The Rockets vs. Thunder game did not receive much attention in America. Most media reporters were from Oklahoma City and Houston, with only a small portion from TNT and ESPN.
When Kayce recorded a triple-double, the first to go wild were the reporters from TNT and ESPN. Unearthing such big news in a game that no one cared about meant that money was already beckoning them.
The Rockets' live commentator also noticed Kayce's statistics:
"This is truly an insane record! Kayce has broken LeBron James's record for the youngest triple-double. At 19 years and 43 days, he has made history! God, this record will be incredibly difficult to break!"
The big screen at the Toyota Center also displayed Kayce's current stats, eliciting gasps from the audience.
The Thunder's bench was already going wild, constantly waving towels, but Kayce remained calm. The game wasn't over yet.
More than 7 minutes had passed in the third quarter, and the score was 76 to 58. There was basically no suspense left in the game.
Kayce handed the ball to Russell. Since he had already secured a triple-double, he didn't want to keep going all out. Basketball shouldn't always be about fighting; a little leniency also helps with team unity.
After all, everyone is in this business. Winning too much can inevitably lead to some petty people getting jealous, and then if they trip you up, you'll have nowhere to complain.
Russell, fueled by excitement, didn't care about any of that. He took the ball and drove, bumping Aaron Brooks, and then pulled up for a jump shot from the free-throw line.
"Swish!" It went in easily.
"Hey, Bro, that's enough. You need to show some respect for your opponent!"
Aaron Brooks, getting frustrated, tried to push Russell, but couldn't move him.
"Buddy, you can try to guard me, or continue your flopping performance. Maybe the referee will sympathize with you!"
Russell continued to provoke, and his words were truly infuriating.
Just as the two were about to get into it, Ariza also joined in. He had been completely shut down by Kayce in this game, turning him into Iron Ariza, and was incredibly frustrated.
Seeing the situation, Kayce stepped forward and pushed Ariza away. Durant was about to rush in, but three referees immediately intervened, strenuously separating the players.
Ariza was still chattering, and Durant on the side wasn't idle, constantly shouting:
"You should keep clinging to Kobe! You're nothing without Kobe!"
These words broke Ariza. Battier, seeing that things were escalating, quickly hugged Ariza.
"What's going on? Why did both sides suddenly get into another conflict? After Brooks scored, he even came up to provoke his opponent. This is completely unacceptable!"
Ke Xiaofan looked at the situation on the court with a sense of helplessness.
When everyone returned to the bench, the Thunder side was unaffected. Everyone was congratulating Kayce on breaking the triple-double record.
"Kayce, you have to treat us when we get back to Oklahoma City. We need the best hot chicks in Oklahoma City!" Jeff Green joked.
"No problem, pick any place you want. Let's party until dawn!" Kayce agreed readily.
At the scorer's table, after repeatedly reviewing the replay, the referees made their ruling:
"According to the latest NBA rule on the court, both teams receive a technical foul!"
"Boo!" The crowd at the Toyota Center erupted in boos again.
Each side got one free throw, and taking advantage of this opportunity, both coaches brought in their bench players. The game had essentially entered garbage time.
The Thunder's bench players were also very happy. Getting so much playing time, they had to quickly rack up some stats. This opportunity was very rare.
With the starters subbed out, Kayce sat on the bench eating an orange. Seeing his calm expression, Durant immediately teased:
"Kayce, you won the bet, but we all unanimously decided that from now on, we'll play dice together on the plane. Russell's idea has everyone's approval!"
"Cough, cough, maybe we should bring more video games. Star players shouldn't gamble."
Kayce almost choked on the orange when he heard that.
"But Michael Jordan throws money around in Las Vegas every year. You should learn from your idol!"
Russell came in with the ultimate move, bringing up the great Jordan.
"Uh, alright, you win, but maybe my luck will come back soon. Just don't cry when it does!"
Kayce shrugged and replied helplessly.
"Kayce, trust me, you're great at basketball, but when it comes to cards and dice, you really suck, hahaha!"
Jeff Green's words immediately resonated with everyone, and the bench was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.
The game time quickly ran out, and in the end, the Thunder defeated the Houston Rockets 110-98, securing their fifth consecutive win.
After the game, a large group of media reporters surrounded Kayce. These unplanned interviews were actually unreasonable, but the reporters, eager for money, didn't care.
Kayce was still easy to talk to during the interview, always giving the same three answers: "Coach is great, teammates are awesome, we're family!"
It wasn't until Yao Ming came over with the basketball that the reporters let go of Kayce.
"Congratulations, Kayce, you played a fantastic game. The youngest triple-double record. Take this game ball, it's a moment worth remembering!"
Yao Ming said to Kayce with a smile.
"Thank you so much, really. This kind of record doesn't actually mean much. You are the true legend; I need to learn from you!"
Kayce also entered business flattery mode, and after taking the ball, immediately hugged Yao Ming in greeting.
Kayce didn't take the triple-double stats seriously, but America began to discuss it widely. After all, in 2009, a triple-double hadn't depreciated yet.
Durant shot 10-for-15 from the field, 2-for-2 from three, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, finishing with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists. Russell shot 9-for-12 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, getting 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Adding Kayce's 6-for-6 from the field, 2-for-2 from three, for 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, the trio had already attracted everyone's attention. In those days, the Big Three model was wildly popular across the NBA.
Although the three players on the Thunder were all rookies, American audiences loved this kind of hype. If the audience liked it, the media could create content.
Kayce didn't pay attention to any of this because they had to fly back to Oklahoma City overnight. After a short rest tomorrow, they would face the Orlando Magic at home the day after. The schedule was still a bit tight.
It was already late at night when he returned to his mansion in Oklahoma City. Kayce first briefly replied to the congratulatory texts from his 'superficial' brothers, and after a quick wash, he lay directly on his large bed.
"It's just a triple-double, why does everyone seem so surprised?" With these questions in mind, Kayce slowly drifted into a dream.
After routinely entering the Dream Training Space, Kayce called up the holographic projection of the control panel and immediately noticed a notification above the Achievement Room. His heart instantly filled with joy:
"Can I still get something even when I clock out after three quarters? This game was a huge win!"
Upon entering the Achievement Room, Kayce looked at the newly produced bronze achievement badge and touched it lightly to view its attributes:
Achievement Badge [Defense Core]: 6 / 50
When on the court, it will enhance teammates' defensive abilities.
When Kayce saw this badge, he was initially delighted, but upon closer inspection, he realized that the badge was not very useful.
"Teammates who are already strong defensively don't need to be strengthened to be great, and those who are bad at defense won't benefit much from a badge bonus. I feel like this badge only gives Ibaka a small buff and is probably useless for everyone else."
Although the badge harvest was not ideal, Kayce was still very satisfied, especially when he saw that the experience of his other badges had also increased. He immediately started his daily basic training with renewed energy.
The impact of the rookie triple-double also began to ferment. For the American media, an appealing gimmick was paramount; hype meant ratings!
And for Chinese fans, Kayce had thoroughly proven himself with his performance. The third fan group, rivaling Kobe and James Fans, was born today!