The Best Point Guard-Chapter 88 - 19: James’s Rant

...

LeBron James came to Su Xi’s hotel later on. The moment he saw Su Xi, he gave him a huge, enthusiastic hug. "Hey, Jack, you’ve been making waves lately. I heard you won 50,000 USD from Banks in Chicago. That couldn’t be more awesome! You’re the first rookie in the NBA to get a paycheck."

Su Xi patted James’s head. "You’re the real first. You already landed that unprecedented 92 million USD shoe deal. Arenas said the next time he sees you, he’s going to kick your ass hard."

James laughed happily. He loved that kind of praise. He was obsessed with words like ’first’ and ’unprecedented’. Su Xi had him figured out long ago.

"You’re not doing bad yourself. I heard Nevada Agricultural Tractors signed a deal with you. Next time I’m in Nevada, I’ll definitely buy a couple of tractors to support you." James was very well-informed.

Su Xi rubbed the back of his head again and said, "Let’s talk business, LeBron."

Then, James started to complain. "The old heads on the Cavaliers are way out of line."

Ever since the Cavaliers got the first pick, their owner had made it clear he was choosing James. The media was already going wild with anticipation, expecting the ’Chosen One’, James, to lead his hometown team to the highest glory. Ohio was in a state of universal celebration, as if awaiting the arrival of a messiah.

However, it also caused resentment among some players.

For instance, the team’s current top dog, Ricky Davis, and the talented forward, Darius Miles.

While Ricky Davis hadn’t said anything publicly to the media, word of his private conversations got back to James. Davis had told a friend in private: Everyone’s hyping up that high school kid now, but when he gets to the Cavaliers, he’ll find out who the real boss is.

This remark infuriated James, and he vented to Su Xi. "Who does he think he is? Kobe Bryant? Or Tracy McGrady? He only averaged 20.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 5 rebounds last season. I’ll surpass that in my first season. Besides, I’d never stat-pad for a triple-double like he does."

Su Xi quietly listened.

Then, James started complaining about Darius Miles.

Darius Miles was also a high school phenom. He was tall with a long wingspan and extremely athletic, earning him the nickname "the next Kevin Garnett." The hype around him in high school was immense. He was the 2000 Mr. Basketball USA, a McDonald’s All-American, and Illinois Mr. Basketball. For a time, his fame was unparalleled.

He was drafted third overall by the Clippers in 2000 and was named to the All-Rookie First Team, setting a new record for a player straight out of high school.

Last season, the Clippers traded him to the Cavaliers in exchange for All-Star point guard Andre Miller.

After arriving at the Cavaliers, although he didn’t quickly become a star player, he still showed encouraging progress.

In an interview last week, he stated clearly, "You shouldn’t say he’s coming here to lead the team; he should be joining our team. Expecting a high school phenom to save the franchise is a bit ridiculous. The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. I hope LeBron adjusts his mindset."

These words offended LeBron James.

He said to Su Xi, "That guy is always trying to compare his own failed experiences to mine. He can’t stand to see me succeed. Sooner or later, I’ll have him traded. We’re not even in the same league. He only averaged 9.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals last season. I’ll surpass that in my first season."

James showed off his keen sense for spreadsheets.

Su Xi listened quietly to all these complaints without agreeing with him or trying to comfort him.

He knew that James just needed a sounding board.

"When are you and I going one-on-one?" Su Xi asked James.

To Su Xi, this was the most important thing.

Because James was different from other talented players. Su Xi had only played one-on-one with James once, but the feeling was unprecedented. He felt like all the talents in his body were being activated... and James didn’t even need to be particularly emotional for the fusion speed to increase rapidly.

This time in Chicago, although Arenas also possessed multiple Super Talents, he didn’t give Su Xi that same exceptionally strong sense of fusion.

Moreover, when Arenas faced off against him, his emotions were calm, even a little playful. This made the fusion effect very poor. Apart from a relatively fast increase on the first day, it was lackluster afterward.

The times Su Xi’s fusion accelerated were usually when the opposing Super Talent was filled with rage.

As of now, Su Xi’s talent list was:

Super Explosiveness Talent. (Increased from 92 to 94, approaching Super Talent level.)

Super Strength Talent. (93.)

Super Flexibility Talent. (95, entered the Super Talent realm.)

Super Speed Talent. (Increased from 80 to 86, entered the top-tier Talent realm.)

Excellent Jumping Talent. (Increased from 75 to 76.)

Elite Coordination Talent. (71.)

Elite Agility Talent. (74.)

Excellent Stamina Talent. (75. HP recovery speed is super fast.)

Average: 83. If you only looked at the average, it would be considered rather ordinary in the NBA. But in a few key stats, Su Xi was relatively outstanding, so you couldn’t just look at the average.

"Jack, I have to criticize you."

LeBron James said, "You can’t just think about one-on-ones. What does being good at one-on-ones prove? Basketball is a team game. You have to pay attention to teamwork. You need to learn how to make your teammates selflessly adapt to your style of play. That... is the way to win."

"Jack, are you ready to play with me?"

James then suddenly asked, "Also, stop patting me on the head all the time. It feels good, but it makes me look like a puppy."

Su Xi grinned and gave James’s bristly short hair a couple more vigorous rubs. He said, "I’m always ready to take you on one-on-one."

"Get outta here! You’ll end up being a player just like Kobe," James retorted.

Su Xi shot him a look. ’What’s wrong with Kobe?’

He patted the top of James’s head. "If I tell Kobe, you’re toast."

James quickly laughed and said, "You won’t tell him. You and I are the real good friends and partners."

The guy’s emotional intelligence was all over the place.

Su Xi couldn’t figure him out at all.

They chatted for a little while longer before James’s agent called. He had to go to a high-society dinner in New York.

He invited Su Xi to go with him, but Su Xi refused.

Because he had already made plans with Huang Xiaoman. He needed to work on strengthening his resistance tonight and see if he could raise his Super Flexibility Talent.

"A man has to prioritize his career," Su Xi told James, patting his head.

James said, "I’m going to work on my career right now. Basketball isn’t everything, you get it?"

Su Xi said, "I don’t get it."

"Then I’ll teach you a thing or two about business in the future."

With that, James left.

A little while later, Mike O’Connor called. He said, "Boss, the Bulls’ General Manager, Jerry Krause, wants to meet you. He has the seventh pick this year and seems very sincere. He’s downstairs in the hotel right now."

Su Xi thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, let’s meet him. Have him come up in 30 minutes."

"By the way, Boss, I’ve already locked down three premium channels. They’ve agreed to air our edited tape at midnight tonight," Mike O’Connor said.

"Mm. Good." Su Xi nodded and said, "When you handle things, I can rest easy."

O’Connor felt a rush of sweet satisfaction; he was overjoyed.

Then he turned around, adopting an arrogant air. He said to the chubby Jerry Krause, "You’ll wait here for 30 minutes, then go up to see my boss. Also, straighten your tie. My boss doesn’t like sloppy or arrogant people."

’Huh?’

Jerry Krause’s assistant frowned, a little angry. ’Is there anyone more arrogant than you?’

After speaking, O’Connor walked over to the side and began admiring the passing New York women with an artistic eye. ’New York really is a classic big city, full of substance and heritage,’ he mused. ’Even the cup sizes are bigger than in Los Angeles.’

"Boss, do we really have to meet this Little Sheep Su Xi? He’s so full of himself," the assistant said to Jerry Krause.

Kraus smiled and said, "The more arrogant they are, the more capable they tend to be. And this is nothing."

Kraus straightened his tie, making it impeccable. He recalled the time Michael Jordan had pointed a finger in his face and cursed him out, and his nose twitched.

...

...