The next day, the 4th, at 8:30 in the morning, at the Trump Hotel in Portland, Lakers general manager logo man, assistant general manager Mitch Kupchak, and Prince Jim Buss were having breakfast in the restaurant.
After giving Li Ao a separate trial yesterday morning, the logo man came to Portland with the team in the afternoon.
Jim Bass said: "You know, the fact that Leo refused us a second try was leaked."
Kupchak responded: "Guessed it."
"guessed?"
"Yeah, that's to be expected, right, Jerry."
The logo man responded: "Yes, I'm surprised that they don't do this. I just didn't expect them to move so quickly. As expected of a large entertainment agency, their media resources are much better than those of ordinary sports agencies."
Kupchak analyzed: "Not only does it ask us for a higher pick, it can also increase our draft expectations. Jerry, do you think our Lakers will be regarded as a guaranteed option by Leo?"
The logo man smiled when he heard this: "If we really have a chance to take over, that would be great, we don't have to pay any price..."
As he spoke, the man with the logo suddenly changed the subject: "But there is one thing I don't understand right now."
Seeing both of them staring at him curiously, the man with the logo didn't give in. "I heard that Leo rejected the invitations for trial training from 5 teams yesterday afternoon. The Suns, Jazz, and 76ers. I can understand these three teams." , their picks are 25, 23, and 20 respectively. Leo refused to participate in their trial training. I can understand that their trials are multi-person trials. Leo is not willing to waste time on these picks, but the 11th Leo also rejected invitations from the Celtics and the Mavericks at No. 12, and I still can’t figure out why.”
Kupchak echoed: "This is also something I can't understand. Does Leo have such a big appetite? Even the lottery area doesn't like him?"
The logo man and Kupchak were silent for a while.
Bass looked at the two of them from side to side and whispered, "Is it because of the color conflict in the cities where these two teams are located?"
After hearing this, the two of them suddenly figured it out as if the clouds were clearing and the sun appeared.
But after they figured it out, the two of them felt a little embarrassed for a while.
They only consider team strength, draft position, and 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 forward and defensive lines. In the first two seasons, they also had a relatively outstanding forward and defensive player in Ron Mercer. Pierce and Anthony Walker can both play from the 2 position. Playing to the 4th position, plus Li Ao who can also play from the 2nd to the 4th position, there is no problem.
Moreover, Li Ao is different from Ron Mercer. The latter plays with the ball. When the three of them play together, there will always be disputes about the ball. However, Li Ao plays without the ball and can be very compatible with the two.
The Mavericks are short of 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 out three-guard lineups. .
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 they forgot the serious problem of color discrimination in these two places.
The two of them looked at Bass at the same time: Is this guy still a wise and foolish little boss?
Little Bas was dumbfounded and said with a smile: "I just said it casually. If I say something wrong, you don't have to look at me like that."
The two looked at each other again: No, this guy is stupid and retarded.
The logo man said: "We have to speed up the process, Mickey, you go contact Leo and tell him that we will select him in the lottery."
"Lottery? Jerry, have you found a lottery pick that you can trade?"
"Yes, I heard that there is a team in the lottery that wants to make a big move this summer. They have no expectations for the person who can be selected with this pick and want to replace a veteran with excellent strength and rich experience."
"What order? Could it be..."
"Yes, the 13th pick in the first round."
"..."
Kupchak: ()
With the 13th pick, isn't this the Magic?
Just ask, can we not catch the same sheep and kill it?
Cursing, Kupchak went to work immediately after breakfast.
…
Another day has passed and Monday has arrived.
At 8:30 in the morning, in the restaurant of the Trump Hotel in Portland, the same three people were sitting at the same location and at the same table as yesterday.
However, compared to the relaxed and happy atmosphere yesterday, the pressure among the three of them was very low today.
Last night, they lost.
Although Kobe made 12 of 24 shots, including 6 of 9 three-pointers, setting a new personal playoff high for three-pointers in a single game, plus hitting 3 free throws, he scored a playoff personal high of 33 points in a single game.
But O'Neal was beaten by the Roof of the World and Tianzun, making 7 of 17, and only made 3 of 10 free throws, scoring only 17 points.
The Trail Blazers' second-year substitute short forward Bonchy Wells broke out, scoring 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Others also performed well on both offense and defense.
103 to 93, the Trail Blazers came from a desperate situation of 1 to 3 and evened the score.
The Western Conference Finals enter the tiebreaker!
After losing two games in a row and entering the tiebreaker, the Lakers are in danger...
Seeing that the two of them were in a bad mood, Bass Jr. wittily changed the subject: "Jerry, Mickey, have you seen the latest draft prediction list?"
It's okay not to mention this, but when it comes to this, the two people's mentality becomes even more explosive.
Which pot won’t be opened?
The new week has arrived, and major media have announced their respective draft prediction lists.
Li Ao has entered the lottery in almost every major media prediction list!
When Li Ao announced his decision to participate in the election, except for Sports Illustrated, which predicted the pick of 10-15, the initial pick predictions given by other media were all on the edge of the first round.
Off-ball relievers are not popular these days.
Even Eddie House, who finished his senior year, and Michael Reed, who averaged 19.6 points per game in three years of college and performed very well, are predicted to be in the second round because they were off-ball shooters in college.
The age of 18 is both an advantage and a disadvantage. There will be teams that want to give it a try. The trend of "younger" drafts cannot be reversed, but most teams still traditionally select juniors and seniors in the draft.
For example, Martin Cleaves, who has perfected his skills in college and has all-round skills, is 23 years old and is predicted to be in the lottery. The same situation is also true for Courtney Alexander. How outstanding it is. It’s hard to say, but he is mature and has comprehensive skills, and is predicted to be 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 the 20th pick in the first round.
The reason for the improvement is that high-profile talented players such as Sean Battier, Joe Johnson, Troy Murphy, Jason Collins, Brandon Haywood... did not participate in the draft in advance. Many people's Draft predictions have all improved.
But this time it jumped directly to the lottery area...
Seeing that the two were silent, Buss continued: "I saw news reports that the Magic wanted to select Leo with the 10th pick, and the Rockets also wanted to select Leo with the 9th pick. Jerry, let's trade 13 The draft may not be enough.”
Another unopened pot was brought up!
The logo man is furious, how could he not know this?
The lamb actually resisted!
He said: "I just contacted the Magic at noon yesterday to inquire about their transaction situation with the 13th pick. In the afternoon they said they would use the 10th pick to select Leo. They felt that they did not earn enough by selling the 13th pick and wanted to sell it. Give us the more expensive one.”
Kupchak responded: "There is not much difference between the 10th pick and the 13th pick. Just pay a little more. It is normal for them to want to retaliate against us, but as long as we give it to the players, they will give us the pick. They want to bring in that one, our veteran, and the attraction to that one is definitely higher than that of veterans from other teams.
The problem is with the Rockets. They are in a mess now. How could they get involved here? "
The logo man is also puzzled.
Little Bas felt that the two of them were unhappy with him, but he couldn't help but weakly interjected: "Is it because of commercial factors? Didn't you say that there is huge commercial value behind Leo that can be developed?"
Logo man + Mickey Mouse: (￣ェ￣;)
Yell!
Forgot about this.
Other teams may not be sensitive to the commercial value of florist players. For example, the Mavericks have not used a Chinese player for so many years.
But that Jew from Team Rocket...
The logo man coughed twice and said: "Mitch, 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 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 may lose the championship.
Don't worry, Leo is a smart man. If he wants to come to us, he will know that he can't talk nonsense. If it affects our championship, our team members will hate him and he won't be able to survive...unless he wants it at all. He has no idea of joining us, and he hates us so much that he doesn't care about hiding him after we select him, otherwise he won't talk nonsense.
Kobe is getting better and better now, and Shaq is 28 years old. If we get Leo, wait four or five years, Leo will mature, and we will dominate another era!
Don't worry, Mickey, I have everything under control! "
When Kupchak heard this, he thought of the perfect inheritance of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-Magic Worthy 20 years ago, five championships in nine years, how great it was.
He greatly admired the vision of the logo man. The logo man said that Li Ao would be their next James Worthy, and he had no doubt about it.
Kupchak nodded heavily and agreed.
If something goes wrong, he will be blamed.
If you want to surpass the glory of the 1980s, you have to give it a try!
At this moment, Kupchak and the logo man were full of pride, and it was as if they could see the stars and the sea in their eyes.
Little Bas didn't know why he suddenly became bold and bold while the two were chatting. He thought about it and made the same expression and eyes, following the boldness.
…
A few days later, on June 10, the finals will begin.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pacers defeated the Knicks 4-2 and reached the finals.
However, the most dazzling team in the Eastern Conference playoffs is not the Pacers, but the Knicks.
The Knicks started the regular season poorly. After two months of play, their winning rate was close to 50%. However, after entering 2000, their strength improved by leaps and bounds. They finally entered the playoffs with a record of 50 wins and 32 losses, and went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. .
The reason for the Knicks' resurgence - Van Gundy Jr. significantly reduced Ewing's playing time and shooting rights, and reduced Ewing's importance in tactics. The madman became the first shooting point, and the mid-range shooting king and aunt became With the second and third players in charge, Camby became the first choice center on the defensive end.
No matter how Ewing expressed his dissatisfaction to the media or argued with the coaching staff, teammates, and management, Van Gundy ignored him.
Van Gundy Jr. made the right bet. Although Ewing, who is in a contract year and is already 37 years old, makes a lot of noise, he will still try his best on the court and is forced to accept the change in his role.
When Ewing was no longer the core of the tactics, the first shot, and the first singles option, the Knicks' strength changed qualitatively and they rushed directly to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals 2-4, the Knicks, with their star-studded roster and excellent lineup depth, received praise from the media and fans, and felt that they had a bright future.
But just the day after the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks gave Alan Houston a six-year, $100 million early contract extension, which made the media and fans' evaluations more subtle.
This is the first billion-dollar contract in the history of the Knicks.
Alan Houston's current contract expires in the summer of 2001 and will be renewed for six years in advance. In other words, in the 2006-07 season, Alan Houston will receive the highest salary in the history of the Knicks.
Alan Houston is currently 29 years old...
Li Ao, who was in a good mood after the exam, accepted an interview and joked about the Knicks: "Whenever you are surprised by the Knicks, they can always give you another surprise from an angle you never expected."
In the Western Conference, on June 6, that day, the Lakers finally successfully passed the Trail Blazers and reached the Finals.
But winning is extremely difficult.
In the first three quarters, O'Neal made 4 turnovers and 4 fouls. Although Jackson took a gamble and did not replace him early, his performance was poor. He only scored 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. For the first time in this year's playoffs, he finished three quarters. There was no block after the game.
Not only him, but Kobe Bryant's performance in the first three quarters also collapsed, scoring only 11 points on 4 of 12 shots.
At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers trailed the Trail Blazers by 13 points, 58-71. Lakers fans were in despair. Thousands of Trail Blazers fans in the Staples Center who came to watch the away game shouted, "OK, the best combination in the world." 1” mocking the Lakers.
In the final quarter, Kobe went berserk, scoring 14 points and 3 blocks on 5-of-7 shooting in the final quarter, leading the team on both offense and defense.
At this time, O'Neal no longer played timidly, no matter whether there was a foul or not, he just did it.
O'Neal made 2 of 4 shots in a single quarter. O'Neal's performance in this aspect was average, but he also had 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in a single quarter. The most important thing was that he made 6 of 8 free throws, which made the Trail Blazers dare not use foul tactics at the last moment. I could watch Kobe score 8 points in a row at the last moment.
In the end, the Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 89-84 and reached the Finals again after 8 years.
Three days have passed since the Western Conference Finals ended. Tonight, the Lakers will face the Pacers in the first game of the Finals at home.
These days, Los Angeles seems to be back to March Madness, and the basketball atmosphere is high.
In the Lakers general manager's office, the logo man and Kupchak also talk and laugh every day.
They have finally entered the finals again, and their favorite prospect is getting closer and closer to them.
Li Ao's agreement to accept a trial training with the Rockets was beyond their expectations.
Kupchak thought he would have to persuade him for two more days, but he didn't expect that the other party agreed 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 Buss Jr.'s speculation that Li Ao might not like the Rockets in the first place, the two scoffed.
The stupid and retarded guy accidentally guessed twice. Do you really think he can guess right every time?
Leo not only rejected the Rockets' trial invitation, he also rejected all trial invitations from non-lottery areas!
Even today's joint trial training in Chicago, they withdrew and did not go.
Doesn't this count as expressing love for their Lakers team?
The media and experts also speculated this way, saying that Leo did this deliberately in order to lower his ranking, hoping to fall to the 29th overall pick and be selected by them.
Of course, they won't break their promise. They said the 10th pick is the 10th pick, and they can't let others down.
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 pushed the door open and entered.
The logo man frowned instantly, who is so rude? Fire him!
Oh, Prince, that’s okay.
Little Bas rushed into the office with his hands on his thighs, breathing heavily, and opened his mouth to speak, but he was too out of breath to speak.
The logo man cursed that he was panting at such a young age, but asked: "Jim, what happened? Don't be anxious, take your time first."
After a while, little Buzz, who had regained his composure, said, "No! Jerry, Mickey, something big happened!"
The two of them were confused. The situation was great now, so what else could happen?
Kobe and O'Neal got into a fight?
Bass took a few more breaths and said, "Mike Bibby, the Grizzlies' second pick in 1998, told a Time Warner reporter that he hoped the Grizzlies would pick Leo!"
As soon as these words came out, the logo man and Kupchak broke the defense on the spot and cursed a few curse words.
Isn't this crazy that everyone wants to go against them?
Some teams would come out to stir up trouble. They guessed it, and the Rockets and Magic came out to stir things up.
But the Grizzlies picked the second pick!
Why are you joining in the fun with such a high pick?
Wait, Mike Bibby, the name looks familiar to the man with the logo. It’s not that he’s 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 logo man completely broke his defense - angry white and black man, I have no enmity with you, why do you want to murder me?
Kupchak was also confused now. He and Buss looked at the logo man eagerly.
The logo man really wants to say something: Don't worry, I have everything under my control... I have no control at all!
How could he have imagined that it would develop to this point?
(End of chapter)
