Chapter 261: Regular Season Honors and the Road Ahead
After wrapping up the dinner in Phoenix, Chen Yan and Taylor Swift flew straight to Los Angeles. His name carried more weight than ever, and with that rising fame came connections. Many wealthy investors had begun forming relationships with him, and today he was attending a high profile charity gala.
People with money loved befriending someone like Chen Yan. His influence opened doors, drew attention, and made every collaboration shine brighter. But despite the invitations constantly thrown his way, Chen Yan was never someone who blindly showed up everywhere. He avoided unnecessary business gatherings, yet always made time for charity and public welfare events. They boosted his image, helped real communities, and built trust with people who might one day become partners in future ventures.
He had no interest in becoming a cold hearted capitalist, hoarding wealth endlessly. His vision was simple: use the money he earned now, plus the foresight granted by his system, to invest in businesses with potential. He wanted stability after retirement, not extravagance. Of course, his definition of financial freedom was far more ambitious than most would dare to dream. For Chen Yan, true financial freedom meant at least a ten digit disposable income, measured in dollars.
And that was just the start. Private land, sea, and air transportation were on his checklist too. If opportunities arose, he even wanted to own an NBA or European football team. He had spent his life on the court; one day, he wanted to sit in the owner's suite and see the game from a completely different perspective. Still, basketball remained the center of his career. Everything else came second.
Money was important, though. He had witnessed too many retired players go bankrupt, some losing their fortune within years. Chen Yan refused to let his future end in the same tragedy.
That mindset is what led him to another passion: gaming. Chen Yan was a lifelong gamer, and recently he invested in a rising company called Riot Games. Two weeks earlier, he had met with founders Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill over dinner. At this point in time, Riot was still searching for investors, and Chen Yan's support stunned them. They didn't know that Chen Yan was already aware of their future. League of Legends would soon explode globally after Penguin Entertainment acquired it.
After the charity event, Chen Yan returned to Phoenix and jumped straight back into training. The Suns knew their next opponent well: the San Antonio Spurs.
Last season, the Suns were eliminated by the Spurs 4 to 2. That matchup had been one of the most intense and controversial playoff series in years. The moment the ball was tipped, the tension was obvious. Hard fouls, chippy contact, trash talk—every game felt like a battlefield.
Stoudemire even called the Spurs a dirty team in frustration.
In Game 1, Nash collided with Tony Parker. Parker fell clutching his face, while Nash stood up bleeding, his nose cut open. He finished the game with layers of tape, blood seeping through. Parker was criticized for exaggerating the contact, and Nash later needed six stitches.
The violence continued. Ginobili took a hit that left his left eye bleeding. Nash was kneed in another game and later shoved into the scorer's table by Robert Horry in a flagrant foul. Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended for leaving the bench to defend Nash, and ultimately the Spurs took the advantage.
The hostility didn't stop with the players. Fans jumped in as well. At home games, Suns fans taped their noses to mimic Nash. Spurs fans painted a black mark under their left eye after Ginobili's injury.
Last year's drama had carried seamlessly into this year. Phoenix media openly advertised the matchup as a revenge series.
Chen Yan didn't care about the theatrics. What mattered was simple: to win the championship, the Suns had to beat the Spurs. Nothing else mattered.
Though the Spurs also advanced quickly in Round One, they had two fewer days of rest than Phoenix. That difference mattered in the grueling playoffs.
The rest of the league continued battling. The Lakers defeated the Jazz 4 to 1 to reach the West semifinals. Utah played fearlessly, but running into Kobe and Garnett was never a pleasant experience. If they had faced the Rockets, as in Chen Yan's original timeline, they likely would have reached the second round.
One Western matchup remained undecided: Hornets versus Mavericks. Dallas led 3 to 2, holding match point.
In the East, things were clearer. The Pistons led the Pacers 3 to 1 and were expected to close the series on their home court. The Magic were also up 3 to 1 against the 76ers. The Raptors had already eliminated the Wizards 4 to 1. Paul Pierce dominated the series, averaging 23.7 points and 6.8 rebounds. Arenas, returning from injury, struggled badly—scoring double digits only once. In Game 3 he scored just two points.
Watching Arenas, Chen Yan sighed. Injuries were the great equalizer in sports. Even someone as confident as Arenas could fall victim to them. Chen Yan silently thanked his system. As long as he maintained it, he could avoid many of the career destroying injuries that haunted other players.
With the first round nearly over, the 2007 to 2008 regular season awards were officially announced.
Regular Season Rookie of the Year: Chen Yan
Most Improved Player: Hedo Turkoglu
Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili
Coach of the Year: Phil Jackson
Executive of the Year: Mike DAntoni
Chen Yan's Rookie of the Year selection was unanimous. No reporter dared to overthink it. Durant had impressive numbers—20.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists—but Chen Yan was already playing at near MVP level. Putting him in the rookie category felt almost unfair.
The All Rookie First Team included Chen Yan, Durant, Scola, Al Thornton, and Al Horford.
The Second Team consisted of Yi Jianlian, Moon, Navarro, Stuckey, and Thaddeus Young.
Yi Jianlian, influenced by Chen Yan's presence, worked harder this season and earned his Second Team spot with averages of 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.
The Most Improved and Sixth Man awards were just as clear cut. Turkoglu jumped from 13 points to 19.5 points per game. Ginobili nearly averaged 20 points off the bench.
Phil Jackson, the Zen Master, easily won Coach of the Year. The Lakers had the best offense in the league.
Mike DAntoni made the list too—not as a coach, but as Executive of the Year. He handled roster decisions while coaching and even served as an assistant for Team USA. His workload was ridiculous, and the award was a well deserved acknowledgment.
When interviewed, DAntoni joked, "The only thing I did to win Executive of the Year was draft Chen."
Chen Yan received even more good news: he made the All NBA First Team.
All NBA First Team: Chen Yan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Second Team: Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Amar'e Stoudemire
Third Team: Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili, Paul Pierce, Carlos Boozer, Yao Ming
Chen Yan's selection shook the basketball world. Only five rookies in NBA history had ever made the First Team: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Larry Bird, and Tim Duncan. Every one of them was a legend.
Now, Chen Yan's name joined that historic list.
A day later, the Defensive Player of the Year was announced: Kevin Garnett. KG's defensive versatility—guarding inside and outside, doing the tough work—had been essential to the Lakers' success.
Finally, everyone waited for the biggest award of them all: the Regular Season MVP.
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