China Team

The basketball training gym in the Olympic Village was somewhat shabby. By the time Kobe arrived, another team was already practicing on the court.

Seeing their red jerseys and Asian faces, Kobe could not help wondering, Could this be the Chinese team?

"Hello!" Kobe called out to them in Chinese. Having visited China many times, he could speak a few simple phrases.

The head coach of the China Men's National Basketball Team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was Gong Luming. Who was Gong Luming? As a player, he had led China to what was then its best-ever result in 1986—the ninth place at the World Championship. In 1987, he was named Best Guard and Best Shooter at the National Games. After retiring, he became a coach for the China Men's National Basketball Team in 1991 and won the Asian Championship three times.

At the moment, he was in the prime of middle age. Leading this golden generation of Chinese basketball players, he was preparing to achieve results at the Olympics.

"Hey, who's that Black kid? Is he greeting us?" Gong Luming asked Zhang Weiping beside him. Zhang Weiping was currently serving as the team's interpreter, organizing and coordinating the off-court affairs for the men's basketball team at these Olympics.

"No idea. He looks familiar, though. I'll go ask." Bold yet meticulous, Zhang Weiping walked over to Kobe.

Starting in 1973, Zhang Weiping had spent eight years on the national team. Many people only knew that he had averaged 25 points per game at the World Championship, but few knew that he was actually the first-generation "high flyer" of Chinese men's basketball.

At the eighth World Championship, where world "superpowers" such as the United States, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Brazil, Italy, and Canada competed, sixteen elite teams battled it out. China finished eleventh, making the world basketball scene take notice. Zhang Weiping delivered outstanding performances and led the tournament in scoring. He was nominated by the event as a top athlete, praised as a "sharpshooter," and awarded the title of scoring champion.

After representing the national team to win the tenth Asian Championship in 1979, he chose to retire at his peak. After retiring, Zhang Weiping entered the Beijing Institute of Physical Education for further study, then went on to continue his education in the United States. His lover at the time was studying at the University of Chicago, so that was Zhang Weiping's first stop after arriving in America. At the University of Chicago, Zhang Weiping worked part-time in the university library while also serving as a trainer for the college team.

In Zhang Weiping's own words, he was not really a trainer at all, just a handyman. Later, Zhang Weiping applied for a position in the school's finance department, starting from scratch and doing several times more work than others.

During his time in the United States, he repeatedly assisted in arranging and organizing visits, training sessions, games, and inspections for Chinese teams and basketball club administrators, while also organizing and helping American coaches come to China to give lectures.

Kobe and Zhang Weiping were old friends. He knew that Zhang Weiping would later become Coach Zhang, and because Zhang Weiping liked Kobe so much, players jokingly called him Weiping Bryant.

"Young man, who are you? Were you greeting us?" Zhang Weiping looked at Kobe, thinking he had misheard him earlier.

"Hello!" Kobe first said in Chinese.

"Whoa! You can speak Chinese? That's impressive!" In that era, foreigners who could speak Chinese were exceedingly rare. Chinese people of the time still lacked confidence, and when foreigners embraced their culture, they felt immensely proud.

"A little, a little." After saying that, Kobe began speaking with Zhang Weiping in English. Zhang Weiping's English had a Chinese accent, but after many years living in the United States, they communicated quite smoothly.

"Good lord, this kid is from the Los Angeles Lakers! And he knows China well too!" Zhang Weiping turned back and told Gong Luming.

Zhang Weiping then introduced Kobe to the players, and they chatted for a while and exchanged contact information. The Chinese team's roster for this edition included Wu Qinglong, Li Xiaoyong, Li Nan, Shan Tao, Hu Weidong, Wu Naiqun, Liu Yudong, Zheng Wu, Sun Jun, Bater, Wang Zhizhi, and Gong Xiaobin.

Kobe remembered that Bater and Wang Zhizhi would both make it to the NBA in the future. They had considerable talent. Kobe thought that if he had the chance, he could help them out.

The Chinese players trained very hard. Seeing that, Kobe left to do his own training. In any case, they would have another chance to interact in a game in a couple of days.

"This is China Men's National Basketball Team's warm-up game, brought to you by All Under Heaven TV. Soon to compete at the Atlanta Olympics, they will face the Los Angeles Lakers' young squad in this game. What kind of performance will they deliver? Stay tuned." The commentator spoke with a Beijing accent as somewhat blurry footage played on the television.

"This game will be called by Xu Jicheng and Su Qun. The team in red is China, while the team in white is the United States."

"Coach Xu, please analyze the two teams for us," Su Qun asked.

"Neither team can be underestimated. The Chinese team, which just won the Asian Championship, plays a fast, small-ball, agile style, emphasizing that both man and ball must move. Quick ball movement and nimble offense are their tactical trademarks."

"The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, have an outstanding young talent. Seventeen-year-old Kobe Bryant put up an impressive 37 points in the previous game. Dubbed Jordan's successor, he has drawn the attention of a great many American media outlets."

"On China's side, Liu Yudong and Hu Weidong, both in their prime, are also worth looking forward to!"

"Alright, we can see the game officially beginning. The opening tip is underway, and the Lakers win possession."

"What are the Lakers doing? Their other four players have spread out, leaving the entire court open for seventeen-year-old Kobe Bryant!"

"Hu Weidong is defending Kobe, and Hu Weidong has taken up a standard defensive stance. Kobe does not hesitate—two between-the-legs dribbles shake him free. He drives to the basket, windmill! Even the backboard is shaking! What a powerful slam!"

"An unimaginable dunk! His fully extended motion in the air is a feast for the eyes! Without question, this play could make the NBA's Top Ten Plays on any given day!"

"That dunk is a sharp wake-up call for our players. Never underestimate any American player, even if he is only a high school student!"

"The United States does not fall back on defense. They have chosen a full-court press, which is very unwise. China's guard line is renowned as one of the best in the world."

"No! Kobe! Kobe Bryant steals the ball! It's Kobe again, another dunk. China is a little stunned—they cannot inbound the ball, five-second violation! Under the Lakers' Kobe-led defense, China's famed passing and ball-control game has lost its luster. It is as though China is the high school team!"

"China calls a timeout. More excitement after the commercials!"