nycdaug Chapter 49 My country may not have Lillard, Curry, or James, but they have me!
Chapter 49 My country may not have Lillard, Curry, or James, but they have me!
On the evening of the 12th, the Rockets hosted the Trail Blazers.
Rockets legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Tracy McGrady were also present today, and are currently talking to Stone on the sidelines.
Every now and then, a few people would point to Shen Jing in the arena.
It is said that Shin Kyung did not stay idle during her illness; she was constantly learning footwork from Hakeem Olajuwon.
"That young man is not bad, just a bit short. It would be great if he could grow a little taller." McGrady pointed to Wang Xiucheng, who was shooting a three-pointer from the outside.
Upon hearing this, Stone seemed to think of Ma Xiaoxuan, and immediately felt a toothache.
"I watched a few Rockets games, and that kid's passing skills really have a resemblance to a young Johnson," Hakeem Olajuwon said.
If others say that Wang Xiucheng is like Magic Johnson, it's just a compliment and an exaggeration.
When these words came from Hall of Fame legend Hakeem Olajuwon, they carried considerable weight.
Hakeem Olajuwon was someone who truly battled Magic Johnson on the court for several years and is considered one of the best centers.
Hakeem Olajuwon faced countless point guards throughout his life, but if you had to choose the best point guard, it would undoubtedly be Magic Johnson, without a doubt.
"But due to his physical limitations, his defense is still far inferior to Magic Johnson's." Hakeem Olajuwon looked at the boy in the distance with regret.
In Olajuwon's view, this gap is one that Wang Xiucheng may never be able to bridge in his lifetime.
Magic Johnson was 206cm tall with a 210cm wingspan, and in those days he was already capable of guarding positions one through five.
Wang Xiucheng appears to be less than 195cm tall, so he can only defend the small forward position. Against taller small forwards, like Durant and James who stubbornly insist on playing the small forward position, he simply cannot defend them.
"He's not even 19 yet, he might still grow a bit older," McGrady said again.
He's the most qualified to speak on this matter. McGrady himself was just over 18 when he entered the league, and he grew 3cm afterward.
Of course, that's not the most outrageous part. After Giannis entered the league, he transformed from a skinny guy into a muscular man, and his height increased from 204 cm to 211 cm, which is truly enviable.
While the three were chatting, Deng Ziqi, sitting in the first row not far away, was taking pictures of Wang Xiucheng in the arena with her phone.
While taking pictures, he kept shouting, "So handsome!"
Wang Xiucheng was helpless, but fortunately these Americans couldn't understand what she was saying, so he just ignored her.
In a few days, Deng Ziqi will hold a concert at the home stadium of the NFL team Houston Texans.
I didn't expect her to arrive in Houston so early.
When she saw Wang Xiucheng come over to pick up the ball, Deng Ziqi grabbed the ball and then used her phone to shine a light on Wang Xiucheng, saying, "Smile."
"I laughed." Wang Xiucheng reached out for the ball.
“You’re not laughing. Look, this is what laughing is.” Deng Ziqi said, pouting her goldfish lips, and then chuckled to herself.
Wang Xiucheng shook his head, amused, patted Deng Ziqi on the head, took the basketball from her hand, and returned to the court with a sigh.
Deng Ziqi felt as if she had been electrocuted, her whole body rising up strangely, as if she had just flown into the sky.
The faint thoughts that had been suppressed in my heart for a while were finally brought to the surface.
Once activated, it becomes impossible to suppress it again.
When Deng Ziqi looked at Wang Xiucheng again, her gaze held something indescribable.
The game started soon.
The Rockets still fielded a lineup of Porter Jr., Wood, Theis, Tate, and Green.
On the Trail Blazers' side, Lillard leads the team, which also includes Covington, Nurkic, McCollum, and Powell.
From the start, the Trail Blazers took the initiative, with Lillard hitting a three-pointer.
Lillard tapped a watch that wasn't actually on his wrist, then stepped back from the Rockets' bench. When he reached Wang Xiucheng's spot, Lillard pointed at Wang Xiucheng, seemingly as if to provoke him.
The camera immediately captured Wang Xiucheng on the bench.
Wang Xiucheng's sculpted profile was perfectly displayed on the giant screen.
Beneath his high, straight nose, his lips were slightly upturned, carrying a faint smile.
His eyes were deep and bright, like the most brilliant stars in the night sky, revealing a mysterious and captivating aura.
Countless female fans at the scene stared at the big screen, their eyes filled with undisguised greed, as if they wanted to devour the boy.
Deng Ziqi's eyes were filled with hearts as she looked at Wang Xiucheng, who was only a dozen meters away from her. She even had the thought that she would die with him, even if it meant death.
Wang Xiucheng seemed to realize he was being filmed, so he shook his head awkwardly and covered his head with a towel.
This scene was so captivating that fans couldn't stop watching, and some female fans even screamed.
The game continued, and when the referee blew the whistle to stop the game and enter an official timeout, the Trail Blazers were leading 20-13 by 7 points.
All the fans knew that Wang Xiucheng was about to play, so at least dozens of large posters were held up at the stadium.
Three minutes passed quickly, and Wang Xiucheng finally stood up on the bench.
As in the previous few games, Green will play the first quarter with Wang Xiucheng.
Besides them, there are also Shen Jing, Martin, and Christopher, who have returned from injury.
The Rockets' bench is full of young players, including four who are this year's rookies.
On the Trail Blazers' side, Lillard was the first to enter the game, looking rather eager.
He waited for Wang Xiucheng for a long time.
Of the entire Rockets team, he only cared about Wang Xiucheng.
Wang Xiucheng's 20-point performance in a single quarter against the Warriors is quite explosive in the long run of the entire league.
Lillard once scored 26 points in a single quarter, so he knows what the view from the top of the mountain looks like.
Only after reaching the summit can one truly appreciate how dull the valley below is.
However, in the subsequent games, Lillard noticed that Wang Xiucheng had changed.
He stopped liking to shoot hoops, or more precisely, he stopped liking to shoot three-pointers.
Instead, he focuses more on passing the ball to help the team.
Lillard felt that Wang Xiucheng had fallen into a misconception.
Passing the ball should serve the purpose of attacking.
Basketball should be all about offense, offense, offense!
The final winner of the competition is the one with the higher score!
Wouldn't it be great to have shooters like Curry and yourself?
Why pass the ball to an uncertain teammate when you know you can make the shot yourself?
As someone who had been through it all, he felt it necessary to give Wang Xiucheng a reminder.
The Rockets then launched their attack.
Wang Xiucheng dribbled the ball across half-court, where Lillard was defending him.
"Kid, do you dare to shoot yourself?" Lillard said.
Wang Xiucheng answered him with his actions.
Green ran around the defender towards the baseline, and Wang Xiucheng, with his eyes on Lillard, passed the ball out.
The basketball landed perfectly in Green's hands, who had just positioned himself.
This feeling is just right!
Green pulled up and shot using his momentum, then ran back as soon as he landed.
Swish!
As the ball went in, Green's palm collided with Wang Xiucheng's palm.
Green felt that the game would become much simpler when Wang Xiucheng was on the field.
Lillard didn't turn around, still staring at Wang Xiucheng, "Why don't you shoot yourself?"
"I believe in my teammates," Wang Xiucheng said with a smile.
Lillard felt that Wang Xiucheng was being too presumptuous; teammates are uncontrollable, but he himself is not.
Lillard dribbled the ball across half-court, then called for a screen and immediately shot a three-pointer.
Swish!
The ball goes in.
Lillard didn't go back to defend, but stood in front of Wang Xiucheng and said, "I also believe in my teammates, but I believe in myself even more."
Wang Xiucheng shrugged.
Yes, a player of Lillard's caliber certainly has more confidence in himself.
Wang Xiucheng received the ball, slowly moved forward, and then set a screen with Shen Jing before passing the ball to Shen Jing directly with a bounce pass.
Shen Jing deflected the crossbow with his footsteps, then fired and hit the target.
Shen Jing showed off his arm muscles, high-fived Wang Xiucheng outside the three-point line, and then deliberately ran past Olajuwon.
Hakeem Olajuwon smiled, clapped, and nodded, seemingly quite pleased with Shen Jing's steps.
Wang Xiucheng stood there, looking at Lillard: "I believe in my teammates because I have to believe in them."
Lillard narrowed his eyes, not understanding what Wang Xiucheng said. He even wondered if Wang Xiucheng had mispronounced an English word, after all, he was Chinese.
So in the next possession, after Lillard passed the ball to a teammate who scored, he asked, "What do you mean?"
Wang Xiucheng received a pass from Shen Jing, dribbled twice between his legs, and then flung the ball to Green, who suddenly accelerated and shook off his defender.
“My country doesn’t have Lillard, Curry, James, or even another Yao Ming.” Wang Xiucheng smiled helplessly, “But they have me, so I have to believe in them.”