Chapter Summaries

The Phoenix Suns faced the Washington Bullets as Chris Webber returned from a shoulder injury and vowed to challenge Li Fei. Li Fei opened the game with a dunk that knocked Webber down and dislocated his shoulder again, leaving the Bullets without him.

• Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace spoke before the game about seeking revenge on Li Fei, though Wallace was assigned to the bench.
• Li Fei tapped the opening jump ball to Nick Anderson, then sprinted downcourt to receive the ball.
• Chris Webber charged at Li Fei to stop his drive, but Li Fei knocked him down and dunked to give the Suns a 2:0 lead.
• Webber clutched his injured right shoulder on the floor, and the Bullets' medical staff confirmed it had dislocated again.
• The Bullets called a timeout and carried Webber off the court.

Li Fei and the Suns overwhelmed Washington’s front line after Chris Webber was carried off moments after tip-off. The Bullets’ first three possessions ended in turnovers or a blocked shot as the Suns’ lead grew to 6–0.

• Chris Webber collided with Li Fei at tip-off and was carried off the court by medical staff.
• Jim Lynam sent Rasheed Wallace in for Webber, and Dennis Rodman blocked Wallace’s signature jump shot before Charles Barkley scored on a fast break.
• Juwan Howard drove toward the basket, but Barkley stopped him and forced a turnover; Li Fei finished the Suns’ next fast break with a left-handed dunk.
• Robert Pack tried to set up Gheorghe Muresan for an alley-oop, but Li Fei blocked the pass and sent Muresan crashing to the floor.

Li Fei turned a flagrant foul by Rasheed Wallace into a three-point play, then watched Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley start a fight that got four players ejected. With Washington’s other big men injured or thrown out, Gheorghe Muresan was left facing Li Fei and wondered if he could still leave the game.

• Rasheed Wallace fouled Li Fei from behind on a fast break, but Li Fei steadied himself and made the basket for a three-point play.
• Rodman threw a basketball at Wallace, and Barkley and Rodman confronted him as Li Fei approached.
• Wallace shoved Barkley and swung at Rodman, but Rodman tackled him and punched him.
• Barkley tackled Juwan Howard and pounded him while Rodman fought Wallace, as Li Fei stood aside and cheered.
• Officials separated the players and ejected Barkley, Rodman, Wallace, and Howard, leaving Gheorghe Muresan as Washington’s last towering big man.

The Suns crushed the Bullets 105–75 as Li Fei dominated after Washington’s big men were sidelined. With the Bullets struggling to reach the playoffs, Bob Ferry put all four big men on the trading block, and the league issued suspensions and fines for the game’s fight.

• Gheorghe Muresan feigned stomach pain when Jim Lynam tried to put him in, leaving Mitchell Butler to face Li Fei.
• Li Fei scored 38 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked six shots by halftime as the Suns beat Washington by 30 and extended their winning streak to 11 games.
• Abe Pollin reminded Bob Ferry that the Bullets had to make the playoffs, and Ferry decided to test the market for Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Gheorghe Muresan, and Juwan Howard.
• The league suspended Charles Barkley, Dennis Rodman, Rasheed Wallace, and Juwan Howard for two games and fined the Bullets players $50,000 each and the Suns players $40,000 each.

After Rodman and Barkley were suspended, the Suns faced the Heat without two key players. Li Fei answered Miami’s confidence by overpowering two defenders for an opening putback dunk.

• NBC commentators praised Dennis Rodman’s fighting and discussed the Suns’ upcoming Christmas Day matchup against the Bulls.
• The Suns prepared to face the Heat and Knicks without Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman, while critics predicted a losing streak.
• Alonzo Mourning vowed that Miami would hand the Suns their first loss, and Li Fei said the Suns would not lose now.
• Michael Finley and Wayman Tisdale started in place of Barkley and Rodman as the Suns faced the Heat.
• Li Fei shoved aside Chris Gatling and Alonzo Mourning to dunk in the opening moments, then taunted them for being too short.

Li Fei dominated the Heat despite Alonzo Mourning’s strong first half, and the Suns entered halftime trailing by five. In the third quarter, Li Fei took over Mourning’s defensive assignment and overwhelmed him in a one-on-one clash.

• Alonzo Mourning scored repeatedly against Teagle, while Li Fei kept scoring against Miami’s double-teams as the Suns led 55–50 at halftime.
• Paul Westphal criticized Teagle’s defense and planned to use Li Fei as help defender, but Li Fei volunteered to guard Mourning one-on-one.
• Li Fei stopped Mourning’s post-up charge, then caught Mourning’s leaning jumper for a clean block.
• Li Fei powered through Mourning and Gatling for a two-handed dunk, extending the Suns’ lead to 57–50.
• Li Fei told the stunned Mourning that he had to destroy him so people would not think they were on the same level.

Li Fei shut down Alonzo Mourning in the second half, sparking a Suns blowout over the Heat. He left the game with 52 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks, while Pat Riley said the Heat had lost to Li Fei.

• Mourning scored once against Li Fei, then had another shot blocked as Li Fei recorded his fifth block.
• Li Fei caught Nick Anderson's lob and dunked, putting the Suns ahead 59–50.
• With Li Fei guarding Mourning, the Heat went scoreless for six minutes as the Suns launched a 16–0 run.
• The Suns led 89–59 after the third quarter and won 120–82, while Li Fei finished with 52 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks.
• Pat Riley told reporters that the Heat had not lost to the Suns but had lost to Li Fei.

Li Fei led the short-handed Suns into New York to face the Knicks after extending their unbeaten start to 11 games. In a hostile Madison Square Garden, he opened the game with a tip-off alley-oop and reveled in the crowd's abuse.

• Li Fei shut down Alonzo Mourning in the second half as the Suns beat the Heat, and Mourning admitted Li Fei had destroyed him.
• The Suns' winning streak reached 11 games, while the Bulls led the East and the Knicks prepared to host Li Fei and the Suns.
• Spike Lee promised Rolex watches to the Knicks if they beat Li Fei, and Li Fei considered the marketing potential of playing in New York.
• The Knicks and Suns started with their listed lineups, while New York fans chanted insults at Li Fei.
• Li Fei knocked away the opening tip, raced downcourt, and scored a tip-off alley-oop while drawing a foul from Charles Oakley.
• Li Fei bowed theatrically to the hostile crowd after his opening basket and foul shot opportunity.

Li Fei opened the game against the Knicks by scoring through Charles Oakley, then shut down Patrick Ewing’s Bunny Hop Jumper and copied it to score in his face. He left Ewing with a mocking new name for the move: the Bunny Hop Plunge.

• Li Fei scored a 2+1 over Charles Oakley, bowed provocatively to the New York crowd, and made the free throw for a 3–0 lead.
• Patrick Ewing took the Knicks’ first possession and tried his Bunny Hop Jumper against Li Fei.
• Li Fei barely tipped Ewing’s shot with his fingertip, then secured the rebound.
• Nick Anderson passed to Li Fei after a screen and drive, and Ewing rushed out to defend him.
• Li Fei copied Ewing’s step-back midrange jumper and made it in his face, calling Ewing’s signature move the Bunny Hop Plunge.

Li Fei dominated the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, repeatedly scoring with his Bunny Hop Jumper while shutting down Patrick Ewing. He reached 70 points late in the fourth quarter, leaving New York stunned.

• Li Fei blocked Patrick Ewing, scored with Ewing’s signature Bunny Hop Jumper, and later forced him to pass under defensive pressure.
• Li Fei scored 30 points in the first quarter as the Suns built a 13-point lead, then finished the third quarter with 58 points and 12 rebounds.
• Li Fei opened the fourth quarter with a corner three to tie Michael Jordan’s Madison Square Garden scoring record, then tipped in a miss to pass him with 63 points.
• Li Fei continued scoring and rebounding as the Suns pulled away, while he blocked Ewing for the fifth time and held him to nine points.
• Li Fei scored his 70th point with a baseline Bunny Hop Jumper over Ewing as Oakley came to double-team, and Madison Square Garden fell silent.

Li Fei scored 70 points against the New York Knicks, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 122-107 win and their 13th straight victory. After the game, the Suns celebrated his historic performance as they looked ahead to their final November opponent, the Houston Rockets.

• Li Fei scored his 70th point with a Bunny Hop Jumper over Patrick Ewing, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 70 points in a game.
• Paul Westphal kept Li Fei on the bench for the final five minutes as the Suns held a 22-point lead.
• The Phoenix Suns defeated the New York Knicks 122-107, extending their season-opening winning streak to 13 games.
• Li Fei finished with 70 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 blocks, while Patrick Ewing scored 12 points on 15 shots.
• Don Nielsen said the Knicks had lost to Li Fei and called him a mid-range Evil Dragon; Westphal said the Suns' winning strategy was to give Li Fei the ball.

After scoring 70 points, Li Fei said he cared about winning rather than personal records, while the performance drew headlines and reactions from Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, and Michael Jordan. In Houston, Li Fei heard Jordan claim they knew each other well and replied that they were not that close.

• Li Fei answered reporters that he had followed the coach’s game plan, left the game because it was garbage time, and would chase 100 points only if the team needed them to win.
• News outlets celebrated Li Fei’s 70-point performance, and Wilt Chamberlain voiced support for him to break the 100-point record someday.
• Li Fei’s score drew comparisons with David Robinson’s 71-point game and Michael Jordan’s career-high of 68 points.
• The day after Li Fei’s performance, Jordan scored 59 points against the Indiana Pacers and said Li Fei was like him because he prioritized winning over statistics.
• After two days of rest, Li Fei arrived in Houston to face the Rockets and laughed when a reporter said Jordan claimed to know him very well.

Li Fei opened the Suns–Rockets showdown by scoring over Hakeem Olajuwon and Arvydas Sabonis. He then knocked Sabonis to the floor with a shoulder charge and dunked over Olajuwon, leaving the Houston crowd chanting for Sabonis to get up.

• Li Fei denied being close to Michael Jordan as reporters gathered for the nationally broadcast Suns–Rockets matchup.
• Li Fei scored the opening basket with Dreamy Footwork and a one-handed jump hook over Olajuwon and Sabonis.
• Sabonis set up Olajuwon for a fadeaway that tied the score at 2–2.
• Li Fei drove his shoulder into Sabonis twice, knocking him down, then dunked over Olajuwon to put the Suns ahead 4–2.
• The Houston crowd and Rockets bench chanted for Sabonis to get up as he lay on the floor, stunned by Li Fei's strength.

Li Fei dominated the Rockets in the first half, knocking Sabonis down, blocking his shot, and reaching 32 points before Houston began double-teaming him after halftime. Li Fei and Rodman then beat the twin towers with an alley-oop combination, extending the Suns’ lead to 12.

• Li Fei knocked Sabonis to the floor and dunked over the Rockets’ defense, prompting Yao Ming to favor Li Fei over his former idol.
• Sabonis tried to score on Li Fei with a post-up and scoop layup, but Li Fei pinned the shot against the backboard.
• Li Fei scored 32 points in the first half as Houston stayed with one-on-one defense and fell ten points behind.
• Tomjanovich sent Olajuwon to double-team Li Fei on the first possession after halftime, and Li Fei passed to Rodman.
• Rodman tapped the ball back to Li Fei in midair, and Li Fei finished the alley-oop to put the Suns ahead 62–50.

The Phoenix Suns extended their lead over the Houston Rockets to 21 points late in the fourth quarter, as Dennis Rodman provoked Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon threw the ball at Rodman, who turned and charged at him.

• The Suns steadily increased their lead to 18 points by the middle of the fourth quarter as Li Fei drew double-teams and Phoenix's defense contained Houston.
• Rodman assisted Bowen on a three-pointer, pushing the Suns' lead to 21 points and giving Rodman nine assists.
• Rodman taunted Olajuwon about his performance and suggested his 1994 championship had been a fluke.
• Olajuwon hurled the ball at Rodman, striking him in the back.
• Rodman turned around and charged at Olajuwon with his fist swinging.

With four minutes left in Houston’s game, Olajuwon and Rodman started fighting, and Sabonis charged in to defend Olajuwon. Li Fei elbowed Sabonis to the floor, and referees and security broke up the brawl as the rivalry threatened to continue.

• Olajuwon slammed the ball toward Rodman, and Rodman swung at him after the two exchanged insults.
• Three referees restrained Rodman while security held Olajuwon back.
• Sabonis charged toward Rodman, knocking Bowen down and shoving Nick Anderson aside.
• Li Fei rushed in and elbowed Sabonis in the head, sending him crashing to the floor.
• Referees and security restrained Li Fei and stopped the fight from escalating further.

After the Suns defeated the Rockets to finish November undefeated, Li Fei was ejected for knocking out Arvydas Sabonis but received new system rewards. He unlocked Hard Man Dungeon 2.0, exchanged his Silver-Level Badge Essences for a baseline spin fadeaway badge, and raised his mid-range shot to 83.

• The referees ejected Li Fei and Olajuwon, while Dennis Rodman and The Roof of the World remained in the game; the Suns went on to beat the Rockets 115–102.
• Li Fei learned that his undefeated November earned him a Silver-Level Badge Essence and that helping Dennis Rodman had granted him two Free Attribute Points and unlocked Hard Man Dungeon Version 2.0.
• Li Fei exchanged four Silver-Level Badge Essences for the Baseline Spin Fadeaway Jumper Master Badge.
• Li Fei spent both Free Attribute Points on his mid-range shot, raising it from 81 to 83, and believed his mid- and short-range shooting could rival Michael Jordan's.

After Li Fei defended Dennis Rodman from Arvydas Sabonis, Rodman grew fiercely loyal to him. Sabonis challenged David Stern over Li Fei escaping punishment, but Stern talked him around with promises of extra free throws, leaving Sabonis feeling like Karl Malone.

• Li Fei reflected that his height and physical gifts let him challenge Michael Jordan in mid-range shooting despite his weaker technique.
• Dennis Rodman checked on Li Fei after the altercation, and Li Fei called him his brother, deepening Rodman’s loyalty.
• The league issued no additional suspensions or fines, and David Stern decided to leave Li Fei unpunished.
• Sabonis called Stern and demanded an explanation for Li Fei’s elbow on behalf of Lithuania’s fans.
• Stern promised Sabonis at least eight free-throw trips in each of the next ten games, and Sabonis’s anger subsided.
• After the call, Sabonis felt that Stern had talked him in circles and that he had been made to feel like Karl Malone.

The Suns extended their winning streak to 18 games as Li Fei pulled ahead of Michael Jordan in the MVP race. Meanwhile, Li Fei received the first pair of his signature Li Fei I sneakers and believed their futuristic design and technology could change basketball shoes.

• The Suns won four straight home games, bringing their streak to 18 and placing it among the three longest in NBA history.
• Li Fei averaged 36.4 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 5.4 blocks per game and gained a slight lead over Michael Jordan in the MVP rankings.
• Phoenix fans questioned why Li Fei had no sports-brand deal or signature sneakers as his jerseys became difficult to find.
• David Falk established Li Fei's sports brand and arranged for a factory to make the first pair of Li Fei I sneakers in about a week.
• Li Fei tried on the black, Kobe 4-inspired sneakers, tested their cushioning and stability, and predicted they would change the game.

Li Fei prepared to promote his new Li Fei I sneakers by wearing them in games while David Falk arranged mass production and a Phoenix flagship store. Against the Timberwolves, Li Fei dominated Christian Laettner early, forcing a timeout as commentators called for Kevin Garnett to enter.

• Li Fei told David Falk to increase production of the Li Fei I sneakers and speed up renovations for a Phoenix flagship store.
• David Falk rented two adjoining storefronts on Arizona Center Pedestrian Street, and Li Fei planned a sneaker display wall and oversized shoe model for the store.
• The Suns and Timberwolves began the game with their usual starting lineups, leaving rookie Kevin Garnett on the bench.
• Li Fei tipped the opening ball to Nick Anderson, who scored on their alley-oop play.
• Li Fei scored ten points and blocked Christian Laettner twice in the first three minutes, prompting the Timberwolves to call a timeout.