Thanks to the athlete's good flexibility, Paul would have been pulled and injured otherwise. Even so, he was stretched to his limits.
Paul immediately put on a pained expression, propped himself up with his hands, and remained in the split position, unable to move.
The home crowd was roaring with laughter at Paul's splits.
Li Feng pretended not to see, continued his drive, and went into the paint, passing a simple assist to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming easily dunked the easy pass, and the Chinese trio once again scored through cooperation.
Only after Yao Ming completed his dunk did Li Feng turn back and see Paul being awkwardly helped up by his teammates.
Li Feng suppressed a laugh, walked past Paul, and asked, "Good flexibility, have you practiced before?"
Paul's face contorted with anger as he rubbed his crotch with both hands, grimacing.
In the ensuing game, Paul became much more restrained, no longer daring to make any dirty plays.
The Knicks went on another run in the latter half of the third quarter, extending their lead to 27 points.
The Clippers' fate was sealed.
Li Feng and his main teammates were done for the day, with the fourth quarter turning into garbage time.
In the end, the Knicks won decisively against the Clippers at home.
What was expected to be a closely contested match turned into a one-sided slaughter.
Li Feng played 28 minutes and scored 32 points, Yao Ming had 24 points, and Yi Jianlian had 17 points.
The Chinese trio made their first start together and achieved a great victory!
After the game, the media went wild!
In NBA history, aside from American-born players, no other international players had ever been on the same team, let alone started together.
ESPN: "Chinese Trio Starts Simultaneously, Combined for 73 Points, Creating a Milestone for International Players!"
Sports Illustrated: "Shocking! Chinese Players Explode in Unison for the Knicks!"
Yahoo Sports: "Li Feng is No Longer Lonely; Chinese Teammates Unite to Secure Victory!"
...
Not only the American media, but the Chinese media was even more sensational, with every section of their headlines dominated by the day's game.
Especially in the entertainment section, news about domestic celebrities was pushed to the bottom.
It couldn't be helped, given how handsome and sunny Li Feng was.
The American film industry saw an opportunity.
One day, while Li Feng was training with his teammates, General Manager Burke called him to his office.
Upon arriving at the office, Li Feng saw a man in his forties with a full beard sitting opposite Burke.
"Li Feng, come here, let me introduce you. This is Dave Green, the director of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie."
"Director Green, I don't need to introduce Li Feng, do I, haha!"
Dave Green was very excited. Upon seeing Li Feng, he immediately stood up, transforming into an avid fan.
"Hello Li Feng, hello, I'm your fan! Whenever I have time, I watch your games. Even when I don't have time, I watch replays."
Such a prominent director was speaking a bit incoherently with excitement.
Li Feng had never heard of the man, but he politely shook his hand. "Hello, Director, I'm honored, hehe."
After both sat down, Director Green explained his purpose.
"Mr. Li Feng, my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is about to start filming, and the script is basically finished. Can I invite you to play a role?"
Li Feng refused without hesitation.
"I'm sorry, Director Green. Our games are very intense, and we have to train regularly. Please find someone else to play the role!"
General Manager Burke was surprised and stared at Li Feng with wide eyes.
It was known that the NBA was a commercial league, and players would jump at any opportunity for exposure.
Although Li Feng was not short of money, an opportunity to appear in a blockbuster movie was rare.
Moreover, cooperation between the sports and entertainment industries would be a beautiful story.
But Li Feng refused without hesitation?
Dave Green hadn't expected this either; he thought his sincerity would move Li Feng.
He gave a wry smile and said disappointedly, "Well, alright then. I really can't delay your training..."
Li Feng saw that Director Green was genuinely sincere and didn't have the airs of a big director, so he thought for a moment.
"Director Green, how about this? I can't play a role, but you can film some scenes during our training or games, and I can appear on screen."
Li Feng understood the principle; Dave Green wasn't looking for his acting skills but merely to ride on his popularity.
Dave Green was overjoyed. He hadn't expected Li Feng, so young, to be so thorough.
"Great, great, then it's settled. We'll contact you again when we're ready to film. Thank you, thank you!"
"You're welcome. Actually, I really like watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I hope you can make it well and have a box office hit!"
"Haha, after filming, if you have time, I'd like to invite you to the premiere, would that be okay?"
Li Feng smiled and nodded, "If I have time, I definitely will!"
They chatted for a while longer, and Dave Green left contentedly.
General Manager Burke patted Li Feng's arm and said enviously, "You're so popular right now. By the way, the editor-in-chief of Time magazine just called; they want to take photos of you. You're on the cover of the next issue."
Although Li Feng wasn't interested in the media, he thought Time magazine was quite good.
"Alright, I'll let you know after training."
After the Knicks defeated the Clippers, both the media and fans became more confident about the Knicks' goal of a three-peat.
Although Yi Jianlian was slightly inferior to Stoudemire in offensive power, he was younger, more energetic, and more aggressive on defense.
More importantly, he had a natural chemistry with Li Feng and Yao Ming that Li Feng hadn't even anticipated.
Perhaps it was the genes of growing up together.
For example, a similar play like a pick-and-roll followed by a pull-up jumper.
Li Feng could sense Yi Jianlian's position without looking and pass the ball directly to him.
Or, driving to the baseline and lobbing the ball near the rim, where Yi Jianlian could catch it for a thunderous dunk.
With the help of Li Feng's system, Yi Jianlian's physical fitness, offensive and defensive skills had greatly improved!
...
The Knicks' next game was an away game against the Thunder.
The Thunder were currently second in the Western Conference and third in the league, and were also on a hot streak.
Durant, after several seasons of development, scored as easily as taking something from his pocket, making him extremely difficult to defend.
Harden, coming off the bench, was like Manu Ginobili of the Spurs in his prime, often dominating the opposing reserve lineup.
Westbrook was unstoppable, his drives often causing chaos in the opponent's defense.
Ibaka, not yet injured, had incredible leaping ability, very similar to Dwight Howard in his prime, providing crucial help defense that anchored the Thunder's defense.
Such a Thunder team fueled endless imagination among fans.
Therefore, the media started hyping up this game even before it began.
The Knicks represented the peak of the league, while the Thunder's young "Big Four" represented the future contenders for the championship.
As an American sports league, the league office naturally preferred their own players to be the face of the league.
For example, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, and so on.
International players could win championships, but winning too many, especially a three-peat, was not ideal.
Therefore, the Thunder became the league's favored team because they were young and full of potential!
This season, the Thunder had received considerable favorable calls, though the Thunder's strength was undeniable.
As soon as Li Feng arrived at the Thunder's home arena in Oklahoma City, he was surrounded by the media.
The reporters all wanted to hear Li Feng say some bold words, so that if he lost, they could ruthlessly criticize him.
However, Li Feng remained calm. He simply said, "There's nothing much to say. The Thunder are a very strong team, but we are not weak either, and this is just an ordinary regular season game."
The reporters were disappointed, thinking Li Feng didn't care.
In reality, Li Feng cared a great deal.
As a transmigrator, he knew what the Thunder's Big Four meant!
If not for the Thunder's management giving up Harden to save a few hundred dollars, the Thunder could have achieved great things.
Of course, this was only one reason; Durant's personality, Westbrook's playing style, and the front office's inaction were all reasons why the Thunder had yet to win a championship.
Despite his casual words, Li Feng and his Knicks teammates trained very diligently.
Especially how to defend Durant, Westbrook, and Harden, they had put in a lot of effort.
According to the coaching staff's research, the responsibility of defending Durant was placed on Yi Jianlian, the responsibility of defending Westbrook on Li Feng, and the responsibility of defending Harden on Chauncey Billups and Raymond Felton.
Others were fine, but Yi Jianlian was under immense pressure.
That was KD!
He had already won two scoring titles!
Li Feng knew that Yi Jianlian lacked confidence, so he pulled him aside.
"Yi Jianlian, your physical attributes are already good. What's important is your defensive technique."
Yi Jianlian scratched his head, "Durant is a scoring champion. I'm afraid I really can't defend him."
"It's normal not to be able to defend him completely. Just try to limit him as much as possible. Durant will be a historically great scorer in the future."
Hearing Li Feng say this, Yi Jianlian became less nervous and asked, "Teach me some techniques quickly, at least make him uncomfortable!"
"Listen to me, Yi Jianlian. Durant's crossovers are incredible, and his shooting is from everywhere. What you need to do is stay low and stick to his legs."
"My legs aren't that strong either!"
"Yi Jianlian, you need to be confident. Your strength is not bad. Even if Durant fakes you out, you must stick to his legs. If you only focus on his arms, you can't defend him!"
Li Feng was indeed describing the only effective way to defend Durant.
Because in his previous life, Li Feng had seen players like Tony Allen and Patrick Beverley use this method to limit him.
Completely shutting him down was impossible, but limiting his field goal percentage below 40% would be considered a success.
And Durant had another weakness: stamina.
Staying low and sticking to his legs would make KD uncomfortable, forcing him to exert more effort to break free and jump, thus consuming more energy.
Yi Jianlian nodded repeatedly. Then, Li Feng had the lanky Brandan Wright imitate Durant's offense, and Yi Jianlian went to defend him.
Brandan Wright was, of course, far from Durant, but under Li Feng's guidance, he was learning quite well.
Yi Jianlian diligently stuck to his legs and indeed found it very uncomfortable.
Every time he jumped for a mid-range shot, he felt the strain.
As Brandan Wright repeatedly shook his head, Yi Jianlian suddenly realized that this technique really worked!
...
At the press conference, Li Feng and Yi Jianlian were interviewed by the media.
These reporters had no good intentions; their questions were designed to trap them.
"Mr. Li Feng, the Thunder's record is similar to the Knicks. The Thunder have their 'Big Four,' and the Knicks have the 'Chinese Trio.' Which do you think is stronger?"
Li Feng proudly replied, "Of course, it's our Chinese Trio, because we have better chemistry, and the Knicks teammates are more outstanding!"
This emotionally intelligent response not only boosted confidence but also praised his teammates.
A reporter then asked, "Durant has already won a scoring title and is leading the scoring list this season. Does this mean his scoring ability is stronger than yours?"
Li Feng shrugged, "Durant is indeed a very strong scorer, but I also won a scoring title once. And this season, my goal is not the scoring title at all, but the three-peat!"
The implication was clear: he and Durant were not on the same level, and their goals were different.
In fact, this season, Li Feng's average points were only 1.3 points less than Durant's, ranking third in the league, which was still impressive.
It was just that Li Feng had finished many games by the third quarter and didn't intend to chase individual stats.
"Li Feng, are you willing to have a scoring duel with Durant in this game?"
"Scoring duel?" Li Feng frowned.
He wasn't very interested in scoring now, but playing away, if he didn't dare to accept a scoring duel, it would mean he was scared.
"Yes, are you willing to have a scoring duel with Durant?"
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just that I'm even more eager for the team's victory! Since you're asking, I'll tell you that I will not only surpass Durant in points, but I'll also take the team victory!"
The reporters cheered; this was the hype they wanted.
Hearing this, Yi Jianlian also clenched his fists in secret.
To help Li Feng, he had to give his all tonight to limit Durant and let Li Feng outscore KD!
A reporter then asked Yi Jianlian a question.
"Mr. Yi Jianlian, since joining the Knicks, you've integrated very well. Will you still be starting tonight?"
"Yes, I am starting."
"And who will you be guarding? Durant?"
"That's right. I'll do my best to defend him. You can tell Durant that he needs to be careful tonight!"
Yi Jianlian was indeed much more confident. He wasn't yet a superstar, but he dared to openly challenge Durant, showing he had adapted to the NBA culture.
Li Feng was also very happy for him. After Yi Jianlian finished speaking, he immediately high-fived Yi Jianlian as encouragement!
...
At eight o'clock in the evening, at the Ford Center arena.
The Knicks were visiting the Thunder.
During warm-ups, Westbrook proactively approached Li Feng for a hug and chatted for a bit.
Westbrook's character was impeccable; he was always sincere with his teammates and other players.
However, after a brief chat, Westbrook suddenly dropped his smile and said seriously, "Li Feng, you've been in the spotlight for two years. This year belongs to the Thunder, and tonight, I'm going to blow you off the court!"