The Best Point Guard

Compared to Little Sheep Su Xi’s recap, LeBron was more specific.

When asked at the post-game press conference why his team lost, Manager Zhan pointed to the stats: "It’s hard to win when your team goes cold for the last three minutes, when you’re outshot 48 to 41 at the free-throw line, and when you’re outrebounded 49 to 41."

"I’m not going to criticize my teammates. I know they really wanted to help me. It’s just... this is only the start of the season. They haven’t found their rhythm yet. And you have to admit, they turn the heat up a little high in Madison Square Garden Arena. This isn’t our home court."

"Getting a 30-plus-point triple-double isn’t something worth celebrating for me. If you look at my stats, you’ll see I do it often."

"It’s hard to evaluate Jack. I hope he’s doing well. I won’t forget we’re both from the 2003 class, and I won’t forget how hard I tried to help him improve back in Cleveland. I’m happy with what he’s achieved. He’s leading a team on his own now, and I’ll be cheering for him. If he needs any advice, he can call me anytime. He has my number."

LeBron James’s post-game responses were perfectly media-savvy.

When Su Xi saw LeBron James’s interview on TV, his expression was numb. He had always thought he could keep his composure no matter how ridiculous things got, but right then, for a few seconds, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

It was just too much.

LeBron James left, leaving the Knicks with their first win of the season.

Next up for the Knicks was their second opponent.

David Stern might have done it intentionally. The Knicks’ second opponent of the 2005-2006 season was Kobe Bryant.

Bryant had spent the better part of a year recruiting Su Xi, accumulating a thick stack of plane tickets to Indiana. He never imagined Su Xi would just go to the Knicks and take on a rebuilding project in that wasteland.

Kobe couldn’t get over it.

’He really didn’t get it. Why not form a duo with me? The two of us together would be unstoppable, wouldn’t we? Why did he have to come to this dump, the Knicks? There’s nobody sane here.’

Kobe was just feeling salty.

But when the game started, the Lakers he led were simply no match.

The Knicks had no tactics; they were just playing a chaotic, fucking mess of a game. Over on the Lakers’ side, Phil Jackson kept tinkering and making adjustments, but in the end, it was still just Kobe playing hero ball.

Kobe dropped 45 points that game.

Su Xi was the one primarily defending him, and he truly couldn’t be stopped.

Once Kobe got the hot hand, he was unstoppable regardless of the defense.

’This made Su Xi very happy. If Kobe was this strong, and I absorb all his incredible offensive skills, won’t I be even stronger than him? After all, look at his physique, and then look at mine!’

Kobe was already feeling how much of a handful Su Xi was. Su Xi had scored on him twice with post-up moves during the game. You couldn’t just say they were similar; they were identical.

’What’s more, Su Xi had more to his game than Kobe: the ability to create and draw fouls off the dribble, playmaking, off-ball shooting... the list went on.’

’Even though Su Xi’s offense wasn’t quite at Kobe’s level yet... still, holy shit, the speed of this guy’s evolution was just unnatural. How long has it been, and he’s already taking me to school one-on-one? He’s already got the iso game of a near-elite NBA player. If he keeps improving like this, how terrifying will he become?’

When Su Xi scored with those consecutive post-up moves, a chill ran down Kobe’s spine.

’He wasn’t just worried for himself; he was worried for Jordan.’

’Give him another five or six years to hone his skills to their peak, put a good team around him... damn it, he could really build a dynasty.’

121–108.

The Knicks picked up their second straight win.

There was no technical substance to the two games. The basketball experts in New York City racked their brains but couldn’t find anything to hype. It was just a chaotic hodgepodge, a total mess with no system, no structure, and no defense.

But they were winning.

Phil Jackson said, "The Knicks’ tactics are improvised on the court by Little Sheep Su Xi, which makes them extremely unpredictable. So, I regret spending two hours before the game studying the tape of their first match."

"The salary the Knicks are paying Little Sheep Su Xi is fair, because he’s working two jobs at once. And it’s fair for Isaiah Thomas to hold two positions, because I hear he’s only collecting one paycheck."

Phil Jackson was dropping some dark humor after the game.

Kobe, on the other hand, was blunt. When a New York reporter asked for his assessment of Su Xi, his face darkened. "How the fuck am I supposed to assess him? The motherfucker dropped a 30-point triple-double on my head. You want me to call him an ’outstanding player’ or something?"

The New York reporter was a real pot-stirrer and pressed further: "So who do you think is better, Little Sheep Su Xi or LeBron James? Who will become the true king of the new generation?"

"If we’re comparing height, LeBron James wins. If we’re comparing... the number of girlfriends, Little Sheep Su Xi wins." Kobe paused, having almost blurted something else out. He had just remembered that James was also a Nike-sponsored player, so he decided to poke fun at Su Xi instead by changing the topic to girlfriends.

In contrast to Kobe’s ’insincere and half-hearted’ response...

Su Xi, however, heaped praise on Kobe: "He’s the best of the four great shooting guards, the number one scorer on active rosters. He’s mastered every offensive move you can think of in basketball. He’s the only scorer in the league today who can’t be contained by any defense."

Unbeknownst to many, this season marked a shift in the NBA. The headlines, once dominated by the "Four Great Shooting Guards," now revolved around the three-man show of Su Xi, Kobe, and James.

After Tracy McGrady went to the Rockets, his performance had declined sharply. Furthermore, his ability to lead a team never materialized beyond what looked good on paper; failing to make it past the first round of the playoffs had become his defining trait.