Chapter Five: That Is LeBron James!

“Well done, guys.”
The Cavaliers were forced to call a timeout, which was somewhat unexpected by the Magic’s head coach, Frank Vogel. He didn’t hesitate to offer praise to the players returning to the bench.
“Coach Frank, I think the one you should really be commending is Michael Wu.” Biyombo, who had just plopped down on the bench, was not idle. He gave Wu Rui a hearty slap on the shoulder. “If it weren’t for this kid, we wouldn’t have had a chance to catch our breath.”
“Michael, you did great—keep it up.” Vogel echoed the praise. Indeed, in just over a minute, this young man had racked up three blocks and an offensive rebound, something Vogel hadn’t anticipated.
“Heh… I just jumped around a bit, that’s all.” Wu Rui was a little dazed by the compliments, scratching his head in embarrassment. “It’s really thanks to my teammates.”
“If DJ and CJ hadn’t sprinted so fast, we wouldn’t have pulled off those fast breaks.” Wu Rui became more animated as he spoke, turning his head. “And Bismack’s steady shooting!”
Sidling closer to Biyombo, Wu Rui asked, “How can I become as outstanding as you?”
“Hahaha! You kid, just wait until we’re back in Orlando, I’ll show you how to get there!”
Wu Rui’s rapid-fire chatter had the Magic bench roaring with laughter. Anyone ignoring the scoreboard might have thought they were the ones leading.
“Alright, guys, let’s start thinking about how we’re going to win this game!”
With the timeout almost over, Vogel brought everyone back to focus. Although the team was still down by 15 points with only four minutes and ten seconds left, that 6-0 run gave Vogel hope that victory was still possible.
“What are you all doing?!”
In stark contrast to the Magic, the Cavaliers’ head coach, Tyronn Lue, was furiously berating the players who had just returned to the bench. “This is game time!”
Two consecutive fast breaks against them meant the Cavaliers’ offense had faltered twice in a row—an intolerable offense for Lue, who prided himself on efficient offense.
Worse yet, the team had suffered not just two fast breaks; earlier, the Magic had pushed in another basket, only stopped by a solid defensive effort. The memory of that possession made Lue even angrier. He turned and roared at Chris Andersen, who was wiping off sweat. “How many times have I emphasized rebounding? How did they get an offensive board?!”
“Chris, the opponent is just a rookie!”
“Coach, I just wasn’t focused enough.”
After Lue’s repeated scolding, Andersen looked upset, head hanging low as he replied.
“Iman, you’re sitting for the rest of the game. I’m very disappointed with your performance these last few minutes.” With Andersen silenced, Lue quickly picked a new target. “Getting shut down by a second-round pick—are you really the Iman Shumpert of the Cleveland Cavaliers?”
Shumpert had no reply, pulling a towel over his head, lost in his own thoughts.
Having finished chastising his underperformers, Lue turned to adjust the team’s offense and defense.
The buzzer soon sounded, signaling the end of the timeout. On the Magic side, Coach Vogel made immediate substitutions, bringing starting point guard Elfrid Payton and starting shooting guard Evan Fournier back onto the court.
On the wing, Aaron Gordon—who once made a name for himself in the dunk contest—also returned. The Chinese second-round rookie, Wu Rui, however, remained on the bench.
Clearly, Vogel hadn’t given up on the game. He put out his strongest lineup, and though Wu Rui had performed admirably, Vogel wanted his most reliable players on the floor fighting for a win.
“Wow!”
Meanwhile, excitement rippled through the crowd.
The Cavaliers had also adjusted their personnel. Tyronn Lue decisively pulled Iman Shumpert—the one shut down by Wu Rui—and sent in their star player: number 23, LeBron James!
“I never thought I’d see LeBron back on the floor in this game!”
“We have to thank that Magic rookie—LeBron MVP!”
The moment James took the court, all eyes in the arena were on him. Wu Rui’s earlier brilliance was instantly forgotten.
After all, standing on the floor now was the face of the league—someone no rookie could ever hope to match!
On the Magic bench, Vogel’s expression darkened as soon as he saw James step onto the court. He knew then that their hopes were finished.
“Damn, that’s LeBron James!”
At that moment, an excited voice rang out behind Vogel, like a sharp thorn stabbing at his heart. He spun around, eyes wide with disbelief.
LeBron’s return meant victory was out of reach, yet one of his own players was excited? Vogel was determined to see who dared be so bold!
“Coach, judging by your face, I bet you’re thinking the same thing as me!” As soon as Vogel turned, he saw Wu Rui standing up from the bench, looking entirely unbothered by his time on the sidelines and walking right up to him. “That’s LeBron James—a true superstar!”
“If I could see Kobe Bryant play in person, my life would be complete!”
Wu Rui, still a little unsteady on his feet, nearly stumbled as he reached Vogel, but managed to blurt out the words he’d been holding in for years.
“That’s enough!”
Though Wu Rui had finally spoken his mind, Vogel was exasperated. “Michael, I suggest you plant yourself back on that bench—now!”
“Uh… Coach, I…”
“Sit down!”
“Yes… yes…”
Chastened, Wu Rui slunk back to the bench and sat quietly.
Meanwhile, the game continued.
James proved himself every bit the star—his presence transformed the Cavaliers. Their offense flowed smoothly, their defense tightened up, and in no time, they delivered an 8-0 run against the Magic, sealing the victory.
Realizing the game was lost, Vogel called another timeout, sent in the reserves, and conceded the win.
This time, however, he did not let Wu Rui—the rookie who had given him a headache—back onto the court.
In the end, the Cavaliers cruised to a 109-89 home victory, notching a three-game winning streak and handing the Magic their third straight defeat.
“LeBron, first of all, congratulations on your third straight win.”
After the game, reporters immediately sought out James. “You won by a wide margin tonight. Was there anything about your opponents that left a deep impression on you?”