Golden State Warriors

"Uh..."

Redick, who had been weaving a net of accusations against Chen Xi, suddenly choked. Damn it, he hadn't even finished weaving before he'd already lost by a wide margin.

"Well... I was in the heat of the moment and didn't watch my wording, but he also called me a dog and told me to go home and eat shit..."

"So you admit to having made such remarks?"

"I..."

Redick hadn't completely lost his mind. He knew this probably couldn't be hidden, so he had to admit it. After all, there were too many people on the court at the time; anyone could expose him.

Besides, there was a real chance some busybody would study the footage and lip-read him.

Seeing Redick stammering without further explanation, clearly showing signs of guilt, the reporters' cameras immediately went to work, and they quickly typed up their first drafts on their phones.

Once the incident was concluded, the league announced the penalties without delay.

Chen Xi was fined an additional thirty-five thousand dollars, with no suspension.

Redick was fined an additional eighty thousand dollars.

Clearly, the league didn't want to be labeled as supporting racial discrimination, even if perhaps most of the league were actually racists at heart.

"I trash-talk all the time—it's part of the game—but I've never made such hateful remarks!"

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

"He insulted someone's deceased mother? What a terrible person. I think my impression of Redick needs some adjustment."

"This is undoubtedly wrong, a terrible statement. Even in the heat of the moment, it's no excuse for discriminating against Asians! He needs to step up and apologize! That's what he should do now!"

One wave stirred a thousand ripples. A flood of media, celebrities, and players weighed in, and in no time, the internet was filled with condemnation of Redick.

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

"Tch, grudgingly."

Chen Xi, who had a back-to-back schedule, was already sitting in the Oracle Arena locker room, watching the video of Redick with a disdainful curl of his lip.

Whatever, he wasn't going to waste time on that clown. Compared to that, he was more upset about the thirty-five thousand in fines he had to pay.

"Damn! How much do I make in a year? I haven't even been collecting it for a few weeks, and now I have to give it away again."

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

"For real? Godfather!" Chen, ever money-minded, had often heard that generous team leaders or management would help players pay fines, but this was his first time experiencing it.

"Alright, if you really want to thank me, play well tonight. We need to win this game!"

Westbrook's expression was a bit serious.

Only then did Chen Xi remember that tonight he was about to meet his first love—the one who had dumped him.

"Tch, damn, an asura field."

Chen Xi bared his teeth.

"Mission guaranteed, sir!"

Also losers from last season, the Golden State Warriors, who had stormed through the regular season with a 73-win record surpassing the 96 Bulls, had blown a 3-1 lead in the Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing three straight and missing the O'Brien Cup that was within reach. This nailed them to the pillar of historical shame. This season, the Warriors were back with a vengeance, determined to wash away that disgrace!

Thanks to the league's new massive broadcast contract, the salary cap skyrocketed. Combined with Steve Curry's bargain contract, they created a huge amount of cap space for signings. After successfully persuading Kevin Durant to join, the already ridiculously strong Golden State Warriors officially formed a super-luxury cosmic battleship that made the entire league tremble.

Stephen Curry

Klay Thompson

Kevin Durant

Dream Green

Zaza Pachulia

This team, called the Cosmic Warriors, was terrifying just looking at that starting lineup of four All-Star players. And on the bench, they had quality players like Iguodala and Livingston.

Before the season even started, the media was already making definitive proclamations: the league was over, the championship was predetermined!

Though he said he'd complete the mission, Chen Xi was probably the one who best understood just how formidable these Warriors were.

In the playoffs, they hadn't lost a single game in the Western Conference bracket, and in the Finals, they swept 4-1 in a gentleman's sweep. Looking at their opponents across the rounds—the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, and the Big Three Cavaliers led by LeBron James, who had just redeemed himself and brought Cleveland its first-ever championship—none of them were weak teams. Yet none had caused the red-hot Warriors much trouble. Their overwhelming strength was plain to see.

In contrast, the only player on the Thunder who could match up without being at a disadvantage was Westbrook, who was at the peak of his career and the MVP. Beyond that, the entire roster was at a disadvantage, making one worry about Westbrook's mental state after the game.

Hoping to reclaim his pride in front of his ex in this game? The odds were slim.

The game was about to start. Watching Kevin Durant slowly jog out of the player tunnel amid the roaring cheers of the Warriors' home fans at Oracle Arena, high-fiving his new teammates one by one.

No one knew what Westbrook was thinking at that moment.

The two who had once been inseparable, fought together, held each other accountable, and promised to lift that damn O'Brien Cup together—had parted ways this summer. Before leaving, that man hadn't even sent a single text.

"So was I really holding you back?"

The feeling of betrayal had once shattered Westbrook's mental defenses. For the first time in his career, he might have doubted himself.

"I want to try—am I really not strong enough?"

Westbrook couldn't sort through the tangled thoughts, and finally decided to let the basketball do the talking, to see if 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 this time had no intention of starting by organizing and setting up his teammates to drive the rhythm. Instead, he chose to go all-out from the very beginning.

At the top of the arc, he took a screen, stepped on the gas, broke through Thompson's Defense Line, and drove toward the basket. Facing Pachulia rotating over to help, he planted hard for one step, ready to take off—but unfortunately, he couldn't slam the ball through the hoop.

The referee's whistle blew. Two free throws.

After a deep breath, he calmly sank both shots, then quickly got back on defense.