Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 80 The Curse of the Holy Infant

Kevin Durant, carrying his signature backpack, head down, was the first to squeeze off the gangway among his teammates. Inside, besides headphones and a basketball, was the Bible, which he frequently read, but more often used to project a certain image to the outside world.

On the billboard of the airport jet bridge, a familiar yet glaring figure was looking down at him.

Adidas has placed a huge poster of Eli Xu here. He is wearing a dark blue Grizzlies jersey, with a cool gaze, and his fingers lightly hold a basketball. The background is the boiling sea of ​​FedEx Forum arena. The tagline is arrogant and direct: "Trust your judgment - the 'Lord' of Memphis will change everything."

"The Lord".

Durant felt a twitch in the corner of his eye. What a despicable bunch of heretics! Aren't they afraid of being cursed by God?!

Nike's Christ Child subconsciously weighed the backpack on his shoulder; the hard cover of the Bible was digging into his back.

The real "master" never taught you to be so high-profile.

Durant could almost imagine how the local Memphis media had racked their brains to come up with this clumsy pun—a pun that both referred to a "lord" and blasphemously alluded to a god. A mixture of jealousy and disdain surged within him like some kind of energy.

"KD, look!" Mike Conley, Durant's teammate and the fifth overall pick acquired from the Celtics in the trade for Ray Allen, pointed at the poster with pure amazement, "Eli Xu looks like a superstar here!"

"uh-huh."

Durant uttered a sound, but didn't respond, only quickening his pace, wanting to leave the place as soon as possible.

As the SuperSonics team bus drove to the hotel, Durant looked out the window.

He found that Memphis was unlike Seattle; it was more run-down and rougher. But on most of the bustling streets, on every huge wall, you could see Adidas advertisements featuring Xu Ling.

He's everywhere.

Durant wanted to close his eyes, unwilling to see another poster related to Xu Ling.

They finally arrived at the hotel.

Before training began, Durant locked himself in his hotel room, turned on the TV, and saw that bastard he wanted to avoid again on the screen.

On television, the local sports channel was still tirelessly reviewing Xu Ling's performance last month, with analysts praising his composure, "leadership qualities," and extraordinary personal charm with all sorts of exaggerated terms.

Leadership qualities?

Durant grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

Does someone who publicly executes his teammates, spouts nonsense in front of the media, and causes trouble deserve to be called a leader?
This really reminded Durant of himself.

Durant found himself constantly saying "We're great," "We still need to learn," and "Respect our opponents."

These perfectly correct but utterly meaningless statements have been repeated over and over again, yet how many NBA players truly believe them? How many fans take them to heart? Fans will only dig up clips of your interviews when you contradict these statements, accusing you of hypocrisy.

But this is an image specially designed by Nike, all for popularity, all for public opinion, all to make fans believe that Durant is no different from the approachable boy next door around them.

But why? This guy, with a lower draft pick, landed a massive endorsement deal with Adidas that was even bigger than LeBron James's back then, yet he never had to listen to the company's opinions. Even when he went around criticizing things at will, Adidas still used its media resources to protect him. Now, just because they're doing well, people are starting to justify these actions?
Is this fair?

Durant opened his bag in frustration, intending to take out a basketball, but his ever-present Bible slipped out. He stared at it for a few seconds, then a bizarre thought popped into his head: maybe that bastard's "Bible" was *The Antichrist*, or *How to Be an Effective Bastard*.

Durant was amused by his own somewhat blasphemous yet strangely apt imagination. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but he quickly suppressed it, reverting to his harmless, calm demeanor. He even felt a pang of guilt for the thought.

This constant self-censorship and pretense permeated Durant's life after leaving college.

A few hours later, at FedEx Stadium.

Before the game started, TNT's pre-game program was playing on the big screen, showing a highlight reel of Xu Ling's performance. Charles Barkley's booming voice pierced through the noise-canceling headphones: "I've said it before! Eli Xu is the best player in this draft! He transformed a team! He should be the Rookie of the Year!"

Xu Ling is warming up on site.

His every move captivates people's hearts.

But Xu Ling, as usual, was simply immersed in his own world. The outside world seemed to be separated from him by a thick layer of glass. His attention was focused only on the basketball hoop, the basketball, and the coordination of his own body.

Until a chubby caddie brought him a specially made Gatorade by a strength and conditioning coach.

Xu Ling noticed him. The focus on his face melted instantly. "Henry, right?"

The little boy's face turned red with excitement, and he nodded vigorously: "You...you still remember me, Mr. Eli!"

It's really hard to forget; this chubby little boy is so memorable.

"Of course, did you add honey to Gatorade today too?" Xu Ling asked with a smile.

“I added it secretly,” Henry whispered. “Mr. Drew doesn’t know.” “Well done,” Xu Ling said with a gentle smile. “You’re really capable. Maybe I should give you a trophy.”

“Mr. Eli, I don’t want the trophy, this is my job,” little Henry said seriously.

The interaction between Xu Ling and the caddie was witnessed by the audience, and for his supporters, it was another testament to his seemingly cold exterior but warm heart.

Before the start, the two sides did not exchange many words.

This may be because the SuperSonics currently do not have a leader who is both capable and qualified. They are currently focusing all their resources on Durant and then using their draft picks to select more high-talented players before Durant matures.

This was Xu Ling's first matchup against Durant nine months after the Big 12 league regular season ended.

He only remembered that when the two first met on the college court, he hit a game-winning three-pointer from a great distance, almost like a logo shot, against Durant's University of Texas, and from then on, he entered the lottery in the mock draft. In a way, Durant was his benefactor.

Moreover, the negative impression I had of Durant from my previous life has been greatly improved by the fact that he is now young and innocent, unaware of the dangers of the world.

Before the game started, Xu Ling greeted Durant: "Hey, KD. Welcome to Memphis. Do you like the 'atmosphere' here?"

Durant stopped in his tracks. He looked up, his face expressionless, devoid of the usual pre-game greetings and smiles, and without a trace of playful banter. His gaze was cold, even carrying an undisguised resistance, as if he were looking at an unpleasant stranger.

Durant didn't respond and simply walked away from Xu Ling.

Meanwhile, Pau Gasol gave him an encouraging look.

Well done, Eli, you've offended another one.

But this time it was truly an unjust accusation.

They haven't seen each other since the draft, they don't usually interact, and there's no grudge between them. So how did someone manage to beat him up?
Xu Ling was speechless for a moment. His final conclusion was that the old 1.5 spirit in Xiao Du's heart might be awakening, and this was just a symptom before the onset of the illness.

In any case, the two teams do not appear to be in the same league at the moment.

The Grizzlies are ranked eighth in the Western Conference and have a chance to make the playoffs, while the SuperSonics are ranked last in the West and are basically headed for the lottery. Under these circumstances, the outcome of this game is not the focus.

The focus is on the matchup between Xu Ling and Durant.

Otherwise, ESPN wouldn't have broadcast this game live across the United States.

Before the game even started, commentator Mike Breen pointed out the key question for tonight's game: "There's a view that Eli is the 2003-04 Carmelo Anthony, and KD is the LeBron James of that year. Will tonight's game affect the Rookie of the Year award?"

Brin's partner, Jeff Van Gundy, who recently stepped down from the Rockets to become a commentator, said: "In my opinion, the 2004 ROY should have gone to Melo, and this year's ROY doesn't seem to be in any doubt. If you really understand basketball, you know that Eli's performance, stats, and team record are all above KD's. I can't imagine any possibility that Eli would be left out under these circumstances."

Just before Xu Ling disposed of Gay, there was still a heated debate about whether he or Durant should be the Rookie of the Year.

Xu Ling seems to have stronger immediate impact, but Durant is exceptionally talented. Even if he relies solely on his talent, he can only play shooting guard due to insufficient physical strength, but he can still easily score 20 points per game.

However, when Gay was voluntarily sidelined indefinitely, Xu Ling took complete control of the team's direction, and the Grizzlies' record steadily improved. All the controversies vanished like morning mist meeting the sun.

The same issues that once troubled Xu Ling are now affecting Durant in the same way. Who in this world truly enjoys being endlessly compared to another person? Whether you're stronger or currently weaker, it's incredibly psychologically taxing.

Xu Ling's very existence has become an inescapable nightmare in his life. Tonight, his only thought is to do everything in his power to personally demolish the palace built for the "master".

The starting players from both sides stepped onto the court. Just before the jump ball, Xu Ling gently pulled Mike Miller, who was supposed to be guarding Durant, and gave him a meaningful look. Miller understood and silently walked towards the SuperSonics' starting small forward, Damian Wilkins.

Xu Ling himself moved sideways and stopped directly in front of Kevin Durant.

Pau Gasol easily won the jump ball for the Grizzlies thanks to his height advantage. The basketball was tipped backward, and Xu Ling caught it steadily.

Without probing or hesitation, Xu Ling dribbled the ball up the court to the three-point line, and Durant immediately opened his long arms to meet him, his eyes cold and his whole body tense.

However, Xu Ling started quickly, executing an extreme crossover dribble, lowering his right shoulder, seemingly preparing for a full-force breakthrough.

Durant subconsciously shifted his weight back half a point.

In that split second, Xu Ling did not continue to advance. Instead, he used the space he had gained by taking a half-step to suddenly leap into the air! His jump height was not exaggerated, but the rhythm was extremely abrupt, and his move was as fast as lightning.

Durant realized he had been tricked and leaped up to block the shot, but his fingertips were still a long way from the spinning basketball.

"Shh!"

“You look the same as you did in college.” Xu Ling’s comment easily reminded Durant of their first meeting. “No progress whatsoever.”

(End of this chapter)