When the national anthem sounded in the island country, it was the Chinese players and fans, and it was also Xu Yong's proudest moment.

In a sense, that feeling is more fulfilling than winning the championship at home.

And when the national anthem sounded, among the members of the Dream Team standing next to the Chinese team, except for a few like James who still had smiles on their faces, most of the expressions were very serious.

Although the truth may not be as exaggerated as Yang Yi said, what is certain is that this will be the last performance of most members of this dream team in the national team.

The chances of fans seeing them again at the next Olympics are almost zero.

Without this group of superstars, the American team, just like the World Cup two years ago, is indeed no longer worthy of the title of Dream Team.

After finishing his Olympic journey, Xu Yong did not return to China to participate in a series of celebrations, but went directly back to the United States to rest and spend time with his family.

Although his body will not be injured, his mental state will be tired. Working around the clock sometimes takes a greater toll on a person mentally than physically.

It was already mid-September when Xu Yong finished his rest and returned to the team.

At this time, the Mavericks also held the team training camp for the new season.

On the first day of the training camp, Xu Yongyou noticed that the team members were somewhat slack.

For example, Jokic looks like he has gained a lot of weight, as if he has returned to the way he was when he first entered the league.

If this had happened during the Bulls era, Xu Yong would have definitely pushed his teammates hard, but with his previous dynasty experience, he knew that this kind of scene was normal. If they were still full of desire in the third year, that would be abnormal.

So this time he didn't say anything, but quickly adjusted his state and then showed his most focused attitude in training.

On the first day, the team members didn’t feel it yet.

But after a few days of training camp, it would be impossible for the players not to notice it.

Then, they also subconsciously began to restrain their emotions.

This contrast fully reflects the four words: lead by example.

Being strict with others and lenient with yourself will never work. What can really create a good atmosphere is to always lead by example and do more and better than others.

By the time the Mavericks' training camp ended, Xu Yong hadn't said a word about discipline, but the atmosphere of last season's championship team had returned.

It was only at this time that Xu Yong gave a brief speech at the end.

"Every one of you should know what happened in the island nation. They will do everything they can to seek revenge on me in the new season, just like they will do their best to prevent us from completing the dynasty. I know that two championships are enough for most people, but if you want to be part of a dynasty team, you must always keep your desire, because this is the only chance."

The season is about to begin, and the league has conducted an initial strength ranking as in previous years.

This time, the Mavericks ranked first without any suspense.

If a team has won two consecutive championships and is still not number one, then it can only be said that the person who made the list has a problem with his eyes.

At the start of the season, the Mavericks quickly showed their form.

That’s right, it’s the form rather than the strength. Compared to the strength, the form is the most important issue for a team that has won two consecutive championships.

The success and failure of the Lakers' two dynasties are the best examples of both positive and negative sides.

The team started with a seven-game winning streak, and although they lost in the eighth game, the team's overall condition is still quite good.

Poole, in particular, has shown tremendous improvement, which is largely due to his experience as a starter last season, which has changed his confidence on the court.

Compared to Rose, who has injury risks, Poole is younger and more energetic. While becoming the new favorite of Dallas fans, he is also becoming the sixth man of the Mavericks, the championship team.

Xu Yong also recognized Poole's strength because Poole had a competitive spirit.

As a reborn person, he increasingly feels that if it weren't for Green's punch, Poole in history could have made a name for himself in the Warriors.

But when it came to December, the situation changed a little.

The reason for this change came from a post-match interview.

In the game against the Lakers, Poole was in hot form, scoring a season-high 25 points.

This led to him being interviewed by reporters on the sidelines after the game.

The reporter asked a sensitive question, which was whether he thought he should start.

Most people would avoid the question or change the subject, but Poole's answer was unusual: "I think that position belongs to me."

He didn't even bother to say "I'm ready to start for the team."

Xu Yong only learned about this matter when he was asked questions by reporters at the post-match press conference.

He was stunned for a moment.

Normally, Poole plays better and better, and Wright has no spatial ability. Given the strength of the team's perimeter defense, it is only a matter of time before Poole becomes a starter.

But the fact that he said it so publicly now, and in such words, is undoubtedly a huge damage to the team's atmosphere.

But just when I couldn't help but want to curse, I suddenly remembered something.

That was after Poole was traded to the Wizards. He was questioned by reporters because of his poor performance. Poole's answer at the time was also classic: "This is my team."

These two sentences can be said to have the same effect.

Xu Yong found that he seemed to have underestimated Poole's ambition.

"It is Coach Malone's job to arrange the lineup. If I knew, I should have been the head coach of the Devils instead of an assistant coach."

Xu Yong used his unique humor to avoid this issue, but the impact of this incident continues.

On the second day of training, Wright was particularly serious about defending Poole during the full-court training, which made it very difficult for Poole to play.

Moreover, high-intensity offense and defense will inevitably lead to physical collisions, which also caused some unpleasant conflicts between the two sides, and both sides also sprayed some trash talk at each other.

"If you don't have the ability, get out of that position." After a goal, Poole trash-talked Wright.

Xu Yong was nearby at the time, and he directly scolded Poole: "Shut up and save your trash talk for your opponent."

Just at that moment, memories deep in Xu Yong's mind were awakened.

Green beat Poole. Although Green was very brainless, the reason he beat Poole was because Poole trash-talked Green during training.

"I slept with more women than you did at Michigan State," "Don't worry, you'll be with the Kings next year," "You'll be broke if you don't get your next contract, so why are you still using the name Money Green on Twitter?"

I have to admit that Poole's trash talk is quite good, but he shouldn't be saying such trash to his teammates.

Xu Yong's scolding made Poole shut up, but the contest between him and Wright continued.

This not only happens on the court, but also off the court.

The atmosphere was still tense when both sides entered the locker room.

At this time, even Rose, as the team's locker room leader, couldn't say anything.

Because you can only say that Poole's actions were a bit hasty, but his motives were understandable.

The NBA is a competitive place, who doesn’t want more opportunities?

If you want to have a chance, starting is the step you must take.

The key to all this lies in Malone's decision.

The season continued, but Malone did not put Poole in the starting lineup.

On the surface, Poole said he wanted to be in the starting lineup, so Malone put him in the starting lineup. Doesn't Malone have any face?

But on a deeper level, Malone clearly wanted to train Poole's character. After all, Poole is still some distance away from being a finished product.

However, the development of events later exceeded Malone's expectations, because after Poole saw that Malone refused to let him start, he started to play sloppily.

It wasn't just a matter of condition; his entire body language revealed resistance.

Malone was not angry yet, but Xu Yongxian couldn't help it. He had played in the NBA for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen such a person.

"If you are not ready to play, just sit on the sidelines." When Poole was substituted out of the game due to consecutive mistakes and the opponent was outscoring him, Xu Yong called him directly.

Because it was said in public, not only teammates but even Ma Long heard it.

Poole was angry but dared not say anything. He sat down and angrily threw the towel on the ground in front of him.

The consequence of his move was that the Mavericks traded him the next day.

As mentioned before, although Poole played well this season, he is not indispensable to the Mavericks.

Of course, more importantly, Xu Yong’s authority in the Mavericks is unchallengeable.

This deal is interesting, though, because the Mavericks sent Poole to the Lakers.

The Lakers' bargaining chip was veteran Danny Green and a protected first-round pick.

Green's form has declined significantly this season and he is no longer able to start.

VanVleet's performance this season has not met the team's expectations, and the Lakers are taking another gamble.

When Xu Yong saw this deal, he just thought it was interesting. Sending players who would destroy the team's atmosphere to a competitor, he even suspected that Nelson Jr. did it on purpose.

The Poole incident was just a small episode for the Mavericks this season. Xu Yong also expressed his welcome for Green's arrival.

Although Green no longer has the strength to start, as a forward-guard swingman, he can bring game experience to the Mavericks bench.

Of course, another important point is that Bane's performance as a tanky Curry is much better than expected.

In the few opportunities he had, Bane showed his excellent psychological ability and shot over 40% from the outside.

This may be the real reason why Malone is not in a hurry to let Poole start, because someone who is more suitable for starting in the future is already in the lineup.

And it is worth mentioning that James played a big role in the Poole trade.

Perhaps because of this, Poole made many shocking remarks as soon as he arrived in Los Angeles.

"They're going to regret trading me. They have no idea what I've done for the team."

"Xu is a dictator and no one dares to oppose him there."

"The Lakers made the smartest move because they got a true starter."

…

Although his words were met with more ridicule from fans, he didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.

This also makes the outside world more looking forward to the match between the two teams.

When it came to early February, before the All-Star Game, the game between the Lakers and the Mavericks finally kicked off.

When the two sides met for the first time this season, James missed the game due to a groin injury, which illustrates what it means to have a policy at the top and a countermeasure at the bottom.

But this time, James is healthy, and because of Poole's remarks, the traffic of this confrontation was fully increased.

In the first round of the game, James showed his big brother style and passed the ball to Poole at the beginning, and Poole seized the opportunity.

In front of the Dallas fans, Poole celebrated excitedly.

And then, nothing happened.

Because Xu Yong directly switched defense with DeRozan.

If it were just the previous things, Xu Yong would not take Poole too seriously. After all, his goal was the dynasty, and Poole's influence in this matter was almost non-existent.

But what Poole said after arriving in Los Angeles, calling him a dictator, was really rude.

James scored a lot of points by taking advantage of the opportunity to face off against DeRozan, and the Lakers also held a stalemate with the Mavericks in the first half.

During the halftime break, James was interviewed by reporters.

When reporters asked about Poole's performance, James praised Poole with his eyes open: "His arrival has brought unprecedented vitality to our back line. Although he didn't get many opportunities tonight, he tied down our defense. His performance cannot be reflected in the data."

What James said is not completely unreasonable. After all, if Xu Yong was guarding him, he would not have so many chances.

But when the second half started, the boomerang came unexpectedly.

Poole's mentality exploded due to Xu Yong's defense, and he even had to talk trash. Although Poole has some skills, he is not good enough in front of Xu Yong.

"You should be thankful that Deron (Wright) is not Draymond (Green), otherwise you would be the second LeBron (James)."

James was standing by at the moment. When he heard this, he instantly felt a burning pain on his face. Xu Yong's attack brought splash damage.

Poole had already lost his temper due to Xu Yong's defense, and after being scolded, he was completely deflated.

Confidence is the foundation that supports Poole's outstanding performance. When his confidence is lost, he brings more mistakes and side effects on the court.

Then, Pu'er was substituted out, and Xu Yong took his place again with James looking very happy.

In the end, the Mavericks scored 50 to 35 in the second half and defeated the Lakers in one fell swoop.

"He's just a little lost, but it won't stay like that forever. This is just a regular season game, and I'm looking forward to playing against them in the playoffs."

At the post-game press conference, James once again supported Poole.

After all, you have to finish the tea you ordered, even if you have to cry.