"Wow, wow, wow, they really are NBA stars!"
"Oh my god, that's Paul Pierce, and that's… Josh Smith? Avery Bradley, Evan Turner, Isaiah Thomas, and—oh, DeAndre Jordan!" The crowd buzzed with excitement. Many of the onlookers were NBA fans. While the league isn't the most popular of the four major North American sports, it has a loyal following, and everyone here clearly loved basketball.
"DeAndre Jordan—wasn't he the one who made a scene this year?" someone muttered. The biggest story that summer had been Jordan's sudden departure and equally sudden return.
Legally, he hadn't done anything wrong, but morally, he had left the Mavericks hanging.
"Hey, that's just business!" another fan countered. Ironically, this was the same guy who had cursed Jordan out online just weeks before. Now, with Jordan standing in front of him, he screamed in support. When the towering center stretched out his long arms for a high-five, the fan nearly melted. His opinion—and his loyalty—shifted instantly.
"Hello everyone!" Paul Pierce shouted, waving to the crowd as he led the players into the gym. The roar of cheers followed them inside.
This was a charity game. There would be no winners or losers, just a show for the fans. Still, the crowd's energy was electric.
Each side had to field ten players, plus three referees. The officials were naturally Pierce's picks, and much of the staff had been arranged by him as well. Six NBA players showed up: three current Celtics—Evan Turner, Avery Bradley, and Isaiah Thomas—and three of Pierce's former Clippers teammates—himself, Josh Smith, and DeAndre Jordan.
Normally, an All-Star like Jordan wouldn't bother with a low-profile charity game; such events were usually reserved for down-to-earth veterans or hungry rookies. But with his reputation a bit shaky that summer, he needed the publicity. He couldn't afford to lose votes once All-Star balloting opened.
The rest of the roster was filled out with four NBA D-League players eager to prove themselves, a few college students, and some local socialites. The college kids were mostly from Boston universities. While the city has world-famous schools, few are basketball powerhouses. Boston College had the only respectable program, but NCAA business was irrelevant to people like Jiang Hai.
Once everyone gathered, Paul Pierce began organizing the teams. Before he could finish, Avery Bradley, who had met Jiang Hai a few times, walked straight over to him.
"Hey, Paul, I want this guy on my team!" Bradley declared.
"You know him?" Pierce frowned in surprise.
"Of course. This is Jiang Hai. He's pretty well-known in Winthrop. Don't let his age fool you—he earns more than all of us combined," Bradley said with a grin.
Pierce raised his brows, then shrugged. "Alright, whatever you say." He figured Bradley just wanted to cozy up to a wealthy man. After all, the vice president had already introduced Jiang Hai earlier. For players, networking with someone that rich was a win-win.
Soon, the twenty players were divided into teams. Jiang Hai's side included himself, Avery Bradley, Josh Smith, and Evan Turner, along with a high schooler, two D-League players, a professional, and two NCAA players.
On the other side were Paul Pierce, DeAndre Jordan, and Isaiah Thomas, plus a mix of a high schooler, two professionals, two D-League players, and two NCAA players.
Each team quickly worked out a lineup. At Bradley's insistence, Jiang Hai was assigned shooting guard. Evan Turner played alongside him, while Bradley slotted in at small forward. Josh Smith, the only one strong enough to contend with Jordan, took the center spot, with a tall NCAA forward covering power forward.
Because this was a charity match, both teams had unlimited substitutions and timeouts. The game would be played in two twenty-minute halves, with a ten-minute break between.
As the teams warmed up, security began letting in more spectators. Soon the gym was packed. Naturally, Jiang Hai's women had gathered behind his team's bench.
"Wow, I didn't think a small-town game would attract this many beautiful women. I'm getting excited," Josh Smith muttered, eyes widening at the sight of the women from Jiang Hai's household. He nudged DeAndre Jordan, chuckling.
The two, still friends off-court despite being on opposing teams, joked together.
"Hey, they're obviously here to watch me," Jordan said, flexing his muscles dramatically. Qi Jie and the others burst out laughing. To them, he looked ridiculous, though he mistook their amusement for admiration.
"Well… you're going to be disappointed. Those women are all Mr. Jiang's wives," a local high schooler piped up.
"Huh? Them?" Jordan and Smith both blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, all of them." The kid gestured toward Jiang Hai's women. It wasn't exactly a secret in Winthrop—everyone knew the residents of Jiang Hai's manor were essentially his concubines.
"Damn, that evil rich man," Jordan cursed under his breath. He'd hoped to show off and maybe charm one of them. But now, they were clearly off-limits. In Los Angeles, he might have risked pushing boundaries. But this was Winthrop, and Jiang Hai was the wealthiest man in town. Jordan doubted he'd make it onto a plane back to L.A. if he caused trouble here.
A strong dragon might not defeat a local snake—but in this case, Jordan wasn't the dragon. He was just a frog, and a frog had better not provoke a snake.
"I'll just block him a few times to let off steam," Jordan muttered.
Josh Smith gave a helpless shrug. He had thought the girls were there for him, but clearly, they were Jiang Hai's. At least Jordan had the excuse of being on the opposing team.
"Watch me!" Jordan growled, still fuming.
The warm-up ended, and the referees called both sides to center court. Josh Smith and DeAndre Jordan stepped into the circle for the tip-off.
The whistle blew. The ball was tossed high. Jordan and Smith leapt, arms outstretched, as the crowd roared.
Jiang Hai's eyes followed the ball upward. Enough pretending—it's game time.
(To be continued…)