NBA's Super Troublemaker

Chapter 48: Artest invites Hansen Lee to box?

The second half of the game became very interesting.

The atmosphere between the two sides was highly charged, and it turned into a full-blown hand-to-hand combat battle.

Ron Artest has been confirmed to be out for this game, leaving the Pacers without a key player.

With Li He ejected, Reggie Miller was freed up and scored consecutive points.

The Trail Blazers, playing at home in the Rose Garden, also performed well on offense, especially Zach Randolph, who seemed to be completely activated, scoring 20 points in the second half.

Ultimately, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Pacers 87-80, securing their second consecutive win to start the season.

Zach Randolph racked up 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, becoming the best player in the game, and naturally followed the coach to the post-game interview.

Zach Randolph, who is still in his third year, has not played many games in his first year of his career. He only started to make a name for himself last season, but he only averaged 8 points per game.

When interviewed by the media, he was not as open and frank as Li He, who dared to directly retort; instead, he seemed somewhat shy and uncomfortable.

Reporter: "Zach, as the best player of the game, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Zach Randolph shook his head: "NO, I wasn't the best player. The best player in this game was Hansen Lee."

Reporter: "...You mean, Hansen Lee's knockout of Artest was the key to the success of this fight?"

Zach Randolph looked speechless: "What are you talking about? Hansen Lee successfully shut down Reggie Miller in the first half, scoring 11 points by halftime!"

"Moreover, if he hadn't helped me, I probably would have taken that punch."

"Thank you, Hansen Lee. If the league imposes any further fines, I'll pay them for him, considering he's only been in the league for a few days."

Reporters were stunned by Zach Randolph's attitude, the notorious scoundrel from the "Portland Jailers".

Does Hansen Lee have such great personal charisma?

After playing only two games for the team, he managed to win over Zach Randolph, who even seemed to want to acknowledge him as the team's leader.

This is really not an easy thing.

The post-match interviews ended quickly, and Zach Randolph immediately approached Li He.

"Hansen, I need to talk to you!"

Li He countered with, "What is it?"

Zach Randolph said, "If the league imposes any further penalties, such as fines, I'll pay them for you."

"After all, you acted on my behalf!"

To be fair, Zach Randolph seems like a tough guy, but he's also quite loyal.

Some players have publicly stated in the media that they will pay their teammates' fines, but in the end, they don't actually pay.

Li He said with a smile, "I thought it was something serious."

"Whatever, let them fine me."

"But you've only just joined the league, you don't have much money," Randolph advised.

He has already played two full seasons in the NBA and earned two years' salary. Although he doesn't have much left after big expenses, he is still richer than rookie Hansen Lee.

"I can still afford the 3.5 yuan fine," Li He admitted. "I just received a payment."

"You have extra income? As far as I know, with your notorious reputation, you don't have any commercial endorsements at all."

Li He explained, "Well, there are no commercial endorsements, but my agent called me and said that we won the lawsuit against the Miami Sports Daily. They will pay $70 in compensation. After deducting expenses and team costs, I estimate I'll get a little over $40."

"Wooo...that's a huge sum of money!" Zach Randolph exclaimed.

The chubby guy's salary in his third year was $153 million, but he only took a little over half of that.

"So, to celebrate tonight's victory, let's find a place to have some fun," Li He suggested.

With one punch knocking out Artest, Li He will most likely face additional suspension and fines, meaning he won't be playing in the next match. This is a good opportunity for him to relax.

"Absolutely!" Zach Randolph nodded vigorously. "But I'll treat you!"

"Either is fine, there are no outsiders here."

……

the next day.

Li He's knockout of Ron Artest in the match also made it into the news.

The 03 draft class's super rookies were under the watchful eyes of the entire league, but Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony's performances remained mediocre, still adapting to the league.

LeBron James has already racked up a near triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in the second game, showcasing his talent with his various soaring dunks.

But the buzz surrounding Li He's knockout of Ron Artest is significantly higher than that surrounding James' near triple-double.

It also generated more discussion.

Because Li He's debut was too perfect, defeating the Lakers with their "F4" at Staples Center, and Artest himself was no pushover, and fans love to watch the drama unfold.

Therefore, all sorts of outrageous headlines are flying around.

[Boxing prodigy! Hansen Lee knocks out Ron Artest with a single punch, and the Trail Blazers defend their home court for their second consecutive win!]

[A righteous punch to protect his teammates! Hansen Lee's punch was spot on!]

[The City of Rift may be about to welcome a new master; he perfectly fits the prison team's temperament, and is excessively strong!]

[Rumor has it! Ruben Patterson was so badly beaten after a boxing match with Hansen Lee that he was too afraid to report to the team. He only returned after much persuasion!]

[Scoring 11 points in the first half, successfully shutting down Reggie Miller; if Hansen Lee hadn't been ejected, the Pacers could have suffered a crushing defeat!]

[Boxing artist Roy Jones Jr. stated that Hansen Lee possesses exceptional boxing talent and urged him to abandon the NBA and switch to boxing!]

【…】

In contrast to the American media's portrayal of Li He as a complete "troublemaker," Li He was described as a "troublemaker" in a different light.

The propaganda from Chinese media is much more reasonable.

[Sports Weekly: Li He's punch demonstrated the loyalty and courage of the Chinese people, showing their willingness to take responsibility and stand up for their teammates!]

[Southern Sports: Not seeking trouble, but not afraid of trouble! The scoundrel Artest finally gets his punishment! Li Heqian's performance was brilliant!]

On the Sina Sports website, in addition to the most popular "Yao Ming Forum", the "Li He Forum" is also rising.

The conversation inside was very heated about Li He's knockout of Artest.

"Haha! That was so satisfying! Li He delivered a great punch!"

"What kind of scoundrels are they? They're nothing but roadside thugs in front of Brother He!"

"As a professional boxer, I would say that Li He's punch was the result of at least 20 years of training..."

Li He and Yao Ming are the future hope of Chinese basketball. Their every move in the NBA affects the hearts of tens of millions of fans.

If they are bullied in a match, the fans are indignant and wish they could drown the other side in their spittle.

But if they beat someone else in the game.

Without a doubt, it must be the other party's fault!

Of course, given Yao Ming's mild-mannered personality, such a scene is unlikely to occur.

But if anyone gets into a conflict with Li He, then it's guaranteed that the other party has a problem!

Soon, the league issued additional penalties: Li He was suspended for three games and fined $20000.

Li He accepted the punishment readily, mainly because there was nothing he could do if he didn't accept it; he would still be punished anyway.

Nothing major happened to Ron Artest, but Artest, who is known for his "bad boy" mentality, was definitely not going to save face after being brutally beaten by a rookie.

His phone has been ringing off the hook these past few days, with many people jokingly asking when Artest will get his revenge.

Artest was also angry, but the league has a clear rule against players fighting each other.

However, if the next match is played with referees as teammates, and the game isn't as enjoyable, it would essentially provide Hansen Lee with an extra layer of protection.

After much thought, Artest came up with a good idea.

He held a personal press conference, simply expressing his stance, or rather, extending an invitation:

"Hmm...Hansen Lee's punches are indeed quite good."

"I think we can have a friendly boxing match during the offseason, if he has the courage."

"Of course, if the coward doesn't dare to accept, I don't mind either."