Chapter 91: Unprecedented All-Star MVP

If it were before.

With Charles Barkley's irritable temper, Kenny Smith asked him if he believed in light in such a confident tone. He would definitely be furious, and even say: Go to hell with your light.

But now, he was silent.

Barkley already knew very clearly in his heart that David Stern would soon call Fan Xi's name, and then Fan Xi, led by a beam of light in Staples, would walk to the center of the court to accept the All-Star MVP trophy handed to him by David Stern himself.

At this time, what was the point of being stubborn and saying you didn't believe in light?

David Stern walked to the center of the court with light steps. His expression was more relaxed than in previous years, and his smile also showed rare happiness and relaxation.

And when he finished saying the achievements of this All-Star Game in his usual slow tone, including attendance, community activities... etc., and then began to announce: The winner of the 2011 Los Angeles All-Star Game Most Valuable Player is...

Staples Center was already shouting in unison: Fan! Fan! Fan!

Fan Xi's name was shouted by more than 20,000 fans in unison.

No one felt that this trophy should be handed to anyone else.

David Stern was very happy.

He never dreamed that he had just opened a back door for Fan Xi on a whim, wanting to give Fan Xi a popularity challenge. But he didn't expect the things that followed to be so brilliant. Fan Xi not only broke the 1 million vote mark and was elected as an All-Star starter, but also created an unprecedented miracle on All-Star Weekend.

He seemed to be a natural protagonist; wherever he went, miracles were born.

In the All-Star Rookie Game, he made the two top picks on the same team willingly play as his assistants, and he counter-attacked to kill the second-year team.

In the All-Star Three-Point Contest, he also withstood the pressure, not only winning Kobe's Ferrari, but also surpassing the crowd to break the historical record of the Three-Point Contest and taking away the Three-Point King.

In tonight's All-Star Game, no one would have thought that this kid who had just started out could laugh last. The All-Star Game was the place that valued seniority the most... it was usually a game of "dividing the fruit" among the top superstars.

However... Fan Xi created a miracle again.

The NBA's promotional slogan this year was "Miracles Happen Here."

Fan Xi did it.

His appearance itself was a miracle of the NBA, and he created miracles one after another.

From the shine of his debut, to breaking through the barriers all the way.

From the unique rookie contract with an annual salary of 10 million, to the counter-attack of 1 million popularity votes, to Nike offering an unprecedented cooperation agreement.

Fan Xi was not only fruitful on the court, but also off the court.

Now, he was standing at the most shining center position of the All-Star Game.

David Stern calmed down. Amidst the cheers of the whole arena, he tried his best to suppress the joy in his heart. He said in an unprecedentedly passionate tone: "The winner of the 2011 Los Angeles All-Star Game Most Valuable Player is... from Davidson College, from China, the 6-foot-3 point guard, Jack... Fan!!"

Fan Xi's name was revealed without suspense.

A beam of light quickly captured Fan Xi standing on the sidelines. Kobe Bryant hugged Fan Xi's head and said: "Congratulations, Jack. From now on, no one will dare to question your identity as an All-Star player. Go take the reward that belongs to you, and congratulations on opening a new page in your life!"

Fan Xi hugged Kobe warmly, and then walked to the center of the court.

He shook hands with David Stern and expressed his gratitude.

David Stern held his hand tightly, as if grabbing a 1 billion dollar lottery ticket.

For Stern, Fan Xi was really too precious.

Originally, he was worried that opening a back door for Fan Xi would be a bit of "pulling up seedlings to help them grow," but there was no other way at the time. As Yao Ming gradually withdrew from the NBA, the NBA needed a yellow-skinned player who could quickly gather the Asian market.

Therefore, he gave Fan Xi a special opportunity.

However, Fan Xi gave him an unprecedented surprise tonight. Fan Xi won the All-Star Game MVP, and it was an undisputed MVP; he was the best-performing player tonight.

"Jack, congratulations, you have become the first Asian player to win the Most Valuable Player in the All-Star Game."

Fan Xi smiled and expressed his gratitude.

Then, Stern took the trophy from the master of ceremonies and awarded it to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi raised the trophy, the home fans were invigorated, and the sky of Staples Center sprayed with sky-filling ribbons.

The TNT host obtained special rights; he walked over and interviewed Fan Xi in the center of the stage.

"Jack, congratulations on winning tonight's MVP trophy and becoming the star of stars. In fact, you are also the most shining player of this year's All-Star Weekend. You have received important awards every day. For you, is this a wonderful journey? Also, as a newcomer, taking the most shining pearl on the crown from the heads of so many superstars, how do you feel?"

The reporter asked Fan Xi.

His question could not only be heard by the audience in front of the TV, but also by the more than 20,000 fans on the scene. The staff connected it to Staples' sound system for him.

Fan Xi smiled and said: "This is indeed an incredible journey. I want to thank the more than 1 million fans who voted, thank them for sending me to this wonderful place. Honestly, I often dreamed when I was young, I dreamed of entering the All-Star list and competing with these superstars, just like the career mode in basketball games... but I would wake up every time. But now, thank God, I pinched my forearm, the pain is real, and the trophy is also real."

Fan Xi's sincere words made the scene laugh again and again.

The audience in front of the TV also smiled knowingly. Which child who loves basketball hasn't had such a dream? Many people have created their own characters in 2K games and fully substituted themselves into them.

Therefore, Fan Xi's words naturally aroused resonance.

He continued: "I was able to win this trophy not because I am outstanding, but because my teammates are very great. I just happened to step on the shoulders of these giants and gained this honor."

Fan Xi said very plainly.

These were his heartfelt words.

He wasn't arrogant enough to think that winning the All-Star Game MVP meant he was already the number one person in the league. He knew where his strength was, and even among these 24 All-Star players, strictly speaking, he was at the bottom.

Fan Xi's humility left a very good impression.

The camera scanned, and the faces of the Western All-Stars were all smiles.

On the Eastern team side, although there was applause, it could be seen that they were not feeling well.

"Jack, we noticed that you disappeared for a quarter in this game. May I ask, where did you go? The fans are very curious, did you go to rest? Also, do you think if you didn't rest for a quarter, you would have a chance to get 40+20?"

This reporter asked very gossipy questions.

Because it was an All-Star Game, his questions couldn't be too specific. He couldn't ask Fan Xi about his views on the buzzer-beater three-pointer and the final block like a normal regular-season game.

Such specific descriptions would make other stars embarrassed.

Therefore, he had to ask these questions that wouldn't embarrass the interviewee.

However, Fan Xi's face turned red instantly.

This question made him... very embarrassed, and his expression was very, very uncomfortable.

"Uh... I... this... um." When Fan Xi was stammering, he saw Scarlett Johansson's figure appear on the sidelines. Scarlett looked at him with a calm look, he gained a bit of peace, and then said: "I did go to rest."

This sentence of his revealed a bit of "unspeakable hidden feelings."

The reporter smiled and said: "You wouldn't have been locked in the bathroom, would you?"

Hahahaha!

The scene was full of laughter.

This sounded like the most reasonable explanation.

Fan Xi didn't refute.

Then, the reporter asked the last question. "Jack, have you heard about the bet our two commentators made for you? Now that you have won the All-Star Game MVP, Charles has lost the bet, and he will kiss the butts of ten donkeys. Do you have anything to say?"

After this question was asked, the whole arena was full of laughter again.

People were full of joy at Charles Barkley's embarrassment, and looked forward to Barkley fulfilling his promise next.

After this series of operations, Charles Barkley's nickname was very likely to change from "Flying Pig" to "Friend of Donkeys."

"Please make sure he pays attention to hygiene."

Fan Xi answered with a smile.

This clever answer made the scene burst into laughter.

Fan Xi didn't kick someone when they were down, nor did he act like a saint to exempt Barkley for Kenny Smith; he just lightly brushed it off in a joking form.

This was the mystery of Tai Chi.

The interview ended here.

Fan Xi bowed to the fans and returned to the bench.

The teammates were very happy and expressed their congratulations to him one after another.

Fan Xi chatted with his teammates for a while.

Then he walked to Scarlett Johansson, and Scarlett smiled and congratulated Fan Xi: "I didn't expect your stamina to be so good. Not only can you conquer me, but you can also conquer the court."

This sentence made Fan Xi's face turn red again.

"It was I who seduced you, you don't have to have any psychological pressure. We Americans are not as conservative as you Chinese." Scarlett told Fan Xi quietly. "Goodbye!"

She waved to Fan Xi, and then walked toward the exit on the other side with a slightly awkward posture.

Fan Xi walked back to the player tunnel with his teammates.

He was the biggest winner tonight, and also the biggest winner of this All-Star Weekend.

Just as Kobe Bryant said, he had opened a new chapter in his professional career.

From today on, no one would treat him as a rookie or a newcomer, but would treat him as an All-Star, and he would face challenges of all-round improvement.

"Jack, I look forward to our next encounter."

Dwyane Wade shouted a sentence to Fan Xi at the turn of the player tunnel. He had been waiting for Fan Xi here.

Fan Xi looked over, and Wade's eyes were full of "fighting intent."

For Wade, losing to Fan Xi twice at critical moments in a row, he was extremely uncomfortable.

His self-esteem didn't allow him to suffer such setbacks.

Although no one would record the All-Star failure on his head, in fact, people wouldn't really consider the critical rounds of the All-Star Game.

But Wade, as a superstar, couldn't pass this hurdle in his heart.

He had to win it back.

He had glory to defend.

Fan Xi didn't dodge the challenge of superstar Dwyane Wade, and he answered seriously: "Okay."

Wade turned and walked toward the Eastern All-Star locker room.

There, there was LeBron James, who was even angrier than him.

And, the Boston Celtics, who were even more fearful from the bottom of their hearts.

LeBron James's "dislike" for Fan Xi didn't just come from the court; more of his anger came from off the court. He couldn't accept Fan Xi getting a more valuable endorsement contract than him. He had always believed that he was Nike's top card. If Nike needed to establish a new brand, he should be the only active player.

But now, Fan Xi had taken the lead.

How could he accept it?

His agent was comforting him on the phone, and the agent told him: "The reason Jack Fan was able to get such a sponsorship is because he has the Chinese market, his parents are shoe manufacturers, and Nike is very afraid of a new competitor, so they can only take a stake..."

He hoped to persuade James with this.

And he also said: "He can only surpass you in this one aspect. Other brands cannot be so generous to him. His commercial value is far less than yours, LeBron, you have to believe in yourself. There is no need to lower your status and compare yourself with an up-and-coming rookie. You are the Chosen One who is going to rule this league."

These words made James gradually become calm.

However, the people in Boston became more and more unable to calm down.

Tonight, they witnessed Fan Xi's rise with their own eyes. Fan Xi's rise meant the Lakers' take-off again. Last season, the Lakers defeated them in seven games, and they thought this season would be a good opportunity for revenge, and also the last window.

But they didn't expect that the Lakers would suddenly pop out a Jack Fan. This undrafted player actually climbed the ladder step by step. He didn't even take two months to become an All-Star, and he also won the All-Star MVP.

With his help, wouldn't the Lakers be like a tiger with wings?

The Boston group was uneasy and deeply fearful.

The person who felt more panicked than Boston was Popovich in San Antonio.

From the moment the game ended... no, it was the moment Fan Xi led the international players to play with blood, and even before hitting that buzzer-beater three-pointer, he realized that his "killing by praise" operation tonight was completely "releasing the tiger back to the mountain."

He originally wanted to make Fan Xi a target of public criticism.

Now, he realized that he had helped Fan Xi gain unprecedented confidence.

Fan Xi's feeling to him was becoming more and more mysterious and powerful.

This rookie had a calmness that ordinary people didn't possess, and he actually looked like a natural leader.

How could such a person be disturbed by external things?

Whether it was the "killing by stick" done by assistant coach Mike Budenholzer in the Rookie Game, or the "killing by praise" done by himself in the All-Star Game, they were all useless, all making wedding clothes for Fan Xi, all nourishment for his further take-off.

Whoosh!

Popovich exhaled a turbid breath deeply.

He looked at the spring-breeze-faced Fan Xi, and he realized that if he met the Lakers in the playoffs this year, it would be a terrible thing.

... ===== CHAPTER 92 =====