Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 314 Be a Time Gambler
After losing to the Spurs, the Clippers embarked on an Eastern Conference road trip.

Nets, Hawks, Wizards.

The Nets are still rebuilding, the Hawks have Trae Young, and the Wizards are nothing special.

On this away trip, Chen Fang will not only face his friends and brothers, but also the Clippers' upgrade plan that Mazura continues to implement.

The Nets' strength was no match for the Clippers' three-pronged attack. Chen Fang only played 24 minutes, witnessing how Brunson and Lou Williams, a backcourt duo, easily scored from the outside, and also saw Jaren and Zubac, a flexible inside force, dominate the opponent.

The duo of Beverley and Dillon effectively fended off the Nets' comeback attempt.

This was a match with no suspense whatsoever.

Szczek and Dinwiddie are indeed very good; given enough ball possession, they can put up impressive stats.

But this is also their limit. Many NBA players can put up good numbers when given the ball and playing time, but their numbers decline once they switch teams.

Essentially, it's a lack of football intelligence; their understanding of winning is still based on superficial offense and defense.

Just as Rivers reminded Chen Fang, what you need to do now is not to score like crazy, but to master the Clippers' secrets, or more precisely, to master the offensive and defensive characteristics and habits of these teammates.

You should be the mentor, not the team leader.

Therefore, in every subsequent performance, Chen Fang relied more on his eyes and brain than on his hands and feet.

113:97.

The Clippers won the game easily, with Chen Fang contributing 21 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds, giving fans who bought tickets specifically to see him a satisfying result.

After the match, Chen Fang took the initiative to go up and chat with Mr. Cai in the front row. Mr. Cai praised Chen Fang's current reputation.

"If the opportunity arises, the Nets will always welcome you."

"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Cai," Chen Fang replied with a smile. Although he knew very well that it was difficult, no one would easily close this door.

Leaving New York and arriving in Atlanta, Trae Young kept his promise before the game, treating Chen Fang and Jaren to a lavish meal as a gesture of hospitality.

Trae Young is now being hailed as the next Chen Fang. His rookie season performance was amazing, averaging 20+ points and 8+ assists per game. For his size, it's truly unbelievable that he could achieve these numbers.

Some even believe that his shooting is sharper than Chen Wang's.

"Congratulations, Eagle King!" Chen Fang raised his glass with a forced smile.

“You too, King Chen!” Trey Young retorted without any politeness.

Little Jialun watched the two of them joking around, then buried his head in his food, secretly amused by their childish conversation.

"Eat well today, and you'd better play seriously tomorrow!" Trae Young said.

"What does it mean to be serious?" Chen Fang asked.

"Would it work like that against the Warriors?" Trae Young asked.

"Okay!" Chen Fang said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Back at the hotel, Jaren asked, "Like when we played against the Warriors?"

"You're overthinking it; you won't even need half of it!"

"Then why did you agree?"

"He's getting a bit arrogant. As his older brother, I need to teach him a lesson!"

Seeing Chen Fang's grin, Xiao Jialun felt a chill run down his spine.

※※※

"Unbelievable! King Chen is on a killing spree today!" Duan Ran shouted as he saw Chen Fang's three-pointer.

"This is his eighth three-pointer of the game, and he only took 11 shots. That's an amazing shooting percentage."

"8 of 11 three-pointers, 4 of 6 two-pointers, and 7 of 7 free throws—Chen Wang has already scored 41 points at the very beginning of the fourth quarter!"

Chen Fang glanced at Trae Young, who was standing not far away with his hands on his hips. Sweat soaked his hair, and his bangs were plastered to his forehead.

The latter sensed it, turned his gaze, and upon seeing Chen Fang, Trey Young revealed a helpless and frustrated expression.

"Did someone on the Hawks provoke Chen Wang? Was it Trae Young? But they're rumored to be very good friends!" Duan Ran wondered. Just then, the camera focused on Chen Wang looking at Trae Young and immediately switched to that shot.

"Haha, it seems there is indeed a connection. Trae Young is not as arrogant as usual, but rather seems quite shy!" Ke Fan laughed heartily.

One minute later, Chen Fang was substituted by Rivers, because with a 23-point lead, there was no need to continue taking up playing time.

Chen Fang, sitting back on the bench, took a towel and wiped away his sweat. At the same time, Xiao Jialun, who had left the court with him, came over and laughed: "Boss, if you play like this today, you won't get this meal after the game!"

"He wouldn't dare!" Chen Fang glared.

"He asked for it himself, and I did it according to his request. How could I have done something wrong?"

"Okay, you're right!" Little Jialun was just watching the show anyway, and he could easily tell that Chen Fang was doing it on purpose.

"Trae Young's proud three-point shooting is like a primary school student compared to Chen Wang. 6 out of 13 shots looks impressive, with a shooting percentage almost over 50%, but it really can't compare to Chen Wang." Ke Fan continued his sarcastic remarks, not holding back when it came to a rookie.

Seven minutes later, Ke Fan roared again: "124 to 102, the Clippers have won two straight away games. Chen Wang scored 41 points, 6 assists and 8 rebounds with just a little stretching."

"The formidable Chen Wang, the formidable Clippers, the best record in the league, who will beat the Clippers now?"

After the game, Chen Fang immediately grabbed Trae Young, who had no chance to escape.

"Feeling better now?" Chen Fang asked.

“…!” Trae Young was speechless.

"Well played, you've improved!" Chen Fang continued to joke.

Trae Young's face darkened, but what could he say?

"Go take a shower quickly, I'm waiting for your big meal!" Chen Fang couldn't forget the meal he had once skipped, and he had to get his revenge.

Chen Fang, still basking in his triumph as he ran into the players' tunnel looking disheveled, was chased after by the reporter responsible for the post-match best player interview, microphone in hand.

"Faced with a strong contender for this year's Rookie of the Year, do you think Trae Young is better, or Luka Doncic?" The reporter immediately tried to trap him.

"Luka is outstanding. He represents the best of European basketball philosophy. Watching him play is like reading a retrospective of fifty years of European basketball excellence."

Chen Fang first praised Doncic, then said, "He is very well-rounded. His scoring, playmaking, and rebounding are all good. The only shortcoming is in defense, which is related to his need to adapt to the intensity of the NBA."

"So you favor Luca more?" the reporter asked immediately.

"No, no, no, Trey is my brother. When we played together in the EYBL, I knew he would make it to the NBA and become the cornerstone of some team."

"In my opinion, the competition between Luca and Trey has only just begun, and to make any pronouncements now would be a great disrespect to them."

"I'm very happy that this year's rookies, like our year, have produced many groundbreaking players. The NBA is getting more and more exciting, and I look forward to playing against them."

Chen Fang's words sounded somewhat old-fashioned, but no one thought they were wrong, because Chen Fang's current status is quite high. In the MVP rankings, he is second, ahead of Harden, and only slightly behind Curry.

Given the Clippers' current winning streak, Chen Fang might be vying for the MVP award before the All-Star Weekend even arrives.

Another thing is that the All-Star voting has begun, and Chen Fang's votes are very high. He was voted a coach in the first round, which is enough to show Chen Fang's current status in the hearts of various head coaches.

With the involvement of reporters and fans, Chen Fang's inclusion in the All-Star Game is practically a done deal.

There's no need to even doubt whether he'll be a starter or a substitute.

It's a must-start!

This is also a consensus in the league today. When Chen Fang leads the entire league with an average of xx per game, and the team has the best record, the media believes that at least by the end of the regular season, the Clippers will definitely be one of the best teams in the West.

The process was too fast, and everyone was wondering why the Clippers were so strong and why Chen Fang was so strong.

Many columnists have started studying Chen Fang, and everyone wants to know what the secret is.

Chen Fang didn't care about any of this.

No one in the world knows this better than him.

On November 20th, the Clippers easily defeated the Wizards, with Chen Fang contributing 25 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds, drawing complaints from many media outlets.

"Only strong teams can ignite Chen Fang's competitive spirit; ordinary teams simply cannot motivate Chen Wang to emerge!"

"I feel like Chen Wang scoring 20+ points is too commonplace, and I'm not excited at all. I'm starting to pay attention to the Clippers' schedule now, and I'm sure that Chen Wang won't play more than ten serious games throughout the entire regular season!" A Clippers fan shared this opinion on Instagram.

And for at least a hundred Chinese sports journalists stationed in the US, the same thought applies; they are all eagerly anticipating the key match, counting down the days until it's over.

But for Chen Fang, there is something more important he needs to do now.

After the team returned to Los Angeles, he suddenly gathered everyone together after the first training session.

"I have some insights that I'd like to share with everyone."

He looked at the whole team and said, "I'd like to share my own understanding in the hope of providing some ideas and insights for everyone here."

Everyone was quiet, sitting on the floor, looking up at Chen Fang standing in the middle.

"Four years ago, I suddenly had the urge to become a professional gamer," Chen Fang began.

"Looking at myself in the mirror, I find it unbelievable. Because I'm just an ordinary high school sophomore, I didn't even make the school team." Scanning the entire room, Chen Fang continued, "I'm sure you've all had similar experiences, right?"

“Yes, Captain, when I was in seventh grade, I thought it would be perfect if I could have a decent job,” Thornwell was the first to shout.

Others chimed in, but Chen Fang gestured for them to be quiet before continuing his story.

"I went to ask my teacher, and I said to my teacher, if I wanted to do something that was impossible, how could I do it?"

"My teacher thought I wanted to apply to Tsinghua or Peking University, which are like Harvard and Yale in the United States. Getting into them is extremely difficult." After explaining briefly, Chen Fang continued, "So my teacher gave me some advice."

After pausing deliberately to make sure everyone was listening, Chen Fang said, "Be a gambler with time!"

"Time...gambler?" Everyone read it aloud, their expressions confused, even the coaching staff and personnel listening in.

"The so-called time gambler is someone who chooses only one thing within a certain period, and then goes all in with all their time, doing it without regard for anything else." Chen Fang's voice was very soft, but everyone could hear the firmness in his tone.

"There's no need to think about any fancy time management techniques, because the simplest and most direct way to manage time is to not manage it at all!"

When Chen Fang finished speaking, many people's eyes lit up. His words were like a gavel, immediately giving people a sense of enlightenment.

"Dedicate all your time to doing just one thing!"

"This is the most efficient way for ordinary people to get results!"

"none of them!"

Chen Fang's voice began to rise, and the eyes of everyone present began to brighten, their expressions becoming solemn and dignified.

"Because only an overwhelming investment of time can lead to an overwhelming victory in terms of results!"

"Too many distractions and too many desires will only lead us to confusion and a loss of motivation. This is the main reason why most people find it difficult to do something well."

"To achieve unexpected results, one must possess extraordinary focus, and focusing on only one thing, one goal, is the most effective way."

"This focus can be divided into short-term focus and long-term focus."

"Short-term focus means setting a goal for yourself right now, concentrating on it wholeheartedly and without distraction until the goal is achieved."

"Long-term focus means devoting all your time, except for eating, drinking, sleeping, and using the toilet, to this goal over a relatively long period of time."

"To accomplish something, these two focuses are indispensable and must work together."

"If I set a small goal for myself in shooting, such as making 1000 three-pointers today, then perseverance is the most important quality in short-term focus."

"And if I hope to average 25+ points per game in the regular season, then composure is the key to achieving it."

"I won't panic if I only score a dozen points in a game, nor will I get carried away if I score more than forty points in a game."

“Every short-term focus, when connected, forms a long-term focus. Every small short-term goal, when combined, becomes a large long-term goal. And there is one more word in these two aspects.”

"firm!"

"The longer the goal, the longer you have to wait. The longer the wait, the greater the pressure on your body and mind. During this period, you need to constantly strengthen your resolve and move closer to your goal step by step."

Why are there only a minority of successful people in this world?

Looking at everyone who was listening intently, Chen Fang said thoughtfully, "Because most people want to get the results they expect, but they don't have the patience to do it."

"I'm always doing it, doubting it, giving up on it, and comforting myself at the same time."

"Always aiming for 99%, easily giving up on that 1%, and never even considering aiming for 120%."

"We may be a little stronger than the average person, but definitely not by much. Human instinct is to avoid all difficulties, and what helps us achieve success is always our own inhuman self-punishment."

"The reason I'm telling you all this today is not because I'm crazy, nor is it to encourage you to go crazy with me."

"I want to tell my brothers that if we want to win the championship this year, we have to be gamblers on time!"

"Set a goal for yourself. Today is November 22nd, and the next May will be in 6 months."

Chen Fang held up one finger and calmly told everyone, "Our stakes are 6 months, 180 days. Let's go all in on these 180 days and gamble once to see if we can lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and put a championship ring on our fingers!"

"Come on, guys, I'm going all in. What about you?"

"All in!" Everyone jumped to their feet, even the staff shouted.

Rivers raised his arms and shook his head at Brian beside him: "Incredible speech! I'm more fascinated by his eloquence than his technique!"

“Yes, I’m full of energy. Right now, I have nothing on my mind but work. To hell with the banquets, to hell with the bars, all I want to do is find out all the weaknesses of my opponents and take them down one by one!” Mazura’s eyes were red.

"I'm absolutely certain we'll succeed!" he said firmly, looking at Chen Fang, who was surrounded by his teammates in the center.

(End of this chapter)