The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 70 - 68 LeBron Only Needs to Consider Starting in the All-Star Game

Chapter 70: Chapter 68 LeBron Only Needs to Consider Starting in the All-Star Game

After the Pacers closed their locker room, Su Wan began his training for the day.

In the afternoon, Walsh brought some TNT staff over, hoping to get some cooperation for filming.

Kenny Smith, Barkley, and a donkey were already standing by in the studio; TNT wanted to capture the moment he saw Kenny Smith kissing the donkey’s ass as footage for their broadcast.

The filming went smoothly.

Su Wan laughed louder than he thought he would when he saw Kenny Smith kissing the donkey’s ass.

Mainly because Kenny Smith’s cautious demeanor, coupled with Barkley’s "hehe" weird laughter on the side, was just too funny.

After the shooting was over, Su Wan continued his training, and by the time he finished his extra practice, it was 6 in the evening. The news about his conflict with LeBron had been fermenting for a while and gradually made an impact, becoming one of the top stories on various prime-time news channels.

Su Wan also saw LeBron’s latest response, and when he saw LeBron claiming there were no conflicts between them, Su Wan suddenly didn’t find Kenny Smith’s or Barkley’s antics quite so funny anymore. A very serious LeBron acting as if nothing had happened was actually the funniest thing.

But even so, Su Wan wasn’t planning to smooth things over. He had blown this up and naturally intended to make a big deal out of it. Sitting in his car, he didn’t rush to drive away, but instead took out his phone, logged into his Facebook account with 340,000 followers, and posted a statement:

Yes, there are some conflicts between us!

There had always been speculative talk about his relationship with LeBron.

But from the Cavaliers’ General Manager Danny Ferry to Su Wan and LeBron himself, none had directly addressed these rumors before, especially from LeBron’s side, which always emphasized that "things are moving in a positive direction."

Now Su Wan’s response blew the lid off the whole thing.

"So Su, were you forced out of the Cavaliers by LeBron?"

"Is it true that after losing to the Heat Team, you cursed LeBron in your car that night?"

"Why did you suddenly say that you and LeBron had fallen out since training camp? Are these rumors actually true, Su?"

His post immediately received a lot of comments, and major media outlets reported on his Facebook statement right away. Just a few hours ago, LeBron had said there were no issues between him and Su Wan, and now he was publicly contradicted.

Of course, some media tried to explain on behalf of LeBron: "Maybe LeBron is more mature and sees some things that aren’t issues, but in front of Su, they become conflicts!"

The Goodwin Brothers felt uneasy when they saw Su Wan suddenly "turning against" LeBron and openly acknowledging their conflicts.

They always had the feeling that Su Wan’s team was up to something.

But after Su Wan acknowledged the conflicts with LeBron on Facebook, there were no further actions.

Well, what they didn’t know was that the day after the Facebook post, Su Wan accepted an exclusive interview with domestic media, discussing in detail all sorts of conflicts with LeBron, leaving no stone unturned.

The domestic media, having dug up explosive material, felt somewhat uneasy. After the interview, they asked: "Su Wan, are you sure all of this can be released? If the media in the United States see this and then report on it, it could cause quite a stir!"

There’s an old Huaxia saying, "It is better to resolve an enmity than to maintain it."

They too hoped Su Wan wouldn’t be too impulsive.

If he leaked too much about what went on inside the Cavaliers’ locker room, it could impact his presence in the Pacers’ locker room.

Su Wan said: "You guys decide on the specifics, but one thing, I’ve got to ask for a favor, the All-Star starting vote is just around the corner, and I hope you can guide the domestic fans when they vote..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but those holding the pens understood what he meant.

They immediately knew what Su Wan intended to do.

With everything taken care of, Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief.

LeBron only needed to consider getting into the All-Star starting lineup.

In contrast, Su Wan had much more to think about...

Not only did he need to get himself into the All-Star starting lineup, but he also had to keep LeBron out of it.

Hmm...

This was his big gift in return to LeBron’s Team.

So you heard that LeBron will be the "goat" in future All-Star voting?

Well, let him take a look at what a "voting era goat founder" looks like!

From the perspective of LeBron’s Team, this All-Star starting position is very important.

If Su Wan remembered correctly, as soon as LeBron got that All-Star starting spot, the Cavaliers management began aggressively recruiting "enforcers," including targets like the Hornets’ big boss Michael Reid and a series of stars in their prime.

The recruiting efforts were a stark contrast to the summer before last season.

Clearly, they had come to view the All-Star starter position as LeBron’s stronghold.

Of course, being the "Chosen One" and having the title of All-Star starter could indeed dwarf many players.

Like Su Wan.

If he had joined the Cavaliers a year later, LeBron, with his overwhelming attitude, would only need to say dismissively, "Talk to me about how to play basketball when you’ve become an All-Star starter!"

That would’ve certainly left Su Wan speechless.

Since this "All-Star starter" was so important to LeBron, Su Wan was definitely going to "help out," especially since LeBron and his team "liked" him so much!

After arranging everything, Su Wan’s thoughts returned to the court.

After defeating the Pistons and resting for a day, the Pacers continued to hold their ground at home, facing a challenge from the New Orleans Hornets.

Nearly half a year later, Su Wan was on the court facing J.R. Smith again.

Just like Su Wan, the rookie J.R. shone brightly and quickly secured a starting two spot for the Hornets. But as the season progressed, his "Kobe"-style of play and complete disregard for his teammates gradually angered head coach Byron Scott, who eventually kicked him out of the starting lineup.

As a result, J.R. became even more "insane," taking wild shots on the practice court and acting selfishly during games, which led to a big quarrel with Byron Scott.

An angry Scott said in front of the media, "Even the most talented high schoolers should go to the NCAA to learn what it means to be a professional player; it’s a very important step!" before putting J.R. Smith on "lockdown," leaving him off the active list for recent games.

The media asked Su Wan for his opinion on the matter before the game.

Su Wan replied, "I completely agree with what Byron said, that even the most talented high schoolers, including those who are drafted, should really learn professional player tactics. Otherwise, being teammates with such people can be truly exhausting!"

His words, full of insinuation, prompted laughter from everyone.

But some didn’t get the joke, like J.R. Smith, this "single-celled organism," who sat on the bench glaring at him fiercely, though that was all he could do.

Su Wan was a polite person and always responded in kind, so when he passed the Hornets’ bench, he would "kindly" shrug at J.R. Smith, which made him feel like rushing out from the bench–giving Su Wan a rather pleasant feeling.

Currently, the Hornets ranked thirteenth in the Western Conference, fervently striving for the 2005 No.1 pick. The Pacers, who were already in good form boosted by Jermaine O’Neal’s return and the "united as one" spirit from the "Christmas Battle," quickly established a lead of over 15 points and eventually triumphed by 21 points.

Then, the Pacers continued to beat the Charlotte Bobcats and the New Jersey Nets, rounding out the last few days of December with a 4-game winning streak.

The new year of 2005 arrived, and in the morning the NBA officially announced the first round results of the All-Star starting lineup vote...

Su Wan immediately checked the ranking for the Eastern Conference guards:

At the top of the list, the familiar name "Su Wan" stood out.

Then came...

Allen Iverson...

LeBron James!

There it was!

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