"We didn't make it in the end." Foreman accepted the fact helplessly and called Wade.
He also didn't know why things turned out like this. You know, he originally just wanted to sign Bosh and then sign Wade as a backup.
But after some mysterious force bound Wade and Bosh together, he seemed to be led by the nose.
What's worse than not being able to sign Wade and Bosh is that with the failure of his trade attempts, even if they couldn't sign Wade and Bosh, it would be difficult for them to send Hinrich or Deng away.
All they have left now is the 21 million salary space.
In other words, they can only activate Plan C, and the sooner the better, because if they don't hurry up, there won't be many fish left in the free market pond this year.
…
Time flies and it is July 8th.
This day was destined to be a historic day because three days ago, James announced that he would announce his decision on where to go next season in his ESPN column.
And just this one decision will take up an hour of prime time on ESPN.
This is an act that seems a little incredible, but is bound to attract huge attention.
Because before this, no player had ever announced his next club with such fanfare.
This is seen by some as a benchmark of "player awakening". They are no longer just commodities of commercial leagues, they also have their own ideas and can control their own freedom.
That’s right, freedom, free air, free wildfires, these are what Americans pursue in every possible way.
However, this practice completely angered Stern, who demanded that ESPN cancel such a ridiculous program.
But in the end, ESPN showed their power and Stern was not able to get what he wanted.
That night, most basketball fans across the United States were attracted to the ESPN channel.
Among them were some who were believed to be fans of James' next team. Some of them gathered in bars in their respective cities, while others went directly to the show's location in Greenwich, Connecticut, holding signs that read, "Come to the Nets" and "New York Welcomes LeBron."
Of course, more fans are just there to watch the show.
Because before this, as the Heat had already put together a lineup with Wade and Bosh, some reporters broke the news that James would go to the Heat to form a peak Big Three, and they also wanted to know whether this unprecedented thing would really happen.
There are even some who just treat this as a clown show.
Because it is hard to imagine a player making such a big fuss about himself after failing for seven consecutive years and just being eliminated in the first round.
Of course, no matter what the mentality is, this live broadcast is destined to attract everyone's attention.
According to statistics, about 10 million people were watching this program at the same time.
This also includes Xu Yong and Harden.
They don't care where James will go, they just think it's fun.
From another perspective, they really can't imagine the scene where Nowitzki said he would announce where he was going on TV after being eliminated in the 2007 NBA Finals.
While watching, Harden and others were also guessing where James was going.
DeRozan: I still think it’s the Bulls;
Ayers: No matter where I go, I won't go back to the Cavaliers. If I were to go back, there would be no need to do this.
Harden: The Clippers have the best chance. Anyway, I don’t believe LeBron will go to the Heat, because then he won’t have to play next season.
The show will start soon.
Before the show began, the host announced that the estimated $2 million in proceeds from the telecast would be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Connecticut, a club dedicated to discovering and nurturing the potential of young children and valuing their creativity, mutual care and civic responsibility.
Obviously, ESPN also knows that this approach is somewhat sensational, so it added a layer of shield to the program first.
When everything is ready, the show officially begins.
Honestly, as the leading sports media in North America, ESPN is still very strong in making programs. It lays the groundwork for a series of events, and then throws out the question "Is his Cavaliers career really over?", which keeps people in suspense.
But when he heard "this result made the fans and the entire NBA sweat" and "the whole country was on pins and needles", Xu Yong felt a little overwhelmed.
Although from a certain perspective it is not wrong, because the people who are really worried about this matter are those who are worried that he will set a precedent for the peak group.
At the beginning of the show, the scene was filled with children from the Boys and Girls Club. The host and James sat on a small platform in the middle, like two drama actors, and began to ask and answer questions.
Of course, it was a long preparation process. The host started by asking some trivial questions, such as what did you experience this summer, what did you do in the past two days, when did you make this decision, etc. He almost asked Fish Leong to sing "Courage": You finally made this decision...
Xu Yong was speechless.
To paraphrase a book fan, this is too watery.
Something that could be done in five minutes took an hour.
Finally, just when Xu Yong felt a little bored and was about to stand up, the host perhaps realized that if he continued to dawdle, he would lose the audience, and finally asked the question that everyone had been waiting for: "LeBron, what is your decision?"
Yes, it is that straightforward, and that is why it will be called a "decision" in the future, because it is truly a decision.
Of course, later on, because of subsequent decisions, the decision became Decision One, and that is another story.
"This late fall, I will be taking my talents to the East Coast as I join the Miami HEAT."
"Come on!"
“This is ridiculous!”
"I knew it."
Beside Xu Yong, Harden and others had already started shouting.
Although this possibility had been exaggerated before the show started, and the program team even deliberately laid the groundwork by saying that some reporters already knew about James' choice and had taken precautions in advance, this result still seems ridiculous.
It's the peak team, and they are the successors of the league designated by Stern.
Especially James used the phrase: I will bring my talent to...
This sentence, which was said by Kobe and regarded as a classic by fans, was directly tarnished at this moment.
You said you didn’t want to be the second Kobe. You did want to, but in the end you just ended up imitating someone ugly!
The TV screen then began to cut into the street scene in Cleveland, as fans of the Cavaliers began to burn James' No. 23 jersey, and some even held up signs that read "LeBum (meaning the lying emperor)" that had been prepared in advance.
No one is a fool. People like Ayers, who only stayed with the Cavaliers for one year, knew that James would definitely leave. Cleveland fans actually guessed it too, but James fulfilled his promise to participate in the dunk contest last season, which gave them a last glimmer of hope.
After all, James once promised them personally: I will not leave Cleveland.
ESPN is really good at creating program effects.
Then James showed his psychological quality that was far better than his on-court performance in front of the camera. He calmly stated that he had spent seven years of hard work in Cleveland and he was very happy with the choice he made today.
Shortly after that, James left the show and flew to Miami to have a carnival meet-and-greet with his new fans.
The live broadcast has ended, but a few people are still chatting.
"What are you going to do next season?" DeRozan asked Xu Yong.
Of the four of them, except Harden, the other three are in the Eastern Conference.
And the situations of the three are completely different.
This is a good thing for Ayers. James is gone, and O'Neal is almost gone too. The Cavaliers will definitely not strengthen their team and will dive directly into the lottery. Ayers, who had almost no chance in his rookie season, should also get a chance.
DeRozan is okay. Now that Bosh is gone, the Raptors' strength has declined and they will have to wait a few more years to make the playoffs, but he can get more opportunities.
But Xu Yong's words are different. The Bulls were eliminated from the top eight last season, and they have strengthened their roster and got a new coach in the new season. They are bound to produce something.
But now, the operation of the Heat's top three giants has completely blocked not only their championship window for next season, but also the Bulls' championship window for the next few years.
"What should we do? Are they sure to win?" Xu Yong was very calm and asked with a smile. This result was the least surprising to him.
DeRozan wanted to say something, but when he thought of Xu Yong's character and what Xu Yong had done after he met him, he fell silent again.
"Tell me, DeMar, when Boston formed the Big Three, did you also feel that the NBA had reached its finale?" Xu Yong asked DeRozan.
DeRozan nodded. At that time, he was not the only one who felt the same way. Almost many people felt the same way. At least there would be no hope for other teams in the next three to five years.
"But they only won one championship in the end, right?" Xu Yong asked.
Even without Xu Yong's keen eyes, others could feel that after last season's defeat and the Heat's Big Three banding together, the Celtics' hopes of winning the championship had become very difficult.
"But the ages of those three people..."
"You know, age sometimes represents immaturity. How do you know that those younger ones may not even win a championship in the end?" Xu Yong said with a smile.
This time, before DeRozan laughed, Harden next to him burst into laughter first.
He thought that he had made some progress in his ability to confront others after practicing for more than half a year, but it was still not good enough in front of Xu Yong.
But speaking of it, the media previously reported that Xu Yong broke James' defense twice during the black eight game. His trash talk level is definitely first-class, if not on par with Bird.
"Okay, but now I'm curious about what kind of reinforcements the Bulls will make," DeRozan continued.
With the dust settling on the Big Three, the remaining big fish in the free market will make decisions soon.
Xu Yong also nodded.
Although his appearance has changed some things, history is still developing in his original direction. So perhaps the Bulls will still sign Boozer?
Or, because of his appearance, will the Bulls, which have undergone tremendous changes, go in a different direction?
He didn't know, but he was curious just the same.
…
James' decision is still continuing to ferment.
Just as James was leaving for Miami, Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert published an open letter on social media.
In the letter, Gilbert vented his emotions like other fans, calling James' departure a hypocritical and narcissistic move and a cowardly betrayal from a guy who once called himself the King.
Cleveland fans also began to gather around James' home, trying to storm his mansion to vent their emotions.
At the same time, after arriving in Miami, James held a grand meeting with Miami fans under the arrangement of Pat Riley.
It was at this meeting that James, Wade and Bosh slowly rose from the stage wearing Heat jerseys, and people saw James and Bosh's jersey numbers for the first time.
Bosh still wore his No. 1 jersey, but James did not continue to wear No. 23, but changed to No. 6!
Miami fans were excited because in their opinion, there was only one reason why James chose No. 6: to take revenge on Xu Yong!
If it weren't for Xu Yong, the Cavaliers wouldn't have been eliminated in the upset, and James wouldn't have had to leave the Cavaliers.
Although he looked a little embarrassed when he left, he was very tough after joining the Heat.
And just after the three of them sat down, when the reporter asked how many championships he would bring to the Heat, James' answer made Riley, who was sitting upright, laugh.
"More than one, more than two, more than three, more than four, more than five, more than six, more than seven."
James counted them on his fingers as he spoke, as if they were so within his reach.
His number finally stopped at seven, because seven championships were enough to surpass Jordan.
Miami fans were absolutely ecstatic.
This unprecedented super lineup, coupled with James' words, made them feel as if they were seeing a pile of golden championship trophies.
…
Chicago.
Foreman was in the general manager's office, having a tense discussion with a bald man.
"Our best choice now is Carlos Boozer, but only if we sacrifice two future first-round draft picks to send Hinrich away." Foreman wanted to slam the table as he spoke.
He now knows that it was Pat Riley who was behind the scenes, but it is obvious that he, as a rookie general manager, is no match for the opponent and is now in a very passive position.
"Of course Luis Scola is also an option. I heard that Yao Ming is likely to leave Houston and the Rockets may fall apart," Forman continued.
"Can you get Ron Artest?" Thibodeau, who had been listening, asked at this time.
"It's difficult. I heard that Ron is likely to follow Yao Ming to a new team." Foreman shook his head.
"Wait, are you planning to play an extreme defensive counterattack?" Foreman has been in the NBA for so many years and knows a little about tactics. Thibodeau's words just now made him realize instantly that he was not going to use a conventional power forward and was going to play with one big and four small players?
"If I could get Bosh, I would definitely not make that choice. After all, we need a breakthrough point in the interior. But now that we can't get him, what I need to consider is the team's overall defense, and..." Thibodeau glanced at Forman, "the ball possession issue."
Thibodeau's words made Foreman quickly realize that this defensive coach might not even want Bosh.
Because zone defense requires quick movement, if there is a small forward like Artest who is strong in confrontation, he can quickly double-team and return to defense.
As for low-post defense, Noah, who has gained weight, is now sufficient for him.
And the key is the ball possession issue he mentioned.
The biggest difference between the Bulls and history is that they have Xu Yong, a player who ranks second on the team in both scoring and number of shots.
Last season, Rose and Xu Yong took about 34 shots.
As they continue to grow in the new season, their demand for shots will further increase.
And Deng also needs to take a shot. If another inside attack point is added, one ball will really not be enough.
The most likely results are that either the number of shots taken by newcomers such as Bosh or Boozer in the interior will plummet, causing conflicts within the team; or the evolution of Rose and Xu Yong will be curbed, and the team's strength will not improve.
You have to know that no matter how talented a player is, he still needs the ball to play.
If you have a team full of young players and you drop a GOAT in, it will all be a mess.
"This is difficult to do." Foreman said after thinking about it.
It is not easy to find a swingman who can meet Thibodeau's requirements. Not only is Artest difficult to deal with, but Kirilenko, who is similar, also has a premium contract of more than 16 million. Someone like Gerald Wallace is the core of the Bobcats.
Both of them fell silent.
"You just said that Ron is likely to follow Yao to a new team?" After a while, Thibodeau suddenly asked.