NBA's Monster Rookie

Chapter Eight Best of the Month

On December 3, 1996, the NBA officially announced the Rookie of the Month award for November.

The Eastern Conference winner is Allen Iverson, the number one overall pick from the Philadelphia 76ers. In his first month, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, delivering an impeccable performance.

The Western Conference winner is Arthur Thorne of the Los Angeles Clippers.

His data was listed in bold on the first line of the official press release:

场均39.7分、16.8篮板、10.2助攻、6.5盖帽、2.1抢断。投篮命中率62.8%，三分命中率51.3%，罚球命中率89.7%。

This is absurd data. In NBA history, no rookie has ever put up such numbers in any single month. In fact, no player, whether rookie or veteran, has ever achieved such numbers in any single month.

On the day the press release was published, ESPN's phone interview program was inundated with calls. The host began the program with the question: "We're not discussing whether Arthur Thorne deserves Rookie of the Month, he deserves Player of the Month!"

The answer is: He did take it.

That afternoon, the NBA officially announced that Arthur Thorne had been named the Western Conference Player of the Month for November. He beat out a host of superstars, including Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Gary Payton.

A rookie won Player of the Month in his very first month as a professional.

This is the first time in NBA history.

Arthur was practicing free throws in the gym when he saw the news. Assistant coach Hughes handed him his phone, the screen displaying the message.

Arthur glanced at the phone, handed it back to Hughes, and continued shooting free throws.

The ball went into the net through a hollow.

"I understand," he said.

Hughes stood there, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He turned and walked towards his office, thinking: How many honors does this kid need to win before he even shows a hint of satisfaction?

The answer is: Never.

On December 4, 1996, the Clippers hosted the Seattle SuperSonics.

This is the second meeting between the two teams this season. A month ago, the Clippers lost to the SuperSonics on the road. In that game, Arthur scored 38 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, but the SuperSonics' "The Glove" Gary Payton locked down the Clippers' backcourt with his signature trash talk and suffocating defense.

Arthur's stats: 32 points, 14 rebounds, 16 assists, 5 blocks.

Payton did not give any interviews after the game. He went straight into the locker room and closed the door.

However, the locker room door was not closed properly, and a reporter heard a sentence coming from inside.

"That seven-foot-six monster... he's not just good at scoring."

On December 6, 1996, the Clippers played against the Boston Celtics on the road.

Boston Garden, one of the oldest arenas in the NBA. Its wooden floors are decades old, every corner soaked with the sweat and memories of basketball. Larry Bird made countless clutch shots here, and Bill Russell won eleven championships here.

The Celtics are in a rebuilding phase, but their young core, Antoine Walker, and second-year rookies are emerging. Moreover, playing at home in Boston is never easy. The fans are so close to the court that boos and jeers can easily reach the players' ears.

When Arthur first stepped onto this floor, he felt something he had never felt before.

It's not pressure, it's weight.

The weight of history.

During his pre-game warm-up, he deliberately walked to the vicinity of the free-throw line, squatted down, and touched the floor. The wooden floor was old, with some areas worn smooth and shiny.

"What's wrong?" Barry asked as he walked over.

"Here," Arthur said. "Bird hit the game-winning shot here. Russell blocked a shot here. Havlicek stole the ball here."

Barry was taken aback. "You know all this?"

“Of course I know.” Arthur stood up. “I may be young, but I know the history of this league. I know who has been here, and I know who has won here.”

He paused, looking at the championship banners and retired jerseys on the dome.

"One day, someone will say the same thing in our arena."

Barry looked at Arthur's profile, a strange feeling welling up inside him. This nineteen-year-old didn't just want to win, didn't just want to put up stats; he wanted to leave something behind.

Something that lasts longer than data.

After the game started, the Celtics used every method to limit Arthur. They used double teams, triple teams, and even assigned two players to follow Arthur when he was running off the ball.

But Arthur handled the ball with incredible composure. Every time a double team formed, he managed to pass the ball before it even started. Every time he went around the defense, he used his body to block the defender and receive a high lob pass.

In one of his offensive plays in the third quarter, facing a triple team, he delivered a behind-the-back pass that cut through the gap between two defenders and found Rogers in the corner for a three-pointer.

The Celtics' head coach shook his head on the bench and tossed his clipboard onto his chair.

Final score: 123-98, Clippers win six straight games.

Arthur's stats: 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, 8 blocks.

Sixth consecutive triple-double.

On December 8, 1996, the Clippers hosted the Detroit Pistons.

This was Arthur's first time playing against the Pistons. The Detroit Pistons, the "Bad Boys" of the late 1980s and early 1990s, were known for their tough defense and physical play. Although most of the members of that championship team have left, the Pistons' style of play remains tough.

Before the game, Pistons head coach Doug Collins was asked by reporters how to defend Arthur.

"You can't stop him," Collins said, his tone surprisingly candid. "You can only hope he's having a bad day. But we've looked at his stats, and he's never having a bad day."

Collins was right. Arthur proved that with his actions in this match.

He made 7 of 9 three-pointers, 8 of 10 mid-range shots, and a perfect 12-for-12 free throws. He scored in various ways: catch-and-shoot, pull-up jumper, fadeaway, and fast break dunk.

The Pistons' defensive players kept changing, and no one could interfere with him.

Final score: 131 to 96, Clippers win their seventh straight game.

Arthur's stats: 51 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks. He was just one assist shy of a triple-double.

After the game, Collins said something at the press conference that was widely circulated across the United States.

"He's not a basketball player. He's a cheat code that was put into a basketball player's body."

Seven-game winning streak.

The Clippers improved their record from 1 win and 5 losses to 9 wins and 5 losses, ranking third in the Western Conference. This is one of the best starts in Clippers history.

At the heart of it all was that nineteen-year-old. In his first month, he averaged nearly 40 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and 6 steals per game, winning Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month, leading a bottom-ranked team into the top three in the Western Conference.

But Arthur did not celebrate.

December 9th, a day without games. At four in the morning, the lights of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum came on.

Security guard Kurt had gotten used to it. For the past month, he had been woken up every morning by the same person's footsteps—not by the heavy footsteps, but by the creaking sound of the arena door being pushed open.

"It's you again, kid," Kurt said, yawning.

"Sorry, Kurt," Arthur said, "I can't sleep."

Kurt shook his head and turned on the light for him. "A person your age should be sleeping until noon. Instead, you're practicing at four in the morning."

Arthur did not answer. He walked to the court and picked up a ball from the rack.

Dribbling. Shooting. Dribbling. Shooting.

At 4:47 a.m., he made his two-hundredth three-pointer.

Then he sat down, leaned against the base of the basket, and looked up at the dome.

The blank space was still there. But when Arthur looked at that blank space, he no longer saw nothingness.

What he saw was a timetable.

There are nine games in December. Fifteen in January. All-Star Weekend in February. Then the playoffs.

He will face Jordan in the playoffs.

He wants to prove in the playoffs that he is not the "future," but the "present."

Arthur stood up, dusted off his basketball shorts, and headed towards the locker room.

He stopped as he passed by security guard Kurt.

"Kurt".

"Um?"

"Next month, I might still come at four in the morning."

Kurt laughed. "I'm used to it."

Arthur nodded, pushed open the arena door, and stepped into the darkness of Los Angeles in the early morning.

The lights were still on in the stadium behind us.

Security guard Kurt sat in his chair, looking at the empty stadium, and suddenly felt that this old stadium seemed to have a new feel to it.

It doesn't smell like bleach or sweat.

It tastes like a winner.