LeBron James running away? He's going all in on Curry.

Cleveland, the Cavaliers' owner's office.

Su Yang couldn't help but laugh when he saw LeBron James's furious "82-point declaration" on Twitter.

"82 points? Does he think he's Kobe Bryant?"

Just as Su Yang was considering whether to double the bounty for the next game and have those thugs shut James down until he retired, the red phone on his desk, which was used to contact the league's top management, rang urgently.

Su Yang raised an eyebrow, glanced at the caller ID, and pressed the speakerphone button.

"Good morning, Mr. President. What brings your call to this rural Cleveland?"

On the other end of the phone came a deep, authoritative, and somewhat angry old man's voice.

It was none other than the current commissioner of the NBA, the iron-fisted tyrant who single-handedly built the NBA's global business empire—David Stern.

"Mr. Su, this joke is not funny at all."

Stern's voice brooked no argument. "I'm calling to demand that you immediately stop that ridiculous farce targeting LeBron! I watched the broadcast of yesterday's game, and you actually set up a defensive bounty behind the scenes? You've turned a nationally televised NBA regular season game into a low-class underground boxing arena!"

Faced with the president's accusations, Su Yang remained completely calm.

"Mr. President, I think you've misunderstood. I'm simply using legal bonuses to incentivize my players to play better on defense. Is there any league rule that forbids owners from giving bonuses to players?"

Su Yang began to skillfully deflect the question, saying, "Besides, Cleveland has just lost its cornerstone, so we can only rely on this kind of iron-blooded defense to rebuild the team culture."

"Enough! Don't play word games with me, young Mr. Su!"

Stern rudely interrupted Su Yang's evasive attempt, "I admire your business acumen, but the league is a whole business! LeBron James is currently the biggest cash cow in this league; Nike and broadcasters have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in him! To satisfy your personal grudge, you let him score 12 points in a single game and even hired the media to call him 'LePippen.' You're not only destroying his commercial value, but you're also jeopardizing the league's livelihood!"

"If I see your team use that kind of ruthless, five-man swarming strategy against him and no one else in the next Cleveland home game... I guarantee a hefty fine from the league will be on your desk right away. And I have a hundred ways to make sure your team doesn't get a single free throw in future games."

Warning: Black refereeing.

This was the most severe threat Stern could offer.

But Su Yang remained unmoved.

He knew the true colors of these capitalists; they would slap one, but then have to give one a treat.

"Mr. President, I understand what you mean. But you also know that Cleveland fans need an outlet for their emotions. If it's not directed at him, how will I sell my tickets?"

There was a full ten seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

When Stern spoke again, his tone had changed from a threat to a cold, transactional one.

"Your Cavaliers team will have a 25% chance of getting the number one pick in next year's draft. But as compensation, I guarantee that the damn billiard ball will definitely bounce into the envelope with the Cleveland logo."

Upon hearing this, Su Yang's eyes lit up instantly.

"Next year's top draft pick? Are you sure?"

"I, Stern, have never gone back on my word in this league."

Stern said coldly, "On the condition that you stop your malicious personal vendetta! Let LeBron play a normal game befitting a superstar! Do you understand?!"

"make a deal!"

Su Yang immediately put on a warm and welcoming smile: "Rest assured, Mr. President. In the next game, Cleveland will definitely demonstrate the purest spirit of sportsmanship!"

Are you kidding me? It's a fool not to take advantage of a good deal!

Disgusting LeBron James is just a temporary joke, but the number one draft pick is a real core asset for building a team!

The number one draft pick next year means he can be traded down the draft, securing all the pieces of a future dynasty!

Is it worth it to go head-to-head with the league commissioner just to embarrass James again, and lose such a large sum of money?

As for James's pitiful self-esteem, it is utterly worthless in the face of Su Yang's dynasty blueprint.

"Very well, Mr. Su. Have a great season." Stern hung up the phone immediately.

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Su Yang's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Looks like LeBron's sugar daddy isn't just Nike, but also you, David Stern. Fine, since he's paid the protection money, I'll give him face."

……

three days later.

The Miami Heat, fueled by a thirst for revenge, visited Quicken Loans Arena.

The eyes of the entire nation are once again focused on this city.

Because of James's pre-game boast of scoring 82 points, countless fans were glued to their TVs, anticipating a spectacular clash of titans.

However, the course of the match surprised everyone who was expecting a spectacle.

Stephen Curry has recovered from his injury and returned to the starting lineup.

The Cavaliers, who were like mad dogs tearing at James in the last game, were like a flock of docile sheep tonight.

Gone are the insane five-man double-teams, gone are the vicious fouls that dragged people off their horses.

The Cavaliers have returned to their normal rotation defense – which is below average in the league.

James, who had been holding back his anger, finally got a breather on the defensive end.

He wielded the ball like a rampaging tank, repeatedly penetrating the Cavaliers' wide-open paint and delivering his signature tomahawk dunks.

Finally, the match ended.

The Miami Heat defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-92 on the road, a full 20 points.

Despite the heavy defeat, the Cavaliers' bench showed little sign of frustration.

Stephen Curry, returning to the court, efficiently scored 32 points and 6 assists, sinking 7 three-pointers despite the Heat's weak point guard defense.

Meanwhile, James finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He played 40 minutes in the game, scoring 38 points, along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

On the surface, this is a near-perfect report card.

However, a closer look at the statistics reveals an awkward blind spot – because he was so eager to prove himself and get the promised “82 points”, his forced attacks and careless passing throughout the game resulted in a total of 7 turnovers!

But 38 points was enough for him to redeem himself after scoring only 12 points in the previous game.

At the end of the game, James deliberately walked to the Cavaliers' bench, pounded his chest, and roared to the sky.

It was as if he had defeated not a tanking team, but a championship contender.

The press conference room after the game was packed with reporters from all over the United States, who had already set up their cameras and microphones.

Everyone rubbed their hands excitedly, ready to see what kind of vicious "explosive remarks" the outspoken Chinese boss would utter tonight.

After all, James not only failed to score the 82 points he boasted about, but also committed 7 turnovers!

"Here they come! The Cavaliers' press officer is out!"

However, to the great disappointment of all the reporters, only head coach Byron Scott and Stephen Curry represented the Cavaliers at the press conference.

"Where is Mr. Su Yang?!" a reporter hurriedly called out.

"The boss has some personal matters to attend to tonight and has already left the stadium early," the press officer replied expressionlessly.

The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment.

He's gone silent? That arrogant rich kid who called LeBron "not even as good as Pippen" has actually disappeared tonight?!

Inside the VIP box, Su Yang hadn't actually left; he was quietly looking down at the empty stadium.

"What a joke. Offending David Stern isn't just about getting unfair draft picks; future biased and 'tip-of-the-knee calls' could destroy a team's mentality. Quietly making a fortune is the best approach. Only a fool would go against the league just to vent their frustrations."

With Su Yang's disappearance, LeBron James's public relations team finally had a golden opportunity to counterattack.

A massive "whitewashing operation" was launched late at night.

ESPN's front-page headline was updated rapidly in the early hours of the morning:

The King Returns! LeBron Dominates Cleveland with 38 Points, Suppressing Doubts!

TNT's go-to commentator even posted an article overnight:

"See that? When the Cavaliers stop using those dirty, unsportsmanlike double-team tactics, LeBron is the most unstoppable player on the planet! Su Yang's silence is his best repentance for not understanding basketball!"

As for James's 7 turnovers and his pre-game boast of "scoring 82 points"?

In this grand public relations frenzy, it was tacitly and selectively forgotten by all mainstream media.