Chapter 465: World Cup Opening

Goran Dragic was not one to boost the morale of his opponents while diminishing his own.

Having been teammates with Wade Dong and now playing alongside Huang Yu on the Warriors, Dragic was well aware of the gap between the two teams, a chasm that seemed insurmountable.

The best result the SL men's basketball team had achieved in the European Championship was fifth place. To think that they could compete with the top-tier teams in the world, including the Huaxia team, was nothing but a pipe dream.

Unbeknownst to many, the Huaxia men's basketball team had already joined the ranks of the world's elite. The dominance of the M country's men's basketball team was now under serious threat.

The host country, XB, also boasted a very strong team. They had the Gasol brothers, Rubio, Calderón, Ibaka, and many other NBA stars. In fact, they had more NBA players than Huaxia, which made basketball a popular sport in Madrid, a city known for its football passion.

However, this year's Men's Basketball World Cup saw many matches with less-than-full attendance, and there were even instances where a stadium with a capacity of tens of thousands only had a few thousand fans in attendance.

The only exceptions were the host team, XB, and the Huaxia team.

Whenever these two teams played, the stadium was packed to the brim.

Wade Dong single-handedly carried the popularity of the Men's Basketball World Cup this year. He was that terrifying!

...

In the afternoon, the opening ceremony took place, and the 2014 Men's Basketball World Cup officially kicked off.

At 22:30 Beijing time, Huaxia faced their first group stage match against the European powerhouse SL, led by Goran Dragic.

The stadium was packed to capacity!

Nearly ninety percent of the fans entered the stadium wearing red number 7 jerseys. It was remarkable to see such support for an Asian team in Madrid, a European city, and even the M country's men's basketball team didn't enjoy this level of popularity.

"Wade Dong!"

"Wade Dong!"

"Wade Dong!"

As soon as Wade Dong entered the arena, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. It was evident that the majority of the fans were there to support the Huaxia team solely because of Wade Dong.

Wade Dong waved to the fans and made his way onto the court.

The two teams shook hands in a friendly manner before the game.

Goran Dragic held Wade Dong's hand and said, "Big Brother Dong, please go easy on us and don't make us lose too badly!"

"Okay!"

Wade Dong and Goran Dragic shook hands and embraced.

The starting lineups for both teams were as follows:

Huaxia: Lin Hao, Wade Dong, Huang Yu, Yi Nan, and Gu Qi.

SL: Goran Dragic, Slokar, Klobučar, Zupan, and Omić.

There were several differences between international basketball rules and those of the NBA.

For instance, each quarter lasted 10 minutes instead of 12, every timeout was 1 minute, and players were allowed 5 personal fouls instead of 6. Additionally, the three-point line in international basketball was slightly closer to the basket than in the NBA, and the key was rectangular.

"Beep!!!"

As the referee blew the whistle, the game began.

Gu Qi and Omić jumped for the tip-off. With his height and wingspan advantage, as well as decent athleticism, Gu Qi successfully won the jump ball.

Lin Hao received the ball and dribbled to the frontcourt before passing it to Wade Dong.

Slokar was guarding Wade Dong, and Goran Dragic shouted, "Stay close to him and don't let him shoot threes!"

Slokar was also a veteran who had briefly played in the NBA for a season. He had faced off against the previous generation of Huaxia basketball veterans like Yao Ming, Zhu Gui, and Wang Da Peng on the international stage.

The consequence of staying close to Wade Dong was that he easily dribbled past Slokar and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot.

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball swished through the net.

"It's okay, bro!"

As Dragic retreated on defense, he patted Slokar on the butt, "Our team doesn't have anyone who can stop Wade Dong. Let him drive, but don't let him shoot threes."

The SL team went on the offensive, and all their players spread out. Dragic passed the ball to Omić, who went one-on-one with Gu Qi in the post. Omić had excellent footwork, and with a few moves, he got Gu Qi off balance.

"Swoosh!!!"

Omić gently laid the ball into the basket.

2-2!!!

The SL team's offensive strategy was clear. Dragic knew Gu Qi very well and was aware that the inside was Huaxia's weakest link. If they didn't want to suffer a humiliating defeat, they had to increase their frequency of attacking the basket.

"Big Brother Dong is right."

Sitting on the sidelines, Deng Hua stroked his chin. "The SL team will keep attacking Gu Qi. This will be a real test for him."

Deng Hua didn't need to make any specific adjustments to counter the SL team's offensive tactic because the two teams had a significant gap in strength. Even if Omić successfully scored every time he went one-on-one with Gu Qi, they still wouldn't be able to win.

The only concern was that Gu Qi might get his confidence shattered by Omić, especially since one was an NBA player and the other was a European league player.

On the Huaxia side, Huang Yu received a pass from Wade Dong and turned around to score a layup!

Omić continued to go one-on-one with Gu Qi, and Huang Yu warned, "Don't fall for his fakes, and watch out for his left hand!"

Sure enough!

Omić turned around in the post, faked a shot, switched the ball to his left hand, and scored with a reverse layup!

Huang Yu, who grew up in Europe and was a former European League MVP, was very familiar with the technical skills of European big men like Omić.

"Buddy, don't look so glum."

Wade Dong, surprisingly, offered a word of comfort to Gu Qi, "Their style of play is more refined than those bulky centers in the league. You need some time to adjust, and I'll allow you to make mistakes."

Gu Qi made a promise to Wade Dong, "Next time, I won't let him score so easily!"

...

European basketball had several distinct characteristics. It emphasized fast-paced play and intense physicality. In addition to Omić's refined skills, another crucial factor was that he actively sought physical contact with his defender on every drive.

In terms of physicality, the slender Gu Qi was at a slight disadvantage.

Moreover, unlike the league's emphasis on individual heroics, European basketball valued team play, maximizing the potential of each player. In the fast-paced, high-intensity, and quick-tempo game, European basketball also prioritized defense as a means of offense. Their defensive system was aggressive, with tight man-to-man defense and active scrambling for loose balls.

21-14!!!

With seven minutes left in the first quarter, Huaxia led by seven points.

However, Deng Hua suddenly said, "There's a lot we can learn from European basketball."

Watching the game from the sidelines, Deng Hua couldn't help but feel impressed. He noticed that the SL team's teamwork was more cohesive than Huaxia's, and the only reason Huaxia was leading was due to the individual brilliance of Wade Dong, Huang Yu, and Lin Hao. Even Yi Nan was a level above his counterpart, Klobučar, at the same position.

"Li Pei, go and substitute for Gu Qi."

Deng Hua made his first substitution.

Omić had already scored 10 points, so it was time to give Gu Qi a break and let Wade Dong teach Omić a lesson in the post.