The Noise Is at Its Peak

When Michael Jordan’s jumper sent Russell sprawling and sounded the Chicago Bulls dynasty’s final requiem, the age of basketball gods officially came to an end. The NBA sky was no longer painted a single shade of red. In the West, the surging tide of the Shark heading east met the steady presence of the Stone Buddha, Duncan, and the youthful exuberance of the O.K. duo. In the East, rival powers contended and the fires of battle blazed anew. A true golden age was rushing toward us, growing wildly and without restraint. Xian’s NBA career began with the goal of becoming the next Bird and ended with him becoming the NBA’s Chinese Immortal. This is the story of how, in a brand-new, feverish basketball frontier, he wrote his own rules in the simplest way possible.