I really play basketball

Chapter 66 Unexpectedly frequent draft lottery
The draft is still far away. Even if you include the various training camps, trial training arrangements, etc. before the draft, there is still more than a month's time difference.

Therefore, Lin Xing decided to do another equally important matter first.

"You want to give up your American citizenship?"

"Yes, I will be 9 years old in September. If I don't give up my American citizenship before then, I will automatically lose my nationality as a flower grower."

"In that case, time is really tight, you have to hurry up."

Father Lin didn't realize it at first, but when Lin Xing reminded him, he remembered——

The so-called choice of nationality at the age of 18 is actually not when Lin Xing chooses one of the two options in front of him at the age of 18.

Instead, flower growers who do not support dual nationality will retain Lin Xing's household registration until Lin Xing turns 18.

Once Lin Xing reaches the age of 18, if he does not renounce his American citizenship, his flower planter household registration will be automatically cancelled.

Therefore, the so-called selection of nationality, the operation procedure is still very simple——

Give up your American citizenship before you turn 18.

Lin Xing first went to the government department of Midi and signed the document to renounce his American nationality.

After receiving the reply letter confirming the loss of American citizenship, Lin Xing had to apply for a new visa.

He has not yet participated in the NBA draft, and the NBA work visa cannot be obtained.

He can only apply for a student visa through the Long Beach branch and use it first.

So, he returned to the long-lost Long Beach.

In Long Beach, Lin Xing is already what Kobe is to Los Angeles and Totti is to Rome.

The Long Beach City Government even sets September 9th as the Star Day of Long Beach.

The purpose is to pay tribute to Lin Xing and the NCAA championship that Lin Xing brought to Long Beach.

It can be said that Lin Xing has been able to play the role of Bob Pettit in Louisiana in Long Beach.

It is said that Pettit's college teammate Alex Vulture Hunnam went to the bar to have a good time and got involved in a brawl.

The state trooper came to the store and held a pistol to the vulture's head.

In the end, the vulture only said one sentence——

"Hey, do you know who Bob Pettit is? I'm his teammate."

The patrolman put away his gun: "That's all right."

Lin Xing is now in Long Beach, probably in the same position.

He went to the administration building of the Long Beach branch to go through some of the necessary documents for a visa. As soon as he left the building, he was spotted by three or two fans on the street.

These few fans shouted Lin Xing's name, and soon attracted more fans.

A few minutes later, the street was full of people, all waiting for Lin Xing's signature.

The police were even dispatched to maintain order.

As a result, a female fan who was driving stopped the car in a hurry and forgot to pull the handbrake.

With a bang, the car hit the fence on the side of the street.

Lin Xing shook his head helplessly. From now on, Long Beach will come less often.

However, after completing the visa procedures, Lin Xing did not leave, and he still stayed in Long Beach for a while.

The main reason is that Long Beach has sparring partners, Russell, Lucios, and Rod Hannibal are all there.

Lin Xing had one day, and continued to practice his cross-step stunt.

This training lasts for one month.

Of course, during this month, Lin Xing's life was not only about training.

He has been paying attention to the renewed NBA after the NCAA Finals.

Although Jordan intends to retire is a rumor, but the credibility is very high, because the relationship between Dean Smith and Jordan is too close.

It is rumored that every two weeks, Jordan will call Dean Smith to talk about his troubles in playing.

Everyone is asking why, and everyone is saying:

If Jordan's three consecutive championships can be prevented, perhaps he will not retire.

The NBA also didn't want to see Jordan retire, so in mid-April, the regular season ended.

The league announced the attribution of various honors in the regular season, and Jordan failed to complete the three consecutive MVPs.

This season's regular season MVP was taken away by Charles Barkley, who transferred to the Suns and led the team to win the first place in the regular season.

For this somewhat distant era, Lin Xing's past life memories only remember that the Bulls won three consecutive championships this season.

He doesn't know anything about the regular season.

Even so, he was certain: History had changed.

From the end of the NCAA finals to the end of the NBA regular season,

The Kings, Warriors, and 76ers, whose records were not very good, are all losing in an abnormal manner.

The Lakers, who were originally in the playoffs in the Western Conference, and the Magic, which was in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, also fell out of the playoffs due to a wave of losing streak at the end of the season.

There are only 27 teams in the NBA at this time, so there are only 11 picks in the draft lottery.

The Lakers and Magic, who fell out of the playoffs, became one of the 11 worst teams in the NBA this season, and they are eligible to participate in the lottery draft.

Judging from the draft lottery, the Lakers with the best record in the lottery also have a 1.5% chance of winning the No. [-] lottery.

"In the original history line, the Magic used a 1.5% probability to win the No. 1.5 lottery. Now, with a [-]% probability, they become the Lakers. The Lakers won't be the last one to win the No. [-] lottery, right?"

Lin Xing felt that his guess was very close to the truth.

The Lakers are already on the brink of reconstruction. In 89, the 42-year-old Kareem announced his retirement;
In 92, the magician was forced to announce his retirement early after the All-Star Weekend in the middle of the season because he was found to be carrying the HIV virus in his body;
Only James Worthy is left in the ShowTime trio, but Worthy is also 32 years old. He averaged only 14.9 points per game this season, and he is not far from retirement.

The Zijin giants really need a new top card.

And Lin Xing is the most suitable one.

First of all, Lin Xing is considered a native of Los Angeles, and the Long Beach branch, strictly speaking, is also a school in the Los Angeles area.

It couldn't be more reasonable for an NBA team in Los Angeles to choose a Los Angeles native produced by the University of Los Angeles.

Secondly, Lin Xing is a point guard with a height of 2 meters.

The Lakers' former top card, Magic Johnson, is also a point guard with a height of 2 meters.

Lin Xing joined the Lakers to continue the glory of the Zijin Dynasty, which is simply inappropriate.

"If the No. [-] pick is the Lakers, it would be great."

The Lakers have played for two years, and soon, he will be able to wait for the Sharks who are free to cast, which is much better than joining the Magic directly.

The current Magic is the Sharks' team, but if Lin Xing joins the Lakers first and the Sharks later, then the Lakers will be Lin Xing's team.

The teammates in Long Beach are also discussing. Compared with Lin Xing who thinks a bit more, their eyes are still focused on those teams with poor records.

"Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Bullets, these are the three teams with the worst record in the regular season, so they are also the three teams with the best chance of winning the No. [-] lottery."

Lucios narrated, and then looked at Lin Xing: "Sta, these three teams, where do you want to go?"

Lin Xing really thought about this question for a moment.

The Timberwolves were the first to be ruled out, just look at the later hard specials.

The place in Minnesota is not only cold, but the boss is also picky. It is really not a good place to go.

For the remaining two teams, Lin Xing has no tendency.

It seems that the Bullets, which have been on the rise all these years, are a little bit worse.

But the Mavericks at this time, the boss is not Cuban.

Coupled with the place in Dallas, people of color like Lin Xing know everything.

Therefore, the Mavericks are actually not much better.

Lin Xing thought for a moment, but he really couldn't think of who he should choose between Mavericks and Bullets.

So, he could only shake his head: "I don't know, but Lucios, you overlooked one point. These three teams only have the highest probability of winning the No. 8 lottery. It doesn't mean that the other [-] teams have no chance at all."

As he said this, Lin Xing was still thinking about which of these three teams was more suitable for him.

But what Lin Xing didn't know was that not all the teams favored him.

Coincidentally, the three teams with the worst records that Lucios proposed are not the kind of teams that Lin Xing would not choose.

Since its founding in 1989, the Timberwolves have sucked.

Their record is bad, the draft is bad, of course, the root cause is the bad management.

Although at the beginning of this season, they changed the general manager.

But new general manager Jack McCloskey is not some shrewd, determined executive.

Until now, he has been hesitating. Lin Xing, Chris Webber and Penny who have announced their participation in this draft, who should be selected?

He even included Sean Bradley, who was hanging out in Australia, on the shortlist.

The reason is——

"A big man at 2 meters, I can't think of a reason why he failed in the NBA."

With this management, with this vision, it's no wonder the Timberwolves are not bad.

until 1995.After Kevin McHale became the general manager, he risked the world to select the high school student Harder, and the Timberwolves ushered in the first successful draft in team history.

In Washington, the Bullets are in a different situation than the Timberwolves.

Although ESPN's draft expert Chad Ford has been emphasizing that the NBA is no longer an era of inside dominance.

Wes Unseld doesn't think so, he still believes that the inside line is the cornerstone.

Therefore, he prefers a big man like Chris Webber.

The situation with the Mavericks is different from that of the Bullets and Timberwolves.

Their general manager Norm Songnuo saw Lin Xing's current popularity, and the value of the No. [-] pick soared, so he thought of:

"If we get the No. [-] lottery and trade it, can we get more things?"

He thinks this is a good direction, simply put——

Use the No. [-] pick to trade down in exchange for a lower lottery pick, plus a faction that has proven itself in the NBA.

The reason why he has such an idea is because his record is under a lot of pressure.

The Mavericks have been rotten for three seasons, so bad that the boss has given a death order.

If the record is not improved, Norm Sonno will lose his job.

He didn't want to lose his high-paying job, so he came up with this great solution.

I have to say that Norm Songno's idea is very good, and he is indeed very clever.

……

Soon, in the second half of May, when the NBA playoffs were in full swing, the draft lottery ceremony began.

At the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, NBC TV opened the broadcast camera, aiming at the general managers or team representatives participating in the lottery one after another.

In front of the TV, Lin Xing was also very concerned.

He knew that the moment the No. [-] pick was drawn, he would know where his NBA career would start.

Looking at the TV, David Stern appeared in the center of the lens.

Lin Xing thought: "I don't know if the old man has any special arrangements."

Soon, the camera deflects.

He saw the Lakers' lottery representative, Magic Johnson.

"The magicians who still carry the HIV virus in their bodies have been invited out. The Lakers are bound to win."

It was Tim Hardaway who drew the lottery on behalf of the Warriors, and Lin Xing touched his chin.

"Everyone knows about my relationship with Xiao Chong, and the warrior's thoughts are not pure."

The Sharks draw for the Magic, Joe Dumars for the Pistons, Dr. J Julius Erving for the Sixers...

Looking at each one of them, Lin Xing was very emotional: "Tuigui, each one of them has a lot of ambition!"

On the contrary, it is the three teams from the bottom three. Jack McCloskey is sitting in the position of the Timberwolves, still hesitating: If the No. [-] pick is drawn, who will he choose?
Wes Unseld wondered, if they had the No. [-] pick, would they still pick Webber?

Norm Songno imagined how to operate this genius deal after winning the No. [-] pick.

……

Soon, David Stern announced the start of the draw. , One after another, ping-pong balls with numbers on them entered the pipeline.

Although the worst 11 teams can participate in the draw, the draw ceremony will only draw the top three picks.

Except for the top three picks, the rest of the teams will be ranked in reverse order of record.

At the same time, the league also stipulates that the process of drawing lots is not open to the public.

After the lottery, the league will announce the ownership one by one starting from the 11th overall pick in the first round.

So, when the 11th pick in the first round is about to be announced.

In the seat of the Lakers with the best record in the lottery, the magician muttered words, as if to say: "Don't draw me, don't draw me."

If the 11th pick in the first round is not the Lakers, it means that the Lakers have entered the top three.

but……

"No.11 pick in the first round, the Los Angeles Lakers!"

boom!
There was a burst of cheers at the scene of the lottery.

Knicks fans watched the Lakers fail to achieve their wishes, and were directly happy.

In front of the TV, Lin Xing also shook his head.

"It's not the plot where the Lakers win the No. [-] lottery with the lowest probability. The old man has other ideas."

Then, the tenth pick in the first round.

The record is second only to the Magic of the Lakers, and the Sharks are very nervous.

"The tenth pick in the first round, the Detroit Pistons!"

There was another bang, this time it was an exclamation.

Joe Dumars' expression became ugly.

At the same time, the general managers of the three teams with the worst scores also looked a little worse.

Arranged in reverse order of record, this ranking should be the Magic, but if it is not the Magic, it means that the Magic has entered the top three.

The Magic's entry into the top three means that someone has been squeezed out of the three teams with the worst record.

Look at the shark again. When the camera was aimed at him, he waved his arms excitedly.

Lin Xing in front of the TV touched his chin and thought deeply: Could it be that the champion is still a magician?
When he saw the dancing shark, he couldn't help laughing: This eagle is so big and black!

The ninth pick in the first round, no surprises, belongs to the Heat.

However, the Heat's pick has already been sent to the Pistons, so the Pistons have the consecutive numbers of the ninth and tenth picks.

With two lottery picks, some people still think that the Pistons can do something.

Pistons general manager Billy McKenney agreed:
Lin Xing, a bad boy who has thrown opponents over his shoulder and knocked down opponents with one punch, is a perfect fit for the Pistons.

Even if they didn't get the No. [-] pick, they had a chance with two consecutive numbers in the lottery.

Eighth in the first round, no accident, the Milwaukee Bucks appeared in this position.

Seventh in the first round, another surprise happened.

The warrior who should have appeared in this position did not appear as scheduled, and the king appeared in this position as a replacement.

The general managers of the three worst teams looked even worse and uglier.

This means that two of them were squeezed out.

Tim Hardaway raised his index finger and pointed to the sky.

Lin Xing in front of the TV understood what he meant. At this moment, he thought: If he joins the Warriors, it seems good.

Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin, and a not-so-smart but powerful madman named Larry Sprewell.

The strength of the lineup is actually enough, but it lacks a real leader.

Lin Xing crazily hinted to himself...

Sixth in the first round, no surprises, the Philadelphia 76ers appeared in this position.

Dr. J shook his head, his appearance did not bring good luck to the 76ers.

Fifth in the first round, the general managers of the worst three teams began to get nervous.

Because when the Warriors and Magic are determined to enter the top three, the fourth and fifth picks are the two teams that are out.

"The fifth pick in the first round, the Washington Bullets!"

Wes Unseld shook his head, that's all right now, let alone choose Lin Xing, the Chris Webber he valued has gone away.

"The fourth pick in the first round, the Dallas Mavericks!"

Norm Songno's face paled immediately, and his plan was shattered.

At this moment, he can only think about who can save his general manager career with the fourth overall pick in the first round?
In the end, the three teams that have not been drawn are the Warriors, Magic and Timberwolves.

"The third pick in the first round, Golden State Warriors."

The Warriors went out first, Xiao Chong shook his head, they won the stage victory, but failed to win the final victory.

"The second pick in the first round, the Orlando Magic."

The magic followed, and the shark camedian drew out the seven wolves like a comedian, and shook the table in front of him to express his anger.

At this moment, Jack McCloskey shouted excitedly: "The Timberwolves are the champion!"

But at the same time, his expression was extremely tangled.

In Long Beach, Los Angeles, Lin Xing was stunned in front of the TV.

He widened his eyes, opened his mouth, and reacted for a long time before bursting out with a swear word: "Damn! The old man is trying to send me to Minnesota!"

The last thing he wanted to do was the Timberwolves, but it was the Timberwolves who got the No. [-] pick.

Could it be that this is life?
"So, Star, you're going to Minnesota?"

Byron Russell, who was watching the lottery ceremony together, didn't mention which pot to open, Lin Xing was so angry that he turned his head and glared at him.

Lucios saw that Lin Xing did not want to go to Minnesota, so he comforted him:
"Although the Timberwolves won the No. [-] pick, don't forget, there is still the possibility of a trade."

Lin Xing nodded. Now, he can only hope for a deal that can convince Jack McCloskey to stay away from Minnesota.

　The second change, 1.1 words, totaled [-]w today, and added [-] words in addition to the guaranteed [-] words.

　　Then, thanks to Lao Ge for his ten thousand rewards, it was a waste of money.

　　Add 2000 characters to Wan Rewards, Lao Ge... Do you want to add it?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)