The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 36 - 35 Wait and see, Bill, LeBron will have to accept that he can’t shake my position in the Cavaliers

Chapter 36: Chapter 35 Wait and see, Bill, LeBron will have to accept that he can’t shake my position in the Cavaliers

Su Wan blew his top.

This did not surprise the Cavaliers players on the bus.

After the game ended, he had a sour expression on his face, and everyone knew he was upset.

But what they did not expect was that instead of lashing out in front of the media, Su Wan unleashed a fierce tirade in front of LeBron James—without naming names, but it was clear to everyone that Su Wan’s references to "certain people" and "some people" were directed at LeBron James.

They believed that LeBron was well aware of this too.

McGinnis, always eager for a spectacle, anticipated LeBron stepping up to ask Su Wan just who the hell his words were aimed at. Disappointingly, until the bus reached Miami Airport and the Cleveland Cavaliers boarded their charter flight back to Cleveland, LeBron James did not utter a single word.

That felt disappointing.

Before joining the Cavaliers, he spent three years with the Clippers playing alongside Lamar Odom, a player notorious in the League for his lack of competitive spirit and his nonchalant attitude toward life, busy with parties every day. But when his status on the team was threatened, he didn’t hesitate to bare his fangs.

He fought with Maggette over the position of the team’s "big brother" and openly broke with the management.

If even a player like Odom behaved like this,

He had thought that the "Chosen One" would have an even hotter temper.

But in the end, Su Wan might as well have pointed right at his nose and cursed him out, and he didn’t even dare to fart!

There were several other Cavaliers players with similar thoughts. They shared one feature: they were rookies who had just joined the Cavaliers this summer. They had thought LeBron James would be the Cavaliers’ unrivaled leader. But it seemed now that Su Wan appeared more like the team’s "big brother."

Anyway, when they were on other teams, on nights after frustrating losses, the team’s "big brother" would chew them out just like Su Wan did, leaving them "drenched in blood."

"Uncle, take a good rest, losing games is the main theme of this League, only a few teams can smile at the end of most nights, learn to lose first, then you will understand how to win!" Paul Silas said some wise words to Su Wan as he headed to his car.

Su Wan waved his hand dismissively, clearly not taking it in.

He had said that it was not about not accepting losing games; yet this guy still jabbered on, telling him, "To win, you must learn to lose." He wanted some "Chicken Soup," but Silas ended up brewing a pot of "Old Duck Soup" for him.

"LeBron, don’t take it too hard, Su is just a rookie, he came from the CBA with a championship, it’s natural for him to be a bit impatient."

Silas went to console LeBron, but LeBron reacted just as blandly, glancing at him and walking into his nanny car. As soon as he closed the car door, he immediately pulled out his phone and called his agent Goodwin, "Damn it, just tell me when will I see the news that the Cavaliers traded that rookie, do you know what he did on the bus today? He really thinks he’s the Cavaliers’ big brother!"

Before boarding the plane, LeBron sent a message to Goodman, a simple sentence:

—I want that damn rookie out of Cleveland ASAP!

Listening to Su Wan’s insinuating rebukes, the rage he felt at that moment could have burned the bus. He barely contained himself, and upon disembarking the plane and turning on his phone, the reply he saw was:

—It’s not the time yet, LeBron!

His suppressed anger immediately shot back up.

What?

As the king of Cleveland, do I no longer have the power to trade a rookie?

Goodwin listened patiently on the other end of the phone as he vented, then said, "Listen to me, kid, no matter what he said on the bus, those comments haven’t appeared in the media, and they can’t form an offensive public opinion. Be patient, LeBron, we all know the temper of this Huaxia rookie. He definitely won’t be able to hold back, and he’ll continue to speak out in front of the media. Trust me, just as long as his comments in front of the media are enough to make him come off as blindly arrogant, not knowing his place, then the next day, you’ll see the news of him being traded in the media!"

LeBron gradually regained his composure.

He was clear that he indeed had been a bit hasty just now.

But having vented, he’d still be able to greet Su Wan with a smile tomorrow.

On the other hand, Su Wan, on his way home, also received a call from his agent Bill Duffy:

"Man, you’re really crazy, criticizing LeBron like that on the bus. You’ve been in Cleveland for quite a while now; you should know what LeBron means to this city. Management won’t let anyone compete with him for the top spot. You have potential, sure, but... or are you saying that you want to be traded by the Cavaliers, is that why you made such a scene? You need to tell me your true thoughts, so I can prepare in advance."

It was clear Bill Duffy wasn’t worried about Su Wan being traded by the Cavaliers.

On this point, Bill Duffy’s thoughts were similar to Su Wan’s:

With Su Wan’s market, no matter which team he was traded to, he’d be a key player for development.

As long as Su Wan wasn’t the one requesting the trade, his media image wouldn’t be impacted by it.

Su Wan glanced outside the car window and just happened to see that huge poster of LeBron’s silhouette; under the night sky, it looked like a statue of the "Buddha," and the city’s fans really did treat him like a religion.

"You really do get news fast, Bill!"

He had lost his temper on the bus, and other than the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players and the driver, there were only about a dozen staff members, including the team doctor and a few from management and public relations. That one of them could be Bill Duffy’s informant showed the extent of Bill’s network in the industry.

However, since Bill Duffy knew about this, it was safe to assume that the Cavaliers’ management and LeBron’s agent also knew about it.

"Don’t worry, uncle, this won’t blow up in the media," Duffy obviously knew what Su Wan was concerned about, "At a time like this, if this gets out, everyone will know it was LeBron’s Team making trouble. Do you think the other players on the Cavaliers won’t have opinions? LeBron’s Team won’t do something this stupid. Of course, if one day you do get traded, this might just make the news."

Su Wan laughed, agreeing entirely with that statement.

LeBron’s Team indeed knew how to play these games.

And when the time came, the Cavaliers players wouldn’t hold these stories against LeBron once Su Wan was gone.

Posters flashed by outside the car window again, this time his own.

As he kept improving his performance, the city’s acceptance of him was growing as well.

"Do you think Danny has thoughts of trading me?" Su Wan wanted to hear Bill Duffy’s take.

"Not right now, the Cavaliers have traded too many of their own developed players over the years. If they keep it up, they’ll lose the trust of the rookies. Unless absolutely necessary, he definitely won’t trade you. He’ll try to smooth things over between you two, but if the conflict with LeBron escalates further, that’s uncertain, uncle. You should know what LeBron means to the Cavaliers," Duffy asked again, "So, tell me, uncle, what are you really thinking? Do you want to leave the Cavaliers, or stay with them? I can give you advice."

Su Wan looked in the rearview mirror and turned his car into his own parking lot; he had arrived home.

After closing the car door, he entered the elevator up to the fourth floor and, nearing his apartment door, saw the phone signal restore, "Leaving the Cavaliers was my initial thought, but now, being swept out so swiftly feels like being a beaten dog..."

"So, what’s your decision? You’ve decided to stay with the Cavaliers? Then you..."

"I have no intention of being LeBron’s assistant," Su Wan opened the door and closed it again, switching the phone from his left hand to his right, "So, I will give Danny Ferri a reason not to be able to trade me. Just wait and watch, Bill; LeBron will have no choice but to accept my unshakable position in the Cavaliers!"

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