The first punch that shocked the basketball world

TD Garden, the holy grail of basketball in Boston.

Seventeen championship banners hung from the dome, with a dense array of retired numbers lined up on both sides.

A bronze statue of Bill Russell stands at the entrance, bearing eleven championship rings that commemorate his legendary career.

The museum has been built for nearly a century, and its floors are worn smooth and shiny.

Cousy, Russell, Bird... generations of Celtics have etched their pride into this arena.

The away team's locker room was cramped and damp, with the smell of disinfectant in the air.

When Lin Fei was changing his jersey, he saw Kobe lying on a bench.

His personal masseur was using strong pressure to massage his Achilles tendon.

Kobe looked up and met Lin Fei's gaze.

"Relaxing your Achilles tendon before a game," he said calmly, "can extend your career."

This is a habit he has maintained for more than ten years.

Lin Fei nodded.

She sighed softly to herself.

He knew this was Kobe's final peak.

So far this season, Kobe is averaging 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 46.3%, and remains one of the league's top scorers.

But that Achilles tendon rupture at the end of the season will directly bring him down from his pedestal.

Next season, he will only play 6 games, averaging 13.8 points per game.

Upon his return, he averaged 22.3 points per game, but took 20.4 shots, resulting in a 37.3% field goal percentage.

In his final season, he averaged 17.6 points with a 35.8% field goal percentage.

The twilight of a hero never comes unexpectedly.

My arrival might trigger a butterfly effect.

But at 34, his body was riddled with hidden injuries and couldn't withstand high-intensity exertion.

The other players went on the field first to warm up.

Howard, dressed in a suit, sat courtside as a spectator.

His shoulder injury hasn't healed, so he can only watch from the sidelines.

Lin Fei squatted in the corner practicing three-pointers.

One after another, they were quickly added to the network.

I don't know if I'll be able to play tonight, or if I'll even get a chance to make a call.

But the feel must be fully warmed up first.

Opportunity always favors the prepared.

Howard was bored, so he waved to Lin Fei.

"Come over here and have a chat, kid."

Lin Fei walked over, and the two leaned against the technical table, chatting about all sorts of things.

Howard has a low threshold for laughter; Lin Fei only said a few words and he laughed so hard he slapped his thigh.

As they were talking and laughing, a figure walked out of the players' tunnel.

Kobe.

After the massage, I changed into my jersey and held a basketball in my hand.

He glanced at Lin Fei and Howard chatting and laughing, and his brows furrowed instantly.

Kobe was most annoyed by Howard's habit of slacking off during training.

The two sat together on the plane and chatted non-stop, even during their warm-up time.

Don't let this overgrown child corrupt a perfectly good newcomer.

He raised his chin at Lin Fei.

"You, come here."

The sound wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire room for half a second.

Lin Fei paused for a moment, then took a step to leave.

Howard reached out to stop him, stood up, and raised his chin at Kobe.

"What do you mean? Can't you see we're chatting? Don't you understand the concept of first come, first served?"

The air condensed.

The players who were warming up all stopped what they were doing and their eyes swept over.

The conflict between Kobe and Howard was an open secret within the team.

No one dared to advise against it.

Everyone's waiting to see what happens.

Kobe didn't want to argue with him.

He tossed the ball to Lin Fei, his tone cold and hard.

"New guy, Bullfighting. Five balls, let's see what you're capable of."

Before Lin Fei could speak, Howard exploded.

"Have you no shame? A superstar taking on a ten-day contract worker one-on-one?"

"Shut up."

Kobe's gaze swept over them, cold as ice: "If you can't play, sit down and shut your mouth."

Howard took a step forward, ready to argue.

Lin Fei smiled and patted him on the back.

"It's okay, this is just a warm-up." He looked at Kobe, "Let me see how far I am from being a top star."

The two players walked to the free throw line.

"Five points, first to five wins." Kobe cracked his knuckles. "You go first?"

"You go first." Lin Fei threw the ball back.

His ball-handling offense is mediocre to begin with, and going one-on-one with Kobe would be asking for a beating.

It's better to defend first and build up our advantage.

Kobe was so angry he laughed.

A newcomer from the Development League dared to let him attack first.

That's pretty arrogant.

"OK."

He didn't refuse, lowering his voice: "Don't regret it."

First attack.

Kobe went straight to the right, and his first step was incredibly explosive.

He wanted to use his physical strength to overpower the defense under the basket.

But Lin Fei moved even faster, his steps perfectly steady, and he blocked Lin Fei's path solidly.

Kobe jumped for a layup, and Lin Fei followed suit, leaping into the air.

The arm is raised high without any downward movement, completely covering the space for the hand to strike.

Kobe was forced to adjust mid-air, raising the arc of his shot.

"Bang!"

The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced out.

The moment he landed, Kobe's pupils contracted slightly.

He didn't expect that this newcomer could actually keep up with him.

He used to be teammates with Sun Yue, so he knows very well the level of physical fitness among Asian players.

This one in front of me is completely different.

The sidelines erupted.

"Holy crap! They held on?"

Gasol stood next to Nash, looking surprised.

"How could he keep up with Kobe's first step?"

Howard shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Well done! Let's teach him a lesson!"

He was even happier than if he had successfully defended himself.

...

Second attack.

Kobe abandoned his initial disdain and became fully focused.

The three-threat posture, repeated probing, and constant shoulder shaking.

The feints were ridiculously realistic.

Lin Fei kept his center of gravity extremely low, his eyes fixed on his waist.

Sway, sway as you please.

I'm not jumping.

Kobe tried two crossovers, but failed to create space.

He simply turned his back and braced himself against the force of the blows.

Lin Fei, despite his superior strength, remained completely unmoved.

Kobe turned around and hit a fadeaway jump shot.

Lin Fei's fingers almost covered his face.

"Bang!"

More iron.

Two goals missed in a row.

Kobe's face fell completely.

Howard's occasional sarcastic remarks only fueled his anger.

Third attack.

Kobe turned his back and shoved in, deliberately adding force when he raised his elbow.

"Thump!"

An elbow struck Lin Fei squarely in the chest.

Lin Fei grunted and took half a step back.

Kobe seized the opportunity to turn around and score a layup off the backboard.

The moment the ball went in, he clenched his fist and let out a low growl.

After holding my breath for two rounds, I finally let out a little bit.

"Good defense."

Kobe glanced back at Lin Fei, his tone unusually tinged with approval.

It was Lin Fei's turn to attack.

He knew he couldn't beat Kobe with the ball.

He simply retreated to the three-point line, grabbed the ball, and shot.

The first ball, swish.

Hollow-core netting.

Kobe paused for a moment.

On the second ball, Lin Fei took another step back and forced a shot against the defense.

Another one.

2:1.

Lin Fei overtook him.

Boos came from the sidelines.

The teammates were enjoying the spectacle.

Kobe's face darkened even more.

In the third round, he stuck close to Lin Fei and pressed him relentlessly throughout the match.

The pressure was immense.

Lin Fei was weak with the ball and couldn't protect it. He lost his grip and Kobe poked it away.

Possession of the ball changes.

Kobe then scored three consecutive baskets.

Turnaround jump shot, layup, pull-up three-pointer.

4:2.

One more goal, and the game is over.

Just then, D'Antoni walked over, clapping his hands.

"Alright, alright." He waved his hand. "That's enough warm-up. Get ready to go in."

Kobe frowned.

"It's not over yet."

"Why bother?" D'Antoni shrugged. "You know his skill level. Even if you beat him, you won't look good."

Rough words are not rough.

It's not honorable for a superstar to win a ten-day short-term contract.

If we really lose, there will be no way to salvage the situation.

Kobe snorted and tossed the ball to the caddie next to him.

Without saying anything more, he turned and walked towards the locker room.

He paused for a moment as he passed Lin Fei.

"The defense is alright."

He left after saying just one sentence.

Lin Fei stood still and smiled.

Is this considered an initial approval from Lao Da?

...

The match officially started at 7 p.m.

Lakers starting lineup: Nash, Kobe, Jamison, Artest, Gasol.

Celtics starting lineup: Bradley, Terry, Pierce, Garnett, Bass.

During the offseason, Ray Allen joined the Heat, the Celtics promoted Bradley to starter and signed Terry as a replacement.

Unfortunately, their record has been declining, and their current winning percentage is just over 50%, ranking 7th in the Eastern Conference.

With Rondo out for the season, the team is left with only Pierce as a playmaker, making things even more difficult.

They are in the same boat as the Lakers.

Jump ball in the center circle.

Gasol gets possession of the ball.

On the first possession, Kobe backed down Bradley and made a turnaround jump shot.

For the Celtics, Pierce was in charge of the ball and orchestrating the offense.

He first assisted Garnett for a mid-range jumper, then fed Terry a three-pointer.

Turning around, he pulled up for a three-pointer over Jamison and made it.

They started the game with an 8-2 run against the Lakers.

Lin Fei, sitting on the bench, could see it clearly.

Jamison's defense was practically nonexistent.

Slow footwork, weak physicality, completely unable to keep up with Pierce's pace.

If he were in charge, he would definitely do a better job.

Of course, this is not Jamison's fault.

The 36-year-old veteran is not a defensive player to begin with; making the shot is considered a success.

Nash then stepped up his efforts, teaming up with Kobe to stabilize the situation.

The Lakers slowly closed the gap.

Pierce played smartly; no matter whether Jamison or Artest was on defense, he could still put the ball in with his skill.

Halfway through the first quarter, both sides began to rotate their substitutions.

Rivers replaced Pierce with Jeff Green.

Without their leader, the Celtics' offense stalled instantly.

He only scored two points in three minutes.

The Lakers seized the opportunity to take the lead.

Rivers looked grim and had no choice but to call a timeout to bring Pierce back ahead of schedule.

D'Antoni scanned the Lakers' bench.

Their gazes fell on Lin Fei.

"Lin, come on, play position three."

"receive!"

Lin Fei and the others were itching to get started, so he ripped off his warm-up clothes and ran to the technical table.

In the media area, Sofia saw Lin Fei stand up and immediately raised her camera.

He kept pressing the buttons.

She knew D'Antoni would use him.

First attack after entering the game.

The Celtics have possession of the ball.

Pierce had just crossed the halfway line when he saw a young Asian man approaching him.

His eyes were frighteningly bright.

Pierce didn't take it seriously.

He's just an unknown nobody.

He turned his back to the ball, intending to force a shot.

The ball was passed to him, and he headed it first.

The person behind him stood in a horse stance, completely still.

Pierce was a little surprised and pushed a second time with even more force.

Just as he exerted his strength, the person behind him suddenly stepped back.

Remove the benches.

Pierce's force missed its mark, and his center of gravity immediately shifted.

"Thump!"

He plopped down on the ground.

The ball slipped from my hand and flew away.

Lin Fei reacted quickly, scooping up the ball and tossing it forward.

Kobe had already made a fast break down the court, received the ball, and slammed it home with one hand.

"Bang!"

The basket hummed.

Lin Fei looked down at Pierce, who was sitting on the ground, and smiled.

Thanks.

Pierce's face turned bright red as he got up, cursing as he did so.

The boat capsized in the ditch.

I actually got tricked by a newbie using a chair-pulling trick.

So embarrassing!

Next round.

Pierce wants to fight back.

Lin Fei clung even tighter, never leaving his side.

Pierce couldn't get rid of the ball, so he passed it to Garnett after a pick-and-roll.

Garnett faked out Artest and then drove to the basket.

A figure suddenly rushed over from the side.

Lin Fei.

He jumped and collided with Garnett sideways.

His hand was raised straight up, without being pressed down.

"Snapped!"

Press it firmly onto the ball.

The interference was in place.

Garnett's layup attempt missed.

Lin Fei grabbed the backboard and passed it to Kobe.

The Lakers retaliated.

Kobe drove into the paint, and two Celtics players double-teamed him.

He caught a glimpse of something at a 45-degree angle to his left out of the corner of his eye.

Lin Fei stood there, in a large empty seat.

With a flick of the wrist, the ball was passed.

Lin Fei receives the ball, jumps, and shoots.

The movements were fluid and graceful.

"Whoosh!"

A three-pointer swished through the net.

A mini-boom, 5-0.

The Lakers pulled away.

As Lin Fei retreated, he raised his right hand and tapped his temple with three fingers.

Three shots to the head.

Carmelo Anthony's same celebration move.

The Lakers' bench went completely crazy.

Howard jumped up and down, waving a towel and shouting the loudest.

Sofia's camera shutter never stopped clicking.

These last few rounds were absolutely explosive.

Another round was played, and the first quarter ended.

The Lakers lead 28-21, a 7-point advantage.

Lin Fei made both of his shots, scoring 5 points.

There was also 1 steal and 1 block.

The data column was completely filled.

Back on the bench, his teammates came up one by one to give him a high-five.

"Great job, bro!"

"They defended him so well he had no chance against Paul Pierce!"

Howard bumped chests with him.

"Well done! No wonder he asked me for his autograph before."

Lin Fei smiled and shrugged.

"This is nothing."