The Reverse-Growth Giant
Chapter 13

Successfully Drew Attention (Please Vote)

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"God's Left Hand" was Luke Ba Weiyuan's nickname back in the NCAA. His tough style, combined with his habit of shooting left-handed, had made him a dominant force in college.

In fact, before this game, Luke Ba Weiyuan had been just as dominant in the G League. After all, he had received formal basketball training and been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. And what kind of players filled the G League?

Unknown players, streetballers, high-flyers who could dunk but lacked fundamentals, unruly types... Compared to that bunch, a fundamentally sound Luke Ba Weiyuan was practically heaven-sent.

But today, in the small city of Oklahoma, Luke Ba Weiyuan's reign had been completely brought to an end.

By then, the game had reached the fifth minute of the fourth quarter. The Blue Team led by 13 points, and they had maintained a double-digit lead for quite some time.

Luke Ba Weiyuan had scored only 13 points so far. Considering he had already put up 7 in the first quarter, his performance today could hardly be called impressive.

Ever since that yellow-skinned player in the number 5 jersey had entered the game in the first quarter, the balance had been shattered.

At this point, there was little suspense left about the outcome. Throughout the game, the Blue Team had suppressed the Skyforce, who had traveled all the way from Miami. If they had been capable of a comeback, they would have turned the game around long ago.

The only remaining point of interest was whether number 5, Link, could record a triple-double today.

That was right. At the beginning of the second quarter, Ba Weiyuan had not wanted Link to get a double-double. But now, in the fourth quarter, Link was charging toward a triple-double.

"23 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Link has been absolutely incredible today. Since the second quarter, with more help defense coming his way, Link has cut down on his own shot attempts, but his assists have increased accordingly. There are five minutes left. Do you think this remarkable kid can get a triple-double?"

When the game had just begun, both commentators had said Link would be crushed by Luke Ba Weiyuan. Now, however, both had changed their tune and said they hoped to see Link secure a triple-double.

That was why, if a yellow-skinned player wanted to earn respect on the basketball court, he had to show his ability and destroy whoever was matched up against him.

Once you won, people could no longer make a big deal out of your skin color.

"A triple-double won't be difficult for him. Luke Ba Weiyuan hasn't put any pressure on Link at all today. But the game isn't over yet, and the Skyforce still have a chance."

As he spoke, Link received another pass.

At first, the Blue Team's point guard had always liked passing to Brockman. Rather than "liked," though, it was more accurate to say he had been forced to. Once Brockman stopped working, the point guard had started liking to pass to Upshaw instead.

Although attacking off the dribble was not Upshaw's strength, he had indeed been the Blue Team's most reliable source of efficient scoring at the time.

But now, the point guard would hand the ball to Link as soon as he crossed half court. Last game, Link had been an idiot who committed two straight turnovers the moment he stepped onto the court. Today, though, he had become the teammate everyone trusted most.

Link controlled the ball beyond the three-point line and surveyed the court. Clearly, he had become the Blue Team's true point guard.

The number 5 forward waved a hand, and Jon Brockman, the second-round pick who had always carried himself like some old master, obediently came up to set a screen for Link.

Though he grumbled under his breath, he still did it. It was not because Brockman and Link had gotten closer, but because Brockman had already feasted on plenty of easy baskets today. He knew that setting screens for Link would help him put up good numbers as well.

To G League players, stats mattered more than anything, even more than winning.

Screen, dribble, drive.

Unfortunately, Link was not fast enough, allowing the opponent to switch easily. If Link had possessed Grant Hill's athleticism in his prime, that move alone would have been enough for him to explode to the rim for a dunk.

But the Skyforce were, after all, only a G League team, and their switching was far from airtight. Finding a gap, Link gently lofted the ball. The basketball sailed over Luke Ba Weiyuan's head and dropped into the hands of the cutting Brockman.

It was the most basic pick-and-roll play, but Brockman and Link had found it unstoppable all day.

This time, however, as Brockman went up for the layup, Sioux Falls's paint beast, Whiteside, came charging out. Whiteside had been the Skyforce's best player today, with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks so far.

But Whiteside was not the type of player with strong self-created offense, so with his team trailing by a wide margin, there was very little he could do.

Under Whiteside's interference, Brockman's layup regretfully clanged off the rim. Just as Luke Ba Weiyuan prepared to launch a fast break, Link appeared perfectly at the spot where the rebound would fall. He did not jump high, nor was he quick off the ground. But being able to predict where a rebound would land was sometimes more important than leaping ability.

And Grant Hill had been precisely the kind of forward with an exceptionally sharp nose for rebounds. Naturally, that rebounding instinct had also appeared in Link.

After grabbing the offensive rebound, Link quickly kicked the ball out beyond the three-point line. On the right side, Link's best friend, Zeke Upshaw, was already in position. Because Brockman's layup had missed, the player who had been tightly guarding Upshaw had left him.

That kind of opportunity could not escape Link's eyes. His ability to read the game was undoubtedly the best on the court.

And Upshaw was undoubtedly the most reliable three-point shooter on the court.

The moment he caught the ball, Upshaw fired. Just like on the practice court, the two best friends completed their most seamless combination.

"Zeke Upshaw hits another three! He already has 17 points today, even though he averages only 9.8 per game. I think Link's arrival has made the teammates around him better. Whether it's Brockman or Zeke, both have gotten plenty of easy shooting opportunities today. Those kinds of easy scoring chances simply weren't there in previous games."

As the commentators praised Link, that possession added another assist and another rebound to his stats.

23 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Link was now within reach of a triple-double!

Everyone in the arena felt the same thing—the G League seemed far too easy for Link.

The 2010-11 season had been a heartbreaking one for Chinese fans. After Yao Ming had missed an entire season, people had eagerly awaited his return.

Yet not long after the "Great Wall of China" returned, he was injured again, and everyone knew that this injury would be devastating for Yao Ming.

His body might not be able to withstand another surgery, and his ankles had become unbearably fragile. The biggest loss for the NBA, however, was that it no longer had a Chinese player capable of attracting the enormous Chinese market.

The golden era when Sun Yue, Yi Jianlian, and Yao Ming had all played in the NBA was over, and the NBA had become far less appealing to Chinese fans. Naturally, the league was troubled by this and had been working to find the next player to carry Yao Ming's torch.

At that moment, many team general managers heard a piece of news.

"In the G League, an unknown Chinese American recorded a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists over Luke Ba Weiyuan."

Triple-double, Chinese American, unknown... Those keywords undoubtedly struck a nerve with many NBA team general managers.

From then on, the Blue Team's home games would likely have plenty of NBA scouts keeping Link company.

End of Chapter
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