Chapter 28: First Time A Man Has Said This To Me
The audience had originally expected a fierce battle, but no one anticipated that Texas Tech University would suppress Kansas University, ranked second nationally, throughout the game.
Moreover, viewers who watched the game could clearly point out the reason Kansas University lost.
“The Wildcats couldn’t handle Eli; that’s the only reason they lost.”
Dick Vitale said so.
Score: 89 to 66.
Texas Tech University defeated the opponent by a 23-point margin, thereby winning the 2006-07 season BIG 12 League championship.
Xu Ling was named the BIG 12 League Most Valuable Player.
Isiah Thomas stood up.
His original expectation was to see a good young player tonight, but he didn’t expect to see a super blue-chip stock that completely captivated him.
Before the season started, in the 2007 draft class, only Oden and Durant would cause scouts’ frenzy; this strong feedback would be given to the teams’ management. They believed Oden and Durant were the kind of future superstars who could be the face of the franchise.
Then, Xu Ling spent a few months raising his draft market value from zero to a simulated prediction of top five, tying with Durant and Oden as the three giants of the freshmen.
His fame came too fast, too rapidly; perhaps even he himself hadn’t anticipated it. He had become a key figure shaking up college basketball.
However, the NBA’s management was still a bit slow to catch on.
The main targets for most teams preparing for the lottery draft were still Oden and Durant.
But after watching today’s game, Thomas believed Xu Ling was a genius who could match Durant stride for stride.
Perhaps Durant had the ceiling to become the greatest ever, but Thomas didn’t believe in such vague expectations.
Because he had seen too many people with “ceiling” who ultimately didn’t even reach their floor.
“Eli,” Thomas said, “he’s not yet 19, but the skills, talent, and maturity he possesses are enough to make him the core player of a championship-contending team. Give me the No. 2 pick, and I’ll skip Kevin Durant and select him directly!”
The recency effect was on full display at this moment.
Thomas was deeply attracted to the great future prospects he envisioned in his mind.
Then, his assistant reminded him: “Mr. Thomas, we might not have this opportunity.”
“We will!” Thomas said firmly.
The assistant probably didn’t want Thomas to be hurt by harsh reality, so he reminded: “But we don’t have a 2007 first-round draft pick.”
Thomas’s cheek twitched, and then he fell silent.
Thomas’s most insane move as Knicks boss wasn’t giving Jerome James, who couldn’t play at all, a $30 million long-term contract, but in the summer of 2005, firmly believing Eddie Curry was the next O’Neal, even when reminded of Curry’s heart issues, he insisted on reaching a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls.
In that trade, he gave up a 2006 first-round draft pick swap and the 2007 first-round draft pick.
Now, due to heart problems, inability to control weight, plus some psychological interference from family factors—anyway, rather than expecting him to grow into the next O’Neal, better to expect him to become a qualified professional player.
In the two years playing for the Knicks, the time he spent on paid weight loss had nearly exceeded the time he spent playing.
As for the two first-round picks given to the Bulls for him, one had already been cashed in last year for LaMarcus Aldridge.
If the Knicks’ luck was “good” enough, theoretically they could tank while sending Durant and Oden to the Bulls.
Moreover, this year was the deepest draft class since 2003, making it extremely difficult to acquire draft picks.
The assistant brought Thomas back to reality.
But could that kind of excitement be easily dispelled?
Thomas believed his rotten Knicks still had chips; they weren’t without any chance.
“Listen, Rooney, if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”
After saying this to the assistant, Thomas waved his hand, preparing to congratulate his mentor.
The BIG 12 League championship trophy—this was something the Red Raiders players absolutely wouldn’t have dared to imagine before the season started.
And now, it was a fact right in front of them.
They became the regional champions and would enter March Madness as the No. 1 seed in the BIG 12 League.
Without Xu Ling’s 32 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks tonight, none of this would have been possible.
They knew this full well.
Therefore, after the game ended, they surrounded Xu Ling, celebrating with all sorts of irrational physical gestures.
Bob Knight stood on the sidelines, as reporters from major national media thrust microphones in front of him.
This scene felt like something from another lifetime.
Knight had thought he would never again speak to the media in this capacity—as league champion.
When was the last time he led a team to a league championship?
1995 or 1993? He couldn’t remember.
“Coach, what do you think got you here?”
“It’s Eli, do I need to ask?”
Knight glanced at that reporter—sure enough, an idiot from the Associated Press. Was the only value of this media giving voting rights to clueless readers every week so they could pick the top 20 college teams based on their preferences?
“It’s courage and the sense of honor for the school that got us here.” Knight naturally knew when to say the right things. “I’m proud of these kids!”
“Eli had a dominant performance tonight. Do you think he’ll enter the NBA draft after the season? Do you think he’ll play a second college season?”
“This is just the performance a college Jordan should have; is it worth making a fuss? And don’t fucking remind me he’s leaving after the season!”
Knight’s heart was churning like stormy seas, but his face remained calm as a still lake: “A mature man will make the decision most beneficial to himself; I will support all his decisions.”
Then, the reporter asked: “This is your first league championship since 1993. How does this team compare to the 1993 Indiana team?”
“Oh, thanks for the reminder; now I know when the last time I won a league championship was.”
The 1993 Indiana University Mountain Men—that was not only Knight’s last league championship before this year, but also the last time he coached the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll.
“Oh, the Associated Press’s prestige.”
That team swept the Big Ten League, finished 31-4 for the year, and was defeated in the Elite Eight—sometimes, you have to believe in fate; the opponent was also the Kansas University Wildcats.
“I won’t compare this team to the 1993 team.” Knight fell into a nostalgic mood. “The two teams had different starting points, different processes, and different expectations.”
So, how did Knight now feel about his old home, Indiana University? Had he let go? Had he moved on? Were the past events now just a laughing matter?
A reporter from Indiana asked: “Coach, have you forgiven those people from Indiana? Have you decided to move forward?”
All the nostalgic feelings, those lingering good memories, shattered in that instant.
Knight’s face grew cold, his tone dropped ten levels, the words seeming to surge from deep in his throat: “No, I hope they’re all dead.”
The on-site reporters held their breath, thinking that tomorrow, this quote might overshadow Texas Tech University’s league championship and become the front-page headline in college basketball.
Call it the General’s Curse. What a catchy title?
Xu Ling also did an on-site interview; his answers were extremely official and formulaic, with no highlights.
At the time, Xu Ling didn’t know what Knight had said to the reporters.
Nowadays, Xu Ling had become a draft hotshot; he no longer needed to say shocking things like at the start of the season to hype himself.
They won the championship, received the trophy, then returned to the locker room to celebrate, and prepared fully for March Madness.
On the way back to the locker room, there stood Isiah Thomas at the door, smiling at Xu Ling.
“Are you waiting for the coach, Mr. Thomas?”
Xu Ling asked politely.
“No, I’m waiting for you.” Thomas said, “David Stern might fine me $50,000 just for these few words with you.”
Xu Ling thought, is that a lot? The settlement you paid for harassing a decent woman was 200 times that.
“Then, please leave; I won’t talk to you.”
“No, I must say it.” Thomas, with his height under 1.9 meters, stood in front of Xu Ling but instantly exuded the aura of a 9.1-meter giant. “Get ready to be a New York Knick; I’ll get you at any cost!”
These words weren’t just flattering; at least they were a bit shocking.
A guy who, during his playing days, liked to kiss his good buddy’s cheek before games to show affection, then spread rumors after the guy got AIDS that he might be gay, and recently faced a lawsuit for sexual harassment of company female employees.
When such a person says this to you, aren’t you scared?
“Um,” Xu Ling said hesitantly, “first time a man’s said something like that to me.”
“I’m serious, Eli! I must bring you to New York!” Thomas pointed at Xu Ling like a prophet. “I believe you’re the one to lead my Knicks out of the quagmire!”
Since Xu Ling didn’t care about off-court matters, unless it was some famously racist city, he had no preference for which NBA team he would play for in the future.
Hearing Thomas’s words, he didn’t doubt the man’s sincerity, but…
“I’d be willing to play for the Knicks.” Xu Ling’s words made Thomas beam with joy, but the next sentence followed: “But you guys don’t seem to have a draft pick.”
At that moment, Thomas’s emotions went on a rollercoaster; he suppressed his churning feelings, held back the urge to go gun down Eddie Curry, and affirmed with eyes gleaming: “We will.”
