blogombal Chapter 19: From Doubt to Victory: The Influence of Liandao
Chapter 19: From Doubt to Victory: The Influence of Liandao
The first two coaches underestimated Lian Dao's skills and physical talent. In their view, he was not suited to basketball and believed that the sport was not his forte.
Even in his early career as a screenwriter, Lian Dao encountered similar prejudices. Some producers and directors rejected his scripts without even reading them, believing he couldn't write compelling stories. This sense of superiority deeply hurt Lian Dao. Ultimately, he proved to the world that he too could write scripts that resonated globally.
Given his family's wealth, Lian Dao didn't need basketball to secure his financial future. With his high school grades, he could have easily gone to an Ivy League school to study business administration, and as his parents wished, eventually returned to China to inherit the family business.
But Lian Dao chose a different path. He didn't choose Stanford University, which had a higher academic reputation, but instead opted for the University of Southern California, which had a stronger basketball team. He wanted to break stereotypes and prove that he could also become a world-class basketball player.
……
Although Tim replaced Wilkinson, his four previous fouls made him hesitant on defense. The Oklahoma players noticed this and took advantage of it—they drove into the paint and tried to engage Wilkinson physically.
Wilkinson, aware of his prior foul, played cautiously, making him a major defensive liability. Oklahoma players relentlessly attacked the paint, scoring with layups, dunks, and jump shots.
With about ten minutes left in the second half, Blake Griffin drove to the basket for a layup, drawing a foul from Wilkinson. This gave him a three-point play, tying the game at 66. Griffin made the free throws, putting the University of Oklahoma ahead 67-66.
Wilkinson picked up his fifth foul and left the court dejectedly. As he walked off the court, Lian Dao patted him on the shoulder in a consolation.
"You've done enough, don't worry, leave the rest to us," Lian Dao comforted him.
Wilkinson forced a smile, nodded slowly, and shook Lian Dao's hand. The two touched shoulders as a gesture of goodwill.
"Come on, I believe in you. Beat them. We're going to make the best start in USC history," Wilkinson encouraged, his spirits lifting.
Seeing that Lian Dao had regained some of his strength, Tim put him on the court at power forward, using the mismatch advantage to defend the opposing center, Blake Griffin. Lewis played small forward at the three position, while Gibson moved to center.
Although this lineup lacks height, it is more agile and its defense is very solid. With Lian Dao and Gibson anchoring the paint, the defensive intensity has reached an unprecedented level. The opposing team's key players have already been playing for 30 minutes and are exhausted.
Lian Dao and his teammates planned to launch a defensive counter-attack.
As for the University of Southern California (USC), Lewis, who is a substitute for Lian Dao, did not play in the first half and has only been on the court for about 10 minutes so far. He is still in good physical condition. Standing at 196 cm tall, he was USC's starting small forward before Lian Dao joined the team.
Furthermore, the opposing small forward, Tony Krock, is not physically strong, giving Lewis an advantage over him.
After more than 20 minutes of rest, Lian Dao's physical strength had obviously recovered, and he was ready to unleash a new storm on the field.
Sure enough, the effects of Lian Dao's well-rested physical condition were immediately apparent after his return to the court. Previously, Tony Kroc and Willie Warren had successfully double-teamed Lian Dao to prevent him from driving to the basket, but now that Lian Dao had regained his strength, he drove straight to the basket. Although a tired Blake Griffin tried to help defend, Lian Dao nimbly turned 180 degrees to shake off Griffin's defense, catching everyone off guard.
Despite Blake Griffin's incredible athleticism, including a powerful double jump, he couldn't block Lian Dao's shot in time. His attempt only touched Lian Dao's wrist. This caused the basketball to temporarily lose its balance, but Lian Dao quickly adjusted, switching from a one-handed dunk to a two-handed one. The force of Lian Dao's dunk shook the entire rim.
For a moment, the entire audience fell silent. Lian Dao's displayed power was astonishing—he wasn't a traditional basketball player, and his physical attributes far exceeded expectations. This completely overturned people's imaginations, especially for fans who thought their beastly Blake Griffin was unbeatable.
A chorus of boos erupted. The audience, initially shocked, quickly switched to cheering for their own team and booing the opposing players. Unfazed by the hostile atmosphere, Lian Dao confidently sank the free throw. A victorious smile spread across his face after the successful throw, further amplifying his satisfaction. This breakthrough allowed him to perfectly blend flexibility, speed, power, and skill—precisely what he had always strived for.
This moment made Lian Dao realize an important truth: individual talents need to be perfectly integrated, just as a clenched fist is more powerful than an open palm. This is especially important because his talent developed rapidly, which is very different from the gradual growth process of most players.
Lian Dao understood that he didn't have the same room for gradual development as those high-profile superstars. In high school, he was relatively unknown, known only to a small local fanbase. To attract scouts and media attention, he had to quickly realize his full potential. Achieving success in college and climbing the rankings was crucial to his future draft prospects.
Unbeknownst to Lian Dao, his confident smile was being captured by cameras and projected onto the large screen above the stadium. This further enraged the male fans, who saw it as a mockery. Meanwhile, the female fans were captivated, their eyes practically glued to the screen.
The increasingly loud boos from the male fans made Lian Dao glance up at the screen, shake his head helplessly, and give a wry smile. Handsome and talented, he was bound to attract admiration and jealousy wherever he went.