This year's Yugoslavian team was also in its prime!
The leading players included Divac, Peja, Bodiroga, and other top European players!
The championship of this World Championship was originally intended for the Yugoslavian team!
However, the Chinese team's morale surged after their semi-final buzzer-beater against Argentina!
Especially He Xi Meng, who went berserk in the finals, essentially disregarding Yugoslavia's defense, making every shot!
The few rare misses were rebounded by Yao Ming under the basket, who then passed the ball back to He Xi Meng to continue his barrage!
Beside He Xi Meng, Yao Ming seemed to rediscover the joy of being a point-center. He no longer bore the heavy responsibility of the team's offense and scoring, only needing to quietly defend his basket, exert effort on defense, and grab offensive rebounds!
Ultimately, the Chinese team led all the way, giving the Yugoslavian team no chance to come back. With an 84:77 victory, they defeated their opponent and successfully defended their World Championship title!
He Xi Meng exploded for 42 points in the finals, contributing half of the team's total score by himself, and was unsurprisingly named the Most Valuable Player of this World Championship!
In the world of basketball outside the NBA, He Xi Meng had already grown into a top-tier king!
In the subsequent Best Starting Five selections, China's He Xi Meng and Yao Ming were both included, named Best Point Guard and Best Center respectively.
The remaining three positions were filled by Nowitzki as Best Power Forward, Peja as Best Small Forward, and Ginobili as Best Shooting Guard.
The final standings of the top eight teams in this World Championship were: China, Yugoslavia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, the United States, Germany, Puerto Rico...
The Chinese team once again emerged as the biggest winner, and He Xi Meng's prestige among Chinese fans reached a new height!
Fans from all over the country flocked to the capital airport to welcome the triumphant Chinese team.
Countless female fans had prepared flowers, ready to break through security to embrace He Xi Meng upon the team's arrival.
However, these female fans were destined to be disappointed!
Because He Xi Meng did not return to China with the Chinese team.
After the World Championship, Zhang Bing and Zhang Yide earnestly invited He Xi Meng to return to China to accept honors from the Basketball Association and meet with leaders.
But He Xi Meng was not particularly interested in these.
Comparatively, he valued this rare holiday more.
Before the World Championship had even ended, he had already arranged for Cui Pang Zi to bring his mother over to San Antonio.
Ms. He Fengting initially didn't want to come to the United States; she hadn't explored enough of China yet!
But she couldn't resist her son's invitation.
If not for the World Championship, He Xi Meng would have returned home this summer. But because of the tournament, it had delayed things by a month.
He Xi Meng finally had a holiday, and he couldn't spend all of it with his mother and not with Kayla, could he?
So, he had to ask his mother to make the effort and fly to the United States for a reunion.
Popovich, having somehow heard that Ms. He Fengting was visiting San Antonio, eagerly volunteered to be their tour guide!
He Xi Meng had initially planned for a mother-son trip, but with Popovich as an unwanted third wheel, it felt rather awkward!
However, under the guidance of Popovich, a local, He Xi Meng and He Fengting managed to travel all over Texas!
The nearly month-long itinerary was meticulously arranged by Popovich. Wherever they went, friends were there to greet them, offering more attentive care than a tour group! This was something He Xi Meng hadn't anticipated.
Throughout the trip, Popovich and He Xi Meng's mother got along very well, finding much common ground.
He Xi Meng, on the other hand, felt like the odd one out.
In the latter half of the trip, feeling somewhat bored, He Xi Meng called Kayla over, at least to avoid being lonely...
Although the four-person dynamic was peculiar, Popovich and Ms. He Fengting maintained their relationship as friends.
After all, a fuming Aunt Irene was waiting at home for Popovich's return...
It was rumored that after this trip ended, Irene and Popovich had a month-long cold war!
With nowhere to go, Popovich had no choice but to start the rookie training camp early, devoting all his attention to his work.
This was Popovich's predicament, but Ms. He Fengting did not have such a worry.
Her innocence was self-evident, and no further words were needed.
Happy times always passed quickly. After the trip ended, He Xi Meng wished his mother could stay with him directly, but Ms. He Fengting reiterated her stance.
"When you get married and have children, I'll come help you! Right now, you have your life, and I have mine..."
Kayla was currently in the midst of her acting career. Dating was fine, but marriage and children were not!
Once she got married and had children, many film offers would cease to come.
Therefore, Kayla was not in a hurry to get married, let alone have children.
If Kayla wasn't in a hurry, He Xi Meng was even less so.
He couldn't possibly force Kayla to get pregnant just to keep his mother around, could he?
So, despite his reluctance, He Xi Meng still let his mother return home first.
Fortunately, the new NBA season was about to ignite, and Popovich had called the rookies back early. While He Xi Meng was diligently practicing his three-point shots, he also casually took on the role of Popovich's assistant coach, helping him train a few rookies: Boozer, Barnes, and Prince!
And also, Butler, whom Popovich traded for with Danny Ferry from the Nuggets!
Before joining the Spurs, these players had heard that He Xi Meng held a special position on the team. Upon witnessing He Xi Meng seamlessly assisting Popovich with training, they finally understood the nature of his unique status...
This was hardly a point guard; it was more like a second head coach!
And once the core players of the Spurs returned, this feeling among the rookies became even stronger!
Because during joint practices, they could clearly sense that even Duncan and David Robinson highly valued He Xi Meng's suggestions.
During tactical plays, He Xi Meng's commands were virtually equivalent to Popovich's...
On October 29, 2002, the Spurs' first game of the new season was held at their home arena!
Before the game commenced, the management arranged a grand championship ring ceremony!
Amidst the envious gazes of the newly acquired rookies, the Spurs players took turns to step onto the court and receive their championship rings!
Well, besides the new teammates, the envious gazes also included the entire Lakers roster, especially Kobe!
This summer, while O'Neal was busy guest-starring in movies, releasing singles, and looking at houses!
Yes, in the summer of 2002, O'Neal spent a hundred million dollars to purchase 21 houses in Miami, Pueblo, and other locations, making a significant investment in real estate!
It had to be said that "The Big Shark" had a very keen business sense.
However, O'Neal, who was busy with commercial activities, ended up being a disservice to the Lakers!
Because after filming his movie, singing his songs, and buying his houses, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't had surgery on his big toe yet...