At present.
Blake Su has picked up a number of nicknames, such as "Monster Rookie," "Top-Tier Rookie," "Unstoppable Three-Point Shooter," "A Larger-than-Life Allen Iverson," and "An Upgraded Durant," among others.
However.
Rather than true titles, these are more like labels. They're a small acknowledgment of Blake Su's current ability, but they lack soul and a distinct identity.
Take "T-Mac" Tracy McGrady, for example. The nickname "T-Mac" is both an abbreviation of his name and a reference to a submachine gun, and it also reflects his explosive offensive style.
Or "King James" LeBron, "The Answer" Allen Iverson, "Little Flying Man" or "Black Mamba" Kobe, "The God of Basketball" Jordan, and "Half-Man, Half-God" Carter.
These distinctive nicknames carry meaning and fully represent the players themselves.
But right now.
Blake Su only has labels. He doesn't truly have a nickname of his own. That's why during the game, McGrady referred to him as "Monster Rookie" with a hint of uncertainty.
However.
If he wanted a nickname of his own, it would take time for fans to discover it. And as McGrady said, it also depended on him. Only by delivering dominant performances could he earn it.
Then.
The nickname that belongs to Blake Su would come on its own.
With a back-to-back home game against the Bucks scheduled for the next night, the Suns returned to Phoenix overnight after defeating the Pistons. On the plane, Blake Su found himself thinking about this.
"A nickname of my own? No need to overthink it right now. Just focus on playing well, give every game my all. When I fully unleash my ability, when my performance is completely recognized…
it'll come naturally.
Just like McGrady said, my nickname won't come from fans' imagination. It'll come from me."
The more he thought about it, the clearer his mind became.
...
The next morning.
10 a.m.
The NBA officially announced the Players of the Week for the previous week.
In the Eastern Conference, the Heat's "King James" LeBron James took the honor once again. In the Western Conference, Blake Su of the Suns claimed it with a perfect 4–0 record.
He averaged 36 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 3.3 steals, and 3 blocks per game.
Outshining everyone, after his streak of six consecutive Player of the Week awards had been snapped, he reclaimed it just one week later, shocking countless fans and even players.
After being shut out in their second meeting and watching Blake Su lead the Suns to a 23-game winning streak, the "No. 1 overall pick" John Wall, who had already been thoroughly convinced, felt it again upon hearing the news.
Once more, he acknowledged Blake Su's strength.
Though he didn't say it outright, deep down he had already accepted that Blake Su was better than him, that Blake Su was the strongest rookie, a true top-tier rookie.
Meanwhile, Kobe, whose stats this week had dipped compared to the last, couldn't help but marvel at Blake Su's consistency.
This rookie was terrifying.
As soon as the Player of the Week announcement came out, fans online once again erupted in discussion about Blake Su. At the same time, some felt it was a pity for "Melo" Anthony.
Last week, he averaged 35.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks, leading his team to four straight wins. His numbers were nothing short of incredible.
But Blake Su was just a notch better.
And so, he missed out on Player of the Week.
As for Blake Su himself, he also woke up at 10 a.m. today. Not to check whether he had won the award, but to head to the Suns' management and inform Lance of his plan to go home.
Even though it was his day off.
He still needed to let them know. After all, the team's training revolved around him. If he suddenly disappeared, it would be irresponsible to his teammates.
"Beep, beep, beep!"
Just as he got up, his phone rang.
Blake Su thought it was his agent Austin, but to his surprise, it was his mother, Dolores Su. He answered.
"Hey, Mom!"
"Mm, Blake, I've received the snacks you sent. There's way too much. How could I possibly finish all this? Isn't that a waste?!"
"Heh."
Blake Su chuckled. "It's fine. I've still got plenty here. If you can't finish them, give some to Aunt Xie, or to neighbors and friends. If nothing else, you can hand them out to your students as rewards.
That works too.
They definitely won't go to waste."
"That's true."
Having just received the package, Dolores Su didn't dwell on it and quickly asked, "Blake, are you really not coming back for the New Year?!"
"I'll… not be coming back~"
Blake Su almost let it slip but caught himself. "You know they don't celebrate Spring Festival here in the U.S. There's the game schedule, and the team can't do without me during training.
It's a critical stretch right now. I really can't get away.
Mom, I'm sorry. Once things settle down here, I'll come back to see you right away."
"Mm-hmm, alright!"
Dolores Su nodded. Even though she really hoped Blake Su would come back, she understood him. She just wanted to confirm one last time. After chatting a bit longer, they hung up.
"Mom, sorry about this. It's for the sake of a surprise."
Looking at the ended call, Blake Su smiled and headed toward the arena.
After arriving.
Blake Su didn't go to the training hall. Instead, he went straight to the manager's office, found Lance, and told him about his plan to go home.
Lance smiled and nodded. "Of course. After tonight's game against the Bucks, there are about four days off before the game against the Nuggets.
"I know how important the Spring Festival is to you.
If that's not enough time, you can skip the Nuggets game. That would give you around seven days. That should be enough for you to go back and enjoy a proper Spring Festival."
Lance readily agreed.
Blake Su scratched his head and smiled. "You're too kind, Manager. I don't need that much time. I know what I'm doing, so… four days is enough.
I'll go home, sure.
But I won't let it affect the schedule or the team."
Hearing this,
Lance nodded in satisfaction. "That works too. We'll follow your plan. I agree with it. Uh… let me also wish you a Happy New Year's Eve in advance?
That's what it's called, right?"
"Heh."
Blake Su smiled. "Yes, that's right. Thank you, Manager. If there's nothing else, I'll head to training."
"Alright, go ahead."
After leaving the office,
Blake Su felt a warmth in his chest. He knew Lance treated him well largely because of his ability, but it still made him happy.
After all… praise is always more pleasant than criticism.
He then headed to the training gym. The moment he stepped inside, Blake Su sensed something unusual, because… the gym was packed with players today.
Off to the side,
some players were doing push-ups, pull-ups, and other drills.
In short, it seemed like the entire Suns roster had shown up for training. Normally, there would always be a few players absent for various reasons.
"So even though I came this early, I'm still the worst one here?!"
Blake Su let out an awkward laugh.
"Blake Su!"
Curry, who had spotted him, waved and walked over. The first thing he said with a grin was:
"Blake Su, happy Spring Festival!"
...
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