Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 408 Win Him a Hundred Times!

The far-reaching impact of the Lakers vs. Fastway rematch was unexpected.

Years later, whenever independent media outlets create an overview of LeBron James' career, they invariably cite the game against the Clippers on October 25, 2019, as a turning point in James' career.

Initially, the media and fans were so focused on watching the video of Chen Wang blocking James's move and listening to Chen Wang's provocations towards James in the post-game press conference that they completely ignored the statements made by the other players involved in the game.

When interviewed by reporters, Butler revealed that the coaching staff had instructed them to focus on attacking the side of James' defense, repeatedly targeting James to score.

Even the usually mild-mannered Rose pointed out to reporters that this wasn't the first time James had pushed someone in mid-air, and that his actions, including foot-planting and elbowing, shouldn't be seen from a superstar.

There were also dissenting voices from the Lakers' side. Leonard gave a somber answer to the reporter, saying that he felt the third quarter was the Lakers' best quarter.

Davis subtly suggested that the Lakers' defense and offense were disconnected, often scoring two points only to concede three.

Rondo bluntly expressed his disappointment with the team's defense, saying: "We don't look like a team that's going to win a championship. We're more like a bunch of undisciplined street thugs."

These comments, which intentionally or unintentionally put James' defensive attitude on the spot, were initially only interpreted by some observant reporters and did not cause a major uproar.

Until a Lakers beat reporter broke a bombshell.

The day after the loss, the Lakers team participated in their routine tactics session, during which head coach Vogel suddenly pulled out the game footage from the previous day and began to review and analyze the game.

The players repeatedly pointed out James' defensive issues, which greatly displeased him. He pushed the door open and left, shocking all the players present.

This was just the beginning. James immediately called General Manager Pelinka and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to express his extreme anger at Vogel's disrespectful behavior. (In January 2022, multiple reporters from ESPN, TA, and others reported that the coaching staff repeatedly pointed out the "insufficient defensive commitment of the starting five" in internal meetings, with James being cited the most, leading to his walk-out. Subsequently, he was never mentioned in team play discussions during video reviews.)
After this incident broke out, it attracted great attention from the Los Angeles media, with the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers' official newspaper, uncovering a large number of secrets.

James did not attend the game on the 27th, further confirming the rumors of discord between the Lakers' coach and players.

Just as the fans were starting to jeer, James and Vogel made up and attended the pre-game press conference for the game against the Rockets on the 30th.

A reporter later revealed that Kidd stepped in and facilitated a reconciliation between the two, thus preventing the Lakers' internal strife from escalating.

The fact that James was playing poorly on defense became widely known in the league and among fans.

As for the Clippers and Chen Fang, they have already left the Lakers behind and are continuing their own journey.

Mazura proposed a new winning framework that incorporates all 17 players on the team. Based on factors such as the strength of the opponent, home and away games, and player health monitoring, a more scientific, reasonable, and detailed playing time schedule was developed than that of last season.

The key players are separated and matched with their teammates to form three effective lineups.

In summary, it's Chen Fang's team, Butler's team, and Brunson's team.

This should be enough to handle most teams.

It's already the end of the month, 19 is almost over, and the season has been going on for more than two months. The strengths and weaknesses in the league are already very clear.

The Bucks are far ahead in the East, while the Raptors and Celtics are fighting hard to catch up.

The Clippers dominate the West Coast, with the Lakers right behind them.

Behind the Lakers are the Nuggets, Rockets, and Jazz.

Overall, only these eight teams in the entire league possess the aura of strong teams, and essentially, barring any changes, this year's champion will only emerge from among these eight teams.

After defeating the Lakers, the Clippers' odds of winning the championship have risen to number one, a sign of respect from the betting companies.

On New Year's Eve, Chen Fang embraced Wu Zi as they watched the fireworks on the balcony.

After playing the Utah Jazz at home, the team headed to the Sacramento Kings, but Chen Fang did not go with the team; this time, Butler led the team.

Chen Fang holds a prominent position on the team, and in some games, the coaching staff will choose to give him a rest so that more players can hone their skills through the regular season.

Another important thing is that the Clippers management needs to show sufficient respect.

That means Wu Zi is pregnant.

The news came the day after the game against the Lakers. Chen Fang was overjoyed and immediately asked the team for leave to go to Sinai Medical Center, the best gynecology hospital in Los Angeles.

The test results showed she was two months pregnant. Chen Fang looked back and realized it was the night before the preseason game. Because she was going to be gone for a month, Chen Fang was very reluctant to leave and couldn't help but be a little passionate.

This was unexpected. Wu Zi complained to Chen Fang for several days, saying he was a big liar who said nothing would happen and that it was a safe period.

Chen Fang was already ecstatic, and Wu Zi kept smiling obsequiously no matter what she said.

My parents are already packing their bags and on their way to Los Angeles. The elderly couple are now full of a sense of mission, and their previous strong resistance to going to the United States has turned into eager anticipation.

"Chen Fang, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"Whatever you like is fine, whatever you prefer."

"Have you decided on a name yet? You, as the father, are you?"

"The boy's name is Chen Wu, and the girl's name is Chen Zi." Chen Fang replied without thinking, but unexpectedly received a flick on the forehead.

"How could you take it like that? It's so irresponsible."

"I think it's great!"

The two exchanged a torrent of sweet nothings, and suddenly flowers burst forth from the sky, illuminating the entire seaside.

"The New Year is here, it's 2020!"

Embracing each other, Chen Fang was intoxicated by the happiness and contentment of the moment.

New year, new goals!

※※※

Entering 2020, the Clippers' schedule became more relaxed, and more home games allowed Chen Fang to focus on his family. The arrival of his parents also kept him in top form.

Renowned ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski wrote an article praising Chen, saying: "In his third year, Chen is like someone who has been in the league for ten years. His ability to read the game is comparable to any Hall of Fame guard, and his offensive talent is enough to place him at the top of the league."

It's hard to imagine what Chen Wang's future will be like. Even under the most stringent conditions, the alliance will be under Chen Wang's rule for the next ten years.

Among their peers, Tatum and Mitchell are already the best, but they are still far behind Chen Wang.

The 18 draft class of Doncic and Chadwick Boseman has a strong upward momentum, but I feel that their potential is still not as high as that of Chen and Wang.

They searched and searched, but could not find anyone to compare with King Chen.

Perhaps we will witness the arrival of a new era, an NBA era that belongs to the Chinese!

Wojnarowski's words immediately caused a stir, with some questioning and others mocking him.

"How much money did they have to give to be so shamelessly groveling?"

"I think Prince Chen is already very good, but not as exaggerated as you say!"

“Some things are better left unsaid; they will only invite more malicious attacks against Prince Chen!”

"Let's get through this injury first. Asians are very fragile! One injury can ruin everything!"

There are many similar comments on social media, but Chen Fang simply ignores them all!
What the hell? Talking nonsense!

Chen Fang's life now revolves around two points: the team and home.

With Butler on the team, it's hard for them to collapse!

Brunson already looks like a core player. Chen Fang's attitude is very clear: let him put up good numbers and build confidence, then renew his contract before making any trades to further strengthen the team.

The core framework has been completed, including Chen Fang, Zubac, Jaren Jr., Porter Jr., and Dillon.

As long as these five players remain together, the Clippers will retain their core competitiveness!
There are no eternal dynasties, no unchanging teammates. Chen Fang can't protect everyone. Let's remain friends even if we meet again in the martial world!
Just as Chen Fang has been saying all season, he wants to prove his worth and make big money.

Every teammate should understand what this means: talking about honors won't last long; money is the real driving force.

Since the start of the season, except for a few matches where Chen Fang has taken the initiative, he has played a supporting role in other matches, helping his teammates to get data!

So even though Chen Fang's current average is still 18.7 points, which is not as high as Butler's 20.1 points, his other stats are skyrocketing!
He averaged 7.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.

Looking at all the data, Chen Fang is still the Clippers' undisputed number one!

The Clippers have a very favorable schedule in January, with only 12 games.

The numerous home games seem to be making up for the hardships of December, and Chen Fang's ability to read the game has reached a level of perfection.

However, their away loss to the Denver Nuggets revealed Jokic's formidable strength, inspiring fear in the crowd. Chen Fang and Butler attempted to win the game, and when the Nuggets acquired Aaron Gordon, they filled their final gap.

After a fierce battle for three and a half quarters, the Clippers finally surrendered.

It wasn't that they were completely outmatched, but rather that the Nuggets' home-court advantage was too biased, Chen Fang and Butler's playing time was too fragmented, and Dillon fouled out in the first half.

The performances of other players were also unsatisfactory.

After the game, reporters expected Chen Fang to criticize the officiating, but unexpectedly, Chen Fang frankly stated that the Nuggets are the most formidable opponent in the West.

"I really like the Nuggets' current roster. It's perfect. Murray, Jokic, Gordon—this line is concise and efficient, and they excel on both offense and defense."

"I'm really looking forward to facing the Nuggets in the playoffs; it's going to be a really exciting series."

Chen Fang, speaking eloquently, showed no signs of having lost the game, and the reporter seemed to be infected by his enthusiasm, even losing much of his sarcastic intent.

However, a reporter still raised a pointed question.

"What? Lakers or Nuggets, who's stronger?" Chen Fang asked in surprise, then burst into laughter.

"Buddy, it's about gold mining, of course."

"The Lakers are a bloated team. They look intimidating, but sorry, they can't even get past the first round of the playoffs."

"I know the Lakers are second right now, only 2.5 games behind us."

"So what? I can still beat the Lakers even if I get up in the middle of the night."

It must be said that the humble Chen Wang immediately switches to an arrogant and unruly demeanor whenever the Lakers are mentioned, his face full of disdain.

The reporter then asked about the ongoing All-Star voting.

The same plan as last year was used: LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the heads of the East and West conferences, respectively, to select players.

In the current polls, Chen Fang has surpassed James in the votes, which is a very interesting topic.

So Chen Fang raised an eyebrow: "Of course I'm not qualified to be the head of the West, because the league still values ​​seniority."

"James is the only option, and I have no objection to that."

"but!"

The reporters below immediately perked up; this was exactly what they were waiting for!
"I know about our feud, and I don't think James would pick on me! I would have done the same, so please don't try to find fault with anyone on this topic."

"Basketball is also war, we fight to the death against each other, that's perfect! I don't care who plays the villain, this kind of Hollywood script will make everyone more excited for the All-Star Game!"

"Let me go to the Eastern Conference All-Star game! I want to play with my brother Jason!"

Chen Fang's post-game comments immediately became a hot topic on social media, with even the Lakers' own media outlet, the Los Angeles Daily News, praising Chen Fang's frankness and integrity.

"This is Los Angeles' good fortune. Ever since we came to Los Angeles from the Clippers, we've been hoping that Los Angeles could have a perfect derby."

"Praise Chen Wang! Let him go to the East! We really want to see the All-Star Game!"

Even the league has stepped in to comment, and everything is starting to move in the direction everyone expects.

The NBA All-Star Weekend will be held in Chicago from February 14th to 16th. Many fans, whose attention has already shifted away from the ongoing regular season, are now turning their focus to February.

Time flies, and it's already January 24th.

The Clippers are currently on their second road trip, which began on the 18th. They will play one game each against the Pelicans, Mavericks, Hawks, Heat, and Magic.

At this point, the Clippers' record had been surpassed by the Lakers, placing them second in the Western Conference and third in the league.

This is an acceptable result. Chen Fang and Butler took turns resting, Brunson's status was significantly improved, the team gave Villanova and the other two players more playing time, and Porter Jr. and Jaren Jr. were given important responsibilities.

Fluctuations in a team's performance are inevitable.

The management and coaching staff are well aware that they have already tested the team's capabilities and seen through the strength of their competitors based on more than half of the season's games.

Therefore, as long as we maintain home-court advantage in the playoffs, it doesn't matter whether we finish first or fourth.

As Chen Fang said to the team: We are incredibly strong now, and no team can beat us.

We have three roster options that can be combined to create two of the home-court advantage options in the playoffs. If we play in the East or West, we could even meet in the Finals.

With Butler leading the Richon, Brunson, and three other brothers, how could they not beat the 76ers?
With Jaren B.J. added to the mix, even the Bucks have a chance to be eliminated.

Many things needed to be reminded, and Chen Fang's bold statement immediately ignited the team's passion and confidence, and they immediately accepted this setting.

"We are strong, strong enough to slap any opponent to death."

Rivers was all smiles. His and Mazura's adjustments over the past half-season have honed the team. Now they have no weaknesses or shortcomings. Apart from the players being a little inexperienced, there are no problems they could have imagined.

This is why the Clippers quickly accepted the decision that Chen Wang would not travel with the team for away games, not only because the team was very strong, but also because this away trip covered the Chinese New Year.

"I haven't spent Chinese New Year with my parents in a long time." Chen Fang's explanation to the team was just one sentence, but it made Lawrence immediately call back to agree to the application.

It can be said that Chen Fang's status on the Clippers at this moment is indeed above everything else. Looking at the league now, no star player would dare to be so blatant.

Even James only uses the so-called groin to avoid playing away games in some remote cities.

But Chen Fang dared to do that because he had already relinquished possession of the ball, making the team better, and now it was time for him to reap the rewards of respect.

On January 25, CCTV sent a special reporting team to Los Angeles to visit Chen Fang's home and produce a special report on the Spring Festival.

The main focus was naturally on filming Chen Fang's family watching the Spring Festival Gala live and then sending New Year's greetings to the people of the whole country.

At 10 o'clock sharp, Chen Fang and his family of four happily bowed to the camera and shouted "Good fortune is coming!" Then Chen Fang shouted familiar festive words to everyone watching the Spring Festival Gala across the country.

"I wish everyone a Happy New Year! May your families be reunited, your lives be filled with joy and happiness, and may you enjoy good health and all things going smoothly."

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala begins at 8:00 PM Beijing time on New Year's Eve, which is 4:00 AM in Los Angeles.

So to be frank, Chen Fang's family sent New Year's greetings to the whole country at exactly 6 a.m.

So as soon as the camera turned off, everyone collapsed back to their seats. Wu Zi, in particular, had been by her mother's side for almost four months.

After saying goodbye to the filming crew, the women went to catch up on sleep, while the men got to work.

Chen Fang and his father began to get busy preparing food for the first day of the Lunar New Year, as people would be coming to pay their respects soon.

Wu Zhen and Sun Lexian will be the first batch, followed by Duffy, Linna, and others in the working circle, including Carl Hannon and other subordinates of Pan Shi.

Lawrence will also be there on behalf of the Clippers. Given Chen Fang's current status and position, even if he does nothing, he will still have a full house of guests on special occasions.

Chen Fang was busy until evening, when he was about to take a break when Duan Ran and Mr. Zhang Heli, who lived in Los Angeles, came to visit him for the New Year.

After another flurry of activity, as they were leaving, Duan Ran asked Chen Fang, "What are your goals for this year's All-Star Game?"

"MVP for two consecutive years!" Chen Fang said without hesitation.

Duan Ran and Grandpa Zhang both smiled knowingly. Duan Ran said, "Then we'll wait for that day."

"Are you going to crush LeBron James again?" the old man suddenly asked.

Chen Fang was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Looks like this is something to be happy about. Well, I think playing against James five times a season is pretty good."

“Perhaps more!” the old man said meaningfully.

Chen Fang immediately understood and said, "That would be even funnier."

The Lakers and Clippers have been in the league for so long and have never met in the playoffs, but for some reason, many people have a strong feeling about it this year.

This phenomenon is likely to come to an end.

“Then let’s beat him nine times in one season!” Chen Fang added generously.

All three of them laughed. Duan Ran drove the old man home. On the way, he suddenly heard the old man sigh, "It's like a beautiful dream!"

"Yes, I hope I never wake up."

(End of this chapter)