Thinking about the enormous pressure Blake was under, Yao Ming felt he should give him a call.
After all, even if the Suns lost the Finals, it wasn't the end of the world.
Blake was still young.
What mattered most was keeping the right mindset. If the pressure became too much and affected him next season, or even further into his career, the damage would far outweigh one Finals loss.
So Yao Ming called him.
Blake had just finished eating with Mia Quinn and was driving to the arena when his phone rang. With his earbuds in, he answered.
"Hello? Who's this?"
"Blake, it's Yao Ming. What are you doing?"
"Oh, Yao. I'm on my way to the arena. What's up?"
"I'm calling because of you. You know the Suns are down 3-1 right now, so things obviously aren't looking great.
"But stay calm.
"You already pulled off [Coming Back from 0-3 to Win Four Straight] in the first round. And against Miami, you've already shown you can beat them once.
"So a comeback isn't impossible.
"Whatever happens, don't give up."
"Of course."
Blake smiled. "I can still play better. I'm confident I can win and lead the team back into the series."
"Good."
Yao Ming continued, "And even if you do lose, don't let it weigh too heavily on you. You're still only a rookie.
"You have your whole career ahead of you.
"You've already surpassed what I accomplished, and your future is only going to get brighter. So keep your head straight and don't let the pressure overwhelm you."
"Pressure?"
Blake narrowed his eyes slightly. "Of course there's pressure. Most players carry the expectations of a city. I'm carrying the expectations of an entire country.
"How could there not be pressure?"
"Blake, you..."
Yao Ming was startled, suddenly worried about where Blake was going with this.
But then Blake laughed.
"Pressure is one thing. Basketball is another. I'm not going to let pressure make me play worse.
"If anything, having that weight on my shoulders makes me take every game more seriously and work even harder.
"I'm not giving up until the very end."
Yao Ming paused for a moment before smiling with relief.
"That's good. Really good.
"If you can think that way, then I know your mindset is where it needs to be.
"Keep going, Blake. I believe in you.
"I won't keep you any longer. Go train and get ready for the next game."
"Got it."
The call ended.
Down 3-1 in the Finals, with no team in NBA history ever having come back from that deficit, was Blake under enormous pressure as the Suns' only true centerpiece?
Absolutely.
If he were nothing more than an ordinary 19-year-old rookie, that kind of pressure could easily leave him anxious, overwhelmed, even afraid.
But Blake was different.
He carried the memories of two lifetimes, along with the advantages that came with his unusual circumstances.
His willpower was exceptionally strong.
A mental attribute of 99 said more than enough.
Even down 3-1, even with victory looking nearly impossible...
Blake remained confident.
Before long, he arrived at the arena.
Within the next half hour, the rest of the Suns players gradually arrived as well.
Eventually, everyone gathered at center court.
Once the full team was there, Coach Gentry stepped into the middle of the group.
"Guys, our situation...
"Isn't as hopeless as it looks.
"At the very least, we've been in an even worse position before. We came back from 0-3 against Memphis and won four straight.
"We can do it again.
"Fifty points. Fifty-one. Fifty-six. Fifty-eight.
"Those are Blake's scoring totals through the first four games of the Finals.
"Those numbers are incredible.
"As long as Blake is out there, we still have a chance.
"You have to believe in what he can do. He brought this team all the way to the biggest stage in basketball, which means there's still a chance for us to keep winning.
"All the way to the championship.
"But there's one thing everyone needs to understand.
"Talent can win games.
"Teamwork wins championships.
"Blake is going to do everything he can to carry us forward, but he needs every one of you to contribute everything you have, no matter how small that contribution might seem.
"Remember this.
"No matter what happens, don't give up.
"Believe that what you're fighting for is still possible, and keep working until there's nothing left.
"Understood?!"
Gentry's powerful voice echoed through the empty arena.
"Yeah!"
"We'll give everything we have and fight for the championship!"
His words fired up Curry, George, and the rest of the team.
They were young.
And they weren't ready to give up either.
They still wanted one more shot at it.
"I'm definitely not giving up."
Blake gave a quiet snort, confidence written all over his face.
[Ding!]
Just as the players' voices filled US Airways Center with renewed determination, a notification suddenly sounded inside Blake's mind.
[Ding! Random Quest Triggered: Score 60+ points in a single Finals game and win the series. Reward: ["Shaq" O'Neal's Strength].]
Blake's eyes immediately sharpened.
"Perfect."
"Strength is exactly what I'm missing, and now this quest shows up with that reward.
"Couldn't have come at a better time."
But almost immediately, Blake noticed the catch.
The quest required him to win the series.
That meant he would only receive the reward if the Suns defeated Miami and won the championship.
And scoring 60 points in a single game was incredibly difficult even in the playoffs, never mind the Finals.
Which meant...
There was a very real chance Blake wouldn't get ["Shaq" O'Neal's Strength] this season.
Shaq's strength was obviously extraordinary.
But a reward like that was never going to come easily.
At least there was no time limit.
If it didn't happen this season, he could complete the quest next year, or the year after that.
As long as he eventually scored 60+ in a Finals game and won the championship, the reward would be his.
But waiting another year, much less several, wasn't what Blake wanted.
It wasn't his style.
The random quest had appeared now.
He was already in the Finals now.
And he had an opportunity right now.
"Then I'm going to get it this year."
The intensity in Blake's eyes deepened.
"This really has been the hardest year for me.
"But if I can survive this and make it through...
"Then there'll be something waiting on the other side."
The thought only sharpened his focus.
That determination quickly turned into an overwhelming desire to compete.
And then into an even stronger desire to win.
...
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