The longest river

Chapter 246 That Year James Stands Like a Henchman
Yang Shuai lingered at the airport exit for over an hour.

It might sound unbelievable, but the enthusiasm of the fans he felt was even greater than in Portland.

It's not that Cleveland fans are more fanatical than Portland fans, but rather that Yang Shuai's background as a local player is simply astounding.

Just as Yang Shuai might view Chinese players in the NBA through a filter in his past life, Cleveland fans also view Yang Shuai through a filter.

Not to mention that Yang Shuai came back this time to save his hometown team.

After boarding the team's provided van, many fans were still chasing them from both sides of the road. Large numbers of fans gathered at every intersection afterward, cheering loudly at their vehicle.

Yang Shuai had only ever seen this scene in his previous life when those super internet celebrities were touring China.

However, when he traveled back in time, the internet was highly developed, but now in 2003, even social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook hadn't existed yet!
In the car, Fratello and Yang Shuai chatted about the team.

Since this is my hometown, I can skip the introduction about the city.

Besides the team's roster issues, the Cavaliers' most pressing need right now is to find a head coach.

When Fratello was promoted to the management team, John Lucas succeeded him as head coach.

Lucas was the number one overall pick in the 1976 NBA draft, but his coaching ability in the NBA was just as mediocre as his playing career.

The Cavaliers fired him halfway through last season and then appointed assistant coach Keith Smart as interim coach.

After Smart took over the team, the Cavaliers' record worsened, and he clearly had no chance of being promoted to the permanent manager position.

Fratello's shortlist of candidates for Yang Shuai is full of renowned coaches.

For example, George Karl, who was just fired by the Bucks last season; Jeff Van Gundy, former Knicks head coach and current ESPN commentator; and Paul Silas, former Clippers and Hornets head coach.

In addition, there are even Yang Shuai's first assistant coach with the Trail Blazers, Mike D'Antoni, and others.

Just like the Cavaliers being pursued by investors, Yang Shuai's arrival has also made the Cavaliers' head coach a hot commodity, with many wanting to become the next Rick Carlisle.

Looking at this list, Yang Shuai was somewhat perplexed.

Although he was a time traveler, he clearly knew far less about the head coach than the players.

Among these people, those he was relatively familiar with, besides Dunleavy, were Van Gundy, who coached Yao Ming, and D'Antoni, who was known for his "run-and-gun offense".

However, none of the companies he knew of had ever succeeded in history.

Finding another head coach like Carlisle, who is both capable and familiar with him, is not an easy task.

However, it's only July now, and the offseason has just begun, so there's no rush to decide on a head coach.

While they were chatting, the car had already arrived at the entrance of the Gund Arena.

At this moment, a large crowd had gathered outside the arena, resembling the scene during the Trail Blazers' championship parade and speech.

When Yang Shuai got out of the car, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Yang Shuai waved to the fans, and cheers instantly resounded through the sky.

On the stage that had been set up, the rest of the Cavaliers' executives were present, including a familiar yet unexpected figure to Yang Shuai.

James was already standing at the top of the stairs to greet Yang Shuai. Dressed in a sharp suit, he looked not only very formal but also very respectful.

Amid cheers from the fans, Yang Shuai walked onto the stage. Upon reaching the stairs, he shook hands with James and gave him a brief hug before being guided to his seat by staff.

With the main characters in place, the meet-and-greet officially began.

The host began interviewing Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai had already received a draft of the questions he asked, and the content was nothing more than why he chose to return to Cleveland, when he decided to return to Cleveland, and his feelings after returning to Cleveland—the kinds of questions that fans care about most.

Yang Shuai had a prepared answer in mind, and his responses frequently drew cheers from the fans.

It was at this moment that he inadvertently turned his head and discovered that James was still standing, and at the very edge of the camera's view.

This involuntarily brought to mind the scene of the 75 Greatest Players in history, where James stood like a lackey when Jordan arrived.

Can't say they're similar, just say they're the same.

I don't know if this was the original arrangement or if it was an oversight by the staff.

After the meeting ended, Yang Shuai stood up and asked Fratello, only to find out that James was not originally scheduled to be in the lineup for the day, because James had not yet officially signed with the Cavaliers.

The team plans to officially sign the players in two days, at which time there will be a collective press conference to announce the new signings.

In other words, James came on his own initiative, which explains why he wasn't given a seat at the event.

If you weren't familiar with LeBron James, you might actually be moved by his actions.

But Yang Shuai, who has had multiple interactions with James, knows that James's move is more about gaining exposure, since this kind of opportunity only comes once in a lifetime.

Moreover, Yang Shuai didn't have time to pay attention to James at the moment, because his schedule for the day was already full.

After the fan meet-and-greet, he will immediately attend a Reebok event, followed by a series of signing ceremonies with local businesses in the evening.

However, he still went over and patted James on the shoulder, expressing his approval of his actions.

After a busy day, Yang Shuai was finally able to return to his mansion in Cleveland.

It was already 1 a.m., but Lin Xiulan had already prepared a midnight snack for him.

For athletes, what they eat is not that important, as long as they perform well on the field.

But if you don't play well, then everything will be a problem.

In competitive sports, performance on the field ultimately speaks for itself.

Only then did Yang Shuai have time to deal with the messages on his phone.

Suddenly, a familiar name came into his view.

Byron Scott.

Scott and Kidd had a bitter feud last season with the Nets, which caused the Nets' record to fluctuate wildly.

As a result, Scott was fired by the Nets before the season was even over.

He is currently unemployed and staying at home.

Looking at the caring message Scott sent, Yang Shuai could guess the other party's purpose with his toes.

But you know what, compared to the candidates Fratello gave us during the day, Scott, who knows how to protect his own players and speaks so well, is actually a more suitable candidate.

Well, and of course, the most important point is that Scott, like Carlisle before him, is a coach who is familiar with Yang Shuai.

At this stage of his career, Yang Shuai doesn't want to play games with the head coach anymore; that would be too exhausting.

Having made up his mind, Yang Shuai called Fratello the next day and offered his candidate for head coach.

Scott was sidelined because of his strained relationship with Kidd on the Nets, but his resume as a young coach leading the Nets to the conference finals twice is certainly qualified. Two days later, the Cavaliers held a formal introduction to their new players at Gund Arena.

The Cavaliers drafted two rookies this year: LeBron James, the number one overall pick, and Jason Kapono, the number one pick in the second round.

In addition, there are three new signings from the free market: Kevin Ollie, Ira Newbell, and Gerald McCoy.

Of these people, he vaguely remembered Kapono Young, and McCoy because they were high school classmates and had interacted quite a bit before, but he didn't remember the others.

However, they were all supporting characters at this event; the main focus of the press conference was Yang Shuai and James.

Many of the reporters' questions revolved around Yang Shuai and James.

James was asked the most questions, as it was his first public appearance as a Cavaliers player.

Why did you choose number 6?

The first question the reporters asked was about his jersey number.

James wore the same number 16 as Yang Shuai in high school. When Yang Shuai joined the Cavaliers, he naturally couldn't keep that number.

At today's press conference, he was holding the new number 6.

When Yang Shuai heard this question, he subconsciously turned his head. He was also curious as to why James chose number 6, as he had thought James would choose number 23.

"Because 1 multiplied by 6 equals number 6."

This answer surprised Yang Shuai.

历史中詹姆斯到了热火因为热火退役了23号所以改穿6号，同桌说过，原因是因为2乘以3是6号。

1×6=2×3, this wave is historically consistent.

"Did you choose number 16 in high school because of Hansen?" The reporter's follow-up question was a bit harsh, considering that James was called "the chosen one" and "the king" by the media during his high school years.

"Yes, Hansen has been a huge inspiration to me in basketball. He is my basketball idol, and the basketball idol of all kids in Ohio," James admitted directly.

This caused the spotlight to flash, and this answer undoubtedly earned him a lot of points.

Just like Yang Shuai publicly stated to fans that he wanted to return to Cleveland, sincerity is always the ultimate weapon.

However, James' next move was unexpected by everyone present, including Yang Shuai.

After James finished speaking, he took a book out from under the table and placed it in front of the camera.

There was a commotion in the place.

That's clearly Yang Shuai's autobiography, "The Road to Conquest," which was just released not long ago!
Goodness, to prove that what he said was true, James pulled out physical evidence!
Yang Shuai almost lost his composure.

So James had already guessed that the press conference would have this question, and therefore prepared the props in advance?
As expected of you!
"You read Hansen's biography, what did you learn from it?" the reporter pressed on.

The reporters all turned to look at James, who then reached up and touched his forehead.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but laugh.

His deskmate had told him a lot about James's love of reading, but after looking into it later, he found out that while James did love reading, he only liked to look at the title page.

Now that the reporter is asking you this, you're sweating buckets, aren't you, buddy?

However, after wiping his sweat, James actually answered seriously.

"Life presented Hansen with the greatest challenges, but he was not defeated by life; instead, he overcame them, just as he overcame his opponents on the field."

This answer once again drew a flurry of camera flashes from the audience.

Although you don't need to read the book to know this, Yang Shuai's experience back then was well-known in Ohio.

"Would you like to become the next Hansen?" But the reporter's follow-up questions did not end there.

"No, I want to be the first version of myself."

James's answer immediately drew applause from the audience.

This answer was brilliant. It not only established James's image as an independent and self-reliant individual, but it was also a classic quote from Yang Shuai, further confirming that Yang Shuai is James's idol.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but look at the reporter and the press pass hanging around his neck.

Brian Windhorst.

I think I've seen this name before at a press conference, but I can't remember where.

But it's obvious that this guy was a plant hired by James' team today.

It's important to understand that with Yang Shuai's return, James's high school persona is quite contradictory to the role he will play for the Cavaliers in the new season.

But now, after this series of questions, James's image of being neither arrogant nor humble has been established.

This is no longer a question of whether James is smart or not, but rather that his team is very capable.

However, considering that James was able to sign the biggest rookie endorsement deal in history, and Yang Shuai's knowledge of the marketing surrounding the second greatest player in history, it doesn't seem so surprising.

Yang Shuai was then asked some questions related to James.

His answer was also positive.

Since he decided to keep James instead of trading him, he certainly hopes that James can quickly develop chemistry with him and help the team.

He didn't participate in James' previous tryouts, and he hasn't seen James' true strength yet, so this positive evaluation is limited.

Even so, after the Cavaliers' press conference, the outside world was already full of expectations for this combination of Cavaliers players.

After all, a historically great point forward who is willing to play a supporting role and a super scorer who is even better than Jordan make people think that they can do something incredible in their first season together.

Just as fans were discussing the matter, the Cavaliers' battle finally came to a conclusion.

Daniel Gilbert's consortium eventually acquired the Cavaliers for $4 million, a record in NBA history.

It's worth noting that the highest-valued team in the league's valuations last season, the Portland Trail Blazers, was only worth $4.4 million.

Young's addition and the drafting of James caused the Cavaliers' value to skyrocket, making the NBA a fortune.

The Cavaliers have suddenly become one of the most valuable teams in the league, and this is without them having played a single game yet, which shows how influential Yang Shuai is.

Shortly after the team's acquisition was officially completed, Gilbert arranged a meeting between him and Yang Shuai.

At this time, Gilbert was only in his forties, with short hair, and looked like a very capable white elite.

He seemed very excited when he met Yang Shuai, and the first thing he said when shaking hands was:

“Mike told me about your idea of ​​suggesting Byron as head coach, and I felt there was no better choice.”

(End of this chapter)