NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Rookie of the Month + Player of the Month?! Outrageous Rewards!

Chapter 114: Rookie of the Month + Player of the Month?! Outrageous Rewards!

The news of Chen Yan signing with Li Ning dropped like a bomb—blowing up both the domestic and international sports scenes overnight.

People were losing their minds. In a market dominated by Nike and Adidas, nobody expected this.

In this era, no young baller would ever turn down Nike or Adidas. But Chen didn’t just say no—he flat-out rejected the biggest rookie deal in Nike history!

”Are you kidding me?! Fire his damn agent!”

”He turned down Nike’s 7-year, $95 million contract for Li Ning’s 7-year, $63 million? Bro’s got guts, I’ll give him that—but what is he thinking?!”

”Lowkey glad he said no. That would’ve been the worst contract in Nike’s history!”

”All that hype, and then he signs with a brand nobody knows?”

”His commercial value just tanked. His agent should be held accountable.”

”This move makes zero sense.”

American sports media torched Chen’s decision.

Nobody in the league dared say anything publicly, but behind the scenes? They were all shaking their heads.

If Nike had thrown that kind of money at any of them, they would’ve crawled to headquarters to sign.

All except one man—Shaquille O’Neal.

The Big Diesel fired off a tweet the second he saw the news:

”Li Ning is a dope brand. Chen made the right move!”

But let’s be real—Shaq wasn’t just speaking from the heart.

He had skin in the game. He was already repping Li Ning.

Brother had bills to pay too.

---

Back in China, fans were just as stunned—but for different reasons.

”Damn, Chen really went with a domestic brand? Respect!”

”Turning down Nike and Adidas for Li Ning? That’s real patriot energy!”

”Chinese player, Chinese brand—I’m all in on that!”

”Li Ning better not screw this up. Give Chen a fire shoe line!”

But not everyone was sold. Since Li Ning didn’t release any design details—just the contract amount and plans for Chen’s own signature studio—some fans raised valid concerns:

”I’d buy his shoes if they were Nike, but Li Ning? Not so sure...”

”Yeah, Chen’s ballin’ out right now, but he really gonna throw away the biggest bag?”

”Li Ning better prove they’ve got the tech. This ain’t no high school league.”

”Feels like he’s being blindly patriotic here.”

”I seriously didn’t expect him to reject Nike. Wild.”

It’s important to note—this was before any controversies like the Xinjiang cotton incident. Nike still held legendary status among hoop fans.

But while the world kept buzzing, Chen Yan? He didn’t flinch. He knew he made the right call. He believed time would prove him right.

---

Later that night, Chen called home to share the news.

”Domestic brands are a good thing,” his father said. ”Wearing our own label while playing in the NBA? That’s proof that Chinese quality can hold up on the world stage.”

His parents were hyped. You could hear the excitement through the phone. Their son had just inked a $63 million deal—in USD!

But Mama Chen wasn’t just there to celebrate.

”You better not get complacent,” she warned, going full teacher mode. ”That brand trusted you. The fans believe in you. Keep training hard, stay focused, and don’t let anyone down.”

What was supposed to be a feel-good call turned into a 30-minute lecture...

Chen Yan shook his head and laughed. ”So much for sharing good news...”

---

9:30 PM EST, League Office—November Monthly Awards Announcement

The NBA dropped the official list of monthly honors.

Eastern Conference Player of the Month: Dwight Howard

The Magic went 14-4 under Dwight’s leadership. He averaged a beastly 23.8 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.

No debate—D12 deserved it.

But what came next shook the whole league.

Western Conference Player of the Month: Chen Yan

That’s right—a rookie took home the biggest honor in the West.

The Suns went 15-2 in November, and Chen was on another planet:

36.5 points

4.1 assists

3.5 rebounds

2.9 steals per game

His numbers were so insane, people started whispering Kobe’s name.

Sure, he wasn’t the Suns’ primary playmaker—but he was their supernova.

Every game, every bucket—Chen was electric.

There was no doubt.

He earned that Western Conference Player of the Month.

”I’ve never heard of a guy winning Player of the Month and not getting Rookie of the Month.”

Well, that changed real quick.

Chen Yan just made NBA history—again.

He became the first player ever to win both Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month honors in his very first month in the league.

Sure, there had been rookies who won Player of the Week right out of the gate—like Shaquille O’Neal—but this? This was something else. Chen Yan was rewriting the script from Day 1.

Over at Li-Ning HQ, the execs collectively exhaled when the news dropped.

”Thank God we locked him in early,” one of them muttered, sweating bullets. ”If we waited any longer, that deal would’ve cost us double.”

With Chen Yan stacking historic accolades in his rookie season, the NBA world exploded—and two teams found themselves in the hot seat.

The Portland Trail Blazers and the Atlanta Hawks were getting clowned left and right.

One skipped over him in the draft.

The other actually picked him, then traded him.

It was a straight-up embarrassment.

The Hawks had a weak excuse to lean on: ”Oden’s out for the year, that’s all. Once he’s healthy, he’ll dominate like a proper No. 1 pick.”

Sure. Maybe.

But the Trail Blazers? Nah, they had no cover. They traded away Chen Yan for Shawn Marion. A solid 3-and-D vet, sure, but that’s it. That’s all they got.

Fans started calling it Portland’s second coming of 1984.

That summer, the Blazers had the No. 2 pick. They passed on Michael Jordan and picked Sam Bowie. History’s been roasting them for it ever since.

Now, they just passed on a new Jordan and traded him away. Folks were calling it the ultimate double whammy.

Old-school fans, the ones who really know the Blazers’ draft curse, were shaking their heads. Because this wasn’t the first time Portland blew it.

Back in 1972, they had their first-ever No. 1 pick. Who’d they take?

LaRue Martin.

They passed on legends like Bob McAdoo, Dr. J, and Ralph Simpson for a guy who averaged 5.3 points and 4.6 rebounds over four seasons, shooting just barely over 30% as a big man.

That’s some Anthony Bennett-level disaster.

Then in 1978, they landed another No. 1 pick and drafted Michael Thompson—yeah, Klay Thompson’s dad. Solid guy, but never made an All-Star team. Won two rings riding the Lakers’ bench in the mid-’80s and made the All-Rookie Team once.

Guess who they missed?

Larry freaking Bird.

The Blazers’ draft L’s weren’t just a one-time thing. They were a tradition.

---

Meanwhile, Chen Yan was living his best life.

Shoe deal? Locked in.

Player of the Month? Secured.

Rookie of the Month? Bagged.

Three wins in one day—and it wasn’t over yet.

That familiar ding echoed in his mind. The system was back.

”Side Quest Complete: Congratulations, host, for winning Player of the Month in your rookie month. Open the system to receive your reward...”

”Side Quest Complete: Congratulations, host, for winning Rookie of the Month. Open the system to receive your reward...”

Chen Yan grinned. It was time for his favorite part—system loot drops.

He opened the system and claimed his Rookie of the Month reward first.

Ding! Skill [Sam Gold] acquired!

[Sam Gold]: Increases the host’s ability to read the defender’s center of gravity by 10%, increases the chance of breaking ankles by 10%, and boosts first-step speed by 8% after a fake.

Chen Yan nodded slowly.

He’d heard of the Sam Gold crossover. Flashy stuff. But using it in-game was a whole different story.

It was more of a highlight reel move than a go-to weapon—great for blowing by casual defenders or embarrassing dudes when you’re up 20, but in high-pressure, playoff-intensity moments?

Meh.

Cool for fans. Not always practical.

But then came the second reward.

Ding! Life Skill [Mixed Martial Arts – Intermediate] acquired!

[Mixed Martial Arts – Intermediate]: Grants the host near-professional fighting skills. Effective both in everyday situations and on-court interactions. In-game confrontations will result in doubled combat strength.

”Wait, what?” Chen Yan blinked.

Why the hell would a basketball player need MMA training?

He wasn’t walking into a cage fight, and this wasn’t 1980s Detroit.

This was the NBA, not the Octagon.

In the States, if you throw hands, you don’t get fined—you get charged. And no one’s squaring up when they’ve got lawyers and endorsements on the line.

But then his eyes drifted to the last line again.

”Combat power will be doubled on the court.”

That made him pause.

What the hell was the system trying to tell him?

Was it... foreshadowing something?

Chen Yan leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

Whatever it was, he had a feeling things were about to get real on and off the hardwood.

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