The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 291 - 175: The Joy of "Fighting with Injuries" _2

Chapter 291: Chapter 175: The Joy of "Fighting with Injuries" _2

There were reports saying that LeBron James’s wrist injury was so severe that he couldn’t even shoot a basketball at one point.

Even some media seriously released a freeze-frame photo of LeBron shooting.

In the photo, LeBron’s shooting posture was incredibly stiff.

"If it wasn’t for an injury, would his shooting form be this terrible?"

Oh, it absolutely could be!

Even worse!

Su Wan saw this report too.

He didn’t even have to guess, he knew it must be Nike’s PR team going into overdrive again.

LeBron James was definitely not allowed to fail, if he did fail, it would surely be because of an injury.

After being eliminated by the Magic Team in ’09, it wasn’t long before some media were saying LeBron played the whole series despite a shoulder injury; he was eliminated in ’10, and then the "Mommy Gate" scandal even emerged, claiming LeBron’s poor performance was because of the rumors from "Mommy Gate."

It’s worth mentioning that the "Mommy Gate" rumors indirectly affected the career of Delonte West.

For NBA main players and substitutes, their personalities will largely determine the lifespan of their careers.

Because they don’t have an irreplaceable position on the team, in the eyes of general managers, there are many similar options.

After Delonte West got tangled in that kind of "love scandal," which team would dare to take him?

A man who could even pimp out his own mother...

It shows that LeBron James’s love for his mom is just so-so, eh.

People talk about Kobe suing his mother, but in fact, that was the biggest rumor.

Kobe didn’t sue his parents, but the auction house that allowed his parents to auction off his personal items. It’s just that some people deliberately blurred the fact to say Kobe sued his parents.

Of course, it’s also true that Kobe had a bad relationship with his parents for Vanessa’s sake.

But what can you say about that...

If you were Kobe, would you marry Vanessa or some African woman demanded by your parents?

There’s no problem with the choice; it’s just the way Kobe dealt with his relationship with his parents afterward—very much an American "freedom culture":

I’m happy, it doesn’t matter if you are my parents, you do your thing, and I’ll do mine.

As a public figure, this is definitely a dark spot for him.

Back to LeBron, essentially he did the same thing as Kobe.

Don’t go saying anything about how LeBron can’t stop the media.

With the media power of LeBron and Nike, if they didn’t want such a report to come out, would it really be hard to suppress?

In the United States of 2024, there are not a few who still believe Huaxia people are munching on tree bark.

Speaking of media censorship, that’s their bread and butter.

The key is whether or not he wants to block this news.

Moreover, if Su Wan remembers correctly, when the "Mommy Gate" news broke, LeBron James didn’t immediately refute it, but instead tacitly allowed it to simmer for a while before he came out to deny it.

By that time, who cared about the veracity; even the Cavaliers losing to the Celtics wasn’t getting much attention anymore.

Of course, using "Mommy Gate" to divert attention wasn’t just about shifting the public’s focus so the media would stop discussing the Cavaliers’ loss to the Celtics... orchestrating such a big stunt, naturally, had a more important purpose.

That is, two months after "Mommy Gate," LeBron made "The Decision."

You really can’t help but associate the two events.

In Su Wan’s view, the methods used by LeBron’s team to manipulate public opinion were at least 15 years ahead.

It’s a pity though, that after 15 years, they never progressed.

In 2023, the Lakers were thoroughly "scalped" by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, and LeBron James suddenly dropped a "I’m considering retirement" bombshell after the game, which exploded on social media but was immediately met with criticism from all quarters.

Because everyone knew he wouldn’t retire.

This "retirement proclamation" by LeBron just seemed a bit clumsy, showing that his team behind the scenes hadn’t made much progress over the years.

So when the media said that LeBron’s wrist injury had not yet healed during this playoff series, Su Wan just chuckled knowingly:

That’s LeBron for you!

Clevelanders were immediately overjoyed, like drowning people who had finally breathed fresh air, and were instantly revitalized.

They knew there had to be a reason for LeBron’s poor performance, and now that it was clear it was due to his wrist injury, that was fine. Just heal up over the summer, and don’t worry about the rest, we’ll take care of it for you!

A group of them ran straight to the front of Quicken Loans Arena to pressure Danny Ferry, demanding he make a stronger effort to bolster the team this summer:

"Don’t try to fool us with Larry Hughes anymore!"

"LeBron’s performance during the regular season speaks for itself, we should give him more help!"

"The Cavaliers finally have a core player again after so many years, why not cherish him? If we miss out on him, how much longer will we have to wait?"

...

The passion of Cleveland fans relieved LeBron James a great deal, and he could finally enjoy his summer.

Just as this drama came to an end, Houston began to stir.

The reason was that the Phoenix Suns, who they had beaten last season, now swiftly knocked them out 4-0.

Facing revenge from the team they defeated last season, the dissatisfaction from the Houston media was intense, particularly after Su Wan lifted the All-Star MVP trophy during the All-Star Game, which already left them somewhat begrudging.

So, the day after being swept, the Houston media didn’t bother to mask their sarcasm:

"The New OK combination? That’s the joke of the 2000s!" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"Tracy will never be Kobe, and Yao, he’ll never be the Shark!"

"Thinking of a max salary after a 0-4 sweep? The Huaxia No.1 Pick is too greedy!"

Actually, Yao Ming’s performance in that playoff series was fairly good, with an average of 22.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, and a 50% field goal percentage, making him the best-performing player for the Rockets, but in the eyes of the Houston media, the stats were moot if you can’t lead your team to a single win against the Phoenix Suns, and such a player doesn’t deserve a max salary!

As for McGrady, he too was subjected to all kinds of skepticism and mockery by the Houston media.

The reason, once again, was because of the All-Star Weekend.

You were given a stage to perform on, and yet it ended up showcasing Su Wan, what’s the point in celebrating you?

In short, the Houston media was very unsatisfied and their reports added a note of suspense for Yao Ming, whose rookie contract was set to expire on July 1st.

Other media had already started speculating on Yao Ming’s next destination.

From their point of view, the Houston media were bullying a genuinely good guy. If Yao Ming’s performance couldn’t earn him a max salary, that would be the real joke; Houston was being too manipulative.

If Yao Ming could still tolerate this, then they would be really disappointed in him.

No matter the reason, as a player, you can’t just remain indifferent to your own media’s mocking and sneering. A player’s self-respect is often maintained by the attitude they present.

While this drama continued to ferment, the League announced this season’s "Best Lineups" and "Best Defensive Players."

"First Team All-NBA: Su Wan, Kobe, Dirk Nowitzki, Elton Brand, Shaquille O’Neal;"

"Second Team All-NBA: Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, the younger O’Neal, Yao Ming;"

"Third Team All-NBA: Arenas, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Ben Wallace;"

"First Team All-Defensive: Artest, Kirilenko, Ben Wallace, Kobe, the younger O’Neal, Jide;"

"Second Team All-Defensive: Marcus Camby, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Prince, Su Wan;"