NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

"If you want to fight, come at me," Zhao Dong said as he stepped forward, forcing his way between Barkley and the others. He stood face-to-face with Barkley, his chin resting on the latter's forehead.

"Boy, what do you want to do?" Barkley growled, pushing Zhao Dong away violently.

Zhao Dong smirked coldly. "Charles, what was it you wanted me to call you again?"

"Dad," Barkley spat out begrudgingly.

"Hey, how cute," Zhao Dong mocked with a sneer.

"Haha..." Laughter rippled through the scene, with Oakley especially laughing heartily.

"Ah, you bastard!" Barkley's temper flared, and he lunged at Zhao Dong, fists raised.

"Calm down, Charles, calm down," Dameng and Ewing quickly intervened, grabbing Barkley to hold him back.

"Charles, don't be a rookie," Ewing added.

Zhao Dong, unfazed, stepped back and waved his hand dismissively. "Barkley, I promise you, I'll wait for the day you officially call me 'dad.'" He turned around and pulled Oakley away with him.

"Feilong, you damn rookie! Today, I'm going to drop fifty points on your head, blow your dog's head off, and make you lie down in front of me and call me daddy!" Barkley growled from behind.

"You idiot, don't even think about getting fifty points off me for the rest of your life," Zhao Dong said coldly. He wasn't backing down, not just because he refused to let Barkley have the last word, but also because he couldn't let Oakley lose face. Plus, he knew he had a chance to win. The opponent's physical condition was declining, and he was prone to injury. Zhao Dong could use that to his advantage by strengthening the confrontation and reducing Barkley's efficiency.

"If you can't fight the old flying pig in the air, then why are you serious about Jordan?" Zhao Dong thought to himself.

As the players separated, several reporters nearby, trembling with excitement, began editing their reports on the spot before sending them back to their newspapers.

When they arrived in the locker room, before the coaching staff entered, Zhao Dong turned to Oakley. "Charles, get ready today. Since you made the bet, you have to give Barkley an explanation."

Oakley nodded eagerly. "Barkley wants you to call him dad. This is an insult to our whole team. We definitely won't let him stand tall after this. We're going to mess him up."

"I didn't play once on the Jazz court. This time, I'll take the lead," Larry Johnson yelled.

"Feilong, haven't you always boasted about convincing people with virtue?" Oakley teased Zhao Dong, a smirk on his face.

Chapter 77: The Bet

"Convincing people with virtue is to defeat them first, press them to the ground, and then convince them with virtue. This way, the effect is better; otherwise, they won't accept it," Zhao Dong explained patiently.

"Haha..." Oakley and Larry Johnson laughed first, and soon the entire locker room erupted in laughter.

Meanwhile, in the home team's locker room, Barkley spoke confidently, "We'll definitely win tonight, and that kid will call me daddy."

Dameng, ever cautious, replied, "We do have a better chance of winning, but we should be careful. The Knicks are still strong, and they ranked second in the Eastern Conference."

Barkley nodded and acknowledged, "True, but that kid's starting to stand out. I noticed in the last game against Webber, he increased his passing and his ability to break double teams is improving."

Dameng responded, "So, Charles, don't be careless."

Barkley assured him, "Don't worry, Hakim, I won't."

At 7:00 PM, the two teams announced their starting lineups.

Knicks: Ewing, Zhao Dong, Oakley, Alan Houston, Chris Childs

Mosaic: Big Dream, Barkley, Drexler, Mario Eli, Matt Maloney

The game was broadcast live across the United States by TNT, and CCTV also aired the game live. After the lineup was announced, the commentators began analyzing the teams' strengths.

On TNT, Bill Walton said with a smile, "This season, Dameng's form is more stable than Ewing's, and at the [-]th position, Barkley can undoubtedly overpower Zhao Dong on both offense and defense..."

Looking at his partner, Matt, he continued, "That's for sure. The two are not at the same level right now. Barkley can score 20+10 even on an off night, but Zhao Dong is still too young. That's the difference in quality."

Bill Walton added, "Mosaic also has an advantage at the third position, but the Knicks have an edge at the second position. Mosaic's guard line has been a bit weak this season."

Matt smiled and added, "You know, just an hour ago, Barkley forced Zhao Dong into a bet—whoever loses has to call the other 'dad,' and Zhao Dong agreed."

"Haha, I've noticed," Bill Walton laughed. "Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical—will these two guys actually go through with it? It's not a small bet."

Matt responded with a grin, "Who knows?"

On the CCTV broadcast, Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping didn't address the bet, as it was definitely not appropriate for a live broadcast. Instead, Zhang Lili commented, "Right now, Zhao Dong has firmly secured his main position, and his number of shots is second on the team, only behind Ewing. Congratulations!"

Sun Zhenping smiled and added, "Director Zhang, didn't you mention that the national team was planning to recruit Zhao Dong? Why hasn't there been any movement on that front?"

Zhang Lili shook his head helplessly. "Oh, this matter?" He hesitated, knowing that the Basketball Division of the Ball Game Department had recently stalled on Zhao Dong's recruitment.

Seeing Zhang Lili's expression, Sun Zhenping didn't press any further and changed the subject.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Bulls were playing the Bullets at home. Before the game, Jordan called Barkley on the phone.

"Michael, wait and see the good show," Barkley said with a grin.

"Charles, don't pee your pants and end up calling that kid's father," Jordan teased.

"How is that possible?" Barkley shot back.

"It's best to put a couple of good hits on that kid's head and block him a few times. That's your specialty," Jordan laughed.

"Indispensable," Barkley said proudly.

Half an hour later, the game started. The two teams met at the exit, and the atmosphere felt a bit off. As the visiting team came out, Zhao Dong was the third to step onto the court. A loud chant of "Daddy" echoed throughout the Compaq Center.

"Is this mocking me?" Zhao Dong thought, confused. "This isn't just anti-intellectual; it's downright stupid." But then, remembering the ridiculous behavior of some Americans during the pneumonia epidemic, he wasn't too surprised anymore.

"Daddy... Daddy..." The fans shouted even more enthusiastically, and Zhao Dong stood there in disbelief.

On the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping were already struggling to hold in their laughter, trying to maintain composure but clearly uncomfortable.

Ten minutes later, the game began. Zhao Dong and Dameng jumped for the ball. Dameng won the toss, and the Mosaic team took the first possession.

On the right wing, Barkley was trying to shake off Zhao Dong, but Zhao Dong had a different strategy: he focused on defending the paint. He was determined to keep Barkley outside, even if it meant giving him a little space to shoot.

The first ball went to Barkley. As soon as he caught it, Zhao Dong was still two meters away, but he rushed forward with lightning speed. His current speed was at level 86, which made him incredibly fast for a fourth position player. While his turning and directional changes still had room for improvement, his vertical speed advantage allowed him to close the gap quickly.

Barkley jumped, and as he did, Zhao Dong leaped to block the shot. The block was much higher than a normal jumper, and Barkley had to adjust the height of his shot to avoid the block.

"Boom!" The ball was short, hitting the rim and bouncing off. Oakley grabbed the rebound, and the Knicks started their attack.

(End of this chapter)

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