The Best Point Guard-Chapter 46 - 44: The Chosen One is a Little Upset

After the long and exhausting journey to New Orleans, Su Xi didn’t get a moment of peace.

In the hotel parking lot, he was accosted by a famous agent claiming he could bring him tens of millions in wealth. Then, a representative from a brand claiming they were about to create something more popular than Nike begged Su Xi for five minutes of his time...

Su Xi was overwhelmed by the attention.

Usually, only Carmelo Anthony got this kind of treatment.

Anthony would say, "Wait until I declare for the draft. An agent will be in contact with you."

But Su Xi just lowered his head and silently walked on.

That Sports Illustrated article changed everything. Su Xi had become a red-hot draft prospect, and more and more people believed he would be selected in the first round.

Coach Jim Boham had completely given up on the idea of keeping Su Xi. Ever since the night Su Xi eliminated the University of Oklahoma with 21 points and 10 rebounds, he had been encouraging him to be more aggressive with his ambitions.

He’d figured it out: if Su Xi became an NBA player, it would be a boost to his own reputation as well.

Of course, the most important thing right now was to win the damn championship.

He used a bit of reverse psychology on Carmelo Anthony and Su Xi: "If you go to the NBA without winning the championship, you’ll regret it for the rest of your lives. After all, the NCAA championship is a lot easier to win than an NBA title. You don’t want to go your whole careers without a single championship, do you?"

The words made both Su Xi and Anthony’s expressions turn grim.

Jim was surprisingly well-versed in Chinese traditional culture, knowing that sometimes a challenge works better than a request.

Sure enough, Carmelo Anthony found Su Xi that night to talk. "If we don’t win the championship, all our hard work will have been for nothing."

For Anthony, his draft stock was guaranteed to be in the top three. If he won the NCAA championship, winning it all as a freshman, his stock would have a chance to reach for the number one pick.

Of course, it was only a chance.

That chance depended on the Denver Nuggets or the Toronto Raptors getting the first pick.

The Nuggets had scouted Carmelo many times, having been in contact since his high school days. They were very interested in Anthony, but if they got the first pick, the temptation of LeBron James would be overwhelming. The reason the Toronto Raptors might pick Carmelo was the fear that LeBron James wouldn’t report to a team in Canada... something that had happened before in NBA history.

But if Cleveland, Miami, or Memphis drew the first pick, there wouldn’t be any suspense at all.

Su Xi said, "Yeah, I could use an NCAA championship for practice, too."

It was big talk from Su Xi, but Anthony was already used to it.

...

The next afternoon, Syracuse University arrived at the Super Dome Arena. They began their practice, warming up for the evening’s game and getting a feel for the court.

Su Xi ran through several drills for driving to the basket. His abilities were already much stronger than they had been during the Elite Eight.

’Super Flexibility Talent is a good thing to have.’

This was the biggest arena Su Xi had ever seen. He looked around and was stunned; it felt like he couldn’t even see the roof.

Many major media outlets were on the sidelines, setting up their broadcast equipment. Other reporters tried to approach the players for interviews, but the Syracuse University team manager blocked them, not wanting the players to be disturbed. He emphasized that there would be a 20-minute media availability session scheduled before the game.

In the United States, the NCAA Final Four is one of the most important sporting events, with a level of hype that surpasses even the NBA.

That was why it was held in such a massive arena; they never had to worry about attendance.

When team practice wrapped up around five o’clock, several important figures arrived at the arena.

Iverson, who was currently playing in New Orleans, showed up looking bleary-eyed. He was there to support his agent, Leon Rice. Les wasn’t just his agent; he also represented TJ Ford. In fact, the whole "TJ Ford is the next Iverson" hype campaign was his creation.

Iverson had actually planned to get a little practice in today.

But skipping practice wasn’t a big deal.

When Iverson walked in, he immediately caused a commotion. The players practicing on the court all turned to look as Iverson, surrounded by bodyguards and his agent, made his way to the court. He then started chatting with a few people.

A little while later, LeBron James surprisingly showed up. He walked over and chatted familiarly with Iverson.

Afterward, he came over to the side of the court to greet Carmelo Anthony. They were old acquaintances.

Coach Jim decided to call a break right then. Anthony and James walked to the side to talk, and the media on the sidelines immediately swarmed them with their cameras.

In fact, LeBron had even brought his own cameraman. He had a media crew following him everywhere he went these days. His team was preparing to release a documentary about him.

Although James was still in high school, he carried himself with more of a celebrity air than Anthony and was more comfortable in the glare of the cameras.

The reporters were like sharks that had smelled blood. They rushed over to question the two hottest prospects of the 2003 class. For the longest time, they had been marketed as lifelong rivals.

Su Xi was off to the side, practicing his shooting.

He was focused on his own work.

After a moment, Carmelo Anthony waved Su Xi over. "Hey, Jack, come here."

Anthony was looking out for Su Xi. He wanted him to get a share of the media spotlight.

Su Xi walked over and stood between the two prodigies.

To be honest, the people on James’s team weren’t too happy about this arrangement. They felt Su Xi wasn’t on the same level yet.

’This is an interview that could define the next 20 years of the NBA. What right does he have to be part of it?’

But James appeared very amiable, a broad smile on his face.

He even joked in front of the reporters, "I’ve heard of him. He’s Little Sheep Su Xi, the genius finisher of the NCAA. This is exactly why I decided not to take my talents to the NCAA."

LeBron really was mature. His eloquence and demeanor were scoring him points.

Su Xi quickly woke up the Little Elf.

The Little Elf performed a "scan" on James, reading out his talents.

Super Explosiveness Talent, Super Strength Talent, Super Speed Talent, Super Physical Talent.

Four Super Talents.

Furthermore.

His Jumping Talent was approaching Super level. His Coordination Talent was excellent, his Agility Talent was excellent, and his Flexibility Talent was elite-level...

Su Xi was dumbfounded. This was the first player he’d ever seen who possessed four Super Talents.

That was one more than him, the system-stamped successor to the God of Basketball... and he hadn’t even fully integrated his own talents yet. Most of James’s talents had already been realized.

"Jack, everyone’s saying you’re going to enter the draft. Is that really your plan?" a reporter asked quickly.

"Yes. When LeBron decided to take his talents to the NBA, I made up my mind too," Su Xi said, playing off James’s earlier comment. "He’s the most athletically gifted genius I’ve seen in all my years. I should go test myself against him."

Su Xi’s response made the media chuckle. They liked answers like this.

James raised an eyebrow, then broke into a smile.

He liked the compliment.

Just then, a reporter tried to stir the pot. "Are you saying that Cameron’s talent is inferior to James’s?"

The question was incredibly pointed.

Don’t be fooled by how friendly James and Anthony seemed right now; even if their relationship was good, they were still the most direct of competitors. They were vying for countless resources—not just the number one pick, but sponsors, media hype, and everything else.

One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers.

Right now, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James were neck and neck. Even if Cameron’s promotional hype was slightly less than LeBron’s, if Su Xi, as Anthony’s teammate, said something detrimental to him, it could have a huge impact on his draft.

"They’re different types of players. LeBron represents the pinnacle of athletic talent. Cameron is the ultimate fusion of talent and skill. Right now, Cameron is like Michael Jordan in his senior year at the University of North Carolina. They could average twenty-something points in the NCAA, and once he gets to the NBA, I believe Cameron will effortlessly put up 30-plus. Plus, as a leader, he’s led us to the Final Four and is about to get another win. He’s a natural-born winner."

Su Xi’s words elevated Anthony to the level of the God of Basketball.

Sweet Melon was grinning from ear to ear.

James’s brilliant smile, however, stiffened slightly.

Because Su Xi’s praise was too pointed.

His meaning could easily be interpreted as: James just had the best physical gifts. Sweet Melon not only had a great physique but also top-tier skills. He could immediately become a scoring machine in the NBA, just like Jordan. Furthermore, he had great leadership qualities, leading his team to the Final Four as a freshman while still improving. Even someone as great as Jordan only became a true leader in his senior year. And finally, this was Cameron’s stage.

In all honesty, James showing up at the Final Four was definitely a move to ride the wave of media attention.

Su Xi’s words had shattered that intention.

If James had a little black book on him right now, he’d definitely be writing: ’Little Sheep Su Xi... first warning.’

Then, a reporter asked Su Xi another pointed question.

"Jack, there are still a lot of doubts about you. People think your sudden rise might just be a flash in the pan. You never faced a true prodigy at point guard in the East Region. But today, you’re going up against one of the top-ranked point guards in this year’s draft, TJ Ford. Do you think you can stop his drives?"

"Yeah." Su Xi nodded, giving an affirmative reply.

Just one syllable? A single nod?

The media and the two prodigies beside him were all stunned.

"Is that all you have to say? Have you watched TJ Ford’s games?" the reporter pressed.

"I have. So... yeah." Su Xi nodded again, repeating the syllable.

At this, the reporters burst out laughing.

No wonder their colleagues said interviewing Su Xi always came with a surprise.

Sure enough, he always managed to deliver a little something unexpected.

They had never seen an answer like that before.

One thing was for sure: if a reporter repeated those two "yeahs" to TJ Ford, he would definitely blow a fuse.

"Jack, so do you think Syracuse University can win?" another reporter asked.

"Under the strong leadership of Carmelo Anthony, we will press on with unstoppable momentum, moving from one victory to the next."

Su Xi added with a look of serious regret, "Due to the tournament format, we can only win two more games."

A whole new kind of grammar.

A whole new feeling.

A whole new math problem: one plus one equals two, which is exactly enough to get through the championship game.

The reporters were absolutely delighted.

Carmelo Anthony hadn’t expected Su Xi to prop him up again at a moment like this. He really was a good brother.

He added from the side, "Jack and I will lead the team to victory together."

They played off each other perfectly.

The Chosen One was left hanging on the sidelines. The media wasn’t paying attention to him anymore.

James pouted. He was a little annoyed, but he didn’t say a word.

’Little Sheep Su Xi, second warning.’

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