Chapter 818: The Man Everyone Wanted to See
Before the NBA Finals began, Yao Ming called Chen Yan and Yi Jianlian separately to congratulate them.
He wished both of them luck in their championship pursuit and hoped that a successful Finals run would give them even more confidence heading into the London Olympics.
The Finals matchup also drew predictions from numerous former NBA stars.
Patrick Ewing had no hesitation.
"The Knicks are going to win the championship. New York fans have waited too long for this moment. I believe they are the stronger team overall."
He continued.
"The most important thing now is maintaining concentration for every second of every game. You cannot give San Antonio opportunities because they are too experienced to waste them."
Magic Johnson was more interested in the contrast between the teams.
"This should be a fascinating series. San Antonio and New York represent 2 very different styles of basketball."
"The Spurs represent a more traditional approach, while the Knicks represent the direction the modern game is moving. I am looking forward to seeing which style wins."
Reggie Miller also favored New York.
"San Antonio might take 1 or 2 games, but I have New York winning the series and lifting the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy."
"I believe that strongly."
Hakeem Olajuwon focused on the age difference.
"This is going to be a difficult series for San Antonio. New York is younger and more athletic."
He paused.
"Tim Duncan is obviously one of the greatest players ever, but he is 36 years old now. Manu Ginóbili is 35. You cannot ignore that."
"If New York gets the game moving at its preferred run and gun pace, San Antonio could have serious problems."
David Robinson naturally defended his former team.
"The Spurs you see in the regular season and the Spurs you see in the Playoffs are not the same team."
"When the NBA Finals begin, they will raise their level again."
"They have experience. They understand pressure. They are not afraid of anybody."
"I believe San Antonio will be the team standing at the end."
Shaquille O'Neal laughed before giving his prediction.
"I want to support my old friend Duncan."
Then he shook his head.
"But I am sitting in front of a microphone, so I have to tell the truth."
"I think New York has the better chance."
Shaq smiled.
"They have Chen Yan. That man is different."
Most former stars favored the Knicks.
A smaller group backed San Antonio.
Among fans in China, however, the support was overwhelmingly behind New York.
Many believed San Antonio's era had already passed.
They had little interest in watching another series dominated by slow half court basketball.
Time passed quickly.
June 10 arrived.
The NBA Finals were finally here.
The moment the arena announcer began the introductions, Madison Square Garden erupted.
The atmosphere climbed with every Knicks player who emerged from the tunnel.
Then Chen Yan's entrance music began.
The building exploded.
His name echoed through the arena as the announcer delivered his introduction.
The roar reached another level.
During warmups, Chen immediately began practicing from deep beyond the 3 point line.
He did not walk over to greet San Antonio's players.
Part of the reason was simple.
He was not particularly close with most of them.
But there was another reason.
Chen had spent days building himself into the right mental state for this series.
He did not want casual conversation to soften that edge.
There was a fire inside him.
During his 1st season with New York, the Knicks had been eliminated earlier than he wanted.
This season, Chen had only 1 acceptable ending.
A championship.
That was the standard he had set for himself.
It was also the best way he could repay the New York fans who had supported him.
Game 1 would be played at Madison Square Garden.
The Finals were being broadcast live across multiple countries.
Before tipoff, television cameras swept across the crowd.
The stands were filled with celebrities.
It looked as though half the entertainment industry had found its way into the arena.
The sports world was equally well represented.
David Beckham.
Serena Williams.
Usain Bolt.
And many others.
Chen did not go courtside to greet anyone.
There were simply too many famous faces.
If he spent a few minutes talking to every person he knew, half of his warmup would disappear.
He was here to play basketball.
Not socialize.
His attention stayed on the court.
Several Knicks legends were also in attendance.
Patrick Ewing had returned once again.
This time, nobody from arena security tried to stop him from entering.
The security guard involved in the previous incident was already gone.
Soon, the starting lineups were announced.
New York Knicks:
Curry.
Chen Yan.
Shane Battier.
David West.
DeAndre Jordan.
San Antonio Spurs:
Tony Parker.
Kawhi Leonard.
Stephen Jackson.
Boris Diaw.
Tim Duncan.
After leaving Phoenix, Diaw had eventually joined San Antonio.
His role with the Spurs resembled what he had once done with the Suns.
He was not merely another big man.
He could operate as an interior facilitator, using his passing and basketball IQ to connect the offense.
The players moved into position for the opening tip.
The referee tossed the ball into the air.
DeAndre won it.
New York had the first possession of the NBA Finals.
Madison Square Garden erupted.
After an entire season, the moment everyone had waited for had finally arrived.
Curry brought the ball up.
Across from Chen stood Kawhi Leonard.
A rookie had been assigned one of the hardest jobs in basketball.
Guard Chen Yan.
Leonard's expression revealed nothing.
Calm.
Emotionless.
Almost mechanical.
Nobody could tell what he was thinking.
But there was hardly a perimeter defender in the NBA who could stand across from Chen without feeling some pressure.
New York immediately ran a set.
Curry and David West initiated a high pick and roll.
Curry was dangerous both as a shooter and as a driver, which made the action difficult to defend.
Diaw switched onto him.
Curry studied the matchup for an instant.
Then accelerated.
He drove toward the free throw line.
His eyes moved toward the corner.
Chen was there.
Curry tried to pass.
Too obvious.
Leonard read it perfectly.
Steal.
Curry's first possession of his first NBA Finals ended in a turnover.
A little nervousness had shown.
Leonard secured the ball and initially tried to advance.
Chen immediately pressured him.
After 2 dribbles, Leonard picked up the ball.
There was no panic.
Rather than risk another aggressive move against Chen, he chose the safer option.
Pass to Parker.
Parker calmly brought the ball across half court.
San Antonio immediately slowed the game into its preferred half court rhythm.
Curry gave Parker a step of space.
He knew Parker was not a dangerous 3 point shooter.
It was an obvious invitation.
Shoot.
Parker ignored it.
Years earlier, that kind of defense might have irritated him into forcing something.
Not anymore.
Popovich had spent years turning Parker into an organized and disciplined point guard.
He followed the system.
Parker called Duncan toward the top.
Pick and roll.
The other 3 Spurs spaced beyond the 3 point line.
All 3 possessed enough shooting ability to demand attention.
That opened the middle for Parker.
Duncan screened.
DeAndre stepped up.
Parker saw the switch.
Then accelerated.
Fast.
Much faster than DeAndre expected.
Parker's speed had always been one of his defining weapons.
Once he turned the corner, most big men had little chance of staying with him.
He reached the paint.
Right handed layup off the glass.
DeAndre jumped from behind.
His hand barely missed the ball.
The shot dropped through.
2 to 0.
Parker's finishing ability around the basket was exceptional.
In a single season, he had attempted 667 shots near the rim and converted 437.
65.5 percent.
An extraordinary number for a point guard, even better than many dominant interior scorers.
When efficiency and volume were considered together, Parker had earned a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous guards inside the paint.
New York came back down.
Curry crossed half court.
The turnover from the opening possession made him slightly more cautious.
He stopped near the top and surveyed the movement around him.
Chen began in the left corner.
Then he sprinted toward the right corner.
DeAndre stepped into Leonard's path and set an off ball screen.
Battier immediately reacted.
As Chen moved toward the right, Battier vacated that side and crossed toward the left corner.
The chemistry between them had become instinctive.
When Chen moved, Battier understood where the floor needed to open.
But Chen's route was not finished.
The moment he reached the right corner, he suddenly accelerated toward the wing.
David West stepped out.
Another screen.
Leonard was caught.
Curry delivered the pass.
Chen caught it on the wing.
Diaw stayed back instead of immediately switching onto him.
A mistake.
Diaw realized it almost immediately.
The player standing across from him was not someone who could be given that much space.
Chen Yan.
Diaw lunged forward.
Too late.
Chen had already risen.
3 pointer.
Swish!
2 to 3.
Madison Square Garden exploded again.
The Finals had barely begun.
And Chen Yan had already announced his presence.
....
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03].