Chapter 252: Chapter 54: [The Two Rulers Fighting Over Credit]

In the United States, the fervor of college basketball fans far exceeds that of the NBA.

The skyrocketing sales figures left Nike ecstatic, prompting them to pour even more promotional resources into Su Xi.

...

When Su Xi emerged from his intensive training camp, Mike O’Connor filled him in on the shoe launch. Su Xi remained perfectly calm, the astronomical sales figures barely making a ripple.

O’Connor really admired Su Xi.

He admired him from the bottom of his heart.

He felt his own attempts at putting on an air of importance were always a bit forced, but with Su Xi, it was completely natural. It was as if no amount of money could faze him. What’s more, he threw money around at all sorts of strange companies. He had invested tens of millions of USD in just two Chinese internet companies... It made O’Connor wonder if Su Xi had been kicked in the head by a donkey.

"Is Miami in Indiana yet?"

Su Xi asked suddenly.

"The game is the day after tomorrow. They should arrive tomorrow," O’Connor replied.

Su Xi nodded, already unable to wait.

The Miami Heat had defeated the Charlotte Hornets in a Game 7, with Wade completely dismantling Baron Davis.

In that series, Wade displayed talent that far surpassed the other young players on the team, and everyone now recognized him as the undisputed leader of the Heat’s young squad.

At the same time, the outlook on Wade’s future brightened considerably.

Before this series, Wade was considered the weakest of the "Ultra-Platinum Four." But now, his future prospects were widely celebrated.

Some basketball experts even said Wade’s ceiling was higher than Su Xi’s, perhaps even higher than Carmelo Anthony’s, and second only to LeBron James.

Su Xi was intensely interested in the Heat. All he wanted was for game day to arrive.

He felt like a young hero from a Chinese wuxia novel who had fallen off a cliff and inherited ancient powers, now desperate for a gratifying, all-out battle to showcase his newfound abilities.

Magic Johnson and Big Bird Bird, the two dominant forces in the NBA before Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan, had taught Su Xi passing skills that strengthened his game across the board. His passing was already earning widespread praise in team practices, and Reggie Miller grinned every day like his high school sweetheart had just kissed his little buddy.

And it wasn’t just Reggie Miller who benefited; his other teammates did as well.

Whenever a teammate got open, Su Xi could always get them the ball. His passing technique had been elevated to an almost unimaginable level compared to before.

Most importantly, as Su Xi’s passing improved, his offensive aggression soared. It was just as Magic’s theory suggested: passing, cutting, and shooting are the essential weapons of a superstar. When your passing reaches a certain level, it naturally enhances the other two skills.

The Miami Heat was a team in the middle of a rebuild.

Ever since Moning left the court due to his illness, they had initiated a youth movement.

Pat Riley wasn’t a head coach who put his faith in rookies, so he simply handed the team’s reins over to his protégé, Stan Van Gundy.

However, Wade’s recent performance had him very excited.

The coach, nicknamed the "Divine Calculator," frequently built up hype for Wade in the media, even saying things like, "Wade is a smaller Jordan," "Wade possesses all of Jordan’s gifts," and, "The next superstar shooting guard in the NBA will undoubtedly be Wade."

Pat Riley rarely made such statements, just as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird rarely praised the same person in public.

Two days ago in Indiana, Magic Johnson had said, "Of all the players I’ve ever taught, Little Sheep Su Xi is the most gifted and has the best passing instincts. He’s made rapid progress under my tutelage. I think you can start describing him as the second Magic Johnson."

Some might have thought he was just pandering to the Pacers fans in Indiana.

But when he returned to Los Angeles, he didn’t stop his praise: "If Little Sheep Su Xi joined the Lakers, I think they would win 10 championships in a row. He and Kobe are a perfect fit, both in terms of mentality and style of play. And he can get the ball to O’Neal. You have to understand, a team with them would be a super combination: Jordan, Magic, and O’Neal."

At the same time, he responded to Bird’s recent comments. "Bird must be misremembering things. I don’t recall him teaching Jack anything during training. All he did was provide me with two bottles of red wine and pace back and forth telling the trainers to wipe Jack’s sweat."

"I don’t think Jack’s passing improvement has anything to do with him. Jack is my student."

Magic said this because after he had left, Big Bird told the media in an interview, "I provided Jack with comprehensive training, targeting his specific weaknesses. He learned a great deal about the mindset and philosophy of passing from me. His progress was rapid. He reminds me of my glory days as a passer in Boston."

When Magic saw the interview, he was completely stunned. ’So this is one of those classic "use ’em and lose ’em" situations, huh? What happened to all that begging you did? Now that Jack has mastered eighty to ninety percent of my skills, you’re going to claim you’re the one who taught him? You’re trying to steal my glory!’

He called Bird, and the two had a frank and straightforward exchange.

In the end, Magic refused to admit that Big Bird had provided any help, while Bird denied that Jack’s improvement was Magic’s achievement alone.

The two dominant figures of the 80s began to bicker over who could claim their "beloved student."

They argued often.

Their careers could be considered evenly matched in the truest sense; neither could get the better of the other.

But who would’ve thought they’d still be going at it even after retirement.

Finally, Bird threw down the gauntlet. "You’ve got passing, I’ve got passing. There’s no telling who’s better there. If you’ve got the skills, then develop Jack’s post-up game. If you can do that, I’ll admit you’re the master."

This was clearly a goad. He was fishing with a straight hook—the bait was obvious.

But Magic was genuinely furious.

He had been the one teaching for so long, and now that unscrupulous Big Bird had jumped in to steal the credit. Sure, Bird had done some coaching, even teaching from an opponent’s perspective, but he was an assistant coach at best.

"If you’re such a great teacher, then get Jack’s shot to be eighty or ninety percent as good as yours. I’ll admit you’re the better man then."

Magic shot back, tit for tat.

The two titans of the eighties were now locked in a stubborn competition over Su Xi.

"Fine, a bet it is!" Larry Bird declared, thumping his chest. "In one year, I’ll let you witness Jack’s masterful shooting ability." In truth, he had no confidence at all. He knew better than anyone that shooting was different from passing. Su Xi had massive hands, exceptional passing awareness, and superb court vision and spatial sense. With a little guidance in that area, it was only natural he would improve by leaps and bounds.

Shooting, however, was a matter of painstaking work that required constant, dedicated practice. It also demanded immense natural talent for shooting. Bird had watched Su Xi practice his shot; his talent for it was merely average. Furthermore, his physical gifts were rather lopsided, which made his shooting form lack elegance.

Most importantly, he had enormous hands. Those hands were a huge advantage for passing, layups, blocks, and steals. But when it came to shooting, they were more of a hindrance than a help. Players with large palms often struggle to control the stability of their shot, and Su Xi’s hands were bigger than most centers’... How many centers are actually good shooters?

There were exceptions, of course—Jordan’s shot was incredibly stable—but there was only one Jordan. Besides, Bird knew very well that Jordan disliked Su Xi; it would be next to impossible to trick him into coming to teach.

The man was cunning as a fox.

Not as easy to fool and goad as Magic.

Of course, Magic knew everything Bird did. He also believed that Su Xi’s shot was a lost cause, let alone ever reaching Bird’s own sublime level.

Su Xi’s back-to-the-basket game, however, had real potential. He was incredibly strong with a very stable lower body. His coordination wasn’t top-tier yet, but if he posted up in the paint and just used brute force, few guards could handle him.

So, Magic said, "Alright. If, one year from now, Jack’s post-game skill is superior to his shooting skill, then, Larry, I want you to publicly admit to the media that Magic Johnson is better than Big Bird Bird."

Bird pretended to hesitate for a long time before saying, "Fine, you have a deal! Jack will definitely master his shot."

Having sealed the deal, Magic quickly hung up.

Then, he immediately started digging up old game tapes and even called Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Olajuwon to research how to teach the ’post-up game’.

He was halfway through his research when a thought suddenly struck him: ’What’s in this for me? I’m not the president of the Pacers.’

’But then again,’ he thought, ’there’s no downside either.’

’Besides, what could be better than rubbing it in that bastard Larry Bird’s face?’

Hahahaha.

Meanwhile, in his office, President Larry Bird was laughing so hard he was nearly in tears.

He was ecstatic.

But his joy was cut short by a sudden thought: ’Wait a minute... I think Jack’s contract is up after this year, too.’

...