These spectators really are people who enjoy chaos!
Boos-ing him to kiss Kayla was one thing, but demanding he go one-on-one against Iverson was pushing it a bit too far...
It wasn't that He Ximeng was afraid to play, but rather that He Ximeng simply didn't favor this streetball-style one-on-one. With so many teammates on the court to help, why would he be foolish enough to show off with a solo play?
But it seems Americans just love watching this!
He Ximeng, a rookie with little influence, couldn't afford to offend the fans. Since he'd been put in this position... he'd grudgingly play one.
He Ximeng signaled his teammates to spread out, then, right in front of Iverson, used Iverson's signature crossover move: the "Butterfly Through Flowers" step!
The greatest characteristic of this signature move is that even Iverson himself, the master of it, finds it hard to predict the next step when others use it. This is because of the sheer variety of changes involved. As long as the user's fundamentals are solid enough, they can adapt to the defender's movements on the fly...
Iverson's prediction failed, and He Ximeng successfully got past him.
Driving into the paint, He Ximeng, to the gasps of the entire crowd, didn't force a shot himself. Instead, he passed the ball to Kobe, who was trailing on the wing!
Kobe caught the ball and shot, sinking a three-pointer to give the West team their first points!
Honestly, no one in the league was surprised that Iverson could get past He Ximeng with the "Butterfly Through Flowers" step.
But the fact that He Ximeng also knew how to use the "Butterfly Through Flowers" step, and so skillfully at that, truly surprised many fans. This is because in official games, He Ximeng rarely used overly flashy dribbling techniques.
Most of the time, He Ximeng preferred to use his teammates' screens and pick-and-rolls to get past defenders.
In special circumstances, He Ximeng's moves were direct and clear, using the fewest actions for the best effect.
Iverson's habit of using the "Butterfly Through Flowers" step was due to his height limitation, which forced him to be as clean as possible when driving past opponents. The cleaner the drive, the less chance of subsequent interference.
He Ximeng, being about ten centimeters taller than Iverson, didn't have the same requirements for his drives. Once he successfully got past the defender, the chance of them interfering again would be greatly reduced.
Moreover, after breaking through, He Ximeng's usual choice was to pass, not to force a shot. Therefore, even with defenders trailing him, it basically didn't affect his ability to pass to his teammates...
In this All-Star Rookie Challenge, the two leading players from the East and West, two rising point guard stars, Iverson and He Ximeng, each kicked off the game with a signature assist.
On the East's second possession, Iverson again waved his teammates to spread out and continued to go one-on-one with He Ximeng. It's the All-Star Weekend, mainly for entertainment. Since the fans enjoyed watching the two of them go at it, Iverson continued to give them what they wanted. Besides expending some energy, there were no other issues.
He Ximeng wanted to stop Iverson, but he still couldn't.
After getting past He Ximeng, Iverson tried to show off a step-back jumper... but he didn't control it well, and the ball bounced off the rim!
Nate grabbed the rebound and immediately passed it to He Ximeng. He Ximeng turned and pushed the fast break, changing direction without slowing down, getting past Iverson, who tried to slow him down in the middle! He charged into the opponent's paint with great momentum, but He Ximeng didn't shoot himself. Instead, he lobbed a high pass to Kobe, who was chasing him!
Kobe leaped into the air, took the alley-oop pass, and slammed it home with one hand!
This was, without a doubt, the most classic small combination play between He Ximeng and Kobe at the moment.
The crowd at the scene gave them the warmest applause and cheers.
With He Ximeng's assistance, Kobe had scored 5 points right from the start today, and should be able to have a great battle with Iverson...
Huh? Why Kobe and Iverson battling, and not He Ximeng and Iverson?
The game continued, and Iverson passed to Antoine Walker after a drive, assisting him on a three-pointer.
On the West team's side, after crossing half-court, He Ximeng handed the ball to Kobe. Kobe took on Kittles one-on-one, and in return, passed the ball to He Ximeng, who was cutting to the wing!
He Ximeng caught the ball outside the three-point line and made a spot-up shot!
Under most circumstances, He Ximeng was the team's commander and organizer, controlling a large portion of the ball. But when the team needed it, He Ximeng could also transition into a spot-up shooter! His off-ball three-point shooting was no worse than his on-ball shooting.
Early on after joining the Lakers, He Ximeng knew very well that Kobe was bound to rise, and his rise wouldn't be delayed beyond two seasons. Now, with He Ximeng as a catalyst, even if Kobe didn't explode this season, he would likely rise uncontrollably next season.
And the biggest issue with Kobe's rise was his need for the ball.
Kobe could play off-ball, but his effectiveness when off-ball was significantly less than when he had the ball.
Furthermore, deep down, Kobe really enjoyed playing with the ball in his hands.
Kobe's ball-handling time needed to increase, and O'Neal's ball-handling time couldn't decrease. But ultimately, someone had to sacrifice, and He Ximeng was willing to give up some of his ball-handling time to Kobe. In fact, Fisher played in a similar way around Kobe and O'Neal back then.
When the team needed it, he stepped up to control the ball.
When the team didn't need him and Kobe needed the ball, Fisher would go to the wing and quietly become an off-ball spot-up shooter...
To play alongside superstars, one needed to master excellent off-ball shooting skills. He Ximeng had been mentally prepared for this for a long time and had been consistently honing his off-ball shooting ability.
Being prepared for anything! This was one of He Ximeng's guiding principles throughout his journey, essentially on par with "safety first"...
On the Western Rookie team, the offense at the start revolved around Kobe and He Ximeng, along with Nate in the paint, forming a three-man unit. They used their默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding/chemistry) to launch a fierce attack on the Eastern Rookie team. Rasheed Wallace of the Grizzlies didn't get many offensive opportunities.
On the Eastern Rookie team, Iverson, Camby, and Antoine Walker formed a three-headed monster, and their offensive power was no less than that of the Lakers' trio.
Overall, the talent of the two rookie teams from the East and West this year was truly evenly matched. Any rookie from the '96 golden generation was the future of their respective teams. They were either the cornerstone of a team or an important piece of a championship puzzle.
Coupled with the fact that the two teams were led by Iverson and He Ximeng, two top-tier rookie point guards controlling the game, the scores of the two teams rose and fell alternately, neither able to gain a decisive advantage.
After the starting lineups left the court, the Eastern Rookie team focused their offense and defense around Ray Allen, while the Western Rookie team fielded a dual-point guard combination of Marbury and Nash...