Chapter 95: Chapter 23: [The New Season Approaches]
On June 28th, just as the TV discussions about Su Xi’s "sky-high endorsement deals" were starting to die down, the New York Knicks fired Head Coach Donnie Chaney and General Manager Scott Layden. What’s more, James Dolan publicly asked on television, "What the hell? I had no idea about this trade. Why can’t it be canceled?"
James Dolan’s question left many people baffled.
’The owner really didn’t know the trade had happened?’
’And he wants to cancel it?’
’What on earth was he even doing?’
After all, the trade was a great deal for the Knicks. They got rid of Shandon Anderson’s garbage contract and acquired the frontcourt players they desperately wanted. Darius Miles was very talented, Chris Mims was a full-sized center—and a white one at that. Plus, they received the Cavaliers’ unprotected first-round pick. If the Cavaliers missed the playoffs next season, the Knicks could get lucky like the Pistons and land the second or even the first overall pick.
This was exactly what Layden and Donnie Chaney were thinking. When they confirmed the trade could go through, Layden even told Chaney, "We’ve got to give the boss a surprise. This time, he’ll surely jump for joy and thank us for this brilliant move."
On the evening of June 27th, they called James Dolan, who was on a remote island celebrating his mistress’s birthday.
James shot up from the bed.
Vivian swore she had never seen James Dolan so full of life.
She heard Dolan roaring into the phone, "Give me back my ’suxi’! I want ’suxi,’ not some genius forward or some center! Listen to me, cancel the trade right now..."
"What? It’s already done and can’t be canceled? Then you can all get the hell out! Fuck you!"
James Dolan smashed the phone.
Then, Vivian watched as the enraged James Dolan became engorged—something that hadn’t happened even after she’d worked her lips until they were numb.
That’s how furious Dolan was!
Vivian didn’t know why Dolan was so fond of suxi (sushi), but she did her best to play along. She had studied some Japanese. To create a bit of mood for Dolan, she mimicked a Japanese woman’s gentle voice, "Iku, yamete."
James Dolan displayed unprecedented rage over the trade. He fired Donnie Chaney and Layden, the very men the New York Media had just praised for making a good trade for once. Then, he signed Isaiah Thomas, who had just been fired by the Pacers, to be the new general manager.
The first task James Dolan gave Isaiah Thomas was to get Su Xi back.
It was worth noting that the head coach position at the Pacers, left vacant by Isaiah Thomas, was taken over by Rick Carlisle. Carlisle, in turn, had just been replaced as the head coach of the Pistons by Larry Brown. It was a coaching carousel in the East.
...
Su Xi spent three days in New York, where he and the other rookies attended a seminar at the NBA headquarters on how to manage their finances and avoid premature bankruptcy. This was part of the NBA’s rookie care program, and they had even brought in two retired, bankrupt players to share their cautionary tales.
But few of them actually listened. After all, the NBA is a league dominated by Black players.
When Su Xi arrived back in Cleveland, he saw a giant billboard of himself on the street. Nike had placed him side-by-side with LeBron James. James was on the left, Su Xi on the right.
Rumor had it that James’s team had strongly insisted on this arrangement, as the left side was more eye-catching.
However, if they understood a bit about Chinese culture regarding positioning, they would know that the person on the right is ranked first, and the person to their left is ranked second.
Su Xi chose jersey number 33, continuing his number from Syracuse University. Some Syracuse fans figured out why he chose it: in high school, Su Xi’s jersey number was 5, Scott’s was 4, and Reggie Williams’s was 24, which added up to exactly 33. This interpretation was reported by the media and then packaged into a promotional campaign by Nike, moving many people.
LeBron James chose jersey number 23, his high school number and the number everyone thought he should wear. He was "The Chosen One," after all; it was only right that he be the successor to Jordan.
The other rookie, three-point shooter Jason Kapono from UCLA, picked number 24.
Before the press conference began, Su Xi met with Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson. Interestingly, Jim Paxson’s younger brother was Bulls Vice President John Paxson, and their father was former NBA player Old Jim Paxson. Jim, who stands at 6’5
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