Chapter 457: I Know What Your Secret Weapon Is

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both refuse to let their playoff run end in Los Angeles, even though they had an experience there last year.

In the third quarter they surged back, executing an efficient offense; Kevin Durant displayed his outstanding scoring prowess, and Westbrook's aggression inevitably evoked thoughts of the Bulls' number one.

But they still failed to overturn the score, only narrowing the gap to six points.

Then they quickly pulled away again.

Kuaisuan's players are all like dragons; Kuaisuan plays basketball in theory, just as Butler has always claimed: we're like we're at a previous university.

Every player is united, each one a primary scorer, the battle spreading from the three‑point line to the paint, from the paint to the entire court, from offense to defense, and from defense back to offense.

The Thunder were suppressed; they had only Westbrook and Kevin Durant, and their role players were taught how to cooperate with the two superstars… That's not wrong, it's the league's operating rule and an extremely efficient model.

Whether on the court or off it, this is needed.

It's a commercial league that needs dazzling superstars, quietly laboring scalpers, and supporting green leaves.

If everyone can fulfill their own role, they'll naturally become a strong team.

But at Kuaisuan it doesn't seem that way.

The long regular season and wild victories have cultivated at Kuaisuan a belief under Fan Xi that everyone is equal. Everyone gets a chance to shine, and Fan Xi will manage their brilliance; as long as they have a good touch and are in good form, opportunities won't stray from them.

The Thunder are unlucky.

They ran into a Kuaisuan that was raging for everyone.

Colloquially: they went crazy!

Oklahoma City paid the price for their home‑court arrogance, watching helplessly as the score kept climbing.

Powerless.

Looking back, they would surely regret having chosen Kuaisuan as their opponent.

Come to think of it, it's a bit of dark humor.

But people always have to pay for their choices.

128–98.

The Thunder lost like a playoff‑borderline team, and Fan Xi didn't even unleash his freshly practiced segment of Stop‑and‑Go Jump Shot.

He didn't want to speak at length because the Thunder were too weak.

However, the Thunder undeniably made the wrong choice; they could have secured Western third and even challenged for Western second, yet they insisted Kuaisuan was all flash and no substance.

This misperception existed with the Houston team and was even stronger with Oklahoma City.

They bought the media narrative, believing the 76 wins came out of thin air, merely luck.

Tonight Kuaisuan answered them with three players scoring over 20 and six players in double figures.

There's no such thing as luck; the whole team was simply like dragons.

Kevin Durant walked out of Staples Center dejected, head down, the youngest scoring champion in history pursing his lips to hide his sorrow.

For a long time people praised him, calling him a youthful talent, the pride of the new generation, a marquee NBA star. Now his confidence wavers. He was once the top of the new generation; when the concept of the new generation's Three Giants emerged, he stood in the middle, with Rosa and Fan Xi on either side.

But now he's been swept out of the Western semifinals for two consecutive years.

His restless scheming, his calculated plots, his solemn vows… have all become fleeting clouds.

If he could start over, he wouldn't pick Western fourth.

"Will I always be suppressed by Jie Ke like this?"

Durant whispered to himself as he entered the players' tunnel.

At that moment Fan Xi stood on the scorer's table, the entire crowd saluting him; he was this season's regular‑season MVP, and fans shouted MVP in unison, hoping Fan Xi would claim another Finals MVP.

Thus Fan Xi would achieve three consecutive Finals MVPs, becoming the NBA's first player to capture the Finals MVP in each of his first three league years, and be hailed as the strongest rookie, sophomore and junior ever.

"This is a successful series; we displayed our own style,"

After the game, Fan Xi smiled broadly, saying he hadn't felt this happy in ages; his joy was visible to the naked eye.

"The Thunder are excellent; they have two superstars who pose a strong threat to our defense. We must give our all, relying on the whole team's strength. Our win was hard‑won; they are a great team, and I tip my hat to their performance. Of course, I also worship my teammates for tonight's display,"

Fan Xi delivered his concluding remarks.

He now compliments opponents so naturally, without a trace.

Winners are often like that; they take the trophy and leave the praise for the losers.

"Jie Ke, tonight we saw Megan Fox and Si Jia Li Johnson appear intimately at the sideline; they had previously been arguing because of you. How did you reconcile them? It's said they both gave up the movie competition, and now the film's lead is Anne Hathaway… Do you think this could be Anne Hathaway's plot?"

A reporter suddenly asked.

Fan Xi thought for a moment, recalling that crazy afternoon, the lit incense and…

He furrowed his brow: "Um… maybe."

Huh?

The reporters were stunned.

At that point Fan Xi continued: "I'm not sure what happened between them. But this is a harmonious society where everyone lives peacefully, isn't that fine? I think your focus is misplaced,"

When the reporters tried to follow up, Fan Xi cut the interview short, saying, "Alright, this is a basketball game; these questions don't belong here. If you have no basketball questions, I have to leave now."

Fan Xi walked back, when a reporter behind shouted, "Jie Ke, if the Lakers made the Western Finals, could you still beat them as you did last year?"

Fan Xi nodded and replied, "Yes!"

…

Fan Xi's Yes became the front‑page headline in sports media; they didn't care about the Thunder's loss, nor discuss its cause, and the Thunder melted like ice in warm water.

They can now enjoy an uninterrupted holiday.

But for them it's sad; they feel used as cannon fodder. They finally realize the media's frenzy isn't due to their greatness, but because they're Kuaisuan's opponents. The Rockets are the same, and so are the Thunder.

Thus, the current media chatter focuses on how powerful the Lakers are, how their style counters Kuaisuan, how balanced the Lakers' strength is this season, and how their tactics suppress Kuaisuan…

Kevin Durant is a sensitive person; he dislikes being treated like a night pot. He intended to voice his grievance with his small trumpet, but hit the wrong note and ended up with a big one.

"Those media who claim Kuaisuan is weak and Jieke Fan is unbeatable should die. They try to destroy Kuaisuan but actually help it. The Lakers can't beat Kuaisuan; the Lakers have no remarkable tactics, Larry Brown isn't brilliant, and they're now a temporary team driven by hatred. When they get a harsh rebuke, they'll quickly fall apart,"

Durant posted this tweet.

He then took a shower without drinking the bath water; half an hour later, he walked out of the bathroom, picked up his phone, and his phone messages were almost exploding.

His Twitter showed 999+, plus 28 missed calls and 102 unread messages.

He hurriedly opened Twitter, and when he realized he had switched to the wrong account, he quickly deleted that tweet.

But it was already fermenting.

Now is a crazy internet age, and Durant's news spread quickly across the whole internet.

Those basketball experts who were criticized and attacked have already started to fight back; they claim Durant was scared by Kuaisuan, which is why he praised Kuaisuan and Fan Xi—this is the zeal of converts. They also say the Thunder is far less powerful than the Lakers, so they think the Lakers would also be defeated like them.

However, more ordinary fans expressed respect for Durant's tweet.

For a long time, Fan Xi and Kuaisuan had been portrayed by the media as symbols of "untrustworthy" and "lacking real strength", as if any team could overturn them. In fact, Kuaisuan achieved an unprecedented 76 wins and easily advanced through two rounds of the playoffs.

Durant's words were like an outlet, giving those who were upset a place to vent.

They wildly expressed their support for Durant on the internet, as well as their disdain for those authoritative media.

An opinion storm formed on the internet.

Durant never imagined, even in his dreams, that taking a shower would make him the center of the storm.

He opened the messages from friends, his agent, and business partners; they all reminded Durant to quickly take action and delete that tweet.

Then Durant called his agent again. The agent told him the matter was fermenting, to turn off his phone and wait until the mishap cleared up before commenting. The rest would be handled by him.

…

When Fan Xi saw Durant's tweet, he was startled; he hadn't expected the young Durant to be so forthright. But then, recalling his habit of using a secondary account, he realized it was likely a wrong‑account switch.

The Lakers beat the Grizzlies in Game Six, earning another ticket to the Western Finals. Because the Durant incident was fermenting, they were inevitably asked how they viewed Durant.

Larry Brown gave no response, because Durant had called him out, calling him an unskilled head coach.

This caused genuine hurt for Larry Brown, even though he emphasized within the team not to be affected. Yet he is an older man, and elders often care more about their reputation than younger people. Especially since this criticism came from the young superstar Durant.

Kobe Bryant also gave no response.

Chris Paul, however, seemed to hint at something; he recorded 21 points and 22 assists in Game Six. Without Fan Xi's extraordinary stats, this would have spread widely, but now people seem… it's fine.

"Kevin is a sensitive person; he has always liked to express things that ordinary people cannot understand. He is close with Jieke Fan, and even in London they keep in touch. I think he wants to use this method to promote Kuaisuan. He hopes Kuaisuan wins, because losing to a championship team is still better than losing to a Western Finals team."

Chris Paul is gentle, but he always manages to say things that drive people crazy.

That's why, after seeing Paul's interview, Durant wrote on his personal page: If Chris Paul weren't sensitive, he would certainly choose to re‑sign with the Lakers after Kuaisuan defeats the Lakers. Stay tuned; Chris always makes the smart choice.

Durant opened fire.

He is very assertive.

And also very sarcastic.

He is convinced Paul will jump ship before the Lakers sink; in fact, he is also convinced Howard will jump ship after the Lakers fail.

Because they are proud, they will not allow Kobe, the former super‑star who is about to fully leave his peak, to remain above them.

Moreover, if they lose to Kuaisuan twice, what hope do the Lakers have?

A good bird chooses a tree to perch.

They are all good birds.

Durant's remark undoubtedly pierced Paul's soft spot.

Paul also left a line on his personal page: Lakers must win! Lakers nation!

Chris Paul used it to express his belief in victory and his loyalty to the Lakers.

But what will the final outcome be?

No one knows.

…

After the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, mainstream basketball media began to hype the Lakers. They also started to create a finals atmosphere of Lakers versus Heat. They further embraced the passing of the torch between Kobe and James. In many basketball media's view, the finals should be the Lakers losing to the Heat, representing the 96 Golden Generation handing power over to the 03 Super Platinum Generation.

This better fits the media's thinking.

However, things will not be as simple as they imagine.

Before the Western Finals began, Fan Xi ran to Kobe's house to crash a meal.

The current civil war atmosphere in the City of Angels is quite intense; not only fans are divided into camps, but different media outlets are also split.

Local TV stations are desperately supporting their own teams and attacking rival teams.

However, Fan Xi's relationship with Kobe was unaffected.

Fan Xi even critiqued Kobe's Wellington steak at the dinner table, saying it wasn't as good as last time.

Then Fan Xi picked up Kobe's son, Jackson.

Judging by the name, he should be Fan Xi's son.

In fact, Jackson's complexion resembles Fan Xi more; he isn't as dark as the sisters and leans toward Vanessa.

"Jackson, you really should find a suitable girl and have a child; I don't want my son to have no opponents in the league someday," Kobe said competitively. "He now watches three hours of Kobe highlights every day."

"Why not let the kid watch something better," Fan Xi asked, "like Jieke Fan highlights."

Kobe laughed and gave Fan Xi a playful shove.

Then they talked about Durant.

Fan Xi said Durant is genuine. You should be ready for Paul and Howard to leave.

Kobe disagreed, saying: As long as we win the championship, no one will leave the Lakers.

"But you can't even get past the Western Finals, Kobe," Fan Xi said seriously, "I now have a secret weapon."

"Hahaha, I know what your secret weapon is; you can't beat us, and we've already set up a new defensive tactic because of your secret weapon," Kobe said. "That's why I have Jackson watch my highlights instead of yours; I'm always one move ahead of you."

Kobe was proud.

…