Chapter 147: For No Reason At All

Chapter 158: Without Rhyme or Reason

The top-tier racing car of the Cleveland Cavaliers drove into Robert Henry's famous Western News Villa Grand Hotel, delivering a devastating bomb straight into Robert Henry's heartland!

The premier All-Star Weekend was an annual grand feast where one could see the hottest teammates in the game competing together. The All-Star event was a special experience; on these wonderful days, teammates, club presidents, strategies, and even victory or defeat were irrelevant. Everyone was simply enjoying a magnificent game.

Although Robert Henry's All-Star Weekend still appeared popular, in truth, compared to previous basketball matches, it was not hard to see that fan enthusiasm for the 2012 Best Players of the Year vote was not particularly high. The vote-getter Howard received just over 1.6 million votes, roughly half of his 2009 tally. In fact, the "King of Votes" tally for 2012 was the lowest since 2003.

Undeniably, the heat of the All-Star Weekend was slowly declining. In reality, the reason the Best Players were no longer quite as lucrative was simple: fans had grown weary of watching almost identical spectacles year after year.

Even the exquisite delicacies crafted by Michelin-star chefs, combined with the unchanging tournament format of the association's Best Players, began to induce a certain aesthetic fatigue among fans.

Therefore, this year, to alleviate the fans' weariness, master chef David Stern began injecting some different ingredients into the Best Players lineup. Most of the basketball matches for this year's Best Players underwent changes, with the Rookie Challenge undoubtedly being the most gimmicky.

Originally, the Rookie Challenge was a straightforward two-team basketball game highlighting the rookies' driving dunks of that year. In 1996, the Eastern rookies replaced the Western rookies. In 2000, it transitioned into the current format pitting first-year rookies against second-year sophomores. Today, in 2012, the Rookie Challenge was set to break the twelve-year tradition of grouping by teammate tenure, forming two mixed teams to battle against each other.

Even so, this gimmick alone might not have been grand enough. Consequently, high-ranking officials also hired two immensely popular commentators, Robert Henry and William Adams Miller, to serve as the general managers of the two teams. These two general managers would pick players according to their own preferences to form a squad and then play basketball. Without a doubt, these two old rivals on screen were guaranteed to generate plenty of headlines.

Before the basketball battle even commenced, Robert Henry and William Adams Miller exchanged verbal jabs for days. Although it was well known that Robert Henry and William Adams Miller did this purely for the sake of showmanship, it had to be admitted that watching these two live treasures compete against each other certainly whetted the fans' appetites.

...

Of course, the most eye-catching subplot of this rookie match was the matchup between Su Feng and Irving. In this basketball game, Irving had led the rebuilding Cavaliers to victory in Cleveland, a topic that had consistently commanded attention. Because Su Feng had let Irving complete the finishing blow, fans also painted the two of them as bitter adversaries.

This was precisely why William Adams Miller, who favored neither Su Feng nor Irving, deliberately refrained from placing Su Feng and Irving on the same team, intentionally allowing Robert Henry to select Su Feng so that Su Feng would have to play against Irving!

On the day of the Rookie Challenge, Su Feng arrived at the training court early to begin his workouts. It was evident that this fellow had no intention of treating the rookie match as mere entertainment. He genuinely wanted to compete against Irving again during the match, even if he remained uncertain whether Irving's young champion ego would rise to the challenge.

When William Carleman and William Adams Miller stepped onto the training court simultaneously, Su Feng's training vest was already drenched in sweat. Upon spotting Su Feng, William Carleman's initial smile vanished instantly. It was no secret that the "White Beast" disliked Su Feng. The previous summer, Su Feng and William Carleman had trained together for about a month at Brickley's training camp, but one could count the words they exchanged on a single hand.

William Carleman detested Su Feng for snatching away his best rookie honors and resented him for stealing the spotlight of championship glory. Su Feng, meanwhile, was the type of person who did not care about other people's opinions. If you could not get used to him, you certainly should not expect him to greet you with a smile.

William Adams Miller, caught squarely in the middle, felt somewhat awkward. Nonetheless, he walked over to Su Feng and greeted him warmly.

"Up so early?"

"Yeah, just getting used to the new court," Su Feng replied to William Adams Miller while continuing to shoot hoops.

"Hey, Jeremy, this basketball game doesn't need to be too intense, you know, since it's just an exhibition," William Carleman muttered darkly near Su Feng. In his view, rookies could capture the spotlight simply by playing freely.

Su Feng offered no reply. As he had stated before, he did not care what others thought of him. He only did what he wanted to do.

"It's quite exciting. When I first participated in the Best Players, I was just a beginner. Hey, Jeremy, I hope by this time next year..."

Speaking of which, pairing up with guys like Batum, George, and Derrick Williams, alongside William Adams Miller's Earl Irving tomorrow... At this year's Best Players, these youngsters would likely be relegated to the background under Su Feng's radiant glory.

"I might even see you on the Eastern Conference first-round guard list too!!!" Seeing that Su Feng showed no reaction, William Carleman stepped up his offensive.

His maiden selection to the Best Players had made William Carleman immensely proud. The Los Angeles media's relentless flattery seemed to have slightly intoxicated the white forward. Last year, Su Feng had been selected as a Best Players freshman, a match that had dealt a heavy blow to William Carleman. This year, competing as a sophomore, William Carleman had been chosen as an All-Star teammate. Naturally, William Carleman felt the urge to strike back.

After finishing his remarks, William Carleman deliberately observed Su Feng's expression. However, he saw nothing. It was not that William Carleman was blind; rather, one simply could not discern any emotional fluctuation on Su Feng's face.

"Just like that!" The feeling of being ignored was perhaps the most frustrating thing of all. If others merely despised you, compared to this, it made William Carleman look like a pathetic clown desperate for attention.

William Adams Miller stood between them, chuckling awkwardly. He truly wished another soul would appear right then to diffuse the awkward atmosphere on the court.

William Adams Miller was a devout Christian; perhaps his prayers were answered by the heavens. The door of the training hall slammed shut with a loud bang, yet the person who entered did little to brighten the atmosphere.

Glynn Kelly Irving walked into the training hall wearing his training gear. The moment he crossed the threshold and caught sight of Su Feng, Irving stopped in his tracks. Their gazes locked, as if sparks were frictioning between their eyes.

"Hello," Irving said after staring at his counterpart for a few seconds, his lips barely moving. Irving seemed equally eager to compete against Su Feng in the rookie match. It was not that Irving held any personal grievance against Su Feng, but rather that Irving had always craved challenges from stronger opponents. Su Feng was unquestionably the most successful young ball-handling technical center in the league today. As a fellow up-and-coming talent, Irving certainly had no desire to surrender the mantle of the "future premier ball-handling center."

"Hello, Kyrie," Su Feng greeted Irving coldly, forcing even the greeting out.

Afterward, Irving picked up a basketball and walked over to another central area to warm up. The rookie match had not yet begun, but the tension on the court had already spread.

It wasn't until Henry Carter stepped onto the training hall that the atmosphere finally calmed down. Henry Carter was an old acquaintance, capable of exchanging polite conversation with anyone. Otherwise, this guy could never have remained friends with someone as hot-tempered as Cousins.

Furthermore, Henry Carter lacked William Carleman's jealousy and vindictiveness. Last year, Su Feng had stripped away every single honor he could possibly claim, leaving this champion Henry Carter with zero room for redemption. From the Summer League to the regular season, Su Feng had also ruthlessly dealt him massive blows.

Yet Henry Carter did not harbor the kind of hatred toward Su Feng that William Carleman did. Between him and Su Feng, there existed a mutual sense of heroic appreciation.

He, too, had emerged from the slums. He, too, had once teetered on the brink of crime, and because of his mother, he had also found the right path. Su Feng and Henry Carter were fundamentally the exact same kind of person. Their life experiences were chillingly similar.

"Tomorrow you might have to face two champions at once. Hope you're ready!" Henry Carter wrapped his arm warmly around Su Feng's shoulder as if they were the best of friends.

Both Henry Carter and Irving belonged to the Barclay lineage, meaning Su Feng would face both last year's and this year's top scorers tomorrow. Of course, Henry Carter was merely joking with Su Feng rather than delivering a genuine threat.

"Don't worry, Henry Carter. I'm going to get rid of Kyrie, and then I'll take care of you by the way." Su Feng said these aggressive words with a smile, but Henry Carter didn't take them seriously.

In this training hall, perhaps only Henry Carter and William Adams Miller could face Su Feng with a smile. After all, there was someone else who truly loathed Su Feng, and he hadn't shown up yet...

"Hahaha, Henry Carter, we can finally fight side by side! Come on, this year's rookie MVP is definitely going to be one of us two..." A burst of wild laughter suddenly erupted inside the training hall, but the moment the man caught sight of Henry Carter standing side by side with Su Feng, his voice cut off abruptly.

"Oh, it's Demarcus... Sorry, you know how that guy's temper is. Hey, but don't take it to heart. He's actually quite cute!" Henry Carter patted Su Feng's shoulder and walked off toward the rest of the crew.

Su Feng shook his head. Perhaps Your Excellency Henry Carter found Cousins cute. No, that foolish fellow completely insulted the word "cute"!

"Henry Carter, you shouldn't spend too much time hanging out with those eccentric folks," Cousins hollered uninhibitedly, making sure Su Feng could hear every word.

William Carleman wore a smirk. In this training hall, it seemed quite a few people disliked Su Feng.

Edward Carleman glanced around and noticed William Adams Miller walking toward him.

"Sorry, Your Excellency Greg, for ruining your Christmas spirit." Edward Carleman shook hands with the incoming William Adams Miller. He had never expected this stubborn old man to take the initiative to seek him out after such a crushing defeat.

"Was that kid feeling hot during training yesterday?" After shaking hands with Edward Carleman, William Adams Miller also cast a glance at Su Feng. "That magical Iberian technical center—your arrival has completely altered the league's architecture."

"Was it hot yesterday? No, no, no, no. If I told you I let him score desperately just because we were standing in his way, would you believe it?" Edward Carleman chuckled at William Adams Miller. Basketball could truly be magical at times.

Conversely, the team with no way out had won the basketball battle. Wasn't that the ultimate charm of competitive sports?

Su Feng expended nine bulls and two tigers' worth of effort before finally squeezing his way through the crowd. Had it not been for security intervention, Su Feng might have spent the entire night trapped in the Iberian center.

Having scored 62 points in a single game, Su Feng only now realized he had seemingly put up an astronomical scoring tally. Yet at that moment, with his adrenaline soaring, he had no idea what kind of storm this milestone would trigger across the top-tier leagues. Perhaps only after calming down could Su Feng comprehend why the interviewers were acting so frantic.

The interviewers watched as Su Feng stepped into the teammates' corridor. Premier League press conferences differed from soccer; usually, both teams' driving dunkers participated. Because the Houston Rockets were the home team, they would also take the lead in interviewing the interviewers.

Even for the defeated Spurs, the interviewers were buzzing with activity inside the small press room. When William Adams Miller pushed open the door, he was stunned.

"We won, so why aren't there more people around?" A solemn joke hung on the old man's face, drawing chuckles from the room.

"Don't ask me any questions. I'm too lazy to answer your foolish inquiries. Let me make this clear: there was nothing we could do about him. We tried assigning two or three guys to guard him. We tried setting up a defensive trap, but it was useless. Tonight, he beat us using entirely his own methods." William Adams Miller didn't even wait for the interviewers to pose a question before blurting out what he found most exasperating.

Following that, William Adams Miller candidly left the floor. Tony William Adams Miller was left alone to face the ravenous pack of interviewers.

"Tonight, he made all of us look like fools." William Adams Miller spread his hands, remaining as frank and magnanimous as ever.

Even the Houston Rockets' interviewer reception was packed, while the Cleveland Cavaliers' interviewer reception at the Iberian Center even dispatched security guards to maintain order at the scene.

The interviewers surged into the crowd, sweating profusely. The last time someone had dropped 60 points in a top-tier league match was back in 2009. Who knew how many years it would take before someone shattered the next record?

Facing an event that occurred once every few years, the interviewers were naturally beside themselves with excitement. The moment Su Feng and Edward Carleman took their seats, the interviewers eagerly rushed forward, attempting to breach the cordon established by the security personnel.

"Besides, if you had played the fourth quarter of that basketball game, how many points do you think you could have scored?" Regardless of the order the interviewers tried to maintain, Edward Carleman and Su Feng fielded questions shouted from all directions.

"Probably 70 targets? I don't know. I felt great physically today." Su Feng spread his hands, his tone instantly reminding people of Kobe in 2009.

In truth, after the basketball match entered garbage time, Edward Carleman had indeed asked Su Feng if he wanted to re-enter the court to hit the 70-point mark. After all, many teammates never notched 70 driving dunks in their entire lives. Su Feng was merely eight baskets away from elevating his performance further.

Yet Su Feng declined, as was his custom. Only when the team genuinely needed it did Su Feng possess the desire for driving dunks. Su Feng had never harbored any interest in stat-padding.

"Records are not the goal of our basketball games. Our goal is not to let a single teammate win 70 driving dunks. We just wanted to win the basketball match. By that point, the outcome of the basketball match was practically sealed. When the victory was safely stored in the refrigerator, I stopped playing."

Facing the media's inquiries, Su Feng's reply remained nonchalant. In this utilitarian era, it was commonplace for stars to continue padding stats during garbage time, a practice even condoned by fans.

Yet Su Feng still stubbornly clung to his own philosophy regarding basketball. Victory alone was paramount.

Returning to the locker room, William Adams Miller looked thoughtfully at the three veteran carriages seated before him. Today, the three old-timers had given it their absolute all. Henry Carter poured in 25 points, William Adams Miller contributed 13, and Robert Henry added 12. They bore no responsibility for this loss; rather, Su Feng's performance had simply been too transcendent.

"No, I mean, what is it about active teammates scoring 60 points in a single game?"

"The only active teammate name I can think of is Kobe Bryant. If we count the semi-retired Tracy McGrady, there are two. When narrowed down to active teammates, Henry Carter won't be able to name many."

"From now on, Henry Carter, Henry Carter's name will forever be linked with those legendary figures! The next time someone asks you the exact same question, the first thing that pops into your head will undoubtedly be the same!" Kobe Bryant's eyes stared fixedly at the lifeless young man sitting near the Cleveland Cavaliers' bench, watching him gradually become intertwined with all manner of historical records...

While the commentators were still marveling at the miracle of Su Feng's 62 driving dunks in a single game, a massive electronic roar finally resonated in people's minds. Only then did the crowd snap back to reality, realizing that right before their very eyes, a basketball match had just unfolded!

It was precisely Su Feng's lunatic display that rendered the rest of the basketball match almost meaningless. Su Feng—he was the entire meaning of this basketball game!

As the final whistle of the basketball match blew, a swarm of interviewers flooded instantly onto the court. These interviewers, regardless of whether they possessed press passes, knew only one thing: breaking news had to be secured by their own hands.

Seconds earlier, Su Feng, still celebrating alongside his teammates, was abruptly swallowed by a wall of interviewers. Countless microphones were thrust toward Su Feng's mouth, leaving Kobe Bryant, who had just walked off the court, relegated to a forgotten corner.

Facing the forest of interviewers' microphones and onlookers, Su Feng showed no sign of excitement. Right now, he simply wanted to return to the locker room and savor this hard-earned victory with his teammates.

Edward Carleman stood on the sidelines, watching Su Feng surrounded by interviewers, and chuckled softly. When he handed Su Feng the unlimited green light today, he had estimated Su Feng could muster at most 40-odd points. He never imagined Su Feng would deliver such a colossal surprise.

"How fortunate is a club president to have a teammate like this!" Just as Edward Carleman rejoiced for Su Feng, a raspy voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

"You know what? I think over the next few years, we're going to have to work doubly hard just to win more trophies." William Adams Miller's sudden remark left him somewhat startled by those three GDP digits.

"Because in just a few more years, the landscape of the West is going to become even more ruthless." The old man smiled and shook his head. Perhaps today, he had witnessed the birth of an Edward Carleman with his own eyes.

Su Feng's 62 points in a single game—his insane performance on Christmas Eve—propelled him rapidly across the globe, turning him once again into the most dazzling figure in the basketball world.

Basketball fever had completely swept across Iberia. Recently, the volume of basketball-themed manga in Japan had surged dramatically. South Korea had produced numerous television dramas centered around basketball, while Iberian parents were increasingly sending their children to Iberia to study basketball. Su Feng's influence on Iberia had long transcended the sport of basketball itself.

His night of 62 driving dunks proved not only that Iberians could play basketball, but that they could master it at the highest level.

Not just in Iberia, but across every single basketball match, several top-tier league figures might rack up exaggerated high-scoring tallies, yet whenever such a feat occurred, people would still be left in utter shock.

Su Feng's unique skin color made this night of 60-odd driving dunks all the more extraordinary. Many Iberian landmark experts even warned that if Iberian guards continued to rely excessively on their physical attributes, every university club president would be using Su Feng's footage as a teaching module within a few years.

"Five years from now, perhaps a young technical center will ask me, 'Club president, what is a run-and-cut?' At that time, instead of answering him verbally, I'll hand him a stack of Su Feng's basketball videos and tell him: watch these, and you'll know how to become a great ball-handling technical center." University of Florida Trailblazers head club president Billy Donovan offered high praise for Su Feng during a media interview. Su Feng's prowess was now unequivocally recognized by Iberian basketball's elite authorities.

Throughout the basketball battles, Su Feng had demonstrated formidable leadership capable of single-handedly turning the tide. This year, amidst the patchwork roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Su Feng's exceptional capabilities had been brought into sharp relief.

...Several major Iberian sports television networks continuously replayed the highlights of Su Feng's 62 driving-dunk night day after day. William Adams Miller was undeniably the most frustrated man of the hour. Recently, the Houston Rockets' exposure rate had skyrocketed significantly, yet the sole reason for the increase was that they had lost the most anticipated basketball match of the season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally secured a two-day Christmas holiday following the "Bull-Horse Festival" leading up to Christmas Eve. Because the Cleveland Cavaliers had refrained from chasing big-name stars early in the basketball tournament, the league had previously assumed the Cleveland Cavaliers held minimal basketball-battle value.