Don't talk trash to him.

Chapter 202 Shaq's Last Explosion

LeBron was interviewed after the game and talked about the reason for the loss. He did not repeat the usual clichés, but shook his head and said: "My teammates have no energy. I am always full of energy. I try to pass the energy to them. But this is a 48-minute game. The opponent played well and took the victory."

From his perspective, he is qualified to say such things.

After all, he scored 14 points in a single quarter.

But when Barkley saw his remarks the next day, he asked directly: "We can all see that this team has no vitality, but what we should understand more is why they have no vitality. The Cavaliers in the semifinals and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals are completely two different teams!"

Reggie Miller also said: "LeBron's biggest problem now is that he can't lead the Cavaliers. When Shaq was there, they were more like a team!"

Criticisms followed, but in the second game between the two teams, the Cavaliers still did not make any changes.

For Quentin Richardson and Channing Frye, they have the ability to catch the ball after running, instead of simply standing at tactical positions and waiting for LeBron to pass the ball.

If they play this kind of game for another two years, they have no doubt that their abilities will continue to decline, and eventually they will become a single shooter who can only catch the ball and shoot at tactical points, and then be eliminated from the league.

But even so, they were able to find their own shooting rhythm.

Gibson was even worse off than them. He was not good at catching and shooting, and not only was he deprived of the ball, he was also forced to receive a pass from LeBron and shoot in the last 2 seconds. He could feel LeBron's impatience with him. After he made 6 of 2 shots in the first half of this game, he could feel LeBron looking back and glaring at him on the way back to the locker room.

But what can he do?
He is a player who is good at disrupting the game by holding the ball. It is really difficult for him to do such a thing as catching the ball and shooting!

In the end, just like the previous game, LeBron scored 27 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 turnovers. He was the best player on the Cavaliers team. The others were still in a slump, and the Cavaliers lost by 25 points again.

LeBron was interviewed after the game and suddenly said something out of context: "I think newcomers should try more possibilities during their rookie period, instead of confining themselves to their comfort zone. They should take on more different roles so that they can make better progress!"

These words confused the reporters.

For a moment, they couldn't tell whether LeBron was criticizing his teammates or regretting that he had been playing with the ball since his rookie season, which resulted in him being unable to integrate into other tactics now.

After thinking carefully about LeBron's past, they are more inclined to believe that LeBron was criticizing his teammates.

As for who he criticized...

This team only has one rookie this year, so it's easy to guess.

Gibson was also asked by reporters about the reason for his two consecutive games. He shook his head helplessly: "This is not the way I am good at playing. I am more used to doing things with the ball. Everyone knows this."

If the media had asked him the reason for his slump before the "Christmas Game", he would definitely not have dared to say so.

But now, things are different.

From the time he became famous in the "Christmas Game" to now, he has been exposed to too much spotlight. Even if his statistics before December had not been so bad, he would have hoped to compete with Brandon Roy for this year's "Best Rookie" trophy.

He also has some interview experience and confidence on the court.

After two consecutive poor performances, he was somewhat resentful and wanted to vent.

The reporter listened to his words and told Gibson what LeBron had just said.

"..." Gibson didn't say anything for a long time, and finally just shook his head helplessly.

What else could he say?

Although he has gained some confidence on the court, he is very clear that LeBron's position in the Cavaliers is still incomparable to his.

The four words “Son of the City” are too intimidating.

Unless the Cavaliers' big boss doesn't want LeBron anymore, or the Cavaliers' fans can't stand him anymore, Gibson will never be able to shake LeBron's position.

As far as he knows, LeBron often participates in community activities in Cleveland, and the bond between him and Clevelanders is unbreakable.

He had no choice but to shake his head helplessly.

The reporter asked another question: "Do you miss Shaquille O'Neal being here?"

Gibson pursed his lips and then gave a wry smile.

The interview is over.

The Cavaliers returned to Cleveland to prepare for Game 3.

This game will also be a crucial battle for the Cavaliers.

If they fail to win this game, they will have to witness Su Wan's smug face when he eliminates them at home.

That's not what they want to see.

therefore……

"The team didn't spend $2 million to have you sit on the bench in such an important game, Shaq!"

"Shaq, stop being a woman and hiding away because of some injury, it's time for you to step up!"

"Michael Jordan was able to continue to play on the court despite having food poisoning and played a legendary game. Shaq, you should be like Michael!"

Cleveland began to put pressure on Shaquille O'Neal, trying to get him to play with an injury.

When Danny Ferry saw this wave of public opinion offensive, he contacted Shaquille O'Neal immediately.

The "Shark" didn't care: "Danny, this is my 15th season in this league. Things like this can't shake me. I only stick to what I want to stick to!"

When facing the reporters, he also expressed his attitude very frankly: "I have been in this league for such a long time, I know very well what kind of player I am, and no one can question my judgment of my body. As for those who were still thanking me for what I did for Cleveland in the semi-finals two days ago, but now accuse me of avoiding the battle, I only have two words to say... wcnm!"

In the last wcnm, Shaquille O'Neal did not say it out loud, but made a gesture and lip movements.

His tough attitude naturally caused a greater backlash from the Cleveland media.

This kind of counterattack is actually what Shaq wants to see.

He thought carefully about why Danny Ferry was so worried about him playing with an injury, and finally came to a conclusion:
Danny Ferry wants to ensure his value.

He will trade him this summer!

Shaq was not surprised by this result.

but……

Shaquille O'Neal wasn't going to sit idly by and watch Danny Ferry make a lot of additions over the summer.

He wants to ensure his market value, so the quality of the players in equal exchange should not be bad. This is something he cannot change. But apart from this deal, in other deals... Shaquille O'Neal wants those players who try to join the Cavaliers to become wary.

First of all, the news of LeBron's repeated locker room conflicts has spread his image as a difficult person.

This is already a cause for concern.

If there is still public opinion that Cleveland people force injured players to play.

How many players do you think will be further deterred from coming to Cleveland because of this?
That's why his reaction this time was so big.

The purpose is to provoke a more fierce counterattack from the Cleveland people.

Right now, the Cavaliers fans and the Cleveland media are really getting angry, and their words are becoming even sharper.

They obviously haven't realized how the outside world is looking at them at this moment!

When Shaquille O'Neal thought about how he had successfully tripped LeBron, he couldn't help but want to dance the swan dance.

No, no!

I'm injured now, my butt still hurts, I can't jump!

Online public opinion continued to ferment, and the discussion about this matter became louder and louder.

University of Texas.

A tall and thin black man was sitting in front of his computer, typing on the keyboard intently.

His eyes were focused and he looked a little handsome, especially with his unique temperament, it was easy for people to exclaim:
How does this child look like?

But the most eye-catching thing about him is his long legs. At this moment, he is not wearing shoes, just stretched out like this, posing a leg-control ecstasy posture. The hooked feet are like a sickle, and they are scary.

The keyboard "crackled", and finally he smiled with satisfaction and pressed send:
- If I were Shaq, I would rather go out there and fall to the ground and let them see that I was really hurt than allow these doubters to continue to attack me.

After he sent this message, there were a lot of replies soon:
"you are?"

"I don't know about other things, but one thing I know for sure is that this brother is definitely from Cleveland!"

"LeBron, don't try. No one will support Shaq doing this. He is injured and should rest!"

"The people of Cleveland are the most arrogant people I have ever met, but now I have to add another adjective: the stupidest! You really think anyone supports you forcing Shaq to play with an injury, huh?"

"I'm not a fan of Shaq, but I don't want to see him play with an injury!"

"Cleveland is trying to completely destroy Shaq, and this bitch is even more so!"

……

When the man saw these replies, he was not scared. Instead, he smiled excitedly, flexed his fingers, and adjusted the keyboard.

All right!

He's going to start warming up his fingers before shooting...

Then there was a crackling sound and the man's expression gradually became distorted.

He entered into "combat mode"!
In the end, the Cleveland media still failed to achieve their goal. On the night of the third game of the Eastern Conference Finals, Shaquille O'Neal looked like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water. He wore casual clothes and sat on the bench, watching his team being beaten by the Pacers by 30 points again.

What made the Cleveland media even more angry was that Shaquille O'Neal shamelessly commented on LeBron in front of the media after the game: "He did not lead the other players of the Cavaliers. Otherwise, even if the game was difficult to win, they would not have lost so many points!"

You're the only one who can lead, right?
If you can lead the team, then go on stage!
You, a person sitting on the bench, blame LeBron on the court for not leading the Cavaliers. Do you really have the nerve to do that?

Shaquille O'Neal and the Cleveland media are more confrontational, but for him, it doesn't matter anymore. There is still one last game and they can go their separate ways after it. Who cares what the Cleveland media says?
Even before the fourth game of the series started, Shaquille O'Neal jokingly mocked in the locker room: "Come on, LeBron, try to lose by only 19 points tonight, and don't lose by more than 20 points!"

LeBron was already aware of Shaquille O'Neal's accusation after the previous game that he was unable to lead the team.

And he remembered getting assurances from Danny Ferry that Shaquille O'Neal would be traded after this game.

So he stopped pretending and came clean: "As the highest-paid player, you should be ashamed of your body management, Shaq!"

"Shame? Why should I be ashamed?" Shaq seemed to have been waiting for his counterattack, and he suddenly became energetic, "Without you, I led the Cavaliers to four consecutive wins, and without me, you are about to be swept out 0-4. Admit it, LeBron, you not only need Suwan, you also need me!"

"Put away your arrogant face, LeBron. I really want to know which O'Brien Trophy has your name engraved on it! Do you deserve to be called 'King' in front of me?"

Shaq's words left LeBron with no ability to respond.

There is no way. When the "Great Shark" shows his qualifications, there are really few people in this league who can compete with him 1v1.

I don’t know if he was influenced by Shaq’s words or if his ability to withstand pressure is weak. LeBron, who had managed to make his stats look “honorable in defeat” after losing the previous few games, was in a slump tonight.

And Rick Carlisle saw his intention to carry the offense on his shoulders alone, and the defensive arrangement for him tonight was similar to that of the Spurs in 07.

Double-team and intercept near the high post, determine his passing route, and intercept his pass.

In the original 07 Finals, the Spurs relied on this defense to limit LeBron James's shooting percentage to only 35.6% and his turnovers to 5.8 times per game.

The Pacers have a higher defensive ceiling, and the team is more mobile, so this defense is more powerful when used.

LeBron James ended up shooting 19 of 6 tonight, a 31.5% shooting percentage, and committed 8 turnovers.

In the end, he ended his first Eastern Conference Finals trip in his career with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 8 turnovers, a "dazzling" "quasi-quadruple-double".

巴克利说了一组数据：“从04年苏万离开骑士队到现在，他面对勒布朗的常规赛战绩为8胜0负，季后赛面对勒布朗的战绩也同样为8胜0负！”

When Kenny Smith heard this set of data, he was stunned for a moment: "Did they play so many times?"

What's even more outrageous is that after 16 games, LeBron didn't even win a single game...

Su Wan’s name of “Nemesis” is really not wrong!
No, this can't even be called a "nemesis", this should be called...

Bloodline suppression!
In other words:
LeBron, I'm your dad!
When the buzzer sounded, Suwan stood on the sidelines, watching the Clevelanders leave the field dejectedly just like last year, his heart filled with satisfaction.

No matter how many times he sees this kind of scene, he will never get tired of it.

Erin took this photo titled "Suwan Has Not Forgiven the Cavaliers Yet."

Then watched Suwan lift the Eastern Conference's highest honor trophy at Quicken Loans Arena for the third consecutive year.

This time, it's in Cleveland!

So she asked after the game: "Su Wan, do you feel any difference from holding the Eastern Conference championship trophy this time?"

Su Wan said: "No difference, I just want to ask the Cleveland media, how long has it been since the Cavaliers touched the Eastern Conference Finals trophy?" The answer is:
This team, founded in 1970, has never entered the finals, so they have never touched the Eastern Conference Finals trophy...

And Suwan has lifted the Eastern Conference Finals trophy for the third consecutive year.

wrong……

He was too lazy to lift it.

This time, just like before, Su Wan did not touch the trophy that was out of reach for the Cavaliers, and he was too lazy to even look at it.

This scene made the Cleveland reporters feel very sad.

Because at this moment, Su Wan's attitude towards them is the same as his attitude towards this Eastern Conference trophy.

Just now a Cleveland reporter plucked up the courage to ask: "Su, have you ever thought about returning to Cleveland in the future?"

As a result, Su Wan just looked at him with a sneer, and he didn't even answer the question.

In fact, the Cleveland reporters did not realize what Suwan really meant.

What he saw was Su Wan's sneer, but what Irene saw was...

"You have really thought about this, right?" Irene looked at Su Wan and asked sincerely.

Su Wan was still playing dumb: "What?"

"Have you ever thought about going back to Cleveland? No..." Erin felt that she hadn't grasped the point. She began to "brainstorm", constantly recalling the details that she had overlooked in this matter...

First of all, given Suwan’s personality, it is impossible for him to be teammates with LeBron.

but……

As far as she knew, Su Wan had indeed thought of this possibility.

So under what circumstances can Suwan return to Cleveland without having to cooperate with LeBron?

"Su, do you think LeBron will leave Cleveland?" Erin said this idea that even she felt was bold.

Su Wan was completely surprised this time.

Although he knew that these reporters were all "shrewd people", it was really surprising that Irene was able to analyze such a fact just by looking at his expression.

"No way?"

Looking at Su Wan's expression, Irene knew that she guessed right.

But the answer was really shocking.

You have to know that most of LeBron James' current glory is tied to Cleveland. He is the "Son of the City" of Cleveland. If he leaves the Cavaliers, the criticism he will suffer will definitely swallow him up.

The Cavaliers...

As long as they want to make money, there is no way they can trade LeBron.

LeBron's existence is the bond between the team and the fans.

How stupid would the Cavaliers have to be to destroy this bond?

Therefore, it is unlikely that LeBron will leave the Cavaliers, and the Cavaliers are unlikely to actively trade LeBron.

Why did Su Wan have such an idea?
Irene's final conclusion is:
Suwan is an abnormal person, so it is normal for him to think that LeBron will leave Cleveland and then he will replace him!

In addition, she finally understood how much Su Wan hated LeBron.

Just imagine, if LeBron left Cleveland, and after Suwan led the Cavaliers to win the championship, LeBron would probably be doomed...

Of course, this has a prerequisite, that is, when LeBron left the Cavaliers, he had already helped the Cavaliers win the championship.

But if that were the case, Su Wan would never go again...

So Irene directly passed this premise.

In the end, Su Wan did not tell Irene his true thoughts... There's no way to say it. He can't predict now that LeBron James will go to Miami in the summer of 2010 to form a Big Three with Wade and Chris Bosh, right?

However, it is interesting to think about cutting off LeBron's retreat.

If there really is such an opportunity, he wouldn't mind taking a chance.

Of course, such an opportunity is not as simple as LeBron leaving.

There are other conditions that need to be met...

So that he can do whatever he wants in the future...

He must win the championship this year!
When Su Wan thought of the upcoming finals, his eyes became sharp again.

At the same time, in the home team player tunnel of Quicken Loans Arena, when the Pacers lifted the Eastern Conference championship trophy, Shaquille O'Neal angrily shouted to the media camera: "Trade me, Danny, immediately, I don't want to have anything to do with LeBron anymore!"

With just this one sentence, all the reporters' eyes lit up.

Once players use this "opening move", there is one thing they are very sure of:
There is a melon to eat!

And it’s a big melon!
"I've never been in a team with such a bad atmosphere. Everyone is revolving around LeBron James. I know what LeBron means to this city, but that doesn't mean he is the king on the court as his nickname suggests. He is just a rookie who has never even touched the floor of the finals. Even this year, he can stand on the stage of the Eastern Conference Finals because of me!"

"He obviously needs a superstar to be able to stand on a higher stage, like Su Wan, like me, but he always acts like the whole earth has to revolve around him!"

"I know this is given to him by the Cavaliers, but he shouldn't show this in front of us!"

"When I stood on the stage of the finals and held up the championship trophy, he wasn't even the chosen one!"

"If he doesn't change his mind and realize that he is just a flatterer, the Cavaliers' locker room will never be quiet!"

"But I've had enough, and I don't want to wait and see him grow up!"

"And the media in this city, they are really rotten! They tried to ruin my career and forced me to play with injuries just because LeBron was being beaten by Suwan!"

"But when LeBron was injured, I never saw them push LeBron like this!"

"This double-standard city is really disgusting!"

……

The "shark" got angry and the media gimmick was directly "full".

They knew very well that these comments from Shaq tomorrow morning would cause a big stir the next day.

Danny Ferry was not surprised that Shaquille O'Neal would "force the palace" and ask the team to trade him. This is a way for some "superstars" to save their reputation. When they realize that the team wants to trade them, they will put in a "trade request" in advance and become the one who takes the initiative to leave.

In addition, Shaq played well in the Eastern Conference semifinals and helped the Cavaliers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, so he was also qualified to play such a "card".

But his subsequent attacks on the team, LeBron and the Cleveland media made Danny Ferry completely numb.

He thought the Cavaliers and Shaq could part ways amicably.

Later he heard that before tonight's game started, LeBron and Shaq had another quarrel in the locker room.

Then he knew why Shaq did this!

This petty-minded guy is trying to stir up trouble before leaving, in order to completely ruin the reputation of LeBron and the Cavaliers!
Danny Ferry was very troubled, and criticism of LeBron from the outside world was also pouring in.

Barkley said: "If LeBron really doesn't even take Shaquille O'Neal seriously, then I think I understand why the Cavaliers always have conflicts in the locker room. He should learn what respect is!"

The New York Times: "This may be the real LeBron, not the one we see in front of the media. He is far less mature. And Suwan discovered this three years ago!"

Bleacher Report: "Nike released a promo for LeBron before the start of the new season, reborn from the ashes. Now it seems that this promo was shot too early."

LeBron did reach his lowest point in public opinion last season.

But if we really want to talk about lows, this season has clearly reached new heights:
Now not only his ability on the court and his media image have been questioned, but also his relationship with his teammates. - You know, although LeBron was criticized for defending bullying last year, there were also some voices defending LeBron, saying that such things can't be blamed entirely on LeBron. After all, such bad habits in NBA locker rooms are really hard to control.

Taking care of one is bound to offend the other.

But this time, even those voices that defended LeBron at the time are silent.

Shaquille O'Neal has only had a conflict with Kobe Bryant in his 15-year career. Everyone saw how ignorant Kobe was at the time, and most people stood on Shaquille's side.

Shaq has the style of a team leader and often protects his younger teammates.

Not to mention, when Shaq first came to the Cavaliers, he kept talking about LeBron all the time and wanted to praise him to the skies. Even someone like this broke up with LeBron, which shows how difficult LeBron is to get along with.

At this critical moment, LeBron also officially held a press conference, ready to respond to everything.

He has experienced some things now, and when he faces the dark crowd again today, he is no longer as panicked as he was last year.

Bill Duffy sat next to him, answering reporters' questions on his behalf.

With such an agent who has been following Suwan's buttocks for two years to control the rhythm of the questions on the spot, LeBron was more calm. Finally, he made a summary speech: "There were some misunderstandings between Shaq and me, which led to the deterioration of our relationship. I admit that there are many problems here. I tried my best to solve these problems, but failed. But I will remember our efforts together this season. We finally made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a good journey. I also respect all his choices. I hope he will get better and better in the future!"

This generous blessing successfully brought back a lot of impression points for LeBron.

After all, everyone knows how harsh Shaquille O'Neal's insults were. In such a situation, they still considered each other's face. Even if LeBron has a bad personality, there should be a limit.

Even these reporters suspected that Shaq himself had some problems.

In short, after this press conference, the outside world's questioning of LeBron suddenly became much smaller.

LeBron looked at Bill Duffy with great gratitude.

Everything today is thanks to him.

Bill Duffy reminded him: "LeBron, it's not time for us to relax. We just calmed down the current controversy with the right attitude, but it doesn't mean that it's really over. You need to think carefully about how to get along with your teammates in the future, otherwise, it will be even more difficult to end next time."

LeBron was suddenly unhappy.

What could be wrong with him?
If Suwan, Zhu Fangyu and Shaquille O'Neal knew their positions on the Cavaliers, would they have any conflicts?

He just doesn't want to see anyone challenge his position in the Cavaliers locker room. Is that wrong?

LeBron thinks that the reason why there are always problems in the locker room is because Danny Ferry always brings a bunch of "ambitious people" into the team. If everyone is as good-tempered as "Big Z", how could there be problems in the locker room?

There are more than 4 players in the league. Can Danny Ferry really not gather 14 players with good tempers and abilities to be his teammates?

He felt it necessary to have Bill Duffy convey this message to that idiot Danny Ferry.

When Bill Duffy heard the hidden meaning of LeBron James' words, he was stunned.

no……

Is it really impossible to correctly understand your own problems?
Bill Duffy never found being an agent so tiring.

But there's no way around it, he made a lot of money from LeBron.

The commission from commercial endorsements in the Cleveland area alone is one to two million a year, not to mention the various politically correct buffs that LeBron has.

In short, even though he realized that his employer was a weirdo, Bill Duffy could only do his best to meet his needs.

Danny Ferry was not surprised at all when he knew what Bill Duffy conveyed.

LeBron!

This is normal!
In fact, from Danny Ferry's perspective, if LeBron had a more professional agent to guide him at the beginning, he would not have become his current personality.

But he chose the Goodwin brothers, two agents who were known to be domineering in the industry.

As a result, they followed suit and believed that the "chosen ones" and the "sons of the city" in Cleveland should enjoy various privileges.

So much so that even if his agent is changed to Bill Duffy, LeBron's already developed character cannot be changed.

Fortunately, this is exactly his recruitment idea this summer...

The turmoil in Cleveland ended with LeBron's sincere blessings at the press conference.

After this matter gradually subsided, the Western Conference Finals also had its final result:

After a fierce battle of 7 games, the Los Angeles Lakers finally eliminated the Spurs 4-3 and advanced to the finals.

Suwan VS Kobe!

"China Derby"!
David Stern's most anticipated finals...

It is coming!
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(End of this chapter)