NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Showdown Between the Instant Noodle Brothers!

Chapter 115: The Showdown Between the Instant Noodle Brothers!

As December rolled in, the Phoenix Suns faced off against their first opponent of the month: the Boston Celtics—an old powerhouse of the Eastern Conference.

Though the Celtics boasted a storied legacy with 16 championships under their belt, this season marked a clear rebuilding phase. They were currently sitting at 11th in the East, far from their glory days.

The Suns, meanwhile, were leading the entire league, sitting comfortably at the top of the standings. On paper, this looked like an easy win, a game with little suspense. But all eyes were locked in for a different reason—two rookies about to square off.

”Chen Yan vs. Kevin Durant, Round One!”

”Who’s the real Rookie of the Year?”

”Second pick vs. third pick—let’s go!”

”The Instant Noodle Brothers, reunited as rivals!”

Headlines were everywhere. Fans and analysts couldn’t stop talking about it. These two were NCAA champions together, and now they were standing on opposite sides for the first time in the league. Everyone wanted to see what kind of sparks would fly.

On December 2nd, the Celtics flew into Phoenix the night before game day.

Chen Yan and Durant had already made plans to grab a meal—just two young guns catching up. Since the start of the season, they hadn’t had a real chance to hang out. Their last encounter was during the Summer League, which felt like a lifetime ago now.

They met at a local burrito joint just a few blocks from the arena. Despite being multimillionaires now, their taste hadn’t changed—they were still the same down-to-earth guys from college.

While other rookies were out blowing their first checks on chains, cars, and bottle service, these two were keeping it lowkey.

As soon as they sat down, Durant couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

”Chen, man—why the hell did you turn down Nike’s deal?” Durant asked, wrapping his burrito tight.

Chen Yan just chuckled. ”I’ve got my own plan, bro.”

”C’mon, that’s Nike! We could’ve been in commercials together, doin’ slow-mo dunks in the rain and all that.”

Chen leaned back with a smirk. ”Li Ning’s giving me my own brand.”

Durant blinked. ”Still, that’s Nike.”

”They offered me six percent of total sales.”

Durant frowned. ”Yeah, but that’s still Nike.”

”I got stock options worth hundreds of millions, KD.”

Durant paused, burrito halfway to his mouth. ”...Damn.”

A moment of silence passed before Durant looked up again.

”So uh... they got room for one more spokesperson or what?”

Chen burst out laughing, and Durant joined in. He was mostly kidding anyway—he’d just inked a six-year deal with Nike not long ago. Still, he knew deep down—he wasn’t getting Chen Yan treatment anywhere.

Durant wasn’t the homegrown superstar from China, and the market appeal between them wasn’t even close when it came to overseas influence.

December 3 – America West Arena, Phoenix

Game day.

Chen Yan strutted through the player tunnel in full Li Ning gear, oversized headphones on, chill as ever. Cameras clicked like crazy. ℴ

”Chen! Over here!”

”Chen! Smile!”

Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!

Flashes went off nonstop as he paused and struck a few poses—he knew this helped Li Ning’s brand visibility. It wasn’t just about basketball anymore. This was business too.

Not far behind, Durant rolled in with a tiny backpack on his shoulders, a cup of instant noodles in hand, and an orange knit beanie on his head.

Their styles couldn’t have been more different.

They met in the tunnel and gave each other a quick high-five. No need for pleasantries—they had just hung out the day before.

As soon as reporters spotted them together, they swarmed in. The tunnel turned into an impromptu press conference.

”Can you rate each other’s outfits?” a reporter asked with a grin.

Chen shrugged. ”KD’s fashion sense is one-of-a-kind. I don’t think there’s been a player in NBA history who dresses like him.”

Durant pointed at Chen. ”This guy’s like a damn mannequin. He could wear a trash bag and still get sponsored. Hell, he probably looks better without clothes on.”

Reporters burst into laughter.

”Chen, will you be guarding KD tonight?” someone asked.

Chen gave a sly smile. ”That’s a game-time secret. You’ll see soon enough.”

Another ESPN reporter jumped in. ”KD, what kind of matchup are you expecting tonight?”

Durant had learned his lesson. He’d said they were equals in Summer League and got torched. This time, he kept it professional.

”Basketball’s a five-man game. It’s not one-on-one. So that question doesn’t really apply.”

”KD, what’s in the backpack?” another voice shouted.

Before Durant could speak, Chen cut in.

”Elementary school textbooks. Only kids bring backpacks to games.”

Durant narrowed his eyes. ”Say that again after you get cooked by a ’kid’ tonight.”

The trash talk was friendly—classic banter between close friends.

Then Chen noticed something.

”You know that cup of instant noodles you’re holding?” he asked, smirking. ”That brand’s one of my sponsors.”

Durant froze, eyes slowly drifting down to the noodle cup.

Suddenly, it didn’t taste so good anymore.

Before things got too crowded, they wrapped it up and moved on. The tunnel was getting jammed with reporters, players, and staff.

Warm-ups.

While stretching and shooting, Chen spotted someone familiar in the crowd—Wanda Durant.

Ever since KD turned pro, the Durant family had leveled up financially. Wanda didn’t need to work three jobs anymore. Now, she just traveled city to city, watching her son hoop. Life was good.

”Hey, Chen! Long time no see!” she shouted from the front row, waving. ”I’ve been following your games. You’re killin’ it!”

Chen jogged over and gave her a warm hug. He’d always had respect for KD’s mom, who’d raised her son through tough times.

After warmups wrapped up, the arena lights dimmed, and an award ceremony began.

Under thunderous applause from 20,000 fans, Chen Yan raised not one, but two trophies—Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month.

It was his first official NBA hardware, and he soaked in the moment.

”Damn, look at this dude,” Stoudemire said from the bench, clapping. ”Actin’ like he just won MVP!”

”Coq-uet-ish,” Raja Bell joked. ”That’s the only way to describe him right now.”

The Suns players all loved their rookie. Chen’s work ethic, confidence, and humility made him easy to root for—and even easier to tease.

Nash smiled, watching from the side.

”First trophies of his career,” he said. ”Let the kid have his moment.”

Meanwhile, on the sideline, Coach Mike D’Antoni was giving an interview of his own.

Asked about the decision to trade up for Chen during the draft, D’Antoni’s face lit up with pride.

”Every draft’s a gamble,” he said. ”But when you’ve got a kid who can drop 30 every night, that’s a bet I’ll take every time.”

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