NBA: Rising Superstar!

Zeng Xingyang didn't focus on the waves stirred up in the free market. After the Nuggets' operations ended, it meant the management's work was almost done.

Upon learning that the trade with Butler had been completed, he quickly dialed Butler's number.

"Jimmy, come to Las Vegas and train with me." Zeng Xingyang's voice was crisp and powerful, with an undeniable force.

Butler, on the other end of the phone, sounded confident, even somewhat teasing: "Zeng, are you sure? You might not be able to handle the intensity of my training."

Zeng Xingyang replied with a smile, "That makes me want to try even more."

Soon, Butler hurried to Las Vegas.

In the training grounds, the two began high-intensity training.

Butler initially thought his training intensity was daunting, but after training with Zeng Xingyang, he realized he had underestimated.

Four workouts a day, as long as there's no injury, train to the death!

A week flew by, and Butler dragged his exhausted body, leaving Las Vegas dejectedly.

Before leaving, Butler couldn't help but curse: "F*ck, you're a freak!!"

This week was the most exhausting of Butler's life.

Zeng Xingyang's training intensity far exceeded his expectations, with each training task feeling like it was pushing human limits.

It's not that Butler couldn't endure hardship, but everyday he found himself unable to keep up with Zeng Xingyang's training pace.

The mental blow was more devastating than the physical one.

Butler's departure left a hint of regret in Zeng Xingyang's eyes.

However, he quickly adjusted his emotions, picked up the phone, and called four other rookies, enthusiastically inviting them to train together.

The team's four rookies received the invitation and gladly accepted.

Zeng Xingyang thought to himself, young people are physically strong and should be able to endure more.

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

Brogdon lasted three days in the training ground, collapsing from exhaustion every day, his eyes full of fatigue, eventually choosing to give up.

Dejounte Murray fared slightly better, lasting four days. By the end, his legs felt like they were filled with lead, making each step exceedingly difficult. He had no choice but to exit.

Zubac lasted six days before ultimately failing.

Even the physically fit purebred black Siakam only lasted seven days. Watching his teammates leave one by one, he too couldn't bear the training intensity and chose to distance himself.

Without competing in matches, Zeng Xingyang conquered these teammates in both body and mind just through training.

As professional players, they profoundly felt the huge gap between themselves and Zeng Xingyang during training.

Only then did they understand why Zeng Xingyang could deliver such insane stats in the playoffs.

It's like Curry's training, where ordinary people can't even last five minutes.

Now, Zeng Xingyang's training intensity is too much for these people to handle.

Time flies, and soon it was August 1st.

Zeng Xingyang ended his previous special training because he had received an invitation from the national team long ago. For the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, he would represent the Chinese Men's Basketball Team.

Reflecting on the 2012 Olympics, the Chinese Men's Basketball Team lost all five matches, marking an incredibly dark time.

When the results of the 2016 Rio Olympic Men's Basketball grouping were revealed, the news of the Chinese Men's Basketball Team falling into the 'Group of Death' instantly sparked public opinion.

Grouped with the United States, France, Serbia, Australia, and Venezuela, this grouping situation led outsiders to generally believe this would be the most challenging journey in the history of China's Olympic basketball.

Before the match, bookmakers posted championship odds where the Chinese Men's Basketball Team was only better than Venezuela and Nigeria, with odds of 1 to 301, ranking third last.

This statistic starkly exposed the strength gap between the Chinese Team and other strong teams to the public.

Under such circumstances, fans across the country placed their hopes on Zeng Xingyang, wishing him to step forward and lead the basketball team out of difficulty.

Until Zeng Xingyang officially announced his participation in the Olympics representing the national team, the pressure of public opinion facing the Chinese Team slightly eased.

However, there were still many who were not optimistic about the Chinese Team.

Arenas openly stated: "I don't know how Zeng will lead the Chinese Team. After all, no player, no matter how great, can play with a bunch of fools."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Xingyang directly responded: "Gilbert, how about a one-on-one to a hundred points? Considering your age, I'll give you 80 points. If you lose, you'll post 'I was beaten by Zeng Xingyang, and I'll never run my mouth again' on all social platforms. Deal?"

Arenas, seeing this message, didn't take up the challenge and ultimately chose to stay silent.

In this era, strength is the real truth; whoever has strength is more dominant.

Zeng Xingyang actually had some criticism about the Basketball Association's practices, but he had a strong sense of the bigger picture. In such world-class competitions, he knew he had to compete.

If he did not participate in the Olympics due to factors outside basketball, afraid of losing face, his reputation at home would plummet, and his personal image would be severely damaged.

Moreover, Zeng Xingyang inwardly yearned to compete against these strong teams. Only in doing so could he clearly understand where the national team stood in comparison.

On August 7th, in the first match of the group stage, the Chinese Team faced the formidable Team USA.

At the venue, the atmosphere was intense and exciting, with cheers and shouts from spectators in the Brazilian stadium interwoven.

Brazilian fans were all cheering for the Chinese Team, hoping for Zeng Xingyang to knock down Team USA.

Zeng Xingyang's eyes showed a determined spirit.

As the match began, Team USA demonstrated formidable strength, their offense like surging waves, one after another.

The Chinese Team's inside line was aggressively attacked by the opponents.

Zeng Xingyang often had to return inside to guard.

However, the physical prowess of Team USA players was just too impressive. Multiple position mismatch attacks rapidly increased Zeng Xingyang's fouls.

Despite facing immense pressure, Zeng Xingyang still showcased incredible personal ability.

On the court, he was like a beast, continuously breaking through and shooting.

Throughout the match, he spectacularly scored 61 points with 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 5 blocks, along with 4 turnovers and 5 fouls.

Unfortunately, Team USA's lineup was too strong. Although James and Curry didn't play, Durant, Cousins, Butler, Thompson, Anthony, Paul George, and other stars were present.

Ultimately, the Chinese Team lost the game with a score of 87 to 98.