Chapter 172: Does Love Truly Have Power

"Five years later, ten years later, twenty years later, even farther into the future, people will forget the outcome of this game, but will forever remember Jieke Fan breaking through the Three Giants' tenfold ambush and delivering a cataclysmic dunk over their heads."

Kenni Shimi Si exclaimed excitedly on TV, saying that even though the dunk‑flipped Ke Li Si Bo Shen had already been pulled up by teammates, Fan Xi stepped up to the free‑throw line.

But the shot still gave him, and the viewers in front of the TV, an epic shock.

Game 3 of the finals.

Worldwide public opinion favors the Miami Three Giants.

A Los Angeles youngster, white‑horse silver spear, charged in single‑file, broke through the tenfold ambush, directly slayed the Three Giants, accomplishing a daring strike on the golden dragon.

It does not spare a resounding slap for the doubters, and gives the lofty Miami Three Giants a loud palm, telling them: this is the Lakers' territory.

This is why Staples Center erupts with such a shout, and why so many fans in front of the TV are exhilarated.

This is also why Kenni Shimi Si says this shot will go down in the annals, and no one objects, even though earlier commentators Cha Er Si Ba Ke Li and E Er Yue Han Xun were being sarcastic.

Because the shot is more like a slap in the face.

Jieke Fan, not as simple as you imagine.

Swish!

Fan Xi calmly sinks the free throw.

The opening 2+1 ignites the home‑court momentum, relegating the sharpening Three Giants to supporting roles.

Mai Ke Bibi brings the ball to the frontcourt, and soon James and Wade both reach for it.

Superstars must not be disgraced.

Historical superstars even more so.

They all want to reclaim the court.

But Bibi can only pass the ball to one person, and he decides to pass to Wade.

Yet at the moment he shoots, the seemingly lazy Fan Xi standing beside him suddenly darts out like a cheetah; he is like a seasoned soccer goalkeeper, his judgment of the ball extremely precise.

And Fan Xi is now full of vigor.

Wei Er Te Zhang Bo Lun's peak energy brings not only abundant stamina but also hidden factors, such as excitement.

Bang!

Fan Xi slaps the ball down midway and, in one swift move, snatches it before Wade.

Immediately, he shouts: Attack!

Lakers players surge toward the frontcourt like a tide, bearing the grand march of heavy cavalry.

Fan Xi arrives at the frontcourt unhurriedly; after the steal, he does not launch a rapid, unstoppable offense.

Instead, he slowly reaches the top of the arc; Flash Wade comes to defend, using his strong body and wide wingspan to press Fan Xi's path.

Fan Xi and he tangle patiently.

After two consecutive direction changes, Fan Xi suddenly launches an attack; Wade just turns to chase, only to find that at some point Pau Gasol had moved to the three‑point area, setting a screen for Fan Xi. Fan Xi, with fierce speed, instantly shakes off Wade's defense and darts into the paint.

James follows from behind in pursuit.

But as Fan Xi halts abruptly and flicks upward, James involuntarily soars, yearning for a block.

Yet a good fighter does not boast glorious feats.

True defensive stalwarts dissolve the opponent's attack invisibly, not with flashy steals or exhilarating rim‑crushing blocks… evading James, Fan Xi quickly releases a floater… Swish!

Scores five consecutive points.

Opening 5–0.

Staples Center erupts.

Before the game everyone criticized Fan Xi for dating. Now many Lakers fans even think: if Jieke Fan can keep this output, he could date ten more times, and we'd support it, even if Jieke Fan kissed every woman in the Kardashian family one by one, we'd raise both hands in approval. (And honestly, it's something to look forward to.)

"The Lakers' positioning seems to have changed; they no longer use the previous triangle offense."

Kenni Shimi Si spots some clues.

Next to him, E Er Yue Han Xun talks to Ba Ke Li about another topic: "Given Jieke Fan's stamina, if he wants to continue this all‑encompassing style, I think he won't even last into the second quarter."

"Does he want to show his lack of endurance in front of his rumored girlfriend? Hahaha."

E Er Yue Han Xun truly is a master of sarcastic banter.

He seems to hold a bias against Fan Xi even higher than Charles Barkley's countless donkey‑butt kisses.

Ba Ke Li backs E Er Yue Han Xun's judgment. He says: "Miami doesn't need to rush now; they just need to play at their own pace…"

In fact, Spoelstra isn't a fool either.

He sees the true essence of the game; he understands Fan Xi's lack of durability better than Ba Ke Li, so he strictly orders the Three Giants to keep the tempo, playing their own way.

The Three Giants restrain their retaliation against Fan Xi, entering a coarse yet practical tactical mode…

Swish!

James bulldozer‑style charges into the paint and scores with a floater.

He always makes the game simple and brutal.

That's why many fans don't like him; he never brings any aesthetic to the game.

As Kenni Shimi Si said, the Los Angeles Lakers have completely changed their previous tactics.

Fan Xi monopolizes the ball; Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum take turns screening for him, or executing inside‑out tactics together.

The Lakers have become a one‑man team for Fan Xi.

This style has been popular these years; on the court, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si is most familiar with it, clearly seeing another version of himself fighting.

And Derek Rose, this year's regular‑season MVP, also employs this style.

But Fan Xi's condition tonight is surprisingly good.

He darts around the court with great energy, appearing more lively than Wade plus James combined.

Although this brand‑new tactical approach is still a bit raw, the players' coordination isn't especially seamless.

However, thanks to Fan Xi's unusually active play, after the first quarter the Lakers led by 6 points.

At this moment, Pat Riley, sitting behind the Miami Heat bench, looked somewhat anxious, furrowing his brow.

He thought: "This kid shows no sign of fatigue; can we really defeat him in one go while his stamina wanes?"

Pat Riley stood up, clapped his hands at the Miami Heat players, and said: "Kids, it's time to get nervous. In the second quarter, take the initiative and crush them."

Pat Riley has always been the Miami Heat's shadow coach; he is the true power behind this club.

When he issued such orders, the players all chose to obey.

…

At the same time, Fan Xi also returned to the bench.

In the first quarter, besides his earth-shattering slam dunk on the Three Giants at the opening, he scored 12 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in that quarter.

These stats would be elite even for a full game.

And he achieved that in just one quarter.

Like the other coaching staff members, Phil Jackson was very worried about Fan Xi's stamina.

"Jie Ke, is your stamina okay?"

That was Kobe Bryant asking.

Kobe Bryant sat behind the Lakers bench; he was even more worried about Fan Xi than Jackson was, because he knew how crazy Fan Xi had been the previous night—so crazy that it made Kobe doubt his own masculinity.

In fact, this doubt also arose in Vanessa's mind. Although Kobe kept helping her recall that he himself had been that wild in his youth, Vanessa said she had no such vivid memory.

"I'm fine, Kobe; I feel full of energy. Thanks for last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast—I've never felt more passionate."

Fan Xi told Kobe, and he indeed looked far from tired.

This surprised Kobe; it didn't seem like the Fan Xi he knew. Could he have eaten something special, some strange fruit, at my place last night?

"Are you sure you don't need rest, Jie Ke?" Phil Jackson asked Fan Xi again.

Before Fan Xi could answer, Jenna laughed and said from behind: "I guarantee he doesn't need rest. The sky is his limit."

Huh?

When Jenna said that with a face full of peach blossoms, the atmosphere instantly became a little strange and ambiguous.

But Jenna had already made all preparations; media publicity had no effect on her. She made her next move, reaching out to hug Fan Xi and kissing him on the cheek… wow!

The venue erupted in an uproar, filled with the cheers of onlookers.

The venue's cameras had been trained on the Lakers bench; when Jenna stood up, the director assumed something would definitely happen.

Then people saw what was arguably the most ambiguous, jaw-dropping moment in Finals history… no, actually it was only half a moment, with the other half yet to happen.

TNT also broadcast the moment live, and they quickly cut to the Kardashian family's reaction.

The Kardashian women each jumped up in an exaggerated performance, as if they had just won an Olympic bid.

Their acting was both exaggerated and genuine, as if it were the first time they'd seen their little sister so brave.

Their exaggerated reaction even made Kanye, who genuinely suffers from mental illness and sits nearby, look completely normal.

TNT then cut the camera to Selena and Scarlett Johansson, both of whom are rumored love interests of Jieke Fan.

This seemed somewhat provocative.

However, TV viewers did catch a hint of resentment and jealousy on Selena's face.

"It's obvious this is the second battleground on the Finals stage. Honestly, if Selena and Jenna were to fight now, with Scarlett as referee, I really wouldn't want to know the outcome of this year's Finals."

Charles Barkley loved the spectacle, no matter how big it got.

In fact, he voiced the sentiments of the few who don't love basketball.

Beep!

The whistle blew.

The game continued.

Fan Xi took the court with Jenna's lipstick mark; the shade of her lipstick left a truly beautiful imprint on Jieke Fan's fair, handsome face.

This made Lu Yuan, watching on TV, even say to Ma Chen: "Actually, Jieke could endorse lipstick—who says male athletes can't endorse lipstick?"

"Oh, dear. Give up that damned idea—this is unprecedented; no company would do this. What's the difference between this and having Beckham endorse Victoria's Secret?" Ma Chen retorted angrily.

"Isn't Beckham just Victoria's Secret? He knows all his wife's secrets… haha."

Lu Yuan told a cold joke.

He seemed to be in a very good mood.

Jieke Fan's opening dunk sent his adrenaline soaring; he felt great. The game result no longer mattered; what mattered was that Jieke Fan had crushed the doubts—he was already a winner.

Tonight, the only question is how much he wins by.

After all, who would really believe Jieke Fan could lead the Lakers to defeat the Miami Heat?

"This kid is truly a natural-born star."

Jerry West sat in Jean Bas's office, watching the game. He said somewhat reluctantly: "He could become a box-office star on any team, but… in Los Angeles, with our team, we never lack box office or attention."

Jean Bas shook her head, saying indifferently: "Why are we even discussing what this magic player should do?"

She reached out to turn off the TV: "Let him go to Orlando to set trends—there's the world's biggest Disney park, and he likes to hang out with the Disney princesses."

Jean Bas had no expectations whatsoever for the game.

…

The second quarter began.

The newly substituted Qian Mos mocked Jieke Fan's lipstick mark, saying he'd never seen a player wear a woman's lipstick on court and still win.

"Then you'll see it right away."

Fan Xi traded trash talk with him; he had originally wanted to wipe it off, but now he decided to leave it there.

Everyone says I'm a playboy, everyone says I neglect my duties, everyone says I let love interfere with my work.

So tonight I'll let you see how a playboy who neglects his duties for love and messes things up defeats the so-called super Three Giants.

Fan Xi developed a strong obsession.

Boom!

When Fan Xi, in the second round, used Bai Na Mu's screen to drive in and, with a powerful reverse dunk, slammed the basketball into the hoop, he then pointed at the camera below the basket at the lip print on his face.

Damn, this is the power of love.

Fan Xi deliberately showed off.

This sentence made Zhan Na, not far away, jump up and scream, while Sai Lin Na, not far away, immediately slumped her face, and even Si Jia Li couldn't hold back.

However, the viewers in front of the TV were all ecstatic.

What could be more exhilarating than watching a thrilling game while also seeing the year's most dramatic scandal?

Nothing.

Le Bu Lang Zhang Si and De Huai En Wade bravely chased, while Ke Li Si Bo Shen kept hitting mid-range shots.

But the Lakers kept the lead.

Fan Xi also maintained his fierce vitality.

He shuttled back and forth between the frontcourt and backcourt, and with his own strength drove the whole Lakers, just as James did in the past and Derek Rose does this year.

At many moments, the Heat felt they were still playing the Eastern finals.

But the Lakers' lineup was much stronger than the young Bulls.

Most importantly, this guy Jieke Fan is too tough to handle.

Could it be that love really has power?

Can red lips really make him full of energy?

…