Bill Duffy, seeing that Li Feng truly did not want to get involved with Jenna, said meaningfully, "How about this, I'll be upfront with Jenna and say you're not looking to date right now, okay?"
"That's great, Bill, I'll trouble you with this!"
Li Feng felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Bill was resourceful, and his intervention would surely solve the problem. kanshu5.xià
The Knicks' next game was an away match against the Nets. Li Feng and Yi Jianlian once again had a "China Derby." The Knicks ultimately won the game.
Li Feng scored 31 points in this game, playing only three quarters.
Yi Jianlian also played well, scoring 26 points in 35 minutes.
Due to Yi Jianlian's resurgent form this season, his All-Star voting numbers were also substantial.
He was currently ranked eleventh, and if this form held, he would be a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
Following this, the Knicks traveled to face the Rockets and won again.
After two consecutive away games, the Knicks returned home to prepare to face their final All-Star opponent, the Mavericks.
The Mavericks had been defeated by the Knicks in their previous home game.
Therefore, this game was considered a rematch for the Mavericks.
Just as Li Feng was focusing on his training, preparing for Dirk Nowitzki's challenge, Jenna once again appeared at the stadium entrance.
Li Feng's Knicks teammates were all teasing him.
"Hey, Li Feng, good taste! Jenna is really gorgeous, and she's from the Kardashian family, you've hit the jackpot!"
Li Feng, however, dropped his smile and roared angrily, "Train properly! I have nothing to do with her!"
His teammates were startled, thinking Li Feng was being overly humble.
As training ended, all the players left the stadium, but Li Feng did not.
He decided to train for an additional two hours.
Jenna was, after all, a girl, and Li Feng didn't want to embarrass her face-to-face.
The Knicks teammates found this unbelievable and watched the spectacle unfold at the entrance for a while.
They expected Jenna to become angry and leave in frustration.
However, Jenna waited by the entrance, showing no intention of leaving.
...
Two hours later, Li Feng slowly walked out of the stadium.
He was surprised to find Jenna still standing by the red sports car, waiting for him.
Li Feng suddenly felt a pang of emotion. He had originally intended to make Jenna back down, allowing both of them to save face.
But Jenna was willing to endure the ridicule of others and continue waiting for him.
Li Feng's heart softened, and he slowly walked towards Jenna.
"Are you done training? Let's go eat!" Jenna was dressed very lightly today, and after standing outside for two hours, she was shivering a little.
Li Feng took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
"Why don't you understand? Why are you waiting for me?"
"Because I want to see you!"
"..."
Li Feng knew that American girls were bold and proactive, but actually experiencing it made him feel a little uncomfortable psychologically.
"Alright, but I hope this is the last time!"
...
While eating, Li Feng once again stated his position to Jenna: he did not want to date.
But Jenna didn't seem to care. She smiled sweetly and said, "It's okay, can't we just be good friends?"
Li Feng understood. Jenna probably did like him a little, but her real goal was to create hype for herself.
The Kardashian family became famous socialites in America precisely because they were skilled at creating buzz.
Now that Li Feng was the rising star in the NBA and also handsome, and Jenna had just debuted, her family had surely advised her to associate herself with Li Feng.
Whether they dated or not was secondary; as long as there was ambiguity and entanglement, the media would have material.
Li Feng then reconsidered. Since that was the case, he might as well be friends with her. After all, he had a clear conscience.
Moreover, since Jenna had made the first move, it wouldn't be good to create too much animosity between them, as they were both in the same industry.
"Alright, Jenna, then we're good friends, and only friends, understand?"
"I understand..." Disappointment flickered in Jenna's eyes.
...
Soon, rumors of Li Feng and Jenna spread like wildfire across major media headlines.
The two of them tacitly denied the rumors in front of reporters, both stating they were just ordinary friends.
But no one believed them. Many reporters were secretly following and tailing them, hoping to catch evidence of the two being together in private.
However, Li Feng gave the reporters no opportunity. Aside from occasionally having dinner with Jenna, he never spent the night with her alone.
Bill Duffy was very satisfied with Li Feng's handling of the situation.
"Haha, Li Feng, you've got a knack for this, you've got Jenna completely under your thumb! You two are now the top trending topics in sports and entertainment!"
Li Feng smiled helplessly, "There's nothing I can do. If they want to create buzz, let them. Anyway, the NBA is a commercial league, and there's no stopping the media from creating hype."
"Yes, you're thinking correctly. Do you know that sales of Red Star sports products have surged in the past few days? Our market share in the US has entered the top ten!"
To enter the top ten in the US market is already an incredible achievement.
Just a few months ago, Red Star was a small brand with zero international market share.
The Knicks defeated the Mavericks again at home. Nowitzki's revenge attempt failed, but he and Li Feng had a very pleasant conversation.
As fellow international players, Nowitzki was full of admiration for Li Feng's recent performance.
Li Feng had not only surpassed LeBron James in All-Star voting but also led his team to the league's best record.
For a rookie, this was an unprecedented and impressive record.
After the game against the Mavericks, the Knicks, with a record of 33 wins and 6 losses, stood proudly at the top of the league.
The second-place team in the East was the Cavaliers with a record of 31 wins and 8 losses.
The third-place team in the East was the Magic with a record of 30 wins and 9 losses.
The top team in the West was the Lakers with a record of 29 wins and 10 losses.
From the standings, it was clear that the Eastern Conference was very strong this season.
On February 12, 2010, the All-Star voting deadline passed, and Li Feng became the top vote-getter for this All-Star game, surpassing LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard, achieving the remarkable feat of a rookie being the top vote-getter.
The starting lineup for the Eastern Conference All-Stars this year was Li Feng of the Knicks, Dwyane Wade of the Heat, LeBron James of the Cavaliers, Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, and Dwight Howard of the Magic.
The reserves included Allen Iverson of the 76ers, Derrick Rose of the Bulls, Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats, Paul Pierce of the Celtics, Al Horford of the Hawks, and Rajon Rondo of the Celtics.
The starting lineup for the Western Conference All-Stars was Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Steve Nash of the Suns, Carmelo Anthony of the Nuggets, Tim Duncan of the Spurs, and Amar'e Stoudemire of the Suns.
The reserves included Chauncey Billups of the Nuggets, Deron Williams of the Jazz, Pau Gasol of the Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Thunder, Jason Kidd of the Mavericks, Zach Randolph of the Grizzlies, Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks, Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers, and Chris Paul of the Hornets.
Yao Ming of the Rockets was supposed to be in the starting lineup, but Yao Ming injured his knee in a previous game and would be absent.
When Li Feng heard about Yao Ming's injury, his heart skipped a beat.
In his previous life, Yao Ming had been plagued by injuries during these two years, so he needed to lose weight.
However, the Rockets had constantly pressured Yao Ming to gain weight, and now, he had finally gotten injured. Li Feng was furious.
Before the All-Star game, the two had another phone call.
"Brother Yao, how is your injury?" As soon as the call connected, Li Feng asked with concern.
"Alas, it's an old problem. I'll be fine after a few days of rest." Yao Ming's tone was casual, but Li Feng could hear the bitterness in his heart.
"Brother Yao, don't hesitate anymore, request a trade!" Li Feng couldn't hold back and uttered these words angrily.
He had also hoped for Yao Ming to come to the Knicks before, but he had never directly said it.
Li Feng was truly anxious this time. kanshu le
Yao Ming was silent for a few seconds and said, "Okay, I'll request a trade after the All-Star game. Can the Knicks accept me?"
Li Feng smiled, "Brother Yao, what are you talking about? As soon as you request a trade, countless teams will be clamoring for you, and the Knicks will certainly be among them, with full sincerity!"
"Coach D'Antoni has told me more than once that he hopes to acquire you!"
Yao Ming was very touched and nodded, "Okay, let's do it."
...
With Yao Ming's promise, Li Feng's mood brightened considerably.
Although the Knicks had the best record this season, Li Feng lacked confidence in reaching the finals because the Knicks' interior defense was too weak.
Playoff games and regular season games were different. If you had a weakness, it would be exploited.
Historically, teams with point guards as their core had a very difficult time competing for championships.
Even with Michael Jordan's strength, the team's center, Luc Longley, was only average. At the very least, his defense couldn't be a significant liability.
However, the Knicks' interior players were essentially ATMs for opposing big men, and they would be severely outmatched in the playoffs.
With Yao Ming, the Knicks would become a fearsome Chinese "Dream Team," unassailable!
...
The first day of the All-Star festivities was the Rookie Challenge.
Although Li Feng was a rookie, he only played symbolically for a little over a minute in the Rookie Game.
The reason was simple: Li Feng's skill level far surpassed that of other rookies. If he played seriously, the other rookies would have no chance.
Li Feng needed to shine in the All-Star Game itself!
Ultimately, the first-year rookies defeated the sophomore rookies 140-128, with Tyreke Evans and Blair being named the Most Valuable Players.
The next day was the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
Li Feng was invited to participate in the dunk contest.
In fact, given Li Feng's personality, he wouldn't have wanted to participate in the dunk contest, as he preferred practical dunks, meaning dunks performed during games.
However, when he saw that many people on forums and in the media believed Li Feng was afraid to participate in the dunk contest, Li Feng felt indignant.
Li Feng's competitive spirit was ignited.
Therefore, he accepted the organizing committee's invitation to participate in the dunk contest.
Five contestants participated in this year's dunk contest: Li Feng, Nate Robinson, Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, and Eric Gordon.
Among these participants, Nate Robinson was the defending champion.
"Nate the Great" Robinson, standing at a mere 173 cm, possessed astonishing leaping ability.
Shannon Brown was also a dunk enthusiast, frequently showcasing explosive dunks during games.
Thus, the competition in this year's dunk contest was quite fierce.
Li Feng had designed several dunk moves for this dunk contest.
Although he didn't care about his ranking in the dunk contest, Li Feng greatly desired to provide a spectacular visual experience for the audience.
The first contestant in the dunk contest was Shannon Brown. His dunks were not overly complex, featuring a 360-degree spin and a powerful slam.
Although successful, his dunks lacked creativity, and he only received 44 points.
The second contestant was Eric Gordon.
Gordon's dunk had a bit of innovation: he threw the ball off the backboard, caught it on the other side, and executed a reverse dunk!
While it was innovative, his execution was very strained and lacked aesthetic appeal.
Furthermore, he attempted it twice before barely completing it, and the judges awarded him 45 points.
The third contestant was Gerald Wallace.
Wallace's dunk was somewhat difficult. He chose to collaborate with a teammate.
Unfortunately, the coordination was not smooth, or perhaps he was a bit nervous. He attempted the move twice, both times failing, and was thus eliminated.
The fourth contestant was Nate Robinson.
Since he had won the previous year's dunk contest against Dwight Howard, his popularity was very high. As soon as he appeared, he was met with thunderous applause from the fans.
"Nate the Great" did not disappoint, successfully completing his first dunk.
His moves were still spectacular. He collaborated with two teammates, leaping over a teammate's head for a powerful slam.
However, because his teammates lowered their heads as he jumped, the difficulty was somewhat reduced, and the judges awarded him 48 points.
Li Feng was the last to appear.
When he walked out, the entire audience stood up and applauded, cheering. This reception was undoubtedly that of a superstar.
Li Feng waved continuously to the crowd, acknowledging them.
His popularity was immense!
Several members of the judging panel also clapped enthusiastically and smiled.
Speaking of today's judges, they were truly legends.
First was Jordan's idol – Dr. J, famous for his windmills, Clyde Drexler, Shawn Kemp, Spud Webb, and finally, Michael Jordan himself!
Such a star-studded judging panel was a historical first.
Li Feng's first dunk was a free-throw line leap dunk.
When Michael Jordan won his first dunk contest, it was precisely with this free-throw line dunk.
Moreover, it was this dunk that earned him the nickname "Air Jordan"!
Although a few physically explosive players had managed to complete free-throw line dunks later, in terms of aesthetics, only Jordan deserved the title of "Air Jordan."
Li Feng chose this move to pay tribute to Jordan and, at the same time, to showcase his equally explosive leaping ability.
*Bang... bang...*
Li Feng dribbled the ball near the half-court line, then slowly accelerated. The moment his left toe touched the free-throw line, he soared into the air.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Li Feng, holding their breath for him.
After all, he was only 1.9 meters tall, quite a bit shorter than Jordan. If he could complete this dunk, it would truly be another human limit-breaking achievement.
*Bang!*
Before his body descended, Li Feng extended his long arms, swung his large hand, and powerfully slammed the ball into the basket!
He succeeded!
The audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, marveling at Li Feng's free-throw line dunk.
The five legendary judges also nodded continuously, expressing their admiration for Li Feng's dunk.