The Best Point Guard

Many in the media claimed the Knicks had lost the core of their team with the departure of Zach Randolph, Eddie Curry, and Jalen Rose. Many people also said this series would cement LeBron James’s legacy, marking his true ascension over Little Sheep Su Xi and validating the original order of the 2003 draft class.

But Madison Square Garden Arena was still packed with over twenty thousand fans, all of whom had paid premium prices for their tickets.

For the Knicks fans, even if they were facing incredible odds, even if the team was likely to lose, they would still stand behind them. This past season had given them too much excitement and passion to do otherwise.

Even the notoriously fair-weather New York fans found the grit and determination to defend their home court.

When Su Xi took the court, the entire arena erupted in chants: "MVP! MVP! MVP!"

To the Knicks faithful, Su Xi was already the King of New York Basketball. They put all their faith in him, believing he alone could save the Knicks from their misery. In truth, he already had... When Su Xi first joined the team, who could have imagined the Knicks would make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and finish the regular season with the best record in the league?

And now, all of it had come true.

Besides... what if?

What if Goat Su Xi actually defeated the Cavaliers led by LeBron James?

After all, Crawford had been talking a big game.

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the players from both teams walked onto the court.

The Knicks’ starting lineup for the night was: Hardaway, Crawford, Su Xi, Tony Battie, and Jerome James.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting lineup was: Snow, Hughes, James, Gooden, and Ilgauskas.

Su Xi walked straight up to James. Su Xi stood at 6’3" barefoot, while James was over 6’8". The striking size difference between them seemed to confirm the pre-game predictions: James would lead the Cavaliers to a 4-1 series victory over the Knicks.

It looked like the Knicks stood no chance.

The single victory the commentators had predicted for them was likely just a token of respect for Su Xi.

TWEET!

As the referee tossed the ball into the air for the opening tip, Jerome James leaped up and smacked it toward his side of the court. Hardaway secured the ball.

He slowly brought it up the court.

He dribbled to the top of the arc.

Su Xi posted up on James, and Hardaway immediately passed him the ball. Su Xi began backing James down with force.

James wasn’t good at defending in the post. He had immense strength and a powerful physique, but he struggled to leverage it effectively.

THUMP!

THUMP!

Su Xi bumped him back hard twice, then gave a sudden shoulder fake. The subtle, realistic move made James bite instantly. The moment James shifted his body, Su Xi spun in the opposite direction, faded back, and released the jumper... SWISH!

Pure silk.

The ball dropped cleanly through the net.

Madison Square Garden Arena erupted, with everyone shouting Su Xi’s name.

But Su Xi simply gave James a shrug, not saying a word.

But the disdain was written all over his face.

James was furious.

He took the ball from Snow and faced Su Xi. He gave a quick jab step and then simply drove to the basket... His first step was almost always a travel, but the referee remained impassive.

Su Xi was a step behind.

’A defender is already at a disadvantage, but how are you supposed to anticipate a move when your opponent travels on the first step?’

But as James charged into the paint and rose up for a powerful dunk...

Jerome James leaped up to meet him, putting his body squarely in the path of the charge. LeBron was forced to switch from a dunk to a layup, but just as he released the ball, Su Xi came flying in from behind and snatched it out of the air with both hands.

By then, James was already coming back down.

Su Xi immediately ignited the fast break. Meanwhile, Jerome stood in front of LeBron, shot him a fierce glare, and forcefully slapped his own thick frame, as if to warn him: ’This tower still stands!’

Isaiah Thomas watched from the sidelines, deeply moved.

He couldn’t help but recall the beginning of the season, when Su Xi had deliberately sent Jerome James in to absorb the brunt of LeBron’s attacks. Back then, Jerome couldn’t have been more reluctant.

But now, he was taking the initiative himself.

In just a few short months, his fighting spirit had been completely transformed.

’Su Xi really is a miracle worker.’

’LeBron James, how can you possibly compare to Little Sheep Su Xi?’

This wasn’t just Isaiah Thomas’s sentiment; it was shared by every player and staff member of the Knicks. They never believed James was some "Chosen One." To them, the real Chosen One was Goat Su Xi.

This sentiment was shared by the people of Indiana.

To them, James hadn’t accomplished anything yet. Why should he be given such a grand title?

Meanwhile, Su Xi was already making his next move in the frontcourt. He cut to the basket, leaped into the air, adjusted his body to avoid the help defense from Gooden, switched hands, and slammed the ball into the hoop.

Su Xi’s aerial control was on another level.

This wasn’t just hangtime; it was practically a dance in mid-air.

The passion in Madison Square Garden Arena was ignited once more.

The MVP chants grew even more unstoppable.

ESPN was broadcasting the game.

It was well known that the relationship between the sports media giant and Su Xi was strained. ESPN rarely reported on Su Xi’s accomplishments, showing much more favor to James.

But they couldn’t stop commentator Reggie Miller from gushing, "KA-CHING!! Goat Su Xi scores again! He’s on fire tonight, showing off his skills, showing off his dominant athleticism. This shows his determination. He’s here to take this win, and he’s going to eat the ’Chosen One’ for lunch!"