Chapter Seventy-Five: Semifinals (Part One)

With the end of the winter break, the Shimizu No.1 High School basketball team was finally ready to unveil the results of their grueling, month-long closed training. Each player had nearly completed a transformation.

Ninety-five, who had entered school at a height of 195 centimeters, had now grown to 198—matching his idol Kobe Bryant. His weight, once a lanky 140 pounds, had increased to over 170. Although he could still bulk up further, his body needed time to adjust to these changes.

Zhu Bo, on the other hand, underwent an opposite transformation. Previously, he strove to maximize his strength, but under the coach's guidance—and for the sake of the team's secret tactics—he realized that his 180-centimeter frame could only go so far in power. Zhu Bo embarked on a drastic diet, dropping from over 160 pounds to 140, becoming a speed-oriented player. Most of his training during that month was devoted to practicing three-point shots. He knew that, as captain, he was far less dazzling than Lin Nan or Zhao Zhongshi, but he hoped to make his own contribution in the final match.

Screw, at first, served as the team’s center. When Ninety-five arrived, he shifted to small forward, and after Zhao Zhongshi joined, he became the least conspicuous power forward. Yet Screw never complained about these natural adjustments, for he knew that starting as power forward was the best spot for him—no one else on the team could fill that role as well. Center Ninety-five kept improving, while Lin Nan and Zhao Zhongshi never had a poor game. Screw felt that he and captain Zhu Bo were almost dispensable on the court; even replacing them with any other two players seemed to make no difference to the team's overall strength. But Lin Nan, Ninety-five, and Zhao Zhongshi always treated them with respect, never ignoring or undervaluing their feelings.

For the sake of this respect, Screw spent the past month studying game footage, learning about screens, movements, and boxing out for rebounds. He hoped that when Lin Nan or Zhao Zhongshi needed him, he could be in the right place at the right time. If Ninety-five failed to grab a rebound, Screw would leap up and fight for it. He was aware that his 185-centimeter height was still inadequate for power forward, so he could only strive to become more agile, with a better sense of the overall game, ready to step up whenever his teammates needed him.

Zhao Zhongshi, always silent and seemingly reserved, was nonetheless known to all as "Godly"—a title not lightly bestowed. His hook shot was even more miraculous than Jabbar's, yet his expression remained as serene as the "Stone Buddha." No one knew how far his "divine hook" had advanced after a month of closed training.

Lin Nan, from the moment he debuted, was at his peak—just like his idol Iverson. But Lin Nan was aware that he lacked Iverson’s natural talent; still, his effort was no less than Iverson’s. This time, the championship was his for the taking!

...

Yesterday, Shimizu No.1 High School's basketball team flew to the capital. For most of the team, including Lin Nan, it was their first time on a plane. None of them had expected their maiden flight to be for basketball. After a night’s rest in a hotel prepared by the organizers, today the team arrived at the Wukesong Arena.

Wukesong Arena, located at the intersection of Chang’an Avenue and West Fourth Ring Road, had hosted numerous world-class events and welcomed many international sports stars during the Olympics. In 2008, it was designated as one of the capital’s eight major sports industry centers. With a floor space of 63,000 square meters and seating for more than 20,000 people, it was the basketball venue for the 2008 Olympics, the site of CBA All-Star weekends, CBA finals, and other major events. Now, it was also the stage for the semifinals and finals of the National High School Basketball League.

According to the draw, Jiangyuan High School would face Yangcheng High School, while Shimizu No.1 High School would go up against Dongshan High School. The first match this afternoon was the former. As for the draw result, Coach Gorilla commented that it was neither good nor bad. Most people believed that Yangcheng High School was the strongest, while the other three teams were about equal. In Gorilla’s eyes, Dongshan High School was a bit stronger than Jiangyuan, since Shimizu No.1 wasn’t afraid to compete with Jiangyuan in stamina, but Dongshan’s Gaoshan Tai was nearly invincible under the basket—a wild card.

One advantage, though, was that their match was the second one, allowing them to observe Yangcheng High School’s approach to big games and gauge their strength. Soon, it was two in the afternoon. The players of Shimizu No.1 High School had all arrived at the venue, seated in a VIP suite. The suite was close to the court, with an excellent view. Dongshan High School enjoyed the same treatment, in the neighboring suite.

The lowest ticket price for this semifinal had already been inflated to over five hundred, while the best seats—like those in the front row—were ten times higher, reaching more than five thousand. Yet enthusiasm couldn’t be restrained, and the arena was packed to the brim. To prevent one side’s fans from outnumbering the other, organizers split the tickets in half: one half sold in the East China region, home to Yangcheng High School, and the other in West China, home to Jiangyuan High School. The organizers could only ensure equal numbers of fans on both sides; which side was more passionate or louder was beyond their control.

Shimizu No.1’s suite had a small gallery connected to the room. At that moment, Lin Nan and Wang Jinsong stood on the gallery, chatting.

Wang Jinsong glanced at the sea of people in the arena and smiled at Lin Nan. "Have you noticed? Everyone on our side are Han Chinese, from East China, fans of Yangcheng High School. Across from us, it's all ethnic minorities, from West China, fans of Jiangyuan High School."

Lin Nan replied with a smile, "You're right, this match is fascinating—it feels like a basketball friendship game between the peoples of China. Such grand occasions can only happen here."

Wang Jinsong continued, "Suddenly it makes sense why Jiangyuan High School has such good stamina—they all live on the plateau, their lung capacity is high, so their endurance is excellent."

Lin Nan scoffed, "Hmph, I’ve known that for a long time."

Wang Jinsong laughed and called out, "Always so clever, aren’t you!"

...

Meanwhile, in a certain VIP suite in the stands, a group of tall, robust young men sat chatting and laughing. Anyone present would have recognized them as the strongest cohort of domestic CBA professional players.

One man joked, "Even our finals tickets never cost this much, and this is just the semifinals!"

Another chimed in, "Exactly, and when have our matches ever packed out the arena?"

A third added, "What can you do? All the players on the court are Chinese! Tell me, were you as strong as Wang Shiying in high school? Or Lin Nan? Or Zhao Zhongshi? Or Gaoshan Tai?"

The group fell silent, none daring to claim superiority over any of those four. Moreover, they knew Lin Nan was still a freshman this year—at that age, with that physique and skill, it was almost monstrous!

Yet, thinking about it, they all smiled. The future of Chinese basketball looked bright.

One man remarked, "Honestly, the person who started ‘Shishu Net’ and launched this basketball league has done so much for Chinese basketball."

Another replied, "Too bad Brother Yao won’t tell us who it is. I’m really curious, but he says the guy is just very low-key."

A third commented, "Who isn’t? If I’d created something this good, everyone would know my name by now!"

The last said, "Just from what you said, it’s clear you could never have thought up ‘Shishu Net’ with its selfless creativity!"

The man replied, "I was just saying."

With that, they dropped the topic and turned to watch the "high school players" on the court.

What they didn’t know was that, in the suite above them, sat the founding team of Shishu Net and the organizer of the National High School Basketball League—Yao Ming.

Yao Ming looked at the man beside him and smiled. "President Lin, you sure kept it well hidden. I only learned today that Lin Nan is your son. Truly, a tiger father breeds no dogs!"

Wan Cong, sitting nearby, laughed as well, "We only found out today that Lin Nan is his son—talk about keeping it under wraps. But we should have guessed: with President Lin’s deep understanding of basketball, his son would naturally be outstanding."

Lin Lang replied with a smile, "It’s alright. I taught him a bit, but mostly it’s his own hard work. I originally thought Lin Nan would have a shot at the championship next year at the earliest, but with Zhao Zhongshi joining Shimizu No.1, they have a chance this year."

Yao Ming sighed, "Yes, Zhao Zhongshi is a high schooler I admire more and more. The first time I saw his hook shot, I knew it wasn’t talent or luck—it was the result of countless hours of training."

Seeing Wan Cong and Lin Lang nod, Yao Ming continued, "I truly love these young people who are passionate about basketball. In the past, so many similar talents were shut out of professional games because of height or other barriers. Maybe some really couldn’t make it professionally, but maybe some just lacked the journey and opportunity to grow."

Yao Ming grew increasingly animated. "Now, thanks to this National High School Basketball League, they all have a platform to test and prove themselves! For that, I thank President Lin!"

As he finished, Yao Ming bowed deeply to Lin Lang.

Lin Lang quickly supported the giant at his side and shifted the topic, "We’re all here for basketball. You, me, and many others alike—no need for thanks. The game’s about to start; let’s head out to the gallery and watch."

With that, they stood and moved to the suite’s balcony. Lin Lang, seeing his own head barely reach Yao Ming’s waist, couldn’t help but laugh. He knew, too, that within this towering frame beat a heart wholly devoted to the development of basketball.