Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 115 is a little hurtful.

The Pepsi Center in Denver is located at a high altitude with thin air, making its physical environment a major hurdle for visiting teams. But for the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, the even tougher test comes from the legendary duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony standing opposite them.

This was Xu Ling's first time stepping into the Nuggets' home arena.

This team, which looks like it can only make the playoffs, is one of the most watched teams in the West because they have both Iverson and Anthony, and perhaps Iverson is the more important part.

Even if life were like a first encounter, Xu Ling did not receive any kindness in Denver.

The Nuggets fans booed him loudly, making him feel intense hostility from the very first second he entered the arena.

"Did you do something during All-Star Weekend?" Jason Kidd asked Xu Ling with some curiosity.

“In fact, I didn’t do anything,” Xu Ling replied.

—Perhaps this statement should be more precise. He didn't do anything to Iverson or Anthony, but he did a lot to LeBron James.

This is precisely why he became this year's All-Star MVP. However, some Nuggets fans believe that Xu Ling, this rookie, doesn't deserve that kind of tactical role. If it weren't for their "Golden Duo" (Xu Ling and his two star players) putting up a strong performance on the court, how could this kid have had that explosive performance in the last five minutes?
The truth doesn't matter. Nuggets fans simply found a reason to dislike Xu Ling, and thus greeted this young man's first visit with a chorus of malice.

Just as rumored, Xu Ling treated the fans in the stadium like pigs and dogs. The harsh curses and deafening boos did not stir up the slightest ripple in his heart.

He received the pass from Kyle Lowry, raised his hand, and sank a long-range three-pointer into the net.

"That's incredibly accurate, this young man..."

Allen Iverson stood at the other end of the court, thinking to himself.

Iverson was curious about everything about Xu Ling. This young man rose to the top of the league in just half a season, and seized every opportunity that could make him famous—he kicked Gay out of Memphis, completed that "judgment dunk" in front of Kobe, wagged his finger at James, and even suddenly went berserk in the last five minutes of the All-Star Game, snatching the All-Star MVP trophy from James' hands.

His performance was dazzling, but his off-field reputation was unusually bad.

Looking back on his long career, Iverson couldn't find a player with a worse reputation than Xu Ling: a bully on the team, a scoundrel off the court, rude to reporters, disrespectful to fans... these labels stuck to this young man like shadows. However, during their brief time together at All-Star Weekend, Iverson didn't feel the kind of toxicity that the media had been exaggerating about in Xu Ling.

On the contrary, Xu Ling gets along well with every Western Conference All-Star teammate.

At that moment, watching that expressionless figure sink a three-pointer amidst a chorus of boos, Iverson suddenly thought of his past self. Back then, he too was seen as a cancer, a troublemaker, and every away game was filled with mockery.

People are keen to criticize his tattoos, his hairstyle, and his clothes, but selectively ignore the sweat he sheds in the training gym. So when he returned from missing a training session due to the death of a close friend, he found that reporters were still fixated on the training session he missed, which led to his earth-shattering outburst, "We're actually talking about training here?"

Perhaps every era needs a villain, and the media today has already accumulated enough experience with Allen Iverson's generation—with just the pen in their hands that can sway public opinion, they are enough to portray this controversial player with no bad deeds off the court as the league's number one villain.

When the two starting lineups met at the center circle, Iverson remained silent throughout.

but.

"Hey, Eli!"

A voice suddenly rang out. Xu Ling turned his head and saw Anthony approaching at some point, a seemingly friendly smile on his face: "Ready for a long night?"

Xu Ling remained calm and replied indifferently, "I'm more looking forward to a decisive victory."

"Did you hear that, AI? He wants a big win!" Anthony burst into laughter, as if he'd heard the funniest joke. "Looks like our New Orleans experience has given our AMVP a huge boost of confidence!"

Anthony immediately stopped smiling and stared sharply at Xu Ling: "But I'm not LeBron."

“You really aren’t.” Xu Ling’s greatest “evil” might be that he can’t help but expose the truth when he hears stupid things. “You’re not the Rookie of the Year in 2004, nor were you the runner-up last season.”

After saying that, he turned and walked back to his seat without even waiting for Anthony's reaction, as if he had just stated a simple objective fact, like "the earth is round".

Anthony's facial muscles tensed instantly. He and James were once known as the two superstars, but now he had been left behind by that classmate. Of course, he didn't like to hear others compare him to James.

Xu Ling walked away without waiting for his reply.

The Nuggets won the opening tip-off, and the ball naturally went to Iverson.

He did not hesitate at all; like a blade, once drawn, it gleamed with cold light.

Facing Kidd's defense, Iverson used two quick crossovers in succession, his shoulders making a very deceptive sway, causing Kidd's center of gravity to sway like a reed in a storm.

With just a moment's hesitation, Iverson had already swept past him like lightning, heading straight for the Grizzlies' heart.

Milicic tried to help defend, but Iverson, in an extremely contorted motion in mid-air, as if defying gravity, lightly tossed the ball past Milicic's fingertips towards the backboard. "Swish!"

Kidd controlled the ball steadily past midfield, then held up two fingers, making a simple tactical gesture. Xu Ling began his off-the-ball movement, using Milicic's solid build to get a chance to receive the ball, and Kidd's pass arrived as expected.

Carmelo Anthony, who was supposed to be guarding Josh Howard, surprisingly abandoned his usual lazy defense and took the initiative to guard Xu Ling.

"Come on, rookie, let me see what you've got!" Anthony lowered his center of gravity and pressed his chest firmly against Xu Ling's back.

Xu Ling ignored the trash talk, dribbling and posting up, feeling the power Anthony was exerting. One dribble, two dribbles… Just when Anthony thought he was going to continue his onslaught, Xu Ling executed a lightning-fast right spin, his entire body spinning like a top, the movement clean and crisp, without a single wasted movement. Anthony's reaction was a beat too slow; his defense was already too late.

Xu Ling made room, leaped up calmly, and gently flicked the ball with his wrist.

"Shh!"

"Is that all?" Xu Ling retorted with his trash talk. "I thought it would be more challenging."

It wasn't vulgar, or even mean; it was just contemptuous enough.

Carmelo Anthony is not a nice guy; in fact, he is one of the few players in the NBA with a gang background.

Xu Ling's trash talk infuriated him. He wasn't a great defender, but when it came to offense, he was second to none.

Competition among young stars is often more intense than among established superstars.

Because they all want to use this to gain their place in the league.

Especially for someone like Anthony who enters the industry with great fanfare, much like Jin Songjibu in the industry, when they enter the industry, people expect to see their all-around performance, because they can do everything and have everything. All they need is a stage to show their comprehensive skills to the audience.

However, Anthony didn't have a good platform. Even though he helped the Nuggets, who were bottom-feeders last season, make the playoffs in his rookie season and averaged 21 points and 6 assists per game, he still missed out on the Rookie of the Year award.

Over the years, James' achievements have made that result seem perfectly reasonable, while Anthony stagnated after his amazing rookie season, getting eliminated in the first round, and then again. Even when Iverson came, it was still a first-round exit. No one compares him to James anymore. Now, the person who has replaced him as James' arch-rival is Xu Ling.

Another super talent from the NCAA, like him, led a mediocre team to win the national championship as a freshman. However, unlike him, Xu Ling was already the focus of attention before he even played a single game in the NBA.

Xu Ling's stunning debut is, in a way, what people expected Carmelo Anthony to look like when he entered the NBA.

Anthony himself didn't want to be compared to a rookie like Xu Ling, but those who want to climb up are destined to fight.

Xu Ling's trash talk ignited Anthony's anger, which burned within him and almost burst forth from his pores. He almost aggressively reached out for the ball from Iverson in the next possession.

Iverson hesitated slightly, but still passed the ball over.

Anthony received the ball and backed down Xu Ling. He was indeed stronger, and with one or two strokes, he solidly drove into the paint.

Xu Ling didn't try to force his way through, but instead fought and retreated, constantly disrupting Anthony's dribbling rhythm with his left hand. Anthony pushed into the deep post, using his excellent core strength to force a right turn, followed by a shoulder fake and a fadeaway jump shot—a fluid motion showcasing his solid skills.

"Melo's signature move! A beautiful fadeaway!"

However.
"boom!"

With a crisp sound, the ball slammed against the back rim and bounced up. Kidd turned to secure the rebound.

Xu Ling didn't even look at where the rebound would land. The moment Anthony released the shot, he had already launched himself like an arrow, silently speeding down the sideline.

Kidd understood perfectly and delivered a long pass across the entire field to the frontcourt.

Xu Ling received the ball, with a wide-open view in front of him. He easily jumped and delivered a smooth tomahawk dunk.

On his way back on defense, he ran straight past Anthony, his eyes looking straight ahead, as if the previous attack had nothing to do with Anthony, as if he were just a defensive obstacle that needed to be cleared.

This complete disregard infuriated Anthony more than any trash talk.

If Xu Ling knew what Anthony was thinking, he would definitely curse him as a "damn idiot." He'd rather be ignored than be insulted. Besides, what's wrong with ignoring him?
There's nothing wrong, it's just a little hurtful.

Just a little bit.

(End of this chapter)