The Best Point Guard

"I don’t care what Larry Brown says. From the very beginning, his philosophy and mine have never aligned," Su Xi said. "It’s true we haven’t found a set tactical system yet. But we’re already this strong without a core system. Once we find one, won’t we just dominate the league?"

"So, you think the Knicks will win the championship this season?"

"I’ve been saying the Knicks would win the championship all along, but nobody ever believed me. Now, I’m saying it again—we’ll win the championship. Do you believe me?" Su Xi shot back at the reporter.

The reporter chuckled. "That does sound a bit... well, alright. If you lead the Knicks to a championship this season, you’ll have a personal three-peat. If you also get a third Finals MVP, do you think you can be compared to Jordan?"

"You should travel back in time and ask that question to a third-year Michael Jordan. Ask him, if there was a player who led two different teams to championships in his first three years, won the Finals MVP each time, and was only 21 years old, would *he* think he could be compared to that player?"

Su Xi posed the counter-question.

The ESPN courtside reporter was suddenly at a loss for words.

Su Xi patted his shoulder, leaving the television audience with a view of his stylish retreating back and a giant question mark.

Indeed.

What was Jordan doing in his third year? Was he more impressive than Little Sheep Su Xi is now?

The answer was clear.

"A perfect counter-question," Reggie Miller said on television, full of conviction. "Little Sheep Su Xi is the greatest third-year player in history, without a doubt. It’s unfair to compare his third-year self to a Jordan with a full career behind him. You should compare third-year Jordan to third-year Jack."

Beside him, Mike Brin asked, "Reggie, do you really think Little Sheep Su Xi had that much to do with those first two championships? Did he really lead your team to those titles?"

"What do you think?" Reggie Miller retorted. "Before he arrived, the Pacers had been trying for decades—I myself fought for over ten years—and we had nothing to show for it. It was only after Little Sheep Su Xi joined that we won two championships. Besides, don’t his Finals MVPs make everything crystal clear? Is this even a question worth asking?"

"Go ask Larry Brown who the biggest threat to the Detroit Pistons was back then." Miller was rubbing salt in Larry Brown’s wound again.

Larry Brown really wanted to slap Miller a couple of times.

He held back for a long time before pinching his nose and saying, "Little Sheep Su Xi is indeed a very impactful player. However, many stars peak right at the start of their careers. You can never tell with the NBA. The greatest third-year player isn’t necessarily the greatest player of all time. What’s more, this season isn’t even over. Don’t go hyping up things that haven’t happened yet."

Larry Brown was being objective, fair, and neutral now.

...

After the game, the Phoenix Suns attributed their loss to not securing enough defensive rebounds, which gave the Knicks too many second-chance opportunities.

D’Antoni also questioned the head referee’s calls in the final moments.

This was a classic case of being all mouth.

In contrast, Isaiah Thomas was far more humble and open. He summarized at the post-game press conference: "This was a successful game, a competitive game, an extremely high-level game. The players on both sides fought hard, showed their style, forged friendships, and displayed great sportsmanship. I’m proud to have been a part of a game like this."

The reporters were completely baffled by him.

Then, a reporter asked him why the tactics and lineups were different in the first, second, third, and fourth quarters.

He replied with a straight face: "Because the first, second, third, and fourth quarters are inherently different. Why are they different? Because they are related as one, two, three, and four. One, two, three, and four represent time, and they also represent quantity. When time and quantity change, our tactics must change accordingly. It’s like how when we eat in the morning, we call it breakfast. At noon, it’s lunch. At night, it’s dinner. Sometimes we eat the same food, but more often, we eat different food."

Uh... that actually made a lot of sense.

At first, most of the reporters were taken in by his convoluted speech.

But on second thought, it was a load of bullshit.

"So, in your opinion, what are the differences between run-and-gun, the triangle offense, the Princeton offense, and half-court iso plays? And what tactical system will you ultimately choose?"

"First of all, they are all very, very good tactics. Very successful tactics. Now, very successful tactics naturally require a very great star to execute them. Jack is the greatest star in history, so he can use all kinds of tactics perfectly. As for what system we will ultimately adopt, I can only say that’s a secret. And why is it a secret? Because I don’t want anyone else to know."

The Smiling Assassin continued eloquently, "And that is why I say it’s a secret."

The reporters were once again lost in his verbal maze.

Throughout the entire press conference, Isaiah Thomas didn’t discuss a single specific tactical arrangement, nor did he talk about the stats from either team. All he talked about was this esoteric nonsense.

Isaiah Thomas said a great deal, but there was almost nothing the reporters could publish as news.

This just went to show that Isaiah Thomas was a formidable character in his own right.

When the Knicks arrived in Los Angeles, Antonio Davis had left the team. He’d had another confrontation with Thomas on the plane. He demanded a trade, saying he was fed up with the toxic atmosphere on the Knicks and Su Xi’s self-righteous control over everything.

He also called Isaiah Thomas a coward and compared him to Su Xi’s string puppet.

He used some pretty nasty language.

This completely cut off any possibility of him continuing to play for the Knicks.

Isaiah Thomas pointed his finger in his face and said he would grant his request. However, he would dump Antonio Davis on some god-awful, bottom-feeder team.

The two caused such a scene that they almost came to blows.

After the plane landed in Los Angeles, Antonio Davis went off on his own. Isaiah Thomas, in his capacity as General Manager, told him that if he left the team without authorization, his salary would be suspended.

Antonio Davis shot back that he would appeal to the players’ union.

The conflict between them had become irreconcilable.

The next morning, all the Knicks players saw the reports about Antonio Davis in the Los Angeles media. He had arranged an exclusive interview with a famous reporter, during which he viciously slandered the Knicks and Su Xi.

"...The New York Knicks locker room is a toxic mess right now. Everyone is sucking up to Little Sheep Su Xi, and even Head Coach Isaiah Thomas is just a figurehead. Anyone who dares to go against Little Sheep Su Xi’s will gets marginalized."

"...He rules the Knicks with an iron fist, and anyone who doesn’t obey him is pushed aside. I don’t think this method will lead to long-term success for the Knicks. He has no real talent; he’s just been getting lucky. The Knicks’ record is like a paper pagoda—it’ll be blown over by the first strong wind."

"...I’m waiting to be traded. I’m the only one on the team who’s willing to say the emperor has no clothes, so I’m the one being shipped out. I knew this would happen, but I still have to speak out for what’s right, because I’m a righteous person. I’m not afraid of anyone."

"...Isaiah Thomas is ignorant and incompetent. He’s dozing off during every game; he doesn’t understand tactics at all. All the plays are just Little Sheep Su Xi doing whatever he wants, making the players go along with his performance."

"...He’s no little sheep, he’s a jackal—no, a tiger. Anyone who doesn’t obey him gets devoured."

"...I hate the Knicks. I think they’re about to fall apart. They won’t last. They’ll never make the playoffs. They have no defense at all. They’re just a bunch of guys who’ve been duped by Su Xi into thinking they’re invincible when, in reality, they’re completely useless."

These words were all the ammunition the anti-Knicks basketball pundits needed. In an instant, a media firestorm erupted across the sports world.

...