Chapter 165: Carter's Respect — Breaking Iverson's Record
After defeating the Trail Blazers, Chen Yan tied Allen Iverson's rookie record of five straight 40-point games.
Ever since his overall rating reached an S-tier level, Chen's growth had become unstoppable.
Social media went wild:
"This guy plays the NBA like I play 2K!"
"Chen Yan is going to be the league's all-time leading scorer, mark my words!"
"Thank you, Portland, for the greatest trade gift in Suns history!"
"This kid's going to bring Phoenix its first championship!"
The praise poured in nonstop. Suns fans were already treating Chen like their new franchise cornerstone.
After the Blazers game, the team immediately boarded a flight to New Jersey. Their next opponent—the Brooklyn Nets—would be Chen's first game of the new year.
It was a strange feeling for him. Spending New Year's Eve on a plane wasn't something he'd ever imagined, but for NBA veterans, it was just another day at work. Between training, games, and travel, players practically lived in the air.
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January 1 — A New Year, A New Challenge.
The NBA announced the Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month awards for December.
As expected, Chen Yan and Kevin Durant claimed the Rookie honors for their respective conferences—Durant leading the East, and Chen dominating the West.
Then came the Players of the Month.
In the East, Dwight Howard took the crown.
In the West, it was Kobe Bryant—averaging 29.1 points, 6.5 assists, and 7 rebounds while leading the Lakers to an 11–4 record.
Chen wasn't disappointed. His numbers had skyrocketed late in the month, but his mid-December suspension and slower start made Kobe's win inevitable. He knew his time would come soon enough.
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January 2 — Continental Airlines Arena.
During warm-ups, Vince Carter walked straight toward Chen, greeting him with a grin and a handshake.
"Man, I've been watching your highlights," Carter said, his voice full of energy. "You're killing it out there."
Chen smiled. "That means a lot coming from you. I grew up watching your dunks, man. You were the guy."
Carter chuckled. "Appreciate that. But you've got something special. You're fearless out there. That shot over Kobe? Legendary."
They talked for a few minutes—about basketball, music, and life on the road. Carter even praised Chen's recent hit single written for Taylor Swift, saying, "You got game and you got rhythm. Respect."
Few people knew Carter's hidden passion for music. He'd played saxophone in high school and even earned a music scholarship before choosing basketball. That's why he respected Chen not only for his play but for his creative side too.
And, perhaps most of all, he admired Chen for something he'd once only dreamed of doing—punching out Bruce Bowen after one too many dirty plays.
"Man, I always wanted to do that," Carter laughed, shaking his head.
Chen just smirked. "Guess I did it for both of us."
---
When the game tipped off, there was no more joking.
The Nets, led by Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson, still looked good on paper—but the record told another story. They sat 10th in the East, underperforming thanks to an unbalanced roster and bloated salaries.
Their frontcourt was especially weak. After trading away Kenyon Martin, they relied on Nikola Krstić, a European big man who could shoot but couldn't defend a chair.
Stoudemire wasted no time exploiting that.
First, he powered through Krstić for an and-one. Then, on the next possession, he took a feed from Nash and posterized him with a thunderous dunk.
The Suns' bench erupted. Krstić could only shake his head and mutter something in frustration.
With the paint wide open, Chen took over from deep—two quick transition threes, both splashing through.
The Suns were surgical, their inside-out game unstoppable. By halftime, they led by 17 points.
---
In the second half, the Nets made their push. Kidd ignited the fast break, with Carter and Jefferson attacking from the wings. Their run cut the lead to single digits by the end of the third quarter.
But then came the fourth.
Phoenix's three-point arsenal reignited—Bell, Nash, Diaw, and Chen rained down shots like a monsoon. The Nets simply couldn't keep up.
The game ended 109–91, another decisive Suns victory.
Chen Yan finished with 41 points in 36 minutes, shooting 14-of-21 from the field, 8-of-11 from three, and 6-of-8 from the line.
It was his sixth consecutive 40-point game, breaking Allen Iverson's rookie record.
And the best part? He hadn't even been chasing it.
That was the difference between a true scorer and a stat-chaser.
A scorer's points serve the team's victory.
A chaser's points serve their ego.
After the buzzer, Steve Nash walked over and wrapped Chen in a hug.
"Six straight, man," Nash said, laughing. "You're making my job too easy."
Chen smiled. "Nah, you're the one feeding me. I should be the one hugging you."
Nash's grin widened. "Well, if I keep averaging 13 assists a night, I might break my record too."
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