The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!

This was also what Michael Jordan had experienced.

In 1992, right after Michael Jordan had just completed his second championship defense, David Stern began looking for the next Michael Jordan.

After Michael Jordan retired, it was about "Jordan's Successor."

It wasn't until after 2003 that the topic gradually faded.

Now, with Su Wan at his peak, David Stern also started his "Next Su Wan" plan.

Of course, since Su Wan was indeed very young, having joined the league in 2004 at age 18, now in 2012, at 26, he wouldn't officially turn 27 until this coming July... At this age, Michael Jordan didn't even know what a championship was.

Su Wan still had many more years to dominate the league.

As such, it was too early to start looking for the next Su Wan. The current atmosphere was more aptly described as "Su Wan and His Challengers."

Kyrie Irving, being this year's top pick, naturally was one of the "Challengers."

It wasn't that David Stern thought Irving was already capable of challenging Su Wan.

But...

What if?

What if Irving played exceptionally well in this game, wouldn't his fame suddenly skyrocket?

That was a series of "gambles."

Of course, this also meant greater pressure for Irving and others.

But that's how the league worked: if you're capable, step up; if not, step down.

Su Wan's rise to the top had also been through a series of spotlight battles.

But the ultimate result proved...

Considering the abilities of these rookies like Kyrie Irving, challenging Su Wan was still premature.

This was precisely the time when Su Wan shone brightest.

The league, during this period, ought to be dominated by him.

Whether it was the championship or any player.

In this game, David Stern could see that Su Wan was in top form, not only overpowering Irving on offense but also making it tough for him on defense.

Originally, Irving was a scorer very dependent on his form. Su Wan kept challenging him, disrupting his balance, making his offense constantly stutter.

After the entire game, the future "God Irving" had 19 shots and only made 5.

His slick dribbling was gone, and his graceful breakthroughs were absent too.

The Cleveland media said after the game: "Su Wan still hasn't forgiven this city!"

Su Wan laughed when he saw the news.

He truly hadn't forgiven Cleveland.

But targeting Irving was not really about the city at all.

He was simply sparring with David Stern.

You like to find me a successor, so I'll make sure your successor struggles before the media cameras.

The media asked Irving to comment on Su Wan after the game.

Irving, clearly not yet recovered from the shock, took a long time before saying, "His ability is unmatched, and I still have a huge gap to bridge."

This game, he was indeed a bit disoriented.

After the game, Irving was completely shaken.

Dribbling and breakthroughs were what he relied on, and what he was most recognized for since his youth, with many praising him for having the top talent in these areas.

Yet in his most confident areas, Su Wan gave him a major lesson tonight!

His breakthrough still had so much room for improvement...

At the end of February, the New York Knicks were hosting their last game of the month at their home court against the Thunder Team.

At the end of this year's All-Star Weekend, the Thunder Team made a trade with the Celtics, sending Jeff Green to the Celtics in exchange for "Big Baby" Davis and Perkins.

At this point, many didn't know that this marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Thunder Team's "Youth Army."

Starting with Jeff Green, one gifted individual after another was sent away by the Thunder Team's general manager.

Ultimately, it all boiled down to two words:

No money!

Just like now, many media outlets were already worrying about how to handle James Harden for the Thunder Team!

In his third professional season, James Harden, having received sufficient playing time and ball rights, suddenly became a "super sixth man" level player, with an average of 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

His shooting percentage was an incredible 49.1%!

Three-point shot percentage 39%!

Free throw percentage 84.6%!

Looking solely at efficiency, he was on par with Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant this season averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

Shooting percentage 49.6%, three-point shot percentage 39%, free throw percentage 86%!

Along with Russell Westbrook, averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game...

The presence of the future "Thunder Three Youngsters" was becoming unmistakable.

Interestingly, this was why Jeff Green was traded away, yet no media in Oklahoma questioned the Thunder Team's general manager.

There were simply too many geniuses!

This game, the "Thunder Three Youngsters" were also incredibly motivated, bursting with firepower from the get-go, one after another, like running a marathon, continuously making successful plays.

In contrast, the firepower from the New York Knicks seemed somewhat insufficient.

By the end of the first quarter, the Thunder Team led by 7 points at 39 to 32.

The New York Knicks were solely relying on Su Wan's firepower.

He scored 20 points in the first quarter alone.

The others combined only scored 12 points.

With the starting lineup not performing well, D'Antoni could only hope the bench would bring a bit more energy.

Artest was in good form tonight, showing glimpses of his peak.