Chapter 544: Father's Pride

The 2013-2014 season quickly entered its final stretch, with the playoffs drawing ever closer.

Basketball commentators liked to call this season a time of many contenders rising together, a situation of great competition.

But commentators like Kenny Smith would say, "This is the last championship window for those superstars; once Jieke Fan returns to Los Angeles and joins forces with the Western Conference's fourth‑placed Kuaisuan, do the other teams still have a chance?"

Such remarks sent chills down many people's spines.

Before the season began, it was unimaginable that the Kuaisuan would be this ferocious, displaying defense to such an extreme. Even more unimaginable was that after Fan Xi went to New York, his personal ability could rise to such a terrifying level. Originally many thought that Fan Xi's separation from the Kuaisuan would mark the beginning of a decline.

Who would have thought? Both sides flourished and prospered: after losing Nowitzki, Fan Xi and others, the Kuaisuan honed its defense to perfection, while Fan Xi, with the Knicks, elevated his personal ability to historic heights.

So, even though this season hasn't ended yet, people have already started worrying about next season.

Although Durant insisted that no one could dominate this era, deep down they still regarded Fan Xi as the ruler; otherwise… why would he deliberately emphasize it?

What else could it be but a guilty conscience?

…

Fan Xi was leisurely; he quietly appreciated the league's "chaotic myriad phenomena," calmly watching those superstars coveting divine artifacts as they fiercely scrambled.

By contrast, Larri Brown's workload was much heavier. Maintaining seventh place required enormous mental computing power and various dynamic balances. Moreover, they had to guarantee the New Jersey Nets' second‑place spot, even though Derrick Rose's Bulls were quite cooperative.

However, the Indiana Pacers were a troublemaker. They were ambitious and showed they did not want to play second fiddle. They did not fear a showdown with the Eastern Conference's seventh‑placed Knicks.

Such hotheads must be dealt with.

The Bulls gave them a lesson, in Indiana.

Soon they would arrive at Madison Square Garden. Larri Brown decided to continue giving them a lesson; two straight losses would widen their gap behind the third‑placed Bulls by one and a half games and behind the Eastern Conference's second‑placed Nets by three games.

Although this would temporarily tie the Knicks' record for sixth place.

But there was no other way.

"From now on, we can only afford to lose one more game to the Nets."

Larri Brown said this at the pre‑game meeting.

Statemeyer muttered, "I don't know how smug Carmelo Anthony is going to get. Sigh!"

The Little Tyrant had basically locked up the scoring title, whether through team play or deliberately padding stats in garbage time; in short, he had earned the honor he had long coveted. Fan Xi also fulfilled his promise to him.

To Fan Xi, this was just a game, and he was having fun playing it.

The Indiana Pacers were a fresh force in the East, a extremely strong troublemaker.

This team was personally crafted by Larry Bird upon his return to Indiana, a pure blue‑collar golden standard. They played tough, defended tenaciously, and under head coach Vogel their teamwork was highly coordinated.

This season they brought in Hill and re‑signed David West. Besides, there was a group called the "Brave Soldiers"; the interior center Hibbert had already been dubbed the East's best center, his rim protection extraordinary. On the wings there was also Paul George, who is also an outstanding defender, excelling both in help and man‑to‑man defense, capable of guarding the opponent's primary threat.

Furthermore, David West, George Hill, the level‑headed Stephenson, Hansbrough, and the former leader Granger… this team stored ample energy in both its starting and rotation lineups, so facing them is certainly no simple matter.

The Knicks had watched plenty of their video footage before the game, and everyone agreed they were a crazy opponent.

Larri Brown even said, "We must unleash all our energy to test the effects of our prior training."

Then, in this game.

The Knicks started with: Fan Xi, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Tyson Chandler.

They benched the scoring king Statemeyer, who sat on the bench chuckling; this is something only the Knicks would do.

Although Larri Brown rarely appeared stern this season, even refraining from scolding players in practice, he pleasantly discovered that the team was becoming more like a precisely cooperating machine.

Statemeyer was merely one of those screws.

Moreover, he was quite happy to be that screw, even though he now shines outside as a superstar scorer.

But what of it? He himself knows exactly how his scoring title came about. As long as Fan Xi wishes, any scorer on the team could take the scoring crown.

From this, Larri Brown learned a lot: it turns out that without scolding or using threats as leverage, people can still be so obedient—and happily so.

…

Madison Square Garden remained packed, but after this period of "tanking," they had become clear about the team's style: against weak teams, a friendly slaughter; against strong teams, a friendly loss.

In a Knicks game, you just need to glance at the pre‑game roster to know who is familiar and who will win.

Therefore, some commentators even dubbed the Knicks a "strong‑team tester."

Being able to beat the Knicks definitely means you're a strong team; losing to the Knicks means you're not up to par.

Even so, this could not dampen the Knicks fans' enthusiasm; they just love the hustle and bustle. Moreover, what if Jieke Fan scores another 101 points tonight?

Besides the packed crowd, this game featured another shot that set the arena ablaze.

Jennifer Aniston came to the court, and she was holding a little boy—the same one previously exposed. He could actually walk now; he looked cool, wearing tiny sunglasses, small denim jeans, and a Yankees jacket.

Although he wore diapers, his aura was still formidable.

As he walked over, it was as if a superstar had come for an inspection.

The surrounding fans screamed at him, yet he calmly waved to everyone.

"One must say, the child of a superstar is a superstar. This little guy is a born protagonist; he looks like he's here for a fan meet‑and‑greet."

TNT televised the game nationally, and Kenny Smith said this on TV.

TNT gave this handsome child plenty of camera time; he sat on his mother's lap, wearing tiny sunglasses, quietly watching the court.

This kid wasn't shy like an ordinary child; he gave people a strange illusion that he could control the whole scene.

Fan Xi certainly noticed this, so before entering the game he deliberately walked over, and the already‑walking little one naturally opened his arms, wanting Fan Xi to hug him.

Fan Xi picked him up: "Troy, you can't go running around everywhere."

Troy babbled, he was cool but still couldn't speak. He still only says "Mom," while Fan Xi has been hard at work teaching him how to call Dad.

Fan Xi openly hugged Troy, which actually didn't raise any speculation. Even if Troy kissed Fan Xi on the cheek.

"It looks like Jieke and this kid get along well." Charles Barkley said on TV, "If he were the child's father, that would be great. I heard this little guy is Jennifer's child with a football player?"

There are always all kinds of rumors.

The rumor about a football player arose because Jennifer said she hopes her son will become a footballer someday.

Beep!

The whistle sounded, and the game began.

When Fan Xi stepped onto the court, his mood opened up, and his stride was noticeably more confident and agile than before.

He felt a special sentiment: this was his son's first time watching him play, and he had to show off in front of him, otherwise his son wouldn't know how great his dad was.

This is the mindset every father has.

"Hey, Jie Ke. I can't wait to face you; I'm going to beat you."

Just as Fan Xi settled into position, Shi Difen Sen ran over to speak to him, his face bearded but his eyes naive: "The chance for me to become an All-Star player is to defeat you."

Fan Xi glanced up at Shi Difen Sen. He hadn't expected the guy to come after him, and his gaze clearly said, "Who the hell are you? Always looking to one‑on‑one me!"

Tonight's starting lineup for the Walkers is: Qiao Zhi Xi Er, Bao Luo Qiao Zhi, Shi Difen Sen, Da Wei Wei Si Te, Xi Bo Te.

Xi Bo Te and Qian De Le jumped for the ball; their heights were similar and their physical qualities not much different.

Qian De Le, using his excellent experience, secured the ball and passed it to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi drove the ball across half‑court, and Shi Difen Sen ran over.

He spread his arms to defend Fan Xi.

Shi Difen Sen was a rookie from the same class as Fan Xi; he was selected tenth in the second round, while Fan Xi went undrafted.

Back then Shi Difen Sen wasn't favored by other teams because he had a troubled record since high school and was accused at 17 of attempting to molest someone.

But he isn't a complete villain; he's simply someone who can't control his own emotions. He's a bit erratic and does many strange things during games.

Bo De greatly admired him and personally promoted him. Starting last season, Bo De put him in the starting lineup, and his per‑game stats surged. Last season he averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, with a 45.9% field‑goal rate and a 33% Three-Point Shot percentage, making him a competent league No. 2 spot.

This season he exploded, showing an all‑around game. So far he has recorded five triple‑doubles, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game. He is even called the poor man's magician.

Now he wants to challenge Fan Xi.

He believes that if he beats Fan Xi in a single game, he can become an All-Star.

Moreover, he feels it's a gentleman's battle; he's confident, thinking he has enough power to crush Fan Xi, even though Fan Xi is currently the league's top player.

However, the junior brother's defense lasted less than three seconds; Fan Xi wiped him out with a blistering double crossover, moving at lightning speed. It was like two top swordsmen dueling—after one move, Fan Xi sped away while the junior brother remained, shattered into two pieces.

His bulging eyes even looked to the left, while Fan Xi broke through from his right.

Fan Xi surged into the paint; his speed was so fierce that the Walkers' excellent help defense couldn't contain him. He entered the lane, leapt explosively, and slammed the ball with one hand into the hoop... Boom!

The opening was a forceful dunk.

After the basket, Fan Xi raised both hands and smugly raised an eyebrow at Troy in Jennifer's arms... Look, your dad's impressive, huh.

Although Fan Xi claims he won't interfere with Troy's life choices, he still hopes to play father‑son basketball with Troy. He wants Troy to fall in love with basketball.

So after the eyebrow raise, he didn't forget to run over and punch out a fist toward Troy.

The move made the cheers in the Madison Garden arena even louder.

Troy went wild on his own, happily hopping around Jennifer.

The huge cheers excited him.

Fan Xi was pleased with his son's reaction: at least in the big‑hearted department, he resembles his father.

Fan Xi returned to half‑court, just finding a defensive spot.

Shi Difen Sen ran over again, looking like the antagonist in a comedy film, exuding slapstick energy. He told Fan Xi, "I admit my previous defense had a gambling element; I lost the bet. But I won't give you another chance."

"And I invite you to defend me, in the name of a warrior!"

He said it solemnly.

Fan Xi strode toward Qiao Zhi Xi Er.

What level, daring to call himself a warrior.

"When you reach 15 points, then come challenge me," Fan Xi told Shi Difen Sen.

Shi Difen Sen didn't taste Fan Xi's mockery; he took a deep breath, muttering to himself: challenging the league's top player surely requires a ticket, as expected.

Xi Er passed the ball to Bao Luo Qiao Zhi.

Bao Luo Qiao Zhi went one‑on‑one against Yue Han Xun.

In the early part of his career, Bao Luo Qiao Zhi was not a proficient ball‑handler; back then he truly came to assist Ge Lan Jie, and Bo De cultivated him with a super 3D program. But when Ge Lan Jie was ruined by injuries, Bao Luo Qiao Zhi naturally rose, and his ball‑handling offense has improved now.

His offensive rhythm is also simpler, with far less skill content than Yue Han Xun.

But when he drives one step inside and Yue Han Xun's defense loosens slightly, he quickly executes a Stop-and-Go Jump Shot.

This near‑pull‑up jumper, boosted by his physical qualities, left Yue Han Xun unable to defend.

Swish!

Bao Luo Qiao Zhi scores easily.

Fan Xi and Yue Han Xun exchanged a look, signaling that Yue Shi Shi Mi Si should guard Bao Luo Qiao Zhi next.

Yue Shi Shi Mi Si's offensive level is far below Yue Han Xun's, but his physical attributes are better, allowing him to somewhat limit Bao Luo Qiao Zhi.

Fan Xi drove the ball across half‑court, and Shi Difen Sen tangled him like taffy.

Fan Xi asked, "Do your teammates allow you to switch defense like that?"

"They must follow my correct orders; they have reason to make necessary sacrifices for a right decision," Shi Difen Sen said with a serious expression.

Fan Xi turned and passed the ball to Yue Shi Shi Mi Si, who directly broke through Qiao Zhi Xi Er, entered the paint, and completed a one‑handed slam dunk.

Big versus small, very easy.

"You aren't following the one‑on‑one rules," Shi Difen Sen was even a bit angry.

"Did I ever say I wanted to one‑on‑one with you?" Fan Xi asked.

"Then start now, one‑on‑one!"