The Best Point Guard-Chapter 96 - 24: First Day of Training Camp

「September 25th」

Su Xi flew to Cleveland on the same flight as Carlos Boozer and Jason Kapono.

Boozer was a second-round pick in 2002. He had an outstanding previous season, averaging 10 points and 7.5 rebounds and making the All-Rookie Second Team. This was his contract year, so he’d been training with Su Xi under Yidan Lavin in Los Angeles, focusing mostly on his mid-range jumper.

The two of them grew close during this time. Carlos Boozer looked serious but was actually very easy to get along with. Players from Duke usually are. Su Xi gave him the affectionate nickname ’Ah Bu’, which he quite liked.

When Su Xi went to his Playboy magazine shoot, he brought Boozer along. Boozer got the phone numbers of two of the models, but what happened after that was anyone’s guess.

Boozer told Su Xi, "This season, I’m going to follow Gilbert Arenas’ lead. I’m going to get a massive contract."

After averaging 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists last season, Arenas was signed by the Washington Wizards this summer to a five-year, $51.22 million USD deal. Even though he was a second-round pick with only two years in the league, he was actually making more money than many lottery picks.

This sparked a huge debate around the league. Many people felt it was unfair to his original team, and a lot of first-round picks felt constrained by their own rookie-scale contracts.

But for Boozer, this was an opportunity.

"So, Jack, you have to help me out," Boozer said. "If you’re the point guard this season, we can run a lot of plays together." Boozer and Su Xi had gotten extremely close; he now told Su Xi everything, holding nothing back.

Jason Kapono wasn’t as close with the other two. He was a Los Angeles native from UCLA, and the flight to Cleveland was only the second time Su Xi had met him. The long journey gave them a chance to chat, and Kapono mentioned that Su Xi’s NCAA performance was dreamlike, like something out of a Hollywood movie.

Then, Boozer chimed in, "Didn’t you know? He had his fair share of actresses chasing him in Los Angeles this summer. And I’m not just talking about the ones in adult films."

"Hey, Ah Bu, you’d better shut your mouth. Pissing me off won’t do you any good," Su Xi said, shooting Boozer a playful glare.

Boozer burst out laughing.

Su Xi had made headlines twice over the past summer. The first time was in July when the police showed up for Kobe. Su Xi was there, and the two were just about to start a one-on-one match. Su Xi had been eager to test his skills, but then the police took Kobe away for questioning. Su Xi was caught in the media frenzy and ended up on the front page.

It got to the point where people were asking him if he was also involved in the Eagle County incident.

The second time was when he appeared on the cover of a women’s edition of Playboy wearing nothing but his underwear. His chiseled physique and the prominent bulge in his briefs set off a nationwide craze. The issue sold 590,000 copies, and the photo was reprinted by numerous basketball media outlets.

Superstar Tracy McGrady even commented snidely, "If they’d asked me to do the shoot, the results would have been even better."

But Playboy’s editor-in-chief stated unequivocally, "Absolutely not. Tracy can’t hold a candle to Jack’s sex appeal. He’s a great player, sure, but that doesn’t mean women are necessarily into him."

This left the superstar Tracy McGrady in a rather awkward position for some time.

With Kobe’s incident sidelining him, Tracy had become the league’s top perimeter star. He never expected to be publicly shut down by Playboy. But he could only direct his resentment toward Su Xi.

By the time the three young men arrived in Cleveland, their relationship was already quite close.

Although Su Xi was the youngest, having just recently turned 19, he was subtly emerging as the leader of the group. After all, while they called him Jack, he was the one handing out nicknames like ’Ah Bu’ and ’Ah Ka’.

That night, Su Xi, Kapono, and their agents all stayed at Boozer’s place. Boozer hadn’t bought property in Cleveland; he was renting a small house not far from the Cavaliers’ home court, Gand Arena.

The next day, Su Xi and Kapono became his neighbors, each renting a house in the same neighborhood. They also both went out and bought used cars.

On the third day, they walked into the training facility together as the Cavaliers’ new season training camp officially began.

While changing in the locker room, LeBron James came over to greet everyone one by one. He had a commanding presence. When he got to Su Xi, he gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "Hey, Jack. When I saw on the news that you were at the police station with Kobe, you scared the hell out of me."

Su Xi rolled his eyes at him good-naturedly. "Ah Zhan, you know me better than that. I was just about to play him one-on-one. We hadn’t even started when he was taken in for questioning. I thought we could finish the game after they were done, but who knew... we never got to play the whole summer."

"HAHAHA." James laughed heartily. "Have you found a place to live yet? I’m building a huge mansion over in Bass Town. You should move in. Even though you’re a damn multi-millionaire."

"I’ve already rented a house," Su Xi said.

"Renting? You need to buy a plot of land and build a palace, like me. This is your home now, man!" James declared, giving Su Xi an official welcome to Ohio on his own terms.

"We’ll see about that," Su Xi said, then asked, "You up for a one-on-one today?"

"Is one-on-one all you ever think about? I’m not playing you."

James muttered, then went over to greet some teammates on the other side of the room. He projected an air of command, his demeanor telling everyone in the locker room: ’This is my house.’

Carlos Boozer said to Su Xi, "Looks like LeBron is already stepping into the leader role."

Su Xi shrugged.

As they spoke, a tall, dark-skinned Black man with dreadlocks walked in. His complexion was much darker than Boozer’s, who was more light-skinned.

Seeing him enter, Boozer quickly stood up to greet him. "Ricky."

Ricky Davis walked straight over and stared at Su Xi, his unfriendly gaze sizing him up. Su Xi stared right back.

Davis said coldly, "So you’re the fucking Little Sheep Su Xi, huh?"

Su Xi’s gaze sharpened. He stood up and shot back, "And who are you?"

"Ricky Davis," Carlos Boozer whispered, tugging at Su Xi’s jersey.

"So you’re the fucking Ricky Davis, huh?" Su Xi threw the words right back at him, his tone even colder.

The temperature in the locker room seemed to drop instantly.

Everyone grew tense. Davis glared fiercely at Su Xi.

Su Xi didn’t back down an inch, his own gaze even more ferocious.

He hadn’t expected Su Xi to dare to confront him—the team leader—so forcefully.

Just as he was about to issue a warning, James hurried over. "Hey, Ricky! I wanted to ask you something."

He pulled Davis away, shooting Su Xi a look before he left: ’Dude, why are you so hot-headed?’

James led Davis away, defusing the conflict before it could escalate.

Carlos Boozer patted Su Xi on the back and said in a low voice, "Try not to mess with Ricky Davis. He’s a really petty guy and holds a grudge over every little thing. He’s always telling me to let him get the rebounds on the court. If I don’t, he’ll even chew me out right then and there."

Su Xi smiled and patted Boozer on the head. "Ah Bu, if he ever dares to chew you out again, I’ve got your back. Nobody is taking your rebounds."

Boozer was stunned for a moment before he processed it. "Jack, are you saying you’re going to have my back?"

"Yep." Su Xi slung an arm around Boozer’s shoulders.

Boozer sighed helplessly. "Man, this is Ricky Davis’s team. He’s said more than once that even LeBron James is just here to be his supporting player. I’m telling you, don’t get into it with him."

Su Xi just smiled, thinking, ’Am I the one picking a fight with him?’

’We’ll see about that.’

Su Xi knew from the start that he could never have a good relationship with Ricky Davis. That’s because Davis was one of Todolama’s clients.

That’s why when James had called him last night, he’d told Su Xi he was going to challenge Davis for the team’s leadership role.

Su Xi had agreed without a moment’s hesitation. "Ah Zhan, your fight is my fight. I’m one hundred percent on your side. All you have to do is play me one-on-one once a week."

James agreed, but on the condition that they only play in his backyard.

Su Xi was thrilled. For him, it didn’t matter where they played; the important thing was getting to go up against James.

Just then, the Cavaliers’ PR manager, Tony, rushed into the locker room. "Hey, Jack, get over here, quick! More than a dozen Chinese media outlets are here, and they want to interview you."

Tony Thomas was thrilled. This was an unprecedented sight. The Cavaliers were a small-market team, and Cleveland was a small city. In years past, you’d be lucky to see any media at training camp.

In LeBron James’s own words from the Summer League earlier that year: "To be honest, the Cavaliers don’t have as many fans as I did in high school. That’s a fact."

He had been playing in the Orlando Summer League at the time, where $6 USD tickets were being scalped for $50 and still selling out. When a reporter asked him about the phenomenon, he delivered that now-famous line.

...