Chapter 473: Huaiti Seda

Kenny's remarks were read by Barkley as sophistry, but in fact he couldn't offer a real rebuttal because Kenny was attacking him entirely within his own framework.

In fact, when Kenny Smith said that, most basketball fans were already thinking: if Jieke Fan continues to win the championship this year and completes a three‑peat personal dynasty at the start of his career, then… what reason is there not to put him on the historical GOAT discussion list?

Fan Xi's miracles over the past three years have already surpassed the entire lives of many historic superstars, and he has even established a uniquely personal record in the long river of basketball history. He is the only undrafted player ever to win a championship and earn Finals MVP in his rookie season, the only sophomore to win championships with two teams and be named Finals MVP, and he also captured an Olympic gold medal, became regular‑season MVP in his third professional season, and led his team to an unprecedented, unbreakable 76 wins.

If you add this year's championship and Finals MVP as well.

Fan Xi would undoubtedly enter the historical best discussion list; even if his long career yields no further achievements, he would still be a historic‑level superstar. His status could even be compared with Shaq O'Neal, who, after all, has only three Finals MVPs.

But for Fan Xi, clinching this year's championship and building a personal three‑peat dynasty is only a beginning.

He has no intention of ending his career right there.

It's still early.

…

In the Clippers' locker room, Fan Xi was teasing Mili Xiqi's first‑half shake: "…like a big white bear shaking its butt, yet Martin fell for it."

"Ken Yang is all show; he's already old," Arenas said indifferently from the side, always looking down on opponents.

Then, hugging Huaiti Seda, he said in a big‑brother tone: "Hey, little brother. Watching Mili Xiqi play so beautifully, you have no thoughts? I think your defensive talent is pretty good; how about you take on Le Bu Lang Zhang Si in the third quarter?"

Huaiti Seda's eyes flickered with a hint of ambition.

Arenas kept goading him: "Go ahead. For a second‑round pick like us, one playoff series that proves your worth secures a lifetime. I rose from the bench back then; if you take out James, when this contract ends, countless people will offer you multi‑million salaries, even a max contract."

Huaiti Seda, firmly swayed, turned around solemnly and challenged Fan Xi and Maikelbang: "Jie Ke, Maikelbang, give me a chance. I want to block Le Bu Lang Zhang Si's onslaught. I think I can."

Huaiti Seda stared intensely at the two.

He hopes this playoff series will be his destiny battle.

He wants to be above others, to be an elite player in the league, to live a life like Mili Xiqi's… When Mili Xiqi first joined the Kuaisuan, he was almost as down‑and‑out as him. But now he is a husband of a female star, a regular on the Los Angeles red carpet, and a top‑tier Western center.

Fan Xi and Maikelbang exchanged a glance.

He asked Huaiti Seda: "Do you think we should give you this chance to try?"

"Yes," Huaiti Seda said confidently. "I can definitely limit Le Bu Lang Zhang Si's activity in the paint. I'm tougher than him, hungrier than him, and I have nothing to lose."

Fan Xi smiled and said, "Alright, we'll give you five minutes to prove yourself, because any more time would disrupt our original plan."

Huaiti Seda immediately shouted his acceptance.

His challenge made the locker room atmosphere even more united.

Everyone's fighting spirit rose as well.

The team is very positive and upward‑moving.

Although there is competition, its intensity isn't high. Even if Little Jordan's style clashes a bit with Huaiti Seda's, Little Jordan's playing time is basically guaranteed, and he has already signed a multi‑million‑dollar contract.

Moreover, this season Nowitzki is deliberately limiting his minutes, so Mili Xiqi gets abundant playing time, and Huaiti Seda averages 15 minutes in the rotation.

Maikelbang later discussed the second‑half lineup and tactics with Fan Xi.

To be safe, Fan Xi decided to play Mili Xiqi and Huaiti Seda together; Mili Xiqi's defense is a bit better than Nowitzki's, though his offense is far less reliable… Mili Xiqi is a jack‑of‑all‑trades on offense but lacks a killer move. Yet in this era, being a little bit of everything is already good enough.

The perimeter partners are Lubeo, Fan Xi, and Leonard.

Fan Xi guessed the Heat wouldn't keep using James as point guard; if they persisted with this style, it would mean the Heat have other secret weapons.

The whistle blew.

Fan Xi's guess missed.

The Heat still start James as point guard, but DeWain Wade is replaced by Xiaoen Badi'er, Ke Li Si Bo Shen by Haslam, and the center spot goes to Kambi.

Past cases show the Heat aren't a team that likes massive roster overhauls; it's usually the Clippers that are so whimsical.

Tonight, the Heat's massive changes can only indicate one thing.

"Miami is fully confident of clinching tonight's win," Charles Barkley shouted on TV.

At the same time, the camera focused on Fan Xi, whose brows were furrowed; he looked quite worried.

Fan Xi truly felt uneasy, because the Heat weren't playing by the book.

However, Lubeo had already met James at that moment.

Lubeo's season so far seemed unremarkable, yet he is the Second Route Marshal whom Fan Xi trusts immensely; his playmaking talent and steady mind earn Fan Xi's high praise, and his defensive ability is actually quite good.

Moreover, his personality is low‑key; despite having a handsome Hollywood‑type face, he's never been linked to any scandal.

So Arenas even teased him: "Brother, you're not secretly a woman‑hater, are you?"

Whenever that happens, Lubeo gets a bit shy and says he has a girlfriend and the relationship is great…

When the handsome white guy Lubeo charged at the hulking Le Bu Lang Zhang Si, the visual impact was huge, like a giant warrior and his delicate wife.

Lubeo used a wrapping defense on James.

He intended to disrupt James's ball‑handling rhythm.

James's ball‑handling has improved greatly this season, but one thing can't change: his center of gravity can't drop to the ground like Paul or Fan Xi.

Thus, in high‑intensity scrambles he needs a buffer.

He could body‑check him directly, but Lubeo controls that distance very well.

Although James eventually surged past him from the side, Lubeo forced James to waste three to four extra seconds.

When James stormed into the paint, ready to finish with a thunderous dunk, the Clippers hadn't set any help defense at all; they were all spread out, and even the nearest Leonard didn't follow.

Mili Xiqi had already been pulled to the weak side by Haslam.

Only an obscure guy remained in the paint.

James didn't even think; he exploded upward, using unstoppable momentum to complete a battle‑axe pose in the air, actually trying to mimic Karl Malone's left‑hand‑to‑ear move, which he does often.

During that brief, wind‑cutting surge in the air, he believed the ball was certain to be his.

But just as he was about to finish the dunk, a dark shadow below the rim sprang up violently; Huaiti Seda, in a water‑blue jersey, swooped through the air, resolutely moving to block the league's most dazzling superstar.

He was even prepared for a serious injury.

He summoned all his strength and leapt explosively; when he was airborne he realized James wasn't above him, so he reached out and slapped the ball with his right hand—just in time… because James offered no protection… pressing directly onto James's must‑have ball, the two wrestled in the air.

Huaiti Seda felt a powerful impact, especially when James's body slammed onto him like a wave.

At this moment, Huaiti Seda could no longer stop descending.

He couldn't withstand James.

But then he made an extremely brave decision.

He clenched his teeth.

He reached out with his left hand… his wingspan was the longest in the entire Kuaisuan, and he astonishingly used his left hand to assist his right… both hands grasped the basketball… and snatched the ball as it fell under James's pressure.

Huaiti Seda staggered onto the floor, but steadied himself, hugged the ball to his chest, thrust his elbows outward, and with a ferocious beast‑like roar swept his arms around.

The whole Staples Center was set ablaze… when James surged into the paint and leapt, everyone thought the paint would be lost and James would run wild under the basket.

Yet the final result was James being directly denied with a block.

Huaiti Seda's roaring image flashed on the giant screen above.

Everyone saw his fierce and valiant posture.

Whose lieutenant is this!

James turned his head, his eyes filled with an incredible feeling.

He didn't expect this guy to so cleanly and neatly block his must‑have dunk… although he had seen Huaiti Seda's superb performance on video, he realized Kuaisuan had once again succeeded, but he never imagined a round where this guy could suppress him.

He watched Huaiti Seda pass the ball to Fan Xi.

Then he told the head referee his view: "Is that not a foul?"

The head referee remained unmoved.

James didn't press further; he asked only to put pressure on the officiating crew, "You have to give me some special treatment."

He knew better than anyone that this was a beautiful and clean block.

Fan Xi passed the ball to Lu Bi'ao.

When defending, he deliberately high‑fived Huaiti Seda as a sign of encouragement.

On the sideline, Arenas had already been waving a towel and jumped up: "Little brother, your era is about to begin; you'll definitely become the league's top defensive center."

Arenas is a passionate person who always ignites his teammates' enthusiasm. Although he was long considered a locker‑room troublemaker, in Los Angeles he is the "old‑man‑is‑a‑treasure" type.

In the next battle, Lu Bi'ao faced Lei Alun's defense.

This was a strategic deployment by Le Bu Lang Zhang Si; he clearly thought Lu Bi'ao was the easiest target, so he assigned the shooter Lei Alun. He personally guarded Leonard, while Xiaoen Badi'er went to track Fan Xi.

This defensive pairing is theoretically very sound.

However, Lu Bi'ao and Mili Xiqi used a brilliant pick‑and‑roll to break the defense, then drove to the basket and directly fed the ball to Huaiti Seda, who seized the chance and completed a one‑handed slam dunk.

One defense, one offense.

Huaiti Seda demonstrated his value with that action, giving Kuaisuan the lead.

Moreover, this was an attack‑defense model not built by Fan Xi… Fan Xi was completely uninvolved.

Pat Lai Li, the old fox on the Heat bench, furrowed his brows, propped his chin up with his right hand… making himself look more like Al Pacino in The Godfather.

Pat Lai Li was considered the NBA's most handsome coach when he debuted with the Lakers, and he remains handsome today. Since then he has shown an astonishing desire for control; although it led Magic Johnson to drive him out of the Lakers, he established even deeper authority with the Knicks and Miami.

At this moment he stared at the court, realizing things might once again slip out of his control.

So he turned his head and gave Dehuai En Wei De a sidelong glance.

Wei De immediately stood up and walked toward the tech table.

Their tacit understanding was very high.

As Wei De approached the tech table, the head referee blew his whistle.

He called an offensive foul on Le Bu Lang Zhang Si.

Pat Lai Li was angry then, but he stood up; when he saw the replay on the big screen, Le Bu Lang Zhang Si drove toward the paint, Huaiti Seda stood like a rigid wall outside the reasonable collision zone, and when James slammed into him, his body fell like a zombie.

The pain from the impact made his hair stand on end.

Pat Lai Li instantly gained respect for the center named Huaiti Seda; he is an iron‑blooded coach, and the lineup he built with the Knicks can be described as an iron curtain. You Yin, Ao Ke Li, the Madman, Mei Sen and those booming tough guys were all cultivated by him, plus Mo Ning… Pat Lai Li has a natural fondness for tough centers.

Huaiti Seda struck his heart directly.

Pat Lai Li couldn't help but remark that Kuaisuan is truly lucky; even a random pick can yield a defensive beast.

If this player were my own, how great that would be.

Pat Lai Li thought this, even feeling that Martin and Campbell, both long‑time famous defensive centers, together still don't match Huaiti Seda's toughness.

Meanwhile, on the court Fan Xi and Huaiti Seda high‑fived. He told Huaiti Seda again: "You have done a great service to the team."

Moreover, Huaiti Seda's sudden rise shattered Fan Xi's preset plan.

He began to feel that the Heat is like a mad dog that has run into a dead end.

…