Chapter 54: Casino Storm, Secret Recruitment in the Summer League!
As soon as the game ended, a familiar blonde reporter from ESPN quickly approached Chen Yan courtside.
Chen Yan greeted her with a smile. He had done several interviews with her back during the NCAA season, so he was already used to her style.
"Chen! Congratulations on your Summer League debut. Can you share your thoughts on the atmosphere here in Las Vegas?"
Chen Yan nodded. "The energy was great. The fans were super passionate. They reacted to every big play, and that kind of feedback? It fuels you as a player. I really enjoyed it."
"Tonight, you dropped an incredible 34 points in just 17 minutes—insane efficiency! What's your take on the level of competition here?"
Chen Yan gave a relaxed chuckle. "Honestly? It felt like regular training. It helps me stay in game shape, but I didn't really break a sweat out there."
"So... would you say the Summer League isn't a challenge for you?" the reporter pressed, holding up her mic with a teasing smile.
That made Chen Yan laugh. "Well, yeah. I wouldn't say it's hard. But that's not me disrespecting anyone—I'm just being real about how I feel."
"Will you still come off the bench in the next game?"
"That's up to the coaching staff. I trust them to make the right call."
"Awesome. Thanks for the interview, Chen!"
"Anytime!"
Before the night was over, clips from the game and snippets of the interview had already gone viral.
"Second pick goes OFF in Summer League debut!"
"Chen Yan: 'Summer League is easier than daily training.'"
"Revenge game? Chen Yan dominates against former teammates!"
"34 points in 17 minutes—he scores like it's a walk in the park!"
But while the internet exploded, Chen Yan wasn't paying much attention. After the game, he and Durant had made plans to enjoy a night out in Sin City.
After all, Chen Yan's current life was a far cry from his past one. Now that he had a fresh start, he wanted to experience everything he'd missed before.
Durant, who had taken an L tonight, didn't let the Summer League loss bother him. It wasn't the playoffs. Just one game. He bounced back quickly.
That night, they arrived at the Carta Privada Casino, one of the most extravagant resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.
Outside, mechanical volcanoes erupted in fire and smoke, while holographic pirate ships from the Caribbean clashed in digital warfare. Everywhere you looked, there were towering fountains, surreal sculptures, and jaw-dropping architecture.
The entire complex covered over 300,000 square meters, staffed by nearly 8,000 employees. Inside, it boasted massive banquet halls, luxury restaurants, high-end shops, gyms, clubs, and even full-scale theaters. The scent of money and opulence was in the air.
But Chen Yan and Durant weren't there to gamble away fortunes. They just wanted to experience the vibe.
Before stepping in, they made a deal—each would exchange only $1,000 worth of chips. Win or lose, that was the cap. All for fun.
Turns out, Durant's luck was just as bad off the court as it was on it tonight. He burned through his chips in no time.
Not one to sit idly by, Durant switched into "coach mode" and gave Chen Yan some live 1v1 casino guidance. But instead of helping, he only made things worse.
After a few risky bets and unlucky spins, Chen Yan followed suit—busted.
The two of them were like a pair of clowns on a bad run, laughing it off the whole time.
Durant grinned. "Chen, you wanna re-up and go a few more rounds?"
Inside the casino, everything was designed to keep you hooked—60% more oxygen than outside, perfect lighting, no windows, no clocks. You didn't feel tired. You felt invincible.
Durant was clearly way more excited now than when they first stepped into the casino.
Watching him, Chen Yan finally understood why so many people get addicted to gambling. This place really messes with your head—it's hard to pull yourself away.
"KD, look at the time," Chen Yan said, raising his eyebrows.
Durant glanced at his watch and cursed, "F**k, it's already 1:30?!"
He hadn't even noticed time flying by. The casino did its job too well. Lights perfect, oxygen levels jacked up, no clocks, no windows—it was a trap for your sense of time. Durant quickly dropped any idea of playing another round.
The summer league had a packed schedule—games almost every day. They couldn't afford to get too wild. After saying goodbye, the two returned to their respective team hotels.
---
The next day, the Phoenix Suns faced off against the Dallas Mavericks and came out with a dominant 99–77 win.
Chen Yan came off the bench in the second quarter and absolutely torched the defense, dropping 38 points by himself and flipping the game on its head.
Another game, another highlight reel. Same script, different night.
After the final buzzer, Chen Yan didn't head straight to the locker room. While racking up honor points in the system was part of his motivation, he had another reason for playing in the Summer League—recruitment.
The Suns' bench was paper-thin, and after trading Barbosa, things only got worse. That's why ESPN ranked them just 7th in the league in their latest power rankings.
The starting five? Elite. But the depth? Tragic.
Now, normally this kind of roster decision falls on the front office. But Chen Yan was a time traveler—he had future knowledge, a god-tier advantage. He wasn't about to waste it.
---
After the game, he made his way over to José Barea, who'd just finished suiting up for the Mavericks in the summer league.
Chen Yan vaguely remembered reading about Barea in an old basketball magazine. The article had a panel of league insiders choose the best players who averaged under 20 minutes per game. Barea had more votes than even Manu Ginóbili.
The guy was a certified sixth-man weapon—could run the offense, score when needed, and had that classic underdog fire.
But what really stuck in Chen Yan's mind was one unforgettable moment: Barea locking up LeBron James in the 2011 Finals, holding him to just eight points in a game. One of the most humbling moments in LeBron's playoff career.
Right now, though, Barea was barely hanging on to a roster spot. Last season, he played just 5.6 minutes per game across 33 appearances, averaging 2.4 points. A fringe rotation guy.
Which is why he was here in the summer league, trying to prove he still had it.
"Hey," Chen Yan walked up and offered a nod. "You played great out there."
Barea blinked in surprise. He recognized Chen right away—the No. 2 pick in the draft—but didn't expect him to initiate a conversation.
"Thanks, man."
Chen Yan didn't waste time.
"You interested in playing for the Suns?"
Barea raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He was currently looking for a veteran minimum deal, and the interest from a high pick like Chen definitely caught his attention.
After a short exchange, they swapped contact info. Chen told him to stay ready—he'd reach out soon.
Of course, for this to happen, Chen still had to convince head coach and GM Mike D'Antoni. He was just a rookie, after all. He didn't have any real power over personnel decisions—yet.
---
Later that night, Chen gave D'Antoni a call.
"There's really a guy like that in the summer league?" D'Antoni asked, clearly skeptical.
"I'm serious," Chen replied. "He can drive, shoot, run the offense, and brings a ton of energy. I just went up against him—he's legit. Plus, you can get him for a minimum deal. But if we wait too long, the Mavs or someone else might scoop him up."
"Alright," D'Antoni said after a pause. "I'll schedule a workout for him right after the summer league ends."
Their relationship had been solid so far, and Coach Mustache was willing to hear Chen out. But that didn't mean he'd sign a guy just off word of mouth—he needed to see Barea in action.
After back-to-back 30-point games and leading his team to two comeback wins, Chen Yan was once again the center of attention in the Chinese sports media.
Headlines everywhere screamed his name.
"Chen Yan dominates the Summer League!"
"Unstoppable No. 2 Pick!"
"Summer League is too easy for him!"
Chen didn't really get the hype. It was just the summer league.
But the media needed clicks, and right now, Chen Yan was prime internet traffic. He knew how it worked.
Still, deep down, he had a gut feeling—if he ever slipped, even once, it'd be these same reporters turning on him in a heartbeat.
After a rest day, the Phoenix Suns were set to play their third summer league game.
Before tip-off, Chen walked up to the coaching staff and made a request:
"I want to start this one."
The opponent?
The Chinese national basketball team.
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