Chapter 63: The Prophet Wu Rui

“Michael, you’re really bold—that was a TNT interview.”
On the Magic’s bench, after joining his teammates in some shooting drills, Biyombo returned to his seat, stretching as he looked over at Wu Rui and said, “Who knows how much attention your comment is getting already!”
Facing the interview cameras, Wu Rui had brazenly declared that his opponent wouldn’t get a triple-double, that at most he’d manage a double-double. This was a stark declaration of war—such provocative words were bound to become a media sensation.
TNT, as one of the premier sports media outlets in the United States, certainly wouldn’t pass up on such a “big story.” With only minutes left before tip-off, the main page of TNT’s basketball section was already refreshed with a bold, red-lettered headline that caught the eyes of fans everywhere:

“Battle in Orlando! Chinese Rookie Challenges the MVP Favorite!”

Many were drawn in by the headline. Upon clicking, they found themselves watching the live stream of the Orlando Magic facing off against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Guys, can someone tell me what this headline is about?”
Seeing both teams’ players still warming up, several fans who had just entered the live stream began to ask in the comments.
“You missed a great interview—Orlando’s rookie Michael Wu just challenged Russell!”
“That’s right, the young man named Michael Wu said he’d stop Russell Westbrook from getting a triple-double in Orlando!”
“Oh, seriously? Michael Wu? That Chinese rookie? He actually said that to Russell on camera?”
As explanations appeared, even more viewers joined in to ask questions. The headline was simply too attention-grabbing. In the few minutes before the game, the live audience shot up from just over ninety thousand to one hundred sixty thousand—more than some games that were already at halftime!

“Whoa!”
At the arena, Kenny Smith, seated at the commentary table, had just gotten word from the production team with details of the interview. He couldn’t help exclaiming as he turned to Shaquille O’Neal beside him: “Shaq, do you know who we just interviewed courtside?”
“Who, Russell?” O’Neal was startled by Kenny’s excitement and guessed.

“That’s right, we interviewed Russell, and we also spoke with Michael Wu!” Kenny Smith was practically buzzing. “Guess what that kid said? He claimed Russell’s magic would end on his home court!”
“Whoa, he’s got guts!” exclaimed Shaquille O’Neal, his mouth agape. “I like a kid who’s got the nerve to talk like that!”
“Oh, come on, Shaq. Talking big is easy for anyone.” Charles Barkley, on the other hand, shook his head and glanced at the court. “Let’s see who Frank Vogel starts. Michael Wu still needs to earn enough playing time before he can talk that big.”
Just as Barkley said, despite Wu Rui’s rising popularity, Coach Vogel still kept him on the bench. Wu simply wasn’t yet ready to be a starter.
That said, the Magic did make a change in their starting lineup—Jeff Green replaced Aaron Gordon as a starter, while the other positions remained the same.
Before the game, Vogel had already explained to Gordon that there was no real distinction between starting and coming off the bench between him and Jeff Green; whether you played first or later didn’t matter—what counted was who performed better on the court.
As for the Thunder, their starting lineup was unchanged: Domantas Sabonis and Steven Adams in the paint, Andre Roberson, known for his defense, at small forward, with Victor Oladipo—recently traded from the Magic—joining the MVP frontrunner Russell Westbrook in the backcourt.
These two teams had some ties. After all, two of tonight’s starters once played for the other team. Serge Ibaka even took some time to chat with his old Thunder teammates before the game; just last season, they had fought side by side against the league’s top dogs.
Similarly, Oladipo exchanged greetings with his former Magic teammates before tip-off. He had loved the team’s atmosphere, but ultimately, his fate wasn’t in his own hands.
“Serge, I heard you have a rookie named Michael on your team,” Westbrook asked Ibaka as they bumped shoulders before the tip-off. “He’s not starting?”
“Of course not,” Ibaka replied as they moved apart, a bit curious. “Why, are you interested in Michael?”
“No, no, just asking.”
With that, Westbrook clapped hands with Ibaka again and moved aside to await the start of the game.
Ibaka didn’t think much of it. Maybe Wu Rui’s popularity had piqued Westbrook’s interest.

The players from both sides took the court, and the game officially began. As it happened, the Thunder’s starting center for the tip-off, young Sabonis, was also a rookie this year—one whom the Magic had picked with the eleventh lottery pick in the first round.

But as an extra piece in the trade, he and Oladipo were sent to Oklahoma City in exchange for Ibaka.
Even so, the rookie Sabonis still had the upper hand over Vucevic in the jump ball. The Thunder claimed the first possession, with Westbrook bringing the ball up.
“The first play—he’ll definitely pass,”
Before Westbrook had even made his move, Wu Rui, sitting on the bench, spoke up.
And just as if Westbrook had heard him, the star guard used his speed and strength to drive into the paint, but instead of going for the layup, he kicked the ball out to Andre Roberson beyond the arc. Roberson caught it, set himself, and launched a three-pointer—but the shot clanged off the rim.
Magic point guard Elfrid Payton secured the rebound, ignited the fast break, and in a two-on-one situation dished to Jeff Green, who took an easy step and scored the opening basket for the Magic!
Possession switched. Once again, Westbrook pushed the ball up. Sitting on the bench, Wu Rui commented once more, “Watch, he’ll pass again.”
Sure enough, the “Brodie” slashed through the defense, looked poised for a flying layup, but in midair dished it to Adams under the basket. Adams went up for the layup, but put just a bit too much on it—the ball bounced off the rim, and the Magic seized another chance to run, this time with Fournier finishing for two!
“Michael, are you a prophet or something?”
On the bench, Biyombo stared at Wu Rui in disbelief after he’d predicted Westbrook’s last two decisions.
Wu Rui just gave a cold laugh. “Just wait—the best is yet to come.”