After Yao Ming was traded to the Bulls, the big names in the free market have basically settled.
In addition to the known ones, several others that have attracted more attention include:
The Knicks signed Stoudemire with a five-year, $100 million max-salary contract after a fruitless campaign;
After a period of back and forth, Ray Allen finally agreed to renew his contract with the Celtics with a two-year, $20 million contract;
Kobe, Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay and others all stayed on their respective teams;
David Lee was poached by the Warriors with a four-year, $64 million contract;
Tyson Chandler chose to execute his player contract and was subsequently sent to the Mavericks by the Bobcats in exchange for trading chips as the main body was Eric Dampier.
These are the same as what Xu Yong knows.
The difference is: Boozer signed with the Pacers for 80 million in five years. In order to free up salary space, the Pacers traded down the draft picks and sent Mike Dunleavy to the Bucks;
Then came a series of operations by the Bulls.
After completing the deal with the Rockets, the Bulls did not choose to strengthen the power forward position.
Just like Thibodeau said when communicating with Foreman, he hopes to play a lineup with one large and four small in the new season, so he is more inclined to strengthen the outside.
Therefore, their first target for subsequent reinforcements is Ray Allen, who Thibodeau has worked with before.
Unfortunately, after some exchanges, Ray Allen felt that although he had differences with the team, it was not the right time to leave.
After failing to sign Ray Allen, the Bulls immediately used a three-year, 9.5 million contract to acquire former Celtics player Tony Allen, who had also worked with Thibodeau before.
Allen was the first-round pick selected by the Celtics in 2004. He has excellent athletic ability and strong physical fitness. He often performs flying dunks.
In his third grade, he successfully entered the starting lineup and averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is a potential new star who can combine offense and defense.
However, injuries destroyed him. After spraining his knee during a dunk, he was reimbursed for the season. He also lost his athletic ability and gradually became marginalized in the Celtics.
Later, the addition of Thibodeau helped Allen transform into a defensive player and gain a foothold with the Celtics.
However, due to his limited offensive role, he has never been reused in the Celtics.
This time Thibodeau signed him because he knew his defensive skills.
And this is a normal market price. The value of functional defensive players in the free market is very limited.
When Allen chose the Bulls, in addition to Thibodeau, his renewed mentor, there was also the starting position promised to him by the Bulls, which would give him a chance to play his value.
In the previous Yao Ming deal, the Bulls' 21 million salary space was left with 8 million, and after this wave of operations, there is still about 5 million left.
They originally planned to use this contract to keep Kwame Brown, who performed well in the playoffs last season, but the Celtics offered Brown a two-year, 15 million contract.
Obviously, Brown showed his worth in the playoffs last season, and there is no shortage of people who have size and defense like him.
As for the Celtics, Perkins was seriously injured in last season's Finals against the Lakers. The Celtics urgently need to add inside players, and because both Pierce and Ray Allen can renew their contracts, they can make this move. of a contract.
Anji: You dig me up with a hoe, and I’ll give you a hoe back. Is that reasonable?
But just after Ainge poached Brown, someone from the Bulls already took the initiative to shoot.
O'Neal left the Cavaliers and reached a two-year minimum salary contract with the Bulls with a player option for the second year.
This is something different from the history that Xu Yong knows. In this year in O'Neal's history, he went to the Celtics with a minimum salary.
But there is essentially no difference. At the end of his career, Shark just wants to hug him once and win as many championships as Kobe.
Moreover, the Bulls still have Yao Ming, who is sympathetic to him, and Xu Yong, who he praised so much last season. Now that Brown has left and has the opportunity, he actually doesn't have to think too much.
For the Bulls, there is no harm in signing O'Neal with a minimum salary, because that doesn't even take up salary space.
Moreover, the Bulls also chose to retain the salary space first, and then use the full mid-level salary to acquire Jazz shooter Kyle Korver for 15 million in three years.
Although Bill Walker performed well last season, his injury risk is too great, and the team needs a stable three-point tactical point.
After completing these operations, the Bulls core lineup is basically there.
Starting lineup: Rose + Tony Allen + Xu Yong + Artest + Yao Ming;
Substitute: Hinrich + Korver + James Johnson + Ty Gibson + O'Neal.
This lineup is obviously a level better than last season. The defense Thibodeau wants is to fill all the starting bench.
Especially in the starting lineup, Kobe frowned when he saw it, and James turned around and gave the ball to Wade to show that you are the boss of the team.
As for the rest, they only need to make good use of the remaining 5 million salary space and continue to strengthen.
When Xu Yong saw a series of news related to the Bulls, he was a little surprised.
Because the team not only sent away Noah, but also sent away Deng.
Mo is still a dog, knowing that if the Bulls really win the championship, he will definitely be criticized, and he will try every means to weaken the Bulls.
But thanks to Thibodeau, the head coach of the Bulls, he poached a good corner of the Celtics.
But after signing Allen, he also knows that Thibodeau will really play a senior and a junior next season.
That would mean he would have to play small forward most of the time.
In other words, is he going to gain weight?
But gaining weight is inevitable, because he knows how terrible James' weight will be in the new season.
That is directly increased to 120 kilograms, and the decelerating shoes on the field can make two black marks on the ground.
Of course, it's impossible for him to gain that kind of weight. First, it's because James' physical condition is abnormal that he dares to play like this. Even if he doesn't get injured, growing so much and losing flexibility and flexibility will not be worth the gain;
Second, and more importantly, he didn't have that time. James didn't play in the World Championships and it took him an entire offseason, including the first half of the regular season, to adapt to his new weight. He didn't have that much time.
Of course, how much weight he gained will be after competing in the World Championships. Now, his focus is still on the World Championships.
By late July, Xu Yong was ready to return to China early.
He is not going to participate in the national team's joint training immediately, but to participate in the brand trip to China organized by AJ as instructed by the league.
In addition to him, there is Wade, who has just formed the Heat's Big Three, and Carmelo Anthony, the star of the Nuggets and AJ's current top player.
This wave of AJ can be said to have sent out its three strongest lineups, which is obviously to build momentum for Xu Yong's signature shoes in the future.
Before getting on the plane, Wade chatted with Xu Yong for a few words, but once they got on the plane, Wade sat with Anthony and chatted.
Speaking of which, the real close relationships between the 2003 generation and the generation of 2003 are James, Wade and Anthony. Counting their younger brother Paul, they are the future Banana Boat Brothers.
If Anthony hadn't been greedy for money and signed his first contract with the Nuggets for one more year, Bosh would have been fine with the Heat's Big Three.
Xu Yong didn't care about this. He didn't have to be polite, which was more peaceful for him. Besides, he hadn't been back to his country for a long time and felt a little homesick.
I slept on the plane and when I woke up, it was almost time to arrive.
The first stop of their trip to China was Shanghai. When the plane started to descend and the outline of the city could be gradually seen, Xu Yong couldn't hide his excitement.
Sure enough, the NBA is just a job, and it still feels like home.
When the pilot landed at the airport and walked out to hear the familiar local accent that came from time to time, the feeling became stronger.
But just when he was about to give his hometown a cordial hug, he was shocked by the scene at the airport exit.
I was really shocked. They were all so densely packed with people that I couldn't see the edges at a glance. Even the road in the distance was blocked.
After Wade and Anthony got off the plane, it felt very fresh to look around. The two of them had been chatting non-stop, but now they were frightened when they came out.
This is not their first time coming to China. They had come once before with the Dream Team during the BJ Olympics.
Speaking of this scene, they saw something similar when they followed Kobe out of the bus.
No, even then it wasn't that exaggerated.
Obviously, these Chinese fans cannot come for them.
Moreover, the sign held by my friend on the trash can in the distance is eye-catching enough. Of course, the sign hung upside down by my friend on the tree is even more eye-catching.
Xu Yong took a deep breath. It was not that he had not done some psychological construction, but the enthusiasm of the fans at this moment still exceeded his imagination.
Of course, the security personnel on site were already prepared.
Are you kidding me? Xu Yong’s popularity in China is phenomenal right now!
Let alone Yao Ming, Yao Ming can only avoid his edge.
A Chinese swingman with a fierce playing style and handsome appearance. He won the Rookie of the Year and completed eight black games. No one can compare with him.
This has even broken the circle.
Xu Yong came to the guardrail and reached out to clap with the fans. Those in the front row must have been waiting here for a very long time.
When he got to a safe and controllable place with fewer people, he stopped and signed autographs for them.
Wade and Anthony behind him hesitated for a moment, but still followed.
Although in terms of NBA cards, none of them has a higher position than Xu Yong, but this is Xu Yong's home court, and they can't compare at all.
Those fans who didn't get Xu Yong's autograph noticed Wade and Anthony at this time, and asked them for autographs with Xu Yong's jersey and sneakers.
Wade and Anthony looked at each other, smiled bitterly, and signed autographs for them.
Because the fans were so enthusiastic, they stayed at the airport for more than an hour.
When we left, there were even many fans chasing the bus.
Seeing the fans going crazy, Xu Yong waved his hand to signal them to stop chasing. While feeling moved, he was also sure that his decision to compete in the World Championships was right.
For players, there is a difference between the honors of the Olympic Games and the World Championships, but for fans, as long as the national team participates in international competitions, the difference is not that big.
Their event schedule was very tight, and the bus went directly to the event site instead of going to the hotel.
The event was held in Jiangwan Stadium. More than 3,000 fans at the scene had already filled the stadium, and there were also fans outside the stadium.
The security on site is also of a very high standard, so although there are many people, the order is not chaotic.
It can also be seen from this that the reason why some events cause chaos on site, or even have to be canceled, is basically because they do not know enough about the players' status and choose the wrong venue for the event.
After entering the event site, all the people in the stands held high various signs and big signs related to Xu Yong.
This is not an AJ event, it is clearly Xu Yong's personal fan meeting!
Wade and Anthony could only smile bitterly. Only then did they realize that Stern had arranged for them to be bodyguards this year.
Fortunately, Xu Yong is still very understanding of the world. After the event started, he intentionally or unintentionally brought the topic to Wade and Anthony, which made the two of them feel a lot better.
The activities went very smoothly, including a three-point contest, a slam dunk contest, and then playing against the national youth players to teach the lucky fans some basketball skills.
At the end, there was an interactive session where fans in the stands asked questions.
Everything went smoothly at first, until a fan picked up the microphone and asked a question, which caused a burst of cheers from the fans at the scene.
The target of this fan's question is Wade: "As a superstar who led the first and second defense last season and led the team to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, you chose to team up with the first and first defense last season's MVP James, what do you think?"
After asking this question, the translator was stunned and didn’t know how to translate it.
Although Wade can't understand Chinese, MVP and James' pronunciation can probably be guessed, and his expression is starting to feel awkward.
Xu Yong didn't help at this time. He felt pretty good about Wade, but even if he knew about the peak grouping in advance, he still felt it was very shameful.
Seeing this, the host could only skip this question.
But someone started the conversation, and the style of the subsequent questions gradually began to become distorted.
"James is the MVP. Aren't you worried that he will steal your position as the team leader when he comes?"
"Do you think winning the championship through shortcuts like this will be a bonus to your career?"
"Have you ever thought about what you would do if you failed to win the championship?"
Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, the organizers could only hastily end this session.
Wade pursed his lips at this time, probably because he had come to the other side of the ocean unexpectedly, and he still couldn't avoid being tortured.
He hasn't played a single game yet, and I don't know if he has begun to regret his original compromise.
After the event, they returned to the hotel to rest for a while, and in the evening, they attended a party together.
The party is entertainment in nature, and beauties are indispensable, and of course there are more domestic insiders.
In this place where Messi is toasted when he comes, you can't hide.
Xu Yong dealt with it for a while and found a chance to sit on the sofa in the corner to rest.
But not long after he sat down, Zhang Minji came over.
"There is a person who works in foreign trade. He is the sponsor and coordinator of our national team's European training. He is your die-hard fan and wants to meet you."
Xu Yong originally frowned, but after hearing about the national team coordination, he nodded.
Not long after, Zhang Minji led a Chinese man in his thirties over. He had a good temperament, but his skin was a bit dark. At a glance, he knew he was in foreign trade.
"I've finally met a real person." The other party was very enthusiastic as soon as he came up and directly held Xu Yong's hand.
Xu Yong was surprised, smiled and motioned for the other party to sit down and chat.
"Whether I am in Africa or Slovenia, as long as there is your game, no matter how busy I am, I will take time to watch it. I am really so excited." After the other party sat down, he also realized that it was a little abrupt and explained with a smile. .
Xu Yong glanced at the other party in surprise at this time. He was engaged in foreign trade in China and traveled to Africa and the Balkans. This person had something special.
"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Xu Jiming. After all, we are still the same family." The other party then introduced himself.
They both have the surname Xu, which makes the distance between them much closer.
The two quickly started chatting, and Xu Yong got to know more about this fan.
He is also an inspirational person. He went abroad to do foreign trade before he was twenty years old. First he went to the Balkans, and later he went to Africa where the country invested in Africa. Moreover, he was also an avid basketball fan. When he was a teenager, he was a member of the national team. The golden generation of men’s basketball fans.
With money, love, and connections, he became a very special bond.
"I was there during the 2008 Olympics, and I knew at that time that you would definitely become a star in the NBA." Xu Jiming said as he pulled up his suit, revealing the Bulls No. 6 jersey he was wearing inside. The No. 23 jersey of Dalton State University, and even the No. 23 jersey he wore at Bush High School underneath.
Xu Yong was stunned, then took the initiative to stand up and give the other party a hug.
Xu Yong's resistance was completely gone now, and they talked about more things.
"I have been deeply touched by my experiences in the Balkans and Africa over the years. You should know Rwanda, right?"
Xu Yong nodded. Hotel Rwanda, the movie starring Don Cheadle, is the "War Machine" in Marvel.
"On the streets of Kigali, the capital, there are young men with Durant's figure running all over the street. They have narrow shoulders, long wingspan, and long legs. But the place is so poor that they don't even have enough food to eat. Even if they are talented, they can't play basketball." Xu Jiming sighed with emotion. road.
Xu Yong nodded. Unlike many people who think they are too lazy to cook, there are actually a lot of Odebiao in Africa. Just because they have no sovereignty, they can only export the cheapest raw materials. They are sucked by Western countries all the year round. Food and clothing is always the first problem.
But people like Mutombo, Luol Deng, and Mbah a Moute show that there is indeed no shortage of talent here.
"And over in the Balkans, although they may not necessarily be as talented as those in Africa, they got rich early and already had a basketball system for training, so their performance has been very stable."
Xu Jiming is right. Before the disintegration, Yugoslavia was the only team that could compete with the Dream Team. Even after the disintegration, it was still a world basketball power.
But Xu Yong looked at Xu Jiming, not quite understanding what he wanted to say.
"I mean, our country actually doesn't lack people who play basketball, it just lacks training methods. I see that because of you, many children have gone to the United States to play basketball, but to be honest, only those with good physical fitness Only then can they have a chance there, but most of them can only die at home."
"You mean to send it to Europe?" Xu Yong now understood what Xu Jiming wanted to say.
"Yes, most of the people in Africa who want to play football immigrate to Europe. If we also send our children to Europe, the training opportunities are great. Moreover, they are focused on tactical literacy and the players they train are spiritual." Xu Jiming nodded. .
"I've actually always wanted to sponsor some children to play basketball in the Balkans, but we don't really trust European basketball now." Xu Jiming continued.
When Xu Yong heard this, he looked at Xu Jiming and couldn't help laughing.
What Xu Jiming said coincided with what he had thought before.
In fact, Chinese basketball has no shortage of insiders, but the biggest shortage is defenders. Except for a few people such as Hu Weidong, the others are all soft-footed shrimps in international competitions. They have no confrontation, no shooting, and they can't move the ball well.
On the contrary, Europe plays defenders.
As a saying often said by fans, the United States can cultivate four major shooting guards, but it cannot cultivate Ginobili.
You must know that Ginobili is not a European, he is an Argentinian who plays in Europe.
And it's not just Ginobili. The physical fitness of those European guards is not necessarily that good, but they are all better than the last.
So in fact, this should involve a counterpart issue. If you keep the insiders in the country to train, and then send the talented forwards to the United States, and the defenders to Europe, and finally, like the Gundam team, and then bring them together to play in the national team, then the male The strength of the basketball team is the same.
(End of chapter)
