Chapter 127: Rumors of a Trade

Amid the uproar outside, He Xinghui's days passed one after another in quiet routine.

On the 29th and 31st, the Clippers suffered consecutive defeats to the Grizzlies and the Heat. Both opponents were formidable, and, more importantly, He Xinghui had not used any special items; he relied solely on his own abilities to complete the entire matches.

On one hand, he needed to accumulate rage points to enhance his strength. On the other, he had to train his teammates, ensuring they wouldn’t become overly dependent on him. If, during the regular season, his teammates got used to relying on him, they would be even less willing to take responsibility or make plays in the playoffs.

He had seen many such cases before. Some teams performed well in the regular season relying heavily on a superstar, but when opponents targeted the star in the playoffs, the whole team faltered.

He was making adjustments. As a result, in one game he scored 18 points with 2 assists and 3 rebounds; in another, 15 points with 4 assists and 4 rebounds—both games served as lessons.

In fact, scoring 18 and 15 points wasn’t too bad, especially since He Xinghui didn’t take many shots. However, he was currently under intense scrutiny, and his fans were complaining about him not being selected as a starter for the All-Star game.

This led casual observers to unconsciously believe that He Xinghui deserved an All-Star starting spot, making 18 and 15 points seem unsatisfactory by comparison.

The media seized on this point, mocking him with sarcastic remarks. After losing the games and being criticized by the media, He Xinghui was not at all disheartened.

Through these two matches, he finally accumulated 2,000 rage points, enough to upgrade one ability to an A level. After much deliberation, He Xinghui chose to raise his strength to an A.

After a period of disciplined diet and training, his weight and strength had increased rapidly. Recently, however, he had hit a plateau.

By upgrading strength to an A, his training speed would greatly accelerate. Therefore, he prioritized enhancing this critical attribute.

After the upgrade, He Xinghui’s stats changed once again.

Height: 1.97 meters; Wingspan: 2.10 meters; Weight: 89 kilograms.

Talent: Strength A, Speed C, Vertical Leap C.

Shooting: Three-point A, Mid-range A, Finishing at the Rim C.

Skills: Ball Handling B, Passing C, Stealing C.

Defense: On-ball Defense B, Help Defense C.

Remaining Rage Points: 145.

Overall Evaluation: A strong offensive NBA super-sub with defensive weaknesses; tactically valuable with solid ball-handling offense.

Friendly Reminder: Strengths and weaknesses are clear—please improve your shortcomings promptly.

Despite upgrading a key talent, his overall evaluation remained unchanged.

Yet He Xinghui was quite satisfied. Looking into the mirror, he admired the noticeably more muscular chest and felt rather pleased. He even couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “Who can match this chest muscle?”

Just then, his trainer, Alina, strode past him confidently and asked, “What did you just say?”

“Uh, nothing. You go ahead and get busy,” He Xinghui replied.

...

Off the court, the media began to exploit the Clippers’ two consecutive losses.

“Championship contender, is that all?”

Articles wildly cited He Xinghui’s bold claims, arguing that with the current Clippers roster, chasing a championship was pure fantasy.

The media refrained from directly criticizing He Xinghui—after all, his 82-point game had solidified his undeniable skill.

Instead, they targeted his teammates, the team’s roster, He Xinghui’s championship boasts, and even his character.

Amid this overwhelming wave of criticism, He Xinghui remained indifferent, but Brand found it harder to bear.

Not only had he lost his status as the team leader, but he also had to endure baseless criticism unrelated to him.

Anyone in his position would be unsettled.

Under his agent’s persuasion, Brand agreed to have his agent formally request a trade from the team, seeking to leave the Clippers.

This caught Elgin Baylor off guard.

No manager enjoys a player wanting to leave, especially when it’s a core team member.

“Elton, why do you want to leave? The team is brimming with talent. After a season of chemistry building and adding one or two reliable role players through trades, we can contend for the championship next season,” Elgin urged. He genuinely didn’t want Brand to leave, given his strength.

“But He said we have to chase the championship this season,” Brand replied with a bitter smile.

Losing the leadership role was the real reason he wanted to go.

“Elton, the Clippers have a dual-core, like the OKC duo. He’s still young and a bit reckless at times. As the locker room leader, you should be more tolerant. Isn’t a championship worth a little sacrifice?” Elgin continued trying.

Brand, however, was silent and resolute.

Helpless, Elgin said, “Midseason trades are difficult. It’s uncertain you’ll land in a team you want.”

“Anywhere is fine,” Brand answered.

“Alright, I’ll think it over,” Elgin sighed.

Trading a player of Brand’s caliber was tough; securing desired players in return was even harder. If a trade happened, it would likely come with some loss.

...

There’s no wall without cracks, especially when some want to leak information deliberately.

Brand’s agent, worried Elgin Baylor would stall, ‘accidentally’ leaked Brand’s desire to leave to reporters.

This move had an advantage: it pressured the Clippers to make a trade. Once the conflict was public, coexistence became impossible.

Of course, the downside was the potential damage to Brand’s reputation.

At this point, the agent didn’t care.

Once the news broke, major sports outlets immediately reported it.

Sometimes, trade rumors attract more readers than game news.

Everyone loves gossip.

Especially when it involved the currently hot Clippers and He Xinghui.

With these elements combined, garnering attention was inevitable.

“Brand dissatisfied with his status, has requested a trade from the team.”

“Clippers’ dual-core fractured; Brand suspected of power struggle failure, attempts to leave.”

“Shocking: major conflict between Brand and his cousin; Clippers on the verge of collapse.”

...

The news was sensationalized in every possible way.

Just reading the headlines, fans almost believed He Xinghui and Brand were at odds.

Major media outlets maintained relative rigor, but smaller outlets went even further.

They fabricated stories to smear He Xinghui.

Claims of arrogance, bullying teammates, abusing the owner’s favor, and ruling the team tyrannically flooded the tabloids.

Such tales were endless.

Some fans lacking independent thought were easily swayed, seeing He Xinghui as a domineering bully.