The Knicks' five-game winning streak sent shockwaves through the NBA.
The arrival of a rookie had transformed a cellar-dwelling team from a lottery contender to a championship hopeful!
It was nothing short of a beautiful legend.
Many media outlets began comparing Li Feng to other superstars.
Some reporters even maliciously downplayed Kobe and LeBron, much to the displeasure of many Kobe and LeBron fans.
Inadvertently, Li Feng had gained many new haters.
However, it was common for superstars to have plenty of detractors, no matter how outstanding they were.
For instance, Yao Ming, Kobe, and LeBron all had their share of haters, and even Jordan had many.
Some extreme haters dug up Li Feng's high school game footage.
It had to be said, the internet was truly powerful.
In high school, Li Feng's skills and physical condition were average, so many haters used this video to attack him.
Li Feng also saw the video while online and admitted it was somewhat embarrassing.
But he didn't get into online arguments, after all, it was his game footage from before he transmigrated, so being slightly less skilled was normal.
The Knicks' next game was a home game against the Nets from the Eastern Conference.
This was the "derby battle" between Chinese players Li Feng and Yi Jianlian.
Many Chinese fans were paying close attention to this game, as Yi Jianlian had also played well in the first five games, averaging 20.3 points per game.
The Nets had won three out of five games and were ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Since both teams' home arenas were in New York, there was no need for arduous travel.
Before the game, Li Feng and Yi Jianlian met.
Li Feng invited Ah Lian to a restaurant in New York for dinner.
"Brother Yi, this is our first encounter in the NBA, you have to go easy on me!" Li Feng teased.
Yi Jianlian chuckled, "Forget it, you're the one who needs to go easy! You've been on fire in these past few games, I'm genuinely happy for you!"
"It's alright, the Knicks are built around me, so my stats are a bit better," Li Feng explained.
"You can't say that. If the Knicks aren't built around you, they'd still be a weak team. I'm not afraid of offending anyone by saying this, haha."
Yi Jianlian was a straightforward person but not very adept at communication.
"Brother Yi, how are you getting along with your teammates? It should be much better now, right?"
"Yes, much better. The communication methods you told me about were very effective, and my relationships with my teammates are harmonious!"
"That's good. Your skills are not an issue at all, you're just a bit reserved. I'm speaking frankly, Brother Yi, please don't be offended."
"Don't say that, Li Feng. Even though you're a rookie, your communication style and basketball skills are worth learning from. Even Big Brother Yao tells me to stay in touch with you."
Li Feng nodded, "Then rest assured, we're both Chinese, and when living here, we need to look out for each other."
...
They chatted for a long time, and Li Feng shared a lot of basketball knowledge with Yi Jianlian, as he had attended high school and college in the US.
As they finished their meal and were about to part ways, the voice in Li Feng's mind sounded again.
[Ding, Host's "Awaken the Yi Emperor" skill has been upgraded. Yi Jianlian's shooting stat point has risen to 82, and his rebounding ability has increased to 80!]
Li Feng was very happy. Yi Jianlian was the hope for China's interior play after Da Yao, so being able to help Yi Di was equivalent to helping the Chinese national basketball team.
At the pre-game press conference, Li Feng accepted media interviews.
"Mr. Li Feng, what do you have to say about playing against the team of Chinese player Yi Jianlian?"
Li Feng smiled and said, "I don't think there's anything different. We're all professional players, and we just need to give our all."
The reporter then asked, "Yi Jianlian has also been playing very well recently. Who on the Knicks do you think can match up against Yi Jianlian?"
Li Feng thought for a moment and replied, "Gallinari and Bill Walker can both do it. However, given Yi Jianlian's form in the last few games, he might have a slight advantage. But our Knicks players will try even harder!"
Seeing Li Feng praise Yi Jianlian, the reporter continued, "Do you think Yi Jianlian can replace Yao Ming's position in China?"
Li Feng shook his head firmly and replied, "Absolutely not. It's impossible for at least the next three years. Yao Ming is the Great Wall of China, and no one can replace him."
The reporters all nodded in agreement, finding Li Feng's statement accurate.
"Li Feng, have you heard any news about Yao Ming and the Rockets?"
Yao Ming and the Rockets had been experiencing some unpleasantness recently, and the news had been spreading like wildfire. Li Feng had naturally heard about it.
However, it was not convenient for Li Feng to comment on unreleased information, so Li Feng calmly shook his head and said, "I haven't heard anything. That's an internal matter for the Rockets, and we probably shouldn't discuss it."
Seeing that Li Feng was unwilling to comment, the reporters didn't press further.
...
At 8 PM, at Madison Square Garden in New York, the Knicks hosted their city rivals, the Nets.
The Knicks' starting lineup was Li Feng, David Lee, Gallinari, Jeffries, and Duhon.
The Nets' starting five were Lopez, Harris, Courtney Lee, Yi Jianlian, and Roberts.
Brook Lopez secured the first possession.
Roberts dribbled past half-court, and Duhon stepped up to defend closely.
Given Courtney Lee's good performance in the recent games, Li Feng had to lock him down.
Perhaps due to adjustments within the Nets, Roberts passed the ball to Yi Jianlian on the first offensive play.
Yi Jianlian received the ball, Gallinari closed in to defend. Yi Jianlian leaned in slightly, then turned and shot.
Swish!
Two points made!
Ah Lian scored the first points for the Nets.
As an opponent, Li Feng remained expressionless, but inwardly, he was truly happy for Ah Lian.
It seemed that the "Awaken the Yi Emperor" skill was very effective, and Yi Jianlian's shooting technique had improved significantly.
Knicks' offense.
His teammates were also smart, passing the ball to Li Feng, letting him take a shot as well.
The Nets placed great importance on Li Feng, immediately having Courtney Lee and Roberts double-team him.
Li Feng didn't consider passing; he used his speed to suddenly break left and then executed a step-back three-pointer!
The sequence of moves was fluid, and with the assistance of his "Fancy Dribbling" skill, it left the defenders completely bewildered.
Swish!
Three-pointer made!
In this Chinese player derby, both teams scored through their Chinese players.
The audience was delighted and applauded enthusiastically, especially the Chinese fans sitting in the front rows, who held up photos of both players to celebrate the moment.
Despite being an opponent, Yi Jianlian also admired Li Feng's shooting speed.
He noticed that Li Feng had improved significantly since the Olympics, with tremendous progress.
Nets' offense, this time Roberts didn't let Yi Jianlian take the shot but passed the ball to Courtney Lee.
Courtney Lee was a player with strong shooting ability, and he was not convinced by Li Feng.
Therefore, he wanted to score against Li Feng.
Li Feng was already accustomed to this; after a superstar becomes famous, they inevitably face challenges from various people.
It was like a martial arts master in a wuxia novel.
When you were unknown, no one paid attention, and no one cared.
But if you became a feudal lord or a hegemon, people would start challenging you.
And these challenges would come one after another, relentlessly.
If Li Feng wanted to reach the pinnacle of basketball, he had to constantly strive and push forward against the current.
Facing Li Feng, Courtney Lee unleashed his signature move: a quick sidestep followed by a shot!
With this move, he managed to score at least ten points per game.
However, Li Feng had studied Courtney Lee's playing style during his pre-game preparation.
Therefore, the moment Courtney Lee moved sideways, Li Feng followed suit.
Of course, even if you knew Courtney Lee's move, keeping up with him was still very difficult.
Otherwise, NBA players would be able to defend him just by watching game footage, and they wouldn't be stars.
Courtney Lee was shocked. He realized that Li Feng's sideways movement speed was actually faster than his own!
"What's going on?"
Li Feng closed in, and Courtney Lee had already gathered the ball, so he couldn't escape. He was forced to execute an extreme fadeaway.
But his jumping ability was far inferior to Li Feng's. His fadeaway jump shot was decisively blocked by Li Feng.
Bang!
The ball was swatted towards the baseline. Gallinari dived to save the ball, hooking it back, and David Lee secured it.
Gallinari was very committed. In order to save this ball, he flew into the stands, his face hitting a chair and causing a cut.
D'Antoni quickly called a timeout, and the team doctor came over to treat Gallinari's wound.
Li Feng rushed over immediately and asked Gallinari with concern.
Due to the head impact, the team doctor decided that Gallinari could not continue playing in this game and needed to be checked for a concussion.
Jordan Hill replaced Gallinari on the court, and the game resumed.
Gallinari's save deeply moved the Knicks players. What this team needed most was a fighting spirit.
This team was often called the most unmotivated team because New York, as the world's number one metropolis, had no shortage of attention.
Therefore, the Knicks were very wealthy, the players' salaries were high, and the owner was willing to spend money.
But the team's record was consistently poor, far from satisfactory.
Gallinari's save signaled that with Li Feng's arrival, a spirit of hard work had been instilled.
The Knicks players were invigorated. Li Feng held the ball at mid-court.
Facing the double-team, Li Feng chose to pass because he saw his teammates were eager and full of offensive desire.
David Lee received the ball and, facing Brook Lopez, drove to the basket and made a strong layup, scoring two points!
Brook Lopez was strong offensively, but defensively, he was still far behind Howard. David Lee was courageous and fought hard.
After scoring, David Lee roared in exhilaration.
He had a frustrating game in the previous match, being overwhelmed by Howard.
Li Feng went over and high-fived David Lee, patting him on the back to offer encouragement and affirmation.
"Well played! David Lee!"
Nets' offense, the ball was passed to Yi Jianlian again.
Although they were both Chinese players, Ah Lian was now Li Feng's opponent, so Li Feng unhesitatingly went to help defend.
Just as Yi Jianlian was backing down Jordan Hill and driving into the middle of the paint, Li Feng suddenly appeared and snatched the ball from Ah Lian's hands.
Ah Lian was startled. As he was about to try and steal it back, Li Feng had already passed the ball to Duhon, who was near the half-court line.
Duhon initiated a fast break, with Jeffries as his partner.
Courtney Lee also backtracked quickly, but the Knicks' fast break was well-trained. With three passes, Jeffries went up for an easy layup and scored 2 points!
Yi Jianlian shook his head slightly. He knew Li Feng had good defense, but Li Feng's steals were so elusive that he hadn't expected it.
Of course, he didn't know that Li Feng possessed the SSS-grade stealing skill, which made him even more agile.
In the following few possessions, under Li Feng's leadership, the Knicks gradually gained the upper hand, and the score difference began to widen.
With 7 minutes and 37 seconds left in the first quarter, the score was 18:13, with the Knicks leading by 5 points.
Li Feng had scored 6 points, and Ah Lian also had 6 points.
Both Chinese players performed excellently, much to the delight of the Chinese fans in attendance!
However, although their scores were equal, those who watched the game knew that Li Feng was undoubtedly more important to the Knicks.
This was because Li Feng also had 3 assists and 2 steals.
...
In the Chinese Sports Channel's broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Coach Zhang were excitedly commentating on the game.
The two commentators had been eagerly awaiting this "Chinese derby."
"Coach Zhang, both Li Feng and Ah Lian are playing well today. This is truly a basketball feast for us Chinese fans!"
"Exactly, exactly. I've watched their previous games. Li Feng is, of course, explosive! Yi Jianlian has impressed me in the last few games; he's much better than last season!"
"Yes, and I've noticed that his communication with his teammates has improved a lot. When his teammates go off the court, he actively goes to high-five them, cheer, and wave towels!"
"Right, right, that's very important. Ah Lian previously communicated too little with his teammates, almost no interaction on the court, which is definitely not good."
"Li Feng does a great job in this aspect. Like Yao Ming, his emotional intelligence is so high! You can see how often his teammates interact with him!"
"Actually, on the basketball court, there are many subtle things. Only when teammates are willing to accept you can they execute plays with you; otherwise, even a small gap won't work."
"That's right. After all, it's a team sport, and chemistry is needed both on and off the court."
...
In the latter part of the first quarter, both teams' reserves came onto the court.
The Nets' reserves were of average skill: Alston, Hassell, and Boone.
Alston had played for the Rockets for several years and was a good friend of Da Yao.
Speaking of this player, his journey was quite legendary, as he was previously a streetball master.
Streetball masters rarely made it to the NBA, as these were two different sports.
Streetball emphasized entertainment and flashy moves, but the actual effectiveness was often average.
However, Alston, after gaining fame in the streetball scene through his own efforts, successfully entered the NBA.
Although he didn't achieve great success in the NBA, being able to establish himself and even play as a starting point guard for several years proved his capability.
On the Nets, he also had a good relationship with Yi Jianlian. Because of Da Yao, he knew a few Chinese phrases and would occasionally show them off.
The Knicks' reserves played well today, gaining an advantage. By the end of the first quarter, the Knicks were already leading by 7 points.
The Nets' head coach was Frank, who was not satisfied with his team's reserves and was shouting from the sidelines.
As the second quarter began, Yi Jianlian entered the game early. He played with confidence and showcased his skills against the Knicks' reserves, scoring consecutive points!