"If he really gets pushed to the brink, he might switch to UA next summer, and that would really give Nike a hard time."
However, Irving’s attitude was essentially putting James on the hot seat.
He couldn’t respond forcefully, as his public image would be damaged by engaging in a verbal spat with Irving, especially during such a critical season, and Nike wouldn’t allow it either.
But by not responding, he was tacitly agreeing to what Irving had said.
Irving had him blocked from both ends.
Finally, frustrated, he made a statement to the media:
"Listen, you can love me, I know some of you also hate me, but there’s one thing you must do, and that’s respect me, appreciate the way I approach the game, and everything I have given to the sport."
This was a compromise, responding but in a milder manner, reminding Irving to respect him.
Then, Irving’s response came too, posting on social media:
"I don’t respect anyone, including Jordan, because I want to win."
That was originally a famous quote from Reggie Miller, though the timing of Irving’s post was quite telling.
Irving idolized Kobe and Hansen, both known for their impressive scoring abilities, James was not in that category.
The quarrel had escalated, also increasing the hype for the Christmas Day game.
Suddenly, it was Christmas Eve.
Cleveland started to see light snow.
Han went to the airport to pick up Ajalee.
Ever since her last return from East University, Ajalee’s desire to travel was ignited, and she had been flying around the United States over the last few months.
But as winter set in and the weather turned cold, her wanderlust cooled down as well.
After parking, Han noticed quite a few fans gathered at the entrance.
Soon, a group emerged, causing a stir among the crowd.
Coincidentally, the Lakers had just arrived in Cleveland.
Usually, teams would fly after Christmas Eve for the Christmas Day game, but due to the distance from Los Angeles to Cleveland being even further than James’ preseason complaints about Milwaukee, and considering the current weather, flying tomorrow might not have been possible, so they arrived a day early.
The presence of the fans wasn’t surprising, setting aside LeBron fans left in Cleveland, Kobe had fans in every city.
Han rolled down his window to look. Updates are released by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
Kobe stopped to sign autographs and take photos with the fans, smiling; James walked straight into the team bus with a stern face and his teammates.
His expression was very serious, unclear if it was because of Irving’s comments or the loss of this year’s Christmas Eve.
If it weren’t for receiving too much backlash on social media for previous complaints, he might have been saying "Why do we have to fly to Cleveland on Christmas Eve for the Christmas Day game?"
After a while, Han got out of the car as Ajalee’s plane had arrived.
Ajalee wore a thick furry coat.
Cleveland, although not as far north as Milwaukee, was still very cold in winter.
Seeing Han, she hugged him tightly and kissed him, then took his arm and walked out.
As they walked, she shared her travel experiences and how much she missed Han.
That’s how people are, whether wealthy or not, busy with life, only really taking the time to reflect and feel everything around them when they rest.
After getting in the car, as Han was about to start it, Ajalee mentioned she planned to stay with Han for a while.
Han was somewhat surprised but nodded.
He thought back to his visit to the Malones and his past girlfriends; he realized he hadn’t really experienced living long-term with someone else.
But that’s also a crucial part of whether two people are compatible.
After all, physical appearance only pleasures briefly, but getting along well is what truly lasts.
The next morning, Han woke up to find Ajalee wasn’t next to him; he walked into the living room and found her practicing yoga.
Han didn’t want to disturb her and sat at the dining table where the chef had already prepared his breakfast.
To his surprise, there was a heart-shaped egg among the dishes, no doubt prepared by Ajalee.
He sat there, eating and watching Ajalee, enjoying the novel feeling.
Or perhaps, it was the first time he felt at home aside from his original family in his past life.
After finishing his meal, as Ajalee was also done with her yoga.
Han was heading to practice, whereas Ajalee planned to visit the Cleveland Zoo first and then go to Quicken Loans Arena in the evening.
Han called Rondo to arrange a bodyguard for Ajalee.
Cleveland wasn’t as chaotic as Memphis, but it was safer to have someone accompany her.
After kissing Ajalee goodbye, Han also drove to Quicken Loans Arena.
Apart from the tactical system, Malone had some unique methods during training.
For example, he continued Brown’s method of three-point training, where players had to shoot with tall players obstructing them; this was a key reason for the Cavaliers’ excellent three-point shooting percentage this season.