Champion, please stay!

Chapter 85, Section 83: Two Top Scholars vs. Two Top Scholars

James came in with an air of superiority, but left with a dark face...

Yi Shui: I've offended someone again.

He was very polite at first!
The other party claimed to be the 'top spokesperson' and 'leader of spokespersons,' so he followed suit.

but!

If you want to appear sophisticated, then keep pretending.

If you want to criticize or be sarcastic, then just say so.

He couldn't stand it when the guy was still pretending one minute and then started criticizing the next.

However, the other party insisted on emphasizing this before the match, and Yi Shui knew why.

According to media reports, this summer, for the first time in six years, LeBron James was not the one receiving the most promotional resources from the Lakers.

First, he was the top scholar with a net worth of over 100 million yuan.

It must be said that James's muscles look extremely threatening.

But they have a little giant on their side!
Yao Ming and James faced off 9 times, with Yao Ming winning 7 and losing 2.

One of Yao Ming's losses was when he was injured and had to leave the court after playing for 5 minutes, and another loss was when he was worn down in overtime.

Such dominance is so widespread that only two matchups from that era are truly memorable in the 21st century.

The other matchup is Yao Ming vs. Dwight Howard, with a record of 5 wins and 1 loss.

The real tough guys to deal with are those few – Kobe, Anthony, and Wade.

Kobe Bryant prompted NBA Confederation President Colangelo to excitedly shout, "The best player in the world has arrived!"

Anthony has performed very well since his first international competition in 04, but in two consecutive major competitions, he was dragged down by one of the three guys from the same cohort.

Wade wasn't suited for international competitions in his early years, but Yi Shui remembers that this year's Wade will be the Dream Team's super sixth man, having picked up his mid-range shot again after winning the championship in 06!

According to related news reports, Wade, who underwent surgery in mid-March and was subsequently diagnosed with medical expenses, recovered by late April and spent several months practicing his shooting in preparation for the Olympics.

However, thinking about this, Yi Shui felt that Wade was really pitiful.

There are still people saying that the Heat's team doctor should be hailed as a god and that injuries that should be covered for a year were cured in just one month.

In the future, some media outlets will report that Wade's injury this time is different from his college injury. He is eligible for reconstructive surgery, but the recovery period will be very long, requiring at least 8 months, and possibly as long as 12 months or even missing the entire next season.

The Heat couldn't accept such a huge loss in box office revenue, so Pat Riley directly persuaded Wade to have his torn meniscus removed.

This treatment is 'simple and quick', and the wound heals completely after the operation, unlike reconstructive surgery which carries the risk of failure and is almost impossible to relapse.

But every gain has its loss. A torn meniscus won't grow back. This injury may be resolved, but it may also create a bigger problem for the future.

...

Yi Shui glanced at the three of them and felt that the burden was heavy, but he had to bear it!
He opened the system files; there were two.

"Archives (NBA)..."

Age: 21 (June 6, 1987).

Height: 205 cm, wingspan: 222 cm, weight: 101 kg.

综合身体素质93：速度92、力量89、弹跳92、灵活性92、体力88……

Special Cards: Secondary Development (In Use, 14/20), Power Metamorphosis (In Use, 23/30).

Unlike the system's calculation on April 29th, the registration deadline, which indicated a 'transformation' score of 88 upon completion, the score has now reached 89 even before the 'transformation' is finished.

Because at that time, the weight was calculated based on 96 kilograms without any strength training.

Speaking of which, ever since he started gaining strength and physical attributes, he has always been considered a strength monster among players of the same build, and every opponent feels that he is stronger than he looks.

If we take April 29th as the starting point, the 'transformation' would have progressed to 23 days, and the NBA-level strength should have been 86. However, by the time of the draft, which had only progressed to 15 days, the strength had already reached 86.

因为他4月29号到6月20号一直保持着满负荷训练，且每天有4-6组‘第7天训练’，当时体重还有些许提升。

During his month in the training camp, Yi Shui gained about 4 kilograms with his own training and the help of a nutritionist. Yao Ming's nutritionist is very skilled at weight gain, and the rate of increase is very 'even', minimizing the obvious difference.

Even if he gains weight to 101 kilograms, he is still 4 kilograms away from the 'upper limit' and still doesn't look particularly strong.

In addition, after another 8 days of 'transformation', the strength has been greatly improved, increasing by a full 3 points.

As strength increases, jumping ability also increases by 1 point.

However, contrary to his expectations, the weight gain and some strength training did not slow down his physical growth; on the contrary, he saw a significant improvement in the first half month.

But by the end of July, the improvement in physical strength was no longer noticeable.

Player profiles for international competitions are opened during the first warm-up match.

It's similar to, yet different from, the performance evaluation during the NCAA era.

The overall speed in international competitions is slower than in the NCAA and somewhat worse than in the NBA; however, in terms of strength, international competitions are much stronger than in the NCAA. Compared to the NBA, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. In the paint, international competitions have more weight, while the NBA has a clear advantage on the perimeter.

In terms of shooting, since the NCAA uses a 5.95-meter three-point line and the international arena currently uses a 6.25-meter three-point line, the shooting assessment should be about the same... Anyway, it's all within his shooting range.

"Archives (International Competitions)..."

Overall physical fitness score: 96; Speed: 94; Strength: 90; Jumping ability: 94; Agility: 92; Stamina: 92.

投篮基本功86：远距离89（左侧底角87、左侧45度角90、顶弧86、右侧45度角92、右侧底角88），中距离73（左侧45度角78，右侧45度角81），近距离92。

Possession and Passing 86: Possession 90, Passing 81.

Skills: Iron Wall, High Tower Sniping, Sky Covering, Transfer Station, Leader (Advanced).

Talents: Angled genius, rhythm-setter, and a guardian under the basket.

Note: You possess exceptional long-range shooting ability.

While he can't fire from all angles, his physical condition has improved significantly compared to the finals of the 3rd Madness tournament four months ago. His signature skills have also become much more refined. With his three-point range extended by 30 centimeters, each point of his long-range shooting has improved by 1-4 points (compared to NCAA). He can also barely shoot from the mid-range!
...

After the pre-match preparation time ended, Yi Shui, along with Liu Wei, Wang Shipeng, Yi Jianlian, and Yao Ming, stepped onto the court. A mission notification appeared: "You are about to face the USA Men's Basketball Team, known as the Dream Team. The huge gap in overall strength has not made you back down or afraid... Mission: Challenge the Peak Triggered."

Objective: None, just go for it! Rewards will be given based on your final individual and team performance.

Yi Shui glanced at the task. This system really knows how to encourage people; it doesn't even give them any goals.

However, he doesn't actually seem nervous at the moment...

The opposing starting lineup: Kidd, Kobe, James, Anthony, Howard.

Opposite bench: Paul, Deron Williams, Reed, Wade, Prince, Bosh, Boozer.

Seeing such an opponent, Yi Shui felt no pressure at all; he just wanted to get to work.

As for Yi Shui's teammates... in the past, when the Chinese men's basketball team played against the American men's basketball team, the players' hearts would start pounding as soon as they stepped onto the court, but this time, their feelings were the same as Yi Shui's...

At 8 p.m., the game started. Howard defeated Yao Ming in the jump ball, and the US team went first!
Kidd received the serve and advanced the ball, and James immediately called for the ball at the top of the arc.

This was different from what the coaching staff had planned, but Kobe and Anthony both smiled and spread out to the wings.

Kidd immediately passed the ball to James, positioning himself at a 45-degree angle, ready to receive the pass back at the top of the key.

Before the game, James suffered a setback in front of that "hundred-million-dollar number one draft pick," and his teammates all saw it, knowing that he would definitely want to get back at James.

Before the game started, the commentators in front of the TV were also discussing the matchup between Yi Shui and James. The current top-ranked rookie and the former top-ranked rookie were bound to be the focus of the game.

However, upon seeing Yi Shui's positioning, the other four starters on the US team couldn't help but burst out laughing, creating a relaxed, or rather, casual atmosphere.

James's face darkened even more; this bastard was practically standing at the free-throw line!
In his rage, he accelerated his charge!
The Yi River is far enough away; seize the opportunity to move.

The two collided at the free-throw line, and Yi Shui couldn't withstand the impact and was knocked back a step.

But James, who won the contest, was pushed to the right sideline of the three-second zone!

James tried to straighten his body and continue his straight drive to the basket, but was blocked by Yi Shui who had pressed up again! He had no choice but to break into the paint under Yi Shui's strong defense, and forcefully push past Yi Shui to make a layup... Under the interference of Yao Ming, who was ready, he hit the ball in the neck!

The fans were cheering for Yao Ming when they suddenly screamed.

The ball bounced to the left and was caught by Howard!
As Howard landed and immediately rose to his feet, swinging the ball toward the basket with one hand, Yao Ming, who was still standing directly below the basket, was met with a string of curses from many fans... but they only got halfway through their curses.

"Snapped"

Yi Shui bypassed Yao Ming, stood up, and slapped Howard's dunk away!
Wang Shipeng intercepted the ball, mimicking Liu Wei's posture of turning sideways and sticking out his rear to block Kobe's pressure, before passing it to Liu Wei who came up to receive it.

The action was rather awkward, but no one noticed.

All the fans at the stadium were cheering and screaming for Yishui!

That block was beautiful, and completely unexpected!
Aside from Kobe, who was rushing to get the ball, the American players also had their eyes on Yi Shui.

They had heard that Yi Shui was good at blocking shots, and some had even watched the final live and made bets before the game to see who would block Yi Shui the most times and who would be blocked by Yi Shui the fewest times, but seeing it with their own eyes still shocked them.

This is Howard's second-chance point! Not like Love's floor-bound style!
Yi Shui's explosive jumping ability is probably comparable to Stoudemire's, right?
And Yi Shui's physique, according to the data, is 201 cm tall, which is not much different from Howard (206 cm barefoot, 225 cm wingspan)!
During the offensive and defensive transition, although the American players were shocked by Yi Shui's block, they maintained their defensive formation well and did not give the Chinese team a chance to counterattack.

However, the Chinese team did not launch a counterattack. Liu Wei, with his backside sticking out, pushed forward into the frontcourt, pushing past Kidd.

James was battling for position on the right sideline against Yi Shui. He had also watched the Yi Shui University game footage provided by D'Antoni and knew that Yi Shui liked to launch attacks from this angle.

But the results were not as good as he had expected.

Just like the collision he experienced during his breakthrough, this rookie champion is much stronger than he looks! Although he has an advantage in strength, there's no way he can overwhelm him!

After Yi Shui initiated the challenge, he stepped back a step, and Liu Wei seized the opportunity to pass the ball accurately.

Yi Shui received the ball, turned around, and prepared to face fierce competition, looking for an opening to break through.

However, James stood on the three-point line and didn't push forward!

Yi Shui didn't hesitate, pulled up his sleeve, and launched a three-pointer!

James rushed forward...too late! He didn't manage to disrupt the attack at all!

Yi Shui's three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle went straight into the basket!
It's not that James forgot the three-point line is shorter in international competitions than in the NBA; he learned his lesson after suffering from a lack of understanding in the previous two world championships.

Yi Shui had just graduated from college, and the NCAA's three-point line was a foot shorter than that of the international arena!

In fact, D'Antoni did mention that Yi Shui adapted to the NBA three-point line extremely quickly.

But James was already lucky to have watched the Yi Shui game footage. He completely ignored D'Antoni's pre-game reminders, thinking, "He's just a rookie number one draft pick, right? And a rookie who hasn't even played a single game yet."

He was completely outmatched in international competitions after his rookie season. Can this top draft pick worth hundreds of millions compare to him?
This power monster can actually throw from a distance!

In the transition between offense and defense, James continued to call for the ball in the frontcourt.

In the first round of confrontation, he missed the shot and couldn't defend either, so he had to get his revenge!
Despite Yi Shui's defense retreating a significant distance, James still opted to drive to the basket.

But compared to the previous round where he completely disregarded his opponent, tried to crush him, and drove straight in to deal with Yao Ming, James was much more serious this time.

I controlled the speed well and used the rhythm of sudden stops and starts.

But the effect... can be said to be no different from the last round.

To prepare for defending against James, Yi Shui learned from Kevin Garnett!
After being crushed in the 07 NBA Finals, James made many efforts, such as gaining weight to increase his impact.

Although the weight gain did not affect his straight-line sprinting, his agility, especially his change-of-direction speed, has been significantly affected.

This was something Garnett exploited perfectly in the second round of this year's playoffs. Despite a 30%-40% difference in total free throw attempts across seven games, the Celtics still managed to defeat the Cavaliers 4-3.

Yi Shui is more mobile than Garnett. Unless James chooses to pull up for a jump shot, he won't be able to shake off Yi Shui's close defense!

Once again, with his sprint speed limited, James entered close range from the baseline. This time, he considered passing the ball, but his teammates were watching! He opted for a strong floater...

He dodged Yao Ming's block, but missed again!
The ball hit the rim and bounced outwards. Howard quickly moved into position, and James wanted to get back at him. He wanted to too!
But just as he was about to grab the rebound, someone rushed in front of him and snatched the ball away first... It was Yi Shui again!
Howard anticipates and grabs the rebound; Yi Shui steals Howard's rebound!
When it was China's turn to attack, James closely guarded Yi Shui regardless of distance, pressing forward the entire time.

Yi Shui waved to Liu Wei, who understood and lobbed the ball to Yao Ming under the basket. Yao Ming took two steps and knocked Howard into the basket, pressing Howard down and slamming the ball into the hoop with one hand!
The fans in the stadium cheered wildly!

They discovered something incredible—our two number one draft picks seem to be even stronger than the US team's two number one draft picks?!

(End of this chapter)