Chapter 70: Is the Men's Basketball Team Truly This Powerful?

The three-point contest ended, and Lin Feng utterly crushed Smith with a score of 2:0. In every round, he humiliated Smith in exactly the same fashion Smith had used to shame Zhu Dayu—proving the old saying that what goes around comes around.

“Lin Feng! Lin Feng! Lin Feng!” The crowd thundered his name, their cheers echoing throughout the arena. A Chinese player had thoroughly defeated a star from America—such a spectacle was beyond their wildest dreams until today. What made it even sweeter was that Smith, who had so openly looked down on Asians and only moments before had boasted that no one in this country could beat him, was now defeated by the very person he had scorned.

Lin Feng didn’t just win; he dominated Smith in a manner that left no room for excuses, delivering a stinging slap to Smith’s pride.

“Thank you, Lin Feng! You didn’t just stand up for me, you’ve restored the reputation of all Chinese players. This guy once posted openly racist comments about us on Facebook. I agreed to this match today because I wanted to defeat him myself, but I failed. Luckily, you did it! Beautifully done!” Zhu Dayu came over, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Brother Yu, don’t praise me too much. I just happened to be in good form today,” Lin Feng replied modestly with a smile.

Zhu Dayu shook his head. “I know the difference between skill and luck. Next year, the All-Star Three-Point King will definitely be you.”

“Uh… That might not happen, actually, since I’ve been suspended,” Lin Feng said with a shrug.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot about that.” Zhu Dayu scratched his head and whispered, “The Basketball Association is full of jerks! Honestly, if you’d pulled some strings behind the scenes, the punishment wouldn’t have been so severe.”

“They can do what they like, but I’ll never bow to them! One day, they’ll regret it!” Lin Feng pursed his lips in defiance.

At that moment, Smith and his agent Paul walked over.

“Hey, Lin, I’m Smith’s agent, Paul. Nice to meet you.” Paul beamed and held out his hand.

“Hello,” Lin Feng replied with a stony expression, barely acknowledging him.

“Here’s the thing—your three-point shooting is truly awe-inspiring. Would you be interested in playing in our league in America?” Paul got straight to the point.

Lin Feng shook his head decisively. “Sorry, that’s not something I’m considering right now. My only concern is this: when will Mr. Smith make good on his pre-match promise? Or were his words just a joke?”

Paul quickly shook his head. “No, no, Smith is a man of his word.”

“Is that so? I’d like to see him prove it,” Lin Feng replied with a hint of mockery.

“I admit, your three-point shooting is strong,” Smith finally spoke up. “I might not be your match right now, but I’ll keep training until the day I can beat you.”

“You’re welcome to challenge me anytime,” Lin Feng replied with a shrug.

“I absolutely will!” Smith finished speaking, bent his knees, and to everyone’s shock, actually knelt before Lin Feng.

“Master,” Smith muttered grudgingly—in Chinese, no less.

Lin Feng chuckled. The man had actually kept his pre-match promise.

“Very well, you may rise,” Lin Feng said, adopting the air of a teacher.

Smith stood up, his face dark with humiliation. “I lost this time, and I’ll keep my word about being your disciple. But it won’t be long before I defeat you! When that happens, I’ll no longer acknowledge you as my master, because this is a disgrace to me!”

Lin Feng burst out laughing. “You don’t have to wait until you defeat me. I regret to inform you right now—you’re expelled from my tutelage!”

“What?!” Smith was startled.

“Didn’t you understand?” Lin Feng shrugged and enunciated, “I said you’re expelled! Having a disciple like you would be a disgrace to me!”

“Damn it!” Realizing what Lin Feng meant, Smith was so furious he nearly coughed up blood. For a top American basketball star to be deemed unworthy of being an Asian’s disciple?

“You arrogant fool! You’ll pay dearly for your words and actions today! I heard your national team will be coming to America for training in two weeks. You’ll be playing two warm-up games against our league’s ‘All-Star Team.’ Initially, they invited me, but I turned them down because I thought those games would be a waste of my time. Now, I’ve changed my mind. I will play, and I’ll show you what real basketball is!” Smith fumed.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not part of the national team, so I won’t be in those warm-up games,” Lin Feng said with a slight smile.

“What?!” Smith was stunned. “You’re not on your national team? How is that possible? Has Chinese basketball advanced so much that even a shooter like you can’t make the team?”

Lin Feng just smiled. “Let’s just say I’m not a member of the national team.”

“This is insane! I suppose I’ll have to play those games after all. I want to see just how strong your national team really is!” Smith muttered.

Lin Feng ignored Smith, slipped on his jacket, and walked toward his family waiting at the side of the court.

“Mom, Wenwen, let’s go.”

“Brother, you were amazing! No wonder you led your team to the CBA championship. I’m officially your fan now!” Lin Wen hugged Lin Feng, eyes shining with excitement.

“Your brother’s a genius, after all,” Lin Feng said fondly, ruffling her hair.

“Xiaofeng, I never really supported your sports career, but perhaps I was too narrow-minded. Maybe you really do have an extraordinary gift for basketball. In any case, I’m proud of everything you’ve achieved on the court!” Guo Shuzhen said sincerely, deeply moved. Today’s contest had touched her far more than Lin Feng leading his team to a league championship or winning the MVP.

After all, this victory was against a renowned American star.

Guo Shuzhen had just returned from a visit to America, where she met many old friends and local Chinese. She learned firsthand how Asians, especially in sports, still faced discrimination in the United States. Few Asians were seen in the major sports leagues, and even those who made it seldom played important roles.

But today, her son had defeated a celebrated American star. This victory was a resounding slap in the face to the racists.

…

News of the three-point showdown between Lin Feng and Smith exploded across major media outlets.

“Pride Restored! Lin Feng Crushes America’s Three-Point King!”

“Is the American Three-Point King That Great? Lin Feng Says No!”

“Halfway Through the Contest, Lin Feng Toys with Smith!”

“A Crushing Victory! The Miracle of Lin Returns!”

Headline after headline praised Lin Feng, dominating the front pages of the sports sections. The very news that was pushed off the top was the Basketball Association’s freshly released training roster.

Thus, an interesting phenomenon appeared across all major sports sites: the top headline read “Pride Restored! Lin Feng Crushes America’s Three-Point King!” Immediately below was “Men’s Basketball Training Roster Released: Lin Feng Left Out!”

The stark contrast between the two was glaring. A Chinese player capable of beating a top American star had been left off the national team—a ridiculous joke.

Fans immediately began to mock the situation.

“If even the man who beat Smith can’t make the team, then our basketball squad must be truly unbeatable!”

“Support the national team—they must be aiming for Olympic gold this year!”

“Our men’s team is the strongest in the universe, ready to crush America by a hundred points!”

“The Basketball Association’s leaders sure have sharp eyes. They know Lin Feng never finishes his games, so it’s only right not to let him on the team.”

“Exactly! For a player like Lin Feng who doesn’t respect the game, the association is right to keep him out!”

“You know, it’s true. In Game 5 of the finals, Lin Feng played three minutes; Game 6, less than a half; Game 7, five minutes. In the three-point contest with Smith, he left the first round with nine shots remaining, and in the second, didn’t even finish the last rack…”

“So yes, a player as irresponsible as Lin Feng definitely shouldn’t be picked!”

…