Chapter 568: The Birth of a Legend
"The Hammer of the Gods has descended! Chen Yan secures back to back Finals MVPs!"
"He breaks the NBA Finals single game scoring record! The new god of basketball has arrived!"
"2 straight championships. A dynasty is rising!"
"A season of total harvest. Has his era truly begun?"
Fireworks and firecrackers erupted all across China, creating a scene even more exaggerated than Lunar New Year. Among the fans, Chen Yan was already being hailed as the standard bearer of Chinese basketball, with an influence that now surpassed even Yao Ming.
Even Yao Ming joked about it in an interview.
"In the past, when people talked about Chinese basketball, the first person they thought of was me. Now it is Chen Yan. He has become a calling card for Chinese basketball, and even for Chinese sports as a whole. To be honest, I am one of his fans too. I even have 2 of his jerseys at home. If I get the chance, I will have to ask him to sign them."
Yi Jianlian was not as humorous as Yao, but his congratulations were just as sincere.
"First, I want to congratulate Chen Yan, and congratulate the Phoenix Suns. Winning 2 straight titles is an extraordinary achievement. Chen Yan won both the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP. He is without question one of the league's true superstars. Personally, I want to keep learning from him and use him as a model."
Chen Yan's influence had long since spread beyond the court. Off the court, his investments had already brought him enormous wealth. His foresight in business earned him the title of "investment genius" in the media. He was not yet rich enough to rival a nation, but the profits from his investment company had already surpassed his salary and endorsement income combined, making it his largest source of earnings.
He also had a growing presence in entertainment. It was not only because of his singing and songwriting. He appeared regularly in entertainment magazines, filmed commercials, and had already become one of the NBA's most recognizable heartthrobs. On top of that, several directors had taken an interest in his image and fame and had extended film offers. Chen Yan had no desire to carry a movie as the lead. He understood that his acting was not strong enough for that. But if someone invited him for a cameo just for fun, he would be more than happy to do it.
…
3 days later, the championship parade was held in Phoenix.
Suns owner Sarver, who was usually notorious for his tight wallet, had surprisingly loosened the purse strings this time. Last season's parade budget had been tightly controlled, but after 2 straight titles, the Suns' market value had soared. Under those circumstances, it was understandable for the owner to suddenly become generous.
The parade was enormous. Phoenix deployed nearly half of its police force just to maintain order.
The parade was scheduled for the evening, which was rare by NBA standards. Phoenix sat in the middle of the desert, and daytime temperatures could easily hit 40 degrees Celsius. Packing hundreds of thousands of people together under that heat would have been begging for mass heatstroke.
At night, the weather was far more comfortable. The lighting was also better, and the city could use fireworks to heighten the spectacle.
Standing on the float, Chen Yan waved to the fans on both sides of the street. His parents and Taylor Swift stood beside him, soaking in the cheers that rolled in like ocean waves.
Taylor looked at Chen Yan from the side with open admiration.
He had fulfilled every fantasy she had ever had. He was handsome, gifted, adored by millions, and standing at the center of it all.
The number of fans who came out that night far exceeded every estimate. In the end, attendance broke 1 million. Phoenix police had to dispatch emergency reinforcements to maintain order. Even they had underestimated the impact of the Suns winning another championship.
The parade itself went smoothly. Phoenix's public safety ranked among the best in the United States, behind only San Diego and San Antonio.
After 2 and a half hours, the parade reached its final destination, Arizona State University Stadium, where tens of thousands more fans were already waiting.
The team stepped onto the temporary championship stage one by one and began the traditional round of speeches.
The championship trophy stood at center stage for the crowd to admire, with Chen Yan's Finals MVP trophy placed right beside it.
Stoudemire was the first to speak.
"This is absolutely a historic moment. It is a dream come true. People said run and gun could not win a championship. Then they said our style could not win 2 in a row. But we did it. We really did it. There is nothing more incredible than this."
Nash took the microphone next.
"I am so happy. I feel like I am the happiest person in the world. I am so excited that I do not even know what to say. I only know one thing. We are the champions of 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009."
Jordan's voice nearly cracked from excitement.
"There are definitely more than a million people out there tonight. My God. I have never seen anything like this in my life. This is unbelievable. This is the greatest scene I have ever experienced, and this is exactly why we play."
Novak spoke with unusual emotion.
"When I was a kid, I dreamed that one day I might win a championship. Now it has really happened. I have played for a lot of teams in the NBA, and before this, a title always felt far away. The Suns gave me the chance to live that dream. I want to thank the fans, thank the coaches, thank my teammates, and especially Chen Yan. You helped me a lot. Thank you."
He singled Chen Yan out for a reason. Chen Yan's help had extended far beyond the court. He had helped Novak fit into the locker room, build confidence, and settle into his role, which was especially important for a shooter.
Azubuike expressed similar gratitude. One after another, the players took the microphone, until it finally came to White Chocolate.
Williams grinned and said, "This is not the first championship of my career, and I do not think it will be the last. I have good news for everybody too. My extension talks with the team are basically done. I am staying next season. I love the atmosphere here. I can see a dynasty rising, and I can see a legend being born right here."
When he said that, he turned and looked directly at Chen Yan.
Everyone understood who he meant.
Then it was Chen Yan's turn to close the show.
He stepped forward to thunderous cheers, lifted the microphone, and said, "I am fortunate to accomplish all of this with people I care about and love. There is no better feeling in the world than that. This is why we work so hard. Right now, my biggest wish is simple. I hope I can gather with all of you like this every single year."
Tens of thousands of fans exploded into cheers.
At that moment, it truly felt like a dynasty was taking shape in front of them.
Still, for all the glory of the parade, the Suns' front office understood one thing clearly. Their next challenge had already begun.
The priority now was retaining the roster.
Barnes, Hill, Novak, Barea, and Azubuike were all entering contract years. After contributing to a championship team, each of their market values had risen to different degrees. If the Suns did not handle those negotiations well, they could lose half of the core that had just brought them another title.
The road to defending the championship again would not be nearly as easy as it looked from the outside.
.....
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