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

"Butchers! Executioners! This is a blatant desecration of basketball by the Cleveland Cavaliers!"

"Premeditated murder! Zaza Pachulia must be banned for life, and Cavaliers owner Su Yang is absolutely responsible for this heinous assault!"

"The entire alliance should unite to resist this gangster-like act of retaliation! President David Stern must take the harshest measures against this!"

……

The day after the game, the entire American sports world and even social news headlines exploded!

From sports giants like ESPN and TNT to traditional print media such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, all available channels are using sensational and angry headlines to launch a massive condemnation of Su Yang and Zaza Pachulia.

In this highly commercialized league, LeBron James is not only Nike's darling, but also the absolute cash cow for the entire NBA to maintain viewership and generate buzz.

Removing him would be tantamount to destroying the livelihoods of all stakeholders!

Various conspiracy theories have spread widely.

Everyone was analyzing Pachulia's "clumsy" steps and eventually came to the same conclusion—this was definitely a premeditated, organized, and even targeted retaliation personally instructed by Cavaliers owner Su Yang!

Faced with this media storm that seemed to be crucifying the Cleveland Cavaliers, Su Yang remained unusually calm.

"Ring ring—!"

The secure phone beside me, unsurprisingly, started ringing shrilly.

Before I could even say "Hello" after pressing the answer button, David Stern's furious roar came from the other end of the line:

"Su Yang!!! You shameless lunatic! You promised me you would never retaliate openly! What the hell have you done?!"

Even across radio waves thousands of kilometers away, Su Yang could clearly feel the trembling rage of this NBA tyrant.

"Calm down, Mr. President. As the leader of the alliance, swearing is not befitting your status."

Su Yang's tone was full of innocence: "I must state that I personally feel deeply sorry for the misfortune that LeBron suffered last night. But it was indeed an accident."

"An accident?! Do you think I'm blind or an idiot?!"

Stern's voice was hoarse with anger. "That idiot Pachulia, that half-step he took was several times more deliberate than when LeBron cushioned Stephen's shot! You dare say you didn't instigate it?!"

"Of course not."

Su Yang vehemently denied it, and with great confidence, said, "Mr. President, as you know, Zaza Pachulia has always been a clumsy, heavy-weight center. His defensive footwork is inherently messy, so it's normal for him to lose his balance when facing a breakthrough and sudden stop from someone of LeBron's caliber."

"Of course, if you or the Alliance office believe this is a conspiracy, you can send an investigation team to Cleveland at any time. You can check all of Pachulia's recent communication records, bank statements, and even the accounts of everyone around him."

"If you can find even a single penny of a 'bounty' deal, or any recording of me instructing him to do this, I, Su Yang, am willing to accept any punishment from the league. But if not... then please, just like you did with Stephen Curry's injury, classify this incident as a 'normal accident during a high-intensity game'!"

On the other end of the phone, Stern was so angry at Su Yang's almost rogue and robber-like logic that his chest heaved violently.

Of course he knew this was Su Yang's revenge! However, just as Su Yang said, without solid evidence, the league could not convict a team owner of "instructing injury" based solely on the defensive actions shown on the video!

What's more, just a month ago, they used the same "accident" excuse to whitewash James's act of stepping on Curry's foot.

"Very good. Su Yang, you win."

Stern forcibly suppressed his anger, but his voice remained icy. "The investigation team will arrive in Cleveland tomorrow. You'd better pray they don't find anything! Also, to quell public opinion, the league will issue Pachulia a severe suspension!"

"I fully accept any rulings the league makes against its players."

Su Yang knew when to stop, understanding that he couldn't push this old fox too far at this crucial juncture.

But he didn't forget his core interests. "However, Mr. President, regarding that promise we made earlier..."

"I got the Hornets' first-round pick through a three-team trade. I don't think it'll just drop out of the top three, or even become fifth or lower, because of this 'accident,' right? You can't hold a grudge."

"You're still trying to bargain with me?!" Stern laughed angrily.

"I'm just protecting Cleveland's legitimate rights," Su Yang said firmly.

"Then you'd better pray to your God every day! Pray that LeBron's ankle doesn't have any structural damage, and pray that he can still make it to the playoffs!"

Stern gritted his teeth and hung up the phone. "If he's out for the season, I guarantee you, not only will the Hornets' draft pick be the worst one in the lottery, but your Cavaliers' draft pick this year will also be the worst one in the lottery!"

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Su Yang shrugged indifferently.

He certainly knew how resilient James' ankles were.

In his past life, even if this guy twisted his ankle at a 90-degree angle, tightened his shoelaces, and stomped his feet, he could still play the whole game with great energy.

……

Two days later.

Just as the entire nation was still criticizing the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat finally released LeBron James' MRI report.

"Thank goodness! A miraculous body!"

"After consultation with top orthopedic experts, it was found that although LeBron James' left ankle suffered a severe twist, miraculously, there were no structural injuries such as ligament tears or fractures!"

"It is expected that he will only need a week to ten days of rest to fully recover and return to the field!"

Upon the release of this medical report, stakeholders throughout Miami and the entire league breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, in the boss's office in Cleveland, Su Yang, looking at the report, couldn't help but let out a complex gasp of amazement.

"That's a fucking monster..."

Su Yang shook his head. Even though he had a thousand complaints about James's character and playing style, he was truly impressed by this once-in-a-century steel body.

Everything else can be criticized, but LeBron James's incredible durability at his peak was truly a gift from God.

With the news that James' injury was not serious, David Stern was relieved.

But he still needs to give the world an explanation.

That afternoon, the NBA league office issued a hefty fine:

"Cleveland Cavaliers player Zaza Pachulia has been suspended without pay for 25 games by the league for making an extremely dangerous and unsportsmanlike defensive move during the game!"

A 25-game suspension! This means Pachulia will not only miss the remainder of the regular season, but will also be unable to play in the first round of the playoffs!

This is definitely one of the harshest penalties ever handed down in the league's history for a defensive action!

……

The Cavaliers' training facility, in the storage room.

Su Yang pushed open the door and saw Pachulia sitting on a cardboard box, her eyes somewhat dim.

"Boss." Upon seeing Su Yang, the Georgia thug stood up. Despite facing a huge loss of salary and a long suspension, there was no resentment on his face.

"Sit down, Zaza."

Su Yang walked over, patted his broad shoulder, and lowered his voice, "I'm sorry you had to put up with this all this time to deal with the Alliance's investigation team. From now on, you should stay home and lay low. If the investigation team asks you anything, just insist it was an accident, that you lost your balance."

"I understand, boss. I'm very tight-lipped." Pachulia nodded.

"I've seen all the sacrifices you've made for the team and for seeking justice for Stephen. I, Su Yang, never treat my own people unfairly."

Su Yang stared into Pachulia's eyes and made a promise that made Pachulia's heart pound: "The salary you lost due to this 25-game suspension will be doubled next year and deposited into your family's account in Europe as bonuses. Furthermore, before the start of next season, I will have Grant prepare a four-year contract extension for you, worth a total of twenty million US dollars!"

For a marginal, low-salary, backcourt center, 20 million over four years is an absolute fortune that can change his life!

"Boss... thank you! Don't worry, even if the investigation team points a gun at my head, it's an unavoidable accident!" Pachulia stood up excitedly, patting his chest to assure them.