Chapter 250: Chapter 53: The Two Rulers’ Joint Coaching (Part 2)

Besides Stephen Jackson, Gilbert Arenas also took shots at James.

But their voices were not the mainstream opinion.

Su Xi and the Pacers won two consecutive games at the North Shore Garden Arena to complete the sweep. Boston didn’t put up any effective resistance.

In Game 3, the Celtics continued to aggressively double-team Su Xi. In that game, Su Xi only managed 10 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.

But in Game 4, they started double-teaming Little O’Neal instead.

Su Xi immediately went on a scoring tear. Whether it was Marcus Banks or Atkins, Su Xi easily beat them in one-on-one matchups.

Su Xi recorded a triple-double in that game with 26 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He easily broke the record for the youngest player to get a triple-double in NBA playoff history and also became the fastest rookie to achieve a playoff triple-double, doing so in just four games.

The Pacers returned to Indiana with a 4-0 sweep.

The next day, league officials arrived to present Su Xi with the Rookie of the Year award, while Rick Carlisle also accepted the Coach of the Year award. The Defensive Player of the Year award also went to Indiana, with the winner being Ron Artest.

Su Xi’s defensive stats were better than Artest’s, and his ability to defend the pick-and-roll in the latter part of the season was also stronger. But considering the overall defensive performance throughout the entire season and the contribution to the team’s defense as a whole, Artest’s award was well-deserved.

It was a huge haul for Indiana.

Su Xi accepted the trophy, posed for a couple of photos, and then left in a hurry. He didn’t take any interviews. He wasn’t even wearing a suit—just his jersey and shorts.

Carlisle later explained on his behalf, "Jack is undergoing special training. Two of the most dominant players from the ’80s are giving him private coaching."

This piqued the reporters’ curiosity and attention.

However, a reporter from Los Angeles asked Carlisle, "So, do you think Su Xi can improve through these few days of special training? With the next round of the playoffs about to begin, do you think he can perform even better than he did in the first round?"

The question had a provocative tone.

Carlisle nodded. "Of course. He’s Little Sheep Su Xi, after all."

It was a definitive answer, without the slightest hesitation or ambiguity.

Just that decisive.

...

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird giving a player private coaching at the same time was sensational news.

But inside the Pacers’ training facility, things were perfectly calm.

Larry Bird joined in on the very first day Magic Johnson arrived for the training session.

Bird was also an excellent passer; he was the true offensive orchestrator for that Celtics team. His creativity on fast-break outlet passes couldn’t compare to Magic’s, nor could his imaginative and deceptive passes. However, in a half-court offense, his playmaking ability was exceptionally strong, and he handled the ball with veteran savvy.

To prevent Su Xi from being overwhelmed by Magic’s lessons right from the start, Bird first laid some groundwork for him.

He started by imparting his own passing philosophy and techniques.

Bird focused on efficiency and simplicity, which perfectly aligned with Su Xi’s existing approach to passing.

Big Bird taught Su Xi a few simple techniques, focusing on controlling the passing angles and the velocity of the pass.

At first, Su Xi had some trouble adjusting.

After all, the two had different physical builds, so the "formula" Bird described wasn’t a perfect fit for Su Xi.

But as Su Xi gradually figured things out, the quality of his passing improved by leaps and bounds.

This greatly impressed Larry Bird.

He hadn’t expected Su Xi to improve so quickly.

Meanwhile, Su Xi was frustrated. ’Your passing skills are so good, why didn’t you teach me this sooner?’

It had never even occurred to Bird. If Magic hadn’t traveled all this way to visit, he probably would have never even considered it.

Su Xi’s enormous hands made Bird incredibly envious. For passing, large hands had nothing but advantages. And unlike shooting, passing had a certain margin for error; it didn’t require absolute precision.

Before starting the lesson, Magic Johnson stressed to Bird, "I’m only teaching the basics, and only for three hours. How much he learns is up to him."

He sounded very principled.

But the moment they started, Su Xi astonished him.

When learning from Bird, Su Xi’s progress could only be described as solid and conventional.

But when learning from Magic, it was like they had a telepathic connection; he got it instantly. After all, Su Xi’s super spatial awareness talent came from Magic himself.

Sometimes, while Magic was still explaining the reason behind a certain passing motion, Su Xi would have already executed it.

’This kind of teaching is really fun—it’s like you teach him the Pythagorean theorem, and he immediately derives the principle behind it.’

So, Magic quickly broke his own rule.

He quickly moved on from the basics to intermediate-level techniques.

The day passed just like that.

Magic Johnson arrived at the gym at 11 a.m. and didn’t leave until 6 p.m.

He was reluctant to leave, telling Su Xi to practice hard and that they would continue tomorrow. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Su Xi practiced until 8:30 that night.

Although he certainly couldn’t be as fluid and spontaneous as Magic, his technique and imagination improved with incredible speed.

Because he already possessed Magic’s own super spatial awareness talent, it was like being in a car with the GPS already programmed. All you had to do was learn how to press the gas, shift gears, and steer... and you could slowly make your way to the destination.

The next day, Magic moved on from intermediate to advanced-level techniques.

Su Xi practiced with extreme focus. He ran into some difficulties, but he still understood and absorbed the concepts very quickly.

Magic was overjoyed. He had never met a student who was such a perfect fit for his teaching.

So, he ended up spending another entire day in the gym.

On the third day, he continued his instruction.

Then came the fourth day, and the fifth... On the morning of the sixth day, he brought out his most advanced, signature techniques.

Su Xi managed to imitate the form, but he still lacked the final touch of mastery. He had finally hit a wall.

Still, Magic was already delighted. He told Su Xi, "With your passing skills now, if you were to play Boston again and they still double-teamed you so recklessly, you could average 15 assists a game."

This was no exaggeration.

After watching Su Xi’s passing practice, Big Bird’s jaw dropped in astonishment. He never would have dreamed that Su Xi’s rate of evolution was so freakish; it was as if the skill were innate.

In Magic’s mind, Su Xi’s pure passing technique was already good enough to be knocking on the door of the top ten in the league. When you added his passing instincts and court vision, breaking into the top five would be no problem.

The Pacers now had a point guard with top-five overall passing ability, and that was on top of Su Xi’s athleticism and driving power... Tsk, tsk.

Magic hardly dared to imagine the possibilities.

He even started to worry a little for the Lakers.

’What if the Pacers really make it to the Finals?’

That same evening, the Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals by winning a Game 7. Wade had a phenomenal game, putting up a monster stat line of 37 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks to help the Heat eliminate the Hornets.

The media hailed it as a legendary performance.

Wade was already showing the makings of a superstar. While his fame might not have been on the level of Su Xi, James, or even Carmeron Anthony, he had a killer instinct and was simply unstoppable on the court.

Miami had really struck gold.

With the Heat advancing to the semifinals to face the Pacers, the media began to hype up the matchup between draft classmates Su Xi and Wade.

Wade played the combo guard position, and in the eyes of many, so did Su Xi.

Moreover, basketball experts considered Wade to be on a superstar trajectory. Everyone was eager to see the difference in the playoffs between Wade, on the superstar path, and Su Xi, on the "super blue-collar" path.

The media predicted that the Pacers would win the series in six games.

However, the consensus was that Wade would play a more significant role in the series and that his stats would certainly be better than Su Xi’s.

"He and I were good friends before the draft. In the NCAA Final Four, I was eliminated early, which cost me the chance to meet him and Cameron in the championship game. Now, we finally get to face each other."

"I’m really looking forward to it."

Wade said, his face alight with excitement.

And watching on television, there were even more people who were more excited than Wade.

Among them was James.

At that moment, Su Xi’s signature shoe was also officially released.