novellk Chapter 60: Influence Continues to Rise!
Chapter 60: Influence Continues to Rise!
Although they lost, the score difference was small. The Chinese team showed great fighting spirit and effort on the court, giving their all in every round. They even had a tiny bit of hope of winning, which made both the fans watching on TV and those at the stadium very happy.
Some female fans were moved to tears, touched by the Chinese team's all-out effort.
"The result was as expected. Although we lost, we set a new record for the smallest margin of victory in the history of our two teams."
"This is basketball."
"There is no mercy when playing against national teams."
"However, the course of this game gives us reason to believe that the Chinese men's basketball team has a bright future."
Zhang Weiping was still very emotional. Losing to the Dream Team by 14 points was not shameful. Zeng Zhen's performance made him feel that the future of the Chinese men's basketball team was bright.
[Hey, even though my bet on an away win at 30.5 lost, I feel pretty good.]
[Wow, I bet 100 yuan on the Chinese team and actually won! Go Zeng Zhen, I'll be a fan for life!]
[The Dream Team has made it through this round; their next opponent is Spain, which is going to be tough.]
[Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan were both at the event today, and Zeng Zhen shamelessly went to take a photo with them.]
[Photos? What Edison Chen photos? I'm begging for a link!!!]
.....
Zeng Zhen took photos with several beautiful female celebrities, including Liu Yifei and Gao Yuanyuan, in the front row before going over to greet the Dream Team.
Before the match, the Dream Team members were all clamoring to crush Zeng Zhen.
At this moment, the Dream Team players did not make any arrogant remarks, but instead respected Zeng Zhen. They all knew very well that Zeng Zhen was very strong!
"Zeng, you're a competitor, and I look forward to playing against you in the NBA!" Kobe hugged Zeng Zhen and patted him on the back.
Zeng Zhen is a very well-rounded player, plays cleanly, and showed great composure tonight. Kobe thinks Zeng Zhen is a lot like him when he was younger.
"Thank you, I'm looking forward to it too." Zeng Zhen nodded. Zeng Zhen grew up watching Kobe's games, and he enjoys this kind of matchup.
"You destroyed me." Dwyane Wade, who scored a team-high 23 points, admitted, "But I also destroyed you."
Zeng Zhen was already so outstanding as the 8th overall pick; Wade is really looking forward to seeing what level the Heat's 2nd overall pick will be.
Zeng Zhen shrugged: "You're faster than I expected."
Wade is this strong even without a meniscus; he would probably be even stronger if he did.
"You'll become a top point guard." Kidd hugged Zeng Zhen.
"Thank you." Zeng Zhen nodded politely.
After paying his respects, Zeng Zhen ran back to the locker room.
From the field to the locker room, almost every staff member and fan who passed by encouraged Zeng Zhen.
Several top domestic stars were even waiting in the players' tunnel to sign autographs for Zeng Zhen.
Tonight, Zeng Zhen instantly became the hottest star in the Chinese sports world.
In his first Olympic match, he solidified his status on the national team.
As Yao Ming gets older, he has proven that he has the ability to take over the leadership role.
Zeng Zhen returned to the locker room ten minutes later.
In his post-match summary, Jonas praised Zeng Zhen: "We played very well tonight. Everyone worked hard on defense and betting, but we need to applaud the youngest member of our team!"
"Zeng, you did a fantastic job!"
"Snapped!"
"Snapped!"
The teammates around him applauded in response.
No one expected that the fourth quarter, when they were able to compete with the Dream Team, would end without any garbage time.
Zeng Zhen stood up and said seriously, "I hope I can take them down next time."
"good!"
"no problem!!"
The atmosphere in the locker room was great, and the Chinese team was in high spirits.
Zeng Zhen's performance tonight completely exceeded Jonas's expectations, just like the emergence of a Yao Ming-like core player on the Chinese team's perimeter.
Zeng Zhen has shown the outside world that he can do many incredible things and that he can elevate the Chinese team's strength to another level.
Just like how Doncic improved Slovenia.
A superstar may not be able to lead a weak team to the top, but he is enough to secure a place in the world of basketball.
"Zeng Zhen is absolutely capable of carrying on Yao Ming's mantle!!"
"We are so lucky to have Zeng Zhen at this time of transition."
"Zeng Zhen's performance was MVP-worthy, completely exceeding my expectations of Asian guards."
"Tonight is the first time I've felt that the Chinese men's basketball team has improved."
"I saw a chance of winning in Zeng Zhen, it's really incredible."
"If someone can make more three-pointers tonight, the Dream Team could really be defeated."
Online, Zeng Zhen gained the support of fans across the country with just this one game; his performance was simply perfect.
At the post-game press conference, Jonas praised Zeng Zhen: "He was a superstar of the Chinese team. I find it strange that he was not the first pick in this year's NBA draft. His performance was no less than that of anyone on the opposing team. In my opinion, he is the best player under 20 in the world."
After interviewing Jonas, it was Zeng Zhen's turn.
The reporters were very excited.
"Zeng achieved a 30+10 stat line in his very first Olympic game. Do you have any thoughts on being the top scorer at this Olympics?"
"I'm just a 19-year-old rookie in the professional scene. I don't care about personal stats. Our whole team played very hard, but we still lost. I hope we can beat them next time. Victory is more important."
"This is the smallest point difference between the Chinese and American teams ever. Does this mean the Chinese team has a chance to win a medal?"
"Of course, our goal is to win a medal."
"Many Chinese fans have said that your arrival has made Yao Ming's role less prominent. Will you change the Chinese team's tactical system centered around Yao Ming?"
"Yao and I complement each other. We have a lot of tactical cooperation on the court. Actually, we don't need to worry too much about the system around one or two people. Look at the other side, they have so many stars, but they don't have a system. As long as we can win, Yao and I can play however we want."
The eager reporters bombarded Zeng Zhen with questions, which he answered very seriously.
"Click click click!!"
The media sensed the youthful vigor that Zeng Zhen should possess.
If the team is full of players of his and Yao Ming's caliber, they do have a chance to defeat the Dream Team.
Jonas and Yao Ming watched this scene with smiles on their faces.
After the interview, Zeng Zhen went back to the family area to find his parents. He needed to go out for a late-night snack to replenish his energy.
[Clang! An outstanding performance in her Olympic debut.]
[Reward: 2 B-grade attribute points!]
[Tier B attribute points: can increase attributes below 80.]
really.
There are rewards for participating in these formal international competitions.
Zeng Zhen improved his perimeter defense from 75 to 77, and he believes that after this round of the Olympics, his various abilities will be further improved.
........
That evening, mainstream reports about the match appeared in major newspapers and on internet platforms.
NBA's 8th overall pick makes his Olympic debut, scoring 37 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds against the Dream Team!
37 points and 11 assists – the highest score and assist total of the game; no one could contain Zeng Zhen one-on-one!
Overshadowed by Zeng Zhen, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian are becoming supporting actors!
The next battle: A clash between China and Spain!
The reports in these newspapers, websites, and television stations significantly increased Zeng Zhen's influence.
More and more fans are preparing to start watching Thunder games next season.
Slam Dunk and Sports Weekly immediately decided to send reporters to Oklahoma.
Some shrewd domestic manufacturers saw the huge traffic potential and began contacting Schwarz, wanting to collaborate with Zeng Zhen on business.