Yes, He Xi Meng had already entered the early stages of the peak, but Yao Ming was just a beginner. The reason the group stage managed to catch the American team off guard was mainly due to two factors: the American team's unfamiliarity with him, and He Xi Meng's exquisite assists. In fact, after the initial bewilderment of the first quarter and the adjustment of the second, the Dream Team's efficiency in defending Yao Ming clearly began to improve in the second half.
Mourning constantly sought to confront Yao Ming, causing Yao Ming's stamina to drain very quickly.
And the biggest strategy for the Dream Team in this final match was, in fact, the same strategy the Australian team had previously failed with: to find Yao Ming aggressively from the start. The goal was to cripple China's inside dominance in the shortest possible time!
However, against the Dream Team, China could not afford to play the same way as they did against Australia, leaving the perimeter open to lure opponents into shooting. With players like Kidd, Ray Allen, and Carter from the US capable of shooting from mid-range and long-range, if China dared to leave them open, the Dream Team would shoot them down!
Therefore, from the beginning of this final match, the Dream Team was determined to attack China's interior. Whether it was Mourning, Garnett, Carter, Ray Allen, or even Kidd, they were all set on attacking the paint!
The young Yao Ming had never experienced such a situation. Despite He Xi Meng's constant reassurance by his side, urging Yao Ming to remain calm, not to jump easily, and not to foul, Yao Ming still found himself trapped in a quagmire of fouls, unable to escape!
Mourning, as the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, was not only adept at defense but also at drawing fouls. Coupled with the seasoned Kidd's cunning strategy against Yao Ming, and the explosive Carter directly attacking Yao Ming… Before the midpoint of the fourth quarter, Yao Ming had fouled out and could only watch his teammates battle on the court, unable to help. 138 Reading Network
Annoyed, Yao Ming slammed the bench hard before sitting down, venting his dissatisfaction with himself.
This was the price of youth!
After Yao Ming fouled out, the situation that He Xi Meng had painstakingly held together for three and a half quarters began to collapse!
China's rebounding protection started to falter, with more and more crucial rebounds, both defensive and offensive, being lost.
China's interior defensive threat significantly decreased. The combination of Da Ba and Da Zhi in the paint was no match for Yao Ming and Da Zhi, or Yao Ming and Da Ba!
China's offensive tactics began to stagnate. Without Yao Ming as a low-post pivot, Da Zhi was forced to operate within the three-point line, and He Xi Meng, deprived of the opportunity to catch and shoot directly, was compelled to take on a heavy load of isolation plays…
Ultimately, He Xi Meng gave his all in this Olympic championship battle, scoring his highest point total of 43 points in the Olympics, but it was to no avail.
Yao Ming had his worst game of the tournament, scoring only 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Da Zhi fared slightly better than Yao Ming, but still only managed 13 points and 7 rebounds.
In the end, 89:94, China failed to create a miracle and regrettably lost.
Yao Ming, with a look of guilt, high-fived his teammates who returned defeated. He Xi Meng patted his back, consoling him, "Victory and defeat are common in war! Winning isn't solely dependent on you, but losing isn't your responsibility… Don't carry the burden! Train hard, improve your skills quickly, and four years from now, we'll have another chance…"
Although they didn't win the gold medal in this Olympics, at least the Chinese men's basketball team achieved a breakthrough in medals, marking a new record in their Olympic history!
This Olympic Games, the Chinese delegation had originally won 28 gold, 16 silver, and 15 bronze medals! Adding this silver medal from the Chinese men's basketball team, it became 28 gold, 17 silver, and 15 bronze.
While it didn't change the final ranking of the Chinese delegation, with the women's football and women's volleyball teams being successively eliminated, the silver medal from the Chinese men's basketball team, as the sole medal among the top three ball sports for the Chinese delegation, carried significant weight.
Yao Ming nodded and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Xi Meng! The Dream Team showed me the gap between myself and world-class basketball… In fact, seeing Da Zhi's progress makes me want to improve my skills rapidly…"
"Go to the NBA! Go to the strongest league, and compete with the strongest players! Mourning isn't the strongest; O'Neal is! Only after battling O'Neal can you truly understand the playstyle of the strongest center on this planet… At that time, when we face the Dream Team again, we'll truly have a chance to win…"
"I understand what you mean, and I actually have the same idea… So, I'd like to ask for your opinion! With my current strength, do I have the qualifications to play in the NBA?"
After hearing Yao Ming's doubts, He Xi Meng couldn't help but laugh, "Big Yao, you're too lacking in confidence! Although you played poorly in this final game, you've already established your reputation in the previous matches! The whole world has seen your talent! Your talent is top-tier! Even in the NBA, you'll be top-tier! Believe me, if you participate in the NBA draft, you will be the number one pick! In the future, you will become an All-Star player in the NBA…"
Yao Ming was stunned because He Xi Meng's evaluation of him was indeed very high. Before this, Yao Ming's aspiration for the NBA was merely to be drafted into the lottery and to become a starter for a certain team in the future, nothing more. He Xi Meng, however, painted a very grand picture for Yao Ming, so grand that he was hesitant to accept it!
At this moment, Da Zhi walked over and patted Yao Ming's shoulder, "Big Yao, believe me! In the realm of basketball, if your own thoughts conflict with Xi Meng's, then don't hesitate. I can guarantee that trusting Xi Meng will lead to a better outcome than trusting yourself…"
"Mm, I believe Xi Meng… However, leaving the Shanghai team now seems a bit difficult…" Yao Ming said with a frown.
"If it's a matter of money, I think I can help you solve it!" He Xi Meng suddenly recalled the "precedent" of Ginobili and felt that Yao Ming's problem could be solved in a similar way.
"Really?" Yao Ming asked excitedly, "I asked the team about it before, and the liquidated damages they're asking for are probably not a small sum…"
If He Xi Meng remembered correctly, the buyout fee the Shanghai team initially demanded was exorbitant, asking for 18 million US dollars!
Yao Ming, as the number one pick in the NBA draft, would have a total annual salary of 18 million US dollars for four years!
This meant that Yao Ming, working for four years without eating or drinking, and handing over all his earnings to the Shanghai team, would still have to pay for taxes and pension out of his own pocket?
According to an individual income tax rate of around 40% in the US, and a 10% NBA pension contribution, Yao Ming would only receive about 9 million US dollars.
And within these 9 million US dollars, the Chinese Basketball Association had nurtured Yao Ming, so Yao Ming would need to contribute to the association, right? The Shanghai Sports Bureau had also nurtured Yao Ming, so Yao Ming would need to contribute to them, right? Yao Ming's agent team had worked hard to help him, so Yao Ming would have to pay them, right?
After all these calculations, out of the 9 million, Yao Ming might end up with less than 4.5 million for himself!
Now, with the Shanghai team demanding 18 million US dollars upfront, how could Yao Ming afford it, and how could he dare to take such a risk?