Chapter 613: I Need to Join the World Championships

If Chris Paul joins the Spurs and forms an inside-outside combination with Tim Duncan, then even though Duncan is no longer at his peak, they would still be one of the league's strongest inside-outside combos. They both come from Wake Forest University, they both have solid fundamentals, and they both possess high basketball IQ.

Popovich has been working hard to make this happen.

It has become an open secret in American basketball.

Many people hope this will happen.

The latest news shows… the Chicago Bulls also want to join in; they're not interested in Chris Paul, but they want to acquire Tony Parker, a point guard with lightning speed who has undergone the Spurs' full training.

For Thibodeau, this would be a huge boost to tactical strength.

Moreover, he's confident Tony Parker can coexist with Derek Rose; in fact, Rose has started training his off-ball ability during this offseason. The loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals drove Rose into self‑punishing training, and he vowed to develop his off‑ball three‑point skill.

Fan Xi is like a mad catalyst, causing the NBA's top stars to accelerate and get swept up.

Now, standing beside Fan Xi, Stephen Curry is also caught up in the frenzy; his three‑point shooting keeps getting sharper, evolving to an unbelievable level.

Curry's three‑pointers were already deadly accurate; now his training has him find two forwards to frantically chase and disturb him, and he shoots 'hurriedly' from tight spaces.

The hit rate of such 'hurriedly' shots is extremely high.

Fan Xi believes Curry has raised the three‑point shot to a historically unique position, which will give teammates huge space on the court and pose great risk to opponents' defenses.

What worries Fan Xi most is that the Golden State Warriors aren't just about Curry as a shooter; they also have Klay Thompson, who has likewise evolved into something frightening.

Initially Fan Xi had wanted to draft Klay Thompson; that year he aimed to pick four small forwards, but ended up with only Butler and Leonard. Now Butler and Leonard are already half‑step superstars, just a half‑step away from true superstar status.

This shows Fan Xi's choices were correct.

However, Klay Thompson has found his own path; he is now an All‑Star‑caliber player. Unlike Butler and Leonard, who are traditional ball‑handling guards, his style leans toward a 'role player'. But if his three‑point shooting and defensive abilities continue to evolve, he could become a famous role in history.

During training camp, Fan Xi would also 'inquire' about Warriors news: 'You haven't made any major acquisitions for the new season, have you? Don't you want to go for the championship?'

Curry was tight‑lipped, deliberately raising his eyebrows, and said: 'Are the Clippers now treating the Warriors as a hypothetical enemy? Besides, aren't you planning any new signings?'

They were probing each other.

After Fan Xi won the championship in New York and returned to Los Angeles, the Clippers undoubtedly became the Western Conference's public enemy.

Curry regards them as a hypothetical enemy, which is perfectly reasonable.

But Fan Xi treating the Warriors as a hypothetical enemy seems a bit hard to justify.

Curry thinks Fan Xi is probing something.

However, Fan Xi genuinely believes the Warriors have already become a force; while many teams still overlook them, he had already seen their future scale.

He even feels now that they should have drafted Klay Thompson onto the Clippers back then.

At least, the Clippers no longer need to worry about a shooting problem.

Although Curry doesn't reveal his plans in front of Fan Xi, when speaking to the media he says: 'I'll work hard and try to take down Jieke Fan as soon as possible. I want to lead the Warriors to win the new season's championship.'

Chinese media and Chinese fans are now very broad‑minded.

Especially in the basketball realm.

Because they have Fan Xi.

This feeling is like: if you only have 100 dollars in your pocket and someone calls you a poor ghost who can't afford an 80‑dollar loaf of bread, you'd get angry and might even slap your own face to scrape together next week's living expenses to buy that 80‑dollar loaf just to prove yourself. But if your bank account holds a hundred million cash, you'd say: 'Alright, if you say I can't afford it, then I can't.'

One would never get angry just to prove oneself, nor would one make irrational consumption decisions.

Curry and Fan Xi held training camps in three domestic cities, bringing genuine NBA‑level training to Chinese basketball enthusiasts; this is more than just advertising.

After staying in the country for ten days, Curry returned to the United States.

Fan Xi still needs to stay a bit longer.

He needs to accompany his pregnant fiancée, Liu Yifei, who has been designated as Madame Fan.

Fan Xi embarked on a genuine vacation: he didn't shoot any ads, turned off his phone, didn't attend any events, and simply stayed home with Liu Yifei, which let their feelings heat up quickly.

Time moved from August into September.

The Chinese men's basketball team went to Incheon to participate in their Asian Games.

During this process, they lost a game in the group stage.

However, domestic public opinion was friendly; there was no criticism or abuse of these kids for losing, and most people were encouraging them.

Chinese fans are now 'hundred‑million‑strong', they're magnanimous. They can tolerate temporary failure, and their patience exceeds that of fans in any other domestic field—because they know they still have Fan Xi.

Fan Xi is the current number one in basketball; as long as he's around, Chinese basketball won't fall.

Such encouragement greatly helps the Chinese team; they get motivated and dare to try new plays and tactics in games. These real‑world experiences truly aid their growth.

Fan Xi was delighted that they advanced all the way through the knockout rounds with high morale and reached the final.

Although they ultimately didn't win the gold medal, they lost the final to Iran.

A one‑point difference.

Many of the young men's basketball players shed tears.

Fan Xi, however, pulled out his phone that had been off for a long time, posted a message on his domestic social network: 'I'm proud of the Chinese team's performance at the Asian Games. Let's win together at the World Championships!'

Fan Xi's post lifted the fans' spirits, and they quickly moved past the frustration of defeat.

To them, the Asian Games gold medal means nothing.

If the upcoming World Championships can bring back an Olympic gold medal,

then this medal would be as good as handed to them.

Fan Xi's remarks bore the demeanor of a statesman; he didn't blame the referees for mistaken calls, nor did he seize on the final‑second error.

He simply encouraged them and then announced that he would join the men's basketball World Championship roster.

For domestic fans, this is an extremely important announcement.

No matter from which angle you look at it, the World Championships are far more important than the Asian Games.

But after Fan Xi opened his phone, he discovered something else.

While browsing overseas sites, Fan Xi saw a flood of news: Jennifer Aniston appeared in China with her child, and was even photographed with her child seemingly showing up at the Fan family ancestral hall.

Fan Xi was completely stunned!

When he turned it off, he didn't expect such a huge incident.

Sure enough, many people in his contacts were asking about it, including his manager.

It was an unexpected shock.

Then, Fan Xi began to worry whether Liu Yifei already knew about it.

He even started complaining to Fan's dad about why he suggested that, as if he didn't know there are no airtight walls in the world.

Fan Xi spent the whole afternoon feeling absent‑minded, and after dinner that night they walked in the back garden—a routine they've kept these past few days.

"Have you decided to go to the World Championship?" Liu Yifei and Fan Xi chatted intermittently.

Fan Xi nodded and said, "Yes. I haven't competed in ages; I want to keep my form."

"I heard the U. S. team didn't send its main lineup this time; none of James, Kobe, or Durant are participating."

"Hmm. This time Rosa leads the team, along with Ku Li and Ha Deng—a younger batch of players."

…

The conversation paused briefly.

They walked a lap around the back garden, then Liu Yifei sat in the gazebo and began feeding the koi in the pond.

At that moment Fan Xi was hesitating; he thought he might just tell Liu Yifei the truth.

Just as he was about to steel himself,

Liu Yifei suddenly said, "Troy is a nice‑sounding name, and it looks beautiful."

Buzz!

Fan Xi's mind was about to explode; he was brainstorming frantically. The man, famed for his basketball IQ on the court, was momentarily glitching.

"Jennifer and I video‑called, we added each other as friends. Besides, I've always liked her more. I didn't expect such a fate."

Liu Yifei, feeding the fish, said calmly, "She told me about that matter; I know you're being passive. So you don't need to be nervous. Since this afternoon your mind hasn't settled."

"I…"

Fan Xi tried to say something.

Liu Yifei turned toward him, smiled, and said, "Since you've decided to go to the World Championship, focus solely on the game. You don't need to worry about family matters; I'll handle them. I've spoken with my uncle and aunt, and they'll bring Troy over this weekend."

Fan Xi was at a loss for words.

He spread his arms and embraced Fei Fei.

…

Fan Xi suddenly announced he was joining the Zhongguo team to compete in the World Championship. This made many national teams uneasy, especially Iran, which had just beaten the Zhongguo team at the Asian Games.

They were placed in the same group.

Similarly, American sports media shifted their focus back from the incident of Jennifer and her son's trip to China.

Now they have to worry about the World Championship gold medal they had taken for granted.

Derek Rose is the unquestioned leader of this Dream Team, even though the roster includes the more veteran Cameron Anthony.

Cameron Anthony is a lethal weapon on the international stage; his triple‑threat, top‑tier skill set is highly threatening.

However, in all the Dream Team's promotional material, Rosa always occupies the center spot.

That's the swagger they project.

Today's basketball landscape is one dominant plus many strong teams.

The 'one dominant' refers to Fan Xi, who has won four consecutive titles.

The 'many strong' are the three dominant superstars beneath Fan Xi: James, Durant, and Rosa.

Then come Wei Shao, Ha Deng, Wei De, Bao Luo… these superstars.

The hierarchy is crystal clear.

The Dream Team's twelve‑man roster was finalized last week.

Derek Rose leads: James, Ha Deng, Stephen Ku Li, Kai Li O Wen, Clei Tang Pu Sen, De Luo Zan, Pu La Mu Li, Dai Wei Si, Kao Xin Si, De La Meng De, Gai Yi, and Cameron Anthony.

In terms of star power, it's like a side line product beyond the mainline sneakers.

However, the team's practicality is high and it fits the international basketball style well; there are many shooters and the interior defense isn't weak.

If the chemistry clicks, they could even be stronger than the 2012 U. S. team.

"I was clearly deceived; that guy said he wouldn't join the national team, and he even said he'd wait until the Olympics to shine!"

Stephen Ku Li spread his hands and said, "He wants to keep his time for his family."

During an interview in the United States, he said Fan Xi lacks sportsmanship and launched a sudden attack on him.

In fact, the sudden attack didn't target only him.

The entire U. S. team was suddenly attacked.

Coach Old K of the U. S. team said, "This is clearly a last‑minute decision; he hadn't practiced with his teammates before. His sudden addition can only mean one thing: Jennifer's child is his."

Coach Old K, known for his deadpan demeanor, threw out that judgment, proving that Fan Xi truly troubled him and forced him to resort to such off‑court tactics.

But basketball news rarely makes it to the entertainment section, let alone now that the entertainment pages are flooded with comparisons between Fan Xi and Troy. Everyone seems to have anchored on that fact.

"I won't compare us to 2012, but Jieke Fan can't beat us. Moreover, I don't even think he can reach the finals."

Derek Rose said, "Basketball is a five‑person game. Without the support of NBA‑level teammates, even Jieke Fan can't dominate a match."

Rosa said it very, very bluntly.

And Kai Li O Wen said it even more candidly: "If Jieke Fan truly can change the situation and actually defeat so many of our contemporaries to win the championship, then we must be mentally prepared to be ruled by him."

Ha Deng remained silent throughout.

Although the media were eager to hear something from him, since the finals he hasn't spoken publicly about Fan Xi.

He's been training, crazily improving himself.

He's seizing opportunities; he wants to win it back.

Moreover, he is currently not suitable for accepting interviews, and the rumors about Paul's trade always have his shadow… Most people think he is the direct reason for wanting Paul to leave Houston.

…

When the American sports media's discussion of Fan Xi joining the World Championships was spreading wildly, Jokić, far away in Serbia, was also asked this question.

This young guy will also represent Serbia this year; Serbia is strong and formidable, and they were originally considered the team most likely to snipe the Dream Team, but now they have become the Chinese team led by Fan Xi.

"If I meet him in a game, I will first greet him, then I will do everything I can to defeat him." That is what Jokić said.

"I really can't wait to face him; I've heard too many rumors about him from Dakota, and I want to know if he truly is as amazing and powerful as they say."

Jokić has a bit of a fanboy mentality.

…