That night, the entire world went wild for Li Fei and his Knicks.
The sports front page of The New York Times ran an enormous, almost exaggerated headline—[THE KING IS HERE!]—alongside a full-page photograph of Li Fei kissing the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
The article read: "After twenty-five years, the Larry O'Brien Trophy has returned to its promised land—New York. And the man who made it happen is our new king, Li Fei. In just one season, he brought this team, which had languished for years, back to the summit. He is not New York's savior. He is New York's god."
The Wall Street Journal offered an in-depth analysis from a business perspective: "Li Fei's victory is not merely a victory for basketball, but a decisive victory for his personal brand. After tonight, Li Fei Brand will no longer be a challenger, but a third force standing shoulder to shoulder with Nike and Adidas. We have every reason to believe that a global commercial storm is about to arrive."
ESPN's SportsCenter broke precedent by devoting an entire hour to reviewing the Knicks' championship run and Li Fei's unbelievable Finals performance. Every commentator reached the same consensus: Jordan's era might not yet be over, but Li Fei's era had already arrived ahead of schedule in an undeniable fashion.
And in New York, the city that never slept had completely plunged into an ocean of celebration.
From Harlem to Brooklyn, from Queens to the Bronx, countless fans poured into the streets.
The giant screens in Times Square repeatedly played footage of Li Fei hoisting the trophy. People screamed, embraced one another, and flung blue-and-orange confetti into the sky.
Some wealthy Wall Street elites even tossed bundles of dollar bills down from their apartment balconies, drawing waves of astonished cries from the crowd.
But