NBA's Monster Rookie

Chapter 5 Winning Streak

Chapter Five Winning Streak

On November 17, 1996, the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Denver Nuggets.

Winning feels like an addiction. After securing his first career victory, Arthur underwent a subtle change—not in his technique, but in his demeanor. He started talking during practice, actively calling on his teammates during timeouts, and directing the defense on the court.

Coach Fitch noticed this. He wrote in the training log, "He's starting to act like a leader."

On the night of the game, the stands at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum were packed with 3,000 more people than usual. The news spread quickly that the 2.3-meter-tall monster could not only rack up stats, but also win games. People wanted to see it for themselves.

The Denver Nuggets are no pushover. They have Dikembe Mutombo, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best rim protectors in NBA history. Mutombo's signature finger-wagging gesture after a block is one of the most famous trademarks in the entire league.

Before the match, Mutombo was asked by reporters what he thought of Arthur Thorne.

"He's a very talented young man," Mutombo said in his deep voice, "but he's in my no-go zone. My no-go zone."

After the match began, Arthur quickly made Mutombo realize one thing: the young man's talent exceeded his experience.

During the jump ball, Arthur deflected the ball over Mutombo's head. Mutombo's jumping ability is not bad, but Arthur's wingspan is so long that he doesn't need to jump higher than Mutombo; he only needs to extend his arms longer.

On the first offensive possession, Arthur called for the ball in the low post. Mutombo was behind him, his defensive stance textbook low and low, one hand bracing against the opponent's waist, the other raised high to disrupt the passing lane.

After receiving the ball, Arthur didn't back down to attack; instead, he suddenly turned to face the basket. His first step was so fast that Mutombo's feet hadn't even moved before Arthur swept past him and scored with a one-handed dunk.

Mutombo stood still, looking at the basket, and remained silent for two seconds.

In the first quarter, Arthur scored fourteen points over Mutombo. He used a variety of methods, including face-up drives, hook shots, three-pointers, and fast-break dunks. Mutombo's defense looked like a slow-motion replay against him.

But what truly shocked the entire audience was a play with three minutes left in the first quarter.

The Nuggets guard dribbled past his defender and launched a floater. Arthur came over from the weak side to help defend, and his leaping arm seemed to reach down from the second floor, nailing the ball to the backboard.

The ball bounced back, and Arthur, without landing in the air, grabbed the rebound with his left hand, then turned in mid-air and made a long pass across half the court, accurately finding Barry in the frontcourt for a layup.

In this play, Arthur recorded a block, a rebound, and an assist, without touching the ground the entire time.

The entire audience stood up and applauded.

Mutombo stood at the baseline, watching Arthur's retreating figure, and shook his head.

After the match, Mutombo made a statement at the press conference that was later widely quoted.

"I've shaken the finger at many people. But I wouldn't shake it at him." Mutombo paused, "because he'd break my finger."

The Clippers defeated the Nuggets 119-98. Arthur recorded 38 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks.

Two consecutive wins.

On November 19, 1996, the Clippers played against the Sacramento Kings on the road.

The Sacramento Kings are a young team with Mitch Richmond and rookie Mahmoud Rauf. They play a fast-paced, run-and-gun style of basketball, focusing on shooting and minimizing defense.

Arthur showed a side of himself he hadn't shown before in this game: his playmaking ability.

The Kings tried to limit the Clippers' offensive rhythm with a full-court press, but Arthur, after receiving the ball high up, acted like a 2.3-meter point guard. His vision was so good that his 250-centimeter wingspan allowed him to pass the ball from any angle.

He received the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and with a left-handed bounce pass, he dribbled past three defenders to find his teammate cutting along the baseline. He received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right, flicked it across the entire half of the field, and it landed precisely in the hands of the shooter at the left corner.

The entire audience was stunned. They had seen Magic Johnson's passes, they had seen John Stockton's passes, but they had never seen a 2.3-meter center pass the ball in this way.

At halftime, Arthur had already dished out eleven assists. The Clippers led 68-49.

In the second half, the Kings adjusted their defense, starting to use zone defense to cut off Arthur's passing lanes. Arthur's response was simple: he started scoring himself.

He hit three consecutive three-pointers, completely dismantling the Kings' zone defense. Then he started passing the ball again, and this time, the Kings' defense was in complete disarray.

Final score: 131-103, Clippers win their third straight game.

Arthur's stats: 31 points, 14 rebounds, 18 assists, 5 blocks.

In three consecutive games, he recorded at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. This is something no one has ever done in NBA history.

On November 21, 1996, the Clippers hosted the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors are an expanded team with limited resources. But the significance of this game lies not in the opponent, but in one man: Damon Stoudemire, the Raptors' point guard, the seventh overall pick in the 1996 draft.

Before the match, a reporter asked Stoudemire for his opinion on Arthur.

"His stats are indeed outrageous," Stoudemire said, "but he's been playing against weak teams. Lakers, Jazz, Rockets, Spurs, how many games did he win? Oh, he only beat the Nuggets and the Kings."

This reached Arthur's ears.

He didn't respond. He just took fifty more three-pointers during practice that night.

After the game started, Arthur's playing style was completely different from before. He didn't call for the ball in the low post or organize play in the high post, but instead started his attack directly from midfield.

On his first offensive possession, he dribbled to the three-point line and faced Raptors center Marcus Camby. With a crossover dribble and a change of direction, Camby's ankle cracked as he was faked out and fell to the ground.

Arthur stood beyond the three-point line, looking at Camby lying on the ground. He paused for a second—not to provoke, but simply to make sure Camby wouldn't get up and interfere with his shot. Then he released the ball, and the three-pointer went in.

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

On the second possession, in the same spot, Arthur dribbled to the three-point line. Camby, this time smarter, stepped back to defend. Arthur pulled up for a three-pointer—and it went in.

The third time, Camby came up to defend, and Arthur broke through with a crossover step, drove into the paint, and slammed the ball over two defenders.

In the first quarter, Arthur scored 21 points. The Raptors as a team scored 18 points.

During halftime, the atmosphere in the Clippers' locker room was as relaxed as a party. Teammates surrounded Arthur, some imitating his move that shook Camby, others mimicking his shooting form.

Arthur sat in the chair, his face expressionless, but his gaze was more focused than ever before.

"It's not over yet," he said.

In the second half, Arthur continued to dominate the game. He scored another sixteen points in the third quarter before being substituted by Fitch for a rest.

Final score: 141 to 91, the Clippers won by 50 points.

Arthur's stats: 43 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks. He only played 28 minutes.

After the game, Stoudemire sat in the locker room, staring at the statistics sheet for a long time.

"I was wrong," he said to his teammate beside him. "He's not a monster. The word 'monster' doesn't do him justice."

Four-game winning streak.

The Clippers went from 1-5 to 5-5, returning to a winning percentage of .50. This isn't a particularly remarkable achievement in Clippers history, but for a team that averaged only twenty-odd wins over the past four years, it's a sign of progress.

This team is different.

And everyone knows that there is only one reason for the difference.

On November 22, 1996, the Los Angeles Times sports section featured a sentence that was later printed on the cover of the Clippers' media handbook for that season:

"He's not here to adapt to the NBA. He's here to redefine the NBA."

That night, Arthur didn't go home. He stayed in the training facility, shooting hoops alone in the dark.

He made all one hundred of his three-point attempts.

Then he sat in the center of the court, hands behind his back, looking up at the dome.

That blank space remains. No championship banners, no retired jerseys, nothing at all.

But when Arthur looked at that blank space, he didn't see nothingness.

He saw the future.

"Soon," he said softly.

Then he stood up, picked up the ball, and went into the locker room.

The light at the end of the corridor flickered on and then went out. The entire stadium was plunged into darkness.

But if you listen carefully, you will hear a voice in the darkness.

The sound of a basketball going through the net.