NBA's Monster Rookie

Chapter Twenty-Five: Transcendence

Los Angeles, July 2002.

Six championship banners hung from the dome, like six red lightning bolts. Arthur Thorne stood at the free-throw line in the training facility, eyes closed, and sank one hundred free throws in a row. Then he went to the three-point line and sank two hundred three-pointers in a row. Then he went to the center circle and sank fifty deep three-pointers in a row.

Security guard Kurt sat on the sidelines, took a sip of coffee, and said nothing. He no longer asked Arthur, "Are you tired?" He knew the answer.

After Arthur threw the last ball, he walked over and sat down next to Kurt.

"Kurt, do you remember the first time I came to the training gym?"

"I remember. Four in the morning. I thought you were a thief."

"I'm not a thief," Arthur said. "I'm here to steal. To steal victories, to steal championships, to steal history."

Kot nodded. "You've stolen six."

"Not enough," Arthur said. "I'm going to steal until they put me in the Basketball Hall of Fame."

Kurt laughed. "The Hall of Fame won't shut you out. They'll build you a separate wing."

October 2002, training camp for the new season.

The Clippers' roster has undergone significant changes. Stockton retired, Rodgers retired, and Williams was traded. They've been replaced by a group of young players: a rookie small forward named Caron Butler and a point guard named Andre Miller.

On the first day of training camp, Coach Fitch called all the players together and said one thing: "You know who the core of this team is. Give him the ball and do your jobs."

Arthur stood at the back of the crowd, silent. He didn't need to speak. His very presence was an instruction.

On October 29, 2002, the Clippers hosted the San Antonio Spurs in the opening game of the new season.

The Spurs made a big trade in the summer, sending away David Robinson in exchange for a young center and a draft pick. But their core remains Tim Duncan. Duncan won the regular season MVP last season—no, last season's MVP was Arthur, Duncan finished second. Duncan worked hard on his three-point shot and low-post footwork in the summer, and his performance in this game was amazing.

After the game started, Duncan repeatedly attacked the Clippers' new power forward in the low post, scoring twelve points. Arthur responded on the other end, hitting two mid-range jumpers over Duncan.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 28.

In the second quarter, Arthur began to exert his strength. He hit three consecutive three-pointers, widening the gap to ten points. Duncan tried to limit Arthur on the defensive end, but Arthur's shooting point was too high, and Duncan simply couldn't reach him.

At halftime, the Clippers led 62-51.

In the second half, Duncan led the Spurs' comeback. He scored 14 points in the third quarter, narrowing the gap to three points. But Arthur took over the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points in six minutes, including three three-pointers, a dunk, and four free throws.

Final score: 119-107. Arthur's stats: 45 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 blocks. Duncan's stats: 31 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks.

After the game, Duncan called out to Arthur in the player tunnel.

"You've improved again," Duncan said.

"You've improved too," Arthur said, "but you can't keep up with me."

Duncan gave a wry smile. "I know."

Arthur patted Duncan on the shoulder. "Keep practicing. You'll catch up to me someday."

Duncan watched Arthur's retreating figure and whispered, "That day will never come."

In November 2002, the Clippers started the season with a 14-1 record. Arthur's average stats were 38.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, 10.5 assists, and 6.2 blocks, unchanged from the previous six years.

On November 20th, Arthur faced off against the Wizards once again against Michael Jordan. The 39-year-old Jordan was no longer the basketball god; his scoring average had dropped below 20 points per game, and his knees limited him to only 25 minutes per game. But Jordan could still remind people of his greatness at certain moments.

In this game, Jordan scored ten consecutive points in the second quarter, including a fadeaway jumper under Arthur's help defense. Arthur didn't jump on the defensive end; he simply extended his arm, and Jordan's release point was five centimeters lower than his fingertips, yet the ball still went in.

After landing, Arthur looked at Jordan. "You're still very strong."

Jordan was panting. "But I can only last five more minutes."

"Five minutes will be enough," Arthur said. "Enough for you to remember who you used to be."

Jordan smiled. It was the first time Arthur had ever seen Jordan smile like that on the court—not a competitive smile, not a provocative one, but a smile of relief and gratitude.

Final score: 125-99. Arthur's stats: 41 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 blocks. Jordan's stats: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists.

After the game, Jordan announced at the press conference that this would be his last season. "I'm not coming back," Jordan said. "This time it's for real."

A reporter asked him, "Do you think Arthur Thorne is the greatest player of all time?"

Jordan remained silent for a long time. "He's one of the best. Whether he's the best or not, we'll have to wait until he retires to judge. But right now, he's on his way to becoming the best."

In January 2003, the All-Star Weekend was held in Atlanta. Arthur was voted the leader in the polls again with five million votes, and was selected as an All-Star starter for the seventh consecutive year. In the All-Star Game, he scored 30 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks, and was named All-Star MVP for the seventh consecutive year.

But during All-Star Weekend, a major event occurred. The NBA officially announced that, in order to limit Arthur Thorn's dominance, they would consider modifying the rules to expand the three-second zone, add a defensive three-second rule, and allow zone defense. These rules were dubbed the "Thorn Rules" by the media.

The reporter asked Arthur for his opinion on the matter. He was having breakfast when he glanced at the screen showing NBA Commissioner David Stern's press conference.

"They can change the rules," Arthur said, "but they can't change the outcome."

In March 2003, the Clippers secured a playoff spot early. At the end of the regular season, the Clippers finished first in the league with a record of 67 wins and 15 losses. Arthur averaged 38 three-pointers, 16 rebounds, 10.4 assists, and 6.1 blocks per game, winning his seventh consecutive regular season MVP award. His vote share was once again 100%.

During the awards ceremony, Arthur received the trophy from David Stern and held it above his head.

"Thank you," he said, "but I still stand by what I said. I only want the one from June."

Stern smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "You're the greatest player in the history of this league. I mean, the greatest ever."

Arthur looked at Stern. "I know."

In April 2003, in the first round of the playoffs, the Clippers faced the Phoenix Suns. The Suns had barely made the playoffs with a 44-win regular season. Their core players were Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion, but no one on the team could pose a threat to Arthur. The Clippers were swept 3-0, with Arthur averaging 40 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists, and 6 blocks per game.

In May 2003, during the Western Conference Semifinals, the Clippers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves had Kevin Garnett, who had won the regular season MVP award that season—no, the regular season MVP was Arthur, Garnett finished second. Garnett gave his all in the series, averaging 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, but the Timberwolves were still swept.

After Game 3, Garnett said, "I hate him. I hate that he makes me feel like I'm not good enough."

In May 2003, the Western Conference Finals saw the Clippers face the Dallas Mavericks. This was the third consecutive year the two teams had met in the playoffs. The Mavericks were stronger than the previous year; Nowitzki, Nash, and Finley had better chemistry, and they had also acquired Antoine Walker and Antoine Jamison, forming the so-called "Five-Star Mavericks."

But the Clippers still swept them. Four-nil, Arthur averaged 42 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 6 blocks. After Game 4, Nowitzki sat in the locker room and cried.

Nash went over and put his arm around him. "You're still young."

Nowitzki shook his head. "I'm not young anymore. I'm twenty-five. He's twenty-six. I'll never catch up to him in my entire life."

The finals were held in June 2003.

The Clippers' opponent is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons eliminated the Nets in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, boasting the best defensive efficiency in the league, with Ben Wallace named Defensive Player of the Year and Chauncey Billups as Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

But nobody thought the Pistons could stop Arthur.

Game 1, Los Angeles. Ben Wallace said before the game, "I'm going to make Thorne uncomfortable." He certainly did. He used every trick in the book: back kicks, fronting, flopping, trash talk, dirty tricks. Thorne only scored six points in the first quarter, one of the lowest first-quarter scores of his career.

But Arthur adjusted his strategy in the second quarter. He stopped forcing his way into the low post and instead moved out to the three-point line, punishing Ben Wallace's slow footwork with shots. He hit four three-pointers in the quarter, scoring eighteen points.

At halftime, the Clippers led 58-51.

In the second half, the Pistons began double-teaming Arthur. Every time he received the ball at the high post, two or even three players would swarm him. Arthur's response was to pass the ball to teammates cutting to the basket, to shooters on the perimeter, or to the center under the rim. The Clippers' role players had their best performance of the season in this game. Butler scored 22 points, Miller scored 18 points, and Olowokandi scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Final score: 115 to 99. Arthur's stats: 37 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists, and 6 blocks—these are considered "ordinary" numbers for him.

Game 2, the same script. Ben Wallace once again used physical contact to harass Arthur, and Arthur once again broke through with three-pointers and passes. The Clippers led 2-0.

The third game was in Detroit, the Pistons' home arena. The Pistons' fans are known for their frenzy; they're called "blue-collar fans." They booed Arthur deafeningly, and every time he touched the ball, the entire arena erupted in a deafening roar.

Arthur racked up 41 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, and 7 blocks amidst the noise. In the final two minutes of the game, he hit two consecutive three-pointers, extending the lead to ten points.

Three to zero. The Pistons are on the verge of elimination.

In Game 4, the Pistons had their backs against the wall. Billups scored twelve consecutive points in the fourth quarter, narrowing the gap to three points. But Arthur hit a fadeaway jumper with ten seconds left to seal the victory.

The Clippers swept the Pistons 4-0 to win their seventh consecutive championship.

Arthur accepted the Finals MVP trophy from Bill Russell, winning the honor for the seventh consecutive year.

During the awards ceremony, Arthur held up the trophy and said something to the camera.

"Seven. I've surpassed Michael Jordan."

The crowd erupted in cheers. Jordan wasn't in the stands; he was watching TV at home. But everyone knew he was watching.

Arthur's gaze passed through the lens, as if he were looking at Jordan.

"Michael, you said you wanted me to be the greatest of all time. Now, I am."

That night, Arthur sat in the visiting team's locker room in Detroit. The championship trophy sat beside him, the Finals MVP trophy on the other. His phone vibrated. It was a message from Jordan: "Seven. You won."

Arthur replied: "It's not over yet."

Jordan replied instantly: "How many do you want?"

Arthur typed a few words: "Until I'm satisfied."

Jordan did not reply.

Arthur put down his phone, stood up, and put the trophy in his bag. He walked out of the locker room and into the Detroit night. Behind him, the arena lights went out one by one. But the era of Arthur Thorne continued to burn.

He was twenty-seven years old. Seven NBA championships. Seven regular season MVPs. Seven Finals MVPs.

He surpassed Michael Jordan.

But he won't stop here.