Chapter 328 Big Bug: Let me be teammates with Old K, and I will retire
At eight o'clock, the 1995 draft begins.
David Stern made an opening statement, and then the Warriors, who held the No. 1 pick, began to select players.
The Warriors selected forward Jordan Smith with the No. 1 pick, the Clippers selected Antonio McDyess with the No. 2 pick, Philadelphia selected Jerry Stackhouse with the No. 3 pick, and the Bullets selected Rasheed Walai with the No. 4 pick.
The Timberwolves selected Kevin Garnett with the fifth pick.
"Two of the top four are from North Carolina. The quality of Jordan's alumni is very high!" Colangelo Jr. said with emotion.
"He likes to pick his own alumni," Westphal laughed.
The draft continued. The Suns' first target, Barry Jr., was selected by the Nuggets at No. 15. Then Theo Ratliff was selected by the Pistons at No. 18. Finally, the Suns selected Michael Finn at No. 21.
profit.
"Suns?"
Michael Finley was happy to hear that the Suns drafted him.
The Suns had just won the championship, and I heard that Glider had not renewed his contract. Dan Malley is also old and lacks players on the outside. He should be able to get a lot of opportunities with the Suns, which is why he is happy.
He trotted onto the stage excitedly, put on a Suns hat, hugged Stern, thanked him, and went to the media for interviews after leaving the stage.
"Old K, do you want to see him?"
"I won't go."
Colangelo Jr. and Westphal were going to have a few words with Michael Finley, but Wang Tiejun did not follow.
"Brian, maybe Old K thinks this rookie is not suitable for the team." Westphal said after leaving his seat.
"Do you think he's a good fit for the team?" Colangelo Jr. asked.
Westphal said: "His real height is only 198 centimeters. He has a height disadvantage when playing small forward. If he faces an opponent like Pippen, he will be at a disadvantage. I don't think he can fill Drexler's vacancy. Mr. Thunder
Yes, if I let him play the second position, I think it's okay, but his ability to hold the ball is a little bit worse, and his performance will drop a lot when he meets a defensive expert.
But the Lightning are also old, and we need to develop a young point guard with potential. Michael Finley does not have the ability to handle the ball or break through. We need to develop someone on the outside who can handle the ball, or trade for a good point guard."
Colangelo Jr. nodded and said nothing. He was thinking about trading Thunder Lord.
No matter what Michael Finley's weaknesses are, the Suns currently have no other rookies that can be cultivated, so what should be cultivated must be cultivated, and we can talk about the future later.
The two found Michael Finley, said a few words of encouragement to him, and returned to their seats.
Michael Finley was a little disappointed because the team's boss, Old K, did not see him, and he knew that Old K was at the scene.
Then the Suns used their first-round pick No. 25 to select Mario Bennett, a small forward who was only 198 centimeters tall and had average talent, not as good as Michael Finley.
The draft continues, and after the first round, the second round begins.
But there is nothing wrong with the Suns. The Suns' second-round pick has been given to the Hornets. Whoever the Hornets want to draft later, the Suns will draft.
"Ben, rest assured, you will hear your name, I promise." In the audience, Oakley was comforting Ben Wallace.
Ben Wallace, who remained silent, twisted his neck in annoyance and said in a low voice: "Charles, I believe you."
Oakley touched his chin uneasily and said to himself, "I'm just trying to comfort you. Ben, can't you tell? Don't take it seriously!"
After an hour, the draft ends.
"well!"
In the hotel room, although Ma Jian knew that he would lose the election, he still felt very disappointed now that he had really lost the election.
In fact, we know from the Suns' attitude towards him that Old K is the boss of the Suns and is unwilling to give him a chance. The possibility of him being selected is too small.
In Madison Square Garden, Ben Wallace looked at Oakley with a resentful look on his face. This old man lied to him and he lost the election.
"Don't worry, Ben, I know some scouts, they will give me face, I will ask them to introduce some teams, you can go for trial training, you will definitely have a chance." Oakley said quickly.
"Charles..."
Ben Wallace said in a low voice: "It's up to you, I believe in you."
Oakley opened his mouth and said secretly, "Ben, I'm just talking. Don't take it seriously. I really don't have that much face."
The draft was over, Colangelo Jr. and the others still had things to do, so Wang Tiejun left alone.
Many New York fans greeted him, and he waved to them. When he was about to enter the exit, he happened to bump into Charles Oakley who was coming down from the audience.
"Hey."
The two are old enemies, but like Ewing, there has been no conflict in the past two years. They only play two games a year. There are not many opportunities to meet. Some things have faded over time.
At this time, he simply nodded as a greeting.
"Hey."
Oakley nodded immediately.
Now, with Lao K's status, being able to greet him first was considered a great honor, and he couldn't put on any airs and responded immediately.
But I felt a little uncomfortable because one of his baskets was still in Old K's hand, and I heard his name was on it.
"Hey."
Seeing Ben Wallace with Oakley, Lao Wang also nodded.
Ben Wallace was a little excited when he saw Old K. This was the super center who defeated Jordan twice in the finals. Who would have expected that he would be so close to him and actually nod to him?
He just feels a little inferior. He is a super center, but he was not selected. Moreover, he is also a center, but he is almost a head shorter than K.
"Crack!"
Oakley noticed that Old K was greeting Big Ben, but Big Ben actually didn't say a word. As if he didn't see or hear him, he immediately slapped Big Ben on the back of the head and cursed: "You bastard, you are such a famous person."
Really? Call someone quickly!"
"oh oh……"
Daben nodded in embarrassment, nodded toward Lao Wang, and said, "Hey!"
Oakley covered his forehead, this idiot, hey, hey, you can't say one more word, at least call him "Old K", right?
"Let's go first."
Lao Wang nodded again and left first as he could no longer be on friendly terms with Oakley.
"Ben, be more flexible and don't you know how to say hello? Just know hey hey hey, you idiot, idiot!" Oakley cursed in a low voice.
"I……"
Daben lowered his head and opened his mouth, then closed it again.
As he walked, Oakley said verbosely: "The Suns are rebuilding and are currently short of people. AC Green's annual salary is very high and he is old. He may also be traded. When you encounter a good opportunity like Old K, you don't know.
Try to build a relationship with him and get a tryout opportunity?
Your movement speed is okay, so you can switch to the fourth position and do the tiring and dirty work for him. If you encounter the open inside line, you can also switch defenses for him, isn't it just right?"
Da Ben said solemnly: "Charles, I don't know him, isn't he pointing at you? You don't even tell him?"
"..."
Oakley was stunned. Should I talk to him? Should I talk to him with my fists? Do I have a relationship with him? Don’t you know he beat me?
…
Wang Tiejun returned to the hotel and first went to Ma Jian's room to chat with him.
"Brother Ma, do you have any thoughts on returning to China to play? China has now established a CBA, a professional league, and the first season will start in a few months. Your ability is no problem."
Ma Jian shook his head and said: "I still want to try here and see if I can find an opportunity to play in the summer league and preseason games."
Lao Wang nodded. His answer was so quick. He must have thought about it a long time ago. He didn't give any more advice.
At this time, Ma Jian said: "When I left the national team and came to the United States, the relationship with the relevant domestic units was so tense that I was afraid that I would not be able to play football when I returned."
Lao Wang thought for a while and then said: "Well, let's try it here first. If it doesn't work, we'll find a way.
For the Suns, Danny Ainge should lead the team in the summer league. I'll talk to him and there should be no problem."
"Thanks then!"
Ma Jian was grateful.
Lao Wang scratched his head and regretted rejecting Colangelo's proposal.
It can be said that Ma Jian completely abandoned everything in China just to play in the NCAA. The ultimate goal is of course the NBA. He has been working hard for more than three years and still has no chance to this day.
His own experience of entering the NBA can be said to be quite smooth and legendary. He did not have such a difficult experience as Ma Jian, so he could not truly experience Ma Jian's mood.
Lao Wang didn't waste any time and immediately called Danny Ainge and told him that Ma Jian wanted to play in the summer league, and Ainge agreed.
"When I return to China this time, I will bring a group of trainers there and run a summer camp with Brother Zhang in the capital. Brother Ma, please go and be a sparring partner. Help me and you can train yourself. I will give you a salary.
." he said.
"No, it's inappropriate, isn't it?" Ma Jian said with some clarity.
"That's it, it's settled," Lao Wang said.
Ma Jian nodded and did not refuse again, because he really needed money, very much.
The so-called people who are poor and have short ambitions are just like when Lao Wang ate leftovers in other restaurants. As long as he can eat enough, he should put aside face and other things.
In the next two days, Wang Tiejun continued to stay in New York, and then the opening ceremony of the New York branch of K Martial Arts was held on the 2nd.
The next day, he rushed back to Los Angeles to prepare for the premiere of Red Zone on the 4th.
On this day, the alliance's trading window opened. Although it was still in the transaction freeze period, various transactions had already begun.
…
The red zone has taken Asia by storm and the box office is amazing, which makes American distributors very excited.
The American distributor of the Red Zone is New Line Cinema. The company’s distribution manager, Mike Robert, has secured 2,000 North American cinemas. This is the largest release of a non-American film to date.
Today's premiere was not small in scale. New Line Cinema used thirty police cars and four hundred Harley-Davidson motorcycles to rush along Hollywood Boulevard to the Sunset Boulevard Dome Theater where the premiere was held.
Attracted the attention of countless people.
Wang Tiejun and Yu Feihong came to the red carpet in a Cadillac extended sedan arranged for him by Hawksman. The car had a huge body and a lot of space inside, so he was quite comfortable sitting there.
"Oh, Lao K is here."
"The publisher has long announced that Mr. K will attend the premiere, but he has actually come!"
After the two got out of the car, they immediately attracted the attention of countless spotlights and movie fans, becoming the center of attention at the scene.
"Old K!"
Cheng Long and others came over with smiles on their faces.
"Congratulations, it's a big event today. I hope it will sell well at the box office and reach the top of the weekly charts in North America." Lao Wang said with a smile.
"Then I accept your good advice." Cheng Long smiled.
The first two attempts to hit Hollywood failed. The box office performance of The Killer and Power Rangers was disastrous. This time, although the red zone has swept across Asia, he really has no confidence in North America.
At this time, a large group of reporters gathered around to interview, and Lao Wang said a lot of good things about Cheng Long and Hong Fan District.
The premiere of Hongfan District was considered a success. Some of Cheng Long's actions in the movie were very attractive, such as the scene where he jumped from the roof of a building to the balcony a few floors below.
The audience found it very exciting, and even Hollywood found it eye-opening. It was hailed as "shocking" by the American media and received great praise.
On the morning of the 5th, Colangelo Jr. called and told him something. The team was preparing to trade Dan Marley and asked him what his opinion was.
"Which team?" he asked.
"Cavaliers, I want their first-round pick in 1996." Colangelo explained.
Lao Wang did not ask about the lottery first, but asked: "Then you have talked with Lei Gong?"
"Already talked about it."
"That's okay."
There is nothing unexpected about him. The team's lineup needs to be overhauled, which is no different from rebuilding. It is normal for Lei Gong to be traded. Although it is a pity, this is the NBA, a tough team and good players.
"Brian, would the Cavaliers be willing to trade their 1996 first-round pick?" He then focused on this.
Last time, Bryan traded for the Hornets' unprotected first-round pick in 1996. He felt that it was a bit of a loss for four for one. This time, he traded for the Cavaliers' pick. It might be another loss-making transaction. Colangelo will not
Is he a loser?
"The Cavaliers are even stronger than the Hornets, so next year their first-round pick will not be a lottery pick, and the value will not be that great. And like the Hornets, they have a 1996 first-round pick that was traded. I just said
They got the news, so if they encounter a good bargaining chip, they may also trade their pick." Colangelo Jr. explained.
"Okay, you decide."
Lao Wang didn't ask any more questions. He didn't understand any of this. Colangelo told him that he was just being polite and respected him as the core of the team.
Then he made a phone call and chatted with Dan Marley for a long time.
Marley was in a good mood. The team was rebuilt and a swingman like Michael Finley was selected in the first round. He was already prepared to be traded.
Veterans like him are mentally prepared. If they are not traded, the team will only have so many positions and salary space, and the team will have no way to rebuild.
And Colangelo Jr. promised him that when he retires, he will be given a short contract and let him return to his home team before retiring.
On the other end, Colangelo Jr. began to contact the Cavaliers.
He planned to take Dan Marley, plus the Suns' 1997 first-round pick, in exchange for the Cavaliers' 1996 first-round pick.
It's a pity that the Cavaliers didn't give up, and Dan Marley's condition had begun to decline. He was only an ordinary main player at his peak, and he directly rejected the Suns.
The Dan Malley deal can only be temporarily suspended, but Colangelo still has to trade Thunder away from the team because the Suns will prepare to train Michael Finley next season.
On the 6th, Wang Tiejun and Yu Feihong, accompanied by Hawksman, rushed to the airport and prepared to fly to Tokyo, Japan.
He had some business activities in Japan and needed to stay there for two days. Ma Jianze flew to the capital with several trainers, Liu Changfeng and Tian Xiaofen.
There were also a group of reporters who followed him to Japan. Now his influence and popularity are far greater than last year, and the media are following him at any time.
Last year, he led the team but failed to break out of the Western Conference. This year, he led the team to sweep the championship in four rounds, which directly caused his influence to take off. He is so famous that during the period after winning the championship, he was not inferior to Jordan at all.
.
On this day, the NBA's trade freeze period ended, and the league officially announced the salary cap for the new season, which is 23 million US dollars, an increase of 7 million US dollars from last season. The increase is very large, more than 40%, which shows that the league's revenue is also higher than last season.
In the 1993/94 season, it increased by more than 40%.
At 9 o'clock in the morning on this day, Mosaic announced that it had reached a contract with Drexler, a free agent, for three years and US$20.5 million.
This time, the mosaic of the Big Three immediately became the favorite team to win next season.
The Suns also started following the steps to trade Chong Chong and Green with the Spurs. While waiting for the league to approve the deal, they first notified AC Green's agent.
After Green knew that he would be traded to the Spurs, he was not disappointed. He had long been mentally prepared to be traded. In fact, he took the initiative to seek a trade last season.
"Do I want to go to the Suns? No, no, no, I don't want to face that violent guy like Old K. I want to retire."
After Rodman learned from his agent Darren Prince that he would be traded to Phoenix, he reacted greatly and even directly shouted out to retire.
He is used to being undisciplined. He often skipped training at the Spurs and became a party animal, hanging out in nightclubs. His habits cannot be changed. If he is with Old K, he will inevitably be restrained. Once a conflict occurs, how will he deal with Old K?
Fist? He didn't want to be beaten to death in the locker room.
"Dennis, the transaction has already happened, can't you change it?" Darren Prince said with a headache.
Rodman was very unhappy and shouted: "How do you want me to change it? Don't you let me have a party? No way, I want to have a party every night.
Don't you want me to pick up three girls at once? No way, three is too little for me. I just customized a big bed that can sleep ten people, and it suits me very well.
Do you still want me to train like a robot every day? It’s absolutely impossible. I’m already in my thirties and I don’t want to train.”
"What now?" Darren Prince asked in despair.
"Tell them to stop trading, or I will announce my retirement and the Spurs won't get a cent," Rodman yelled.
