r18novel Chapter 58: Asian Championships Open! Chinese Team Sets Off
Chapter 58: Asian Championships Open! Chinese Team Sets Off
On June 22, the scorching summer sun beat down on this northern city known as the "Ice City," but even hotter than the weather was the atmosphere inside and outside the Harbin Convention and Exhibition Center Gymnasium.
Outside the stadium, which can hold 12000 people, a sea of red had already engulfed the area. The streets were lined with five-star red flags, and even the lampposts were wrapped with red ribbons. Fans from all over the country had gathered here, wearing red jerseys with the word "China" printed on them, waving flags, and with national flag stickers on their faces. The atmosphere was deafening, as if they wanted to overturn the city.
Today, the 2003 FIBA Asia Championship officially opened. Teams from 16 countries and regions across Asia have gathered here, and everyone's focus is on only one thing—the sole ticket to the Athens Olympics.
At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the opening ceremony officially began with the stirring "Athletes' March".
Each participating team entered the arena in turn. The Japanese team bowed, the South Korean team wore cold expressions, the Lebanese team's dark skin... each team's passing was met with polite and enthusiastic applause. But when the Chinese men's basketball team made their grand entrance, the atmosphere instantly reached its peak.
Leading the procession was flag bearer Yao Ming. His 2.26-meter height made him stand out like a moving lighthouse, even on a basketball court filled with giants. Closely following him was captain Lin Hao, wearing his bright red national team jersey, the five-starred red flag on his chest gleaming brightly, like a burning flame.
Behind them are Battier, Zhu Fangyu, Li Nan, Guo Shiqiang, Liu Wei... This is the most brilliant "golden generation" in the history of Chinese men's basketball.
"China! China! China!"
The deafening cheers almost lifted the roof off the stadium. Lin Hao waved vigorously at the stands, his gaze sweeping across the entire stadium. He saw Zhang Qingying holding a sign that read "Go Lin Hao!", Zhao Dabao who had brought the young trainees from the Xinghuo Youth Training Camp, and countless pairs of expectant eyes.
At this moment, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility on my shoulders.
After the opening ceremony, the national flag was raised and the national anthem was played.
When the familiar melody of "The March of the Volunteers" began, everyone in the stadium, whether players or fans, whether elderly people with white hair or children, stood at attention and sang along loudly.
Lin Hao stood at the front of the line, gazing up at the rising five-star red flag, his eyes slightly moist. He remembered the lonely boy practicing basketball on the cement ground in his hometown in Northeast China, the desolation of being ignored in the NBA draft, the excruciating pain of playing with pain-relieving injections in the first round against the Spurs, and the countless mornings spent sweating profusely.
All the efforts were for this moment. For the national flag on my chest, for my compatriots behind me.
After the national anthem, the athletes' representatives took an oath. Due to Lin Hao's enormous influence in the NBA, the organizing committee made an exception and arranged for him to represent the team on stage.
Lin Hao took the microphone, and his voice, amplified through the loudspeakers, resounded throughout the stadium: "On behalf of all athletes, I solemnly swear: We will strictly abide by the competition rules, respect the referees and our opponents, compete fairly, and fight tenaciously. We will compete with style and skill, bringing glory to our country and adding luster to the Olympics!"
The resounding oath was met with thunderous applause.
Next came the cultural performance. When the host announced, "Next, please welcome the famous singer Zhang Qingying to sing the theme song of this Asian Championships, 'Charge,' accompanied by Lin Hao," the entire audience erupted in cheers.
Zhang Qingying, dressed in a white dress, resembled a blooming snow lotus. Lin Hao, holding a suona, stood beside her.
The music begins, and the singing rises.
"Facing the wind, charging forward, we are invincible heroes..."
When he sang the chorus, Lin Hao took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and suddenly the suona in his hand exploded!
"Beep beep—da—beep beep—da—"
The sound was sharp, high-pitched, and domineering, like a bugle call signaling an army's charge, instantly piercing through the steel and concrete of the stadium. The emotions of the entire crowd were ignited; everyone stood up, roaring along with the melody. At that moment, the stadium transformed into a battlefield, and they were all warriors about to go into battle.
The performance is over; the real battle is about to begin.
1 p.m., in the stadium corridor.
The Chinese team was preparing to return to the locker room when they ran into the South Korean team, who had just finished warming up.
South Korean team's star player, Bang Sung-yoon, along with two entourage members, blocked the entrance like a wall. Unlike European and American players who would shout and yell, he took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of sinister eyes that exuded a cold arrogance.
"Lin Hao." Fang Chengyun called out to Lin Hao in broken English, who was looking down at his phone, holding a neatly folded South Korean team jersey with the number 1 on it. "This is your ticket to the final. I saved one for you, so you won't miss the final. That would be too boring."
The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Yao Ming and Battier, two giants, immediately surrounded him, forming two thick walls in front of Lin Hao.
Fang Chengyun ignored the two intimidating figures and walked straight to Lin Hao, handing him the jersey. His tone was like a viper's hiss: "The rules of Asian basketball have never been set by you."
Lin Hao finally raised his head. Without even glancing at the jersey, he slowly took out a mint from his pocket, unwrapped it, popped it into his mouth, and crunched it.
"Do Koreans all have this common problem?" Lin Hao's gaze was as calm as a deep pool of water. "They always like to fantasize that they are the masters when they are not on their own turf."
Fang Chengyun's face instantly darkened, and he slammed the jersey towards Lin Hao's chest.
Lin Hao neither caught it nor dodged it. The jersey fell limply to his feet, gathering dust from the ground.
"Rules?" Lin Hao stepped forward, stomping his leather shoe hard on the pristine white jersey, leaving a clear black mark. "As for the finals..."
He pushed aside Fang Chengyun, who was blocking his way, and strode towards the court, leaving behind a cold remark.
"I'll make you wear this outfit and watch us take the trophy away."
Fang Chengyun's face was ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but he ultimately didn't dare take another step forward.
At 2 PM, the first match of the group stage will take place: China vs. Chinese Taipei.
The referee blew the whistle, and the match officially began.
In the jump ball, Yao Ming easily passed the ball to Lin Hao. Lin Hao dribbled the ball across half-court but didn't rush to attack. His eyes scanned the opposing Chinese Taipei team like a radar.
Although this team lacks NBA-level superstars, they have inherited the characteristics of Chinese Taipei basketball: "small, fast, and agile." In particular, Yen Hsing-shu, who wears jersey number 8, is as fast as an eel and has a precise three-point shot.
Lin Hao signaled Yao Ming to move up and set a screen. Yao Ming's massive frame, like a heavy tank, instantly blocked the guard defending Lin Hao.
Lin Hao used a screen to accelerate, instantly tearing apart the defense. The Chinese Taipei center hurriedly came to help defend, but Lin Hao flicked his wrist and delivered a precise bounce pass to Yi Jianlian, who was cutting down the court.
A-Lin received the ball and soared into the air—
"Clang!"
One-handed dunk! 3-0!
The entire venue erupted in cheers.
However, the Chinese Taipei team did not collapse. On the contrary, they showed great resilience.
Less than five minutes into the first quarter, Chinese Taipei suddenly changed tactics, employing a full-court press. Their backcourt guards, like a pack of mad dogs, relentlessly pursued the Chinese player with the ball.
Lin Hao dribbled past half-court and was immediately double-teamed by two players. Yan Xingshu clung to Lin Hao like a leech, holding onto Lin Hao's jersey tightly with one hand while frantically trying to steal the ball with the other.
"Beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, indicating that Yan Xingshu had committed a foul by pulling Lin Hao's hand. But Yan Xingshu didn't care at all; he was hurling insults at Lin Hao with a ferocious expression.
In the next round, Lin Hao tried to pass the ball to Zhu Fangyu, but Yan Xingshu rushed over and slammed his body into Zhu Fangyu's waist, causing Zhu Fangyu to lose his footing and the ball to go out of bounds.
The referee still didn't blow the whistle.
"This referee is problematic!" Zhao Dabao shouted angrily from the stands.
Lin Hao took a deep breath. He knew that this kind of "away team whistle" and "dirty tricks" would be the norm in this Asian Championship. He had to stay calm.
The second quarter was even more intense.
Chinese Taipei's key outside shooter, Chen Hsin-an, began to dominate. He used an off-ball screen to create an open shot from the baseline, caught the ball, and immediately fired a shot. Lin Hao came over to help defend, his fingertips almost touching Chen's face, but Chen, with his excellent core strength, twisted his body and lobbed the ball in.
"Swish!" The basketball swished through the net. The point difference was reduced to single digits.
Worse still, the Chinese Taipei team's actions became increasingly aggressive. During one offensive play, Lin Hao broke through and passed the ball to Li Nan in the corner. Just as Li Nan was about to shoot, a Chinese Taipei defender jumped up and kneed Li Nan in the lower back!
Li Nan collapsed to the ground in pain, and only then did the referee slowly call a regular foul.
"It's so dirty!" Battier roared from the sidelines.
Lin Hao helped Li Nan up and patted him on the shoulder: "It's alright, we'll get back at them with points."
The score was 38-30, with China leading by only 8 points. The atmosphere at the Harbin Convention and Exhibition Center was somewhat oppressive, and the fans began to feel uneasy.
Lin Hao called a pause.
Back on the bench, Coach Jiang Xingquan's face was ashen: "They're just gambling that the referee won't call a foul! Lin Hao, you control the tempo, don't let them get you out of control."
Lin Hao nodded, took a can of yellow peaches from the box, tore it open, and swallowed the sweet, juicy flesh in large gulps. The cool touch instantly calmed his feverish mind.
"Brothers," Lin Hao stood up, his eyes sharpening like knives, "they like to use underhanded tactics, don't they? Then we'll use absolute strength to subdue them!"
After pausing, Lin Hao activated "kill mode".
The Chinese Taipei team continued to double-team Lin Hao. This time, Lin Hao did not pass the ball.
Facing Yan Xingshu's close defense, Lin Hao tensed his back muscles, using his strong body to protect the ball. Yan Xingshu had one hand around Lin Hao's neck, while the other hand desperately pulled him down.
"Beep!" The referee blew his whistle, and Yan Xingshu committed a foul.
Lin Hao went to the free-throw line and made both shots. 40-30.
In the next defensive possession, Yan Xingshu had the ball. Lin Hao gave him no space, sticking to him like a shadow. Yan Xingshu tried to use his speed to get away, but Lin Hao's long arms were like a shadow. Yan Xingshu pulled up for a jump shot, and Lin Hao leaped high—
"Snapped!"
A clean, decisive block! The basketball was swatted straight out of bounds!
"Great! Well done!" The crowd cheered.
Lin Hao picked up the ball, didn't even glance at Yan Xingshu, and immediately launched a fast break.
He dribbled the ball at breakneck speed, moving from the backcourt to the frontcourt in just one second. Two defenders from Chinese Taipei couldn't retreat in time, and Lin Hao burst into the paint. Facing the center who was trying to help, he leaped into the air and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
"Clang!"
A powerful putback dunk! 42 to 30!
That dunk completely shattered the confidence of the Chinese Taipei team. Yan Xingshu slumped to the ground, staring at Lin Hao's retreating figure, his eyes filled with fear.
But that wasn't all. Lin Hao's defensive pressure forced Chinese Taipei into a series of turnovers. In the final three minutes of the third quarter, he made three steals and assisted his teammates to score three times.
The point difference was instantly widened to more than 20 points.
With five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Lin Hao was substituted off the court for a rest. He sat on the bench, wiping his sweat with a towel.
Zhang Qingying ran over and handed him a bottle of water: "You played really well."
Lin Hao smiled and said, "It's not over yet."
Despite holding a large lead, Lin Hao remained focused. He kept his eyes on Yao Ming on the court, watching Yao Ming continue to dominate inside, treating every possession like it was the NBA Finals.
Finally, the final whistle blew.
China defeated Chinese Taipei 94-66, a score of 28 points, securing a winning start to the Asian Championships.
林昊全场出战24分钟，砍下22分10助攻3抢断，投篮命中率高达62%。
After the match, the head coach of the Chinese Taipei team shook Lin Hao's hand helplessly: "Lin Hao, you are an insurmountable mountain for us. I wish you good luck in the upcoming matches."
Back in the locker room, everyone was happy, but Lin Hao sat alone in a corner, looking at his phone.
On the screen was news of South Korea's resounding victory over Iran. Fang Chengyun stared at the camera with a sinister look in his eyes.
"The South Korean team..." Lin Hao muttered to himself.
The real enemy is yet to come. This resounding 28-point victory is just the beginning.