CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 95, JOKIC AND ZENG XINGYANG GOSSIP.

Jokic played for 20 minutes and recorded 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, which isn’t bad, but he got exploited several times defensively against Harden, causing some outside doubts about his defensive abilities.

Compared to Jokic, Zeng Xingyang was the more dazzling one.

Zeng Xingyang had a really good touch tonight, though of course, this was also because the Rockets didn’t pay much attention to his defense.

Compared to other Nuggets players, the Rockets were unfamiliar with Zeng Xingyang. Even if he was outstanding in college, he was just a rookie, a relatively unknown player in the NBA.

The Rockets didn’t expect Zeng Xingyang’s offense to be so explosive.

If there was an open shot, he made it.

Despite the good personal stats, Zeng Xingyang wasn’t particularly happy because the team lost, and he wasn’t on the court in the last five minutes, feeling powerless.

Walking back to the locker room, Zeng Xingyang stood shoulder to shoulder with Jokic and said, "Nikola, are you okay with losing like this?"

Jokic replied, "A little bit, but we still can’t change it right now; we haven’t earned enough trust yet."

Jokic wasn’t as bothered as Zeng Xingyang, though losing the game naturally had some impact on his mood.

Zeng Xingyang said, "Actually, I think as long as the two of us are on the court, we have a chance in this game."

Jokic nodded in agreement. In his view, the team indeed had a chance to win today, but the starters didn’t seize it.

The way they played wasn’t very smart...

Zeng Xingyang realized what Calipari meant when he once said a team most needed "fair competition."

Tonight, he was the best performer, yet Mike Malone didn’t let him be on the court in the last moments, just because he’s a rookie.

Opportunities have to be fought for, and he doesn’t want to wait many years with the Nuggets to achieve the championship goal.

After returning to the locker room.

Galinarli and Faried were very enthusiastic towards Zeng Xingyang.

Faried said, "Man, you should have been on the court at the last moment; you played better."

Faried is very passionate about basketball. He grew up in a tough environment, so he likes rookies like Zeng Xingyang who work hard and train hard; he sees the pure essence of basketball in Zeng Xingyang.

Zeng Xingyang said, "Sorry, Kenneth, that’s not something I can decide. But whenever I am on the court, I will give all my strength."

Galinarli said, "Zeng, be patient. Your debut was very impressive. You will have more opportunities in the future. Trust the coach and your teammates. No one likes to lose."

Galinarli seemed to notice Zeng Xingyang’s dissatisfaction with sitting out during the last moments and offered comfort.

Zeng Xingyang nodded and said, "Got it."

Galinarli chatted with Zeng Xingyang for a while, sharing some of his own rookie season experiences.

Soon, head coach Mike Malone came in.

Mike Malone praised everyone’s performance and specifically commended Zeng Xingyang and Jokic, offering them encouragement.

In Mike Malone’s view, losing away to strong teams like the Rockets isn’t unacceptable; the highlight moments on the court are what matter.

Zeng Xingyang’s performance showed Mike Malone the areas the team can improve this season.

....

On domestic NBA forums, there was also heated discussion about Zeng Xingyang’s debut performance.

"Wow, Xingyang looks different from Ah Lian back then, he’s a key player influencing the game."

"Xingyang really played awesomely this game, threes, defense, even fast-break dunks."

"Even though the game was lost, Xingyang played very well."

"Zeng Xingyang’s physical talent isn’t as bad as the outside world criticizes, the media’s discrimination against Asians was palpable!"

"Zeng Xingyang’s explosive debut has put pressure on top pick Towns, haha."

"Why didn’t the Nuggets put Zeng Xingyang in during the final moments? He deserves more opportunities."

There was a lot of post-game discussion among domestic fans about this game.

In a highly anticipated game, Zeng Xingyang performed well beyond domestic fans’ expectations, with 26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

It’s worth noting that no domestic player had such a spectacular NBA debut.

Wang Zhizhi - Debuted on April 5, 2001, for the Mavericks against the Hawks, played 8 minutes, scored 6 points, 3 rebounds.

Bartel - Debuted on February 27, 2002, for the Nuggets against the Warriors, played 13 minutes, scored 0 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal.

Yao Ming - Debuted on October 30, 2002, for the Rockets against the Pacers, played 10 minutes, scored 0 points, 2 rebounds.

Yi Jianlian - Debuted on October 31, 2007, for the Bucks against the Magic, played 25 minutes, scored 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks.

Sun Yue - Debuted on December 7, 2008, for the Lakers against the Bucks, played 5 minutes, scored 4 points.

With such data comparisons, Zeng Xingyang’s future is something domestic fans can look forward to.

.....

After the shower, Zeng Xingyang and Jokic were called by head coach Mike Malone to the press conference.

Before the Nuggets’ interview, the Rockets were also having their interview session.

Head coach McHale came out with Harden.

The reporter first asked some detailed questions about the game.

An ESPN reporter asked, "Coach, what do you think about the performance of Nuggets’ 7th pick, Zeng Xingyang?"

Originally, McHale didn’t think Zeng Xingyang could make a splash before the game, but tonight’s performance repeatedly stopped him, leaving a deep impression of this rookie.

McHale said, "Zeng has excellent scoring ability. He takes advantage of our defensive gaps to position or cut in, which makes our defense very uncomfortable. He’s an outstanding rookie."

Zeng Xingyang’s shooting ability is very strong, which reminds McHale of the Warriors’ shooter, Clark Thompson.

But compared to Klay, Zeng Xingyang’s static talent seems more outstanding, and his dribbling ability is better. McHale also remembers the play where he blew past Ariza and slammed it in transition.

Then, the reporter asked Harden to comment on Zeng Xingyang.

Harden said to the reporter, "For a rookie, he’s playing very well. Of course, that’s also because we didn’t pay enough attention to him. Next time we meet, we’ll put more focus on him."

In Harden’s eyes, Zeng Xingyang is just a rookie who plays decently, not worth too much attention yet.

points may be high for others, but for Harden, it doesn’t feel like much.

It’s like telling someone who always scores 100 points that 80 points are excellent. He won’t deny it, but won’t think 80 points are that amazing either.

It’s just a polite business respect...

Over to the Nuggets.

The reporter also routinely asked several questions about the game, and then asked how to evaluate Zeng Xingyang’s performance.

Mike Malone laughed and said, "Zeng is the best player we’ve got on our team. His performance is very impressive, I really love him. Next game, I’ll give him more opportunities."

Mike Malone’s words surprised Zeng Xingyang, who thought Mike Malone needed more time to think.

The reporter asked, "Does he deserve a starting position?"

Mike Malone replied seriously, "Of course, we have very high expectations for him. In the right game, Zeng will start."

Then the reporter asked Malone to talk about Jokic, and Malone also expressed his optimism about Jokic.

The reporter then asked Jokic about his evaluation of Zeng Xingyang’s performance tonight.

Jokic said, "Zeng’s performance is very impressive! I’m happy for him. I know him well, know he has this ability and talent, and know what he can do. We have many goals to accomplish together with the Nuggets in the future."

The reporter could clearly sense that Jokic and Zeng Xingyang have a good relationship.

The reporter then asked Zeng Xingyang to comment on Jokic’s performance. Zeng Xingyang said, "Nikola is a very smart player. He’s versatile, and his body contains very strong energy, which is often overlooked. He will become a super versatile center in the future."

Zeng Xingyang’s words were very firm, and the curious Jokic looked at Zeng Xingyang.

Super versatile center.

You seem to have more confidence in me than myself.

The reporter then asked, "How do you feel tonight? A great stat line in your debut."

Zeng Xingyang said, "Not great. I want to win more than beautiful personal stats."

The reporter asked, "How do you evaluate James Harden?"

Zeng Xingyang said, "He’s a powerful player, but I will eventually beat him."

Throughout the interview, Zeng Xingyang emphasized that victory is more important than personal stats.

This made Mike Malone sense Zeng Xingyang’s strong competitive spirit.

It seems it was a wrong decision not to put Zeng Xingyang on the court in those final moments.

...

After the press conference, Zeng Xingyang boarded the team bus with the team; they still had to catch a flight for the next game.

The Nuggets’ next game is still an away game, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NBA teams have their charter flights.

The seats here are customized according to the player’s build, not like regular civil aviation, which is smaller for basketball players.

Zeng Xingyang’s seat is next to Jokic’s.

Having nothing to do, Zeng Xingyang suddenly thought of some past-life queries.

"Nikola, is your big brother really an arms dealer?" Zeng Xingyang asked, gossiping.

"Kind of related, I’m not very sure. He doesn’t let me know these things," Jokic replied.

"Have you ever played with the real stuff?"

"You mean guns? Yeah, during the offseason, if you come to Serbia, I’ll take you to my brother’s company to play. He has quite a lot of real stuff there, assault rifles, sniper rifles, you name it. We can go there together, and I can have him send you a batch."

"Sure, I’ve loved playing CS since I was a kid. No need to send them, I can’t take them home."

"Actually, shooting guns is not as much fun as horse riding. When I get a big contract, I’ll start a ranch and buy dozens of horses."

"How much does it cost to start a ranch? Is it expensive?"

"You have so many endorsements, not expensive for you. My salary is too low, so it’s expensive for me."

"Haha, well, call me when you start the ranch. I’ll invest in your ranch and want to learn horse riding too."

"Sure."

"Does your second brother really box?"

"Yeah, he’s fought some matches, better than lots of regular people."

"Then if you get into trouble here, you can bring him to help."

"Haha, no need, I can handle it myself."

"By the way, Zeng, why haven’t you found a girlfriend yet?" Jokic also gossipingly asked.