The Best Point Guard-Chapter 59 - 56: The National Finals Officially Kick Off

Chapter 59: Chapter 56: The National Finals Officially Kick Off

After they said their goodbyes, the Syracuse University players and staff were all curious about what Larry Bird had said to Su Xi.

Was it a draft promise?

Josh Peis couldn’t help but come over and ask Su Xi.

Su Xi gave a casual, dismissive reply: "He said he’s a fan of mine."

Josh Peis was instantly filled with awe. Brother Jack really has a great future ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Magic Johnson was also asking Larry Bird what he’d said to Su Xi. Bird raised his eyebrows. "He’s a fan of mine. He wanted one of my signed jerseys, so I obliged."

?

Magic Johnson had a look of pure confusion. ’Do I look like an idiot? When did he ever say he wanted your jersey? You’re the one who offered to sign it.’

"How else do you explain him wearing number 33?"

Larry Bird said nonchalantly.

The smugness was radiating off him.

...

Tonight, CBS brought out their ace television analysts, Billy Parker and Jim Nantz.

Parker started working for NBC in 1974 before moving to CBS in 1981. He also founded the professional basketball website Hoops in 1986 and won a Sports Emmy Award in ’93.

He was one of the most senior television analysts in college basketball. The signature moment of his career was the nationally televised championship game between Michigan State University and Indiana State University on March 29, 1979. That game set a viewership record of 35.1 million, which remains unbroken to this day. Interestingly, the two stars of that game were both in attendance tonight: Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Billy Parker had a very aggressive commentary style. He was described as a ’tyrannical, arrogant, condescending, dismissive, and ill-tempered’ broadcaster. In 1996, during a game between Georgetown and Villanova, he described Iverson as a "tough little monkey," which infuriated John Thompson and Iverson. Then, in 2000, he spoke disrespectfully about Duke University, saying it was a team controlled by women...

His mouth got him into a lot of trouble, but it also earned him a large following.

In contrast, Jim Nantz’s commentary style was more down-to-earth. He joined CBS in 1985 and didn’t just call basketball games; he also covered many other sports, like football, hockey, and tennis... he was practically a jack-of-all-trades. Furthermore, his sideline interviews were a fan favorite. People loved the elegant host, which was why he was one of the highest-paid commentators in American sports.

Surprisingly, Billy Parker didn’t spout any inflammatory remarks before the game tonight. Instead, he gave high praise to both teams, especially Little Sheep Su Xi.

Billy Parker made no secret of his admiration.

"I guarantee everyone that Little Sheep Su Xi will become a top-tier defensive player. I’ve watched every single frame of his defense, and he’s simply perfect. Believe me, his performance tonight is going to shock everyone."

"I predict that if he enters the draft, he’ll be selected between the 10th and 15th picks. With the help of an NBA training system, he’ll get even stronger and more ferocious. No championship-contending NBA team should pass on him."

Billy Parker rarely hyped up the draft stock of college players.

This surprised Jim Nantz, who was sitting beside him. He said, "Billy, can you give me three reasons why you’re so high on him?"

"Handsome! Tough! Smart!" Billy Parker said. "I can even give you a fourth... he’s charismatic. People just feel happy when they see him."

"But he said he’s going to the NBA to make all the talented players feel fear. Do you think the geniuses in the NBA will let him get away with that?" Jim Nantz asked.

"I believe that at first, some of those geniuses will be brave enough to test him. They might even get the upper hand. But in the end, Little Sheep Su Xi will be the one who has the last laugh," Billy Parker said.

Just then, the CBS cameras panned across the courtside seats.

Jim Nantz began to read off a list of household names. "Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan... My goodness, they’re actually sitting in the same row. Are we sure they’re not going to start a fight?"

"Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Vince Carter, Chris Webber, Glenn Robinson... LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh... Oh, this lineup is even more stacked than an All-Star game. They could form a team that would sweep the globe."

"Pat Riley, Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Stan Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy, Adelman... Oh, are all these guys here on vacation?"

"Jennifer Aniston, Wallace, Jessica Alba, Leonardo, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Kobe’s wife... Oh. When did Hollywood set up a base in New Orleans?"

Jim Nantz rattled off a long string of names.

In fact, there were many other bigwigs from the basketball world that he didn’t recognize, such as the founder of Nike, the vice president of Adidas, the executive team from Reebok... a whole host of major figures from athletic brands, all with their eyes fixed on the court.

Chasing profit is in capital’s nature.

This was the most popular game in the United States, and they were eager to dig up the one player who could bring them the most value.

...

At 7:30 PM, as Su Xi walked onto the court to warm up for the game, O’Neal, who was sitting in the second row, suddenly stood up and shouted at him, "Hey, Little Sheep Su Xi! Take down Kansas! Join the Lakers, and we’ll play some kung fu basketball!"

As he spoke, the guy gave Su Xi a Chinese swordsman’s salute.

He was good at clowning around and great at grabbing the media’s attention.

Sure enough, the photographers on the sidelines all raised their cameras and started snapping away at him. Su Xi returned the gesture with a one-handed fist-and-palm salute, even though he wasn’t very familiar with O’Neal.

This action made the nearby Kobe feel a pang of jealousy. He wasn’t usually like this, but he also stood up and shouted to Su Xi as if declaring his sovereignty, "Jack, let’s go!"

His intense gaze, fixed on Su Xi, conveyed a strong emotion: ’Don’t play with that fatty. You’re my guy.’

Su Xi was speechless. He just patted his own chest in response.

Seeing this, Kobe couldn’t hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.

’He’s like a jealous woman,’ Su Xi thought to himself.

The people around them didn’t know what Su Xi was thinking, but everyone saw the members of the OK Combination stand up one after another to cheer for Su Xi.

Now that was some serious clout.

They were, after all, the strongest inside-outside duo in NBA history, currently dominating the league. No one could see an end to their reign, even though they had already won three consecutive championships.

The television audience noticed this scene.

Billy Parker said, "Could the Lakers be planning to pick Jack? Oh, my god, that would be an absolute disaster for the rest of the league."

His comment not only sent the fans’ imaginations running wild, but it also inexplicably put executives from other NBA teams on high alert.

Larry Bird saw this too, and he thought, ’Dammit, the Lakers better not steal him away.’

"MJ, your two little brothers seem to really like this Little Sheep Su Xi," the Smiling Assassin said to Magic Johnson from the side.

He deliberately called him MJ because there was another MJ sitting nearby.

When it came to being a pain in the ass and stirring up trouble, Isaiah Thomas was the leader of the Bad Boys Legion.

His relationship with Michael Jordan was the kind where they would never speak again for the rest of their lives. If there was anything he could do to make Jordan uncomfortable, he would absolutely do it.

Sure enough, Michael Jordan’s expression twitched.

He instinctively glanced at Su Xi on the court, a subconscious feeling of dislike washing over him.

A couple of days ago, Jordan Brand had asked him to review Su Xi’s tapes and public opinion data, to get his seal of approval. But after watching Su Xi’s tapes, Jordan just couldn’t bring himself to like the kid, for some reason.

It was the kind of feeling a mother gets when she can accurately pick out which of the female classmates her son brings home is the one he actually likes: like poles repel.

So, his recommendation was: "There’s nothing worth investing in with this kid. We should focus on Melo instead. I hear Reebok is pursuing him hard right now. Melo has great skills and talent; his future prospects are better than LeBron’s. LeBron’s technique is a bit lacking, he might not pan out."

How could Jordan Brand not listen to the advice of the God of Basketball? They decisively removed Su Xi from the top of their list.

"Heh, our Lakers could certainly use a defensive-minded guard," Magic replied to Thomas.

He and the Smiling Assassin were on good terms.

The relationships between these three NBA rulers and the Smiling Assassin were extremely complex. Magic and Isaiah Thomas were frenemies, with the best relationship of the bunch. Thomas and Bird mutually disliked each other but maintained a civil facade. As for Thomas and Jordan... that was true hatred. They would never reconcile in this lifetime.

"Larry, what do you think of this hyped-up Little Sheep Su Xi?" Jordan asked, turning his head to Bird.

Michael Jordan always liked to control the conversation; he was very assertive.

"Not much." Larry Bird curled his lip and said dismissively, "A lot of this stuff is just hype. When he actually gets to the NBA, he might not even make it past the Summer League."

Hearing this, Magic Johnson’s expression was one of pure shock.

He didn’t understand.

’You guys were just whispering intimately to each other behind my back. And now it’s ’not much’?’

’Big Bird, you didn’t used to have this many fakes.’

"Great minds think alike." Jordan extended his hand to Bird, and they shared a friendly high-five.

Isaiah Thomas snorted and deliberately hummed an indistinct tune: "Kwa-me-oh, Kwa-me-ya, Kwa-me-la."

This really pissed Jordan off. If this were in private, he would have definitely exploded in anger.

Now, he could only complain inwardly: ’What were the organizers thinking, putting me next to this kind of person?’

The organizers were also thinking of the fans. The three NBA rulers of the ’80s and ’90s, plus the one superstar who managed to survive their era, all sitting together—when the camera panned over, who wouldn’t be wowed?

Besides, weren’t Big Bird and Magic sitting between Jordan and Thomas? And hadn’t Jordan and Thomas said some things about making up on TV? Were those just empty words for the camera?

BEEP!

The whistle blew.

The game began.

The eyes of every basketball fan in the United States were focused on the ball at center court.

The thrilling moment had finally arrived.

...

...

...