The Best Point Guard

Chapter 373: Chapter 115: Su Xi, A Scumbag Plain and Clear

With 25 seconds left, LeBron James was just one rebound shy of a massive triple-double.

What would he do?

He didn’t make a choice. He was taken off the court by Mike Brown.

Although he was still thinking about the massive triple-double, with Su Xi having already put up 40+20+10, whether he got his triple-double or not didn’t mean much.

Besides, if he dared to go stat-padding for a rebound in the final moments, he would become a laughingstock, a joke just like Ricky Davis.

James’s basketball IQ was much higher than Davis’s; he wouldn’t make such a low-level mistake.

He returned to the bench.

A Cavaliers reserve casually tossed up a three-pointer.

Then, the Pacers inbounded the ball to Su Xi.

Su Xi dribbled the ball past half-court, and the Cavaliers didn’t bother defending him.

He didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking either.

But in the next second, his action sent the entire Quicken Loans Arena into a tidal wave of boos.

He threw the ball to the floor, planted a foot on it, and put his hands on his hips.

His defiant and arrogant gaze swept across the surroundings.

He wasn’t just stepping on the basketball, but on the entire Cleveland Basketball Club.

James’s eyes widened in fury.

’He’d thought Su Xi had some decency, that he was a gentleman. He never imagined he could be so ruthless. You won the game, that should be enough! Why add insult to injury? Did you have to turn it into such a huge story? Couldn’t you just have let it pass quietly?’

No!

Because Su Xi wasn’t the one who started the media frenzy. When Su Xi came to Cleveland with the Pacers’ depleted roster, the air across the entire city of Cleveland, the entire American basketball world, was thick with the feeling that a storm was brewing. Everyone was waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Cleveland was champing at the bit to stomp Su Xi into the ground.

If the Pacers had lost tonight, who knows what kind of wild celebration would have erupted in Quicken Loans Arena.

Su Xi had always been a "you start it, I’ll finish it" kind of person.

’Since you all wanted a joke?’

’Then I’ll give you a big one.’

Su Xi kept his foot on the ball, still looking around. When he found the camera, he smiled, waved, and said, "This is my house! Listen up, this is my house."

Su Xi repeated emphatically.

He wanted to make sure this pose and this phrase became the top story of the night.

BEEP!

The buzzer sounded. The game was over.

The Pacers had won this high-stakes showdown.

The Cavaliers players quickly left the court.

Su Xi stood there waiting for the reporters to arrive. Tonight, Su Xi had put up a monster stat line of 40+20+10+5, something unprecedented.

His usage rate in this game reached 80%, and he took 27 shots. Whether it was his possession rate, his shot attempts, or his overall contribution to the game, it could only be described as a ’one-man team’ performance.

With a single game, Su Xi had proven his ability to carry a weak team.

At least, he was stronger than the widely acclaimed "Chosen One."

Tonight, Su Xi had torn another label to shreds.

The reporters then swarmed him. Su Xi, who had been waiting for this, remained with his foot on the ball, holding his ’terminator’ pose.

"Congratulations, Jack. You got a massive triple-double tonight. You’re the first player in history to achieve a 40+20+10+5..."

"Oh, was it that much?" Su Xi asked in feigned surprise.

"It was, every stat is real. What does winning this game mean to you? And why did you step on the ball during the final possession?"

The reporter asked.

Su Xi answered, "Winning this game means... I’ve beaten the Cavaliers once again. Ever since I was traded by Cleveland, I’ve won every single time. I’m undefeated against them."

"Before this game, there was a lot of talk in the media that had me worried. But now, you’ve all seen what happened."

"Why did I step on the ball on the final possession? Because I’m sentimental about old times. The Cavaliers were my first team. I should show some mercy, shouldn’t I? Even though many fans in this arena booed me, and many people say I’m not as good as LeBron in this or that, it doesn’t matter. I won’t stoop to their level."

"I stepped on the ball to show them: even though I could have humiliated you, I chose not to."

Su Xi spoke with righteous conviction, a look of perfect justice on his face.

The reporters were all stunned. ’That’s not considered humiliating?’

"What do you think of LeBron James’s performance tonight? He scored 45 points and was only one rebound away from a triple-double. He was almost as good as you..."

"Almost?" Su Xi frowned. He said, "I know LeBron James is a very good player. He was the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, and at the time, the whole world thought his potential was great enough to dominate the NBA. And in fact, he is rapidly cashing in on that extraordinary talent."

"But. I wouldn’t recommend you compare his stats tonight with mine. That’s not just disrespectful to the winner, it’s disrespectful to the triple-double itself. How can a 40-point near-triple-double be put in the same category as a 40+20+10+5? Have you ever seen that kind of comparison before?"

Su Xi was very serious, dead earnest.

If there were any errors in their future reports, Su Xi would definitely have a word with these reporters.

"So, you think LeBron’s performance wasn’t as good as yours? You think you’re the better player?" a Cleveland reporter asked aggressively. He was angry; he thought Su Xi was belittling their Little King.

The question made Su Xi laugh. He smiled and spread his hands. "Isn’t it obvious enough, Mr. Reporter? I won the game. I got a massive triple-double. We even had three key starters suspended. The Pacers still got the win on the road under these circumstances. Isn’t that enough to stop some of this pointless chatter?"