Basketball Terminal

Chapter 113 Missing
After playing the Pelicans, the Nets had three days of rest. Victor Lee received an invitation from Turner TV to travel to Atlanta to record an episode of Inside the NBA, titled "Victor Lee's Defensive Secrets." The recording went very smoothly; the script was well-prepared, and Lee and the production team had thorough discussions.

The real secret, of course, couldn't be revealed by Levi; he attributed it all to his exceptional agility and reaction speed. In the show, Levi demonstrated his astonishing "reaction speed" (actually, it was based on his Observation Haki) by catching randomly falling magnetic sticks. Many NBA players have done similar tests; these are common amusement park toys. Levi perfectly caught all the magnetic sticks, leaving Barkley and O'Neal, those two clowns, completely astonished (of course, it was all an act).
Next, Li Wei demonstrated his so-called "hard qigong," splitting two bricks and hitting two wooden boards to satisfy the American audience's stereotypes and imaginations about Chinese kung fu. Barkley and O'Neal followed along and pretended to learn, their hands swelling up from the blows. The two were really dedicated.

Finally, Isaiah Thomas, as a special guest, and Levi had a one-on-one matchup. Thomas, though older, still possesses impressive skills, demonstrating his fingertip dribbling with exquisite precision, which he briefly showcased to Levi in ​​the studio. Levi explained that he can perfectly synchronize his movements with his opponent's using his reaction time.

After a series of half-serious, half-dramatic exchanges, Isaiah Thomas remarked, "This is one of the most suffocating defenses I've ever experienced, second only to Michael Jordan preventing him from making the Dream Team." The NBA insider interview program was successfully recorded, marking Li Wei's first time participating in such a high-profile NBA program.

After the interview, Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't stay in Atlanta long; Zhen Li, who had come with him, drove him to the airport. The production team had booked him a flight for that night, and he was flying back to Brooklyn overnight. Training tomorrow, and a game the day after.

With a smile on her face, Zhenli said that Li Wei's performance on the show was perfect. He wasn't nervous at all and hardly made any mistakes. He was very natural in front of the camera and had great chemistry with the host.

"The show is sure to be a great hit. Viktor's popularity will rise even higher, and interviewing you will become increasingly difficult, won't it?"

"How's work lately? Is everything alright at the TV station?" Li Wei changed the subject, showing interest in Zhenli's situation.

"Not bad, steady progress. I'll be playing with you guys in Philadelphia next week, remember to come find me."

Truth looked at Li Wei with her big, watery eyes, and Li Wei reminded her to watch where she was going.

"I'll definitely come looking for you. I wonder if you've been exercising properly lately." As he spoke, Li Wei gently pinched Zhenli's butt, and Zhenli's face turned slightly red.

"Of course, otherwise how could I keep up with you? I would feel incompetent if I could never satisfy you."

Women's words can be deceiving, Li Wei thought to himself. "I see you always look so satisfied, yet you show no remorse whatsoever; on the contrary, you seem quite smug." Zhenli, who had originally intended to stay in Atlanta, decided at the last minute to fly back to Brooklyn with Li Wei. They stayed at Zhenli's house that night, inevitably leading to another fierce battle.

Lying in Li Wei's arms, Zhenli admitted that at first, he was curious about Li Wei, plus a desire to take advantage of him. He just didn't expect this guy to be so aggressive. Zhenli gave in without much thought. In America, views on love are very conservative and very open. If you like someone, sleeping together is not a big deal.

A Chinese bourgeois female writer once said that the shortest path to a woman's heart is the erotic route, and Zhenli never imagined she would fall into such a state. From initially just going through the motions, she gradually began to think about it more and more. Sometimes, when interviewing Li Wei, just being close to him made Zhenli feel weak in the knees and like she needed to urinate.

Whenever they were alone, she wanted to cling to him and connect with him, as if they had known each other for a very long time and were meant to be one, only to be separated later in life. Finally, one day they met again and never wanted to be apart again.

Truth tries to tell herself it's just hormones, and that women are easily controlled by hormones. Hormonal changes at different times of the month bring different moods and perspectives on the world. Ten days you might feel the world is wonderful, ten days you might feel the world is ending, and ten days you might only want to reproduce.

But each time they spent together, Zhenli became certain that it wasn't just hormones; there was something else. She knew Li Wei had other women, and the one he contacted most frequently was a Korean woman who owned a cosmetics shop in Flushing. Like most Korean women, she was tall and rough. She guessed she was very wild in bed; it's said that Koreans have the most sexual encounters in the world, but the shortest. Perhaps they need to compensate for the short duration with frequency.

Such an extraordinary man as Li Wei naturally captivated Korean women; they had never encountered such a powerful Iron Man before.

Zhenli imagined Levi intimately with the Korean woman in her mind, fueled by a burning jealousy, but also a strange excitement. The thought of watching her made her toss and turn, unable to sleep. Levi was drifting off to sleep when Zhenli woke him. He muttered, "Hey, stop it. I have training tomorrow, and the day after that we play the Lakers. I'm playing LeBron James. I need to prepare properly… Stop it, stop it, fuck…"

The next day, Li Wei woke up feeling slightly tired. He thought to himself that Zhenli's appetite was getting bigger and bigger, and this couldn't go on. As the saying goes, lust is a sharp knife that can cut to the bone; it must be done in moderation, or it would affect his performance on the field. Fortunately, today was training, and tomorrow was the match; Li Wei would definitely abstain from sex the day before the match.

If the playoffs are reached, Li Wei will definitely have to completely abstain from women and devote all his energy to the game, only relaxing after the important matches are over.

Arriving at the HSS training center early, Li Wei first went to the physiotherapy room to relax and warm up his body. Then, following Nash's tutorial, he completed 20 minutes of continuous shooting drills as a warm-up. At 8:30, the trainer arrived, and under his guidance, he conducted one-on-one offensive and defensive training. However, the trainer then told him, "Breaking news, LeBron James won't be playing tomorrow's game."

"What? Wasn't it said that he might return against the Nets?"

"He's not making a comeback."

"Damn... that's so boring."

During the Lakers' game against the Hawks on March 20, Solomon Hill collided with James' right leg and pressed on his right ankle, causing James to suffer a high ankle sprain in his right foot, with his return date uncertain.

The test results came back negative, but there were no serious issues. He is expected to return in a few weeks. With the Lakers facing the Nets in the next couple of days, there were rumors that James might return to avenge the loss to Levi in ​​the last game. However, this turned out to be a smokescreen, leaving James and Lakers fans who were hoping for a revenge match disappointed.

Li Weibai was looking forward to it. He had just appeared on the show "Inside the NBA" and shared his defensive secrets, so there was a game he could demonstrate them in. Who could be more suitable than LeBron James? As long as he adapted to the impact of the "Big Black Crab" (LeBron James's nickname) and mastered his offensive defense, defending James would be relatively easy for Li Weibai.

With James unable to play, Li Wei's enthusiasm for training has waned. He clocks in for work, does some extra three-point shooting practice afterward, works out for half an hour, then goes home to watch TV, no longer studying James' game footage.

Surprisingly, the game against the Lakers the following night wasn't as easy as expected. Without LeBron James, the Lakers, known for their team-oriented play, found themselves unstoppable on all fronts, leaving the Nets defense helpless. Horton-Tucker went 2-for-5 from three-point range, dishing out 10 assists as a point guard. Schroder went 4-for-5 from three, Pope 4-for-6, and Morris 2-for-3 – their three-point shooting was phenomenal, boasting a success rate exceeding 55%. Who could withstand that?

Without LeBron James, the Nets lost their defensive focus; every player on the perimeter became a target, making them impossible to defend. The Nets themselves also shot their worst three-pointer of the season, going 5-for-27 (18%). Even Levi was bewildered on defense, wondering, "Who the hell am I supposed to guard? They're all so accurate."

The Nets trailed by 7 points after the first quarter and nearly fell behind by the Lakers in the third, with the deficit reaching 20 points at one point. However, despite the significant difference in three-point shooting percentage, the Nets, led by Levi, launched a strong comeback in the fourth quarter. Relying on defense and offensive rebounds, and with his teammates seemingly ready to give up, he led a weak lineup on a 12-0 run against the Lakers, narrowing the gap to within 5 points and bringing the game back into contention.

During halftime, Turner TV aired an interview with Levi in ​​their "Inside the NBA" segment, allowing viewers to experience the magic behind this amazing Chinese-American youngster.

In the latter part of the fourth quarter, Li Wei, positioned in the paint, was completely in control, exuding an aura of dominance. He created a powerful barrier under the basket, preventing anyone from penetrating and scoring; they were all slowed down and disrupted by Li Wei. He blocked Schroder's layup, blocked Horton-Tucker's pass, assisted Griffin on a fast break dunk, and then assisted Griffin on a long-range three-pointer!
In two decisive possessions, the Nets took the lead! The Lakers led for more than three and a half quarters, but were overtaken by the Nets' bench in the final moments. Nash didn't play Irving and Durant; both played terribly tonight. One was only focused on the basket, and the other couldn't make a single shot. He just let Levi lead the bench.

When Li Wei made a steal, followed by a fast break dunk and a foul for a 2+1 play, the crowd erupted in chants of "MVP!" Although his stats were still average, at 10+10+5, the level of a young Draymond Green in the East, his performance transcended the numbers, making him a key figure in the Nets' comeback victory!
Ultimately, the Nets held onto their advantage, winning 120-118 and successfully reversing the game to defeat the Lakers. After the victory, Li Wei and his teammates happily hugged and celebrated; it was a hard-won and extremely morale-boosting win. However, Li Wei still thought, "I really, really miss James."

(End of this chapter)