The first punch that shocked the basketball world

The bus had a flat tire and stopped on the side of the highway.

The probability was ridiculously low, yet they still happened to run into it.

Fortunately, we're already halfway there.

Mark Harris squatted down by the roadside and cursed a couple of times, while the mechanic carrying the toolbox came down from the side door.

"Please wait a moment, it will be done in twenty minutes."

The mechanic was quick and efficient, removing and installing tires with fluid movements.

The players got off the bus to get some fresh air and chatted while leaning against the guardrail.

The cold wind stung their faces, but no one complained.

The development alliance can encounter all sorts of messy things, so this little incident is nothing.

Twenty minutes later, the spare tire was changed.

The bus resumed its journey, heading west into Salt Lake City.

The Utah Chargers' home arena was more dilapidated than I had imagined.

The stadium was cramped, the exterior walls were peeling, and the parking lot was full of potholes.

Compared to the Defenders' Toyota Center, it's small, old, and has a cheap, shabby feel.

The players carried their bags into the away team's locker room.

A musty smell wafted over.

The wardrobe was chipped, the bench was stained, the heating was lukewarm, and everyone was rubbing their hands together while changing clothes.

"Fuck!"

"This place is even worse than where we are," Mike Taylor said, breathing out warm air. "It's like there's no heating at all."

Lin Fei tugged at his training clothes.

"Utah is a small market with a high altitude, so it's normal."

"My feet are so cold they're numb." Taylor rubbed her ankles. "I should have run two laps before sitting down."

"If you dare leave the bench, Coach Hall will yell at you like a dog," Lin Fei laughed.

Taylor immediately shrank back.

Raymond Hall's volatile temper terrified the entire team.

Before long, Harris walked in carrying a tactical board.

The tactic is simple—run and bomb.

Speed ​​up, counterattack, cut to the basket, three-pointer.

D'Antoni's Lakers team primarily employs a run-and-gun offense, and his subordinate teams must align their tactical systems accordingly.

The day we promote someone, we can bring them over and use them immediately.

This tactic was popular throughout the league during the Suns era, and everyone is familiar with it.

"I won't go into too much detail about the offense," Harris tapped the clipboard. "Let's focus on the defense."

"Never switch on defense. Squeeze through pick-and-rolls, rotate quickly to help on the weak side, minimize double-teaming, and maximize interference."

"You all know what's going on with the Lakers. Dwight can't get out there, and Steve Nash gets picked off every time he switches on defense. Our practice of switching is useless; it won't work on the home team."

Some people below were whispering among themselves, not taking it too seriously.

Discipline among G League players is generally poor.

"Shut the fuck up, all of you!"

Hall suddenly roared, the sound making the wardrobe vibrate.

"Anyone who runs to the wrong position, misses a player, or misses a rebound will be sent straight to the bench for the rest of the game! You hear me!"

The locker room fell silent instantly.

Everyone nodded.

When a tyrant gets angry, no one dares to utter a sound.

Harris then emphasized the timing of help defense twice, and clapped his hands.

"Let's warm up. If we win this game, we'll have a nice treat when we get back."

The players filed out.

Walk through the dimly lit, narrow players' tunnel and step onto the floor.

There were only a few thousand fans scattered around, leaving a large area of ​​empty seats.

The Development Alliance tickets are cheap, only five or ten dollars each.

There are no star players, no famous people, only locals who are bored and have nothing better to do are willing to come.

Small carts selling hamburgers, cola, and popcorn were placed along the aisle, but business was slow.

The warm-up was over, but the competition didn't start immediately.

The Lightning team put on a warm-up show by having a local internet celebrity singer perform a song and the cheerleaders do two dances.

As soon as the music stopped, the atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Few in the audience recognized the players on the field, and the applause was sparse.

Lin Fei sat at the end of the bench.

He made his debut as a substitute, which was expected.

Newcomers and transfer students are always ranked according to seniority.

In professional leagues, interpersonal relationships and social dynamics will always exist.

Jump ball, game begins.

The defenders started by pushing for speed.

Darius Morris spearheaded a counter-attack, unleashing tremendous power.

He was only a fringe player in the NBA, but he would be a top scorer in the G League.

He can draw fouls with crossovers, drives, and layups; he's effective no matter how he plays.

In the first three minutes, they took an 8-2 lead over the Lightning.

The players on the bench would stand up and shout every now and then.

Lin Fei also stood up and threw a punch.

Good times are not long.

Morris is a strong scorer, but his playmaking ability is average.

His eyes were more on the basketball hoop than on his teammates.

Once the Lightning adapted to the rhythm, they tightened their defense and cut off passing lanes.

The Defenders missed shots and made mistakes for three consecutive rounds.

The Lightning seized their counter-attack opportunities and fought back point by point.

8:10.

They turned the tables and scored 8-0, taking the lead.

Harris, his face dark, called a timeout.

The players sat down with their heads drooping.

"The offensive rhythm is fine," Harris said, without yelling. "The defense just can't keep up."

"Don't just focus on rushing forward for fast breaks. Get the rebounds first, and mark your man tightly. All of you move up to the defense; if you lose a rebound, you have to run back and forth ten times."

Lin Fei sat in the corner, listening, when he suddenly thought of James.

The attacking team had barely released the ball when they launched a fast break.

It's entertaining to watch, but the defense falls apart very quickly.

The problem wasn't resolved after the pause.

The defensive rotations look fast, but they're actually chaotic.

The Lightning team capitalized on the openings and scored consecutive points.

Jeremy Evans drove into the paint for two consecutive possessions, slamming in with one hand.

After finishing, he even flexed his biceps in the direction of the photographer, acting very arrogantly.

...

Jeremy Evans, 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft, was last year's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest champion.

He is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 89 kilograms.

Top-tier explosive power, terrible at physical combat.

The Jazz couldn't handle his physique, so they sent him down to the G League to develop his skills.

The defense line was about to be breached.

Harris paced back and forth on the sidelines for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Lin Fei.

"Lin! Take off your coat, get ready!"

Lin Fei immediately ripped off his warm-up clothes and stood on the sidelines.

Harris walked over and pointed at Evans on the court.

"See that dunk champion?" he asked. "Can you stop him?"

Lin Fei patted his chest.

"able!"

"I'll let him know that you can't just dunk on the G League rims."

Harris automatically ignored this boastful remark.

"Go up and take care of him," he said in a deep voice. "If he dares to dunk on you, you just come down."

Lin Fei gave an OK sign.

"rest assured."

"He really wanted to dunk on me, I'd pull him down."

Harris didn't take it seriously, just treating it as encouragement for the newcomer.

Only Lin Fei himself knows the truth.

He did what he said he would do.

In my past life, I played in European leagues and hated being the background character the most.

If someone tries to dunk on him, he'd rather foul than let them succeed.

A dead ball has appeared.

The referee signaled for a substitution.

Lin Fei replaced the starting small forward.

They officially stepped onto the playing field of the Development League.

Blood flow increased slightly.

The intensity isn't high, but the significance is different.

This was his first official professional match after he transmigrated.

Stand still.

Lin Fei quickly scanned the entire area.

The Lightning's playing style is exactly the same as the home team, the Jazz.

He initiates pick-and-rolls, attacks the basket, primarily uses mid-range shots, and rarely attempts three-pointers.

Retro playing style.

Evans, who was matched up against, was strong offensively but weak in physical confrontations and rarely took three-pointers.

Two fatal weaknesses happened to be right in Lin Fei's line of fire.

First offensive play: Lightning pick and roll.

Evans followed up, attempting to replicate his previous dunk.

He had just started moving when Lin Fei took a step to the side, blocking him solidly.

Evans instinctively pushed hard.

"Thump."

A muffled thud.

He himself staggered half a step.

Evans was stunned.

This Chinese man looks thin, how come he's so strong?

I was stunned for just half a second.

Lin Fei reached in and pulled out a piece of his hand.

"Snapped!"

A clean and decisive steal.

The ball was flicked forward.

Morris had already made a fast break, received the ball, and easily scored a layup.

"Well done!"

Harris pumped his fist on the sidelines: "Let's do it!"

In the next round, the Lightning executed another pick-and-roll.

Evans learned his lesson; instead of driving hard after receiving the ball, he passed it to the wing shooting guard.

The shooting guard drives to the basket with the ball.

Lin Fei decisively let Evans go and rushed over from the side to help defend.

Raise your hands high and press your body against them.

No foul, but the interference was effective.

The opponent's layup attempt missed.

Lin Fei turned around, positioned himself, and secured the rebound.

He passed the ball to Morris and launched another counter-attack.

The Lightning retreated quickly, preventing a fast break.

In positional warfare, Lin Fei silently sank to the bottom left corner.

Morris broke through, drawing a double team, and with a flick of his wrist, passed the ball to them.

Lin Fei caught the ball and immediately shot.

The movements were fluid, and the release point was high.

"Whoosh!"

A three-pointer swished through the net.

My first goal in my G League career, secured.

Three rounds in a row.

He made two defensive plays and hit a three-pointer.

The defenders quickly stabilized the situation.

Mark Harris stood on the sidelines, his eyes shining.

Surprise.

So pleasantly surprised.

When Ryan West recommended him, he only considered it a case of connections and didn't have high expectations.

His defensive performance during the trial was impressive, but he felt he was at most a defensive workhorse.

You only realize it when you actually get on the field.

This kid has good defensive positioning, good timing for help defense, and is reliable from three-point range.

He plays smartly, unlike a rookie at all.

It's like a rough gem.

Another round.

The Chargers' point guard couldn't shake off the pick-and-roll, and the ball went back and forth.

With the shot clock running out, the ball had to be passed to Evans.

Lin Fei took two steps back, giving him a two-meter distance.

Prevent attacks, not throws.

Evans' three-point shooting has always been terrible, and he can't capitalize on open shots either.

With time running out, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and make the move.

The curve is ridiculously crooked.

"Bang!"

Blacksmithing.

Lin Fei rushed in and grabbed another defensive rebound.

No pass this time.

He dribbled the ball forward.

Evans was the fastest to get back on defense, blocking in front of him.

Lin Fei slowed down, lowered his shoulder, took a step to create space, and forced a layup.

"beep!"

The whistle blows; a foul.

The ball grazed the backboard and rolled into the basket.

"Whoosh!"

2+1!

Lin Fei went to the free throw line and made the free throw.

The point difference has been reversed and the lead has been regained.

Lightning head coach Brad Jones stood on the sidelines, scratching his head.

"Where did this number 9 come from?" he turned to the assistant coach and asked. "I've never seen him before."

The assistant coach quickly flipped through the tablet.

"His name is Lin Fei, he's 2.01 meters tall, a swingman." He gestured twice. "Graduated from... California State University, Dominguez Hills?"

Jones was stunned.

"What kind of lousy school is this? I've never heard of it before!"

"The second-tier conference schools around Los Angeles are not well-known."

Jones picked up the tablet and opened the detailed information.

Unremarkable high school record, fringe player in college, dismal stats.

He looked up at the stadium.

The Chinese player on the court just delivered a powerful block to Evans from behind.

Clean and precise, the ball was swatted directly into Morris's hands.

The counterattack was successful.

Jones stared at the tablet, then glanced at the field.

He looked utterly bewildered.

How could a player from the second division defend the dunk champion like that?

That's bullshit.

...

The bench erupted in chaos.

The teammates stood up, shouting and jumping.

Hall clenched his fists, his face beaming with excitement.

Lin Fei's defense improved by a level in less than five minutes after he entered the game.

If we can defend, we can launch a counterattack.

The attack came alive.

The Lightning team immediately called a timeout.

Lin Fei stepped off the stage, greeted by a round of high-fives.

"Great job, bro!"

"The defense is too tough!"

"That hat is so cool!"

In competitive sports, strength speaks for itself.

The seemingly ordinary newcomer has suddenly become a rising star in the eyes of his teammates.

Nobody wants to offend someone who has the potential to make it to the NBA.

Mark Harris patted Lin Fei on the shoulder and said "good" repeatedly.

He felt both happy and worried.

The good news is that we've found a gem, and our performance is now stable.

The worry is that if they continue playing at this pace, it won't be long before NBA teams start targeting them.

If they lose players, the team's record will drop again.

Development League coaches are always caught in this dilemma.

The first quarter is over.

The Defenders lead by 4 points.

林飞单节6分3篮板1助攻2抢断1盖帽。

The data is comprehensive.

There are countless instances of coordinated defense, interference, and positioning that cannot be reflected in the data.

A true defensive pillar.

In the second quarter, Lin Fei teamed up with Mike Taylor.

Partnering with someone you know well brings immediate benefits.

Taylor's abilities are average, but he has a good relationship with Lin Fei and is willing to pass the ball to him.

Lin Fei made two of his three-point attempts, and then made a layup after a cut and a pass.

In less than three minutes, another 8 points were added.

The difference has widened to double digits.

It was time for Lin Fei to take a break.

He had barely sat down when the situation on the field changed again.

Kevin Murphy stepped forward.

He scored 7 consecutive points with a series of mid-range jump shots.

The difference narrowed to 3 points.

...

Kevin Murphy was selected by the Jazz in the second round, 47th overall, in 12.

A 1.98-meter shooting guard, a pure scorer.

They're generally not very strong in direct confrontations, but when they get into a rhythm, they're very difficult to defend against.

Lin Fei sat on the sidelines, watching Murphy score consecutive goals, and felt happy.

We're old acquaintances.

He remembers clearly that in 2015, when this guy went to the Zhejiang Guangsha team in the CBA, he was criticized as the biggest flop.

Guangsha was ranked second, but after playing a few games, he dropped to seventh.

He went 0-for-7 in the crucial game and scored no points.

He also fouled Yang Ming maliciously, which led to a conflict with Han Dejun.

A purely inefficient scorer.

But I couldn't resist the hot hand tonight.

"Lin, get ready," Harris called back. "Go defend Kevin."

"it is good."

Lin Fei stood up and reappeared.

They stick it on as soon as they get on the field.

Stay close.

Murphy is most vulnerable to interference when he's outside the water.

Lin Fei is tall and has long arms, so he can keep up with his pace.

Her hand was held up in front of his eyes.

On his first attempt, Murphy forced a shot despite the interference.

"Bang!"

Blacksmithing.

On offense, Lin Fei glanced at Murphy's small frame and immediately dropped to the low post to call for the ball.

Morris initially wanted to attack himself, but after hesitating for a moment, he passed the ball to the other player instead.

Lin Fei turned his back and bumped into him twice.

Murphy couldn't withstand the impact and was forced to retreat step by step.

Lin Fei turned around and hit the target with the paddle.

Murphy's face instantly darkened.

It's embarrassing to be scored on by a rookie in the low post.

As Lin Fei walked back to the halfway point, Murphy reached out and pushed him on the back.

"You fucking elbowed me on purpose?" he cursed. "It almost hit my face!"

Lin Fei turned around and walked step by step to him.

Their foreheads were almost touching.

"Don't yell if you haven't been touched." Lin Fei stared into his eyes, his voice low but firm. "You think you're made of glass if you fall over so easily?"

"Besides," he said with a mocking smile, "instead of complaining, you should be thinking about how to make the shot. Missing shots all the time is pretty embarrassing."

Murphy's face turned bright red.

The referee rushed over and separated the two.

Each player receives a technical foul.

Lin Fei didn't care.

He won't let himself be bullied on the field.

I'm in a good state; there's no need to lose control over this.

Halftime is over.

The Defenders lead by 8 points.

林飞半场16分5篮板2助攻2抢断2盖帽。

His shooting percentage was ridiculously high; he only missed two shots.

Best player on the team.

Sofia pushed open the door and came in into the locker room.

She followed the team to away games, her face beaming with delight.

"My God!"

She walked up to Lin Fei and said, "Your performance tonight was too exaggerated."

Lin Fei smiled as he wiped his sweat.

"I've said it before, I'm very strong," he said. "The post-match interview can be arranged now."

He initially told Sofia and others to make a name for themselves before conducting interviews.

Tonight's performance was just right.

Sofia's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.

"No problem! I'll be waiting for you in the parking lot after the game!"