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

In the Los Angeles Clippers' visiting locker room.

When LeBron James pushed open the door and plopped down in front of his closet, he felt like his lungs were about to explode.

Sweat streamed down his face like a waterfall, and the muscles in his thighs trembled slightly from the excessive buildup of lactic acid.

"Huff... huff..."

James was breathing heavily, and his eyes revealed an unprecedented and undisguised exhaustion.

I'm so tired! This is just too tiring!

Throughout his career, he has never done the dirty work typically reserved for role players as he did in this half of the game!

In previous games, in order to ensure his physical strength and impressive stats on offense, he had long been accustomed to "watching the game with his eyes open" and "standing by with his hands on his hips" on defense.

As soon as the opponent makes a move, he will turn around and launch a fast break, leaving all the pressure of defense and physical combat to his teammates, making them endure the desperate "4 vs 5".

But today, facing the Cavaliers' suffocating "death lineup" and passing and cutting system, James knew that if he dared to put his hands on his hips again, the Clippers would be blown out in the first half.

So, for the first time ever, he went around screens, defended the inside, and ran desperately!

On the offensive end, he abandoned his sluggish one-on-one play and transformed into a blue-collar player who broke through and passed the ball, giving all the finishing opportunities to Durant and Irving!

After this first half, James felt like he had been thrown into a meat grinder, and his energy level was almost completely depleted.

However, this extreme selfless sacrifice did indeed bring back a long-lost harmony to the locker room.

Hey, LeBron.

Kyrie Irving, who had just entered the locker room, wiped his face with a towel and, unusually for him, took the initiative to walk up to James.

This one-on-one prodigy, who hadn't given James a kind look for half a season, now had a hint of respect in his eyes.

"Beautiful passes in the first half."

Irving bumped fists with James, a smile playing on his lips. "Keep this pace going in the second half! You break down the defense and get that damn ball to me and Kevin. We're going to smash Cleveland's home court to pieces tonight!"

Kevin Durant, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything, but he silently nodded at James.

This half was the most comfortable half for Durant and Irving this season!

Without James dribbling at the top of the key to waste time, they can get comfortable one-on-one space when they receive the ball, and their offensive talents can be fully unleashed!

Seeing the excited looks on Irving and Durant's faces, James forced a smile: "No problem, guys, we're a team."

Just as this beautiful picture of "harmony between generals and leaders, and unity among brothers" was about to unfold in the Clippers' locker room.

"Bang!"

The door to the tactics room inside the locker room was pushed open, and James' chief agent and best friend, Rich Paul, walked out with a grim face.

Ignoring the other players who were celebrating, Rich Paul walked straight up to James, his eyes filled with a terrifyingly sinister glint.

"LeBron, come with me for a second. Right now."

Rich Paul's voice was low, but it carried an undeniable sternness.

James paused for a moment, then followed Rich Paul into the tactics room, which had no cameras.

As soon as the door closed.

Rich Paul could no longer contain his anxiety, and he stared at James, bombarding him with questions:

"LeBron! What the hell are you doing?!"

James was completely bewildered by the criticism: "What am I doing? We're up by 6 points against the Cavaliers on the road in the Finals! My tactical changes are working, Kevin and Kyrie are shooting like crazy, we're winning!"

"Win?!"

Rich Paul was so angry he laughed, and he slammed the halftime statistics sheet in his hand hard into James's chest!

"Take a good look at this damn data sheet! Look at the state you're in!"

James looked down at the form in his hand.

Halftime is over.

Kevin Durant: 9-for-14 shooting, scoring a whopping 25 points!

Kyrie Irving: 8-for-12 shooting, scoring a whopping 21 points!

And what about him, LeBron James?

He made 2 of 5 shots in the first half, scoring a paltry 4 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists!

"4 points! You only scored 4 points in the first half!!!"

Rich Paul's voice sharpened with anger, "Do you know what the commentators outside are saying about you? They say you're like a ticket seller at the door! They say you're a complete blue-collar supporting character!"

"But as long as we can beat Cleveland, as long as we can win the championship..." James instinctively wanted to retort.

"Screw winning!"

Rich Paul abruptly interrupted him, his eyes behind his glasses flashing with the coldest calculations of the financial world:

"LeBron, are you out of your mind?! Do you even know that this Los Angeles Clippers team is a combination of Nike's three biggest stars?!"

"If tonight, if in this series the Clippers really win the championship with your 'playing the supporting role' blue-collar style of play!"

"What do you think the outside world will think of you? What do you think Nike headquarters will think of you?!"

Rich Paul ripped through that veil of hypocrisy:

"Kevin Durant scored 25 points in the first half! If he leads his team to the championship, the Finals MVP award will almost certainly be in his hands!"

"As soon as Durant wins the Finals MVP, Nike's top management will immediately pour all their marketing resources and budget into him! He will replace you and become Nike's rightful new crown prince!"

"And what about you?!"

Rich Paul pointed his finger at James, his words dripping with venom:

"You've not only lost your title as the 'best player in the league,' you'll also be forever shamed by fans across the internet!"

"They'll say, 'You went to Los Angeles just to be Kevin Durant's Pippen, a parasite clinging to his coattails!'"

"Your painstakingly cultivated 'GOAT' persona, your 'Project 411' business empire, and your 'Space Jam 2' protagonist aura will all vanish with this championship without an Finals MVP!!!"

boom--!!!

Rich Paul's words left James speechless.

Cold sweat slid down his forehead, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Yeah... what's the point of this championship if I can't win the Finals MVP?!

The reason I came to Los Angeles to build this super team, despite being branded a traitor, is to solidify my place in history, not to pave the way for Durant and Irving!

If I get stat-crushed by Durant, wouldn't I, this so-called "chosen one," become the biggest joke in the entire league?!

"No... absolutely not!"

James's breathing became rapid, and the light in his eyes, which had been somewhat dimmed by fatigue, was replaced by an almost obsessive fervor.

"I'm the boss of this team! I'm Nike's number one star! I'm the man who's going to be the GOAT!"

James muttered through gritted teeth, looking at Rich Paul with a gaze devoid of any selfless dedication.

"I'd rather not have a championship without an Finals MVP!"

Seeing that James had finally been "awakened" by him, Rich Paul patted his good friend on the shoulder with satisfaction.

"That's right, LeBron. Be yourself and play the basketball you're most comfortable with."

"Take control of the ball! Reclaim those rebounds that are yours! Control the clock at the top of the key!"

"Let Durant and Irving run the ball and create space for you. If the Cavaliers double-team you, pass the ball to them; if they miss, it's because their teammates are in the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association)."

"But if you win, you have to be the most dazzling one on the stat sheet!"

……

The fifteen-minute halftime break passed in the blink of an eye.

When the Los Angeles Clippers players walked out of the player tunnel and onto the wooden floor of Quicken Loans Arena.

Irving and Durant were still basking in the joy of leading at halftime, and they were even discussing how to continue to punish the Cavaliers' defense by using James's penetration and passing in the second half.

However, they had no idea.

The man behind them, wearing jersey number 23, had just finished a private conversation in the locker room.

That chosen one who once stopped at nothing to get data!

It has fully awakened!!