Golden State Warriors

"Uh..."

Redick, who had been weaving a net of accusations against Chen Xi, suddenly choked up. Damn it, he had already lost most of the battle before he had even finished making things up.

"Well... I was angry at the time and didn't watch my language, but he called me a dog too and told me to go home and eat shit..."

"So you admit that you made those remarks?"

"I..."

Redick had not completely lost his mind. He knew there was a high chance he could not hide it, so he could only admit it. After all, there had been too many people on the court at the time; anyone could expose him.

Besides, it was entirely possible that some busybody would study the footage and read his lips.

Seeing Redick stammer without offering any further explanation, clearly showing his guilty conscience, the reporters immediately got to work with their cameras while hurriedly typing their first drafts into their phones.

Once the matter had been settled, the League promptly announced its punishment.

Chen Xi received an additional $35,000 fine, with no suspension.

Redick received an additional $80,000 fine.

Clearly, the League did not want to be branded as supporting racial discrimination, even if perhaps more than half the League was racist.

"I talk Trash Talk all the time. It's part of the game, but I would never make such hateful remarks!"

"I never expected him to say something like that. It's truly surprising. In our previous interactions, I never heard him say anything similar. I don't know what got into him."

"He insulted someone's deceased mother too? What a terrible person. I think I need to revise my impression of Redick."

"Those were undoubtedly wrong, awful remarks. Even in anger, that is no excuse for discriminating against Asians! We need him to step up and apologize! That's what he should be doing now!"

One stone stirred a thousand waves. A huge number of media outlets, celebrities, and basketball stars weighed in, and the internet was soon flooded with condemnation of Redick.

So the next day, unable to withstand the pressure of public opinion, Redick had no choice but to post an apology video on social media.

"Tsk, he doesn't mean a word of it."

Chen Xi, who had a back-to-back game, was already sitting in the Oracle Arena locker room. Watching Redick in the video, he curled his lip disdainfully.

Forget it. He could not be bothered with that clown anymore. More than that, his heart ached over the $35,000 fine he had to pay.

"Damn! How much do I even make in a year? I haven't even gotten paid for a few weeks, and I'm already giving it away again."

"I'll pay the fine for you, kid." Westbrook walked over shirtless.

"Really? Godfather!" Chen's eyes lit up at the sight of money. He had often heard that generous team Leaders or front offices would pay players' fines, but this was his first time experiencing it.

"Enough. If you're really grateful, then play well tonight. We need to win this game!"

Westbrook's expression was slightly serious.

Only then did Chen Xi remember that Westbrook was seeing his first love tonight—the first love who had dumped him.

"Tsk, damn. What a battlefield."

Chen Xi bared his teeth.

"Mission guaranteed, sir!"

As fellow disappointments from last season, the Golden State Warriors had stormed through the Regular season with 73 wins, surpassing the 96 Bulls, only to blow a 3-1 Finals lead as LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to three straight wins. They had missed the O'Brien Cup that had been within reach and were nailed to history's pillar of shame. This season, the Warriors had returned determined to wash away that humiliation!

Thanks to the League's newly signed massive broadcasting deal, the salary cap had soared for the new season. Combined with Steve Curry's bargain contract, it had created enormous cap space for reinforcements. After successfully persuading Kevin Durant to join, the already absurdly strong Golden State Warriors officially formed a super-luxurious Cosmic Warriors juggernaut that had the entire League on high alert.

Stephen Curry

Klay Thompson

Kevin Durant

Dream Green

Zaza Pachulia

Just looking at the starting lineup of this team known as the Cosmic Warriors, with its four All-Star players, was enough to send chills down anyone's spine. Not to mention that the bench also had elite players such as Iguodala and Livingston.

Before the season had even begun, the media had already declared with certainty that the League was over and the championship had been predetermined!

Though he said he would complete the mission, Chen Xi might actually have been the one who understood the true value of these Warriors best.

They had not lost a single game in the Western Conference side of the Playoffs, then gentleman-swept the Finals 4-1. Looking at their opponents over those rounds, there had been the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, and the Big Three Cavaliers led by LeBron James, who had just redeemed himself the previous season by bringing Cleveland its first championship in franchise history.

It could be said that none of them had been weak teams, yet none had caused the red-hot Warriors much trouble. Their overwhelming strength was obvious.

By comparison, the Thunder had only one player who was not at a disadvantage in his matchup: this season's peak-career MVP, Westbrook. Everywhere else, the roster was at a disadvantage, making people worry about Westbrook's mental state after the game.

Trying to save face in front of his ex would probably be a hopeless dream.

The game was about to begin. Amid the thunderous cheers of the Warriors' home crowd, Kevin Durant slowly ran out of the player tunnel and exchanged high fives with his new teammates one by one.

No one knew what Westbrook was thinking at that moment.

The two men had once been inseparable, fighting together, keeping each other in check, and promising each other that they would raise that damned O'Brien Cup together. Yet this summer, they had gone their separate ways. Before leaving, that man had not even sent a single text message.

"So I really was holding you back?"

The feeling of betrayal had once broken through Westbrook's psychological defenses. For perhaps the first time in his career, he began to doubt himself.

"I want to find out. Am I really not strong enough?"

Westbrook could not sort through those chaotic thoughts. In the end, he decided to let basketball do the talking and see whether he truly was inferior to that Baby-faced Assassin across from him.

The game began, and Adams won the opening tip.

Unlike previous games, Westbrook did not intend to start by organizing the offense and getting his teammates involved to set the tempo. Instead, he chose to go full throttle from the opening possession.

At the top of the arc, he used a screen, hit the gas, broke through Thompson's defense, and charged toward the basket. Facing Pachulia's help defense, he planted hard and took off, but unfortunately, he could not slam the ball through the hoop.

The referee's whistle blew. Two free throws.

After taking a deep breath, he calmly made both free throws, then quickly retreated on defense.