He Xi Meng had already made league history by scoring 63 points in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals, even though he failed to achieve a three-peat.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he ascended to godhood in that game.
The only pity was that such a spectacular performance was not crowned with a championship trophy, which truly marred the occasion.
This left a significant regret for He Xi Meng's god-like battle.
If the Celtics had won Game 7 and He Xi Meng had also achieved godhood, completing his second career three-peat, coupled with those two scattered championships, holding eight championship rings and officially surpassing His Airness to become the greatest player in league history – wouldn't that have been an accomplishment?
He Xi Meng asked himself, "If I had achieved such a feat, would there still be a need for me to continue playing in this league next season?"
At that moment, He Xi Meng suddenly understood why His Airness had announced his retirement at the peak of his career.
When championship trophies become honors within easy reach, what pursuit is left in such accolades?
When a player stands completely at the pinnacle of the league, looking down upon all others, that feeling of pointlessness… well, it's like the afterglow of wisdom!
In that case, could he still fulfill his promise to Kobe?
Likely not.
Thinking about it this way, He Xi Meng suddenly felt that this loss was not so regrettable after all.
Although they lost the game, it at least preserved his desire to continue playing and prevented the afterglow of wisdom from appearing prematurely in his career.
Furthermore, He Xi Meng's peak performance, much like Iverson's god-like battle against the O'Neal-Kobe duo that year, had swept away the last vestiges of doubt in the league regarding his individual abilities.
In the future, if He Xi Meng wanted to slack off, surely no one in the league would dare to point fingers?
If there were any, He Xi Meng could unceremoniously scold them, "Believe it or not, I'll score 63 points for you to see? 63 points in a Game 7 of the Finals, man. Was even the great His Airness capable of that?"
As he was thinking this, His Airness's shiny bald head appeared directly above He Xi Meng's field of vision.
"What's wrong? Can't handle the loss?"
Before the Finals, His Airness had been the most fervent proponent of fighting to the death, urging He Xi Meng to do whatever it took to pursue a three-peat...
However, as soon as the game ended and everyone was still immersed in their disappointment, His Airness was the first to let go.
One had to admit, when it came to taking things in stride, His Airness truly lived up to his title as the God of Basketball, possessing unparalleled magnanimity.
"It's not that I can't handle the loss, just a little bit of regret! A three-peat within reach, don't you want it?"
He Xi Meng didn't believe His Airness truly didn't care about a three-peat. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have attended every single game of the Finals, traveling with the team.
"A three-peat is just a title. In the end, it's just losing one championship trophy, right? We'll snatch it back next year! Four years and three championships is just as sweet!"
"Next year, huh..."
He Xi Meng had actually adjusted his mindset and made his final decision.
Since His Airness had approached him, it was the perfect opportunity to tell him about his Version 3.0 decision.
He Xi Meng took a deep breath, took His Airness's hand, and stood up. Then, looking calmly into His Airness's eyes, he said earnestly, "I probably won't be able to fight for you next year..."
"What do you mean?" His Airness's brows furrowed instantly. "You're leaving? Didn't we agree to sweep the league and rebuild the green dynasty?"
"We almost built the dynasty, didn't we?" He Xi Meng said with a regretful punch to his own palm.
"However, even if I leave, with Da Yao + Vince as the core, as long as we don't suffer widespread injuries like this year, the Celtics won't be out of the championship contention! In my position, whether it's Monta Ellis, Rajon Rondo, or Kyle Lowry, if you nurture any one of them, you can form a new Big Three!"
"That's impossible! Monta Ellis can score, but his playmaking is far inferior to yours; Rajon Rondo can playmake, but his scoring ability is far from yours; Kyle Lowry... who knows when he'll reach that level!"
"Aren't your expectations a bit too high?"
His Airness didn't respond directly but brought the conversation back to He Xi Meng.
"Why must you leave?" His Airness asked, somewhat confused.
"You played a huge role in me joining the Celtics! As long as you retire peacefully with the Celtics, in the future, I'll give you at least 10% of the shares, making you the second-highest shareholder, surpassing Larry..."
"Of course! Thank you, Michael, I appreciate your kindness!
But, you know, I have many friends and I've made many promises!
This is something I promised someone a long time ago!
Just like that year, I promised Popovich that I would play for him, so after my rookie contract with the Lakers ended, I decided to bring my talents to San Antonio.
And after fulfilling my commitment with San Antonio, I then fulfilled my promise to you and came to Boston to play for you.
Now, I feel that my commitment to you is mostly fulfilled. I am sorry that I couldn't win the three-peat, but two championships in three years is not a betrayal of your trust. Next, I need to fulfill my next promise, which should also be the last promise I fulfill in my playing career..."
His Airness understood what He Xi Meng meant.
However, he was unwilling to let He Xi Meng go just like that and wanted to continue persuading him to abandon the idea of leaving. At this moment, the San Antonio Spurs' Big Three walked over, and His Airness had no choice but to fall silent for the time being.
If the news of He Xi Meng leaving the Celtics were to spread, it would likely have a greater impact than the Celtics losing the championship trophy. His Airness needed to prepare himself first.
Duncan, after celebrating wildly with his teammates for a while, saw His Airness standing alone, seemingly "comforting" the defeated He Xi Meng.
Duncan immediately signaled Ginobili and Parker to join him in comforting He Xi Meng.
As a result, when the three of them approached, they saw that He Xi Meng was fine and didn't need comforting. Instead, His Airness, with a look of sorrow on his face, seemed to need their comfort more...
The Finals had ended.
He Xi Meng had played an astonishing 63 points in Game 7. He had ascended to godhood individually, but the game was still lost to the peak performance of the Spurs' Big Three.
Duncan's performance was as steady as ever, serving as the backbone of the Spurs.
Parker, partially suppressed by He Xi Meng, did not perform as well as in previous playoff rounds.
Ginobili's performance was the most dazzling, holding off He Xi Meng's comeback multiple times in crucial moments. However, "The Argentine Chopper's" overall performance was not as consistent as Duncan's.
Therefore, while the Spurs fans present were speculating whether Ginobili or Duncan would win the Finals MVP, David Stern gave them a monumental "surprise"!