The social dynamics in the Pacers' locker room were simple. It was a bunch of muscle-bound giants who spent their days talking about either women or defense. In the words of Larry Bird: "Boys who love defense can't be all that bad."
When Larry Bird said this to Su Xi, Su Xi frowned. 'So where did the Bad Boys Legion come from?' he thought.
To be honest, Su Xi was a little worried about the Pacers announcing his move to Indiana with such fanfare. After all, the team's core perimeter player was Artest. 'This won't cause any drama, will it?'
But all his doubts vanished the moment he met Artest.
Artest was a defiant man. Drafted by the Bulls and with two and a half years under his belt, the first thing he did upon arriving in Indiana was change his jersey number from 15 to 23. It was obvious to anyone what that gesture meant.
