LeBron James: I Want to Be in Front!

"LeBron, wasn't that win easy?"

After the game, Mike Brown was once again brainwashing LeBron James.

LeBron James couldn't help but nod—it really had been too easy to win.

Could it be that I really shouldn't be holding the ball? That I should play off-ball instead, fitting into the team?

"LeBron, one game might not erase your doubts, but how about watching a few more?"

Mike Brown noticed the shift in LeBron James's expression and immediately pressed on.

LeBron James nodded again. Fine, he'd watch a few more games and see how it worked out.

The main reason LeBron James wanted to change his playstyle was that both Mike Brown and General Manager Chris Grant had told him there was a high chance they'd make it to the Finals this year.

The Eastern Conference landscape was in a state of major upheaval.

The traditional powerhouses—the Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets, and Indiana Pacers—had seen their core players age and suffer injuries, causing their competitiveness to decline.

Meanwhile, the young, energetic teams—the Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers—were rising.

In Mike Brown's view, among these, only the Cleveland Cavaliers were true championship contenders.

On top of that, LeBron James had gone to represent the country during the offseason and came back with a bronze medal—an absolute embarrassment.

So LeBron James desperately needed a championship to prove himself.

Even if his stats might drop, for LeBron James at this moment, a championship was far more important.

Under the relentless persuasion of Mike Brown and General Manager Chris Grant, they even brought up ancient legends like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain as examples.

Wilt Chamberlain had great stats—he was called the Stat-Sheet Stuffer.

But Bill Russell had more championships—he was known as the Lord of the Rings.

Nowadays, when fans talked about the old days, the first name that came to mind was Bill Russell.

And Bill Russell's status was higher.

Then they brought up superstar players who never won a ring, like Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and so on.

And Mike Brown and General Manager Chris Grant guaranteed that LeBron James would always be the team's number one option.

With a combination punch like that, how could a 21-year-old LeBron James not be tempted?

Of course, LeBron James still wanted to see results. And after the first game, compared to his usual do-it-all style, the team won more easily.

Seeing LeBron James nod, a bright smile spread across Mike Brown's face.

After handling LeBron James, Mike Brown went to find Su Yi. The two talked for over an hour before finishing.

The next day, on the private jet to Indiana, Mike Brown announced that Su Yi would be promoted to the starting lineup for the next game.

Damon Jones: The sky is falling! (꒪ꇴ꒪(꒪ꇴ꒪;)

At the same time, the starting lineup would become: Eric Snow, Su Yi, Larry Hughes, LeBron James, Big Z!

This starting lineup had offense when it needed offense and defense when it needed defense.

Balanced on both ends.

More importantly, it had mobility.

On the 24th, the Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to face the Eastern Conference powerhouse Indiana Pacers.

Before the game, everyone expected a tight, hard-fought contest.

But by the end of the first half, the Cleveland Cavaliers were already leading by a full 17 points.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had scored a whopping 67 points in the first half, with 26 of those coming from fast-break defense-to-offense plays.

The Indiana Pacers simply couldn't keep up with the Cavaliers' mobility.

Several times, before the Pacers' twin towers could even get back on defense, the Cavaliers had already converted a fast break.

Fast and accurate.

The Cavaliers' fluid offense was a delight for fans both in the arena and watching on TV, sending the ratings soaring.

David Stern couldn't help but smile at that.

In the second half, the Cleveland Cavaliers maintained that same offensive rhythm, tearing the Indiana Pacers apart.

After three quarters.

The lead had stretched to 25 points.

The fourth quarter became pure garbage time.

In the end, the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the Indiana Pacers 129–98, a 31-point blowout.

Six players on the Cavaliers scored in double figures.

Among them, Su Yi exploded for 33 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. For Su Yi, this was the most comfortable game he'd ever played.

As for LeBron James, he put up 17 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals—a triple-double stat line.

This game only made LeBron James trust the words of Mike Brown and General Manager Chris Grant even more.

This really was too easy a win.

Then, in the remaining three games of November, the Cleveland Cavaliers took them all down with ease.

On the 26th, hosting the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed them 118-99, a 19-point blowout.

Su Yi dropped another 30+ game: 31 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals. LeBron James put up a near triple-double: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.

On the 28th, hosting the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers won 109-95, a 14-point victory.

Su Yi stayed steady, scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal. LeBron James posted another near triple-double: 11 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.

On the 30th, on the road against the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers won 106-95, an 11-point victory.

Su Yi scored 30+ yet again—this was his fifth straight game with 30+ points!

Led by Su Yi, the Cleveland Cavaliers had now won five in a row, bringing their overall record to 13-2, sitting firmly atop the Eastern Conference, far ahead of the pack!

Meanwhile, over these five games, Su Yi averaged 32.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.6 steals.

LeBron James, over the same stretch, averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.

A brand-new duo had emerged for the Cleveland Cavaliers: the Su-Zhan Duo!

Regarding this new pairing, media reporters and fans chimed in with comments like:

"Su and Zhan together—unstoppable!"

"Only five games and these numbers? Let them mesh for a season, and the Cavs are straight-up champions!"

"LeBron holding the ball less actually makes him more efficient! Su proves he's the future of the Cavs."

"From two straight losses to five straight wins! The Su-Zhan Duo reignites championship hope for the Cavs."

"LeBron: So you can win even when I score less? Su: You should've trusted me from the start!"

"Su dishes assists, LeBron controls the tempo—this duo is a match made in heaven!"

"Mike Brown's genius adjustment! Freeing up LeBron's playmaking and unleashing Su's scoring talent!"

Most of it was praise for Su Yi and LeBron James, along with credit for Mike Brown's adjustments.

But there were some teasing remarks mixed in.

LeBron James scrolled through these comments at home, feeling pretty good—until the next moment, when he saw the words "Su is the future of the Cavs." He immediately soured. He was the King of the Cleveland Cavaliers!

At the same time, LeBron wasn't too happy with the duo's name either. What "Su-Zhan Duo"? It should be called the "Zhan-Su Duo"!

LeBron James: I want to be first!