Chapter 448: Rise to Fame and Fortune, Tonight

James Harden quickly responded to Fan Xi.

He said he had long been tired of the so‑called arguments.

"No one's neglect or deliberate suppression will make me lose confidence; Jie Ke Fan may have become famous before me, but he is no authority. The outcome won't be known until the playoffs are over, and I'm ready to prove myself."

James Harden is very tough.

But he overlooked one issue.

That is, no matter what, James Harden had to become famous earlier than Fan Xi. Harden was already a renowned five‑star high‑schooler in California during his high‑school years, and after entering college he became a figure surrounded by the stars.

Moreover, he was the third overall pick of the 2009 class, while Fan Xi was an undrafted player of the 2010 class.

In terms of background, seniority, and age, he is the more qualified one compared to Fan Xi.

However, Fan Xi's three‑year professional career has been too legendary, and the only ones he is compared with are superstars like Le Bu Lang Zhang Si. James Harden only this season was traded from the Thunder to the Rockets, acquiring a few superstar fragments. So he appears more like a junior.

It is not surprising that James Harden said such words.

This year, after acquiring Harden, the Houston Rockets' record has surged; although they didn't achieve a historic 76‑win regular season like the Clippers, they still secured 45 victories and led the long‑dormant team back into the playoffs.

Their head coach Mike Hail is even more confident; the former legendary star, now a rookie head coach, blurted to the media: "I bet you all want to see the invincible regular‑season team get knocked out by an eight‑seed in the first round, right? That would be a wonderful piece of history and would fire up our young guys."

Mike Hail's words spread widely.

The thing is, whether for eye‑catching or catering to North American emotional demand, this is highly news‑worthy.

Malicious media want to see the invincible Clippers suffer a crushing defeat; they can't wait to watch the Clippers fall from legend to joke.

After all, a team that wins 76 regular‑season games, even if it only gets second place, will be mocked.

From any angle, it is regarded as the rightful champion.

After all, the Chicago Bulls, who set a 72‑win record, won that season's championship and completed a three‑peat.

It is well known that Jordan, after his third consecutive title, was long past his peak.

That's probably why Dennis Rodman was invited to ESPN's studio, where he chatted with the media, claiming that Jie Ke Fan now doesn't even dare to touch a woman's hand. Because 76 wins are an honor but also pressure. If they can't capture the championship, today's honor will become future disgrace.

"Not every team is as resilient as the Chicago Bulls. We remain consistent; whether in the regular season or playoffs, we can dominate opponents. We aren't afraid of single‑game battles; we love series‑type wars even more."

"Jie Ke, go discuss how to have children with his girlfriends. After all, Madonna used to call me every ovulation period, and I'm sure those Hao lai wu actresses are just playing around with Jie Ke Fan."

"They're just trying it out. You know, that's how women are; when the media package Jie Ke Fan as an all‑powerful, glamorous male image, all the female stars want him. He becomes a fashion item. These top Hao lai wu actresses all want to have him. But any fashion item eventually goes out of style, you understand?"

Dennis Rodman shrugged his shoulders, looking very knowledgeable.

In a sense, he truly is a smart person.

During his playing days, he was adept at self‑promotion; he succeeded in becoming the second‑most commercially valuable Bulls player after Jordan, despite his bad‑boy image. In this regard, Scottie Pippen falls far short of him.

This time, after Kanye West and Tai Lei Si Wu Fu Te's argument pulled him in, he stuck to Fan Xi like chewing gum; he has already appeared on many TV shows commenting on the matter, earning plenty of exposure and show fees.

Moreover, he tirelessly brings up his brief past relationship with Madonna for discussion, until Madonna's lawyer issued him a warning.

As for Fan Xi's case, Fan Xi and his Fan ladies find it hard to legally stop his nonsense.

Even though everyone knows Dennis Rodman wants a Charles Barkley‑style commentary contract.

ESPN is also evaluating his past history and some uncertain factors.

Many retired players greatly envy Barkley; Barkley's commentary fees on TNT even exceeded his NBA salary. Though inflation differs across eras, it is no exaggeration to say Barkley lived a very comfortable life among their generation.

With the media industry's growth and increasing NBA investment, there is ample reason to believe that someday Barkley might suddenly sign a billion‑dollar contract.

That is exactly what Rodman hopes for.

Fan Xi is unwilling to discuss Rodman; he knows that any reply he gives Rodman will bring Rodman attention and influence.

When you hate someone, the best way is to ignore them and let them fade away naturally.

Frankly, Fan Xi's mental pressure is enormous right now.

He is fully convinced that if the Los Angeles Clippers lose in the playoffs, the regular‑season glory will become a disgrace. He also has no doubt that the scheming media will inundate him with mockery and ridicule.

Especially… after this season, he must accept the league's assignment and the fate draw, and will go to another unfamiliar and unknown team.

He hopes to leave the Clippers with two championships and complete his personal three‑peat dynasty.

Only then will he be qualified to challenge the highest throne.

However, the game against the Kings made Fan Xi realize some minor shortcomings between himself and the team's roster; although these flaws can be mitigated tactically, a team like the Kings simply cannot be seized, and even top teams may not capture them in the regular season.

But if placed in a long series, that tiny mistake could become a fatal wound in the top‑level matchups.

Fan Xi has spent the entire season frantically improving his on‑ball jump‑shot accuracy and consistency.

His effort has yielded returns, but the payoff process is long and not instantaneous.

Fan Xi hopes to reignite his Energy Halo.

However, he has already experienced far too much; he has witnessed grand scenes, and nothing seems able to excite him again to the point where his blood surges and arcs of electricity flash in his mind.

In fact, besides this worry, Fan Xi has other concerns.

Anne Hathaway called him, saying Megan Fox has recently been battling Scarlett Johansson for a movie script, and they are both giving their all.

This is very likely to spark a new conflict.

The film will finalize its cast and begin shooting before the end of May, meaning their rivalry could erupt during Fan Xi's playoff run.

Fan Xi hopes Anne Hathaway can play a role; she has been the female star he talks to most lately, and although they maintain a pure relationship.

Fan Xi regards Anne Hathaway as a confidante; he even hopes this intellectual, gentle actress can become his chief steward, helping solve some family troubles. Anne Hathaway consistently eases Fan Xi's worries.

They are compatible.

…

The first round of the playoffs arrives quickly, and the Houston Rockets arrive in Los Angeles still smug and arrogant.

The Clippers‑Rockets game is scheduled for the second game day.

The night before, Staples Center was plastered with the Lakers logo, and basketball fans nationwide watched a Lakers versus Warriors matchup.

Before the series, everyone predicted a one‑sided victory; almost every basketball analyst believed the Lakers, with their super‑galactic battleship, would easily crush the Warriors.

But.

The situation took an astonishing turn.

Larry Brown probably devoted too much energy to dealing with strong teams like Kuaisuan, Heat, Bulls, Spurs, and Thunder, and while building the top‑level structure he overlooked the Warriors.

He didn't even appear on the sidelines; he went to a hospital for a physical. He believes D'Angelo's talent, combined with the Lakers' roster, is enough to easily annihilate the Warriors.

After all, Steve Kerr once learned the run‑and‑gun from D'Angelo, and the Lakers' lineup outclasses the Warriors in every dimension.

The Lakers think so too.

They also play fast offense; after Chris Paul lost the title of the league's top point guard, he became more pragmatic, but that doesn't mean he'll respect a star of Stephen Curry's caliber.

However, reality slapped the Lakers twice.

The Warriors bewildered the Lakers with a frantic assault in the first quarter, 39–31; while leading by eight points, the Warriors announced the Lakers' defensive collapse.

D'Angelo again proved he lacks defensive concepts.

In the second quarter, spurred by Kobe, they focused on defense, holding the Warriors to 31 points for the period, but they hit an offensive drought while the Warriors kept widening the gap, extending the lead to 15 points by halftime.

Then both TV viewers and commentators were stunned.

They couldn't believe that the thing they hoped would happen actually occurred with another Los Angeles team.

Moreover, the Warriors have a history of pulling off a black‑eight; could they be pulling a black‑seven this season?

In the third quarter the Lakers altered their tactical logic.

They reverted to that hard‑nosed half‑court set team.

Unfortunately, by then the Warriors' momentum was already unleashed, and their shooting percentage was unreasonable.

The third quarter remained even.

In the fourth quarter the Lakers launched a comeback, at one point cutting the deficit to five points.

But in the clutch, Klay and Curry each hit a three‑pointer.

The game lost its suspense.

Fan Xi watched everything unfold in front of the TV; Curry and Klay were like two cold‑blooded assassins overturning the Purple and Gold Legion's glory.

"They're playing a very new kind of basketball," Fan Xi said. "In the future they could very well become our biggest Western opponent."

Jimmy Butler asked, "Not the Lakers?"

"If the Lakers lose this season, they'll fall apart," Fan Xi said firmly.

Then Fan Xi told Leonard and Butler, "At the 2011 draft I originally wanted to pick four forwards, and Klay was one of them."

Ballet and Leonard couldn't help but feel relieved; they were sure that if Klay were on Kuaisuan he'd definitely thrive, but if he joined the Warriors it was less certain.

Currently Kuaisuan's biggest shortage is a three‑point shooter like Klay; although they have a tall shooter such as Rashad Lewis, his shooting hasn't improved with age and is just average output, mostly coming off the bench this season.

Jimmy Ballet, though capable of spot shooting, prefers to attack.

Gilbert Arenas's three‑point shooting is fine, but his form this season has dipped; age and injuries have reduced his burst frequency compared to last year.

Hamilton excels more at long two‑pointers and off‑ball movement.

Fortunately, Kuaisuan still has Fan Xi and Nowitzki.

Their presence deters opponents from compressing the defense.

…

The Warriors' victory is like a weather vane; while the media lavishly praises the Warriors, they also cheer on the Houston Rockets.

They hope the Rockets can stage a comeback at the Staples Center like the Warriors.

In fact, Rockets players are also quite encouraged; they believe that anything the Warriors can achieve, Houston can also accomplish.

For a moment, the media rallied the Rockets with battle cries, as if Kuaisuan's destruction were imminent.

But this discourse hasn't swayed Kuaisuan's home fans; accustomed to media hype, they've turned the tables on the press many times over the past two years, so sour media commentary no longer sparks their interest, let alone dampens their enthusiasm.

Over twenty thousand people packed the Staples Center.

Before Fan Xi entered the arena, a coordinated chant rang out: MVP! MVP! MVP!

The roar of the crowd gave James Harden a huge shock; a famous saying began to echo in his mind: "A true man should be like this."

He hopes that one day he can achieve it himself.

And the first step is to take Fan Xi down.

James Harden clenched his fists, looked around, feeling a surge of ambition to make his name known tonight.

But soon his gaze fell on a woman who unsettled his resolve, Koler.

Koler arrived at the sideline with her new boyfriend, also an NBA player.

She even raised an eyebrow at Harden.

Harden understood her meaning.

Just like she did with all her previous boyfriends: "Puppy!"

Harden refuses to admit it!

But the man sitting beside Koler looked genuinely fierce.

…