Basketball miracles

Chapter 115 [No Word Less Than a Shocking Remark]

Xiao Tu's scandals are equally captivating; Madonna's angry outburst at Larry Bird during an interview attracted countless eyes.

The more popular Madonna becomes, the more famous Xiao Tu becomes; the two complement each other. When fans talk about one person, they unconsciously bring up the other.

After Rosamund Kwan started paying attention to the news and learned about Madonna's status in the music industry, she obediently kept it hidden.

Rosamund Kwan is very smart and tries hard to integrate into Xiao Tu's circle. She has a good relationship with Chris Ford and also knows Chris's girlfriend, Sheryl Finn.

It just so happens that Xue Linfen also wants to integrate into this circle. Xiao Tu doesn't know how, but the two beauties are almost becoming best friends.

This is somewhat like birds of a feather flock together. What they have in common is that they both chose to enter the entertainment industry and are very good-looking. They couldn't become famous on their own, so they both wanted to rely on men to help them.

For two consecutive days, apart from Boston media and fans, no one spoke up for Bird. In the pre-internet era, fans' voices went unheard, so public opinion was completely one-sided.

Xiao Tu was simply ejected from the game; the league didn't impose any further penalties. He wasn't suspended, and he wasn't even fined. A knockout with one punch is just a regular foul; if Bird is unhappy about it... he'll have to swallow his pride.

Bird: Just you wait for my Green Corpse Frost!

Xiao Tu exploited a loophole in the rules, and it felt incredibly satisfying. He could bully people with his body and become a lawless outlaw.

Even if Bird hires Daredevil lawyer Ma to represent him in court, the final result will only be a regular foul.

Xiao Tu's act of hitting someone had no negative impact whatsoever and even proved his toughness. From now on, anyone who wants to mess with him will have to consider whether they have the strength to back them up.

He played more than 15 minutes against the Celtics and still received a bronze chest after the win.

One was Larry Bird, the floor-bound, loudmouth; the other was Xiao Tu, with top-tier physical attributes, a playing style that captivated fans, and a high probability of dominating the NBA in the future. Commissioner David Stern, after a moment's thought, chose to side with Xiao Tu and continue to promote him.

Bird... take good care of your injury, strive for a speedy recovery, and start anew.

After seeing the news, none of the Celtics players dared to tell Bird the result, fearing he would be furious in the hospital.

Despite being a wounded individual, Bird received the same treatment as a rat in a dark sewer, hated by everyone.

After a period of rest, the Lakers defeated the Spurs 136-110 at home.

肖途出战36分钟，砍下20分23篮板11助攻2抢断4盖帽。

This was his first triple-double in his career, and he received a lot of praise.

Xiao Tu's playing style is very simple: first set a screen, then cut to the basket to receive the ball and drive to the rim, attracting the center to help defend before passing the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, attracting the perimeter players to help defend before passing the ball out to the outside.

He now finds it simple, but before he had Magic Johnson's passing awareness, he couldn't do it well. Even when he saw a teammate, he would hesitate to pass. If he hesitated even slightly, the opportunity would vanish in an instant.

Mark Jaffaroni, who is 203cm tall and weighs 95kg, is a white power forward whose physical attributes are not even as good as Kurt Rambis, yet he can play as a starter for the Spurs.

Xiao Tu and Jaffaroni always manage to easily squeeze into the basket despite their physical confrontations; it's unclear what this guy is even doing on the court.

雅法罗尼是为76人队打了10场比赛后转会马刺的，场均6分4.5篮板。76人队选中巴克利后，已经没了他的位置。

Spurs veteran center Artis Gilmore, 35 years old, is 218cm tall and weighs 109kg. His athleticism has declined significantly, and he can only stand still in the paint. Xiao Tu went directly to help defend him, but Gilmore couldn't jump high enough and could only try to interfere.

Gilmore began his professional career in the ABA league, where he was a dominant center. After joining the Bulls in the NBA, he was selected to the All-Star team five times. However, he was selected by the Bulls in the 7th round, 15th overall pick in 1971, and spent his rookie season with the Kentucky Colonel. Why he was drafted so low remains a mystery.

Xiao Tu also performed well on the defensive end, successfully making several defensive plays.

In the second quarter, George Gervin charged towards the basket like a whirlwind, flicking the ball with his right fingertips. Xiao Tu, coming from the side to help defend, swatted the ball hard into the stands. That felt good.

As Xiao Tu expected, a triple-double was indeed a Silver Treasure Chest reward. His high rebound count made it a large triple-double; he wasn't sure if a simplified triple-double would qualify for the Silver Treasure Chest, so he didn't want to try.

Jason Kidd's future 10-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist performance isn't something everyone can achieve; it's meticulously planned. Xiao Tu feels he's too good to need to push himself to the limit. In the post-game press conference, Xiao Tu shared his thoughts: "I like this style of play. Both Ervin and I had double-digit assists, the ball movement was excellent, and we created many easy scoring opportunities."

The reporter asked, "Will you play like this often in the future?"

"It depends on the coach's tactics. Personally, I hope to perform this well in every game. I want to be a well-rounded player who can elevate my teammates, not just a player who relies on his physicality."

A reporter asked, "You've had more assists since the All-Star Game. Have you found the knack for passing?"

Xiao Tu nodded: "Yes, winning the All-Star MVP has made me more confident. I dare to try some playing styles that I wasn't good at before. I often ask Erwin for advice on passing techniques. He taught me a lot, such as using my peripheral vision to observe my teammates' positioning, being decisive when passing and not being afraid of making mistakes, etc. I have made significant progress since the beginning of the season."

A female reporter asked, "After the last game, Coach KC Jones said you disrespected Bird. What do you have to say about that?"

Xiao Tu smiled slightly: "On the basketball court, I don't need to respect anyone, including Larry Bird. What I want is victory, not to befriend people who maliciously hurt others and spew profanities. Those who defeat me fairly and squarely will earn my respect after the game."

The reporters all felt that Xiao Tu had uttered another memorable quote and would relay his words truthfully.

Xiao Tu took the opportunity to make a sarcastic remark about Bird, saying that it would be hypocritical for them to still be able to appreciate each other in their situation.

A reporter asked, "So, will you apologize to Bird?"

"He committed a malicious foul, and I apologize after the game? I'd apologize if I punched him into a mental disability." Xiao Tu laughed, "I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he doesn't miss the second game of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry. I love playing against him so much, it feels amazing to beat him, it gives me a great sense of accomplishment."

The reporter asked, "Are you still confident you can beat Bird next time?"

"Of course, and I think he's afraid of me and will try his best to avoid playing against me in the future. If he suddenly announces one day that he's switching to small forward and says that it will help the team more, I won't be surprised at all."

The words are not surprising and die endlessly.

After the news broke, all the fans thought Xiao Tu was incredibly arrogant, but also incredibly cool.

Reporters also believe that no rookie speaks better than Xiao Tu, who often makes thought-provoking and classic remarks.

"On the basketball court, I don't need to respect anyone," was a statement Allen Iverson made when he first faced Michael Jordan, a very assertive statement. Xiao Tu's assertion is even more convincing, as he is a recognized powerhouse who defeated many established interior stars.

After Iverson's statement, the team missed the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Furthermore, in 1997, he almost helped the team secure the number one draft pick again, selecting Tim Duncan.

Skill reigns supreme. If Xiao Tu can defeat Bird, his popularity will soar even higher after their next game. After the Lakers win the championship this season, he can thoroughly crush Bird and prove himself to be an MVP-caliber superstar.

Xiao Tu is speaking the truth on the court: only those who win and have good stats can earn respect, while those who lose and get crushed will only be despised and ridiculed.

In a parallel universe, LeBron James in 2025 says: Players without championships are great too, and the doubters' ideas are outrageous.

In reality, if James hadn't won four championships, no one would have considered him the Emperor; they would have just seen him as a nobody.

Many reporters followed and interviewed Xiao Tu, hoping to hear more of his outrageous remarks; he never disappointed them.

This month, almost all the major NBA news was created by Xiao Tu. That night, major media outlets reported his exact words that Bird might transition to small forward.

Celtics fans were furious and hoped that Bird would be permanently placed at the power forward position so that he could give Xiao Tu a good beating in the future.

Only the Celtics players and coaches knew that Xiao Tu had dug a huge hole for Bird. Bird used to frequently defend small forwards, leaving the big men to his teammates.

If Bird starts at small forward and gives up the starting power forward position to McHale, many fans will think that Bird changed his position because he was afraid of Xiao Tu.

Some things can't be explained, because the truth doesn't matter; what matters is what the fans choose to believe.

If Bird, like in a parallel universe, transforms himself after McHale's outburst, Xiao Tu's goal will be achieved. His words will become classic trash talk, passed down for decades.

(End of this chapter)