Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 349 Ambition for the World Championships
On May 1st, the highly anticipated Game 7 began.

But Chen Fang didn't go to see it. Instead, accompanied by Duffy, he met with a special envoy from the Basketball Association.

After ignoring a bunch of flattery, the two sides got down to business.

"I will participate in the World Championships. This is the first time it has been held in China, and I am well aware of its importance, so please rest assured."

Chen Fang's words put Special Commissioner Ma Wen at ease.

But Chen's next words made his heart skip a beat.

"But I also have my own interests to consider, including the uncertainty of the current offseason and my business cooperation schedule, all of which require my time."

"Of course, but the game won't start until the end of August, so there should be plenty of time." Marvin quickly chimed in. Before he came, he had been reminded by several people that Chen Fang's personality was outwardly gentle but inwardly firm. The better the attitude, the easier it was for him to talk to. He was a typical person who responded better to gentleness than force.

Chen Fang pointed at Duffy and said, "It depends on my agent's arrangements. To be honest, as soon as the World Championships are over, I will immediately start preparing for the next season, so the time before the World Championships is the time I can freely use."

Marvin understood, and Chen Fang discussed with him about which day to join the team.

"The first match is on August 31st. Domestic preparations began in mid-May. Considering the playoffs, the national team has given us plenty of time. It all depends on you." Marvin's attitude was very humble, even though head coach Li Nan hoped that Chen Fang could report to the national team as soon as the playoffs ended, no later than July 1st.

This would give him more time to build a team around Chen Fang to advance to the knockout stage.

Chen Fang understood, of course. Zhang Shaohong called and conveyed the Basketball Association's message in a very tactful way.

But Chen Fang doesn't think so. He believes that even if you give these domestic coaches three years, they won't come up with anything good.

Basketball tactics may seem like a collection of random ideas that can be used in a game, but that's a typical layman's way of thinking.

Every professional club has its own inherent tactical system, with a certain tendency in offense and defense, such as playing fast breaks or three-point shooting. It is reasonable to build up corresponding tactics based on this tendency.

In the national team, frankly speaking, no national team can achieve a systematic approach; they still rely on the characteristics of their core players to develop tactics.

The strength of a national team depends on how many super players it has, and then you have to pick the strongest players from those teams to see if they have good chemistry.

Spain is strong because they have so many NAB players who know each other well and have good chemistry. The head coach only needs to implement reasonable tactics.

The US team, needless to say, had almost no tactics, relying entirely on their superstars' scythe-like finishing, half-court press, aggressive drives to the basket during transitions, and their superb ability to create their own shots.

Therefore, China's training camps are really outdated. Not only do they confine players to narrow spaces, causing them to suffer emotionally and mentally, but daily training is always a competition between their own teammates, and the intensity cannot be increased. What is the point of this?

To be more familiar with teammates, making it easier to defend during the CBA league?
Let Chen Fang make the arrangements. The team will gather in August, and they will have two weeks to adjust their physical condition and develop some teamwork.

There's no difference between basketball and football; in training camps, the longer the camp lasts, the faster you'll lose.

Unfortunately, these people don't understand; they just stay in the capital, making arrangements based on their imagination and past experience.

"The exact time is still uncertain, but we will return to China after eliminating unnecessary business." Duffy spoke up. This was his turn to play the good cop; otherwise, what was the point of bringing you here—just to watch a show?

Marvin could only nod, sighing inwardly. He knew that the only outcome today would be Chen Fang stating that he would fight, but he had anticipated this outcome beforehand.

"Well, there are some things I need to remind you of," Chen Fang suddenly said.

"You can't rely on anyone. If you put all your hopes on one person, the probability of losing is very high."

Marvin didn't understand, but that didn't stop him from nodding in agreement.

Chen Fang didn't explain, saying that the biggest problem in failing to get an Olympic ticket in 19 wasn't Zhou Qi's free throw mistakes.

Instead, the training camp was too mindless, which led to the two most important players withdrawing from the national team due to injuries at the last minute before the competition.

Zhou Peng and Ding Yanyuhang.

Zhou Peng is a typical example of being tricked. The national team training roster has 20 players, and only 12 are selected. It's like raising a venomous snake. The daily training is very competitive. After finishing the CBA, the players don't have much rest before entering the training camp. Who wouldn't want a world-class competition on their home turf?

Zhou Peng already has many old injuries, so this kind of thing is bound to cause him to get injured again.

Ding Yanyuhang goes without saying; his series of actions were incredibly stupid.

During the 18 playoffs, he was sidelined for half a year due to pain-relieving injections. He went to the United States for treatment in the summer. Chen Fang's advice was to take good care of his injury and rest for a year to fully recover.

Don't pay attention to anyone's opinions. Taking care of your health is the most important thing. As the saying goes, "Where there's life, there's hope."

But he didn't listen and went to compete in the Asian Games, which was an outrageous move.

He's training with the national team again, and although he can still play now, Chen Fang knows his career is about to end.

This setback meant he was completely out of the basketball world, and when he tried to return, no one cared.

It was precisely because of Ding Yanyuhang's absence that the national team lost its scoring tactics at the small forward position, leading to its complete decline.

A sure win against Poland is now uncertain, and any hope of beating Venezuela has completely vanished.

If they don't advance from the group stage, they won't be the best-performing team in Asia and will miss out on the Olympics.

Unfortunately, these people don't understand; they're doing closed-door training and pushing their main players too hard.

He brought this upon himself and dragged down fans across the country.

He didn't invite Marvin to dinner, but he was very polite in sending him back to his hotel and buying him some American specialties.

There's no need for a meal, as Chen Fang didn't intend to attend any social gatherings. However, respect must be shown, and giving gifts is not considered shabby. Chen Fang has prepared many gifts for his trip back to China for the World Championships, so it's essential to make sure everyone is taken care of.

After Marvin left, Duffy asked Chen Fang what he meant by what he had just said, and Chen Fang smiled bitterly.

"Isn't this just stating my current situation?"

In short, Duffy understood.

Whether it's the Clippers or the national team, if Chen Fang gets injured, all their hopes will be dashed.

Chen Fang is very worried about this. He hasn't been injured this season. First, he's been very careful to protect himself, and second, his playing style has become more stable, and he doesn't frequently attack the basket.

But in the playoffs, getting carried away is inevitable. At that point, no one can control themselves, and what good is regret afterward?

Athletes dare not think about such things, but they must always be mentally prepared for them.

Didi, both of their phones rang almost simultaneously. Chen Fang checked his phone and saw it was a sports news notification he had subscribed to.

Before he could even check, Duffy spoke up.

"The Trail Blazers won."

Chen Fang's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly relaxed.

He doesn't want to play against the Nuggets, rather than the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers are strong on the perimeter, while the Clippers' perimeter defense is undeniable.

Using two guns is easier to deal with than using two cores, one inside and one outside.

Before he could reply, his phone rang; it was head coach Rivers.

As soon as the call connected, Rivers' barely suppressed joy came through: "We're going to play the Trail Blazers."

"I just found out too."

"Start training tomorrow."

The two exchanged a brief conversation, and it was very noisy on the other end of the phone.

It was clear that the entire coaching staff was overjoyed.

"I have to go back. You can arrange and coordinate the business matters. I will be back in China before July 5th."

"Number 5?" Duffy frowned.

"I know it's tight, but I need to go back to China as soon as possible to recuperate," Chen Fang replied.

If he wants to bring China a record-breaking performance at the World Championships held on home soil, he needs to go back to Laoshan to recuperate both physically and mentally with his coach.

Chen Fang didn't even need to think to know what the Basketball Association was thinking.

With Chen Fang on their team, how could they possibly feel at ease if they couldn't break the record?

As for this World Championships held on home soil, Chen Fang has ambitions.

The American team isn't the problem; they've sent out weak teams, none of them are any good.

China's rivals are Spain, Argentina, France, and Seville.

Of these teams, only Spain's Chen Fang is uncertain; the others have a fighting chance.

The opportunity to solidify his position as the number one player in Chinese basketball history, aiming for the top spot, came in the summer of 19.

With the playoffs looking very promising, Chen Fang is very confident that he will make 19 his year, both domestically and in North America.

And all of this happened within those four months.

This was Chen Fang's ambition: he wanted everything.

For the next two days, Chen Fang spent all his time at the Clippers' training center, training in the morning, practicing together in the afternoon, and reviewing the game with the coaching staff in the evening.

On May 3, the entire Clippers team had a day off to prepare for the second round the following day.

On this day, the domestic CBA finals came to an end, with Guangdong sweeping XJ 4-0 to win their ninth championship in team history, surpassing Bayi's eight championships.

This made them the top team in the CBA, comparable to the Lakers in the NBA.

This season, the Guangdong team ranked first in the league with a record of 42 wins and 4 losses in the regular season, and won all 11 games in the playoffs, defeating all opponents along the way to win the championship.

At that time, the Guangdong team consisted entirely of national team starters, a force that no other team could compete with.

Chen Fang sent Zhao Rui his congratulations. His journey with the national team still depends on the Guangdong team, and Zhao Rui will be a good intermediary.

Of course, given Chen Fang's current status, no one will dare to contradict him, but there are many strategies for doing things, and there is no need to use overwhelming force. This kind of counterintuitive operation should be regarded as a trump card, rather than being used at the beginning.

I played some games at home, duo queue with Davis.

This kind of in-team voice chat is the easiest way to improve relationships. There are three quick ways for men to improve relationships: playing games, fighting, and P.

Having just one is enough.

Davis was shot in the back and yelled, "King Chen, come save me! Ahhh!"

"Don't come any closer. All three of them are here. They're fishing. Don't try to save them."

Wow, that's cool, beautiful, oh my god!

"You're practically God, you actually killed them all."

Davis was overjoyed to see that he had been saved.

When the situation calmed down, the two of them couldn't help but start talking about the recent playoffs.

"Irving is preparing for the game. They're playing the Bucks today. Do you think they'll win?" Davis asked.

The Celtics and Bucks have already played two games in the second round, tied 1-1, with the Celtics stealing a win on the road.

Chen Fang replied, "No chance, the Bucks crushed them. The first time actually woke them up."

"With no one to contain him, Giannis can easily set the pace of the game."

"Unless you're with the Celts, who will stop you?"

In three sentences, Chen Fang explained the problem very clearly, and Davis agreed: "I don't need to, Towns can do it too. Giannis needs someone to stick with him from the top of the key."

"Yes, your type is the rarest in the league. Keep it up, the Lakers have a good chance next year."

Davis wasn't skeptical, but he felt it was unreliable coming from Chen Fang, so he asked, "Which aspect are you referring to?"

"Playoffs!"

Davis was speechless. He knew Chen Fang was teasing him, and could only manage a wry smile.

"You will strengthen your team next year, but frankly, unless you find a good bargain, you have no chance."

"What does 'no chance' mean here?" This time, Davis was smart.

"champion."

Everything was arranged perfectly, but Davis didn't want to engage in verbal sparring with Chen Wang. He wasn't the team's leader, so why should he do this? For him, the game was the most important thing right now.

After a few games, things were settled, and Chen Fang left the computer room. Sun Lexian arrived just then, bringing Chen Fang a summary of information, including the playing habits of every player on the Trail Blazers.

Chen Fang then devoted the rest of his time to studying.

Even if the Trail Blazers have a breakout game, he's not worried. He's in a good mood right now, ready to cleanly and decisively defeat the Trail Blazers and wait for the outcome of the Rockets vs. Warriors game.

The first game between the Rockets and the Warriors started on April 29th.

I just finished my second game yesterday.

The result was disappointing; the Rockets failed to gain an advantage in either of the Warriors' home games, falling behind 0-2.

Tomorrow, the Rockets will begin their two home games; a loss in just one would be devastating.

Harden's leadership has once again been criticized. Despite having Paul on the team, the Warriors managed to take a 2-0 lead, which is truly disappointing.

But in Chen Fang's eyes, this was perfectly normal.

Both teams' starting lineups were already at a significant disadvantage, with Paul, Harden, Tucker, Capela, and Gordon all being small players.

You can't say this combination is weak, but it does have weaknesses.

Austin Rivers, Danuel House, Iman Shumpert, and Kenneth Faried were all unreliable and unable to prove themselves in the playoffs.

In comparison, the Warriors are more well-rounded.

Despite DeMarcus Cousins' season-ending injury in the first round, the Warriors' roster remains strong, with Bell, Looney, Evans, and Cook all developing well.

Because of them, the Rockets' bench depth couldn't match theirs in terms of rotation.

In the first two games, the scoring difference between the two teams' substitutes was 12 points.

The final score difference was 9 points, which shows where the problem lay.

Harden nearly achieved triple-doubles in both games, and coupled with Paul's double-double performance, their strength is undeniable.

But Curry's points alone are equivalent to those of both of them, how could they possibly win?

Based on his memory, Chen Fang did not believe that the Rockets were easily defeated, and that they should have no problem beating the Warriors when they returned to their home court.

Regardless of who wins in the end, the Clippers will approach it with a relaxed attitude.

Chen Fang had a premonition that even if they won the championship this time, they would be criticized by many people.

It may not be of high enough prestige, but a champion is a champion. In a few years, who will remember it?

The only thing that's causing Chen Fang some anxiety right now is the thread of fate.

Klay Thompson torn his ACL, Kevin Durant ruptured his Achilles tendon—will these come again?

Chen Fang didn't know, but he didn't hesitate and sent a message to KD.

"KD, take it easy, watch your leg, don't get injured, let's have a good game in the Western Conference Finals."

Durant quickly replied: "Don't worry, I'll be careful. Thanks for your concern, see you in the Western Conference Finals!"

Chen Fang felt somewhat helpless. It seemed that Durant didn't care much, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Durant's Achilles tendon rupture occurred in Game 5 of the second round. He played too aggressively against the Rockets and strained his calf, missing one month and two days.

He forced his way back in Game 5 of the Finals, where he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon.

In Game 6 of the Finals, Klay Thompson suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

This is a chain reaction; without KD, Klay wouldn't have been injured.

Many people have a misconception about Achilles tendons and ligaments: that even if they don't rupture today, they will rupture in the future, because there is essentially a problem with the tendons and ligaments.

Actually, that's not the case. Ligament and Achilles tendon ruptures are most common in ordinary people, while the probability is relatively low in athletes.

Ordinary people who lack exercise are prone to this when they suddenly engage in high-intensity exercise.

For athletes, muscle fatigue, coupled with the high-load overload during exercise, causes the Achilles tendon to be unable to withstand the strain, resulting in tearing or rupture.

The mechanism is caused by the sudden exertion of the calf muscles when the ankle joint is in a hyperextended position.

When the ankle joint is in dorsiflexion at 20° to 30° and plantarflexion, the radius of the axis from the calcaneal tuberosity to the ankle is large (that is, the so-called lunge or digging step technique). The Achilles tendon is in a state of extreme tension. If you suddenly jump with force at this time, the already tense Achilles tendon has to bear a force several times more than its own weight, and the Achilles tendon will rupture.

Therefore, as long as you get through the period of muscle fatigue, you won't suffer a muscle break even if you do this exercise.

Muscle fatigue is related to the loss of myogenic factors in the tendons, causing the Achilles tendon to lose its temporary elasticity and toughness, becoming stiff.

In his previous life, Chen Fang suffered several major injuries during his amateur basketball career. Although he didn't suffer from Achilles tendon or ligament injuries, many of his friends did.

He was terrified, so he took the initiative to learn about the relevant information very early on. In this life, he pays even more attention and needs to check carefully before each competition.

If Chen Fang feels soreness or stiffness in his calves, he will either not play this match or hold back.

After clearing his head, Chen Fang decided not to think about it anymore. Whatever the outcome, he just needed to do his best.

Next, we'll beat the Trail Blazers and await our Western Conference Finals opponent.

(End of this chapter)