Chapter 43 The Impact of the Record

On the night of November 12, following the conclusion of the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks, the fans in attendance were still chanting the players' names, and the deafening noise echoed endlessly.

In this nationally televised game, Allen Iverson played 44 minutes, shooting 10-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and making 10-of-17 free throws. He racked up a game-high 35 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 5 turnovers.

With his team trailing, Iverson continued to relentlessly attack the rim in the fourth quarter. Charlie Ward and Larry Johnson both fouled out with six personal fouls each, while Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing each accumulated five fouls.

101 to 108. The Knicks ultimately managed to hold onto their lead and secured the victory.

Although Iverson put up a massive scoring night, the rookie appeared deeply frustrated after the final whistle. After exchanging brief pleasantries, he headed to the locker room looking thoroughly dejected...

Mid-week nationally televised games were typically broadcast by TNT. At this moment, Li You was standing by the courtside with a smile, accepting an interview from the young Craig Sager:

"Li, tonight you broke yet another record. At 18 years and 316 days old, you have become the youngest player in NBA history to score 20 points!"

"This is truly incredible. Very few young players can put up these kinds of numbers. Care to share your secret?"

Craig Sager smiled as he extended the microphone toward Li You. Witnessing history unfold had clearly put the TNT sideline reporter in a state of high excitement.

Li You had never really paid attention to these statistics. Hearing the reminder made him realize that Excel had not yet completely conquered the era:

"Scoring good numbers is mainly because I play for the Knicks. Six wins and one loss—that's a pretty perfect start!"

"As for the records, they aren't important. Don't forget that among this draft class, there are players even younger than me. Perhaps in just a few days, this record will belong to someone else."

Noticing that Li You showed zero interest in these milestones, Craig Sager was somewhat taken aback. However, he had come prepared and quickly adjusted with a smile:

"The scoring record might get broken, but before that happens, you are still the youngest player in NBA history to record 10 points and 10 assists!"

"Eighteen years and 311 days old, Li. I believe this record will be extremely difficult to break. Getting double-digits in both points and assists is no simple feat."

Li You blinked. Upon returning to New York, he genuinely hadn't paid attention to the news on television or in the newspapers. Hearing Sager continue to hype him up, he hastily interrupted:

"None of these records matter. I played two years in college, which gave me a deeper understanding of the game. Surely there aren't any more records, right?"

Craig Sager let out a hearty laugh, patted Li You on the shoulder, and jokingly bantered:

"We're only halfway through November, and you still have plenty of time to keep setting records, Li. You don't act like a kid at all. Look at these passionate fans here—they probably care about these numbers a lot more than you do!"

Li You glanced around and noticed that the New York fans were indeed extraordinarily enthusiastic, while a large circle of TNT crew members had also gathered nearby.

By this point, Li You was experiencing firsthand the impact brought by statistical milestones. As he continued to accept the interview, he silently muttered to himself:

"No wonder people in the future become obsessed with stats and records. The influence of Excel is truly undeniable..."

Once Li You returned to the locker room, the veterans were already tasting the sour grapes. Charles Oakley broke into a grin and loudly teased:

"Our big star has finally returned. How does it feel to be the center of attention?"

Seated back at his locker, Li You remained unfazed by the teasing tone. He simply shrugged and replied calmly:

"I'm not some high schooler. I won a championship in the NCAA; these boring records don't help much when it comes to actually winning games."

Nearby, rookie Walter McCarty felt a twinge of sourness in his chest. He hadn't even managed to secure a stable foothold in the rotation yet, struggling just to scrape together any playing time, while Li You was already making a name for himself across the league and becoming the focus of media attention...

Shooting 7-of-12, including 3-of-7 from deep, and sinking 3-of-3 free throws for 20 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover, Larry Johnson was examining the box score. He looked at Li You and said with a meaningful smile:

"Li, I loved the way you played tonight. Maybe you're better suited for the starting lineup. Motherf***er, Charlie, don't you think I'm right?"

Charlie Ward, who desperately wanted to remain a background character, saw the "Grandmama" glaring at him with an ominous expression and could only manage a dry laugh:

"Li is certainly exceptional, but I have to follow the coach's arrangements. You know how it is, bro, I just play the way I'm told..."

During previous games, whenever Larry Johnson failed to receive the ball, Charlie Ward had ended up taking the blame.

Tonight, "Grandmama" showed no mercy. If they wouldn't pass to him, he would do it himself: going 10-of-17 from the floor, 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and making 6-of-7 free throws to lead the team with 28 points!

Starks didn't want to see Charlie Ward put on the spot, so he stepped in to play peacemaker:

"Don't give the rookie a hard time. We've got a 6-1 record, which is second only to the Bulls. Once Pat gets back, let's all talk and throw a celebration party."

The bench mob immediately joined in the chorus, eagerly diving into everyone's favorite pastime: freeloading food and drinks.

Allan Houston bumped fists with Li You in acknowledgment. Although his playing time had been squeezed down over the last few games and his shooting percentage had dipped below forty percent, the veteran didn't complain like "Grandmama" did:

"Good job! But after this game, you'd better be prepared. The upcoming opponents are definitely going to target you with specialized defenses."

"If your numbers drop, don't sweat it. It's just a normal process every rookie has to go through!"

Hearing Allan Houston's advice, Li You nodded with a smile. He was practically begging opponents to ramp up the intensity, as that would help him integrate his [Talent] even faster...

At the post-game press conference, Jeff Van Gundy had expected to receive praise, but a picky New York reporter's very first question made him frown:

"Can you talk about why Li didn't get any playing time in the third quarter? We all noticed that this kind of rotation hurt his momentum."

"We performed very well in the third quarter and managed to suppress the opponent. Charlie has much more defensive experience, and Li still needs to keep learning in that area."

Jeff Van Gundy's response failed to satisfy the New York reporters in the room, and another question quickly rang out:

"Why don't we play at a faster pace? Li set a record in the game against the Warriors—will he get a chance to start going forward?"

Sitting beside Van Gundy, Patrick Ewing was in a sour mood. Tonight, he had shot 12-of-23, putting up a massive double-double of 26 points and 15 rebounds, yet nobody seemed to care about his performance...

Jeff Van Gundy answered the questions with a flat, formulaic expression, feeling a rising wave of irritation inside.

If Pat Riley had been the coach, these New York media members certainly wouldn't have questioned him; instead, they would be praising the team's record.

On the morning of the 13th, both Iverson and Li You once again made the front-page headlines across various print sports sections. The influence of national television broadcasts was beginning to ripple outward.

Various sports programs also began serving up hot takes on the two players. On TNT's post-game analysis show, Kevin McHale refused to blindly follow the hype. Facing the camera, he stated with a straight face:

"The sample size of games is far too small. I remain cautiously optimistic about both of their performances. Let's not forget they are merely first-year rookies."

"Big men are the true core of a team. As the season deepens and smaller guards have their tendencies scouted out, it becomes very difficult for them to keep putting up flashy numbers."

Host Ernie Johnson responded with a smile upon hearing this perspective:

"There are exceptions to every rule. Li has already broken a league record, and Iverson just dropped 30-plus. Perhaps the era of the small guard is about to begin!"

McHale burst out laughing, cheerfully pushing back:

"Given the current environment of the league, it's hard to imagine a repeat of the Detroit Pistons' era. Nobody is going to replicate Isiah Thomas's journey!"