The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 324 - 184: Request for Urine Test? _4

Chapter 324: Chapter 184: Request for Urine Test? _4

Only the League and Cuban were penalized in the end. It took ten years for the news to revolve around Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban slandering Su Wan for using stimulants, and the consequences of his actions.

Instead of the news being about how Su Wan had performed exceptionally well in the finals ten years ago and was suspected of having used stimulants—an incident that thankfully turned out to be a false alarm.

Moreover, with both Mark Cuban and the League providing an official statement, it allowed the story of "Su Wan being so strong that the team owner suspected him of using stimulants" to really make waves.

Su Wan was still very confident; he had tested himself long ago, and the system would never let his body exhibit the kind of positive reaction associated with stimulant use.

Soon the rest of the Pacers found out about it, and not one of them felt like giving interviews anymore.

The post-game interviews ended very quickly.

However, just as he was about to board the bus, Su Wan suddenly remembered that he had promised to give Erin an exclusive interview.

"Given what’s happened, I’m sure you’re not in the mood for an interview, and it’s not a big deal," Erin said, showing understanding.

Su Wan thought for a bit and asked the team’s PR manager, "Can I bring a reporter on the plane?"

This wasn’t just about looking after Erin; the season was over, and with this mess, he really didn’t want to see any reporters or do any interviews the next day. ƒreewebɳovel.com

The PR manager was surprised, not at Su Wan’s request, but at his act of inquiring: "Do you think anyone would be able to stop this from happening? Buddy, we’re not the Magic Team’s management; this is Indiana, your turf."

He had no doubt that if he refused Su Wan’s request, he would be fired tomorrow for stepping into the arena with his left foot first.

Su Wan smiled, "One should still follow protocol; at least, I ought to give you a heads up."

Then Su Wan greeted everyone else.

After finding out, Erin was stunned on the spot. She didn’t want to assume too much, but she still had to ask, "Su, are you playing some kind of hard-to-get game with me? You don’t have to go through all this trouble. If you just crooked your finger, I’d strip off my clothes!"

"Get lost!"

Su Wan cursed in annoyance, but Erin just laughed. It was one of the rare times she got to have the upper hand, and it felt really good.

The incident spread quickly, and Erin’s status at ESPN was likely to get another boost.

"Actually, media outlets like TNT and ABC have been reaching out to me through headhunters recently." From Dallas to Indiana, the flight was over five hours long, and Erin had plenty of time for a slow interview. She wasn’t in a rush and started by discussing her recent situation with Su Wan, "But I turned them down..."

"Why? Were their offers not good enough?" Su Wan was well aware that the new contract from ESPN was already considered top-notch in the journalism industry. For a newcomer like Erin, it could even be called ’max salary.’

Erin replied, "Some offers were better than ESPN’s, but I feel that if I chose another company, I might lose your good opinion of me."

Su Wan was surprised but silent, waiting for Erin to continue.

"ESPN provided me with a starting point in the industry, and as my value increased, they kept up with big contracts, showing their respect for me. If I abandoned them over money, in your eyes, I would become an ambitious person, right? You definitely wouldn’t like that kind of person."

Su Wan smiled.

Erin was not wrong.

He indeed didn’t like people who only had pure profits in mind.

Take player transfers, for instance...

If a player is unhappy in a team, feels undervalued, isn’t receiving enough respect, or if the team isn’t investing heavily in chasing performance, and if the player themselves don’t want to just coast on a contract, then transferring is reasonable.

But if a player has been the focus of the team’s training since their debut, even to the extent that the team trades away other talented players who could affect his growth, and then takes two years to develop him. When building the team, they spend money where necessary and make trades—even mortgaging the team’s future for him—then even if he doesn’t perform well, he shouldn’t just walk away without a second thought.

People can’t always do things that are only beneficial to themselves.

Without emotion, what’s the difference between us and cold-blooded animals?

Even if a player succeeds, they shouldn’t be surprised if fans start calling them "businessmen."

Su Wan couldn’t get along with such players peacefully, nor could he be friends with such people.

Erin had stayed true to herself, not blinded by temporary financial gain, which made him feel gratified. It proved he hadn’t misjudged her, and the special treatment he had afforded her over the past two years was worthwhile.

The interview lasted roughly 40 minutes. When Erin finished the interview and looked around, the Pacers’ players were almost all asleep. It had been a quiet victory.

4-1!

But having spent the past six days in Dallas, with all sorts of external factors and grueling on-court battles, they were physically and emotionally exhausted. Now that they had finally won the championship, they could at last sleep soundly.

"Can I take a few pictures of them sleeping?" Erin asked softly.

Su Wan nodded; he had already let everyone know Erin might be taking some photos, so there was no need to ask for their opinions again.

Erin tiptoed past each player’s seat, finding the right angles to capture their sleeping forms.

Especially Artest, asleep while hugging the O’Brien Cup, she took several snaps before she found the feeling she was looking for.

Finally, she came to Su Wan...

Tonight’s biggest "hero" and the most tired of them all, Su Wan was also asleep. Erin initially thought of placing the finals MVP trophy in Su Wan’s hands for a photo, but then reconsidered that such a lackluster act didn’t seem like something Su Wan would do, so she placed the finals MVP trophy at his feet instead.

"Nice!"

Erin was very pleased with her creativity.

And so, the plane arrived in Indiana, and Su Wan was completely unaware that he had been "forced" to look cool while sleeping.