Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian found themselves trailing 4-0 before they even received the ball.
Deng Huade wanted to call a timeout, but seeing Li Feng shake his head, he understood.
Li Feng wanted the other players to see the gap in skill.
During the training camp a few days prior, some Chinese players had become overconfident. They respected Li Feng, but they had started looking down on other national teams.
Guo Ailun, in particular, felt that while he might not be Li Feng's equal, he was definitely first-rate in international basketball.
Therefore, at the start of the game, Li Feng deliberately didn't handle the ball, wanting Guo Ailun to personally experience the strength of international basketball.
Guo Ailun was quite shaken. On the next offensive possession, he hesitated to receive the pass and sheepishly ran towards the corner.
Sun Dasheng passed the ball to Li Feng, who then advanced it up the court.
Seeing Li Feng with the ball, Beal became even more energized.
As the undisputed core of the University of Florida, Beal averaged 14.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 34 minutes per game.
His overall field goal percentage was 44.5%, and his three-point percentage was 33.9%. He had been named SEC Player of the Week.
His explosive performance in college made him very proud.
He had agreed to participate in the exhibition games in China specifically to challenge Li Feng.
Stealing the ball from Guo Ailun earlier had been a minor test, intended to intimidate Li Feng.
Now that Li Feng had the ball, Beal immediately charged forward, applying intense pressure.
Li Feng inwardly sneered, thinking, "Even NBA stars like Paul, Kobe, and Wade can't guard me; you think you can steal the ball from me?"
Bang!
Li Feng used his body to directly engage Beal, knocking him back over a meter.
Beal was stunned.
He had only used fifty percent of his strength to rattle Guo Ailun earlier, but now, putting in his full effort, he was sent flying so far by Li Feng's casual bump.
Beal felt as if he had been hit by a truck, his body aching intensely.
After knocking Beal away, Li Feng dribbled past half-court, and Waiters charged at him.
Waiters was over ten centimeters taller than Li Feng, with a longer wingspan and quick speed.
Although his defensive capabilities weren't outstanding, his effort was commendable.
Li Feng didn't pause; he accelerated and drove to his right.
Waiters rushed to cut him off, but Li Feng executed a spin move, leaving Waiters to his right.
Li Feng continued his drive into the paint, and Drummond abandoned Yao Ming to rush at Li Feng.
This was the last line of defense for the USA Collegiate All-Stars.
Li Feng could have easily passed the ball to Yao Ming to solve the problem.
But Li Feng wanted to show the Chinese players at this moment that these American college players were not invincible.
Swish!
Li Feng took a step inside the free-throw line with his left foot and took off!
Drummond was furious. He was an elite jumping center; what guard dared to dunk on him?
So, Drummond extended both arms straight, descending like Mount Tai upon Li Feng.
Guo Ailun was mesmerized. To witness a Chinese guard dunking on an American big man was simply spectacular!
Drummond thought he could suppress Li Feng, but Li Feng's explosive lift was too quick. He only saw a blur before Li Feng's stomach was at the same height as his head.
Bang!
A thunderous dunk! Li Feng's impact sent Drummond staggering back several steps!
Terrifying!
The American college players were all stunned into silence.
They finally understood that the Knicks' three consecutive championships under Li Feng's leadership were truly well-deserved!
After scoring, Yao Ming came over and chest-bumped Li Feng in celebration!
"Great dunk, Li Feng!"
In the following few possessions, the Chinese trio began to exert their influence and control the game, but the overall strength of the American college team was formidable.
Especially when Li Feng and Yao Ming were resting, the USA team went on a run.
At halftime, the Chinese men's basketball team was trailing by 7 points.
This was the difference in skill.
The other Chinese players, devoid of their earlier arrogance, looked dejected.
The gap between the NBA and CBA was indeed this vast...
During halftime, Yao Ming asked, "Does anyone still think we can be invincible in international basketball?"
Seeing the Chinese players hanging their heads, Li Feng clapped his hands to encourage them, "Everyone, calm down. We can't be blindly arrogant, nor should we be overly self-deprecating!"
"As long as we play with our coordination and execute our tactics, we can compete with any team!"
Li Feng and Yao Ming, playing good cop and bad cop, had perfectly managed the Chinese players' mentality.
The attitude of the Chinese players finally became grounded.
After the second half began, the Chinese players played much more rationally.
Guo Ailun reduced his one-on-one drives and increased ball movement, utilizing his speed advantage.
Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian, the Chinese trio, took on the main offensive and defensive responsibilities, with other players focusing on support.
With such a configuration, the Chinese men's basketball team was nearly flawless, and the USA Collegiate All-Stars began to falter.
By the end of the third quarter, the Chinese men's basketball team was leading by 12 points.
However, in the fourth quarter, with the Chinese trio resting, the other Chinese players finished the game, ultimately losing.
After the tournament, players like Beal, Drummond, and Waiters were completely convinced by Li Feng.
They came over to Li Feng, hugged him, and paid their respects with great admiration.
Li Feng smiled and chatted with them briefly, saying, "Next season, when I see you in the regular season, I won't hold back. Keep up the good work!"
...
This exhibition game had achieved excellent results.
In the following days of training, the Chinese players increased their strength training and shooting practice.
With Li Feng on the court, the other players had plenty of open looks.
Strength training was an area that Chinese players often overlooked. Through this exhibition game, they learned that no matter how good your technique is, you'll be at a disadvantage if you can't handle the physical contact.
Deng Huade was very satisfied with the outcome of the exhibition game.
Winning or losing was not important; learning was the most crucial aspect. Furthermore, Li Feng's displayed hard strength in this game had instilled genuine confidence in the Chinese players.
With only a week left until the Olympics,
Deng Huade felt the need for one more exhibition game for final adjustments.
He called Li Feng over, wanting to discuss which team would be a suitable warm-up opponent.
Li Feng pondered for a moment and replied, "Serbia."
Deng Huade was taken aback and asked, "Why? Serbia hasn't been very strong in recent years!"
Li Feng smiled, "Serbia has been a bit lacking these past two years, but we need a victory now to motivate the players. Moreover, Serbia's style of play is very similar to that of other teams in this Olympics, so we can adapt in advance."
Deng Huade gave Li Feng a thumbs-up, "Feng, I finally understand why you led the Knicks to three championships. Your strategic understanding of the team is also top-notch!"
"You flatter me, Coach. This Olympics, let's work together and achieve a good ranking!"
Deng Huade was also excited. This was his first time as the head coach of a national team.
If he could lead the Chinese men's basketball team to the top four, he would consider it a success.
But little did he know that Li Feng's goal was not just the top four!
Two days later, the Chinese men's basketball team played their second exhibition game against the Serbian national team.
Serbia was no weak opponent. They had not participated in the Olympics this year due to domestic issues, which prevented them from entering the qualifiers.
Given Serbia's strength, if they had participated in the qualifiers, they would have 100% made it to the Olympics, and at least reached the quarterfinals.
The Serbian Basketball Association took the invitation to China for exhibition games very seriously, sending almost all of their key players.
At 8 PM that evening, at the Beijing Capital Gymnasium.
The Chinese men's basketball team faced the Serbian national team.
Serbia's starting lineup was Milos Tepic, Stefan Marković, Nenad Krstić, Novica Veličković, and Milan Mačvan.
China's starting five were Li Feng, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Sun Dasheng, and Guo Ailun.
Since the Chinese men's basketball team had lost their first exhibition game, the fans' enthusiasm was not high today, and the seats were not full.
The Basketball Association hoped this game would be a spectacular performance, showcasing the spirit of the Chinese men's basketball team.
At the center jump ball, Yao Ming won the first possession.
Serbia's center was Nenad Krstić, who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
However, he was merely a bench player and did not even get on the court during the last NBA Finals.
Despite being an NBA benchwarmer, the European "White Bear" was still quite strong.
His solid physique provided a significant advantage, and his post-play was very effective.
Li Feng, with the ball in the backcourt, did not let Guo Ailun handle it. Given the ferocity of the Serbian players, he needed to send a message first.
Indeed, Serbia's Milos Tepic rushed to the frontcourt and applied tight defense on Li Feng.
He knew Li Feng was an NBA superstar and did not respect him at all.
If Li Feng were a black superstar, he probably wouldn't have had so many reservations.
But since Li Feng was of Asian descent, Milos Tepic felt Li Feng was overhyped.
Li Feng was mentally prepared and calmly used his fancy dribbling skills to toy with him.
Milos Tepic reached in multiple times, but couldn't even touch the ball.
Li Feng, not wanting to waste time with him, used a big change of direction and left him behind, crossing half-court.
Yao Ming was battling for position with Serbia's center, Nenad Krstić.
It had to be said that this "White Bear" possessed considerable strength. Yao Ming, after losing weight, had slightly less strength and was pushed around, looking somewhat flustered.
Li Feng did not pass the ball to Yao Ming but gestured to Yi Jianlian.
Brother Lian quickly ran towards the sideline, defended by Milan Mačvan, a power forward with good physical attributes.
Sun Dasheng suddenly stepped in and screened Milan Mačvan, creating an open look for Yi Jianlian.
Li Feng immediately passed the ball. After receiving it, Yi Jianlian faked, drove to the basket, and scored off the glass!
This was a classic play from the Knicks' internal strategies, with Sun Dasheng substituting for Bill Walker.
2-0!
The Chinese fans in the arena were ecstatic. They felt like they were witnessing an NBA star's game, and it was well worth it!
The Serbian players felt immense pressure.
Before Li Feng's emergence, the Chinese men's basketball team was no match for Serbia on the international stage.
Even during Yao Ming's prime years, they could only be considered evenly matched with Serbia, and that was with Yao Ming making a valiant effort.
Today, in the very first possession, the Chinese men's basketball team displayed exceptional tactical awareness, earning the respect of the Serbian players.
Serbia's offense.
Stefan Marković dribbled across half-court, and Guo Ailun stepped up to defend.
Perhaps due to his poor performance in the first exhibition game, Guo Ailun was determined to prove himself today.
Bang! Bang!
Guo Ailun had focused on strength training recently, making him confident, and he began to apply intense pressure on his opponent.
Stefan Marković was not as robust and was almost dispossessed by Guo Ailun's intensity, looking quite ragged.
But this Serbian guard was no pushover; his skills were quite good.
So, he used a fake, followed by a quick acceleration, which disrupted Guo Ailun's balance.
After getting past Guo Ailun, he casually tossed the ball to the inside center, Nenad Krstić.
Guo Ailun was furious. He hadn't expected his defense to still be lacking.
Li Feng ran over and patted him on the back; he didn't say anything, but it was a form of comfort.
Yao Ming's one-on-one defense against Nenad Krstić was a bit strenuous, mainly due to the opponent's strong lower body strength and powerful upper body.
Bang!
Boom!
Yao Ming was hit so hard he could barely stand steady.
Just as Nenad Krstić thought he could make the layup, Yao Ming suddenly extended his right arm, slap!
A "Yao Block" sent his shot flying.
Sun Dasheng, quick on his feet, grabbed the ball and initiated a fast break, with Guo Ailun also instantly sprinting.
The coordination between the two Chinese players was good, and they even executed a run-and-gun play, scoring two points!
Deng Huade, on the sidelines, clapped his hands with joy. His biggest concern was that the other players would drag down Li Feng and Yao Ming.
Now, it seemed that the others had integrated into the run-and-gun system and were performing well.
Nenad Krstić turned and glared at Yao Ming, his eyes filled with defiance and disbelief.
Yao Ming had clearly been pushed out of position, so how could he still get a block on him?
Yao Ming ignored him, simply turned away with a smile.
With Yao Ming's skill and ability, playing against him was quite easy; they were not in the same league at all.
Led by the Chinese trio, the Chinese men's basketball team unleashed wave after wave of offensive onslaught, widening the score gap.
Serbia was stunned. In the first six minutes of play, they were outscored 15-7.
Dejectedly, Serbia's head coach called a timeout.
Although this was just an exhibition game, the Slavic people of Serbia, by nature, possessed an indomitable spirit.
Losing was acceptable, but losing so badly was absolutely not!
Li Feng high-fived his teammates one by one, loudly encouraging them.
Guo Ailun and Sun Dasheng, in particular, played smartly, capitalizing on their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses.
Significant improvement in a short period was unrealistic.
For the Chinese men's basketball team to go further in the Olympics, they had to build around Li Feng and the other two, with everyone else playing a supportive role.
After the timeout, both sides made substitutions.
Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Guo Ailun left the court to rest, and Zhang Zhaoxu, Chen Jianghua, and Liu Wei entered the game.
Serbia also made two substitutions.