Chapter 38: Trick Oden Twice at the Start?
"Good morning, dear viewers and basketball fans!"
"Welcome to the National College League Championship Game! I'm Yu Jia, and joining me in the booth today is Coach Zhang Weiping. We're excited to bring you the action!"
Live from the CCTV5 studio, Yu Jia greeted the audience enthusiastically as he and Zhang Weiping appeared on camera.
"The pregame introductions have just wrapped up, and both teams are already lined up at center court, ready to go!"
"In white jerseys, we have Ohio State University. Their starting five: at center, Greg Oden; power forward, Harris; small forward, Ron Lewis; shooting guard, Daequan Cook; and running point, Mike Conley. Worth noting—Greg Oden is one of the hottest prospects in this year's NBA Draft!"
"And in the orange jerseys, it's the University of Texas, home of our very own Chinese phenom, Chen Yan!"
"The Longhorns' starting five: DJ Augustin at point, Chen Yan at the two, Kevin Durant at the three, Damian James at the four, and Pittman holding down the center spot."
Reading smoothly from the production notes, Yu Jia laid out the rosters for the national audience.
"In the Sweet 16, Chen Yan dropped a jaw-dropping 62 points—breaking the all-time NCAA tournament single-game scoring record. And in the semifinals? He dropped 50-plus and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater! I don't know about you, Coach Zhang, but I can't wait to see what kind of fireworks he brings tonight!"
Zhang Weiping chuckled and jumped in. "Hey now! A 62-point game, a buzzer-beating 50-piece in the semis—that's no fluke! Not even college legends like Jordan, Magic, or Duncan ever pulled that off!"
"The scouts in the States are hyped too. The latest draft boards have Chen Yan projected as a top-five pick!"
It was the first time the two commentators had covered a Chen Yan game live. Their excitement was genuine—and contagious. Their praise set expectations sky-high for fans watching at home.
China had long produced dominant big men, but a top-tier guard who could lead on the international stage? That was rare. And Chen Yan's rise was giving fans hope for a brighter future.
"Beep!"
The opening whistle echoed across the massive arena—tipoff time!
Greg Oden leapt high and tipped the ball to Mike Conley. Ohio State would get the first crack on offense!
As the crowd erupted, the broadcast camera zoomed out for a wide shot of the packed venue.
Zhang Weiping was momentarily stunned. "Whoa! This place is huge! It doesn't even look like a normal basketball arena!"
Yu Jia laughed. "You're right, Coach Zhang. This is Lucas Oil Stadium—the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Tonight's crowd is estimated at 75,000 fans, standing room included! Incredible atmosphere, though I hope the folks in the nosebleeds brought binoculars!"
Zhang quipped, "So many people! That overhead shot looked like a Spring Festival travel rush!"
His exaggerated comparison had viewers chuckling across the country.
Back on the court, Ohio State ran their first possession through their big man.
Oden established deep post position, caught the entry pass, and spun straight into the lane.
Texas sent the double—Pittman and Damian James collapsing from both sides.
But Oden didn't flinch.
He powered through the contact, forcing his way between the defenders—
"BOOM!"
A thunderous two-handed slam that shook the rim and drew gasps from the crowd!
It was straight out of the Shaquille O'Neal playbook—violent, explosive, and impossible to stop.
"Greg Oden putting everyone on notice early!" Yu Jia exclaimed.
On the sidelines, Texas head coach Rick Barnes stood with hands on hips, showing no reaction.
He'd seen the tape. Oden was a force of nature—two defenders weren't going to stop him.
But Barnes wasn't rattled. He had a monster of his own.
Texas came down with purpose.
Chen Yan got the ball at the top and used Pittman's screen to explode toward the paint.
He weaved through the traffic and headed straight for the rim—meeting Oden head-on.
No hesitation. No pump fake.
Chen Yan took one explosive step and took off right in Oden's face.
Oden didn't hesitate. He raised both arms and exploded off the ground, ready to swat it into the stands and send a message.
But mid-air, Oden realized something was off.
He'd been duped.
Chen Yan hadn't gone up to shoot at all. Instead, at the peak of Oden's jump, he gently dished the ball right under his outstretched arms—through the armpit gap.
Oden landed and turned to recover, trying to salvage the mistake.
But just as he pivoted, he froze.
He got played again.
Two fakeouts—back to back. Each one looked real as hell.
Is this guy for real?
"Swish!"
Chen Yan nailed the open jumper with ease.
The arena erupted. Not because the shot was anything spectacular—it was wide open. But the sequence leading up to it? Straight disrespect. He made Oden, one of the most feared big men in college basketball, look like a clumsy oaf.
Oden might've been agile for a center, but against Chen Yan's footwork and timing, he looked like a lumbering black bear.
After the shot, Chen Yan gave him a look—nothing too extra, just a subtle smirk that said, This the 'Great Oden' y'all keep talking about?
Ohio State got the ball back.
Conley brought it up, scanning the defense. But Texas was ready. They were shadowing Oden hard this time. Damian James fought around screens while Pittman bodied him from behind.
From the way the three of them were tangled up, it almost looked like a college version of a "human centipede" on hardwood.
Seeing that Oden couldn't get free, Conley switched it up, swinging the ball to Ron Lewis on the right wing.
Ron faced up against Durant. He tried to bait some contact, leaning into KD, but Durant kept his cool. After the lesson he learned in the semifinals, he played it smart—controlled, disciplined, no unnecessary fouls.
Ron gave up and reset, dishing the ball back to Conley.
Oden was still locked down, so Conley took matters into his own hands.
He called for a pick-and-roll with Harris. Off the screen, Conley drove hard into the lane and floated a soft lob just outside the paint.
"Swish!"
Score: 4–2. Ohio State on the board again.
Conley wasn't just Oden's sidekick—he was a legit lottery prospect in his own right.
But Chen Yan wasn't done.
On the next possession, Texas ran a clean off-ball set. DJ Augustin was working up top, and Durant set a rock-solid screen off the ball. Chen Yan came flying around the screen and cut hard toward the basket.
Timing was perfect.
The second Chen Yan hit the paint, DJ delivered the pass.
And once again, it was him vs. Oden.
Same spot. Same matchup.
Then, unbelievably—same exact move.
Chen pump-faked the jumper.
Slipped the ball under Oden's armpit again.
Oden didn't bite.
He just stared down at Chen, arms stiff, expression blank. Like he was trying to send a message: Nah, not falling for it this time. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice? Nah, bro.
He was ready.
Or so he thought.
Because out of nowhere—BOOM!
A two-handed jam right behind him!
The broadcast camera cut wide, and there was Pittman, coming down from the dunk, yelling like a beast. No one had rotated. No one had seen it coming.
Oden turned around, stunned.
It wasn't Chen who finished the play.
It was his teammate.
Chen had baited Oden again—used the exact same trick. And while Oden was locked in a staring contest with him, Pittman rolled in unguarded for the poster.
"Ohhh!!! Oden got played again!"
"Haha, man's spinning out there! He looks lost!"
"Chen Yan is putting on a clinic out here—just toying with the defense!"
The crowd was electric. Everyone was on their feet.
Chen and Pittman high-fived with fire in their eyes as they jogged back.
Oden stood there, hand on his head, wondering how he ended up on the wrong end of two highlight reels in the first few minutes of the game.
And the look on his face said it all:
Damn… I really looked that dumb, huh?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9