The newsstand owner was rushed off his feet, handing out newspapers while smiling. "Today's papers are selling like crazy. Li Fei won the championship, and everyone wants a copy. It's only been an hour, and more than half the papers I stocked are already gone!"
Before ten in the morning, sports newspapers had sold out at newsstands all over Beijing. Many fans who hadn't managed to get a copy kept asking at the kiosks, their faces full of anxiety and disappointment.
"Boss, do you have any copies of Basketball Pioneer Newspaper left? I've been to three newsstands, and they're all sold out!" a young fan asked anxiously, his voice urgent.
The newsstand owner shook his head helplessly. "I'm really sorry, but today's papers were in such high demand that they sold out ages ago. Try coming earlier tomorrow."
Scenes like this could be seen everywhere on the streets of Beijing. Whether in Wangfujing, Xidan, Sanlitun, or Guomao, every newsstand was surrounded by people scrambling to buy newspapers. Li Fei's face on the cover had become Beijing's hottest calling card that day.
As people walked through the streets of Beijing, it seemed like everyone had a newspaper bearing Li Fei's face. Some read as they walked, occasionally stopping to discuss his performance with those around them, their faces filled with pride and joy.
On a bus, several elderly passengers sat together with newspapers in hand, talking about Li Fei. "That Li Fei really makes China proud. He's only 23 and he's won five championships and five FMVPs. He's incredible!"
"That's right. We used to think the NBA belonged to Europeans and Americans. Who would've thought a Chinese player could establish himself in the NBA, lead his team to a Three-Peat, and become a legend? We have every reason to be proud!"