Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 162 Amnesia

Sports commentators are making a huge fuss about Ron Artest joining the Dallas Mavericks, as if the balance of power in the league has been tipped over at that moment.

"Kings, are you trying to ruin the NBA?!"

The slightly exaggerated remark echoed in West's mind, stirring only a faint ripple.

Destruction? No. It's just another foolish gamble based on fear and short-term gains.

No NBA GM is unfamiliar with Artest, a brilliant but unpredictable bomb. His arrival might ignite something, but it's more likely to shatter everything.

The Mavericks' management, known for their shrewdness, now resembles gamblers who have lost their minds at the poker table, betting their future and doing everything in their power to ensure a flawless path to defending their title next season.

Just days ago, West was feeling a little... no, not satisfied, at all, that would be too much of a luxury, after successfully clearing Radmanovic's contract and swiftly signing James Posey.

It was more like finally seeing a glimmer of light ahead in a long, dark tunnel.

Posey is the perfect piece of the puzzle: resilient, professional, and knows how to win. His return corrects past mistakes and builds a solid wing barrier for Xu Ling and this young team.

But this is far from enough.

The thought echoed in West's mind like a constantly replaying radio broadcast, piercing his brief, almost non-existent moment of relaxation.

He just completed a move that was widely considered "brilliant" by the league, preventing the Hornets from making any further additions and solidifying his own roster.

But in the face of a real behemoth, it's like putting a more exquisite scabbard on a sharp dagger, but it doesn't change the fact that it can't fight against heavy artillery.

The team that had just won the championship with overwhelming force was not satisfied with its glory. Instead, with an almost greedy attitude, it tried to use Artest, the last piece of the puzzle, which was full of risks, to consolidate its throne.

"This is the desire for, or rather, the fear of, 'greatness'."

West thought.

Fear of an unstable throne, fear of a closed window, fear itself, like him, has repeatedly brushed past ultimate glory. The entire alliance seems to be racing ahead in this panicked arms race, rationality cast aside, future assets easily mortgaged, all for an uncertain present.

The Boston Big Three still stand in their way, like an insurmountable mountain; now, their western neighbors have erected a barbed wire fence around themselves. Every team aspiring to the Larry O'Brien Trophy is frantically searching for its answer this summer.

Artest's move to the Mavericks was like a pebble dropped into a lake, creating even more rapid ripples in trades across the league.

The first team to react was the Rockets.

They decided to make a major overhaul of the team this summer, and apart from Yao Ming, no one is off-limits.

This signal was aimed directly at McGrady. Ultimately, the Rockets themselves ended the Yao-McGrady era that had lasted for several years, sending McGrady to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Vince Carter.

For the Rockets, they need to design a completely new championship-contending roster. While Carter is no longer the demigod he was at the beginning of the century, he has an increasingly accurate long-range shot. Compared to McGrady, he may not have as much creativity, but he is more functional. The Nets, on the other hand, simply want a star who won't hinder Rudy Gay's development. Although McGrady also needs the ball, he has playmaking ability and can play multiple positions, making him a better fit to play alongside Gay than Carter.

After trading McGrady, the Rockets turned their attention entirely to negotiations with the Philadelphia 76ers, aggressively discussing the possibility of trading Andre Miller.

By mid-July, another deal had surfaced.

Brooklyn Nets general manager Rod Thorn, while not yielding to Jerry West on draft night, had his own plans. Having obtained video footage from an unknown source, he was convinced that Yi Jianlian of the Minnesota Timberwolves would become the next All-Star in the West. Therefore, he decisively traded Richard Jefferson, specifically requesting a trade.

When the deal was completed, SpaceE was focused on the final sprint of Olympic preparations, and he seemed completely unconcerned about the outcome.

Xu Ling often uses the fact that he was traded to interfere with Yi's free throws during scrimmages.

This tactic was incredibly effective, sometimes comparable to the first time "Who's your daddy?" resounded throughout the NBA court.

Whenever Yi angrily shouted "I'm so angry!", Yao Ming would comfort him, saying that New Jersey was much better than that remote corner of Minnesota.

This is just a small episode in the daily routine of the men's basketball team.

As Xu Ling demonstrated overwhelming strength in national team training, his status within the team rose higher and higher.

At first, some people might have thought that he was just a kid in his early twenties with some ability, but he still needed to be guided by his seniors. However, as more and more warm-up games were played, Yao Ming was still looking for his game form, while Xu Ling, who seemed to have fallen from the sky, seamlessly integrated into the Chinese team's system.

The Chinese team won consecutive games in the warm-up matches in July, with Xu Ling averaging 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, establishing himself as the core of the outside team.

Time flies, and August is here in the blink of an eye.

The Olympic atmosphere enveloped the entire Eastern country, with excitement and anticipation permeating even the air.

The entire Chinese men's basketball team has officially moved into the Olympic Village.

Xu Ling received the delegation uniform with its tomato and scrambled egg color scheme, a color she could barely recall, knowing that all her efforts this summer had culminated in this moment. At 8 PM on August 8, 2008, a historic moment arrived.

As the flag bearer for the Chinese delegation, Yao Ming held the national flag high and walked at the front of the procession.

Standing there, watching the giant starry sky painting slowly unfold in the stands and listening to the deafening "Ode to the Motherland," Xu Ling felt even more eager for the upcoming competition.

In the Olympic men's basketball group stage, the Chinese team, as the host country, was placed in the "group of death".

The group includes the elite American team, the world champion Spain, their old nemesis Greece, and Germany led by Nowitzki. The only team they are confident of defeating is their African brother Angola.

In the first match against the American team, a group of familiar faces on the other side had varying expressions when they saw Xu Ling wearing the Chinese team jersey.

Team USA captain and Xu Ling's NBA teammate Jason Kidd came over to greet him: "Eli, you look good."

Xu Ling laughed and said, "It's actually quite good, enough to cause you some trouble."

However, apart from Kidd, no one else had the mind to greet Xu Ling.

Kobe kept a straight face, as if he had entered hunting mode.

Although Paul has some connections with Xu Ling, he was eliminated by Xu Ling in the first round of the playoffs. Now he just wants to ask Xu Ling for some repercussions on behalf of Team USA.

Anthony didn't intend to say hello; his relationship with Xu Ling had already reached a freezing point since their clash during last season's regular season.

Then, James needs no further explanation.

This was a highly anticipated match, and also one that Chinese fans were most tolerant of.

With such a lineup, the US team clearly has no choice but to win the championship, so the most important thing for the Chinese team is to play with style.

They did it.

Whenever the American team tried to get into the paint and show off, Yao Ming would block the shot if he could, and if he couldn't, he would foul them directly, and then he would trash talk: "If you dare to come in again, I'm going to give you a good beating!"

Sun Yue chased down and blocked Anthony's shot.

Chen Jianghua accelerated past Kobe Bryant to score a layup.

Then came the biggest variable: Xu Ling played 30 minutes tonight, scoring 28 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. His presence allowed the Chinese team, who should have surrendered in the third quarter, to drag the game to the end, ultimately losing by 11 points.

When a CCTV reporter asked Xu Ling about his biggest feeling about the game, his answer made many people laugh: "We originally wanted to set a small goal first, such as defeating the American team. Since we didn't achieve that goal, we have to be more realistic and try to qualify as the second-place team in the group."

That's very pragmatic.

After hearing Xu Ling's bold statement, Spain's Pau Gasol smiled easily and told reporters, "I know Elie; he always likes to say crazy things. But by tomorrow's sunrise, he'll probably have forgotten what he said. Let's focus on the game itself."

However, when the match between the Chinese team and the Spanish team officially started, the situation was beyond everyone's expectations.

That night, the Spanish team appeared sluggish. Gasol failed to demonstrate the dominance expected of "FIBA's number one player" in the first half, and Spain's outside shooting was plagued by turnovers under the combined pressure of Xu Ling and Liu Wei. At halftime, the scoreboard clearly showed China leading by 15 points.

Before his time travel, Xu Ling had read many articles and watched many videos on social media reviewing the match, so he knew that the Spanish team would launch a fierce counterattack in the second half, and that the exhausted Chinese team would ultimately lose in extra time.

But tonight, some outcomes are destined to change.

At the start of the second half, when everyone thought the Chinese team, leading by a large margin, would take a breather, Xu Ling, like a cheetah that had smelled blood, repeatedly dribbled and attacked one-on-one – a three-pointer that pierced the net, followed by another close-range three-pointer that went in with a pull-up jumper, and then he stole a pass from Spain and drove the length of the court to finish with a powerful dunk!
The stadium erupted in cheers. Countless Chinese fans witnessed how this NBA superstar, who had made his name in the NBA, would dominate the international arena in the most concrete way. The fervent home atmosphere transformed into invisible pressure, weighing heavily on the shoulders of the Spanish players.

Before the third quarter was even halfway through, the point difference had already widened to 22 points.

Xu Ling clapped and encouraged his teammates on the court: "Keep attacking! Don't let your guard down on defense! They are world champions, don't give them any chance to breathe!"

Under his leadership, the Chinese team maintained a high intensity of offense and defense, extending their lead to the final whistle.

When the final whistle blew and the scoreboard froze, the Chinese team defeated the world champions, Spain, in their second group stage match.

"This match gives us reason to believe!" Yu Jia's voice was both emotional and resounding, "The Chinese team, led by Yao Ming and Xu Ling, will create a brand new history!"

Xu Ling stood on the sidelines and was interviewed by reporters.

The reporters were still from China, and they naturally asked Xu Ling what he had to say about Gasol's comment that he liked to talk nonsense and was forgetful.

“Paul is right, I do tend to forget things easily,” Xu Ling shrugged. “Like tonight, when we had a big lead, I forgot to hold back.”

(End of this chapter)