On the evening of January 1, Chen posted a family photo of "the four of us" on social media early, along with "Happy New Year" in Chinese, English, and Russian.
In the photo, Chen was beaming. He was clearly enjoying the happiness of being together with his family, and there wasn't even the slightest hint of negativity about him.
Some less-than-well-intentioned media personalities saw their chance and immediately tried to criticize Chen Xi for indulging himself while the team was losing, accusing him of having no ambition. They even declared, "Kobe wouldn't be laughing and celebrating the holidays while his team was on a losing streak."
But just as those comments had begun to attract a little attention, Kobe himself shared Chen's post on social media and replied, "Happy New Year," delivering an ironic slap in the face~~
As it turned out, Chen had built excellent relationships around the League over the years.
Chen Xi himself might not have cared much about the attacks from those assorted media personalities, sticking to his usual habit of not bothering to respond.
But plenty of people were willing to "speak up for him."
January 2.
The Detroit Pistons faced the Chicago Bulls.
Donovan Mitchell went on a rampage, pouring in a staggering 71 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists.
He put up an absurd 70-plus-point near-triple-double and led his team to victory.
Mitchell helped stop his team from sliding into a three-game losing streak. And just as Doncic's extraordinary run finally began to let up, Mitchell picked up the slack, giving everyone a glimpse of the bright future ahead for the next generation of stars.
In the interview he gave after the game, he made a point of saying, "Anyone who questions Chris doesn't know basketball. They're just clowns looking