The Best Point Guard-Chapter 74 - 9: LeBron’s Little Notebook

Time passed quietly as Su Xi continued to train at Cleveland St. Joseph High School.

LeBron James, on the other hand, was often absent. He had to travel to attend various events and had already begun signing endorsement deals. His commercial value was exploding.

In fact, Su Xi also had endorsement offers from back in China. Huang Xiaoman seemed to have significant resources there; she had even managed to secure a contract for Su Xi with a state-owned mobile telecommunications company. However, the specific terms were still under negotiation, so nothing had been officially signed yet.

Su Xi wasn’t worried.

’It’s already in the bag.’

Su Xi was well aware of his irreplaceable position in the Chinese basketball market. Until another NBA-caliber guard from China emerged, he was one of the commercial unicorns in the sport. The other was Yao Ming.

The Cavaliers’ owner and head coach arrived at the gym on the third weekend of April. Their regular season had just ended, and they had "successfully" secured a tie for the worst record in the league. Like the Denver Nuggets, they now had a 22.5% chance of landing the first overall pick.

Although they came under the guise of touring the gym, it was clear they were there to scout James. The group sat on the bleachers and watched silently all afternoon.

On the way back, owner Gordon Gander asked head coach John Lucas, "What do you think of Jack Su?"

"There’s nothing special about him. His strengths won’t be as pronounced in the NBA. Most NCAA MOPs turn out to be mediocre pros," John Lucas replied.

Gordon Gander followed up, "But he got a quadruple-double in the championship game."

"That’s meaningless," John Lucas said firmly. "If we need a point guard, I’d recommend TJ Ford. But given our record, we’re aiming for the number one pick. We shouldn’t be considering anyone other than LeBron."

"That’s what I needed to hear."

Gordon Gander nodded, then turned to his assistant and asked, "What would it take to acquire a first-round pick somewhere near the top ten?"

’Huh?’

John Lucas was confused. ’Are they planning to pick Little Sheep Su Xi? But I just said I wasn’t high on him.’

"Teams are holding their lottery picks tight this year. It might cost two future first-rounders to trade for one. And some teams will make huge demands, insisting we take on their bad contracts too," the assistant replied honestly.

"In that case, let’s wait until after the draft lottery and then reach out," Gordon Gander said.

The van was silent. Sitting on a jump seat in the third row, John Lucas’s mind raced. ’What’s going on? Is the owner that stubborn? Is he just going to ignore his head coach’s opinion?’

In reality, it wasn’t that Gander didn’t listen; he just took the opposite meaning.

Why had the Cavaliers chosen John Lucas as their coach in the first place? Wasn’t it precisely for his "talent" for being utterly useless?

Otherwise, with the roster the Cavaliers had this season, there was no way they would have been able to tank their way to the worst record in the league.

A lot of teams were tanking this year.

But even tanking requires a certain level of finesse.

The Denver Nuggets, for example, were too blatant about it. It was obvious they were gunning for the number one pick.

The Cavaliers were much more clever. They hired a head coach with "unfulfilled ambitions" who made the team play hard. He gave it his all, the players fought their hearts out, but what could anyone do if they just couldn’t manage to win?

Therefore, based on his assessment of Coach John Lucas, Gordon Gander was certain the team could select Su Xi.

After all, this was the helper designated by the "King."

"Oh, and John," Gordon Gander said, turning his head toward John Lucas. "Your final task is complete. We will not be entering into renewal negotiations. You can start looking for a new job now; no need to wait for your contract to formally expire on July 1st."

"Thank you for your hard work. Myself and the entire city of Cleveland are sincerely grateful for your contributions."

...

「In early May」

LeBron James returned from Portland. His big Hummer roared outside the gym.

He brought brand-new Nike sneakers for everyone in the gym.

Previously, he had always worn Adidas gear. He was thrilled to have made a major breakthrough with Nike, thanks to Goodwin’s help.

Or rather, the sincerity of Nike’s offer had won over both him and his mother.

He told Su Xi, "I’m about to make history. I’m going to surpass Kobe, surpass Hardaway, surpass Tracy McGrady—surpass all the current superstars."

Su Xi congratulated him.

After a moment, James pulled out a small notebook. "Jack," he said, "while I was away, I made sure to keep an eye on what people are saying about you. I know you’re a gym rat and don’t have time to worry about what’s going on outside, but this stuff is important."

"This is a list of people talking trash about you."

Su Xi took the notebook. The first page read: "April 23, 2003, TJ Ford, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, stated: Little Sheep Su Xi’s NCAA accomplishments are impressive, but I’m worried he won’t be able to succeed in the NBA..."

Su Xi closed the notebook and asked LeBron, "What is all this?"

"A lot of players have declared for the draft, and there’s a ton of point guards this year. Many of them are trying to make a name for themselves by taking shots at you. I had Frankie Walker put this together for you," LeBron James said. "He’s well-connected and reads every basketball report out there. He’s one of the ’Fab Four’—we grew up together. Now he’s my publicist."

’Frank Walker?’

Su Xi knew him; they had met a few times. He was one of LeBron’s childhood friends. LeBron had even lived at his house for a while when they were young because his mom was busy trying to make ends meet and Frank’s dad was a basketball coach. Now that James was a star, he had brought Frank into his circle to help out where he could.

"Tell Frank I said thanks," Su Xi said.

"I think you should get out there a bit. Are you really not going to the combine in Orlando?" LeBron James asked Su Xi.

"I’m not going. I already told Tim that as soon as I’m done here, I’m heading to Chicago to keep training," Su Xi said.

"But you’re entering the draft. You have to show the teams something, right?" James said. "You go to the combine, you perform well, and then teams start sending you invitations for private workouts."

Su Xi had no intention of attending any workouts.

He had a draft promise from Larry Bird; he was certain he’d be selected by the Pacers, a powerhouse in the East. Why bother working out for other teams?

"Sometimes I really don’t get you," James said. "But I respect it. There aren’t many young guys like us who can really just buckle down and focus on honing their skills and conditioning."

Nearby, Tim Grover’s eyelid twitched.

Although he was a bit skeptical of James’s self-assessment, it didn’t stop him from giving Su Xi the highest praise. More than once, he had told all the assistants in the locker room, "Just you wait. Jack is going to make a name for himself in the NBA. He’s improving at a rate those noisy rookies out there can’t even fathom. I refuse to believe that nonsense about an NCAA MOP not being able to become an NBA superstar. Jack will defy history and become a player like Olajuwon, Magic, or Chamberlain."

Grover’s assessment of Su Xi was extremely high.

And these assessments, along with reports on Su Xi’s work ethic at the camp, his interpersonal skills, and his overall personality... all of it was fast-tracked onto the desks of executives at Nike and Adidas.

Of course, the most important thing was the data. Su Xi’s daily metrics were crucial.

Sponsors would never offer tens of millions of USD without thoroughly vetting a player.

Their evaluation process was bound to be meticulous, comprehensive, and scientific.

NBA teams might draft a bust, but sponsors never would.

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