Chapter 219: Chen Yan's Fans? Controversial Figures!
On March 17, the Suns flew to Oakland for their fourth and final regular season matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors had always been one of Chen Yan's favorite opponents. Like the Suns, they thrived on high-speed offense. And in games like that, Chen always found ways to explode.
Oracle Arena was packed to capacity that night. The combination of Golden State's strong local following and Chen Yan's rising star power ensured a sold-out crowd.
From the opening tip, the Suns came out firing. They launched a 10–0 run before the Warriors could even catch their breath.
Coach Don Nelson immediately called a timeout to regroup. When play resumed, the Warriors struck back with a barrage of threes.
Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, and Baron Davis started raining shots from deep, each bucket drawing thunderous cheers from the home crowd.
The game quickly turned into a spectacle — two teams trading fast breaks, threes, and highlight plays in a blur of offense.
By halftime, the Suns held a narrow lead, 63–61.
Coming out of the break, Phoenix reignited their rhythm. Raja Bell hit two quick corner threes, both set up by Chen Yan's pinpoint passing.
The Suns' role players were in rhythm, and Chen's playmaking grew sharper with every possession.
Early in the third quarter, his assist count had already reached double digits.
But Chen wasn't satisfied. He kept creating, finding open teammates again and again, turning the game into a clinic on ball movement.
If the Suns were known for their offense-first identity, the Warriors were its mirror image — a team built entirely on attack. Their system was thrilling, fast, and unpredictable, but it often left glaring holes on defense.
The Warriors lived by their shooting streaks, and when the rhythm was hot, they looked unstoppable.
But those spurts rarely lasted.
In the second half, their shooting touch began to fade.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Warriors had gone completely cold, missing six straight three-pointers in the first four and a half minutes.
With 5:47 left in the game, Chen Yan threaded a perfect bounce pass through traffic, setting up Barea for an easy fastbreak layup.
The crowd erupted, and Barea immediately ran over to high-five him.
"Good shot!" Chen said, grinning as they jogged back on defense.
That assist marked Chen's 15th of the night — a new career-high for him in a single game.
The Suns kept pushing until the lead ballooned past 20. The rest of the game became garbage time.
When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 129–117.
Chen Yan finished with 22 points, 15 assists, 13 rebounds, and 2 steals — his fourth consecutive triple-double.
As he walked off the court and headed into the tunnel, fans on both sides of the walkway chanted his name in unison.
"Chen! Chen! Chen!"
Oracle Arena was filled with Asian fans that night, many of whom had traveled long distances just to see him play.
Riding high from another victory and another triple-double, Chen stopped along the tunnel to sign autographs.
That's when a voice called out from the crowd.
"Chen! Sign for me too! I'm a fan!"
He looked up and spotted a young African-American woman waving from the stands, holding out her shirt and marker.
Ever since his playful All-Star performance, fans had started teasing him about his singing, half-joking that he should pursue music on the side.
Chen didn't mind. He saw it as a fun way to connect with people beyond basketball.
He walked over, smiled, and signed his name across her white T-shirt.
"Ahhh!" she screamed, jumping excitedly. "This is my first time watching a basketball game, and I came just for you! I hope you make more songs like See-U-Again! Maybe one with Taylor too! I love you guys!"
Chen froze for a moment, meeting her excited gaze. Then he chuckled softly.
Did he really just meet an actual fan of his?
The thought left him amused — and slightly amazed.
---
Back at the hotel, Chen immediately told Taylor about it over the phone.
Taylor burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Baby, you have fans now! So when do I get some?"
Chen grinned. "I'm your fan."
She blinked, then playfully scolded, "You're so mean!"
Chen's laughter echoed through the room. Sometimes, love didn't need grand gestures — just a bit of teasing to keep things warm.
They hadn't seen much of each other since the All-Star break. Taylor was in the middle of recording and touring, while Chen was deep into the playoff push.
But despite the distance, their relationship stayed strong.
They texted and called every night, finding comfort in each other's voices before sleep.
---
The next morning, the NBA released its Players of the Week awards for both conferences.
In the West, there was no suspense at all.
With four straight triple-doubles and four straight Suns victories, Chen Yan was officially named Western Conference Player of the Week.
His streak had become the talk of the league — and as always, success brought both praise and criticism.
The media and fans were split into two camps.
One side applauded Chen's brilliance. They praised how he stepped up as a leader in Nash's absence, keeping the Suns alive and dominant in the standings.
The other side dismissed his performances as "empty stats," claiming his rebounds came from cherry-picking defensive boards and that his assists were inflated because of high usage.
As the debate intensified, Chen's name dominated headlines nationwide.
Every sports show, podcast, and news outlet had something to say about him.
And for the NBA, it was perfect.
Controversy meant engagement. Engagement meant ratings.
Commissioner David Stern quickly recognized the buzz and made a move.
He ordered the upcoming Suns vs. Cavaliers game — featuring Chen Yan versus LeBron James — to be broadcast live across the entire country.
The message was clear.
Chen Yan had officially become must-watch TV.
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