The head referee quickly stepped in.

Su Xi shrugged, not even bothering to look back.

The shot, framed against Su Xi’s handsome and commanding face, was exceptionally captivating and brimming with raw appeal.

The viewers at home were all captivated by the cinematic shot. This was especially true for female viewers drawn to strong men; for them, it was like being pinned against the wall in a passionate embrace.

So cool!

Charles Barkley screamed on TV, "A super quadruple-double! A three-pointer to win the game, and a clutch steal against his opponent! 27 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, and 3 blocks! This is Little Sheep Su Xi’s first career game! He took down King Webber! He demolished the Sacramento Temple! The Princeton offense was nothing but a useless toy in his hands! Now, who still dares to say Little Sheep Su Xi was overestimating himself?"

"Who still dares to say Weber could just walk all over Su Xi?"

"Do those guys who claimed Little Sheep Su Xi would definitely lose dare to face what they said before the game started?"

Barkley’s voice was deafening. He was so excited that his palms were red from clapping. He had said some fair things before the game, and he had been on Su Xi’s side the entire time.

Now, he was finally vindicated.

It felt so good.

He even felt like bringing a donkey out and making Kenny Smith smell the "fragrance" of its backside.

In front of their TVs, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, and Rick Carlisle were celebrating wildly, cheering for Su Xi. It was a bit of dark humor—a group of Pacers executives cheering for a Cavaliers rookie!

’This kid’s got so much charisma, he’s basically another me. I love that shot after the steal. Why didn’t TV channels have these kinds of cinematic long takes back in my day?’ Bird had some regrets amidst his celebration. He felt his own showboating had been limited by the technology of the era. ’If they had this kind of camera work back then, wouldn’t I have been putting on a legendary show every single game?’

Just then, Reggie Miller had a question. "Larry, with Little Sheep Su Xi playing this well in his very first game, will the Cavaliers trade him?"

Larry Bird fell silent for a moment, then said, "That will require us to fan the flames. On one hand, we need to praise Jack to high heaven, and on the other, we need to say some of his skills are terrible..."

As he spoke, Larry Bird pulled Miller and Carlisle into a hushed conspiracy, even bringing the Pacers’ PR manager into the fold.

Meanwhile, Su Xi appeared on the TNT Channel again.

He was giving a media interview.

Cheryl Miller congratulated Su Xi on his unprecedented achievement in the game. "You are only the fifth player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double, and also the youngest ever to do so. At the same time, you are the only player in history to get a quadruple-double in their career debut, and also the only one to hit a game-winning three-pointer and make a clutch steal in their debut... You’ve achieved something unprecedented. Do you like this opening ceremony for your career?"

Miller rattled off a string of records. The NBA’s data-keeping was truly solid.

"I’m very happy," Su Xi said simply. "Thanks to my teammates, and thanks to my opponents."

"I understand thanking your teammates, but what do you mean by thanking your opponents?" Miller was a bit perplexed.

"It’s exactly what it sounds like!" Su Xi’s tone was as placid as ever, betraying no emotion. But if the Kings players were here, they would definitely fly into a rage. "I can’t exactly steal the ball from my own teammates, can I? That wouldn’t be counted in the stats, either."

"Uh..."

Cheryl Miller was stunned by Su Xi’s blunt and simple answer.

The audience at home burst out laughing. ’The logic is sound, that’s for sure.’

But wasn’t Little Sheep Su Xi afraid of the Kings retaliating at all?

’Uh... Actually, there’s no need to be afraid. He beat the Kings so badly, how could they have the nerve to retaliate?’

’Go home and cry.’

’However arrogant they were before the game is how ashamed they must be now.’

"What did you think of the Kings’ performance in this game? Before it started, there was a lot of talk comparing you and Chris Webber, and many people offered opinions that were the complete opposite of the final result. Is there anything you want to say now? Or, is there anything you want to say to Weber?" Cheryl Miller continued her questions.

Su Xi raised an eyebrow. "I already said what I needed to say before the game. You can go find it and play it again."

"We Chinese people don’t like to boast, but our warnings should not be ignored. We have a saying in China: ’Don’t say you weren’t warned.’"

"Chris Webber should learn something from this game. I wish him well. Peace & Love!"

Su Xi even elevated the interview to a cultural level at the end. He was just like a grandmaster from a kung fu movie: exceptionally skilled, forced to teach a lesson to a challenger, and then asking if they had learned anything afterward.

The kung fu movie fans watching on TV were ecstatic.

This wave of cultural export was a massive win!

It was just that Su Xi’s lesson was a bit profound.

A super quadruple-double! On top of a game-winning shot and a clutch steal.

Weber was pulled off the court by his teammates, his face ashen, his dignity completely shattered. After this battle, he and his team would never again dare to claim he was a superstar, nor would they dare to bully others with their status.

The things he did to Su Xi would become a stain on his entire career. Whether he could be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the future was now highly questionable.

He was already the first superstar to fall in the opening days of the 2003-2004 season.

What would happen next, nobody knew.

Adelman refused a sideline interview, his face also ashen as he walked back to the locker room.

This was supposed to be the Kings’ season-opening victory. They had made such a big fuss before the game, with Adelman even condescendingly giving some grand, overarching speech. Now, he was a joke. His Princeton offense was dismantled by Su Xi alone. The quadruple-double not only made Su Xi, but it also stripped away the veneer of Adelman’s reign over the Kings. His in-game adjustments during this match were abysmal.

Especially in the final moments, he was completely outmaneuvered by Su Xi.

His goal of winning Coach of the Year this season was now looking shaky.

The impact of this game would be massive, and it would continue to grow.

The Kings fans had arrived full of excitement, but left Akco Arena with their heads hanging low.

They had witnessed a historic game, but the history belonged to Su Xi, and the shame belonged to them.

Su Xi walked into the locker room and was surrounded by all his teammates and staff. Everyone was celebrating his unprecedented achievement, and Abu Akar even poured two buckets of Gatorade on him.

The atmosphere in the locker room was extremely jubilant.

But just then, Su Xi’s phone began ringing off the hook in a corner of the locker room.

It was a call from Jessica Alba. She sounded a little anxious.

...