Chapter 101: Chen Yan Publicly Apologizes! Defense Points Added!
The next day, right after Suns practice, Chen Yan posted a public apology on social media.
Last night, after draining a game-winning buzzer-beater against the Wizards, he had taken off his jersey and dropped it on the baseline in celebration. What he didn't anticipate was the frenzy that followed—fans scrambled to grab the jersey, and in the chaos, a Black security guard was knocked down and sustained a minor injury.
That afternoon, Chen Yan and his agent Bill Duffy paid a personal visit to the injured guard.
The security guard, shocked to see Chen Yan at his doorstep, was initially speechless—then overwhelmed with joy.
To him, the injury was just part of the job, and the Suns had already issued him some compensation. He never imagined the rising NBA star would personally come to check on him.
But Chen Yan wasn't just there for show.
He brought along an autographed jersey, a signed basketball, and five home game tickets for the Suns. When he walked through the door, the man's four kids practically exploded with excitement—shouting, cheering, and rushing to snap selfies with their hometown hero.
Chen Yan had become the man in Phoenix. Every kid around here knew his name. Most fans never get within shouting distance of an NBA player—now he was in their living room, smiling and laughing with them like a big brother.
Later, Chen Yan even headed to the nearby community court to shoot hoops with the kids. He stayed for nearly an hour, giving them a memory they'd talk about for the rest of their lives.
The whole situation, which had the potential to turn into a PR mess, flipped into a feel-good story.
NBA Commissioner David Stern took notice. "This young man gets it," he reportedly said with a satisfied grin. "I like him more every day."
LeBron James also weighed in.
After seeing the news, Bron tweeted:
#ExcellentSkillsAndCharacter — A young role model!
Attached was a picture of Chen Yan laughing with the kids on the court.
Classic LeBron move—he didn't need to know you personally to show love if he respected your game.
Chen Yan replied right away:
"Thank you, LeBron. Been learning from you since day one."
---
After wrapping up his afternoon commitments, Chen Yan and Bill Duffy returned to his apartment.
On the couch, Bill leaned back and asked, "Hey Chen, you got any time in the next couple days?"
Chen glanced at him. "What's up? Another commercial shoot or something?"
Bill chuckled. "Nah, not an ad. I was thinking more of a campaign video."
"A campaign video?"
"Yeah. The All-Star voting just opened. A short hype video could really help. Rally the fans a bit."
Bill had been in the business long enough to know how the game worked off the court too. Social media traction, highlight clips, and fan engagement—those were the new metrics that mattered.
But Chen shook his head with a smirk. "I don't need to campaign. My game is my commercial."
Confident. Dead serious.
He'd never treated the All-Star Game like a goal—it was just something he figured would come naturally if he kept dominating.
Bill raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Just don't forget to save me a courtside seat when you make it."
He knew better than to argue. Chen had a point—votes help, but performance still ruled the conversation.
---
Once Bill left, Chen sat down and got to work on what he called his "extra training."
After that wild finish against the Wizards—and breaking the rookie single-game scoring record—he received a monster reward: 40 honor points. That was the biggest single-game haul he'd ever seen.
Combined with the leftover point from last time, he now had 41 total to spend.
He pulled up his attribute panel.
[Three-Point Shot? Mid-Range?]
Nah. Chen's eyes locked on Defense.
Scoring had never been an issue. But his defensive game? It needed work. Every time he matched up against a star, he could feel himself getting torched. That didn't sit right with him.
"Your shot might betray you some nights. But defense? Defense is discipline. You own that."
His current defense stat sat at [76].
He made quick moves:
Used 8 points to gain +4 in the 70–80 range
Defense now at [80]
Then spent 25 more points for +5 in the 80–85 range
Defense now at [85]
Now we're talking.
He wasn't locking up All-Defense selections just yet, but 85 was a solid upgrade—upper-middle tier, enough to hold his own without getting cooked.
He dumped the remaining 8 points into Strength, which boosted both his interior presence and physicality on drives.
---
[Player Profile – Chen Yan]
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Wingspan: 218 cm
Standing Vertical: 98 cm
Max Vertical: 105 cm
Ball Control: 90
Speed: 92
Stamina: 90
Court Vision: 84
Driving: 90
Layup: 86
Mid-Range: 85
Three-Point: 90
Free Throw: 80
Passing: 85
Positioning: 90
Steal: 88
Strength: 80
Rebounding: 63
Defense: 85
Blocking: 68
Spirit: 95
Skills:
God-Level Steal
Answer Crossover
Magic Shadow
Hot Start (Passive)
Perfect Hand Shape (Passive)
Juggling End (Passive)
Pass Master Lv1
Heart Steel (Passive)
> Honor Points Remaining: 0
Overall Rating: A+
Chen stared at the screen and nodded to himself. His offense and defense were finally starting to even out.
Not just that—the team chemistry and fan chemistry numbers had climbed too, thanks to the recent string of wins.
Team Chemistry: 55
Fan Chemistry: 61
They were inching closer to unlocking Team Skills, which could be a huge boost in tight playoff games.
---
The Suns were scheduled for two days off.
Across the league, the rookies from the 2007 class were starting to heat up.
November 18th: Kevin Durant went off against the Timberwolves—31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, including 3-of-7 from deep and 4-of-4 from the line.
November 19th: Yi Jianlian posted a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double as the Bulls topped the Bobcats, 97–88.
Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Mike Conley all delivered standout games above their season averages.
Chen's monster performance had lit a fire under the rest of the class. They were chasing him now, trying to keep up.
It felt like a 100-meter dash—and Chen was already 20 meters ahead.
But the others?
They were just getting started.
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