The trip to the Phoenix Suns also went smoothly. Steve Nash, the team's leader in the new season, warmly entertained Lin Fei, and head coach Mike D'Antoni also welcomed Lin Fei to join.
D'Antoni also briefly explained his magic ball theory and 7-second fast break, believing that Lin Fei is the most suitable off-ball master to partner with Nash on the offensive end.
In terms of offensive theory, D'Antoni is obviously better than Van Gundy, but in terms of defensive training, D'Antoni's attainments are much worse.
What's more, Pat Riley is sitting behind Van Gundy, and the Heat's coaching staff is obviously deeper than the Suns.
The Suns' management also does not have enough trust in D'Antoni's coaching team. Among the players, the "little bullies" Stoudemire and Shawn Marion are not convinced that Nash should be the boss of the team.
In contrast, Lin Fei's final choice was still leaning towards the Miami Heat.
After all, in the original parallel world, D'Antoni and Nash used their run-and-gun tactics to stir up a storm in the league, allowing the Suns to top the regular season rankings, and Nash was elected MVP for two consecutive years.
If Lin Fei joins the Heat now, will the butterfly effect he brings have the ability to change this original result?
Lin Fei felt a little regretful that Nash, a first-class point guard, could not successfully cooperate with the opponent. He only hoped that he would have another chance in the future.
It took Lin Fei about 10 hours to fly from Los Angeles to Imperial Capital. The plane traveled 10,000 kilometers over the Pacific Ocean and arrived at Imperial Capital International Airport at 7 p.m.
On the plane, more Chinese and overseas Chinese recognized Lin Fei and took photos with the future Chinese basketball star.
Lin Fei and Qin Dongmei also met a senior student from Qingbei on the plane. He was only 25 years old and engaged in scientific and technological research and development in Silicon Valley, California, with an annual salary of up to one million US dollars.
After all, there are no ordinary people who can fly first class.
Returnees in the field of high-end technology research and development like this are quite scarce talents in China's domestic scientific research institutes, but more young people still choose to stay overseas.
Although Lin Fei couldn't stand this phenomenon, he had nothing to say. After all, he also played in the NBA.
And Lin Fei could tell at a glance that the Qingbei senior looked at Qin Dongmei in a different way, and it was obvious that he had a crush on her.
The plane was about to land at the Imperial Capital International Airport. Looking down at the enlarging buildings outside the cabin window, Lin Fei couldn't help but sigh. After a year of hard work, he was finally back.
Although Lin Fei has not yet gained enough fame in the NBA, at least in the eyes of Chinese fans, he is already a well-deserved basketball superstar in China, on par with Dayao.
Therefore, returning home this time can be regarded as a homecoming in full glory.
Lin Fei looked back at Senior Qingbei who was sitting not far away. His eyes were still looking in Qin Dongmei's direction unconsciously, so he smiled and whispered into Qin Dongmei's ear:
"Dongmei, you should have known the senior named Gu for a long time, right? Did he have a crush on you since he was in school?"
Qin Dongmei held Lin Fei's arm with a happy expression on her face: "What's the use of him having a crush on me? Who made me have a crush on you all the time?"
Lin Fei deliberately belittled himself and said, "I'm not as good as Mr. Gu. I heard that not only does he have a high annual salary, but his family is even richer. Both his parents are engaged in real estate and are worth at least several hundred million!"
Qin Dongmei's voice sounded a bit cynical: "It's great to be rich, isn't it? What's more, no matter how rich his family is, it's not as rich as mine!"
Lin Fei always knew that Qin Dongmei's family was rich, but he didn't know how rich they were:
"Dongmei, I didn't expect that you are not only a beauty, but also a rich woman. Will I make a lot of money now?"
The Olympic team and the Basketball Association of the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team specially organized a pick-up team to warmly welcome Lin Fei's return to the airport at the pick-up gate, attracting many tourists to watch.
"Is Lin Fei going back to China? I have always watched the games on TV. This time I have to see what he looks like in real life!"
"Lin Fei is that big star again? Why have I never heard of it? Is it more popular than Cheng Cong?"
"You don't even know Lin Fei? He plays basketball in the NBA. He broke several three-point shooting records in the NBA Finals and even hit a buzzer-beating shot!"
"This is the pride of our Chinese sports world. During this period, Lin Fei is even more famous than Dayao. How can ordinary entertainment stars compare with him?"
"Oh my god, look, that's Lin Fei. He's so handsome in real life, right? He looks even more handsome than on TV!"
"With such a handsome face, it would be a shame not to make a movie!"
"Either way, you can rely on your appearance, but you have to rely on your talent. Who wouldn't like it?"
As the pick-up representatives to welcome Lin Fei back to China, Dayao Heda, Guo Shiqiang, Li Nan and others were already waiting at the pick-up gate early.
Lin Fei came up and hugged several big brothers of the men's basketball team one by one. He also smiled and shook hands with Xin Lancheng, the director of the basketball management department who was present at the scene.
It was said that Xinlan City ruined Dayao He's career, so Lin Fei naturally didn't have a good impression of this guy.
But now in this parallel world, it is generally possible to reconcile with the Basketball Association in advance and return to China to prepare for the 2004 Olympics. This also shows that everything is developing in a good direction.
"Lin Fei, you are finally back. Coach Harris and I are looking forward to your return every day!"
Dayao patted Lin Fei on the shoulder, his eyes full of respect and care.
I was even more excited. The first question I asked was:
"Lin Fei, have you decided which team you will join in the new season? Is it the Heat?"
Lin Fei smiled and nodded: "Yes, roughly speaking, we will be teammates fighting side by side in the new season!"
A look of envy suddenly appeared on Dayao's face: "You two actually got together to play ball? Are you going to leave me alone in Houston?"
Lin Fei joked: "Brother Yao, it's okay, you still have Tracy McGrady!"
At 8:30 in the evening, Lin Fei, accompanied by Dayao and others, came to the Imperial Hotel. The Basketball Association personally funded a feast for Lin Fei to wash away the dust.
Although it is a bit different from Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor’s seafood feast, it is still a high-standard banquet in China today, with Moutai and Wuliangye on the table.
Even after staying in the United States for a year, Lin Fei still had a strong stomach, and it was even more delicious after eating his own roast duck and home-cooked dishes.
What surprised Lin Fei was that Mr. Yuan Weimin from the General Administration of Sports also came. This treatment really flattered Lin Fei.
Lin Fei was really not used to the culture at the wine table, but he had no choice but to deal with it.
On the morning of July 1, Lin Fei came to the Workers' Gymnasium to officially meet with the Olympic team of the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team.
The 12-man roster of the Tianchao men’s basketball team competing in the 2004 Olympic Games has also been assembled:
Dayao, Da Da, Daba, Ah Lian, Du Feng, Zhu Fangyu, Li Nan, Liu Wei, Zhang Jinsong, Lin Fei, Guo Shiqiang, Hu Xuefeng.
At 10 o'clock in the morning that day, the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team also held a press conference at the Workers' Stadium and unveiled Lin Fei's No. 9 jersey for the national team.
Sports reporter from China Five: "Lin Fei, in your opinion, is China's men's basketball team confident of reaching the quarterfinals of the Olympics this year?"
Lin Fei spoke confidently and calmly into the microphone:
"Of course, this China Men's Basketball Team is, in my opinion, the strongest in history. The quarterfinals are just our minimum goal. If we can sprint to the top four, there is no chance of winning a medal!"
"Coach Harris, will you arrange for Lin Fei to start in the Olympics?"
"Silver Fox" Del Harris laughed: "I very much hope that Lin will play in the Olympics as the starting shooting guard, but he seems to prefer to stay on the bench!"
Across the ocean.
With the opening of the NBA free agent market on July 1, major deals finalized by each team in advance have also been officially announced in front of the media. The NBA in the new season will surely enter a new pattern.
Among them, Shaquille O'Neal's East Tour to the Heat has become the blockbuster transaction news that the major sports media are most concerned about.
Then came Tracy McGrady of the Magic. As the scoring champion for the past two consecutive seasons, he was also traded to the Houston Rockets and successfully joined forces with Dayao.
In order to acquire Tracy McGrady, the Rockets sent Steve Francis, Ka'Deem Mobley and Kevin Cato.
Rockets fans are happy for this, and many Chinese fans are also excited for the Rockets. They believe that with Yao Mai's Rockets, their combat effectiveness will inevitably be significantly improved in the new season.
Steve Nash's six-year, 65 million contract with the Phoenix Suns also aroused heated discussion among fans.
More fans and basketball commentators believe that the contract the Suns gave Nash is too high, and it will be difficult for the 30-year-old Nash to continue to play as a first-class point guard.
At the same time, the Suns also spent 45 million over five years to sign Quentin Richardson, the "Slam Dunk King" of the Clippers, to replace Lin Fei's original position and partner with Nash in the backcourt.
The Utah Jazz also poached the rapidly improving power forward Carlos Boozer from the Cavaliers for six years and US$68 million. The Cavaliers were unable to match him and had no choice but to let Boozer go.
Lin Fei's new contract also caused quite a stir in the United States and China. The Miami Heat finally signed the NBA Finals Supernova for 11 million U.S. dollars over two years.
This also allows Lin Fei, a second-year rookie, to have an annual salary of more than 5 million US dollars in the new season, which is higher than the 2003 No. 1 pick LeBron James.
Thanks to the fact that the league has not yet perfected the rules for player signing contracts at this period, otherwise Lin Fei, who was in his first three years as a rookie, would not be able to earn more than the current No. 1 pick no matter how he signed.
At the same time, the contract signed between Lin Fei and the Heat also comes with a generous reward mechanism.
It stipulates that if Lin Fei gets the Player of the Week award in the new season, the team will reward him with US$30,000; if he gets the Player of the Month Award, the team will be rewarded with US$100,000; and if he is selected as an All-Star, he will be rewarded with US$200,000...
Many high-ranking rookies in the league expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Lin Fei signed a contract worth more than the No. 1 pick in his second season as an undrafted player, believing that the player signing system should have more complete rules.
League president David Stern also held a high-level meeting for this purpose and decided to improve the signing rules for players in the upcoming rookie period in response to Lin Fei's situation.
But Lin Fei's contract with the Miami Heat, which has officially come into effect, will not be affected.
At the same time, the American men’s basketball team also selected the final 12-man roster for the Olympic Games in August:
Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Dwayne Wade, Richard Jefferson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Shawn Marion,
Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, Emeka Okafor, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tim Duncan.
There is no difference from the members of the original 2004 American Dream Team, except that the head coach was changed from Larry Brown to Flip Saunders, the championship coach of the Timberwolves.
Without first-line superstars such as Kobe Bryant, O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Jason Kidd, this also paved the way for the final defeat of the United States' Dream Six Olympics.
With Lin Fei officially joining the Heat, the fans in China quickly regarded the Heat as the second home team after the Rockets next season, and paid attention to the Heat's latest transactions and prospects.
"Pat Riley is indeed the league's well-known championship godfather. This summer's operation really showed off his skills. Not only did he get O'Neal, but he also won Lin Fei. He is definitely one of the favorites to win the championship in the new season! "
"Do Shaq, Wade and Lin Fei form the Big Three of the Heat? This picture is simply too beautiful to imagine!"
"Why do the Heat want Wade to be the boss instead of Fei Ge? Is it because Fei Ge is not good at defense and can't dribble? But he has such explosive scoring power!"
"So far in the NBA, there has not been a case where a player without the ball can become the boss of the team. The Nets' scoring leader has never been Jason Kidd, but he is still the Nets' boss!"
"Wade has also been selected for the American Dream Six. Let these two teammates in the new season compete in the Olympics first!"
"I support the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat. This season has just ended. How come I can't wait to watch the games in the new season? It's so difficult!"
"Let's watch the men's basketball Olympics first. I can't wait!"
…
Seattle, USA.
In a luxurious villa on Meise Island.
It is said that Beauty Island in Seattle is the richest wealthy area in the United States. Three of the ten richest people in the world live in Beauty Island.
At this time, on the balcony on the top floor of the villa, an old man from China in a Tang suit was leaning on a lounge chair, looking at the blue sea and sky in the distance.
A housekeeper in his fifties stood beside him, reporting the situation to his master.
The old man's kind face nodded slowly, his eyes were deep, and he said:
"It seems that my granddaughter has good taste. Laifu, buy a beachfront villa in Miami in my name. The price should not be less than 3 million US dollars. There must be a basketball court and swimming pool to facilitate this child's daily training. !”
"Giving this to Lin Fei is a token of my old man's affection for his future grandson-in-law!"
…
Time flies, and time flies by to August.
There are only 13 days left before the opening of the Yadian Olympic Games. Lin Fei and the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team will officially go to Yadian, the Greek capital, in a week.
Workers' Stadium.
On the basketball training ground at this time.
"Silver Fox" Del Harris stood on the sidelines accompanied by his assistant coach. The players of the Tianchao Men's Basketball Team were engaged in a 5V5 intra-squad match.
The five players on the field in Group A are: Liu Wei, Li Nan, Zhu Fangyu, Ah Lian and Dayao. Guo is a strong substitute.
The five players on the field in Group B are: Hu Xuefeng, Lin Fei, Du Feng, Da Su, and Daba. Zhang Jinsong substitute.
On the court, Team B attacked, Hu Xuefeng advanced the ball to the frontcourt, and Liu Wei came up to defend.
It was roughly mentioned near the three-point line at the top of the arc, providing Lin Fei with a solid cover.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Fei took advantage of the cover from the high position on the right and rushed straight to the outside line on the left. Li Nan's pursuit and defense were completely unable to keep up, and the defense of the Arab League was also slow.
Hu Xuefeng made a sharp change of direction and tried to break through Liu Wei. He found a time difference while traveling and suddenly flicked his wrist and passed the ball away from Liu Wei.
Lin Fei received a pass from Hu Xuefeng in the open space on the left three-point line at a 45-degree angle. Faced with the coming defense of the Arab League, Lin Fei quickly took off and took a lightning shot.
"Uh-huh!"
If they were in the same position and the defenders were Wolf King and Roaring Heavenly Lord, they might have blocked Lin Fei's shot long ago.
But the young Arab League obviously does not have such strength.
When returning to defense, Lin Fei also smiled and high-fived Hu Xuefeng as a sign of encouragement.
Standing on the sidelines, "Silver Fox" Del Harris could see it clearly. After a month of training and running-in, Lin Fei has integrated into the team to a large extent.
His ability to move without the ball and his accurate three-point shooting after receiving the ball are highly adaptable to any team and can be said to be plug and play.
But just as Del Harris was worried at the beginning, among these Chinese players, neither Liu Wei nor Hu Xuefeng has outstanding passing ability.
After a month of observation, Harris believes that Hu Xuefeng is generally the most suitable point guard to partner with Lin Fei. His passing organization ability and keen eye for catching opportunities are better than Liu Wei and Guo Shiqiang.
Guo Shiqiang is a more traditional point guard, while Liu Wei also has scoring and defensive abilities greater than organization.
After establishing his tactical role, 24-year-old Hu Xuefeng also worked very hard.
The focus of daily training was on how to pass the ball to Lin Fei. At the same time, he also repeatedly studied the game videos of the last three games of the Timberwolves Western Conference Finals and the finals.
Back on the defensive end, Liu Wei attacked with the ball, and Dayao took the initiative to set up a solid pick-and-roll for Liu Wei.
During Liu Wei's breakthrough, he passed the ball to Dayao, who assisted the latter to get to the basket and dunk directly.
"Boom!"
obviously,
Team A and Team B are two different tactical systems. The core of Team A's tactics revolves entirely around Dayao, and the core of Team B's tactics is naturally Lin Fei.
Coming to the offensive end, this time Hu Xuefeng gave the ball to the top of the arc, and Team B made a pick-and-roll between positions 2 and 4.
This pick-and-roll is similar to the cooperation between the Timberwolves' Wolf King and Lin Fei.
Lin Fei accelerated through a rough screen to get rid of Li Nan who was chasing him, and got a good open chance to catch the ball at a 30-degree angle on the right.
But the young Arab League reacted quickly this time and quickly stepped in to block the general passing line.
So there was no hesitation, he took a sudden step and stopped at the free throw line, and made a solid two-point shot.
"Uh-huh!"
Returning to the defensive end again, Lin Fei faced Liu Wei out of position, took the initiative to engage in physical confrontation, and defended very toughly.
Although his defense in the NBA Finals was completely unsatisfactory, compared with domestic players now, Lin Fei does not suffer in terms of strength, speed and physical fitness.
What's more, Lin Fei also learned many practical defensive skills from his old teammate Hassell.
Liu Wei was uncomfortable being guarded by Lin Fei, so he could only summon Dayao's pick-and-roll again.
But this time Lin Fei decisively seized the opportunity. Taking advantage of Liu Wei's distraction, he turned sideways and struck out with lightning, and directly knocked the ball out of Liu Wei's hand with his big hand.
"Snapped!"
Quickly flying to control the ball, Lin Fei took one step and quickly passed it to Hu Xuefeng who was following up on the left.
Then he suddenly changes direction from the right to the left baseline at a 0-degree angle.
"Whoosh!"
Among domestic players, Lin Fei's speed advantage is perfectly reflected, not to mention that after this month of hard training, his sprint speed has improved somewhat.
Hu Xuefeng passed the ball with almost no obstruction. Lin Fei caught the ball at the 0-degree three-point line on the left, took off, bent his bow and nocked an arrow to shoot another.
"Uh-huh!"
By the end of the 20-minute half-time confrontation, Lin Fei had already hit 7 three-pointers, and also contributed 2 steals and 1 block on the defensive end.
Even if Lin Fei's defense is poor, this is relatively speaking. Someone who has played in the NBA Finals and won a championship has completely overshadowed his domestic teammates in terms of self-confidence!
Standing on the sidelines, "Silver Fox" Del Harris nodded with satisfaction. With Dayao and Lin Fei here, the performance of the Chinese men's basketball team in the Olympics this year will definitely be the same!
(End of chapter)
