The 724th Chapter: Another MVP

June 28 arrived.

Before Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off,

the suspense over who would win the NBA 2020–2021 Regular Season Most Valuable Player Award had finally come to an end.

At exactly 7 a.m., the League's official website posted a poster of Chen Xi.

Chen Xi, wearing a blue-and-white No. 3 jersey, was the focus of the poster.

He raised his left arm, an elbow sleeve on it, and pointed skyward with one finger. His face brimmed with confidence.

Behind him was the basket at the Thunder's home arena. A basketball arced through the air in a perfect parabola, leaving a streak of crackling lightning in its wake as it sailed toward the hoop like a comet.

Any fan patient enough to have watched every game of the Western Conference Finals would have recognized the image. It showed Chen Xi celebrating early after hitting the go-ahead three in the final moments of the Thunder's third game against the Nuggets not long ago.

No words were needed. The poster's arrival said it all.

This season's Regular Season MVP was none other than Chen Xi—Chen himself!

And once the League had finally made its announcement, the Thunder weren't about to be left behind.

Almost the instant the first poster went up, the Thunder's official media accounts followed suit.

Their poster also featured a pair of stars.

In it, Westbrook, wearing a blue No. 0 jersey, was down on the floor, reaching out his long arm to clasp the hand of Chen Xi, who stood before him in a blue No. 3 jersey.

Enhanced with special effects, the two men looked steely and strong, their muscles sharply defined. You could practically smell the overwhelming testosterone through the picture.

It was clearly a moment from a game, with Chen Xi