NBA: Built to Dominate

The 1996-97 NBA season was shaping up to be legendary.

The Houston Rockets formed the "Big Three" of aging superstars.The 1996 Draft Class, one of the most stacked in history, had entered the league.The NBA salary cap exploded, leading to Michael Jordan's record-breaking $30 million contract.And, of course—The rise of the Celestial Giant, Alex Mo, had made this season truly unforgettable.

And now?

The NBA officially announced its monthly awards for November.

Rookie of the Month – A Historic First

First up—Rookie of the Month.

The 1996 Draft Class was packed with young superstars, including:

Stephon Marbury (Philadelphia 76ers)

Formed the "Philadelphia Twins" with Jerry Stackhouse.Averaged 17.8 points and 7.4 assists per game.Led Philly to a playoff push.

Ray Allen (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Struggled early but found his rhythm.Averaged 16 points per game over his last 10 games.

Marcus Camby, Antoine Walker, and other rising stars.

Even Kobe Bryant, the high school phenom, was starting to gain traction in Boston.

And then, of course—

The top two picks from Georgetown:

Allen IversonAlex Mo

Iverson, despite his four-game suspension, had made waves by knocking out Kevin Garnett in his first NBA brawl.

He still managed to average:

24.6 points8.5 assists2.2 steals

His scoring ranked second among rookies.

But the Rookie of the Month race wasn't even close.

Because Alex Mo existed.

He swept all three Player of the Week awards in November.He averaged multiple 45+20 games.And in his final game of the month?47 points, 25 rebounds, 11 blocksAgainst Shawn Kemp, the so-called "Brutalist Power Forward."

The result?

Rookie of the Month: Alex Mo.

He became the first Chinese player in NBA history to win the award.

It wasn't just an NBA milestone—it was a historic moment for basketball in China.

No Competition for Rookie of the Year

The NBA also released its first Rookie Rankings.

And who was #1?

Alex Mo.

No debate.

No discussion.

No suspense.

Many fans even joked:

"Why does this ranking even exist? We already know who's winning Rookie of the Year."

Even NBA executives initially hesitated to release the list because:

"With Alex Mo in the league, this list is pointless."

Coach of the Month – Del Harris Wins Over Phil Jackson

Next up—Coach of the Month.

The Lakers' unbeaten November meant that Del Harris won the award over:

Phil Jackson (Chicago Bulls)Rudy Tomjanovich (Houston Rockets)

The Bulls and Rockets had each lost one game in November.

If the Lakers had played one more game, would they have also gone 15-1?

Maybe.

But 15-0 was 15-0.

Harris rightfully earned his award.

Power Rankings – The Lakers Shock the League

The NBA also released its updated team rankings.

#1: Chicago Bulls – No surprises. The defending champs stayed on top.#2: Houston Rockets – The Big Three were proving dominant.#3: Los Angeles Lakers.

Wait.

The Lakers… third place?

Before the season?

They weren't even in the top 16.

In just one month, they had jumped from outside the playoffs to a championship contender.

This was the power of Alex Mo and Allen Iverson.

Even more shocking?

Some Lakers fans believed their ranking was too low.

"Other than the Bulls, no team is stronger than us!"

A bit extreme?

Maybe.

But one thing was clear:

The Lakers were officially in the title conversation.

Player of the Month – The Final Showdown

And now—the biggest award of the night.

Player of the Month.

There were only three finalists:

Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)

31.0 points per gameLed Chicago to 15-1, first in the East.

Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)

28.7 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks per gameLed Houston to 14-1, second in the West.

If it were just these two?

It would be a tough decision.

But then…

You look at Alex Mo's numbers.

43.5 points per game21.7 rebounds per game5.8 blocks per gameLed the Lakers to 15-0

Only two players in NBA history had ever averaged 40+ points in a single month:

Elgin BaylorWilt Chamberlain

Now?

Alex Mo joined that list.

Game over.

Player of the Month: Alex Mo.

Just like he had done with Player of the Week, he had beaten Jordan and Olajuwon for the top honor.

The Media Goes Crazy

The headlines flooded in:

"Making history! Alex Mo becomes the first Chinese player in NBA history to win Rookie of the Month!"

"Legend born! Alex Mo becomes the first player in NBA history to win both Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month!"

"The strongest rookie debut in history—Alex Mo dominates the NBA!"

Every major network—ESPN, ABC, TNT, NBC—led with the story.

The NBA MVP Ladder was also released:

#1: Alex Mo.

Behind him?

Michael JordanHakeem OlajuwonCharles BarkleyKarl Malone

A rookie leading the MVP race?

This had never happened before.

Nike's Panic – Alex Mo's Price Just Skyrocketed

Nike Headquarters – Portland, Oregon

Phil Knight sat in silence.

He had been working on a five-year, $65 million endorsement deal for Alex Mo.

Now?

That contract was already outdated.

"We need to increase our offer."

"How much?"

"15 million per year?"

"No—17 million."

"Screw it. 20 million!"

Nike executives were in chaos.

They had never seen a player's value skyrocket like this.

Especially a rookie.

And the scariest part?

No one knew his true worth.

The Final Answer? The Fans Decide

Phil Knight took a deep breath.

"Nobody in this room knows Alex Mo's true market value."

The executives looked at him, confused.

"But I know who does."

"Who?"

Knight leaned forward and smiled.

"The consumers."

Because in the end—

The fans would determine Alex Mo's value.

And judging by the way the NBA was reacting?

He was about to become the biggest global basketball icon since Michael Jordan.