Chapter 610: Retaining the MVP Title Is a Foregone Conclusion
After playing the Grizzlies, the Suns had 2 days off. Their next game would be on January 5 against the Kings.
During that stretch, Chen Yan remained the hottest topic among fans. It was not just because of his 101 point game. There was also a scandalous piece of gossip.
Paparazzi photographed Kim Kardashian entering and leaving Chen Yan's villa in Phoenix, and the story immediately set the entire United States on fire.
Chen Yan had always had the image of a loyal boyfriend. Since entering the league, he had been known for keeping his relationships clean. Aside from Taylor Swift, he had never been linked to any other woman.
Because of that, many fans believed Chen Yan had finally gotten carried away. Right after scoring 101 points, he had started indulging in luxury and socialites.
The truth was nothing like that.
If Chen Yan had wanted to chase socialites, he could have done it over the previous 2 seasons. Why wait until now?
In reality, the entire story had been orchestrated by Kim Kardashian herself.
After finding out Chen Yan's Phoenix address, Kim Kardashian quietly paid him a visit. When Chen Yan opened the door, he found the curvy socialite standing outside.
She had clearly dressed with care. She wore a low cut top, hot pants, and flawless makeup.
"What the hell?" Chen Yan blurted out. "How did you find this place?"
"Want to have a morning workout together?" Kim Kardashian asked with a seductive smile. "I'm ready."
"No. No, no. I have something to do this morning. Please leave," Chen Yan said, already preparing to close the door.
Kim Kardashian took 1 step closer.
"Is there anything 2 people can't do together?"
"Madam, if you keep this up, I'm calling the police."
Seeing Chen Yan's firm attitude, Kim Kardashian did not continue pushing.
After all, her goal had already been achieved.
She had paid paparazzi out of her own pocket to hide in the bushes, and they had already captured photos of the 2 of them talking at the doorway.
The next day, a gossip headline appeared.
"NBA Superstar and Socialite Share Reluctant Morning Farewell After Night of Passion."
When Chen Yan saw the story, he was genuinely furious.
He felt completely set up. He had done nothing, yet the whole world now thought he had done everything.
Chen Yan immediately contacted his agent to file complaints against Kim Kardashian and the media outlet. But regardless of the result, the negative news had already spread. Taylor Swift even fought with Chen Yan over it, and their plan to spend a passionate day together on January 4 was ruined.
The next day at practice, Chen Yan also became the target of his teammates' jokes.
Stoudemire laughed. "Chen finally did it too?"
Raja Bell poked Chen Yan in the ribs. "So, was Kim Kardashian worth the drama?"
Chen Yan was already in a bad mood, so he naturally was not interested in joking with them.
"Damn it, I was set up," Chen Yan said. "The news is fake. Kim Kardashian talked to me for a few sentences while the paparazzi took pictures, then she left."
Stoudemire shook his head.
"What a loss."
Jordan walked over and patted Chen Yan on the shoulder.
"At that point, you might as well have done it."
Chen Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. These Suns brothers were all troublemakers, and he had long since gotten used to it.
On January 5, Chen Yan played poorly against the Kings. He shot only 10 of 21 from the field, finished with 30 points, and the Suns suffered an unexpected loss.
The outside world speculated that Chen Yan had been affected by the negative news. After all, a player's performance was influenced not only by physical condition, but also by mentality. During the period when Kobe was caught up in the America incident, his form had also fluctuated.
1 day later, the Suns lost again in a back to back against the Rockets. Houston, playing without McGrady, defeated Phoenix 108 to 100.
Chen Yan's performance that night was not the issue. He recorded a triple double with 41 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The problem was that the Suns' 2nd scoring option failed to keep up.
Their 2nd leading scorer was Barea, who came off the bench and scored only 16 points. Stoudemire had only 9 points and was completely outplayed by Yao Ming.
On January 8, Chen Yan exploded again against the Miami Heat. He shot 21 of 33 from the field, 7 of 11 from 3 point range, and 9 of 10 from the free throw line, finishing with a massive 58 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Even so, the Suns still lost.
The reason was the same as the previous game. They lacked a reliable 2nd scoring option.
2 fists were no match for 4 hands. That night, Wade and new recruit Pau Gasol both delivered brilliant performances. Wade had 38 points and 7 assists, while Gasol finished with 28 points and 15 rebounds.
The Heat showcased their strength, controlling the game with a traditional inside and outside core combination.
After Gasol's arrival, Miami had already entered the top tier of the Eastern Conference. If they appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals, Chen Yan would not be surprised at all.
As for Phoenix, Stoudemire's form remained sluggish, and his conflict with management had become irreconcilable.
The Suns had already decided to trade Stoudemire before the trade deadline.
If Stoudemire opted out of his contract in the summer, Phoenix would lose an All Star power forward who had played for them for 8 years without getting anything in return.
During this period, the Suns intensified their efforts to shop Stoudemire around the league. Their asking price was not particularly high. They were willing to accept promising young players, high draft picks, and salary cap flexibility.
The Suns owner wanted to replicate Chen Yan's success by winning the most games with the least money.
But if Phoenix continued down that path, it meant spending more time developing young players. That sparked Chen Yan's dissatisfaction, because it wasted his prime.
He still wanted to win 2 more championships while Nash remained near the end of his peak.
Because of that, Chen Yan had a major argument with management, but even then, it did not change their intention to trade Stoudemire.
Stoudemire would most likely be moved before the All Star Game in February.
After 3 straight losses, doubts about the Suns grew again. Some haters jumped out and claimed Chen Yan could only score and could not connect the team.
Chen Yan's fans immediately fired back. If a player could score 101 points, then he did not need to connect the team. He alone could blow out the opponent.
That was true in theory, but Chen Yan could not score 101 every night.
He still needed support from his teammates.
On January 11, the Suns defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 109 to 95 at home, ending their 3 game losing streak.
Chen Yan was steady, finishing with 39 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. Stoudemire and Diaw both scored 20 points.
As long as his teammates provided some firepower, the Suns could play very comfortably.
Still, although Phoenix got the win, the team's morale did not improve much.
The Bucks were a weak team. Beating them was nothing to celebrate.
2 days later, the Suns traveled to Indiana to challenge another weak team, the Pacers.
In that game, Indiana's core, Danny Granger, and reserve swingman Dahntay Jones both played brilliantly. Granger scored 33 points, while Jones added 30. The game was even dragged into overtime.
In overtime, every Suns fan hoped Chen Yan would step up.
He did not let them down.
Chen Yan erupted for 11 points in overtime, leading the Suns to a 129 to 124 victory over the Pacers.
He finished with 66 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Fans could say the Suns' overall performance during this stretch was not satisfying, but no one could be dissatisfied with Chen Yan.
Win or lose, he was carrying the team alone.
Although the Suns were ranked only 3rd in the Western Conference, Chen Yan had occupied the top spot in the regular season MVP rankings for a long time.
As the outside world said, this season was Chen Yan's solo performance season.
He had delivered too many classic, eye catching individual performances.
101 points in a single game.
89 points in a single game.
Huge triple doubles.
Multiple 60 point and 70 point games.
As long as the Suns' final record was not too poor, Chen Yan winning a 2nd straight regular season MVP was no longer in much doubt.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]