NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Mark Price passed the ball to Joe Smith, who caught it cleanly, but Zhao Dong was right behind him, blocking every move. Smith, despite his size and strength, couldn't keep up with Zhao Dong's power. But Smith was quicker and more agile. He swayed left and right, shaking off Zhao Dong, and then slid into the paint. Zhao Dong, slowing down only a split second, quickly recovered and stayed right behind him.

As Smith entered the paint, he used his left arm to shield the outside while gathering the ball with his right hand. With a powerful stomp, he soared up. Zhao Dong was already anticipating the move. Without hesitation, he leapt and swatted the ball backward, just as Smith was about to dunk.

"Fuckers!" Smith yelled as he landed, his frustration obvious. But no one was paying attention. The ball ricocheted off the backboard and was caught by Oakley right below the free-throw line. The Knicks started their fast break.

"Whoa, Zhao Dong just blocked Joe Smith! He jumped so high!" the commentator shouted, clearly taken aback.

Zhao Dong lagged behind, trying to catch up, while Ewing stayed close behind him.

Charlie Ward drove to the hoop, with Mark Price right on his tail. But he didn't have a clear lane for a layup, so he pulled back. Alan Houston was on the left wing, calling for the ball, tightly guarded by his defender. Oakley was on the right wing, with Chris Mullin next to him. In the middle, Zhao Dong had already crossed the top of the arc. Smith, his defender, was still two steps behind, delayed in returning, while Ewing was in the same position.

Charlie Ward pushed the ball to Zhao Dong. Zhao Dong grabbed it with one hand and leapt toward the free-throw line in a single, powerful step. Like a dragon, he soared through the air, holding the ball high in his right hand, pulling it back, and getting ready to strike.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous tomahawk dunk, the force blasted through the hoop. The basket shook violently. The arena in Oakland fell silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing.

"That was insane! Zhao Dong just dunked from one step beyond the free-throw line!" The commentator's voice echoed.

"Did you see that? Did you see that dunk?" Zhao Dong rushed to the baseline, grabbed the CCTV camera, and shouted into it, his excitement palpable.

"Oh ho ho..." Several Knicks players ran over, crowding around the camera and making excited noises.

"Zhao Dong, it's really you!" Zhang Lili shouted from the sidelines. "Kacha Kacha..." The camera kept flickering non-stop, capturing the moment.

The Warriors attacked. Todd Fuller, the Warriors' starting center, wasn't much of a threat offensively, but when facing Ewing, he struggled to find opportunities. Joe Smith, the team's second scoring option after Latrell Sprewell, took most of the shots, especially inside.

After receiving the ball in the low post on the right wing, Joe Smith moved left and right before suddenly launching a turnaround jumper. Zhao Dong's interior defense was solid but not elite at level 80. He didn't stay tight on Smith, and his reaction was half a beat slower, but he still leapt with all his might to contest the shot.

"That Chinese guy can jump so high!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"Predict!" Zhao Dong's fingertip grazed the bottom of the ball, altering its trajectory mid-flight.

"Clang!" The ball hit the rim and bounced away. As Zhao Dong landed, he quickly turned and stretched his arms, positioning himself to trap Smith behind him. The ball fell just two meters away, perfectly positioned for him to snatch.

"Shit!" Joe Smith cursed under his breath, rushing to grab the ball.

"Get out of the way!" Zhao Dong shouted, snatching the rebound.

Holding the ball in front of his chest with both hands, Zhao Dong turned around abruptly, swinging his elbows left and right.

"Damn rookie!" Joe Smith cursed as Zhao Dong's elbow brushed just past the tip of his nose. Frightened, Smith leaned back and dodged, muttering under his breath. Zhao Dong cleared the surrounding defenders with swift moves and passed the ball to Charlie Ward.

"Real veteran move on that rebound," Knicks assistant Tom Thibodeau commented to Van Gundy from the sidelines.

"He could use a little more experience," Van Gundy replied. "With those big hands, he should hold the ball higher to avoid being stripped or getting a foul."

Zhao Dong sprinted up the court, seeing Ewing, Oakley, and their defenders packed into the paint. With no room inside, he stopped just outside the right-wing three-point line.

At that moment, Ewing received the ball from Charlie Ward and took a shot over Todd Fuller but missed. Oakley grabbed the rebound, only to be blocked by his defender. Lacking low-post offensive skills, Oakley, who usually shot at the basket or took mid-range shots, passed the ball.

Zhao Dong momentarily lost Joe Smith with some counter-moves along the three-point line. As Oakley's pass came to him, Zhao Dong immediately caught it and leaped for a three-point shot.

"NO!" Van Gundy shouted in frustration from the sidelines.

"I got this!" Zhao Dong muttered to himself, already confident. As soon as he released the ball, he had a strong feeling it would go in. Before his right arm even dropped, he gave a bold OK gesture. The next moment, the ball sailed through the air and swished through the net.

"Yeah!" Zhao Dong roared, his sweat mixing with his lean muscles, his body radiating energy and confidence. His positions included small forward, and although he could shoot threes and long-range two-pointers, he usually stuck to low-post offense because it was more efficient.

"Three points? Beautiful!" someone shouted from the sidelines.

"Three for three, seven points, two blocks, one rebound!" Zhang Lili and the others cheered.

Van Gundy, however, looked unsure. He didn't say anything if the shot went in, but if Zhao Dong missed, he'd yank him out to stop him from taking wild shots.

"Zhao, stop with the three-pointers. Get inside and play," Van Gundy shouted toward the court.

At that moment, the Warriors pushed the pace. The Madman sped down the left wing and nailed a three-pointer. Ewing came back with a mid-range jumper, and the Warriors, running their fast-break system, kept the pressure on. The Madman took another shot but missed this time. Joe Smith, a little faster than Zhao Dong, dashed ahead to grab the rebound and finished with a tomahawk dunk. But Zhao Dong, from behind, launched himself into the air. Just as Smith was about to dunk, Zhao Dong swatted the ball away, sending it flying out of bounds.

"Blocked again? Joe Smith just got swallowed up again! Rough day for him," the commentator boomed.

"Man, three blocks already? You're killing it today!" Oakley shouted, running over to Zhao Dong.

"I gotta do my job right, or they'll ship me out of here," Zhao Dong joked.

"Leave? Hell no, you're staying right here," Oakley grinned.

"Jeff, sign him now. Don't even wait," Grant called out to Van Gundy.

"Neil, I'm on board. This guy's a keeper," Van Gundy nodded, clearly pleased with Zhao Dong's performance.

--------

Thanks for reading! Send a Power Stone to support the story!

-----

Read 20+ chapters ahead

Påtreon.com/FanficLord03