Before heading to Athens, the Chinese Team played another exhibition game against Australia.

Australia’s style of play was very aggressive, with a high level of physicality.

They played all their starters in this game.

However, that didn’t stop the Chinese Team from cruising to an easy victory.

94-62.

The Chinese Team won by an easy 32 points. In this game, Su Xi put up a comprehensive stat line of 11 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 2 blocks. He once again showed the Chinese fans what an all-around warrior was, what seamless integration looked like, and what a FIBA monster he was.

Australia’s guards still couldn’t break through Su Xi’s suffocating defense, and Su Xi’s physical drives continued to tear their defensive line apart.

It was domination on a completely different level.

Isaiah Thomas’s words were proving to be prophetic.

You could doubt everything about Isaiah Thomas, but you couldn’t doubt his keen eye for talent.

Su Xi was truly the best fit for the FIBA system among all the current NBA stars.

The Chinese fans were full of confidence for the upcoming Olympic men’s basketball tournament, and so was Yonas. Before departing, he told reporters, "We all believe this will be a historic journey. We are ready."

On the plane, Yao Ming told Su Xi, "I have a feeling we’re going to achieve even better results than I imagined."

Su Xi smiled and said, "Then please don’t stop imagining. And don’t forget you also have the job of being the Olympic flag bearer."

Yao Ming shrugged. "I don’t understand why you refused to be on the ballot. I think if you were in the running, you’d have a better chance than me."

Su Xi said seriously, "I’ve never made any real contributions to the team or the country before. I wouldn’t feel right carrying the flag. After I get results everyone is satisfied with in this Olympics, maybe I’ll go for it next time."

Su Xi was a man of principle; he wouldn’t accept rewards he hadn’t earned.

...

In Greece, Su Xi was granted a special privilege: he was allowed to stay in a luxury hotel next to the Olympic Village. He received permission from everyone, including the team leader, because the leader simply couldn’t handle the commotion. Whenever Su Xi appeared in the Olympic Village, female athletes from all over the world would flock to the Chinese Team’s area for a "chance encounter" with Little Sheep Su Xi.

The Hollywood publicity was just too powerful. Everyone knew Su Xi was a man who could please a woman, and he was young, handsome, and rich... Who wouldn’t want to be a woman on the same level as Scarlett?

The Chinese Team was often showered with bras. Those open-minded and fit female athletes were incredibly bold, posing a huge challenge to the values of the Chinese players.

So, when Su Xi suggested staying in a hotel, they readily agreed.

Then, on the night before their first Olympic game, the entire Chinese Team—players and coaching staff—all moved into the hotel together. Nike, as a sponsor, provided this service... and the Chinese Team returned the favor. With the exception of the inside players, they all exclusively wore Su Xi’s signature shoes... all of them custom models.

It was a win-win situation for everyone involved.

After resting up and recharging their batteries, the Chinese Team faced their toughest opponent in the group stage: Spain.

In this year’s draw, the Chinese Team was placed in Group A. Their opponents were: Spain, Italy, Argentina, Serbia and Montenegro, New Zealand, and China.

Group B consisted of: Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Greece, Angola, Australia, and the United States.

The rules for the Olympics were the same as the NCAA’s.

First came the group preliminaries, where Group A and Group B would have their own round-robins. From the six teams in each group, the top four with the most points would be selected. Then, Group A and Group B would have a crossover knockout stage: Group A’s first-place team would face Group B’s fourth-place team, while Group A’s second would face Group B’s third, and so on, following a seeded bracket format.

The knockout stage was single-elimination, which was incredibly brutal.

This year, Group A was considered the "group of death," as all the teams were exceptionally strong.

Spain was a traditional European powerhouse. Italy had just beaten the Dream Team in Germany. Argentina were the 2002 World Champions. Serbia and Montenegro had always been a formidable force, and their region was considered to produce the most basketball superstars outside of the United States. New Zealand played a tough, highly physical game. And the Chinese Team, with the addition of Su Xi, was considered to have undergone a complete transformation.

Therefore, the situation for advancing out of Group A was very unpredictable; no one knew what would happen.

Spain was one of the strongest contenders for a medal in this year’s Olympics.

Fans back in China were eagerly anticipating this matchup, as it would be a significant benchmark. One domestic basketball commentator even pointed out: "As long as we can go toe-to-toe with Spain, we have a chance to get on the podium. A loss by five points or less would practically be a draw."

The domestic commentators might not have been the most skilled, but their passion was genuine. After all, who doesn’t want their home country to do well?

This kind of talk was clearly meant to manage expectations and build good karma.

It was a world apart from the soccer commentators and their infamous "a draw is enough to advance" mentality.

Spain’s core player was Pau Gasol. Pau Gasol was the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, a class brimming with talent. The top four picks were all centers: Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and Eddie Curry.

Currently, Pau Gasol had the most achievements in the NBA among them. He was already the absolute cornerstone of the Grizzlies. Although he was the star player on a weak team, he was still, at the very least, an elite NBA player bordering on All-Star status.

Before the game started, Pau Gasol made a point of coming over to greet Su Xi. They had interacted a few times during games. He congratulated Su Xi on winning the Finals MVP, saying he had brought honor to all foreign-born players.

As a foreign player trying to make a living in the NBA, Pau Gasol played in the paint, where the physicality was most intense, and he was no stranger to all sorts of trash talk. The character of most NBA players was nothing to write home about. Therefore, Gasol had always admired Su Xi’s attitude in the NBA—the way he’d fight back if challenged and take on anyone and everyone. Su Xi did the things he didn’t dare to do.