Chapter 54: The Little Trophy

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The NBA is truly a grand spectacle where fans buy tickets to witness players delivering dazzling performances. Beyond breathtaking dunks, slick dribbling moves are equally beloved by the crowd. After the game against the Jazz, Li You’s popularity surged once again.

Mav Albert’s instinctive exclamation, “Clay! My god!” as Li You shook off his defender became the nickname for the new move. The “Shammgod” was replaced by “ClayGod,” and history shifted just a little with the butterfly’s wings fluttering.

Howard Ellis of the Jazz also gained fame; the clip of him being faked out by Li You went viral across America overnight.

On the morning of the 18th, as they flew to Detroit, the Knicks players felt a bittersweet pang in their hearts. TNT and ESPN were replaying Li You’s crossover incessantly, and combined with his record as the youngest scorer, his fame was truly skyrocketing!

Alan Houston was the happiest, still grinning ear to ear after boarding the plane:

“I have to save that clip. Even ten years from now, this play will be talked about repeatedly. Li, maybe you have a shot at the All-Star Game!”

The veterans felt a twinge of envy at Houston’s words. Li You, leafing through Sports Illustrated, remained humble:

“The All-Star Game is out of the question. It’s just a regular-season game. Pat played better; I just happened to capitalize on my shots.”

Patrick Ewing, feeling comfortable being praised, gave a look that said, “Kid, you’re on the right path…”

Charles Oakley, reading the glowing articles about his defense on Karl Malone, was in high spirits. New York media were touting him as the Defensive Player of the Year!

The mood shifted to the previous night’s game—where the Bulls nearly stumbled—which was the hot topic.

The Lakers and Bulls had battled into overtime, with the Bulls narrowly clinching the win. The Bulls dug themselves a deep hole in the first quarter, trailing 36-22, down by 14 points.

The Lakers dominated the first three quarters, but the Bulls exploded in the fourth with a 33-15 run to tie it up.

The stars of the game were not Shaq or Michael Jordan; instead, Nick Van Exel of the Lakers and Scottie Pippen of the Bulls shone brightest.

Van Exel shot 14-for-21 overall, 5-for-9 from three, finishing with 36 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 turnovers, scoring 7 points in overtime to carry the Lakers’ offense.

Pippen went 13-for-26, 4-for-11 from three, tallying 35 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, and 6 turnovers. With Jordan struggling, Pippen took up the offensive mantle.

The Bulls’ win brought their record to 21-3, maintaining their lead atop the league!

Such dominance from the Bulls prompted some teams to join the tanking ranks, powerless against the Bulls unless they broke apart.

Seeing the Spurs had changed coaches, Li You remembered that Tim Duncan was also about to enter the NBA:

“Who owns the future? That’s hard to say…”

On a back-to-back road trip, Li You witnessed the true heir to Jordan’s throne—Grant Hill.

Before this, the Pistons boasted an 18-4 record, solidly holding second place in the East.

Grant Hill not only continued his blazing form from last season but also took on more ball-handling duties this year.

A rookie All-Star and instantly spotlighted upon entering the league, Grant Hill’s popularity was soaring.

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That night, the Palace of Auburn Hills was packed, with Detroit fans roaring support from the start.

Patrick Ewing, who had played spectacularly last game, was sluggish tonight, unable to find his rhythm against Rick Mahorn’s defense.

At halftime, the game was still tight, but in the third quarter, the Pistons unleashed a 13-4 run, with fast-breaks sealing their control of the match.

Alan Houston was repeatedly stripped by Grant Hill, and Ewing, trying to orchestrate the offense, committed two turnovers in the quarter.

Jeff Van Gundy was bewildered; the string of careless errors was not part of his game plan.

In the end, 98-86, the Pistons snapped the Knicks’ winning streak.

Grant Hill’s stat line was impressive: 6-for-13 shooting, 5-for-10 from the line, 17 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, and just 1 turnover—an emphatic triple-double.

After the game, fans and media swarmed around this true successor to Jordan.

The Knicks veterans were disheartened. They hated seeing young players steal the spotlight, but Hill was unstoppable, his first step blazing fast.

“There are ‘so-called’ Michael Jordans everywhere—media are utterly boring,” Charles Oakley muttered, frustrated. Hill was a born winner.

With a privileged background, good looks, and polished speech devoid of street slang, Grant Hill perfectly fit David Stern’s ideal player mold and naturally enjoyed league-wide attention.

“We’ll take it back at home. Their shooting isn’t as good as people think!” Li You followed Oakley briskly back to the players’ tunnel, casually commenting on the game.

Tonight, Li You shot 5-for-11 overall, 4-for-8 from three, scoring a team-high 17 points. Oakley also grabbed 14 points, feeding on plenty of assists.

In a sour mood, Oakley vented on scapegoat Walter McCarty upon returning to the locker room:

“Walter, you come on court and mess up! Tonight’s on me — back at the hotel, I want to see donuts!”

McCarty, grateful for his rare 10 minutes of playtime, had a rough night: 1-for-4 shooting, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, and 6 fouls.

Aware of his poor performance, McCarty quietly nodded and turned away with a sullen look, secretly cursing:

“I’ll get you one day, old man!”

…

Before Christmas, the Knicks still had three more games. No Christmas Day game this year; after these, they could relax and celebrate.

On the evening of the 20th, the Knicks faced the 76ers on the road. Allen Iverson was lively in the first half, but in the third quarter, Oakley elbowed him down to the floor.

The referee called a flagrant foul, but Oakley wore a “feels good” expression.

The Knicks capitalized on Iverson’s sudden cold shooting, running off a 26-10 quarter.

At 110-88, the Knicks secured the win.

Afterward, Philadelphia reporter Stephen A. Smith harshly criticized the Knicks’ “ironclad” defense:

“This is basketball? Look at what they did! Allen Iverson was almost KO’d. Unbelievable that this happened on our home court!”

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No matter how indignant the Philly media were, the Knicks paid no mind—they were heading back to New York to celebrate Christmas.

The festive atmosphere in Manhattan was thickening, with tourists swelling. On the 21st, tickets for the Knicks’ game against the Pistons were sold out.

Spike Lee, meanwhile, had no worries about tickets, always sitting courtside at every game. Over the past two months, Li You had earned his approval.

Before the game, Li You performed flashy ball-handling drills courtside. Spike Lee came over for a chat:

“Li, you should grow a beard, look more mature. You’d be even more popular!”

“I’m planning to shoot a basketball movie—not some ensemble piece but a story about a genius player. Too bad you’re not black; otherwise, you’d be the lead!”

After catching the ball, Li You listened as Lee enthusiastically described the script, then joined in praising it:

“That’s a great script. It’ll be a hit. I’ll be an extra to experience filming!”

Spike Lee waited for that line, then patted Li You, whispering:

“Just a cameo. There’ll be beautiful women on set—I promise you’ll like it!”

As they chatted, fans in the front rows began chanting Li You’s name.

More and more fans were buying tickets to support Li You—a testament to his frequent TV appearances.

In the rematch against the Pistons at home, a fired-up Charles Oakley again brought Grant Hill crashing to the floor in the third quarter.

Li You felt some sympathy for Hill, who lay on the floor unable to get up immediately. Oakley was unforgiving—after Hill’s triple-double last game, tonight would be tougher.

The referee once again called a flagrant foul, but Oakley was unfazed:

“Feels good!”

Oakley’s expression enraged the Pistons players, but Hill’s sturdy frame meant no serious injury—just a hit to his shooting touch in subsequent plays.

In the end, 100-92, the Knicks avenged their loss with ironclad defense on home court.

The fiery match thrilled fans, who stayed long after the final buzzer, chanting players’ names.

On the morning of December 23rd, the NBA announced the Player of the Week. Li You of the Knicks won the award!

Last week, the Knicks went 3-1. Li You averaged 31.8 minutes, 22 points, 3.3 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.8 turnovers per game.

He averaged 13 shots per game with a 51.1% field goal percentage, 7.5 three-point attempts at 49.6%, and 5.5 free throws at 85.8% accuracy.

On the evening of the 23rd, at Madison Square Garden, Li You, dressed in white Knicks warm-ups, smiled as he accepted the Player of the Week trophy from league officials.

The crowd roared in approval. Li You raised the trophy high, and the fans cheered loudly once more:

“Winning an award really feels great!”