Chapter 546: The Best Player
Seeing his former team eliminated once again, Magic Johnson spoke with visible disappointment.
"The Lakers made it back to the Western Conference Finals, and once again they fell to the Suns. That is going to be a heavy blow to those young guys. This team has tradition, talent, and superstars, but it also has clear weaknesses. Their bench depth is still an issue. In the offseason, they need to look for trades that strengthen the point guard spot and the interior bench. Chasing a championship is always a long and painful process. I just hope those young men stay patient, keep their fighting spirit, and keep pushing forward."
Barkley, on the other hand, was in a completely different mood. His former team had advanced, and he was all smiles.
"Phoenix fans must be going crazy right now. The Suns are heading to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. If they finish the job and win back to back titles, that is a tremendous honor. This Suns team is one of the strongest teams in league history. They have the most exciting offense, the most explosive firepower, and most importantly, they win on their own terms. I think every fan is going to remember a team like this."
Kenny Smith nodded in agreement.
"This Suns team has a real chance to build a dynasty. Amare Stoudemire and Chen Yan are still young. With Steve Nash's style of play, he can keep going for a few more years without a problem. As long as their core stays together, they are always going to be among the strongest title contenders."
That night, the Suns returned to Phoenix on a chartered flight.
The mood on the plane was light and lively. Laughter never really stopped. Novak, DeAndre, and the other newer faces were already dreaming about what it would feel like to win a championship for the first time. Chen Yan, Stoudemire, and Diaw were sitting together playing cards. The Suns' skills had improved by leaps and bounds. At this point, if Chen Yan did not get a good hand, even he might not be able to beat them.
After knocking out the Lakers, the entire Suns team had relaxed.
In their minds, the biggest obstacle on the road to defending the title had already been cleared. No matter who came out of the East, they believed they could beat them.
Barnes laughed loudly from the other side of the cabin.
"DeAndre, you lucky bastard. You might win a championship in your first season."
DeAndre scratched his head and grinned.
"When that happens, I'm sleeping with the trophy. Nobody better try to take it from me."
Nash smiled and shook his head.
"That's the dream of a lot of veterans. But we still have one more step to take. Stay sharp, young guys."
Raja Bell joined in right away.
"DeAndre, if you want to sleep with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, then grab a few more rebounds in the Finals first."
Barnes, still in a great mood, added one more line.
"I hope Cleveland makes it. Then we can sweep LeBron for the second straight year. I really want to see if he cries."
Barnes still held a grudge against James. In his head, he had already imagined all kinds of embarrassing scenes.
Unfortunately for him, James never gave him that chance.
On May 30, the Cavaliers lost Game 6 and were eliminated 4 to 2.
In that game, Howard and Alston both exploded. Howard dominated the paint, finishing with a monstrous 40 points and 14 rebounds. Alston buried 6 threes and added 24 points of his own.
After being traded in the middle of the season, Alston had once been gloomy and frustrated. Now he had turned misfortune into opportunity and fought his way all the way to the NBA Finals.
When Rockets owner Alexander saw the news of Alston's explosion, he was furious enough to flip a table.
Why did everyone look mediocre in Houston, then start going off the moment they left?
Was that a player problem, or a management problem?
For the first time in a long while, Alexander could not help wondering whether Morey, the man he had trusted, might actually be an idiot.
At the postgame press conference, the Magic players were all unusually restrained.
Howard in particular had learned his lesson. He remembered very clearly how arrogant he had looked in the regular season before getting slapped in the face later. He was straightforward, but he was not stupid, and this time he refused to walk into any media traps.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals was set for June 4.
Phoenix had 4 full days of rest. Orlando had 3.
On June 1, Chen Yan showed up at the team facility at 7:30 in the morning.
The Suns had the edge on paper in the Finals, but that did not mean the series would be easy. If they relaxed even a little, an upset was absolutely possible.
The system had given Chen Yan ability, talent, and advantages others could never dream of, but staying sharp still depended on his own discipline.
About half an hour into his workout, Stoudemire arrived as well.
Chen Yan looked over in mild surprise.
"You're here early today. That's rare."
Stoudemire laughed.
"I have to be. I still need to compete with you for Finals MVP."
Chen Yan smiled and fired back immediately.
"If you play like you did in Game 6 every night, then I'll just feed you the ball. What's there to compete for?"
That made Stoudemire burst out laughing.
If anyone else had said something like that, it might have sounded fake. But coming from Chen Yan, it was probably the truth. In the All Star Game earlier that year, Chen Yan had practically handed the MVP to Stoudemire on a silver platter.
Of course, Chen Yan also understood that Stoudemire's line about competing for Finals MVP was only half serious. The real reason he had come so early was simple.
He was nervous.
Everyone knew Orlando's strongest position was center. Howard had looked terrifying in the Eastern Conference Finals, practically bullying Cleveland's interior all by himself. Watching that kind of performance would make any opposing big man uneasy, and Stoudemire was no exception.
Bill Duffy also met with Chen Yan during that period.
At this point, Chen Yan's commercial value had essentially hit the ceiling for domestic athletes. If he won another championship and also repeated as Finals MVP, that value would climb even higher.
His agent, Bill Duffy, had adopted a strict 2 year standard for endorsement deals, refusing to lock him into long term contracts. He believed Chen Yan's market value would only continue to rise.
Among NBA centers, there had always been a sort of food chain.
Stoudemire gave Yao Ming problems.
Yao Ming gave Howard problems.
Howard gave Stoudemire problems.
Stoudemire's strengths were obvious. Explosive athleticism, elite leaping ability, and rare power. His face up game was among the best ever for a big man. Against most interior players, that combination was simply too much.
But Howard was different.
Howard's talent was not inferior to Stoudemire's, and in terms of sheer strength and physical dominance, he arguably surpassed him. Almost every time the 2 faced each other, Stoudemire struggled to impose himself, while Howard tended to put up highlight worthy performances and steal the spotlight.
That was why Stoudemire had gotten even more uneasy after watching Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Still, Chen Yan felt that nerves were not always a bad thing. Sometimes they sharpened focus instead of hurting it.
The 2 of them talked while shooting.
Chen Yan kept feeding Stoudemire in the midrange, simulating one of the most common drive and kick situations they would see in the Finals.
Against Howard, the smarter approach for Stoudemire would be to cut down on pure face up drives and rely more on the jumper. Once the midrange shot started falling, Howard would be dragged farther from the rim, which would not only help Stoudemire but also open driving lanes for the guards.
In return, Stoudemire passed to Chen Yan in the corners and on the wings for 3 point practice, another action Phoenix used constantly in games.
They were not just shooting. They were training their connection at the same time.
About half an hour later, more Suns players began arriving one by one.
The atmosphere in the gym was excellent. Everyone looked sharp, focused, and energized. They were simply waiting for the Finals to begin.
…
On June 4, Game 1 of the NBA Finals tipped off in Phoenix.
Tickets had sold out weeks ago. Outside the arena, a huge crowd gathered in the plaza, cheering for the team long before tipoff.
Reporters interviewed random fans in the crowd, and every single one of them confidently shouted the same message.
The Suns were winning the title.
No matter their age or gender, the answers were almost identical.
Why?
Because Phoenix had the best player in the league.
Because they had MVPs.
And because they had 2 of them.
.....
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