Chapter 7: The First Intimate Contact with Basketball

  Principal Qiu of Feicui No. 4 saw that the "Moral, Intellectual and Physical Development Cup" football match organized by the school received praise from higher-level leaders and enlivened the enthusiasm of all teachers and students, so he decided to seize the opportunity to organize more similar activities in the school before Experimental Middle School does. Thus, the "Teachers and Students Enjoy Together Cup" campus basketball game kicked off in Feicui No. 4 like a raging fire.

  "The Teacher-Student Joy Cup" basketball match is divided into two groups: the teacher group, where each grade level forms a team to compete for the championship, and the student group, which is divided into high school and junior high school sections, with the top class in each section competing for first place. Due to consideration of the upcoming middle school entrance exams and college entrance exams, classes from junior 3 and senior 3 did not participate this semester.

  Lin Xiaoyu, who knew nothing about basketball, was present in the audience seat of her own class to cheer and shout for this game. Lin Xiaoyu, who didn't even understand the basic rules of basketball, watched the players on the court hitting the ball and trying hard to get that orange ball into the high-hanging basket, feeling that basketball was also quite interesting.

  Especially when the hollow basketball passes through the white net hanging on the basket with a "whoosh" sound, Lin Xiaoyu thinks it sounds particularly good. Lin Xiaoyu also slowly began to come into contact with this sport of basketball.

  Because the basketball game was a single round-robin competition by grade, it ended quickly. Lin Xiaoyu's first-year third class, except for Yang Tianxiao being good at playing basketball, had an average level and was eliminated in the second match. However, this basketball game was very meaningful for Lin Xiaoyu on the sidelines, as it made her like basketball.

  In the final of that high school group, Lin Xiaoyu followed Yang Tianxiao into the basketball court surrounded by layers and layers of spectators.

  At this moment, Lin Xiaoyu followed the gaze of the whole audience and saw a senior wearing a red No. 23 jersey slapping the ball all the way to the basket, jumping up and flying towards the hoop with one hand holding the ball and his legs bent in mid-air. In the instant when his head was about to hit the backboard, he slammed the basketball into what Lin Xiaoyu thought was a high-hanging rim that people couldn't reach. The deformed rim that he grasped seemed to have suffered greatly as it emitted a metallic sound when he released his hand. However, this sound was soon drowned out by the thunderous applause and cheers of the audience...

  Shocking!

  Lin Xiaoyu's mind flashed with a word that she had rarely used even in her exam compositions. Lin Xiaoyu's calm heart was stirred up like a thousand waves by this scene.

  By Lin Xiaoyu's side, Yang Tianshuo was excited and flushed, shouting loudly with a trembling voice: "Look... did you see it? This is a dunk! Oh my god, I've seen a real dunk for the first time! It's so cool!"

  At this time, Lin Xiaoyu knew that the goal was called a dunk. This thing that could make Yang Tianxiao, who was usually calm and quiet, excited and lose his composure was called a dunk.

  Lin Xiaoyu began his basketball career on this day.

  Every day after school, Lin Xiaoyu would shed her sweat from the football field onto the basketball court.

  Lin Xiaoyu gradually developed a strong interest in this basketball that was several times bigger than her own head. Although Lin Xiaoyu's poor basketball skills made her suffer when playing with her classmates, occasionally scoring one or two goals with an extremely irregular posture still made Lin Xiaoyu very happy on the court.

  The joy between friends is sublimated because of shared experiences.

  Yang Tianxiao, who had been exposed to basketball since he was a child due to his father's influence as a former basketball player, knew more about basketball than Lin Xiaoyu, who had just started. Seeing his friend Lin Xiaoyu start to like basketball, he was naturally very happy, after all, having a friend with the same hobby to share happiness is the best thing. So, from time to time, he would instill some basketball knowledge into Lin Xiaoyu and lend him his basketball magazines.

  Lin Xiaoyu, who is increasingly familiar with basketball, knows a basketball league called the NBA and recognizes a team wearing fiery red jerseys with a bull's head logo - the Bulls. Recognized in this Bulls team wearing No. 23 jersey on the basketball court like a mythical figure - Michael Jordan.

  Qiao Dan is Yang Tianxiao's idol, and every time they chat about Qiao Dan, Lin Xiaoyu can see the sparkling light of admiration in her friend's eyes.

  Lin Xiaoyu also likes the Bulls, the invincible Jordan, the hardworking Pippen, the all-around Kukoc and the three-pointers extremely accurate Kerr, etc. made Lin Xiaoyu like this NBA basketball team that was invincible.

  Lin Xiaoyu liked to play basketball when Jordan had already completed his most perfect shot in the NBA Finals, leaving the team and the NBA arena.

  Yang Tianxiao told Lin Xiaoyu that when he was in elementary school, he saw Jordan retire and was heartbroken for a long time, not touching basketball for more than a month. He also saw his father secretly wiping away tears in front of the TV. Although he didn't watch this team's brilliant performance live or have Yang Tianxiao's deep love for the Bulls, Lin Xiaoyu fell in love with this eternal team through the repeated playback of the Bulls' legend on TV.

  Lin Xiaoyu's favorite basketball star is not the legendary team leader Jordan, but the Bulls' 91st player Rodman, who has a weird hairstyle and a passionate personality on the court. This guy scores very few points but can grab rebounds like crazy. Although Lin Xiaoyu's small body can't even get one rebound in half a day on the court, his playing style is far from Rodman's, but seeing this weird-haired guy's unique playing style and never-ending passion for basketball makes Lin Xiaoyu love him very much.

  When Lin Xiaoyu saw this guy wearing the rare No. 91 jersey on the field, dressed in a flashy and weird outfit, flying out of bounds to save those theoretically unsavable out-of-bounds balls, Lin Xiaoyu was deeply attracted to this strange big man's playing style.

  On Rodman's No. 91 jersey, Lin Xiaoyu saw a spirit called never give up.

  There is also a manga called "Slam Dunk" that had a huge impact on Lin Xiaoyu's love for basketball.

  Holding Yang Tianxiao's treasured "Slam Dunk" manga, Lin Xiaoyu was deeply attracted from the very first volume.

  During class, Lin Xiaoyu couldn't resist the temptation of her comic book and secretly looked at it under her desk. When she saw Sakura Hanado's first basketball game in a crowded gymnasium, where he pulled down the pants of the tall basketball team captain who looked like a giant gorilla, and then dunked the ball on the gorilla's head, Lin Xiaoyu laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. However, since it was during class, Lin Xiaoyu was afraid that the strict teacher would discover and confiscate her comic book, so she could only endure the pain of holding back her laughter.

  But laughter is an emotion that can't be controlled, Lin Xiaoyu buried her head on the table, biting her lower lip to hold back her giggles, but unfortunately, the Q-version of Sakuragi Hanamichi's funny appearance and the image of a giant ape getting angry kept flashing in her mind, making Lin Xiaoyu's laughter burst out uncontrollably. The desk that Lin Xiaoyu was leaning on also shook violently under her trembling body as she tried to hold back her laughter, which made Mu Rong Hui Min, who was sitting behind Lin Xiaoyu, wonder why the table in front of her was shaking so hard.

  Murong Hui Min carefully turned her head and saw Lin Xiao Yu trembling uncontrollably as she lay on the table. Murong Hui Min tensely asked in a low voice, "Xiao Yu, what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

  Lin Xiaoyu suppressed the laughter welling up inside her and replied softly, "Nothing, I'm just reading a book that's making me want to laugh."

  "Oh." Murong Huimin turned back with a relieved heart, and at the same time, she was puzzled about what book Lin Xiaoyu was reading that made her so happy.

  After Lin Xiaoyu's desk shook intermittently several times, this class finally ended.

  Lin Xiaoyu never dared to read "Slam Dunk" during class again, but after bringing the comic book back home, Lin Xiaoyu finished reading it with laughter and tears.

  The influence of "Slam Dunk" on Lin Xiaoyu is very strong.

  That red-haired Sakuragi Hanamichi has a bit of the shadow of Rodman, the number 91 of the Bulls. Lin Xiaoyu looked at this strange but very serious and dedicated guy in the comic who slowly went from being a fighting king to touching basketball, becoming a basketball rookie, and slowly growing into the savior of the team in the world of basketball. This story deeply moved Lin Xiaoyu.

  In the comic book, it is a world centered on basketball, and everyone gets their own happiness from basketball.

  Sakuragi's happy face when he learned to shoot a three-pointer; the joy of his first successful dunk; the pleasure of practicing shooting under the basket; the excitement after mastering the shooting technique after throwing 20,000 shots; the thrill of saving the team and winning the game. These made Lin Xiaoyu, who was lying on her bed reading manga, so happy that she jumped up and down with joy.

  But behind these joys are the countless hardships and difficulties that need to be overcome.

  The first game was lost to that technically outstanding Sendo, and the dejected look in Sakura's eyes as he refused to accept defeat; the helplessness of Sakura being repeatedly penalized for fouls; the regret and guilt of Sakura when his team lost to Hyuga due to a passing mistake.

  These made Lin Xiaoyu look disheartened and crestfallen.

  When Sakura faced the powerful Yamakou Industrial in the national tournament and was on the verge of an irretrievable situation, he still firmly believed in his victory. When Sakura flew to save the key ball and crashed into the commentary table, Lin Xiaoyu's tears had already flowed uncontrollably in her blurred eyes.

  While Sakura ignored the coach and teammates' obstruction, with his injured body, he exchanged the victory of the game at the cost of his basketball life. At that moment, Lin Xiaoyu's heart was suddenly blocked by something in her chest and couldn't calm down for a long time.

  All these people around basketball bring different feelings to Lin Xiaoyu.

  Apart from the Sakuragi's path that made Lin Xiaoyu feel deeply, there is Akagi who is obsessed with basketball; Mitsui Hisashi who got back up after taking a wrong turn; Miyagi Ryota who is incredibly fast and confident; Kogure Kiminobu who lacks talent but works hard; Rukawa Kaede who dedicates himself to basketball; Sendoh Anosuke, the somewhat arrogant basketball genius; Fujima who independently led his team; and Godai Ichiro, the three-point shooter who practices shooting 500 shots every day... Each of these characters has something that Lin Xiaoyu likes.

  They also have a common point, which is to release their youth for basketball.

  Lin Xiaoyu also felt a hint of sentiment in the love story between Sakura Hanako and Haruka, which lightly painted a faint stroke of love on her innocent and naive heart.

  This manga has had a profound impact on Lin Xiaoyu.

  Many years later, Lin Xiaoyu, who had grown up and gone through the trials of life, finally came to realize that this comic moved her because it was an epic poem that eulogized the burning of youth and the pursuit of dreams by young people.

  This ordinary orange ball represents the passionate dreams of a group of young people, and these young people have been striving around this common dream, chasing after this little orange ball.

  And this dream, after being magnified, represents a certain pursuit of life. The relentless pursuit of dreams is an attitude towards life.

  Every time she faced adversity in life, Lin Xiaoyu still remembered Mr. Anxi's words: "If you give up now, the game is over."

  There are no losers in front of dreams, they are all dreamers and dare to chase their own dreams, they are all brave. The life of such people has no period. It's like a game, no matter what the score is, as long as the final whistle hasn't sounded, the game isn't over, and there are no winners or losers on the field.

  Life is the same, when you face any setbacks in your life, you can't be discouraged, because your life hasn't ended and you're not a loser, you still have the opportunity to turn things around. If you are intimidated by the current difficulties and give up, then your life will also end there, and you will not only be a loser but also a coward.

  Yes! Escapism is for cowards!

  That is what Lin Xiaoyu's heart has been longing for, burning her own youth to light up her dreams!

  After being deeply moved by it, Lin Xiaoyu introduced the "Slam Dunk" manga to Li Jingru and Murong Huimin.

  Li Jingru and Murong Huimin, who are equally unfamiliar with basketball, were also deeply moved by this cartoon.

  Li Jingru, apart from Sakura, especially liked the character called Xian Dao. Although this manga didn't describe him much, Xian Dao's sunny face with a hint of carelessness in his smile left an impression on Li Jingru's mind.

  Murong Hui Min was delighted to watch this cartoon recommended by Lin Xiao Yu. Gradually understanding what basketball is, Murong Hui Min was moved to tears when Sakura got injured. At the same time, she also felt anxious about Sakura's unrequited love for Haruko and Haruko's unrequited love for Rukawa, unfortunately, the book didn't give her an ending, just like her own feelings towards Lin Xiao Yu...

  Lin Xiaoyu was also influenced by "Slam Dunk" and gradually became fascinated with basketball from liking it.

  Lin Xiaoyu's ball skills are also improving step by step. Slowly but surely, she can now dribble the basketball without being easily intercepted, and has learned some simple crossovers, transforming from a clumsy walker to a nimble two-and-a-half-step layup artist. Lin Xiaoyu's extremely unorthodox half-push-half-shoot jump shot also slowly improved from an initial 10-shot 9-miss rate with several air balls to making one out of every three shots.

  Lin Xiaoyu is slowly experiencing the joy of basketball as her skills gradually improve.

  But Lin Xiaoyu's personality of always wanting to be different from others is also slowly being reflected in his basketball skills.

  Others like to score by flicking their wrists and rubbing the board into the basket, but Lin Xiaoyu always likes to throw the ball high into the basket under the basket frame, because Lin Xiaoyu likes to hear the "whoosh" sound when the basketball goes through the net. However, this way of scoring has a low success rate. As a result, Lin Xiaoyu often gets criticized by his teammates for using this incorrect scoring method, which leads to easy scores being missed.

  In order to hear the clearer sound of basketball and net friction, Lin Xiaoyu's outside shooting gradually became higher and higher, almost every shot she made was much higher than the top edge of the basket board, because Lin Xiaoyu found that the higher the ball was thrown, the more crisp and loud the "swish" sound was when it went through the hoop, and the net that was stirred up by the basketball looked like a wave.

  Because of Lin Xiaoyu's excessive pitching arc, every time Lin Xiaoyu throws the basketball, it slowly flies up into the air and takes a long time to come down. This makes people waiting for rebounds feel very uncomfortable as they have to look up at the sky for half a day and use force to squeeze out a powerful position under the basket.

  From then on, Lin Xiaoyu's pitching trajectory was too high, and as his hit rate slowly improved, Lin Xiaoyu had a loud nickname among his ball-throwing friends - "High Shooter".

  Lin Xiaoyu didn't like this nickname very much, but she still played happily on the basketball court in her own way.

  (Ticket ticket? Thank you)