The Best Point Guard

When the Knicks met up with Randolph in Miami, he was dressed flamboyantly, looking just like a tourist on a tropical vacation. He had recently been in Miami working on his "culture team," sprinting down the path of refinement. For Randolph, this hobby was a real money-saver; after all, the pastimes of other degenerate NBA players were what really burned cash.

The Knicks arrived in Miami from a chilly Los Angeles. "You really know how to live, Zach."

Eddie Curry was also a fatty who feared the cold.

Randolph chuckled, spouting verse: "If you don’t want to endure the winter, just fly to a tropical island for a swim."

As far as Randolph was concerned, Miami was just a place to have some fun.

But the basketball world saw this game as a preview of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. At the very least, they were now willing to admit the Knicks could make it that far.

The current top four in the East were widely recognized as: the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers, the Detroit Pistons, and the New York Knicks.

Despite the Knicks holding the number one record, the experts ranked them last among these four powerhouses.

This just went to show their fairness and professionalism.

But the Knicks didn’t give a fu...ck!

The Heat Team had learned from their failures last season. They bolstered their roster in the offseason, signing several more veterans to make one last push for the championship.

Gary Payton, Jason Williams, Anthony Walker, and James Posey, in addition to Moning.

Five years ago, this lineup would have been an absolute super galactic battleship.

Shaquille O’Neal still had drawing power. At his call, these veterans flocked to join for minimum-salary contracts, believing they could achieve their championship dreams by following him.

They were playing quite well this season. If the dark-horse Knicks hadn’t emerged, they would likely be number one in the East.

After being knocked out by Su Xi in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Dwyane Wade had improved tremendously. He spent the entire offseason living in the gym.

In fact, Su Xi was like a catfish thrown into a tank. After his sudden, meteoric rise, he spurred the evolution of other superstars. While James still couldn’t beat Su Xi, his technical skills were improving rapidly. Others, like Kobe, had also made great strides...

The NBA is a giant pond with its own ecosystem. When someone breaks the balance, a new equilibrium naturally forms.

This new equilibrium meant that everyone had evolved.

...unless you could be like Michael Jordan in his prime, crushing all competitors and staying a whole level above the competition.

In fact, Jordan’s very presence also spurred the growth of other NBA superstars of his time. That’s why the nineties had so many superstars with such distinct personalities and diverse, yet perfected, playstyles.

Although Zach Randolph had just joined the Knicks, he was immediately integrated into the team after a quick physical and placed in the starting lineup.

Zach Randolph had kept himself in good shape recently. Despite being surrounded by beautiful women, he viewed them all with an artistic eye... unless he absolutely couldn’t hold back.

He tried to get a playbook from Isaiah Thomas, but Isaiah Thomas told him they didn’t actually have one.

Then, he asked Su Xi what he should do on the court.

Su Xi told him to just be himself.

"We all just do our own thing."

"We improve through battle, find ourselves in battle, fulfill our potential, and then surpass ourselves."

"Cool! That’s so cool."

Zach Randolph gave a thumbs-up.

BEEP!

The game tipped off at the American Airlines Center Arena. When Su Xi took the court, the entire arena erupted in boos. The animosity from his time with the Pacers had followed him to the Knicks.

Su Xi was used to it. He had far too many enemies in the league today; you could call him public enemy number one.

’These boos are nothing.’

The Knicks’ starting lineup was: Eddie Curry, Zach Randolph, Trevor Ariza, Su Xi, and Hardaway.

Hardaway was starting, which he hadn’t expected himself. But his teammates had all agreed to it. They wanted to set the stage for his "fateful battle" with O’Neal. Of course, the bigger reason was a comment O’Neal had made last week. While praising Wade, he’d said Wade was the best teammate he’d ever had. A reporter then asked him to rank Hardaway, Kobe, and Wade. He put Wade first, Kobe second, and Hardaway third.

In truth, his logic was sound. After all, Wade was his current teammate, so of course he’d be number one. Kobe won three championships with him, so second place was understandable. As for Hardaway, although he was once considered Jordan’s successor, the best they ever did together was reach the Finals, where they were swept by Olajuwon.

But what are teammates for?

Teammates stick up for their own, right or wrong.

The Miami Heat’s starting lineup was: Jason Williams, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Walker, Haslem, and Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal and Eddie Curry met at center court for the jump ball. The Shark versus the Little Shark.

The Little Shark came out on top, winning possession for the Knicks.

The game was being broadcast live on ESPN.

The familiar trio of Reggie Miller, Mike Brin, and Larry Brown was on the call.

Larry Brown knew the Miami Heat all too well; last season, the Heat Team had beaten his Pistons in a Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wade’s game-winner not only eliminated the Pistons but also caused the team to disintegrate: Larry Brown resigned, and Ben Wallace left for Chicago on a max contract.

Although the Pistons were still a strong team, with four of their "Five Tigers" remaining, basically no one believed they still had what it took to win a championship.

Before the game, Larry Brown was singing Wade’s praises. He believed Wade was already the second-best shooting guard in the league, behind only Kobe Bryant, and could even be mentioned in the same breath. He also echoed Pat Riley’s assessment of Wade: "Without a doubt, he’s just a Michael Jordan who’s two inches shorter."