Chapter 390: East Wind Overpowers West Wind

Originally, the Dream Team had no imagined opponent.

But this year, after Fan Xi eliminated the emblem of American basketball, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si, again in the finals, they now have an imagined opponent—they want to take down the Zhongguo team.

That differs somewhat from Ginobili's era; after Ginobili led Argentina to eliminate the Dream Team at the Olympics, he returned to the NBA and then faced overt and covert criticism… Ginobili never became a super‑star due to various factors. Yet no one can deny Ginobili is a dangerous player—when he has the ball, even a super‑star opponent must stay on guard.

Fan Xi has been studying FIBA rules; the International Basketball Federation's regulations differ greatly from the NBA's. The biggest difference is that the international system has no defensive three‑second rule, which is very friendly to centers. Also, the three‑point line is 49 cm shorter, so many mid‑range jumpers count as threes in the NBA. Moreover, each international quarter is only 10 minutes, with four timeouts per quarter, all of which can be called only by the head coach. The NBA allows seven timeouts, and players on the court may also request a timeout.

When playing any game, mastering the rules first is fundamental; if you don't even understand how the game works, how can you adapt to the rules or exploit them?

At the same time, besides publicly proclaiming they'll win the championship and beat the Zhongguo team, the Dream Team's biggest discussion is player selection. This year's head coach is still Old K. Coach Old K has always praised Fan Xi, as university‑level coaches tend to favor players like Fan Xi who possess powerful, disruptive defense and are unselfish; they care little about his shooting.

In the view of traditional academy coaches, a point guard's role isn't primarily to take shots.

This year's Dream Team camp includes the old, middle, and young generations, making player selection a particularly tough decision.

Historically, super‑stars weren't eager to join the Dream Team, preferring to spend time on vacations. But this year, many from the old, middle, and young groups showed up.

Thus, the competition is especially fierce.

Who to pick, who to leave out?

First, Kobe and James are definite picks—they're icons of American basketball.

Next, Wei De performed excellently at the 2008 Olympics and should also be selected.

Carmelo Anthony has stood by the Dream Team through tough years; shouldn't he be brought in?

But beyond these, there are countless household‑name players.

According to the rules, only twelve players may be selected.

In fact, the competition has already begun. For those players who missed an NBA championship, they're eager to claim a new trophy this summer.

Fan Xi isn't focused on internal Dream Team competition; his current concern is studying the national team's roster configuration.

Mike Brown, him, Li Nan, Yao Ming, and the national team leadership—these five are the key decision‑makers for the final roster.

They must pick twelve out of twenty‑three players; in reality, Fan Xi, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian are already locked in.

Only nine spots remain.

Fan Xi appears at the camp every afternoon, even with a heavy advertising schedule.

This year's fan‑X camp is bustling; besides national team members and Clippers players, many young American prospects—from high schools and colleges—are also present.

Of course, they're brought by a separate group of coaches and don't interfere with each other.

Jimmy Baret actually also joined; he's a training fanatic who, after two days back home, returned to Los Angeles and still prefers to stay close to basketball.

He and Leonard execute Fan Xi's training drills with strict precision, doing an excellent job as sparring partners. They take turns disciplining the national team's guards and forwards.

Under their pressure, the national team—veterans and rookies alike—struggles greatly.

Guangdong sharpshooter Old Zhu even remarked, "This isn't training; it's pure torture."

His strength is renowned at home, and his shooting is accurate; he once received an NBA tryout invitation but never took the step.

He's long felt regret over that, believing that had he tried out back then, his life might have been different—especially since Fan Xi achieved astonishing success in the NBA.

However, after facing Leonard and Baret, he realized that perhaps his earlier decision to quit was the right one.

Those two have the physique, the talent, the skill, and even more accurate shooting than he does.

That makes it very tough.

Nevertheless, in talks with Leonard and Butler, it became clear that among the national team's wing‑big men, the repeatedly selected Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng are stronger, Sun Yue's level is decent but his shooting is inconsistent.

Moreover, they highlighted a very young player, Ding Yuyuhang.

They said he possesses an American style—driving, shooting, a hard‑nosed approach, and relatively complete technique.

Fan Xi then challenged the youngster to a one‑on‑one.

The result was self‑evident.

But soon Fan Xi had the conditioning coach and nutritionist devise a plan, focusing on developing this player.

Assistant coach Bilupusi also favors a youngster named Guo Ailun, calling him a poor‑man version of Westbrook.

That's certainly not a compliment in the NBA, but a guard like that on the national team is still worth cultivating.

Fan Xi also went one‑on‑one with him, winning easily, and the player received a personalized training package.

Later, in the center group they found a big, chubby center named Han Dejun; Little Jordan said he was slick and made him uncomfortable. Little Jordan isn't a stationary‑defense center; he certainly can't handle such a skillful traditional big man.

It's like the currently hyped Dream Team center Tyson Chandler, who back then was toyed with by Yao Ming in camp. Later it was said he was the 2001 No. 2 pick, and Yao laughed, "If he could be No. 2, I could definitely be No. 1."

Sure enough, Yao Ming was the top pick the following year.

Han Dejun naturally lacks Yao's abilities; his talent lags far behind. Still, he can serve as a second or third center.

This year, the strategy with Mike Brown is to bring fewer guards, more centers, more shooters, and more defensively strong types.

As a defensive coach, Mike Brown loves the FIBA system—high‑intensity matchups, no defensive three‑seconds, a slower pace, and bone‑crushing physicality.

"If we take Deandre, Leonard, Butler and Gilbert to the Olympics, we might still not be able to beat the Dream Team. The Dream Team is just a collection of super‑stars; the bigger the name, the more seniority, the more they play—there's no technical substance at all."

Mike Brown once told Fan Xi, brimming with confidence:

Fan Xi wanted Little Jordan, Leonard, Butler and Arenas to go together, but even if they changed nationality, there wouldn't be enough time.

If this group truly follows Fan Xi, together with Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian's domestic elite, beating the Dream Team is definitely plausible.

After all, facing the Miami Heat uses a similar lineup.

…

The national team has been training intensively in Los Angeles for twenty consecutive days.

Fan Xi stayed throughout, and on the 21st day they finally held a uniquely spirited scrimmage: the national team versus the Clippers.

Because the Clippers are holding a championship parade on the weekend—a tradition for every title‑winning team—championship players board a bus and cruise through the city, celebrating wildly with fans on the streets.

In the past, Los Angeles often hosted such events, but they had nothing to do with the Clippers.

Now, it's finally the Los Angeles Clippers' turn.

Fan Xi instructed Ku Pu Qie Ke to make the spectacle grand, ensuring the Clippers' first championship looks truly majestic.

Regarding Fan Xi inviting them to a game, everyone hardly hesitated, straightforwardly agreed, and even Bilupusi played, starting as a starter. Because he is also an assistant coach consultant for the national team, he needs more detailed observation of the players' movements.

This is a match with little suspense.

Although Fan Xi was listed on the national team.

The game was played under fiba rules, but only 30 minutes total: first half 15 minutes, second half 15 minutes.

The final result was 65: 49.

The Clippers won by 16 points, even without Nowitzki.

However, the national team's rotation was also heavy in this game, almost every player got minutes, letting them truly feel NBA‑level opposition and pace; Fan Xi's passing, helping, and leading were excellent, and he played the full 30 minutes, which is probably why the national team scored 49 points.

In this training match, Fan Xi saw many players' flashes of brilliance, and discovered two or three players who meshed perfectly with his chemistry.

Fan Xi's list of players became increasingly clear.

Yet one thing began to bother Fan Xi: many long‑standing star players on his list would be eliminated.

In the domestic basketball world, where seniority matters, that is a huge taboo.

…

While Fan Xi was still hesitating over the national team roster, explosive news came from the Dream Team side.

Kobe Bryant announced he would not participate in this year's Olympics.

The reason given was family reasons.

This shocked the American basketball scene; Americans were reluctant to believe it was true.

Although Kobe is now considered at the tail end of his peak and his abilities have declined sharply, as the spiritual leader of American basketball this fact has never changed.

When the Dream Team suffered consecutive defeats and fell into a slump internationally, it was Kobe who resolutely stepped forward, organized a super‑strong Olympic lineup, and in Beijing won the championship, erasing the previous shame and preserving the Dream Team's dignity.

Now, as the U. S. team aims ambitiously to win another Olympic gold, his sudden withdrawal is undoubtedly a significant blow to confidence in American basketball.

Nevertheless, everyone still firmly believes the ultra‑luxury Dream Team can win easily.

But the spiritual leader's sudden absence still leaves people… to imagine endlessly.

However, the reason for Kobe's non‑participation was soon exposed: Vanessa was pregnant again.

Moreover, according to insiders, the Kobe family is confident they will have a boy this time.

Kobe's confidence may stem from a mysterious Eastern elixir bar.

Fan Xi called Kobe, confirmed this, and congratulated him.

Then he said to Lao Wang, "If Kobe really has a boy this time, you've finally contributed to the Kobe family."

Lao Wang frowned and asked, "Does the Kobe family also favor sons?"

"It's not exactly son‑preference, but with all his martial arts, he does hope to have a son to inherit them. He can't just pass all his skills to me, can he?"

Fan Xi muttered.

Arenas nearby said, "I think most of his techniques have already been passed to you. Given his affection for you, if you were a few years younger, he would have married his daughter to you."

Fan Xi gave him an annoyed glance.

Kobe not joining the Dream Team made Fan Xi inexplicably relieved.

Although Kobe's contribution to the Dream Team is no longer the highest, nor is he the strongest player now, with him the Dream Team is an unbreakable titanium bone. Without him, the Dream Team remains the world's toughest, but it feels there is an opening; at least Fan Xi thinks Lithuania or Spain could give them a two‑pronged attack.

…

The Clippers' championship float parade through the city was extremely grand, and Clippers fans were wildly enthusiastic; at least 600,000 people in Los Angeles participated in the event.

When Fan Xi and his group appeared on the float, the whole city erupted in celebration.

At the celebration, Arenas shouted excitedly, "This is the Clippers' first overall championship; soon we'll have a new championship, not one, not two, not three, not four, not five…"

He perfectly mimicked James's speech.

The atmosphere on site was very lively.

Of course, the thing that ignited the atmosphere was Fan Xi's next words.

Fan Xi took Arenas's microphone and said, "He's right!!"

Boom!

At that moment, the audience exploded.

When Arenas spoke, everyone took it as lively atmosphere, even as a jab at James.

But if Fan Xi added later,

then it would become a guideline, later turning into reality.

Who doesn't want the Clippers to win five, six, seven, eight championships?

Clippers fans at this moment were far more excited than Miami Heat fans were back in the old Miami Arena.

James is writing a blank check.

Fan Xi is stamping it.

After James wrote the blank check, Fan Xi snatched the championship from him for two consecutive years.

That is confidence, that is the source of trust.

It can be foreseen that the basketball news that day will certainly compare Fan Xi and James.

Fan Xi no longer cares about being at odds with James; since the moment Fan Xi won the championship, he has stepped onto the arena of the top competitor in the league and does not intend to step down.

Moreover, a newly shot advertisement will be released soon.

Then the media will show the clash between the Eastern Emperor and the Ohio King.

This will surely become the East‑West rivalry after the black‑and‑white domination of the 1980s.

Either the East overwhelms the West wind, or the East wind bursts the West wind!

…