Free Web NovelChapter 412: Chapter 135: Su Xi’s Choice
The fans remaining in the AT&T Center were in low spirits. Many were too overwhelmed by frustration and disappointment to even get up, while others simply didn’t want to get stuck in traffic. Of course, a small handful of fans were there specifically to witness Little Sheep Su Xi win his second championship.
Regardless, on this night, Su Xi once again stood at the pinnacle of the league.
In the long annals of NBA history, there have been countless breathtaking superstars and prodigious talents who shone from the moment they debuted. However, not a single one had achieved Su Xi’s status within their first two seasons.
This inevitably led Charles Barkley to compare Su Xi to the three dominant perimeter players of the ’80s and ’90s: Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Bird.
These remarks provoked Kenny Smith, who asked Charles Barkley, "Can you honestly say that you really think the second-year Little Sheep Su Xi is better than Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Bird? He’s not better than any of those three in any single aspect of the game."
Barkley chuckled. "Is that really important right now? Jack is a back-to-back champion and a back-to-back Finals MVP. He ended the era of center dominance in the NBA and consecutively defeated two of the most dominant players of the post-Jordan era. I consider him a generational superstar."
"No. He’s just another Isaiah Thomas. Back in the day, Isaiah Thomas also put an end to the Lakers’ and Celtics’ dominance. He beat Bird and Magic Johnson, he even managed to keep Jordan in check, and he won two championships. But does anyone consider him a top-ten player of all time? Let’s lower the bar. Is he in the top twenty? Top thirty?"
Kenny Smith delivered his final verdict: "Until he dominates the league with his individual skill, until he wins a championship as the sole leader of his team, I refuse to acknowledge his historical standing."
"Who the hell are you..."
Barkley swallowed the rest of his retort because David Stern was starting to walk to center court.
Although the series of flagrant fouls, brawls, and injuries that occurred tonight had him frowning, the final outcome was one he was happy to see.
The league needed a new personality to generate buzz, a new-generation superstar with immense influence.
Su Xi fit the bill perfectly.
Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs were great, an indispensable force in the league. But they didn’t generate much media buzz and had a relatively weak commercial impact.
As the league’s commissioner, Stern definitely wanted his star players to be in the news every day, to have their commercials on every major TV channel, and to have thousands of people arguing about them daily on internet forums.
David Stern enthusiastically announced the winners of the 2005 World Championship. It might sound a bit absurd, but in the United States, the NBA Champion is defined as the World Champion—a classic case of American exceptionalism.
In fact, this was the case for the champions of most other American sports leagues as well.
It was a display of both American arrogance and confidence.
Then again, from another perspective, wasn’t the NBA champion team effectively the world champion?
Carlisle accepted the trophy, celebrating with all the players and staff.
Then, David Stern announced the recipient of the second trophy: the Finals MVP.
There was no suspense surrounding this award.
As the presenter brought up the Finals MVP trophy, Su Xi’s teammates had already pushed him forward before David Stern could even begin to speak.
Su Xi became the ninth player in NBA history to win both the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP in the same season.
Of the previous eight, at least six are considered consensus top-ten players in NBA history.
This just went to show the prestige of winning both MVPs.
The previous eight were: Willis Reed, the greatest player in the history of the New York Knicks and winner of their first championship, who won both the regular season MVP and Finals MVP in the 1969-70 season.
The second was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, third was Moses Malone, fourth was Larry Bird, fifth was Magic Johnson, and sixth was Michael Jordan. What set Michael Jordan apart and earned him the title "God of Basketball" was that he alone accomplished this feat four times. The seventh was Shaquille O’Neal, and the eighth was Tim Duncan in the 2002-2003 season.
For Su Xi to join the dual-MVP club in just his second season was an incredibly prestigious achievement.
If the league were to select its top 75 or top 100 players again, Su Xi could retire today and still make the list with ease, and he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.
After reciting a formulaic speech, David Stern handed the trophy to Su Xi. As they embraced, he whispered, "Congratulations, Jack. You’re the brightest star of the night."
"Thank you."
Su Xi smiled and nodded.
It was a simple exchange.
Then, Su Xi raised the trophy high as his teammates surrounded him, cheering loudly.
Countless camera flashes went off, the intense light making Su Xi’s figure seem to glow.
’Famous at such a young age!’
Michael Jordan couldn’t help but sigh with emotion as he watched from the stands. He thought, ’What was I doing when I was 20? I was still in college and had just become a starter.’
’It really pays to get famous early.’
But as Jordan thought this, he felt no regret. He was always grateful for his four years in college. He came from a respectable American middle-class family where academics were considered important. Moreover, it was at the University of North Carolina that he had forged his offensive skills, perfectly merging them with his natural physical gifts. His coach had also constantly ’suppressed’ his scoring drive, which he only fully unleashed once he reached the NBA.
