Chapter 326: Chapter 91: [The God of the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team Has Returned]

When people saw the sexy photo of Su Xi in his underwear on the cover of Playboy’s July issue, no one was surprised.

After the Finals, people saw Su Xi and Jessica arm in arm at Universal City. They were spotted on the beaches of California, then traveled to South Beach Miami, and were also seen on the streets of New York.

Su Xi was appearing in the entertainment section more often than the sports section.

On June 20th, Su Xi returned to Indiana, where the Pacers Club held a grand championship parade. When Su Xi stood atop the team bus, people were surprised to find that the woman by his side was now Scarlett.

So, who exactly was Little Sheep Su Xi dating? Or was he two-timing, dating two female stars at the same time?

This triggered a media frenzy.

Nearly every media outlet was talking about it.

Then, people snapped photos of Su Xi and Scarlett vacationing on Saipan Island.

You can’t imagine Su Xi’s happiness.

At the end of June, Su Xi appeared in New York again, where he released a new sneaker model and also launched a collaboration with a famous fashion designer. This was Nike’s way of increasing revenue; after all... they had paid Su Xi so much this year, it was like they were working for him.

Capitalists always need to make a profit.

The more production lines they opened, the greater the return.

Of course, this also meant a greater investment.

The resources Nike poured into Su Xi reached an unprecedented level.

Su Xi’s billboards were everywhere, and they were constantly putting out fires and doing PR for all his gossip.

At the same time, they also secured him sponsorships from European luxury brands.

Su Xi squeezed into the top tier of the fashion world almost effortlessly, and his management team was selecting major European brands for him to partner with. This included, but was not limited to, cosmetics, luxury bags, luxury apparel, and so on.

Su Xi’s image was becoming more and more well-rounded.

And when he appeared on the Conan show wearing a brand-new, unreleased piece from Dior, his every move exuded an overwhelming aura of fashion.

Su Xi showed another side of himself in this episode.

This was a brand-new image for him off the court. The basketball media loved to portray him as an arrogant, domineering little demon, while the entertainment media preferred to describe Su Xi as a dashing, romantic playboy who left a trail of affection wherever he went.

And now, Su Xi was showing his ’genuine’ side.

"Jessica, Scarlett, and I are just good friends."

"It’s like when you’re in school. You have Jessica sitting on your left and Scarlett on your right. It’s hard to say no to being good friends with them."

"I don’t think there’s any conflict between them."

"The secret to winning the championship was to let Kobe score a lot. He’s like an angry pufferfish—you just have to sneer at him, tell him his scoring technique isn’t very good, and he’ll puff right up."

"O’Neal is incredible, but if you just tell him he’s not funny at all, his game will completely fall apart. And actually, he really isn’t funny. He’s not even as funny as Ron Artest. Ron Artest can sing, dance, and rap."

"I don’t have huge expectations for my career. A year like this one is pretty good."

"It would be so unfair if the most handsome player in the NBA wasn’t Reggie Miller."

"My biggest problem right now is not having enough time."

"’Happiness beyond imagination’? I have no idea what that’s about."

"..."

Su Xi was witty and charming on the Conan show, but the audience was even more captivated by his handsome face.

NBA games usually only showed full-body shots of him, and from a distance at that.

But when he sat on the couch and the camera cut to a close-up, people saw his flawless face, and his masculine charm was overwhelming.

Many female viewers watching at home were completely captivated.

No wonder Jessica and Scarlett were willing to be friends with him.

Who wouldn’t want a man like that?

Rumor has it that after Su Xi finished the interview that day, a female anchor at the station grabbed his hand, crying and begging him not to leave.

The next day, Dior stores around the world were nearly mobbed, with countless people wanting to wear the same outfit as Su Xi.

Su Xi’s ability to drive sales was just too powerful.

Him just sitting there was the best advertisement possible.

This also showed Dior Su Xi’s powerful appeal, and besides, Su Xi really did take wearing clothes to a whole new level.

Su Xi’s masculine charm was too powerful. When he just stood there, women couldn’t help but become infatuated. It was as if his entire being exuded an aura that sent female hormones soaring.

This frenzy among women led to even crazier purchasing power, and every luxury brand in the world knows that to capture the female market is to capture the money.

So, even lipstick and cosmetics brands were seeking Su Xi out for endorsements.

O’Connor and Huang Xiaoman had been incredibly busy lately. They would often find themselves in a ’bidding war’ situation during phone calls: two or even several competing brands of the same type all wanted to partner with Su Xi.

...

Meanwhile, the basketball media was busy reporting on the news that negotiations between Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers had broken down.

After the Finals, O’Neal and Kobe were already at an impasse. They both sent unmistakable signals to the media, forcing the Lakers to choose between them.

Choosing O’Neal meant choosing immediate contention. They could trade Kobe for a perimeter player in his prime and continue to compete for the championship.

Choosing Kobe meant choosing the future and embracing the market. Without a doubt, Kobe’s market appeal was greater than O’Neal’s, and his 56-point performance in the Finals was considered the only bright spot of the series by Lakers fans.