Chapter 6: Charging Straight In! (Please Bookmark)

Seeing the image of Li Rui wearing the number 60 jersey on the sidelines was, unsurprisingly, broadcast back to China, causing the number of comments on the Zhibo8 and Hupu text streams to multiply instantly.

"Sitting back to watch Alston toy with Li Rui."
"Emperor Li has arrived; all you superstars better clear the way."
"Look at that matchup; is Li Rui going in to play the clown?"
"Go back to the CBA; the NBA really isn't a place for you."
"Go Li Rui! The Chinese Derby is here."
"Just play five minutes and get off; I want to watch Kobe go wild."

Many fans left taunting comments, though they hadn't always felt this way about Li Rui. When he was first drafted by the Lakers, many fans had held high expectations for him. After all, with only Yao Ming in the NBA at the time, fans who preferred guard-oriented play were desperate for a Chinese guard to emerge in the league. The Lakers, by virtue of having Kobe Bryant, already commanded massive attention, and Li Rui's debut had been an unprecedented event.

Yet, he played five minutes in his debut, recording 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 fouls, and 2 turnovers. The fans were stunned. It was the first time they had seen such an underwhelming player. In the subsequent games, Coach Phil Jackson effectively put him on ice, leading to growing disappointment among domestic fans, who began bestowing all sorts of mocking nicknames upon him.

Some media outlets would even post sensational headlines whenever Li Rui performed well in practice: "Li Rui's shooting in practice is more accurate than Miller's; Phil Jackson smiles, having gained trust in him!" The fans were left salivating, only for Li Rui to be DNP'd (Did Not Play) in the next game. The fans were toyed with to the point of exhaustion. Expectations? Forget it!

"Replacing Parker as a starter in the second half—it seems the 'Zen Master' understands the ways of Chinese social relations," Coach Zhang joked with a smile. "Come, let's see if Li Rui can grasp this opportunity to play."

Watching Li Rui step onto the court, Phil Jackson stroked his beard. If this Chinese kid still couldn't cut it, he would just have to be waived. His contract, after all, was non-guaranteed.

...

The feeling of stepping onto the court again was different from the previous nervousness. Li Rui was significantly more excited now.

"Rookie, pass me the ball as soon as you cross half-court, then go stand in the corner. Don't do anything stupid," Kobe said coldly as he walked past Li Rui. Even though he knew Li Rui would likely only play a few minutes, Kobe was still annoyed. In Kobe's eyes, Li Rui was just dead weight.

"You said you would pass to me; don't forget that," Li Rui reminded him. Kobe glanced at Li Rui and ignored him further.

Beep! The second half began.

Li Rui received the inbound pass from Odom and began to dribble across half-court. Honestly, Klay’s dribbling ability was barely adequate for a point guard; against tight pressure, he might struggle even to cross the timeline. Fortunately, Alston never imagined that Li Rui's ball-handling would be below the average for a guard, so he only followed him with token interference.

Li Rui successfully crossed half-court, faithfully passed the ball to Kobe outside the right three-point line, and went to wait in the corner. In truth, Li Rui was very happy to play off the ball, as that was the way Klay survived; he really wasn't suited for ball-dominant play, which would only expose his lack of dribbling skills.

Li Rui waited in the left corner. The player defending him was Alston, who hadn't paid him any attention at all, keeping his eyes on Kobe at the top of the key instead. Li Rui could feel that as long as he had a chance to catch the ball, he was confident he could sink the shot.

"Screw you, 'Streetball King,' daring to ignore me. I'll shoot you to death in a moment," Li Rui muttered at Alston's dismissiveness.

At this point in his career, Kobe was in his prime. He had absolute confidence in his one-on-one ability against anyone, and when he went on a tear, scoring 50+ was easy. Kobe performed a crisp crossover at the arc, blew past McGrady, and accelerated into the paint. The Rockets were all too familiar with Kobe's style; instantly, Hayes, Yao, and Alston converged on him, denying him any chance to finish.

If it had been the first half, Kobe would have forced the shot himself, but at this moment, he inexplicably remembered Li Rui's reminder before the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Li Rui waving at him from the left corner. Kobe fired a pass over. If he missed, he would absolutely, positively never pass to him again!

As Li Rui saw the ball coming, his heart rate spiked, but his movements didn't falter in the slightest. Catch, pump fake, and he sent Alston—who had lost his position but still lunged forward—flying past him. He then took one dribble upward, gathered the ball, stepped sideways, jumped, and released the ball at the apex of his leap.

The basketball was flicked away lightly from his fingertips and palm. Whether it was the form or the fluidity of the pre-shot mechanics, Klay’s motion was textbook, and to Li Rui, it felt like the shot was going in. Just as he expected, the ball traced a magnificent arc.

"Swish!" 51-45.

"Great job!" Assistant Coach Daniel punched the air fiercely. Li Rui making a three-pointer was crucial for the Lakers at this moment.

"Wow!" The fans in the arena cheered for the rookie. Li Rui’s sequence of fakes and the subsequent shot looked incredibly smooth, a genuine pleasure to watch. After the basket, Li Rui signaled the "OK" sign for a three-pointer while jogging back, and even high-fived Kobe as they passed.

"Nice shot," Kobe said. Li Rui’s ability to hit that open three made Kobe satisfied with the possession. If he had missed, Kobe would have been wearing a sour face.

"Kobe, you have to trust my jumper," Li Rui responded. Making this three-pointer gave him a huge boost in confidence. This was his first field goal in the NBA since he had transmigrated.

"Focus on defense," Kobe said, not bothering to waste words, and shouted to the rest of the team.

...

"Kobe drives, Kobe is double-teamed—he passes to Li Rui!"
"Oh, oh! Li Rui fakes out Alston, shoots the three, and it’s good!"
"Well done!" Coach Zhang exclaimed excitedly.

"Whoa, that just set a new career high."
"Li Rui's release felt very steady to me this time."
"The form is really beautiful, such a standard shooting motion."

Many Hupu users were commenting on Li Rui's three-pointer while watching the live broadcast. For many NBA players, hitting an open three isn't a big deal, but for the Chinese fans following Li Rui, it was incredibly significant. A single possession could get many veteran fans hyped enough to write detailed analytical posts, breaking down the cause and effect of the shot and Li Rui's psychological state at the time. It was clear just how much the fans cared about this guy.

On the court, Alston brought the ball up. He was observing Li Rui's defense but didn't pay much mind to it. Currently, Li Rui's steal attribute was a 46, not very high; 35-year-old Klay’s defense wasn't actually that strong anymore. However, what Li Rui had over Klay was his wingspan. A 220-centimeter wingspan was a natural defensive advantage.

Just as Alston crossed half-court, Li Rui used his body to bump him, then swung his right arm to attempt a steal.

"Slap!"

Oh, he actually happened to swipe the ball away—a steal. The Rockets were all caught off guard; they never expected Alston’s ball-handling to be broken like that in a one-on-one. Many of them were still dazed.

Li Rui sprinted as soon as he secured the steal.

"Whoa!" The Staples Center crowd let out a gasp of surprise; they hadn't expected this rookie to be so prominent. Just as everyone thought Li Rui would finish the play with a layup, he gathered the ball outside the arc. With no defensive pressure, he launched a transition three-pointer.

"F***, what is he doing!" Daniel roared.

In the future, a transition open three like that would be common, but at this time, it felt almost blasphemous. Yet, for Li Rui, this open look was an absolute opportunity.

Facing the sea, spring blossoms were blooming. The basketball traced a magnificent rainbow.

"Swish!"

It pierced the net, adding another three. 51-48.

The fans in the arena went quiet for a moment, then erupted into massive cheers. This play left Alston completely bewildered. He never imagined that the Chinese guard he had all but ignored would not only steal the ball from him but also sink a transition three like that. It was truly heaven-defying.