Chapter 128: Playoff First Battle

Fan Xi won Rookie of the Year.

No tie.

Blake Griffin and John Wall were far behind his score; he almost got all the first-place votes, except for the team reporters of the Clippers and Wizards who cast their first-place votes for John Wall and Blake Griffin.

This was unexpected for Fan Xi.

He originally thought that even if he won Rookie of the Year, it would only be a narrow victory, but now it was an overwhelming victory.

After celebrating with Lu Yuan downstairs, he calmed down and thought, it might be because the competition between Blake Griffin and John Wall was too intense some time ago, so that those who held the voting rights felt annoyed.

And at this time, Fan Xi rose abruptly.

With Fan Xi's record, with the miracles Fan Xi created, with Fan Xi's experience during this time, plus Charles Barkley's extensive promotion on TV.

It was hard not to cast this vote for Fan Xi.

Fan Xi took away Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie Team so easily.

At this time, the Los Angeles media was already shouting there: Why not include Jack in the All-NBA Team? Is it impossible to find three better point guards than him?

This was of course a bit pushing one's luck.

Although Fan Xi was very excellent, it was still possible to find three point guards better than him in the league.

Fan Xi became the first player in Asia to be elected Rookie of the Year; he had created countless precedents; his name was repeatedly chanted in Asia; he was the Asian basketball god in the hearts of fans.

Lu Yuan and Ma Chen did a lot of promotion in Asia, and they had already started to connect with Fan Xi's trip to Asia this summer; their actions were very huge, and they had already attracted the attention of a large number of sponsors; which brand didn't want to cooperate with an Asian super basketball superstar?

Fan Xi didn't care about these commercial operations; he put all his energy into basketball.

In fact, on this day, besides Fan Xi being elected Rookie of the Year, another big news exploded by the Los Angeles media was that Andrew Bynum was photographed having fun in a nightclub; photos of him carrying a dancer on his shoulders were published by major media.

Fans felt very angry.

They thought Bynum was too degenerate; compared with Fan Xi, it was simply one in the sky, one in the ground.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also said with pain: "This child wasn't like this before."

Magic Johnson said he would have a good chat with Bynum.

Magic Johnson was a meritorious player of the Lakers, also a small shareholder, and also the greatest point guard in NBA history.

However, he didn't seem to have a close relationship with Fan Xi... Although the media repeatedly claimed that Fan Xi was the best point guard the Lakers had had since Magic.

He looked at this comparison coldly.

He had a better impression of Andrew Bynum.

The day before the game, the degenerate Andrew Bynum suddenly appeared in an exclusive interview with the Orange County Register; this center who carried a blonde dancer on his shoulders actually appeared as a victim.

He said in the interview: "I lost myself."

"Since I returned, I feel everything has changed; I can't find my position, my seat was replaced, my tactics were changed, I was thrown from my comfort zone to another corner."

"I know our team has a very strong player, but why can't I compete fairly with him? I am also 24 years old, and I also have a bright future."

"I don't want to be thrown to the bench anymore."

The newspaper editor used the word "crying."

Humans are usually very emotional, and emotions are often easily reversed.

Before this report, when fans talked about Bynum, they would use "degenerate" to describe him.

Now, they were full of sympathy, thinking that the Lakers might indeed have ignored Bynum's feelings after Jieke Fan rose.

Especially Kareem Abdul-Jabbar kept emphasizing that Andrew was a particularly good child, he had learned all his techniques, he could become the league's number one center, and the Lakers had always had the tradition of the league's number one center.

Magic Johnson also said there that Bynum should be given a stage; no matter what, the playoffs are the center's battlefield, and only a team that controls the basket can control the whole game.

The words of these two Lakers legends had great appeal to Lakers fans.

At the same time, they could indeed influence the Lakers management.

Although Jimbas was very optimistic about Fan Xi, Fan Xi was his direct line.

But now, as old Buss's health was getting worse and worse, the struggle for control of the Lakers between him and Jeanie Buss was also getting more intense.

Fan Xi had never seen Jeanie Buss.

However, because of his close relationship with Jimbas, he naturally became Jeanie Buss's "opponent."

This was very annoying.

Of course, for now, the competition between the two siblings was peaceful and didn't affect the normal operation of the team; they were just competing very intensely in administrative matters and wouldn't interfere with the locker room.

However, Phil Jackson was the person in the vortex.

He originally didn't intend to let Andrew Bynum start, but three hours before the game started, he changed his mind.

Jeanie Buss was his girlfriend.

The relationship between them was very complicated.

Jeanie Buss was the most capable daughter of the Buss family; she had never been married, but since the 1980s, her scandals had never stopped; Dennis Rodman even self-exploded that he had slept with Jeanie Buss in a hotel for a month, then he chose to join the Lakers, but because he slept with Jeanie Buss too much and his state was not good, he was soon dumped.

Although Phil Jackson had long passed the age of talking about love, sometimes he couldn't help but listen to his girlfriend.

Andrew Bynum got the starting opportunity, and he told Jeanie Buss: "Jack is a very good player, I suggest you don't involve him in the competition with Jimbas, if there is a chance, you should chat with him, he will become a player like Kobe, he can carry the banner of the Purple and Gold Army."

"Okay, if there is time." Jeanie Buss obviously didn't listen to Phil Jackson's advice.

These complex high-level personnel competitions wouldn't blow into Fan Xi's ears; he and Kobe Bryant both felt Bynum was bitchy, clearly giving him enough opportunities, he insisted on doing it alone, and had to treat himself as a victim.

"I look down on him very much."

Kobe said straightforwardly: "He doesn't even have a strong heart, only knows how to cry like a girl and whine."

Fan Xi smiled slightly; he agreed with this point.

How could anyone with great perseverance and great wisdom do such a thing?

Lakers playoff first game, Staples Center, seven o'clock in the evening.

The arena was bustling with noise and excitement; although the Lakers set the playoff ticket price very high this year, it still made every seat full.

This is the benefit of big-city teams; they never lack spectators, and the box office is always exploding.

It's like the first big city on the East Coast, New York; although their record is terrible, the Knicks' revenue is the first in the league every year, and the market value is also the best in the league.

Los Angeles is the first big city on the West Coast; although there is no old-money like New York Wall Street here. However, it gathers internet upstarts, and a booming film industry, and the wealth of the whole world is gathered here.

Fan Xi had recently started to take endorsements in California; Fan Xi was rapidly becoming the most watched player in California besides Kobe Bryant.

This was not a small income.

Lu Yuan even told Fan Xi that he had already negotiated a cooperation plan with a real estate company; Fan Xi would endorse them, and they would be responsible for building a villa for Fan Xi by the sea; Fan Xi only needed to spend money to buy the land.

This made Fan Xi's heart beat faster.

At 7:30 in the evening, the game officially started.

Tonight, Fan Xi was the first player in the starting lineup to be called by name.

The Lakers' home court seemed to be following the rules of the Bulls dynasty back then; back then, usually Pippen appeared first, and then Jordan was the finale.

Fan Xi walked toward the court amidst huge screams and cheers.

When he entered the court, he saw Scarlett Johansson waving at him hard.

Scarlett didn't avoid the dense cameras around her at all; her name and Fan Xi's had been repeatedly mentioned recently.

Especially that JF tattoo of his made many media outlets report on it tirelessly.

However, even so, the media also thought that Scarlett Johansson, this sexy goddess, shouldn't be with Fan Xi. After all, Fan Xi is a standard 90s kid, Scarlett is indeed an 80s kid, the two have such a big age difference, it's not a match.

And with Fan Xi's current strength, he doesn't need to say anything like "Auntie, I don't want to work hard."

Sitting next to Scarlett Johansson was Selena; Selena was also Fan Xi's rumored girlfriend.

But at the same time, she also regarded Scarlett as her love mentor; she had been seeking help from Scarlett, and she even wanted Scarlett to seduce Fan Xi to test Fan Xi.

However, she didn't know that she had personally sent the fat sheep into the tiger's mouth.

Scarlett strictly executed her strategy, but she didn't hold on herself, and she capsized in Fan Xi's boat.

Now she is not thinking about tea and rice, tossing and turning, and as soon as she closes her eyes, it is Fan Xi's figure.

She has no shortage of pursuers around her, but now she thinks any man is mediocre, and she can't get excited; even those who are chased by women as male gods, she thinks it's just so-so.

To use her own words, a woman who has experienced an eagle can no longer fall in love with those sparrows.

Fan Xi is her eagle.

Selena saw Scarlett greeting Fan Xi so enthusiastically, she was very moved, she said to Scarlett: "Sister, now there are so many rumors about you outside, and you are still trying so hard to help me, you are simply too good."

Scarlett smiled slightly awkwardly; this Black Widow she played in the movie was full of affection at this time, and she was already unable to extricate herself.

The players on both sides of the court had also matched up.

Tonight, the Lakers' starting five were: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Mike Dunleavy, Kobe Bryant, Fan Xi.

The Portland Trail Blazers' five starters were: Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, Aldridge, Marcus Camby.

Both sides were strong.

The series evaluation of ESPN's basketball experts was that the Lakers would win 4:1 in this series. Of course, there were also many who thought the Trail Blazers could take two victories.

But no one thought the Trail Blazers could defeat the Lakers.

After all, the Lakers are the defending champion and have won two consecutive championships, and are frantically rushing toward the third.

"Jack, I've watched your game, I think you deserve the Rookie of the Year."

When hugging and greeting each other before the game, Brandon Roy actually spoke to Fan Xi.

They had no friendship before, and they hadn't dealt with each other.

So, Roy's support made him very surprised.

Fan Xi said, thank you.

Then the game started.

Andrew Bynum and Marcus Camby jumped for the ball.

The basketball was jumped away by the old Camby, and Andre Miller grabbed the ball and pushed forward steadily.

Fan Xi stared at Miller.

Miller looked like an ordinary point guard; in his entire career, his highlight scenes were not as many as Fan Xi's half season.

His reputation was not big at all, but he could find food anywhere.

It's like a character actor in the film industry; although he can't be the male lead, he can handle any role of male third or male fourth.

Fan Xi stared at him.

Andre Miller didn't challenge Fan Xi one-on-one; he didn't have the spirit of competition of a young man; seeing Brandon Roy appear open, he quickly passed the ball over.

Kobe stared at Roy; the commentator on TV said this was the battle between Black Mamba and Yellow Mamba.

Because of Kobe's nickname, there were already many Mambas in the league.

Some were because of strength considerations, and some were purely funny. For example, Curly Mamba, Stand Mamba, Human Celebration Mamba, White Mamba...

Roy was the real deal.

He challenged Kobe one-on-one.

He used a signature assault move to make Kobe's defense out of sync, and then hit the basketball with a step-back.

As soon as he came up, he hit Kobe with one.

Although Kobe was old and his state of mind was relatively mature, he wouldn't tolerate it when encountering such a situation.

Fan Xi also quickly passed the ball over.

Kobe played Roy one-on-one; he passed Roy, but when he went deep into the paint, he bumped into Bynum, causing him to miss the opportunity and fall into a double-team.

Fortunately, he quickly passed the ball out, Fan Xi caught the ball and passed it in again against the convention, Kobe caught the ball and hit it backhand.

Fan Xi's fast-in and fast-out pass let Kobe save face.

At the same time, it also witnessed the amazing tacit understanding between him and Kobe.

Compared to Bynum blocking Kobe's path, does this still need to be said?

The fans on-site gave Kobe cheers, and while cheering for his answer-ball, they couldn't help but complain about Bynum in their hearts: Little Shark is indeed lost, when can he swim back?

No one knows.

Gerald Wallace seemed to know that Bynum was lost; he, this desperate man, directly attacked the paint and came with a dunk over Bynum's head on the spot.

This made the fans at Staples Center collapse.

While the boos were everywhere, the suspicion of Bynum also increased.

... ===== CHAPTER 129 =====