Li Feng's understanding of each new tactic made D'Antoni very satisfied. He was one of the smartest players he had ever encountered, the other being Nash.
However, compared to Nash, Li Feng's offensive ability was more outstanding, and his passing and organization were not weak. Therefore, Li Feng was undoubtedly the better one.
Winning in his rookie season
If Li Feng could lead the Knicks to defeat the Lakers and claim the championship, his popularity would skyrocket, making him an idol for fans worldwide!
This could be seen from this year's All-Star voting; Li Feng's popularity was already in the top tier.
...
Yi Jianlian's team, the Nets, did not make the playoffs, so he returned to China early.
Even though he was back home, he kept a close eye on the Knicks' playoff journey.
When Yi Jianlian and his friends saw the Knicks reach the NBA Finals, he jumped with joy.
"Da Yao and Li Feng are amazing, they are the pride of China!" Yi Jianlian did not feel discouraged or depressed because his own performance was not as good as Li Feng's and Yao Ming's.
On the contrary, he was very happy that Li Feng and Yao Ming were playing so well.
At this moment, a friend asked Yi Jianlian, "A Lian, do you think the Knicks can beat the Lakers?"
Yi Jianlian cautiously replied, "It's a fifty-fifty chance. Neither team has a stable advantage to defeat the other. The game will definitely be exciting!"
...
Three days later, the 09-10 season NBA Finals began.
Because the Knicks had the best regular-season record in the league, they hosted the first game.
At 7 PM, Madison Square Garden, New York.
The Knicks faced the Lakers.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, Yao Ming, Scola, Bill Walker, and Duhon.
The Lakers' starting five were Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Bynum, Odom, and Fisher.
The core players on both sides had subtle expressions.
Li Feng's expression was the most composed, not at all like a rookie, nor like he was participating in the NBA Finals, but rather like he was facing an ordinary regular-season game.
Yao Ming, on the other hand, looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy, with a very serious expression. He didn't even smile when entering the court.
On the Lakers' side, Kobe's expression was the most serious. He kept glancing at Li Feng.
It was as if he had already considered Li Feng his strongest opponent.
Gasol, as Kobe's most powerful support, had a nervous expression on his face.
This was because the inside player Gasol feared the most was Yao Ming.
And with Yao Ming standing opposite him, Gasol still felt uneasy.
With the referee's whistle, the game began!
Bynum's physical abilities were indeed good, and he secured the first possession for the Lakers.
Fisher brought the ball past half-court, then Kobe used a screen and ran to the 45-degree angle to receive Fisher's pass.
The Knicks' defensive strategy against Kobe was to have Li Feng guard him alone.
This was the first time this had been done in a game against the Lakers, and only the Knicks had the audacity to do it.
Other teams had to double-team Kobe.
Facing Li Feng's defense, Kobe dared not be careless. He turned his body towards Li Feng, observing Li Feng's stance.
Then he suddenly drove, heading towards the baseline.
This was Kobe's signature move, incredibly fast, and once he reached the baseline, he would suddenly pull up for a jump shot at a spot an opponent could not predict.
It was impossible to defend against!
Li Feng knew Kobe's signature move and tried his best to chase.
The two almost reached the baseline simultaneously, then Kobe suddenly pulled up and flicked his wrist!
Although Li Feng jumped almost at the same time, Kobe's release point was too high, so he couldn't touch the ball.
Swish!
The ball went in!
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden fell silent.
2:0!
After scoring, Kobe let out an excited roar and high-fived his teammates!
This was Kobe's classic scoring method, and the Lakers players' morale surged.
Li Feng shouted to his teammates, telling them not to panic.
"Guys, let's get one!"
Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court, and Kobe moved up to defend him closely.
The one-on-one battle between the two was destined to be the most dazzling moment of this year's Finals.
Li Feng hadn't faced a single defender for a while, but his opponent was Kobe, fierce like a Mamba.
Whoosh!
Li Feng suddenly started, driving to the right.
It was known that Li Feng possessed the league's fastest first step.
Even after acquiring this skill, Li Feng continued to train rigorously, his speed reaching 95, faster than during the Olympics.
Kobe immediately followed, staying close to Li Feng, but as Li Feng drove to the edge of the paint, he suddenly faked a shot.
Kobe's eyes were sharp, and he immediately jumped to block.
But the moment their hands were about to meet the ball, Li Feng suddenly pulled his left hand back and pushed the ball to his left with his right hand.
"The Dream Shake!"
Among point guards, there were not a few star players who could perform the Dream Shake, but very few could execute it as realistically and smoothly as Li Feng!
Kobe had already jumped into the air. Seeing Li Feng flash past him on the right, he knew he had been tricked.
Li Feng got past Kobe. Taking advantage of the Lakers' other players not rotating to help, he immediately pulled up for a jump shot!
Swish!
He returned the favor with two points!
The audience at Madison Square Garden erupted in thunderous cheers.
This was the NBA Finals, and this was Kobe!
Li Feng had managed to return a score in a one-on-one confrontation!
It was so dominant!
After scoring, Li Feng smiled at Kobe and said in a low voice, "How was that?"
Kobe pretended not to hear and gestured to his teammates to get the ball in play quickly.
The score was tied 2:2!
The game was filled with the passion of competitive sports right from the start.
On the Lakers' next possession, Kobe did not try to score himself.
He was no longer the Kobe of the past, always wanting to solve problems by himself.
So Kobe signaled Fisher to pass the ball to Gasol.
Gasol as the pivot was very important, serving as the hub of the Lakers' offense.
After receiving the ball, Gasol faced Bill Walker, executed two consecutive turns to find space, and passed to Bynum.
Bynum, taking advantage of Yao Ming's half-second slower reaction, directly slammed the ball in for a score!
Bang!
4:2!
The Lakers took the lead again!
Li Feng watched this, feeling immense pressure.
With Kobe not being the primary focus, the Knicks couldn't set up their defense specifically.
Gasol as the pivot posed a significant threat.
The Knicks went on offense. This time, Yao Ming had to score.
He couldn't allow Bynum to score in front of him; he had to retaliate!
After receiving the ball, Bynum aggressively moved to defend.
Bynum was indeed strong and tall, making it very uncomfortable for Yao Ming, but Yao Ming's skill made it easy for him to deal with Bynum!
Bang!
Yao Ming intentionally bumped into Bynum, then turned and drove towards the basket!