"LeBron, from now on, I need you to work with on the wing."
Su Xi said to Jas.
"Work with *you*? Why shouldn’t you be working with **?" Jas retorted angrily.
Su Xi slowed his pace and calmly t LeBron Jas’s gaze. "Because I can lead this team to victory."
"Ridiculous..." Jas shook his head.
But before he could finish, Su Xi cut him off. "I can win without you. Can you? As the King, do you want to sit on the bench and watch get the win?"
"You know The Law can make it happen."
Su Xi’s words struck a nerve with Jas.
"Whether you want to treat like your little sidekick or fight alongside as an equal, right now, our opponent is the Pacers. Don’t make this ugly."
Su Xi patted Jas’s shoulder. He was speaking from the heart.
He could have easily taken a different approach with Jas, but he chose not to. There was no deep-seated animosity between them.
With that, he walked over to Tinsley.
Tinsley was hurrying over, a resentful look on his face. Su Xi had just stolen the ball right from him, and he’d seen Larry Bird clapping on the sidelines. He couldn’t accept it; he was desperate to redeem himself.
But he didn’t understand Su Xi at all. In the half-court set, he still tried to break down Su Xi’s defense with his own rhythm, but Su Xi hounded him, locking him down again. Reggie Miller ca out to get the ball and passed it to Little O’Neal on the inside.
Little O’Neal caught the pass and made a quick spin move. He drove under the basket and was about to throw down a dunk when Su Xi charged toward him, eyes locked on like a tiger.
Little O’Neal and Su Xi t in mid-air. He switched from a dunk to a layup, gently flicking the ball off his left hand... CLANG!
It was no good.
Ilgauskas grabbed the rebound and passed it to Jas.
Jas pushed the ball upcourt on the fast break but was forced to stop on the wing by Ron Artest’s defense.
Just then, Su Xi and the other Cavaliers caught up to the play.
Su Xi made a quick, tily back-cut and got wide open. Jas didn’t pass. He used a jab step, feinting a drive, and as he was about to make his move... SWIPE!
Artest, with his lightning-quick hands, slapped the ball away.
But he couldn’t corral the loose ball, and Su Xi sprinted over to secure it.
He took one dribble, then fired a bounce pass into the paint. Boozer caught it in stride and laid the ball into the hoop.
"LeBron, if you’re not going to play by the rules—if you think you’re above it all, that every play has to revolve around you, that you have to control every possession—then I’ll rip up our agreent, too. Who do you think it would hurt more if I called a tiout right now, blew up at you, and then took our feud public with the dia? You or ?"
"I’m not the King. I’m not the Chosen One. I don’t have a pristine image to protect."
Su Xi said all of this in a low voice, his hand on Jas’s shoulder as they headed back to the other end of the court.
Then, Su Xi moved to the top of the arc to pick up Tinsley.
Jas was a smart guy. The way Ricky Davis had shown his true, bitter colors on his way out had already been a difficult situation for him. If Su Xi also started making trouble now, he’d face a huge crisis of confidence from all sides, which would have a massive impact on every aspect of his career.
Once Su Xi whispered those words in his ear, he was left with no other choice.
Even as the King, he had to operate within the frawork of the Law.
In that mont, he finally understood that he couldn’t just do whatever he pleased, even with all the special privileges he was afforded on the team.
And in that sa mont, he finally understood why Su Xi’s nickna was ’The Law’.
It turned out that from the very beginning, the Law was ant to restrain the King.
He had thought the Law was a weapon the King used to conquer his enemies.
Su Xi cut off Tinsley at the top of the arc, then funneled him toward Jas on the left side.
Jas hesitated for a split second, but he didn’t miss the opportunity Su Xi had created. He quickly closed in, cutting off Tinsley’s path.
In a panic, Tinsley tried to force a pass, but it was deflected by Su Xi’s long arms. Jas scooped up the loose ball and fired a long outlet pass. Su Xi sprinted downcourt to catch it, drove to the hoop, drew the defense, and dished it to Jas on the wing. Jas soared through the air... SLAM!
A one-handed slam dunk.
The dunk sent Gand Arena into an absolute frenzy.
Paul Silas pumped a clenched fist, shouting in excitent, "Yes, that’s it, boys! Just like that! When you run the floor, no one in the league can stop you!"
He was thrilled to see that after Su Xi’s talk with Jas, the two were suddenly working together seamlessly.
’Young guys,’ he thought. ’It’s normal to have a little friction. They make up just as quickly.’
The one-two punch from Su Xi and Jas, on both defense and offense, had clearly stunned the Pacers.
Rick Carlisle and Larry Bird exchanged a look at almost the exact sa mont. They were both witnessing the brilliant sparks that fly when imnse talents collide.
Carlisle’s eyes were full of disbelief. ’Are the Cavaliers really going to trade Jack?’
Larry Bird, however, was certain they would.
Because Su Xi’s agent had approached him and made it clear that his client no longer wanted to be on the Cavaliers. He wanted Bird to make a trade happen. What’s more, the agent said that before any trade, Su Xi wanted to and his rookie contract.
O’Connor had arrogantly stated, "We can’t accept being exploited by the standard rookie contract. Therefore, we want the right to opt out after the third year—a player option."
Larry Bird had been stunned. ’Can they even do that?’ While it was true that league contracts weren’t as rigid back then, and there was so room to modify even standard rookie deals... this was just outrageously bold.
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