Basketball miracles

Chapter 38 [A Heroic Spirit]

Riding the wave of the Lakers' 11-game winning streak, Snickers began airing TV commercials featuring Shawn, which immediately became a nationwide sensation.

This advertisement is not only funny, but viewers can also see perfect dunks that are usually only seen in dunk contests.

Xiao Tu's dunk was truly perfect, unlike LeBron James's future dunk contest performance in an advertisement, where he did a self-alley-oop dunk with zero difficulty, and the judges all gave him a perfect score of 10 as if they had been bribed.

People usually dislike commercial breaks during TV dramas, but when this Snickers commercial came on, many people were eager to watch it. Fans who watched it once wanted to watch it multiple times.

Xiao Tu, transformed into Jennifer Connelly, looked so frail and delicate that it was impossible not to laugh. His three dunks after this transformation left the audience speechless.

"Are these dunks real or fake? He dunks from the free-throw line so easily, did he adjust the rim to be lower?"

"Don't be silly, this hoop is obviously the kind that can't be adjusted in height. And he jumped so far, how could that be faked? He can easily do a windmill dunk, he's done it in real games."

"The dunk contest hasn't even started yet, but Xiao has already finished dunking, so there's nothing left for the others to dunk on."

"There's no suspense in this dunk contest; Shaw will definitely win. For others, dunking is an occasional performance, but for him, it's his primary scoring method. Who can compare to him?"

Xiao Tu's exposure has increased again, and he has become a household name. Almost every American who watches television knows him.

That's why he was willing to shoot the Snickers commercial—it's interesting and generates buzz. Other brands' commercials don't require him to demonstrate his abilities; unless the offer is very high, he won't do them.

Commissioner David Stern was pleased. Xiao Tu's popularity was different from that of other Black players; his image was positive. This ad would make people understand that the NBA isn't just a bunch of people who indulge in drinking, gambling, drugs, and brawling.

The following day, in a dance rehearsal studio in Los Angeles, singer Madonna Ciccone and her manager Freddie Deman got into an argument in the office after finishing their dance practice.

"What's wrong with you? I said my music video needs a lion-like man, and look at this... what is this thing?" Madonna yelled, pointing at a photo on the table.

Her expression was angry, and her voice was sweet and innocent; she looked quite strange.

Freddie smiled wryly and said, "I found him exactly as you requested. When Ron Perlman was acting in gangster films, people described him as being like a lion."

"I want a handsome guy with the spirit of a lion, not someone whose face looks like a lion!" Madonna shouted.

She had only glanced at Pullman's photo once and almost slipped off her chair and under the table.

Ugly! So ugly! This person is absolutely ugly!
This kind of person should live in the sewers as a homeless person, how could they possibly appear in her music video?

If Xiao Tu knew about this, he would give Freddie a thumbs up. A few years later, Ron Perlman did indeed live in the sewers in a hugely popular American TV series called "Beauty and the Beast."

Freddie sighed, feeling like he was being treated like a piece of trash.

Whether their partnership can last depends on his ability to tolerate Madonna's endless rambling. He was Michael Jackson's manager, and even Jackson wasn't this difficult.

"Where can I find a handsome guy with the aura of a lion? How about we try a different approach? For example, find a tall man wearing a realistic lion mask to appear on camera? If you're not satisfied, we can even find a real lion to appear on camera."

“Actually, I have someone in mind: strong, masculine, and domineering.” Madonna glanced at her watch and scoffed, “In two more minutes, we should see him. He’s the kind of guy… the kind of guy that makes women want to be conquered by, or conquer him.”

Freddie thought Madonna had invited someone over, but she turned out to be talking about watching TV and waiting for the commercials.

Then he saw the Snickers ad, and Xiao Tu was indeed as Madonna described him: strong, masculine, and domineering.

"You want to have Sebastian Shaw do an ad? Do you know he's 206cm tall? I bet you'd look like a kid standing next to him."

"Isn't this normal? If a man is about my height, what kind of lion is he?" Madonna exclaimed excitedly after watching the ad, "Go find him, Freddie—right now!"

Freddie was speechless.

"Go right away? Where am I supposed to go right away? I don't even have this person's contact information!" Freddy didn't think it was a bad choice, admitting that Xiao Tu was very charming. Xiao Tu had a celebrity face and an amazing physique, which was the envy of many.

It’s not a waste of time to break through the iron shoes.

As soon as Freddy stepped outside, he overheard some of the backup dancers chatting. The newcomer who looked a lot like Clint Eastwood was bragging: "Shaw treated me to a super fancy watermelon, over 20 pounds, crisp and sweet. I've never seen a watermelon that big before..."

Freddie felt it couldn't be such a coincidence, but still, almost as if possessed, he stepped forward and asked, "The Shaw you're talking about, is it Sebastian Shaw of the Lakers?"

Chris Ford nodded proudly. "Yes, we're good friends, and we live together now."

Freddie chuckled and asked, "So, are you able to contact him now?"

"Of course, he should be home at this time. He can just call my house."

Xiao Tu was resting at home, preparing to fly with the team to the away game that evening, when he received a call from Freddy.

The other party got straight to the point, saying they wanted to invite Xiao Tu to star in Madonna's music video. Without hesitation, Xiao Tu refused outright.

"I'm sorry, I don't have time to shoot a music video. I'm flying to an away game tonight, and the NBA schedule is very tight. Besides, I don't have any acting skills, and I'm not confident that I can do a good job."

Freddie quickly said, "I've seen your Snickers commercial, it's really good. Aren't you going to ask about the fee first?"

"It's different. When I shoot the Snickers commercial, I only need to do what I'm good at. The music video you're talking about definitely has nothing to do with playing basketball. Why don't you consider Chris for it? He's an actor and he's definitely good at acting."

That's what you call loyalty, and Xiao Tu recommended his friend as well.

He knew that Chris was working as a backup dancer for Madonna, but he had never asked about Madonna. He didn't want to know this woman, much less have anything to do with her; he felt it would be too troublesome.

As for the payment, Xiao Tu estimated that the price for shooting this music video wouldn't be high. How long is a song anyway? Madonna will definitely be the main character; the men will probably just be supporting characters.

Me, the future greatest player in NBA history, being used as a prop in a Madonna music video? Isn't that a complete black mark on my past?

Freddie took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a sense of familiarity. The other person was as capricious and difficult as Madonna. Moreover, this wasn't something money could solve; Xiao Tu was frequently in the news, and someone that famous usually wasn't short of money.

As it was his duty, he still had to do the work. "Madonna is the new queen of pop, you must have heard her songs, right? We've asked you to film the music video for the wildly popular song 'Like a Virgin,' which will definitely boost your popularity even more."

Xiao Tu remained unmoved and replied dismissively, "I'm a basketball player, what would I need to be so famous in the entertainment industry? I really have no interest, you don't need to say anything more. I'm going to hang up now, I need to get some sleep, otherwise I'll feel terrible on the flight to the East tonight."

Xiao Tu hung up the phone as soon as he finished speaking, completely disregarding what the other person thought.

He loves online buzz, but he cares about how that buzz is generated. If Michael Jackson asked him to direct a music video, he'd agree without hesitation. But working with Madonna? He had a feeling it was a trap.

He didn't know much about Madonna, only having heard one song from "Deadpool and Wolverine." He liked the song, but disliked Madonna as a person, fearing her reputation regarding her private life would be terrible.

So it turns out that she wasn't just targeting NBA stars in the 90s, but now she's eyeing them too?

Mai Nai asked me to film a music video, is she trying to seduce me?
Xiao Tu remembered that Rodman once said he felt like "a duck in Madonna's bathtub." This kind of playboy, this mentally ill person, felt like a male prostitute; Xiao Tu just wanted to stay far away from all that nonsense.

He wants to become famous as a charismatic male god, not like Rodman, who had unique quirks and did things his own way.

I'm Shaw, the conqueror who can travel through time! I'm here to conquer the NBA. If I get played by McGrady, wouldn't that leave a stain on my life?

Never mind, the next game is crucial, I need to concentrate on playing.

(End of this chapter)