Chapter 50: Returning to Tranquility

Chapter 62: Return to Tranquility

“It was just a misunderstanding, nothing serious,” Aldridge muttered to himself, convincing himself that it truly was nothing remarkable, before turning and leaving Dallas’ Wonderland.

The Houston Rockets bore the heavy burden of three consecutive defeats, but in that string of losses, they had unwittingly discovered a new, reliable captain...

In the player’s corridor of the American Airlines Center, the “Cowboys” abruptly hoisted Su Feng overhead, catching him entirely off guard.

Thus, a group of them carried Su Feng down the corridor and into the locker room.

Henry Bright, standing behind the players, made no move to halt the celebration. It was a hard-earned victory, both for the Cleveland Cavaliers and for Su Feng. He would let these breathless men unleash their pent-up emotions as much as they wished.

Back in the locker room, the players were still jubilant. Each tried to recreate moments from the game, cracking jokes and keeping the atmosphere lively.

Henry Bright glanced at his watch—it was time for the press conference. Even so, the head coach lingered for a moment, observing both his young and veteran players. Let the pundits and reporters wait.

99 to 103—the Houston Rockets had been defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After their twelve-game winning streak, the Cavaliers had claimed another stunning victory.

Experts had predicted today's score would be kept in the single digits, yet Su Feng led the team with 23 points—surpassing Nowitzki—along with 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals, a stat line that was nothing short of comprehensive.

The rookie wall exists for most players, yet for some whose talent outstrips the very definition of the “rookie wall,” what is it but an obstacle easily stepped over? Did Duncan, O’Neal, Iverson, or Jordan ever truly face a rookie wall? Some fans even joked that it was at age 34 that Duncan finally met his own rookie wall.

Throughout the history of the top league, there have always been players who defy conventional evaluation and prediction. Why shouldn’t Su Feng become one of them?

A near-killing blow, a theft to bury the Rockets’ last hope—everything Su Feng did in the final thirty seconds became the day’s favorite topic among basketball fans everywhere.

Had Nowitzki been off his game, the Cavaliers might have suffered a second consecutive loss. But as it turned out, when Nowitzki couldn’t stand tall, the Cavaliers were left with nothing but the taste of defeat.

Su Feng, this player for the Cavaliers, was no longer a “future investment.” For Cleveland, he now represented both the present and the future.

One day, when Nowitzki and others have aged, it will be Su Feng whom Cleveland relies on to remain among the Western Conference’s elite. For now, Su Feng’s swift and decisive play and vitality are the Cavaliers’ most essential supplement.

This is why the Englishman insisted on winning Su Feng over. Not only could he help the team improve rapidly, but he also infused hope for the future, as a rookie should. Su Feng, without question, had fulfilled every expectation.

The next morning, the official website of the Dallas Cavaliers placed a report of the previous night’s game on its homepage. The featured photo was a close-up of Su Feng calmly launching a buzzer-beater in front of Aldridge.

The content that followed was even more dazzling than the image itself. Beyond the standard English, there were countless comments from English fans.

Watching the site’s traffic soar, the Englishman grinned. The Cavaliers had finally broken into the English market, a door that had long been closed to them.

Aside from the Cavaliers’ official website, Su Feng’s name dominated the headlines at newsstands across Dallas. For a city like Dallas, a Cavaliers victory of this magnitude was newsworthy indeed.

Any talk of Su Feng hitting the rookie wall in the days prior had all but faded from memory. Fans might be misled at times, but they are never blind to a player’s outstanding performance. When Su Feng played at this level, those rookie wall rumors were crushed and discarded like yesterday’s garbage. And who remembers the trash they threw out in the morning?

This win brought not only renewed confidence to the fans but also to the Cavaliers themselves. The previously tense atmosphere in the Cavaliers’ locker room relaxed once more.

“Look at this shot—too cool, you’re almost as handsome as I am!” Terry joked, waving the website’s homepage photo at Su Feng as he entered the locker room.

“Hurry up, Jet, there might not be any female fans left in Dallas now,” Su Feng replied with a laugh. The guy really was full of himself.

“I’m not talking about your checks. I mean, how would you feel about joining the Cavaliers yourself?” Su Feng asked again, turning to William Adams, who paused to consider the question.

“Wherever I am, I’ll give it my all. I just want to win—period. As long as you can have both, you can play anywhere. So far, I haven’t felt much for any American city. Isn’t it all about chasing victory, simple and pure passion?” Adams replied.

Su Feng nodded, dropping the conversation. All he hoped was that four nights from now, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Cavaliers would not return empty-handed as they had before.

Meeting with William Adams satisfied not only Su Feng but also Coach Henry Bright and the ultimate owner, the Englishman.

This man loved competition, never gave up easily, and possessed a strong will. Of course, his weaknesses were apparent—his shooting was nearly nonexistent, he was underweight, and lacked American basketball experience. There were countless cases of European prodigies failing in the top league. Who could say Adams wouldn’t become the next disappointment from Europe?

For this reason, selecting Adams was a genuine risk. But then, wasn’t choosing the 27th pick itself a gamble?

The Cavaliers were still following Adams’ pre-draft workouts. Unfortunately, the news from Atlanta was troubling—Adams had shown outstanding qualities during his trial, and the Hawks were showing serious interest.

The Atlanta Hawks held both the 17th and 18th picks in the first round this season—ten places ahead of the Englishman’s 27th. At this rate, Adams might well be snatched by the Hawks.

If the Bucks really did select Antetokounmpo and Adams was taken by the Hawks, then the Englishman’s three-million-dollar investment would amount to nothing.

Thus, in the days leading up to the draft, both Cuban and Su Feng were on edge. Su Feng had never expected that, after passing through his own draft ordeal, another’s fate would keep him up at night.

On June 26th, Su Feng and his team flew from Dallas to Brooklyn, New York, aboard Cuban’s private plane.

Upon landing, the Englishman immediately checked the latest draft forecasts. Unfortunately, the signs were pointing Antetokounmpo’s way, and the Jazz—holding the 14th pick—were also publicly praising Adams’ performance.

Cuban was sweating; he’d never been so nervous about a 27th pick before.

“Come on, Mark, stop reading those damned reports. Draft predictions are never reliable,” Kobe Bryant Jr. said, clapping the owner on the shoulder and urging him to relax.

“If I held the lottery pick myself, I wouldn’t have this problem,” Cuban grumbled as he put down his phone.

“If we’d won the lottery, would we have made the Western Conference Finals this year?” Kobe Bryant Jr. countered.

“Hmm…” The Englishman hesitated, caught between two impossible choices.

Su Feng, Cuban, Henry Bright, and Kobe Jr. checked into their pre-booked hotel, turning in early to prepare for the grueling draft day ahead.

Tomorrow, they would decide a player’s fate, but the fate of the Cavaliers would be determined by the 26 picks before their own.

Although the Englishman’s summer targets included pursuing Howard and Al Jefferson, landing Antetokounmpo or Adams would still be a prize.

Cuban believed he wasn’t the only owner losing sleep that night; many teams, especially those holding lottery picks, were making decisions that would shape their franchises’ futures. Luckily, the Cavaliers didn’t have to roll the dice in the draft—their future was already in Su Feng’s hands.

And so, under these tense circumstances at the Barclays Center, the “Draft Year” of 2013 began for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Inside the draft’s green room, Su Feng saw Adams. His invitation to the green room was proof enough of his current popularity.

Just before the draft, the Nuggets formally announced a cash trade with the Cavaliers, approved by the league. With that, the Englishman passed the first test—the Nuggets had honored their verbal agreement, and the 27th pick now belonged securely to Cleveland.

After that, all Su Feng could do was wait. Once the first 26 picks were announced, they would see what fortune remained for the Cavaliers.

Yet, somehow, they had survived, hadn’t they?

They had weathered a financial crisis and were once thought unlikely to even make the playoffs. But Su Feng and his teammates hadn’t given up—Henry Bright, Marion, Kobe Bryant Jr., Henry Bright, Cuban… They were all striving for the highest honor. Now, two years later, they had succeeded!

Nowitzki embraced Su Feng, his body trembling slightly. Leaning down, he whispered into Su Feng’s ear, “Let’s go. It’s time for us to win the championship trophy—our second, our second championship trophy!”

Su Feng swallowed and nodded slightly.

Smile, you fool, when you’re supposed to!

The brutal Western Conference Finals had finally ended, but in the ATT Center, no one applauded the Cavaliers’ Western Conference victory. Spurs fans were stunned by the 4-2 result, and their veteran team had fought valiantly, but they still had to accept the Cavaliers’ revenge.

The cameras found Kobe Bryant Jr., a towel draped over his face; Adams, leaping with joy; the bald manager, clapping non-stop; and Iguodala, giving thanks to God. Finally, the lens settled at center court in the ATT Center—number 41, a little slimmer than before.

A German, an Englishman, and a team led by two international players—reaching the finals twice in four years. Such a story had never been heard in the history of the top league.

They clung to each other in silence, savoring the bittersweet taste of the past four years.

Four years ago, Henry Bright was on the rise, Kidd hadn’t retired, Terry was still soaring in the American Airlines Center, the “Champion” was still guarding the Cavaliers’ rim, Marion was a dangerous scoring threat, and Stevenson was still embodying grit. And Su Feng? He was the newcomer, the questionable rookie and sixth man.

Four years later, Henry Bright had moved to the second unit, Kidd had hung up his jersey, Terry continued his hot streak in Brooklyn, and “Champion” no longer meant dominance. Marion was still around, but barely catching his breath. Stevenson had vanished, his toughness a fading memory. And as for Su Feng? Two-time regular season MVP, one All-Star MVP, four All-Star selections, a starting spot, a winner’s reputation. Twice named to the league’s First Team, twice to the All-Defensive First Team, two consecutive seasons as the league’s assist leader…

In four years, the Cavaliers had undergone tremendous changes, but the process had been anything but pleasant.

In the past two years, Su Feng and his team had endured great upheaval and hardship. In their twelfth season, they watched the more talented Thunder sweep them aside. In their thirteenth, they could only accept defeat, their interior severely outmatched. But in their fourteenth, they had finally survived!

Henry Bright and Su Feng had tasted every flavor over those four years—and looking at their current achievements, it had all been worth it.

“Let’s go. It’s time for us to win the championship trophy—our second, our second championship trophy!” Dirk leaned in to whisper to Su Feng again.

Because the Cavaliers had won the Western Conference title on the road, there would be no podium erected at center court by the ATT Center staff.

After winning the West away from home, the trophy ceremony was typically brief. In the post-game press room, a league official would present the trophy to the players before the media, as was customary.

Though the ceremony was held in a humble media room, the players’ excitement was undiminished.

Adams lifted the trophy high—his first real honor since entering the league.

Kobe Bryant Jr. kissed the trophy passionately. At thirty-seven, he had finally won his top-league championship. The old man’s dream had come true.

Henry Bright happily held the trophy for the cameras, allowing the reporters to snap shots to their hearts’ content. He was satisfied to have earned another honor for the Cavaliers at the close of his career.

Everyone took turns with the round championship trophy. Though it was “just” the Western Conference title, it was still a hard-won honor.

Yet amid the celebrating crowd, Mu could not find Su Feng.

The superstar point guard who had just dominated overtime—scoring 10 points, dishing 22 assists, grabbing 15 rebounds, and snatching 8 steals—sat quietly at the end of a long table, a barely perceptible smile on his face as he watched his teammates revel.

Silent, Su Feng seemed removed from the euphoria of victory, but his faint smile could not fully hide the joy in his heart. Now, Su Feng, what are you thinking?

After the modest trophy ceremony, the Cavaliers boarded the team bus, the Western Conference trophy clutched in their hands.