Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 390 I'll Take the Blame (Transitional Chapter)

"Welcome to Today's Sports, September 6th."

"In the match that just ended, the Chinese team defeated Russia 94-78, winning all four of their matches and securing a place in the quarterfinals."

"In this game, Chen Fang, the core player of the Chinese men's basketball team, played 25 minutes and scored 21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, plus two steals and three blocks, leading the Chinese team to control the game throughout."

"Please see details..."

The five-minute highlight reel also broke the video playback time limit, highlighting the importance attached to this victory.

The fans were already jubilant. Both new and old fans felt a great sense of pride and honor during this national team campaign.

In the 12th FIBA ​​World Championship held in Toronto, Canada in 1994, the "Golden Generation of '94" led by Jiang Xingquan defeated Brazil and Spain, advanced as the second in their group, and ultimately finished 8th, creating the best result in history.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the Golden Generation defeated Argentina 87-77 in the group stage, reaching the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time.

By the 2004 Athens Olympics, Yao Ming had grown into an NBA All-Star, and together with Battier and Yi Jianlian, they formed the "Moving Great Wall." In the final group stage match, they defeated Serbia and Montenegro 67-66 in a last-minute victory, advancing to the quarterfinals once again.

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese men's basketball team defeated Angola and Germany in the group stage, advancing to the quarterfinals after three games, and making it to the world's top eight for the third time.

Starting in 09, for a full decade, China fell to its lowest point.

In the final of the 2009 Tianjin Asian Championships, they suffered a crushing defeat against Iran, losing their status as the Asian champions!

At the 2013 Manila Asian Championships, they lost to South Korea, Iran, and Chinese Taipei, achieving their worst-ever fifth-place finish!
In the 2014 World Cup (formerly the World Championships, the first edition of the tournament), they had a record of 1 win and 4 losses, ranking only 24th!
Ten consecutive defeats in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games!

In 2019, Chen and Wang rose to prominence like comets, and the Chinese men's basketball team became strong again. With just four games, they convincingly convinced all Chinese fans that this was the strongest team in history.

With NBA superstar Chen Wang, starting-caliber Li Ke'er, rotation player Yi Jianlian, NBA-level Zhou Qi, and the core of the CBA league's 97 cohort, this men's basketball team swept aside all opponents and surpassed all Asian teams.

The Chinese men's basketball team is the only Asian team to reach the quarterfinals in this tournament, and also the only team to win.

The other five Asian teams (Iran, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Jordan) all lost all four of their matches, failing to secure a single victory.

This can no longer be described as simply standing out from the crowd; China's dominant position in Asia is unshakeable, leaving its rivals in the same region feeling hopeless.

And all of this was brought about by one person!
Prince Chen of Shandong!

Chen Wang of China!

NBA's Chen Wang!
Chen Fang's fame and commercial value increased exponentially within a week, making him a household name and a super sports star.

Now, wherever Chen Fang appears, it causes traffic jams. He can no longer go out on the street wearing sunglasses like before. Even fans don't use the nickname "China's Jordan" anymore; anyone who says it sounds like a joke.

"Chinese Chen Wang" best reflects the fans' recognition of Chen Fang.

Now, fans are starting to focus on whether China can achieve a historic breakthrough, moving from the world's top eight to the top four or even better.

They were staying at the officially designated Hilton hotel, which had long been under strict access control; neither fans nor reporters could enter.

It is complemented by two large training grounds: Daliang Sports Center in Shunde District and Nanhai Gymnasium in FS City.

The Chinese men's basketball team's training session was held at the Daliang Sports Center. Even though the officials had fully anticipated the number of fans gathering, they realized they had underestimated the number when they arrived at the scene.

At least 50,000 fans gathered at the Daliang Sports Center, blocking all the entrances and exits. The fans didn't want much; they just wanted to see Chen Wang in person, even if it was just for a glimpse.

At this moment, Chen Fang absolutely cannot appear. He cannot show up just to satisfy the fans, as this could easily cause a stampede. The fans would surge forward like waves, potentially bringing unpredictable and disastrous consequences to those at the front.

Even inside the stadium, you can still hear Chen Wang's shouts echoing through the arena.

Lee was deeply shocked. He had witnessed the madness of Chinese fans many times before, but he was still stunned today.

How could a simple training session attract tens of thousands of fans to gather here?

"Chen Wang, in China, you're practically Michael Jordan," Li Kai'er said with undisguised envy.

"Thanks, you're not bad either. A lot of people were calling for you just now." Chen Fang laughed heartily, then added, "You're quite good-looking, you probably have a lot of female fans."

“Really? Well, that makes me very happy.” Li Kai’er smiled as well.

The afternoon training session was specifically for Argentina, focusing mainly on defensive drills.

Argentina's attacking style is characterized by "speed, flexibility, comprehensiveness, and accuracy," and in this tournament, they have boldly used techniques such as through balls, passing combinations, and counter-attacks.

By cooperating as a team, combining internal and external efforts, and achieving success from multiple angles, we can make our opponents unable to cope.

In positional warfare, they will make more use of screens, unarmed movement, bold passing, space support, and cuts and passes to maximize their speed and reaction advantages.

This is also the first time in this tournament that the Chinese team has encountered a truly strong team, whose strength is no less than that of Spain, France, the United States, and Serbia.

Andy's defensive strategy was to switch on every screen, double-team relentlessly, focus on the wing corners, and allow the inside players to cover vertically in the arc area.

We need to use man-to-man double-teaming and zone defense on the strong side, and focus on cutting off the weak side.

The whole team must adhere to one principle: mark the man and not the ball, and be prepared to face one-on-one pressure.

When facing a pick-and-roll, switch on defense decisively.

On the training field, Andy had more say. He interrupted the training three times, pointed out the problems sternly, and analyzed and explained them one by one.

"We must clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of switching on every defense!" Andy had everyone form a semi-circle and began to speak.

"First, it reduces open looks; second, it limits pick-and-roll offense; and third, it's very flexible."

"There are also three disadvantages. It places high demands on the players' own defense. If they are not good at any one of them, they will be targeted endlessly."

"We need better defensive coordination, otherwise problems such as untimely switching and chaotic defensive positioning are likely to occur."

"Third, once the opponent has a strong perimeter player, they will continue to lose points and bleed out."

"But we don't have that problem. Argentina is a strong team in overall scoring, and switching on defense is the most effective way to limit their defensive strategy."

"The only problem is teamwork. It's not just about marking players and not watching the ball, but also about coordinating inside and outside play. It's hard to maintain a proper distance between players."

"That's why I interrupted three times. I can't just use my eyes; I also have to use my mouth to tell you what to do."

"One word is enough: me, me, me!"

"Making sure your teammates understand what you're doing and what you're going to do is more important than anything else!"

Chen Fang listened attentively. In the NBA, switching on any defense is a skill that almost every team must master, and it's also the fundamental reason why many players who clearly have scoring ability spend their entire game on the bench. Being out of position, losing your defensive assignment, and reacting too slowly to the tactics will all keep you on the bench.

It's fair to say that in the NBA, even if you have the ability to score 20 points, if you're not good at defense, you'll eventually be eliminated from the NBA.

No matter how much the NBA values ​​offense, the most basic requirement for every head coach is that the players on the court cannot disrupt his defensive system.

A player may not be able to enhance a defensive system, but he absolutely cannot weaken it.

Therefore, whether a player can play depends on their defense first, and then on their scoring ability.

China has a significant deficiency in this area; Andy's assessment is that a maximum of seven people are capable.

Yi, Zhou Qi, Zhao Rui, Xiao Chuan, Li Kaier, Abu, Sun Minghui.

Of these seven people, Sun Minghui can only be considered half a member due to his physique.

Guo Ailun, who is relied upon, is actually quite poor in this aspect.

This is also what worries Andy the most about this strategy; he has already started discussing removing Guo Ailun and using him as a tactical piece instead of a starter.

Chen Fang had no objection to this; when playing against a strong team like Argentina, the fewer weaknesses the better.

"Be prepared for a seven-person rotation," Andy told Li Nan.

"Also be prepared for the possibility of losing." Andy's next words made Chen Fang smile and wave his hand.

"I'm not afraid of challenges, Coach, you have to believe in your student." Chen Fang blinked.

After training, Chen Fang did not leave with the team, but went to a private gym alone, where a complete training team was waiting for him.

No matter how good the national team is, it only serves 12 people. Chen Fang has not received much help in his training during this period.

After reporting the situation, Chen Fang planned to spend one night training to regain his competitive form.

From strong ball movement and physical play to passing the ball and making strong drives under double teams, from lateral jump shots after pick-and-rolls to pull-up jumpers after drives, all of these require reshaping the feel and finding the rhythm.

In the final hour, Chen Fang began a non-stop shooting spree from all 10 spots on the court, making 50 shots in each set, for a total of 200 shots.

This training method is also Curry's favorite, and Chen Fang adopted it into his own training plan through the Rock Training Camp.

At first, it was very difficult to adapt, and the hit rate decreased as time went on. Finding the right hit rate was the most crucial thing, since there was no way to slow down or stop.

I didn't do a good job with the preparation of the food today either, and my left leg is already starting to ache.

While recovering from his injury in Los Angeles, he sought help from Curry, who taught him a set of techniques on how to use his hips to generate and dissipate force in order to relieve pressure on his thighs.

Because of the World Championships, Chen Fang has been unable to engage in systematic simulation learning, which has caused him some anxiety.

He felt his inadequacy, and this inadequacy could not be concealed after his physical problems developed.

Despite his low accuracy, Chen Fang still managed to complete all four sets, becoming almost completely soaked, which shocked the sparring partners on the sidelines.

Liu Peng, the Chinese coach who accompanied the team, was truly impacted on a spiritual level.

In his eyes, Chen Wang is already the best basketball player in the world, so why should he work so hard?

He had never seen such a scene with any athlete in the country, where after an afternoon of training, they still had to train until the evening.

Wang Zhen hired a top-notch team for Chen Fang, and Chen Fang began to enjoy being the center of attention for his physical therapy and rehabilitation. While lying there, Chen Fang was also discussing some training details with Buson.

Because the training session had ended too late, Chen Fang didn't get back to the hotel until the early hours of the morning. After a forced shower and into bed, he fell asleep.

Liu Peng knocked on Li Nan's door. The latter had been waiting for him. Li Nan had reservations about Chen Fang's extra training.

"Why did it take you so long to get back?" Li Nan asked.

"There's nothing we can do, Chen Fang is too ruthless to himself," Liu Peng said, shaking his head with a sigh.

He then recounted what he had seen and heard. Li Nan was astonished after listening. As the most reliable shooter in the national team, he knew very well how terrifying the final training session of Chen Fang was.

"So every seemingly easy three-pointer we see is backed by days of grueling training." Li Nan also came from that ruthless era. He was at the tail end of the 94 golden generation and witnessed how the older generation tortured themselves to achieve extraordinary results.

"You've worked hard today. There's still a lot to do tomorrow, so get some rest." After seeing Liu Peng off, Li Nan returned to his room. Watching the video still playing, he rubbed his temples, took a deep breath, and perhaps inspired by Chen Fang's actions, he decided that no matter how tired he was, he would finish what he was doing.

We can't put it off until tomorrow.

He knows his own situation well; from any perspective, it's difficult for him to be a suitable candidate for the position of head coach of the national team.

He was able to get promoted because the leaders were tired of the infighting among local factions and preferred to select him to balance the relationships within the team rather than take sides and watch the situation change repeatedly.

From the moment he took over the red team, Li Nan felt immense pressure. He devoted all his time to learning and thinking, but as a latecomer to the field, he seemed to understand many things, but when it came to applying them, he was quite lost.

Speaking of which, Li Nan is especially grateful to Chen Fang and has deep respect for this young man.

He was initially frustrated by Chen Fang's cold treatment, but being someone who always understood the bigger picture, he didn't utter a single complaint, and this attitude paid off.

To be honest, Li Nan was furious when he found out that Chen Fang had brought his coaching team.

But after meeting Andy and Buson, Li Nan realized that she had made a huge mistake.

Compared to the previous foreign teacher team, Andy's insightful and easy-to-understand communication style and selfless teaching have greatly benefited Li Nan. She now understands where she went wrong in many things she didn't understand before.

He doesn't care if people laugh behind his back at him for being a puppet head coach; what matters is learning something.

There were a few things Andy said that left a deep impression on Li Nan.

"Every basketball coach starts by learning from others. The more you learn, the deeper your understanding of the game will be. Obsession may lead you to success, but it will more often send you to hell."

"Not everyone is a genius. The one who laughs last and wins the most championships is always the one who is the most tolerant."

It can be said that Andy's appearance gave Li Nan confidence and made him no longer confused about the future.

The World Championships were just the starting point for him, but also a turning point.

Andy's prediction also made him feel that tomorrow's match would be the most difficult game for the Chinese team in this tournament.

If we lose, who will take the blame?
A thought suddenly flashed through Li Nan's mind, and then he smiled.

I'll do it!
(End of this chapter)