Chapter 68: No Wonder He Was So Weak

Chapter 79: No Wonder He Was So Weak

“Hey, listen to me. Take a good rest this afternoon, train well. By the time the press conference starts, you’ll know everything.” Henry Will smiled and patted Su Feng’s shoulder. Su Feng spread his hands and stopped asking.

During the afternoon training, Su Feng constantly felt his teammates gathering to discuss him, and now and then, someone would shoot him a mysterious smile.

“Hey, Jason, what’s up with everyone today?” Su Feng asked Kobe Bryant, who was resting by the sideline during shooting practice.

“You’ll see, man. You’ll see soon enough.” Even Kobe Bryant was being secretive.

So, Su Feng spent a whole afternoon training in an air of mystery.

At four o’clock, led by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ chief press officer, Su Feng entered the media reception room.

By then, many reporters were already present. On stage, Henry Will, Kobe Bryant, Nowitzki, and Henry Will were seated.

In front of Henry Will, Su Feng noticed a small bronze cup. The trophy featured a shooter, but Su Feng couldn’t recall what specific award it represented.

“It’s hard to lose…” Just as Su Feng grasped the truth, Henry Will took up the trophy and approached him.

“On behalf of the Premier League and the Cleveland Cavaliers, I officially announce that 117 sports journalists and TV commentators from the US and Canada have voted. Furthermore, you have been selected as the Premier League’s Sixth Man of the Year!” After Henry Will finished, he handed the trophy over, startling Su Feng. “The Englishman said he wanted to surprise you, so we didn’t tell you! Take it, it’s your honor!”

Su Feng stared at the small bronze cup before him, utterly dazed. His name was engraved on the large base of the cup—the first time his English name had been etched onto a trophy.

“What are you waiting for?” Henry Will quietly reminded, prompting Su Feng to take the trophy from his hands.

Suddenly, the stage was flooded with light. Under the flashlights’ glare, the trophy sparkled as if it were made of gold.

“Hey, congratulations, man!” Afterwards, teammates waiting in the reception room surged forward to embrace their English teammate.

No wonder everyone had acted so odd today—they’d already known.

“Do you think a rookie winning Sixth Man of the Year is an honor?” Below, the reporters had long grown impatient.

“I… I’m thrilled. I want to thank my teammates and fans. Without their help, I couldn’t have won such a trophy.” Su Feng, after years of playing ball, had only earned the NCAA Final Four Mop as a personal accolade. But when the NCAA championship itself was claimed, the mop seemed less exciting, more an accessory to the main prize.

But now, with an unexpected personal honor appearing before him, Su Feng was more moved than he had imagined.

In this Premier League season, as a rookie, Su Feng played 82 games without injury. Only a handful of Premier League matches were missed. Though his playing time exceeded Kobe Bryant’s starting minutes, he met the standard for substitutes outnumbering starts.

Odom ranked second in Sixth Man voting, averaging 25.7 points, 8.7 blocks, and 2.8 field goals per game. Though Odom was runner-up, his stats paled compared to Su Feng. Su Feng deserved the Sixth Man title.

During the subsequent press conference, reporters saw, for the first time, Su Feng smiling as he answered every question.

While addressing the press, Su Feng kept glancing at the trophy, confirming his name was truly engraved. Even now, he could hardly believe he was the best Sixth Man.

All this took just two years—from a lost youth wandering the streets without direction, to the Premier League’s best Sixth Man. But these two years had been extraordinary. The rapid transformation made Su Feng feel almost unreal.

At the end of the press conference, Su Feng took photos with his teammates, holding the trophy.

Standing with his coach and teammates, everyone smiling, Su Feng was at the heart of it all. In the heat of the playoffs, this was an immense inspiration for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Su Feng stood in the center, holding the gold cup aloft. At that moment, all eyes were on him.

Henry Will knew that Su Feng had finally claimed the honor he deserved in the past Premier League season. But the future… belonged to him.

The best Sixth Man? This was only the tip of the iceberg for Su Feng’s personal career honors.

“2828 points, 25 field goals, 7 blocks, 28 steals! Tonight, Mr. Ye has set a new career record! Houston Rockets!”

William Adams Miller was completely stunned. The guy rushed into the room and found the recording of this incredible game.

Meanwhile, reactions across Dallas mirrored William Adams Miller’s shock.

After four straight losses, Su Feng defeated the Utah Houston Rockets on his 28th birthday night with a score of 2828. At the same time, the Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers were officially back on track.

After the game, Su Feng didn’t remain in Salt Lake City with Kobe Bryant. According to the team’s plan, they rushed overnight to Dallas.

On the plane, Henry Will saw numerous news stories about Su Feng using the wireless network. After the dunk contest, Su Feng seemed to have again dominated the league’s headlines.

“It was a great 28-centimeter night! The ironclad Houston Rockets finally sank!”

“282825, the birth of a great guard!”

“Kobe Bryant: I said Su Feng is the best player in the league. I still need to improve myself.”

Henry Will found it amusing. Just hours ago, almost everyone praising Su Feng had doubted his prospects. Now, it seemed everyone had changed their tune, hyping the Cleveland Cavaliers and Su Feng beyond imagination.

Henry Will enjoyed this feeling—the joy of having everyone kneel before you. Before the game, they could say whatever they wanted. After the game, they had to admit their strength.

Henry Will picked up his phone, intending to sit beside Su Feng and share the joy. But the seat was already “claimed” by Kyrie. Seeing Henry Will approach, Kyrie pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling him to keep quiet.

When the plane finally stabilized, Su Feng was asleep. Despite this back-to-back game, Su Feng had played nearly 75 minutes. The fierce “Hannibal” had become a gentle “lamb,” sleeping peacefully as if the whole world was at rest.

“Let him sleep, Kobe Bryant. He’s tired.”

Henry Will smiled and shook his head. Tonight, let the boy rest.

The next day, Su Feng was awakened by his mobile alarm and opened his eyes. He instinctively tried to turn over but found every muscle protesting in pain.

Su Feng simply lay flat on the bed, mouth wide open. Recalling last night’s events, he himself found it unbelievable.

There were many who could score 2828 points in a game in the Premier League, but doing it at age 20 was a wholly different concept.

Some 20-year-olds were still playing in NCAA, others struggling on the bench. But Su Feng had already crafted his masterpiece. He had ample room to improve. Who knows—one day he might score 50, 60, or even 70 points in a game.

Su Feng smiled, then took out his phone to call Vignali. But as the screen lit up, he saw a pile of unread messages.

Most were from friends, congratulating him. Even Kobe Bryant had sent a text, seemingly convinced by his friend’s victory.

Among the well-wishes were several messages from Adidas. From the texts, Su Feng realized he’d triggered another bonus clause in his contract last night.

Could 2828 points activate a bonus clause? Su Feng didn’t recall this item in the contract, but he trusted the shrewd Bill Duffy wouldn’t let him miss any chance to earn money.

As usual, after calling Vignali, Su Feng began browsing the latest Premier League news. Unsurprisingly, almost all sports news sites were dominated by Su Feng today.

Every media praised him, every star lauded him, every fan cheered him. But Su Feng wasn’t dazzled. He knew that, in defeat, these people would quickly change their tune. They praised him not because they truly knew him, but because they followed the crowd.

Su Feng scrolled on his phone, about to wash up for five more minutes. But then he saw a different headline.

Su Feng scored 2828 points in a single game, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Houston Rockets. Blake Griffin: If I faced such opponents, I could score 2828 points too.

Kobe Bryant’s name caught Su Feng’s attention.

Since Su Feng’s debut in the Premier League, Griffin had never met Su Feng’s expectations and was always in the spotlight. Griffin viewed Su Feng as his biggest rival, dissatisfied that his stats from the previous year were surpassed, and that Su Feng had stolen his Rookie of the Year. On court, the two competed secretly and even clashed multiple times. In short, neither could stand the other.

When Su Feng left the court, nearly all his teammates rushed to embrace the flamboyant shadow forward. Smiles shone on every face. Su Feng’s extraordinary spirit inspired them to overcome the spotlight and the gloom of consecutive losses!

“Well done, kid. You’re truly professional.” At last, Henry Will stepped forward and hugged Su Feng. The future in Dallas should be secured for him.

Su Feng sat back on the bench, leaning forward excitedly, pounding his fist on the wooden floor, and looking up. He saw Henry Will’s stern expression replaced by a smile. He saw Yi Jianlian, Henry Will, and Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, all subbed out, joking with each other. He saw the empty stands of Energy Solutions Arena and the reporters’ astonished faces…

This was the joy of victory!

Win! Finally, I won!

At the end of the bench, Su Feng laughed quietly to himself.

At Energy Solutions Arena, the game began with no cheerful atmosphere. Less than a quarter of the fans remained on the court, enduring the Cleveland Cavaliers’ devastation. The rest were either loyal Houston Rockets fans or those unwilling to leave after a rare Premier League game.

Whatever the reason, the remaining fans were not captivated by the match, as it lacked any allure.

The game was about to end, with the Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers leading the Houston Rockets by 15 points. Tyrone Corbin still shouted anxiously from the sideline, but everyone knew the Utah Houston Rockets had beaten the Miami Heat yesterday, winning three straight championships, but could not return to glory.

Even the photographers on site frequently shifted their cameras away from the court, focusing instead on Su Feng, who sat quietly on the bench watching the game.

Whenever the cameras pointed at him, his game stats appeared on the TV screen below. Today, Su Feng’s numbers had repeatedly flashed across the screen, and the broadcaster was only too happy to replay them, knowing Su Feng’s stats were the topic fans loved discussing most.

Meanwhile, in the ruined streets of Houston Rockets, a strong teenager ran desperately. In slums like Ellington, countless young Black men fled police pursuit. So when he ran along the street, he attracted no attention.

But notably, this running boy seemed to be clutching a basketball.

William Adams Miller suddenly burst through the door, startling his mother and siblings.

“William Adams Miller, what’s wrong?” His mother stood up nervously, looking out the window to ensure no one was following her son.

William Adams Miller didn’t answer but searched the sofa for something. The whole family crowded together anxiously. Living in a place like Ellington, you never knew when trouble would find you.

At last, William Adams Miller found the TV remote under the sofa cushion. He pressed the button, and their old TV made a “crackling” sound, finally displaying an image.

“How’s the game?” William Adams Miller pointed at the Premier League channel airing commercials. Had he missed it again?

William Adams Miller had planned to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Houston Rockets at home, but mistook the game time for tomorrow. So tonight, he went to a nearby basketball court in Ellington.

On the way, he overheard passersby saying the game was over. Hearing this, William Adams Miller realized he’d missed it!

Yes, that’s how it is. You’re all the best players—what am I? Right?

(End of chapter)