Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 49 The Future He Speaks Of
Before entering the Palace of Auburn Hills, Xu Ling had no idea what a spectacular match he was about to witness.

He received celebrity treatment; wherever he went, people would ask for his autograph and to take photos.

When the tenth person appeared, Xu Ling refused.

"We should hire a bodyguard."

Xu Ling turned to Roderick Craig and said.

"I'll make arrangements."

Craig nodded in agreement.

“Maybe two are needed,” Xu Ling said. “Like a 2-3 zone defense, they can protect my flanks.”

"no problem."

For most of the game, things were relatively uneventful, especially in the fourth quarter, where the Pistons maintained their lead. While their advantage wasn't huge, they firmly controlled the pace and direction of the game, as if victory was already in their grasp.

However, just when the Cavaliers were almost suffocating, LeBron James, after nearly five games of exploration, finally woke up completely – he clearly realized that once he unleashed his full offensive potential, no one on the Pistons team could stop him.

He launched into a frenzied individual performance, scoring repeatedly and single-handedly tearing apart the Pistons' impenetrable defense. In the final moments of regulation time, he forced his way to the basket and slammed home a powerful dunk to tie the game! It's no exaggeration to say that he single-handedly pulled the team back from the brink of defeat and forced overtime.

Xu Ling sat in the media section, originally intending to just watch a normal playoff game, but he never expected to witness the full-power LeBron James that he hadn't seen for many years, even before he traveled through time.

Roderick Craig, who was traveling with Xu Ling, said in a daze, "This is the first time I've felt that there might be someone in the world greater than MJ!"

Xu Ling rolled his eyes at him, but it was understandable. If it were his past self, seeing LeBron James perform like this would probably have made him genuinely shout "GOAT." But now, the competitive desire that involuntarily ignited deep inside him made him think like Rukawa, who had witnessed Sakuragi dunking over Maki Shinichi—this level is nothing.

Interestingly, the reporter sitting in front of them was a Pistons beat reporter. Seeing James save the Cavaliers in this way, he couldn't help but say, "I just want to say that we'd better pray the Cavaliers lose this game, because if LeBron manages to win, his confidence will swell to the same level as MJ when he won his first World Championship, and he'll be unstoppable. He'll dominate the East for the next 10 to 12 years. We're fucking done for!"

After hearing this, Xu Ling burst out laughing.

Because the reporter was actually right.

LeBron James did dominate the Eastern Conference in the 2010s. While most of those eras saw the rise of superteams, does that really mean he dominated? Besides, he's not without his solo achievements. He dominated a struggling DeRozan, a prime Oladipo, and rookie Tatum – wasn't that domination? Don't talk about low skill levels or poor competition; that's just how the Eastern Conference was that year. The environment was like that; can you say he benefited from a favorable environment? Some people are just born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

However, what was shocking was that even after the game went into overtime, James still decided to handle everything on his own.

His teammates never touched the ball again.

James led the Pistons on offense alone, battling against the entire team, and the game went into a second overtime.

Then, James continued his offensive onslaught and, with 2.2 seconds left in the second overtime, made a game-winning layup to seal the victory for the Pistons.

When the final buzzer sounded, and the Pistons missed their last shot, LeBron James seemed to be falling from the edge of the Grand Canyon, experiencing a long freefall. Exhausted, he could barely stand, leaning forward, hands on his knees, staring down at the floor of the Palace of Auburn Hills, like a sculpture whose soul had been ripped away.

Xu Ling often sees online comments from "LeBron haters" saying that what they find most unacceptable is fans describing James as "domineering." As a pure anti-Durant advocate, James never chooses the "most difficult path." He is skilled at planning and taking things one step at a time, bringing the precision of life calculations to basketball, as if every possession must maximize statistical efficiency.

It is precisely this way of thinking that makes him often appear hesitant, calculating, and anxious in life-or-death competitions. But once he abandons all calculations and truly enters the "to hell with me, I'm going to blow you up" mode, the energy he unleashes is so powerful that even his doubters find it unfamiliar.

This night marked LeBron James' first true entry into the world stage, and also the first truly great individual performance of his career.

Coincidentally, Xu Ling had personally witnessed the live broadcast of his last great game—Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, where James scored a whopping 50 points against the seemingly invincible "Super Warriors." It was the Cavaliers' closest chance to win that year, but after JR Smith committed a move that could easily be considered one of the most inexplicable mistakes in Finals history, James, in a fit of rage, punched a locker, injuring his finger, and the tide turned. The Cavaliers were ultimately swept. What could have been a lone hero legend comparable to Allen Iverson in 2001 has been continuously deconstructed over time. Ultimately, he became the Qianlong Emperor of basketball, the selfless Song Jiang, and the LeBron James in AI-generated deepfake videos.

How should I put it? Xu Ling will remember tonight, and remember this initial, magnificent performance.

As he slowly walked out of the stadium, still echoing with cheers and gasps, reporters who had been waiting for a long time swarmed around him, their flashing lights almost engulfing him. One reporter pushed his way to the front, holding up his microphone and eagerly asking, "Eli, how would you rate this epic match?"

Xu Ling stopped, his gaze calm yet bright, and slowly replied, "That's why we love sports. We tune in to every game on time, hoping to witness some special, memorable moments. That's why we remember Jordan's 'Flu Night' and Kobe's 81 points. Many years later, I will still remember that night—I will remember that the first NBA game I ever watched in person was such a great match that went down in history."

The reporter couldn't help but ask, "Does LeBron like this put pressure on you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ling shrugged slightly: "That's another matter."

After that, Xu Ling simply stayed in Detroit to rest and recuperate.

Tomorrow is the NBA Draft Lottery, and once the results are in, we'll need to prepare for tryouts.

Because the 2007 NBA draft was hailed by many draft experts as the most promising class since 1996, many teams saw this draft class as an opportunity to turn their fortunes around.

Xu Ling's emergence has resulted in a rare occurrence in this draft: three superstar rookies who could serve as the core of a team. In other words, getting a top-three pick is a sure win.

Xu Ling had a general idea of ​​the draft lottery situation for this year's draft. Oden was a notorious bust, Durant was another story, Horford would still be playing until 2025, and so would Conley.

So when Xu Ling saw the Hawks draw the fourth pick and the Memphis Grizzlies unexpectedly draw the third, he raised an eyebrow slightly. The trajectory of fate seemed to have been subtly altered because of his butterfly effect.

Naturally, the final first and second overall picks went to the Trail Blazers and the SuperSonics.

Once the draft picks were finalized, NBA fans from all over the world vented their emotions online. Memphis fans were caught in a complex mix of elation and doubt—they had gotten the high draft pick they'd always dreamed of, but they were faced with a simple choice—choose the player who fell to third place.

Ross had two plans, one adventurous and the other conservative.

The ambitious plan was solely for the Portland Trail Blazers, who had already secured the top draft pick, to try out for the team.

"Isn't this a bit too unrestrained?"

However, Xu Ling had seen even more outrageous ones. Just before his transmigration, he watched the 2025 NBA Draft. Cooper Flagg, the new generation's American prodigy, had already secured the number one pick, while Ice Bailey, whose draft stock was consistently in the top three, believed that he didn't need a tryout to secure a top-three pick. As a result, he ended up being selected fifth by the Jazz.

Although Xu Ling has confidence that is no less than others, Oden's position as the number one draft pick is still difficult to shake.

On one hand, there's the inertia of modern draft picks, where big men still represent everything; on the other hand, Oden's college performance was still decent. Although he was eliminated by Xu Ling's team, he still put up impressive stats and could be said to have held his own.

Moreover, the Trail Blazers have a bad reputation these days, being a "prison team," and Xu, who considers himself a decent guy, still wants to go to a more normal team.

"So, I still have a conservative plan to work out," Leon Rose said. "We're prepared to accept workout invitations from teams that are in the top five of the draft."

"Top four."

Xu Ling suddenly interrupted.

"Hmm?" Ross looked up, slightly surprised.

“I don’t like the Celtics,” Xu Ling said. “To be precise, I hate that green.”

More precisely, Xu Ling loathed Danny Ainge. This scoundrel, notorious since his playing days, maintained his obnoxious way of doing things even after retiring and becoming a team executive—and the most peculiar thing about him is that unless he's on your favorite team, it's hard to like him.

“That works too.” Ross smiled. “Based on current predictions, as long as you perform normally in the tryouts, there’s absolutely no chance you’ll fall out of the top four.”

Once the draft picks were finalized, everyone preparing for the draft entered their final intensive training session before tryouts.

The NBA typically begins large-scale player tryouts only after the season ends.

This is especially true for potential lottery picks.

Xu Ling found a training team for this purpose, and from then on he ignored everything else and focused on training, waiting for the NBA season to end.

Meanwhile, in the NBA conference finals, after Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons' morale was crushed by young LeBron James. Although they dragged the game into a quagmire in Game 6, the Cavaliers ultimately won, and James led his team to make history and advance to the NBA Finals. Ahead of him was the destined Tim Duncan.

As you know, the Cavaliers had no chance against the experienced Spurs.

James was subjected to Bowen's close marking and the zone defense that locked him down. Even if he managed to drive in, Duncan would still come to the rescue. Few in the league could enjoy such a privilege.

Once James went cold, the Cavaliers couldn't make a splash and were swept 4-0 by the Spurs, with Parker winning the Finals MVP trophy.

And so, Duncan once again became the supreme god of professional basketball after two years. Some say that his past ten years are the most valuable decade in basketball history: 559 wins and 239 losses in the regular season, 82 wins and 49 losses in the playoffs, and four championships. Looking at the vast history of the NBA, no more than three people can produce a more perfect decade of statistics.

More importantly, his accolades span two eras. In the "Dark Defense Era" (1999-2004), before the rule change, he won two championships; and in the "New Era" where the league implemented new rules and encouraged offense, he secured his fourth title. Duncan proved with composure and resilience that no matter the circumstances, he could remain undefeated in the eye of the storm. Thus, like all great athletes, he began to share his own philosophy.

You know, Duncan is a good guy, so he decided to say something heartfelt to James: "Thank you for helping us win this championship. I want you to know that the future is yours."

Even someone as thick-skinned as LeBron James couldn't help but laugh, and then gave Duncan a big hug. At that moment, he was still young and didn't know how far away or how difficult the "future" Duncan was talking about really was.

P.S.: Since I haven't decided on the female lead for this story yet, our operations manager has started a special event in the book review section. You can share your ideal female lead. If you have any ideas, feel free to participate.

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(End of this chapter)