Chapter 389: Bearded Chen Yan, Praise From Around the World
Long after the final buzzer, Wukesong still would not empty.
The crowd stayed in their seats like they were afraid the moment might evaporate if they walked out. The noise kept rolling, wave after wave, because beating Spain did not feel like a normal win. It felt like something that was not supposed to happen.
Yao Ming gathered the group, put an arm around Chen Yan, and led the entire team on a slow lap around the court. They clapped toward every corner, hands raised, soaking in the flags, the chants, the roar.
China's players were grinning like kids.
Spain's players looked like they had just been told the world was ending on Tuesday.
Pau Gasol walked off with his jersey pulled up over his mouth. It hid his lips, not the disappointment in his eyes. This was supposed to be a clean win for Spain, a game that fit their Olympic plan. Losing it meant the plan was now in pieces.
And the cruel part was, Spain had chances.
If they had not started so slowly. If their outside shots had not gone ice cold. If Rubio and Calderon had not somehow combined for a magical 1 point all night. But basketball does not hand out refunds for what could have been. The result was the result. Spain could only swallow it and move on, same as life.
On the broadcast, the reaction was immediate.
"They did it," Charles said. "That is a real win. Tough, earned, and it is going to change how people look at this group."
Kenny Smith followed with the calm part of the truth. "This is bigger than one night. You can see their confidence. You can see their structure. And you can see the difference a guard like Chen makes when the game tightens."
Afterward, the word that kept popping up everywhere was upset.
Reporters asked Chen Yan about "the upset," and he answered without blinking.
"Sorry," he said, expression steady. "I do not like that word. This is a strong group. We have the will and the spirit. If we step on this court, we will fight. In my opinion, we have a chance against anyone."
It was the same Chen Yan as always, sharp edged, no apology, even on the international stage.
And the fans loved it.
That confidence was part of the brand. It was the thing that made people believe.
When he was asked about scoring 44 in the previous game and 52 tonight, he gave a simple answer.
"I improved a little bit."
The outside world heard it as modesty. The internet heard it as a flex.
During the interview, a few people noticed something else. Chen Yan had more stubble than usual. It was not a clean shave. It was the look of a man whose schedule had eaten his mirror.
A reporter smiled and pointed. "Chen, is this a new look?"
Chen Yan rubbed his jaw and laughed. "I have been busy with games and training. I forgot to tidy it up. But the beard seems to have brought good luck, so I will keep it until the Olympics end."
The reporter chuckled. "At that rate, you will have a full beard by then."
"I hope so," Chen Yan said. "Because that means we have gone far."
The reporter leaned in with a grin. "Then I am looking forward to the full beard in advance. I have to say, it suits you. Very charming."
Chen Yan's smile froze for half a beat.
He had just realized the reporter was a man.
He gave a polite nod, said a quick thanks, and slid away like he had spotted a trap on the floor.
Within minutes, the beard became its own headline.
Why does he look more stylish with a beard?
No beard is cleaner and sharper.
Basketball is not a beauty contest.
The beard looks prickly, I want to touch it.
The arguments were loud, passionate, and completely unnecessary, which is how you know the team had truly won.
…
Jonas also spoke after the game.
He was usually serious, the type who treated interviews like defensive rotations, but even he had a rare smile tonight. At the end, he let himself make a small joke.
"Before the tournament," Jonas said, "our goal was the top 8. After watching these young men in the first 2 games, maybe we need to rethink the plan."
A reporter jumped on it immediately. "So is the goal a medal now?"
Jonas did not bite.
"We will see," he said evenly. "But Chen's arrival has improved this team in tactics and mentality. That part is obvious."
…
Spain held their own postgame press conference.
Coach Reneses and Pau Gasol sat at the table.
Reneses did not flinch from the loss. "It hurts," he said. "But it is not the end of the world. The Olympics have just begun. I believe in my players, and I will stand with them."
A reporter went straight for the knife.
"Chen scored 52. Does that mean you had no answer defensively?"
Reneses exhaled, the helplessness in his tone showing through despite the professionalism.
"We defended him the way you defend a normal player," he said. "But he is not a normal player."
Pau got the same question.
He had been brilliant himself, going 14 for 19 from the field and 4 for 5 at the line for 32 points, yet it still felt like Chen Yan swallowed the entire spotlight.
Pau did not sugarcoat it.
"He destroyed us," Pau said. "He disrupted the whole plan. That is it."
For Chinese fans, hearing that from Spain hit like music.
For years, the biggest fantasy was simple, what if China had a perimeter star who could take over games against anybody.
Now they did.
And because China had risen so quickly, even the criticism of Team USA's messy opener softened back home. The narrative shifted. It was not that Team USA looked weak, it was that China was suddenly dangerous.
The win over Spain sent shockwaves through the basketball world.
Marca splashed it on the front page, calling it the price of underestimating an opponent, and saying the newly crowned Finals MVP had delivered a harsh lesson.
The Associated Press described Chen Yan as a scoring machine who looked unstoppable whether he was playing under NBA lights or international rules.
The BBC called him the key to China's breakthrough.
Sports Daily ran a headline built around the team's 2 pillars, a wordplay nod to Chen pushing forward and Yao rising straight up.
Even the Olympics' official channels highlighted the performance as a special moment.
The number that stunned everyone was 52.
That was the second highest single game scoring total in Olympic men's basketball history. The record was 55, set by Brazil's legendary Oscar Schmidt against Spain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Spain again.
Oscar's confidence was famous, even infamous. He talked like he belonged above the NBA and above Michael Jordan. But the arrogance came from real production. Across a 29 year professional career, his scoring total in top leagues reached 49,703 points. He played in 5 Olympics, finished as the Olympic scoring leader 3 times, and remains the all time leading scorer in both Olympic and World Championship history.
He even inspired a young fan in Italy, a kid who would grow up to be Kobe Bryant.
After this game, that same legendary scorer posted through the Brazilian national team's official account.
"I hope Chen breaks my record. I am his fan."
One night.
One beard.
And praise coming in from everywhere.
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