At the same time, Van Gundy emphasized defense.
His core philosophy was: Offense can fail you when your touch is off, but defense will always keep you at a consistent level.
So, when he saw Su Xi, his eyes were filled with delight.
He was a huge fan of Su Xi.
Before the game, he told Su Xi, "Stick to your defense, stick to your path. Don't listen to the negative criticism from the outside. You're not some flashy, superficial idol player—you're a historically great one-on-one defender."
He even tried to recruit Su Xi. "Why don't you come to the Rockets? If you came to Houston, you and Yao Ming could form an inside-outside duo. I'm confident I could build you into a championship tandem. You'd be more potent than The Utah Jazz, more united than the OK Group. All those people chirping on TV and mocking you now will have to eat their words."
"How about it? Join us when your contract is up."
Jeff Van Gundy looked at Su Xi, full of anticipation.
