"Excuse me! Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course!" the young fan replied excitedly.
"Do you know Michael Thompson?"
"Of course! That's my father!"
He was indeed a son of Thompson. However, Thompson had several sons, and they all looked similar. He Xi Meng wasn't sure if this was the Thompson of the future, so he asked again, "Then, may I ask your name?"
"Klay! Klay Thompson!"
He Xi Meng took a deep breath. It was indeed the legendary G6 Thompson himself.
"And your father?" He Xi Meng suppressed his emotions as much as possible, speaking to Thompson in a calm tone, like a neighbor's child.
"He's in the commentary booth! He just finished commentating this game, and I snuck over here myself!" Thompson replied to He Xi Meng with a slightly mischievous expression. "He told me not to come ask you for an autograph! He said I shouldn't be wearing a Lakers number 4 jersey... But I'm a Lakers fan, would you expect me to wear a Spurs number 4 jersey? If I did, my teammates on the school team would kill me..."
"I support your decision, Klay! Your choice is perfectly fine... May I add a sentence on your jersey?"
"Really? You're willing to leave a message for me?" Thompson was extremely excited. Although the future G6 Thompson was a remarkably composed player, the current G6 Thompson was still an adolescent full of youthful exuberance.
"Of course! I know your father, he's an excellent professional player! Although I'm not his fan, that doesn't stop me from admiring his skills! Later, please send my regards to him..."
"Okay, I definitely will!" Thompson replied immediately. There was nothing that made a boy prouder than his idol admiring his father.
While talking to Thompson, He Xi Meng added a sentence below his autograph: "To one of the future best shooters in the league, Klay Thompson!"
When the young boy saw what He Xi Meng had written on his jersey, he was overwhelmed with emotion and could barely speak.
"I'll be waiting for you on this stage, Klay! Don't keep me waiting too long..."
With that, He Xi Meng gave Thompson an encouraging look and walked into the player's tunnel.
Being eliminated by the Lakers in the playoffs was a sad affair, but running into young G6 Thompson significantly eased He Xi Meng's gloomy mood.
Speaking of which, if G6 Thompson came to him for an autograph, where was Curry? They were around the same age, weren't they? Curry should also be in his rebellious youth, practicing threes under the warm Toronto sun with his father?
In the backyard of a villa in Brampton, Peel Region, Toronto. Two teenagers with similar baby faces were engaged in a one-on-one under the lights. 138 Reading Network.
"After Dad lost, Xi Meng lost too! So depressing! Our live broadcast time for this season is over..."
The older baby-faced boy spoke with deep sorrow and indignation, his grief no less than if he had lost a game himself.
"No, no, no! Stephen, it's your live broadcast time that's over! My second favorite team isn't the Spurs, it's the Lakers! So, my live broadcast time is still ongoing..."
"You might not have understood, my dear brother Seth! Since I'm no longer watching live games, how could you possibly have the chance to watch?"
"Why couldn't I?"
"Because I'll drag you into constant one-on-one games and beat you again and again... so you won't have the time or the mood to watch live games..."
Seth Curry was unconvinced, but seeing Stephen Curry's displeasure, he wisely chose to remain silent. Anything he said now would be in vain; the more he spoke, the more brutally Stephen Curry would dominate him.
Silence was golden.
The 2000-2001 season was not yet over, but He Xi Meng's 2000-2001 season had concluded!
To comfort the dejected He Xi Meng, Kayla specifically took two weeks off from the film crew to be home and console him for his on-court disappointment.
He Xi Meng spent his time alternating between intimate moments with Kayla and watching the NBA Finals between the 76ers and the Lakers.
The course of the Finals was largely consistent with historical records.
After He Xi Meng's efforts, the Lakers' formerly undefeated aura had been shattered much earlier. Moreover, to defeat the Spurs, the Lakers had exerted considerable effort. It wasn't exactly a grueling series, but it was close, and the Spurs had posed a significant threat and drained a lot of their energy. Especially Kobe, who had battled intensely with He Xi Meng, expending a great deal of stamina. On the other hand, O'Neal, due to the Spurs' "hack-a-Shaq" tactic, felt more mentally frustrated than physically depleted compared to Kobe.
Consequently, in the first game of the Finals, Kobe's form was sluggish, and O'Neal stepped up forcefully! In the first game, O'Neal went head-to-head with Iverson, scoring 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists!
However, it was unfortunate that due to Kobe's lackluster performance, shooting only 7 of 22 from the field for 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists, along with 6 turnovers and 4 fouls, the Lakers were ultimately defeated by the 76ers!
Iverson shot a frantic 41 times in the first game, scoring 48 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals! He almost single-handedly carried the entire offensive load for the 76ers. This was Iverson's peak performance, showing the world his indomitable will...
However, because He Xi Meng had already set a precedent in the Western Conference Finals, the impact of Iverson's victory in this game was significantly diminished compared to the original history. Or rather, the invincible image of the O'Neal-Kobe duo had been greatly eroded by He Xi Meng. As a result, many fans believed that if He Xi Meng could lead his team to victory against the Lakers as a solo act, why couldn't Iverson?
In the original history, the Lakers swept the Trail Blazers 3-0 in the first round, then swept the Kings 4-0 in the second round, and swept the Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals... They were in the form of the ultimate team! Before the Finals even began, over 90% of fans predicted that the Lakers would sweep the 76ers 4-0 and win the championship undefeated...
Setting aside the original history, after the 76ers' first-game victory over the Lakers, some unreliable experts began to speculate that Iverson could surpass He Xi Meng, win three more games, and drag the Lakers into a decisive Game 7.
These experts reasoned as follows.
First, in the center position, Mutombo, as the Defensive Player of the Year this season, was in better overall form than David Robinson.
Second, at shooting guard, Aaron McGee, who had almost won Sixth Man of the Year this season, was superior to Reed, who was hastily promoted from the bench by the Spurs, in terms of scoring ability and game experience.
Third, and most importantly, they believed that Iverson's scoring ability was superior to He Xi Meng's! He Xi Meng's role as the primary scorer was a hobby, while Iverson's role as the primary scorer was his profession!
He was the league's scoring champion, and he was the most potent scoring player in the entire league this season, bar none...