Basketball Terminal

Chapter 24 Iron Gate
Jamal Martin is a typical American small guard: skilled with the ball, fast, explosive, and possesses excellent penetration and shooting abilities, as well as a good ability to pass after a drive. Moreover, as a left-handed player, his dribbling and shooting are more difficult to defend and predict compared to most right-handed players.

Of course, Martin also has obvious weaknesses: he is relatively thin, his defense is poor, and his strength is lacking, which is the most important reason that prevented him from entering the NBA. His speed and explosiveness are not top-tier among small guards of his level, only slightly above average.

In the fiercely competitive world of American point guards, it's difficult to survive in top leagues unless you reach the highest level. Therefore, Jamal Martin is relegated to lower-leagues, and Europe or China would be ideal destinations for him in the future. Those countries desperately need high-scoring American point guards like him.

As a former star high school and college guard, Martin possesses solid fundamentals and a wealth of practical experience. Looking at the somewhat tall and clumsy Levi, Martin was already mentally planning how to break his ankle later, to teach this new teammate a lesson and establish himself as the leader of the Long Island Nets.

Martin's contract is the largest on the team, reaching $70. It's a two-way contract, meaning he can play for the Brooklyn Nets at any time. Of course, with James Harden's arrival, the possibility of Martin being called up to the Brooklyn Nets has become extremely slim. Martin's biggest hope is to earn a higher price tag with the Long Island Nets and attract the attention of other NBA teams.

Li Wei was not taken seriously by him, so he dribbled the ball with a relaxed attitude, looking at the "big, dumb guy" who was keeping a certain distance from him, preparing to start and use speed and skill to overwhelm him.

"Let's get started, you two!"

"Come on! Come on!"

"Let me see just how good you really are."

Scott Mitchell, on the sidelines, took out his phone to record the scene, praising Levi's initiative and courage, which would undoubtedly add more interesting material to the story. Whether it turns out to be a comedy or a farce depends on Levi's own performance.

Jamal Martin started with a series of skillful crossover dribbles, attempting to shift Levi's weight and find a way to break through. But Levi remained unmoved, and when Martin began to feint a crossover, Levi suddenly reached out and gently touched the ball, knocking it out of Martin's hand!
The ball changed course and hit Martin's foot before rolling away, ending Martin's first attack in failure.

A low murmur rippled through the crowd. Most were eager to see how Martin would teach Levi a lesson. For many Black and white people, bullying Asians was a fun and acceptable thing to do, and they naturally sided with Martin. But Martin's first attack was easily neutralized.

"I told you, this kid's got some serious defense," Scott Mitchell said to Carlos, who was filming with his phone. Carlos glanced at him, thinking, "When the hell did you say that?"

Head coach Brett's face was expressionless, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

Possession changes hands, and Li Wei gets the ball. Although Li Wei isn't a strong offensive player, he was once a guard, and his fundamentals are still there. He's very skilled at dribbling and his shooting is decent, but Li Wei doesn't want to show off his skills. He knows that while he's inherited technique and agility, his higher center of gravity is an unchangeable reality, making him vulnerable to turnovers in high-level competition.

Therefore, Li Wei is very realistic. He dribbles sideways to protect the ball and then uses his body to charge straight inside. Physical confrontation is Jamal Martin's weakness. Of course, among ordinary people, he is a real 191cm strongman, but he appears weak on a basketball court full of tall players.

Levi wasn't particularly strong on the court, just average. Martin thought he could handle him, but when he touched Levi's arm, it was like being swept away by an iron rod. Levi easily stepped to the basket, made a layup, and scored a point.

Rewi scored three goals in a row using the same scoring method, leaving Martin looking disheveled. On the fourth defensive possession, Martin got impatient and took the initiative to challenge, frantically grabbing and pulling, causing Rewi to make a mistake, and possession returned to Martin.

Having regained possession, Martin lowered his center of gravity, seemingly ready to get serious. Gone were the fancy crossover dribbles; Martin immediately initiated a drive to the left, intending to use his speed and explosiveness to shake off Levi. Levi, however, kept up. Martin abruptly stopped and pulled back, changing direction, but Levi anticipated this and immediately made contact.

Martin immediately lost his composure, but his excellent dribbling skills allowed him to protect the ball and create distance between himself and Levi. He tried the same drive, pull back, and retreat twice more, but still couldn't find a good shooting opportunity. He could only continue to create space and attempt shots. At this moment, Martin looked at Levi blocking his path not far away, and in his eyes, he no longer saw a "big, clumsy guy," but a formidable iron gate.

In a match between professional players, their skill level can be gauged within one or two possessions. Without physical contact, many things seem similar; anyone can do a couple of between-the-legs dunks, shoot a long-range three-pointer, or execute a spectacular dunk. But once there's offensive and defensive pressure, all the details come to light.

Martin is a seasoned player. Among the defenders he has faced, Levi is not the fastest or the strongest, but his anticipation and pressure are the strongest.

With relentless tracking, impeccably timed steals, and anticipation of drives, Martin realized he needed to be two levels faster to have any chance of a successful drive. But if he could do that, he wouldn't still be stuck in the Development League.

"Damn it!" Martin cursed under his breath, and could only end the attack with a step-back long-range shot, which was still interfered with by Levi, and the ball hit the front of the rim and missed.

After successfully defending, Levi picked up the ball, tossed it to Martin, and said, "Want to try again? I don't really like offense; I prefer defense."

Li Wei's provocation further agitated the atmosphere on the field. His previously indifferent teammates began to jeer and chant Li Wei's name. Martin was also determined to score a goal against Li Wei, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

However, Martin was unaware that Levi had already figured out his playing style. That day, after Levi asked Carlos who the team's strongest player was and received the answer "Jamael Martin," he went home and searched for Martin's game videos online, carefully studying his playing style and attacking habits.

Therefore, before their one-on-one duel, Martin knew nothing about Levi, while Levi was well-prepared and not acting on impulse. With Martin's intentions outmaneuvering Levi's, and given Martin's slightly inferior strength, he was naturally completely outmatched by Levi.

Moreover, after several rounds, Martin's mentality faltered, and he became afraid of Levi. In a one-on-one knightly duel, the more fear and avoidance one exhibits, the faster defeat will follow. Courage and fearlessness, on the other hand, can gain the upper hand.

During one offensive play, Jamal Martin repeatedly stepped back to try and evade Levi's defense. Finally, with his rhythm off, he attempted a step-back jumper, only to be met with a resounding block from Levi. This play shattered Jamal Martin's offensive confidence, and he kept muttering, "I'm not ready, damn it, I'm not ready."

But the crowd off the court was already cheering and applauding Li Wei for his beautiful block.

In a 10-round duel, Levi defeated Martin 5-1, with Martin scoring only one point from a long-range shot.

When Li Wei left the court, his teammates came over to give him high-fives. That's how basketball is: if you have the ability, everyone will gravitate towards you; if you don't have the ability or the desire to perform, you're just invisible.

At this point, Brett clapped his hands, signaling the end of the private duel, and warned everyone, "One-on-one duels and matches are completely different things and should not be confused. Don't rely on one-on-one duels to determine strength. What we need is a team, not five individual fighters."

Of course, everyone just listened to those words. Li Wei then said to Brett, "Coach, you know that I will only get stronger in the game."

Brett glared at Levi and muttered a curse, but inwardly he admired Levi. He had a knack for daring to steal the spotlight, which was crucial for standing out in a place like the Development League. Brett looked at him with even greater respect.

(End of this chapter)