Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 24 The Big Three

Xu Ling followed Knight's advice and began to study back-to-the-basket attacks.

Furthermore, he specifically selected and watched recordings of Bulls games from the 1997-98 season.

Xu Ling's original goal was to learn Jordan's post-up game, but he was unexpectedly attracted by the GOAT's off-ball movement. He was mesmerized by the way the GOAT would glide into open spaces like a ghost and appear in key positions like a cheetah.

Then, his attention returned to back-to-the-basket moves.

He observed the videotapes while also practicing with his teammates on the training field.

He then discovered that while back-hitting is an easy skill to learn, it is extremely difficult to master. Of course, this statement applies to the vast majority of skills that do not require years of extensive practice of the basics.

On the first day of studying the back-to-the-basket move, Xu Ling realized that this move was completely tailor-made for inside players.

Basketball has been a game for giants since its inception, but the question is, what were the early giants like? A bunch of slow, clumsy, and technically rough guys, like a long and tedious 80s action movie.

The coaches quickly realized that to make them useful, they had to put them under the basket. There, their only advantage—their size—would come into play. That's the simplest physics of basketball.

It is this "basketball gravity" that created the post-up game, a technique that is the most primitive survival rule on the basketball court: tall people can crush short people, and strong men can bully skinny guys. When a monster combines height, strength, and athletic talent, he can dominate the game. These gifted guys don't need any fancy skills; they just need to use their bodies to push their opponents into the paint and do whatever they want under the basket.

Basketball history is replete with dominant centers: George Mikan still possessed an elegant hook shot, but Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain quickly dominated the 60s with their pure physical gifts. Just as this era of giants was drawing to a close, the technically gifted Lou Alcindor made a stunning entrance with his unstoppable skyhook. Fast forward to the 80s, with Ralph Sampson and David Robinson emerging as the first generation of "unicorn" centers. And a few years later, Shaquille O'Neal—the ultimate monster blessed with a genetic lottery of genius—redefined center dominance with his overwhelming power, terrifying explosiveness, and astonishing coordination. He hardly needed complex post-up skills; a passing guard and a simple hook shot were enough to make him the most feared low-post monster in basketball history.

Back-to-the-basket moves are that simple. Of course, there are outliers like Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin McHale who defy the established rules, but ultimately, back-to-the-basket moves are the skill that best tests physical strength.

This made Xu Ling unsure whether he needed to master this skill, because he could easily overpower guards smaller than him in the low post without much practice.

Even when facing tall and strong players, they won't lose their composure just because they can't get inside.

Knight's attitude was that practice was a must.

“No matter how much time it takes, you have to master this skill, or you’ll never catch up to Michael Jordan on a competitive level,” Knight added. “No, you might not even see Kobe’s taillights.”

Although Xu Ling was full of advanced ideas from the small-ball era, he did not intend to throw out those so-called advanced ideas to give Knight a good talking-to.

Because Knight understands far better than him what qualities players need in this era.

With seven games remaining in the regular season of the Big 12 League Championship, Xu Ling has transformed from a player who always initiated attacks from the perimeter into a wing player who can switch between low and high positions.

Xu Ling's first game in his developmental period was against Iowa State University, a relatively weak team in the Big 12 conference, but not to be underestimated, because they had a player named Wesley Johnson. Like Xu Ling, Johnson was a freshman who was unknown in high school but was selected as a starter in his freshman season in college, and he would become a top-five NBA draft pick a few years later.

Xu Ling remembered him.

But not much.

He only vaguely remembered that there was such a person in the NBA, and then he started practicing on him.

Wesley dared not underestimate Xu Ling. Although both were freshmen, the latter had risen to fame and had already secured a lottery spot in the 2007 NBA draft. He was a top-tier rookie in the country.

But for some reason, TTU's Jordan seemed to have taken the wrong medicine tonight, relentlessly attacking the low post.

His shooting percentage wasn't high, but his rhythm was excellent.

Wesley couldn't withstand Xu Ling's back-to-the-basket moves and was pushed away several times, while Xu Ling failed to put the ball into the basket after pushing away the defense.

However, when he found his rhythm, he made a shot that was just like Jordan's turnaround fadeaway jumper in an old 480P resolution game video, perfectly mimicking the move.

"Shh!"

Xu Ling felt inexplicably good; it was the kind of feedback that comes from pushing his opponent away and then naturally striking in rhythm. It was fantastic.

In the next round, he tried to find that feeling again, but he just couldn't.

When he's having a dull game in the low post, he'll go to the perimeter to relax, casually throw out a few three-pointers to adjust his mindset, and then go back to the low post.

Poor Iowa State University had no idea that they had become Xu Ling's training ground. They were powerless to resist and ultimately suffered a crushing defeat to Texas Tech by 20 points.

After the game, Knight reminded Xu Ling not to be bound by rigid forms and to try all offensive methods instead of focusing on just one.

Xu Ling expressed his approval.

Therefore, he devoted more time to back-to-the-basket moves during private practice, and in games, he only used them when the team had established a lead.

He discovered that his post-up game also worked when he found his rhythm in both shooting and ball-handling.

His signature game followed, in a match against Colorado State University, the bottom team in the Big 12 conference. Xu Ling scored a team-high 44 points with a combination of inside drives, outside shots, and post-ups, maintaining an 80% field goal percentage throughout the game.

"I know Coach Knight might be unhappy with what I'm saying, but I have to state the facts—Eli's performance tonight was absolutely on par with the best freshmen in the country! He shouldn't have wasted any more time in college basketball; he should have gone straight to the pros after his freshman year!" Colorado State University head coach Ricardo Barton made no secret of his praise for the opponent's star player at the post-game press conference, and his remarks immediately sparked heated discussions in the media.

Meanwhile, ESPN's latest mock draft rankings have caused a stir—Chinese star Xu Ling has broken into the top five for the first time, becoming the biggest dark horse of this year's draft. NBA veteran draft expert Chad Ford exclaimed in his column: "Eli's growth trajectory is unparalleled in my twenty-year career! Even more frightening is the immeasurable potential this young man possesses."

In the Big 12 Conference, the traditional power structure is crumbling. Defending champions Kansas suffered a surprising defeat against Texas A&M, and although they temporarily hold the top spot due to head-to-head record, their remaining 1.5-game lead is precarious. If Texas Tech finishes undefeated and Kansas suffers another loss, the Red Raiders will stage a stunning comeback, dethroning the eight-time champions. Every game at this moment has the potential to reshape the entire conference's power landscape.

However, no matter how well a team performs in the regular season, it cannot determine the spots for March Madness; the final decision rests with the league championship.

Therefore, playing well in every remaining game is the most important thing. Xu Ling's breakout performance has clearly spurred on the other two rising stars.

This is not surprising—in the experts' initial script, this class of freshmen was supposed to be a "two-horse race." Greg Oden was hampered by injuries and never quite reached his peak; while Kevin Durant delivered a rookie performance that was historic in NCAA history. Before that game-winning three-pointer from beyond the arc, they were indeed in a class of their own.

But ever since Xu Ling hit that historic game-winning shot over Durant, public opinion has quietly shifted, and the term "Big Three" has begun to spread across various sports forums.

What's even more frightening is Xu Ling's recent form—averaging 25 points per game, second only to Durant's 26 points, clearly establishing a rivalry.

This clearly spurred the Texas prodigy into action. Durant, who had clashed with Xu Ling in their previous encounter, responded with a 40-point outburst against Missouri State. In the post-game interview, he pointedly remarked, "Greg is a beast, Eli is like a custom player in NBA Live, and I just did my job, grabbed rebounds, and made the shots. Glory to the Longhorns."

Upon learning of Durant's remarks, Xu Ling nearly spat his drink onto the tactical board in the locker room.

What does it mean to be a custom player in NBA Live? This is what a stat monster with 208cm height, 227cm wingspan, speed, coordination, amazing ball handling, incredible touch, and super athletic talent would say.

Is this human talk?
This was the most outrageous thing Xu Ling had ever seen on Bilibili in his previous life: that Tony Takagi's singing voice was even better than Jay Chou's.

Therefore, Oden could no longer remain silent—even though his injury had not yet healed.

In the next game, this highly anticipated prodigy center soared into the air like a rocket in the final moments, delivering a thunderous block that sent the opponent's game-winning layup flying into the stands! The commentators were visibly shaken: "Greg's block was like a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning—the game is over!"

That was the potential Oden had shown. He was hailed as the fourth arrival of Bill Russell, which, although not a good omen, was essentially a guarantee of being the number one draft pick for an 18-year-old.

Oden's dominant performance perfectly validated Chad Ford's Nth time listing him as the number one pick in mock drafts: "Greg Oden can be a supernatural force on the court if he wants to!"

However, in a post-match interview, the young man maintained his characteristic low-key demeanor.

“I really don’t care about those things. My hand is uncomfortable. The only thing I care about is my health. My wish is to get back to health and then give it my all.”

As the regular season of the NCAA's various leagues neared its end, Oden confided in the media.

No one realized that Oden's wish, like Pete Maravich's statement "I don't want to die of a heart attack from playing basketball," was planted there like a flag of misfortune, foreshadowing the ending.

The hype surrounding the three giants began to escalate from here.

The hype reached its climax in Texas Tech's final regular season game, a rematch against the University of Texas on the road.

This was the second matchup between Xu Ling and Durant. Rankings were irrelevant, as the University of Kansas, with no further losses, had already secured first place in the league, leaving Texas Tech with only second. This final regular season game stripped away all tactical and ranking considerations, becoming purely a gladiator battle between two rising stars under the spotlight.

This time, Texas Tech showed a completely different side compared to their first game. The biggest change came from their backcourt.

After more than half a season of adjustment and growing pains, captain Jarius Jackson has finally found the perfect way to coexist with Xu Ling.

He no longer sees Xu Ling as a threat, but truly accepts her as a "catalyst" for making himself better.

The two players lived up to expectations. Xu Ling was unstoppable from beyond the arc, repeatedly responding to the boos from the home crowd with accurate shots. Jackson, on the other hand, finally displayed the flair of a top-tier offensive guard in the nation. He no longer relied on inefficient isolation plays, but instead developed exquisite teamwork with Xu Ling: Xu Ling used off-ball movement to draw the defense, allowing Jackson to exploit the opportunity to tear apart the defense; when Durant was forced to switch onto Jackson, Jackson could then use his superior speed and rhythm changes to decisively break through.

The two don't even need to make eye contact; a crossover move or a gesture is enough for them to understand each other perfectly.

In this game, Jackson not only scored 22 points efficiently, but also delivered 7 assists, more than half of which were to Xu Ling, helping the latter score 40 points for the second time this season.

Durant, meanwhile, was locked in a battle with Xu Ling, his outside shooting ice-cold tonight. But this exceptionally talented rookie displayed another terrifying form of dominance. When the Longhorns missed a shot, Durant, like a crane among chickens, grabbed the offensive rebound over two TTU big men, forcefully shoving aside the recovering Xu Ling to complete the second-chance point.

"You can defend the shot," Durant growled at Xu Ling, panting, after landing, "but can you stop me from rebounding!?"

This time, before Xu Ling could respond, Captain Jackson's voice came from behind: "But he doesn't need to grab all the rebounds, Kevin."

Jackson ran over, pulled Xu Ling up, and looked sharply at Durant, "Because he can make all those damn response shots."

“That’s right.” Xu Ling smiled at Durant, “For your own good, grab a few more rebounds.”

At that time, Texas Tech was leading the Texas Longhorns by 6 points.

However, it was precisely because of Durant's dominant rebounding performance (15 rebounds, 7 offensive rebounds) that the Longhorns managed to keep the game suspenseful until the very end.

Ultimately, Texas Tech, with its superior overall offensive performance and stronger team cohesion, won the game.

86:82.

Texas Tech secured the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Conference with a 15-1 record, and only needs one more win in the playoffs to guarantee a spot in March Madness.

After losing the second game, Durant, still feeling resentful, approached Xu Ling and said, "I'll be waiting for you in the Big 12 Finals, so don't you dare not come."

"Nobody cares about the Big 12 champions."

Xu Ling smiled.

"My goal is to win the national championship."

(1) If you have any curiosity, please search for "Oki sings the theme song of Dragon Ball" on the children's website.

(2) Bill Russell's second "arrival" was Ewing, and the third was David Robinson. Here, "arrival" refers to the media's hype.

(End of this chapter)