Chapter 136: The First Round of All-Star Voting, Taylor Swift's New Single Goes Online!
After the league handed down punishments, the chaos at the AT&T Center finally came to an end.
On December 16, the NBA officially released the results of the first round of voting for the All-Star Game. And once again, Chen Yan became the center of fan discussion.
According to the NBA's data, Chen Yan received 525,590 votes, ranking second among Western Conference guards.
He trailed only the "Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant, who led with 569,302 votes. Kobe's popularity in both China and the United States was simply untouchable; his position at the top was not so easily shaken.
What surprised people, however, was the third-place guard in the West—Chen Yan's own teammate, Steve Nash.
Nash had always been a respected player, but his style was not as flashy as McGrady or Iverson. He had never been a fan-favorite in voting. This year, though, he clearly benefited from Chen Yan's rise—just like McGrady once did when paired with Yao Ming.
McGrady's individual level and form with the Magic had been higher than in Houston, but his popularity peaked during his Rockets years, when the Chinese fan base pushed him to new heights. The truth was simple: Chinese players brought more exposure not only to themselves but also to their teammates.
The All-Star Game was, at its core, a popularity contest. Whoever had the fans, had the votes.
This was evident not only with Nash, but also with Chen Yan's other teammate Amar'e Stoudemire. After the first round, Stoudemire ranked second among Western Conference centers—just 58,000 votes behind Yao Ming.
And in the East, another Chinese player, Yi Jianlian, shocked everyone by placing third overall in voting, behind only LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal.
If things continued like this, three Chinese players might enter the All-Star Game as starters.
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For the NBA office, this was both a blessing and a problem.
On one hand, having three Chinese starters would create a massive boom in the Chinese market, attracting endless new fans. On the other hand, it risked backlash from fans elsewhere, who would see it as unfair.
Yi Jianlian's numbers told the story: just 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Solid for a young player, but far from All-Star starter level.
David Stern convened an emergency meeting. The result was clear—the All-Star voting rules needed to change.
Shortly afterward, the NBA announced revisions:
Fan votes: reduced to 50%
Player votes: 25%
Media votes: 25%
Two days in a row, Stern had pushed through two major rule changes. First the "no stepping under shooters" rule, and now revamped All-Star voting rules. Even Stern joked privately, "I've never been this busy in December."
For stars like Chen Yan, the change didn't matter—he had the stats, the fan base, and the respect of peers and media alike. But for Yi Jianlian, it meant his All-Star dream was likely over.
When Yi learned of the new rules, he wasn't upset—if anything, he felt relieved. He knew his current performance didn't merit an All-Star spot, and forcing it would have been more pressure than honor.
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On December 17, the Suns returned home to face the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers were a fringe playoff team in the East, led by Danny Granger, who averaged around 20 points per game.
Under normal circumstances, the Suns should have been favorites. But with **five players suspended at once—three of them starters—**the rotation was gutted.
Coach Mike D'Antoni had no choice but to start role players like Lyndon Johnson III, Marcus Banks, and Eric Piatkowski.
Meanwhile, the suspended Suns—Chen Yan, Stoudemire, Raja Bell, Barea, and Azubuike—sat courtside in suits.
NBA rules required formal attire for suspended players. Chen Yan arrived in a tailored dark-blue suit with a floral lapel pin, looking sharp and stylish. His agent Bill Duffy had hired a professional styling team to manage his public image, and it showed.
His teammates, however, weren't nearly as polished. Stoudemire, Bell, Barea, and Azubuike all wore black suits with sunglasses, giving off a very different vibe.
When the cameras panned to them, fans burst into laughter. On the big screen, it looked like Chen Yan surrounded by four bodyguards.
Chen Yan drew loud cheers when his face appeared on the Jumbotron. In Phoenix, his popularity had skyrocketed. After knocking out three Spurs in their own building, he wasn't just a player—he was a local hero.
Back on the court, the game tipped off.
Nash carried the load, scoring a season-high 35 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three and 6-of-7 at the line. Boris Diaw added a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
But it wasn't enough. Without Chen Yan and Stoudemire, the Suns lacked firepower. They fell by 17 points. The loss didn't shock anyone—it was the price of suspensions.
On December 18, the Suns suffered another defeat in the second game of a back-to-back, falling 98–113 to the Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard.
Even with Barea, Barnes, and Azubuike returning from suspension, the Suns could not withstand Howard's dominance.
This was peak Howard—averaging 20.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. The Suns' interior defense was already their weak point, and with Stoudemire still suspended, Howard was unstoppable.
He bulldozed Phoenix's frontcourt, finishing 15-of-18 from the field and 3-of-8 from the line, scoring 33 points on a scorching 83% shooting—though his free-throw percentage was a painful 37.5%.
Nash fought hard, posting another 30-plus performance, but it wasn't enough. Two straight losses left him with a sinking feeling. Without Stoudemire and Chen Yan, Nash feared he was becoming the leader of the "empty stats club."
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On December 20, the Suns traveled to Chicago to face the Bulls.
It was supposed to be a highly anticipated "Chinese Derby" between Chen Yan and Yi Jianlian, but Chen's suspension ruined the matchup. Still, with three Chinese players now in the NBA, fans could expect seven such matchups a year.
During warm-ups, Chen Yan greeted Yi in English on purpose.
"Hey Yi, how are you doing? Getting along with your teammates?"
Yi smiled and replied in English. Chen immediately noticed the improvement. It seemed Yi had taken his advice seriously and put effort into learning the language.
"Good," Chen thought. "Once you break the language barrier, everything else—teammate chemistry, locker room connections—becomes easier. If he keeps this up, he'll have no problem becoming a solid role player in the NBA."
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Yi Jianlian appeared in the Bulls' starting lineup. With his main competitor, Drew Gooden, out for the season, Yi had seized the opportunity.
This Bulls team was young and energetic—Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas—all under 25. Yi fit right in with their development plan.
For the Suns, Chen Yan and Raja Bell were still suspended, but there was good news: Stoudemire had returned. With Nash, he immediately reignited the most dangerous pick-and-roll duo in the league.
Early on, Nash repeatedly fed Stoudemire for thunderous finishes at the rim. By halftime, Phoenix led 59–49.
But the Bulls weren't done. In the third quarter, their young core used speed and athleticism to claw back.
Yi was crucial in the rally. He nailed a jumper from the top of the arc, then threw down a fast-break dunk off a Hinrich assist. His confidence was growing with every possession.
Chen Yan, watching from the sidelines, was pleased. Compared to his previous stint with the Bucks, Yi looked far more comfortable in Chicago. The pace suited him, the competition was lighter, and his role clearer.
At the 3:36 mark of the third, with the Bulls trailing 74–77, Yi set a screen, rolled hard, took the pass, and went up strong. His sudden elevation was explosive—like a rocket launch.
Even Stoudemire was caught off guard. He resorted to grabbing Yi midair to stop the dunk, drawing a foul.
The referee whistled it as a common foul, giving Yi two free throws.
Yi was furious. "That's a flagrant!" he shouted at the referee, breaking his usual quiet, introverted image.
The official ignored him.
"Fine! If that's how you're calling it, then next time I'll tear him apart!" Yi roared—in Chinese, no less.
The crowd buzzed. Chen Yan's fiery KO incident seemed to have lit a spark in Yi as well. Chinese players, he thought, should play with blood in their veins.
The Bulls' youth storm nearly stole the game, taking the lead at the end of the third quarter.
But in the fourth, Nash and Stoudemire steadied the Suns. The veteran duo closed strong, sealing a narrow 118–114 win to snap Phoenix's two-game losing streak.
As the final buzzer sounded, Chen Yan rushed to the bench to celebrate with his teammates.
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That night, Chen Yan received more good news.
Taylor Swift's latest single, "See You Again," debuted at number one on the Billboard chart.
Sharp-eyed fans quickly noticed the credits: the song's composer was none other than Chen Yan himself, and the lyrics were co-written with Taylor.
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