Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 67 The Welcome Ceremony I Want
As evening approached, Beale Street was already bustling with activity. The smoke from barbecues mingled with the malty aroma of beer in the air, and a blues band was playing an impromptu performance on the street corner, their languid yet passionate notes flowing endlessly.

As fans lined up to walk toward the FedEx Forum, they laughed and talked about the tweet Xu Ling had posted that morning.

“When the sun rises, forget yesterday.”

A young man wearing a grizzly bear hat deliberately dragged out the pronunciation, making the surrounding crowd burst into laughter.

So everyone started writing the chain:
"When the sun rises, I will forget that my wife wants a divorce!"

"When the sun rises, I will forget about my student loans that I can't pay off!"

"When the sun rises, I can forget about the salary I lost at the card table last night!"

Jokes rose and fell, but everyone knew in their hearts that all the hope for this season actually rested on the figure they were teasing.

If Xu Ling can replicate his performance from his time at Texas Tech, then the Grizzlies' "Eli era" might truly see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What if that doesn't work?

Nobody wanted to think about it anymore. This team was already on the brink of collapse: the transfer market remained sluggish, the locker room was falling apart, and the owner wanted to sell the team but no one was interested. For any team that had fallen to this point, the only thing waiting for them next was perhaps to relocate from the city.

Some of the most loyal Grizzlies fans have already donned brand-new number 1 jerseys and held aloft homemade signs that read: "Eli Our Redemption".

Inside FedExCity, dazzling lights swept across the stands, the sound system blared the energetic live recordings of a blues band, and the host tried his best to ignite the atmosphere with a high-pitched voice, but all of this could not dispel the almost stagnant air in the players' tunnel.

But when the Grizzlies entered the arena, the slightly somber atmosphere inside was instantly broken.

Leading the procession was Pau Gasol, who had publicly stated his desire to leave. He remained calm, leading his team to ignite the home crowd as usual. The arena erupted in enthusiastic cheers and applause.

Regardless of what the future holds, he remains a basketball icon of this city at this moment.

In any case, tonight is the first game of the new season.

Will the Grizzlies continue their poor performance? Maybe. But what if they play exceptionally well?
Xu Ling received far more support from the crowd than anyone imagined. In the stands, most fans wearing jerseys had chosen the brand-new number 1; banners and posters about him were everywhere. Every time he scored, fans in the front row would whistle, trying to get his attention.

However, just as rumored, Xu Ling seemed to automatically shut out all the noise from the stands once he stepped onto the court. His gaze remained focused on his teammates and the basketball in his hands.

Some scouts believe that this indifference to fans is what gives him his extraordinary shooting consistency. However, this view is unconvincing—Reggie Miller, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, was known for his enthusiasm for interacting with fans and even his penchant for trash-talking opponents. How could he possibly "multitask" like that?
Ultimately, it's just a matter of personality.

Memphis fans seem to be following in the footsteps of Texas Tech fans.

You, Eli Xu, are ignoring us, aren't you? Then let's see how long you can hold out—when fans are running naked in front of you, beautiful female spectators are showing off their bodies to you, and tens of thousands of men and women are chanting "I want to marry you," can you still remain so indifferent?

Remember, the "lower limit" of professional basketball is much lower than that of pure college basketball.

Seeing Xu Ling's few baskets draw screams from the fans, Gay was instantly filled with jealousy.

Gay first hit a three-pointer, but it didn't attract much attention. Undeterred, he stepped back two steps beyond the three-point line to attempt a long-range shot, but it repeatedly bounced off the rim. Just then, the fans began to notice his actions, and low gasps and sighs of regret rose from the stands.

Each strike of the hammer made his face grow even more somber.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the court, Xu Ling was having a brief conversation with a giant he had only known about on television and through the "The Future Is Yours" legend—Tim Duncan. Xu Ling simply greeted him politely, without showing much awe or admiration for this legend who had dominated the league with O'Neal since 1999.

Just then, Lowry suddenly passed the ball over, signaling Xu Ling to try a half-court three-pointer.

"Is it necessary, Kyle?" Xu Ling asked somewhat helplessly.

“Listen to the cheers from the crowd, Eli,” Lowry said, pointing to the stands with a smile. “This is what everyone wants!”

The logo shot has long been Xu Ling's trademark. During his time at Texas Tech, he hit two game-winning three-pointers from beyond the arc: one against Kevin Durant, securing his place in the lottery; the other helped his team win the national championship. This also earned him the nickname "The Closer."

Xu Ling initially didn't care about the jeers from the audience, but Duncan's interested expression, as if he was waiting to see a show, made him suddenly change his mind. So he stepped back to a position one step in front of the logo, and with almost no adjustment, he lightly jumped and threw the ball.

"Uh-huh!!!"

The basketball swished through the net, instantly igniting the stands with deafening gasps and cheers.

At this moment, Duncan, who had witnessed everything, spoke slowly, still wearing his classic gossipy expression: "Rudy Gay missed three three-pointers in a row over there. What are you trying to prove by suddenly doing this?"

Xu Ling looked at Duncan and replied calmly, "I have no interest in him. This shot is a greeting gift for the defending champion."

The internal drama within the Grizzlies has been dominating sports headlines for days, even reaching the ears of the usually laid-back Tim Duncan.

However, having been in the league for a decade, Duncan believes he has witnessed far too many young teams disintegrate due to out-of-control personalities and inflated egos. Such scenarios are not uncommon; in fact, they seem to repeat themselves every year in different corners of the league. In his view, what is currently happening with the Grizzlies is just another familiar tale.

Is there really anything new under the sun?
However, Xu Ling's natural composure and arrogance, almost disregarding Gay, made Duncan vaguely realize that the Grizzlies' situation might not be as simple as outsiders thought. Perhaps, the situation was quietly being taken into the hands of this young third overall pick.

"It's an honor for us."

Duncan's smile faded; he had a premonition that tonight might bring an unexpected and fierce battle.

Guy, who was not far away, saw everything. He felt a burning sensation on his cheeks, which was not excitement, but rather an undisguised anger and embarrassment.

That rookie clearly chose that spot on purpose, using a three-pointer with the logo to openly humiliate him.

And that damn Kyle Lowry, that traitor, that son of a bitch. He's the most deserving of death!!! Then, the warm-up ended.

Both head coaches gathered their starting players for final instructions. Grizzlies head coach Mark Jaffaroni looked visibly nervous—which is understandable, given that this was his first official game as a coach and the opponent was the formidable defending champions.

For the sake of caution, Jaffaroni fielded a starting lineup consisting of Lowry, Xu Ling, Gay, Warrick, and Gasol. The Spurs, on the other hand, were led by Parker, Finley, Bowen, Oberto, and Duncan.

In the opening tip-off, Duncan unsurprisingly won possession for the Spurs.

In the commentary booth, Kevin Harlan was introducing the background to the audience: "Although the Grizzlies are considered a rebuilding team, they have absolutely no intention of 'tanking'—because their first-round draft pick for next year has already been traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Therefore, they will fight hard to win every game they can. Despite the gap in strength, they are not without a chance. The Spurs may be a bit fatigued; they just played their season opener last night, defeating the Trail Blazers 106-97. Tim Duncan was the key player in that game, contributing 24 points and 13 rebounds."

Just as Harlan was commentating, Duncan received the ball near the free-throw line after a clean pick-and-roll. Facing Hakeem Warrick, who chose to leave him open, he calmly jumped and steadily sank the mid-range jumper.

The Spurs took the lead.

It was the Grizzlies' turn to attack. Lowry dribbled steadily across half-court, but Xu Ling didn't wait on the weak side. Instead, he suddenly started moving, first feigning a cut to the baseline, then making a sudden stop and reverse run, using Pau Gasol's screen to drive straight to the basket and force Duncan to help defend.

This run instantly drew the defensive attention of Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley, disrupting the Spurs' tight perimeter defense.

In a flash, Lowry astutely spotted a gap in the opponent's defense, accelerated without hesitation, drove straight into the paint, and easily scored a layup.

Most people's eyes were on Lowry.

But Duncan couldn't help but glance at Xu Ling again.

On the sidelines, Gregg Popovich couldn't hold back any longer and yelled at Bruce Bowen: "Bruce! Did you fucking leave your brain at the hotel?!"

Despite Popovich's furious and intolerant demeanor, the Spurs—with perhaps the exception of Duncan—didn't really take the Grizzlies seriously. Their movement and reactions suggested that most players were playing somewhat casually, as if this were an easy regular season game.

The Spurs tried to play a half-court game again.

Michael Finley's jump shot bounced off the rim due to Xu Ling's timely defensive intervention. Xu Ling reacted swiftly, grabbing the rebound and immediately launching a long, full-court pass to find Hakim Warrick, who was making a run down the court, assisting him for a powerful one-handed dunk!

Turning back, the Spurs attempted to break through the defense with Tony Parker's drive, but his layup missed due to Pau Gasol's long arms. Warrick secured the rebound and quickly passed the ball to Xu Ling to initiate a transition.

The Spurs were unable to retreat in time and had to commit a tactical foul on Xu Ling in an attempt to prevent the Grizzlies from regaining their pace.

However, once the game shifted to a half-court offense, Xu Ling remained calm. He observed the defense intently, used a simple screen to cut in and draw help defense, then bounced a pass to Gasol, who had quietly positioned himself on the weak side. The Spaniard caught the ball and launched a mid-range shot, which swished through the net.

In the first five minutes, Xu Ling did not make a single move, but he was present everywhere.

The Grizzlies are leading the defending champions 13-5! The Spurs are forced to call a timeout.

In the commentary booth, Doug Collins didn't hold back his praise: "Look at Eli! I've never seen a rookie impact a game like this! He doesn't score, but he seems to permeate every possession—from defense to rebounding, from pushing the ball to passing, he's really everywhere! Memphis is playing Phoenix Suns-style high-speed, dynamic offense against their youngest player!"

Marjanovi was overjoyed.

He hadn't expected the start to go so smoothly; Xu Ling seemed to be getting more and more familiar with his role in the system.

Jaffaroni called the starting players over and shouted excitedly, "See that?! They can't keep up with our pace at all! Keep pushing the speed, seize every transition opportunity! Stay focused on defense, double-team decisively, and rotate quickly! We are younger and more eager to win than them! Let them see how powerful we are!"

After the timeout, the Spurs also made an adjustment, replacing Michael Finley with Manu Ginobili.

As soon as the Argentine entered the game, he immediately used Tim Duncan's solid screen to shake off the defense. Xu Ling quickly squeezed through the screen to chase the defense, but Ginobili did not hesitate and took a jump shot from a step beyond the three-point line.

"Shh!"

After hitting the three-pointer, Ginobili recalled the various legends in NBA history and couldn't help but utter the trash talk that everyone who plays in the NBA has heard: "Welcome to the NBA."

Xu Ling didn't need to say anything at all.

Kyle Lowry dribbled up the court and abandoned any tactical plans, passing the ball directly to Xu Ling on the left side of the three-point line.

This time, after receiving the ball, Xu Ling was no longer the system commander who connected the whole team, but instead raised his hand and made a gesture that even the home fans were very familiar with: ISO.

Ginobili immediately became excited, successfully provoking the rookie who had been as composed as a veteran from the start.

But this excitement didn't last long.

Xu suddenly charged down the left flank, his initial movement swift and his physical confrontation fierce, almost knocking the Argentine away. Ginobili instinctively tried to draw an offensive foul and leaned back, but at the moment of contact, Xu suddenly stopped, swiftly turned, and took a large step back to the right flank.

Ginobili, focused on drawing fouls, completely lost his balance and staggered to the ground as if his foundation had been removed.

"Xu Ling used his signature step-back move to shake off Manu Ginobili!"

Before Kevin Harlan's exclamation had even faded, Xu Ling had already calmly jumped and released his shot from beyond the three-point line.

"Uh-huh!!!"

"Hit! Eli's response left Manuginobili completely embarrassed!"

Xu Ling looked down at Ginobili, who was still sitting on the ground, a slightly satisfied smile on his face: "This is the kind of welcome ceremony I wanted."

(End of this chapter)