บท 54: Kobe Was Frightened and Broke into a Cold Sweat
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When O'Neal hurried to the stadium, the duel between Wang Chong and Kobe was nearing its end. There was no one specifically keeping score, but both players were well aware of the current tally.
Wang Chong currently had 17 points, while Kobe had 18.
Neither of them could effectively defend against each other's attack, so the contest had come down to who had the better shooting touch.
At this moment, Wang Chong had the ball.
As the match point approached, Wang Chong didn't dare to slack off. He relied on the move with the highest success rate: back-to-the-basket post-ups.
So, O'Neal witnessed Wang Chong awkwardly sticking out his butt, backing Kobe down from beyond the three-point line to the free-throw line, then turning around and making a jump shot, which went in smoothly.
O'Neal: "…"
It was indeed clumsy.
Many people who are not familiar with O'Neal think that he dominated the league purely because of his size and strength. But this perspective is obviously incorrect.
Throughout the history of the league, there have been numerous inside players stronger and more powerful than O'Neal. Yet, only one achieved the kind of dominance he did.
O'Neal's success wasn't solely due to his strength. His inside skills, footwork, and even his hook shots were textbook examples, worth learning for all center players.
At this moment, in the eyes of this inside offensive master, Wang Chong's back-to-the-basket game was a complete mess. His combination of footwork and dribbling, positioning of his power, and explosiveness were all disastrous.
This was only working because he was posting up against the smaller Kobe. If he were up against a true NBA inside player, Wang Chong would have little chance of success.
This is normal. Wang Chong's back-to-the-basket ability is only rated at 62, which is far below the average level of typical NBA inside players. He mainly plays on the perimeter and can only be considered to have basic inside skills, but not proficiency.
Even Durant, in his prime, had a back-to-the-basket rating of only 86. We can't ask too much from Wang Chong; being adequate is already good enough.
With this shot, Wang Chong's score reached 19, just one basket away from winning the duel.
On the other hand, Kobe had 18 points, meaning he needed two more successful attacks to win unless he made a three-pointer. Wang Chong was determined not to give him that opportunity.
As soon as the ball was passed to Kobe, Wang Chong stuck close, activating his Death Coil Badge, applying immense pressure to prevent Kobe from taking any outside shots.
Wang Chong's strategy was clear: if Kobe wanted to beat him, he'd have to drive past him. Wang Chong wouldn't defend heavily against two-point shots, but he wouldn't allow a three-point attempt.
The bet was that Wang Chong could make the next winning shot!
Kobe also understood this and aimed for a three-pointer.
Wang Chong's oppressive defense might have unnerved Anthony, but it didn't put too much pressure on Kobe.
It has to be admitted, although Kobe has a reputation for taking wild shots and missing many, his personal ability is unquestionable. If he's not double-teamed, it is difficult to limit him with one-on-one defense alone.
What the league's top perimeter defenders can't do, Wang Chong certainly can't accomplish with just a basic-level defense badge.
Wang Chong's long arms didn't bother Kobe. Under pressure, Kobe dribbled the ball with a quick behind-the-back crossover, avoiding Wang Chong's steal and creating an open path on his right.
"This is the moment!"
Seeing Kobe making his move, Wang Chong's heart raced, and he quickly jumped in Kobe's direction to attempt a block.
But as soon as he leaped, he realized that Kobe's move was a fake.
Seeing Wang Chong take the bait, Kobe immediately took a step back, sidestepped, and jumped for a drifting shot.
There it was, Kobe's signature ultra-difficult fadeaway!
In the past, when Wang Chong watched Kobe's games, he often saw this move end in a miss.
But this time, the basketball didn't veer off course; it went straight through the hoop.
"Nice shot!"
Even O'Neal, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but express admiration.
Even though he didn't always get along with Kobe, it was an undeniable fact that this guy was really good at basketball. Otherwise, O'Neal would have found ways to kick this guy off the team long ago.
21:19.
Kobe defeated Wang Chong with that three-pointer.
After the duel ended, both men stopped their actions, but their expressions were somewhat complicated.
Wang Chong's face was full of frustration and regret.
Just one step closer!
He was just one step away from beating Kobe.
This was Kobe, after all. Winning once in a one-on-one match against him would be enough to boast about for a long time!
Kobe's face was filled with astonishment that could not be calmed. He was frightened and broke into a cold sweat.
To be honest, although he had requested this duel, he never expected that Wang Chong, a mere rookie, would almost push him into a corner.
Especially the last shot just now; Kobe had taken the three-pointer with a half-gambling mindset. Until the ball went into the basket, he wasn't sure if he could make it.
In other words, if his touch had been just a little worse, he might have lost today.
Although Wang Chong's strategy in the one-on-one match was somewhat shameless, relying entirely on mid-range shots with his back to the basket and his height and wingspan advantages, Kobe wouldn't make excuses. Regardless of the method, scoring points demonstrated skill.
Kobe wiped the sweat from his head and looked at Wang Chong. Although he had acknowledged his opponent's strength in his heart, his words were still unforgiving.
"Is that all you've got? Waving your arms around like a big fool isn't going to stop me," Kobe taunted.
Wang Chong looked directly at Kobe and responded, "Do you dare to play another round?"
"Come back to me after you've practiced a few more moves," Kobe shook his head and decisively declined.
Though his words seemed dismissive, the truth was that Kobe wasn't confident he could beat Wang Chong if they played again.
Up to now, he hadn't figured out how to deal with Wang Chong's stubborn back-to-the-basket mid-range shot.
After returning home today, Kobe would certainly need to think hard about how to handle an opponent like Wang Chong.
This can't really be blamed on Kobe.
It's extremely rare to see a small forward like Wang Chong, who stands at 2.09 meters. The last small forward with Wang Chong's characteristics was Larry Bird.
But Bird stood at 2.06 meters with a 2.09-meter wingspan, which meant there was a significant gap between him and Wang Chong in terms of physical attributes.
In today's league, even Nowitzki couldn't reach Wang Chong's level.
Although Nowitzki is 2.13 meters tall, slightly taller than Wang Chong, his 2.15-meter wingspan still falls short of Wang Chong's 2.26-meter wingspan.
Nowitzki's shot is difficult to defend because of his signature one-legged fadeaway.
More importantly, even though Nowitzki scores like a perimeter player, he's ultimately an inside player, and his style is obviously different from Wang Chong's.
Until he came up with a good way to defend Wang Chong, Kobe wasn't prepared to risk another one-on-one challenge with him.
End of this chapter
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