Chapter 29: The Secret of the Three-Point Shot

Chapter 41: The Secret of the Three-Point Shot

When Kobe Bryant was on the court, the Cleveland Cavaliers were a mess on both offense and defense. However, when Carlisle benched Kobe, the Cavaliers displayed brilliant offensive play.

Su Feng’s back arched, and the packed Chesapeake Energy Arena fell into a stunned silence. Houston Rockets fans could hardly believe that Cardinal, who looked more like a grocer than a player, managed to defend Ibaka and help Su Feng pull off a spectacular dunk over Westbrook.

Watching Cardinal and Su Feng celebrate with intimacy on the court, Rockets coach Brooks could only shake his head in resignation. Who would have thought that a mere change in personnel could spark such a dramatic transformation for the Cavaliers?

The Cavaliers are a team built on collective effort. If even one member fails to cooperate, the team suffers from "limited activity." But united, the power of the reigning champions can surprise everyone.

As the Cavaliers players celebrated Su Feng’s stunning dunk, ESPN’s cameraman focused on Kobe Bryant sitting on the bench.

Covered with a towel, Kobe stared blankly ahead. The once "all-around warrior" was nowhere to be seen now, perhaps still pondering why the Lakers had let him go. Damn this business-driven league—Dallas!

Su Feng’s forceful slam undoubtedly boosted the Cavaliers’ morale. The young Thunder tried to retaliate, but faced strong resistance.

In the ninth minute of the second quarter, Westbrook’s breakthrough layup was blocked by Brendan Haywood. This was Haywood's first block since rejoining the Cavaliers.

After the successful block, Su Feng broke through, assisting Vince Carter in sinking a three-pointer. Although Carter had been underwhelming in the previous two games, today he was able to shine.

Next, an aggressive Cardinal successfully stole the ball from Ibaka, giving the Cavaliers a fast-break opportunity. Su Feng controlled the play, and after entering the paint, he fooled Perkins with a fake pass and scored a layup.

Brooks could hardly believe it—the Cavaliers’ offense was so effective even without Nowitzki. Last season, Cleveland was heavily reliant on Nowitzki, and his absence often meant their weakest moments.

But this year, with Su Feng’s growth, the Cavaliers no longer need to depend excessively on the "German Tank." Though he remains the most important player, Su Feng has undoubtedly begun to shoulder the team’s responsibilities alongside Dirk.

As the Cavaliers extended their lead to eight points, the young Brooks had to call another timeout. He couldn’t recall how many times the Cavaliers had stifled them today. In any case, an easy win was unimaginable. Even if they won, it would be through immense effort.

“The reigning champions have truly impressed us today. The Cavaliers have played ten minutes in the second quarter and lead by eight. You know, Dirk has been on the sidelines the whole time. Yes, he’s led the Cavaliers with a ferocious offense. People believe that when Dirk returns, Cleveland’s firepower will only grow stronger. What do you think of today’s situation, Shaq? After all, before the game, everyone agreed the Rockets would underestimate the Cavaliers.” Barkley deliberately posed the question to O’Neal.

O’Neal scratched his round head. The Cavaliers had done something unexpected today, but he couldn’t let that disgusting guy Barkley get the better of him.

“Right now, the reigning champions are impressive. But with half the game still to go, who’ll win is far from certain!”

After the timeout, the Cavaliers skipped over Kobe Bryant, sending Nowitzki directly onto the court. For the Rockets, James Harden was substituted out, letting three young players take the floor together. Both sides unleashed fierce firepower, and from the second match onward, the game heated up.

With Nowitzki back, he demonstrated his formidable strength again. Ibaka and Perkins took turns defending him, but couldn’t effectively slow down the German Tank.

The Rockets, unwilling to show weakness, relied on the dual kings of their quarter—Durant, Westbrook, and the league’s premier sixth man, Harden. Together, they posed plenty of trouble for the Cavaliers.

Harden always managed to break through defenses, Durant was hot—much like Nowitzki, a shooter through and through. As for Westbrook, his unpredictable drives always brought surprises for the Rockets.

The young Oklahoma Thunder displayed tremendous power, with both the main and bench squads working in tandem. The score grew closer not because the Cavaliers faltered, but because the Rockets were genuinely formidable.

Wasn’t this wonderful? These lighter, more European-styled sneakers also changed the traditional “bulky” appearance of Adidas basketball shoes, suggesting they might well become a market hit.

Excellent design and Su Feng's celebrity effect drove fans wild for these shoes even before their official release.

“This may turn out to be the best-selling signature shoe in Adidas history. Even I can’t wait to get a pair!” Barkley said in an interview, giving Su Feng due credit and expressing his love for the shoes.

It was a rare phenomenon—such hype for a sneaker before its launch.

September flew by with a whirlwind of commercial activities. When Su Feng finally stopped offering stiff smiles to his partners, he realized it was time for the top league’s preseason training camp to begin.

Another off-season vanished in the blink of an eye, players liberated from their private affairs and preparing for a new year of battle. This year, the Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers’ preseason camp was especially busy. Apart from Nowitzki, Carter, Marion, Crowder, Collison, and Su Feng, the rest of the Cavaliers were all new faces. It was no exaggeration to call this a brand-new Dallas Cleveland Cavaliers.

Despite the vast changes, Cuban and Carlisle were not concerned about team chemistry. Firstly, they had Su Feng, a point guard capable of uniting everyone. Secondly, except for Nick Young, all the new additions seemed unlikely to cause locker room trouble. Tony Allen, Dalembert, and Iguodala would be stabilizing forces in the locker room.

Of course, Nick Young’s personality had become more aligned with the team. Unsurprisingly, the “King of Singles” wasn’t expected to cause any drama at this time.

Watching the powerful new teammates warming up in Dallas Cavaliers training gear, Su Feng felt invigorated. Yet, when someone joins, someone else must depart. After two mediocre seasons, Johns was not re-signed by Cuban this summer. The Hawks and Magic were too demanding, but neither team’s roster fit Johns’ preferences.

Thus, Johns decided to leave the top league after six seasons and return to the CBA.

Su Feng felt somewhat lost at Johns’ departure. Having two Chinese players in the locker room always felt comforting to Su Feng. Sometimes, he could chat with Yi Jianlian in Mandarin, without barriers, which was relaxing.

But there was no alternative. Professional basketball is like this. Although Johns wasn’t bad, he hadn’t stood out for the Cavaliers. To make space for more impactful players, his departure was inevitable.

Though the famous “Double Wing” duo did not create the legend of two Chinese players winning the O’Brien Cup together, Johns and Su Feng left many unforgettable moments for fans during their two seasons with the Cavaliers. Together, they proved to the world that Chinese players can excel at basketball. But as they say, there’s no feast that lasts forever. Johns chose to return home to play, and Su Feng could only wish him well.

After Johns left, Su Feng’s neighboring locker was empty again. When Terry left the team, Su Feng never expected the locker would lose its owner so quickly. Surely the person sitting next to him wouldn’t leave too, would they?

Su Feng didn’t believe so. He always thought one’s fate was self-determined, not dictated by where they sat. Thus, Rudy Gobert "luckily" inherited Terry and Johns’ spot, becoming the third owner of the locker beside Su Feng.

Even on the first day together, the locker room was filled with jokes and conversation, making Carlisle feel as if he was coaching a veteran team that had worked together for over five years.

Iguodala and Tony Allen were excellent players, with professionalism that made them easy to like. The pair was already slated as the starting wings for the Cavaliers next season, and Carter and Marion had no objection.

Dalembert could teach Gobert many things Su Feng couldn’t. After all, Su Feng wasn’t a center. His experience as a guard might not be useful to Gobert. But Dalembert, seasoned and wise, couldn’t stop sharing insights with Gobert.

Darren Collison remained content with his sixth-man role, and Nick Young was always ready to play and score whenever called upon.

The entire team’s structure was clear, and everyone was satisfied with their place. Although Carlisle only arranged some warm-up activities on the first day of training—

P.S. Thank you, thank you so much!!!!!!!!