"You want me to evaluate Kai Chen's performance today?!"
At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Mitchell, still wearing a sour expression during his postgame interview, snapped, "Buddy, are you serious?"
"That kid dropped 44 points on my head!"
"So do you think, based on Kai Chen's performance today, he can be selected for this year's All-Star team?"
Mitchell was clearly trying to leave, but the reporter had no intention of letting him go. "Or maybe even be a candidate for MVP?"
"Which media outlet are you from?"
Mitchell was already fed up. He just wanted to get out of this arena that had completely crushed him. "I don't know if he can reach those heights, but in the future, he might become an All-Star."
With that, Mitchell ended the interview and headed straight for the player tunnel.
If he stayed any longer, he felt like he'd start cursing reporters on camera.
And his answer quickly became the next question reporters threw at Carmelo Anthony.
"Kai Chen will be an All-Star—and it'll be this season!"
Carmelo was extremely confident. "Everyone watching, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"Kai Chen's performance is phenomenal."
"In my more than ten years in the NBA, I've never seen a rookie play like this in his first three games."
"Kobe Bryant? LeBron James? Shaquille O'Neal? Even Michael Jordan never did this."
Carmelo's calm but firm words left the reporters speechless.
"I completely agree with Carmelo," Clippers head coach Rivers said during his own interview. "Based on just these three games, Kai Chen is a unique presence in NBA history."
"Before the season started, nobody believed in us."
"But now we've won three straight games, and that's all thanks to Kai Chen."
"On both offense and defense, his impact is massive."
"For a rookie, Kai is incredibly complete. He's truly one of a kind."
Clearly, when it came to Kai Chen, Coach Rivers could talk nonstop.
He genuinely adored this young cornerstone of the team.
Meanwhile, as Kai continued to drop 40-point games, other rookies from the same draft class started getting restless.
On October 31, the Phoenix Suns played on the road against the league-worst Cleveland Cavaliers.
No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton took a shocking 28 shots, finishing with 36 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
While leading his team to their first win of the season, Ayton became the second rookie—after Kai Chen—to score 30+ points in a game.
It was also the highest-scoring performance of his career.
"As long as I want to, I can score big too!"
In his postgame interview, Ayton was full of confidence. "If the team gives me enough touches, I can score 30-plus every night."
"In the earlier games, the only reason I didn't score a lot was because I didn't want to."
As Kai Chen kept piling up huge scoring nights and leading his team to wins, many fans began to question whether Ayton was really worthy of being the top pick.
Although Ayton never mentioned Kai Chen by name, everyone understood what was going on.
He was clearly competing with him.
Ayton thought his 36-point outing would earn praise from the media and fans, but things didn't turn out that way.
Fans flooded social media with comments:
"Kai Chen scored 44 points on 18 shots, and you needed 28 shots for 36. You really think you stepped up?"
"I used to like Ayton, but don't compare him to O'Neal anymore. From these games, they don't belong in the same sentence."
"Ayton should talk less. He sounds like a brainless bitch."
On the other side,
In the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder,
Luka Dončić—the so-called 'European King'—
Played 36 minutes, recording a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists, leading his team to a dominant 118:100 victory over the Thunder.
"This is just the beginning," Dončić said after the game. "After three games, I've fully adapted to the NBA's intensity."
"Next, you'll see a brand-new Luka Dončić."
When asked about other rookies from the same draft class, Dončić didn't hesitate.
"My only opponent is Kai Chen."
"I've been following his performances closely," Dončić continued. "He's an extremely outstanding player."
"And his existence has ignited my competitive fire."
Compared to Ayton, Luka Dončić offered Kai Chen genuine respect.
No matter what, with most rookies struggling early, these three could clearly be considered a tier above the rest.
Unless something unexpected happens, this year's Rookie of the Year will come from one of these three.
Which of them will fall behind first has already become a hot topic among fans.
While the media and fans debated endlessly, Kai Chen himself wasn't idle.
Staples Center Hotel, Los Angeles
Through LeBron's introduction, Kai Chen met with Rich Paul to discuss signing with an agent.
"Kai, this is my future plan and some suggestions for you."
Inside the room, Rich Paul handed over a thick stack of documents. "Take a look and see if there's anything you're not comfortable with."
"Mr. Rich, I have full confidence in your professionalism."
Kai took the papers, skimmed them casually, and said, "With your help, I believe I'll avoid a lot of unnecessary detours in contracts and endorsements."
"It's my honor to have you as my agent."
"Kai, it's also my honor to represent you."
After a round of mutual compliments, the two officially signed the contract.
Rich Paul became Kai Chen's agent, taking full responsibility for all of Kai Chen's future contracts and endorsements.
After the signing, Rich Paul threw a grand party in Los Angeles to welcome Kai Chen to his agency.
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