The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 446 - 209 Apart from God letting me be born into this world, this is my luckiest thing!_2

Chapter 446: Chapter 209 Apart from God letting me be born into this world, this is my luckiest thing!_2

For example, when he heard the reporter say that Vince Carter’s first impression of LeBron was very good, he scoffed, "Wasn’t my relationship with LeBron good enough at the beginning? Just wait and see, if LeBron can’t fix his issues, any player with self-respect will turn against him!"

The media in Cleveland changed their expressions immediately upon hearing Shaquille speak.

What a cunning Shaquille!

That way, aren’t the players who don’t turn against LeBron essentially labeled as lacking self-respect?

"Shaquille’s biggest problem is his mouth!"

"In fact, we all know Shaquille is all talk now!"

"You should’ve rotted in New Jersey, Shaquille; just wait and see, the Cavaliers will be better off without you!"

They immediately launched a furious counterattack.

The new season hadn’t even started yet, but the second season of the soap opera between Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland media had already begun.

As the media days for other teams gradually came to an end, the Pacers’ first media day after establishing their dynasty arrived.

As soon as Su Wan appeared in front of the cameras, a swarm of reporters rushed over like raccoons who had spotted honey.

"Su, do you think the Pacers can win the championship again this season?"

In recent NBA history, the Pacers achieving three consecutive championships marked only the fourth occurrence in the league.

The previous three teams that achieved "three consecutive championships" were ultimately unable to continue their winning streak.

The Pacers have the opportunity to surpass all previous teams.

But...

Su Wan glanced at the reporter’s "dog tag."

From Los Angeles.

He clearly wasn’t genuinely interested in the answer.

If Su Wan said yes, then his second question would probably be, "Do you think this year’s Pacers can defeat the Los Angeles Lakers?"; if Su Wan said no, then his next question should be, "Because of the Lakers?"

So he simply chuckled, "Our biggest competitors are ourselves. As long as we maintain a consistent goal, we can keep winning more championships, and no team can stop us, whether it’s Boston or Los Angeles."

The Los Angeles reporter who had predicted the response wore an awkward smile.

He wanted to argue with Su Wan but knew very well that Su Wan had enough confidence to say such words.

As the "three-time champion," acting any which way is reasonable.

Even if he stated in front of everyone that he would surpass Michael Jordan’s achievements in the future, what could they say?

The age of 23 years and three months speaks for itself...

However, a reporter keenly caught the subtext in Su Wan’s words:

As long as we maintain a consistent goal...

This seemed innocuous at first.

But reporters, being imaginative, combined it with the well-known salary issues within the Pacers team, and the most quick-witted reporter asked:

"Ron’s contract with you expires next summer, and we’re all aware of the Pacers’ current situation. In your opinion, could this be a factor that might affect the team’s ability to maintain a unified goal? From what I’ve heard, Ron is seeking a max contract, which may complicate the renewal process. Do you think Ron deserves a max contract?"

Su Wan didn’t hesitate for a second: "Why shouldn’t he? He’s one of the best perimeter players in the league. The Cavaliers gave LeBron a max contract extension, so if he could get a max deal, why shouldn’t Ron, who has contained LeBron, get a max contract?"

"So you support Ron asking for a max contract?"

"Why not? Without proper rewards for efforts and sacrifices, the league would be left with just a bunch of stat padders!"

"But this might complicate the Pacers’ front office’s efforts to renew your contract; are you planning to leave the Pacers?"

Upon hearing this, the faces of the reporters from Indiana immediately changed.

Su Wan slightly frowned, deeply eyeing the reporter’s "dog tag." This would be the last time this guy would interview him, but he still answered the question: "What kind of contract I should sign is my business with the Pacers team, and Ron’s contract should not hinder this matter, and vice versa!"

He answered this because if he hadn’t responded positively, oceans of media could interpret his reaction and bring trouble to the Pacers’ locker room.

His idol was not Anfene Hardaway.

As a leader of the Pacers, he needed to make his stance clear.

Sure enough, when he returned to the locker room, he saw Artest looking at him with touched appreciation.

Clearly, while saying orally "Su Wan, you don’t have to worry", Artest’s heart genuinely wished for Su Wan to get involved and take a stand for him. freēwēbnovel.com

The pressure then shifted to the Pacers’ front office.

Su Wan’s words left the management no more excuses to stall Artest with the "Su Wan hasn’t renewed yet" line.

Larry Bird and Artest’s agent sat down at the negotiation table.

Then...

Artest’s expression darkened again.

"Big Bird" told his agent, "We appreciate everything Ron has done for this city, so we’ll offer Artest a contract around $10 million per year, which is the maximum contract we can offer..."

The current league maximum salary is around 20% of the salary cap, with "Bird rights" allowing for a maximum of 25%!

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