The Best Point Guard

"I don't know yet. Right now, I just want to go back to the hotel and sleep."

"Will the Knicks be signing anyone this offseason?"

"You'll have to ask Isaiah."

Su Xi turned and deferred the question to Isaiah Thomas.

Thomas was thrilled. "We're not planning any major signings, but we will be active in the draft. We'd welcome any veteran players who want to join us, but we're done handing out big contracts. I don't want to be known as the 'charity mogul' anymore," Isaiah Thomas said, laughing.

At this point, anything Thomas said would be forgiven, even reinterpreted in a new light.

He was now a great success story.

The New York fans saw him as the greatest architect of their resurgence. Without him, how could they have won the championship?

Fireworks were going off all over New York City as the metropolis erupted in celebration over the team's championship victory in Dallas. This meant a great deal to New York. They had always prided themselves on being the greatest city in the world, but the Knicks had long been a persistent sore spot. Now, with the Knicks' meteoric rise, their pride and passion were overflowing.

The Knicks players' celebrity status in New York reached an all-time high that night.

Su Xi was even being called the basketball messiah!

Without Su Xi, there's no victory! Without Su Xi, there's no championship!

Even Stephon Marbury received a strange, unprecedented kind of "thanks" that night. After all, without him as a trade chip, how could the Knicks have won the championship?

This must have stung Marbury.

He was clearly struggling mentally.

He'd recently been seen crying and laughing in front of the media and had been posting bizarre videos online.

Clearly, the first-round upset had put him under immense mental stress.

He'd been thoroughly branded a "team killer."

He and J Kidd were traded for each other, and the Brooklyn Nets made it to the Finals twice.

He and Su Xi were traded for each other, and the Knicks immediately won a championship. Meanwhile, he led the defending champions to a first-round exit.

Given that "stellar" track record, combined with his mental state... the Pacers were likely considering a buyout for him next season.

Across the Pacific, fans in China were just as ecstatic.

Su Xi's three-peat was exhilarating, bringing an unprecedented sense of pride and honor to fans in China and across Asia.

After the Knicks' championship win, Huang Xiaoman was flooded with an unprecedented number of congratulations and business offers. Su Xi's market value skyrocketed once again, reaching an all-time high.

Previously, it was Su Xi demanding a high price.

Now, as long as Su Xi agreed to a deal, Huang Xiaoman could practically name her price, and as long as it wasn't too outrageous, companies would agree.

It got to the point where Su Xi had to instruct Huang Xiaoman, "You can ask for a bit less money. Go for equity instead. I'm very optimistic about the growth of the market in China."

Huang Xiaoman checked the time. Su Xi would be returning to China soon.

After winning the championship, Su Xi was going to return to China to rest for a while.

'I want to use this time to finally make our relationship official. After all, my family's been pressuring me quite a bit.'

Meanwhile, Su Xi was completely relaxed.

He jumped and danced around the locker room, celebrating wildly with his teammates.

Everyone was ecstatic. This championship was a dream come true for all of them.

Zach Randolph even hugged the trophy, laughing and crying at the same time. Crawford was crying too, as was Eddie Curry.

Hardaway was on the phone with his mom, sobbing uncontrollably.

Clearly, this championship was a form of redemption for many, allowing them to finally overcome their greatest regrets.

Tony Battie was happy, leaning against his locker and smoking a cigar. He was a seasoned veteran; this was his third championship.

He'd seen it all before.

"Jack."

As the crowd started to thin out, Tony Battie made a point of finding Su Xi. "I'm planning to go play in China," he told him.

Su Xi was surprised and looked at Tony Battie.

Tony Battie was still a capable player; he wasn't so old that he couldn't get a contract in the NBA.

"I've always wanted to go. I've received so much money and so much support from over there. So, I want to go and see it for myself, to experience it. And while I'm at it... see if I can help raise the level of basketball there."

Tony Battie said with genuine sincerity.

Su Xi said, "I have to warn you, the level of play in their league is nowhere near the NBA's. A lot of the facilities aren't up to par, and many of the rules aren't well-established. You might have a hard time adjusting. Usually, only players who can't get a contract in the NBA end up going there."

Su Xi was being exceptionally honest.

"I know, and I'm prepared for it," Tony Battie said earnestly. "I'm not going there for a comfortable ride. I'm going because I hope I can help."

Su Xi was taken aback. He patted Battie's shoulder. "Thank you. They'll welcome you with open arms."

Battie gave a bashful smile.

…

The Knicks returned to New York as a team, where they were met with an unprecedented welcome at the airport. The crowd of fans who came to greet them disrupted the flow of regular passengers and caused traffic jams outside.

But few complained. After all, the Knicks had brought home the championship trophy that New Yorkers had been dreaming of for so long.

James Dolan was a decisive owner. He worked with the city government to plan the biggest championship parade in NBA history.

He also planned to host a massive championship celebration at the arena.

He had a lot of money.

And he was only getting richer.

The Knicks' market value skyrocketed after winning the championship.

Ticket prices and sponsorship revenue for the next season were projected to explode.

Analysts on Wall Street estimated that the championship would bring the Knicks a return of over 700 million USD.

That wasn't an exaggeration.

If anything, it was a conservative estimate.

The increase in market value alone nearly accounted for that entire figure.

Keep in mind, at the time, most other NBA teams were valued at only three or four hundred million, some even as low as two or three hundred million.

The Knicks were loaded, and New York City was swimming in cash.

Su Xi, in turn, ascended to the very top.

His "ruler" comments sparked widespread debate, but in the end, no one dared to openly refute him. No one even dared to call him arrogant.

Because Su Xi backed up his words with action.

Not a single player in the league spoke out against him.

Sure, a few nobodies voiced differing opinions.

But what did they matter?

The players who could actually compete with him—Duncan and O'Neal—had both fallen to him. Nowitzki had just been eliminated. And "The Chosen One," James, was still sulking in Cleveland, not daring to make a peep.

Who else was there?

Garnett? He was probably more worried about just making the playoffs.

Steve Nash? His run-and-gun offense had yet to prove itself in the West.

Kobe? At best, he could only compete with Su Xi on an individual level.

Who else was there to threaten Su Xi?

NO ONE! NO ONE! NO ONE!

There was no longer any debate: Su Xi was the undisputed ruler of the league.

However, a new debate was raging: could Su Xi surpass Jordan?

In fact, this topic was the most heated of all.

Because Su Xi had achieved an unprecedented *personal* three-peat across two different teams, and on top of that, he had led the Knicks, a bottom-feeder in the East, to a championship.

Therefore, it seemed the only person left ahead of him was the ten-time scoring champion, winner of two three-peats, the God of Basketball himself, Michael Jordan.

In reality, the two of them had a history. Everyone knew there was bad blood between them.

After endless discussion, the American media reached a safe conclusion: It would be incredibly difficult for Su Xi to surpass Jordan. Jordan had set too many records, and his two team three-peats far outweighed Su Xi's personal three-peat.

Unless Su Xi kept winning championships.

However, the basketball media lacked confidence in the Knicks' ability to defend their title.

Some firmly believed that this group of Knicks was unlikely to possess the sustained courage and willpower to repeat. They had been a disjointed mess, forged into a formidable fortress by Su Xi. But now that they had gotten what they wanted and reached the pinnacle of their careers, their true natures would emerge, and they would inevitably grow complacent.

It was human nature!

Moreover, there was certainly an element of luck in this year's championship run. Many felt that if the Knicks had faced a more disciplined team with a tougher defense, they might not have won it all.

The Dallas Mavericks were the perfect matchup for them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had cleared their path in the East.

Just imagine: how could the Knicks, missing two of their big men, have possibly beaten the Pacers or the Pistons?

And how could they possibly have defeated Duncan's San Antonio Spurs?

All things considered, the consensus was that the Knicks got lucky.

Therefore, some argued forcefully: Little Sheep Su Xi would only be qualified to challenge Jordan's two three-peats if he achieved a four-peat.

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