Basketball miracles

Chapter 155 [Small Goal: Vacation Time!]

At the party, Lakers owner's daughter, Jeanie Buss, looked at Xiao Tu with hearts in her eyes, wanting to talk to him alone.

She was always giving people flirtatious glances; wasn't that the same kind of thinking as Pan Jinlian? Everyone knew it.
Xiao Tu, however, had no interest in 24-year-old Jenny. It had nothing to do with her looks or figure; he wasn't the kind of person who thought with his lower body.

I became a superstar through my own abilities and will be the core of the Lakers' frontcourt for the next twenty years.

In less than three years, I will be the father of everyone on the Lakers, and the management and the owner will have to coax me.

How could I possibly lower myself to have an affair with Jenny and make myself look like a gigolo?
If something happens between us, Jenny will be rolling in it. Any news report about her stealing Madonna's boyfriend will generate tons of traffic and make her instantly famous.

You should wait until the 90s to become famous by taking nude photos for Playboy, and then get together with Colonel Sanders; the two of you would look more compatible.

Owner Jerry Buss also came to chat with Xiao Tu, smiling and saying, "Seb, thank you for your contributions to the team. You are the future of the Lakers."

"I'm very happy to have helped the Lakers win the championship. With Magic Johnson and me on the team, the Lakers will definitely win many more championships in the future," Xiao Tu immediately expressed his loyalty.

He'd be crazy to play for another team; before the internet age, no team could match the Lakers' exposure. With his current popularity, he'll definitely get the highest salary in the league when he re-signs.

Old Bass didn't say much, and they clinked glasses in celebration.

Buss believes Xiao Tu's value surpasses that of Magic Johnson, and this is also the view reported by the Los Angeles media. Basketball experts across the United States are advocating that "whoever controls the paint controls the game."

If Xiao Tu scores more than 25 points in the regular season next year, people will definitely think that he is better than Magic Johnson. Because this is something that Magic Johnson cannot do; he struggles to average 20 points per game.

Many people already believe that Xiao Tu is the strongest active player in this year's playoffs, and his performance in the finals was explosive.

Xiao Tu was the center of attention, speaking to almost every guest. This kind of socializing was more tiring for him than playing basketball.

Everyone went home around midnight, and Xiao Tu went to Madonna's house to spend the night. After the Lakers won the championship, Madonna loved Xiao Tu even more, believing that no man in the world could compare to him.

It's interesting that they are both champions in their respective fields.

Given Madonna's status in the music industry, her romantic relationships almost always involve the woman being more successful than the man. Xiao Tu, however, is able to rival her, and his future fame may not be less than hers.

After the players had a day off, the Lakers held a championship parade in Los Angeles.

The parade was simple: the Lakers were on the upper deck of an open-air bus, which slowly drove along, as they waved to fans lining the streets. Championship parades are a long-standing tradition in the NBA, with the first one occurring in 1947.

The Lakers attracted many fans to the parade, and some fans even traveled from out of town to join in the fun.

Xiao Tu was very relaxed today, just smiling and enjoying the applause.

Hearing most of the fans chanting his surname filled Xiao Tu with a sense of accomplishment.

He grew to love the 80s more and more; here he was already a superstar and a rich man. It would be really unpleasant to go to another world and become penniless.

He didn't think it was a big deal to switch from the larger size to the smaller one. His opponents were different; the team's lineup was weaker, making it more challenging.

He finds it fun to play basketball with different body types, and he doesn't like being too tall.

In addition, he was eager to know if he could achieve immortality by creating a new timeline.

During the fan interaction segment, the star players took turns answering questions. Xiao Tu was the most popular, and fans were eager to hear his vision for the future.

Xiao Tu boldly stated his goal: "I'll set a small goal first: to help the Lakers achieve a three-peat and establish a dynasty. I believe we are the strongest and we can definitely do it."

The audience applauded enthusiastically; the pie looked incredibly tempting.

From 1952 to 54, George Mikan led the Lakers to consecutive championships, achieving the first three-peat in NBA history. However, the competition in the NBA at that time was far less intense than it is today, with only 10 teams in the league.

The Celtics then went on to win eight consecutive championships, with the Lakers merely serving as a backdrop – a dark chapter in their history. Only these two teams in history have achieved a three-peat. If the Lakers had established a dynasty in the 80s, its prestige would undoubtedly have been far greater.

The host also asked Xiao Tu about his plans for the summer.

Xiao Tu said, "I will make time to practice, mainly focusing on technique. I don't think I've reached my peak yet; I mainly rely on my physical abilities to play, and I don't have many technical skills."

The host asked, "Will you become stronger?"

"Of course, I will continue to improve until I become a player without any weaknesses. I learn things very quickly, and maybe I will become even stronger next season."

Xiao Tu did not state that he wanted to become the greatest player in NBA history, but if a player has no weaknesses, he will definitely be the greatest.

He talks about practicing hard, but he's actually in another world. He's saying in advance that once he gets better, fans will think he's the most hardworking star, but who knows where he's actually training?
Then he'll say something like, "Have you ever seen Los Angeles at 4 a.m.?"
Whether it's true or not, Xiao Tu will definitely attract more fans, and he will become a role model for all players.

Both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, in interviews, expressed confidence in building dynasties.

Johnson is in the prime of his career, feels physically strong, and believes he can maintain his peak performance for another ten years.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has no intention of retiring and plans to wait until he's too old to play anymore. However, he has made it clear that he's willing to relinquish ball possession and allow younger players to take more shots.

The coaching staff had already spoken with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and he was willing to follow Pat Riley's advice, reducing his playing time to play for a few more years and try to win championships. This would be good for him and would extend his career.

James Worthy was also a key contributor to the championship, serving as the team's fourth-leading scorer in the playoffs and facing off against Larry Bird for most of the Finals.

This was an opportunity to boost popularity, but Worthy had absolutely no idea how to promote himself and was speechless. Riley timely stepped in, praising Worthy a few times to prevent an awkward silence.

With the championship parade over, the Lakers players have officially entered their vacation, while the management still has to work on the draft. General Manager Jerry West and Pat Riley both hope to select a promising rookie with the late first-round pick.

It's not a big deal if they can't draft top players; the Lakers are the most attractive team, as they can sign veterans who want to contend for a championship in free agency to strengthen their roster. However, veterans have no development potential; they can only serve as immediate contributors and role players.

Xiao Tu stopped practicing basketball and spent his days dating Madonna and attending various celebrity parties.

These gatherings are typically hosted by industry leaders or wealthy businessmen, who provide a safe and private environment where participants can release stress. They often include "special services," such as high-end drinks, top DJs, and various forms of entertainment.

As long as local laws aren't violated (drug use, prostitution, etc.), these private parties always attract celebrities. Xiao Tu doesn't participate in those illegal gatherings, and Madonna doesn't like them either.

Life in the American sports and entertainment circles is incredibly exciting; some celebrities seem very proper in public, but are actually quite wild in private. Xiao Tu had absolutely no desire to witness that kind of thing; he felt that all drug users were fools.

A New York tycoon spent over ten thousand dollars to charter a plane and invite Madonna and Xiao Tu to fly to New York to celebrate his 40th birthday party.

Many singers, movie stars, and businessmen want to get to know Xiao Tu. They don't necessarily want to collaborate; they simply want to make friends. Most of them just want to meet a celebrity.

In the United States, top sports stars have a higher status than entertainment stars.

Sports stars are often the creators of miracles. When people watch them sweat it out on the field, whether breaking records or pushing limits, it's an exhilarating feat. This spirit of pushing limits deeply touches everyone, igniting the deepest courage and hope within people.

Sports stars maintain peak physical condition at all times, possessing abundant energy and extraordinary charm, qualities that many undisciplined entertainment stars lack.

Naturally, sports stars also encounter more temptations. Even with Madonna present, many women tried to flirt with Xiao Tu, their eyes lingering on him.

The media often calls Xiao Tu a superman, a demigod, and they hyped him up even more after he won the championship.

These women wanted to know just how strong he was, and some of them were beautiful. It was impossible for Xiao Tu not to be tempted at all, but he managed to resist.

He didn't want to maintain a good image all the time; that would be too tiring. It's just that he was about to leave for Hong Kong and felt he shouldn't go too far.

Once he arrived in Hong Kong, he was definitely going to see Rosamund Kwan. Before that, he didn't want Madonna to become suspicious, so he hadn't stayed at his villa recently. He was pretending to be very reliable so he could have a better time in Hong Kong.

(End of this chapter)