Chapter Twenty-Two: An Explosive Beginning

Let me? Hamilton almost laughed out of anger at those words. Even Michael Jordan wouldn’t dare utter such arrogance.

Transitioning to offense, it was the Clippers’ turn. Xinghui He reached out, asking for the ball. Now that he no longer carried himself like a mere rookie, the whole team found themselves helpless against him. After all, both Mobley and Brand were players who prioritized the greater good of the team, Kaman lacked the ambition to be the leader, and Maggette saw himself as a role player. Thus, Mobley handed the ball over to Xinghui He for an isolation play.

This was nothing short of the treatment reserved for Kobe.

Witnessing this, Barkley couldn’t help but comment, “Are the Clippers preparing for a rebuild? This is far too hasty.”

No team, except one under reconstruction, would let a rookie go one-on-one.

Xinghui He caught the ball, backed against Hamilton, pushed but awkwardly failed to move him, then executed a fadeaway jumper.

His movements were almost identical to Jordan’s, the pose as beautiful as a painting.

The ball swished through, nothing but net.

“I told you, great players don’t need tactics,” Xinghui He said.

Hamilton was fuming, but he had no retort.

Of course, he was not convinced; he believed Xinghui He just got lucky, not that it was a display of true skill.

If Xinghui He really possessed such one-on-one prowess, wouldn’t that make him the next Jordan?

Soon, Hamilton was startled to realize that Xinghui He’s offensive moves seemed less and less like pure luck.

A few possessions later, Xinghui He had gone four-for-four, claiming all eight points for his team.

And the game was barely three minutes in.

Such performance already hinted at superstar potential.

“Rip, do you think Jordan would beg me to endorse AJ if he saw how I’m playing?” Xinghui He kept talking even as he scored.

Hamilton’s resistance grew stronger, but he still contributed a dozen or twenty points of rage every so often.

As his skill timer was about to run out, Xinghui He sank his fifth mid-range jumper.

“I bet your coach is about to call a timeout and bench you for getting torched,” Xinghui He said.

Coincidentally, Saunders did call a timeout right then.

That pause hit Hamilton like a million-point critical blow.

He truly hated to admit he had been dominated by a rookie.

……

“What’s wrong with the Pistons today? Did they all eat castor beans?” Barkley couldn’t help but mock the Pistons’ defense after Xinghui He scored five straight baskets, likening it to diarrhea.

“Charles, does that bet you mentioned still stand? I think we can accept it; worst case, I’ll bring a donkey along,” Smith laughed.

He was confident that a player who mastered Jordan’s signature moves could easily land a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal.

Back in China, the game between the Clippers and Pistons was also being broadcast.

If they didn’t, fans would start complaining.

“Beautiful, almost identical, textbook fadeaway jumper,” Yu Jia praised.

“Five for five, efficiently claiming ten points, the Clippers caught the Pistons off guard—very reasonable,” Zhang Helide had just commented that Xinghui He’s repeated isolation plays seemed a bit unreasonable, but with every shot made, he had to change his tune.

As long as you score, any strategy is justified.

“Coach Zhang, based on Xinghui He’s performance, do you think he has more potential than Yao Ming? After all, he’s doing better than Yao did as a rookie,” Yu Jia asked.

“That’s hard to say; it’s still too early, not enough games. But his potential is limitless—anything is possible.” Zhang Helide gave a vague answer, avoiding the question.

Unlike their cautious approach, Chinese fans had no such reservations and spoke freely.

“It’s obvious, Xing is better than Yao, his scoring average is higher.”

“You must be a fake fan if you only look at scoring. Yao’s defensive contribution is irreplaceable.”

“But you have to admit, Xing’s games are more spectacular and stylish.”

“They don’t even play the same position, so why the comparison? The stronger both are, the better for our Olympic hopes.”

Fans argued every point imaginable.

But one thing was clear: Xinghui He played flashier than Yao Ming.

This won Xinghui He a flood of new fans.

Detroit, The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Saunders scolded Hamilton a few times, then laid out defensive adjustments, but didn’t make any substitutions.

Among the Pistons’ reserves, only the point guard and forward positions were strong; for shooting guard, there were plenty of bodies, but only Hamilton was truly dependable.

The rest were either too old or too young—none averaged more than five points per game.

As play resumed, Billups and Prince ramped up their double-teaming of Xinghui He.

To Xinghui He’s delight, the fadeaway jumper skill had expired, and he had intended to ease up on offense. But seeing the defense's focus, he continued to ask for the ball, drawing defenders, then looked for opportunities to pass to Mobley and Maggette.

Though his passing was mediocre, with his teammates left wide open, he could avoid turnovers.

“This is insane, the Clippers really are grooming Xing as their core, even trusting him with playmaking,” Barkley ranted.

“The Clippers haven’t made the playoffs in years and lost out to the Lakers in fan support—they need to try something new,” Smith said.

Xinghui He was Chinese; if he became their centerpiece, the Clippers could become China’s favorite team and rake in overseas fans.

For the Clippers, it was a promising path.

What Barkley and Smith didn’t realize was that their conversation influenced quite a few people.

For example, Clippers owner Donald Sterling, watching the game.

Sterling was notorious for his stinginess, refusing to spend a cent more than necessary. To save money, he wouldn’t even hire a trainer, leaving the head coach to wrap players’ bandages.

Forget paying players high salaries—his team’s payroll was always among the league’s lowest.

Yet outsiders had to admit, Sterling was a shrewd owner; he never made a losing deal.

Sterling never liked the label of miser; he simply refused to invest because he saw no hope for the Clippers.

In terms of popularity, they couldn’t compete with the Lakers. As for strength, the Shaq-and-Kobe era crushed them.

Now, Sterling sensed it was finally time to invest.

The Lakers’ Shaq had moved on, leaving Kobe to lead the team in pursuit of high draft picks. The Clippers could now outshine the Lakers in strength.

And in terms of popularity, Sterling saw potential in Xinghui He.

If they built him up as the centerpiece, the Chinese market would be theirs.

Besides, Xinghui He excelled at showmanship, which would also attract American fans.

It was a win-win for the Clippers.