Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 63 A Fickle Person
The matchup between the rookie team and the veteran team devolved into a one-sided rout after Pau Gasol stormed off the court. Many who were present later recalled it as the "most ruthless" intra-team game they had ever witnessed.

54 is better than 28
The most striking difference undoubtedly comes from the direct dialogue between Xu Ling and Rudy Guy.

盖伊全场18投仅4中，勉强得到11分8篮板；而徐凌则16投12中，高效砍下28分8篮板6助攻。两人数据并列之时，前者宛如一个彻头彻尾的败者。

As the final whistle blew, Guy stood frozen, his face ashen. Xu Ling casually tossed the ball aside, walked calmly towards him, a faint sneer on his face, and said, "What, you're not even willing to say 'well played' to the person who completely defeated you?"

Guy suddenly raised his head, his eyes showing no sign of defeat, only anger and resentment at being humiliated.

"Salute? What do you think you won?" Gay raised his voice hysterically. "An intrasquad game where nobody played seriously? If Paul hadn't inexplicably lost his temper and left the game, if the coaching staff hadn't fielded this garbage lineup..."

As Guy spoke, he pointed haphazardly at his teammates and the empty Gasol seat, trying to blame the defeat on everyone except himself.

Xu Ling wasn't angered by him. Instead, she nodded slightly, interrupting him: "You're right, Rudy. Our rosters are indeed unfair. We have the third and second overall picks in the NBA draft, and the captain of the NCAA national championship team, while yours..."

At this point, Xu Ling paused deliberately. He didn't know what was wrong with him, how he had become so harsh. Had he changed, or had the world changed him? But he instinctively knew he had to outmaneuver Guy. So he uttered the most hurtful words.

"But there's this idiot who only made 4 of 18 shots, dragging everyone down like a virus."

These words pierced Guy's heart like an ice pick, instantly making him feel immensely humiliated, and his face turned bright red.

"You damned thing!"

"Get some rest," Xu Ling said mockingly, looking at him. "Score more goals next time."

Guy was filled with grief and indignation by Xu Ling's words, yet he couldn't refute them. He looked at the others, but no one was on his side anymore, including Kyle Lowry, who had seemed like a close brother to him during the competition.

Lowry has quietly distanced herself from him.

He was isolated.

Outraged, Guy turned and walked off the court.

Xu Ling ignored him and instead asked Hakim Warrick of the veterans' team, "I'm treating everyone after training today. Do you know any good restaurants in Memphis?"

The suffocating, cold, and awkward atmosphere eased somewhat, and Warrick immediately replied, "That would definitely be 'Lobster House' on Beale Street."

No one cared about Guy, no one asked about anything else; they all knew that accepting Xu Ling's invitation meant choosing sides between him and Guy.

But it's really not a difficult thing.

Although Gay was the eighth overall pick and was indeed once considered the core of the rebuild by the management, his rookie season was mediocre. Although he was nicknamed "McGrady" and his physical condition and shooting skills were indeed somewhat similar, McGrady was a defensive player who started his career with the Raptors. After he was transferred to the Magic, Hill was sidelined with season-ending injuries for several years, so he had to shoulder the offensive burden and thus unleash his potential.

But what about Gay? His career trajectory is completely the opposite. Like McGrady, he was questioned by scouts about his professionalism. After entering the NBA, he didn't focus on defense but only on offense. However, his fundamentals were rough, making him just an inefficient scorer. To make matters worse, he was arrogant, complacent, and had a bad temper. If it weren't for someone like Xu Ling coming along, everyone would have tolerated it. But now that they have a better role model, who would still fawn over him?

That evening, those who accepted Xu Ling's invitation included Jarius Jackson, Darko Milicic, Mike Miller, Eddie Jones, Hakim Warrick, Kyle Lowry, and several other members of the rookie team.
Pau Gasol, who is eager to leave the team, naturally has no interest in befriending Xu Lingpan, and Juan Navarro, who established himself in the Grizzlies through Xu's connections, is also unlikely to come.

Aside from the two Spaniards and Gay, the Grizzlies have brought in everyone they could.

The people who accepted the invitation displayed a variety of attitudes.

Jones, an old guy nearing retirement, naturally had no need to take sides. He had known Xu Ling since the tryouts, so he was just catching up with him.

Milicic didn't seem to be taking sides. He signed as a free agent and wasn't there to be the leader. He wasn't even a starter before Gasol was traded, and he wasn't particularly obsessed with starting. He had already signed a three-year, $21 million mid-level exception contract, which was enough for him to live a life of luxury in Memphis.

Mike Miller, a nice guy, deliberately avoided the topic of taking sides, instead saying, "Eli, I believe in your abilities, but to achieve something bigger than PG (Gasol) in Memphis, your challenge is not just Rudy."

He even referred to him as "Rudy," which shows that he has not given up on treating Guy.

However, Xu Ling was by no means a narrow-minded person. He wouldn't push Miller away just because Miller still harbored illusions about Guy. He simply asked, "What other challenges are there?"

“The real challenge… well, the competition in the West is fierce. Even the Celtics in the East have formed a Big Three, but what about us? The owner doesn’t even dare to exceed the salary cap because very few people in Memphis care about the Grizzlies,” Miller said. “But those who do care about the team are more demanding than you think. Just look at PG.” Jones chimed in, “Mike, don’t scare the rookie.”

Xu Ling was aware of Memphis's problems, but the characteristics of a city are fixed and difficult to change by human effort. He believed that if the Grizzlies became a winning team again, the fans would naturally come.

It's worth noting that in his previous life, he experienced two peak periods with the Grizzlies: the era of the "unyielding" core quartet of Randolph, Gasol, Conley, and Tony Allen, and the era of Ja Morant. A team with great appeal will never lack die-hard fans, and once fans become die-hard fans, they will follow them for a long time.

If the Grizzlies failed to build such a fan community during the Pau Gasol era, it only shows that the Grizzlies at that time did not leave a deep enough mark on the city.

However, Xu Ling still sincerely thanked Mike Miller for being willing to tell the truth.

“Thank you, Mike,” he said sincerely. “I’ll keep an eye on it.”

The atmosphere at the party that evening was harmonious, and everyone chatted happily. Kyle Lowry, however, seemed somewhat silent—his presence itself was surprising. After all, just hours earlier in the scrimmage, he had been Gay's biggest supporter, practically dedicating every pass to Rudy. Now, he was sitting at Xu Ling's table, trying to build rapport with this new star player.

This scene naturally did not escape the eyes of everyone present. Xu Ling's friend, Roderick Craig, maintained his polite demeanor on the surface, but inwardly he was already disgusted.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they all went home. Xu Ling and Roderick Craig wanted to go home, but Lowry followed them.

"Kyle, is something the matter?"

Craig disliked Lowry's treachery, but he still maintained a friendly demeanor.

“I want to talk to Eli,” Lowry said directly.

Craig looked at Xu Ling, who simply nodded. His opinion of Lowry differed from others because he knew Lowry was a future All-Star player and that he had a decent personality. However, times were tough, and he was currently just a late first-round pick who wasn't valued by the team. So, he had to be opportunistic.
So Lowry got into the car and discovered that Xu Ling wasn't the only one there; his bodyguard was also in the car.

"Don't worry about it, Kyle, just say what you want to say." Xu Ling's attitude reassured Lowry a little.

“Eli,” Lowry said cautiously, “I just wanted you to know that I’ve been passing the ball to Rudy all day because I wanted to settle things between you two, which is good for our team.”

"I know."

“I’m not Rudy’s man, I’m not even friends with him. He has his own circle, and I don’t have any real friends in the team.”

Xu Ling was taken aback: "I didn't know that."

Is it possible that someone like Lowry, who could confide in DeRozan during his "I have depression" period, is now so lonely in the Grizzlies that he can't even make a single friend?

This is the misconception that young people like Xu Ling, who have just stepped out of school, are most likely to fall into. Boys who have watched too many action movies and sports anime often think that professional sports for adults are also an ideal world where brothers work together and can overcome any obstacle.

But what's the reality? The Shaq and Kobe Bryant, who won three consecutive championships, treat each other like enemies. Michael Jordan and Chris Powell, who won two three-peats, didn't even offer a single word of condolence when the other suffered the loss of his father. The breakup of the Miami Heat's "Big Three," supposedly a brotherhood of basketball, directly proves that all those narratives about brotherhood are just empty words. Dwyane Wade voluntarily took a pay cut, but LeBron James left without a word, only sending a sentimental letter declaring their friendship would last forever. And it's truly "forever"—he even skipped Wade's Hall of Fame induction ceremony to play golf and drink wine. Where can you find such a true brother?
This is the stark reality of professional sports. Many athletes are more accustomed to living within a clearly hierarchical structure, like being in a bubble they can move around in at any time. This bubble is clearly more desirable than building deep friendships with colleagues. Most players have their own entourage—not just because they're nostalgic, but because these people will revolve around you: going wherever you want, eating whatever you want; when you walk into the club, you'll be treated like royalty. All of this is taken for granted.

You might occasionally go out with your teammates, of course, but pure egalitarianism? That's never really appealing. Besides, these self-proclaimed "kings" often have their own agendas. And this "movable bubble" is always within reach, constantly telling you: you're better than your teammates. But your teammates never admit it; instead, they always try to take everything you have away.

What a hateful bunch.

“I just wanted to tell you that I won’t stand against you.” That was Lowry’s intention. “I will do everything I can to help you.”

Even if Lori didn't come to the banquet tonight, and didn't seek him out for therapy afterward, Xu Ling wouldn't have any particular opinion about him.

Aside from someone like Gay who is completely uncommunicative, he wouldn't intentionally hostile towards anyone. But the fact that Lowry took the initiative to talk to him about these things shows how much effort it takes for someone at the end of a team's rotation to survive.

“I understand,” Xu Ling said without any emotion. “In this alliance, ‘help’ is often the rarest form of sincerity. I accept your offer, Kyle.”

He didn't say "I believe you," nor did he show enthusiastic acceptance. His response was more like a realistic and measured acknowledgment.

"That's enough for tonight. See you on the training field."

(End of this chapter)