The Clippers Were Written Off

A moment later, Li Chen went to a secluded corner to answer the phone. Before Li Chen could speak, a questioning voice came from the other end.

"Why? Why are you so insensible? We raised you with so much hardship, sold everything we owned to send you abroad to study, and what do you do? You secretly go play basketball. Is playing basketball really that important?"

At this point, Li's father almost roared; he erupted.

Li Chen smiled bitterly to himself; he had been discovered after all. At the same time, he was somewhat surprised as to why his father, the father of his predecessor, was so agitated.

So he asked the question his predecessor had always wanted to ask his father, "What's wrong with playing basketball? Even if I graduate with a PhD, can I earn millions of dollars a year?"

Li Chen's question silenced him, then he commanded, "You must go to school."

Upon hearing this, Li Chen frowned. He realized that the old man was being unreasonable, so he immediately hung up the phone.

Then just shut it down.

Domestic.

When Li's father discovered that Li Chen's phone was off, he almost smashed it.

Li's mother advised, "Old Li, since Chen wants to play basketball, let him be. There's nothing wrong with that."

"What does a woman know? Chen will be a pillar of the nation in the future."

Li's mother glared at her, "Don't give me those grand theories. If you want to be a pillar of the nation, don't drag my son down with you."

"Long hair, short on brains," Li's father rebuked angrily.

Li's mother's eyes flashed sharply. "Old man Li, haven't we been giving you face all these years? And you've really gone too far!" With that, she grabbed his ear...

"Ouch! That hurts... Stop... I don't care anymore, okay?"

After Li Chen returned to his seat, the three of them talked about the National Team again. Li Chen wasn't particularly enthusiastic about playing for the National Team; his attitude was, "If you need me, I'll play; if you don't, then so be it."

As a time traveler, Li Chen had come to understand that only ordinary people suffer the most and endure the most hardship.

Instead of constantly thinking about bringing glory to the country, it would be more practical to make more money and then go back to China to build more schools.

Friday, March 14th.

Li Chen received a call from Kobe right after finishing training. He was a little surprised; why was Kobe calling at this hour?

Li Chen answered the phone, but before he could speak, Kobe Bryant demanded, "Why was your phone off yesterday?"

Li Chen pursed his lips, then lied, "I already knew you'd call me, so of course I'm turning off my phone."

Kobe paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "Vanessa seems to be pregnant. Do you think it's really a boy?"

Li Chen blinked, secretly pleased. "Little Blacksmith! Little Blacksmith, you've finally met your match!" So Li Chen pressed the switch to start his charade.

"Wait a minute, let me calculate it in more detail."

As he spoke, Li Chen began to mutter to himself in a serious tone.

Li Chen waited a while longer, then, feeling the time was almost up, he cleared his throat and said with a straight face, "I've done the calculations carefully, and it is indeed a boy, but..."

Kobe was initially quite happy, but Li Chen's sudden "however" gave him a bad feeling.

"But what?" Kobe asked somewhat nervously.

"Ahem! However, I've discovered that you and this boy are not destined to be father and son," Li Chen said, half-jokingly.

Upon hearing this, Kobe's face immediately darkened. "What do you mean?" Kobe's words were filled with extreme dissatisfaction.

Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "Hey! You think you're so capable?"

So Li Chen bluntly said, "Why are you giving me that look? I foresee you doing something that will betray Vanessa in the future..."

"This is all your fault, why are you whining to me? Don't you have any shame?"

Li Chen unleashed a barrage of attacks, causing Kobe's face to twitch uncontrollably.

A short while later, after being verbally abused by Li Chen, Kobe hung up the phone in a huff.

Kobe sat there stunned for a while before he finally came to his senses. "Fuck, what was I thinking? How could I believe that bastard's nonsense?"

"Hmph! I love Vanessa so much, how could I possibly hurt her? That bastard, he's talking complete nonsense."

In the days that followed, Vanessa noticed that Kobe was treating her better and better. When she asked Kobe why, he simply said it was what he should do.

Saturday, March 15th.

"Good evening, everyone." Barkley greeted them in a formulaic way, and then started talking about the Spurs' home game against the Clippers that night.

"Kenny, tonight's match can be described as a highly anticipated one, an internal battle within Larry Brown's faction. It's said that Coach Alvin Gentry has privately complained about not having Popovich's luck. After unexpectedly acquiring Li Chen, the absolute core player, this year, he must have been looking forward to this showdown for a long time!"

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Indeed, but... the Clippers' roster depth is far inferior to the Spurs', and with one of their key scorers, Elton Brand, out, their chances of winning are even smaller."

Although Barkley was eager to argue, he had to admit that Kenny Smith's analysis was absolutely correct.

At this point, Kenny Smith added, "Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides tonight."

"First, let's see how the Clippers 'Alvin Gentry will break down the Spurs' twin towers tonight."

Andre Miller (Point Guard)

Li Chen (Shooting Guard)

Corey Maggette (Small Forward)

Odom (Power Forward)

Wang Zhizhi (Center)

When Barkley and Kenny Smith, both born in 1975, saw this lineup, they were stunned.

Is it the roster? Can this Spurs?

After a moment of silence, Kenny Smith said, "I have to admit, Coach Alvin Gentry is being a bit presumptuous."

"Kenny, you can't really blame Coach Gentry. The Clippers just don't have any decent players right now; this is the best they can do."

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice—that's the gist of Alvin Gentry's current predicament. Of course, there's no such idiom in the US, but that's the general idea.

Kenny Smith could only manage a wry smile at his words, then he changed the subject, saying, "Next, let's take a look at the Spurs' starting lineup today."

Parker (Point Guard)

Bowen (Shooting Guard)

Stephen Jackson (Small Forward)

Duncan (Power Forward)

David Robinson (Center)

"This starting lineup gives the Spurs a strong balance between inside and outside play and scoring ability."

Duncan and Robinson formed a powerful inside duo, providing solid defense and scoring ability.

Parker and his teammate were responsible for controlling possession of the ball and orchestrating the offense, while also being able to score.

While Stephen Jackson's offensive moves may not be visually stunning, his offensive skills are comprehensive and diverse. His average of 10.8 points per game can compensate for the Spurs' lack of outside offense.

As an excellent defensive player, Bowen was responsible for limiting opponents' scoring and providing the Spurs with stable perimeter defense.

This starting lineup displayed excellent teamwork and exceptional skill.

Furthermore, the Spurs' coach Popovich also has Ginobili.

Ginobili made the Spurs even more perfect at the start of the second quarter.

"Hey, hey, hey! Kenny, don't talk down the Clippers like that. You know Li Chen is a miracle worker."

Kenny Smith smiled and said, "Oh? Charles, how about we make a bet?"

Hearing this, Barkley rolled his eyes and remained silent, clearly indicating that he didn't have high hopes for the Clippers either.

Tonight's AT&T Center is clearly a den of monsters for the Clippers.