Su Xi checked in, but Weber didn’t.

Adelman had lost faith in Weber’s ability to succeed against Su Xi. For Weber, this was like adding insult to injury—truly tragic.

But you couldn’t blame Adelman. In this game, Su Xi had already racked up five steals and two blocks against Weber.

Even someone with complete faith in Weber’s abilities would have to admit he was having an off night, completely neutralized by Su Xi.

Su Xi brought the ball past half-court and ran a pick-and-roll with Carlos Boozer before quickly cutting to the basket. He then fired a bounce pass to LeBron James.

LeBron James caught the pass. Instead of shooting immediately, he used a pump fake to get his defender off-balance and drove to the basket, then kicked the ball out to Boozer on the perimeter.

Boozer took the shot... CLANK!

He bricked it.

The ball landed right in front of Su Xi. He leaped up, snagged the rebound, turned, and immediately passed it back to Carlos Boozer.

Boozer caught the ball... SWISH!

It’s good.

On that play, Su Xi picked up another assist and an offensive rebound. His stat line now read: 12 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 7 steals, and 3 blocks.

Now, a triple-double was no longer the story. He was making a run at a quadruple-double.

When Charles Barkley announced Su Xi’s stats on television, the entire basketball world was stunned, including Larry Bird, who was watching from home.

He was dumbfounded.

Bird himself had come close to a quadruple-double once and pulled off a legendary flex in the process. On February 18, 1985, in a game between the Celtics and the Jazz, Bird had already racked up 30 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 9 steals in just three quarters. He then sat out for the rest of the game. When coach K.C. Jones asked if he wanted to go back in for the fourth quarter to get one more steal, Bird simply waved him off, saying, "I’ve done enough damage."

It was an effortlessly cool flex.

But as players like Olajuwon and David Robinson later achieved the feat and set the media ablaze, Bird couldn’t help but wonder, ’What if I had played just two more minutes?’

But Bird quickly dismissed the thought. ’Why the hell would I need that?’

Bird’s greatness didn’t need to be padded with stats. He needed the swagger! Wasn’t that legendary flex more satisfying than a quadruple-double stat line?

Now, seeing Su Xi on the verge of a quadruple-double in his very first game, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, ’This kid is somehow even more all-around than LeBron James. There’s a world of difference in their natural talent—James is clearly better, and his offensive skills are more polished. But for some reason, the more I watch this kid play, the more I like him.’

Bird was absolutely smitten.

LeBron James, on the other hand, was feeling increasingly conflicted.

It wasn’t that he disliked Su Xi; he wanted him to do well. ’But... how can you be even better than the Chosen One?’

Back on offense for the Kings, Su Xi locked down Mike Bibby, putting immense pressure on him. He forced Bibby to turn his body, and as Su Xi kept up the pressure, Bibby had no choice but to quickly pass to Christie. But in that exact moment, James shot forward, aggressively shoving past Christie to slap the ball away... but he couldn’t secure it.

Mike Bibby darted out and grabbed the loose ball. The instant he had it, Su Xi charged in aggressively from the side, ripped the ball straight from his hands, and took off down the court.

James reflexively gave chase from behind.

But as he reached the three-point line, he suddenly pulled up.

Just then, Ricky Davis made a hard cut to the basket.

Su Xi turned his body and tossed the ball into the air. Davis soared high, caught it, and even managed a mini-windmill dunk... KABOOM!

A monster jam!

A hush fell over Akco Arena, as if it had been struck by lightning.

The reason was Su Xi’s updated stat line flashing on the big screen: 12 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds, 8 steals, and 3 blocks.

The quadruple-double was within reach, and there were still 10 minutes left in the game.

Adelman looked up, a look of disbelief on his face.

He knew Su Xi was everywhere tonight and had put up some theatrical numbers against Weber, but he never imagined it would all add up to this—a near quadruple-double.

If that rookie managed a quadruple-double and led his team to victory, Chris Webber would be utterly crucified. The fallout would be even worse than his infamous phantom timeout in the NCAA championship game.

Adelman turned his head to look at Chris Webber, whose expression was also strained.

They were in deep trouble.

"Jack, you only need 3 more rebounds and 2 more steals! You’re about to make history!"

On the court, an excited Carlos Boozer high-fived Su Xi and whispered, "I’ll box out for you. You crash the boards and grab a couple of rebounds first."

James overheard Boozer.

Su Xi was still guarding Mike Bibby. Bibby used a screen to get open and passed the ball to Christie.

As Christie took the shot, James immediately sprinted back, ready to fight for the rebound.

SWISH!

The 3-pointer was good.

Christie’s shot helped the Kings stop the bleeding.

Play resumed.

Su Xi brought the ball past half-court, and James held out his hand, demanding the ball.

Su Xi hesitated for a moment, then passed him the ball.

James forced a drive to the basket and threw up a one-handed shot... CLANK!

A miss.

A figure in a number 33 Cavaliers jersey streaked in from the side. He beat everyone to the spot, shoved past Brad Miller, and tipped the ball in... SWISH!

It’s good.

Su Xi’s rebound count rose to 8, and his point total hit 14.

Now, he was just two steals and two rebounds shy.

Charles Barkley said on the broadcast, "If Little Sheep Su Xi actually pulls off a quadruple-double in his professional debut, I guarantee you, he’ll become a superstar."

Kenny Smith shook his head. "No. I see it differently. Even if he gets the quadruple-double, I still think it’ll be tough for him to become a star. He has too many weaknesses. His on-ball offense is weak, his skills are average, and there are clear gaps in his talent. The only reason he’s exploding tonight is because the Kings weren’t prepared for him, plus he’s a natural counter to Chris Webber. Once other teams scout him thoroughly, he’ll fade back into obscurity."

"Of course, with his defensive ability, he’ll definitely have a place in the NBA." That was Kenny Smith’s take.

It sounded reasonable, even objective. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

But the fans weren’t listening to his analysis. Most of them were on the edge of their seats, counting down: When will he get those two rebounds? When will he get those two steals!?

Enjoying the spectacle is human nature, after all.

And the spectacle Su Xi was creating tonight was phenomenal.

All the pre-game negative press and criticism had merely become the setup for tonight’s legendary tale.

Now, it was just a matter of seeing how high Su Xi could take this legend.

Bibby drove on Su Xi and hit a pull-up jumper.

Su Xi brought the ball past half-court, and once again, James came out to demand it.

He wanted to take over the game.

After getting the ball, he again forced a drive from the wing. But as he neared the paint, he spun... and lost the ball.

This led to a fast-break score for the Kings.

James continued to go one-on-one on the following possessions.

He finally drove to the basket, drew a foul, and went to the free-throw line.

SWISH!

He made the first one.

CLANK!

He missed the second. The ball bounced high off the rim.

Just then, before the big men from either team could converge for the rebound, a figure streaked to the basket, leaped high, and forcefully tipped the ball at the rim... CLANK!

No good.

Su Xi leaped again and tipped it in... SWISH!

It’s good.

points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, 8 steals, and 3 blocks.

Triple-double achieved!!

On the sideline, Stephen Silas leaped to his feet, screaming, "Jack! Jack! Jack!"

Before the game, who could have possibly imagined Su Xi would put up such an audacious stat line? Everyone had assumed that if anyone was getting a triple-double, it would be James.

James was stunned. He looked up at the Jumbotron and saw that the moment he had released the free throw, Su Xi was already charging in from behind. ’Can Jack predict the future?’

’Or... does he not trust my free-throw shooting?’

While James was still processing his surprise, Su Xi held out his hand for a high-five. "Perfect teamwork, LeBron. That little shoulder shrug you did before the shot gave me the heads-up."

Huh?

James was taken aback. His jersey had just slipped a bit, so he’d hitched his shoulder to adjust it. But it was a clumsy move, and it took him a couple of extra shrugs to get it right.

’And Jack thought that was a signal?’

’Why... did I have to shrug?’

James was left with a bitter taste in his mouth. On top of that, he realized that almost all of Su Xi’s stats since he’d checked in had been connected to him in some way.

But he forced a smile. "Congratulations, Jack. Pippen used to get a lot of triple-doubles too."

’Pippen? Getting triple-doubles? What the hell does that have to do with me?’

Su Xi let the comment go in one ear and out the other.

The Kings called a timeout.

Sacramento had to regain its composure. Adelman slammed his clipboard down on the bench and fumed, "From now on, you have to be disciplined! Restrain your urge to pass. If you really let that rookie get a quadruple-double and a win, he’ll have single-handedly dismantled the temple of our Princeton offense! You don’t want to become a laughingstock, do you?"

Adelman’s outburst was fierce, and his point was simple enough.

But the players were all confused. ’???’

’If the Princeton offense doesn’t involve passing, is it still the Princeton offense?’

’Isn’t the whole point of the Princeton offense to use five capable passers to create constant motion and, ultimately, wide-open shots?’

’But now, Su Xi has forced the coach to sound like he wants to run isolation plays. How are we supposed to win like this?’

They were baffled. Adelman’s demands were contradictory.

But after the timeout, they discovered... they actually could win.

Because James moved to point guard, and Su Xi switched to defending Christie.

James had demanded the change, and Paul Silas had no choice but to comply.

Once James took over, he relied on his standard three-pronged attack: a powerful drive, a pull-up jumper if he had space, or a continued drive to the rim if he didn’t. If there was no opening at the basket, he would pass!

Previously, with Su Xi available as an outlet, James had been willing to share the ball, and the results had been excellent.

But after the timeout, he put more faith in his own ability to finish at the rim.

His scoring did indeed start to climb, and the Kings seemed powerless against his brutish drives.

And yet, the Kings slowly began to build a lead.

With 4:16 left in the game, a deep three from Mike Bibby extended the Kings’ lead to 12 points. During that stretch, the Cavaliers had only scored seven points—all of them by James.

His point total sailed past the 30-point mark, and he now had 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists... a stat line worthy of the league’s top perimeter player, Tracy McGrady.

But his teammates were clearly not happy about it.

"You need to give up the ball! We can’t win with you playing like this!" Even Ricky Davis couldn’t take it anymore, taking the moral high ground as he berated James in the backcourt. "You can’t just think about yourself!"

James shot Davis a glare. "I *am* trying to win. We have to break down their frontcourt before we can build a lead."

Davis sneered. "You think I don’t know what you’re up to?"

He thought to himself, ’How do you think I averaged 20-5-5 last season? I know exactly what you’re doing. You’ve just got a bigger appetite and are even more shameless about it than I was.’

...