The Argentine demon blade thus stayed in the Italian league for three years. Although Ginobili thrived in Italy, leading the team to a championship and winning the Most Valuable Player award, becoming a renowned player in European basketball, with countless Italian beauties throwing themselves at him...
However, the overall strength of the Italian league still fell far short of the NBA, and its commercialization was far less than that of the NBA.
Therefore, while Ginobili's strength improved, the improvement was limited. Ginobili earned a little money, but not a fortune in US dollars...
He Xi Meng encouraged Ginobili to debut in the NBA as early as possible. The sooner he debuted, the more beneficial it would be for his future career development! But did Ginobili not understand these principles?
The problem was where he would play, and currently, Ginobili couldn't make that decision. The Spurs were not a team he could just join whenever he pleased...
This battle between a dark horse and another dark horse thrilled fans from both countries!
The Chinese team took advantage of their inside presence to gain an advantage in the first half, while the Argentinian team utilized their cohesive team play to dominate the second half. When the game entered the final minute, Scola, with a pump fake and a scoop shot under the basket, helped Argentina tie the score!
In the crucial moment, He Xi Meng once again took possession of the ball for the Chinese team.
Facing Ginobili's defense, He Xi Meng feigned a shot and then executed a side-step drive, pushing past Ginobili into the paint!
Facing the double-team of Scola and Ginobili, He Xi Meng deliberately played coy, luring Ginobili into a foul! He knew that his old friend would absolutely take the risk if he had a chance to block the shot...
Risk-taking was a creed etched into the demon blade's very bones!
He Xi Meng, however, exploited Ginobili's creed just a little, drawing a foul and then, as he fell, using his body's rotation to loft aćé-difficulty layup off the backboard...
The ball bounced once more before successfully dropping into the net!
Two points were valid, and he would get an additional free throw!
Looking at Ginobili's stunned expression, He Xi Meng gave him an infuriating smile!
Stepping up to the free-throw line, He Xi Meng calmly sank the bonus free throw, completing the 2+1!
Immediately after, Ginobili attempted a risky three-point shot during a fast break. The ball missed the rim entirely, and He Xi Meng, on the subsequent push, drained a long-range fast-break three-pointer!
Back and forth, the deficit for Argentina widened to 6 points!
Although Ginobili didn't give up, catching the ball and pushing it up, he answered He Xi Meng with a long-range three-pointer. However, the final whistle sounded as the game ended. The Chinese team, thanks to He Xi Meng's six consecutive points in the final minute, successfully defeated Argentina, achieving their fourth consecutive win in the World Championships!
This victory also brought immense joy and relief to Zhang Bing, who was watching from the sidelines! Because the Chinese team's goal of reaching the top eight had been achieved!
Now, among the six teams in Group F, only China and Yugoslavia remained undefeated with four wins each, sharing the top spot in the group!
Even if China lost their next two games against Russia and Yugoslavia, they would not fall out of the top four. Moreover, He Xi Meng had no intention of accepting a loss so soon!
In the next game, He Xi Meng suggested that Coach Zhang Bing engage Russia in a tough inside battle!
Russia's playing style was the most tenacious among European teams! Their shooting wasn't that accurate, and their passing and cutting wasn't that fluid. How did they manage to hold a place in the competitive European basketball scene? Naturally, it was through fierce rebounding and reckless defense!
The tough feared the relentless, and the relentless feared the reckless. Russia was the embodiment of recklessness in European basketball.
If the sole objective was to defeat Russia, China's best option would be to maximize their agility and quickness, playing to their strengths and avoiding their weaknesses.
However, He Xi Meng did not choose this approach. Instead, he advised Coach Zhang Bing to have his teammates, especially the big men, engage Russia in a hard-fought game!
He Xi Meng's reason was: "To temper the team!"
Russia was the best whetstone for the Chinese team. Their style was tough enough, and their strength was not overwhelming. If China could withstand their strong offense and push back with their own, they had a good chance of defeating them.
With the attitude that "the top eight is already in the bag," Zhang Bing thought, why not temper the team! His coaching position was already secure, and every subsequent victory for China would be another medal on Zhang Bing's resume. The more, the better! But not too many, lest it cause serious consequences.
Furthermore, in the previous few games, He Xi Meng had repeatedly "rescued the team single-handedly" at critical moments, causing Zhang Bing to unconsciously develop a significant reliance on him. As long as it wasn't a completely outlandish idea, Zhang Bing would instinctively agree to He Xi Meng's suggestions.
For instance, in this game against Russia, when He Xi Meng suggested that they should focus on developing the Chinese interior players' ability to play tough games, Zhang Bing found no issue with it! Training the team in actual combat to improve their fighting capacity was, after all, the best method...
Thus, under He Xi Meng's coaxing and deception, China's interior players, led by Yao Ming, Da Zhi, and Battelle, engaged in an exceptionally fierce physical battle with Russia!
Yao Ming's arms were swollen from his opponents' blows, Da Zhi fouled out with five fouls, while Battelle surprisingly had the best performance in this game!
Under the influence of Russia's strongmen, both Yao Ming and Da Zhi's shooting touch went awry. Their usual mid-range shots bounced off the rim, forcing them to get close to the basket just to score, making it a very painful game...
But Battelle, in this slow-paced, power-oriented game, thrived. He frequently used his post-up game to get into the low post and then execute a turnaround jumper.
Despite nearly getting into a fight with Russia's star player Babkov, his performance was outstanding. Among China's three centers, Battelle was undoubtedly the most brilliant player in this game!
He Xi Meng constantly roamed the perimeter, encouraging the three centers to compete with Russia! On several occasions, He Xi Meng had open shooting opportunities but prioritized passing to the interior. He was committed to the goal of "tempering the team" to the fullest!
However, every time Russia tried to build momentum and pull away from China, He Xi Meng would step up and hit a clutch shot, stabilizing the situation!
This made Russia extremely frustrated. After their momentum was stifled by He Xi Meng a few times, Russia gradually lost control of the game, while the Chinese team grew more confident as they played.
Ultimately, this inside slugfest ended with a score of 76:73, with China narrowly defeating their opponents by three points and securing their fifth consecutive victory!
He Xi Meng only scored 12 points in this game but dished out an impressive 15 assists and 5 steals, remaining China's undisputed anchor!
Battelle scored a game-high 20 points, Yao Ming had 16, and Da Zhi had 14!
Hu Weidong and Liu Yudong had limited shot attempts in this game, mostly playing support roles for China's three centers.
This playing style left other international powerhouses baffled: "Why is China not using their sharp perimeter players and stubbornly focusing on positional play around their big men inside? What are they trying to do?"