The social dynamics in the Pacers’ locker room were simple. It was a bunch of muscle-bound giants who spent their days talking about either women or defense. In the words of Larry Bird: "Boys who love defense can’t be all that bad."

When Larry Bird said this to Su Xi, Su Xi frowned. ’So where did the Bad Boys Legion come from?’ he thought.

To be honest, Su Xi was a little worried about the Pacers announcing his move to Indiana with such fanfare. After all, the team’s core perimeter player was Artest. ’This won’t cause any drama, will it?’

But all his doubts vanished the moment he met Artest.

Artest was a defiant man. Drafted by the Bulls and with two and a half years under his belt, the first thing he did upon arriving in Indiana was change his jersey number from 15 to 23. It was obvious to anyone what that gesture meant.

So, the moment he saw Su Xi at the hotel, Artest walked right up and punched him in the shoulder. "Hey, listen up, kid. I haven’t acknowledged you as the team’s perimeter leader. You’d better play your ass off, you son of a bitch, or I won’t let you hear the end of it."

The two sentences were blunt, but they seemed to convey two completely different, conflicting messages.

Su Xi froze for a second, then smiled. He reached out, high-fived Artest, and pulled him into a hug. On pure reflex, he reached up and patted the back of his head.

Huh?

The moment Artest felt the touch, it was like an electric shock. He froze. ’This rookie just touched my head? Nobody touches Artest’s head!!!’

But then, an irrepressible wave of pleasure washed over his cerebral cortex. The proud, defiant tough guy actually shifted his position to get more comfortable.

That slight movement told Su Xi everything. Artest liked it. His mouth could be stubborn, but his body was honest.

Su Xi let go. Best not to overdo it.

Su Xi then went around and greeted Foster, Little O’Neal, Croshere, Fred Jones, Bender, and the others. He also got acquainted with the coaching staff.

After the trade, the Pacers’ roster was as follows:

Point Guard: Su Xi, Fred Jones.

Shooting Guard: Ron Artest, Jamison Brewer.

Small Forward: Reggie Miller, Derek Williams, Austin Croshere.

Power Forward: Jermaine O’Neal, Alan Hunterson, Jonathan Bender.

Center: Jeff Foster, Scott Polard, Primoz Brezec.

Reggie Miller and Ron Artest frequently swapped positions, with no fixed shooting guard or small forward. Furthermore, Croshere, Alan Hunterson, and Jonathan Bender could all play both the small forward and power forward positions.

After the trade cleared out so many guards, the Pacers’ backcourt—the point guard and shooting guard positions—actually looked thin. In contrast, they had stockpiled a deep roster at the power forward and center positions.

That night, Carlisle sought out Su Xi to talk strategy. Since time was short, he couldn’t run Su Xi through extensive tactical drills. Instead, he brought out the playbook and videotapes to break down a few of the team’s plays. He had originally planned to go over just three or four common sets and save the rest for later.

But Su Xi’s eagerness to learn impressed him so much that he ended up explaining all eleven sets. He went on until two in the morning, and would have kept going if Huang Xiaoman hadn’t called for the third time to ask, "Aren’t you finished yet?"

Carlisle really didn’t want to leave.

Su Xi was just too good of a student.

It was no wonder teachers always loved the Asian students back in school. That attitude toward learning alone left their Black peers in the dust.

Everyone has that ’love of teaching’ gene in them.

It just doesn’t get activated very often.

Carlisle’s had been thoroughly activated. He decided he would be discussing tactical systems with Su Xi a lot more in the future.

After seeing Carlisle off, Su Xi was all smiles. It was only his first day, and he already loved the atmosphere inside the Pacers organization, even if they all seemed a bit dim-witted. But Larry Bird was right: Boys who love defense can’t be all that bad.

Later that night, Su Xi went to another room in the hotel. He gave Huang Xiaoman some "private tutoring" as well—the kind where he held nothing back.

It left him feeling refreshed and invigorated.

「...」

The Los Angeles Clippers were Su Xi’s first opponent as a member of the Pacers.

But nobody gave a damn about them.

The media was already hyping up the upcoming showdown between the Pacers and the Lakers.

Thanks to the braggadocio from Larry Bird and Su Xi at the press conference, another master of posturing, Phil Jackson, felt his title was under threat. He preferred a more subtle, nonchalant brand of showing off. Ever since an Asian reporter dubbed him the "Zen Master," he’d stopped talking like a normal human being in front of the cameras. "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked," he said. "The loudest person in the room is rarely the strongest." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

This dose of stale chicken soup for the soul sent the Los Angeles media into a collective frenzy.

That’s right! We, the Purple and Gold dynasty, haven’t even said a word! What’s all the noise from you Pacers, a bunch of country bumpkins?

Our superstar "Fab Four" lineup hasn’t even made us this confident, and you get one Little Sheep Su Xi and think you’re going to dominate the NBA?

The Los Angeles media unleashed their signature brand of acerbic, high-minded sarcasm, thoroughly mocking Larry Bird, Su Xi, and everyone else on the Pacers.

But their "high-minded" sarcasm had absolutely no effect on the Pacers.

While the Los Angeles media waged their war of words, the Pacers were busy partying, utterly oblivious.

On the bus to the Staples Center, Jonathan Bender was demonstrating the exotic dance moves he’d learned at the Washington Strip Club on their last road trip. His movements were surprisingly fluid, showcasing his uniquely gifted coordination.

Bender was the #5 pick in ’99. Standing 213 cm tall, he could play both inside and out with a complete set of skills. In Carlisle’s words, "I’ve never seen anyone with better technique." He had the flexibility and agility of a guard and the explosive power of a forward. He could pull off a between-the-legs dunk from the free-throw line and had even broken Michael Jordan’s scoring record at the McDonald’s All-American Game in high school.

So, he brought his talents to the NBA straight out of high school.

Some called him the next Garnett. But if you had a time machine and could see the future, you’d call Giannis Antetokounmpo the next Jonathan Bender.

It was just that in 2003, the pace of the game wasn’t as fast as it would become, and the intensity was much higher than it would be 20 years later. He was often used as a secret weapon at the small forward position.

However, he had suffered a serious injury the previous season, losing two pieces of cartilage in his knee. This posed a severe challenge to both his playing time and his athletic performance.

But that didn’t stop him from showing off his limber frame on the team bus.

Su Xi covered his face with his hand. Larry Bird’s words kept echoing in his mind: ’Boys who love defense can’t be all that bad.’

’Who would have thought Jonathan Bender went to a strip club to learn how to pole dance?’

The big center, Jerry Foster, pulled out a wad of USD and stuffed it into Jonathan’s pants. Artest and the others followed suit, stuffing more bills into Bender’s waistband.

"Hey, Jack. This is our team culture," Reggie Miller said, giving Su Xi a look before handing him a few USD bills.

It was a small detail, but telling. The others were giving tens of dollars; Little O’Neal even pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.

Su Xi took the cash, surrendering to the Pacers’ team culture. He stuffed the money into Bender’s collar.

Then, he couldn’t help but say, "Jonathan, when are we going to play some one-on-one?"

Su Xi genuinely coveted Bender’s coordination. For a 213 cm giant to have such expressive control over his body, especially on a bumpy bus, was a testament to his incredible body control.

"That’s a separate service, Jack." Jonathan Bender raised his eyebrows. "Gonna cost you extra!"

Huh?

Su Xi was a little slow to catch on.

"Hahahaha! Just kidding, man. We’ll play sometime, for sure," Bender said with a hearty laugh.

You had to admit, the atmosphere on the Pacers was genuinely great.

Compared to the Cavaliers, they were far more open, inclusive, and united.

’Is this why they’re number one in the East?’ Su Xi couldn’t help but wonder.

「...」

They might have been all fun and games off the court.

But during a game, they were completely different. Everyone became ruthless.

Su Xi had played the Clippers before with the Cavaliers. He’d won, but it hadn’t been easy.

Now, with the Pacers, it was like taking a sledgehammer... CRASH... and bringing it down on a block of tofu. Not only did the tofu shatter, but the entire stand collapsed.

The Clippers couldn’t mount a single decent attack. They were like a dead fish on a cutting board, utterly helpless and letting the Pacers do whatever they wanted.

What’s the best way to describe this game?

Coming into the game, Corey Maggette was averaging 20.7 points, Elton Brand was averaging 20.2 points and 11 rebounds, and Quentin Richardson was averaging 17.4 points.

But in this game, Maggette shot 3-for-19 for 9 points. Captain Brand went 5-for-21 for 13 points. Quentin Richardson shot 3-for-15 for 8 points.

The budget version of the "Big Three" collectively paid tribute to the art of bricklaying.

Su Xi had only just joined and was still adapting on offense. But on defense, he, Artest, Little Ao, and Ah Fu had truly clicked.

With him and Artest forming a two-headed monster on the perimeter, plus the impossibly quick and elusive Reggie Miller, Quentin Richardson and Corey Maggette combined for 10 turnovers. They never managed to take a single shot in rhythm.

Captain Brand had it just as rough in the paint. He already had little advantage against Foster, and Su Xi just had to make matters worse. After terrorizing the Clippers’ pathetic perimeter players, Su Xi repeatedly dove into the paint to double-team and go for steals. He was fast, explosive, and absolutely vicious with his hands.

On the defensive end, he integrated seamlessly with the Pacers.

They elevated each other.

Su Xi no longer had to worry about having no help defense behind him. He no longer had to worry about cleaning up someone else’s mess with no support. He no longer had to shuffle around like a practice pylon.

And the Pacers finally didn’t have to cover for their point guard anymore. Kenny Anderson and Tinsley had been the soft underbelly of their entire defensive system. Now, Su Xi was here.

In the 24 minutes Su Xi was on the court, the Pacers held the Clippers to just 29 points.

The Clippers scored only 69 points in the entire game.

Of course, the Pacers themselves only scored 89.

Su Xi finished the game with 12 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 7 steals.

An all-around performance.

Ron Artest had 15 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and 1 block.

They showed the world the definition of an impenetrable defense.

After the game, Quentin Richardson complained to the media like a little bitch, lifting his jersey and whining, "Is that even basketball? They’re way too physical!"

He was criticizing the intensity of the Pacers’ defense.

In reality, however, the Pacers’ defense was perfectly clean.

It was just that their two defensive stalwarts were simply too strong.

Little Sheep Su Xi plus the bruiser Artest—it was only normal that a softy like Quentin Richardson couldn’t handle them.

Corey Maggette didn’t complain publicly. He was suffering, but he kept it to himself.

"Quentin’s a little kid. He should save his whining for the celebrity Brandy," Artest responded to Quentin Richardson after the game.

So polite.

Bird was right. Boys who love defense can’t be all that bad.

After taking care of the Clippers, the Pacers set their sights on the Los Angeles Lakers.

They were the only team to three-peat this century, and this season they had formed a "Fab Four" super team. Before the season even began, many thought the NBA was already over and the championship was the Lakers’ to lose. No team could compete with them.

But now, the boys who love defense were coming.

「...」