Chapter 73: An Excess

Chapter 85: An Excess

“You’re a smart man yourself! I absolutely support you!” Kobe Bryant ruffled Su Feng’s hair, a gesture of camaraderie, for this man’s mind always seemed to work differently from the rest. “If you ever need a tactical advisor, I’m here for you. After all, I’ve come this far.”

At the entrance of the mansion, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry arrived, and William Adams Miller had to leave Su Feng for the moment to greet the other guests.

Su Feng let out a sigh. William Adams Miller was right—he truly was a fool, his emotional intelligence severely lacking. Even with a championship ring, what would he do? A ring, a banquet, a woman—he was inept at all three.

At last, the fierce battle of the season ended abruptly in mid-June. The Dallas Houston Rockets became the new world champions, and Su Feng stood atop the world. The off-season finally arrived, and his teammates could begin to savor their hard-won respite.

Naturally, top league stars did not simply vanish. Even in the off-season, they remained dazzling fixtures at countless commercial events, and the drama of the finals and the 8:00 soap operas—the summer transfer saga—were often even more thrilling.

This summer, the free agency market was teeming with big fish. Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker… Since the finals, all thirty teams were on the move, eager to make their mark on this summer’s football!

Rumors now swirled that LeBron James was leaving Miami. The Blazers’ Big Three could no longer stop Su Feng, so LeBron needed a new “Big Three” to contend with him.

Had the Blazers won this year, LeBron might have happily stayed on. Unfortunately, Su Feng and the Houston Rockets’ stellar performance forced James to seek another team.

Facing a teammate like Su Feng, going it alone was out of the question. LeBron had to rally other stars, or risk seeing Su Feng dominate the era that should have been his.

Of course, this was also Su Feng’s first time as a free agent in his career. His four-year rookie contract had run its course. Would he stay in Dallas this summer? What kind of contract would he receive? Fans debated these questions with feverish interest as the off-season unfolded.

“You should go to Los Angeles and join Kobe, or team up with Carmelo in New York! Only a great city deserves a man like you!”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t re-sign with the Dallas Houston Rockets. Sure, they’ve just won the championship, but most of their players are veterans. Kobe Bryant is thirty-seven, William Adams Miller is thirty-six, Tony Allen is thirty-two, Iguodala is thirty… You never know how long a veteran team can last in this league. Maybe the Rockets are champions this year, but next year they could collapse! Of course, the Rockets have the right to match any offer, and Cuban has never lost a bidding war.”

“He’ll definitely stay in Dallas. He’s the king there. He’s already won two championships for them, and there will be more to come! There’s no reason for him to abandon his kingdom.”

Rumors of Su Feng’s transfer momentarily overshadowed even the frenzy around LeBron’s own free agency. In truth, every media analysis had its own logic.

This was an age of pragmatism—“loyalty” had become a hollow word in the league.

To gain a larger market and greater prospects, it was unthinkable that Su Feng would choose anywhere else.

The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, even the Chicago Bulls were all primed to bid for Su Feng.

With him, any of those teams would be reborn.

Meanwhile, Su Feng, the man at the heart of it all, was wandering about the city with his mother and his girlfriend.

Trailing behind the two women, arms laden with shopping bags, Su Feng had no interest in signing a summer contract. Instead, he was contemplating proposing to Viganari.

As William Adams Miller had said, there was precious little time this summer. June and July were all Su Feng had. No, not even two full months—most of June was already gone.

In August, Su Feng would have to attend Brickley’s training camp. No one forced him to go, but Su Feng insisted to himself that every summer camp was essential. Only by constantly improving could he keep pace with ever-stronger rivals.

From late August to mid-September, Su Feng would answer his country’s call and compete in the Men’s Basketball World Championship. Upon returning in September, October would bring a flurry of commercial events. Then, in October, the top league’s preseason camp would commence, officially ushering in preparations for the next campaign.

Su Feng recalled that nearly six months earlier, on the eve of Christmas, he had come here to play with the team. Initially, William Adams Miller had given him the game as a Christmas present. Unexpectedly, the Houston Rockets, led by Su Feng, had not shown any mercy, spoiling the festive mood for Adams Miller’s fans.

From that point on, Su Feng was blacklisted by Spurs fans. This became immediately apparent when Su Feng got out of the car.

“I’m standing by the entrance of the AT&T Center! Though it’s raining, nothing can dampen the fans’ spirits. Because of William Adams Miller’s close ties to Dallas, many Houston Rockets fans have taken to the road today to cheer for their team. Do you see the long lines at the ticket booth? For Adams Miller’s people, today is a grand festival!” The beautiful ESPN reporter, clad in a raincoat, was reporting live amidst the crowd when suddenly, a fierce wave of boos erupted.

The cameraman and female reporter left the crowd, heading towards the source of the commotion. It was only then that they realized: Su Feng had arrived.

Su Feng paid no heed to the jeers from Cleveland Cavaliers fans. Earning the hatred of the road crowd was a mark of true success—they hated you because they feared you would win.

“That seems to be an old friend of William Adams Miller.” Watching as Su Feng’s car was greeted by a storm of boos, Stevens, who had come to watch the game with Adams Miller, couldn’t resist pulling out his phone to record a video.

Usually, only extraordinary teammates could cause such a stir. Next to him, Hayward stood among Spurs fans, at most a few people came over for autographs. If Su Feng stood among Cleveland Cavaliers fans, Stevens was certain he wouldn’t survive ten minutes.

“The Spurs didn’t make full use of the Houston Rockets during the regular season. I think this series could be hard-fought,” Hayward said, watching the surging crowd, filled with longing for the playoff stage.

“This series against the Spurs in the playoffs, regardless of the outcome, will be incredibly tough. After this, things will be very different. Only by battling stronger opponents can we become stronger ourselves.”

People were closely watching the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stevens pondered how Su Feng could improve.

The result was important, but the journey itself was worth savoring.

Relish a powerful opponent—William Adams Miller’s presence brought more than just boos.

The San Antonio Spurs, regulars in the Western Conference Finals, were making only their second appearance here since winning the O’Brien Trophy in 2007.

After years of adjustment, the Cleveland Cavaliers under William Adams Miller had once again become a top team. Last year, they ran into the unstoppable Oklahoma City Thunder, who blocked their path to the Western Conference Finals. This year, it was the Dallas Houston Rockets who swept the Thunder aside. The Cavaliers’ goal was clear: reach the Finals and challenge for the title once again.

In this playoff campaign, Coach Vitch trained Leonard to compete against Henry Weir and James. Yet using this man against the Dallas Houston Rockets seemed like a promising strategy.

“Kawhi, how’s your prep coming along?” As the players warmed up on court, Coach Vitch called out intentionally to Leonard.

The young Black forward nodded silently at his coach. At sixteen, Kawhi Leonard had lost his father to gun violence. He had known both sorrow and joy, but rarely revealed his emotions. In temperament, he was a teammate much like Su Feng.

Men of steel were not given to shouts and bravado; Kobe Bryant and his Rockets teammates had no inkling of the trouble that awaited them.

With both teams’ fans in attendance, the AT&T Center was a thunderous cauldron before the game—one could not distinguish cheers from jeers.

Leonard stood expressionless opposite Duncan. They simply waited for the tip-off, ready to slay their opponents and seize victory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to William Adams Miller Arena! The long-anticipated Texas showdown is about to begin!” Mike Breen’s voice rang out, heralding the start of the game. The referee tossed the ball high, and Kaman snatched it before the Brazilian Cavaliers center could react. The Houston Rockets’ first Western Conference Finals possession began as Su Feng advanced the ball.

In the stands, some chanted “offense,” others desperately shouted “defense.” The fans’ voices mirrored the mindset of the teams on the court—there was a rift between the Houston Rockets and the Cavaliers.

On their first possession, Su Feng passed to Kobe Bryant. Kobe moved up to set an off-ball screen for Su Feng, then returned the ball to him.

After that, Kaman drew a foul in the paint and went to the line. However, the Spanish center squandered the opportunity, missing both free throws. The Thunder thus gained time and possession.

Heaven had opened the door for the Thunder, only to close it again swiftly. No miracle occurred, and despite some late-game drama, the Thunder ultimately fell 100-105 at the American Route Center Arena. Three straight losses for the Thunder meant the Rockets led the series 3-0—a seemingly inevitable outcome.

After the game, Henry Weir spoke to no one, disappearing alone at center court. Brooks glanced around, bewildered—was this really how the playoff run would end?

Kobe Bryant and Su Feng, meanwhile, became the stars of the post-game press conference.

“Coach Bryant, you said yesterday you wouldn’t let teammates who missed practice play, yet today not only did he play, but he scored 32 points and racked up 11 assists. Both in double digits. How do you explain that?” Reporters crowded around Su Feng and Kobe, awaiting their answer.

Kobe Bryant grinned mischievously, leaning into the microphone.

“I did say that teammates who missed practice would never play, but I never said I had missed yesterday’s practice.”

Reporters looked at each other, dumbfounded, once again made fools of by the master.

But the final decision on playoff promotions was not Carly’s alone.

For basketball clubs today, making the playoffs was not just a matter of honor, but of budget as well.

Massive ticket revenues, television bonuses, and per-game earnings made every club eager for a postseason berth. The longer you survived in the playoffs, the more visible your team became—good for both the club and the players.

Such was the power of money and the playoffs. Everyone fought for a spot—not just for glory, but for wealth. The Cleveland Cavaliers under William Adams Miller would not surrender easily.

Though Kobe Bryant had retired early, he dared not let his teammates relax in these days—he even canceled their usual day off. If they truly were the Cavaliers of William Adams Miller, wasting even an hour, not to mention an entire day, could be fatal.

Despite the fierce competition between the Spurs and the Nuggets, Coach Vitch had doubtless already studied the Houston Rockets thoroughly in advance.

The battle of bulls and horses, the Texas showdown… these names carried special meaning and were heard more and more often.

Before Duncan and Kobe Bryant became team leaders, the Texas neighbors—the Cavaliers and the Rockets—had never met in the top league playoffs. But with the emergence of these two giants, everything changed.

Over the last twenty years, the Rockets and Cavaliers had both become championship teams, led by seven-foot giants. Together, they had claimed five titles. In the first decade of the twenty-first century alone, they faced each other five times in the playoffs.

On average, every two years they would strive to understand, oppose, and respect each other, becoming the most formidable of adversaries.

The 2000-01 playoffs marked their first postseason encounter at this stage. The Houston Rockets also had Nash for the next two MVPs.

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