NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

In recent years, the national team's strength has been impressive. This year's Olympic performance was particularly good. This generation of the national team is often referred to as the "96 Golden Generation." When thinking of the Chinese team and tonight's game against the Bullets, Zhao Dong couldn't help but think back to the 70s, the era when the Chinese men's basketball team was truly at its peak—the era of Mu Tiezhu, the king of the paint, who even surpassed the era of Yao Ming.

In August 1979, the Chinese men's basketball team faced off against the visiting NBA champion Washington Bullets. The Bullets had two Hall of Fame-level players, but Mu Tiezhu's team, despite being down by 8 points at halftime, lost by only 1 point at the end.

"Director Zhang, were you teammates with Senior Mu Tiezhu?" Zhao Dong asked.

Zhang Lili was taken aback but quickly nodded. "Yes, we were teammates on the national team. He was incredibly strong—228 centimeters tall and weighed 160 kilograms, bigger than O'Neal. When it comes to dominance at the basket, I don't think O'Neal was necessarily stronger than him. His passing ability was also exceptional. Honestly, I think no center, including NBA players, has had a higher passing ability than him."

"So strong?" Zhao Dong asked, surprised.

"Yes, really," Zhang Lili said with a smile. "With such a large frame, as soon as he raised the ball, he could pass it to anyone he wanted, and nobody could affect him."

Half an hour later, the game began. Before the jump ball, Zhao Dong glanced at the opponent's center, then turned to Ewing and said, "Patrick, why don't you take this one?"

"NO, Zhao Dong, this is your responsibility," Ewing said, shaking his head.

"Alright," Zhao Dong replied with a smile.

Zhao Dong's opponent for the jump ball was George Muresan, one of the tallest players in league history at 231 centimeters, the same height as Manute Bol. Muresan, nicknamed Big George, weighed 137 kilograms—about the same as the current "Big Shark."

"Zhao Dong, do you know how Jordan and Penny dealt with this guy?" Ewing asked.

"How did they fight him?" Zhao Dong responded.

"They used him as a wall to block the other defenders," Ewing said.

Zhao Dong was taken aback. It made sense: Muresan's size gave him a vertical advantage, but his horizontal and diagonal movement was likely slow. If Zhao Dong could bypass him, he could use Muresan's size to block the defenders behind him.

The two players jumped for the ball, but Zhao Dong was hit by Big George in mid-air, losing his balance. The ball was taken away by the opponent, and the Bullets began their attack. Big George slowly moved towards the basket, and Ewing couldn't stop him. Ewing didn't even try to block the shot but instead defended around the front.

At that moment, George stopped under the basket, received a pass from the point guard, and dunked the ball into the basket.

"Unbelievable, his height is like cheating!" Zhao Dong thought. "His shot is above the basket, and any attempt to block him is pointless."

The on-site commentator spoke helplessly as the Knicks attacked. The whole team advanced relatively quickly, and George couldn't keep up with the pace. The Knicks created a five-on-four situation in the frontcourt. However, Ewing seemed reluctant to run too fast and fell behind, so the situation didn't result in a clear advantage of more players over fewer. Zhao Dong understood Ewing's style of play; he was conserving energy for the playoffs and didn't want to overexert himself during the regular season.

In the half-court offense, Ewing took the first shot. After receiving the ball, George blocked him from behind, and instead of trying to drive in, Ewing opted for a turnaround jumper. Zhao Dong and Weber, competing for the rebound, found themselves on equal footing. Weber, standing 206 centimeters and weighing 111 kilograms, was similar to Zhao Dong in terms of size, strength, and speed. Neither had a clear advantage in these areas, and both were equally skilled at rebounding.

However, there was one key difference: Zhao Dong's determination. He was fully committed to completing his goal of surpassing Weber and earning the starting position in the Knicks lineup. His attitude was much more positive, and he gave his best on every opportunity. Attitude played a crucial role, and Zhao Dong's effort allowed him to seize the chance to grab the offensive rebound.

After securing the rebound, Weber pushed him back, but Zhao Dong quickly spun around. "Is he going to turn around and dunk?"

Weber instinctively made a defensive move, quickly shifting sideways to block Zhao Dong's drive. But Zhao Dong's intentions were different. Instead of breaking through, he jumped and performed a small hook shot, two meters below the basket.

Boom!

The ball bounced off the rim and rolled into the hoop.

"This shot is beautiful," Zhang Lili praised from the sidelines. "Zhao Dong's low-post offense is getting better and better. His movements are very fluid, and he doesn't give the defender a second chance to react. If the first defensive judgment is wrong, there's no chance."

The Bullets began their attack. Weber pulled out, moving Zhao Dong away and allowing Big George and Ewing to go one-on-one in the low post. George entered the paint, and Ewing moved forward to defend. Meanwhile, Chris Childs strengthened the pass denial on the Bullets' point guard. Unable to get the ball to George, the point guard had to pass it out to Weber at the high post. Weber immediately took a straight-arm jumper over Zhao Dong's head. The shot was sudden, high, and had a slight lean-back, making it difficult to defend.

Zhao Dong jumped up quickly in an attempt to block, but he missed it. He had anticipated Weber's skill, knowing how difficult this type of shot was to defend. Even when prepared, defending against it was nearly impossible.

Swish!

The ball went through the net for two points.

The Bullets led 4-2.

"Rookie, confront him!" Oakley yelled at Zhao Dong.

"I know," Zhao Dong replied.

Back on the offensive end, Ewing took the ball and missed another shot. This time, Zhao Dong failed to grab the offensive rebound, and the Bullets began their attack. Big George spun around the basket but had no chance, so he moved out. Weber tried to enter the paint but was stopped by Zhao Dong, who forced him outside the right-wing sideline of the paint. Zhao Dong called for the ball, then received it, arched twice, and entered the paint. Suddenly, he jumped up and executed a small hook shot. This low-post move, known as the tough little hook, is difficult to block and very accurate.

However, this time, Zhao Dong had been battling Weber for position, which affected Weber's timing, making it harder for him to jump and contest the shot. The ball wasn't blocked, but Zhao Dong still missed it. Quickly, he turned around to protect the backcourt rebound, and the Knicks began their attack.

Once again, in the low post on the right wing, Zhao Dong made two arches and barely managed to get into the paint. Then, as he began to rise, Weber anticipated that Zhao Dong was either going to jump for a small hook or a small throw. Weber reacted quickly, attempting to block the shot. But Zhao Dong had faked his move; he didn't actually jump. After shaking Weber off, he dribbled the ball behind his back and disappeared from his line of sight.

Boom!

Zhao Dong soared and dunked the ball, scoring another goal. Weber shook his head. This Chinese rookie was proving to be incredibly strong in the low post. Once again, Weber had made the wrong defensive judgment.

"Oh, Zhao Dong shook Weber, then completed a breakthrough dunk. The entire offensive movement was so smooth. He's showing us top-tier low-post skills. No one can defend him in the low post—Mourning couldn't, people couldn't, and now, Weber can't either!" The commentator's voice roared with excitement.

Zhang Lili, speaking into the camera, exclaimed, "This is the best low-post technique I have ever seen from a Chinese player. Even in the NBA and worldwide, Zhao Dong's low-post skills are top-notch—truly elite."

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