章 9: Chapter 8 Have you ever heard of a technique called reducing sauce with high heat!
"Who would have thought this was just a summer league game!"
As the game approached, spectators continued to enter the arena. More than 2,000 tickets had been sold the day before, and the remaining few hundred had been sold out in the past 24 hours. 3,000 spectators weren't much in an official NBA arena, where nearly 20,000 seats would make 3,000 people look sparse.
But in a venue that could only accommodate 3,000 people for the summer league, it suddenly felt crowded, packed, and swarming with people.
Even seven or eight media outlets were present.
This was also an incredible thing for a summer league.
More importantly, sitting in the front rows were several league personnel, The Unrivaled Duos—LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, along with the biggest "dark horse" of 2003, Dwyane Wade—all of whom had shown up.
No wonder ABC's senior reporter Howard Farnham was moved to comment.
Howard knew today's game would be lively, but it wasn't until he entered the arena that he understood what a grand stage it was set to be. Having never played in the NCAA, his expression was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
Compared to him, Little Nelson, who had battled through four years of NCAA, looked much calmer. The games during "March Madness" were held in arenas filled with tens of thousands of people. To him, a packed summer league stadium was still a small venue.
But soon, he was no longer calm either.
Cavaliers players entered the arena, and the player at the very end of the lineup captured everyone's attention, sparking quite a cheer from the sidelines:
The man who single-handedly made today's grand event possible had arrived!
Su Wan waved in response to the cheering from the stands:
You guys came to watch the game again?
Then he casually took a seat on the bench, leaning back lazily.
Such a relaxed demeanor made the Magic Team rookies, the Twin Stars, grind their teeth in frustration.
They had been upset since yesterday, and how about Su Wan?
Like nothing was wrong at all!
Exchanging glances, Little Nelson and Howard saw the same resolve in each other's eyes:
We've got to beat him, beat him hard!
In fact, these two hadn't exactly clicked after entering the summer league. Howard wanted to prove that his title as No.1 Pick was not just based on potential and talent—he had immediate combat power; Little Nelson wanted to prove his draft position should not have been so low.
So, both of them didn't like to let go of the ball.
But now, Su Wan had unified them.
"Brandon, is there something you need?" Su Wan really wanted to push Ma Long, who had walked up to him, aside. His standing position was exactly blocking the furious gazes of Howard and Little Nelson.
His "slacker recline" was specifically prepared for those two.
"LeBron is here. He asked me to pass a message to you—keep it up, he believes you'll put on a perfect performance today!"
LeBron?
Su Wan followed the direction Ma Long indicated, turning his head to look, and saw a mature young face, rough features, muscles almost bursting through his short-sleeved shirt, and even his exposed arms showing obvious muscle definition and "muscle mass."
How many in the NBA had such a physical condition?
If not LeBron James, then who else?
This was Su Wan's first face-to-face encounter with LeBron.
As an NBA fan, meeting such a "future legend," Su Wan didn't feel excited. He wasn't just unexcited—when he first found out he was chosen by the Cavaliers, he even worried about his future.
Alongside "Young James," rookies who shone in the perimeter were almost nonexistent.
LeBron's capabilities were well acknowledged—future "NBA regular season all-time leading scorer," "builder of the 411 project," "led his team to the finals eight consecutive times," "singly created two dynasties"...
Apart from the "goat" title he gave himself, one could see countless glorious crowns on his head.
But Su Wan's respect for him wasn't as great as for the two beside him:
"Big Cheekbones" Dwyane Wade, "Gang Boss" Carmelo Anthony.
Seeing these two, Su Wan really felt the impulse to get their autographs.
Of course, it was just a fleeting impulse.
Now these three "new stars" weren't even All-Stars, and their worth was too low; asking for their autographs would be too embarrassing.
Isn't everyone a "lottery area" potential stock?
LeBron, who had Brandon deliver the message, kept an eye on Su Wan's reaction. Seeing him turn his head, LeBron immediately gave a thumbs up, his dark face adorned with a friendly smile.
Damn, that look, so like him!
The signal of goodwill was strong.
Lu Xun once said, "Don't strike a smiling face," Su Wan nodded slightly in response then shifted his attention back to the court, waiting for the game to start.
Such a mild reaction made LeBron slightly frown.
But his frown soon smoothed out.
He had figured it out:
After all, this rookie was from Huaxia and didn't know what being in Cleveland meant; as the King, he needed to be magnanimous and forgive the young ones' offenses.
The whistle sounded, and the starting players from both teams entered the field, causing a stir among the spectators:
Su Wan wasn't really on the court!
The Magic Team's rookie "Twin Stars" instantly became the focus of everyone.
The atmosphere changed.
They all knew what this meant:
It meant that this initially trivial summer league game had now turned into a must-win battle.
Damn Huaxia rookie, utterly brazen—audacity at its finest!
Little Nelson said to Howard, "Play today as if it's your state finals!"
As for himself...
He would treat this game as a "March Madness" elimination match!
Both men were filled with fighting spirit.
Although the Cavaliers had Jose Calderon, who was known for his stable play, solid fundamentals, smart play-calling post screens, robust shooting, and precise passing.
Such a player often required good teammates or a well-coordinated team to truly shine.
The Cavaliers' summer league team was hastily assembled and felt disconnected without Su Wan, making Calderon's performance feel almost nonexistent.
The game quickly became one-sided.
By halftime, the Magic Team had successfully built up a 12-point lead.
Little Nelson and Howard high-fived as they left the court, their expressions still tense. They were satisfied with their performance in the first half, but it was the second half that mattered most—to crush that damn Huaxia rookie so badly he'd fear speaking up again was their ultimate goal.
"How about it, uncle, can you handle this difference?" Before the second half started, Brandon Malone pulled Su Wan aside. He didn't think the score gap was easily recoverable.
Not just he thought so, from the spectator's sideline, Wade also said to LeBron, "A 12-point difference, that's not easy to catch up for your team's rookie, right?"
Such a difference wasn't just significant in the summer league but even in the NBA.
Moreover, having played in the summer league before, he was well aware that the games here were shorter, the pace faster, and with little tactical coordination among the players, a 12-point deficit was even harder to overcome...
LeBron also felt it was a tough climb for Su Wan, but he saw this possibly as a good thing.
At least it could temper the character of this Huaxian rookie, making him less flamboyant.
Cleveland couldn't handle a player who loved stirring up trouble so much.
Su Wan, seeing the worried Malone, patted his shoulder, then turned around to reassure him, "In our first game against the Lakers, we were still down by 10 points in the last 10 minutes, but didn't we turn it around?"
Maybe having seen many Nuggets vs. Lakers games in the '20s, he really didn't think a 12-point difference was much.
"Brandon, have you ever heard of a move called 'big fire finishing'?"
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