nycdaug Chapter 51 Wang Xiucheng: So Sensible It's Heartbreaking
Chapter 51 Wang Xiucheng: So Sensible It's Heartbreaking
"I heard that Shen Jing has been training with Hakeem Olajuwon recently. To be honest, I'm quite envious."
Yang Yi looked at the screen and said casually.
"Now that we see McGrady personally coaching Wang Xiucheng on free throws, how should I put it? McGrady is a good friend of the Chinese people. I have personally met him a few times, and he is a very good person."
Yang Yi and Wang Shipeng both laughed.
It seemed that the training session was not yet over, as McGrady and Wang Xiucheng had to leave the court only after both teams' players had entered.
McGrady grabbed his clothes and returned to his seat, while Wang Xiucheng jogged back to the locker room; he needed to use the restroom.
The fans in the stadium gave McGrady a warm round of applause.
This is probably a kind of inheritance.
Tracy McGrady used to be the darling of this court.
But in the future, Wang Xiucheng will probably inherit his mantle and become the next king here.
Yes, although he has only played less than half of the season, Wang Xiucheng has already been recognized by Rockets fans as the cornerstone of Houston.
The Rockets' official forum launched a poll before the season began, asking fans who would be the cornerstone of the Rockets.
Green was initially ranked first without any controversy.
But recently, Wang Xiucheng's name has gradually risen to the top spot.
Furthermore, the gap between him and second-place Jalen Green is gradually widening.
This vote will continue throughout the season, and perhaps then the true cornerstone will emerge.
The premise is that Stone didn't lie to them and wouldn't trade Wang Xiucheng.
Rockets staff handed McGrady a towel and a drink.
McGrady stood up and smiled in greeting.
When Wang Xiucheng returned, the match had already been going on for a few minutes.
Lillard is still the same Lillard with explosive scoring ability, but sometimes he will pass the ball to open teammates.
Meanwhile, Porter Jr. of the Rockets, along with Wood, Gordon, Theis, and others, also played well.
With five minutes left in the third quarter, Lillard hit another three-pointer, bringing the score to 16-12 between the Trail Blazers and the Rockets in the quarter.
The game is suspended.
Wang Xiucheng and his teammates took to the stage again.
Lillard didn't stay on the court this time; instead, he went to the bench to rest.
The Rockets have once again begun their comeback attempt.
Wang Xiucheng combined drives and passes with occasional floaters, allowing the Rockets to slowly close the gap.
By the time Wang Xiucheng left the court halfway through the fourth quarter, the Rockets had narrowed the gap to single digits.
Wang Xiucheng left the stage amidst applause, waving somewhat shyly.
王修承出战22分钟，拿到12分12个助攻2个抢断，2个失误。
He made 4 of 8 free throws in the game, including 2 of 3 in the second half.
Although he knew it was partly due to luck, Wang Xiucheng still bumped fists with both McGrady and Olajuwon when he was positioning himself defensively before leaving the court.
Penguin Live Room.
The hosts and guests once again stopped paying attention to the game.
Their commentary duties are becoming increasingly casual, even irresponsible, yet surprisingly no fans are criticizing them.
Even when the players talked a lot about the match, the chat would sometimes criticize them, saying things like, "What's so great about this lousy match? I just came in, let me talk about Wang Xiucheng."
“22分钟，12分12个助攻2个抢断2个失误，正负值+9。”王蒙低头看了眼数据，“两位老师。”
Yang Yi picked up the conversation directly: "Very comprehensive data. When Xiao Wang is on the court, he manages the team with ease."
"He truly possesses a maturity beyond his years."
Wang Shipeng interjected, "The demeanor of a great general."
"Yes, Coach Wang used the right word, 'the demeanor of a great general.' If you pair me with Jalen Green, I can make him fly and make him hit three-pointers. If you pair me with Shen Jing, I can also lob the ball in and let him perform his dream footwork."
"It smells so good." Yang Yi shook his head and said this last.
As General MacArthur once said, "Pleasant times are always short."
The hosts were chatting happily; the competition had ended.
The Trail Blazers unsurprisingly defeated the Rockets 104-92, handing the Rockets their tenth consecutive loss, the longest losing streak of the season.
Wang Meng routinely reports player stats: "Lillard had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. He had a lot of assists today, and he was very restrained in his shot attempts, but he was very efficient."
"Porter Jr. had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, which was a very good performance, especially considering he only had 1 turnover, which was very well controlled."
"Meng Chao is doing an interview up ahead, let's go check it out first," Wang Meng suddenly said.
I thought this was another interview with Wang Xiucheng, but to my surprise, it was Lillard who appeared on screen.
Meng Chao immediately explained, "Hello everyone, Wang Xiucheng was taken away by McGrady for special training right after the game, so I found Lillard."
In the distance of the screen, Wang Xiucheng was indeed practicing free throws with McGrady.
Lillard had a towel around his neck and his face was covered in sweat, clearly having just finished the game.
Meng Chao asked directly in English, "You know you have many fans in China, right? When will you be going to China?"
"I don't have any plans yet, but I hope to go next offseason," Lillard replied with a smile.
The answer was quite official, and Meng Chao didn't press the matter further. Instead, he asked, "How was Wang Xiucheng's performance today? Do you think he can become an All-Star?"
“Of course, definitely.” Lillard nodded first, then said, “I believe he will definitely be an All-Star in the future, even…”
Lillard shrugged: "Even stronger."
Better than an All-Star?
Wouldn't that allow one to reach superstar level?
Meng Chao's eyes lit up, but he didn't ask any further questions. Instead, he asked again, "I saw you and Wang Xiucheng talking a lot on the field during the first half. Can you tell me what you were saying?"
Upon hearing this, Lillard's expression became much more serious.
“I know he scored 20 points in a quarter against the Warriors, and I think he can take more shots.”
"He said that no matter how many points one person scores, it doesn't necessarily mean they can win the game, but if he can get every teammate to score 10 points, then they will definitely win."
Lillard took a deep breath and turned to look at Wang Xiucheng behind him: "He said, my country doesn't have Lillard, Curry, James, or another Yao Ming, but they have me, so I have to pass the ball to them, I have to trust them."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chao's eyes welled up with tears. She forced herself to deny her emotional state, thanked Lillard, translated Lillard's words, and hurriedly ended the interview.
She looked at Wang Xiucheng, who was still practicing free throws in the distance, and she really wanted to go up and give this big boy a hug.
Yang Yi and the others in the live broadcast room understood Lillard's words without needing a translator.
They knew Wang Xiucheng aspired to join the national team, but they didn't know how much he was carrying on his shoulders.
This shouldn't have been his responsibility. He was just a 19-year-old boy, in the prime of his life.
But he himself actually took on such a responsibility.
Is he arrogant? What makes him think he can take on this responsibility?
Is it because he is the only Chinese player in the NBA?
No.
He has made this sense of responsibility his goal.
Yang Yi's voice suddenly choked up: "This kid, Xiao Wang, is all alone in the United States. He's so sensible that it's heartbreaking."
"As the senior member, I really feel ashamed." Wang Shipeng also said, "The national team is performing like this, earning more and more money, but the results are getting worse and worse, and we are making a child worry like this. I am really ashamed."
Lillard's interview was broadcast to households across the world once again.
It's heartbreaking that Wang Xiucheng, at such a young age, has such thoughts.
After feeling sorry for someone comes anger and rage.
As a result, many fans once again routinely opened the national anti-corruption website and reported both the Basketball Association and the Football Association.
So soon, the website, which had just been repaired a few days earlier, crashed again.
An office of the Basketball Association.
Yao Ming and Xu Jicheng sat in front of the computer in silence for a long time.
"The Basketball Management Center must be reformed, otherwise young people like Wang Xiucheng will have no chance to enter the national team, while those who occupy positions but do nothing will only delay the national team, and I will have to take the blame in the end."
Yao Ming crossed his hands under his chin and said in a serious tone, "Since I'm destined to take the blame, let's make it a complete mess."
Xu Jicheng nodded seriously. "What do you want me to do? I will fully cooperate."