The Best Point Guard

Reggie Miller and Larry Brown had completely dropped all pretense of civility.

As the saying goes, "Don't hit a man in the face." But Reggie Miller had grabbed Larry Brown by the hair and was metaphorically slapping him repeatedly.

The whole world knew Larry Brown disliked Su Xi. The whole world knew he had once lost to Su Xi. So, no one expected him to be objective. But as a commentator, Brown was supposed to be impartial.

Now, Reggie Miller had completely shattered his facade, making it impossible for him to even pretend anymore.

How could he not be furious?

This was a direct threat to his livelihood.

So, in the end, Larry Brown shot back with a threat: "The final score will make you eat your words. You're only defending him because you're friends with Little Sheep Su Xi."

"No. Su Xi doesn't need anyone to defend him. He's always been a winner. Only the weak need others to speak for them. Only the weak dwell on their failures and badmouth others. A strong person would have led a team to get their revenge long ago, not be sitting in the stands, chirping away."

Reggie Miller's words were another direct slap in the face.

Larry Brown was so furious smoke was practically coming out of his nostrils.

Who knows what ESPN was thinking. Maybe they were a hundred percent sure the Dallas Mavericks would win. For whatever reason, they actually broadcast the argument, instantly adding a ton of drama to what had been a relatively peaceful Finals.

BEEP!

The whistle blew, and the players took the court.

This was the Knicks' second home game, and it was also a crucial match with millions of dollars in donations on the line.

CCTV had purchased the live feed from ESPN and was broadcasting the game nationwide.

The CCTV commentators were ecstatic. Ever since Su Xi burst onto the scene, the pride had never left their smiling faces. Now, Chinese reporters could hold their heads high when covering the NBA. Yao Ming had already become a superstar in the league, and Su Xi was even more formidable—he had the air of the undisputed king of a new era.

Fans back in China were bursting with pride. The men's national team winning Olympic gold was a point of honor for the "big three" sports. At the same time, Su Xi's success continually invigorated the country's passion for basketball. Moreover, Su Xi himself was deeply invested in the sport's grassroots development, constantly improving the basketball environment back home.

For that, everyone was incredibly grateful to him.

This was especially true now. Su Xi had miraculously reached the Finals, sweeping the United States' own "Chosen One," James, along the way. Then he'd taken the first game of the Finals, proving he could win on the biggest stage even as the sole superstar of his team.

And most importantly for Chinese basketball, if they won this game, a number of influential figures in the sport would donate to grassroots basketball programs in China. Converted, that would be tens of millions of yuan.

"I can say this: Su Xi is a generational superstar. He is also the single greatest athlete in the history of China—and I'm not saying 'one of.' He truly deserves that honor. He's not just unbelievably talented, his influence is immense. He helped the national team win a gold medal, he's won back-to-back Finals MVPs in the NBA, and he spares no effort in promoting basketball in China. There has never been an athlete like him."

"And let me be frank. If he had chosen to become a United States citizen, he would undoubtedly be the number one player in the NBA right now. The American media certainly wouldn't be nitpicking his every move, saying he can't do this or he can't do that. But in reality, as you've all seen, the guy American basketball is trying so hard to prop up, James, just doesn't have what it takes."

"James is just physically gifted, that's all. Compared to Su Xi, he's not even in the same league."

"He's the classic example of someone who can't do this and can't do that. Su Xi swept him even while playing without two of his star centers. What more is there to say?"

"I'll say this: if Su Xi wins the championship this year, he can start being compared to Jordan. Jordan didn't have these kinds of accomplishments in his first three years. And Jordan never won a title after leaving the Bulls. A player like Su Xi, who can win regardless of his environment or his teammates—that's true dominance."

Before the game started, Coach Zhang delivered a long and passionate monologue.

BEEP!

The whistle blew on the court, and the game officially began.

The Knicks' starting lineup for the night was: Su Xi, Crawford, Ariza, Channing Frye, and Tony Battie.

The Knicks changed their starting lineup on a whim.

It was impossible to keep up.

Johnson had stayed up until midnight preparing his strategy, but one look at the Knicks' new lineup and he felt he'd earned his dark circles for nothing.

He swore to himself, 'If I ever stay up all night studying the Knicks again, I'm a goddamn idiot.'

'There's no fucking method to their madness!'

At that moment, he looked over at Isaiah Thomas on the opposing bench. Thomas was striking a pose, stroking his chin like Sherlock Holmes cracking a case. He looked incredibly focused.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was the Coach of the Year.

In fact, he had almost won Coach of the Year this season.

Based on their record, he should have been.

'But the man doesn't draw up any fucking plays!'

'He's just a puppet, and the whole world knows it.'

'And yet he still gets the owner's trust, the fans' adoration, and the players' support.'

'To be able to coast by and get away with it on Isaiah Thomas's level... that's a once-in-a-generation talent.'

SMACK!

Channing Frye won the jump ball against Dampier.

The Knicks had changed their starting five, but the Dallas Mavericks' lineup was exactly the same.

Su Xi brought the ball into the frontcourt. He used a screen from Tony Battie and drove into the paint. The Mavericks' defense was a step behind. Dampier came over to help, but Su Xi powered right through him. He passed the ball to the trailing Tony Battie, who caught it and threw down a powerful dunk.