Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 339 May basketball always be with us.
The penalty will take effect from the home game against the Thunder on March 8th.

This period will not end until March 30th, when they play the Cavaliers at home.

Given the extended period, the Clippers' medical team developed a comprehensive rehabilitation plan aimed at helping Chen Wang recover to his optimal physical condition.

Chen Fang arrived at the scene, and his appearance was met with a hero's cheer. All the fans actually stood up and applauded for him, which surprised even Chen Fang. So he had to stand up, turn around, and respond.

Now that the season is coming to an end, the crucial moment has arrived for whether or not a team can make the playoffs. Every team with a chance must fight with all their might for qualification and ranking.

Chen Fang encouraged each player, jokingly telling Brunson, "Cherish this starting opportunity."

Then, turning to Ross, who had recovered from his injury, he said, "Now it's up to you."

Finally, he bumped chests with Beverley: "You're the toughest guy on the team now. When it comes to morale and discipline, if anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable."

Rivers witnessed the whole process and had to admit that Chen Fang was now a qualified captain.

The Thunder also made their appearance, and surprisingly, Westbrook came over during the warm-up session.

"Hi, how are you?" Westbrook winked at Chen Fang.

"I thought you came here wanting to become my apprentice," Chen Fang chuckled.

"Really?" Westbrook was pleasantly surprised.

"Of course, we'll arrange to play basketball, train, and even spar during the offseason," Chen Fang announced all the plans at once.

"That's great, I'll remember that." Westbrook said with a smile as he left.

No one mentioned it, but Chen Fang sensed Westbrook's initiative to show goodwill, which was a kind of statement.

Someone has become so disliked in the circle that everyone cheers for the person who teaches him a lesson.

Chen Fang's rest actually worked. The Clippers had a complete strategy when Chen Fang wasn't playing. Brunson started, Jrue Holiday continued to score, and Bridges was moved up to defend Paul George.

The inside lineup remains the same: Jaren and Zubac.

The Thunder currently have a record of 40 wins, and in the entire Western Conference, apart from the Clippers and Warriors, there are as many as 8 teams with a win difference of 3 games or less, which also indicates that this year, like in previous years, will be a bloody March.

Therefore, the game was destined to be tough. Westbrook and Paul George got into the game right from the start, driving to the basket and shooting from outside, and performing well in both offense and defense.

Meanwhile, the Clippers, utilizing their strong team defense, never allowed the Thunder to mount a sustained scoring run.

Brunson was excited, constantly scoring with excellent ball-handling and footwork against Westbrook's defense, while Jrue Holiday also showed his All-Defensive First Team skills on both ends of the court, leading the defense against Paul George and double-teaming Westbrook.

Chen Fang would occasionally stand up to applaud and cheer for his teammates, and would also stomp his feet in frustration because of some mistakes.

He also actively participated in the coaching staff's tactical adjustments and had intense discussions with Mazura and Brian.

Throughout the first half, the Thunder maintained their lead but were unable to widen the gap.

Rose played for 8 minutes. In those 8 minutes, he performed as a competent rotation point guard and effectively controlled the pace of the game. He and Lou Williams formed a powerful backcourt duo, which was offensively strong but had some weaknesses on defense.

Fortunately, Sandwell focused on defense in his second rotation lineup and prevented any problems from arising.

The four inside players rotated as usual, and Richaun and Harrell were in high spirits, with their offense and defense in an orderly manner.

The eleven-man rotation, maintaining a balanced playing time throughout, finally showed its power in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook and Paul George expended too much energy in the first three quarters, which caused their shooting percentage to drop in the fourth quarter. Paul George, in particular, not only had to score on offense but also had to be the Thunder's most important defensive anchor.

Without a doubt, Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the league right now.

他目前所获得的荣誉足够证明，4次入选最佳阵容（其中最佳阵容二阵1次、最佳阵容三阵3次），4次入选最佳防守阵容（其中最佳防守阵容一阵2次、最佳防守阵容二阵2次）。

These honors represent his contributions on both offense and defense on the court, but precisely because of this, his problem has always been physical fitness.

Technically, he has almost no weaknesses, but in terms of team building, he needs a reliable 3D player to share the defensive burden.

In fact, for any superstar, if they could only exert their power on offense like James, they would be a statistical king.

But after all, there's only one James in the world, and this is happening in front of everyone.

It's thanks to the many so-called new generation of fans who don't actually watch basketball but just glance at the stats and shower praise that players like LeBron James can still have the nerve to remain active in the league.

The key to Paul George's success with the Pacers lies in the Pacers' traditional advantage on defense.

Hibbert, Granger, and Stephenson are all two-way players. After Granger was traded, Paul George can comfortably fit into this system and fully unleash his talent.

Unfortunately, things became very difficult for him after he joined the Thunder.

With five minutes remaining, Bridges hit a three-pointer from the wing, giving the Clippers their first lead. Paul George was guarding him.

Because of his stamina, the latter was a half-beat slower in switching defenses, which Bridges seized the opportunity to shoot.

Thus, the Clippers firmly maintained their lead.

109:102.

The Clippers won against the Thunder at home.

After the game, Chen Fang, like the other substitutes, handed towels and water to the players who had played, showing no airs of a leader.

When interviewed by reporters, he smiled and replied, "I'm happy. I know my teammates are great. The Clippers are a team, and they won't collapse just because someone is missing. That situation will not happen again."

As usual, Chen Fang did not leave, but spent the process of review and recovery with his teammates. He was still the last person to leave because he also participated in the coaching staff's post-match debriefing meeting.

This was Chen Fang's daily life after his first suspension. In short, he was in a good mood when he got home, which put Wu Zi's mind at ease.

"Is it like this on all competition days?" Wu Zi asked.

"Almost, but I'll have to make time for it."

"Where are you going?" Wu Zi asked, puzzled.

"You don't care about your alma mater at all. Tomorrow is the Pac-12 League tournament." Chen Fang touched Wu Zi's forehead.

"You're going?" Wu Zi was surprised.

“Of course, there was no other way to go last year, but we definitely have to go this year. Besides, we want to see Wuzhen,” Chen Fang replied.

"Wow, if you go, the team's morale will really be boosted." Wu Zi was naturally very concerned about the USC men's basketball team. After all, her younger brother was there, and she knew what Chen Fang meant to USC.

"It can be considered a triumphant return home."

Chen laughed loudly.

The next afternoon, after disguising themselves, Chen Fang and Ilya, with the help of Sun Lexian, successfully appeared outside the locker room.

"Are you ready?" Chen Fang smiled at Ilya.

“Of course!” Ilya said, trying to remain calm.

Chen Fang pushed open the door and entered. At that moment, Andy was in the locker room, giving instructions for the pre-match tactics. All the players were listening intently, completely unaware that two people were standing behind them.

Andy didn't stop until he finished speaking, then he clapped his hands and said, "Kids, I'm warning you, don't lose this match today, or you'll really lose face."

"Look who's here." He pointed with his big hand, and everyone turned around. Chen Fang had already taken off his hat, opened his arms, and looked at them.

"OMG, Chen Wang!"

"is this real?"

"Wow, am I dreaming?"

The locker room erupted in a frenzy of shouting as Chen Fang shook hands with each of the players who surrounded him.

Everyone knows Chen Fang. At USC, his statue stands prominently in the square, gazing at the Trojan stone sculptures.

Chen Fang also saw Wu Zhen, and the two embraced, but Wu Zhen seemed a little uncomfortable.

Chen Fang didn't show anything unusual. Although everyone had more or less guessed what was going on, no one said it openly.

Wu Zhen, through his own efforts, made it into the first team and earned the right to be a substitute.

Finally, of course, he hugged Andy, and Chen Fang joked, "You look even younger."

"That's a great opening line." Andy laughed heartily. He had received the call yesterday and was just as excited.

“Say something,” Andy said.

Chen Fang naturally wouldn't refuse. He stood in front of the tactics board, looked at the large group of people, and coughed.

"It feels the same, just like when I'm in the Clippers' locker room, giving a pep talk to the guys," Chen Fangxian joked, eliciting laughter from the room.

"I didn't check who our opponents were before I came. When I arrived, I found out, oh, it's our defeated team, the Ducks. To be honest, we shouldn't be afraid of whoever comes."

"In any game, we must have the belief that we can win. This is very important. When I faced the Warriors for the first time, I was not nervous at all. On the contrary, I was very excited."

"Because a good opponent allows us to enjoy the game better."

"I'm here to cheer you on, but even more so to admire your courage and boldness. Unleash your full potential and make every USC fan in the stadium go wild for you!"

"Trojans!" Chen Fang shouted, raising his arms.

These words were so familiar; it had been so long since they had been uttered. Even Andy almost burst into tears, as if he had been transported back two years.

"Trojans!" Everyone stood up and cheered enthusiastically.

"Victory belongs to the brave!" Chen Fang's second sentence was still so familiar, and everyone's face was filled with a desire for victory.

Chen Fang's arrival really boosted their morale, as their opponent today was their old rival, the Oregon Ducks.

After losing two games in the regular season, the first game of the league season, which was also a decisive game, was uncertain for everyone.

But things are different now. Everyone wants to show their pride in front of the greatest hero in USC history.

This is the power of role models.

When Chen Fang appeared on the field, almost instantly, the entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause.

The four thousand USC fans, in particular, are almost going crazy.

"King Chen, King Chen, King Chen!" The shouts were incessant.

Ducks head coach Dana's face turned ashen. He never expected that Chen Fang would actually pull it out. Now the game, which was supposed to be foolproof, was in suspense.

As a veteran coach, he understood all too well the importance of morale.

As the best player in USC history, Chen Fang's influence is enough to completely restore the mentality of the UCS guys who were defeated by the Ducks.

As Dana predicted, USC launched a furious offensive and relentlessly defended the entire court from the start.

The Ducks struggled to adapt to the high-intensity pace of the game, and the score gap widened rapidly.

Chen Fang was completely immersed in the game. Like everyone else, he cheered wildly for every ball played by USC. As the focus off the court, his every move inspired USC fans to shout with all their might.

This was supposed to be a close contest, four thousand against four thousand, but the Ducks' supporters were completely overwhelmed, just like their team on the court, getting beaten. The NCAA has always been a world of the strong; USC dominated the Oregon Ducks throughout the game, keeping the score within six points until the very last minute.

In the NBA, those 6 points might not be a sure thing, but in the NCAA, those 6 points are a sure thing.

If you play good defense and stall for time, everything will become irreversible.

When the final whistle blew, Chen Fang excitedly hugged Ilya, and then rushed towards head coach Andy.

"Boss, we've advanced!" he shouted, as if he had returned to two years ago.

"Yes, we won." Andy felt the same way, and he hugged Chen Fang tightly.

"Thank you, child. Today's victory belongs to us all."

"Ha ha!"

After the game, amidst cheers from the crowd, Chen Fang took the microphone and walked to the center of the court. The Ducks had already left, but the fans hadn't. As California's current star player, Chen Fang's influence wasn't limited to his own team.

"Hi, it's great to be here today and witness a fantastic match."

"In my mind, the NCAA is the best competition on the planet. I miss the old days all the time. I'm really happy today."

Chen Fang's speech also won applause and cheers from the audience.

"I saw that some Ducks fans hadn't left yet. Thank you for your support today. Dillon and I became friends through a misunderstanding. Basketball introduced me to such a good brother and comrade."

"On the field, we were evenly matched, and after the game, we were still good friends."

"Thank you to everyone here. May basketball always be with us and become one of the most unforgettable moments in our lives."

As Andy watched Chen Fang speak, he muttered to Buson, "My God, his eloquence is so much smoother now than it was two years ago."

“It’s much better,” Buson corrected.

"Well, this kid's something else." Andy burst out laughing.

After the game, Chen Fang didn't leave; instead, he chose to return to school with the team.

Upon returning to his alma mater, Chen Fang was once again adored by enthusiastic juniors and students. He greeted each fan warmly and signed autographs.

His hand was sore from signing in, but he had at least done his part. Sun Lexian invited him to have a meal at the team restaurant.

"How is it?" Chen Fang asked on the way.

“That’s right, Andy didn’t hold back, I learned a lot.”

"I heard from Coach Andy that you made a great contribution, and the team's performance this year is partly due to your efforts."

Sun Lexian's round face broke into a smile as bright as a flower.

"Absolutely! Don't you know who I am?" Sun Lexian was very proud. After all, he was the first person to join the cause, and he started assisting Chen Fang when Chen Fang was still nothing.

"Alright, keep it up. Your glory is yet to come," Chen Fang encouraged.

During the team dinner, Chen Fang shared a lot of insider information about the NBA. This season, only one USC player is eligible to enter the draft, but Chen Fang still wished the others well, saying, "If you love basketball and trust it, it will return even more wealth to us."

"The NBA is not the end, nor is it the only one."

"We can shine anywhere with basketball."

"I wish everyone good luck, and that you will not be discouraged or give up."

After speaking, Chen Fang looked at the current core of USC, Kevin Porter Jr., who was also a freshman.

He has a strong physique and mobility, but his height of 193 cm is a problem. Whether playing point guard or shooting guard, his current skills are not yet sufficient.

Although he scored 21 points today, breaking his own scoring record, Chen Fang discovered many problems with him in just one game.

"Kevin."

Kevin Porter Jr. immediately stood up, looking at Chen Fang with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"First of all, congratulations on becoming the top scorer. You are passionate and very aggressive on defense, which are all strengths." Chen Fang, true to the Chinese way of speaking, often puts the good things first.

"However, your shot selection was too hesitant, which shows that you don't have enough confidence in your shooting."

Kevin Porter Jr. was frustrated, but Chen Fang's words really hit the nail on the head, and he lowered his head.

"You made a lot of mistakes. I just took a look at your stats this season, and a lot of your passes were based on assumptions." Chen Fang didn't hold back and continued in front of the whole team.

Wu Zhen sat there, motionless, watching Porter, who was usually as arrogant as a lion in the team, now being trained like Hakimi. He wanted to laugh, but at the same time, he was amazed at how imposing Chen Fang's authority had become.

"A terrible 52.2% free throw percentage. You could have scored 30 points today, but you know very well that your free throws are terrible, so you didn't dare to attack the paint. So I want to ask, are you just keeping all that muscle for decoration?"

Chen Fang's words were very sharp, and Little Potter felt his face burning.

"Today is a happy day, and I don't want to spoil anyone's mood or discourage anyone, but I have limited time. However, in order to give the alliance another junior from USC, I have to be strict." Chen Fang's tone did not soften; instead, it became even more stern.

"You have a notorious reputation for discipline, and you were previously suspended by Mr. Andy for misconduct. I'd like to know what you're thinking?"

"You show no enthusiasm for your teammates. Do you really understand what teamwork means?"

These words silenced the entire room. If the previous words were guidance, this was now a trial.

Little Potter felt wronged. He had so much to say, but under Chen Fang's cold gaze, he couldn't utter a single word.

"Are you feeling wronged? Okay."

"Everyone knows what happened to me a while ago, right?" Chen Fang suddenly changed the subject, continuing, "Who understands my grievances?"

"I've been tricked by dirty tricks one after another. Three elbows. The first elbow made me sit down on the ground. The second elbow almost made me faint. The third elbow made everything go black in an instant." Every word Chen Fang said aroused the anger of everyone present.

"Then I fought back, and everyone blamed me, and the league suspended me with high standards."

"I will also obediently bow my head and admit my mistakes in the media, and accept the punishment."

"Kevin, can you do it?" Chen Fang suddenly raised his voice, and this question immediately dispelled Little Potter's grievances.

Honestly, he called on his first try.

Do you want to become a professional football player?

"I want to, I really want to. This is my father's last wish, and I must fulfill it." Little Potter raised his head resolutely and looked at Chen Fang.

"That's good. Put away your temper. No matter who caused it, that's not a reason for you to blame the team or the coach. Any problem should be transformed into a desire to win, and use victory to fight back against the opponent."

“Yes, sir, I’ve got that in mind. I apologize to the coach and to all the brothers.” Little Porter understood Chen Fang’s intention. He bowed, and his teammates patted him comfortingly.

"That's right. Every game from now on is a knockout stage. Play well in every game, and think about what we said today. I'll be waiting for you in the NBA." Chen Fang had finally completed Andy's task. He glanced at the old man, who was under the table, giving him a thumbs up.

The dinner continued, and after the problem was resolved, Chen Fang reverted to his humorous and amiable older brother persona, sharing all sorts of novel inside stories about sports stars, eliciting gasps of surprise.

Soon after, the party ended, and before leaving, Andy stopped Chen Fang.

"What are your goals for this year?" he asked.

"Championship!" Chen Fang exclaimed without hesitation.

Andy was truly stunned, then realized that Chen Fang wasn't one to boast.

"Goodness, I have to be there." Andy laughed heartily.

“Come on, I’ll reserve a ticket for you, sir!” Chen Fang recalled an amusing incident from two years ago.

After making the agreement, Chen Fang called out to Wu Zhen, who was trying to slip away.

"Come back with me today, your sister misses you." Chen Fang didn't ask for anything, but instead pulled Wu Zhen into the car without giving her a chance to ask.

Half an hour later, Chen Fang, who had returned home, waved goodbye to Ilya and then pulled Wu Zhen inside.

The Cullinan was given to Ilya; Chen Fang had long since lost his passion for cars, as he was too busy with other things.

After entering the house, Wu Zi hadn't even said a few words when Chen Fang pulled Wu Zhen to the backyard.

What are your plans?

Wu Zhen's matter has always been a concern for Chen Fang. This original shareholder who pushed him into the NBA has always been on Chen Fang's mind.

"Fight until your senior year, then think about other things," Wu Zhen said, looking directly at Chen Fang with a slight smile.

"Alright then." Chen Fang understood his brother-in-law's determination.

“Sun Lexian is pursuing further studies. Once Wang Zhen has finalized the price and acquired a CBA team, you can go back and help Weilan build a strong empire.” Chen Fang didn’t hide anything and revealed the entire plan.

Wu Zhen was stunned. He knew that Chen Fang would not joke about such a thing, so he immediately thought of many things.

"You won't lose your profession. This isn't a backup plan I deliberately left for you; it's something we've always dreamed of, and it's never stopped." Chen Fang wanted to protect Wu Zhen's pride, so he made his point very clear.

"Understood." Wu Zhen nodded.

"I don't have the energy to think about anything else right now. This season, my challenges are unprecedented." Chen Fang looked up at the night sky, which was dark and starless.

But in his eyes, the starry sky will eventually shine brighter because of him.

Sensing Chen Fang's ambition, Wu Zhen considered himself the one who understood Chen Fang best. He didn't say anything, but instead put his hand on Chen Fang's shoulder.

I really liked what you said this afternoon.

"Which one?"

May basketball always be with us, becoming one of the most unforgettable moments in our lives!

"Thank you, Chen Fang. With you in my world, I am very content."

"Damn, I'm getting goosebumps. Please help me." Chen Fang shuddered and fled in panic.

Wu Zhen was baffled, and then went back to his room where he was scolded by Wu Zi for being sloppy.

Despite this, Wu Zhen's smiles became more and more frequent.

Protecting this beautiful home has become Wu Zhen's greatest source of motivation.

Late at night, Chen Fang suddenly whispered to Wu Zi, "As the older sister, you should pay more attention to your younger brother."

"What?" Wu Zi, still half asleep, didn't understand.

"We should arrange a girlfriend for him as soon as possible. I think Wu Zhen is acting a bit strange." Chen Fang hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth about the situation in the backyard.

"Playing ball must have damaged your brain, go to sleep!" Wu Zi said irritably.

So Chen Fang blinked in the dark, feeling a slight itch in his chrysanthemum.

Damn it, I should avoid dealing with Wu Zhen; he scared me to death.

(End of this chapter)