The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 40 - 39 Su Wan Rides and Ties "Fan Bingbing

Chapter 40: Chapter 39 Su Wan Rides and Ties "Fan Bingbing

"Chasing points isn’t scary, it’s embarrassing for those not on the court."

What’s more embarrassing is that these 8 points were brought out by LeBron leading the team.

Internally and externally, that’s essentially a 16-point difference.

With such a stark contrast, how could LeBron James sit still?

Even with Su Wan’s harsh words ringing in his head, he had to request to get back on the court.

Paul Silas only hesitated for a second.

That second wasn’t spent considering whether to bring LeBron back in, but deciding who to take out.

Calderon heard Silas call his name, saw LeBron preparing to come in, and with a slight pursing of his lips, resignedly accepted it all... he had just started to get into the groove.

"Well done!"

What comforted Calderon was that, as he walked past Silas, he received praise from the coach.

For him, it was a tremendous encouragement.

At least for this game, his performance was noticed by Silas.

He wasn’t Su Wan.

Calderon knew that if it were Su Wan in that situation, he would definitely have responded with a forced smile, "Done well and yet you’re subbing me out?"

Of course, even if it wasn’t Su Wan in that situation, he had already shown his discontent with Silas through his actions:

After the Bucks’ starters returned to the court, whom he had been defending against Mo Williams, he stood back in front of Mason on the wing.

It was hardly his fault.

As soon as LeBron came on, it was all about him driving in with the ball. Mo Williams did nothing to stop him from going inside, but as soon as LeBron scored, the opposing team quickly passed the ball to Mo Williams, and the Bucks blew the call for a counterattack.

At that moment, how could "Big Z" and Drew Gooden get back in time to defend?

LeBron had just scored 2 points, only to give two back.

This back and forth continued for several rounds, and just as LeBron’s score exceeded 16 points, a three-point shot on a counterattack by Fan Huo’en put the Bucks ahead again.

"Guys, hold steady, let’s chase the difference back!" LeBron also comforted his teammates on the court, fully displaying his leadership qualities.

Su Wan cursed irritably,

"What a fucking idiot!"

Paul Silas, on the sidelines, visibly changed his expression.

He wasn’t sure if Su Wan was cursing him or LeBron.

But he was certain that Su Wan meant for him to hear it; otherwise, he would have spoken in Chinese.

By the end of the first half, led by LeBron James re-entering the game, the small gap that Su Wan and others had managed to close was widened again by the Bucks.

The Cavaliers trailed 50 to 57 at halftime.

LeBron with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, shone brightly.

Su Wan’s first half stats were merely 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal.

Barkley, observing the data of the two, suddenly displayed his signature mischievous smile. Kenny Smith, very aware, asked him the reason for his amusement, and Barkley said, "If you just look at these two data, you’d think LeBron has a higher plus/minus value than Uncle. But in truth, up to now in this game, Uncle’s plus/minus is -3, while LeBron’s is -15, the worst in the team!"

Plus/minus value has been a part of NBA data since the 1996-97 season. It’s a very direct measure of a player’s effect on the court, whether they are helping the team get and maintain a lead.

LeBron’s minus of -15, meant that despite his exceptional stats, his presence on the court meant the Cavaliers lost 15 points today!

Kenny Smith looked astonished as he quickly checked his data sheet in front of him. He knew LeBron leading the team alone wasn’t working well today, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

"Paul Silas must clearly understand how to utilize Su Wan alongside LeBron," Kenny Smith said after some deliberation.

Barkley looked at his straight-laced demeanor and rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. He didn’t have much respect for Kenny Smith’s timid appearance. "Kenny, we’ve both played the game, we know. Players like LeBron James decide their own play style, and he should clearly realize that his way of playing is hurting the team."

"You okay, Su?"

Back in the locker room, under Paul Silas’s guidance, Brandon Malone found Su Wan.

Because his complexion had turned similar to that evening they lost to the Heat Team. Silas was genuinely worried that Su Wan might lose control later and start lambasting LeBron on the sidelines.

Upon hearing this, Brandon Malone wanted to retort, "Are you sure Su doesn’t want to lambast you instead?"

As a head coach, one can be indecisive and lack tactical skills, but one absolutely cannot lose control over the players. Even when facing a "City Son" like LeBron James, he should be made aware of the coach’s authority.

Unfortunately, Paul Silas didn’t dare to do so to secure his position.

He clearly hadn’t realized that his subservient attitude towards LeBron was gradually causing him to lose Su Wan.

"I’m fine, Brandon!" Su Wan replied in an unexpectedly calm tone.

But to Malone, it felt eerily like the calm before a storm.

He always felt that Su Wan was about to do something big.

The second half quickly approached.

After Su Wan entered the game, he increased his intensity. Mason loved painting, and would eventually open a gallery consisting entirely of his own work. But he wasn’t usually good-tempered, and he brazenly shoved Su Wan away with his arms.

"Damn rookie, are you trying to fight or play basketball!"

Su Wan spread his hands, smiling at the incessant chatter from Mason.

This helped him successfully make it to the free throw line.

"Swish!"

After making the free throw, the Cavaliers had another chance to inbound the ball.

"Old bird, how does it feel to be schooled by a rookie? Don’t worry, we’re just getting started."

Su Wan followed LeBron’s breakthrough to the basket, grabbed the "offensive rebound," then retreated beyond the three-point line to face Mason again. After dribbling continuously, a sudden pause made Mason see an opportunity for a steal; he stepped forward and slapped the ball away.

But the ball still ended up in Newell’s hands.

"Is this the lesson you were planning to teach me, rookie? Compared to your mouth, your basketball skills really aren’t up to much!" Mason shook his head, unaware that Su Wan’s expression had turned resolute.

So...

"Swish!"

When Su Wan "stepped over" past him, Mason’s face was full of astonishment:

If only Su Wan had pushed his speed to the max earlier like he did now...

For some reason, he suddenly thought of a saying:

"Just kidding!"

Su Wan’s breakthrough not only startled Mason but also scared Fan Huo’en, who tried to cover defensively.

But it was too late to escape; Su Wan reached him in an instant.

Fan Huo’en also had a nickname, "Fan Bingbing."

"Boom!"

A resounding dunk echoed, and thus a "world-famous painting" called "Su Wan Dunking on ’Fan Bingbing’" was born...

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦

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