After the award ceremony, Xu Yong got up and left, then took Harden to a Miami nightclub to get drunk.
Harden doesn't need any encouragement or spurring at this moment, he just needs to indulge himself.
Halfway through the drink, Harden took two big-butt dancers to the next room to discuss life, while Xu Yong stayed in the private room, smoking a cigar and looking at social media.
"Riley is a god! Wade is a god! Haslem is a god! The Heat are the champions!"
"Winning the championship is not embarrassing, but missing someone is embarrassing. If I were LeBron, I would immediately announce that I will be out for the next season due to a serious groin injury."
"Then opt out of the contract and head to the West next season? You report to LeBron's team tomorrow!"
"Haha! The Heat can win the championship because of Hibbert. If the Heat had Hibbert before, they would still win the championship!" Comment from "忠詹一生".
"You are the one who knows how to control variables, brother!"
"Haslem, just wait for me. I swear in the name of God, I will make him disappear from this world. I mean what I say!" Comment from "The Most Loyal Bronny" (the user has been banned).
"Durant and Harden are rubbish. They can't even beat a rubbish team like the Heat." Comment by "The Most Civilized Bronny".
"As good as Jordan is, he can't do what LeBron has done."
"As good as Kobe is, he can't do what LeBron has done."
"As strong as Xu Yong is, he can't do what LeBron has done."
"The winter wind brings snowflakes, and the wandering king travels all over the world without a home."
…
Xu Yong couldn't bear to watch it anymore.
What on earth did James do to cause such an exaggerated backlash?
This goes beyond the scope of a basketball player!
But Haslem did go too far.
He had heard these two Haslem formulas before his rebirth, from that kid Draymond Green, but only the first one was called the [Green Formula].
As for the latter sentence, it was purely added by the fans.
But even so, Durant, the object of Green's formula, has been nailed to the pillar of shame and his historical status can no longer be improved.
Now, Haslem has surpassed him directly, and the second sentence was even said on the championship night. It seems that James is no longer a person who should be put on the pillar of shame, but a GOAT who should compete for the pillar of shame.
Just then, Harden came out after finishing.
He seemed to be in a much better mood.
Sure enough, for Harden, there is nothing that a big butt can't solve. If there is, just add one more.
Of course, he couldn't help feeling a little emotional after he sat down.
"Xu, do you think I still have a chance to win?"
"Why do you think not?" Xu Yong asked with a smile.
"My contract expires this summer," Harden said with some concern.
"With your current performance, there's no way the Thunder will let you go."
"Maybe, but Serge's contract will also expire, and I don't know what the team will choose." Harden said with a wry smile.
After hearing this, Xu Yong finally understood.
The super luxury tax will start next season. The Thunder have four tens of millions of contracts for Durant, Harden, Gasol, and Ibaka, especially Durant's 17 million and Gasol's 19 million. These salaries are skyrocketing.
The good news is that Gasol's big contract only has one year left. If he renews his contract at a cheaper price next season, the Thunder can remain competitive.
But now the team hasn't won the championship, just like in history when they lost in the finals in the 11-12 season and sent Harden away early, what are the chances that the Thunder's management will be able to maintain the original lineup despite the luxury tax?
Based on their history of sending Harden away, it is not completely impossible for them to let go of Harden or Ibaka.
"James, you have to know that you have just finished your rookie contract. If you say you have no chance, then...what would LeBron feel?" Xu Yong asked back.
Harden was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
Yes, James, as the "chosen one", has played for 9 seasons and still does not win a championship.
There is even Nowitzki, who Xu Yong didn't mention but whom they just defeated in the Western Conference Finals.
Nowitzki has played in the league for 14 seasons and still has not won a championship.
In comparison, he has only been in the game for 4 seasons, so he is indeed a bit anxious.
He then looked at Xu Yong.
In fact, this is mainly because of Xu Yong. Xu Yong won two championships as soon as he entered the league, which made people feel that winning the championship was easy.
Especially when he was in college, his status in the team was even higher, and his mentality was somewhat unbalanced.
"Don't think too much of me. I was just lucky." Xu Yong could of course see what Harden was thinking and said it very bluntly.
He is aware of Rose's injury and there is no going back.
So you said that it would be extremely difficult for the Bulls to win the championship again with a maximum salary.
Even now, the Bulls' prospects are much bleaker than those of the Thunder.
Yao Ming had already talked to him at the end of the season and said that he would opt out of his contract and retire when the free market opened, so that the Bulls would have salary space to make certain reinforcements in the free market.
But starting next season when his super-max salary starts, together with Rose's, the two of them will account for more than 60% of the team's salary cap. If you add in Battier, Hinrich, Brown, Butler, and Morris, their combined salary is nearly 15 million, and the remaining space is not enough to sign a maximum-salary player.
And will Gibson stay? Will Artest stay? Will West stay? Will Anderson stay?
Especially Gibson, whose annual market salary value is at least nearly 10 million. If he matches the contract of others, it basically means that there is no room for reinforcement.
In other words, the Bulls next season will most likely be without Yao Ming in their original lineup.
And then you expect Butler to become an All-Star in one season?
Or do you expect the Bulls to deal with Rose coldly? Even if they can, no team will want him until Rose proves that he can continue to play.
Next season with the Bulls will be the most difficult season for Xu Yong since he joined Chicago.
But even so, isn't Xu Yong in a relaxed mood now, drinking and chatting with Harden?
He knows that the most difficult time for the team is also the time when a person's value can be best reflected. Others who run away when the team is at its lowest point will never understand this truth in their lifetime.
Harden smiled bitterly. He knew that Xu Yong was comforting himself. Even if you traded him to the Bulls, he would not be able to do what Xu Yong did.
"And James, if you really want to stay in Oklahoma, you can let Durant speak to the management for you." After all, they are former college partners and current good friends. After seeing Harden's condition, Xu Yong still said one more sentence.
This extra sentence was also about a report he had seen before his rebirth.
That was when Durant talked about why he didn't stop the management from letting Harden go. His explanation was that at that time he didn't know that he had the option of making a request to the management.
After all, Durant is much simpler than James. If he knew, he could actually do it given his position in the team.
…
"If I were LeBron, I would want to disappear from the earth. This is really fucking bullshit!" O'Neal had already started his performance on TNT's show that night.
The Pacers' "no brains" and "unhappiness" provided him with all sorts of "Top Five Embarrassing Stories" material this past season.
Unexpectedly, at the end of the season, Haslem gave him a big one.
It was really embarrassing, and no one on earth was more embarrassed than James at that moment.
"I think this is unfair to LeBron, he didn't do anything." Barkley defended James.
"That's the problem. He didn't do anything. If he led the Pacers to win the championship, I believe that sentence would become 'I am the champion without you', so..."
O'Neal still left James a little face, because his next words were "In competitive sports, being bad is the original sin."
"Well, if I were LeBron, I would definitely run away from here and go somewhere far away," Barkley said with a smile.
…
Tuscany, Italy.
An old Gothic castle winery is located at the foot of a low hill. There is a balcony on the second floor of the castle from which you can overlook the entire vineyard.
At this time, on the balcony, James was sitting on a red soft chair that was specially moved here, holding a glass of red wine in his hand. After taking a sip in the spring breeze, he leaned back in the soft chair and nodded with enjoyment.
The taste of this red wine is extremely unique. It feels as sharp and strong as a knife blade at first sip, but the aftertaste is rich sweetness and fragrance.
He has many hobbies, but most of them are used to build his persona, such as spending more than one million a year on health care, liking reading, watching the movie "The Godfather" six times, etc. But there is one hobby that is real, and that is drinking red wine.
After all, red wine was a commodity that was often associated with European royal families in the Middle Ages. Tasting red wine, especially noble red wine, could make him feel like a real king.
Of course, the reason why he appeared in Italy this time was because after the season's loss, he didn't want to stay in the sad place of Indiana, so he chose to come here to ease his mood.
Following Mike's advice, he turned off the Internet, stopped paying attention to basketball, and ignored all the outside voices, just emptying his mind.
After tasting the red wine, he then visited the vineyard under the guidance of the winery staff.
I have to say that every piece of soil and every grape here exudes a noble atmosphere.
It is indeed a world-famous vineyard.
After finishing a day's trip, James felt a little sleepy and took a car back to the hotel to rest.
It was still early, so he ordered a plate of pasta, one of his favorite foods, and a plate of Tuscan cheese, which is famous locally.
He has eaten so much pasta, but this is his first time tasting it in Italy, so this experience will definitely be special.
He finished talking to the kids on the phone and the food was delivered to his room.
He put away his phone and went to the sink to wash his hands before enjoying dinner.
Just then, his cell phone vibrated.
He picked it up and saw that it was a call from Fu Paul.
This time he came to Italy alone, and reminded Fu Paul not to disturb him unless necessary.
"We need a massive emergency PR." Fu Paul's tone was urgent.
"What happened?" James knew Rich Paul and he had never seen him lose his composure like this.
However, when Rich Paul mentioned the Heat's championship and Haslem's outrageous remarks, James remained silent.
Public relations is necessary at this time, especially before the news spreads, more people must know the "truth".
1. Wade didn't say anything, what is Haslem? Just a clown who takes advantage of others' power!
2. The main reason why the Heat won the championship was because they had the center Hibbert and Yao Ming was not in good shape. If James was still in the Heat this season, the Heat could also win the championship.
3. Hurry up and dig up some negative information about Haslem. There are very few NBA players who don’t have some negative information.
Confusion of right and wrong, confusion of the public and diversion of attention are what the Western media are best at.
Not to mention sports matters, even international events can be turned into white and things that have been done can be turned into nothing.
After hanging up the phone, James' breathing began to speed up and his face became grim.
“Bang!”
One punch.
James smashed the sink mirror into pieces with just one punch.
Then, the back of his hand was covered in blood.
Italian glass is as sharp as its wine.
And in the broken mirror, James's face was extremely scary.
"Sir?" There was a knock on the door by the security guard.
James's breathing had not yet calmed down.
"Sir?" The security guard's voice came from outside the door again.
"It's okay." Finally, he replied through gritted teeth.
Then he wrapped his wound with a towel and called his personal doctor.
After treating the wound, there was already murderous intent in his eyes.
Originally, because he had left Miami, he no longer paid attention to Haslem.
After all, it would be too uncool for a real king to get entangled with a minor character.
But now, Haslem has really gone too far!
The trash talk of "You'll never make it out of the East" during the previous matchup between the two teams had already hurt him deeply. He was magnanimous and didn't take it seriously at the beginning, but now it has become even worse.
And what does it mean "You leave us and we are still champions"?
Could it be that... the reason the Heat have Granger and Hibbert is not because of his trading value?
If he just leaves after his contract expires, what will you, the Heat, get!
Thinking of this, he felt that the wound that had just been treated had opened again.
But since Haslem has done this, don't blame him for using extraordinary measures.
If he can’t deal with Riley, can he deal with a small player like Haslem?
He knows a lot of Jews and Ansa!
It is not impossible for Haslem to disappear from the league.
And after gradually calming down his breathing, he immediately realized that he could no longer act like an ostrich.
That guy Mike can get lost now, he has to be himself again!
Thinking of this, he called Fu Paul back and asked him to help him book a plane ticket to Los Angeles.
…
A few days later, the Heat held a grand championship parade in Miami.
At the parade, Haslem became the focus of the audience. Since his trash talk on the championship night, his popularity in Miami seems to be catching up with Wade.
The Heat's meritorious player and popular player once again made a shocking statement amid the cheers of the fans: "Miami has D. Wade, CB (Bosh), RIO (Chalmers' nickname), and J. Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen's nickname, derived from the name of the protagonist of the movie "Single" starring him), but Miami will never need any king in the past, present, or future!"
You can totally feel his anger and pride, just like what reporters said about Malone being the father of the Lakers after the Nuggets won the championship.
"No.king! No.king!"
His remarks also ignited the demonstration.
After two depressing seasons, they really need a place to vent, and nothing can get them into a state of relaxation better than this.
…
With the end of the Heat's championship parade, the 2012-2013 season officially came to an end.
Of course, the end of a season also means that a new season has quietly begun.
Xu Yong is still continuing his training.
He and Harden have agreed to go to Tempe in mid-July, but before that, he will be in Chicago.
But in addition to training, he is also paying attention to this year's draft and the free market that will follow.
The Heat in the Eastern Conference are too competitive right now, and it will be difficult for the Bulls to get back into the championship race in a short period of time without reinforcements.
So he pays attention to the team's dynamics and will take the initiative to intervene when necessary.
What does it mean when necessary?
For example, if the Bulls were planning to sign Bynum.
This is a very likely event. When a big center in your team falls, the best and safest way is naturally to find another one.
In the new season's free market, the biggest inside player is Bynum.
Especially Bynum is different now than in history, he just has some glass, and his value is the same as when he was able to trade Howard in history.
Without the third eye, the operation of taking him down was almost the same as that of taking Yao Ming down back then.
However, Xu Yong knew that Bynum's problem was more about his character than his injury.
He didn't think he could control such an extremely immature person like Kobe could.
And the key point is that the biggest difference between Bynum and Yao Ming is that he has no self-discipline at all. His current situation may be different from that in history, which may allow him to play for one or two more years, but after that, he will still ruin himself.
However, for a player of this level, there are only two possible contract scenarios: a four-year bare contract, or a five-year sign-and-change contract.
Besides, Bynum is not Yao Ming. He doesn't have so many concerns. Even if he really fails, he will definitely get all the money in the contract.
So if the Bulls really sign him, it will truly lock up their championship window.
So this type is necessary, but for the rest he also focuses on attention.
For example, this year's draft.
The 2013 draft was considered the most bizarre draft in NBA history. Although it was impossible for him to remember most of the details, there were two that left a deep impression on him.
One is that Bennett was selected as the No. 1 pick.
His appearance made Michael Olowokandi and Kwame Brown withdraw from the competition for the title of "the worst No. 1 pick".
Of course, this is unlikely to happen, because as early as May, the lottery results came out, and it was the Magic instead of the Cavaliers that got the No. 1 pick.
This is also normal. The Cavaliers have had the No. 1 pick for two consecutive years. It would be too much for the league to give it to them again. How can this... they have to wait a year before giving it to them.
It would be more reasonable to give it to the Magic. The Hornets have been in the playoffs for several consecutive days and cannot give it to them even if they want to, and the Magic just lost Howard.
Although in Xu Yong's opinion, this may not be a good thing for the Magic.
After all, the draft year in which Bennett was the No. 1 pick was, in his memory, the worst draft year in NBA history.
Another thing is that this year's draft includes "Antetokounmpo" Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And like Leonard, Antetokounmpo is a mid-first-round pick.
And the Bulls have a lottery pick this year!
The result of the Raptors pick that the Bulls had previously held has been announced, the 12th pick.
Although he can't remember which pick Antetokounmpo was in, it should be lower than this.
As a reborn person, it would be too unreal to have such an opportunity but pretend not to see it.
You know, Antetokounmpo himself is not the kind of ball-holding player.
However, there was actually a big problem before him. Although Foreman had a good relationship with him, what reason did he have to make a proposal to Foreman?
Or, to go further, why would Foreman adopt his advice?
Before, it was Butler because Butler was his junior.
But Antetokounmpo doesn't even play in the NCAA, he plays in Europe.
Just because the junior you recommended succeeded, you think you can also identify overseas rookies? This is logically impossible.
Not to mention you, an NBA player, even a scout like Foreman would probably look at you with suspicion.
So if he really wants to make a suggestion, he needs to wait for a suitable opportunity.
Fortunately, this opportunity came soon.
Less than a week before the draft, Foreman came to visit Xu Yong at his home.
Foreman's arrival was also within Xu Yong's expectations, because there was another very special person in this year's draft.
Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi came to the United States in 2009 to play high school and entered Syracuse University in 2011. Now he has just turned 20 and has finished his sophomore season.
He mostly played as a substitute in his freshman season, averaging 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
But after becoming a starter in his sophomore year, his stats increased to 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks.
His 2.16-meter height, 2.31-meter wingspan, and exaggerated static talent give him defensive dominance similar to Anthony Davis in the NCAA.
But his problems are also obvious. His flexibility and coordination are far worse than Davis, and his desire to play is also doubted by scouts.
However, his static talent, coupled with the popularity of Chinese players in recent years and the weak draft situation this year, make him a popular rookie.
On draft websites, he is considered a guaranteed lottery pick this year, and even has a chance to make the top ten.
Foreman went to see Xu Yong because he wanted to know more about Zhou Qi.
After all, compared to his junior classmates, who are from the same country and even his national team teammates who played with Xu Yong in the Olympics last year, Xu Yong definitely knows more.
"I don't think Zhou is suitable." Xu Yong gave a very definite answer.
It’s not that he thinks Zhou Qi is not good enough. Zhou Qi is now the same as he was back then. He has played in the United States for four years and has improved in all aspects. He is completely worthy of this year's lottery pick.
The crux of the matter lies in the Bulls' current situation.
There are actually two options for the No. 12 pick. One is a player who can obviously be developed into a talent, which is Antetokounmpo as suggested by Xu Yong. He will definitely be able to rise after three or four seasons. By then, he, Butler and Antetokounmpo will form the new foundation of the Bulls.
Another way is to choose players who can fight immediately, and even trade them down. Just like the draft that year, there are often many older rookies in weak draft years.
"What a pity." After hearing this, Foreman couldn't help but shake his head, with a somewhat sad look between his brows.
It can be seen that he has no plans to trade down, but is just struggling with the choice of this pick.
This is actually normal. If he had a plan to trade down, he would not have used his first round pick to trade for Morris Jr.
"Gar, I don't know much about the draft, but there have been quite a few rookies who have made great performances in the European leagues in the past two years. I think we should pay more attention to that aspect." Xu Yong seized the opportunity to suggest.
Foreman was thoughtful.
In a year with a small draft, it is normal to pay attention to overseas rookies. He pays attention to Zhou Qi for this reason.
But Xu Yong was talking about players from European leagues, which are actually two different concepts.
Because players playing in European domestic leagues have one thing in common, that is, they are limited to the 40-minute game system, most of their data are mediocre, and there will indeed be many missed gems.
"I talked to Yao on the phone before I came here, and he is ready to retire." After talking about the draft, Foreman went on to talk about Yao Ming.
Xu Yong nodded. He and Yao Ming had always kept in touch, so he knew more about his retirement than Foreman.
"Do you think Andrew Bynum can replace Yao Ming? I know he has certain injury risks." Foreman's tone was much gentler at this time, because compared to rookies, Xu Yong had more say in the cooperation between stars.
"His character is too immature, and he is only 26 years old, but he has as many injuries as Yao Ming at 30. His injury risk is too high."
"I don't think he's very good either." Foreman said with a smile after listening.
The risks of Bynum are a consensus among most managers in the industry.
The reason why he asked this question was because he had not been the general manager for long.
Young people always have more fantasies.
"Then who do you think can replace Yao's role?" Foreman asked.
"No one."
Xu Yong's answer stunned Foreman, and he immediately smiled bitterly.
This is an expected answer.
There will never be a second Yao Ming in the NBA, just like there will never be a second “Shaq”.
After getting the answer he wanted, Foreman then stood up and left.
Xu Yong walked him out the door.
Looking at Foreman's back, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Foreman was obviously not the puppet who obeyed the protagonist's orders in the basketball novels he had read.
In fact, such a plot is unlikely to happen in reality.
Just like he asked himself Butler and Leonard before, Foreman is a person with thinking and judgment.
So he is not sure about Foreman's specific thoughts now.
But it's at least good news that we can reach an agreement on Bynum.
…
Time is passing and the draft is getting closer.
However, these two days, Xu Yong saw an incredible piece of news.
ESPN broke the news about Haslem's past.
It was in 2008, when Haslem and teammate Rich Davis played with three young girls at a party.avi.
It is not uncommon for NBA players to engage in group sports, but the problem is that these three girls were still minors at the time!
This incident instantly sparked intense heated discussion. Although this is the situation in the United States, the richer and more powerful people are, the more they like minors, and sometimes even the president is no exception, but there is a clear difference between private and public because this is against the law.
The Heat officials immediately denied it, and Haslem also said it was pure slander.
But soon, the three girls came forward one after another to verify the matter and said that Haslem forced them to do so.
For a time, the Heat and Haslem were at the center of public opinion.
After watching it, Xu Yong could only say that James' team is still amazing.
This happened so many years ago that it was still dug up, and I guess the girl must have taken a lot of money.
However, the key to this problem lies with Haslem himself. He is not discriminating, but black people are the type who cannot control their lower body.
Of course, he just watched for fun. It was quite enjoyable to see competitors fighting each other.
It will not be long before the 2013 NBA Draft officially begins.
Xu Yong did not go to the scene, but watched the live broadcast of the talent show at home.
Before the draft begins, the hot rookies will be introduced, and as those names appear, some fragments of his memory are pieced together.
This year's favorite for the No. 1 pick is Nerlens Noel, and since the Magic already have George on the perimeter, they will give priority to the inside.
However, Xu Yong has very few memories of Noel. The only impression he has is that he was cheated by his agent. He could have signed a big contract, but in the end he signed a minimum salary contract for several years and then faded out of the league.
And then there's Steven Adams.
Although this Adams is far from the unshaven-bearded "Aquaman" in his impression, he is more like a young New Zealand boy.jpg.
The draft started soon, and the Magic made their choice with the first pick.
Then surprisingly, they did not choose Noel, but directly chose Oladipo.
As for Oladipo, Xu Yong was more impressed. He is good at both offense and defense, and if it weren't for his injuries, he would definitely be an All-Star player.
Although the Magic's choice is somewhat unexpected, it is not too outrageous.
As the draft progressed, Noel dropped directly to the sixth pick.
It was at this time that the media revealed the reason for Noel's fall, and the hidden injury to his left knee was more serious than expected.
This is just because it's a bad year for the draft. If it were a good year, he would probably fall out of the top ten or even fall into the lottery.
Then, the surprise soon came.
When the draft reached the ninth pick, the Celtics used the draft pick they traded from the Timberwolves to directly select Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi became the fourth Chinese player to become a lottery pick after Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Xu Yong.
Looking at this result, Xu Yong was of course happy.
This result is a very good start for Zhou Qi.
Although the Celtics' style of play is a bit dirty, they are still very good at training rookies.
And the key is this timing. If nothing unexpected happens, the two old guys will be taken away and the Celtics will start rebuilding.
He had no selfish motives in not advising Foreman before, and it was also because championship-contending teams were not suitable for the growth of rookies, and Butler and Leonard were still a minority.
Of course, Foreman certainly doesn't have this worry now, after all, the person has already been selected.
He then took out his cell phone and sent Zhou Qi a congratulatory text message.
After putting down his phone, he continued to focus on the Bulls' choice.
"In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected with the twelfth pick...Steven Adams, a 6-foot-5 center from the University of Pittsburgh."
Upon hearing the result, Xu Yong felt regretful at first, but then he thought it was not bad.
The live broadcast then gave a brief introduction of Adams.
He is from New Zealand and only started playing American high school rebounding in January last year. He joined the University of Pittsburgh in the summer. He doesn't score many points, but averages 6.3 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. His wingspan reaches 2.27 meters, and he has excellent shoulder breadth and strong strength.
You can tell at a glance that this kind of player's ceiling is not up to the All-Star level, but he is an excellent blue-collar player.
Moreover, his combat effectiveness is much better than Antetokounmpo.
Without the third eye, Antetokounmpo gives the impression in the European league that he has good physical talent, but he is a thin organizing forward who needs a relatively long time to develop.
Foreman's choice cannot be said to be the best, but it is certainly not a wrong choice.
Moreover, Xu Yong probably guessed Foreman's thinking. Since no one can replace Yao Ming, he should change his thinking and train blue-collar players in the interior.
Speaking of Yao Ming's pick-and-roll last season, a lot of it was to create points for Xu Yong, which is a blue-collar job.
But this means that the Bulls will have to work on the power forward position.
In other words, the Bulls will most likely let go of Taj Gibson, who is also a blue-collar player, and instead look for a second scoring point for the team.
But due to salary constraints, they can only sign a player worth around 10 million at most. It is not easy to find a suitable inside player in the free market.
Then, just as Xu Yong was still thinking about it, something unexpected happened again.
The Raptors traded Ed Davis, the 13th pick in 2010, who averaged 9.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season, with Digital Man to get the opponent's 13th pick, and then used this pick to select Antetokounmpo.
Is this Foreman's move attracting attention again?
Raptors: You have my draft pick, so should I trade for someone else to select the one you value?
Putting aside other things, the dramatic effect is maximized.
Antetokounmpo plays in the interior, and when paired with the Raptors' Lowry, DeRozan, and Valanciunas, the Raptors will be a strong rival in the future.
In other words, DeRozan, who had the least presence among the four players of the Devil's team in the beginning, will have a rapidly increasing presence in the later stages.
The Bulls made another deal in the second round, using cash to buy the 45th pick at the end of the second round, and then used it to get James Ennis.
There is also a brief introduction to Ennis. He is 2.01 meters tall and has a wingspan of 2.12 meters. He is a 3D player on the wing.
A lot of information can be seen from this. Foreman has been signing veterans to fill out the lineup in the past few years, but it has basically been ineffective.
He therefore changed his thinking and started with the draft to see if there were anyone worth training.
Moreover, 3D is Thibodeau's favorite type. Jimmy Butler was the right choice before, which can be regarded as replicating successful experience.
However, Xu Yong has basically no impression of Ennis.
The day after the draft, Xu Yong went to the United Center. Yao Ming will officially announce his retirement today.
Yao Ming chose to return to China after the season ended, so this was the first time he saw him during the offseason.
Yao Ming's mentality at this time was the most relaxed Xu Yong had ever seen.
But this is understandable. Whether in the national team or the NBA, he has achieved the desired results, and his body can no longer support him to continue playing. Retiring at the most appropriate time can be considered a perfect ending.
"I will come to Chicago to watch your game as soon as I have time." Yao Ming said to Xu Yong with a smile.
"What does Brother Yao plan to do after retiring?" Xu Yong asked curiously.
"Basketball, what else can you do?" Yao Ming said with a smile.
Xu Yong nodded. He knew what Yao Ming was talking about basketball.
Although the achievements he has made are different from the history he knows, the path Yao Ming wants to take is exactly the same as in history.
If there is anyone who is truly dedicated to the development of Chinese basketball, it is probably only Yao Ming.
Even though that means he may suffer as much doubt, slander, and even abuse as in history.
"Then we will continue to fight side by side in the future." Xu Yong said with a smile.
Yao Ming also laughed out loud, and once again laughed his head off.
Yes, history has changed. The Chinese men's basketball team has Xu Yong to support it, and Zhou Qi has now entered the NBA as a lottery pick. Together with Ding Yanyuhang and Guo Ailun, they will be a world powerhouse for a long time.
Yao Ming sat at the table of the press conference, with Foreman on his left and Thibodeau on his right. Xu Yong sat in the audience like other reporters.
There are a lot of reporters here today, including representatives from almost all major sports media outlets in the United States.
This respect was not given by others by him kneeling down to play the ball, but was won by his own strength.
"There is a saying in our country that 'Eight out of ten things in life are not satisfactory'. Of course, I am not one of those eight or nine, but one or two."
Yao Ming's first words caused laughter among the reporters, and Xu Yong also laughed. Yao Ming's sense of humor is always everywhere.
"... I am grateful for my journey in Houston. Although I didn't achieve what I wanted there, the eight years there taught me to grow. But I am more grateful for my experience in Chicago. It allowed me to leave the NBA stage as a winner. I don't want to say goodbye, but my old friends, my knees and toes have told me more than once that it's time to say goodbye."
Yao Ming's speech was not long, but he reviewed his entire career.
Eight years with the Rockets, three years with the Bulls, an 11-year professional career, 11 All-Star starts, three All-NBA third teams, three All-NBA second teams, one All-Defensive second team, two championships, averaging 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game.
Of course there is also a World Championship title and an Olympic champion that he will not mention on this occasion.
As he said, the three years after joining the Bulls completely turned his career around and allowed him to leave the NBA as a successful person.
There was thunderous applause from the audience, and Xu Yong also raised his hand to applaud.
Yao Ming's official retirement basically announced the end of the Bulls' troika era that began in 2010.
The Bulls will enter a new era.