NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

At Oakland Stadium, the two teams announced their starting lineups, and the substitute players began warming up.

Knicks: Ewing, Zhao Dong, Oakley, Alan Houston, Charlie Ward

Warriors: Todd Fuller, Joe Smith, Chris Mullin, Latrell Sprewell, Mark Price

The Warriors' coach, Rick Adelman, had been with the team last season, but they failed to make the playoffs.

The Warriors' starting lineup was stacked. Chris Mullin, who would later become a Hall of Famer and All-Star, wasn't at his peak yet but was still a major threat. Latrell Sprewell, known for his explosive intensity, was someone to watch out for. Mark Price, an All-Star point guard, had been named to the All-NBA First and Third Teams multiple times.

After the starting lineups were announced, several reporters were allowed into the Knicks' locker room for interviews.

"Zhao Dong, some reports say Jordan stopped the Bulls from signing you. What's your take on that?" a reporter asked.

Zhao Dong smirked internally. He'd planted that rumor to stir up trouble for both Jordan and the Bulls.

"Is it really Jordan?" Zhao Dong asked, casually. "Man, if I could mess with the Bulls, I'd do it. That's the kind of stuff that makes things interesting."

"Chicago media says Jordan pressured management because of his beef with Jerry Krause, even though you had no issues with him. That's why you were let go," the reporter pressed.

"That's a damn shame, isn't it? I think Jordan made a bad move," Zhao Dong responded, coldly.

"So, do you think you deserved to stay with the Bulls?" another reporter asked.

"Before all that, Mr. Krause had already agreed to offer me a contract. I didn't even have an agent, just starting to look for one, when I got booted out of there. Management literally kicked me out. It wasn't until the media dug into it that I understood what happened," Zhao Dong said, his tone sharp.

"How can you be so sure it was Jordan's fault? The media might not have all the facts," the reporter argued.

"Well, if you think it's not Jordan, why don't you go ask him yourself?" Zhao Dong shot back. "I'm pretty sure he won't admit it, though. He's too damn proud."

"My colleague just interviewed Jordan, but he didn't admit it," the reporter said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I figured. He's lying," Zhao Dong replied, his voice dripping with disdain.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping were trying to spot Zhao Dong.

"Where's Zhao Dong? Isn't he in the 12-man squad?" Zhang Lili wondered.

"Could it be that, with Larry Johnson injured, he got the starting spot?" Sun Zhenping asked, eyeing the court.

"Is that even possible?" Zhang Lili replied, equally surprised.

The main players took their positions, and the visiting team's eyes widened as they looked for Zhao Dong.

"Oakley... Alan Houston... Zhao Dong..."

When Zhao Dong's name was called, he rushed onto the court with excitement.

"Yo, it's Zhao Dong, the starter! He's in the game today!" Zhang Lili shouted, spotting him first.

"Zhao Dong, Zhao Dong?" Sun Zhenping waved and called out.

"Hey, Teacher Sun, Teacher Zhang! What's up?" Zhao Dong grinned, spotting the familiar faces and walking over.

"We're in LA, so we decided to check it out," Sun Zhenping laughed.

"Congrats on blocking Kobe twice, Zhao! That was sick!" Zhang Lili shouted.

"It's nothing, man. He's just a rookie. Blocking him isn't anything special," Zhao Dong replied, brushing it off.

Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping exchanged confused looks.

"I didn't mean that," Zhang Lili thought, wanting to smack Zhao Dong on the head. "Why does he always take things so literally?"

After the warm-up, the game kicked off. Ewing won the jump ball, and the Knicks started their attack.

Zhao Dong immediately set up in the low post on the right wing—his side of the court.

He knew as a ten-day contract player, he wasn't going to be taking any shots. His job was simple: defense and hustle. He had to make every second count.

He got his first chance at offense when he grabbed an offensive rebound after a missed shot.

The system had provided him with ten rebounding options and three dunking options. With a 60% shooting rate, he focused on shots with the highest success rate, primarily around the rim.

Ewing's shots only went in 30% of the time from the paint, but his mid-range game was solid at 70%. That meant a lot of opportunities to grab rebounds.

So, Zhao Dong played it smart, positioning himself around the basket and low post, staying active, always in the paint, ready to fight for the ball.

He knew Joe Smith had some skill, but he wasn't worried. Joe's strength couldn't match his own, especially in the low post.

Ewing took the ball, set up for a classic shot, and—"Boom!"—it missed.

Zhao Dong was already under the basket, boxing Joe Smith out like a pro. With his superior strength and positioning, he grabbed the rebound.

Joe Smith quickly moved to reposition.

"Yo, rookie, over here!" Ewing shouted, hands raised for the pass.

But Zhao Dong wasn't passing. He was right under the basket, and with Smith guarding him, there was no reason to dish it out.

"Watch this."

Zhao Dong dribbled once, then slammed his shoulder into Smith's midsection, knocking him off balance. In a flash, he spun, used his left hand to push Smith's head down, and with his right hand, slammed the ball into the hoop.

"Boom!" The rim shook violently.

"Here you go!" Ewing and Oakley yelled, their voices full of excitement as the bench erupted in cheers.

"That was beautiful!" Sun Zhenping and Zhang Lili shouted from the sidelines, pumped up.

"Joe Smith just got dunked on! Zhao Dong just dunked on Joe Smith!" the commentator roared into the mic.

Van Gundy and Neil Grant exchanged glances of concern. They had noticed Zhao Dong's insane vertical earlier—there was no doubt it surpassed 62 cm.

The Warriors were quick to respond.

"Mark, give me the ball!" Joe Smith shouted, standing at the top of the arc, signaling for a position. Humiliated by the dunk, he couldn't stand being embarrassed by a rookie—especially one like Zhao Dong, an undrafted Chinese player with a ten-day contract. He was determined to retaliate and dunk on Zhao Dong to show him who was boss.

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