"Shocking! All-Star starting power forward Amar'e Stoudemire gets completely blown away by rookie center Blake Su!"
— reported by Mian United Press.
"A center who can both drive and shoot, rookie Blake Su perfectly embodies the smooth offense of a 'guard-type' center. He's a breath of fresh air among big men."
— source: The Boston Herald.
"Blake Su is telling the entire league, through jumper after jumper and drive after drive, that even centers can move with a guard's agility."
— from Fox Sports.
"..."
Early the next morning.
News about Blake Su's performance was published yet again at daybreak, spreading through streets and neighborhoods, becoming the hot topic of discussion among fans at schools and offices alike.
10:00 a.m.
Blake Su's hotel.
"Ding!"
Just after getting up and while brushing his teeth, Blake Su heard the notification sound from his phone. He checked it—and instantly lit up.
Because.
Six million U.S. dollars had just been deposited directly into his bank account.
"Haha, I only asked to advance part of my salary, and Suns owner Robert Sarver straight-up wired me half a year's pay. That's insanely generous.
Let me do the math.
Six million dollars all at once?!
Damn… am I really this rich now?!"
Blake Su couldn't hide his excitement at all. Even in his previous life, he had never seen so much money land in his account at once—money that truly belonged to him.
It felt amazing.
Overflowing with joy, Blake Su immediately wanted to share the news with his mom and dialed her number without hesitation.
"Mom!"
"Oh, Blake? What's wrong, calling so late?"
On the other side of the world, it was already 11 p.m. Blake Su's mother, Dolores Su, was in the middle of preparing lesson plans.
"Of course I'm calling to share good news! I got paid today."
"Wow~ Blake's all grown up and making money now? How much did you get?"
Hearing how happy Blake Su sounded, Dolores Su's interest was instantly piqued.
"Hehe~"
Blake Su chuckled smugly for a moment, then laughed and said, "Six million U.S. dollars just hit my account."
"What?! Six million?!"
Dolores Su's already large eyes widened even further, completely stunned.
"Are you serious?!"
"Absolutely."
Blake Su cleared his throat and, in a mock boss-like tone, said leisurely, "Tomorrow I'll head to the bank and transfer two million to Ms. Dolores Su. From now on… you're being supported by me."
"Pfft!"
Dolores Su burst out laughing, fully believing him.
"Little Blake, you're so cheeky—keep running your mouth!"
Dolores Su scolded him playfully.
"Haha!"
"Just kidding," Blake Su said with a grin, then turned serious. "Mom, really. Your son has made it now. You don't need to work yourself so hard anymore.
Quit the homeroom teacher position.
Just be a regular teacher—no need to deal with all that extra stuff. Comfortable and stress-free. How about it?"
"Alright."
Dolores Su smiled with relief. "If my son's already doing this well, I really don't need to push myself that hard anymore. But… I still have to finish teaching this class.
Otherwise, I'd feel too guilty."
"That makes sense."
Blake Su thought for a moment, then added, "Anyway, Mom, from now on just do whatever feels best for you. We're doing well now—we should improve our quality of life."
"I know. But Blake, let me remind you—just because you have money doesn't mean you should be extravagant. You still haven't married yet. These days, without money, it's hard to find a wife."
"Heh… heh, still early. Plenty early."
"Not early at all, Little Blake. Not one bit. My son's so outstanding now—one of these days I'll start introducing you to some girls."
"Stop right there. Oh, and Mom, could you not call me Little Blake anymore? It really doesn't match my tall, heroic image."
"What's wrong, you don't like it? No matter what, in your mom's eyes you'll always be a little kid. You'll always be Little Blake! Little Blake! Little Blake!"
"You're the one who never grew up!"
"Blake Su, what did you say?!"
"See? You answered to it perfectly!"
"You—"
"..."
After chatting "happily" with his mom for a while, Blake Su finally hung up. But the moment he did, another call came in. He glanced at the screen—it was his agent, Austin.
"Hello!"
"Blake Su, I've got good news for you."
"What is it?"
"Stephen Curry has agreed to come to the Suns and partner up with you. GM Lance is currently in talks with the Warriors' front office about the trade details."
"Excellent!"
Beep beep beep.
After hanging up, Blake Su walked out onto the balcony. Eyes closed, he breathed in the fresh air outside, his mood soaring.
Good things really do come in pairs. Today was a wonderful day.
...
Tomorrow, the Suns would head out on the road to face the Clippers.
5:00 p.m.
The Suns team boarded a private jet bound for Los Angeles.
8:00 p.m.
There were seven games around the league that night, but the ones drawing the Suns' attention were Clippers vs. Rockets and Thunder vs. Lakers.
Because.
Their upcoming opponents were the Clippers and the Thunder.
First up.
The Clippers and Rockets tipped off.
Currently sitting eighth in the Western Conference, the Rockets featured shooting guard Martin, the skilled interior power forward Scola, and the now fully developed Kyle Lowry.
They also had defensive stalwart Shane Battier.
If Yao Ming were healthy, the Rockets would be a true Western powerhouse. Unfortunately, although Yao returned this season, he played only five games before being ruled out for the rest of the year once again.
Even so, the Rockets still possessed solid playoff-contending strength.
The Clippers, on the other hand, lagged far behind in overall ability. Eric Gordon was inconsistent, his three-point shooting hadn't fully opened up, and DeAndre Jordan was still growing.
More importantly.
The team lacked a true organizer to connect everything on offense. Even with the No. 1 pick, the "Beast" Blake Griffin, their 14th-place record in the West was downright ugly.
Throughout the first half.
The Rockets suppressed the Clippers, leading by as many as 17 points and heading into halftime with an 11-point advantage.
In everyone's eyes.
It looked like the Rockets would blow the game open by the third quarter.
But then… after the teams switched sides, Griffin erupted. In just 4 minutes and 16 seconds, he poured in 11 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.
A 15–1 counterattack instantly flipped the game, putting the Clippers ahead.
"Beep!"
The Rockets were forced to call a timeout.
From that point on, Griffin entered an unstoppable state, scoring again and again while continuously expanding the lead.
Griffin, who had managed just 4 points in the first half, went completely berserk in the second, dropping 23 points. He finished the game with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, single-handedly dismantling the Rockets.
The comeback was complete.
After the game.
An exhilarated Griffin said at the press conference, "Lately, it feels like a lot of fans have forgotten about me—forgotten that I was the number one overall pick."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser