The interview process was relaxed, and Li Feng didn't feel nervous or constrained, so time passed quickly.
The two-hour interview ended soon.
By the time Li Feng finished the interview, it was already two in the afternoon, but he still drove to the stadium for practice.
The Knicks' next regular season opponent was the Magic.
The 2009 Magic team was full of talented players.
Dwight Howard, known as "Superman," was at his peak, and they had also traded for the "Alien," Vince Carter.
Coupled with a group of shooters on the team, the Magic had a high chance of breaking out of the East this season.
Before this game, the Magic were also on a four-game winning streak, so the media and fans once again focused their attention on the two teams.
During the pre-game interview, Dwight Howard expressed his stance.
Because Li Feng had dunked over Howard in the Olympics, Howard stated that he would definitely stop the Knicks' winning streak!
Vince Carter also expressed his views on Li Feng during his interview.
He first admitted that Li Feng was a very outstanding rookie.
But Carter then said, "Li Feng has dunked over many people, and he is indeed great, but in this game, I will definitely dunk over him. Just you wait and see!"
Carter's dunks were the most distinctive in NBA history.
Unparalleled height and powerful slams!
That's why he was called the "Alien."
His most famous dunk was the "dunk of the century" over French center Frédéric Weis in the Olympics!
It was a true "ride" dunk, flying over the opponent's head!
Carter's dunks had decreased in the past two years, but he had improved his three-point shooting, indicating that Carter was not just a dunker.
He was still continuously improving his skills.
Therefore, Carter was unconvinced by Li Feng, believing that he could not only dunk over Li Feng but also compete with him in three-point shooting!
Reporters loved seeing such head-to-head provocations and immediately published Carter's words as a headline.
Li Feng saw the news and simply smiled.
He knew Carter's strength, and Li Feng also highly admired Carter's dunks.
Li Feng's dunking movements were most inspired by Jordan and Carter.
A blend of aesthetics and power!
The game hadn't even started, but the smoke of war was already filling the air, and fans were eagerly anticipating the dunk-off duel between Carter and Li Feng!
Furthermore, both teams were on four-game winning streaks and tied for first place in the league, which was another major talking point.
Two days later, at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home court, they hosted the Magic.
The Knicks' starting lineup remained Li Feng, David Lee, Gallinari, Duhon, and Jeffries.
The Magic's starting five were Howard, Carter, Lewis, Nelson, and Barnes.
Right from the tip-off, Howard secured the first possession for the Magic.
On the Magic, Howard had built a defensive system around himself.
With this lineup, they were playing impressively in the league.
Nelson brought the ball past half-court, and seeing Howard establish position, he directly lobbed the ball into the paint.
After receiving the ball, the "Superman" turned and exploded, delivering a thunderous dunk over David Lee!
It was incredibly dominant.
Howard's leaping ability was astonishing, and his takeoff was extremely quick; it was truly unguardable.
Li Feng had intended to provide help defense, but he was a step too late.
On the Knicks' offense, Li Feng brought the ball past half-court, still wanting his teammates to get going first.
David Lee received Li Feng's pass, faked, drove to the basket, and went for a layup off the glass!
He thought his speed was sufficient, but just as the ball was about to hit the backboard, Howard leaped rapidly, waved his hand, and SWISH!
A rim-rocking block!
It was terrifying!
David Lee's vision went dark as the ball was swatted away.
The ball bounced into Barnes's hands, and they immediately initiated a fast break.
Barnes, Lewis, and Carter crossed half-court, with Li Feng and Duhon retreating on defense.
The ball found its way to Carter, who drove straight for the basket.
Li Feng's speed was incredible, and he was already waiting in the paint.
The crowd's eyes were wide open; they were waiting to witness the showdown between Carter and Li Feng!
This moment had finally arrived.
The cameras also focused on the two players from various angles.
Carter stepped into the free-throw line with his left foot and leaped into the air. Almost simultaneously, Li Feng also jumped from a standstill.
Both players had extremely quick takeoffs, and in the blink of an eye, they reached their apex.
Carter was eight centimeters taller than Li Feng and possessed excellent leaping ability, so he expected to easily dunk over Li Feng.
However, once he was in the air, he was shocked to find Li Feng's large hand already on the ball!
Carter was momentarily stunned, but it was too late to back down; he couldn't retract his move now and could only proceed with a grim determination.
He intended to use his strength to push Li Feng aside and then switch hands for the dunk.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng showed no intention of yielding and went head-to-head with him in mid-air!
The crowd heard the collision of their bodies, BOOM!
Carter couldn't complete the dunk and was driven back!
Li Feng held the ball tightly, and Carter also grabbed the ball, neither willing to let go!
The referee quickly rushed over and called for a jump ball.
Li Feng was the first person to force Carter's dunk attempt into a jump ball situation!
The Knicks' home crowd erupted in frenzied cheers; this scene was truly breathtaking.
Li Feng, who was half a head shorter than Carter, managed to stop Carter's dunk. His speed and power were terrifying!
Carter was completely bewildered. He stared at Li Feng, finding it utterly unbelievable.
After all, Carter had competed against countless dunkers, and even Howard had been dunked over by him in practice sessions.
Yet, the young Li Feng was able to shove his dunk attempt back!
The giant screen in the stadium repeatedly played the footage of Carter's failed dunk, which was incredibly embarrassing.
Carter's nickname "Alien" might have to be transferred to Li Feng.
The two stood at the free-throw line for the jump ball.
It was another face-to-face contest.
The referee tossed the ball high into the air. Carter leaped with all his might, and Li Feng jumped at the same time.
Just as Carter thought he would easily secure the possession, Li Feng suddenly exploded upwards, his arm reaching higher than Carter's.
This...
Impossible!
Li Feng's fingertips were about five centimeters higher than Carter's, and he tipped the ball to his teammate Gallinari first.
Gallinari made a long pass to Duhon, who was near the center line.
Duhon initiated a fast break and scored on a layup!
Li Feng's excellent defense helped the Knicks gain 2 points!
The Knicks fans were ecstatic; they hadn't witnessed a player with such explosive talent on their team in a long time.
And that was Carter!
"Alien" Carter had been outplayed by Li Feng twice in a row!
Failed dunk, failed jump ball!
Would Carter dare to call himself a dunker from now on?
Li Feng had also provocatively wagged his finger at Carter, conveying a clear message—
"You can't dunk over me!"
Carter's emotions were significantly affected; he felt it was impossible!
Seeing his teammate Carter being suppressed by Li Feng, Howard was furious.
As the team's core, he had to defend Carter's honor!
On the next possession, the Magic attacked.
Howard received the ball near the baseline, deliberately raising it high with both hands and looking left and right, waiting for Li Feng to come and help defend.
Li Feng was indeed coming to help defend and stood next to Howard, intending to double-team Howard with David Lee.
Howard made a half-turn and drove towards Li Feng.
Li Feng was startled, then unhesitatingly stepped up to block him.
BANG!
Howard first bumped into Li Feng, wanting to test Li Feng's physical strength.
Given Li Feng's weight, being hit by a dominant center like that made him step back.
Howard was still greatly surprised. He had used all his strength; even a heavy guard would have been knocked back one or two meters.
Li Feng only retreated a small step?
And he seemed perfectly fine, continuing to press forward.
A hint of panic arose in Howard's mind. He continued to dribble, wanting to make a couple of moves before forcefully driving to the basket for a dunk.
As he dribbled, Li Feng suddenly reached out and, with lightning speed, poked the ball away.
Although Howard's dribbling skills were average, his physical presence was undeniable. With his side angled against Li Feng, Li Feng should not have been able to reach the ball.
But Li Feng did touch the ball and stole it!
While Howard was still bewildered, Li Feng had already secured the ball and launched a counterattack.
Howard's attempt to avenge Carter had failed.
Infuriated, Howard strode past half-court, wanting to block Li Feng and regain his composure.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court. In fact, with his speed, he could have easily outrun Howard by a greater margin.
But a flash of inspiration struck him, and he decided to toy with Howard a bit and draw a foul.
So, Li Feng deliberately slowed down, making himself look a bit unsteady.
Howard rejoiced and quickly closed the gap, almost paralleling Li Feng.
"Hmph, let's see how I block your shot!" Howard muttered to himself, observing Li Feng's footwork.
As he approached the basket, Li Feng acted as if he didn't see Howard. He pushed off with his left foot and leaped into the air, appearing to prepare for a layup off the glass.
Howard rose to his full height and swung his right hand fiercely, aiming to swat the ball from Li Feng's grasp!
The fans at the Knicks' home arena couldn't bear to watch. Howard was now known as "Superman," and his shot-blocking ability was extraordinary.
Countless dunkers in the league had been taught a lesson by him, and it seemed Li Feng was no exception.
Just as everyone thought Li Feng was about to be severely blocked, Li Feng suddenly ducked in mid-air and pulled the ball back to his chest.
Howard's hand missed!
If it were any other center, they would have been stunned. But Howard's physical abilities were truly amazing, and his reflexes were quick. He immediately realized Li Feng might attempt a reverse layup.
So, Howard swiftly extended his left hand towards Li Feng's chest.
Even if it meant a foul, he had to knock the ball out of Li Feng's hands; this was a matter of pride!
Li Feng made a second move in the air: he switched the ball to his left hand, extended it forward, and executed a reverse layup!
Simultaneously, his right arm remained across his chest, deflecting Howard's attack.
In a flash, they performed several offensive and defensive moves in the air.
It was precisely because of these two players' long hang time that they could execute such aerial maneuvers.
However, it happened so quickly that the audience didn't see it clearly; only the slow-motion replay later allowed everyone to witness this thrilling scene!
SWISH!
SWISH!
Howard's hand also hit Li Feng's right hand, while Li Feng's left-handed reverse layup went in.
BEEP!
The referee's whistle blew, calling a blocking foul on Howard!
The spectators hadn't even seen what happened clearly, but they knew a basket was made and began to cheer.
Howard landed on the ground, glaring at Li Feng, his face full of shock.
Li Feng's move had a theatrical element; after the layup, he used Howard's shove for momentum, rolled twice on the ground, and then rubbed his arm before standing up.
This not only protected him from injury but also allowed the referee to see it and gain some sympathy points.
When the replay of Li Feng's basket was shown on the big screen, the crowd erupted in even more fervent cheers and screams!
"Incredible! Li Feng did several moves in the air!"
"Oh my god! This play is so similar to one of Jordan's old plays!"
"Does this kid know the 'Dream Shake'? He's too strong!"
...
Poor Howard, once again becoming the background for Li Feng's classic scoring play.
He shook his head in frustration and walked aside.
The Knicks players rushed over excitedly, chest-bumping and shouting with Li Feng; that play was incredibly satisfying!
Li Feng went to the free-throw line and made the additional shot!
With the Magic boasting two "aerialists" in their lineup, Li Feng had managed to humiliate both Carter and Howard consecutively, which was unbelievable to everyone watching the game.
Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy held his head in his hands, watching this scene.
In his mind, Howard was the most talented player in history. While his offensive skills might be average, Howard's defense was what gave him the most confidence.
That's why he was determined to build the team around Howard, with the "Superman" almost solely responsible for their defense.
The Magic's playing style was maturing, and Van Gundy felt confident in dominating the league.
But today, "Superman" was being outplayed by a young Chinese guard!
He could clearly see that Li Feng had deliberately slowed down, waiting for Howard to block him.
Who in the league had the confidence and the nerve to do that?
With Howard right behind him, anyone would try to evade him, but he actually waited for him!
This...
Is this a first-year rookie?
The Magic were clearly affected by these two plays, their morale sinking. Howard and Carter no longer called for the ball, looking dejected.
In such a situation, the offensive burden fell on Nelson.
Point guard Nelson possessed strong offensive capabilities and played a very modern style at the time, with a high proportion of three-point attempts and sharp penetration.
He was known as a smaller version of Deron Williams.
Nelson had long wanted to teach Li Feng a lesson, as Nelson was also a hothead who didn't back down from anyone.
Because the media always referred to him as a smaller version of Deron Williams as praise, he was inwardly dismissive, believing himself to be stronger than Deron!
Therefore, every time the Magic played the Jazz, Nelson played with great intensity, and his statistics were on par with Deron's, showing no inferiority.
Now, with a rookie guard consecutively humiliating Carter and Howard, Nelson naturally felt compelled to step up.
The Magic continued their offensive drive. Nelson had the ball at the top of the arc, guarded by Duhon.
Li Feng wasn't paying much attention to Nelson, as his target was Carter.
But Nelson deliberately intended to provoke Li Feng, so he signaled to Carter. Carter immediately came over, set a screen on Duhon, and switched to guard Li Feng, leaving Nelson with Li Feng.