Chapter 133: A Witty Response

When the game ended, it wasn't the Raptors fans who were most disappointed; they had long since grown accustomed to their team losing and were effectively numb to it.

The ones truly disappointed were the reporters who had come hoping to see the Clippers make a fool of themselves. Their dreams had been shattered. Throughout the game, the Raptors had dangled the tantalizing prospect of a Clippers collapse, but in a frustrating turn of events, the Raptors fell apart in the final moments. This was even more infuriating to the reporters than if the Raptors had been losing from the start. Some of the more narrow-minded journalists decided then and there that they would tear the Raptors to shreds in their articles, determined to make them seem utterly worthless. They wanted to ensure the audience understood that it wasn't that the Clippers lacked internal locker room issues, but rather that the Raptors were simply too weak to expose them.

On TNT, Barkley once again endured Smith’s mockery.

"Locker room issues, huh? Laughing last, huh?" Smith teased.

Barkley remained silent.

Smith continued, "I really don't see why Brand would need to leave the Clippers. Where else could he go that would be better? A big city, a championship contender—teams that satisfy both criteria are few and far between."

"But he wants to be the alpha," Barkley countered.

"If you want to win a championship, you have to make sacrifices."

"Then why can't the one sacrificing be He?"

"He being the alpha is just media speculation. The truth might not be that simple."

"Do you even believe that yourself?"

Their debate was destined to become a hot topic among fans.

At the post-game press conference, the Raptors were the first to face the firing squad.

"Jalen, are you satisfied with your performance today? I heard the fans booing you," a reporter asked.

Facing the interrogation, Jalen Rose retorted righteously, "I did a great job today. I held him to just 22 points. You have to remember, this is He we’re talking about. Even when LeBron defended him, he dropped 82 points. What more could I ask for?"

The reporters nearly fell over in unison upon hearing this. They realized then that Jalen Rose intended to use James as his shield for the rest of his career.

"How did it feel to match up against He? What was his trash talk like?" the reporter continued.

"To be honest, it was incredibly difficult. He has a vast offensive arsenal, his shooting is accurate, and his playmaking is elite. As for his trash talk, it's even more formidable. Unless you're wearing headphones, there's no way you won't be affected," Rose admitted.

Jalen Rose hated He Xinghui, but strangely, he spent the entire interview singing his praises. He had no choice; if he didn't make He Xinghui sound like an unstoppable force, it would only highlight his own incompetence. By hyping up He Xinghui, his own inability to stop him was no longer a failure.

It wasn't just Jalen Rose praising He; Chris Bosh did the same when asked. "He is an exceptionally talented player. Brand is very lucky to have a teammate like that," Bosh said.

In truth, Bosh harbored a small, secret fantasy: he hoped the team would trade him for Brand in a straight swap. Moving from Toronto to Los Angeles, from a bottom-dwelling team to a playoff contender—well, well, well... As for the status of being the team's alpha? Bosh figured being the leader wasn't all it was cracked up to be. When the team's record is poor, the pressure on the leader is immense.

The Raptors' portion of the press conference was just an appetizer; the main course was the Clippers. Although the Clippers had won, that didn't stop the media from suspecting internal strife. The reporters were thrilled to see Dunleavy, He Xinghui, and Brand appear together.

After a flurry of camera shutters, the questions began: "He, you guys didn't play very well in the first three quarters. What was the reason for that?"

He Xinghui was stunned. He couldn't believe they were dissecting the game by intervals. By that logic, next time they would probably pick a specific quarter, a few minutes, or even a single play to question. If that were the case, the Clippers could be accused of having locker room issues if they played poorly for even a single possession.

He Xinghui retorted, "Is that really important? In Game 7 of last year's Finals, the Spurs were trailing the Pistons for the first three quarters, but who was awarded the trophy in the end? We were trailing for the first three quarters, but who won the game?"

That silenced the reporter.

Another reporter was more direct, asking Brand, "We’ve heard you want to leave the team. Is that true?" Previous reports had been rumors; without Brand’s confirmation, they had been forced to use the word "alleged."

"Of course not, that's just a rumor. I'm only focused on playing basketball; I don't think about much else," Brand denied directly.

The league has strict rules against players publicly declaring their desire to leave, as it is considered disrespectful to their contracts and harms the team owner's interests. In short, if a player announces he wants out, his trade value plummets, and it destabilizes the locker room and hurts the team's performance. If the player is a star, the impact is even greater, with fans potentially turning their backs on the team.

"Then, may I ask, between you and your cousin, who is the alpha of the team?" the reporter pressed.

Dunleavy interjected, "The Clippers are a collective. We don't have an 'alpha' on this team; everyone is equal. It’s just that in terms of tactics, He and Brand are the core of the team."

"He, do you see it that way too?" The reporter knew he wouldn't get anything out of Brand or Dunleavy. If he wanted a headline, he had to rely on "Big-Mouthed" He.

"No."

As soon as He Xinghui spoke, the Clippers staff panicked, while the reporters were overjoyed.

He continued, "We do have an alpha. It’s Sam. He is the spiritual leader of the locker room."

*Damn it, that's not what we meant!* The reporters realized they’d been played. One reporter spoke up, "He, you know we aren't talking about that. We mean the special treatment, like how you can take shots whenever you want on the court without listening to the coach's plays."

As soon as these words were out, the other reporters almost applauded their colleague. It was a sharp question; He Xinghui clearly enjoyed special treatment on the court, and he couldn't deny it.

He Xinghui wasn't about to deny it, or the unscrupulous media would have a highlight reel ready by the next day. He replied, "My field goal percentage is 53%, my three-point percentage is 48%, and my success rate on game-winners is nearly 100%. Don't you think I should be taking more shots? Tell you what, I'll help you apply for the Heat coaching job. Once you're coaching, you can give the ball to the players with the low percentages and clear an obstacle off my path to the championship."

He Xinghui pulled out his phone as he spoke, drawing laughter from the crowd. They all enjoyed this brand of "He-style" humor.

As He Xinghui pointed out, if a coach didn't prioritize giving more shots to the players with higher percentages, they would have to be insane. After the laughter died down, the reporters realized they had been sidetracked again. They felt helpless; they were starting to understand that He Xinghui was not an easy man to interview.