In just half a quarter, Zack shattered the myths that American basketball had built on the international stage. To stop Zack from scoring, Team USA employed an almost insane high-pressure double-team strategy on him. Since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, when have you ever seen an arrogant Dream Team show such respect to an opposing star player out on the perimeter?
If double-teaming in the paint was a necessary evil, then immediately double-teaming him as soon as he crossed half-court clearly proved that this U.S. team had no one who could guard Zack one-on-one. Without a doubt, a team that can't even guard the opposing star simply can't be called a Dream Team, no matter the era.
On the court, the moment for the other players to prove themselves had arrived. The towering Zack displayed his ability to organize the offense with far superior vision than a traditional point guard. His height gave him an expansive view of the court, allowing him to calmly face Team USA's double-teams and deliver precise passes to his teammates.
Zhu Fangyu was the first to "eat the crab" (a idiom for trying something new or difficult) tonight. On the court, Zhu Fangyu, who had trained incredibly hard during the summer camp, was ready to catch and shoot the moment he saw Zack getting double-teamed. Unconditionally trusting that Zack would get him the ball – this was a consensus many of the national team players had formed back in the 2006 World Championship. And Zhu Fangyu, receiving the ball at the 45-degree angle on the left, immediately responded to Zack's trust with a smooth shot.
SWISH!
On CCTV, Zhang Weiping exclaimed, "That's the sense of security Zack brings when he's handling the ball and orchestrating the offense!" Beside him, Sun Zhengping chimed in, "Zack's ball-handling and passing abilities are truly unparalleled. Throughout his career, his assist-to-turnover ratio has reached an astonishing 3.6 to 1." As of now, Zack has accumulated 2133 assists in his career, but only 771 turnovers. Even in the long history of the NBA, his ball-handling and passing skills are top-tier.
On the return possession, LeBron James hit Team USA's first three-pointer. "Young LeBron's" three-point attempt was a good decision. Yi Jianlian had deliberately taken an extra step back in his defensive rotation to prevent a drive. But could "Young LeBron" keep punishing perimeter defense like that?
On next offensive possession, Zack noticed that Kobe was now helping James with the double-team. In an instant, he whipped the ball to Sun Yue. At that moment, Zack was like a general with full map vision, creating a training-like shooting environment for "Great Sage Sun" (Sun Yue's nickname) in the relatively tiny half-court among these giants.
SWISH!
Sun Yue didn't miss the opportunity. outside shooters continued to hit accurate threes, just as Zack remembered. This forced Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski into a dilemma. In the first quarter, Team USA had tried using a full-court press to force turnovers and generate fast breaks. However, their full-court press not only failed to stop from lobbing passes to the tall Zack, but with Zack always bringing the ball across half-court with breathtaking, dazzling skill, Team USA's full-court press simply couldn't exert its usual power.
Why do NBA teams only use full-court presses in specific possessions? Because with the ball-handling ability of NBA guards, if you use a full-court press for an extended period, it's essentially like gifting points to your opponent.
In Coach K's eyes, Zack's ball-handling and passing ability were perfectly tailored for this team. They had a group of capable FIBA shooters and a super center whom you absolutely had to double-team to contain. Add Zack's ball-handling and passing skills, comparable to a super point guard, and the first quarter ended 30-21. On the scoreboard, Team USA was only behind by a Dwyane Wade. But from the flow of the game, they were almost entirely suppressed by Zack's individual brilliance. Moreover, because the first quarter went so smoothly, Yao Ming, who only had to focus on defense, hadn't even gotten a few decent shot attempts.
During the break, Yao Ming, feeling no fatigue, politely declined Jonas Kazlauskas's substitution request and chuckled, "Have you seen Saint Seiya? Tonight, I'm one of Athena's five Bronze Saints. Playing forty minutes is nothing."
Honestly, in both his past life and this one, Yao Ming really loved the Saint Seiya references. If Zack remembered correctly, after this year's Olympics, when asked about "Yao Haters," Yao Ming said, "How should I put this? You know Saint Seiya, the Gemini Saint has a good side and a bad side. This analogy might not be entirely accurate. They all watch my games; they might watch with different mindsets. Some like to watch me play, some don't but still watch. Overall, they all watch my games, and as long as they watch, I say thank you."
But then, after realizing what Yao Ming meant, Zack suddenly grabbed him and said, "Old Yao, you just said you're one of Athena's five Bronze Saints. So, who's Athena?" Yao Ming just grinned at Zack, the answer unspoken.
Damn it! Why do you guys get to be Seiya, Shiryu, and Hyoga, and I'm stuck as that insufferable Saori Kido?! Zack really disliked Yao Ming's analogy. So, he redirected his anger onto Chris Bosh, who substituted for Dwight Howard in the second quarter.
On Team USA's first offensive possession, Bosh rolled to the basket after a pick-and-roll, not noticing Zack trailing him. And then... soaring through the air, Bosh's bank shot was snatched directly by Zack, who had arrived on the scene like a bolt of lightning!
This was a shocking airborne block grab! On CCTV, Sun Zhengping aptly described it: "'King of the Raptors' Bosh wanted to create chaos in paint, but he clearly didn't ask Zack, the mischievous Nezha (a deity who famously 'stirred up the sea'), for permission!" At the Wukesong Arena, as Zack grabbed Bosh's shot and sprinted toward Team USA's half, every step he took was filled with pride and glory in the eyes of the home crowd!
Zack found a trailing Wang Lei on the fast break, assisting him for a two-handed power dunk. On ESPN, Mike Breen shook his head repeatedly: "He's making this game too easy. Team USA's stars look like a bunch of high schoolers who can't play basketball in front of him. Our talent is utterly insignificant in front of this new GOAT!"
Although two FMVPs (Zack and Yao Ming) remained on the court in the second quarter, this should have been a crucial stage for Team USA to make a run and catch up once both teams went to their rotation lineups. However... unable to generate fast breaks from turnovers, Team USA was destined to run into a wall in their less-favored half-court offense.
Interestingly, at the moment Team USA most needed three-pointers to break out of their slump, the less-credentialed Michael Redd didn't get even a second of playing time. Who says you don't need to earn your stripes playing in America? In fact, no matter which Team USA roster in history, players needed a certain amount of seniority to get stable playing time. Zack knew that even a later-era Devin Booker would have to quietly play as a 3-and-D player for the "James-Durant-Curry" trio to get stable minutes in the Olympics.
But the question is: no matter how well Booker played, weren't there other 3-and-D players more suitable for the "James-Durant-Curry" trio on Team USA? The answer is clearly no. It's just that Team USA, habitually picking stars for the sake of picking stars, has long been unable to select a truly perfect team. Plus, in actual games, these NBA stars, who share the ball just for the sake of sharing, often have to play roles that don't suit them. So, in Zack's opinion, how formidable was Team USA as the world imagined? It was just a paper tiger, seemingly full of stars, but utterly unable to unleash its full potential.
Historically, only the 2010 Team USA, which was heavily underestimated by the American media but then proceeded to consistently prove them wrong, successfully solved this problem. Because many young stars on the 2010 World Championship team hadn't yet achieved fame, they could only operate with Kevin Durant as the absolute core, which ironically allowed them to show their true level. And they instilled an inexplicable fear throughout the global basketball world. After all, that Dream Team, which, strictly speaking, was only America's B or C squad, massacred their opponents almost every single night.
And it was precisely from that World Championship onwards... that Coach K finally understood what type of NBA star could dominate in FIBA and led American basketball to conclude that Kevin Durant was the "big daddy" for Team USA on the international stage.
But now... even if Coach K wanted to call upon Durant, who wasn't even considered "Little Lord Durant" yet, he wouldn't have the chance. Because Durant wasn't even on the "Redeem Team" roster, which was hell-bent on sending their strongest players. Zack had already personally rung the bell announcing that the basketball world was about to enter a new era.
---
On the court, it was offensive possession. Seeing Team USA dare to use Prince to guard him one-on-one, Zack immediately drove the defender into the paint without a word. The moment he noticed Yao Ming was ready to receive the ball, he chose to ignore Yao Ming and forcefully put the ball into the hoop.
BEEP!
Basket good, whistle blown! Another AND-ONE! Head referee Ron Garretson didn't let Zack down, given their pre-game "relationship-building." But Yao Ming, who hadn't gotten a single easy basket all night, said to Zack as he walked to the free-throw line, "You say you hate Kobe... I feel like you are Kobe tonight."
Hearing this, Zack, who indeed felt a bit like Kobe just then, said, "I'm in good form tonight. Save your energy; we still have Spain to play next." If it were before, Yao Ming would have thought he misheard. Because at this moment... Zack's unspoken meaning was clear: he didn't even consider this U.S. team a threat.
At the free-throw line, Zack sank the free throw. Coach K gradually brought back the Dream Team starters in the latter half of the second quarter. But this funeral, by halftime, had successfully ignited panic throughout the entire U.S. team, and among U.S. basketball fans, indeed, the entire American basketball world!
On the scoreboard: 58-41. would head into the second half with a 17-point lead.
---
During halftime, Zack was interviewed by both CCTV and ESPN. In front of the CCTV cameras, Zack was as well-behaved as could be. But under ESPN's lens, Zack immediately changed his demeanor. "I don't deny that these U.S. players are determined to redeem themselves with a gold medal. However, in my opinion, since I'm standing on the Olympic stage, in this tournament, including Team USA and other opponents, you guys are only fit to compete for the silver medal."
"With me around, you guys are only fit to fight for silver!"
At that moment, Mike Breen commented on Zack's interview: "This is absolutely the most arrogant gold medal declaration I have ever heard in history!"
After halftime, the game resumed. The third quarter had barely begun when Zack, after faking out James on the perimeter, hit a heartbreaking three-pointer from the 45-degree angle for American basketball! Breen said helplessly, "The Grim Reaper from the East has once again swung his scythe." Then, on the return possession, facing Carmelo Anthony, who dared to gather the ball and pull up for a jumper without even a pump fake, Zack sent Anthony's signature jump shot flying with a sky-high, volleyball-style block!
"Melo, who gave you the courage to shoot like that in front of me?"
If this were the NBA, with the Nuggets' offensive system, Anthony would definitely get chances to get his revenge on Zack. But on this egalitarian U.S. team, Anthony and the other U.S. stars humiliated by Zack on the court inadvertently created an impression that Zack was on a pedestal, and all the U.S. stars were individually suppressed by him.
This stereotype was terrifying. Because it would continuously fuel the arrogance of Zack's "fans" in the U.S. and sweep up fans disappointed with Team USA's performance, ultimately transforming into a fervent worship of Zack within American basketball circles. Idolizing power has always been one of humanity's core instincts. Perhaps not everyone idolizes power. But in the U.S., with its unique national conditions... the stronger Zack became, the more fans he would undoubtedly gain in America.
Team USA, starting from the latter half of the third quarter, once again deployed their full-court press. However, their goal was no longer to force turnovers and get fast breaks, but rather to drain the new GOAT's stamina. Zack found himself eating his own words. He had been telling Yao Ming to save his energy in the first half, but in the latter half of the third quarter, he repeatedly delivered brilliant passes to his "Big Brother Yao." As long as Yao Ming could get into the low post, Zack could always use his height and wingspan to fire the ball like a cannonball at Yao Ming's chest.
Watching this, Zhang Weiping was teary-eyed: "We used to always say that the passes from guards and forwards to Yao Ming weren't good enough. Why weren't they good enough? Because those passes were either too low or too high; Yao Ming couldn't receive them easily. But look at Zack's passes here; every time, they're right to Yao Ming's chest, allowing Yao Ming to immediately initiate his offense after catching the ball."
Zack admitted that Team USA's high-intensity full-court press was indeed formidable. But unfortunately, this team didn't only have one FMVP. And Yao Ming on the FIBA court was also stronger than his NBA self.
Howard picked up his third and fourth personal fouls of the game in the latter half of the third quarter. So... this U.S. team, which once had four legendary centers rotating, in desperation, once again sent out "King of the Raptors" Bosh. And then... a back-down spin-and-power-dunk, a side-hook shot, a slow spin fadeaway step-back jumper... throughout the latter half of the third quarter, Yao Ming, showcasing his entire skillset, looked utterly delighted: "The happiest thing in life is being able to back down Howard and go up against Bosh."
After three quarters, the score was 81-65. Team USA didn't give up despite being unable to close the gap. As the captain of this "Redeem Team," Jason Kidd rallied his teammates before the start of the fourth quarter: "Now is the time for us to fight for this country, for the fans who support us!"
Zack deliberately slowed down offensive pace in the fourth quarter. If he felt there wasn't a good opportunity on a particular possession, Zack would use his dribbling and body control to simply back down his defender and shoot directly. Coach K did consider bringing back the double-team to stop Zack's shots. But tonight, perimeter shooters were consistently on fire. Therefore, in Coach K's eyes, it was better to gamble on Zack missing these contested shots than to give outside players open looks.
However... the increasingly loud cheers at the Wukesong Arena, and the spontaneous singing from the fans, were like slaps to Team USA's face. The funeral of American basketball was nearing its end. If the loss in Indianapolis in 2002 was just an accident... the defeat in Athens in 2004 seemed more like a Waterloo suffered because American basketball hired a coach who simply didn't understand FIBA... and the humiliating loss in Tokyo in 2006 was just because the U.S. national team at the time lacked experience... then after American basketball sent their strongest players to the Beijing Olympics, the cold score of this opening game had officially declared the doomsday of American basketball.
In the entire game, Zack shot 16-of-29 from the field, 9-of-17 from three, and 14-of-14 from the free-throw line, totaling 55 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. Mike Breen called Zack's 16 made baskets for the "16 o'clock," signaling the end of an old era.
Especially Zack's final possession before the game ended. Double-teamed by Kobe and LeBron on the wing, Zack chose not to pass. Instead, like an acrobat, he launched a highly difficult fadeaway turnaround jumper from an impossible distance, sending the ball toward the hoop! And the moment this exhilaratingly difficult three-pointer swished through the net, Zack performed his signature celebration:
—Good night, America.
This was Zack's final blow to American basketball at this grand funeral.
Final score: 102-88.
Tonight, don't ask for whom the bell tolls!
The bell tolled for all of American basketball!
The new GOAT of the basketball world, like sweeping up trash, completely swept this Dream Team, supposedly composed of their strongest players, into the garbage bin of history!
---