[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-golden-age-of-basketball":3,"chapter-the-golden-age-of-basketball-the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1544":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Golden Age of Basketball",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1445061,1896,"Chapter 1544 - 21: Back View (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1544",1544,"\u003Cp>Kobe immediately ran a pick-and-roll with Gan Guoyang, twisting his body and driving towards the basket, making a floater over O’Neal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, on defense, he switched to face Jide one-on-one and nearly got a steal. The ball went out of bounds, and possession remained with the Lakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Del Harris, seeing Portland’s number 8 playing so smoothly, turned to the bench and said to his own number 8, \"Hu, get ready to go on soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Weidong quickly removed his jacket and sat at the sideline, waiting for the next dead ball to get on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Kobe, Hu Weidong had long been looking forward to getting on the court, although his face showed no emotion at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year, he went through a tough summer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the struggle between returning to his country and staying, he ultimately, under a call of strength, chose to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staying meant higher risks, harsher environments, and more unknowns and uncertainties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hu Weidong still stayed, rehabilitating, resuming training, gaining weight, practicing shooting crazily, and participating in various summer leagues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a foreign country, Hu Weidong truly devoted himself completely to basketball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped playing mahjong, gave up smoking and drinking, sacrificing many of life’s pleasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For nearly half a year, he lived like a monk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, he occasionally called Gan Guoyang, who continuously encouraged him to persevere, saying he would be rewarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, he got recognized by the Lakers, especially by Jerry West, and the team renewed his contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the start of the new season, after the trade of Sibaros, Hu Weidong competed with others for a backup guard spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the offensive-oriented system of the Lakers, Hu Weidong fully utilized his shooting advantage, constantly improving his three-point shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every day he shot three-pointers until late at night, relying solely on feel due to his nearsightedness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also improved his shooting technique to make his shot quicker, less prone to interference, and better suited to the NBA pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, in the new season, after being sidelined for a short period, he was deployed in a game against the Suns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Weidong seized this opportunity, going 3-for-4 from three-point range, contributing to the victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On defense, aware that his lateral movement and explosiveness did not match American players, he chose to increase his strength and physical confrontation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the most important thing was attitude; without a defensive mindset, one’s physique and skills would be ineffective, amounting to nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In China, Hu Weidong was unquestionably the core player, the superstar of Jiangsu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Lakers, in America, Hu Weidong adjusted his mindset, maximizing his strengths and hiding his weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By 1998, Hu Weidong had become a fairly important rotational player on the bench, capable of being the ninth or tenth man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harris brought Hu Weidong on primarily to further space the floor, giving Jide and O’Neal more opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tracy McGrady, this kid, seemed to be trying to compete with Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tracy McGrady had great talent, and Jerry West valued him highly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Del Harris was not very fond of these high school players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lacking tactical acuity, too reliant on physical talent, prone to focus on personal play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, seeing the two high schoolers about to duel on the court, Harris decided to make a substitution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He substituted average talent, older players with excellent shooting skills and teamwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the substitution came a bit late as McGrady had already gotten into a competitive mood against Kobe on the perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two isolated on the left 45-degree angle, McGrady facing the basket, lowered his head, attempting to break through with speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Kobe’s defense had no flaws, McGrady’s breakthrough technique was still raw and inexperienced, and he struggled to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Sabonis came over to help defend, McGrady panicked, nearly made a mistake, and could only pass it back to Jide, who made a direct pass inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thorpe went for a layup, but Gan Guoyang came over to help and blocked it. O’Neal picked up the loose ball, and Gan Guoyang turned and blocked him again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was a foul; O’Neal was too massive and tall, so it wasn’t easy to block him head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal achieved an accomplishment by drawing a foul on Gan Guoyang! Feeling quite pleased with himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he missed both free throws, so he wasn’t too pleased anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Hu Weidong had replaced McGrady and matched up with Kobe on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe looked at Hu Weidong, muttering, \"Chinese, Gan’s compatriot, can you guard me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Weidong did not respond; he was not a talkative person in life, and even less on the court where he focused solely on playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trash talk, something Americans enjoyed, was something Hu Weidong never engaged in and pretended not to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe called for the ball from Brellock, but Brellock didn’t give it to him; instead, he passed it to Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang positioned high, pulling O’Neal out, and Kobe intuitively rushed to the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang made a long pass to the inside, and O’Neal couldn’t step back quickly enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe jumped high, caught the ball mid-air, and finished the alley-oop with a two-handed dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beautiful stewardess shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the basket, Kobe obnoxiously bobbed his head towards Hu Weidong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe, in terms of personality, really was quite exasperating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Put nicely, he’s determined and passionate; put bluntly, he’s arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If paired with O’Neal, off the court, they would inevitably mock and disdain each other due to their stark personality differences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Weidong remained unfazed, actively moving on offense, receiving a pass from Jide at the left corner and hitting a three-pointer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The movement was precise, the shot quick, and after the basket, Gan Guoyang praised it as a good shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe wasn’t pleased and said, \"You didn’t even praise me when I dunked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get back on defense,\" Gan Guoyang scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two most powerful offensive teams in the league had a back-and-forth first quarter, playing very lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intensity was moderate, with many baskets, so the game was exciting to watch, and the score was high, 38:37, with the Trail Blazers leading by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This score, for some teams, might just be their halftime points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they exited for a break between quarters, Gan Guoyang called out to Hu Weidong, saying, \"Played well, keep it up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Weidong nodded, not saying much, but as he watched Gan Guoyang’s broad back turn away, his heart was full of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>",1070,"2026-06-06T01:42:01.245Z",1,"novelbin.me","3557c4907fdf809d6d7455e55fcc793961994ef0051e0868c34a328208e0ffba","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1545","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1543",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]