Chapter 125: The All-Star Starting Lineup

At the press conference, the reporters completely ignored He Xinghui’s performance on the court. After all, he had previously scored 82 points in a single game; performances like this no longer made headlines. The reporters were more interested in gossip about him and Diaz.

“Hey, did Diaz spend the night at your place last night?” one reporter asked.

“I’m not telling you,” He Xinghui replied.

The reporters were momentarily stunned. They had expected He Xinghui might either confirm or deny the rumor, but not this response.

“Are you afraid of being disturbed, so you don’t want to disclose it?” a sly reporter prodded, trying to trap him into a slip-up.

He Xinghui just smiled and said again, “I’m not telling.”

He found this playful teasing of the press extremely satisfying.

“Someone caught a photo of Diaz entering your villa. How do you explain that?” the reporters pressed on, unwilling to relent.

“I’m not telling,” He Xinghui repeated.

The reporters nearly lost their composure. If another celebrity had responded like this, they would have been free to criticize and ridicule them in the papers. But everyone knew He Xinghui simply didn’t care about the media’s opinion, so there was nothing they could do.

“Please, this is an NBA press conference, not an entertainment magazine. If you keep asking questions unrelated to basketball, I will have to end this conference,” the Clippers’ press officer stepped in. Normally, if a player was willing to answer such questions, the press officer wouldn’t intervene—but He Xinghui clearly was not.

Reluctantly, the reporters shifted their focus back to basketball. Fortunately, they had a sharp question ready for him.

Earlier that day, the league had announced the final round of All-Star voting results.

LeBron James topped the Eastern Conference with 2.2 million votes, followed by Shaquille O’Neal with 2.19 million. The Eastern starters were James, O’Neal, Young O’Neal, Allen Iverson, and Dwyane Wade. This lineup didn’t surprise the public; all the expected stars made it. The East was weaker overall, making selections easier.

But the Western Conference starters sparked major controversy. When the list came out, fans immediately started bickering.

The starting center was Yao Ming with 2.34 million votes, the league’s top vote-getter. Many Kobe Bryant fans refused to accept this. They couldn’t understand how a player averaging just over 22 points and 10 rebounds could be the top vote-getter. There were plenty of players with better stats than Yao Ming—it seemed unfair.

The starting forwards were Tracy McGrady and Tim Duncan, a choice that ignited even more heated debate. Fans were on the verge of fighting over who deserved the spot more—Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, or Pau Gasol—all arguably more deserving than McGrady. Many complained that the “China factor” was what got McGrady into the All-Star game, corrupting the voting process.

But fans of He Xinghui disagreed, since there was no “China factor” among the starting guards.

The Western starting guards were Kobe Bryant with 2.27 million votes, and Steve Nash with 1.8 million. He Xinghui ranked third with 1.65 million votes—a staggering number. If he were in the East, he might have even pushed Dwyane Wade out of the starting lineup.

But in the West, he had to wait for the coaches’ votes to see if he could make the All-Star reserves. This was uncertain, since coaches had never before selected a rookie for the All-Star game. Even LeBron James hadn’t made it in his first season; coaches simply didn’t give him the nod, and he accepted that he wasn’t quite ready yet.

He Xinghui’s fans cried foul online, accusing the league of suppressing rookies. Given his performance and popularity, they argued, how could he not be selected?

Other fans and critics mocked him, listing his defensive flaws, limited playing time, and other shortcomings. The debate grew heated within hours of the roster announcement.

Naturally, reporters seized on this hot topic and questioned He Xinghui about it.

“He, the All-Star voting results are out. You ranked third among Western guards, missing the starting lineup and possibly even the All-Star game itself. Are you satisfied with this outcome? Do you think it’s fair?” a reporter provocatively asked.

If He Xinghui expressed any dissatisfaction, it would make big news. Given his personality, it was quite possible.

Many reporters eagerly awaited a bombshell comment from him.

“Not me?” He Xinghui opened his mouth, clearly surprised. This was beyond his expectations. He had believed that with his extraordinary performance, Commissioner Stern would make an exception and select him.

He never imagined Stern would dare to openly manipulate the votes behind the scenes.

Of course, he was frustrated. Had he made the All-Star starting lineup as a rookie, he would have made history. But that honor was now lost to him—he was left with a record that future players could surpass.

“Yes, without you,” the reporter said with a broad smile, clearly pleased with He Xinghui’s reaction.

“Go on, say something outrageous, lash out at Stern!” they silently urged.

Seeing the reporters’ eager faces, He Xinghui couldn’t help but smile inwardly. He knew exactly what they wanted.

And he was willing to indulge them.

He didn’t want to be like LeBron James, who had to humbly say he was still a rookie and needed to keep working hard.

He just wanted to say: I’m the best, and if you don’t pick me, you’re blind.

“That’s a real shame. Without me, what’s the point of the All-Star game? You might as well all go home early and get some sleep,” He Xinghui quipped.

He had plenty of ideas to make the All-Star game more exciting. Stern’s refusal to appreciate that was well deserved.

His words ignited the room. Advising fans to “go home and sleep” could even earn him a fine from the league, becoming headline news.

At the same time, his attitude guaranteed his fans would stir up trouble, creating yet more headlines.

In that moment, the reporters found He Xinghui not so annoying after all—there was something endearing about him.

But they weren’t satisfied yet. They wanted an even bigger scoop.

“Are you saying the voting was unfair?” they pressed.

If He Xinghui openly attacked Stern, that would truly be something worth reporting.