Chapter Summaries

Li Fei led Team China to a 27-point victory over Lithuania, completing an undefeated group stage and sending the country into celebration. Team China entered the Olympic quarterfinals in first place, while Li Fei warned his teammates that tougher battles lay ahead.

• Li Fei was celebrated by his teammates after Team China defeated Lithuania, then urged them to save their strength for the knockout stage.
• Coach Gong Luming watched Li Fei steady the young team as they headed through a press scrum, where Li Fei told a Chinese reporter that the best was yet to come.
• Sun Zhengping and Zhang Weiping announced Team China's undefeated group-stage finish and praised Li Fei's 48-point, 25-rebound performance on television.
• Chinese fans celebrated the historic result as newspapers and Sina Sports published triumphant headlines about Team China's win and first-place finish.

After China beat Lithuania to finish first in its group, Li Fei’s performance sparked nationwide celebrations and confidence in the team’s Olympic prospects. The knockout bracket matched China against Australia, and analysts said a win could secure China its first Olympic top-four finish.

• Fans celebrated China’s group-stage victory over Lithuania, praising Li Fei’s 48 points and 25 rebounds.
• China finished first in Group A as the eight teams advancing to the knockout round were decided.
• The knockout bracket paired China with Australia, whose starting center Luc Longley was injured and absent.
• Zhang Weiping and other commentators said China had a strong chance to beat Australia if it limited Andrew Gaze.
• Zhang Weiping said victory over Australia would guarantee China a top-four finish and a chance to compete for an Olympic medal.

With the world predicting China would beat Australia in the Olympic quarterfinals, Gong Luming warned the team not to underestimate its opponent. Li Fei and Hu Weidong agreed that China needed to prepare seriously, and Li Fei called for extra practice as the team awaited the game.

• Chinese fans raised their hopes from reaching the quarterfinals to making the final four.
• International experts favored Team USA, Yugoslavia, Lithuania, and China to win their quarterfinals, citing Li Fei as Australia's biggest obstacle.
• Gong Luming reviewed Australia's offense and assigned China’s players defensive responsibilities, warning them that Australia would fight desperately.
• Hu Weidong asked Li Fei whether China had the game in the bag, and Li Fei said the team still needed to treat Australia as a serious opponent.
• Li Fei invited Hu Weidong to join him for extra practice before the quarterfinal began the next day.

Team China faced Australia's brutal, physical defense in the Olympic quarterfinal and struggled to score or protect the ball. After Australia built a 9–2 lead, Gong Luming called a timeout to regroup.

• Li Fei tipped the opening jump ball to Li Xiaoyong, giving Team China the first possession.
• Australia pressured Team China aggressively, forced a loose ball, and Andrew Gaze scored on a fast break to make it 2–0.
• Team China struggled to create shots as Australia disrupted its offense with heavy contact and tight defense.
• Li Fei scored a putback, but Team China committed three turnovers and fell behind 9–2 in the first three minutes.
• Gong Luming called a timeout as Team China struggled to cope with Australia's physical play.

Li Fei took over after Australia’s physical defense disrupted China’s offense, scoring repeatedly to lead a first-quarter comeback. He capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating three, leaving China ahead 32–28 after trailing 2–9.

• Gong Luming told China to give Li Fei the ball while the other players spread out, defended, and fought for rebounds.
• Li Fei resisted Bradtke and Dicks’s double-team, spun into the paint, and dunked to cut Australia’s lead to 9–4.
• Gates answered with a three-pointer, but Li Fei scored again with a fadeaway jumper to make it 12–6.
• Li Fei repeatedly beat Australia’s defenders with powerful drives, jumpers, and passes during the rest of the first quarter.
• Li Fei hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, completing China’s comeback to a 32–28 lead and finishing the quarter with 32 points.

Li Fei dominated Australia, scoring 50 points by halftime as Team China built a 17-point lead. China extended its advantage in the second half, turning the fourth quarter into garbage time.

• Li Fei scored 30 points in the first quarter, setting an Olympic record for points in a quarter as Team China led Australia 32–28.
• Li Fei urged his teammates to be ready for Australia's expected double-teams, and Australia began swarming him in the second quarter.
• Li Fei passed out of the double-team to set up Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, and Li Xiaoyong for scores, while Hu Weidong's three-pointer made it 35–28.
• Li Fei exploited a defensive gap to score twice and reached 50 points by halftime, with Team China leading 65–48.
• Team China outscored Australia 28–16 in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter quickly became garbage time.

Team China defeated Australia 125–88 to reach the Olympic semifinals for the first time, with Li Fei scoring 78 points and setting Olympic records. Li Fei and Coach Gong Luming urged the team to stay focused as they prepared for a semifinal rematch against Lithuania, while fans across China celebrated the historic win.

• Coach Gong Luming took Li Fei out of the game, and Team China defeated Australia 125–88 to advance to the Olympic semifinals.
• Li Fei scored 78 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and set several Olympic records in the victory.
• At the press conference, Li Fei said China’s goal was to win the championship and warned that the team still had work to do.
• Coach Gong Luming urged the players to prepare carefully for Lithuania, which had beaten Croatia 85–83.
• News of Team China’s historic semifinal berth spread across China, where fans celebrated the victory.

After China’s historic win over Australia, the team faced Yugoslavia in the Olympic semifinals, with Coach Gong Luming urging the players to share the responsibility. China started nervously, but Li Fei’s pass to Hu Weidong produced a three-pointer that began to steady the team.

• China’s victory over Australia sparked nationwide celebrations and a surge in Li Fei’s popularity and merchandise sales.
• The semifinal teams were confirmed as China, the USA, Lithuania, and Yugoslavia, with China set to face Yugoslavia.
• Coach Gong Luming told China to play as a unit and urged Li Fei’s teammates to take advantage of the defense he drew.
• Yugoslavia opened with a 5–0 run as Divac and Danilovic scored, while China’s early shots missed.
• Li Fei told his teammates not to fear taking shots, then passed out of a double-team to Hu Weidong, who made a three-pointer.

Team China defeated Yugoslavia 108:88 in the Olympic semifinal, with Li Fei leading a balanced team performance. China advanced to the final, where they would face Team USA again.

• Li Fei directed Team China's offense as Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, Wang Zhizhi, and their teammates built a three-point lead in the first quarter.
• Team China broke through Yugoslavia's zone defense and went into halftime ahead 60:45, with six players nearing or reaching double digits.
• Team China kept extending its lead in the second half, and Coach Gong Luming brought in Bateer and Shan Tao as the semifinal came under control.
• Team China beat Yugoslavia 108:88, while Li Fei recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, four blocks, and two steals.
• Team USA defeated Lithuania 98:90, setting up a final against Team China, and Li Fei vowed at the press conference that his team would keep pushing forward.

Li Fei’s declaration that Team China would make history in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic final set off intense media coverage and fan debate in China and the United States. Both sides backed their teams and traded insults online as they waited for Team China to face the USA Dream Team.

• Li Fei’s declaration about the final was broadcast worldwide and stirred up the basketball world.
• American newspapers and television networks called for revenge and predicted that Jordan and the Dream Team would defeat Team China.
• Chinese media praised Li Fei’s leadership and Team China’s rise from underdogs to finalists, while fans celebrated their previous victories.
• American fans mocked Team China and called Li Fei overrated, and Chinese fans answered by pointing to the group-stage win and Li Fei’s strength.
• Fans from both countries continued their online war of words as they anticipated the final.

TNT's pregame panel weighed Team China's growing strength against the USA Dream Team's talent, with Li Fei's matchup against Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal highlighted as key. The final's stakes extended to the global rivalry between Li Fei Brand and AJ Brand, and the 1996 Olympic final tipped off at the Georgia Dome.

• Marv Albert welcomed Kevin Harlan and Luke Walton to TNT's Finals Preview in Atlanta.
• Kevin Harlan and Luke Walton praised Team China's teamwork and Li Fei's improving shooting, playmaking, and defense.
• The experts identified the teams' mentalities and the matchups between Li Fei, Jordan, and O'Neal as crucial to the final.
• The chapter described how Team China's group-stage overtime win over the United States had hurt AJ Brand's fortunes while Li Fei Brand sought international recognition.
• The 1996 Atlanta Olympic men's basketball final tipped off at the Georgia Dome.

Team China faced the Dream Team in the Olympic final, and Li Fei stunned the crowd by scoring a spectacular opening alley-oop. His taunt enraged Team USA and earned him a technical-foul warning as the game began.

• Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal voiced their confidence before the final, while Li Fei and Hu Weidong said Team China would fight without backing down.
• Gong Luming urged Team China to defend fiercely, while Team USA's coach ordered his players to attack relentlessly.
• Team China and the Dream Team named their starting lineups and took the court before a roaring crowd at the Georgia Dome.
• Li Fei won the opening tip against O'Neal, tapped the ball to himself, and completed a midair alley-oop to put Team China ahead 2–0.
• Li Fei made a throat-slitting gesture toward O'Neal, prompting a referee to warn him about a technical foul and leaving Team USA enraged.

Li Fei dominated Team USA’s frontcourt with powerful defense, rebounds, and scoring as Team China held its lead. After Hakeem Olajuwon replaced Barkley, Li Fei beat him with a mid-range jumper, leaving the score 12–8.

• O'Neal backed Li Fei down, but Li Fei forced his hook shot to miss and grabbed the rebound over O'Neal and Barkley.
• Li Fei caught Li Xiaoyong’s long pass, raced past Barkley, and dunked over O'Neal to put Team China ahead 4–0.
• Jordan and Pippen led Team USA’s response, but Li Fei continued to defend the paint and score over O'Neal and Barkley.
• Team USA’s coach called a timeout and sent Hakeem Olajuwon in to replace Barkley.
• Li Fei faced Olajuwon in the post, turned to shoot over him, and made a mid-range jumper to give Team China a 12–8 lead.

Li Fei dominated Team USA in the first quarter, scoring 34 points as Team China took a 37–34 lead. Team USA began double-teaming him in the second quarter, but he repeatedly found open teammates, and the teams went into halftime tied 60–60.

• Li Fei traded baskets with Olajuwon, then answered Olajuwon's hook shot with a three-pointer to make it 15–10.
• Team USA replaced Olajuwon with David Robinson, but Li Fei kept scoring against Robinson and O'Neal as Team China finished the first quarter ahead 37–34.
• Li Fei scored 34 points in the first quarter, setting an Olympic men's basketball record for points in a quarter.
• Team USA began trapping Li Fei with multiple defenders, and he passed to Wang Zhizhi for a layup and Hu Weidong for a three-pointer.
• Li Fei continued creating open shots for his teammates as Team China and Team USA reached halftime tied at 60–60.

Li Fei led Team China to a 60–60 halftime tie against the Dream Team with 38 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 blocks. As both teams prepared for the second half, audiences around the world reacted to his performance.

• Li Fei grabbed a rebound on the final possession and passed to Hu Weidong, whose buzzer-beating three-pointer tied the score at 60.
• The commentators announced Li Fei's first-half statistics as the crowd celebrated Team China's unlikely tie.
• Team China's coach praised the players' teamwork, and Li Fei reassured Li Xiaoyong that his passing had helped create scoring chances.
• Jordan criticized the Dream Team's defense, and their coach assigned Jordan, O'Neal, and Pippen to contain Li Fei in the second half.
• Sports commentators and fans across China and around the world watched and discussed Li Fei's performance.

NBA legends and young players watched Li Fei dominate the first half, inspiring admiration and ambition around the world. As the game continued, Team USA's chances remained uncertain and the climactic second half still lay ahead.

• Wilt Chamberlain watched Li Fei score 38 points in the first half and saw echoes of his younger self, though he hoped Team USA would win.
• Bill Russell praised Team China's defense and Li Fei's passing while criticizing Team USA's lax defense and worrying about its chances.
• Moses Malone cheered Li Fei's toughness and rebounding, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar admired his shooting, post play, and stamina against elite centers.
• Ray Allen, Steve Nash, and Allen Iverson watched Li Fei and resolved to improve their own shooting, passing, and scoring.
• Kobe Bryant watched Michael Jordan and Li Fei, then vowed to surpass them and become the greatest basketball player in the world.

Team China battled Team USA to an 85–85 tie after three quarters, but a quick American run put China behind early in the fourth. Li Fei rallied his exhausted teammates and took responsibility for the offense, then received the ball against a double-team from O'Neal and Karl Malone.

• Li Fei and his teammates helped Team China match Team USA throughout the third quarter, which ended tied at 85–85.
• Jordan, Pippen, and Barkley led Team USA on a 7–0 run in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, making the score 92–85.
• Coach Gong Luming called timeout as Team China struggled with fatigue and missed shots.
• Li Fei urged his teammates to keep fighting and asked them to focus on defense while feeding him the ball on offense.
• Gong Luming backed Li Fei's plan, and Team China returned to the court determined to pressure Team USA.
• O'Neal and Karl Malone double-teamed Li Fei at the high post after he received the ball.

Li Fei led Team China’s comeback against Team USA with spectacular scoring, defense, and passing, helping them take a two-point lead in the final three minutes. Michael Jordan answered with a jumper to tie the game at 102–102.

• Li Fei broke through O'Neal and Robinson’s double-team for a floater, then scored a three-point play to narrow Team China’s deficit.
• Li Fei entered Zone mode, dunked past Karl Malone, and blocked Jordan’s drive before Coach Chuck Daly replaced Malone with David Robinson.
• Li Fei passed to Wang Zhizhi for an alley-oop dunk and inspired Team China to keep fighting as the score tightened.
• Li Fei drove through O'Neal and Robinson and made a three-point play over Jordan, putting Team China ahead 102–100.
• Jordan answered with a pull-up jumper over Hu Weidong, tying the game at 102–102.

Li Fei repeatedly answered Team USA’s baskets and gave Team China a five-point lead, but Michael Jordan hit a three to put the United States ahead by one with two seconds left. Coach Gong Luming called Team China’s final timeout, leaving the championship to be decided by one last possession.

• Li Fei faked a jumper and passed to Wang Zhizhi for an open layup that put Team China ahead 104–102.
• Jordan, Li Fei, and Barkley traded baskets before Li Fei’s fadeaway gave Team China a 108–106 lead.
• With 25 seconds remaining, Li Fei hit a three-pointer to extend Team China’s lead to 111–106.
• Jordan rejected the coach’s planned play and hit a three-pointer, bringing Team USA within 111–109 with 20 seconds left.
• With two seconds remaining and Team China down by one, Coach Gong Luming called the team’s final timeout.

With two seconds left and China trailing Team USA 111–109, Li Fei hit a buzzer-beating three to win the game 112–111. Team China celebrated a historic victory over Team USA.

• Coach Gong Luming trusted Li Fei with China’s final possession and told him to take a three if Team USA denied him a two-point shot.
• Wang Zhizhi and Liu Yudong set screens, and Hu Weidong inbounded the ball to Li Fei with 1.5 seconds remaining.
• Li Fei pump-faked Shaquille O’Neal into the air and stepped back beyond the three-point line.
• Li Fei released a three as Michael Jordan lunged to contest it.
• Li Fei’s shot swished through as the buzzer sounded, giving Team China a 112–111 win over Team USA.