Su Xi’s comments didn’t make it to print.

The reporter from Indiana had some discretion. Although during their conversation he had pointed out that at 20 years old, Jordan was still just a player for the University of North Carolina and not yet in the NBA, he kept it out of the papers.

In the current climate of the basketball world, however, Jordan was the unchallengeable God of Basketball.

No one believed that even players like O’Neal or Duncan could truly be compared to Jordan.

Su Xi was only a sophomore. Even though he had won Finals MVP in his rookie season and regular season MVP in his second, creating the best start to a career in history...

...Jordan’s story was just too legendary.

Many of the records he set were considered forever unbreakable, not to mention he had led his team to establish two dynasties, which was also seen as an insurmountable peak.

Su Xi could certainly be compared to a 20-year-old Jordan; in terms of concrete accolades, he was even ahead.

However, the media and the fans wouldn’t see it that way. They would see Su Xi as overly ambitious—a sophomore presuming to challenge the authority of the God of Basketball.

The NBA world didn’t like players who challenged Jordan.

In his rookie season, Iverson had merely said, "On the court, I don’t have to respect anyone," and he was torn apart by the media for it. It wasn’t until the new millennium that he managed to rise up, leveraging his streetball charisma and undeniable on-court talent to become a superstar and the frontrunner among the new generation of great shooting guards.

...

Su Xi and the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals early with a 4-0 sweep. Meanwhile, the series between the Miami Heat and the Detroit Pistons was raging on.

Both teams were incredibly strong.

The Pistons were even stronger this season than last. Although their record had slipped to third in the East due to the brawl at the Auburn Hills Palace, the long suspensions that followed actually benefited their playoff run in two major ways. First, their bench got plenty of playing time, allowing them to develop; Milicic, in particular, showed some growth during this period. Second, the Double Wallaces and Prince got a long rest. They used the time to recover from old, nagging injuries and returned in peak condition, both mentally and physically.

Combined with their improved tactical chemistry, their overall strength surpassed what it was when they fought the Pacers for the Eastern Conference title last year.

Su Xi watched their pivotal Game 5 and concluded that if this version of the Pistons had played last year’s Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers would have only had a 30% chance of winning, even with him constantly improving throughout the series.

In truth, the Pacers’ victory over the Pistons last year had a fair bit of luck involved.

The Heat won the pivotal Game 5.

This was crucial.

Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal were a match made in heaven. Wade was more willing to pass than Kobe, and his ability to slash to the basket was phenomenal. The Pistons’ greatest fear was precisely this type of penetrating guard. They were far less intimidated by a superstar guard like Kobe, who relied on set plays and isolation.

On top of that, Shaquille O’Neal was in great shape—perhaps motivated by Su Xi’s success, on top of winning another All-Star Game MVP. Su Xi even felt O’Neal was playing with more dominance than he had in last year’s Finals.

The Pistons threw the Double Wallaces at him in rotation, but they still couldn’t bring him down.

Although O’Neal’s free throws in clutch moments were nerve-wracking, a clutch three-pointer from Wade gave Miami the last laugh.

Wade was the fastest-rising superstar guard of this year’s playoffs.

In the first round, he averaged 25.6 points, 6.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game—already superstar-level stats.

So far in the second round, through five games against the Pistons’ tough defense, he was averaging 28.2 points, 7.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals.

Many in the media were saying that Wade had already become the absolute leader of the Heat.

Furthermore, they called him the breakout superstar of the 2003 draft class, placing him alongside James and Su Xi as a "Big Three," a half-step ahead of Carmelo Anthony.

Su Xi was stunned when he heard this on ESPN.

’James? By what right?’ he thought. ’How can he be part of a "Big Three"? Sure, his regular season stats are decent, but the playoffs are a different beast from the regular season. The guy’s never even stepped foot on a playoff court. How can he be mentioned in the same breath as Wade and me?’

’He should be in the same tier as Carmelo Anthony.’

Su Xi was scornful.

Shaquille O’Neal, on the other hand, was showing an unprecedented level of humility.

In a way, O’Neal’s story was a bit tragic. In Orlando, he had clashed with Hardaway over salary and the team’s top spot, only for the Magic front office to cut him deep by saying, "We can’t offer you a bigger contract extension than Hardaway’s. We’re afraid he’ll get the wrong idea." The Orlando fans tore him to shreds for it, believing he had no right to challenge Hardaway, even though he was the better player.

So, he ended up going to the Lakers, even taking a pay cut to do so. With the Lakers, he displayed unprecedented dominance, leading them to a three-peat and winning three consecutive Finals MVP awards. But then, Kobe, the guard the Lakers had groomed themselves, relentlessly fought him for the position of team leader.

Then last year, after the Lakers had gone two years without a championship, they chose to side with Kobe, letting go of the man who was the de facto best player in the league.

O’Neal was heartbroken all over again.

When he came to Miami, it was as if he’d suddenly seen the light and accepted his destiny as a supporting player.

From the day he arrived in Miami, he humbly declared, "I will help Wade grow."

Now, the media was saying Wade was the true core of the Heat.

He voiced no complaints, stating bluntly, "This is the team of The Flash, Dwyane Wade."