Chapter 616: Goat Su Xi, Loyal and Righteous

Chapter 616: Chapter 99: Goat Su Xi, Loyal and Righteous

Su Xi activated carry mode.

He scored in isolation play after play.

He ignited the Knicks’ entire offense, and the Lakers’ lead was erased in an instant.

Madison Square Garden Arena had become a sea of celebration.

Kobe intensified his defense against Su Xi, pushing it to the absolute limit.

But he truly couldn’t stop Su Xi. After struggling at the start of the game, Su Xi’s hands were now scorching hot.

He was burning like a wildfire, and under his lead, the entire Knicks roster was fired up.

The Lakers quickly fell into a slump.

They fought so hard that even the head referee saw their effort and gave them some extra help.

But this favoritism couldn’t tip the scales of the game.

Because that kind of help is only useful when both teams are on an equal footing.

With Su Xi playing so dominantly, the Knicks were like tigers descending a mountain—they were out for blood.

The Lakers’ Yao Ming and Kobe were strong, but they couldn’t carry the other players on their team.

Most importantly, in the words of Reggie Miller:

“Goat Su Xi has shut down Kobe, which is something we’ve never seen before. But we have to say it: Goat Su Xi is completely dominating Kobe on the offensive end.”

Reggie Miller’s statement shocked the fans watching on TV, but everyone had to admit he was telling the truth.

The first half of the game quickly came to an end.

The Knicks held an 8-point lead, 56-48.

Su Xi had been on fire in the first half, putting up 25 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

His counterpart, Kobe, had 16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

Kobe’s halftime stats were also very good.

But compared to Su Xi, he wasn’t on the same level.

Just like their current status in the league.

Last season, the league promoted three signature stars: Su Xi, Kobe, and James.

But after this season, no one would put Kobe or James on the same level as Su Xi anymore.

No matter how much the critics nitpicked, they couldn’t change one fact: Goat Su Xi was already in a league of his own, the undisputed number one player.

He was a cut above every other player.

During halftime, Reggie Miller had already started discussing Su Xi’s historical standing. “There has never been a player in history who was the Finals MVP from their very first season in the league and then won it four consecutive times. In fact, if you add in his NCAA MOP award, Little Sheep Su Xi is already number one in history in terms of accolades. And he’s still adding to his record.”

“A lot of people now say 6 is greater than 4, and that seems to have become the only gold standard. But don’t forget, four consecutive Finals MVPs is greater than three consecutive Finals MVPs. A personal four-peat dynasty is far more difficult than two three-peat dynasties. And don’t forget, Jack was the one who lifted the Knicks up from being the worst team in the East.”

“If we’re only comparing the number of championships, then why isn’t Bill Russell the greatest of all time?”

“I don’t for a second believe that the opponents Jordan beat were stronger than the ones Jack has beaten. Wasn’t Shaquille O’Neal the most dominant of the four great centers? Isn’t Tim Duncan the greatest power forward of all time? And aren’t guys like Kobe, James, and Wade stronger than Drexler and Gary Payton?”

“Don’t forget, Payton plus Ma Long, plus O’Neal, plus Kobe—none of them could beat Jack. And right now, Gary Payton is riding coattails on the Knicks’ bench.”

“…”

During halftime, the ESPN broadcast became the Reggie Miller one-man show.

Larry Brown was silent. Mike Brin said nothing.

Their silence was deafening.

They had no way to rebut Reggie Miller’s words. In fact, every fan watching on TV felt it too.

In reality, most people knew in their hearts that if things continued on this trajectory, and if the league’s landscape didn’t change drastically, it was only a matter of time before Su Xi’s championship count surpassed Jordan’s.

Su Xi was just too incredible.

His resume was simply unbeatable.

Jordan’s first four years were nothing compared to Su Xi’s.

While Jordan’s stats were insane, Su Xi not only had insane stats but also an insane record—the most insane in history.

The Knicks’ start to this season was absolutely horrendous, but now, they had still made it to the Finals and seized an overwhelming advantage.

Even though the Lakers still had Kobe and Yao Ming, and even though this was only the third game, no one held out any hope for the Lakers anymore.

They all knew what the final result would be.

This sentiment was reflected in the Lakers’ locker room.

The Lakers’ morale was visibly low.

Even though Kobe was roaring in the locker room, trying to pump everyone up and feeding them motivational speeches about how difficult situations bring out a person’s fighting spirit, he could only ignite his own fire. He couldn’t get the other players to resonate with him.

Su Xi’s power was deeply ingrained in their minds; they all knew they weren’t cut out for this.

In contrast, the home team’s locker room was filled with cheers and laughter.

Everyone was praising Su Xi’s decisiveness tonight.

“This is how the GOAT is supposed to play! Jack, if you’d been this decisive earlier, we wouldn’t have had any trouble at all in Los Angeles.”

“Jack, we love playing with a tailwind behind you. Everyone’s efficiency goes way up.”

“This is why Jack is the greatest of all time. He doesn’t complain about his teammates not being good enough; he helps his teammates become better.”

“Even Jordan would have to kneel and kowtow before Jack.”

“Jack, just like this, lead us to the championship! We can’t wait.”