The Best Point Guard

Perhaps if the San Antonio Spurs had made the Finals this season. With the Knicks missing Randolph and Eddie Curry, the Spurs would have very likely held the lead.

But there are no what-ifs in life.

The Knicks gained an advantage right from the start.

Even though Little General shouted about "happy basketball" from the sidelines, which did give the Mavericks a push.

But that push wasn’t enough to change the clear disparity in strength between the two teams.

Many people watching at home who cared about this game turned off their TVs before the first quarter was even over—people like the Little Emperor in Cleveland, the absolute ruler in Charlotte, and Miami’s Bishop Caesar.

They were the elites of the basketball world, able to see the essence of the game far quicker than the average fan. They were the type of people who stop scratching a lottery ticket the moment they know it’s not a winner.

At the end of the first quarter, the Dallas Mavericks were trailing by 6 points.

The deficit wasn’t large.

They were simply being dominated.

When the second quarter began, they were still getting dominated, but the deficit had widened.

What was even more demoralizing was that their shooting guard, Stackhouse, twisted his ankle on a non-contact play while driving to the basket and had to limp off the court.

The sight of him leaving the court was a microcosm of the Mavericks’ entire Finals experience: filled with sorrow.

The veteran, whose career had been full of ups and downs, had finally made it to the Finals this year. It was just a shame he wouldn’t be the one celebrating in the end.

It was just like when he first entered the league—cocky and dismissive of Jordan, only to be utterly humiliated by him. Yet, when Iverson entered the league and the media hyped up his own disrespect for Jordan, Iverson ended up brutally crossing over Jordan in one of their first matchups.

You could say luck played a part in their different outcomes.

But ultimately, it shaped their destinies. As the third overall pick, he competed for the ball with the number one pick, Iverson, and was quickly traded away—so fast he didn’t even get the chance to utter the infamous line, "I thought he was here to be my sidekick."

From that point on, Iverson’s career skyrocketed. He became a superstar and even started a cultural movement.

Meanwhile, Stackhouse... became a journeyman, never once earning a max contract in his entire career.

Although he worked hard, hard work doesn’t always guarantee success.

The Mavericks were also working hard, but their effort couldn’t bring them a victory, or even save them from being swept.

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

The Knicks pressed on, and the lead continued to grow.

By halftime, the Knicks’ lead had grown to 15 points.

Coming back from halftime, many Dallas fans chose to leave the arena early. They already knew what was coming.

In the ESPN broadcast booth, Reggie Miller told the audience, "Tonight, you are all going to witness Little Sheep Su Xi win his third straight championship and his third Finals MVP trophy. I know a lot of people are still saying he can’t do this or he’s no good at that. But anyone who says that is just proving their own ignorance and lack of basketball sense."

"Little Sheep Su Xi can now officially be called Goat Su Xi. He’s already a legend. He is the first superstar in NBA history to win a three-peat in his first three seasons, and he’s also the only player to win back-to-back championships with two different teams."

"Back in Indiana, you all said he was just riding the coattails of a strong Pacers team. Well, what can you say now? In the East Finals and now the Finals, this Knicks team was in such a bad spot that they were playing without two of their core big men."

"Is it that hard to admit someone is great? Apparently, it is. It’s incredibly difficult for people to overcome their own biases. Once someone takes a side, they lose all clarity of thought. Even the smartest, wisest people will start spouting nonsense."

"I was teammates with Jack for two years. Those were the two happiest years of my career—I won two championships. I feel I have to tell you what kind of player he is. He is an incredibly hardworking and intelligent player. He has almost no social life. He grinds every single day, constantly improving his skills. Every so often, he’ll just unveil some new move you’ve never seen before."

"A lot of people say they don’t know how many weapons he has in his arsenal. Well, let me tell you: you have no idea how hard he has worked to win."

"And to those who criticize his private life, all I can say is, that’s hilarious. Go ask any player on the Pacers, any trainer on the Pacers—they’ll all laugh in your face. Jack basically lives like a Puritan. I’m telling you, with his level of fame, he could easily surpass Chamberlain’s off-court record if he wanted to. After every game, tons of female fans would surround our bus or lie in wait at our hotel... It was all right there for Jack, but have you ever seen him get into any legal trouble? He’s cleaner than ninety-nine percent of the players in this league."

"A lot of people don’t want to compare Jack and Michael. I don’t want to either—because I think Jack is better than Michael Jordan! Of course, I’ll admit Michael Jordan had better skills, a taller frame, and was a stronger scorer. But do you really think Michael’s overall control of a game was greater than Jack’s?"

"Jack is a true basketball genius. His eyes can scan and find an opponent’s tiniest mistake, and then, like a shark that smells blood, he leads the charge and we all swarm them... and the other team is finished."

"That’s exactly how Dallas is losing this series."

"Jordan got schooled by the Bad Boys Legion many times, but have you ever seen any team school Jack? In my view, a true God of Basketball should be like Jack: never defeated by any obstacle. They are born to overcome obstacles. They’re here to show the world the difference between a god and the rest of you."

"So now, I’m telling all of you. There are only two types of players in the league today: there’s Jack, and then there’s everyone else."

Reggie Miller delivered this powerful monologue during halftime.

His words left every viewer at home deep in thought.

Some celebrated his words, others were enraged by them, and still others debated them endlessly.

But regardless of the reaction, a new, irreversible fact had emerged: Jack Su had transcended his era. He now stood in the river of history, issuing a direct challenge to Michael Jordan.

The second half of the game began shortly after.

The comeback some were hoping for never materialized.

The Mavericks’ defeat only accelerated.

They began to fall apart completely, routed in a collapse that was like a landslide.

After all, a person is most fragile when all hope is lost.

A single gust of wind could have blown them over.

By the end of the third quarter, the deficit had ballooned to 25 points.

In the fourth quarter, Little General Johnson officially declared garbage time.

The Knicks pulled their starters as well, and both teams let their bench players finish out the final 12 minutes, bringing a peaceful end to the 2005-2006 season.

After what felt like a very long 12 minutes, the final buzzer sounded, officially ending the season.

Su Xi, Randolph, and the others got to their feet. They had already done their celebrating; now it was time to shake hands with their opponents.

Little General Johnson gripped Isaiah Thomas’s hand tightly, whispering a great deal into his ear.

Thomas’s expression changed from calm to ecstatic, his grin impossible to suppress.

Su Xi and Nowitzki were talking.

Nowitzki congratulated Su Xi on an incredible victory, and Su Xi in turn told Nowitzki he should be proud of his spectacular season.

They exchanged compliments.

Of the three Finals Su Xi had played in, this one had the least animosity.

After embracing Nowitzki, Su Xi went over to shake hands with the other players.

Little General Johnson also ran over to greet Su Xi. He said to him, "Jack, congratulations. You’re a legend now. You have a great chance of becoming the new God of Basketball."

Su Xi frowned slightly and said, "New?"

"Why add that word? I *am* the God of Basketball. Not new, not old. I’m the only one."

Su Xi was brimming with confidence.

It was an incredibly dominant statement.

Even the Little General was taken aback.

He himself had been pretty wild in his youth.

But now, he just patted Su Xi’s shoulder. "Keep it up. You’ll do it."