with one hand and holding his stomach with the other, and asked Shaq with difficulty: "Call Yao and ask if all Chinese people say this?"

So Shaq used his right hand to imitate a phone call: "Hey, Yao, stop whining at me, how do you say that in English?"

Then he put his hands down and said to Barkley seriously: "Yao said don't give me wa wa say."

The whole audience burst into laughter. Johnson said helplessly: "Obviously, this is typical Chinglish, but it is indeed very funny. Thanks to Chen Fang, we have expanded our vocabulary a little more."

"OK, let's all calm down." Kenny Smith wiped away his tears and said, "It seems that James is irritated by this sentence. Shaq, tell me why he is angry?"

"If you hear this kind of provocation on the road, it's normal to react like this. I won't allow anyone to do this at the Lakers' home court," O'Neal shrugged.

"But obviously, then they continued to bicker with each other. Why do you think James did that?" Kenny asked.

"Kobe would do the same. If someone performed better than him, he would keep a close eye on them. Words were also part of his strategy. But judging by the results, Chen Fang performed better."

"What does the Clippers rely on to win?" Kenny turned and asked Barkley.

"Rely on Chen Fang. The team is important, but scoring requires a spearhead. After Blake was injured, the Clippers' focus shifted to Chen Fang."

"In other words, Chen Fang is now the new core of the Clippers. Is there anything wrong with this conclusion?"

"Yes, no. Two-thirds of the Clippers' losses were caused by Chen Fang's absence. This is very obvious."

"The Clippers' style of play has now shifted to the outside, and their starting lineup is also tending towards four outside players. Except for DeAndre Jordan, the playing time of the inside players cannot be guaranteed."

Barkley's analysis was recognized by everyone. Shaq added: "Chen Fang's skills are qualified for a small forward position, and he is a supermodel for a point guard position. Even if he plays as a shooting guard, he is excellent."

"From 1 to 3, Rivers will be very comfortable with Chen Fang's adjustment."

"Whether it's Doncic or Thornwell or Rivers, the changes in this lineup have both offensive and defensive capabilities."

"Since the start of the season, Rivers has confirmed that the two Europeans are not good enough. They are flaws in defense," Shaq added.

"Yes, Thornwell and Wesley form the defensive support points inside and outside, and Chen Fang's presence also makes this system more aggressive. The efficiency of the Clippers in offense and defense conversion has been significantly improved."

"I also have to give a thumbs up to another Clippers rookie, Kuzma, who also averages 11 points per game, which is exaggerated. The Clippers' rookies this year are all very well selected. Thornwell averages 5.4 points per game, Evans has 4.8 points, plus Chen Fang's 19 points per game. The four rookies can provide a minimum of 40 points per game for the Clippers." Kenny listed the data.

This detail really surprised others. O'Neal exclaimed: "The Clippers' management did a great job this year."

"I rarely praise the management, but I must praise it. The unprecedented four rookies are all great, plus Nance Jr. and Zubac were traded from the Lakers as bonuses. This Clippers deal is A+." Barkley also agreed.

"Since we all agree on this, let's predict the Clippers' prospects this season." Johnson asked: "Who thinks the Clippers can make the playoffs?"

Everyone raised their hands, so Johnson continued, "Raise your hands if you made it past the first round."

Putting everything down was a very sudden scene, so everyone started laughing again.

Looking at Barkley, the latter explained: "The Warriors, Rockets, and Thunder are all very strong. The Clippers are at the bottom of the playoffs and it will be difficult for them to get past the first round."

"Yes, unless they can make it into the top four, but this is more exaggerated than passing the first round. The Clippers' future lies in the future. Their lineup is too immature this year, and the winning and losing streak shows the problem." O'Neal agreed.

"Let's go back to the starting point. Chen Fang, how high can he go?" Johnson asked the three veteran NBA stars.

"He has a chance for the best rookie award. If it was just that game where we defeated the Warriors, perhaps his potential would not be widely recognized. But today, he scored 44 points again. I've never seen a rookie who can score so many points in his first season as easily as drinking water," Kenny said.

"His touch is really like McGrady in the 01-03 stage, irrational and unreasonable. Take the last game for example, his confidence in shooting is too strong. He fought against James in the third quarter and kept the score close, which also prevented the Cavaliers' counterattack. James played very well, but the better the opponent, the more it seems to inspire Chen Fang's fighting spirit."

"I think he will grow into an iconic star. His physicality and willpower are a perfect match."

"Can I add something?" Barkley suddenly interrupted. "Come on, man, you want to say something?"

"I don't think it's going that smoothly for him. Should we turn a blind eye to his rest? Why is he resting? Is it really the adjustment of tactics and strategic abandonment as Rivers explained?"

"Oh, these can only fool children. The truth is that Chen Fang does not have enough physical strength to face a match every two days. I can guarantee that he will take a rest in the next match. Who dares to bet with me?"

No one dared to bet, so O'Neal raised his hand and said, "As much as I like to bet with you, this is really not possible. I have a family to support."

"So, what allows a Chinese player to really gain a foothold in the NBA is not an occasional burst, but a stable number of appearances. If he can't even play 60 games in the regular season, how can we judge him?"

"Physical fitness and strength will directly affect the probability of injury. In my opinion, if this continues, his risk of injury is increasing."

"Hey, brother, cursing is not okay." O'Neal stopped Barkley from speaking.

"This is not a curse, but a prediction. How much did Chen Fang weigh when he was drafted? 200 pounds and 201cm tall. This weight is too fragile." Barkley said seriously: "Weight is also the core foundation for survival in the league. It is the support point to ensure that you will not get injured. Whether you can offset the confrontation depends on your weight. Curry also started to gain weight after a series of injuries."

“Making choices is a difficult problem, but doing nothing is a disaster.”

"He has to gain weight, otherwise it will be difficult for him to survive. His physical fitness has been a problem since college, but it is not obvious because the schedule is not tight."

"I know he led USC to win the championship, which is a great achievement, but please don't ignore that the real tough battle was the win against Gonzaga, and North Carolina is not very strong, and their star player is only a second-round pick."

"He has a lot of potential to succeed, but luck is the most important thing."

"Whether it's Andy or Rivers, he can be taken care of. It's hard for me to imagine any other coach in the league letting a rookie rest. It's unimaginable tolerance and luck."

Barkley's words can always make people think about problems from a new perspective. Even O'Neal sighed: "Indeed, he is really lucky."

"If it was Thibodeau, what would happen to him? Popovich, Riley, Brown, they won't give rookie privileges. This is impossible to happen."

"Most of Chen Fang's current achievements are due to Rivers' tolerance. Of course, he survives on this."

This discussion also became a hot topic, and Chen Fang also saw it when the Clippers plane landed in North Carolina.

It was a strange feeling to be discussed like this. You wanted to defend yourself but felt powerless. Before he could react, Brian knocked on his door.

"Hey, the coach told me to pass on a message. Don't pay attention to the content. If you follow them in everything, no one will be the final winner."

"Thank you. I still want to thank the coach, including you, sir. I overlooked something very important."

Patting Chen Fang on the shoulder, Brian said with a smile: "Have a good rest, you don't need to play in this back-to-back game."

Chen Fang nodded. This was an established arrangement. It seemed that Rivers was worried that Chen Fang would be affected, so he applied to play.

So they specially arranged for Brian to come and reassure him. I can only say that this was very thoughtful.

In the match against the Hornets, Chen Fang was rested and watched from the sidelines, which further verified Barkley's argument. The news about Chen Fang's physical fitness and poor confrontation were also widely spread through "NBA Insider".

The Clippers, with the momentum of defeating the Cavaliers, defeated the Hornets, which consisted of Kemba Walker and Howard in his twilight years, away from home.

Kuzma played a masterpiece, with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, also breaking his personal scoring record.

Perhaps because of facing James, Thornwell's confidence increased, and his 14 points was also a personal high.

But the biggest surprise was Zubac, who finally had his chance to show his talent. Facing Howard, he scored 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Hornets were simply a welfare bureau for newcomers, and all three newcomers played their best performances.

This also makes Barkley's words more valuable. The Clippers' draft vision this year is unique in the entire league.

But the best is yet to come. Facing the chaotic and leaderless Knicks, the Clippers, led by Chen Fang, won the game 116-89. Chen Fang's near triple-double of 27 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds made the entire league realize that the Chinese have become an opponent that cannot be ignored.

To find similar comparisons, we have to go back to the 1990s.

Apart from attendance, there is nothing else to question about the Chinese, and their ability to lead a team is very significant.

Advanced data reminds people in the industry that Chen Fang’s average plus-minus value is +9①, which is very exaggerated. Even if the game template is not enough, a lot can be seen.

In the rookie rankings, Chen Fang also topped the list due to his performance this week, far ahead of Simmons and Mitchell.

Next, facing the rebuilding Hawks, the Clippers won the game without any bloodshed and achieved four consecutive away victories.

Chen Fang continued to start and scored 24 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds. This data is much worse than the previous game, but it is based on 27 minutes of playing time and 11 shots.

The Chinese people's ability in guiding and connecting the team was fully demonstrated in this game.

When he was on the court, the Clippers won by a total of 24 points, but lost by 4 points when he was off the court.

It can be seen how important Chen Fang is to the Clippers. With Chen Fang, the offense is guaranteed. Without Chen Fang, the Clippers' offensive power will be weakened.

With four consecutive wins, the Clippers ended their road trip in the Eastern Conference and returned to the Western Conference. They had to go to Sacramento next door to play against their neighboring Kings.

Chen Fang was rested again. The whole team was extremely tired and performed poorly in this game, losing the game 95 to 106.

However, Chen Fang was still selected as the league's Player of the Week for the first time based on his performance this week, beating Curry and James.

As soon as this news came out, it caused a sensation in the country. This was Chen Fang's first NBA honor, and it came so quickly that no one expected it.

Player of the Week, still beat James and Curry.

For a time, Chen Fang's popularity in China surpassed Yao's. Yao also happily admitted: "This is a landmark award. I am very happy to see Chen Fang recognized by the league."

Chen Fang, who had just returned home, hugged Wu Zi who rushed out and said with a tired face, "Money is hard to earn!"

(End of this chapter)