thefictionvixens Chapter 20: Earning Respect: Exchanging Jerseys with Blake Griffin
Chapter 20: Earning Respect: Exchanging Jerseys with Blake Griffin
Looking back, Lian Dao realized that Blake Griffin was not invincible. He stayed close behind Griffin and could feel his rapid breathing. Griffin had been playing for over 30 minutes straight, and even the physically strong "White Beast" was starting to feel the strain.
Griffin's pace slowed. At the start of the game, Griffin wasn't faster than Lian Dao. However, considering Lian Dao plays the small forward position and Griffin plays the center position, Lian Dao should naturally be faster. But their speeds were almost identical, indicating that while Lian Dao's speed was quite good for his position, it was still somewhat strained. Griffin's physical attributes are monstrous. Even in professional leagues, when Griffin played the power forward position, he turned the Clippers into "Lob City."
But that's what happens in professional games. Now, an exhausted Griffin appears sluggish to everyone. He dribbles while panting, trying to regain his strength.
Lian Dao's eyes were fixed on the bouncing basketball, and he finally seized on Griffin's mistake. He extended his right hand to lightly dribble the ball, while continuing to control it with his left, and quickly passed it to Lewis, who had the most energy. The exhausted Oklahoma players couldn't keep up with Lewis's pace, and the latter easily scored a layup.
These two impressive plays were a microcosm of the entire game. Lian Dao first disrupted Griffin's turnaround mid-range shot, then stole the ball from Tyler Griffin to Blake Griffin. On the other side, he hit a three-pointer and dished out two assists.
南加州大学在这四分钟内打出一波12比0的攻势，将比分从67比66改写为67比78。连道和他的队友们取得领先，并将优势扩大到11分。
Seeing no hope of a comeback, Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel substituted his key players during a dead ball situation, effectively conceding the game. Tim made the same adjustment.
The game ended 77-84, with the University of Southern California winning on the University of Oklahoma's home court. During the handshake, despite losing, Griffin still shook hands with Lian Dao.
Then, Griffin did something that surprised Lian Dao.
Griffin said, "Your three-point shooting and passing are both excellent."
Griffin's praise surprised Lian Dao. Griffin was helpless against Lian Dao's early three-pointers, and Lian Dao's defensive performance in the fourth quarter proved he's not only a sharpshooter but also a formidable defender. Even for a slender player like Lian Dao, defending "White Beast" is no easy task.
Their repeated physical confrontations and frequent contact made the court resemble a brawl. This was a situation Griffin had never encountered in the first three quarters of the game.
But Griffin's next move surprised Lian Dao even more.
Griffin took off his jersey and smiled.
"Can we exchange jerseys?" he asked.
When two players acknowledge each other's abilities and respect one another, exchanging jerseys is usually the highest form of recognition for each other.
"Of course," Lian Dao replied after a slight hesitation, then took off his jersey.
Lian Dao displayed formidable strength in this game, scoring a game-high 23 points, along with 9 assists and 3 rebounds. If it were merely about impressive stats, Griffin might acknowledge Lian Dao's talent, but he certainly wouldn't consider exchanging jerseys with him. However, Lian Dao's hunger for victory resonated with Griffin's own fighting spirit, forging a connection between the two. When two passionate players meet, they will either become lifelong rivals or admirers of each other.
Clearly, Griffin respected Lian Dao.
The jersey exchange symbolized mutual recognition of each other's abilities, which made Lian Dao feel both respected and happy. He was especially honored to receive recognition from Blake Griffin, who was ranked high at the time.
"See you at the National Championships! We'll definitely win the finals next time!" Griffin said after exchanging jerseys.
"Then you'll have to beat...me first, and I won't lose," Lian Dao replied. He had originally intended to say that Griffin had to beat North Carolina to advance to the semifinals. However, realizing that it was still preseason and the group stage would not be determined until after the playoffs, Lian Dao changed his statement.
The two exchanged a smile, bumped fists in greeting, and then walked towards their respective player tunnels wearing each other's jerseys.
In fact, only Lian Dao knew that the University of Oklahoma failed to reach the semifinals in the 2008-09 season—they were placed in the highly competitive Southern Conference.
In his previous career, USC was in the Midwest Division. They lost 16-32 to the No. 2 seed, Michigan State University, and were eliminated in the round of 32.
Thinking of Michigan State University, a heavy feeling welled up in Lian Dao's heart. Their basketball team was called the Spartans, a name that perfectly reflected their style: warlike, brave, and united. Would the Trojans, like in ancient history, once again fall victim to the Spartans' tactics?
In his past life, the Trojans were defeated by the Spartans' man-to-man defense. In this life, Lian Dao is determined to break through that defense. Quick movement to get rid of defenders and effective pick-and-roll plays between teammates are crucial—similar to the endless pick-and-roll tactics of a future team. This requires the team to have one or two players with outstanding three-point shooting ability. In his past life, Lian Dao failed to meet this standard, but in this life, he will become the arrow shot at the Spartans.
However, Lian Dao still needs to address the issue of his slow movement speed.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the second task: defeat your opponent in the divisional competition and obtain a game jersey (your opponent must be a player about to enter the NBA or a current NBA player).]
Blake Griffin has been assessed and will enter the NBA through the draft. This jersey is eligible.
Rewards have been distributed: Jersey talent lottery.
Shall we proceed with the lottery now?
A mechanical, emotionless voice echoed in Lian Dao's mind.
The second task has been completed, but what exactly is the "Jersey Talent Lottery"?
[The jersey talent lottery refers to basketball templates, talent skills, life skills, and training bonus cards related to the jersey owner. Host, would you like to participate in the lottery now?]
"Draw!" Lian Dao commanded.
Following the command from the leaderboard, the projection of the University of Oklahoma's #23 jersey shattered and merged into a giant spinning wheel. The wheel was divided into five zones: purple, blue, green, yellow, and red, each representing a different award.
Purple: Blake Griffin's all-around template. Probability: 5%.
Looking at the purple Blake Griffin all-around template, Lian Dao's eyes gleamed with excitement. If he weren't in this space, he probably would have jumped for joy. This template was priceless to Lian Dao right now—merging with it would completely change him, greatly enhancing his physical attributes and offensive range.
But with only a 5% probability, this seems to be a reward prepared for those who saved the world in a past life.
Blue: Increases the potential of talents such as Jumping Ability, Explosive Ability, Strength Ability, and Endurance Ability. Probability: 10%.
绿色：全技能训练效果2倍加成卡（持续一个月）×2，力量训练效果4倍加成卡（持续24小时）×4，速度训练效果4倍加成卡（持续24小时）×4，体能训练效果4倍加成卡（持续24小时）×4，弹跳训练效果4倍加成卡（持续24小时）×4。概率：15%。
黄色：力量训练效果2倍加成卡（持续24小时），速度训练效果2倍加成卡（持续24小时），体能训练效果2倍加成卡（持续24小时），弹跳训练效果2倍加成卡（持续24小时）。概率：30%。
Red: Baseball skills, laundry skills, driving skills, gaming skills. Probability: 40%.
"Holy crap, who designed this?" Lian Dao couldn't help but complain. This huge red area—isn't it clearly designed to prevent players from obtaining generous rewards?
The pointer on the turntable gradually slowed down, passing through a large red area and slowly approaching the purple area—and Lian Dao's heartbeat quickened accordingly.