The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 49 - 48: Natural-born Indiana

Chapter 49: Chapter 48: Natural-born Indiana

"Indiana?"

Su Wan quickly learned about his next career destination from Danny Ferri.

He was well aware that, given his current relationship with LeBron’s team, his new home was certainly not going to be a hopeful team, let alone in an international metropolis.

But...

The Pacers?

Do they hate me that much?

"Uncle, I’m sorry I couldn’t secure a better move for you," Danny Ferri was still blaming himself.

Nevertheless, Su Wan laughed, "Danny, honestly, even Indiana is much better compared to Cleveland. This place... is a graveyard for rookies. Leaving here, no matter where I go, it’s a good move for me!"

The news of the trade spread rapidly across major media outlets, which all headlined the event:

"Breaking: Cavaliers Trade Su Wan, Huaxia Rookie’s Next Stop Astonishingly the Indiana Pacers!" — "ESPN News Express";

"Two First-Round Picks, One Second-Round Pick, He’s only played 12 NBA Regular Season Games, and His Worth is Already Close to That of an All-Star Player!" — "Open-Air Grandstand";

"Farce Ends, Su Wan Heads Far to Indiana, LeBron James Once Again Proves His Unbreakable Status in Cleveland, But is This Really Good?" — "New York Times";

"No More ’Su Wan’s Law’ in Cleveland, Huaxia Super Rookie Heads to Indy, Destruction or Rebirth?" — "TNT News Express";

The public was in uproar!

There had been rumors about the Cavaliers wanting to trade Su Wan.

But the authenticity hadn’t been confirmed!

Even the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" was comforting Cavaliers fans: "Winning masks everything, the team is now on a 5-game winning streak, and is on the rise. LeBron’s relationship with Su Wan might also gradually improve."

Who would have thought, just after this report was released, the trade happened.

Now they truly became "honest people"!

Even the local media in Cleveland reacted this way, not to mention other media.

At the same time, a large number of reporters rushed to Cleveland and Indiana, wanting to know more details and insider stories about this transaction.

Danny Ferri took the initiative to hold a press conference, firmly placing the blame for trading Su Wan on his own head. He didn’t mention the big boss at all, and of course, regarding the topic of "whether LeBron’s team forced Su Wan out," he didn’t say a word. Faced with these unanswerable questions, he chose to remain silent, but at the end of the statement, he couldn’t help but say, "Looking at the results, the Cavaliers got two first-round picks and one second-round pick. Trading a rookie for these is undoubtedly a fantastic deal, but... I hope I won’t regret today’s choice!"

Some seasoned media reporters found this somewhat familiar. They soon recalled it.

Years ago, when the New York Knicks owner Dolan threw out a contract worth about 30 million to try and lure Jordan away from Chicago, the Bulls owner had to match it with a 30-million-dollar check to keep the "soul" of Chicago.

As he handed the 30-million-dollar contract to Jordan, he said:

I hope I won’t regret today’s choice.

Then, Jordan’s actual performance turned that statement into a joke.

Isn’t Danny Ferri satisfied with his trade?

Then why would he say such a thing?

They didn’t quite understand.

Ferry’s final words were not for himself, but for his boss, for LeBron’s team. He had a strong premonition that in the future, they would truly realize what losing Su Wan meant for Cleveland.

"You really did this? Do you know what the Pacers have lost?"

Meanwhile, a roar echoed from the general manager’s office at Conseco Arena.

The president of the Pacers, Donnie Walsh’s round face turned red with excitement, resembling a "red sweet potato."

Across from him, the general manager of the Pacers and NBA legend "Big Bird" Larry Bird wore a calm smile. He calmly wiped away the spittle from Donnie’s words on his cheek, stood up, made a cup of coffee for Walsh, placed it before him, and said, "Donnie, calm down. It’s done, and now you can only trust that the Huaxia rookie can bring new life to the Pacers, just like I told you before. I believe the kid has that energy."

"You’re playing with fire, Larry!" Upon hearing the word "energy," the smoldering anger in Walsh flared up again, and he slammed his hand on the table. This "Big Bird," infuriating as a player, was still aggravating as a general manager!

He didn’t even consult others, just took action on his own accord, trading two first-round picks and a second-round pick for that flashy Huaxia rookie from the Cavaliers.

"Haven’t you learned anything from the ticking time bomb that was Ron? Bringing in another ’bomb’ so soon! Just having skills isn’t enough. Sitting on the sidelines, unable to do anything—having him is as good as not!"

Larry Bird shook his head, unwilling to repeat his reasoning. He tapped the table next to the coffee, signaling that Walsh could drink it, then picked up the phone at the corner of the desk and adeptly dialed a number: "Reggie..."

Hearing that name, Walsh’s expression eased significantly.

In the 1987 draft, it was he who, against all opposition, drafted Reggie Miller to the Pacers.

Miller did not disappoint him, rapidly becoming a core player for the Pacers and eventually one of the greatest players in the history of the team.

Now, when people mention the Pacers, Reggie Miller’s name is the first that comes to mind.

Even though he never led the Pacers to a championship.

But he embodied something in the Pacers that, in a way, was more important than any championship - the spirit of Indiana:

Never compromise, never give up, always fight!

"Bill called me before he got on the plane with the kid, they should be arriving soon. Go pick them up at the airport, show the kid around, let him see how bad our situation is, and also let him understand the responsibility he carries. I didn’t trade for him with two first-round picks and a second-round pick just for him to play around!"

After hanging up the phone, Bird looked at Walsh and noticed his colleague had gone blank again.

"What?" he asked.

"I must have misunderstood, right?" Walsh’s tone was uncertain, "You want... him to replace Reggie Miller?"

"No..." Bird shook his head.

"Whew..." Walsh exhaled, ready to sip his coffee to calm his nerves.

"To be precise, from the moment the trade was confirmed, he has been the boss of this city!"

But Bird’s following words caused the coffee to spray right out of his mouth.

"What?"

Confusion covered Walsh’s crinkled face as he unwittingly grew so old.

Even his thoughts had solidified!

Larry Bird didn’t even want to offer Walsh any more coffee. He snatched the cup away, placing it out of reach: "Donnie, if you seriously study the conflict between this kid and LeBron, you would realize he’s a natural-born Indiana native, carrying that spirit within him!"

"Forget it, you wouldn’t understand what the Indiana spirit means, being educated in Manhattan. But you have an hour to cool down. Reggie will be bringing his uncle to the arena soon, and I’ve scheduled a press conference for him. I hope you can manage a smile in front of the media!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

"..."

Sometimes Donnie Walsh really couldn’t tell who exactly was the president and who was the general manager between him and Larry Bird.

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