the rest, only noise

Chapter 120 and three we are going to Palm Springs
1995/6/28

SkyDome, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In order to welcome the two new Canadian teams into the league, for the first time in NBA history, the draft will be held abroad.

"Welcome everyone to the 1995 NBA Draft." Stern stood in the middle of the stage as usual. "First of all, I would like to welcome Toronto and Vancouver to join our big family. This year is a landmark year for professional basketball. We have two Canadian teams. At the same time, it is the first time in the history of the draft that it will be broadcast live on two TV stations. I wish our fans and friends in the north (referring to Canada) and the audience who came to Rainbow Stadium to witness this special moment to have a good time!"

"I'm sure you all know the rules, so let's get right to it."

"In the 1995 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets, with the No. 5 pick, had five minutes to make their decision."

Before the draft officially started, the scene focused on the outside of the draft.

Last year, although labor and management reached a brief agreement, they did not reach a long-term agreement. After the end of the season, they had another dispute.

The players union, under new chairman Patrick Ewing, has been greedy, and the owners don't want to make any concessions.

The relationship between the two sides is currently very rigid, and if no agreement is reached in the next two days, the alliance will be suspended.

Far away in the draft war room in Los Angeles, Louis and the others watched the game live on the TNT channel.

This year was the first time TNT broadcast the NBA draft live. Louie chose to watch TNT instead of NBC because he liked TNT host Ernie Johnson (Ernie Johnson) better.

Anyone who pays attention to O'Neal and Barkley's retired life must know the TNT Tiantuan, which is a super team composed of four middle-aged men. Ernie is the only white man, and his voice is quite recognizable.

"What is the probability that Houston will take KG with the first pick?"

Jerry Bass asked Louie.

"It should be 0."

Although Louie didn't know why Smith was favored, TNT introduced the player with "future superstar" before the draft began.

Does anyone miss "Future Superstars"?

"So sure?" Bass asked. "What if they don't pick Joe?"

Louis said with a smile: "Then they won't choose KG. If they want to take the lead, they can only choose Jerry Stackhouse with the first pick."

As soon as the words fell, Stern walked out.

Not surprisingly, the Rockets selected Joe Smith with the No. [-] pick.

If you want to know whether the No. [-] pick was the consensus candidate at the time, you don't need to spend a lot of time to verify it. You only need to listen to the reaction on the spot when he was selected.

Even Canadians who knew nothing about college basketball applauded Smith.

He stood center stage, shaking Stern's hand.

The two guests invited by TNT are Hubie Brown and college marshal Rick Pitino.

Brown is grinning every year, and Pitino's assessment is a cliché, saying that Smith is a terrific competitor with a great work ethic and the passion needed to live up to his potential.

The words are nice, but such evaluations can obviously be applied to every high-ranking rookie.

"Yes, he is very enthusiastic and professional, but he has no awareness of gaining weight." Louis complained in the war room.

"Is this a bad choice?" Jenny didn't say it against Louie, she just wanted her voice to exist in the war room. "He looks good."

Jim sneered: "Sister, I really hope you never make draft decisions for us one day."

"Then tell me what's wrong with Joe Smith!"

"I don't know, but I firmly agree with Coach Lu's point of view!" Jim hugged his thigh decisively, "Do you think you are more professional than our president?"

Buzz said displeasedly, "Jim, show some respect to your sister."

Louie's expression was brilliant, and he wished Buzz had been there when Jim was in the office telling The Secret History of Bath.

He'll know that the Secret History of Bath is the real disrespect compared to what's happening now.

After the Knicks got the third pick, the Blazers and Heat stopped pursuing the second pick.

The Spurs were forced to have no choice but to make their own choices.

They didn't need Stackhouse, and they didn't trust Wallace, so the choice they made was a bit unexpected.

They chose the safest Antonio McDyess.

Neither Smith nor McDyess's picks have changed, and Louie feels that going to the Spurs may allow McDyess to develop better.

Then it was the turn of the Lakers.

"The Lakers have had a top-five pick for the first time since 1987."

"It was a hard-won pick, and they sent Scottie Pippen for it."

"Pippen's departure and David Robinson's injury brought the tragic era of the Lakers ushered in the final end. This is the first draft that Leader Lu personally controlled after taking over the Lakers. We all know that Leader Lu is a master of drafting with every shot. Let us wait and see who he will choose with the third overall pick."

"KG is still in that position, right?" Louie joked.

This may be the first time West has responded to Louie's joke with a joke: "It seems that we can only choose him."

"Can I give Kevin a call?" Louie asked, "Can you answer the phone?"

Although there are mobile phones now, they are not easy to carry. Moreover, high school students like Garnett can't afford them at all. If they want to call the scene, they have to call the exclusive phone booth.

That meant Garnett had to leave the little green room and sprint to the phone booth.

"It might work?"

Whether it works or not, Louis wants to try it.

At this time, Garnett was surrounded by several women with firm faces in the small green room at the draft site.

That was his mother and two older sisters.

He sat nervously in the seat arranged on the scene, although his sister kept comforting him, but it was of no avail.

He has a constitution that is prone to sweating, and when he is nervous, he can't wipe off the sweat on his forehead.

"Son, trust the Lord to get you where you want to go."

KG's mother Shirley Garnett saw her son's anxiety.

"Mom, I have no draft commitment." Garnett shook his head. "No team has guaranteed to draft me."

At this time, a staff member came over and said, "Kevin, I have your call."

"Call?" Garnett thought. It must be his high school coach.

While Garnett didn't think he'd be picked at No. [-], he didn't like to wait, much less have others wait on him, so it took him less than ten seconds to run from the green house to the phone booth.

"Hey, who are you?"

"Kevin, we met in Los Angeles two days ago."

Louie had Garnett's best voice, and even though they only met once in Los Angeles and didn't talk in depth, he remembered Louie's voice.

"Coach Lu?"

"I'm glad you still remember me." Louis sped up his speech, "Before you run back to the little green house, I have something to inform you—"

Garnett's heart beat faster.

"In 2 minutes, you will hear from Mr. President that the Lakers selected you with the third pick." Louie paused for a second, "Are you ready to become a Laker?"

Garnett covered the phone excitedly, stomped his feet and roared in a low voice: "YES! YES!"

"It is my pleasure, sir!"

"I will definitely do my best. I"

"Okay, Kevin, you still have 1 minute to go back to the little green room." Louis joked, "If you would rather miss the moment when Mr. President reads your name, but also continue to chat with me, I will be very touched."

"Thank you very much for your call. I, I don't know what to say anymore. I won't let you down. I'm going back. See you in Los Angeles!"

Garnett hung up, thanked the staff member who had notified him of the call, and ran quickly to his mother and sister.

"Kevin, who's calling?"

Shirley didn't know what happened, but his son's face was full of excitement.

Garnett grew up looking straight at the sun, and his mother always said that if he looked more than a few times, the sun god would burn his eyes out, but he would do it anyway.

In this way, he would make a wish to Jehovah, asking him to take good care of his family and bless him to leave the chaotic streets of Chicago one day and go to a better place.

Today, "God" answered his wish.

"Mom." Garnett said with a relieved smile on his face. "We're going to Palm Springs."

The rest is history.

"In the 1995 NBA draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected with the third pick in the first round. Kevin Garnett, from Faragat High School!"

(End of this chapter)