The statement of the team's new coach Norman Thomas also made things more tense. As a former super center, Dwight Howard rarely faced such severe reprimands.
Perhaps, except for the time when he worked with Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers, no one else has done this in his career.
Seeing Norman Thomas's attitude, Dwight Howard also got angry.
With a cold face, he didn't say a word and walked directly towards the door of the training hall. As soon as everyone saw his appearance, they knew that this guy was definitely planning to give up.
As the de facto leader of the team, Zhao Feiyang knew very well that head coach Norman Thomas was planning to establish his authority. After all, he had no foundation at all in the Minnesota Timberwolves before.
It may be difficult to tame certain players with management support alone.
Unfortunately, Dwight Howard happened to hit the opponent's gun this time.
What surprised Zhao Feiyang was that it seemed that head coach Norman Thomas was not a big shot. How could he choose to fight against the team's star in this situation?
Many NBA coaches have faced similar thorny issues, but they generally don't have problems with their stars.
After all, if things get ugly, it is very likely that one of the two will have to leave.
"Dwight, don't leave!"
"Man, stay here. I believe the coach didn't target you on purpose. It would be the same if it were someone else... Man, our goal is to compete for the championship. If we can't maintain discipline, how can we play better?" Where are your results?"
Zhao Feiyang went up to persuade Dwight Howard, trying to get him to stay.
But Dwight Howard not only didn't listen, but actually asked him, "Zhao, do you think this is okay?"
"Come on! What's the use of discipline alone? We used to be able to reach the finals without discipline. I don't think talent is better than these things. And I wasn't late for too long, it was only half an hour... "
Zhao Feiyang did not agree with Dwight Howard's answer.
"Yes! Dwight, you are indeed not late for too long, but you are the team's superstar. If you are late, what will others think?"
"You will also become a role model for everyone invisibly. This is the role of a leader... If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. I believe you must understand..."
Dwight Howard looked unhappy when he heard this.
"Do I care what other people think?"
"Zhao, you make me feel that your tone of voice is exactly the same as Kobe! Oh! This feeling is really bad... Forget it! I might as well tell you that I am here just for money. I can only I promise to do things within the scope of my responsibilities, and other things have nothing to do with me..."
After saying that, Dwight Howard turned and left.
Zhao Feiyang failed to stop him, and he really didn't expect this man who looked like "Pistachio" to have such thoughts!
It is true that work is work, and sometimes it doesn't seem like a problem to be on track.
However, what makes playing basketball different from other jobs is that the team not only provides high remuneration, but also has so many fans who are willing to look forward to you, and their expectations are also a responsibility!
The departure of Dwight Howard did not make the scene chaotic. Head coach Norman Thomas is still telling his story.
After Zhao Feiyang returned to the team, Norman Thomas did not blame him. He just asked him to return to his position and continued chatting with other players.
"I am Philip's old friend. We have known each other for many years. Before that, I had been coaching in the NCAA... I had already retired, but this old guy had to let me come out to help him. ..."
"His current physical condition is not optimistic, so just to do the old man a favor, I have to save a team like yours... I am very pleased that at least some people in the team are still there. Chasing victory..."
"In short, from today on, everyone in the team must obey my orders. I will not interfere in your daily life. However, you can only follow my requirements for games and training... "
The harsh attitude shown by Norman Thomas also surprised the entire Timberwolves team.
After the morning training ended, coach Norman Thomas supervised everyone to continue training until noon, when the training finally ended.
After returning to the locker room, Zhao Feiyang also sat next to the closet to change clothes. At this time, Zach LaVine next to him searched for Norman Thomas' information on the Internet out of curiosity.
You wouldn’t know it if you didn’t search, but everyone was surprised after searching.
"Norman Thomas once coached Duke University and Georgetown University. In the 1980s, he led the team to the NCAA finals 7 times and won a total of 3 championships... His coaching career is known for his strictness. ..."
"After the 1990s, he gradually moved behind the scenes. At the beginning of the millennium, he was an assistant coach of the Los Angeles Lakers... and retired in 2003..."
"Last season, the Boston Celtics offered him a 10 million contract, but he declined..."
Various news about Norman Thomas appeared in front of everyone on the Internet, which also shocked Zhao Feiyang and Zach LaVine.
They really didn't expect that the other party was so powerful!
Although he is an old-school coach who once was very brilliant, the opponent is probably one of the best in this circle in terms of connections and ability.
Not to mention, with the Minnesota Timberwolves' garbage record, without Philip Sanders' friendship, it would have been impossible to hire such an old-school coach.
At this moment, everyone understood why the other party dared to reprimand Dwight Howard directly.
Firstly, he has the support of Philip Sanders and even the entire management behind him; secondly, the opponent is an NCAA coach, who may not be so well-known in the circle now, but has potential influence.
It is true that Dwight Howard is a superstar, but he is no longer the "Warcraft" he was at his peak. It is no longer possible for most teams to treat him with that attitude. Facing such an old senior, the face of a superstar is actually It’s still not enough to watch.
However, what no one expected was that Dwight Howard knew nothing about it.
By the time of training the next morning, Dwight Howard simply didn't come! He no longer protested by being late, but simply missed training.
This move also made head coach Norman Thomas extremely unhappy.
After the training that morning, Norman Thomas also went directly to the management and asked them to contact Dwight Howard.
"Tell that guy, if he doesn't come to practice, I can't guarantee he's going to be benched for the whole season..."
