LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Chapter 122 The Knights' No. 23 Jersey

"Hey boss, I want to make a big splash."

Upon hearing this, Gilbert on the other end of the phone decisively replied, "Just tell me what kind of support you need."

Chen Shuo smiled and casually said, "It's just a small matter."

"I noticed that the team's number 23 jersey was actually empty."

The world fell into a brief silence.

Then Gilbert's voice came through: "Then let the number 23 jersey reappear at Quicken Loans Arena."

Chen Shuo seemed oblivious to Gilbert's hesitation.

"As you wish, my boss."

Not long after I hung up the phone, there was a knock on the door, just two light knocks, and then there was no sound.

Chen Shuo looked at the Roman clock on the wall and watched the second hand complete a full circle.

They are quite patient, though.

"Come in."

The wooden door was opened and then gently closed without making a sound.

What came into view was a black man in a suit.

With shoulders as broad as mountains and a thick, short, and very sturdy neck, this physique is practically the antithesis of suit design.

Drummond Green walked over and, at Chen Shuo's prompting, sat down at the desk. He appeared somewhat reserved, his thick fingers clumsily adjusting his tie.

Chen Shuo lay back in the chair, sizing up the other person.

The acting was good.

Have you eaten?

Green never expected this kind of opening.

Are you treating yourself to dinner?

Green had seen online a story about Chen Shuo having dinner with rookies in New York.

Not being able to think of much at the moment, Green could only answer truthfully.

"I had lunch before I came to sign the contract."

"What did you eat?"

Green was completely baffled.

"Chicken breast, broccoli, brown rice, and a big steak."

Chen Shuo stared at Green with great interest.

He recalled an interview where a former teammate described Green's diet in one sentence: "He used to eat like shit."

Feeling uneasy under Chen Shuo's gaze, Green immediately changed his tune, saying, "Cheetos spicy fries, and Saginaw Tacos. I didn't know Cleveland had these; they're my mom's specialty."

"Boss, I've just been relaxing a bit lately."

"I promise----"

Chen Shuo responded quickly, interrupting Green and casually replying, "It's not far from Michigan."

Seeing that Chen Shuo wasn't angry, Green was about to continue the conversation—he knew all too well Chen Shuo's influence with the Cavaliers—when he suddenly heard Chen Shuo ask in an extremely serious tone, "What jersey number are you planning to wear in the new season?"

Green almost blurted out his answer.

He had already decided to wear jersey number 32.

This is the number of Greg Kelser, a legend in the school's history. Green wanted to wear number 32 when he was at Michigan State, but he didn't get Kelser's permission, so he reversed the number and wore number 23.

Green naturally knew who was assigned to the Cavaliers' number 23, so he had already submitted his number to the team during previous communications.

As the general manager, Chen Shuo should know about this.

Why ask again?

Thinking of this, Green suddenly realized, met Chen Shuo's cold gaze, and said loudly and firmly, "Boss, I want to wear jersey number 23. I've always worn this number in college."

Chen Shuo's gaze softened, taking on a hint of appreciation.

"From now on, follow KG; he'll tell you what to do."

"Go ahead, see you later."

Green clenched his right fist and slammed it into the palm of his left hand.

"Boss, I will do my best."

Extremely exaggerated body movements.

Chen Shuo knows Green too well.

Born into a poor family in the United States, raised by a single parent, and bullied by older students, he likes to use exaggerated physical gestures to pretend to be strong. His harsh living environment has fostered a tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.

His underlying nature is cunning and clear-headed; every instance of anger stems from self-interest, and he possesses an accurate understanding of his own position.

These kinds of players need to be challenged and disciplined before they become effective.

That's why Chen Shuo changed the subject and suddenly launched an attack on Green by using the jersey issue—a typical pressure tactic.

Chen Shuo is straightforward with most rookies, but with Green, he needs to use some tricks to get him to play, which is a case of teaching according to aptitude.

Green possesses many qualities that Chen Shuo admires: toughness, cunning, fighting spirit, and excellent basketball IQ. He perfectly fits the system Chen Shuo has built and his vision for its future.

But all of this is predicated on ensuring that Green does not become overconfident.

In front of the camera.

Chen Shuo and Green are holding up the Cavaliers' number 23 jersey together.

The reporters in the audience were snapping photos non-stop, their flashes going off non-stop.

The fact that a relatively unknown rookie like Green actually wore the Cavaliers' number 23 jersey is enough to illustrate the Cavaliers' perception of James.

The number 23 jersey will most likely not be raised at Quicken Loans Arena, and James will not be recognized as a Cavaliers legend after his retirement.

The rumors of James returning to the Cavaliers now seem to have been dispelled, making the future of the Miami Big Three even more uncertain.

At the request of public relations manager Linda, Chen Shuo stood in the middle, flanked by Green, who had just signed a rookie contract, and Garnett, who had just renewed his contract.

The Cavaliers concluded today's press conference with this photo.

The Cavaliers signed Garnett to a three-year, $30 million contract, with a slight premium in the final year, but overall there shouldn't be any major problems.

Historically, Garnett signed a 3-year, $3300 million contract with the Celtics.

Chen Shuo didn't push the price too hard; he just wanted to keep the team's salary below the luxury tax threshold, so they could use the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception.

If Garnett can stay strong for another year or two, it will be worth it. According to the original timeline, Garnett will slowly decline afterward, but the impact will not be significant.

The contract's length was precisely timed to coincide with the final year of Thompson and Leonard's rookie contracts.

In Chen Shuo's view, Garnett and Green are the same type of player, so it is enough to develop Green before Garnett gets too old to play.

"KG, this rookie is yours now."

Garnett had heard Chen Shuo mention before that the young guy selected this year would be his successor.

However, this guy doesn't seem to resemble me much in terms of either temperament or playing style.

Since it was Chen Shuo who made the choice, KG decided to trust him for now.

"Rookie, come with me to the court, let me see your skill level."

"Don't let me find out you're a coward."

Chen Shuo didn't go to the stadium with KG. Today was the first day of free agency, and he planned to go back and see what trades were happening.

As soon as Chen Shuo reached the door, he noticed Grant and Jeremy Lin walking over.

"I didn't expect you to be in Cleveland. I thought you would be in California with your family."

"I just landed here."

Chen Shuo glanced at the time on his watch; it was around 6 p.m.

He met with Grant at 11 a.m., so it took a total of 7 hours, meaning Jeremy Lin flew over as soon as he received the notification.

Chen Shuo glanced at Grant subconsciously, then turned to Jeremy Lin and asked, "Didn't your agent explain this to you clearly?"

"The team will match the Rockets' offer."

Chen Shuo noticed Jeremy Lin's hesitant expression.

-

Chen Shuo knew very well that Jeremy Lin was talkative and cheerful in real life, so he immediately said again, "Chris, you can go ahead and get busy."

After pushing open the office door and bringing Jeremy Lin in, Chen Shuo sat down and waited silently for Lin to speak.

"I hope the team doesn't match the Rockets' contract."

"They promised me a starting position."

Chen Shuo had already thought of these things when he sent Grant away.

Letting Jeremy Lin go would definitely be an unwise move for the Cavaliers. For a team that is already over the salary cap, letting go of any quality piece would be a crime.

It's important to know that the Cavaliers didn't need to use any exceptions to match this contract; they could simply sign it on the cap.

Once Jeremy Lin leaves, Chen Shuo will need to use the middle-class exception to try and recruit him.

There aren't many good point guards on the free agent market this year; to be precise, there aren't many good point guards that can be signed using the mid-level exception.

Chen Shuo's expression was inscrutable, caught in a dilemma.

As an individual, Chen Shuo naturally hopes that every player will have a bright future.

As the general manager, standing on the side of the team and the investors, he will match the contract without hesitation, as this is the best course of action for the team.

Furthermore, he was convinced that Jeremy Lin was better suited as a backup point guard, and as a fellow countryman, Chen Shuo spent most of his time controlling the wear and tear on Lin.

He understands better than Jeremy Lin the injuries he might suffer in the future.

"Tell me your thoughts."

Jeremy Lin walked over with bright eyes.

"I really enjoyed this time. You guys gave me the opportunity; otherwise, I might only be playing in the Development League."

Chen Shuo shook his head slightly; this assumption was not valid.

Without Chen Shuo, Jeremy Lin would not have become the Linsanity of New York.

After finishing his sentence, Jeremy Lin paused, tried to reorganize his thoughts, then gave up and said directly, "I want to be a starter, I want to be a star, I want to prove myself."

"You know, with Chris Paul around, I'll always be the second choice."

Chen Shuo clapped softly.

Jeremy Lin did not offer any arguments to prove that people of Asian descent are not worthy of sympathy.

Every sentence speaks of his dream; every word is realistic and sincere.

I support your idea.

Chen Shuo ultimately chose to release the person.

Everyone has their own ambitions, and Jeremy Lin would definitely not be satisfied if he didn't give it his all.

Hello everyone. Get together.

Chen Shuo believes that his abilities are enough to cover for the Cavaliers.

However, since we've decided to help Jeremy Lin, we might as well go all the way and set a trap for Morey while we're at it.

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