Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 481 - 160: Hegemony Changes Hands, Invincible (Over 10,000 Words Updated Across Days, Please Subscribe and Vote!)

Chapter 481: Chapter 160: Hegemony Changes Hands, Invincible (Over 10,000 Words Updated Across Days, Please Subscribe and Vote!)
In 1992, when the Dream Team defeated Croatia 117-85 to win the gold medal...
"They knew they were facing the best team in the world," said then-Team USA coach Chuck Daly after the game. "They can go home and tell their children later in life, ’I played against Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird.’ The more they play against our top players, the more confident they’ll become."
Without a doubt, the Dream Team from sixteen years ago swept through the entire world of basketball with an invincible demeanor.
Back then, The New York Times even described it this way: "We dominated the Olympics in an extremely unfair way. We sent the planet’s best basketball players and doused the enthusiasm of other countries participating in Olympic basketball with one boring slaughter after another."
However...
Sixteen years later, when the Dream Team once again stood on the Olympic final stage, The New York Times said, "The world’s new GOAT is destroying this sport. He has destroyed basketball’s past and present, and for the Redemption Team to realize redemption at the Beijing Olympic Games, it’s only a theoretical possibility."
Before the finals, U.S. media generally underestimated this Redemption Team led by Kobe and James.
So much so that the topic fans were most interested in on the U.S. internet wasn’t whether this Redemption Team could pull off an upset against the Chinese Team, which included Qin Yue, but whether the star-studded Dream Team from ’92 could collectively encircle Qin Yue, the new GOAT.
On paper, Robinson and Ma Long from the Dream Team could match up against Qin Yue, and Pippen and Barkley could effectively restrict Qin Yue on the wings through double-teaming.
As for Yao Ming, Ewing could contend with him.
Plus, at a critical moment, Chuck Daly, who knows Jordan best, would certainly let this old GOAT press the Celestial God Descending switch...
So, if this mythical battle could occur, the ’92 Dream Team seemed to have a good chance of defeating this incredibly despairing Chinese Team.
But since it’s a mythical battle, American fans’ speculation is destined to remain just speculation.
And with such speculation...
All American fans realized once again that the decline of American basketball is an irreversible fact.
August 24, 2008.
Wukesong Basketball Hall.
The Olympic men’s basketball final between the host Chinese Team and Team USA unfolded as scheduled.
During the pre-game warm-up phase, seeing Yao Ming bricking shots, Qin Yue patted him on the shoulder, comforting, "Don’t be nervous, you’re the NBA Finals MVP."
"The entire nation expects us to offer this gold medal as a gift for the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games," Yao Ming took a deep breath. "Do you know how many eyes are on us right now?"
Qin Yue glanced at the Olympic champions from various Chinese delegations in the stands, there to cheer for the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team, and said, "There must be over a billion viewers."
As the pillar of this Chinese Men’s Basketball Team, Qin Yue certainly understood the pressure the Chinese Team would face in this match.
However, since his college days, Qin Yue had already developed a good habit of keeping calm in every major battle.
At this moment, Yao Ming felt Qin Yue’s heart was so strong it didn’t seem human.
But in the next second, when Yao Ming met Qin Yue’s ever-fiery eyes, he found that his originally restless heart gradually calmed down.
Is this the reason Qin Yue’s teammates never drop the ball in crucial battles? (Paul: ?)
In the center of the court, after both teams’ warm-ups, Qin Yue’s old friend Carl Jungbrand walked to the center circle with the ball.
Amid the cheers of the audience, Yao Ming won the jump ball, and the Chinese Team had possession.
From the start, Team USA employed full-court press defense.
Compared to the previous opening match, James showed 200% commitment in leading the defense against Qin Yue.
Though in his later career, James indeed left many laughable defensive moments.
It must be stated that when Young James went all out on defense, he pressured the ball handler with body contact, making it absolutely suffocating.
Typically, in the process of defending the opposing ball handler, James only fears two types of players.
One type is those who are so fast he can’t keep up.
The other type can ignore the body contact he gives and instead use their technique to punish his defensive habits.
So the question is, which type does Qin Yue belong to?
The answer is the third type.
On the court, Qin Yue suddenly dribbled with a lowered center of gravity. In the moment he shouldered aside James, he unexpectedly charged towards Team USA’s basket.
Inside Team USA’s line, Howard, who was in the help position, tried to apply strong interference before Qin Yue finished his shot, but Qin Yue, proactively seeking body contact, still hovered in that damned sky after colliding with Howard!
As Howard landed first, he could only watch as Qin Yue threw the ball towards the backboard from mid-air.
Bang, swish!
Beep——!
The ball went in, and the whistle blew for an opening AND-ONE!
Qin Yue overwhelmed Howard, known for his athletic prowess, with talent.
"America’s Superman really is declining with each generation."
Before stepping onto the free-throw line, Qin Yue criticized Howard’s defense.
In front of Qin Yue, Howard dared not talk back and could only endure in silence.
Qin Yue completed the free throw, and on the return, Team USA had possession.