From sparring to superstar

98 Chapter 96. Everything is under control

The next day, on the 4th, at 8:[-] in the morning, at the Trump Hotel in Portland, Lakers general manager Mickey Kupchak, assistant general manager Mitch Kupchak, and prince Jim Bass had breakfast in the restaurant.

After the individual trial training for Li Ao yesterday morning, the logo man came to Portland with the team in the afternoon.

Jim Bass said: "You know what? The fact that Leo refused us a second try was leaked."

Kupchak responded, "Guess that."

"guessed?"

"Yeah, that's to be expected, isn't it, Jerry."

The man with the logo replied, "That's right, I was surprised that they didn't do this, but I didn't expect them to move so fast. As expected of a large entertainment agency, the media resources are much stronger than ordinary sports agencies."

Kupchak analyzed: "Not only does it ask us for a higher pick, but it can also increase draft expectations. Jerry, do you think our Lakers will be regarded as a guaranteed option by Leo?"

The logo man laughed and said, "If we really have a chance to take over the offer, that would be great, we don't have to pay any price..."

The man with the logo suddenly changed the subject: "But there is one thing I don't understand right now."

Seeing that both of them were staring at him curiously, the man with the logo didn't show off: "I heard that Leo rejected the invitations of 5 teams to try out yesterday afternoon, the Suns, the Jazz, and the 76ers. I can understand these three teams." , their picks are 25, 23, and 20. Leo refuses to participate in their trials. I can understand that their trials are multiplayer. Leo doesn't want to waste time on these picks, but the 11th The Celtics with the 12th pick and the Mavericks with the [-]th pick, Leo also declined, and I still can't figure out why."

Kupchak echoed: "This is what I don't understand. Does Leo have such a big appetite? Even the lottery area doesn't like it?"

The logo man and Kupchak were silent for a while.

Bass, who was on the side, looked at the two of them left and right, and whispered, "Is it because of the skin color conflicts in the cities where these two teams are located?"

When the two heard the words, it was like seeing the sun through the clouds, and they immediately figured it out.

But after thinking about it, the two were a little embarrassed for a while.

They only consider in terms of team strength, draft position, and the team roles that these two teams can provide, forgetting that there are other factors that affect player tendencies.

The Celtics have Pierce and Anthony Walker on the front line. In the first two seasons, they also had a relatively good front line player Ron Mercer. Both Pierce and Anthony Walker can play from the 2 position. It's no problem to hit the 4th position, plus Li Ao who can also play from the 2nd to the 4th position.

Moreover, Li Ao is different from Ron Mercer. The latter plays with the ball, and there will always be disputes over the ball when the three of them play together, but Li Ao plays without the ball, which can be well compatible with the two.

The Mavericks, just lacking small forwards, Don Nelson is very dissatisfied with their current small forwards, Gary Trent and Cedric Ceballos are not suitable for their style of play, Don Nelson even often sends a three-guard lineup .

It was at this stage that Steve Nash got more playing time, showed his talent, and was appreciated by Don Nelson.

In their opinion, these two teams are very suitable for Li Ao. It is normal to be interested in Li Ao, and Li Ao should also be interested in these two teams.

But it has forgotten the serious problem of color discrimination in these two places.

The two looked at Little Buss at the same time: Is this guy still a wise and foolish little boss?

Little Bass was taken aback, and said with a sneer: "I just said it casually, and if I make a mistake, you don't have to look at me like that."

The two looked at each other again: No, this guy is stupid.

The logo man said: "We have to speed up the progress, Mickey, you go to contact Leo and tell him that we will pick him in the lottery."

"Lottery? Jerry, have you found a tradeable lottery pick?"

"Yes, I heard that a lottery team wants to make a big move this summer. They don't have expectations for the person who can be selected at this pick. They want to replace a veteran with outstanding strength and rich experience."

"What order? Could it be..."

"Yes, the 13th pick in the first round."

"..."

Kupchak: ( )
The 13th pick, isn't this the Magic!

In other words, can we not catch the same sheep and squeeze it to death?
After a bit of slander, Kupchak went to work immediately after breakfast.

...

Another day passed, and Monday arrived.

At 8:[-] in the morning, the restaurant of the Trump Hotel in Portland, the same location, the same table, were still sitting with the same three people from yesterday.

However, compared to yesterday's relaxed and happy atmosphere, the pressure of the three of them is very low today.

Last night, they lost.

Although Kobe made 24 of 12 shots, including 9 of 6 three-pointers, he set a new high in the number of three-pointers made in a single playoff game. In addition, he hit 3 free throws and scored a personal high of 33 points in a single game in the playoffs.

但奥尼尔被世界屋脊和天尊搞得17中7，罚球10个也只中了3个，仅拿到17分。

The Trail Blazers' second-year substitute short forward Bunch Wells exploded, scoring 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. The others also performed well on both offense and defense.

103 to 93, the Trail Blazers evened the big score from a desperate situation of 1 to 3.

The Western Conference finals entered the tiebreaker!

Losing two games in a row to enter the tiebreaker, the Lakers are in danger...

Seeing that the two were in a bad mood, Buss Jr. changed the subject tactfully: "Jerry, Mitch, have you read the latest draft prediction list?"

It's okay not to talk about this, but when it comes to this, the mentality of the two exploded even more.

Which pot is not open to mention which pot!
The new week is here, and the major media have announced their respective draft prediction lists.

Li Ao has entered the lottery zone in almost every major media prediction list!
When Li Ao announced his decision to participate in the election live, except for the 10-15 pick prediction given by Sports Illustrated, the initial pick predictions given by other media were all on the verge of the first round.

Off-ball catchers are not very popular these days.

Even Eddie House, who finished his senior year, and Michael Reid, who averaged 19.6 points per game in three years in college, performed very well, because they played off-ball during college, the predictions were all in the second round.

The age of 18 is both an advantage and a disadvantage. There will be teams who want to give it a try. The trend of "younger age" in the draft is irreversible, but most teams still traditionally choose juniors and seniors.

For example, Martin Cliffs, who has perfected his skills in college and has comprehensive skills, is 23 years old and is predicted to be in the lottery. The same is true for Courtney Alexander. It can't be said, but it is mature and has comprehensive technology, and the predicted pick is in the top 20.

In the past two weeks, Li Ao's draft pick prediction has gradually improved, from the edge of the first round to around 20th in the first round.

The reason for the improvement is that Sean Battier, Joe Johnson, Troy Murphy, Jason Collins, Brandon Haywood...etc. The ranking predictions have been improved lying down.

But this time it soared directly to the lottery area...

Seeing that the two were silent, Bass Jr. continued: "I saw news reports that the Magic wanted to use the No. 10 pick to pick Leo, and the Rockets also wanted to use the No. 9 pick to pick Leo. Jerry, we traded 13 The picks might not be enough."

Another unopened pot was brought up!
The man with the logo is in a hurry, can he not know this?
The lamb actually resisted!
He said: "I just contacted the Magic at noon yesterday to inquire about their trade situation at the 13th pick. In the afternoon they said they would use the 10th pick to draft Leo. Give us more expensive ones."

Kupchak responded: "There is not much difference between the 10th pick and the 13th pick. Just pay a little more chips. It is normal for them to want to retaliate against us, but as long as we give players, they will give us the pick. They want to bring in that, our veteran, and the attraction to that is definitely higher than the veterans of other teams.

The problem is with the Rockets, they are in a mess now, how could they get a foot in here? "

The logo man is also puzzled.

Little Buss felt that the two of them were upset with him, but he couldn't help interjecting weakly: "Could it be because of commercial factors? Didn't you say that Leo has huge commercial value behind him that can be developed?"

Logo man + Mickey Mouse: (￣ェ￣;)
Right!

Forget about it.

Other teams may not be sensitive to the commercial value of flower planters. For example, the Mavericks have selected a Chinese player for so many years and have never used it.

But the Jew on Team Rocket...

The logo man coughed twice, and said, "Mitch, you contact Leo and tell him clearly that we will trade him with the 10th or 13th pick and ask him not to participate in the Rockets' trial training."

Kupchak: "Here, we are about to play a tiebreaker..."

"I know that if we want to trade these two draft picks, we must pay for the main players. If this matter is leaked, we will definitely be affected, and we may lose the championship because of it.

Don't worry, Leo is a smart person. If he wants to come to us, he knows that this matter can't be said nonsense. If it affects our championship, our team members will hate him, and he won't be able to hang around... unless he wants it at all He has no idea of ​​joining us, and he hates us very much, even if we choose him and hide him, otherwise he won't talk nonsense.

Kobe is getting better and better now, and Shaq is 28 years old. If we get Leo, after four or five years, Leo will also mature, and we will rule another era!
Mitch, don't worry, everything is under my control! "

When Kupchak heard this, he remembered the perfect inheritance of Kareem-Magic-Worthy 20 years ago, 9 championships in 5 years, how great it was.

He admired the logo man's eyes very much, and he had no doubts when the logo man said that Li Ao would be their next James Worthy.

Kupchak nodded heavily and agreed.

If something goes wrong, he will take the blame.

If you want to surpass the glory of the 80s, you have to fight!
At this moment, Kupchak and the logo man were full of pride, and they seemed to be able to see the stars and the sea in their eyes.

Little Bass didn't know why the two suddenly became heroic while chatting. He thought for a while, and made the same expression and eyes, following the heroic.

...

A few days later, on June 6, the finals will begin.

In the East, the Pacers defeated the Knicks 4-2 and reached the finals.

But the most dazzling part of the Eastern Conference playoffs is not the Pacers, but the Knicks.

The Knicks started the regular season poorly. After two months of playing, the Knicks had a 2000% winning percentage. But after 50, their strength improved by leaps and bounds. They finally entered the playoffs with a record of 32 wins and [-] losses. .

The reason for the resurgence of the Knicks - Van Gundy Jr. greatly reduced Ewing's playing time and shooting rights, and reduced the importance of Ewing in tactics. The second and third masters, Camby became the No. 1 choice for the center on the defensive end.

No matter how Ewing expressed his dissatisfaction to the media, how he quarreled with the coaching staff, teammates, and management, Van Gundy Jr. ignored him.

Van Gundy Jr. made the right bet. Although the 37-year-old Ewing, who is in a contract year, is very noisy, he will still do his best on the court and be forced to accept a change of role.

When Ewing was no longer the core of the tactics, the first shot point, and the first singles choice, the Knicks had a qualitative change in strength and rushed directly to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Although they were eliminated 2-4 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks, with its star-studded and excellent lineup depth, has been praised by the media and fans, who feel that they have a bright future.

But on the second day after the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks gave Alan Houston a six-year, $6 million early contract extension, which made the media and fans' evaluations more subtle.

This is the first billion-dollar contract in team history.

Alan Houston's current contract expires in the summer of 01 and will be renewed for 6 years in advance. That is to say, in the 06-07 season, Alan Houston will get the highest salary in Knicks team history.

Alan Houston is currently 29 years old...

Li Ao, who was in a good mood after the exam, accepted an interview and teased the Knicks: "Whenever you are surprised by the Knicks, they can always surprise you with another surprise from a completely unexpected angle."

In the West, on June 6th, the Lakers finally passed the Trail Blazers and reached the finals.

But winning is extremely difficult.

In the first three quarters, O'Neal had 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. Although Zen Master took a gamble and didn't replace him early, his performance fell apart. He only scored 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. This is the first time in this year's playoffs that he finished three quarters. Not a single block after the game.

Not only him, but Kobe's performance in the first three quarters also fell apart, scoring only 12 points on 4 of 11 shots.

At the end of the three quarters, the Lakers trailed the Trail Blazers 58-71 by 13 points. The Lakers fans were desperate. Thousands of Trail Blazers fans in the Staples Center who came to the away game shouted "OK combination is the best in the world." One" taunted the Lakers.

In the final quarter, Kobe went berserk, scored 7 points and 5 blocks in 14 of 3 in the final quarter, leading the team on both offensive and defensive ends.

At this time, O'Neal no longer played timidly, no matter whether he fouled or not, he just did it.

O'Neal made 4 of 2 shots in a single quarter. O'Neal's performance in this area was average, but he still had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in a single quarter. I can watch Kobe score 8 points in a row at the last moment.

In the end, the Lakers reversed the Trail Blazers 89 to 84 and reached the finals again after 8 years.

It has been 3 days since the end of the Western Conference finals. Tonight, the Lakers will usher in the first game of the finals against the Pacers at home.

In the past few days, Los Angeles seems to have returned to March Madness, and the basketball atmosphere is high.

In the general manager's office of the Lakers, the logo man and Kupchak also talked and laughed every day.

Finally made it to the finals again, and their favorite quasi-rookie is getting closer and closer to them.

The fact that Li Ao agreed to refuse to accept the Rockets' trial training was beyond their expectations.

Kupchak thought he would have to persuade him for two more days, but he didn't expect the other party to agree on the spot when he heard what he said.

In this regard, the two interpreted that Li Ao really wanted to join them!
As for Bass' speculation that Li Ao might not like the Rockets in the first place, the two scoffed.

A stupid and mentally retarded guy who happens to guess twice, really thinks that he can guess right every time he guesses randomly?
Leo not only rejected the Rockets' invitation to tryouts, but also rejected all invitations to tryouts from non-lottery areas!

They even withdrew from today's Chicago joint trial training.

Isn't this an expression of love for their Lakers?
The media and experts also speculated in this way, saying that Leo deliberately did this in order to lower his pick, and wanted to fall to the 29th pick and be selected by them.

Of course, they won't break their promise. They said that the 10th pick is the 10th pick, and they can't chill people's hearts.

It was noon, and the logo man and Kupchak made an appointment to have lunch together. They wanted to have a good meal, and then enjoy tonight's finals.

At this moment, someone suddenly opened the door and entered.

The man with the logo frowned instantly, who is so rude?Fire him!

Oh, prince, it's all right.

Bass, who rushed into the office, put his hands on his thighs, panting heavily, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was too panting to speak.

The logo man complained that he was panting like this at a young age, but he asked, "Jim, what happened? Don't worry, just take it easy."

After a while, little Buzz said, "It's not good! Jerry, Mickey, something serious happened!"

The two were confused. Now that the situation is very good, what big things can happen?
Kobe and O'Neal fight?

Bass took a few more breaths and said, "Mike Bibby, the Grizzlies' No. 98 pick in [-], told the Time Warner reporter that he wanted the Grizzlies to pick Leo!"

As soon as these words came out, the logo man and Kupchak broke the defense on the spot and cursed a few obscenities.

This shit is everyone wants to fight against them?
Some teams will come out to disrupt the situation, they guessed it, and the Rockets and Magic will come out to disrupt the situation.

But the Grizzlies are the No. [-] pick!

What's the fun with such a high pick?
Wait, Mike Bibby, the name of the man with the logo feels very familiar, but he is not familiar with this person, of course he knows the white devil, he thought of another person named Bibby.

Trojans head coach Henry Bibby!

Not surprisingly, this guy definitely recommended his Leo to the Grizzlies!

The man with the logo completely broke his defenses—an angry black man, I have no grievances with you, why do you want to murder me?
Kupchak is also in a mess now, he and Bass looked at the logo man eagerly.

The guy with the logo really wanted to say something: Don't worry, everything is under my control...what the hell!

How could he have imagined that it would develop to this point?
(End of this chapter)