On his home court, He Xi Meng went all out from the start of the group stage.
This was a lesson learned from the previous World Championships, to prevent other teammates from suffering unnecessary injuries.
Yao Ming had expended a great deal of energy in the just-concluded finals, so He Xi Meng intended to carry the burden from the beginning, giving Yao Ming time and opportunity to catch his breath, preventing him from being unable to exert his full strength in the knockout stages when he wanted to push...
With Xu Yong recovered from illness, Lin Shu Hao successfully naturalized, and Yi Jian Lian and Sun Yue showing significant improvement after their experience in the NBA last season.
In the group stage, the Chinese team advanced with a perfect record.
In the knockout stages, China first defeated Argentina, then Spain, and finally faced the USA Men's Basketball "Dream Eight" team in a summit showdown in the finals!
"Dream Eight" was dubbed the "Redemption Team" by the American media.
To reverse the continuous decline in form of American basketball in international competitions for six consecutive years, USA Basketball assembled a team that was claimed to rival the "Dream Team" led by Jordan sixteen years prior.
The members of this Dream Eight team were Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Prince, Michael Redd, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Bosh.
Team Leader: Colangelo.
Head Coach: Krzyzewski.
Assistant Coaches: Bohnam, D'Antoni, McMillan.
This Dream Eight team, from players to coaches, included some of He Xi Meng's current teammates, some former teammates, but more importantly, many of He Xi Meng's "nemeses"!
In the NBA, they had been ravaged and oppressed by He Xi Meng. Now, on the international stage, those with grudges were ready for revenge, and those with grievances were ready to settle them.
In the previous seven games, Dream Eight had also won seven in a row, facing China with an undefeated record.
Team Leader Colangelo stated, "We want to use a championship to tell the world that the best basketball still exists in the birthplace of this sport. We want to prove that we are invincible!"
Whether this Dream Eight team was truly invincible was not for Colangelo to decide.
In this game, He Xi Meng moved as if through an empty space, his shots hitting the mark with incredible heat!
Throughout the entire game, He Xi Meng scored a staggering 51 points, breaking the record for the highest individual points scored in a single Olympic men's basketball game and in a single Men's Basketball World Championship game!
If not for the combined efforts of Kobe and LeBron, who, in the final moments, shifted to offense to counter He Xi Meng's relentless three-point barrage, this Dream Eight team, hailed as a peerless force comparable to the original Dream Team, would have fallen at He Xi Meng's hands...
In the end, the Chinese men's basketball team lost to Dream Eight by a narrow margin of 116:118, missing out on the gold medal in the Beijing Olympics.
A silver medal, though slightly disappointing, represented He Xi Meng's all-out contribution to this national team.
The path forward would be one China would have to walk on its own.
"Whether I will re-join the national team as a coach in the future is uncertain for now. But as a player, my national team career is over..."
When He Xi Meng announced his retirement decision on national television after the game, countless fans flooded the streets, surrounding the Wukesong Stadium, hoping He Xi Meng would reconsider and lead the new generation for another four years!
He Xi Meng understood the fans' feelings, but he decided to leave his best self etched in the fans' memories, not wanting to wait until his performance declined and become a scapegoat for losses...
He had strived, he had fought, he had achieved glory, and that was enough.
Don't wait until you become an enemy to let go, let love remain at its most beautiful moment!
His national team career ended this way, and so would his professional career!
In the following 2008-2009 season, He Xi Meng fully supported Kobe and swept through the entire league once again!
This time, the SuperSonics not only broke the Lakers' league-record 33-game winning streak set in the 1971-1972 season, achieving a formidable 36 consecutive wins, but also set a new league regular season record: 74 wins and 8 losses!
The regular season-dominant SuperSonics were also invincible in the playoffs!
In the Western Conference first round, the SuperSonics swept the Jazz 4:0!
In the Western Conference semifinals, the SuperSonics swept the Nuggets 4:0!
In the Western Conference finals, the SuperSonics swept the Celtics 4:0!
In the NBA Finals, the SuperSonics swept the newly formed "Big Three" of the Heat 4:0!
Kobe achieved his wish of lifting the O'Brien Cup while also winning the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP!
In the summer of 2009, veterans Mutombo, Webber, and Hardaway retired together in Seattle. O'Neal, Iverson, and McGrady joined the SuperSonics on minimum contracts, and the Seattle "nursing home" continued its operations.
However, the SuperSonics, at their peak, inevitably began to suffer from injuries in the 2009-2010 season.
Why is a three-peat the symbol of a league dynasty? Because a three-peat is incredibly difficult to achieve.
Firstly, maintaining roster stability requires a significant price.
Secondly, the physical toll on players after two consecutive seasons of high-intensity competition reaches its limit, and injuries become unavoidable.
Among the core players, Pau Gasol was the first to miss 17 games due to injury, followed by Kobe who missed 9 games due to a recurrence of an old injury.
Even the younger Durant and Marc Gasol inevitably sustained injuries.
Durant missed 8 games, and Marc Gasol missed 13 games.
At critical moments, the advantage of "cruising" became apparent.
He Xi Meng, who had been constantly talking about retiring, stood like a towering lighthouse in the midst of the SuperSonics' injury epidemic, firmly rooted in the sea. He not only played all 82 games but also secured the SuperSonics' league-best record: 65 wins and 7 losses!
Entering the playoffs, He Xi Meng went all out, as if he had been injected with adrenaline!
Even Kobe was a bit apprehensive, turning to advise He Xi Meng, "The Finals haven't even started yet. Don't play so intensely, be careful of injuries..."
Western Conference first round, the Lakers swept the Jazz 4:0!
Western Conference semifinals: the Lakers swept the Suns 4:0!
Western Conference finals: the Lakers nearly swept the Celtics 4:1!
NBA Finals, the Lakers defeated the Heat 4:2!
Compared to the previous season, He Xi Meng could feel that the Heat's "Big Three" had become stronger, but they still couldn't stop the peak SuperSonics!
In the sixth game of the NBA Finals, his last professional game, He Xi Meng went into an offensive frenzy, ultimately setting his scoring total at 60 points!
The three-peat was achieved, and the SuperSonics dynasty was established!
He Xi Meng simultaneously won the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP for the 2009-2010 season!
However, none of this mattered to him anymore...