บท 395: Chapter 395: Chinese Billionaire Buys the Brooklyn Nets
Before leaving Phoenix, Yao, Iverson, and Nash made a statement: "We hope the team can break the record for the longest winning streak in history. We were part of this streak, and it's a shared glory."
The Suns' winning streak might have ended against the Pacers if not for the trio. So, if the Suns were to break the record, Yao, Iverson, and Nash would not only be participants but also contributors to the achievement.
With the trio's encouragement, the Suns continued their winning streak.
- They defeated the Wizards 107-93, extending their streak to 27 wins.
- The Suns beat the Warriors 102-101, marking their 28th consecutive victory.
- A 127-93 win over the Pistons brought their streak to 29.
- The Suns secured their 30th win with a 97-91 victory against the Spurs.
- A 115-103 triumph over the Lakers marked their 31st consecutive win.
- The Suns beat the Grizzlies 107-103, extending their streak to 32.
- With a 113-97 victory over the Cavaliers, the Suns achieved their 33rd consecutive win.
When the Suns defeated the Cavaliers and reached their 33rd consecutive win, sports forums were buzzing with excitement. Fans were ecstatic, and the servers were almost overloaded. The feeling was even more thrilling than when Wade Dong achieved his 'quintuple-double.' The excitement was sustained, and every Suns game was broadcast live. Fans eagerly awaited the moment the Suns would make history.
As Wade Dong had said, the Suns couldn't afford to lose another game after their defeat to the Lakers. With the regular season coming to a close, the Suns had only three games left:
- April 9: Suns vs. Pelicans
- April 13: Suns vs. Heat
- April 15: Suns vs. Nets
The Suns' current record stood at 72-7. They needed just one more win to tie the record of 73 wins, which they themselves held. A second win would break that record.
The 33-game winning streak was still ongoing, and the upcoming home game against the Pelicans seemed like an easy 34th win for the Suns.
During the Suns' winning streak, another major news story broke in the league. A Chinese billionaire, Guo Zifeng, acquired the Brooklyn Nets for $1.95 billion. Guo Zifeng had been a familiar name on various rich lists in previous years, but he had mysteriously disappeared from public view in the last two years. No one knew what methods he had used, but his name was no longer on any rich lists. It wasn't due to bankruptcy, as he was still a shareholder in Wade Dong's group.
Last summer, during a meal in Beijing, Wade Dong had casually mentioned that if he ever retired, he might buy an NBA team for fun. Little did he know that Guo Zifeng would beat him to it.
The Nets had been performing well this season, ranking sixth in the Eastern Conference. Their head coach was Jason Kidd, and they boasted star players like Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, although Garnett was nearing the end of his career and could retire at any time.
After becoming the first Chinese owner in the league by fully acquiring the Nets, Guo Zifeng surprisingly stated that if the Nets didn't finish in the top four in the East this season, he would rebuild the team. He even threatened to bring Wade Dong to the Nets, which made Robert Sarver nervous for a while. During that time, Sarver frequently visited Wade Dong's house.
Sarver was aware of some inside information. He knew that Guo Zifeng was a shareholder in Wade Dong's group and that the group's success was partly due to Guo Zifeng's support.
Sarver was concerned that Wade Dong might actually go to the Nets due to this connection, especially since Wade Dong had only signed a three-year contract with the Suns, which would expire next summer.
Gradually, the world realized that although the NBA was an American professional basketball league, the influence of Chinese individuals in the league was growing. There were Chinese players (Wade Dong, the league's top player), owners (Guo Zifeng of the Nets), team managers (Tian Zhen of the Suns), and even a sports agency.
April 9, Sunny
The Suns faced the Pelicans at home. The US Airways Center was packed, and tickets were hard to come by. Even before the game started, fans without tickets crowded outside the arena.
They all wanted to witness this historic moment—the Suns breaking the record for the longest winning streak in history and setting new records.
Since the emergence of Wade Dong, it seemed like no record was safe. Some people were born to break records, and Wade Dong was one of them. His name was now synonymous with records, and he was present in almost every significant record in the league.
Before the game, Wade Dong was reviewing the season's statistical rankings.
His averages for the season were 37.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 3.7 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game.
He led the league in points, assists, and steals, virtually guaranteeing him the titles of scoring leader, assist leader, and steal leader for the season.
One reason for this was the formation of the Heat's Big Five, as well as the Suns' own Big Three of Wade Dong, Durant, and Curry. Additionally, the Rockets had their own trio of Harden, Kobe, and Howard, which led to a decrease in their individual statistics.
Kevin Love, with an average of 28.7 points per game, was second on the scoring leaderboard. To surpass Wade Dong, he would need to score 706 points in the remaining three games, a nearly impossible task.
Chris Paul, with 11.5 assists per game, was second in assists. He would need to dish out 85 assists in the last three games to overtake Wade Dong, a slightly more feasible challenge compared to Love's scoring feat.
Paul, with 2.5 steals per game, was second in steals. To surpass Wade Dong, he would need to record 99 steals in the remaining three games, a difficulty level comparable to Love's quest for the scoring title.
The Pelicans' star player was Anthony Davis, who entered the league in the same year as Draymond Green and was also the top pick in their draft class. Davis lived up to his top pick status, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game this season. He was also selected for the All-Star Game.
Davis and Wade Dong were tied for first place in blocks.
Davis also shared a nickname with DeMarcus Cousins, as fans jokingly referred to them as the 'Empty Stats Gang Leaders.'
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