As the crowd watched with anticipation or skepticism, Wang Yi faced off against Wemby.
Wemby had been chewed out by Wang Yi many times before, and Wang Yi had shut him down in man-to-man defense countless times. But it had been years since people had seen Wang Yi guard a center one-on-one, and Wemby was no longer the player he'd been back then. He'd grown into one of the league's top centers.
Now, facing Wang Yi, he felt quite confident.
You're great at jumping, Wang Yi, huh?
All I have to do is stand here and give you a couple of fakes. The moment I get you off your feet, I can either dribble past you or wait until you're in the air and shoot. Either way, it'll be easy. I'll make it every time.
With that thought, Wemby caught the ball, turned, and faced Wang Yi.
He started with a quick pump fake.
But Wang Yi didn't jump.
Wemby faked twice more, and Wang Yi still didn't jump.
Wemby frowned slightly. He couldn't keep faking forever. If a player held the ball and faked too many times, he'd lose his shooting rhythm.
So he started dribbling, using his side to shield Wang Yi.
But he didn't try to overpower Wang Yi and drive straight into him. Two big centers were already waiting in the paint. If he drove in, he'd be facing multiple defenders, which would make things even harder.
Instead, he dribbled to the right, pulled the ball back, and spun to the left, setting up for a turnaround jumper.
But after getting blocked by Wang Yi so many times, he didn't turn and shoot right away. He raised the ball and faked again.
Wang Yi still didn't jump.
Wemby faked once more, but Wang Yi still didn't