Basketball miracles

Chapter 154 [Heroes, Beyond]

After the awards ceremony, the Lakers went to a press conference together.

The initial excitement of receiving the award had subsided, and Xiao Tu remained as composed as Kapibala during the interview.

He remained humble and composed, primarily praising his coach and teammates, without deliberately belittling his opponents, attacking their morale, or kicking them when they were down.

“I won my first championship, and this is just the beginning. Kareem has already won four championships in his career. He is my role model, and I hope to bring more championships to the Lakers in the future.”

"Irwin and Karim both have extensive experience in major tournaments, and they taught me how to better adjust my mindset. Winning the championship is a credit to everyone; I just threw the most and had the best stats."

"I think Pat Riley is the best coach; he always has a targeted approach to tactics..."

Reporters felt that Xiao Tu's performance was not like that of a rookie; he showed the demeanor of a seasoned veteran both on and off the court.

If a young person under 20 years old achieved this, I wonder how arrogant they would become.

That person is probably dreaming about the future and starting to count the champions. "Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five..."

Xiao Tu is certainly different from other rookies; his mental age isn't 19. He feels younger and is fundamentally different from those young people who speak without thinking.

The difference between him and Black players is even greater; some Black players never think before they speak and rely entirely on public relations.

Xiao Tu didn't have many thoughts on it, remaining low-key and reserved.

The Lakers won the championship with a perfect playoff record, losing only six games throughout the season, with two consecutive losses when Xiao Tu was absent. Under these circumstances, he doesn't need to boast at all; the media and fans will naturally praise him.

The more unassuming Xiao Tu appears, the more impressive people perceive him to be. He's doing this on purpose, so that he'll stand in stark contrast to the ever-aggressive Chamberlain in the future.

Tywin Lannister has a famous line from Game of Thrones: "Anyone who loudly proclaims 'I am the king' will never be a true king."

In the eyes of fans, Chamberlain was that kind of "emperor," a clown. Xiao Tu knew that this guy would definitely jump out and pour cold water on the Lakers' championship win.

When asked by reporters, Xiao Tu did not comment on Bird or McHale. He didn't need to comment; everyone could look at the data themselves.

Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had many thoughts, both agreeing that the Lakers are the best team and praising Xiao Tu's role in the team.

Johnson lamented, "It's a pity that Sebb joined the league too late. If he had joined the Lakers at the age of 18 in 1982, we would have won four consecutive championships by now."

Johnson's words could be over-interpreted by the media as a sign of dissatisfaction with James Worthy, the 82 number one draft pick. But these are his honest thoughts: the Lakers' two consecutive Finals losses stem from a lack of a star power forward.

Worthy wasn't angry when he heard this; he knew he hadn't done enough. He was willing to play for the Lakers long-term, and it didn't matter if he didn't become a star.

After being relegated to the sidelines and receiving limited playing time, backup power forward Kurt Rambis pledged his loyalty after winning the championship and said he had no intention of leaving.

The Lakers are incredibly strong, and he firmly believes they can successfully defend their title next season. He thinks it's better to first become a member of a dynasty team before worrying about the future. Even a substitute on a dynasty team will be etched in NBA history; they're priceless.

Pat Riley was a substitute player, but now he is a highly successful and accomplished coach for the Lakers.

Rambis joined another team as a free agent, but his salary wouldn't be much higher. He's a role player; without significant stats, he won't earn a high salary.

These days, no player dislikes stats; it's just that they genuinely can't pad their stats. If they could, only an idiot would be willing to play for someone else.

The Celtics' press conference was somber, resembling a funeral.

McHale admitted that his ability was inferior to Xiao Tu's, and the gap was quite large. He stated that he bore undeniable responsibility for the team's loss.

He also said, "I will practice hard during the holidays to improve my skills and become better. I hope to be able to compete against Shaw when we face the Lakers next season."

Robert Parish has always been in "leadership without speaking" mode, and he rarely gets interviewed by reporters.

Asking such a question is pointless. Just say that his performance in the Finals was not as good as that of the 38-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and that's the truth.

Most reporters interviewed Bird, asking him for his thoughts, and the questions were quite pointed. Everyone felt that the title of the league's best player had changed hands this year.

Bird rambled on and on, saying a bunch of nonsense, which was as good as saying nothing at all.

He was unwilling to admit he was inferior to Xiao Tu, but his denial was useless; everyone could clearly see his capabilities. Bird averaged 20.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of only 42.6%. Looking solely at scoring efficiency, he was even worse than the Lakers' small forward, Worthy. Worthy's shooting percentage was significantly higher; he simply took far fewer shots.

Bird didn't match up against Xiao Tu most of the time, but when he drove to the basket, he had a hard time getting help from Xiao Tu, and his scoring mainly came from jump shots outside the paint.

How can you even compare them? He looks like a softie. Even just comparing jump shots, his accuracy isn't as good as Xiao Tu's.

Previously, Celtics fans were unhappy with Bird's low free throw attempts, believing that his average of less than 5 free throws per game in the Finals was due to biased officiating. Now, other fans think it's reasonable; for someone who floats on the perimeter and shoots jumpers, 5 free throws is already quite a lot.

That evening, the Lakers packed their bags and boarded a private jet back to Los Angeles. They wouldn't celebrate their victory in Boston; the Celtics' home arena wouldn't allow them to display confetti, and there was a possibility of conflict if they encountered local die-hard fans.

Everyone go home and rest first, and we'll have a championship party the next day.

Xiao Tu spent the night at Madonna's house; her concert tour had just concluded successfully. The two have been constantly featured in sports and entertainment news across major media outlets lately, their popularity unmatched.

Xiao Tu made headlines in sports news, and Madonna was also mentioned. It seems Madonna is trying to ride his coattails; Xiao Tu has broken multiple NBA records this season, his momentum is incredible.

Madonna's tour sparked considerable controversy, but it was a commercial success.

According to reports, she earned a net income of $500 million from this tour. She'll have enough money to buy a luxury mansion again; her tour earnings are equivalent to what an average NBA All-Star player would earn by signing a multi-year contract.

Madonna is a well-known wealthy woman in the entertainment industry, and Xiao Tu's income cannot compare to hers in the short term. Her controversy mainly stems from the fact that while her singing skills aren't top-tier, she has many times more fans than those who sing better, which is enviable.

There's no way around it; she likes to wear lingerie as outerwear, flaunt her sex appeal, and even makes indecent gestures on stage, completely different from other female singers.

People simply love her rebellious and sexy style, regardless of her singing ability. That's why her second album reached number one on the Billboard 100, leaving others envious but unable to compete.

When interviewed about the controversies, Madonna always spoke with confidence and didn't think there was anything wrong with her performance style.

"Doesn't Superman also like to wear his red underwear on the outside? Superman is such a weirdo, why don't you guys criticize him?" (Superman: It's my birth year!)

Xiao Tu faced little controversy; all media outlets praised him, and his popularity remained at the top of the NBA after winning the championship. At only 19 years old, he had achieved this level of success, and it's impossible to find anyone comparable to him in the four major American sports leagues.

Being young means more possibilities.

This time, Chamberlain didn't come out and make any outrageous remarks. Reporters didn't interview him, guessing that he wouldn't say anything nice.

The following evening, Madonna and Xiao Tu attended the Lakers' championship celebration party together, dressed in their finest attire.

Everyone brought their wives or girlfriends, and the team also invited some celebrity fans from Los Angeles. But no matter how many people came, Xiao Tu and Madonna were the most eye-catching couple.

As soon as they got out of the car, they looked like entertainment stars about to walk the red carpet, their looks and charisma stunning the entire audience.

The number one fan of the event, Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson, was also there. Upon entering the venue, he immediately sought out Xiao Tu, greeting him with a warm hug.

When the Lakers won the championship in 1980, Nicholson showed up at the celebration party, leaving the then-naive Magic Johnson speechless. This year, with the Lakers' record-breaking victory, Nicholson was naturally not absent from the party.

"Seb, you played so well in the final. It's a pity you won the championship away from home, I couldn't be there to watch the game."

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "If we win the championship at home, we'll have to play six games. The Celtics don't have that kind of ability."

"Hahaha, you're right, we should teach these good-for-nothings a lesson."

Because of his fondness for the Celtics, Nicholson's most hated team was the Celtics. He was particularly vocal in his criticism of them during the Lakers' home game in last season's Finals.

At the party, people kept trying to talk to Xiao Tu.

After winning the championship, Xiao Tu officially became a hero in Los Angeles. Before he joined, the Lakers had a losing record against the Celtics, and had been at a disadvantage for many years.

In 1959, the two teams met for the first time in the NBA Finals. The Celtics' roster was clearly superior to the Lakers', and the disparity in strength between the two teams was obvious. The Lakers were ultimately swept out of the Finals by Bill Russell's Celtics.

That wasn't the worst of it. The Lakers lost seven of their next eight NBA Finals appearances to the Celtics, thus becoming the perfect backdrop for Bill Russell and the Celtics' eight-year championship run. Under Elgin Baylor's leadership, the Lakers achieved an incredible eight-year runner-up finish in the NBA Finals.

In the eyes of Los Angeles fans, Xiao Tu had already surpassed Elgin Baylor in his rookie season. A true superstar should be like him!
(End of this chapter)