The Best Point Guard-Chapter 69 - 4: [Have You Heard of Little Sheep Su Xi?]

Chapter 69: Chapter 4: [Have You Heard of Little Sheep Su Xi?]

Just as Bird had said, the next day, every sports media outlet was singing Su Xi’s praises, lauding him to the heavens.

"First in History! Super Dark Horse Sets New NCAA Record, Surpassing Magic Johnson, Olajuwon... Everyone."

"The Genius Finisher Earns MOP; His Finals Performance Reminded Magic Johnson of Himself."

"Little Sheep Su Xi Leaps to the Pinnacle. He is Syracuse University’s First MOP in History."

"..."

Su Xi’s name resounded throughout the entire American basketball world.

On television, you could also see praise from famous personalities.

Magic Johnson: "All I can say is it was unbelievable. He really did remind me of myself. When he walked into the paint, I knew he was going to get the MOP. Just like when I won the Finals MVP."

Isaiah Thomas: "This was the most exciting NCAA final in the last ten years. Kansas played great, but they ran into the unstoppable Little Sheep Su Xi. When he stepped into the paint, I knew something magical was about to happen. But I never expected him to get a quadruple-double."

"He dominated the game. Just like I dominated the NBA." Shaquille O’Neal always liked to praise himself when complimenting others.

Kobe Bryant was different. He said: "I saw his improvement. I watched him play back when he was in Boston. I think he has an even broader and brighter future ahead of him."

"..."

The overwhelming praise and media hype made Su Xi the hottest figure in the basketball world overnight on April 10th.

The media buzz around him surpassed that of any NBA superstar, any top prospect.

Such was the power of an NCAA quadruple-double.

At the peak of his media hype, Su Xi returned to Syracuse University. On April 13th, he showed up for class.

This took everyone by surprise. Many of the girls quickly touched up their makeup and complained that they hadn’t worn their sexiest outfits that day. The girl sitting next to Su Xi even got a run in her stockings; she kept opening and closing her legs, trying to get his attention.

But Su Xi was completely focused on his studies... Even his teacher wasn’t as focused as he was.

This was Syracuse University’s championship hero, after all. He was about to become a famous figure in the school’s history.

"Jack, how about I give you some private tutoring?"

When class was over, Teacher Anna walked up to Su Xi, her collar pulled a little lower. Her figure had lost some of its shape, but it was all the more voluptuous for it, like an overripe peach.

It felt like she was ready to drip juice at any moment.

"Uh... that won’t be necessary."

Su Xi stressed.

He had already realized that showing up to class was a mistake. It seriously disrupted classroom discipline. And it also seemed to make the weather hotter.

So, he quickly left the classroom, surrounded by a crowd, and with the help of an assistant coach, he went through the procedures to suspend his studies.

Fortunately... on April 15th, he received a call from LeBron James. James’s team had hired the most professional physical trainer, who claimed to have once worked for Jordan.

Carmelo Anthony also called Su Xi, asking him to go to New York to train with him.

The trainer he had invited was Yidan Lavin. Lavin was a very famous trainer, well-known in the industry for helping Francis improve his ball-handling skills. He had many NBA star clients.

Carmelo wanted to improve his own ball-handling so he could be more comfortable in the NBA.

In the end, Su Xi politely declined Anthony.

He chose to go to Cleveland. He would train there and stay until June.

This was unbelievable to Anthony. He said, "Jack, don’t you love me anymore? Do you love James more?"

Huh? 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

’What kind of outrageous words were these?’

"Don’t you know you’ll get more exposure in New York? Absolutely no reporters go to Cleveland for interviews. It’s too remote. Even LeBron James will leave Cleveland to seek exposure."

Anthony didn’t understand.

Su Xi said, "That’s exactly what I want."

He had already received a draft promise. The most important thing now was to improve his own abilities.

Cleveland had a lower cost of living, plus low media exposure, a trainer who worked with Jordan, and on top of that, LeBron James, the owner of four super talents.

Su Xi simply couldn’t wait. He wanted to raise the super speed talent he got from Iverson to 90 before the draft. The current value was 74.

So, after placating the ’Proud Sweet Melon’ for a while, he began to plan his trip.

...

Before heading to Cleveland, Huang Xiaoman arranged two interviews for Su Xi.

One was an exclusive interview with Yahoo Sports.

The other was an interview with CCTV.

The interviewer from Yahoo Sports was a Chinese person who idolized Su Xi. He believed Su Xi had proven the power of Asians in the world of sports. He was proud and overjoyed by it. He said excitedly, "This proves that we can’t just create miracles on the internet; we can do it in the predominantly Black basketball world, too. We can do anything."

The guy was really worked up.

Su Xi thought that this man would sooner or later return to China to develop his career, and he encouraged him to do so.

Yahoo was the first world-class internet company founded by a person of Chinese descent.

Their founder was also a big sports fan, and Huang Xiaoman had some connections with their executives, which was why they were promoting Su Xi so crazily.

As the number of home computer users increased, internet portal media possessed ever-increasing broadcasting power.

The interview went very smoothly.

They asked about topics that would make everyone happy. He believed that after this in-depth report was published, people would have a deeper understanding of Su Xi and like him even more.

Because Su Xi’s life story was truly legendary. He arrived in the United States with his grandfather at the age of 9. His grandfather passed away when he was 12, and he grew up on his own, getting into Syracuse University with high scores. With the help of a high school alumnus, he became a member of the school team. Just when everyone thought he’d be kicked out, he burst onto the scene. In a single season, he went from a nobody to the NCAA MOP.

It was the kind of life experience that even a novel wouldn’t dare to write.

The reporter who came from CCTV asked similar questions.

However, they brought a piece of news. They told Su Xi, "You’ve already become the most famous basketball star in China, second only to Yao Ming. The enthusiasm from the domestic audience is incredibly high. They all want to know more about you."

CCTV aired Su Xi’s interview on Channel 1, completely uncut. Su Xi’s ’out-of-line’ remarks didn’t cause any offense. Instead, they fostered a special kind of affection. The audience liked his exotic charm and his strange phrasing in Mandarin.

Whether they were basketball fans or ordinary people, everyone was full of curiosity about Su Xi. They wanted to know more about this young Chinese man who had made a name for himself in a foreign land, and the story behind him.

In addition, the CCTV Sports Channel also obtained the game tapes of Su Xi’s Final Four matches from the NCAA for free. This past weekend, they had been replaying these two games on a loop.

Su Xi’s skills on the court conquered the fans back in China.

Especially after everyone found out Su Xi had declared for the draft, they grew increasingly hopeful of seeing a Chinese guard shine in the NBA.

Although they didn’t know much about the NCAA, they became even more excited after hearing that Su Xi could be a top-five draft pick and that his fame in the United States during this period had surpassed Yao Ming’s.

Just as the reports from those American commercial institutions stated, guards were more sought-after than centers. And besides, Su Xi was just so handsome!

His good looks weren’t just well-received in the United States. Back in China, he attracted countless female fans.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the top two most popular opening lines on the streets of China recently were: "Have you eaten?" and "Have you heard of Little Sheep Su Xi?"

...

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