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Of course, Yi Jianlian didn't know that someone was already preparing to hack him. He shook hands, walked slowly toward the court, and looked at the Lakers' generals in front of him. A trace of nervousness flickered deep in his eyes.
Today was the first time Liam had placed him in the starting lineup since he joined the Warriors, even though it was only in the second half, but it still made Yi Jianlian nervous.
On the other side were the Lakers, the defending champions, the strongest team in the league, a supergiant capable of shaping a third dynasty with three championships, and Yi Jianlian was worried he wouldn't perform well and drag the Warriors down.
He also knew this was just a regular season game, and the Warriors were still ahead of the opponent, so his nervousness was unfounded. However, the bleak experience of the last three years—being abandoned by both the Bucks and the Nets, being abused and criticized by national fans time and again—had made Yi Jianlian deeply doubt himself.
It wasn't until he joined the Warriors that he regained his passion for basketball. He wanted to prove that he could be in the NBA with his own strength, and he wanted to help the Warriors win every game.
The more than a month since he was traded to the Warriors had been the happiest time Yi Jianlian had experienced since joining the NBA.
All the Warriors players knew about Yi Jianlian's relationship with Liam, and they were very friendly towards him. Although Yi Jianlian had been in the United States for three years, he hadn't communicated much with his teammates, and his English was a bit rusty. He could only manage simple daily conversations and didn't know much about American culture. Jeremy Lin took the initiative to learn Chinese from him and taught him English. Yi Jianlian agreed immediately.
Last month, Jeremy Lin explained to him the American attitude towards Chinese people and American values from the perspective of a Chinese-American so that Yi Jianlian could understand how to get along with his teammates.
In fact, Yao Ming had marked Yi Jianlian more than once, but he had been practicing at a sports school since he was a child and joined the Guancheng youth team early.
But after three years of personal experience and an explanation from Jeremy Lin, an American of Chinese descent who grew up in the United States, Yi Jianlian finally understood what he had been doing wrong.
In the United States, in the NBA, strength is the most important thing, but relationships with teammates and coaches must also be handled well. Otherwise, you'll get fewer passes, the coverage from others won't be solid, and the coach won't care about your growth.
It's also easy to understand—after all, they're just colleagues. Why should they help you perform at your best?
There's no shortage of stars and unconvincing head coaches in the NBA, and a team like that often ends up collapsing in the locker room.
A rookie like Yi Jianlian, who wasn't particularly tall or short, wouldn't have a huge impact on the team. But he definitely wouldn't get the support of his teammates or the full training from the coach, even if he were a great leader of the 03 draft class like Milicic. Larry Brown wouldn't give him a chance.
The main reason is that Larry Brown didn't like developing rookies. He and Milicic were both Europeans, didn't speak English, and knew nothing about American culture, so they were absolutely inseparable.
Yi Jianlian gradually changed under Jeremy Lin's guidance and tried to integrate into his teammates' social circle. Others were happy to make friends with the boss's compatriot, so Yi Jianlian accomplished in one month what he hadn't been able to achieve in the previous two years with the Bucks and one year with the Nets: he made friends with his teammates.
Additionally, Jeremy Lin was very familiar with the Chinatown area of San Francisco, and he took Yi Jianlian to eat authentic Cantonese cuisine and morning tea. Yi Jianlian was very happy, as it was the first time since arriving in the United States that he communicated with people in Cantonese.
It can be said that in this month with the Warriors, Yi Jianlian laughed more than in the previous three years. Much of this was thanks to Curry, as Yi Jianlian had never imagined that there was a star like Curry in the world. Curry's fun and cheerful personality opened Yi Jianlian's eyes and gradually infected him. He even started embracing basketball with joy.
It was precisely because of the happiness during this time that Yi Jianlian felt a long-lost tension.
In the game between the Bucks and the Nets, it would only make him feel miserable. Losing all the time eventually dulled him. Playing on the court was just a job to him—he had no passion, no responsibility, and didn't give his best to win. For Yi Jianlian, these three years were a dark day.
But now it was different. Since the preseason, every time Yi Jianlian stepped on the court, he could feel his body slightly trembling, his blood flow speeding up. He had regained his passion for basketball and wanted to give his all to help the Warriors win every game.
Yi Jianlian covered, defended, shot three-pointers, and finished conscientiously... He made the most of his limited playing time, trying to do his best, fighting for every five-on-five shot, strictly following the tactics, and not caring about his statistics.
Even when sitting off the court, he changed his usual calm demeanor, tried to wave a towel like Whiteside when his teammates scored, celebrated with all sorts of fun movements like Curry, came close to celebrating with his teammates during a timeout, and even once imitated Curry and danced awkwardly.
He had truly integrated into this young team. He knew Liam's ambitions, understood the difficulties and dangers of Curry and Butler's basketball dreams, and had heard Tony Allen talk about the crazy joy after winning the championship...
Yi Jianlian took a deep breath several times, suppressed many complicated thoughts in his heart, and his eyes gradually focused and condensed.
He might not be able to do much, but he would give his all like in every game he had played before with the Warriors.
"Good shot! The UAE connected with Curry to break through and score a three-pointer, which was very decisive and helped the Warriors stabilize their lead," said Mike Breen.
Jeff Van Gundy smiled and said, "The three-point shot by the UAE is really beautiful. He did a solid job covering Curry, and the timing of the breakdown was also very good... However, it was Curry who scored consecutive points earlier and drew the attention of the Lakers' defense, allowing the UAE to have an open opportunity for a three-pointer."
Mike Breen nodded.
"That's right. Now, with 7 minutes played in the third quarter, the Warriors lead the Lakers by 11 points. Curry's breakthrough was a huge credit. His small touches are indispensable. Even if his three-point shots aren't accurate today, he can still rely on the breakthrough and stable scoring he's made this season, attracting the Lakers' defense and creating opportunities for Chandler and the UAE."
On the court, Yi Jianlian, who had just made the three-pointer, extended his hand to Curry to express his gratitude for the pass and walked off the court with a smile.
After the majority of the game, he was no longer nervous at all, and there was a cordial feeling in his heart.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Curry had the ball with determination, and during halftime, the Zen Master changed his defensive strategy and opted to surround Curry.
This was the path Liam had never imagined. He thought about it before reacting. Curry, at this moment, was a rookie, and although last season he broke the three-point shooting record in a single game and a single season, he still didn't have the deterrence of the top scorer in history. The opponent wouldn't be as lax as before and would now guard him tightly. They couldn't wait to surround him when Curry ran without the ball. As soon as he held the ball, two defenders surrounded him, and they'd rather let the rest of the Warriors shoot threes than see him attempt a difficult three-pointer.
Indeed, except for the time Curry beat the Lakers last season, several teams had briefly guarded Curry, and then opponents took individual defensive measures against him, even in the playoffs. The Suns didn't trap Curry.
At this moment, the NBA still didn't pay enough attention to the three-point shot, and the league's understanding of shooters still revolved around Kobe, Anthony, Durant, and other forwards who scored a lot of points from mid-range. Even James was rarely considered a shooter, though he was labeled a "jack of all trades."
Limited by the constraints of the times, the division of various positions was much less vague than it would become later. People had no concept of the "great ball-dominant core" and thought that space was far less important than height. They didn't believe that three-pointers could truly change the game. For Curry, the offensive power of the "shooter," there was no clear understanding. If someone went out and said that Curry's three-pointers could shoot to kill, people would just laugh at them.
After seeing Curry's 0-for-5 performance in the first half, the Zen Master naturally thought that Curry had an off night and his threat from the outside had decreased significantly, so he naturally changed his defensive strategy.
In the second half, on the Warriors' first possession, Curry and Chandler set a pick, and Kobe Bryant no longer had problems slipping through the coverage. Instead, he chose to crowd the defense. Gasol didn't contest but squatted near the three-point line. Curry easily got the open three-point shot he had dreamed of.
Without hesitation, he launched a three-pointer with his hand, and Gasol only symbolically extended his hand and turned toward the basket to protect the rim.
Brush!
After the ball flew in a high arc, it swished through the net, and Gasol's positioning became irrelevant.
Curry breathed a sigh of relief, pointed his finger to the sky, and jogged back to the court.
In truth, he had felt a bit apprehensive when he shot it earlier, but after releasing the ball, his heart dropped to the floor.
Kobe Bryant looked at Curry, furrowed his brows, and turned to glance at the Zen Master on the bench. The meaning was clear: as soon as you change the defense, Curry hits an open three—are you going to change it again?
Facing Kobe's inquisitive look, the Zen Master's expression didn't change, and he remained seated calmly.
Bryant withdrew his gaze and sprinted toward the front court.
The Zen Master's meaning was also clear: there was no need to change, continue rotating the defense.
It turned out the Zen Master's decision was correct. In the following possessions, with the screens set by Curry, Chandler, and Yi Jianlian, the Lakers swarmed the defense and gave Curry the opportunity to shoot three-pointers, but Curry couldn't capitalize on these excellent chances. He missed two wide-open threes in a row and allowed the Lakers to start a fast break.
Liam couldn't stay calm any longer. He called a timeout and told Curry:
"Stephen, don't worry, use other ways to score first, and then shoot the three-pointer later."
End of this chapter
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