The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 366 - 193: Shaquille O’Neal’s "New Leader" Plan_2

Chapter 366: Chapter 193: Shaquille O’Neal’s "New Leader" Plan_2

He certainly did!

Not just thought about it, but craved it!

"As long as you do as I say, I can guarantee that you’ll be able to prove yourself very quickly!"

Afterward, Shaquille O’Neal explained the specific coordination that would follow to Gibson. When Gibson heard that Shaquille O’Neal was going to set a screen for him, he was stunned, hardly believing what he had heard, and repeated, "You said you’ll set a screen for me?"

Shaquille nodded.

"Why would you help me?"

Shaquille chuckled, greasily, "Not just for you, but also for myself. We’re both victims of LeBron James’ style of play. You need the ball to play your role, while I need someone to pass it to me in the paint to play mine. As long as we coordinate well, I believe our one-five connection will become the Cavaliers’ signature tactic!"

Gibson’s gaze followed Shaquille’s alluring vision and became resolute.

On the 22nd, the home game of the Cavaliers against the Bobcats arrived.

You know, LeBron against such an opponent has always been able to put on a "Super Star" performance. He played like he was unleashing pent-up frustrations for 40 minutes, getting 35 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 turnovers.

After the game, he sported a joyful smile, "I felt great tonight; this is the real me. The team had a lot of trouble last game, didn’t play our style, but I believe this is part of growing. We’ll get better and better!"

Shaquille O’Neal also dominated against Okafor tonight with a 70% shooting percentage, but sadly he didn’t get enough passes, ending with only 15 points and 6 rebounds.

Gibson’s stats weren’t good either—just 5 points and 2 assists.

After the game, both of them were subject to brutally mocking coverage by the Cleveland media.

This only confirmed Shaquille’s way of thinking.

Whether it was LeBron’s own idea or not, but his playing style and the Cavaliers’ tactics centered around him meant that if they won, he was the shining hero, and if they lost, it was everyone else’s fault.

If it were Shaquille O’Neal three years later, visibly exhausted, he might have just laughed it off unconcernedly.

But now, still without his fourth career championship, proving he had kicked Kobe’s ass, Shaquille definitely wouldn’t allow his team’s standing to slip any further.

Especially not due to being backstabbed by a teammate.

December 24th, Christmas Eve, arrived.

Shaquille O’Neal returned to Los Angeles; in the past, Wade would’ve told him without him having to say anything, "Perform well tonight, we’ll support you all the way."

But now on the Cavaliers, that clearly wasn’t going to happen...

Shaquille was well aware that even if there had been no 58-point crushing defeat, LeBron James would not do that.

He had to make sure that wherever he was, he remained the brightest star on the Cavaliers.

Especially on stages like the "Christmas Battle"—that definitely wasn’t possible...

But...

Hmmph!

Shaquille O’Neal sneered to himself.

He was sure Kobe would defend LeBron all night, and with Kobe’s defensive skills, it shouldn’t be a problem to give LeBron a hard time.

Moreover, with Yao Ming on the Lakers this year, even if LeBron got past Kobe’s defense, it would be hard for him to score over Yao Ming.

He now clearly understood how much LeBron James truly feared these "paint beasts"!

When that moment came, it wouldn’t matter whether LeBron wanted them to perform well or not; the Cavaliers would have to try other tactics to avoid losing.

Once those tactics started to work...

Well, then it wouldn’t be up to LeBron anymore!

What’s that, you say LeBron might grab the ball and steal the show when the time comes?

Then don’t blame me, Shaquille O’Neal, for not being nice!

LeBron James had no idea that there were undercurrents brewing within the Cavaliers. He had bounced back strong last game, and combined with Shaquille O’Neal and Gibson’s continued slump, the criticism against him had quieted down a bit.

At least, that’s what those reports he saw were saying.

If he continued to perform well tonight, his reputation value should surge once more. freёNovelFire.com

If they could actually win this game...

"Guys, let’s take victory from Staples!" LeBron shouted before disembarking the plane.

However, facing the reporters’ interviews, he still did as Bill Duffy had requested, heaping praise on the team.

In fact, LeBron had tasted the sweet fruit too; after the crushing defeat by the Pacers, many media outlets used his pre-game words to defend him: "Actually, LeBron knows the Cavaliers have a big gap compared to the Pacers, such a mentality proves he’s become more mature!"

And so, without needing Bill’s instructions, facing a formidable opponent, he would automatically offer praise, stressing that the other side was a strong team.

That way, a win was a huge gain, and a loss wasn’t a total loss!

The Lakers were currently ranked the same as the Cavaliers.

Interestingly, this year’s "Christmas Battle" was quite intriguing.

The Eastern Conference’s second-place Cavaliers versus the Western’s second-place Lakers.

The Eastern Conference’s first-place Pacers faced off against the Western’s first-place Mavericks.

The media all wondered if David Stern had anticipated such a situation, hence arranging this "Christmas Battle."

Otherwise, with Su Wan facing off against Kobe and Yao Ming and such "high traffic," why didn’t he put them on the stage of the "Christmas Battle"?

Of course, LeBron vs. Kobe, Kobe vs. Shaquille, Shaquille vs. Yao Ming... Lakers vs. Cavaliers, this "Christmas Battle" was packed with its own buzz.

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