Basketball miracles

Chapter 80 [Challenging Bird]

After the All-Star roster was announced, Xiao Tu was interviewed by a male reporter covering the team in Los Angeles, where he shared his thoughts.

Facing the camera, Xiao Tu smiled and said, "I'm very excited because I was voted the top vote-getter by the fans. This is recognition from fans all over the United States. At the same time, I also feel the pressure, afraid that I won't be able to meet the fans' expectations in the future."

He made a small gesture of modesty in order to receive more praise when he wins the championship this season.

What fans want most is for the team to win the championship, right? As long as the Lakers win the championship, Xiao Tu will still be a superstar even if he doesn't have the ball to attack.

Moses Malone is a good example; his technique was rough, and he relied purely on his physicality. In the future, there will be centers like Dwight Howard, who "throws discus," never won a championship, only reached the Finals once, yet was touted as being able to be traded one-for-one for LeBron James.

The reporter asked, "Many people think you are fearless on the court. Do you also feel pressure?"

"Of course there are, and they're quite significant. I know I have many shortcomings right now. I can't break through and pass like Irwin, nor can I post up efficiently like Karim. My success is inseparable from the help of my teammates. So I keep training hard, hoping to become better."

Xiao Tu believes that if you're not good at something, you're not good at it, and there's no need to hide it. In the future, as his skills become more comprehensive, people will be able to clearly see his progress.

The reporter asked, "How do you feel you became the top vote-getter?"

"Because I'm good at dunking, and I'm handsome, right?" Xiao Tu paused deliberately, and only continued when the reporter didn't respond. "I didn't expect it to be like this. I thought it would be great to be an All-Star starter."

It's a pity it wasn't a female reporter who came; otherwise, their conversation would have been even more sensational. Men, even those from Los Angeles, are unwilling to be Xiao Tu's straight man.

The reporter asked, "Did you aspire to become an All-Star after the draft?"

"How could that be? I was only the 23rd pick. I was just happy to be the starting power forward for the Lakers. I didn't have much confidence in the summer, so I trained hard until the start of the season."

The reporter asked, "What would you like to say to your fans?"

"I will definitely give it my all at All-Star Weekend and put on a fantastic performance for everyone. I promise to make sure everyone has a great time at the Slam Dunk Contest."

A reporter asked, "Do you have a particular player you want to face off against in this All-Star Game?"

"Of course, I'd love to go up against Larry Bird. He was the best player in the league last season, and this season he's recorded six consecutive double-doubles with lots of assists. I think it would be really interesting to match up against him."

The reporter asked, "If you were to face off, who do you think would win?"

"I don't know until I've played against him. Bird is a two-time MVP, and no one dares to say they can beat him. As a fellow power forward, I'm particularly curious to know just how good he is. I'm a young challenger, and I'm not afraid of failure; youth knows no failure."

Xiao Tu's challenge to Larry Bird made headlines in sports news on multiple media outlets the following day.

He said that on purpose, without mentioning Michael Jordan at all.

Jordan was Xiao Tu's long-term rival; for this season, he was just a junior player. The Bulls never had a chance to meet the Lakers in the playoffs throughout the 80s, unless the Bad Boys Pistons failed to assemble a team.

Xiao Tu and Jordan aren't matched up on the court right now, and even if they were, he doesn't think it would be very exciting. Jordan's popularity is a bit inflated right now; he doesn't have any achievements to back it up, and he's never won a scoring title.

Xiao Tu knew that to attract attention, he had to take on the strongest opponent. Don't be a coward; winning or losing isn't really important.

In a parallel universe, Kobe Bryant, as a Lakers reserve, was selected as a Western Conference All-Star starter in 1998. His performance was quite sensational—"Get rid of your damn pick-and-roll, I'm going to go one-on-one with Jordan!"

How could a 19-year-old say such disrespectful things to regular season MVP Karl Malone? Whether Kobe actually said it is a question, but countless fans believe he did, and it has become a legendary tale.

Later, everyone only remembered that Kobe dared to challenge Jordan in his second year of high school. How many people cared about his stats at that time?
Not only Lakers fans, but even Commissioner David Stern thought Xiao Tu's move was incredibly cool. The timing of his challenge and the opponent he chose were perfect.

All-Star Weekend isn't until mid-February, so there's plenty of time to release news and let fans discuss it. When the All-Star Game begins, everyone will definitely be focused on Shawn Yue and Larry Bird.

The NBA previously promoted the "Black and White Duo" rivalry, referring to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In reality, the two played different positions and rarely faced each other in games.

Xiao Tu said he most wanted to compete against Bird, exuding confidence and immediately attracting everyone's attention. He's very strong but just a rookie, while Bird has already reached the pinnacle of the NBA.

Young and fearless, it's normal for Xiao Tu to lose. He doesn't need to find excuses himself; people can find several for him. He's too young and inexperienced, his skills are rough, and he hasn't reached his peak yet, etc.

If Xiao Tu "luckily" performs better than Bird or is about on par with him in the All-Star Game, his popularity will skyrocket. In any case, winning or losing, it certainly won't harm Xiao Tu. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll likely climb even higher in the regular season MVP rankings.

Magic Johnson wouldn't be upset about this; he simply didn't want to match up against Bird, given his mediocre defensive abilities. Xiao Tu was meant to be matched up against Bird anyway, and no one could find fault with his words.

Johnson knew that Xiao Tu wasn't challenging his leadership position on the Lakers; Bird was their common enemy. Having a fearless frontcourt teammate would reduce the pressure on Johnson during games, which seemed like a good thing.

Last season, Pat Riley started Kurt Rambis against Bird, and Rambis was consistently outplayed, remaining completely silent afterward. Compared to a talentless role player like Rambis, Johnson clearly prefers Xiao Tu.

When a reporter interviewed Bird, he didn't say anything trashy about Xiao Tu, nor did he express any expectation of facing him in the All-Star Game. He simply stated, "I don't really care about the All-Star Game; I only care about the championship ring."

Boston media outlets noted that this statement highlights Bird's strong emphasis on team honors and his disregard for individual achievements.

However, fans who wanted to see star players perform were not buying it, thinking Bird was somewhat hypocritical.

People in Indiana, in particular, are very annoyed by Bird's statement. You're from here, and you don't care about the All-Star Game held in Indianapolis?
With Bird's attitude, even fewer people will vote for him next season. Those who voted for him before were mainly country bumpkins and rednecks.

Since you don't care about the All-Star game, why not give your spot to someone who enjoys performing more? Did we choose you just to see you casually coast along?
After the news broke, many Celtics fans quieted down. Bird's lack of threat—not daring to make any harsh statements about teaching Xiao Tu a lesson—made him seem less assertive.

Given Bird's personality, shouldn't he say some sarcastic remarks to mock Xiao Tu at this time, and then crush and humiliate him in the All-Star Game?

Perhaps he doesn't take Xiao Tu seriously at all? That's why he doesn't bother to say anything.

But Xiao Tu was not a rookie that Bird could easily dismiss; his physical abilities were terrifyingly strong.

Or perhaps... he was afraid?

Lakers fans compared the two players, arguing that Xiao Tu's playing style relies heavily on physicality, which Bird would definitely not be able to defend. Bird often struggled against physically strong players, so he would delegate defense to his teammates while he guarded the small forwards.

Conversely, if Xiao Tu defends Bird, he can use his physical advantage to limit him, and he is very likely to have the upper hand in the matchup.

Bird is indeed in a difficult position and doesn't want this kind of attention at all.

Comparing Bird to Xiao Tu would do him no good. He therefore disliked Xiao Tu, thinking the rookie was too arrogant and wanted to step on him to get ahead.

Many All-Star players disliked Xiao Tu because of this, including Isaiah Thomas and George Gervin. They were all arrogant and didn't want to be overshadowed by the younger players.

Xiao Tu doesn't care what others think. He believes that only mediocre people are not envied, and this is not the time to keep a low profile.

Unfortunately, this isn't the internet age; fans can only discuss it within their own social circles. If it were after 2010, Xiao Tu's All-Star appearance would definitely have made him a global sensation.

If he wins the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, his momentum will reach its peak, surpassing all other players. He will definitely have the advantage against Bird in the All-Star Game.

It's not true that someone who scores more points per game is necessarily stronger.

At the end of January, the Lakers defeated the Knicks 137-100 at home.

Xiao Tu had another breakout performance, scoring 20 points, grabbing 26 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and blocking 5 shots in just 33 minutes of play. While his scoring wasn't high, his rebounding total set a new career high.

The Knicks' interior players are too weak. Their starting power forward, Pat Cummings, was selected by the Bucks in the third round, 15th overall pick in 1978, and transferred to the Knicks from the Mavericks this season.

Pat is a white center with average athleticism, standing at 206cm and weighing 104kg, and he can't jump very high. He's only a starter because the Knicks have no other options.

Bernard King is currently averaging an astonishing 33.5 points per game, but the Knicks' record is abysmal, making him the league's king of empty stats. Even when his team is down by more than 30 points, he's still racking up points in the final quarter, all in an attempt to win the scoring title.

Despite being the scoring champion, Bernard King's popularity was only average; with 38 votes, he could only be a substitute in the Eastern Conference All-Star Game.

Everyone knew he was a stat-padder, and he made no attempt to hide it. He averaged nearly 38 minutes per game, and his ball-handling and attacking style of play consumed a lot of his energy, which foreshadowed his serious injury.

(End of this chapter)