The afternoon sun slanted across the court, stretching the shadows of Gu Jin and Shanshan Shouta long.
Gu Jin patted the ball, the sweat on his fingertips making the rubber surface a bit sticky.
Instead of dribbling around to find openings as he usually would, he held the ball and walked steadily towards the paint, stopping three meters from the hoop. He looked up at Shanshan Shouta: "Let's play here. It's not often I get to meet a master like you, so I want to practice in the low post."
Shanshan Shouta raised an eyebrow.
The high schooler in front of him clearly possessed an agility comparable to a guard, and the fast-break dunk during warm-ups had whistled with power. Yet, he was now actively entering the low post, Shanshan Shouta's strongest area—this was like a leopard insisting on an arm-wrestling match with a grizzly bear, truly an abnormal stubbornness.
"Are you sure?" Shanshan Shouta took half a step back, bent his knees, lowered his waist, and spread his arms slightly.
His two-meter-eight height made him a moving fortress in the paint. His shoulders were broad and thick, and the muscle lines honed by professional leagues held an unspoken sense of oppression.
"Sure," Gu Jin nodded, switching the ball to his left hand and guarding it with his right.
Taoka Moichi stood outside the sideline, his fingers unconsciously picking at the edge of his clipboard.
He knew how formidable Shanshan Shouta was—this man could forcefully break through the defenses of European and American players in the national team. Not only was his technique all-around, but his strength was also incredibly unnatural.
His low-post backdown strength could make defenders stumble as if hit by a truck, not to mention his almost instinctive nose for rebounds.
Was Gu Jin determined to go head-to-head today?
First shot, Gu Jin on offense.
He didn't rush to exert force, but instead gently leaned his left shoulder against Shanshan Shouta's chest, as if testing the elasticity of a steel plate.
The force that came back made his wrist sink slightly—more stable than expected, the opponent's lower body seemed rooted to the floor.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! Bang!!!!
Gu Jin bent his knees and lowered his shoulder, the sound of his dribbling full of power, his left foot planted firmly on the floor.
He first lowered his left shoulder slightly, as if to turn left and drive hard. Shanshan Shouta's center of gravity subconsciously shifted half a point to the left—this was a professional center's most instinctive defensive reaction when facing a backdown.
In that instant, Gu Jin's left shoulder swung back sharply. At the same time, his right foot, as if on an axle, stepped half a pace to the right. As soon as his heel landed, his left foot followed, stepping diagonally forward. His entire body twisted like a spinning top, completing a fluid reverse pivot with the momentum of those two steps!
These footwork steps were swift yet substantial, possessing both the steady calm of a center's backdown and the agility of a power forward, much like the opening move of Olajuwon's signature "Dream Shake."
Shanshan Shouta's pupils constricted. He could feel the opponent's center of gravity constantly changing, yet he could never quite pinpoint the true direction of force, only instinctively raising his arms to block the space under the basket.
Gu Jin's pivot didn't stop. As his second step landed, his left shoulder had already brushed past Shanshan Shouta's right arm, and he naturally brought the ball down to his waist with his right hand, avoiding the opponent's blocking range.
Just as their bodies were about to separate, he suddenly lifted the ball from his waist, flicked his wrist deftly, and the basketball arced low and flat from his fingertips, precisely hitting the inside of the white square on the backboard—
"Swish!"
The sound of the basketball passing through the net was as crisp as breaking glass. As Gu Jin landed, his back was almost touching Shanshan Shouta's chest, and he could clearly feel the stagnant breath coming from him.
Shanshan Shouta looked down at the ball that had gone through the hoop, then looked up at Gu Jin's right hand, which was still in the wrist-flick position. His Adam's apple bobbed: "This footwork..."
He had played professional basketball for so many years and had seen many players imitate Olajuwon's footwork, but this was the first time he had seen a high schooler control the rhythm and center of gravity of such footwork to this extent.
It wasn't a simple replication of movements, but a true understanding of the essence of low-post footwork—using constantly changing centers of gravity to lead the defender, finding shooting space within millimeters.
Gu Jin looked at Shanshan Shouta. The casualness had faded from his face, and there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes behind the glasses: "Interesting."
Taoka Moichi clenched his fist outside the sideline, a muffled laugh escaping his throat.
This kid, how many more surprises will he bring me?
Second shot, offense and defense switched.
Shanshan Shouta held the ball, standing on the left side of the paint, blocking Gu Jin's view like a mountain.
He didn't even make any extra movements. With a backdown push, a brutal force came through.
Gu Jin felt the immense pressure on the arm he had placed on his opponent's back, and he involuntarily took half a step back.
"This is what the low post is about," Shanshan Shouta's voice came from above, with a hint of teaching.
Shanshan Shouta held the ball, lowered his shoulder, and backed down against Gu Jin towards the basket.
Each step carried the oppressive force of a professional player, like a precise road roller, intent on completely crushing any obstacle in front of him.
Gu Jin kept his center of gravity extremely low, his arms bent and steadily braced against his opponent's lower back and waist, using the reaction force from the floor to resist with all his might—this was the only way he could think of to slow his opponent's progress.
Just as Shanshan Shouta turned to shoot, Gu Jin suddenly moved.
He didn't jump up, nor did he reach out to steal the ball. Instead, using the momentum of his opponent's turn, his center of gravity suddenly shifted to the right, and at the same time, his body leaned gently along his opponent's turning trajectory.
This force was not great, nor was it a foul, but it was like a stream hitting a rock, perfectly catching Shanshan Shouta at the transition point of his turning and exerting force.
A professional center's shooting rhythm is like a precise gear, even half a point off is unacceptable.
And Gu Jin was also a professional!!!
Shanshan Shouta's shooting hand was just about to extend when his body's balance was suddenly thrown off by half an inch by this clever force, and the power in his wrist instantly went awry.
He watched helplessly as the basketball left his fingertips, its arc half a foot lower than expected, and with a "clank," it hit the front rim and bounced out.
Shanshan Shouta looked down at the bounced basketball, then looked up at Gu Jin, a playful look in his eyes behind his glasses: "You've got something."
He flexed his wrist. The momentary stiffness hadn't completely dissipated. "Knowing how to use your body to find rhythm is much better than a hothead who just charges straight in."
Taoka Moichi stood outside the sideline, his previously tense shoulders quietly relaxing.
He had been holding his breath, fearing Gu Jin's youthful impetuousness would lead to a foul. He hadn't expected this kid to be hiding such a move—knowing how to "use strength to counter strength" meant he wasn't just playing on talent alone.
Gu Jin rubbed his sore arm. It looked effortless just now, but in reality, all his muscles were tensed, controlling the force.
He looked at Shanshan Shouta, his eyes a little more serious: "Senior, it's my turn."
Gu Jin took a deep breath, the sweat on his fingertips making the ball a bit slippery. He stood with his back to Shanshan Shouta, holding the ball steadily in front of his chest with both hands, like a small beast preparing to pounce.
"Still going for a backdown?" Shanshan Shouta pressed up with interest, his arms steadily braced against Gu Jin's back. "Be careful, I'm getting serious!"
Gu Jin didn't speak, but suddenly exerted force, pushing his back sharply backward!
This time he used all his strength, his muscles bulging.
Shanshan Shouta was indeed pushed back half a step. Although the movement was slight, it was enough.
Now!
Gu Jin used this half-step gap to suddenly turn to his left, while throwing the ball high towards the hoop with his right hand.
The ball was thrown extremely high, with strong spin, and looked like it was about to fly out of the backboard's range—
"No way!!!"
Shanshan Shouta's long arm reached almost its highest point, but the basketball still slipped through his fingertips!
He thought he could swat the ball away, but he only... The basketball fell towards the hoop, and with a "swish," it dropped into the net.
Silence.
Only the "thud-thud" of the basketball hitting the floor remained in the entire gymnasium.
Gu Jin leaned on his knees, breathing heavily, his T-shirt soaked with sweat and sticking to his skin.
Shanshan Shouta stood still, looking at the swaying net in the hoop, then looked down at his fingers, and suddenly burst out laughing: "Good shot!"
Gu Jin nodded, his voice a little hoarse: "Facing Senior Sugiyama, that's the only way I can score."
Shanshan Shouta walked forward and suddenly extended his hand: "Gu Jin, there's no need for a third shot. You're more interesting than I imagined... You won today!"
Gu Jin shook his hand. The opponent's palm was broad and powerful, with the rough calluses typical of a professional player.
"Senior Sugiyama, today was just a simple low-post practice. If it were a real game... I wouldn't have it so easy," Gu Jin said sincerely.
In the two shots just now, his opponent had clearly held back.
He just wanted to test his skill level!
Shanshan Shouta smiled, said nothing more, and turned to Taoka Moichi: "Coach Taoka, your player is indeed remarkable. I'll take my leave now!" With that, he turned and left the gymnasium, his tall figure disappearing into the sunlight at the door.
Taoka Moichi looked at Gu Jin and suddenly slapped him on the shoulder: "Kid! You could have handled that even better, couldn't you? I didn't expect you to still be holding back against a professional player!"