The Best Point Guard

Chapter 436: Chapter 10: [Super Leaping Talent]

’He actually didn’t praise me?’

After Jamal Crawford got home, he flipped through a bunch of TV channels, went out of his way to check reports on the internet, and even Googled his own name.

It was true. There was no praise from Su Xi.

He was suddenly overcome with disappointment.

’Why didn’t he praise me?’

In the middle of the night, Jamal Crawford sat bolt upright. ’Seriously, what’s wrong with him?’

’Did I not stand out enough?’

Jamal Crawford tossed and turned, even losing some sleep.

He thought Su Xi’s praise for Jalen Rose and his hyping up of Eddie Curry was childish—a very superficial way to win people over.

Yet when he was the one who played well, Su Xi didn’t say a word.

Crawford couldn’t take it anymore.

’How could he do this? He’s clearly playing favorites.’

...

The Knicks’ season opener was a major NBA event, because David Stern and the league’s top brass had made some clever arrangements when scheduling the new season.

The Knicks’ opponent for the opener was the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Talk about a bold move.

The peerless duo of the ’03 generation in a head-to-head showdown.

The rivalry between LeBron James and Su Xi was long-standing. Basketball media had already written countless sensational stories about them. The mere sight of them in the same camera frame was enough to spark frantic discussion.

The debate over who was stronger, who was weaker, and who had a better future between Su Xi and James had never stopped.

With Nike fanning the flames, the buzz around this peerless duo was even greater and more intense than the discussion surrounding Magic and Big Bird back in the day.

In the current United States basketball scene, from mainstream commentary circles to online fan communities, their ratings for the two players were roughly as follows.

Su Xi: Accolades 10, Record 10, Immediate Impact 8.5, Potential 9, Leadership 9.

LeBron James: Accolades 7, Record 6, Immediate Impact 8.8, Potential 10, Leadership 10.

To put it plainly, Su Xi had won the present, while James would win the future. James’s individual ability was stronger than Su Xi’s, and his potential was higher.

After all, this was the United States.

American protectionism was hidden beneath a veneer of high-minded, universal values. But when their interests were truly at stake, they tore off the mask, revealing a face uglier than any other.

Conversely, in Asia and other parts of the world, Su Xi was already far ahead of LeBron James.

But now, Su Xi had come to the Knicks.

People began to feel that Su Xi and LeBron James were back on a truly level playing field.

They were each leading a terrible team.

The difference was that James had already had two years to build chemistry. Furthermore, his team had no troublemakers. This summer, Mike Brown had also recruited defensive stalwart Larry Hughes. Combined with Snow from last season, their backcourt was in fact starting to produce results similar to those of Indiana.

Mike Brown, after all, came from the Indiana organization.

Regarding this season opener, people had been speculating about stats and records since last week.

The mainstream American media’s consensus was that the Cavaliers had a better chance of winning because the Cavaliers had a solid defense and a more stable tactical system. They also predicted LeBron James’s individual stats would be better than Su Xi’s, because the Cavaliers had long since built their offense around him. James’s usage rate and number of possessions in Cleveland were the highest in the league.

Looking at the Knicks, on the other hand, Su Xi had only averaged 16.7 shots per game in the preseason. Many commentators even mocked him: Little Sheep Su Xi is just like that. He can’t handle a high volume. The way he played in Indiana is the same way he’s playing with the Knicks.

The New York Media was also hotly debating the game. They were resourceful and pervasive, even managing to score an early interview with Cavaliers player Drew Gooden.

Gooden said on camera, "I think LeBron has the edge. It’s a simple call. LeBron James is a dozen or so centimeters taller and ten-plus kilograms heavier, and his athleticism is just as good, if not better. In a boxing ring, they wouldn’t even be in the same weight class. How can you compare them?"

"You can’t separate Little Sheep Su Xi’s strength from the Indiana system. Away from Indiana, how much of his power can he still use?"

"I don’t deny he’s a very good player, but he’s a system player. He’s not a player who *is* the system. You know what I mean? Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, LeBron James... those guys are players who are a system unto themselves. As long as one of them is on the court, the team will build a new system around him."

Drew Gooden spoke with great sincerity, without any hostility.

However, this report caused a huge uproar in New York.

Everyone started debating whether Su Xi was truly a superstar who was a system unto himself.

The discussion even permeated the Knicks’ locker room.

Su Xi heard about the debate from Nate Robinson. Nate Robinson had already become Su Xi’s little bro, because a couple of days ago Su Xi had taken them to a TV show taping.

It was a very popular late-night talk show. They had originally only planned to invite Su Xi. But Su Xi requested to bring his teammates, so he called up Nate Robinson, David Lee, Eddie Curry, and Jalen Rose.

He also called Channing Frye and Ariza, but both of them had other plans and unfortunately missed out.

On this talk show, The Conan Show, Su Xi spent a great deal of time introducing his teammates. He called Nate Robinson a "super potato" with explosive energy, saying his small body contained terrifying power. Although he was only 175 cm tall, he could jump over three meters high. He also emphasized that Nate Robinson’s core strength was very strong, calling him the "Core King" of the Knicks.