Basketball miracles

Chapter 137 [The Strongest Active Center]

Pat Riley said in an interview, "Saibu is a superstar now, he's unstoppable."

The reporter asked, "Do you think he can reach Chamberlain's level?"

Riley laughed and said, "I think there's no doubt that he'll be the better player. Chamberlain never played so efficiently. Seib was like God wearing the number 24 jersey today."

The "God theory" was released ahead of schedule, and the media will definitely use it to promote Xiao Tu; there's no need to take it out of context.

Riley didn't know how many championships Xiao Tu would win in his career, but it was certainly more than two. He had been teammates with Chamberlain and knew their level best. He firmly believed that Xiao Tu would have been an even stronger player if he had played in the 6s or 70s.

The value of championships wasn't really that high back then, even for the Lakers' 33-game winning streak. In 1972, the NBA hadn't merged with the ABA, and there were only 12 teams. A bunch of retired stars—only Wilt Chamberlain could have the nerve to claim the old NBA was stronger.

At the Nuggets' press conference, everyone marveled at how strong Xiao Tu was, saying he was impossible to defend.

Coach Doug Mo said, "Shaw is the most physically gifted player in NBA history, and his shooting range extends to beyond the three-point line, which is unique in history. He is the most difficult interior player to defend in the league, and I think he has surpassed Moses Malone."

Kelvin Knight said, "During All-Star Weekend practice with the Western Conference, several of us wanted to challenge Shaw to a one-on-one match, but he refused. At the time, I thought he was trying to hide his weaknesses, but now I think he was trying to save face for everyone."

English's assessment was succinct: "He's a monster! We're competing against a monster!"

English, standing at 201cm and weighing 86kg, is quite skinny. He therefore greatly admired Knight's physical strength, believing Knight, at 198cm, was formidable as a power forward. However, Knight was completely outmatched by Xiao Tu, leaving him questioning his existence.

That night, major sports media outlets praised Xiao Tu, with many experts believing he was already the strongest interior player in the league.

Previously, the best center was Moses Malone, and the best power forward was Larry Bird. Xiao Tu struggled against both of them in regular season matchups. Bird was dragged into this again, as his shooting percentage was less than 30% in two games against the Lakers.

Fans are starting to discuss the possibility of the Lakers winning the championship undefeated in the playoffs, a feat no team has ever accomplished before. This year's Lakers are incredibly strong, and they seem poised to sweep any opponent.

The Lakers only lost six games in the regular season, two of which were lost when Xiao Tu was absent.

Many fans believe that the regular season MVP should have gone to Xiao Tu, and that Magic Johnson's only advantage was his seniority with the Lakers. His record-breaking assists this season were largely due to his passes to Xiao Tu contributing significantly to his assist tally.

Fans think this way not just because of the saying "whoever controls the paint controls the game!" In the previous two seasons, the Lakers lost the championship to the 76ers and the Celtics respectively, and Johnson received less praise than the core players of the opposing teams.

Xiao Tu was delighted after reading the news; things were going more smoothly than he had imagined.

If he continues to be promoted like this, he will most likely be selected as the regular season MVP next season, without having to wait several years.

Johnson won't retain his title unless he puts up better numbers. Xiao Tu has more shot attempts, so his stats will definitely be better than this season.

Johnson has no room for improvement; any increase in his stats is simply due to taking more shots. Most importantly, Johnson is complacent and lacks the ambition to become the greatest player in NBA history.

Xiao Tu has been on a phenomenal run this season, with all the fans focused on him. He was compared to Jordan and Olajuwon during the regular season, but after both were eliminated in the first round, he became the sole standout among the rookies.

Barkley helped the 76ers reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but his performance was nowhere near as good as Xiao Tu's.

Fans across the United States are discussing Xiao Tu's incredible triple-double of 55 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, and many retired NBA legends have given interviews.

Lakers legends all support Xiao Tu, believing he has an exceptional scoring ability.

The only exception was Chamberlain, who, in an interview, vehemently criticized the current NBA as trash with no defense, and said that Xiao Tu's playing style proved his lack of ability.

"He did put up some nice numbers, but he wasn't tough enough. He had a lot of shots, from beyond the arc and fadeaway jumpers, which wouldn't have worked in the 60s."

A Los Angeles reporter couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you used to mainly score with fadeaway jump shots? You just didn't shoot three-pointers."

"..." Chamberlain's thick lips pursed, unsure how to smooth things over.

The reporter originally wanted to ask, "Shaw has popularized your unique skills, what are your thoughts?" But seeing that Chamberlain didn't say anything nice, the reporter didn't bother to ask.

Knowing Chamberlain's speaking style, the reporter guessed that if pressed further, he would simply say, "All my points used to come from dunks. I didn't win the Slam Dunk Contest because there wasn't one before."

Or he'd say things like, "I averaged over 10 blocks per game, but unfortunately that statistic wasn't available back then." He'd say whatever was outrageous he could think of, and there was nothing he couldn't do, on or off the court; the only limit was his imagination.

The news brought Chamberlain much joy to fans once again. This is also beneficial for him; at least he won't be forgotten and can occasionally appear on television to earn money.

Madonna made a long-distance call from New York to congratulate Xiao Tu on making headlines in sports news, and the two talked for a long time.

Madonna said a little shyly, "I have a new job after my tour ends, so I can't go on vacation with you as planned."

"What kind of job?" Xiao Tu asked casually, as if he had expected it.

He now completely understands why Madonna had so many relationships, none of which lasted. She was too busy to date; she only met her boyfriends occasionally when she needed them.

In a normal relationship, couples don't live apart for long periods and rely on phone calls to maintain their connection. In this parallel world, her boyfriends are all successful women who are less successful than her, and she needs others to be understanding and make arrangements according to her schedule.

Madonna explained, "Someone approached me to make a movie, and I've always been interested in acting, so I agreed. I really liked the script; it's a comedy-adventure story similar to Indiana Jones."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Xiao Tu didn't know Madonna had acted in this kind of movie.

Madonna enthusiastically recounted the story of the movie.

The story is set in Shanghai in the 1930s. Legend has it that after the death of Ferrard, the opium tycoon of Shanghai, a large quantity of opium was stolen by his servant Wu Zhongshu, and its whereabouts remain a mystery.

The protagonist, Gloria, is a dedicated missionary nurse who hopes to alleviate her patients' suffering through the magical powers of opium. She and the male protagonist meet unexpectedly, their shared goal being to find missing opium, leading them into a fierce struggle against local drug dealers and the underworld. Meanwhile, a romantic love story unfolds against this tense backdrop.

Just from hearing her description of the plot, Xiao Tu concluded that "Shanghai Amazing" was a terrible movie and laughed out loud. "You should just turn it down. This movie must be awful. Making it is a complete waste of time."

"No way, I think it's quite interesting. Besides, I've already signed the contract, so I can't back out."

Madonna is so popular this year that the producers cast her as the lead actress as a gimmick, hoping it will boost the film's box office and attract fans to spend money.

"So, you're going to play a missionary who's conservative in his manner and even more conservative in his dress? Are the producers and director even normal people? How did they come up with this idea?"

"Can't I be conservative in my style and dress? You have a problem."

A thought suddenly flashed through Xiao Tu's mind: "Can't Huang Feihong lie? Idiot!"

Xiao Tu pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "I was wrong. I shouldn't have had the stereotype that you're sexy and hot, and I overlooked the fact that you can also be a talented actress. Since you've already signed the contract, then go ahead and act. When are we filming?"

Madonna laughed and said, "It'll be in July, filming in Hong Kong. Would you be interested in coming to Hong Kong with me for filming, and maybe doing some sightseeing while we're at it?"

"..." Xiao Tu was truly stunned.

He didn't know if it was the butterfly effect or fate, but Madonna actually went to Hong Kong to make a movie.
Before he traveled through time, he had watched many movies, but he didn't know what Madonna had acted in. He guessed they were all obscure flops.

Sister, are you afraid that Rosamund Kwan will be too comfortable in Hong Kong and won't want to go back to America?
Could I pick her up while I'm at it? She doesn't seem very keen on acting.

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?" Madonna laughed. "Anyway, you don't need to practice tennis during your vacation. Come to Hong Kong with me, otherwise I'll be so bored."

Xiao Tu immediately replied, "Okay, I'll go to Hong Kong during my vacation too. We'll come back whenever you finish filming."

"That's more like it, hehe." Madonna smiled sweetly, as if their feelings for each other hadn't faded. "I promise that even if I'm very busy filming, you won't be bored."

"Why?" Xiao Tu sensed that something good was about to happen.

"Because there are many foreign characters in the movie, I wanted the third male lead, an American with a small role. Chris will play this role, and when he's not filming, he can spend time with you in Hong Kong, eat more Chinese food, and experience the local customs."

Guys, I'm straight guys.

You're a really nice person.

(End of this chapter)