Chapter 444: Every Step Is a New History

People praise Don Quixote for challenging the windmills, because he has a fearless spirit of challenge.

But people find it hard to commend the Mountain Cat, who is last in league standings yet dares to challenge the league leader, especially when they trailed Kuaisuan by as many as 31 points at halftime.

"Stop."

During halftime, Michael Jordan walked to the scorer's table, and he and Fan Xi chatted softly while slinging an arm over each other's shoulders. He kept his mouth covered the whole time; he didn't want those damned lip‑readers to decipher his words.

But his gaze was full of "Jie Ke, give me Danzi a face."

Thus we include: English has spoken, so Fan Xi cannot refuse the favor.

Then Fan Xi suddenly said to Michael Jordan: "In the second half I'll put Jimmy Butler in, he's the player I think looks most like you. Do you think he could be your son who ended up among the people?"

Jordan was stunned.

Jimmy Butler's appearance indeed bears a striking resemblance to Jordan's in some ways. So when Fan Xi said that, Danzi didn't even think Fan Xi was joking; after all, after all these years, who knows if a dragon‑blooded descendant might have gone into the world.

If Jimmy Butler were Jordan's son, Jordan would certainly be delighted, because his own two sons are far from accomplished: they haven't inherited his basketball skill, but they have perfectly mimicked his off‑court talents—smoking, drinking, gambling, and chasing young models.

Of course, that wasn't Jordan's toughest moment; his hardest time would come ten years later, when his eldest son would avenge him and go on a date with the wife of Pippen Jr.

"Watch Jimmy's performance closely; maybe one day Jimmy could even save your team," Fan Xi suddenly told Jordan.

Jordan is a smart man; although his draft eye isn't great, his sense for trades is pretty good.

"What do you want?" Jordan asked Fan Xi.

"I want you to give him a max contract, and I want you to give me a draft pick—a super draft pick," Fan Xi said to Jordan.

Jordan was pleased.

He understood that Fan Xi had too many super rookies under his control; after developing one batch, he had to replace them.

Discussing this with Jordan was a perfect move.

Jordan's draft eye is like that of football's Bailey, a weapon of illuminated causality. But Fan Xi's draft eye is excellent: the Mountain Cat tanks to acquire a draft pick, trades it to Fan Xi, who uses it to select a super rookie, develops him for four years, then trades him back to the Mountain Cat, which then uses a super draft pick to exchange… a perfect closed loop.

Danzi avoided repeating Kuameibulang's mistake, while Fan Xi showcased his talent for uncovering rookies and could reasonably solve the problem of having too many super rookies and the pressure of contract renewals.

A win‑win belongs to.

"Good brother."

Jordan and Fan Xi gave each other a tight hug.

Fan Xi returned to the locker room.

The second half became boss Jordan's inspection time; Jimmy Butler engaged in all kinds of one‑on‑ones, pierced defenses, took jump shots… Jordan watched from the sidelines, his blood boiling with excitement.

Jimmy Butler truly has the bearing of my son.

So aggressive—defensively tough, offensively tough, a fiery style—that's the blood of us South Carolinians, destined to splash our youth on North Carolina's hot soil.

After Jimmy Butler completed a powerful alley‑oop dunk in the third quarter, Jordan even stood up; he extended his hands to applaud, then realized it was inappropriate, so he forced his hands onto his bald crown and patted it.

Then he sat down.

After the game, Jordan even sought out Jimmy Butler for a chat, encouraging him to play well.

Jimmy Butler was puzzled; when he returned to the locker room, he told Fan Xi that he felt Michael Jordan had ill intentions.

Fan Xi teased him: "Maybe he thinks you look a lot like him, so he's given you some special attention."

Butler muttered, "I look a lot like him?"

Hamilton quickly confirmed, "Indeed, very much so."

Hamilton played with Jordan back when they were with the Washington Wizards; he was a player who had been mentored by Jordan. Back then Jordan put Jordan through countless drills with Hamilton, which is why Hamilton is now as steady as an old dog at mid‑range and long‑range shots.

How many young players can keep their will firm under Jordan's fiery pressure?

In training camp, Jordan is tireless in teaching, and he specifically targets those fragile guys; each season he always stirs up something.

His way of leading the team is completely different from Fan Xi's.

In earlier years Kobe was somewhat like Jordan, a well‑known fact, since Kobe built his career by emulating Jordan.

However, Kobe's sharp‑tongued skill was far inferior to Jordan's. Later Kobe improved, focusing on "4 a. m. Los Angeles," using diligence, tenacity, and obsession as his label, carving out his own sky.

In a sense, Kobe truly is the active player closest to Jordan—not just in style and technique, but also in spirit. In some technical aspects Kobe even slightly surpasses his mentor. Yet Jordan's physical gifts are astonishing, giving him uniquely superior conditions.

Jordan playing a game always gives the impression of a jewel of wisdom in hand, wielded effortlessly; even when his team trails, you believe he can slip victory into his pocket.

Kobe, however, exudes a killing aura of "You can't dry me out, I'll dry you out."

"I think Jieke Fan looks like me."

Michael Jordan, after the game, suddenly said: "He looks more like me than Kobe does."

The media didn't know how to report that remark.

It is well known that since Jordan's first retirement, the league has continuously selected Jordan successors, from early Hardaway and Grant Hill, to the later four point guards, and even the 2003 generation's Anthony, James, all of whom have been tagged.

However, in recent years they have gradually stopped looking for Jordan successors.

Probably because Kobe has already reached the pinnacle.

Yet now Jordan suddenly made this claim, leaving the media baffled.

Fan Xi was also baffled.

So, in New Orleans he firmly retorted: "I disagree with Michael's statement; I'm a point guard, and I have nothing to do with him."

Fan Xi certainly doesn't want to become any Jordan successor; wearing that hat, how could he overturn the rule of Thus we include: English? It's no different from rebelling, then suddenly the capital's emperor declares you a crown prince.

Fortunately the media didn't take it seriously; they aren't keen on Fan Xi becoming the so‑called Jordan successor.

The media doesn't promote it, Fan Xi doesn't acknowledge it, and Danzi ultimately made a misstep.

The media now places its hopes on the New Orleans Hornets.

Kuaisuan only has five regular‑season games left; now… to keep Kuaisuan from breaking the regular‑season record, they must lose all five games.

Because after Kuaisuan eliminated the Mountain Cat, they already have 71 wins.

They already hold the league's second‑best regular‑season record in history.

They also set a Clippers team‑record, and even a new Los Angeles basketball record: a feat the Lakers, such a great powerhouse, hadn't achieved in all those years, but Fan Xi accomplished it within two seasons after joining the Clippers.

And Fan Xi was traded from the Lakers to Kuaisuan… just thinking of it makes Lakers fans wail.

Whenever this happens, Chris Paul is the most awkward.

Because he knows exactly how much Lakers fans wish that trade hadn't happened.

Human warmth and coldness, Paul has seen it clearly these past two years. When the trade first happened, they called him the league's top point guard. After Kuaisuan won the championship, he turned into "How great it would have been if the trade hadn't happened."

After the Hornets lost Paul, they changed team owners. In the original historical trajectory, Paul could be called the owners' nemesis; wherever he goes, the owners change—Hornets changed, Kuaisuan changed, Rockets changed, Sun also damn changed.

The Hornets are smarter than the Mountain Cat.

The New Orleans are also wiser than the North Carolina people; although they want to snipe Kuaisuan, they don't do it with fanfare.

They are low‑key, even excessively low‑key.

The Hornets' current leader is Ai Li Ke Ge Deng, but the founding core is An Dong Ni Dai Wei Si.

After losing Paul, Dai Wei Si filled the void.

Dai Wei Si is called an epoch‑making rookie; his offensive and defensive abilities are both super strong.

With him as the cornerstone, everyone believes the Hornets have a promising future.

An Dong Ni Dai Wei Si also carries a bit of the pride of a favored son of heaven, after all he once made the Dream Team.

However, when facing Fan Xi, his pride collapses; he still remembers the Olympic scene where Fan Xi knocked him over, though he pretended in the media that his shoes lacked protection.

But when actually meeting Fan Xi, he is very low‑key.

In this game, he sang an invisible champion for Fan Xi. He logged 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block for the whole match.

How to describe the play?

Among Kuaisuan's three big centers, his stats look a bit better than Huaiti Seda's.

And the Hornets unsurprisingly lost to Kuaisuan.

Kuaisuan secured its 72nd win of the season; whatever happens in the next four games, one thing has already been clearly established: Fan Xi fulfilled his pre‑season promise, and his regular‑season MVP is now a done deal.

Moreover, for every Kuaisuan player, it is a great season.

This piece of historic honor will be clearly written into each player's résumé.

The resilience and fighting spirit they displayed this season cannot be offset by media smears.

If Kuaisuan's locker room were truly a mess, and if every player really spent all their time dating female celebrities, how could they achieve such results?

Kuaisuan assistant coach Mai Ke Bu Lang said, "The more logical fact is that we did our job on the court, and we attracted them with our great achievements."

Kuaisuan, having earned its 72nd win, returned to its home court.

They will next face the Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. Afterwards, they will play two away games, in Philadelphia and in Sa Te Men Tuo.

Any subsequent win will lead Kuaisuan toward higher and more glorious history.

Kuaisuan is only one step away from a new historic record.

Fan Xi's career résumé gains another legendary hue.

And this is only his third season.

…