In August 2014, the NBA entered the offseason. The battles and battles between the teams came to an end. The draft and free market signings that followed also ended. Fans and teams have entered a long period of roughing it. .
But basketball did not stop because of this. On the contrary, during the NBA break, various basketball training camps, amateur leagues, and international basketball competitions will spring up like mushrooms after a rain.
The two largest gathering places for summer basketball events in the United States are Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Las Vegas, in particular, has become increasingly important in the basketball circle in the past two years.
Not only will summer leagues and preseason games be held here, the NBA is also considering holding regular seasons here in the future to further expand the NBA's market share. There are even voices hoping to form an NBA team in Las Vegas to combine the NBA and Casinos are closely connected.
After all, after signing a huge television broadcast contract, the current new strategic direction of NBA executives is to combine the NBA with gambling, so that gambling with huge amounts of money will become a new incremental area for the NBA.
This may be the only breakthrough point for Adam Silva to escape Stern's shadow in terms of business strategy.
This time in Las Vegas, the most eye-catching thing is the U.S. national team's World Championship training camp.
In order to prepare for the 2014 Basketball World Championships, the American Basketball Association once again hired the old coach K and recruited a group of NBA rising stars to join the training camp to prepare for the upcoming World Championships.
Players of the older generation, such as James, Kobe, and Anthony, who are over 30 years old, no longer join the national team. This time, Old K selected a group of young people under 25 and under 25 as the backbone of the team.
New MVP Stephen Curry, new Finals MVP James Harden, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jamal DeRozan, Anthony Davis, Cousins, Drummond... …
The oldest of these players is Curry, who was drafted in 2009. He looks young, but is actually 26 years old. The remaining players are all drafted after 2009.
Among the current roster, 4 people are from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers' accumulation and cultivation of new forces can be said to be the best in the league and unmatched.
With an unstoppable momentum, they easily won this year's championship. They lost a total of four games in the four-round series. It can be said that the three consecutive championships become easier as they win.
In this year's draft, they selected center Nikola Jokic from Serbia with the 30th pick in the first round. Jokic, a fat young man, immediately entered the field of vision of the national sports media. Everyone believed that, This may be another magical choice for the Clippers - although it seems that this fat man is really not suitable for playing basketball.
The Clippers, with young players as the core, seem to have no one to stop them next season. People are beginning to expect that since 1969, the four consecutive championships that have been unprecedented but rare in history will be defeated this year. Realized?
This should be the biggest suspense next season.
However, in August, another big suspense about the Clippers is whether Paul George will continue to stay in Los Angeles, or whether, as outside rumors say, he will go to the San Antonio Spurs and become the new boss there and the successor to GDP.
After the free market opened in July, George did not immediately renew his contract with the Clippers. Although the Clippers had the first right to renew George's contract, lobbyists from San Antonio seemed to persuade George to go to San Antonio. The idea of being the new boss.
After all, in Los Angeles, he will eventually be outnumbered by Curry, Harden, Gasol and others. Moreover, at the small forward position, the Clippers are full of talents and the competition is very fierce.
On the contrary, the Spurs are just short of an All-Star-level small forward at the third position. If George goes to the Spurs, his statistics, status, and honors will definitely rise a lot, and his contract will definitely be a maximum salary.
George was caught in hesitation. He did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he learned from his predecessor LeBron James and let the bullets fly for a while before making a decision.
At this time, LeBron James is also waiting quietly. When his contract expires in the summer, it is still a mystery whether he will stay with the Cavaliers or go to other teams to form a super team to fight against the Clippers.
Before the contract was determined, George was selected for the U.S. national team, participated in the training camp, and trained with teammates such as Curry and Harden.
He has not been having a good time in the training camp these two days, because Harden and Curry have always been mentally forcing him not to leave the Clippers.
"Paul, if you leave Los Angeles, you will be our traitor! I will not be polite when I meet you in future games."
"You know, if you go to the Spurs, you will never have a chance to win a championship in the future, absolutely!"
"Mr. Smart will definitely kill you. Do you want to face Smart's wrath?"
In a one-on-one training session, James Harden used his hard-trained step-back jumper against George while verbally attacking him.
George was disturbed and was really stunned on defense. He was accidentally shaken by Harden and fell. Harden shook his shoulder with the ball and calmly hit a three-pointer!
"Bingo! You slipped up! Hey, George, do you really want to shovel cow manure in Texas? How about I give up next season's MVP to you?" Harden pulled George up from the ground.
"The MVP next season must be you? You are too arrogant. If I go to the Spurs, I can still win the MVP."
"You dream, you have to help three old men in the Spurs. I advise you to think about it carefully and don't forget that we are brothers."
George's eyes were distracted, and he was really tangled and struggling in his heart.
Many friends around him, especially his agent, advised him to go to the Spurs.
Because in terms of collective honor, three championships are enough.
Many players fail to pursue a championship in their lifetime and regretfully end their careers.
With George like this, fulfilling his long-cherished wish early is a bad start. From now on, he doesn't have to be obsessed with championships and can focus on personal development.
The Spurs are a good collective, and Popovich's training of players is well known. The most important thing is the maximum salary contract and the treatment of core players.
This is very attractive to an African-American boy like George, who wants to be the boss in his heart.
But what Harden said makes sense. They have been playing with the Clippers since they entered the NBA. They have created brilliance in a short period of time and are as close as brothers.
The Clippers players have very little mobility. They grow up together and are like a big family. This kind of atmosphere is unique in the NBA.
It's just that young people have never experienced ups and downs and don't know the warmth of home. They always want to go out and make a living, so George is very entangled.
At the end of the morning training, the players were interviewed by reporters. Many reporters were asking which team George was planning to go to next season.
George was vague. He said that he just wanted to prepare for the World Championships and that he was not worried about the contract issue for the new season.
It would be a lie to say that he is not worried. No matter which path he chooses, George will feel regretful.
Leaving the Clippers, leaving his brothers and hometown, I think he chose to try out with the Clippers because of the proximity.
But staying with the Clippers, I feel like I can see the future at a glance, and there seems to be a lack of challenges.
The unknown can bring fear as well as temptation.
During the lunch break, George received a call from Popovich.
Most of George's personal phone calls are handled by his agent, and only a few people know his own cell phone number.
Popovich got George's cell phone number from somewhere and started texting him after the finals to establish a personal relationship.
Popovich is not an ordinary person in the league, and his status makes George willing to communicate with him.
Recently, I have often called him to check on his situation and learn about his training content and status. Today, Popovich continued to chat with George.
"Has Mr. Smart come to you recently to communicate with you about the contract?" Popovich asked.
"Uh...not recently, and I haven't looked for him."
Speaking of Min Congda, George was a little frustrated in his words.
After considering leaving the Clippers, George never had a face-to-face communication with Min Congda and always let his agent do the talking.
Because he knew that it would be difficult for him to face Min Congda, and he was even more afraid that Min Congda would be angry and lash out at him, which was difficult to accept psychologically.
Min Congda is like a teacher and a loving father to these young people. Although he is not old, the spiritual support he gives to everyone is not comparable to that of ordinary smart team managers.
Of course, George has never been in other teams, so his feelings are not particularly deep. Veterans such as Milicic, Bonner, and Randolph all said that Mr. Smart is simply a charity compared to other team managers. Home.
The first trait that most NBA team managers need to possess is to be ruthless, not to have too deep feelings for the players, not to hesitate to break their promises when necessary, and to treat the players like goods with a price tag and send them away in exchange for a lot of money. Want chips.
But Min Congda is obviously not, which makes George the most troubled in his heart.
"George, I actually communicated with your boss, Mr. Smart, during the playoffs. To be honest with you, we hoped to trade Leonard, but Mr. Smart refused. Then I Said, we will fight for George in the summer, Mr. Smart said, it depends on George's own wishes and ideas. So, don't worry about Mr. Smart, he will respect you."
Popovich said this with hidden murderous intent, specifically mentioning Leonard, saying that he wanted to trade to get Leonard, but Min Congda refused, saying that he wanted to get George, and also said that he respected George's wishes. This meaning was clear in Min Congda's heart. George's status is inferior to Leonard's.
Of course, George understood this meaning and felt very uncomfortable. Although he did not believe that Min Congda would say this, it was impossible for him to find Min Congda to question and verify.
"Did you communicate? In the playoffs? Really?"
"Of course it's true, right before the semifinals started, in the tiebreaker between the Lakers and the Warriors."
Popovich did not lie about this, but Min Congda himself couldn't remember exactly what he and Min Congda said that day.
"I'll think about it again, but if the Clippers insist on keeping me, there's nothing I can do about it."
"I know we will give you a good offer. If the Clippers are willing to follow up, you can also get a big contract, which will be good for you in the end."
"Well... you're right, thank you."
"No, it's normal for players and managers to communicate with other teams. You don't need to be ashamed of it, you know? To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine that your Clippers players are just like college students. Matt is so protective that he almost doesn’t understand the rules of the NBA.”
"Mr. Smart...he was very good to us."
"He is great, but everyone has his own destiny and choice. Okay, I won't say more. I wish you good luck, George."
After saying that, Popovich hung up the phone, and George breathed a sigh of relief.
The human heart is very delicate, especially when making choices. A very subtle factor may cause people to change their minds.
Popovich called George in recent days. Although he never said that the Spurs were good, the Clippers were bad, or Min Congda was bad, he used clever words to make George's heart more and more shaken.
George feels more and more that he may not be that important to the Clippers. His status in Min Congda's heart is definitely not as good as Curry, Harden, or even Leonard.
If this is the case, then George feels that it is okay to leave.
And Popovich continues to tempt George to try new paths and destiny.
The temptation of the unknown is so great that young people's hearts are slowly turning to the other side of the mountain.
Although it is very possible to climb over this mountain and go to the other side of the mountain, you will find that it is nothing more than that, and the scenery is not as good as here.
But people just can’t control themselves and want to climb over that mountain.
When the team continued training in the afternoon, George was a little absent-minded. He was thinking about the new contract.
The Clippers, Spurs, Los Angeles, San Antonio, or he has more options. There are more than one team that has offered him an olive branch. Everyone knows his potential and value.
Halfway through the training, the team started a confrontation match. George and Harden were assigned to opposing teams, and the two faced off on the court.
Harden is still talking about this, so George should make a decision quickly and stop dilly-dallying.
George felt irritable and went all out in the confrontation, and he and Harden launched a high-quality offense and defense against Maimang.
In a counterattack, Harden held the ball on a fast break, and George chased after him. He didn't want Harden to score easily.
However, just after he took off to block the shot and landed, his feet hit the base of the basket - the base of the basket should not be so close to the baseline, and then a terrifying scene happened:
The wrong landing angle caused his leg bones to withstand a huge impact and broke abruptly at a 90-degree angle, with the bones poking out from under the flesh.
This sudden and horrific scene of a broken leg terrified all the American generals. Some were so scared that they curled up, and some were so shocked that they were speechless. After Irving understood what happened, he cried directly.
Harden was even more stunned when he saw this scene. He stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do. Soon he realized what had happened. He turned back and closed his eyes and squatted on the ground, trying hard not to vomit.
George fell to the ground in pain. He tried to get up, but his lower limbs were weak. After seeing the condition of his calves, he closed his eyes and lay down, his mind going blank.
It was over, he knew he was done. His calf was broken like a dead tree. The huge pain did not come immediately. It was the protection of his brain, otherwise such a serious injury would make him faint immediately.
There was chaos at the scene, and medical staff immediately came on the scene, fixed George on a mobile stretcher, and immediately took him off the court and sent him to the hospital for treatment.
The training could no longer continue. Coach K immediately canceled the match and asked everyone to go back to rest. He and the coaching staff immediately rushed to the hospital to wait for George's injury assessment.
When the Internet was developed, such serious and terrible injuries were immediately spread to the Internet as news.
Some fans felt extremely sorry and shocked.
Some fans said, "George paid the price for his hesitation. He hasn't signed the contract yet. How can he continue to survive in the league like this?"
"He should have signed the contract earlier. After suffering such a serious injury, I'm afraid no one will be willing to sign a new big contract with him."
"Not everyone is James and has bargaining power. George's luck is really bad."
Things happened, and people can comment whatever they want. As the person involved, George, none of this matters anymore.
Misfortune is like this, but it often comes without warning. Whether you are happy and happy at the moment, it will give you a bolt from the blue, or you have already had bad luck one after another, and it will make things worse for you. In short, you cannot predict it, and it is even difficult to avoid it.
George was sent to the hospital. The doctor immediately started to treat the wound, and then formulated a surgical plan to reconnect George's broken leg.
After George's family got the news, they flew from Los Angeles as soon as possible. George Sr. learned about the incident from a friend's phone call. Although he knew that his son's life was not in danger, he suffered such a serious and terrifying injury. Old George was still heartbroken.
By the time he arrived in Las Vegas, George's surgery was complete and doctors used steel pins to fix the broken bones.
Fortunately, apart from the fracture, there was no other injury to the leg. For a hard injury like this, just wait for the bone to completely grow back.
George gradually woke up from anesthesia. These few hours seemed like a dream to him, a sudden nightmare.
He wished that when he opened his eyes, he would be lying in the hotel room. It turned out to be just a dream. He took a break at noon and took a nap.
Unfortunately, it was not a dream. He saw his father, George Sr., with a worried face, and his sister standing beside the hospital bed, her face full of tears.
George wanted to speak, but he was so confused that the anesthesia had just worn off and he couldn't say anything.
Old George held his son's hand and said: "I'm here Paul, dad is here, you are fine, no problem, everything will be fine."
George nodded slightly and said in a small voice: "I'm sorry, Dad."
Old George shook his head and said: "No, you did nothing wrong, no need to say sorry. You are great, you are the pride of our family. This is just a small setback."
George sighed and said: "I...I am too willful, I should...stay in Los Angeles..."
George Sr. has always agreed with George's ideas and decisions, but he was very opposed to him wanting to leave the Clippers and go to other teams.
Los Angeles is George's home. Every time the Clippers have a game, his family will come to support him. If he leaves, he will be far away from his family and the Clippers who have been so good to him.
Old-school people like George Sr. really hope that George can play with the Clippers for the rest of his life. He has won three championships and the team is willing to renew his contract. Even if it is not the maximum salary, what does it matter?
However, young people always have the idea of going out to find their own way, and the father and son will inevitably have conflicts on this issue.
Old George touched George's head and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Smart called me when I came here. He said that the team will give you a five-year contract normally, exactly the same as before. , it won’t be a penny less. He asked you to take good care of yourself, and when you’re done, you can go fishing with him when you have time.”
George couldn't believe what his father said. He looked at his sister, who gave her an affirmative look.
George, who didn't even shed tears when his leg was broken, couldn't bear it now, and tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
(End of chapter)
