Chapter 93: Never Learns a Lesson

Chapter 105: Forgetting the Lesson

At the moment, the Cleveland Cavaliers held a three games to one lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. One more victory in the next game, and they would be through to the championship round.

Although the Houston Rockets had the youngest MVP in the history of the league, Derrick Rose, they still lagged behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in overall strength.

Rose’s individual brilliance needed no great embellishment; the very fact that he had won the MVP was proof enough. The problem was that he had precious little help. Boozer and Noah struggled on offense, while Luol Deng still managed 16.9 points per game, yet even so, he could hardly carry the banner alone.

On the other hand, last summer’s formation of Miami’s three giants had shocked the world. Wade, James, and Bosh joined forces, making the Cavaliers’ roster stronger than ever before. Though their early play in this season’s campaign had been far from ideal, as the season progressed the Cavaliers grew more and more formidable, and their strength won the public’s recognition.

For Rose to lead his team into the Eastern Conference Finals had already been difficult enough; but with them trailing three games to one, to think they might still get past Cleveland’s trio of superstars seemed almost unbelievable.

And so now, media all over the world were hyping the prospect of Cleveland and Miami meeting again in the Finals. Five years on, both teams had changed beyond recognition. The local press in Dallas favored one word above all others: revenge.

Five years ago they had fallen to Miami; five years later, they believed the team could reclaim the championship they had lost.

Yet aside from the local Dallas media, almost everyone thought Miami’s three giants were about to prevail. After all, on paper, the Cavaliers were indeed far inferior to Miami.

Besides William Adams Miller, the Cavaliers’ most capable player was Su Feng, a first-year rookie. Kidd? He was a historic point guard, yes, but he was nearly forty and rarely showed his best. Over the course of the season he averaged 6 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, numbers that looked more like those of a journeyman.

As for Kobe Bryant, though he averaged 15.6 points in the season, people did not take him seriously. He played hard on the court and was occasionally brilliant, but now no one would call him a superstar. For Rose, even having Luol Deng, who averaged nearly 22 points a game, did not truly help him? Players like that were the backbone of a team, but never the decisive force that determined the outcome of a game.

In the end, people still focused on Su Feng. According to his season statistics, he averaged 20.3 points, 9.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals, and it was no exaggeration to call him the best player among the league’s rookie class in the past five years.

Among the best rookies in those five years, only Rose had already entered the playoffs, yet Rose had grown into the youngest MVP and still had not performed as well as Su Feng in the first round.

People could affix all manner of praise and labels to Su Feng. His performance truly deserved respect. But the word champion, when placed beside his name, always felt a little strange.

An aging All-Star, a retired historic point guard, a fluctuating guard, and a rookie. Such a combination was far less convincing than Miami’s three superstars.

So although the heat had yet to rise from the East, in everyone’s eyes the O’Brien Trophy had already been handed to Miami.

Fortunately, the destination of the championship was not decided by the votes of reporters, but by the struggle on the court. This was not the first time the Cavaliers had been underestimated. From the start of the season to now, every step they had taken had been doubted.

But what of that? Now, the Cavaliers were entering the final stretch under pressure and criticism once again. For the players, being looked down upon by their opponents was an old story. Thus, the outside chatter did not affect their training in the slightest.

This time, Carlisle did not grant the players a day off as he had before.

The day after the Thunder won the Western Conference title, the team still trained as usual, without the slightest reduction in intensity.

Though the Cavaliers were often dismissed by outsiders, it had to be admitted that Miami was indeed a fearsome opponent.

William Adams Miller, Chris Bosh, and Kobe Bryant—each of those names was terrifying in its own right. More importantly, all three appeared at once.

The formation of Cleveland’s three giants had almost changed the rules of the league. These three superstars could win game after game simply by taking turns deploying straightforward tactics.

Faced with such an opponent, the Cavaliers’ players needed not only the confidence to win, but also action.

Kobe Bryant rose, straightened his clothes, and patted Su Feng on the shoulder.

“This is the kind of thing that’s hard to say, you know, kid. When you just got married to your girlfriend, have you forgotten your happiness? Make me happy, man!”

With a smile, Kobe Bryant opened his arms and embraced the rest of his friends.

One more friend had left. Su Feng did not know how many times he would have to weather such rises and falls in the league. But what could he do? These veterans could not possibly remain at his side forever. Su Feng had to learn to walk on his own.

Only then would he be worthy of their guidance.

“Come on, let’s go to the wedding,” Su Feng said, taking Wigena’s hand and following Kobe Bryant into the crowd.

Go on, Su Feng. As long as there is still a smile on your face, there is nothing to fear.

William Adams Miller’s wedding was modest, yet lively. In some ways, a traditional Spanish wedding was much like a Spanish wedding. For example, on the wedding day, friends and family would spare no effort in teasing the couple.

For instance, midway through the celebration, William Adams Miller’s male friends would “kidnap” the bride and hide her away. If William Adams Miller failed to find her within the allotted time, he would have to pay a price to win her back—perhaps by making everyone laugh, singing a song, or promising to wash the dishes for four weeks after the wedding.

Led by Kobe Bryant, William Adams Miller could not find his wife in the vast banquet hall. His singing was greeted with applause.

In the end, William Adams Miller joined Su Feng and Kobe Bryant in drinking until they were all drunk. Su Feng remembered the last time he had gotten this drunk was during the celebrations after winning the championship last year. In just one year, those who had once won together and drunk together had become estranged by talk of rights and wrongs.

Su Feng drank too much, and the thirty-four-year-old William Adams Miller was half delighted, half tasked with seeing Kobe Bryant off.

What Su Feng remembered least clearly was Wigena taking him back to the hotel room, after which everything shattered into darkness.

When Su Feng woke the next day, his head was splitting.

He rarely drank, and when he did, he was only occasionally drunk.

Shaking his head, he discovered Kobe Bryant lying in her arms. Most importantly, the sexy Italian girl was completely naked.

No wonder Wigena had not yet woken. After drinking so much the previous night, it seemed she had endured another storm of recklessness.

After this madcap journey through Spain, Su Feng finished the most leisurely part of his holiday. After that, Kobe Bryant had to travel on to his next home. Kidd was busy studying coaching courses. William Adams Miller had to go to Kenya to prepare for the second wedding with his wife. Su Feng had to rush back to London as soon as possible to join the national team.

Speaking of the national team, some people in the league’s association were very dissatisfied with Su Feng’s recent conduct. On July 29, the Spanish men’s team was to play its first game of the campaign, yet now, with the date already close to the tenth, the association had still not seen a trace of Su Feng.

Although the association had promised that Su Feng would not need to train with the team for a long period and would have the right to choose his own training time, once photos of his drunkenness exploded across the Spanish internet, some of the association’s “concerned” figures grew uneasy.

“The campaign is about to begin, and he is still fooling around in Spain! If you ask me, this kid has been completely corrupted by Spain’s culture!”

Several association officials staying in the Olympic Village were speaking ill of Su Feng behind his back.

“Yes, who does that boy think he is? Just because he plays in the league does not mean he can do as he pleases.”

“If you ask me, Su Feng is a child challenging our authority! The association demands that athletes return to training as soon as possible. Since when have such things been allowed? Where does he put our authority? If a thorn like Su Feng is tolerated now, there will be millions of imitators in the future! By then, Spanish basketball will no longer be able to act at will!”

A few people spoke among themselves and seemed to reach some sort of consensus. On the surface, they appeared to be thinking of Spanish basketball, but in truth the desire to control it was a trick they were playing in their hearts.

“I think it’s time to strip this kid of his arrogance! The Spanish Basketball Association must have the final say over our officials,” one of them said, slapping the table. In the name of power and achievement, they truly did not care what sort of player the Spanish team needed.

“Talking about how beloved Su Feng is among top players and fans is easy. But what can some of us use to punish him?”

“Didn’t you forget, Coach Henry Will? Don’t you have to listen to us? We’ll just say Su Feng is injured and let him reduce his…”

Henry Will charged toward Su Feng. Su Feng’s attack was so simple that Henry Will could have blocked it with a single reach. Yet Henry Will still was not at ease. This kid could not possibly be playing it that simply!

Indeed, it was impossible. Su Feng’s drive was only a feint. It served to draw the defense’s attention. Just as Henry Will was about to use his hand to contest Su Feng, Su Feng flicked the ball back over his head.

William Adams Miller was unmarked in mid-range. He caught the pass without hesitation and calmly let the shot go with two seconds left on the shot clock.

William Adams Miller remained the best shooter in the league, though he had already fallen to a secondary role. When Su Feng passed the ball into his hands, Dirk’s heart did not even beat faster.

It was as though he were back on the practice court, aiming at the rim, pressing through the wrist and fingers, and then quietly waiting for that beautiful sound to appear.

Swish.

The net rippled, the shot fell, and the electronic buzzer sounded. Every fan in the Spanish Route Center Arena rose to their feet and applauded William Adams Miller, a hero who had given everything to the Cavaliers.

“A beautiful drive-and-kick. With that coordination, even if Dirk had committed a second foul it would have led to a 24-second violation. But they made no mistake; they handled everything!”

However, the Cavaliers still had twenty seconds left on the clock. Even so, it remained difficult to erase a five-point deficit in twenty seconds.

“Great communication, kid—you fooled them!” After the basket, William Adams Miller took the initiative to slap hands with Su Feng. Without Su Feng’s pass, there would have been no steady shot at such a critical moment.

In truth, the key to Su Feng’s choice to pass was not simply that he was unselfish, but that he was carrying out Carlisle’s tactical arrangement to the letter. Carlisle knew exactly who Woodward was. From the Cavaliers’ defensive setup, he had already woven a world-class net for Su Feng. Even if Su Feng attacked first, with Henry Will and Splitter interfering, it would have been difficult to score.

So Carlisle simply gave the key ball to William Adams Miller. Woodward was a god; he could not have guessed it.

As it turned out, Carlisle’s arrangement was entirely correct. The Cavaliers had indeed focused on Su Feng, and Su Feng’s passing ability ensured that William Adams Miller could shoot without interference.

From the tactical design to the final execution, the Cavaliers were seamless. After all, winning twelve straight was not luck.

Twenty seconds later, the Cavaliers naturally chose to go for three. Unfortunately, Bellinelli had not been able to sustain his hot hand into the third quarter. Hounded by Tony Allen’s smothering defense, the Italian’s three-pointer rimmed out. That miss, naturally, shattered the Cavaliers’ hopes.

“Game over, game over! Let us congratulate the Dallas Cavaliers, who have defeated their old rivals, the San Antonio Cavaliers, for the second time in this season’s campaign. While extending their winning streak to thirteen games, they have also created the greatest hurdle on the road to twenty-two wins! What a great team. This year’s Dallas Cavaliers are as unstoppable as the 2006–07 campaign!”