NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Yao Ming Is Watching! The Sweet 16 Begins!

Chapter 13: Yao Ming Is Watching! The Sweet 16 Begins!

”Hello, Chen Yan!”

A deep voice called out from behind him while he was taking warm-up shots.

Earlier during warmups, Durant had joked about how tonight’s game felt like a Rockets home game and wondered if Chen Yan’s fellow Chinese, Yao Ming, might show up. And sure enough—he did!

”Brother Yao?!”

Chen Yan was visibly surprised and excited, nearly blurting out ”Chairman Yao” in the heat of the moment.

Yao Ming stood towering above him. Even at 198cm, Chen Yan only reached his shoulder. In person, Yao’s height wasn’t just the listed 226cm—it had to be at least 230cm!

Yao extended a hand with a warm smile. ”I’ve seen your game highlights. You’re really talented.”

”I didn’t think Brother Yao would actually have time to watch my games...” Chen Yan scratched his head, honestly caught off guard.

”You’re trending these days, man. You’re in the papers—China and international. I turned on my computer to play a few rounds of World of Warcraft—and guess what? One of the pop-ups was your news!”

Yao’s tone was humorous and relaxed. His down-to-earth vibe instantly made Chen Yan feel at ease.

Maybe it was just the comfort of hearing his native tongue again, but Chen Yan suddenly felt a strong sense of familiarity and warmth.

”If you ever need help, feel free to reach out anytime,” Yao said as he patted Chen Yan’s shoulder.

He knew exactly how tough it was for a Chinese player grinding in a foreign country. The struggle was real—and he’d lived it.

”It’s not that hard really... But man, eating burgers and steaks every day is rough,” Chen Yan admitted with a helpless smile.

”Come to my place sometime, I’ll cook you a proper meal!” Yao offered casually.

Chen Yan thought he was just being polite. But in the next moment, Yao whipped out his phone and added Chen Yan’s number without hesitation.

”Hit me up after the game tonight. And when you’re in Houston, don’t be a stranger.”

Looking at the enthusiastic Yao Ming, Chen Yan couldn’t help but grin and nod.

He wasn’t just mooching free meals—Brother Yao’s hospitality was impossible to turn down!

”Good luck tonight. Play hard—and try to win.”

With one last pat on the shoulder, Yao headed back toward his seat on the sidelines.

---

Meanwhile, inside the TNT studio, Charles Barkley and his longtime partner Kenny Smith were back behind the mic for tonight’s coverage.

”Chuck, who you got winning this one?” Kenny asked straight up.

”I’m leaning toward Kansas,” Barkley said confidently. ”They got a squad full of NBA-level talent—Julian Wright, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson... Honestly, they’re just deeper.”

”What about Texas? They’ve got Kevin Durant—second-best college player in the country. That’s gotta count for something.”

”Oh, KD is nice, no doubt,” Barkley shrugged. ”But basketball ain’t a solo game. If it were, I’d have a ring by now.”

Kenny burst out laughing.

Barkley always found a way to sneak in a humblebrag, even when he was taking shots at himself.

”Come on, Chuck, you ain’t got no ring ’cause you ran into a guy named Michael Jordan, not ’cause your team wasn’t good.”

Their banter was typical—and fans loved it. Two old heads roasting each other on live TV.

Changing the subject, Kenny brought up, ”There’s another name to watch from Texas—Chen Yan. He’s been making waves lately. You seen any of his highlights?”

”Yeah, kid’s got game,” Barkley nodded. ”But against Kansas? I don’t see him getting much going tonight.”

”You sure about that?”

”Absolutely.”

”Well then—let’s wait and see.”

---

Back on the court, the starting lineups were announced. The players stepped onto the hardwood, ready for battle.

Texas Longhorns Starting Five:

DJ Augustin, Chen Yan, Kevin Durant, Damion James, Dexter Pittman

Kansas Jayhawks Starting Five:

Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, Darrell Arthur, Sasha Kaun

Barkley wasn’t wrong—Kansas was stacked. Even their bench guys like Darnell Jackson and Sherron Collins had NBA potential. On paper, they were definitely the favorites.

The referee tossed the ball up at center court—game on!

Pittman out-jumped Kaun and tapped the ball back to Texas. First possession was theirs.

Chen Yan wasted no time. He sprinted to the top of the arc and called for the ball—he wanted this first possession for himself.

The first bucket always set the tone. If he could get them on the board early, it’d spark momentum.

Durant, playing the wing, saw what Chen Yan wanted and cleared out space without hesitation. KD wasn’t a ball hog—he was all about team flow and good vibes.

The crowd started buzzing.

One-on-one isolation? Right out of the gate? This was exactly what the fans came to see.

Julian Wright stepped up to defend. Chen Yan squared him up, ball in his left hand. Calm. Poised.

With a sharp shoulder shimmy, he exploded off his right leg—clean crossover!

But Julian had clearly studied film. He shuffled right, anticipating the move.

Chen Yan wasn’t done.

Mid-move, he flipped the ball between his legs—a quick inside-out combo!

That second shift totally broke Julian’s balance.

Caught in motion, Julian couldn’t recover as Chen Yan sliced into the paint.

Darrell Arthur stepped up to help—but he was late.

Before Arthur could contest, Chen Yan had already pulled up—smooth mid-range jumper.

Swish!

Clean. No rim.

Nothing but net.

As he backpedaled on defense, Chen Yan glanced toward the camera with a confident smirk.

The look on his face said it all: Too easy.

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