Chapter Eighty-One: Paul, What Do You Think

On January 7th, there were a total of nine games, some of which took place after the Clippers-Lakers matchup.

After their games ended, players from these teams were all questioned about He Xinghui.

Following the Hornets’ contest against the Hawks, a reporter asked Chris Paul, “Chris, did you know that He just scored 65 points? That’s 58 more than you.”

Paul’s face darkened. He had a vague sense that this number was ominous.

He hadn’t scored much in this game—just seven points.

What really frustrated him was that the reporters focused only on his scoring and completely ignored his eleven assists.

What made him even more exasperated was that He Xinghui had actually put up 65 points.

Was Kobe really that useless?

Paul wanted nothing more than to flip Kobe the middle finger—wasn’t this guy supposed to be an all-defensive player?

“I don’t know, and I don’t care about scoring. I prefer assists—I like making my teammates better.”

Paul was still trying to sound tough.

But the reporter pressed on, twisting the knife: “But He scored all those points and won the game. You tried to make your teammates better and got some assists, but you still lost.”

“One game doesn’t prove anything,” Paul snapped.

Some assists? It was clearly a lot of assists!

The reporter just smiled, having gotten exactly what he wanted. Paul was angry—perfect fodder for a little gossip piece about the rivalry between He Xinghui and Chris Paul.

After the Celtics’ game against the Wizards, Paul Pierce didn’t escape questioning about He either.

“Paul, He just hit a game-winner over Kobe and scored 65 points. What’s your take on that?” the reporter asked.

Another game-winner?

Pierce was deeply annoyed.

“I don’t concern myself with other teams. I’m focused on the Celtics,” Pierce refused to comment.

He had no choice—if he praised the opponent, he’d feel awful; if he didn’t, he’d look foolish. The guy had 65 points—how could you possibly belittle that?

“But your focus doesn’t seem to be working—you lost again today,” the reporter pressed.

Pierce cursed inwardly. The Celtics lost—how was that his fault? He put up 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists—what more did they want from him?

Unlike the Hornets and Celtics, the Spurs usually sent their coach out for post-game interviews.

“Gregg, He just scored 65 points against the Lakers,” a reporter said.

“Wow, 65 is a lot. I’m already considering trading Duncan for him,” Popovich joked.

The NBA is a ruthlessly realistic league—if you’re winning, you can be as cocky as you want.

If Paul or Pierce showed the slightest hint of disdain for He Xinghui, the reporters would pounce.

But with the Spurs sitting atop the Western Conference, Popovich could joke as he pleased—even his praise could carry a subtle note of dismissal.

So what if you scored 65? We’re number one.

Trade Duncan for He Xinghui? Not even a child would believe that.

Popovich brushed off the reporters with a smile, but as soon as he turned away, his expression grew grim.

Inside, he was anything but calm.

“The West is getting tougher,” he thought.

Compared to the East, competition in the West was brutally fierce.

The Mavericks and the Suns alone were enough to give the Spurs headaches.

If the Rockets could stay healthy, they’d be formidable too.

With Kobe on the Lakers, you could never let your guard down—who knew when he might explode, or what stars the Lakers might lure to his side next? The allure of a big city was terrifying.

Even the unremarkable Grizzlies, with their fierce defense, were no pushovers.

And now, there was one more contender: the Clippers. Popovich was certain that as long as Sterling wasn’t senile, he’d build the team around He Xinghui, making them a force in the future.

The Hornets, Celtics, and Spurs all faced this barrage of questions that day.

Even teams that didn’t play on the 7th couldn’t escape the topic.

After all, the buzz from a 65-point performance wasn’t going to die down anytime soon—it would last for days, if not longer.

On the 8th, after their game, several Heat stars were cornered by reporters: “Dwyane, congratulations on scoring 31 points today. Yesterday, He had 65. What’s your take?”

Of course I watched—how else was I supposed to see it, with my cheek?

Wade had been pleased with his 31 points, but realizing it wasn’t even half of what a rookie just put up, his joy vanished instantly.

“I think Kobe actually had the better game—he was only one point behind, had more rebounds, and played better defense...” Wade said.

The reporter stared, incredulous that Wade could lie so brazenly with a straight face, claiming Kobe was the better performer.

Of course, if they’d known that years later Wade would give Gordon a nine in the dunk contest in front of the whole world, they wouldn’t have been so surprised.

Unlike Wade, Shaquille O’Neal was clearly delighted to see He Xinghui humiliate Kobe.

He mimicked one of He’s signature moments, tossing his Gatorade to the floor: “F***, I’m so jealous of him!”

It was an imitation, but it was plenty entertaining.

The Rockets played that day as well, but Yao Ming was out with an injury.

He did a sideline interview—offering a few polite words of praise for He Xinghui, nothing more.

McGrady, in contrast, couldn’t hide his true feelings.

“Honestly, if one guy monopolizes the ball, scoring a lot isn’t hard at all,” he said sourly.

“Oh? So you’re saying the two scoring titles you won in Orlando were just because you had the ball so much?” the reporter asked.

Damn it, that’s not what I meant.

McGrady wanted to explain, but couldn’t, so he just scowled.

He realized he was starting to dislike He Xinghui for no real reason—and, by extension, Yao Ming as well.

Some teams drew attention because of their players.

Others, it was the coaches who were in the spotlight.

And then there were teams where the owner stole the show—like the Knicks.

After their game, owner James Dolan spoke to the media.

He said, “I heard a funny story today—a couple broke up because one idolized He, the other Kobe, and they just couldn’t agree. Honestly, to avoid heartbreak like that, one king in Los Angeles is enough. He should come develop his career in New York instead.”

The reporter’s eyes lit up. This was blatant tampering—sure to draw plenty of attention.

James Dolan knew it, of course; the worst that could happen would be a fine of a few ten thousand dollars—a trivial sum for him.

If He Xinghui was tempted, it’d be like winning the lottery.

And even if He wasn’t interested, Dolan lost nothing—at least he’d shown Knicks fans that he was still working hard for the team.

With the Knicks struggling lately, fans had begun calling for Dolan to step down.

So, he needed to change his image.