Shooting Package: Hook Shot Like Yao
"Ah, in the end, it's not a guard's shooting package."
Li Fei sighed softly.
But he wasn't too disappointed with this shooting package.
After all, at his peak, Yao's little hook shot had crushed every center in the league.
Yao's hook shot wasn't like Jabbar's Skyhook. It was a straight-arm hook, with his arm raised over his head, relying entirely on the skill of his fingers and wrist. Paired with Yao Ming's 2.26-meter height, it really had been close to unstoppable.
The Happy Beast was a beast, right?
Even he could only gape helplessly when he saw Yao's hook shot.
And Li Fei would be even better using it.
Don't let Yao's 2.26-meter height fool you. He was famously built like a tyrannosaurus, with a wingspan of just 2.26 meters as well—far shorter than Li Fei's.
"With my 2.24-meter height and 2.45-meter wingspan, I'll use the One-armed Hook Shot."
Whew...
Even Li Fei couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
This was absolutely a lethal weapon!
"It's a shame the shooting package only provides the moves. If I want to improve my accuracy, I'll still have to grind through training."
In the days that followed, Li Fei threw himself into a sweaty, bruising routine with the Golden Bears' big men.
Soon.
The NCAA season kicked off once again.
The Golden Bears' first warm-up game was against the Purdue University Boilermakers.
The night before, Li Fei had been a little nervous, but he was buzzing with excitement, too.
It felt like the first time he'd gone to a karaoke club, sitting on the sofa and watching the white fruit swaying in front of him, his legs pressed tightly together with nerves. But once the singing started and he began handling the ball, all that nervousness disappeared.
The next day, when he arrived at the away arena, Li Fei studied the opposing lineup.
His gaze settled on a flashy player.
"Big Dog."
Glenn Robinson!
Purdue's star player.
The first pick in the 1994 draft!
That's right. After this season, Glenn Robinson and Jason Kidd would both declare for the NBA draft. Robinson would ultimately go first overall, with Kidd second.
To be fair, Glenn Robinson had earned the right to be the top pick.
As a sophomore last season, he'd averaged 24 points and 9.4 rebounds, shooting 55 percent from the field. Mock drafts had repeatedly projected him as the number-one pick.
And if Li Fei remembered correctly...
This season, Robinson would average a terrifying 30 points and 11 rebounds. He'd be on an absolute tear.
A future NBA All-Star, without a doubt!
The commentators lavished Glenn Robinson with praise.
"Everyone's eager to see how much Glenn Robinson improves this season!"
An excited NBC commentator spoke up:
"The next Michael Jordan is standing right before us!"
During his college years, Robinson had been hailed by many media outlets as the next Danzi.
After all, even Danzi hadn't averaged 24 points per game in college.
"Of course, we're also looking forward to Jason. This steady point guard, who believes silence is golden, is the biggest obstacle standing between Glenn Robinson and the top pick."
The season opener had been set up as a showdown between two top prospects.
It was hard not to suspect the league of deliberately drumming up hype.
The matchup had sent interest in the game soaring.
"Jason's excellent, but there's only one answer when it comes to the number-one pick."
Before the game, Robinson showed off his swagger to the cameras.
"Whichever team has the first pick next year, get a hundred-million-dollar contract ready for Glenn Robinson!"
When people thought of Glenn Robinson,
they pictured an overflowing talent, an arrogant scoring machine.
But Li Fei mostly remembered him as the guy who, after the Bucks drafted him, demanded a hundred million dollars and refused to sign unless he got it. In the end, he landed a ten-year, $68 million contract.
For perspective, Pippen was making less than $3.5 million that year.
Even Danzi, who'd beaten everyone in the world, was only making $4 million.
After the incident, the league immediately introduced new rules for rookies.
"Interesting."
Li Fei pushed the thought aside and got on with his warm-up.
"What does he mean, get a hundred million ready?"
Up in the booth, the two commentators were still talking. "Is he really planning to ask for a hundred million?"
"He certainly is an ambitious young man..."
Bang!
As the commentators chatted, Li Fei drew their attention with a warm-up dunk from the free-throw line.
"What?"
"What just happened?"
"Did someone just dunk from the free-throw line?"
Then,
the two commentators saw
a seven-foot-plus big man warming up on the Berkeley, California, team.
"Oh, wow!"
"Am I seeing things? There's an Asian player on the Berkeley team!"
The NBC commentator quickly checked the roster. "A center from China."
"Fei, Li..."
The commentator stumbled over the name.
But what shocked them most was...
that build, that wingspan.
At first glance, he looked skinny.
But on closer inspection, he was all lean muscle!
Especially his shoulders—they looked like a pair of sledgehammers!
"A big man from China, and he's... a starter!"
The two commentators exchanged bewildered looks.
It was rare enough for an Asian player to play in the NCAA, let alone someone from China.
Was the Golden Bears' team not taking this warm-up game seriously?
Or could this guy be an X factor?
Hard to say.
In any case...
They'd have to wait and see.
The game was about to begin. The centers from both teams took their places on either side of the center line.
Robinson didn't even want to look Li Fei in the eye. He may as well have written "I look down on you" across his face.
"Jason, did you have an ambulance ready?"
Glenn Robinson turned to Kidd and said:
"I'm worried I'll hit your giant of a center so hard that I send him straight to the ICU."
He was acting like a big shot,
as if he really thought he was the next Michael Jordan.
But...
In the face of Robinson's taunts,
Kidd just smiled.
Call an ambulance for Li Fei?
Kidd thought Robinson still had time to call one for himself.
JUMP BALL!
The referee tossed the ball high into the air, and Li Fei and the Boilermakers' center, Matt Wardell, leaped at the same time.
There was no doubt about it: Li Fei's height and wingspan gave him a clear advantage.
"Ooh, the center from China beat Matt in the jump ball. That's the advantage of height. Hey, wait... what's going on?"
The commentator had been eager to see what Li Fei would do.
But before he'd even finished speaking,
Li Fei, having won the tip, took off with giant strides and sprinted full speed toward the frontcourt!
I mean...
Could a player really sprint ahead right after winning the jump ball?
Could a 2.24-meter player really charge down the court on a fast break?
The commentators weren't the only ones who couldn't believe it.
The Purdue fans in the arena were just as baffled.
But...
For the University of California players,
this move was old news.
They were used to Li Fei sprinting ahead on the break.
The next second, Kidd sent a chest pass, right on target.
They'd practiced this play countless times in team training.
It was second nature.
But for the fans and commentators in the arena,
an alley-oop right after the jump ball!
That was beyond ridiculous.
BOOM!!
In front of thousands of bewildered spectators, Li Fei caught the ball with both hands and crashed down an alley-oop dunk!
"BANG!!"
The instant he dunked,
even the home crowd jumped to their feet, clutching their heads in astonishment.
WHY?
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
The commentator swore right there in the booth. "What am I looking at, my God!"
"Not only did Li Fei throw down an alley-oop right after the jump ball, he also... Glenn Robinson..."
"He soared right over him!"
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