Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 56 He will rewrite the history of the Grizzlies
Xu Ling walked to the front of the stage under the spotlight. David Stern looked extremely friendly: "Congratulations, kid."

"Thank you."

Xu Ling responded politely, then walked to the sidelines and stood in front of Greg Seg, a veteran reporter known for his brightly colored suits and humorous interviewing style.

"Congratulations, Eli!" Seger offered his congratulations first, then posed the first question: "How do you feel right now that you've been selected as the third overall pick in this year's draft?"

Xu Ling took the microphone, a relaxed smile on his face: "It feels good. At least it proves that my efforts over the past few months haven't been in vain. Of course, most importantly, I no longer have to answer questions like 'Would you be disappointed if I didn't make the top three in the draft?'"

"The bidding war between Nike and Adidas over you has generated a lot of discussion," Seg posed the second question. "What ultimately led you to choose Adidas?"

Bidding? Xu Ling couldn't help but smile to himself.

"There's really no complicated reason," he said candidly to the camera, "it's just that the contract Adidas offered looked better."

Seg smiled knowingly, then asked the third, slightly pointed but much-anticipated question: "As we all know, the Grizzlies' performance last season was not ideal, and team owner Michael Heisley tried to sell the team last year, but failed. Facing a team in such a slump and uncertain environment, how do you view the start of your upcoming professional career?"

This is a very real problem, and Xu Ling's agent, Leon Rose, has also expressed concerns about it. But the draft is inherently a passive game—the Trail Blazers and SuperSonics prefer players with higher talent, while the Grizzlies choose the remaining member of their Big Three.

"I'm here to play ball." Xu Ling's answer was concise and firm.

"Is that all your answer?" Seger pressed.

“That’s right,” Xu Ling nodded, “That’s the only thing I need to care about in Memphis.”

The draft continues.

The Hawks methodically chose their long-spotted target – Al Horford, the championship-winning center from the University of Florida.

However, starting from the fifth pick, chaos ensued as expected.

The Boston Celtics, who originally planned to trade up to acquire Xu Ling or hoped for an unexpected drop in his draft position, quickly activated Plan B after their plan failed, using the fifth pick to acquire Mike Conley.

This unexpected event disrupted the Milwaukee Bucks' plans, forcing them to abandon their original target and instead draft forward Jeff Green.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who had planned to draft Green but missed out, surprisingly used the seventh pick to select Yi Jianlian, a tall player from China.

Faced with this series of unexpected events, the Charlotte Bobcats were delighted and did not hesitate to acquire Corey Brewer, the versatile forward they had long desired.

This is the chaos that ensued after the Grizzlies acquired Xu Ling.

Half of the teams in the lottery did not select their initial picks.

After finishing the interviews with domestic media, Xu Ling felt as if she had become a ruthless answering machine.

The NBA's global success lies not only in its expansion of talent selection from the United States to all eligible players worldwide, but also in its pervasive media network. Today, almost every major country has a media reporter based in the NBA.

American media was relatively easy for Xu Ling to handle, as he had gradually become accustomed to their questioning style and focus. What truly overwhelmed him were the media from Europe, Japan, and South Korea. Sometimes, he couldn't even quite grasp the intent behind their questions and could only rely on politeness and intuition to manage a passable response.

For example, a Japanese reporter once asked earnestly, "Mr. Xu, I heard that you have 'absolute taste' and can taste the subtle differences between different sports drinks. Is this an important reason why you chose to cooperate with Adidas? Do you think this extraordinary perception ability helps your defensive judgment in the NBA?"

Faced with such imaginative questions, Xu Ling often had to suppress his inner astonishment, try to keep his face calm, and give some watertight answers such as "I will focus on basketball itself".

The NBA staff member responsible for mentoring the rookies noticed the impatience in Xu Ling's eyes and stepped forward, saying in a nonchalant tone, "Eli, these are all things you have to get used to," he said, "This is the daily routine in the NBA."

Xu Ling didn't entirely agree. He didn't believe that every NBA team received this level of media attention on a regular basis. The global attention at this moment was only because it was the 2007 NBA Draft, which had been hyped up all year, and even more so because it was in New York.

After several hours of non-stop interviews, the process finally moved on to the photo session. Xu Ling, wearing a Grizzlies hat, arrived at the photo area, where most of the other first-round draft picks were also present.

He looked around and immediately noticed that Taikong Yi was sitting alone in the corner, looking somewhat blank and out of place with the lively atmosphere around him.

He was undoubtedly the most silent and withdrawn person present.

But this is entirely understandable.

Xu Ling knew that Yi's team had always hoped he would be drafted by a team located in a major city with a large Chinese population. However, things didn't go as planned, and he was ultimately drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Not only was his draft position lower than expected, but more problematic was that he was joining a team that already had a superstar like Kevin Garnett at the same position.

Anyone facing such a situation would likely feel confused and worried about their future.

But what can be done now? Few people are in perfect circumstances, and even fewer have perfect timing. It's like seeing Chishin Makimoto, who played the role of a yakuza wife, at the height of her career. Every man who studied Japanese action films in the 2000s would remember her. But when she returned in 2025 as a "mature beauty," time hadn't left any marks on her face, but a failed cosmetic surgery had destroyed all those beautiful memories. Sometimes, the best moment has already arrived, you just haven't realized it yet.

Xu Ling walked over and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Yi looked up and saw that it was Xu Ling. He forced a smile and said in Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, "Congratulations on being third in line. You deserve it."

His congratulations were sincere, but the gloom between his brows did not dissipate.

"Thank you," Xu Ling smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Memphis is indeed a good place. It has a stable core of players. At least I don't have to be treated like a savior like Oden before I even start playing. That would be too much pressure."

Yi Wenyan simply shook his head slightly, lowering his voice: "I wasn't so lucky. Minnesota is too cold, and there aren't many Asians there."

Xu Ling immediately understood that he was implying a request for a trade. He was silent for a moment, not responding directly, but pointing to the busy photography lights and backdrops around him: "Look here, it's a mess, everyone is rushing to squeeze themselves into the most glamorous templates, hoping to become famous overnight."

He looked at Yi and said meaningfully, "But sometimes, the brightest spot in the spotlight isn't necessarily the best place to grow. On the contrary, those seemingly remote corners may have more solid soil, allowing people to quietly take root and grow at their own pace."

Yi Ziran sensed the comfort in Xu Ling's words, nodded gently, and then asked, "Maybe. Do you listen to music?"

"I listen to it occasionally," Xu Ling countered, "Any recommendations?"

Yi smiled and said a rather meaningful song title: "Next Stop, Superstar. It's pretty good."

Xu Ling was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed as well. In this context, the song title seemed like a silent prophecy.

“Okay,” he nodded in response, “I will go listen.”

At the end of the lottery pick photo session, all the young talents took their positions as instructed. Greg Oden, as the highly anticipated number one pick, rightfully stood in the center, flanked by Kevin Durant and Xu Ling, like a protector or a challenger. Following them were Mike Conley, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Yi Jianlian—youthful faces who had been the subject of media hype for a year, carrying the hopes and dreams of countless teams. Oden and Durant, this pair of unparalleled stars, probably never imagined that after their college season, a dark horse from China would emerge, forcefully entering the discussion of the top two picks and almost rewriting the script.

However, the NBA ultimately adheres to its decades-old ironclad rule: talent is paramount, talent is everything, talent is the only thing.

This was a draft class widely recognized by scouts as overflowing with talent, making the teams involved feel like they had fallen into a dream. For some teams, the dream might extend into 2016 or even further, while for others, the dream might soon be shattered—and it all started with Oden right at the center.

"Gentlemen, look here—" the cameraman called out, "say with me: 'Cheese!'"

The lights suddenly blazed on, freezing the moment in time. A group photo of the 2007 Lotto Show, destined to go down in history, was born.

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After all the on-site activities concluded, Xu Ling did not linger. Accompanied by his agent, Leon Rose, and his team, he flew to Memphis overnight. The following day, in the Grizzlies' management office, both parties officially signed a rookie contract.

Under the current salary cap, Xu Ling signed a four-year, $19.5 million contract, which is a standard "2+1+1" contract, with the first two years guaranteed and the last two years being team options.

The signing process was smooth sailing, as everything was governed by regulations, leaving no room for negotiation. So, West produced the contract, Xu Ling signed it, both parties smiled and took a photo, and the deal was done.

The following day, the Grizzlies held a press conference to celebrate their third overall pick. Jerry West sat next to Xu Ling. Facing the flashing cameras below the stage, this usually aloof dynasty designer showed a rare hint of satisfaction on his face.

“Many people talk about talent,” West’s voice was deep and clear, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present. “They talk about height, wingspan, jumping ability, things that are visible and measurable. But in the world of basketball, the rarest talent is here.”

He stretched out his finger and tapped his head.

"It's a calm mind, decisiveness beyond one's years, and the ability to see through and tear apart the game. Our choice yesterday wasn't about some 'possibility' for the future, but about 'certainty.' I'm convinced that Eli possesses this rarest of talents. Eli will rewrite the history of the Grizzlies, and I have no doubt about it!"

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Sina Sports
Author Wang Meng

[NBA Signing Update] The Memphis Grizzlies officially signed Xu Ling, the third overall pick in this year's NBA draft, on June 29th. At the press conference, the team's President of Basketball Operations, Jerry West, praised Xu Ling for possessing "the rarest basketball mind" and stated definitively that "he will rewrite Grizzlies history." This highest-drafted Chinese player since Yao Ming has officially begun his NBA career. #NBA2007Draft #XuLingSignsWithGrizzlies
Hot discussion among netizens
@I am nothing, therefore I am nothing:
"So exciting! The pride of Chinese basketball! From Yao Ming to Xu and Yi, we've been witnessing history! The third pick is well-deserved. Just look at his composure during the interview with Sager; you can tell this kid has the makings of a great player! Go Memphis! We absolutely have to follow the Grizzlies this season!" (3824 likes, 56 replies)

@King of Intelligence in China:
"Hilarious! Some people are still praising Durant's overwhelming talent? Xu Ling's commercial value alone is leagues ahead! The Adidas contract speaks for itself! Even Coach West said that the rarest thing is brains, O'Neal is just a fragile physique, and that second overall pick is as skinny as a bamboo pole. In three years, Xu Ling will definitely become the number one player of the 07 draft class!" (2155 likes, 423 replies)

@RationalFootballViewing30Years99995:

"It must be acknowledged that Xu Ling's commercial value and basketball IQ are indeed top-notch, but is West's bold claim of 'rewriting history' a bit of an exaggeration? The Grizzlies almost sold the team last year, and Gasol trade rumors never stopped. Can such a turbulent environment really cultivate rookies? In contrast, Yao Ming had Francis to guide him, and the Rockets had a mature system. Of course, Xu Ling is much better than some of the busts, but Memphis is a place... I can only wish him good luck. How well he performs in the future depends on fate." (1768 likes, 617 replies)

@Xu Qiuwang Surpasses Jordan:
"Are you pretending to be a rational and objective person? Are you Kobe's brainless fans stirring up trouble here? The Grizzlies' turmoil doesn't affect Xu Ling's ability to lead the team to victory! Do you need to question Coach West's judgment? Back then, it was you guys who said Yao Ming wasn't good enough, and now you're using different tactics to smear Xu Ling? Even if Memphis is bad, it's still more interesting than your idol forcing a trade!" (1033 likes, 89 replies)

(End of this chapter)