Basketball miracles

Chapter 156 [Hong Kong Surprise]

After the 1985 NBA draft, a reporter approached Xiao Tu, who was in Manhattan, to ask him to comment on this year's number one draft pick, Patrick Ewing.

Ewing received extremely high praise before the draft – the chosen one!
Ewing was considered the ultimate center template in college, and he received attention from all the media before he even played a single game.

This year's draft was the first time the league used a lottery system to determine draft order. The Knicks unexpectedly won the number one pick; reportedly, the envelope was folded in half.

Even before the draft, the New York Times reported that "there was a hunch among the league's top management and advertising executives that the league's interests would be maximized if Ewing went to the Knicks." In short, the league wanted to replicate the success of Michael Jordan and the Lakers with Ewing and the Knicks.

Xiao Tu smiled and said, "Ewing will definitely become a superstar if he enters the NBA. However, some people say that the next era will be Ewing's era, but I disagree. I personally think that the next era should be mine and Magic's era."

The reporter asked, "Do you think Ewing can pose a threat to the Lakers?"

Xiao Tu said calmly, "It's too early to talk about this now. Let's wait until the Knicks defeat the Celtics and break through in the East."

Xiao Tu is happy to promote other star players, but there are limits.

In his memory, Ewing was the weakest of the four great centers, while the other three had won championships.

In 1994, Ewing finally led his team to the NBA Finals, only to be utterly defeated by Hakeem Olajuwon. In 1999, he even made it to the Finals without winning, watching his teammates get crushed from the sidelines.

Xiao Tu completely underestimated Ewing; he's utterly weak. Aside from his looks, what about him resembles a chosen one?
Xiao Tu also commented on the Lakers' 23rd rookie, AC Green. "I haven't met him yet, but I know he's similar in build to me. I suggest he focus on practicing his mid-range shot this summer. If he can catch and shoot, he'll have more opportunities to perform next season. That's what I did last summer. The Lakers have a lot of stars; they don't need rookies to handle the ball and attack."

Xiao Tu's advice is very practical, and I believe Green will see it. As long as he maintains his mid-range shooting percentage, he will definitely win the competition with Kurt Rambis and become an important rotation player in the paint.

Rambis doesn't have a natural talent for shooting; he can't develop it. His wrists are stiff, his jump shots have a low arc, and his hook shots look like he's throwing a discus.

The reporter also asked about the upcoming film "Shanghai Surprise." "Will you be in this movie?"

Xiao Tu knew that it wasn't unusual for sports stars to act in movies; many people dabbled in Hollywood.

American football star OJ Simpson later played a significant role in the Naked Gun film series, including the iconic scene where he assembles a small handgun into a cannon on a rooftop.

O.J. Simpson primarily acted in comedies, but in reality, he starred in horror films and was involved in the infamous murder of his wife. It was this lawsuit that made the Kardashians' lawyer fathers famous.

Xiao Tu stated definitively, "I'm not involved in the filming; I'm just accompanying Madonna to the film shoot and taking a side trip to Hong Kong. I love Chinese food, so I can enjoy it to my heart's content this time."

The reporter asked, "So, do you think this movie will be successful?"

"I can answer anything about basketball, but you've come to the wrong person when it comes to movies. I'm a complete novice; you'll have to ask film critics after the movie is released."

This movie was destined to flop, but Xiao Tu wasn't about to pour cold water on it. The producer cast a singer as the female lead, and none of the other actors were stars; it was no wonder it wouldn't do well at the box office.

Jennifer Connelly also wanted to go to Hong Kong, but unfortunately, she couldn't get her family's permission. How could her parents let her travel abroad with an adult man? Even if she was going abroad to film a movie, she would need a family member with her.

On June 24, the film crew chartered a plane and flew to Hong Kong.

Madonna is a big star, and although she hasn't proven herself on the big screen, she receives a high level of treatment. In addition to her own assistant Chloe, the production team also hired a young female assistant to serve her.

The hotel is high-end, ensuring Madonna's comfort. Her salary for this film is also substantial, at $15.

Madonna enjoys acting. Her salary for her last film, *Secret Date*, was $8. This year, with her increased popularity, her salary has risen somewhat. This amount is nothing to Madonna, incomparable to a concert ticket, but it makes her happy.

Madonna was very excited on the plane, feeling that the East was incredibly mysterious and that she had long wanted to see it for herself.

Madonna asked, "Does Hong Kong have that fruit called lychee? I haven't had it in a long time, and I really like the taste."

"There should be some. Chris and I will go look for it together. But don't get your hopes up too high; it'll definitely be much worse than what I gave you before." Xiao Tu had never been to Hong Kong before his transmigration; this was his first time.

The brass treasure chest has yielded premium lychees three times in total, and each time they were quickly eaten up; everyone who tasted them said they were delicious.

Chris Ford, a close confidant of Madonna and a good friend of Xiao Tu, also managed to snag a seat in first class. The three chatted for hours on the plane, barely mentioning filming, focusing instead on plans for eating, drinking, and having fun.

Chris was speechless, feeling that he had no chance of becoming famous through this movie; he was clearly just there for the ride. Madonna, without formal training and without any prior preparation, couldn't even memorize her lines—how could she possibly act well?

When they got tired of chatting, they went to sleep to adjust to the time difference. This trip was particularly long, with a flight of 14 and a half hours.

They arrived in Hong Kong in the morning, perfectly timed. Having just had a nap, they weren't sleepy, so they explored Hong Kong to adjust to the time difference. They planned to sleep again that night, by which time they would be in the Asian time zone.

The plane flew close to the rooftops of Kowloon City's dense skyscrapers. This was a common sight for Hong Kong people, but it startled several of them. Madonna, who had just arrived, already felt a strong urge to return to the United States.

But since we're already here, we can't go back right away.

After checking into the hotel, accompanied by bodyguards and assistants, they enjoyed roast goose, egg tarts, and Hong Kong-style milk tea. For dinner, they ate beef brisket, rice, and pineapple buns.

Xiao Tu felt quite satisfied; Chinese food suited his taste better. The Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles were all heavily modified, with sweet and sour flavors being the most popular, and the variety of dishes was limited.

Before returning to the hotel, he bought a bowl of fish balls from a street vendor for a late-night snack and some lychees from a fruit shop.

Regular lychees don't taste as good, but you can't find them in the US either.

That evening, Madonna lost interest and returned to her room sighing.

In Madonna's fantasy, she would be greeted by a huge crowd of fans upon arriving in Hong Kong. A deafening cacophony of drums and firecrackers, waving red flags, a sea of ​​people… it would be truly spectacular!

As it turns out, very few people in Hong Kong knew her; more people watched Xiao Tu than her. It wasn't that Hong Kong people knew about the NBA, but rather that Xiao Tu's height was exceptionally tall; you couldn't see anyone taller than him on the street.

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "You've never been to Asia, how could you possibly have a lot of fans? Isn't this great? We can't shop so freely in America."

Madonna exclaimed, "I want the whole world to know me and like me."

"It will happen, but not now. We should enjoy a life without being so famous. Without a large number of fans watching, your filming will go much more smoothly."

As a result, the filming of the movie did not go smoothly. The crew had not coordinated well in advance and encountered a group of gangsters, including Chan Ho-nam, Chicken, and Tai Tin Yee, who came to collect protection money.

In the 80s, Hong Kong triads were rampant!

The gangsters weren't as handsome as they were in the movies; they just dressed and had similar hairstyles. They walked with a swaying gait, tilting their heads and looking at people with sidelong glances—they were completely unrespecting.

In mainland China, they'd be called a bunch of petty thugs, hooligans, street ruffians, and hooligans—the kind of people who can't be considered respectable. But in Hong Kong, many young people thought it was cool. Later, Hong Kong directors made a series of films showcasing the gangsters' style, corrupting countless children.

Decades later, Hong Kong filmmakers are struggling to make a living, yet they're still making these kinds of films.

Hong Kong films are dark both on and off screen. When triads first extended their reach into the film industry, they were just collecting protection money; if they didn't get what they wanted, they would cause trouble.

Madonna was filming "Shanghai Surprise" in the New Territories today; I learned a lot. Actually, the situation is relatively mild; the crew was just threatened by local bullies, nothing serious is likely to happen.

By the 1990s, the situation had escalated to the point that Hong Kong filmmakers were forced to relocate their filming to Canada, and Hollywood film companies that had been actively seeking collaborations in Hong Kong virtually disappeared. Extortion was merely the surface; the triads' influence had extended into the production field, controlling not only actors but also investing in films.

Some people were photographed nude, some were forced to film movies at gunpoint, and one producer was even shot dead. Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, and Chow Yun-fat have all revealed that they regularly had to pay protection money to gangs.

This is the golden age of Hong Kong films, but their fate is already sealed.

Xiao Tu, as a bystander, felt a strong sense of the times. He wasn't angry at all; after all, it was the production crew that was being extorted, not him.

He only needed to protect Madonna; standing together, Madonna felt very safe.

These gangsters were generally around 1.7 meters tall, and none of them dared to approach Xiao Tu. The leader exchanged a glance with him, but neither of them seemed confident.

People in Hong Kong don't usually see a "giant" like Xiao Tu. Just by looking at his physique, they can tell he's very powerful, and he seems to be a super bodyguard.

(End of this chapter)