Chapter 83

Yang Mo looked forward to meeting Garnett. He had grown up watching Garnett play, and he was genuinely happy for him when Garnett won the championship last year. However... now that they were opponents, he had to prove himself on the court.

From a technical and tactical standpoint, even the past-his-prime Garnett could easily outplay Yang Mo, as Yang Mo was at a disadvantage in both skill and physique. The only slight edge he had was in strength.

Just as his fighting spirit was soaring, Coach Kub came over and knocked on the door, saying, "Yang, get your stuff ready, we're heading to the airport in thirty minutes."

"Okay, got it." Yang Mo quickly packed his clothes. The long NBA season was an incredibly grueling process, involving almost daily flights, buses, hotels, and arenas, a monotonous cycle from one city to another. In short, it was a tough way to earn a living.

Half an hour later, the team gathered in the hotel lobby. Pat Riley gathered the players for a few words, then parted ways with the team, heading back to Miami.

As the general manager, he had no obligation to travel with the team. With so many matters to handle, he needed to stay in Miami to manage the team remotely. The main reason he had accompanied the team for these two away games was largely due to Yang Mo. Previously, the media had been critical of Yang Mo and his draft choice, which had left Riley with a bad taste in his mouth. Now, with Yang Mo's strong performances in the last two games, he finally felt vindicated and confident that Yang Mo had secured his place on the team.

So, it was time to return to Miami.

The players were not particularly affected by Riley's departure; in fact, they felt more at ease without him. Head coach Erik Spoelstra was not a particularly intimidating coach, lacking the experience to handle many situations without the help of veteran players.

The Heat team soon boarded the plane and arrived in Boston. Upon landing, someone had leaked the flight information, and a large group of reporters swarmed them, all targeting Yang Mo.

Before long, Yang Mo was surrounded by cameras, with flashbulbs popping non-stop.

"Yang, have you visited Randolph, who suffered a moderate concussion? Do you feel sorry for your actions?"

"No," Yang Mo replied simply, taking the opportunity to remove the sunglasses from his shirt and put them on.

"So, do you think you didn't do anything wrong?"

"No," Yang Mo answered with a single word: "No."

"Then... what do you think about being called a court thug?"

"No."

"Before you arrived, Kristen also came. Was this planned?"

"No."

"She said she will be at the North Shore Garden tomorrow night. Will you interact with her after the game?"

"No."

"Do you have confidence in winning this game? Do you think you can perform as you did in the last two games against Garnett's defense?" Finally, a Boston basketball reporter asked a professional question.

Yang Mo stopped and answered seriously, "I don't care who my opponent is. I just focus on what I need to do. Of course, I can't deny that Garnett is the strongest opponent I've faced since entering the NBA, but... I still have to play my own game."

"May I ask..."

The reporter wanted to ask more, but Yang Mo didn't want to answer. He spread his arms, pushed through the crowd, and quickly ran out, getting on the team bus.

Once in the bus, he took off his sunglasses and said irritably, "These reporters are so annoying."

"Can't be helped. Who made you the most talked-about player in the league?" Wade smiled, having long been accustomed to this as an NBA veteran.

"Ah..." Yang Mo sighed. He really didn't want to be the center of attention, but ever since he appeared at the NBA draft, the spotlight had never left him. Other players worried about not getting enough exposure, while he was troubled by too much attention.

Meanwhile, news of Yang Mo's interview quickly spread across the country.

Due to his shocking five "No"s, he was once again at the center of public criticism. Almost all reports criticized him for being arrogant, such as wearing sunglasses during the interview, speaking coldly, and showing indifference to the injured Randolph...

Under the media's portrayal, Yang Mo, who was previously seen as a bust, was now portrayed as a rebellious and heartless court thug.

This image undoubtedly harmed his commercial prospects, but... there were exceptions to being a rebel, like Allen Iverson and Dennis Rodman. As long as they could produce jaw-dropping statistics, companies would still come knocking with large checks. After all, there were many people who appreciated those who stood out, and many rebellious teenagers loved basketball.

However... so far, Yang Mo had not produced any convincing statistics, at most just a bit of a surprise.

So, he still had a long way to go.

When the team bus arrived at the hotel, news of Yang Mo's interview had already reached Kevin Garnett's ears. Since the reporter had only mentioned the first part of the interview, it made Yang Mo seem arrogant, which irritated Garnett. He also faced the camera with a stern look and said, "Let him come. I'm not old yet! My rating in 2K9 is still 99, and I'm still the number one power forward."

The tension was already palpable even before the game, which delighted the reporters, as it added more drama to the match.

...

[Third update delivered, please give recommendations and add to your favorites.]