the rest, only noise

Chapter 783 The Wind Rises Portland

While the Billy Owens turmoil attracted the attention of the entire league, the Blazers' interview with Pat Riley also started simultaneously.

"Voice of the Trailblazers" Bill Shanelli, who participated in the interview, said: "Pat Riley has completed an interview that people can't refuse."

"A character is like a tree, and fame is its shadow," Riley begins.

The nearly 10-year tenure of the Lakers is not a big bonus for Riley.

Because on that team, he only won one championship.

Shouldn't you win more titles if you're talented, not lucky enough?He has only won once, so people will naturally talk about luck.

This is why Riley insisted on leaving the Lakers in 1990.

During the gap period of the past year, Riley served as a commentator for NBC, wrote a book about his experience with the Lakers, and gave speeches everywhere in the form of a $20000 session.

Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, after watching Riley's workout, said: "Pat is above all of us in many ways. His professionalism is on a different level, and I think we all know that and respect that."

When Riley talked about how he would build the team if he coached the Blazers, he didn't talk about his successful Show Time in Los Angeles.

That was what Paul Allen was interested in.

Show Time made the Lakers famous for a while. Even though they haven't won a championship since 1982, they also conquered fans with their fast-paced offense.Allen wanted the Blazers to play that game, but Riley believed that Show Time was the essence of basketball from the 70s to the mid-80s.

However, from the mid-80s, what Louie did in New York changed the game of basketball.

Riley believes that basketball should have strong physical contact, confrontation and aggression. He will not promote Show Time in Portland, because that is not a basketball concept that can be successful in contemporary times.His goal is to lead the team to win the championship and win back the championship that Portland has been missing for more than ten years.

"New York basketball has proven time and time again that the best offense in the world can't do anything against them. Whether it's Ralph Sampson, Larry Bird, Elvin Johnson or Michael, they can't use their offense to beat New York."

Allen asked: "According to you, can we beat them by playing like the Knicks?"

"No, I'm not going to let the Blazers play like the Knicks." Riley's words were confusing, and then the speech made all the interviewers' scalps tingle. "If I coached, the Blazers' game intensity will surpass the Knicks. We will become the most feared team. A hell of a team that makes people shudder. I will make Michael make changes, reuse those players with real materials, and trade guys who are not up to standard. It may take a year or two, but only then can we surpass New York. The way to defeat New York has never been to attack, but to defend. When two tigers fight to the death for the territory, the stronger and more ferocious will win."

Riley is tall and handsome, but that's just a facade, like his slicked-back hair and $2000 Giorgio Armani suit.Essentially, he has a tyrant and brutal side to his personality, like Michael Tyson in the boxing ring, always looking to destroy his opponent.

Allen loved Show Time, but he didn't see the team as a business and networking outlet like Jerry Buss did.

He simply likes a good game, but deep down in his heart, he prefers his team to win.

Allen is simple and easily shy, not like the bosses of some teams who pretend to be five people and six people. After watching Riley's very provocative interview, he decided to hire Riley on the spot.

And, he also gave Riley another significant position - vice president of basketball operations.

Allen himself serves as the president of the Blazers' basketball operations department, but he usually doesn't care about the team's operations.

This means not only to let Riley transform the Blazers, but also to let him operate according to his own ideas.

A business genius like Paul Allen knows that talent cannot be tied down.

If his hands and feet are bound, he cannot exert his full strength.

That's how Riley got godfather-level powers.

The irony is that Riley's entry into Portland should have been something worthy of the attention of the entire league, but the riots caused by Billy Owens in Sacramento made it difficult for fans and the media to move away.

Only Louie knew how much Riley's entry into the Blazers meant to Jordan.

Perhaps this is the wonder of the butterfly effect.

In Louie's previous life, Riley's team was suppressed by Jordan for many years, and they couldn't beat the Bulls by all means.He was deeply impressed by Jordan's strength and leadership, as well as his murderousness to beat his opponents.Therefore, he will demand players with various strict standards in the new century, and he hopes to have his own Jordan.

Now, he got the chance to coach Jordan.

But one thing is different, he and Jordan are both losers.

The cruel side of Riley's temperament, his unwavering authority when coaching, combined with Jordan's brutal personality and the attribute of being strong when he meets the strong, this is a two-way rush that Louis has to take seriously.

Riley wasn't the same coach Jordan had met before.

Adelman has no experience, Rick Pitino can only play the college game, and Riley has everything. After being tortured by the Celtics and Knicks for so many years, he believes that he has the secret to win, and there is only one place to show his fist.

Then, the Kings publicly touted the signing rights of Billy Owens.

It was the Warriors who rushed to bite the hook first.

Don Nelson offered to trade Mitch Richmond for the rights to Owens.

Although Richmond does not have many personal honors, he has averaged 20+4+4 per game for three consecutive seasons in the Warriors, and he is a comprehensive flank with balanced offense and defense.

An All-Star and an All-NBA team is just a matter of time for him.

A certain star, go to exchange for a rookie who is not playing in the NBA?

From Nelson's decisiveness and madness, we can see how high professional basketball's expectations are for Owens.

Afterwards, the Timberwolves also joined the discussion.

They discussed with the Kings the possibility of swapping the rights to Kenny Anderson and Billy Owens.

Anderson is a genius guard, and Owens is a genius among geniuses. For the Kings, these two people are not in the same grade.

But in Klaus's view, the gap between Anderson and Owens is not that big.

Owens has an astonishingly high ceiling, and Anderson is a surefire NBA player.

Lewis Shafier asked Louis again.

"Coach Lu, is it worthwhile for Hank Geithers to trade Billy Owens' signing rights?"

"Where is Hank dissatisfied with you, and you want to trade him every now and then?"

Louie really couldn't figure it out, did Gaithers play badly?Since his rookie season, he has not averaged less than 24 points per game. He is good at rebounding and defending, but he has a heart problem, which can be controlled with drugs.

"It's good, but isn't there something wrong with him? I feel like we can't rely on him at critical moments." Shafier said realistically.

Louis said earnestly: "Believe me, you may just not count on Hank at critical moments, but a team with Billy Owens cannot count on him at any time."

"How? Isn't he a combination of Tragedian and Byrd?"

"If it's true, he's the No. [-] pick."

"Larry wasn't the No. [-] pick back then."

"You really want him?"

"Think! I really want to!"

Shafier, who has not opened his eyes, is obsessed with Owens.

It's no wonder that what they're talking about is a young player whose upper limit is a combination of Tragedy and Bird.

This group of people will not use some wisdom to think about it, is it possible for such a player to appear in the next 100 years?
"Well, I'm going to get Billy Owens' signing rights, and then make a deal with you. I don't want much, just give me Hank Gaithers, how about it?" Louis asked fiercely, "Do you want to do it?"

"Coach Lu, what you said made my hair stand on end, as if I would regret it if I traded Hank for Owens"

Louis said lightly: "I'm 100% sure that you will regret it, and soon, when Billy Owens finishes the first month of his rookie season, you will blame me for not persuading you, and you will blame me for making this deal with you. You will forget how I persuaded you. I will ask you one last time, do you want him?"

"Damn it, what is Billy Owens?" Shafier exclaimed, "This name doesn't sound like a superstar. Who wants him? Coach Lu, contact me again, we can discuss things~"

He hung up.

To reassure Shafier that he wasn't joking, Louie made a symbolic call to the Kings general manager and had the news spread.

He deliberately made people say-"Little Lu thinks Billy Owens has a higher ceiling than Benj and Patrick Ewing!"

These words are obviously contradictory to his previous evaluation of Owens, but saying it is one thing, doing it is another. Everyone can only see that he wants Owens very much.
His approach, not surprisingly, drove up Owens' worth, and also pulled some unexpected teams into the water.

(End of this chapter)