"The Cavaliers’ Record Is Better Without LeBron!"
When Su Xi opened his laptop in the hotel the next morning, this was the headline on the Yahoo Sports hopage.
The article provided a detailed analysis of the similarities and differences between the Cavaliers with Jas as the core and with Su Xi as the core. Besides listing comprehensive data, the article specifically cited two gas: the regular-season opener where Jas left with an injury and Su Xi led the team to take the lead and upset the Kings.
In the recent showdown between the Cavaliers and the Knicks, Jas was ejected, and Su Xi still led a depleted lineup to another coback victory.
The article’s data was rigorous, its analysis ticulous, and its argunts well-founded.
So much so that even Su Xi, after reading it, couldn’t help but think: ’Is that really how it is?’
The New York dia was also fanning the flas. Even a world-class outlet like The New York Tis weighed in with an article titled: "If You Have the Law, Why Do You Need a King?"
This comntary also started from the premise of who the Cavaliers should choose as their team leader, and their conclusion was that Su Xi was in no way inferior to LeBron Jas.
Other New York dia outlets echoed this sentint, especially the television network under Jas Dolan, which had been discussing the topic nonstop since the end of last night’s ga.
The New York dia often acts as a trendsetter in the sports world, so when they started obsessively discussing sothing, the entire United States basketball community couldn’t help but follow suit.
Suddenly, everyone was debating. So said LeBron Jas was better, others said Su Xi was. So claid Su Xi’s ceiling was an All-Star at best, while others argued that if LeBron Jas didn’t continuously improve his skills, he would just beco another Pippen.
Overall, though, LeBron Jas still had more supporters.
After all, LeBron Jas’s static and dynamic talents were visibly superior to Su Xi’s.
Most importantly, everyone had a preconceived notion: Jas was the Chosen One.
Little Sheep Su Xi was the product of hard work.
Besides, in everyone’s established view, it was difficult for a guard from China to reach the highest level, even if Su Xi had grown up in the United States.
It was in this atmosphere that the Cavaliers boarded the plane back to Cleveland.
On the plane, the usual laughter was gone.
As Jas no longer sat next to Su Xi, everyone sensed a rift forming between the two talented rookies.
At noon, LeBron Jas received an additional two-ga suspension and a 5,000 USD fine from the league. The Cavaliers had a three-ga hostand coming up, and he would miss the first two.
Upon arriving in Cleveland, a small incident occurred when so crazed fans ca to greet them at the airport. A black woman wearing Jas’s high school jersey suddenly rushed out and shouted at Su Xi, "Get out of Cleveland! This is LeBron’s kingdom!"
She also tried to throw a cream-filled pastry she was holding at Su Xi, but Boozer, with his quick reflexes, caught it with his dominant left hand and shoved it back in the heavyset woman’s face. Kapono then pushed her aside, and the two of them flanked Su Xi, escorting him quickly out of the airport and into the parking garage. Then they all drove ho together.
On the way, Carlos Boozer said with a face full of indignation, "Jack, you saw that. This is LeBron’s hotown. No matter how well you do, they’ll only ever recognize LeBron."
"I’m not trying to stir up trouble, but if you want to be more than just a role player, you have to stand up and make your position clear. No matter what, Ah Ka and I support you," Boozer told Su Xi firmly.
"That’s right, Jack. We’re a trinity," Kapono added, also standing firmly on Su Xi’s side.
Su Xi was touched. He patted Abu Akar on the shoulders; everything was understood without words.
This storm grew larger and larger, and the dia controversy beca even bigger than the internal conflict of the OK Combination.
After all, the OK Combination had been feuding for so many years; the fans were ready for so new drama.
The battle between Little Sheep Su Xi and the Chosen One, the Law versus the King, had beco the hottest topic.
After Su Xi returned ho, Mike O’Connor gave him a new "Death Note" and relayed a ssage: "Frank said he can’t help you record these things anymore."
Su Xi was suddenly overco with a bit of emotion.
He thought, ’Has it really co... to this?’
Overnight, the rift had grown so vast.
Then, Su Xi received a call from Nike.
It was Phil Knight himself. He said to Su Xi, "Jack, this isn’t a bad thing for you. Perhaps you should start thinking about a new journey. To us, both you and LeBron are our most important, highest-priority partners."
"To be honest, with you two together, neither Nike’s interests nor your own can be maximized."
"I didn’t expect you to develop so quickly. I originally thought you’d play in Cleveland for two or three years before you’d be able to provoke LeBron’s jealousy."
Phil Knight discussed the issue seriously with Su Xi. "This sudden dia storm was deliberately created by soone. There’s a team that wants you badly, so they’re willing to make a huge scene to get you."
Su Xi said, "I understand."
Then, Phil Knight and Su Xi discussed his signature shoe, a topic they had been communicating about recently. Su Xi felt that if he was going to have a signature shoe, it had to be better. He also hoped for the shoe to be lighter.
Nike had originally planned to make it in a style almost identical to LeBron Jas’s signature shoe, but Su Xi didn’t like that. He felt it was stiff, like a center’s shoe. He even suggested they could make a low-top version.
Phil Knight had high expectations for Su Xi, which was why he had called him personally.
He saw Su Xi’s astonishing market value and on-court potential.
He and Nike were already beginning to think that Su Xi could beco a more dominant star on the court than Yao Ming.
As for his off-court influence, they had no doubts whatsoever.
Yao Ming was very charismatic; he was witty, kind, sincere, and down-to-earth.
But from a promotional standpoint, Su Xi was undoubtedly more favored by the dia.
He was too handso.
And his personal story was extrely compelling.
Otherwise, how could he have made LeBron jealous?
LeBron was a once-in-fifty-years super-genius, a young player expected to beco a dominant force.
...
The Cavaliers’ first opponent back ho was the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers were known as the NBA’s "Prison Team," dubbed the "Criminals’ League" by the dia. They had players who sped, used drugs, committed dostic violence, had ssy affairs, fought in the locker room, and illegally possessed firearms... In short, you could find every type of NBA troublemaker on that roster.
Interestingly, they had also drafted a rookie this year nad Outlaw, which translates directly to "fugitive from the law."
His na fit the Trail Blazers’ locker room culture perfectly, but in reality, he was a very conservative and obedient young player.
Before this ga began, the *Ohio Plain Dealer* had even published a special article: "Now It’s the Law’s Turn to Clean Up the Portland Prison Team."
It was hard to say this article wasn’t trying to stir the pot.
It provoked Rashid Wallace into a rage. The man known as the "Roaring Celestial Venerable" shouted in Cleveland, "I refuse to believe he can sanction !"
Then, on the second possession of the ga, Su Xi drove hard to the basket, colliding in mid-air with an unprepared Roaring Celestial Venerable... A burst of explosive power t brute strength... On the spot, Rashid Wallace was knocked to the ground. He landed face-first, his teeth hitting the floor before anything else... His mouth was instantly filled with blood, and one of his front teeth was broken.
When he got up, he opened his blood-filled mouth and roared at Su Xi, looking like a ferocious demon. The head referee gave him a technical foul.
His teammates then pulled him away, and the team doctor took him for treatnt. He did not return for the rest of the ga.
This scene stunned the group of criminals from Portland. They all began to show the ’Law’ the respect it was due.
Their short point guard, Stadumier, nicknad "Little Flying Squirrel," also stopped his trash-talking.
He played a very low-key ga. Of course, this famous drug user couldn’t afford to be high-profile anymore. At five-foot-ten, he had peaked in his rookie year and had been declining ever since. By now, on any other team, he’d be at a normal rotation level, not a starter.
He couldn’t stop Su Xi at all, as Su Xi repeatedly blew past him with overwhelming drives.
The Trail Blazers quickly fell apart like a plate of loose sand.
The Cavaliers easily secured the victory. After defeating the West team, the Trail Blazers, the Cavaliers quickly moved into fourth place in the East.
They were behind only the Pacers, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Pistons.
It was safe to say the Cavaliers’ season was a huge success; they had been at the bottom of the league last season.
Su Xi finished the ga with 17 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.
An extrely well-rounded performance.
Judging by the stats, he was already at an All-Star level.
After the ga, Su Xi did not speak to the dia.
He was trying his best to keep a low profile.
Interestingly, LeBron Jas didn’t co to the arena for this ga either.
Next up was their second ho ga, against the Washington Wizards, who were currently third to last in the East.
The Wizards had signed Arenas to a big contract in the offseason.
But their record had not taken off.
This was because their backcourt already had a major ball hog: Stackhouse.
This was the sa big-ti stat-padder who had once competed with Iverson for shot attempts.
In addition, they also had Larry Hughes.
With these three together, just getting the team to function normally was a huge test of a head coach’s skill, and Coach Eddie Jordan clearly wasn’t at that level yet.
So, the Cavaliers once again won this ga easily.
In this ga, Su Xi put up a super triple-double with 15 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals.
After the ga, Arenas lavished praise on him, saying, "If the Cavaliers don’t think Jack is fit to be a leader, they can send him to Washington. I would never compete with Jack for the leadership position. If he cos, we’ll be co-leaders."
Arenas’s public recruitnt caused a bit of a stir around the league. His words seed to be a wake-up call for everyone: the Cavaliers might actually trade Little Sheep Su Xi.
At noon on the day after Arenas left, Su Xi, on the back of three straight wins and a triple-double performance, once again won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award.
This ca as a heavy blow to LeBron Jas and his fans.
Because the Chosen One had yet to win this award. Furthermore, both tis Su Xi won it, it was because Jas was absent.
What did this prove? That as long as Jas wasn’t around, Su Xi was the best player in the East. He could get quadruple-doubles and triple-doubles while also leading the team to victory.
Facts speak louder than words.
And that afternoon, Jas finally appeared at the training facility.
He ca to the gym, ward up for a bit, and then suddenly said to Su Xi, "Jack, maybe it’s ti we had a battle between the King and the Law!"
He threw the ball to Su Xi. "Let’s go one-on-one. This ti, we’re playing to five!"
...
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