The NBA's Twilight Star System

Jay Sun hated it when someone on the opposing team tried to outshine him.

Determined to teach Manu Ginobili a lesson, Jay requested a switch to defend the Spurs legend.

Ginobili glanced at Jay and thought, This kid's got guts.

"Manu, you're old. It's time to retire. There's no place for you in the league anymore!" Jay taunted, channeling his inner Gary Payton.

Ginobili chuckled. "Alright, kid. Let me show you what this old man's got."

Ginobili launched into his signature move—the serpentine dribble.

Jay stayed glued to him, his Clamps badge glowing constantly like a lightbulb.

As Ginobili approached the paint, he gathered the ball and faked a shot, hoping to get Jay off his feet.

But Jay didn't bite. He kept his hands up, staying grounded.

Realizing his fake wasn't working, Ginobili slowed down, transitioning into a smooth but deceptive Eurostep.

Jay remained unfazed. He remembered that Ginobili was notorious for drawing fouls with his crafty moves.

When Manu finally had to release the ball, Jay saw his chance.

He pounced.

Pickpocket activated—steal successful!

Ginobili couldn't believe it. "Did this rookie just pull that off?"

Jay dashed down the court on a fast break. Ginobili tried to chase him down, but the gap between them only widened.

Jay laid the ball in, scoring an easy two points.

Ginobili sighed as he jogged back. Am I really old?

Then he shook his head. Nonsense! I won a championship just last year!

Despite his age, Ginobili's mindset remained rock-solid. His sigh wasn't from frustration with himself—it was because he dreaded the inevitable scolding from Popovich.

Sure enough, Pop called a timeout and unleashed a verbal barrage on Manu.

Meanwhile, Tyronn Lue commended Jay's defense, encouraging him to keep up the pressure.

"Don't let up!" Lue urged.

"Got it, Coach!" Jay responded enthusiastically.

When the game resumed, Ginobili adjusted his playstyle. He stopped isolating and focused on orchestrating team plays instead. The Spurs, ever the well-oiled machine, executed their sets flawlessly.

In the second quarter, they outscored the Cavaliers 27–21, heading into halftime with a 47–45 lead.

LeBron James struggled in the first half, scoring just eight points while being tightly guarded by Kawhi Leonard. Still, he dished out five assists, but his lack of offensive production was a key reason for the Cavs trailing.

The message was clear: LeBron had to step up in the second half.

As the third quarter began, Jay sat on the bench while LeBron went into attack mode.

LeBron relentlessly drove to the basket, but his efficiency suffered under the Spurs' tough defense.

The Cavs' three-point shooting also cooled off, making things even harder.

Seeing Cleveland struggle, Popovich instructed his players to double-team LeBron more aggressively.

With two minutes left in the third quarter, an exasperated LeBron called a timeout and spoke urgently to Tyronn Lue.

Lue nodded, then turned to Jay.

"Jay, you're in. Hit your threes!"

Jay immediately stood up and got ready.

Dion Waiters returned to the bench, visibly dejected after a disastrous performance—he had shot just 1-for-4 from three and 2-for-7 overall.

The game resumed, and on the very first possession, Jay found himself wide open as the Spurs overcommitted to LeBron.

He didn't hesitate.

Catch and Shoot activated.

Corner Specialist activated.

Swish!

The ball sailed cleanly through the net.

LeBron breathed a sigh of relief. "That's my guy," he thought.

On the next possession, Tim Duncan posted up Varejao and banked in a shot.

The Cavs countered with LeBron driving to the hoop again, but this time, the Spurs adjusted their defense to keep an eye on Jay. Ginobili was tasked with shadowing him.

Jay noticed that even with the defensive adjustment, LeBron still faced a double-team from Kawhi and Duncan.

Seizing the opportunity, Jay started cutting and weaving through screens.

Ginobili got caught on a pick, giving Jay just enough space to get open again.

LeBron fired a bullet pass to Jay.

Jay caught it in stride and launched another three-pointer.

Swish!

Jay had scored six straight points, prompting an irate Popovich to call another timeout.

The Spurs coach paced the sidelines, cursing under his breath.

Both teams went cold for a stretch, trading misses, until the third quarter ended with the score close once again.

Entering the fourth quarter, Lue kept his starters on the floor, signaling that it was time for the final showdown.

Jay continued to run tirelessly off screens, while LeBron endured relentless pressure from Kawhi.

The constant physicality took its toll on LeBron. Being shadowed by Leonard for an entire game was exhausting, even for someone of LeBron's caliber.

Neither team found many easy scoring opportunities in the fourth. Both were championship-caliber squads with elite defenses.

With two minutes left, the Spurs held a narrow 87–85 lead.

The players on both sides were visibly tense, fully aware that every possession mattered.

LeBron took control at the top of the key. Skipping the usual three-threat moves, he bulldozed his way toward the rim.

Despite his fatigue, Kawhi stood his ground.

As LeBron went up for a layup, Duncan came out of nowhere and swatted the ball away.

Tony Parker grabbed the loose ball and sped down the court like a French sports car.

Kyrie Irving gave chase, managing to catch up and engage Parker in a physical battle all the way to the hoop.

But Parker, ever the crafty veteran, used his signature spin move to shield Irving and finished the layup.

89–85.

The Cavs were in trouble.

On the next possession, Kyrie called for a screen from Love. He tried to penetrate the defense but found no openings.

Just as he was about to reset the play, he spotted Jay in the corner.

Without hesitation, Kyrie flicked a behind-the-back pass to Jay.

Jay caught it and fired.

Closer activated.

Corner Specialist activated.

Catch and Shoot activated.

Swish!

Jay drained the three.

89–88.

There was still hope!

The Cavs immediately applied full-court pressure but failed to force a turnover.

Ginobili inbounded the ball to Duncan, who posted up Varejao once again.

This time, Varejao played more aggressively, slapping Duncan's arm and drawing a foul.

Duncan calmly stepped to the free-throw line.

His first shot bounced off the rim.

Unfazed, Duncan prepared for his second attempt.

The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling in.

90–88.

The Cavs had 17 seconds left to make something happen.

Lue called a timeout to draw up a final play.

What was the strategy?

"Give the ball to LeBron."

Love inbounded the ball to LeBron, who held it firmly and glanced at the clock.

With seven seconds left, LeBron made his move.

He charged forward but stopped just beyond the arc.

Leonard, who had anticipated this, reached out with his massive hand.

Tap.

Leonard deflected the ball, causing LeBron to lose control.

Kawhi grabbed the loose ball and sprinted toward the opposite end of the court.

Before he could reach the rim, the buzzer sounded.

Game over.

LeBron stood at midcourt, hands on his hips, staring at the scoreboard.

The scene mirrored the summer's Finals—another crushing defeat.

His silhouette, bathed in the glow of the arena lights, looked unusually desolate.