His teammates found it odd that Su Xi was chatting with Tony Allen. But what they found even stranger was that Little Sheep Su Xi had started practicing his driving skills, executing spin moves over and over... It was different from before. While Su Xi's spin moves had always been textbook, today, they were silky smooth.
This made everyone believe Carmeron Anthony's assessment even more: Jack was a master in disguise, and no one knew just how many weapons he had in his arsenal.
A smile never left Su Xi's face.
He realized he could control the basketball with much greater precision.
Jessica Alba's super flexibility talent was an unprecedented boon. He had improved in every aspect, most notably achieving a state of being one with the ball and gaining mastery over complex physical movements.
Human flexibility varies greatly. Some people can bend and arch their bodies with ease, while others can't even bend thirty degrees at the waist.
For an athlete, the ideal condition is being loose where you need to be, firm where it's required, and most importantly... flexible where it truly matters.
The better your flexibility, the greater the strain your body can handle.
Su Xi was thrilled, and he mentally thanked Jessica Alba more than once.
...
Larry Bird arrived at North Shore Garden Arena.
As arguably the greatest legend in Celtics history, his presence in this arena was only fitting.
But he wasn't here for the Celtics today.
He was here for the NCAA game—or to be more precise, he was here for Jack Su.
Larry Bird really liked Su Xi. As a master of swagger himself, he appreciated Su Xi's public statements on American cable television and CBS.
That was the direct reason he'd come to watch the game at this arena, not because Su Xi had played outstandingly in the last game, destroying Flores and landing the top spot on an NBA Top 5 plays segment.
To Bird, none of that was particularly earth-shattering.
Larry Bird's arrival took both head coaches by surprise, and they hurried over to greet him.
The American basketball world also ran on connections and politics; it was a very insular, cliquey scene. Eddie Sutton, the head coach of the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, had been with the team for 13 years. Jim Boham, the head coach of the Syracuse University Orange Team, had been coaching them for half his life. It was much the same with other teams; for instance, the head coaching position at Georgetown University had even been passed down from father to son. And if there was no son, it would be passed down to a hand-picked successor.
Don't be fooled by how often NBA head coaches are replaced; if you look closely, you'll find the factions and cliques are just as prevalent there.
Larry Bird enjoyed a hallowed status in the world of basketball.
He chatted with each of the two head coaches for a little while.
Afterwards, he went about his business; he had too many acquaintances in North Shore Garden Arena.
Fans began to file in, and Larry Bird sat with the scout, Terry, in a quiet, secluded corner. Still, some fans went over to greet him. If he was in the middle of a conversation, he'd ignore them. If he wasn't, he'd sign an autograph.
He was a man who was true to himself.
"The Oklahoma State University Cowboys finished fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and they got in on an at-large bid. The second and third place teams weren't even invited. Their team has at least three NBA-caliber players, and they're ready to contribute immediately—all of them are juniors."
The scout, Terry, explained to Larry Bird, "They are Tony Allen, Ivan MacFarlane, and Melvin Sanders. There's also Victor Williams who, while not NBA material, is a top-tier guard in the NCAA. They're a very strong team overall and have a real shot at beating Syracuse University."
Larry Bird knew college basketball very well.
He knew what Terry was implying.
Although Syracuse University had a supreme talent like Carmeron Anthony anchoring the team, they were still a squad composed mainly of freshmen and sophomores. They lacked experience and game-readiness. In a high-stakes game, they were prime candidates for an upset.
This was why many NBA lottery picks failed to even lead their NCAA teams into the tournament's field of 64.
They were two different evaluation systems.
"I'm very interested in this Little Sheep Su Xi you mentioned. What do you think his draft stock looks like right now? And will he declare for the draft?" Larry Bird asked. "I just spoke with Jim Boham, and he seems to want to build Jack into the soul of the team. From the sound of it, he probably has no intention of declaring."
"If you're willing to give him a solid draft promise, I'm sure he'll choose to declare. Besides, he loves the competition; the NBA holds a strong appeal for him."
Terry said, "He's gotten a lot of media exposure recently. Many reputable draft outlets have him listed as a late second-round pick this year. Barring another breakout performance, I think if you hold on to a pick somewhere in the 40-50 range, you'll definitely be able to get him."
"I still need to see for myself," Larry Bird said. "You can't just hand out draft promises."
Bird was a cautious man. In the NBA, a verbal promise wasn't much different from a written contract. If you went back on your word, your reputation would take a major hit.
Just then, another commotion rippled through the arena.
People saw Kobe Bryant appear courtside again, this time with his wife.
This was the second time Kobe had been seen watching an NCAA game from the sidelines, and the second time he'd come to watch Syracuse University play.
And what's more, it was at the home of his archrivals, the Celtics.
It was a strange sight.
Larry Bird frowned and muttered, "What's this guy doing here?"
Terry ventured an answer, "He's probably here to support Carmeron Anthony. Anthony's style is a bit like his. They're both skilled, technical players."
But no sooner had he finished speaking than Vanessa reached out to high-five Su Xi, even standing up to lean in and whisper something in his ear.
They seemed remarkably close.
Kobe was also looking at Su Xi, a broad smile on his face.
The scene was broadcast on the Jumbotron.
A sense of alarm instinctively arose in Larry Bird, as it did for the home-court fans.
Su Xi had been a massive hit in Boston during his last game, and many people had been extremely impressed by the way he had "punished" Flores on the court.
Some emotional fans were even hoping Su Xi would join the Celtics.
With Kobe being the 1B star on the league's hottest team, his closeness to Su Xi naturally made people think Su Xi might join the Lakers.
As their historic archrivals, how could Boston ever let Su Xi join the Lakers?
Larry Bird couldn't help but ask Terry, "Are the Lakers high on Jack Su too? Do they have a connection? Did you sell our intel to the Lakers?"
"Absolutely not!"
Terry clarified with a serious expression, "You have to trust my professional integrity."
"After the game, arrange a meeting for me with him." A sense of urgency crept into Larry Bird. Just moments ago, he'd said he needed to observe more, but now he was impatient.
You never know what you have until a competitor shows up.
Su Xi, however, was feeling very nervous. Because Vanessa had told him, "You're going to get a huge surprise tonight!"
She'd been winking suggestively, and Kobe also wore a mischievous smile.
Su Xi's heart sank.
He started to worry. 'I took Jessica Alba's super flexibility talent. She's not going to make me compensate her for it, is she? The last time we met, she forced a kiss on me. This time, she might...'
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