Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 78 A Third-Rate Basketball Star Who Wants to Set Rules (Thanks to Class Monitor Yi for the Alliance Award)
The Bucks are a struggling team.

They have no shortage of talented players and seemingly promising core players, but when they are put together, they have always struggled to form a stable fighting force.

The team boasts a deep frontcourt: Andre Bogut, Dan Gazuric, Charlie Villanueva, and this year's sixth overall pick, Jeff Green. However, in terms of actual performance, these players seem to be better suited to FIBA's rules—they are technically skilled and have a flexible playing style, but in an era that still emphasizes that centers must be tough and draw double teams, none of them have been able to truly establish themselves in the paint.

The lack of a tough, charismatic player capable of wreaking havoc in the penalty area is the key reason why this team struggles to break through its current limitations.

"You're that 'Mr. Headline'?"

Where did this new nickname come from?

When the Bucks' star player Michael Redd walked up to Xu Ling, he said this first thing, leaving Xu Ling speechless for a moment.

Come to think of it, he played in college for a year and only earned the nickname "The Terminator." Now, after only half a month in the NBA, he has a whole bunch of titles: Mr. Sixty Million, Master (and various related memes), and now he's got this baffling "Mr. Headlines."

Okay, he admits he's been in the news a lot lately, but is it really that bad?

"What is it?" Xu Ling asked casually.

Reed, however, adopted a veteran's demeanor: "Rookie, you need to be polite to your seniors. You haven't introduced yourself yet."

"Do I look like the kind of person who's polite?" Xu Ling deliberately put on an arrogant air, but he was just trying to make a joke.

"You little brat, you win!" Reed snorted and turned to leave.

Xu Ling turned to look at the silent Pau Gasol beside him and asked with a hint of self-deprecation, "Did I successfully leave a bad impression again?"

Upon hearing this, Gasol's face revealed a faint smile: "Do you think anyone in the league right now, besides Memphis, has a good impression of you?"

Most people outside the industry have no access to inside information. Even many players, unless they have direct sources, can only piece together their impressions from media reports. So what kind of news has been surrounding Xu Ling lately? First, there was that outrageous rumor about a locker room brawl, plus the "Memphis Three Musketeers" story that Xu Ling fabricated at the beginning of the season, which was used by many to attack him, saying, "How could you make up such a sensational story if you didn't experience it yourself?"

Then, Xu Ling completely broke off relations, publicly criticizing Rudy Gay both on and off the court, and even benching him in the second half; coupled with his statement at the post-game press conference, "Thank you for not playing," the whole drama of internal strife in the eyes of the public reached its climax.

Now that Gay has been "voluntarily" placed on the injury list, the Grizzlies have made it clear that they want to trade him. Even Gasol, who was already in trade rumors last season, is being attributed to Xu Ling, as if the whole team has succumbed to his will.

Nike-affiliated media outlets don't need to fabricate facts; a simple incitement and expression of sympathy for Gay is enough to stir up a wave of public opinion.

This sentiment is quietly spreading throughout the entire league.

Xu Ling still cares a lot about his image. Although his role model is Kobe, there is no need for him to try to emulate Kobe's image.

“I didn’t have a choice before,” Xu Ling told Gasol, “but now I want to be a good person.”

Gasol laughed, he was increasingly appreciating Xu Ling's brilliance. "Go talk to Michael Reed and see if he'll let you be the good guy."

Xu Ling laughed as well, because Gasol had almost perfectly matched his line from the classic movie "Infernal Affairs".

Just then, Xu Ling and Gasol were captured on camera chatting and laughing.

TNT's Kevin Harlan couldn't help but say, "There are rumors that Eli and Paul had a physical altercation in the locker room, but look at them now, who would believe they hate each other?"

Harlan's partner, Doug Collins, joked, "So what did Rudy Guy say?"

After a brief chat, the competition began quickly.

Bogut won the jump ball, and possession quickly fell to Michael Redd. Facing Xu Ling's defense, the Bucks' star player didn't hesitate for a moment. With a simple double jab step followed by a quick crossover, Redd used his experience to gain half a body length and then, ignoring Xu Ling's quick recovery, pulled up for a jump shot.

"Shh!"

As Reed landed and returned to defense, he didn't forget to say to Xu Ling, "It's time to set some rules for you!"

Xu Ling pursed her lips, made no comment, and silently ran towards the front field.

Kyle Lowry only had eyes for Xu Ling; he knew that after that round, this young master was definitely going to get his revenge.

Sure enough, Xu Ling made an off-ball run, cut out using a screen, and received a pass from Lowry. Reed quickly pounced, but Xu Ling didn't hesitate at all the moment he received the ball, as if he had already anticipated his movement, and directly broke through!
step!
With just one step, Xu Ling used his explosive power to gain a positional advantage, shouldering Reed and scoring with a layup from outside the paint.

"Thank you. This is the first time I've heard that even a third-rate star can set rules in the league."

Now that their initial encounter was clearly unfriendly, there's no need to pretend to be friendly anymore.

Thanks to the "LOGO guy," the word "disguise," and even this behavior, will become the thing Xu Ling hates most for some time to come. He probably won't be able to watch spy movies or TV shows anymore.

Reed was furious and tried to get the ball, but Xu Ling stuck to him tightly.

After dawdling for a while, the Bucks had no choice but to pass the ball to Bogut in the paint for a one-on-one play.

Bogut missed his one-on-one shot, and Gasol passed the ball to Xu Ling again.

Reed angrily took over the entire court on defense, but considering his terrible defense, his posture was somewhat amusing.

If his teammates hadn't failed to make a quick break down, Xu Ling would have already gotten rid of Reed and launched a fast break. Now, he was just dawdling with him in the frontcourt when he suddenly accelerated and broke through. Bogut saw this and hurriedly shrank back to help defend.

Just when everyone thought Xu Ling was about to challenge Bogut, Xu Ling, in a very tight space, deftly passed the ball backward with one hand, precisely placing it in Pau Gasol's hands. Gasol easily scored with a layup.

Xu Ling ignored Bogut and wasn't going to let Reed off the hook: "While I don't intend to follow your rules, I'm very interested to know what kind of rules a third-rate star like you is planning to set for me?"

Reed slammed the ball down hard and walked towards Xu Ling, ready to cause trouble.

The nearest referee quickly came over and stood between the two.

The scene became quite lively for a while.

Fans at FedExCare jeered in support of their team.

No matter how the outside world distorts Xu Ling's image, no matter how much of a despicable bully Xu Ling is portrayed in public opinion, it doesn't stop Grizzlies fans from opening their arms to embrace him.

They don't want to go back to the era of Rudy Gay, an era of mediocrity, incompetence, waiting for Gasol to be traded, and then praying that Gay would transform into McGrady, or waiting for the next savior.

Completely flustered by Xu Ling, Reed only wanted to get back on the offensive end, but instead of making any other moves, he took the ball and pulled up for a shot over Xu Ling's head.

Xu Ling jumped up to interfere, and the shot naturally missed.

The long backboard bounced out, and Xu Ling turned around and caught it.

"If you've got the guts, fight me to the bitter end!"

Reed looked rather exasperated.

Xu Ling chuckled, walked to the front, and gestured for the crowd to pull apart.

A small portion of the venue was emptied in an instant.

The fans realized what was about to happen and began to stand up and cheer. "Eli signaled to pull away; he's going to go one-on-one with Reed!"

"Michael Redd isn't known for his defense, but you can't underestimate any NBA player's defense, especially a player like Redd. No one is better at offense than him!"

As the commentator spoke, Xu Ling, facing Reed's defense, executed a series of rapid crossover dribbles, his pace varying from fast to slow. Reed remained fully focused, not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.

Suddenly, Xu Ling made a sharp crossover, lowering his center of gravity considerably, seemingly about to break through from the right! Reed hurriedly slid to the side to block him. But in the instant Reed shifted his weight, Xu Ling used a physics-defying abrupt stop, pulling the ball back sharply, stepping back to create a huge space, and calmly leaping into the air!

Reed tried to rush in to block the shot, but it was in vain.

"Shh!"

"！#@￥"

This play not only elicited screams from the crowd, but also prompted the Bucks to call a timeout.

The atmosphere inside the luxury suites at the FedEx Forum was completely different from the bustling arena downstairs. The soundproofing was excellent, filtering out the cheers of the fans into a dull background noise.

Michael Heisley stood in front of the one-way window, holding a glass of cheap soda provided free of charge by the club. Seeing the stadium full and the popularity of the Grizzlies' number 1, his calculating eyes revealed a sentimental smile: "A good start tonight."

Jerry West sat beside him in silence.

A subtle, unspoken silence remained between the two.

This is where Haisley's brilliance lies, and it's also the price he paid for getting West to come out of retirement back then.

He promised never to interfere in basketball operations, never to meddle in West's work, and never to lose his temper with him.

“I’ve seen the financial report, and the attendance for the new season looks much better than last season, especially,” Haisley laughed. “When we become the focus of the nation—it seems that winning, well, to put it another way, the way we win sells more tickets than a friendly locker room.”

Heisley didn't look at West, seemingly not needing an answer. He didn't directly ask about the team's recent situation, Xu Ling, or Gay. Instead, he took a roundabout approach, starting with what he cared about most—attention and box office revenue.

“In the short term, conflict can certainly grab attention,” West responded cautiously, trying to maintain the composure of a professional. “But long-term success still requires stability.”

“Stable?” Heisley chuckled softly. “Jerry, since I bought this team, the most ‘stable’ thing has been the losses and the lack of interest. Now, finally, the outside world is buzzing about our team. All the sports channels are talking about the Grizzlies, instead of ignoring us. That in itself is an asset.”

West remained noncommittal. He disliked the feeling of being in the spotlight, he disliked the artificially created noise, he disliked being the focus of national attention, and he disliked even more the fact that they were being in the spotlight because of so-called internal scandals.

When West was still in Los Angeles, he was so enraged by the team's scandals that he contemplated suicide. Jerry Buss, against West's strong objections, followed his future son-in-law Phil Jackson's advice and brought in Dennis Rodman, whose mind was not on playing basketball at the time. The Lakers then transformed from a team that seemed unable to succeed in the Shaq era into a veritable circus. Rodman was the clown who made everyone laugh; he vilified himself and the team. West told his wife more than once that one day he would leave them forever because of these damn shameful things.

Now, his team is facing the same situation again. Although Xu Ling's problem is not nearly as serious as Rodman's, it is by no means a trend that should be encouraged.

However, Hayesley liked the feeling of being the protagonist.

“That kid, Eli. He’s as good at causing trouble as he is at playing basketball.” Heisley lowered his voice, as if he were just sharing his thoughts, “but from a business perspective, what I see right now is a core asset that’s attracting all the attention, and a…” The Wall Street billionaire, known for his frugality, grinned greedily, “that’s rapidly becoming a burden of bad assets.”

He didn't need to say Rudy Guy's name for West to know what he was talking about.

"I just hope that we can ensure our core assets continue to appreciate and bring the greatest return to the team as a whole," Haisley concluded. "As for those parts that have begun to erode the overall value, I believe you will use the most professional methods to stop the damage."

After speaking, the Grizzlies' owner turned his attention back to the court.

But West clearly felt that silent pressure.

Heisley doesn't need to roar; he just needs to remind you what he cares about most—attention, box office, and asset value.

"This will take time."

West replied.

“We have time,” Haisley said casually, “but don’t keep the kid waiting.”

No. He's already gotten what he wanted.

Tonight's game also yielded the result the Grizzlies wanted most.

The Bucks are a strange opponent. They have a strong inside game, but their key to winning lies in their outside shooting. Once their outside firepower explodes, they can crush any team. Conversely, they may not be able to beat any team.

The small-ball era has proven that shooting can indeed kill a game, but you need efficient shooting, correct shooting, and a perfect balance to create a suitable shooting environment.

These conditions do not exist in modern times, so the Bucks lack the ability to kill the game on most nights.

This is especially true tonight.

Michael Reed took a lot of shots but was inefficient. Apart from repeatedly attacking him one-on-one at the beginning of the game, Xu Ling mainly focused on the team as a whole, combining inside and outside play. In the end, he scored 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, leading the team to a 101-88 victory over the Bucks.

After the game, he walked to the sidelines, where TNT reporters greeted him as usual.

"Eli, congratulations on your two consecutive wins. How do you feel?"

"That's right. Winning always feels better than losing."

"Rudy Gay is out injured. What impact do you think this has had on the team?"

Xu Ling knew that the last question was what the reporter really wanted to ask. He smiled and said, "Let me talk about the positive impact. Our offensive choices have become much more normal."

The reporter pressed on: "So, when do you expect him to return? Have your issues been resolved?"

“You’ll have to ask the doctor about his return timeline.” Xu Ling paused. “As for our issues? The team has found a way to win, and that’s the only problem for me to solve.”

Seeing that Xu Ling hadn't given a single hint, the reporter threw out one last question, attempting to stir up trouble: "Okay, so, doesn't Guy's absence have any negative impact?"

Xu Ling looked at the camera and gave an almost innocent smile:

"Does the fact that one of the lockers in the changing room is empty count?"

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ESPN Headlines
Dissatisfied David Stern publicly criticized the poorly managed New York Knicks.
When asked about the Knicks' current situation, Stern said, "This shows they are not a model of shrewd management. There were many junctures along the way where this problem could have been avoided if they had acted more decisively."

Seattle investment groups have written to the SuperSonics owner, hoping to meet with Bennett.

“We hope to revitalize the spirit and passion of Seattle basketball by bringing the SuperSonics and Storms back to local ownership,” said Dougs, who was a minority owner of the team.

The Kobe Bryant mystery: What is his true trade value?
"Without a doubt, he is one of the greatest offensive forces we have ever seen. Indeed, his level of skill in all aspects of the game is probably the most advanced since Jordan. But not everyone thinks he is the best player in the game."

Calm at the Eye of the Storm: Xu Ling scores 25 points as Grizzlies crush Bucks for their second consecutive win.

"In Memphis, Xu Ling announced the official arrival of the Lord's Era with a public purge and an easy victory. Against the Bucks, Eli not only completely defeated their star player Michael Redd in a one-on-one duel, but also nailed the final nail into Rudy Gay's Grizzlies career with a sarcastic remark about 'empty lockers.' The Grizzlies are now sailing forward with an almost ruthless determination."

(End of this chapter)