pdf-ebookys Chapter 55 The Challenge from Across the Hudson River
Chapter 55 The Challenge from Across the Hudson River
Li Ji Copper Pot Hot Pot, New Jersey.
"Come on, head north, eat more. This mutton was specially reserved by the boss."
Yi Jianlian picked up the serving chopsticks somewhat awkwardly and slid a plate of mutton into the boiling broth.
At this time, although Yi Jianlian was a regular rotation player for the Nets, his average of 8+5 per game was only mediocre.
The media criticized his playing style as too soft, always floating on the outside to shoot long two-pointers.
"Brother Lian."
He raised his head and stared intently at Yi Jianlian.
"If you continue playing like this, without causing trouble or making mistakes... you'll always be a fringe player."
Yi Jianlian's hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air, his expression somewhat unpleasant.
"Xiang Bei, what you're saying..."
"This is the NBA, Brother Lian. This is the arena." Li Xiangbei pointed to the bubbling meat slices in the copper pot. "Humility and politeness are for off the court. On the court, no one will feed you the ball like an older brother. Everyone here is a hungry wolf. If you want to eat meat, you have to fight for it, bite it, and tear your opponent's throat open."
"Look at you now. You lower your head after missing a shot, and you run to the referee after getting bumped. You're 'Space Yi,' with those freakish physical abilities! What are you afraid of? Afraid of hurting someone?"
Yi Jianlian remained silent.
He looked down at the mutton floating in the pot, then glanced at Li Xiangbei's empty teacup, which had been squeezed until it turned white.
That cup seemed to reflect his struggles in the NBA over the past two years—cautious and walking on thin ice, yet never truly integrating into this jungle.
"The Colosseum...?"
Yi Jianlian murmured softly, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.
That long-suppressed wildness seemed to be ignited by a spark from those words.
"Tonight's game."
"Don't give me face. If you dare to score on me, I'll applaud you. But if you still hide and fight like a coward... then Yao Ming and I will have a hard time carrying the team for Chinese players. When we're abroad, we're a team."
After saying that, he smiled mysteriously.
"Also, remember to keep your eyes on my chest tonight. I've prepared a special Lunar New Year gift for that old man, David Stern."
……
8:00 PM.
Knicks vs. Nets.
The stadium turned into a sea of red tonight.
Because it was a "Chinese derby" and it was during the Spring Festival, a large number of Chinese fans flocked to the stadium, and the five-star red flag could be seen everywhere.
CCTV5 even sent its star commentary duo, Yu Jia and Zhang Weiping, to broadcast the event live.
As soon as the game started, everyone noticed that Yi Jianlian had changed.
Midway through the first quarter, Yi Jianlian was positioning himself in the low post.
Faced with Randolph's strong defense, he did not choose to back down as he usually does.
He lowered his shoulders and exerted force suddenly!
"Bang!"
Randolph's strong body knocked Yi Jianlian off balance, almost causing him to fall.
In the past, Yi Jianlian might have already shrugged and complained to the referee.
But this time, he didn't.
He staggered a couple of steps, then continued to position himself to receive the ball.
There was no complaint in his eyes, only a fierce desire to get revenge.
Next round.
Yi Jianlian receives the ball, lowers his shoulder, and accelerates!
That underestimated first step was incredibly fast!
Randolph was half a body length past, and David Lee came to cover from the side.
Yi Jianlian roared in mid-air and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"boom!"
A powerful two-handed dunk! David Lee became the background figure, taking two steps back before regaining his footing.
The entire venue erupted in cheers!
Li Xiangbei watched this scene from not far away.
He looked at Yi Jianlian, who was roaring and pounding his chest, and a smile appeared on his lips.
As he ran past Yi Jianlian:
"That's more like a man! Keep going! Don't stop!"
Yi Jianlian looked at Li Xiangbei, the confusion in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a firm fighting spirit.
……
Middle of the third section.
Knicks on offense.
Li Xiangbei has the ball on the perimeter, facing the defense of Nets point guard Harris.
With an extremely wide crossover, Harris lost his balance.
Li Xiangbei blew past the defender in one step and charged straight into the penalty area!
At this moment, the Nets' interior behemoth—the 2.13-meter-tall Brook Lopez—was standing in the restricted area.
He spread his arms, ready to block the short, clueless guy.
Yi Jianlian was pulled to the bottom corner at this point.
He was startled as he watched Li Xiangbei rush in.
"What is he going to do? Pass the ball? Or...?"
No.
Li Xiangbei neither passed the ball nor slowed down.
He was just inside the free-throw line when he slammed his feet into the ground!
[Guaranteed Winning Quota: Activated (Dunking also guarantees a winning chance)]
Li Xiangbei engaged in a fierce physical confrontation with Lopez in mid-air. Despite being at a weight disadvantage, with the system's support, he managed to force his way past Lopez's defense!
He catches the ball with one hand and swings his arm in a wide arc, like a battle axe falling from the sky!
"Get in!"
"Bang!"
The basketball was slammed into the hoop!
Lopez was knocked off his balance by the enormous impact.
Li Xiangbei, on the other hand, hung on the rim with one hand, his body swaying with the rim.
A seven-foot-tall man was knocked down!
In the commentary booth, commentator Zhang Weiping excitedly slammed his fist on the table: "Wow! This! This! This was brutal! Li Xiangbei dunked on Lopez! So spirited!"
Yi Jianlian looked at his compatriots hanging on the rim with a complicated expression.
He didn't clutch his head and scream like the others.
The words Li Xiangbei had said at the dinner party echoed in his mind: "This is a gladiatorial arena."
"Is this how you survive... heading north?"
A hint of shock flashed in Yi Jianlian's eyes, but more than that, it was a burning desire.
It's the kind of resonance that comes when a wild animal encounters its own kind.
I can do it too.
I will do it too.
After landing.
Li Xiangbei walked straight to the camera at the bottom line.
The red light was on at that moment, a close-up shot of the live broadcast across the United States.
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of millions of viewers.
Li Xiangbei grabbed the hem of his jersey with both hands and suddenly lifted it up!
It revealed the black tight-fitting T-shirt underneath.
On the chest of the T-shirt, a line of eye-catching English letters is printed:
"Hey David, I can fly too."
(Hey David, I can fly too.)
The "David" in question refers to NBA Commissioner David Stern.
This is a blatant attempt to "force the league to withdraw"! It's a declaration to the league: if you don't let me participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, it's your loss!
……
NBA headquarters building.
David Stern was watching the live stream from his office.
Upon seeing the words on the T-shirt, the shrewd old Jewish man pushed up his glasses and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, producing a series of rhythmic sounds.
"Villainous aesthetics..."
Stern looked at the arrogant figure on the screen, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.
"The league hasn't had a disruptive force like him in a long time. He's like a fire that can reheat the All-Star Game."
The head of public relations rushed in: "President! Nike is protesting! They're saying this will steal James's thunder..."
"Nike?"
Stern smiled.
"Tell them this is the will of the people. If they don't want to lose, let LeBron fly even higher."
He picked up a pen and signed his name on a document.
Send him an invitation.
After signing, Stern looked up and added:
"In addition, raise the price of the GG seat in this year's Slam Dunk Contest by another 20%. Tell the sponsors that this is a premium for the 'revenge match.' If you want to see the show, you have to buy a ticket."