The Best Point Guard

Randolph explained his purpose for coming.

He was indeed there to provide a treat.

But the way he provided this treat was beyond everyone’s imagination.

He had two beautiful women recite a pair of Chinese poems.

He called it a "cultural immersion."

The two Mexican beauties recited with such perfect, crisp pronunciation that it made Su Xi’s scalp tingle.

And it resonated strongly with him.

Back in China, Su Xi only had a third-grade level education.

But he had heard these two poems before.

"Goose, goose, goose, neck curved, singing to the sky. White feathers float on green water, red webs push through clear waves."

Su Xi could even recite along.

The second poem moved him to the brink of tears because his grandfather had taught it to him, more than once.

"Hoeing grain at noon, sweat drips to the soil beneath. Who knows that of the food on their plate, every grain is born of bitter toil."

After these two poems, Randolph earned a new label in the Knicks locker room: the cultured man. ’Always doing some classy shit.’

After that, he even played a piece of Chinese guqin music and had the two Mexican ladies dance gracefully to it.

And their dancing was the very picture of grace and elegance.

Even Eddie Curry was bobbing his head to the beat, looking very much like a refined scholar.

He was truly getting a dose of culture.

When the performance ended, Zach Randolph sent them away.

"So, what do you think? Merry Christmas, everyone."

Randolph’s unique blessing earned a round of applause from the Knicks locker room. It was truly the most special Christmas greeting.

It made the Chinese-themed Christmas program Isaiah Thomas had arranged for later seem completely bland in comparison.

Randolph’s debut in the Knicks locker room won him a lot of points in their eyes.

And Randolph, standing at the doorway, witnessed the Knicks’ pre-game preparations and pep talk.

Everyone was talking about their understanding of the game and their analysis of the opponents, explaining their own shortcomings and their advantages against the other team.

Each person had something to say, and every opinion was taken seriously.

This moved Randolph. He thought, ’This is what a normal team should look like.’

Most importantly, once they were on the court, what they said and how they played actually matched up.

Eddie Curry said he couldn’t guard too far out, and that if Ilgauskas pulled up to the free-throw line, he’d need help from his teammates.

And sure enough, the whole team executed the plan.

Whenever Ilgauskas got the ball, a nearby Knicks player would quickly close in to bother him.

Crawford said he didn’t like physical confrontations with Larry Hughes, so his teammates would automatically go set screens for him.

And when Quentin said he was feeling hot on the wing tonight, the Knicks let him take three shots not long after the game started.

Everyone was respected. Everyone was supported. Everyone was trusted.

The Knicks didn’t really have set plays. Isaiah Thomas, whether in the locker room or on the bench, was basically a mute.

But Zach Randolph liked this kind of mute. At least he wasn’t an amateur trying to tell professionals what to do.

That alone made him countless times better than McMillan.

The more Randolph watched, the more he liked the Knicks.

The more he watched, the more he wanted to join them.

He even loved the home-court atmosphere at Madison Square Garden Arena.

Because from the very start of the game, the fans were cheering, passionately shouting for their home team and chanting "MVP" for Little Sheep Su Xi.

They put immense pressure on LeBron James.

Tonight, LeBron James was fired up.

From the moment he stepped on the court, he aggressively attacked the paint, doing some serious damage to the Knicks.

The Cavaliers even took the lead at one point.

This gave Randolph a strong urge to get on the court and help the Knicks. He felt that if he were out there with Eddie Curry, two big guys, they could form a human wall to stop even a tank like James.

Jerome James, who came in later, did just that.

But Jerome was a bit slow on his feet and struggled on the offensive end.

His attitude was great, though, and he was completely dedicated to his role.

The Knicks were relatively passive in the first quarter, and the Cavaliers played very well, led by James’s relentless charges.

But starting in the second quarter, Su Xi personally took on the task of defending James, which slowed his attacks.

In turn, Su Xi ignited a wave of fast-break attacks, leading the Knicks on a furious run.

Although this run-and-gun style meant the Knicks’ defense couldn’t contain the damage from Ilgauskas and Gooden, the score gradually evened out.

The two teams were tied at halftime.

Zach Randolph glanced at the stats: LeBron James had 17 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks at the half.

Little Sheep Su Xi had 13 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.

James still had the edge.

During the halftime break, Randolph was allowed to follow them to the locker room door. Although he didn’t go in, the door was left open. He could clearly see the New York Knicks players engaging in criticism and self-criticism.

Several key players spoke one after another. They not only criticized what they themselves did wrong but also pointed out their teammates’ mistakes, sometimes using harsh words and even arguing until their faces flushed.

But their arguments were all on a technical, basketball level; they never got personal.

Most importantly, they even criticized Su Xi. The team collectively thought he wasn’t decisive enough with his shots, was too focused on getting steals on defense, and was unwilling to coordinate with teammates on the defensive end, trying to do everything himself.

Su Xi wasn’t angry at all.

This was beyond Randolph’s comprehension. He had never seen a team hold a halftime meeting like this before.

Then, the second half began.

These guys who had been criticizing each other in the locker room were working together seamlessly on the court. Su Xi was noticeably more aggressive with his shooting. On defense, he focused more on forcing James toward the baseline, making him run into Jerome James and Eddie Curry.

The Knicks had clearly improved since the first half, and it was a targeted improvement.

This was a team that was constantly evolving.

Randolph watched, secretly amazed.

As he watched the Knicks build their lead bit by bit, their morale soaring, their opponents started making frequent mistakes. LeBron James began to spread his arms, blaming his teammates...

He felt it was only natural. In fact, he saw it as the inevitable outcome.

He couldn’t wait to become a part of it.

He loved this atmosphere so much.

This was even classier than the qipao-wearing beauties he entertained himself with.

It was classy as hell.

The Knicks led by 10 in the third quarter. After entering the fourth, James made a fierce run, but the Knicks held him off. Afterward, the Knicks controlled the pace, played a steady game, and gradually widened the gap. With two minutes left, Mike Brown called a timeout.

The Knicks’ winning streak continued.

A 21-game winning streak!

On this perfect Christmas night, they once again broke their own record.

Amid the cheers of the entire arena, all the players waved to the crowd and then tossed out one last wave of Christmas gifts to the fans.

For the fans of the Big Apple City, this was a happy night, and a happy season.

They had finally gotten what they had been dreaming of.

Zach Randolph was very moved by what he saw.

So, after the game, he found Su Xi to talk again, expressing his strong desire: "Su Xi, I want to play basketball."

"I want to join the Knicks. I want to become a great player, and I think I can help you guys. I can provide a body to bang with on defense, and I can score. My post game is more refined than Eddie Curry’s. We can be a two-pronged attack; the centers in this league won’t know how to guard us..."

Randolph went on for a while.

His demand was simple: he wanted to join the Knicks.

Su Xi said, "I hear you. But I have to discuss it with my teammates. If most of them agree to you joining, we’ll try to make a trade happen. But a trade isn’t something we can just decide on our own. What if Portland asks for the moon?"

"I get it."

Randolph nodded with complete understanding.

"What do you get?" Su Xi asked.

"I’ll bring all my qipao-wearing beauties from Portland over. And, I need to make a trip back to Portland. I’m going to go beat up McMillan again."

Randolph said this with a very serious expression.

His earnest attitude impressed Su Xi.

The fact that he could say those two things proved he wasn’t stupid.

He knew how to win over his potential teammates and how to lower his own trade value.

’What a talent.’

But even a talent like him had to go through the proper channels...

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