As soon as Tang Lei arrived at the Cavaliers' locker room in Cleveland, he couldn't help but notice the flood of media reports about the Warriors' game against the Lakers. Unsurprisingly, he had become the star of the show in all the headlines.
• "Shocking! Undrafted Player Breaks NBA's Youngest 30+5+5 Record!"
• "A New Star is Born! 9-for-11 from Three—Is Another 'Curry' Emerging for the Warriors?"
• "Breaking News! Warriors GM Offers Contract, Gets Rejected!"
• "How Much is Tang Lei Really Worth?"
• "Curry: He's the Best Rookie. With Him, Our Games Are Easier."
"This is crazy," Tang Lei muttered to himself, tapping his forehead. He had only played two good games, yet the media blew everything out of proportion. It reminded him of Linsanity when Jeremy Lin took over New York and became a global sensation overnight.
Still, Tang Lei knew these headlines were great for his commercial value. The more attention he attracted, the higher his market value would rise. A quick glance at his Twitter and Weibo accounts revealed that his fan base had exploded—he had gained over a million followers on both platforms in just half a day!
With a satisfied nod, Tang Lei put away his phone and joined his teammates for warmups an hour before the game. Since it was a back-to-back, their rest was limited, but at least they had blown out the Lakers, allowing the starters to conserve energy.
Despite Durant and Thompson sitting out for rest, the Warriors were still a class above the Cavaliers.
At 8 PM, the game tipped off. As expected, there was no suspense in this matchup. The Warriors dominated from start to finish, cruising to a 132-112 victory with a 20-point margin.
Tang Lei continued his hot streak, coming off the bench for 25 minutes and going 6-for-9 from three, finishing with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Once again, his performance had been explosive!
The system rewarded him with more attribute points, which he immediately invested in improving his three-point shooting. His system coins had also accumulated, allowing him to purchase some talent experience cards or skills in the system store, but he decided to save them for later when they might be more necessary. After all, these coins were limited, and he wanted to use them wisely.
After the game and press conferences, the team immediately flew to Milwaukee for their next game.
On the plane, Curry was flipping through a fashion magazine, Green and Thompson were playing cards, and Durant seemed to be secretly liking photos on social media, possibly from one of his burner accounts.
Even though Tang Lei had been performing well and earning respect from his teammates, fully integrating himself into the team would take time. Feeling a bit bored, he pulled out his phone.
To his surprise, his Twitter follower count had skyrocketed again, with over 2 million new followers since the last time he checked. Tang Lei couldn't help but feel excited. In his previous life, he had been a small-time basketball influencer who spent over six months working hard to gain just over 100,000 followers. The difference between being a professional player and an influencer was stark, but of course, it all depended on how well you performed.
"Huh? A direct message?" Tang Lei noticed a new DM notification and quickly clicked on it. The profile picture was of a beautiful woman, and she looked somewhat familiar.
His heart skipped a beat as he opened her profile. She was a highly educated Chinese international student currently studying at Harvard. Her name was Caroline (Yi Xiaozhu).
"It's her? It's really her!!" Tang Lei was stunned. He never expected to reconnect with Caroline after his rebirth, especially not through Twitter.
Caroline had been the most famous beauty at their high school, not only known for her stunning looks and graceful demeanor but also for being a top student. Back in high school, Tang Lei had secretly harbored a crush on her for three years. Because she loved basketball, he had thrown himself into improving his basketball skills, hoping to catch her attention.
However, due to his family's ordinary background, mediocre academics, and average basketball skills, he had always felt too self-conscious to confess his feelings. When high school ended, he never got the chance to tell her how he felt, leaving a deep regret in his heart.
After graduation, he had heard she went abroad to study, and he thought he'd never have another opportunity to meet her again. But now, out of nowhere, she had messaged him on Twitter!
The message read: "Hi, I'm Yi Xiaozhu. You were amazing out there! I'm officially your loyal fan now. Keep it up, (ง •̀_•́)ง."
Tang Lei immediately followed her back, his heart racing. It felt as if he was afraid she might slip away again.
He had so many things he wanted to say to her, but when his fingers hovered over the keyboard, he didn't know where to start. In the end, all his swirling emotions condensed into one simple response: "Thank you! I'll keep doing my best."
Even as the plane landed in Milwaukee, Tang Lei's heart was still pounding with excitement. His mind was filled with thoughts of Caroline.
Of course, much of his excitement also came from the fact that he had performed well and was no longer weighed down by the insecurities of his past. His confidence had grown tremendously since his rebirth. If he got the chance to see Caroline again, he was sure he wouldn't hesitate or shy away like he did in his previous life. There would be no more regrets!
Although this wasn't a back-to-back game, the Warriors only had a day and a half of rest before facing the Bucks, who had been on a five-game winning streak and were currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference. The team knew they needed to arrive early, get plenty of rest, and be fully prepared to face such a formidable opponent.
The next day, the Warriors arrived at the Bucks' arena an hour early for warmups. In the locker room, Coach Kerr laid out the game plan: focus on Curry's off-ball movement, set strong screens, and clear out space for Durant to attack one-on-one.
But before the game, Kerr made a big announcement: Tang Lei would be starting!
After three breakout games, Tang Lei had completely won over the coaching staff. While Tang Lei was thrilled by the news, he maintained his composure and assured Kerr that he was ready to step up and perform.
Note: Yi Xiaozhu's English name is now Caroline, and she will be referred to as such in future chapters.