After the ga, Su Xi and Carron Anthony stood together, sward by the New York dia. A battery of caras and microphones were aid at them, flashbulbs strobing nonstop.
Without a doubt, the two of them were the most dazzling stars in the New York sports world this year.
As Coach Jim passed by, he even called out, "Take good care of Syracuse University’s Gemini Stars."
This was the first ti Coach Jim had publicly addressed the ’Gemini Stars’ topic.
Before this, he had never even ntioned McNamara’s na in the sa breath as Carron Anthony’s, a promise he had made during recruitnt. He had assured Carron Anthony that Syracuse University would be his team and his alone, that he was the absolute core. There would be absolutely no "inside-outside dual core," "golden duo," or any similar labels.
Without these strict conditions, Caron might not have joined the team.
But now, Antonio didn’t mind Jim Boham saying sothing like that at all.
His potential managent team might feel that this kind of publicity would steal so of Antonio’s spotlight, but... this was Little Sheep Su Xi!
’Jack has done so much for . Shouldn’t I hype him up a little?’
Carron Anthony naturally picked up on the topic. "Yes, that’s right. Jack is my most important partner. Together, we’re like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, just like Batman always has Robin."
Antonio had just elevated Su Xi to the level of Pippen.
A reporter then turned to the ’Syracuse Pippen.’ "Jack, we noticed that Syracuse University’s downward slide stopped the mont you got on the court. You made so brilliant defensive plays and perford a ’surgical operation’ on Auburn University using offensive techniques you’ve never shown before. You also got your season-high in points. Were you deliberately hiding your offensive skills? Were you planning to catch them with a surprise attack?"
Su Xi raised an eyebrow. He answered calmly, "I don’t need to deliberately hide anything. The team didn’t need to score before, so I didn’t. Tonight, Gerry had an unexpected injury, and Antonio needed a wingman, so I just stepped up to do the work."
His answer took the dia by surprise.
This statent showed Su Xi to be a perfect team player, one who didn’t care about his own stats.
This was a huge plus, both in the eyes of the dia and for the potential NBA scouts watching.
The NBA doesn’t just need dazzling superstars; it also needs team players who will uncomplainingly do the dirty work.
Su Xi was demonstrating that exact potential.
This was a major boost to his potential draft stock.
Many astonishingly talented NCAA prodigies get to the NBA and find no room to shine, ultimately leaving in disgrace precisely because they can’t handle the dirty work.
The dia then asked Carron Anthony a few questions, mostly about the NBA. The New York dia asked if he would be willing to keep his talents in New York.
With a wide smile, Antonio artfully dodged the questions.
Antonio’s smile was infectious, and he was extrely popular.
However, when he stood next to Su Xi, the won in the crowd were still more inclined to sneak a few extra glances at Su Xi. After all, in the face of true, striking handsoness, "cute" doesn’t stand a chance.
After about ten minutes, CBS directed a question to Su Xi.
He asked a follow-up question: "Jack, now that the ga’s over, do you think Auburn University had any true phenoms? Did they excite you at all? Also, your next opponent is the University of Oklahoma, the top team from the BIG-12. What are your expectations for that ga? Do you think they can stop you from reaching the Final Four?"
"Auburn University certainly has many talented players, but if you’re asking about a phenom on Caron’s level, then my answer is no."
Su Xi stated bluntly, propping up Antonio in the process.
This brought a knowing smile to Antonio’s face.
"The University of Oklahoma is said to be even stronger than Oklahoma. I’m looking forward to facing them."
Su Xi’s answers were asured and safe.
Compared to his previous interviews, there were no new bombshells.
Just then, an Asian reporter stepped forward and asked one last question. "Jack, I’m a reporter for Sports Illustrated. I’d like to ask, with your performance getting better and better, will you choose to take your talents to the NBA?"
Su Xi replied, "I won’t be taking my talents to the NBA. I’ll be going to the NBA to *activate* my talents. The stronger the opponent, the stronger I get. And to be honest, there are no phenoms left in the NCAA who can activate my talent."
Su Xi said this with utter sincerity.
But for the dia, this statent was the explosive soundbite that put the finishing touch on the story.
They had waited all this ti, and they finally got the quote they were looking for from Su Xi.
When Su Xi got back to the hotel, he saw a local New York TV station airing a segnt on the post-ga interviews. He watched as they played an edited version of his conversation.
"...if you’re asking about a phenom on Caron’s level, my answer is no..."
"To be honest, there are no phenoms left in the NCAA who can activate my talent."
"I won’t be taking my talents to the NBA. I’ll be going to the NBA to *activate* my talents."
"The stronger the opponent, the stronger I get."
Watching his interview get chopped up and edited like that, even Su Xi himself thought he ca off as arrogant and defiant.
"Jack, with the dia spinning it like this, you’re going to beco a public target," Carron Anthony said with concern.
"It doesn’t matter," Su Xi replied calmly. "This is also what I was hoping for."
Carron Anthony felt a sense of respect for Su Xi’s ntal fortitude. He asked himself, ’If the dia were twisting my words like that, I would’ve completely lost it.’
...
Two days later, the Elite Eight ga between Syracuse University and the University of Oklahoma for a spot in the Final Four was held at Madison Square Garden Arena.
Three NBA superstars were in attendance for the ga: Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan.
Shark and Duncan were the top two superstars in the league. Since Jordan’s retirent, the two of them had held a monopoly on the championship title.
Kobe Bryant was the league’s heavily promoted "Little Flying Hero." Although in the popularity rankings of the era’s four great shooting guards, he sotis fell behind Iverson, Carter, or Tracy McGrady, he was consistently number two. Everyone believed he would eventually beco the top dog of the four, as he was just as young as Tracy McGrady, worked harder, and was more durable.
The arrival of these three at Madison Square Garden Arena sent the crowd’s excitent through the roof.
The three n ca from completely different perspectives, but after the ga, they all praised the sa person: Little Sheep Su Xi.
Duncan said, "I thank him for defeating Auburn University and helping my alma mater get its revenge."
Kobe said, "Only one person here left a deep impression on , and that’s Little Sheep Su Xi."
O’Neal said, "He’s kind of like at the point guard position. He uses his strength to muscle past opponents and his flexible body to finish the play. I like him."
All three superstars praising the sa person beca the biggest highlight of the ga.
Because the ga itself... was boring, even though it decided a spot in the Final Four.
The University of Oklahoma posed no threat whatsoever to Syracuse University. From the very beginning, the combination of Su Xi and Antonio established overwhelming firepower. Their offensive output was more complentary; McNamara’s injury gave Carron Anthony more freedom on the wing because Su Xi was there to patrol the paint.
Although the University of Oklahoma’s three-guard lineup of Price, Airey, and Quast White had been lethal in previous gas, Su Xi and Antonio gave them no room to retaliate. They were simply getting pumled.
Just as Su Xi had said on TV, these unremarkable elite NCAA guards could no longer accelerate his "talent fusion," and so, naturally, they posed no real threat to him.
In this ga, Su Xi frequently drove to the basket, using his strength to barrel through the defense before using his outstanding flexibility to contort his body and finish the play.
The University of Oklahoma had no answer for this.
They were just as helpless on the wing, where Carron Anthony’s athleticism and technical skill rendered their defense completely useless.
And on top of that, they had Hakeem, a player of near-NBA caliber.
In just one half, they had completely extinguished the University of Oklahoma’s Final Four ambitions.
Carron Anthony finished the ga with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal.
Su Xi had 21 points, 10 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Su Xi reached a new milestone with 21 points, but what was even more stunning were his 10 assists.
Although six of them were assists to Carron Anthony.
But assists are harder to rack up in the NCAA than in the NBA.
A 19-year-old point guard putting up a 20-10 stat line in an Elite Eight ga, who had only burst onto the scene less than three months ago.
This was the kind of story the dia lived for, especially since Su Xi had already made so many bold proclamations.
With the intense national tournant down to the Final Four, dia attention began to converge. Thanks to Su Xi’s natural dia appeal, he quickly beca the most watched player leading up to the championship weekend.
The fuse that ignited the massive dia frenzy was an article in Sports Illustrated. The magazine, which holds a revered status in the basketball world—especially college basketball—ran a special feature. Although they couldn’t get an interview with Su Xi, they recounted his incredible exploits over the past few months in ticulous detail.
Their detailed and vivid writing turned his journey into a thrilling, epic coback story.
was not yet the internet age.
The power of print dia was imnse, and its reach within its target audience was incredibly deep.
This in-depth report whipped up a "Little Sheep Su Xi" frenzy throughout Arican college basketball.
At the sa ti, the NBA also inevitably took notice of Su Xi.
Su Xi had beco an overnight sensation in the truest sense of the word.
He had a teoric rise, becoming one of the most famous stars of the 2003 draft class.
This caught many people completely by surprise.
Including Su Xi himself.
...
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