Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 609 - 205: Unprecedented Reputation, No Freedom at All (Cross-Day Second Update!) _2

With the help of his teammates, Durant shot 6-for-12 in the half, including 4-for-8 from three and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, totaling 20 points and 4 rebounds.

However, in the face of the Chinese Team featuring Qin Yue and Yao Ming, Durant's individual performance was obviously unable to change the course of the game.

With Qin Yue handling the pace of the game, the Chinese Team only had 1 turnover in the half.

This meant that the United States team could not execute their favorite transition offense on the court.

Without fast breaks, turning into half-court play, besides Durant, this United States team lacked a stable second scoring option.

Whether it was Rose or Westbrook, who Coach K favored more, their potency would be greatly reduced on the international stage.

Because in the FIBA where there is no defensive three seconds, Rose and Westbrook would find themselves facing Chinese Team's seven-foot-tall inside players every time they charged in.

Moreover, most critically, since Chandler had already received 3 fouls in the first half, the United States team even had to resort to letting Love play center in the second half.

This further decreased the United States men's basketball team's interior height and allowed Qin Yue to be completely unleashed.

That's right, despite the feeling in the first half game that the interior guarded by Chandler was always under the mercy of Yao Ming.

But when Chandler functioned as a help defender to protect the rim for the United States team, he was the only one inside who could restrain Qin Yue.

In the second half, with the United States team losing their last firewall, Qin Yue began calling out each of the United States team's wing players on the court.

Moreover, after every call-out and one-on-one play, Qin Yue would vouch for his good brother.

On the court, after squeezing past Iguodala's defense into the paint and easily scoring two points, Qin Yue teased, "Your defense is far worse than Brown's."

Next possession, after knocking down Odom and dunking powerfully under the basket, Qin Yue laughed, "Your defense is not even a tenth of Brown's."

On the sidelines, watching each United States wing player labeled "Not as good as James" by Qin Yue personally, Coach K could only risk putting Chandler, already with three fouls, back on the court.

Then, Chandler, who quickly fouled out, did not even realize until he received his fifth personal foul that in FIBA, five fouls would lead to being benched.

"Looks like I overthought it," Yao Ming said to Qin Yue when Chandler was fouled out, "American Basketball is indeed lacking."

In fact, if Coach K had directed properly, Qin Yue believed that this United States team had a complete chance to defeat the Chinese Team.

However, who would have thought that until the fourth quarter, Coach K did not remember that his United States team had a player named Stephen Curry?

Throughout the game, setting a team record, Durant scored 38 points, becoming the only fig leaf for the United States team on the night of the finals.

But on the scoreboard, the score between the Chinese-American Teams was 102 to 90.

After the game, Qin Yue, with an outstanding performance averaging 42 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal per game, was unsurprisingly named the World Championship's best player.

"Under KD's leadership, American Basketball has shown us progress, but to defeat that deity on the international stage, American Basketball obviously still needs to do better."

During the interview, Durant took responsibility: "We let him score '50+' (54 points) against the United States team once again, I failed to bring out a matchable performance, which is the main reason we lost."

Compared to the redemption dreams shattered two years ago, Kolangelo, the American Basketball Association President, prepared for the loss, said in an interview: "This summer, with so many superstars unwilling to play for the country, I think KD's performance has fully proven that American Basketball is still at the world's top level."

Under the leadership of Qin Yue, the Chinese Team has stormed to the top of the world for two consecutive major tournaments.

This not only further increased Qin Yue's personal momentum to surpass Jordan, but also made him the sole GOAT in the FIBA arenas in the eyes of many fans.

"It's clear that with Qin Yue, we are number one in the world, and without him, we might only be a second or even third-rate team," said Yao Ming at the press conference.

Perhaps at this moment, Chinese fans might think Yao Ming was being modest.

But time will ultimately prove...

How invaluable Yao Ming's modest assessment is at this moment.

After the finals, Qin Yue actively sought out Curry, who had a very unpleasant performance in this World Championship.

"Don't be upset, next major competition, remember to gift your coach a television, so you will not have to come off the bench anymore," Qin Yue joked, patting Curry's shoulder.

In the United States team, there has always been a hierarchical ranking.

Such as the Paris Olympics Qin Yue remembered.

If Curry hadn't already established ample prestige in his past professional career, with just his poor performance before the semifinals, he likely wouldn't even have had the chance to vindicate himself later.

In 1984, even the less experienced Jordan was ordered by then-coach Bob Knight to apologize to the entire team after being sternly scolded.①

Qin Yue clearly understood that even if he played for the United States team in his Rookie season, he would likely be relegated to the corner to smoke and would honestly do the dirty and tough work for other superstar players on the court.

In fact, in Qin Yue's memory, later generations criticize Chinese Basketball for ranking by seniority mostly because their own performance was too disappointing.

After all, in competitive sports, especially team sports like football and basketball, ranking by seniority is often an essential way to maintain the stable operation of a team.

...

As the World Championship concluded.

Qin Yue, who did not pause for a moment in Constantinople, was immediately whisked away to China by major sponsors.

As the greatest athlete in Chinese sports history, this is undoubtedly a ridiculous situation.

Because every summer Qin Yue wants to return to his country, each time he returns, he cannot enjoy a peaceful and tranquil vacation, instead being used by his sponsors like an ox or horse.

Additionally, Qin Yue, who would cause a sensation wherever he went domestically, had no personal freedom or private space at all.

Although Qin Yue knew this was the price for his fame.

But whenever he thought about the rest of his life where even going out to buy a Jianbing Guozi would attract the world's attention...

Qin Yue couldn't help but enter a shutdown mode.

In October, after ending his ox-and-horse life and the days when he was constantly watched like a panda, Qin Yue officially returned to Oakland to prepare for the new season.

According to Mike Malone's arrangement, Qin Yue wouldn't be participating in this year's team's preseason training camp, so he would still be indulging in his debauched vacation life until the new season arrived.

Comforting and helping Sharapova prepare for next year's US Open after she regrettably exited in the first round of this year's US Open became one of Qin Yue's main tasks.

Why only one of them?

Because during the shooting of the new cover for Sports Illustrated, Qin Yue had the chance to meet the currently youthful Elizabeth Olsen.

This is not a short-term goal that Qin Yue could achieve.

To win over the strictly-raised Ao Mei, Qin Yue was destined to exert all his efforts during this period.

Meanwhile...

As various teams started their preseason camps one after another...

Before the new season even began, a surprising earthquake shook the entire league.

...

PS: Second update across days, begging for subscriptions, monthly tickets!

①: The 1984 Olympic experience became one of Jordan's most painful memories later, because reportedly, Knight used very harsh and unacceptable language at the time.