The Best Point Guard

Chapter 418: Chapter 1: Jack, You Can Leave

Su Xi appeared on a parade float, holding his trophy. It seemed like the entire city had poured out to join the celebration. The June heat in Indiana was unbearable, but the passion of the crowd was even more intense than the scorching summer sun.

The city of Indiana was rarely this lively. Two championship trophies had brought supreme glory to the city. Even people who weren’t basketball fans were proud of the two championships; they had become the city’s new claim to fame.

Su Xi stood atop the bus, looking out at the dense, teeming crowd. He was deeply moved. He waved in all directions and sprayed champagne over them, immersing himself in an ocean of joy.

After spraying the champagne, he began to toss championship T-shirts into the crowd.

Su Xi had paid for them himself, ordering ten thousand custom-made shirts. His main task over the past week in Indiana had been signing them. He autographed every single T-shirt, sometimes adding a good-luck message or two.

Su Xi handed the T-shirts to the fans nearby.

The fans were remarkably orderly.

At that point, they still didn’t know the shirts had Su Xi’s signature on them.

His teammates were also helping Su Xi hand them out.

Soon, the procession reached its final destination on the edge of the downtown square. The bus came to a stop, and the fans swarmed in, creating a scene like an open-air music festival.

Everyone from the team owner to the players took turns with the microphone, shouting out to the fans.

When it was finally Su Xi’s turn, he stepped forward.

Before he could even speak, the seventy or eighty thousand citizens surrounding him chanted in unison: "MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The sound was thunderous, the energy overwhelming.

As far as the eye could see, men and women, young and old—many of them were wearing his jersey.

Su Xi was incredibly moved. Memories of the past swirled in his mind. He then took a deep bow to the crowd in all directions, expressing his gratitude.

Unconsciously, his eyes began to well up.

And when he looked up, he could no longer hold back his tears.

Because, in the crowd ahead, a group of fans had raised a massive banner. It read: Jack, you can leave. Indiana thanks you, our forever MVP.

Su Xi felt a sudden sting in his nose.

He held the microphone, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you."

Of the thousand things he wanted to say, only those two words came out. Everything else was left unsaid, but understood.

Even after the event ended, Su Xi’s emotions were still in turmoil.

He was sitting in Larry Bird’s car. "In the future," he told Larry Bird, "I have to come back to Indiana to end my career. I want to win a third championship trophy with the Pacers."

Larry Bird nodded. "Of course. Your jersey will definitely be retired in Conseco Fieldhouse."

Then, he asked Su Xi, "So, which city do you want to start the next part of your career in?"

Su Xi said, "I’m not entirely sure yet. It will also depend on whether the other team has players Indiana needs. Even after I leave, the team needs to stay in peak condition."

Although Bird and Su Xi had never discussed renewing his contract, they both knew one thing for certain: Su Xi wasn’t going to just leave as a free agent and sign with another team.

It would have to be a sign-and-trade.

Su Xi would definitely look out for the Pacers’ interests.

Just as the entirety of Indiana was wishing Su Xi well.

They were a model for how to part ways in modern basketball—from the owner to the management, from the coaching staff to the locker room, and from the locker room to the fans and the citizens of the entire city.

Although they were incredibly sad to see Su Xi go, they respected his ambition. Su Xi wanted to leave his comfort zone and prove himself.

All they had for him were their heartfelt blessings.

Because what Su Xi had brought to the city already far exceeded their expectations.

Besides, they saw Su Xi as one of their own kids. He was leaving home to make his way in the world, and of course, they were going to support him.

...

On the day of the NBA Draft, Su Xi arrived in Los Angeles. When he appeared at Los Angeles International Airport, he immediately drew a crowd.

Su Xi was a celebrity.

And one who was currently at the center of a media storm.

So, once Su Xi was recognized, people rushed over to ask for photos and autographs. Some women even started shouting out their measurements, their body language making it abundantly clear they wanted to sleep with him.

Su Xi sprinted away from the crowd, but after he got into his car, a chase ensued.

Los Angeles has a highly developed media industry, and many paparazzi are permanently stationed at the airport.

The moment they saw Su Xi, they immediately gave chase to get their shots.

These guys were bold and reckless. On the airport freeway, they were weaving through traffic, overtaking other cars, and leaning out of their windows to take pictures.

This made Su Xi both annoyed and uneasy, and he told his driver to slow down.

But even with the driver being as careful as possible, a minor collision still happened.

Just before a fork in the road, a paparazzi vehicle weaving recklessly through traffic sideswiped Su Xi’s car, nearly sending it flipping into a drainage ditch.

The violent impact deployed the airbags. Fortunately, Su Xi wasn’t injured.

He had been wearing his seatbelt.

The driver, however, had slammed his head hard during the impact and was knocked unconscious.

Su Xi struggled out of the car and immediately cried for help. But his cries didn’t bring assistance; they brought a forest of camera lenses.

Clearly, for the media, this was a major scoop.

Su Xi was furious. He quickly wrenched open the driver’s door, pulled the driver out, and laid him down flat on the pavement in front of the car. Then he immediately called for an ambulance and the traffic police.

Thankfully, the driver regained consciousness before the ambulance arrived. The traffic police showed up first and began to process the scene of the accident. And then, they asked Su Xi for a photo.