basketball player

Chapter 212 210: Coach of the Year

"You're not kidding me, are you, Bird."

The day after returning to Indianapolis from Philadelphia, Henson made an immediate trip to Bird's office.Because what Bird said to Henson yesterday made Henson feel unbelievable.

"Do you think I am joking with you? At noon today, we will hold a press conference. I hope you will be ready when the time comes." Byrd stood up, took out a cigar, and lit it for Henson.

This is how they both celebrated their victory.

Henson took a deep breath, then exhaled the smoke rings, narrowed his eyes slightly, and looked at the scenery of Indianapolis outside the floor-to-ceiling windows behind Byrd's desk.

It's only been a few years since I came here, but the changes in me are too great.From a scout who was about to be fired to the best coach now.
That's right, the best coach!
Bird called yesterday to inform Henson that he has become the league's Coach of the Year award winner this season!This honor is much more valuable than being selected as an All-Star!

As the first regular season award to be made public by the league, people have been arguing over the issue of "who will win the best coach award" in recent days.After all, this year, a total of three teams and three coaches have achieved the same result of 50 wins and 16 losses.They are the Bulls, Pacers, Spurs, Thibodeau, Popovich and Henson.

Therefore, Henson was indifferent to the matter.Because from the very beginning, he never thought that he could win the award.

That's right, my record is indeed on par with them, but the principle of winning this award is not as simple as the record.Every invited sports reporter will participate in the voting, and the specific winner will depend on the results of the voting.

And Henson's relationship with the media couldn't be worse.Compared with Thibodeau and the highly respected Popovich who won last year, Henson believes that no media will choose him, so he really doesn't have any expectations for this award.

But sometimes, happiness comes so suddenly.

Perhaps, Henson is not as annoying to the media as he imagined.Don't journalists like Christine and Sager have a good relationship with me?Doesn't Popovich often hate the media, but is he still highly respected?

Behind those media who attack Henson every day, there may be a bunch of silent reporters who support him.After all, not everyone is so clamorous.

"What's the matter with you?" Seeing Henson stunned with a cigar in his mouth, Bird couldn't help but patted him on the shoulder.

"Uh, it's nothing, it's just...too sudden." Henson came back to his senses and smiled at Bird.

"Too sudden? I thought you were always ready for everything?"

"That's true, Byrd, but except for that."

The team broke through the first round 4-0 easily, and Henson won the best coach again, which undoubtedly put Bird in a good mood.Be the godfather of basketball in Indianapolis?That day seemed to be getting closer.

※※※

At noon, in the media reception room of the Conseco Arena, Larry Bird, who had not appeared in front of the scene for a long time, handed over the Coach of the Year trophy to Henson in front of countless cameras and dazzling flashlights in front of all the media.

Speaking of it, it is precisely because of Henson's excellent team leadership that Bird appears less and less in public, because reporters are now attracted by Henson.It was a rare occasion like this, and Bird's task was to present an award to Henson.

The Best Coach of the Year Award is actually called the "Adnor Auerbach Award".This trophy is named after the legendary head coach "Cardinal" Auerbach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships between 1956 and 1966.

It is very strange that it was Auerbach who brought Bird to Boston. Auerbach was undoubtedly Bird's mentor and gave him a brilliant career.But now, Bird handed the trophy named after his mentor to a head coach personally selected by him.
Look, fate is so wonderful sometimes.

Henson took the trophy with both hands. He had seen the appearance of the trophy countless times on the Internet before. It was a small bronze man sitting on the bench directing the game.However, he never thought at that time that he would be able to personally touch such an honor!

Holding the trophy, Henson faced the camera with a smile on his face.Suddenly, the media reception room was filled with a "click".

Henson felt a little dizzy, as if everything couldn't be seen clearly.But after the flashes were over, the Coach of the Year trophy was still held in his hands for real.

This is not a dream!

At this point, the reporters seemed to have stopped caring about Henson's status as a "half hanger" overnight.It was enough that he came and brought victory with him.

"Coach Henson, congratulations! Tell me how you feel at this moment!" In fact, it is impossible for anyone to make things difficult for Henson today.Because most of the people who came here at this time were local media in Indianapolis.Even if anyone has doubts about the outcome of this award, such doubts will only appear in the online news and newspapers elsewhere.

"Excited, thrilled, surprised, happy, I didn't expect that I would be able to hold such an honor one day. I have to thank Bird and the management for their trust in me, and of course, I have to thank my players. They are very obedient, which definitely makes my job a lot easier."

It was the second time for Henson to say the last paragraph.He also said the same thing in an interview with Christine before.

It can be seen that Henson is really grateful to the group of boys under him.Because he knows very well that coaches and players are mutual achievements of each other.A good coach cannot succeed without good players.

The reporters rushed to take pictures. It is very rare to see Henson smiling so sincerely.

After a brief press conference, Henson hugged Bird and Pritchard again, looking incoherent.

"Don't get excited, Henson. This is not your end, nor is it the end of the Pacers. Play the next game well, and our playoffs have just begun."

Henson nodded, and his expression gradually returned to calm.Yeah, it's not my end.Now, it's time to consider the opponents for the second round.

But before that, there is no doubt that Henson should choose a hard-won reward for unlocking the "Coach of the Year" achievement.

※※※

On May 2012, 5, 10 days have passed since the Pacers advanced to the second round, and 4 days have passed since Henson Joe won the controversial Coach of the Year award.

There is no doubt that the news of Henson's award has caused a stir throughout the league.

"Is Popovich no match for Henson Joe now!?"

"It's a ridiculous award because it's not the best coach."

"Coach Henson Joe became the first person in NBA history to win the best coach by lip service."

But now, no matter how the media attack Henson, Henson doesn't care.Because the voting results have shown that most journalists are actually on their side!
A total of 119 sports reporters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada participated in the voting for this year's NBA Head Coach of the Year awards.Henson received 77 first-place votes in one fell swoop, which is undoubtedly an overwhelming advantage.

Therefore, Henson didn't care about the media's abuse, nor did he care about any praise.Instead, he put all his attention on his opponent in the next round.

On May 5, the Boston Celtics will host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 10 of the series.If the Celtics win today, the old rivals Henson and Rivers will inevitably meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Therefore, Henson is very concerned about this game.For the next round, whether the opponent is the Celtics or the Eagles, Henson is very confident.

After getting the best coach, Henson upgraded his "Fitness Facility" badge, which increased the physical strength and progress speed of all players from 10% to 20%!

Needless to say, the importance of physical strength, but now, all my players have a 20% progress speed bonus!Since Leonard is equipped with the "Strengthening Potential Level 2" badge, the progress speed bonus has reached 40%!

Henson can't help but fantasize about how strong the Pacers will be next season.But before that, Henson is also full of confidence in this season due to his more physical fitness than the aging Celtics and Eagles.

As Bird said, the best coach is just the beginning.Victory will continue.
(End of this chapter)