Chapter 89: Why Not Pass the Ball to Wang Chong?
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Across the ocean, in China, many NBA fans sat in front of their TVs early, eagerly awaiting the start of the Rookie Challenge.
For them, this Rookie Challenge was even more captivating than the All-Star Game itself. After all, it featured Wang Chong and Yao Ming competing on the same stage during All-Star Weekend. Considering that Yao Ming would no longer be a rookie next season and would not be eligible to participate in the Rookie Challenge again, this was their only chance to see the two face off in this event.
As for whether they would face each other in future All-Star Games, that was a different story.
After enduring a long and tiresome sequence of commercials, the TV screen finally switched to the game.
A familiar face appeared on the sports channel.
"Hello, viewers! Welcome to the live broadcast of the NBA 2004 All-Star Weekend brought to you by the Sports Channel..."
Coach Yu began introducing the history of the NBA All-Star Game and the players participating in the Rookie Challenge, but the viewers were already growing impatient.
"Why hasn't the game started yet? Enough with the chatter!"
"Hurry up and start the game! We want to see Yao Ming! We want to see Wang Chong!"
Unfortunately, it was 2004, and computers and the internet were not yet widely available. Most people could only watch the game through live TV broadcasts. There were no online comment sections, no live chat streams, and their complaints could only be heard by themselves, significantly reducing the excitement of watching the game.
Luckily, after a long wait, the game was finally about to begin.
On the court, the referee walked to the center circle with a basketball. Yao Ming and Chris Kaman prepared to jump for the ball, and Yao Ming easily won without much effort.
At 7'1" (2.13 meters), Chris Kaman was considered tall among NBA centers. But standing against Yao Ming, who stood at 7'6" (2.26 meters), he looked like a child.
As a white center with average athleticism, Kaman's jumping ability was only marginally better than Yao Ming's. However, this slight advantage could not overcome the significant height difference.
Sophomore team possession.
Jason Williams dribbled across half-court, and after the players got into their positions, he immediately passed the ball to Stoudemire, who was actively calling for it in the post.
Stoudemire's defender was Wang Chong.
Wang Chong didn't really want to play power forward. Although his height was more than enough for an inside position—he was even slightly taller than Stoudemire—he lacked the weight and strength to contend with serious big men.
The muscular Stoudemire, known as "The Little Bully," chose to face the basket and drive after receiving the ball in mid-range.
Wang Chong tried to defend him but took two steps back after making contact.
Stoudemire drove to the rim and finished with a one-handed dunk, drawing loud cheers from the fans.
Wang Chong rubbed his chest, feeling some pain from the collision.
Stoudemire's power was well-known. In terms of strength, he was currently more formidable than James.
Of course, once James bulked up a few years later, comparing the two would be another story.
Now, it was the rookies' turn with the ball.
The ball was passed to James.
After dribbling past half-court, he raised his hand, signaling everyone to clear out.
Facing Ginobili's defense at the top of the key, James dribbled for over ten seconds before finally accelerating for a drive. But Yao Ming, already waiting for him under the basket, blocked his layup attempt.
Fortunately, the deflected ball landed in Wang Chong's hands. Without any hesitation, Wang Chong caught it and took a mid-range jumper, scoring for the rookies.
As the game transitioned back to defense, the sophomores started focusing their offense around Yao Ming. Facing Kaman, Yao Ming made it look like a simple mode in a video game—effortless and unchallenging.
Yao Ming calmly made a fadeaway jumper after a pass from a teammate in the low post, and he followed up with a putback after his teammate missed a shot.
The stabilizing presence of a dominant big man inside was clearly making a difference.
Early in the game, the freshmen's offense was completely stifled. James and Wade, both known for their drives, found it challenging to break through with Yao Ming, a 7'6" presence, protecting the rim. Even James was forced to take pull-up mid-range jumpers and floaters—shots outside of his comfort zone.
Naturally, James wasn't particularly proficient in these areas, leading to mediocre shooting percentages.
Five minutes into the game, the gap between the two teams was widening rapidly.
Chinese fans watching at home grew increasingly frustrated.
"What's going on? Why aren't they passing the ball to Wang Chong and letting him shoot? Even I, who doesn't know much about basketball, can see that their drives aren't working. Why not let Wang Chong solve it with mid-range jumpers?"
If ordinary fans could see the problem, so could the rookie head coach, Collins.
In the first half of the first quarter, James controlled most of the possessions, and even Wade, another guard, rarely got the ball.
It was evident that James wanted to shine in this Rookie Challenge.
Collins saw through it but chose not to intervene. In an exhibition game like the Rookie Challenge, players had to rely on their abilities to stand out. Whoever was better would shine. The game's outcome wasn't really important.
So, even though his team was trailing, he had no intention of calling a timeout to make adjustments.
However, for Wang Chong, the game's outcome was indeed important.
Before the game, he suspected James wouldn't pass the ball to him, but he didn't expect him to hog the ball so much. In the first five minutes, James had already taken six shots.
Alright then, if James won't be kind, then Wang Chong won't be either!
Wang Chong smirked to himself.
During the sophomore team's possession, Boozer backed down his defender to the rim and made a hook shot off the glass.
Chris Bosh, who had just subbed in for Kaman, was ready to inbound the ball from the baseline when Wang Chong ran over, reaching out to grab the basketball first.
As a power forward and an inside player, it wasn't unusual for Wang Chong to inbound the ball. Bosh didn't think much of it and turned to run up the court.
James approached Wang Chong and extended his hand for the ball, but he sensed something was off when he saw Wang Chong's sly smile.
Sure enough, despite James being closer, Wang Chong ignored him and instead passed the ball to Wade, who was farther away on the opposite side.
Wade immediately turned and advanced up the court without even glancing at James.
Upon reaching the frontcourt, Wade barely got into position when Wang Chong caught up and set a screen for him.
Using Wang Chong's pick-and-roll, Wade accelerated into the paint, drawing a double-team before dishing the ball back to Wang Chong.
Wang Chong took a 20-foot jumper, and it went in smoothly.
As they returned on defense, Wang Chong and Wade celebrated with a high-five, drawing cheers from the fans.
James's mindset was starting to change.
End of this chapter
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