Chapter 438: New Song MV, 16 Game Winning Streak
On December 7, Chen Yan spent the entire day at home, doing absolutely nothing that looked productive.
Even with his stamina, he was not made of iron. Three games in 4 days, all against quality opponents, was the kind of stretch that left your legs heavy and your mind foggy. Rest was not a luxury, it was maintenance.
When he had downtime, Chen Yan kept it simple. Entertainment, recovery, and getting his body back to baseline.
Money was the one thing he never had to think about. He was a minor shareholder in a brand, owned multiple properties waiting to appreciate, had a steady stream of endorsements, and his investments were running smoothly.
As a transmigrator with a God's eye view, his investing almost never missed. He only needed to steer the direction. His team handled the details.
Over the last year, even Suns owner Robert Sarver had cashed in hard. Because of Chen Yan, Companies kept reaching out to partner with Phoenix, buying billboard placements inside the US Airways Center.
$50,000 to $80,000 per game, at minimum. Over a year, that alone meant tens of millions. And that was just one slice of the pie.
The Suns' market value had jumped 36.7% compared to last season. Winning the championship mattered, but a huge portion of the growth was tied directly to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan's arrival turned the Suns into the home team for countless fans overseas. Attention became traffic, traffic became money, and money became momentum.
Back in 2004, Sarver had bought the Suns, a struggling Western Conference team, for $401 million. His timing had been perfect.
At that moment, Phoenix had been stuck in mediocrity for years. Stephon Marbury had been traded, the roster had no obvious headliner, and the franchise value was at a cyclical low.
Four years later, that same team raised the trophy.
When Sarver first took over, he never would have dared to imagine it.
"I just wanted to make a little money," Sarver joked, "I really didn't plan on winning a championship."
Whether he planned it or not, he had both fame and fortune now. The media called him the luckiest owner in the NBA, a living example of what happens when you buy low and somehow hit the jackpot.
People used to say Yao Ming was a money tree.
Now it looked like Chen Yan was the real one.
A perimeter superstar simply had a different kind of commercial ceiling than a center, and Chen Yan was only in his second season. His basketball growth still had room, and his market value had even more.
…
After 1 full day of rest, Chen Yan felt refreshed again. That was the advantage of youth.
In morning practice, veterans like Nash and Grant Hill still looked like they were dragging a little. Recovery slowed down with age, and everyone knew it.
When you were young, you could stay up all night and still feel fine after one morning of sleep.
When you got older, staying up all night could cost you a week.
After practice, Nash invited Chen Yan to his house. He said his 2 young daughters missed their godfather.
Chen Yan smiled and declined.
He really was busy.
He had already scheduled the music video shoot for Taylor Swift's new song, "I Gotta Feeling."
After practice, Chen Yan flew straight to Los Angeles.
Taylor was waiting at the airport. The moment they met, she wrapped him in a hug like they had not seen each other in months.
Then she drove him to In N Out, her favorite burger spot in LA.
They ate, talked, and planned the shoot.
"Baby," Taylor asked, leaning forward a little, "do you have any ideas for the MV?"
Chen Yan shook his head. "I'll follow your lead. You're the professional."
Taylor thought for a moment. "What about a basketball court? That's your world, and the beat works with dribbling. It could look clean."
Chen Yan answered immediately. "No. People already see me play all the time. If the MV is just me playing basketball again, it'll feel repetitive."
He paused, then added, "For a high energy song, a nightclub or a party makes more sense. That kind of rhythm fits that atmosphere."
Taylor blinked. "Don't you hate those places?"
"Once in a while is fine," Chen Yan said. "And it changes my image. Viewers would be curious."
Taylor smiled. "Didn't you just say you'd listen to me? Sounds like you have plenty of ideas."
Chen Yan laughed. "So what do you think?"
"It's great," Taylor said. "I actually considered a nightclub too. The intro is so infectious, it's perfect for that vibe. I was just worried you wouldn't like it."
"Do I look that conservative?" Chen Yan asked.
Taylor raised an eyebrow. "I've never been to a nightclub with you. Every time I suggest it, you suddenly remember you have a million responsibilities."
Chen Yan grinned. "Then we go together tonight."
"We're going for work," Taylor said, rolling her eyes. "Not to party."
…
The shoot that night went smoothly. They wrapped in under 2 hours.
Chen Yan cared more about the song than the visuals. As long as the atmosphere matched, he was satisfied.
Most of the people on set were just extras playing the role of a nightclub crowd. Men and women dancing, laughing, living in the moment.
A lot of them were Lakers fans.
Face to face, though, nobody screamed their favorite chant.
They lined up for autographs and photos instead.
Reality was always undefeated.
The next day, the headlines came fast.
"Chen Yan Parties Wildly at Nightclub, Doesn't Return Home All Night."
The media loved turning a pebble into a mountain. Chen Yan had been in the league long enough to be immune.
He did not bother explaining that it was work.
Fans judged you by the scoreboard anyway.
If you were winning and playing well, a nightclub was "relaxation."
If you were losing and playing poorly, the exact same nightclub was "unprofessional."
…
On December 9, the Suns hosted the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks basically played open door basketball. The defense was loose, the possessions were fast, and the goal was obvious.
Stat padding.
Phoenix had no complaints. If you wanted to give them a runway, they were happy to take off.
The Suns dropped a season high 132 points, beating Milwaukee 132 to 113.
7 Suns scored in double figures. Chen Yan and Stoudemire both hit 30 plus. Off the bench, Azubuike was excellent, finishing with 20 points and 4 rebounds.
Milwaukee's box score looked pretty too. Michael Redd had 31. Andrew Bogut had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Villanueva poured in 23.
But anyone who watched the game knew what it was.
Numbers without resistance.
And the Bucks front office was not stopping it.
Milwaukee wanted to rebuild, but Redd's contract was a problem. $15.72 million and $17.04 million over the next 2 seasons made him hard to move.
If he padded his stats and looked better on paper, he became a more attractive trade piece.
That was the logic.
For fans, though, a game like that was not truly exciting. It felt like a scrimmage wearing NBA jerseys.
People preferred offense that came with pressure, the kind of game where every bucket got answered and the score stayed close.
…
A day later, Phoenix played another home game, back to back, against the New York Knicks.
The Knicks were in the same situation as Milwaukee. The front office allowed stat padding because they needed assets for the next trade window.
Last season, the Suns had turned Madison Square Garden into a crime scene, blowing New York out by 58.
The Knicks roster had not changed much.
Those players practically had nightmares when they saw Phoenix on the schedule.
New York did not make its first field goal until 9:17 into the game.
In the first quarter, they shot 7 for 25.
28%.
The misery lasted all night. The Knicks lost 101 to 76.
Even their attempt to stat pad collapsed under pressure.
The Knicks front office was speechless. How could you fail at the one thing you were allowed to do?
After the game, Mike Breen laughed.
"The Knicks were so bad tonight," he said, "they made the Suns look like a great defensive team."
That sentence summarized everything.
…
Over the next 4 games, Phoenix kept rolling, pushing their winning streak to 15 straight.
Then came 3 days of rest.
On December 25, the Suns returned home ready to chase win number 16.
And the league delivered the perfect opponent for Christmas.
The Los Angeles Lakers.
A feast, specially prepared for the fans.
.....
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