Chapter 23: Unlimited Shooting Right

"I knew it! I knew it all along!!"

The CCTV host shouted at the top of his lungs on television.

"Fan Xi has scored again! Fan Xi has scored again!"

"He stole the ball directly from John Wall, he stole it from the Wizards' number one draft pick—let his smug arrogance go to hell."

"Nothing demonstrates energy better than a head-on steal."

"Nothing is a bigger slap in the face than stopping to make a layup!"

"Fan Xi! Well done!"

The CCTV host shouted to the national audience with his passionate voice. In reality, even without his hype, the fans were already boiling over.

This was the first time in history that a Chinese guard had made a head-on steal against a top-tier guard known for ball-handling in an international game; in the past, it was always the Chinese guards who were being stolen from. Every time a Chinese guard brought the ball past half-court in an international game, the fans sitting in front of their TVs would feel inexplicably anxious.

Now, the tables had turned.

Why did it feel so good?

"I'll get it back."

John Wall came up to Fan Xi, provoked: "You cunning guy."

Wall was furious.

He wanted to immediately give Fan Xi an answer-ball to regain his dignity.

So, he came out with a sharp, lethal move; his change of direction was rapid and fierce.

However, he was a bit too impatient. If he had taken his time, slowly wearing down Fan Xi's center of gravity with his rhythm before striking, Fan Xi might not have been able to defend him.

This approach of attacking head-on without any setup, purely competing in explosive power and speed, played right into Fan Xi's hands.

Fan Xi followed him immediately.

Wall changed direction from left to right... he had practiced this move for a long time, and usually, few people in the League could keep up.

But Fan Xi followed him directly.

Even the Zen Master watching from the sidelines was startled.

Then, Wall accelerated again to rush into the paint... this charge was a combination of top-tier explosive power and top-tier speed.

If it had been Steve Blake or Shannon Brown, they would have been KO'd instantly. As for Derek Fisher, he wouldn't even have needed to wait for the acceleration; the previous change of direction would have already left him lost.

Yet, Fan Xi actually followed him again, maintaining a trajectory of close-contact pursuit.

This meant... Fan Xi's speed and explosive power might be even stronger than John Wall's, which was why he could turn the passive into the active.

Wow!

Kobe Bryant exclaimed in front of the TV, feeling it was incredible.

He had always thought Fan Xi's strengths were his straight-line speed, defensive awareness, open-shot shooting, and passing in fast-break rhythms. He hadn't expected this guy's physical fitness to be so strong!

After two steps, John Wall was locked down again.

Captured by the TV camera, his face was full of terror.

He hadn't expected this; he never thought the Chinese kid, who previously had such fragile physical fitness and had been repeatedly rubbed into the dirt by him, would now be full of energy, able to tangle with him completely, and even possess the skill to force a stop during a high-speed drive.

He hurriedly checked his pace, stopped abruptly, and then attempted a jump shot.

But he found that Fan Xi still had energy to spare, not only following his sudden stop closely but also extending his hand to disrupt his shooting rhythm.

John Wall returned empty-handed, all his plans broken, and could only pass the basketball to McGee nearby.

But just as McGee received the ball... slap!

Odom, lurking on the side, swatted the ball down with his palm.

Another steal.

The whole arena sighed.

The Washington fans had originally come to watch Wall slaughter Fan Xi, but they didn't expect the situation to be reversed.

They were extremely disappointed.

Odom passed the ball to Fan Xi at the first opportunity.

Fan Xi started a fast break with the ball, and John Wall hurriedly followed, attempting to use his superior physical fitness to limit Fan Xi.

But Fan Xi displayed a handling method completely different from John Wall's.

He didn't tangle with Wall, but instead set a pick-and-roll with Lamar Odom at the top of the three-point arc. Through the screen, he drove inside the free-throw line. When Yi Jianlian came over to help defend, Fan Xi passed the ball to Luke Walton, and Walton went straight into the paint... Boom!

A one-handed dunk.

Smooth and fluid.

Fan Xi played relatively simple tactics: pick-and-roll, using screens to break through, passing after attracting a double-team... but the simpler it was, the more difficult it was to execute.

Being able to make such clear and goal-oriented decisions in an extremely short time was enough to prove Fan Xi's excellence.

Phil Jackson was very satisfied.

In his heart, Fan Xi was already the team's starting point guard and an indispensable part of this year's quest for a dynasty.

This was a gift from God.

"Now, do you still have any doubts?" Kobe Bryant, in front of the TV, turned his head and asked Jimbas and Ku Pu Qie Ke.

Kobe's attitude toward keeping Fan Xi was very firm.

He was using his privilege on the team to 'force' the team to give Fan Xi a contract unprecedented since the founding of the NBA... giving an undrafted player an eight-figure annual salary.

Kobe wanted to build a second three-peat dynasty too much.

This was of extreme significance to him.

If he could get his sixth championship ring, his career would match his lifelong idol Michael Jordan in the number of championships. Most importantly, if he could win the championship again this year, it would mean he could still suppress Le Bu Lang Zhang Si.

Based on this situation, and with the team unable to absorb stronger reinforcements, he could only place all his bets on Fan Xi.

The energy Fan Xi displayed had already exceeded his expectations.

He calculated that with Fan Xi added, they would have the strength to fight against the Miami Heat Big Three.

Jimbas and Ku Pu Qie Ke looked at each other.

They both appreciated Fan Xi very much and recognized his strength from the bottom of their hearts. It was just that... giving an undrafted player an eight-figure annual salary was unprecedented, and it would require facing great public opinion pressure, and might even lead to criticism from many other owners: believing he was ruining the market.

"But, Fan is worth it!"

Jimbas finally made up his mind; as the team's young owner, only he could make the final decision.

Ku Pu Qie Ke, as the general manager and executor, also nodded. Then he said: "However, the details of the contract need to be adjusted."

Kobe spread his palms; this wasn't his concern.

He just wanted to keep Fan Xi.

Meanwhile, the game continued.

After being stolen from twice in a row, John Wall's mentality was somewhat unbalanced. Although Arenas kept reminding him from the sidelines to stay calm and pay attention to the rhythm.

He still couldn't help but be a bit impatient.

As the saying goes, wealth does not enter a hasty door; haste makes waste.

John Wall's level had slipped.

Although he also completed a long-distance layup, overall, he was suppressed by Fan Xi.

In the fast-paced offense, Fan Xi constantly formed tacit cooperation with his teammates; Lamar Odom and Luke Walton were both forwards good at passing, plus the open-shot shooting of Fisher and Barnes.

Fan Xi indeed launched wave after wave of decent run-and-gun plays.

Phil Jackson was very happy. He had originally swapped Fan Xi in just to highlight Fan Xi's ability, but he didn't expect Fan Xi to not only suppress the number one draft pick Wall but also lead the team to overtake the lead.

The second quarter ended.

The Lakers had already overtaken the lead by 6 points, 59:53.

Fan Xi played against John Wall for 12 minutes, scoring 9 points and 6 assists, having only taken 5 shots. His efficiency was astonishing; he was absolutely at a leader level.

In contrast, John Wall only had 6 points and 2 assists in the single quarter, having taken 8 shots; he was behind Fan Xi in every aspect.

Someone who didn't know better would have thought Fan Xi was this year's number one draft pick.

"This is no undrafted player! This is clearly the stature of a number one draft pick!"

Derek Rose, in front of the TV, had his eyes almost popping out.

His face was full of a drooling expression.

Derek Rose was the head coach and general manager of the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks had been simply rotten under the management of Isiah Thomas, paying high luxury taxes every year, yet failing to enter the playoffs every year.

After Derek Rose came over from Phoenix, he immediately carried out drastic reforms. He introduced Stoudemire and also traded for Carmelo Anthony in a way that combined parts into a whole; now the team already had two superstars. It was just that the number 1 position was lacking a bit.

Fan Xi's sudden emergence caught his eye, and he stayed in front of the TV today specifically to watch the duel between Fan Xi and John Wall.

Fan Xi's performance exceeded his imagination.

Stoudemire, sitting next to him, was also very satisfied. He said: "We must get this guy. If we get him, we have a great chance to compete with the Miami Heat."

Stoudemire, nicknamed "Little Tyrant," was a very powerful and violent power forward. His face-up one-on-one ability was very strong, and his cooperation with Steve Nash was seamless; he could be called the ultimate run-and-gun power forward.

New York had invited him over from Phoenix for 100 million US dollars over 5 years, but he had never performed perfectly. He always felt he lacked a guard like Nash to feed him the ball.

"I see the feeling of Steve in this kid." Stoudemire strongly urged Derek Rose to sign Fan Xi.

In Stoudemire's view, there was nothing that couldn't be solved with money.

The New York Knicks were wealthy and powerful, the richest team in the entire League. As long as the record improved, they could spend as much money as they wanted.

Derek Rose had the same intention, and he hurriedly asked his assistant to search for the phone number of Fan Xi's agent.

In fact, Derek Rose wasn't the only one searching for Fan Xi's phone number; there were also the general manager of the Bulls, the general manager of Houston...

As an undrafted player who had suddenly emerged, too many teams were paying attention to him.

This head-to-head duel with John Wall was actually an invisible major exam.

Fan Xi had clearly passed this hurdle.

Fan Xi displayed the energy to suppress John Wall; everyone wasn't a fool, and they were all willing to snatch him up.

When Fan Xi entered the locker room, he clearly felt that the staff were taking better care of him, immediately handing him a jacket and shaking up the functional drink prepared in advance.

These thoughtful details all showed that Fan Xi was becoming an important figure on the team.

As the saying goes, the duck knows when the spring river water warms up; although the staff of each team didn't go on the court to play, their observation ability was very strong.

Previously, among the point guards, Steve Blake had the best treatment. Now... he could only sit on the cold bench.

It wasn't really about human warmth; in competitive sports, being bad was the original sin.

Arenas was in the locker room counseling the depressed Wall; John Wall had originally wanted to step on Fan Xi to grab the Rookie of the Year award.

But now, after one exchange, he was directly beaten into a daze.

He never dreamed that Fan Xi's explosive power and speed would be so strong, and this guy's shooting was like it had a cruise missile installed; it hadn't been this accurate before, and before, he only knew how to defend like sticky candy, and could be passed by with a slight acceleration.

"You have to cast aside your pride, cast aside that arrogance that you are destined to step him under your feet. Only when you treat him as a real opponent can you exert your full strength. Only then is it possible for you to defeat him."

Arenas said earnestly to John Wall. "Your talent is definitely higher than his; you have to make good use of your advantages. The game isn't over yet, the second half hasn't started."

Under Arenas's persuasion, John Wall gradually calmed down.

Head coach Eddie Jordan came over to set up tactics for the Wizards; he was already going to implement a limited double-team on Fan Xi.

This proved that Fan Xi was gradually being treated as a big shot.

Meanwhile, Phil Jackson also arranged the lineup for the second half; Pau Gasol was put on the court, letting him and Fan Xi be on the court at the same time.

Pau Gasol was the biggest star currently on the Lakers.

He was also the most important link in the Lakers' triangle offense system.

However, what surprised the entire locker room was that after Phil Jackson finished setting up the tactics, he actually said to Fan Xi: "At certain times, you can have the unlimited shooting right."

What?

As soon as this sentence came out, the whole place was shocked. Steve Blake even let out a desperate scream.

Unlimited shooting right!

Fans who understood the NBA League would know that this was something only the biggest star on a team possessed. The distribution of players on an NBA team was pyramid-shaped, but the power structure was an inverted pyramid.

Only the superstars at the tip of the tower possessed the unlimited shooting right that transcended the team's tactical system. Next were the second-in-command and third-in-command; they had their own tactical routes and could shoot at will within their own tactical routes. Next were the starting players; they were responsible for building the tactical routes for the core players, the second-in-command, and the third-in-command, while also getting some fragmented shooting opportunities.

Further back were the rotation players; among the rotation players, there was usually a sixth-man role, and the status of the sixth man was slightly stronger than that of an ordinary starter, having his own tactical route. Other rotations were basically filler-type workers, shooting wherever they were pointed.

Finally, there were some fringe players who rarely got opportunities. They would walk their routes according to fixed paths when they got on the court, and if they were lucky, they would get to share the ball from the bosses. If they were unlucky, they would keep doing dirty and tiring work, or scrape some data in garbage time when the outcome was already decided.

The hierarchy was clear.

Fan Xi was a 10-day short-contract player; normally, he couldn't even be considered a fringe player. He was just there to practice with the team, simulate opposing players, and make up the numbers in full-court training.

But now, his status had jumped three levels in succession. From fringe to rotation, from rotation to sixth man, and from sixth man to the role of second or third in command.

Now, Phil Jackson was actually going to give him the unlimited shooting right.

Was he crazy?

This was being cultivated as a super rookie.

Counting back four years, the rookies who possessed the unlimited shooting right could be counted on one hand: John Wall, Blake Griffin, Evans, Derek Rose, Kevin Durant... that was it.

Fan Xi, an undrafted player, had actually obtained it.

From this, one could see the absurdity and shock of this matter.

No wonder Steve Blake let out a desperate scream.

... ===== CHAPTER 24 =====