NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 542 It’s too late to regret! (Daily Chapter)

On Sunday, February 2008, 2, the All-Star Weekend was still going on and a deal had already occurred in the free market.

The Hawks sent Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second-round pick to the Kings;

We traded 5 for 1 to get the opponent's core guard Mike Bibby!

This deal indicates that the Hawks will launch an attack on the playoffs, but it also means that the fantasy of Lakers fans has been shattered.

What made some fans even more sad was that after the trade, Mike Bibby mocked the Lakers and brought up old issues during an interview with an Atlanta reporter:

“I was a severely underrated guard, and yes, I got recruited a bit, but I was never going to play in Los Angeles.”

"That series changed the fate of many players. Maybe we won't win the championship in the end, but we will definitely get more respect."

"."

In mid-January, there was some progress in the betting case. Among the names of people disclosed were the referees who whistled the Western Conference Finals that year, and there were even accusations of game manipulation by the league.

Although the NBA has tried hard to suppress the impact of the scandal, it is not difficult to obtain relevant information as long as one is willing. In the eyes of some players, the Lakers' lucky advancement has become a fact.

Fortunately, basketball doesn't lie, and Li You finally defeated his opponent, which made many fans proud. "Ge Ge" is really too strong.
The Mavericks are also taking action. The information about the relevant transaction has basically been confirmed. Mark Cuban has extended an olive branch to Kidd, and the countdown has begun for Captain America to leave the Nets.

What surprised the fans the most was that before the trade happened on the Cavaliers side, the locker room was completely blown up. Larry Hughes did not choose to be patient anymore, but took the initiative to complain to the media in person:
"I gave everything for the team, and even though the coach supported me, someone still wanted to trade me!"

"The decision to make the trade wasn't even about basketball. They trusted the wrong guy."

Larry Hughes said a lot in front of reporters, and at the same time he also exposed one thing: Jeff Van Gundy seemed to have been sidelined, and the championship coach had lost his voice in the Cavaliers.

After ESPN reported this news, it caused a strong response in the NBA circle. Some coaches stood up and spoke out. They also have their own interests.

If championship coaches don't deserve respect, then why do they still work so hard to coach?
Even though everyone knows that star players have the final say in this league, some issues cannot be brought to the surface. This time, Larry Hughes has completely stirred up a hornet's nest by throwing the jar into the air.

Before the All-Star Game began that night, the TNT broadcast team also followed current events and started gossiping. Reggie Miller even started to fire, accusing in a serious manner:

"Players should not be too involved in the specific affairs of the team. You can provide opinions, but you should not have disagreements with the coach."

"Lee did a great job on this. Donny selected me back then, and we got along very well with the Pacers!"

"I got the news from Donny that Lee rarely interfered with his work. To be honest, this was beyond my expectations, but it also shows Lee's professionalism. He is a role model for all players."

After a pause, noticing Doug Collins nodding, Reggie Miller added:
"Kobe Bryant even took the initiative to request a trade during the offseason. I don't like seeing this news. Every team will have a trough period. You can't leave the team just because of poor performance."

"There is only one champion. Many times we must realize that we are actually playing for the fans. We repay the fans' support through our outstanding performance!"

This old-fashioned view is actually out of date. Everyone knows that superstars have privileges, and what the team needs to do is to magnify the advantages of the core players. As for role players, they are not that important.

As for asking core players to change their technical style, this is nonsense. The basketball habits developed since childhood are difficult to change easily. It is better to trade role players than to change the core. This is the correct approach.

In the middle of the Smoothie King Center, after his partner gave his opinion, Doug Collins did not directly object, but said tactfully:
"All signs indicate that it was LeBron James who proposed the trade, and perhaps he still regrets losing last year's conference finals."

"But from another perspective, if this deal can solve the backcourt problem, the Cavaliers may be able to go one step further, knowing that they are only four wins away from the finals."

There were too many staff members around, and Marv Albert tried hard to hold back his laughter. This veteran commentator is also a die-hard Knicks fan, and at this moment he could only show an expression that said "You're right":

"The Bulls also appear to be looking for a trade, with the 76ers on their radar, and Ben Wallace's departure from Chicago seems to be a foregone conclusion."

"This trade deadline is more lively than ever before. The Clippers have already bought out Cassell, and the Celtics and Lakers are currently interested in free agent PJ Brown."

"."

The three of them briefly gossiped about the news they had gathered today during the broadcast, but most of the fans in front of the TV were not interested in this. The Knicks won too many games, making the winning fans too lazy to pay attention to their opponents.

The role player is eager to play in New York, but sometimes he hates the Knicks' exaggerated "eye-catching" ability. Many fans don't care about their movements, let alone their names.

The person involved, LeBron James, was not affected by the news. He neither admitted nor denied it. Compared with forming a team, there was nothing wrong with trading.

For the main game at 21 p.m., the players need to arrive at the Smoothie King Center a few hours in advance. In addition to the routine interviews, they also need to warm up in advance and exchange feelings.

Wade was particularly happy that his idol was selected as an All-Star again this year. James watched his friend chatting and laughing with Iverson and couldn't help but teasing Anthony next to him:

"Dwyane seems to have forgotten he's a starter. I doubt this guy even wants to pull out a pen and ask for an autograph!"

Hearing his friend teasing his idol, Carmelo Anthony, who was wearing a white training suit, felt mixed emotions, and finally responded unhappily:
"Allen deserves respect. Did you, like Chris, also attend Lee's training camp? Hell, you were swept by him last year!"

James wanted to say a few more words but was interrupted by his partner behind him. Howard, who won the dunk king, was very happy and hugged the two of them and said loudly:

"Too many people came to me to ask for autographs! Are you also discussing trades? I don't think it's a big deal. Larry doesn't like us. Trading him away will better unite the team."

“Just get a couple better three-point shooters and we’ll have a chance to get to the conference finals again this year.”

Howard also agreed to send away his good brother, and his agent Goodwin was even deeply involved in the transaction.

The feeling of controlling the team made the happy big boy even happier. When he thought that everyone in the team was serving him, Howard was so excited that he decided to sleep with a few more big-butt girls tonight.

Anthony was almost dumbfounded by the two's frank attitude. In the Nuggets, head coach George Karl has the final say. The old man is very stubborn and does not allow players to refute at all.

I thought the championship coach would be more strict, but now I see that Van Gundy has lost all his style. Anthony feels that his impression of the "championship coach" has taken a 180-degree turn.

"God, you're all crazy."

Anthony muttered something, and a thought emerged in his mind: if his idol couldn't help him, could he also send him away?

With two hours left before the game started, in the Eastern Conference All-Star locker room, Joe Johnson and Antawn Jamison listened to the crowd's bragging with some restraint.

Kidd did not hide the information. The old man even took the initiative to tell Li You where he was going, and then showed a "regretful" look:

"When I arrived in Dallas, we played against each other twice in a season. I was not used to it. I still prefer the competitive environment in New York."

Leaning on the therapy bed, Kidd blew seriously, and Li You laughed softly. Noticing the relaxed look on his face, he immediately teased:
"The fans in New Jersey will miss you. In two years, you will move to Brooklyn. That's a new arena, more luxurious than Madison Square Garden, with more seats!"

When Kidd heard the news, he was furious. The Nets fans were the most outrageous he had ever seen. 80% of them were traitors. They played away games against New York in the playoffs:

"I can only say sorry to Vince. I'm tired of the basketball atmosphere here. Can you imagine that a city not far from New York can't even sell season tickets."

"I like Dallas, at least the fans there are very loyal."

Billups also quickly came over to say hello, and with Chandler there too, the substitutes all gathered here, waiting for Li You to "share the spoils".

Amid the laughter, only Garnett and Pierce, dressed in black suits, kept their faces straight and did not join in the fun. This All-Star weekend, the two of them were "bound" to Ray Allen, fearing that their teammates would defect to the enemy.

Ray Allen did not object to Garnett's behavior. He was willing to cooperate with him on work matters. At this time, he had a relaxed smile on his face and listened to Li You and Kidd gossiping about the confrontation between the two.

As a 12-time All-Star, Li You is the oldest player in the league. Kidd is the captain of the United States. Joe Johnson and Antawn Jamison can only smile. James and his friends who finished the interview quickly joined the topic when they returned to the locker room. Wade wanted to say something several times but was pushed by his friends secretly. He still didn't dare to say it out loud.

Howard knew the rules. After greeting Gasol, he came over and asked with a smile:
"Lee, who will win the award this year? Do I have a chance? I also want to win an AMVP trophy so that I can avoid people pointing fingers at me."

Kidd shrugged helplessly after hearing this. When he was on the national team, Howard laughed at Kobe. Apparently the happy big boy was very vindictive and wanted to step on the other party a few times whenever he had the chance.

"Perform well, but I think Ray is also worthy of the award. I know him, and he will give his all in any competition."

"Looks like this year it's going to be a competition between you two. I promise I'll pass the ball to you."

Li You tilted his head towards his friend with a smile on his face. Billups did not object and even cooperated by bumping fists with Ray Allen, actively showing his goodwill:

"As long as you are in good shape, I promise to help you get 30 points, Dwight, don't lose to the substitutes, 2 points are not as good as 3 points."

"30 points! If you score more than this, the trophy is yours!"

Ray Allen also laughed out loud, which made his two teammates next to him feel bad and they always felt that they were being ignored.

"NoNo"

Pretending to be aggrieved, Howard shouted and livened up the atmosphere again. Garnett, who had been silent, subconsciously glared at Pierce, as if to say, "Was it like this in the past?"

Sharing the trophy is already an old tradition of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Pierce was not selected in the past few years. Seeing the look in his teammates' eyes, he reluctantly explained in a low voice:
"Li initiated this activity a long time ago, and no one objects to it. As long as you inform us in advance, you can even get help."

Garnett then remembered that rookie James won the award a few years ago. He thought it was because of the newbie's enthusiasm, but he didn't expect it to be "predetermined" in advance.
I wanted to speak out my objection, but I didn't know what to say. After all, no one had any objection to the game, and the people sitting in the audience had no right to point fingers.

Chandler had a big grin on his face the whole time. He didn't care about the trophy. Being selected into the All-Star Game was the highlight of his career. Tonight he invited a group of relatives and friends to watch the game.

When Gasol shared the "Spanish-style snacks", he noticed that Garnett seemed unhappy and comforted him in a friendly manner:
"Don't worry about injuries, man. You have a great record. You have home advantage from second place to the semifinals."

Garnett's eyes twitched slightly as he watched the Spanish big man sharing his playoff experience. He didn't like being "second," but at this time he had to control his temper:
"Thanks, Bro! I'm in good health, there are still 2 months left, I will be back soon."

"."

The atmosphere in the Western Conference All-Star locker room was a little awkward. Tim Duncan became a substitute and Nowitzki took over.

The host Chris Paul started, and veteran scoring champion Allen Iverson served as a substitute for the newcomers.

Although Kobe received encouragement from Bill Russell, he was powerless in this year's All-Star Game. A finger injury meant that he could only show up before being replaced.

Head coach Scott felt that this was the best arrangement. After all, Iverson was a veteran and the host had to respect the veterans. Paul, the rookie, had to obey orders for now.

Brandon Roy, who was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time, did not expect the atmosphere in the locker room to be like this. Not many people were talking, and only Iverson and Anthony were having fun.

"Tim, do you want more playing time? I respect your choice."

Scott, dressed in a black suit, took the initiative to look at Duncan and asked for his opinion with a smile. The latter glanced at Kobe beside him, finally shook his head and said calmly:
"I'm 32 years old. Let's give the opportunity to the young people."

Stoudemire also looked at Duncan, with an inexplicable smile on his face. He had the most rings in the locker room, so he took the initiative to speak:

"Boss, leave the game to us! I'll help you take care of Chris and David."

David West saw that Paul didn't say anything, so he smiled and nodded in agreement. As for another rhythm master, Steve Nash, he started to daydream as soon as he entered the locker room.

The situation of the Suns is not good. O'Neal's joining disrupted the original tactical system, and without Marion, the transition offense was greatly affected.

Nash was dissatisfied with the operation of General Manager Steve Kerr, but he never complained. He felt in his heart that the championship was getting further and further away from him.

Yao Ming in the locker room was also very quiet. He listened to the coach's simple arrangements for the game, and soon gathered with everyone and shouted that the game was about to begin.

The New Orleans All-Star Game is filled with a lot of jazz elements. The city's carnival and music festival are very famous. The atmosphere at the Smoothie King Center was at its best that night.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was watching the broadcast at his home in Cleveland, also invited assistant coaches and many players to watch the game together.

When Van Gundy, who was sitting on the sofa, heard the words "12th All-Star", he was a little dazed. In 96, when Li You first entered the league, he was selected as an All-Star and the entire Knicks team was celebrating.

At that time, he was still a rookie coach. When he heard that Li You was selected, he also smiled and felt very proud.

This time, the backstabbing of the Chosen One and Howard made Van Gundy very sad. The players he trained did not stand with him. Until now, he still couldn't believe that the team would agree to this deal.

Years of hard work seem to have become a joke. If I had known this would happen, wouldn’t it have been better to stay in New York?

A feeling of regret suddenly filled his heart. When he saw the broadcast footage of Li You using a pick-and-roll to easily assist Howard to take off, Van Gundy showed an unwilling look on his face and sighed in his heart:

"Did I do something wrong?"

Ilgauskas has the best interpersonal relationships in the Cavaliers. James also respects him. Howard was also taken care of by him. Noticing that the coach hadn't spoken for a long time, he couldn't help but comfort him:
"Don't worry Larry, he is an adult and will accept the result. This is how the league works. Many times, transactions are just business and we all understand that."

As the first signing after becoming general manager, Van Gundy had an inexplicable trust in Larry Hughes. This is also a common problem for many coaches. "If someone says you can do it, then you can do it" is also very common in the NBA.

"Thank you, I'm just worried about the team's injuries."

"I want to increase training after the All-Star Weekend, Z. You should communicate with everyone then. We have to get intense."

Smiling and nodding, Ilgauskas agreed immediately, then looked around and found that Larry Hughes, Ira Newbell and others were gone.

It is difficult for everyone to evaluate the team's trade with the SuperSonics. They did try their best, and it is not anyone's fault that the results did not meet expectations.

Thibodeau is very familiar with Van Gundy's house in Cleveland. Both of them are workaholics and often study tactics when they get home from get off work.

Like Van Gundy, he has deep feelings for this Cavaliers team. All the players were selected by them personally. Thibodeau felt a little sad when he thought about the team's operations.

Sometimes the general manager has more power than the head coach, and that's the case with the Cavaliers right now.

When Thibodeau returned to the room, he noticed that Van Gundy was staring at Li You on TV. Knowing his partner well, he immediately realized that the other party had regretted his decision and that staying in New York might be the best option.

"We will succeed, time is on our side!"

Thibodeau stepped forward and patted his partner on the shoulder. Van Gundy did not respond confidently as usual, but continued to stare at the TV, watching Li Youren pass the ball to the newbie on the opposite side:

"OH——! What a move!"

“That was pure magic!”

The familiar commentary voice of Marv Albert came from the TV. Van Gundy, who was watching the game attentively, seemed to be back in the stadium that made him so proud, which was his lifelong pride.

The champion coach gradually came to his senses and looked up at his partner. He still did not respond, but sighed deeply. Thinking of the old man lying flat on his back, he sighed subconsciously in his heart:

“It turns out that giving the ball to the core does not necessarily lead to success.”

(End of this chapter)