Chapter Nine: An Average of Twenty-One Taunts Per Game

In the second half, as the game resumed, Xinghui He naturally remained on the bench, waiting for his chance. His first-half performance had been impressive—judged by rookie standards. Evaluated by the standards of a starter, however, it was merely average. He had exposed many weaknesses in his tactical movement, defense, and team play. To earn a spot in the starting lineup, he still needed to strengthen himself comprehensively.

The starters took to the court first. After Xinghui He’s fiery trash talk in the first half, the Clippers’ morale was riding high. Over several possessions, the Heat failed to gain any advantage. Shaquille O’Neal began to grow impatient; with the perimeter closed off, he called for the ball inside, preparing to overpower Chris Kaman. Using his imposing bulk, O’Neal muscled Kaman aside and scored with a little hook shot.

Kaman was furious but helpless before the big man. Wait, why did I forget the trash talk He taught me? The thought struck him. As they jostled for position, Kaman unleashed, “Shaquille, you like the petite ladies, don’t you…”

“What the—say that again if you dare!”

Men don’t mind jokes about their looks… O’Neal pressed his forehead against Kaman’s, then gave him a shove. He refrained from throwing a punch—knowing he’d be ejected immediately. As tensions mounted, Kaman raised his hands high, signaling his innocence. Despite his less-than-innocent appearance, Kaman was never one for fighting on the court.

The referee hastily blew the whistle as teammates on both sides separated the two. After a brief discussion, the officials assessed O’Neal a technical foul for initiating contact—a gesture deemed likely to trigger a brawl.

“What?” O’Neal was on the verge of exploding. A technical for this? Aren’t we the home team?

The Heat hurriedly restrained O’Neal, fearing he’d pick up another technical and be thrown out. Pat Riley protested to the referees, but it was of no use.

“Nice job, Chris,” Elton Brand gave Kaman a thumbs-up. Kaman brightened instantly. It was as if he’d discovered a new world—the thrill of talking trash. He resolved to learn more from Xinghui He; if knocking out an opposing star was this easy, he’d profit handsomely every game.

The match continued, but Riley paced the sideline in frustration. He never would have imagined that the perpetual underdog Clippers would have the whole team talking trash.

Kaman led the way, soon followed by Brand and then Sam Cassell. The trash talk seemed to be having an effect—the Heat’s emotions were running wild.

“What would happen if someone hit O’Neal on the head with the ball right now?” Xinghui He asked from the bench.

Throwing the ball at someone might get you a technical, but O’Neal would surely retaliate without hesitation and also draw a technical. With the earlier technicals adding up, O’Neal would be ejected. If the Heat lost O’Neal, wouldn’t the victory be all but secured?

The substitutes' eyes lit up at the idea, but soon dimmed with disappointment. Xinghui He’s suggestion was brilliant, but who would dare pull it off? There weren’t many men as bold as Charles Barkley.

What if O’Neal flew into a rage? Everyone remembered when O’Neal chased after Brad Miller—ten men couldn’t hold him back, and it took an attendant with scissors cutting Miller’s jersey to let him escape.

“He, why don’t you do it?” Livingston suggested.

“No, no, I’m a clean player. I don’t like causing trouble.” Xinghui He replied.

Yeah right, you rascal. Livingston and the others silently flipped him the bird; not a word of that did they believe.

As the fourth quarter began, the starters needed a rest to conserve energy for the final fight. Xinghui He returned to the court, but without his earlier brilliance. Without any special tricks, he was now just an adequate one-on-one defender—a typical role player.

He did his duty on defense. On offense, he drew some attention, then passed up his own opportunities to set up his teammates. This left Coach Dunleavy baffled. When the starters were in, He had fought for every shot; now, with the backups, he was suddenly so selfless.

After three minutes without taking a shot, Xinghui He was subbed out. The starters returned for the decisive stretch. With their earlier slim lead and stable performance down the stretch, the Clippers edged out the Heat 107 to 104, celebrating their second consecutive win.

Brand was his usual steady self, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Cassell contributed 18 points and 5 assists. Mobley had 9 points and 7 assists, Maggette scored 17, and Xinghui He made 5 of 8 shots for an efficient 14 points.

After the game, O’Neal came over to congratulate Xinghui He, but couldn’t help asking, “Kaman’s trash talk—did you teach him that?”

O’Neal was no fool. He’d faced Kaman before—he used to be such a quiet guy. For him to resort to such schemes today, O’Neal couldn’t help but suspect a certain notorious talker.

“No, no, I swear, it wasn’t me. Maybe Kaman just had an epiphany,” Xinghui He denied quickly, not wanting to be made a spectacle in public.

He’d seen a video once: after being pranked, O’Neal caught his opponent and spanked him.

“Well played,” Gary Payton also embraced Xinghui He.

“You too,” He replied.

Payton was left speechless. Xinghui He was simply giving the polite response common among Chinese, but to Payton, it sounded like more trash talk. After all, Payton’s performance hadn’t been notable this game, and it was normally the veteran who praised the rookie, not the other way around. For a rookie to return the compliment—it was hard not to read into it. Even after the game, this guy can’t stop talking trash? Payton could only shake his head.

Though this game wasn’t nationally televised or particularly covered, it still rated a small mention in the post-game news. The focus was Xinghui He and Payton’s trash-talking duel, with Payton coming up short. Whether it was Xinghui He’s pre-game singing contest with O’Neal, his relentless in-game taunts, the near altercation he sparked, or his efficient 14 points as the last pick, there were plenty of highlights.

O’Neal’s praise and Payton’s compliment gave Xinghui He a touch of fame in America.

There was no broadcast in China, as the Rockets were playing that day. In that game, Yao Ming performed brilliantly with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Still, through live text updates, Chinese fans learned that Xinghui He had put up a solid 14 points. What really got people talking was Payton’s postgame comment: Xinghui He’s trash talk was already on par with his own.

That stirred curiosity among many fans: just how sharp was Xinghui He’s trash talk, to earn Payton’s respect?

Some sharp-eyed editors found foreign news reports, translated them, and gave fans a fuller picture of the game’s events and anecdotes.

After reading those reports, many fans gave their thumbs up.

“They say Xingzi fired off 21 trash talk lines in this game, targeting Payton, Wade, the Big Diesel, and more.”

“I watched the video of him singing against O’Neal—absolutely hilarious. Good thing O’Neal has a good temper; anyone else would have decked him.”

“Can’t you guys focus on Xingzi’s stats? Five of eight for 14 points—not bad at all, even more dazzling than Yao’s season opener…”

And so on.