You are the pearl, Mo Mengchen

Chapter 995
Chapter 998

2003/6/27

Today is the day when the draft is held.

After several days of observation and several rounds of trial training, each team finally got a thorough understanding of this rookie class and found out the Prince Charming in their hearts.

LeBron James on the scene must be the real man in the hearts of many teams, but there is only one team that can get him, and that is the Timberwolves with the first pick in the first round.

On the day of the draft, Mo Mengchen got up early, made a delicious breakfast, and sat in front of the TV.

Only him.

Adrian recently signed up for football camp, and that was against Ephraim's strong objections.

Ephraim went to work, leaving only Mo Mengchen and four children at home.

At this time, the child has not yet woken up, and the draft is about to begin.

Mo Mengchen has only one wish: before the top six picks come out, the child will not wake up.

"I watched LeBron's high school game." The commentator Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley sat together.

"No matter how difficult things are, LeBron always looks effortless," Smith said.

Barkley, who has become too bloated recently, said lightly: "In my opinion, his most valuable trait is passing the ball. He has incredible insight and can see the trajectory after a few steps."

"There are rumors that multiple teams have proposed trades to the Timberwolves."

"Yes, LeBron's agent also wants the Timberwolves to trade the pick."

Barkley and Smith were talking about things other than the draft pick, and Mo Mengchen knew a thing or two about it.

James doesn't want to come to a strong team like the Pistons, but he also doesn't want to go to a bitter cold place like Minnesota, which is not as good as his hometown.

Back then, O'Neal's agent also hoped that the Magic would trade the pick, but the initiative in this matter was not in the player's hands at all.

It's just that this time, other teams came to ask for a trade.

The most active team is the Lakers, but the details of the transaction have not been revealed.

There are rumors that: "The Lakers made a price that is so sincere that it is almost impossible to refuse."

Sincere?Hard to say no?
Mo Mengchen thought at the time that the Lakers should have no other leverage to afford such an evaluation except for the OK shot.

If it is OK, who was shot?

O'Neal?If the Timberwolves slap their heads and agree, then the legendary Janco will join forces in the future?

Since this incident was too shocking, Mo Mengchen was only guessing.

Because there is no inside story, the outside rumors are all guesses. No one knows what kind of price the Lakers have offered, so they can only wait quietly for the result.

The draft has arrived, and there is no news of the Timberwolves trading draft picks. Their negotiations with the Lakers may go bankrupt.

It is also possible that they will trade James after selecting him.

Time passed little by little, and the time to announce the result is coming.

The weird soundtrack played, and Stern walked out of the stage with an envelope containing the Timberwolves candidate.

It's strange, obviously, the draft is full of surprises, but at this moment, everyone in front of the TV has the feeling of "you finish reading quickly so I can applaud".

Even if there are many college geniuses vying to compete, no one can shake that person's position as the number one scholar.

Stern opened the envelope with no change on his face: "The 2003 NBA Draft!"

"The Minnesota Timberwolves took the No. [-] pick in the first round." Boring pause, please hurry up, "LeBron James, from St. Mary's High School!"

There was thunderous applause.

Smith said: "The king of Akron is indeed the first to be elected. Will he be the king of the new era?"

"Heh, if he wants to become the king, he will have to wait at least four years later." Barkley laughed, "Dor. To reach the Finals, you only need to play two games against the Pistons throughout the year."

When explaining, some people say it is right, and some people say it is wrong, for the sake of so-called visibility.

Smith knew that what Barkley said was true, but he still had to follow suit here: "Charles, I have a different opinion. The king of the new era must launch an impact on the old dynasty. If he wants to wait until the old dynasty declines before taking the throne , that can't be called a king, it's just a tortoise that is patient enough."

The two generals Hum and Ha in the commentary booth were talking about each other, but James had already stood on the high platform. He was wearing a white suit and a peaked cap with the Timberwolves logo on his head. He shook hands with Stern to express his gratitude, and then accepted the interview.

After that, he gave an interview and talked about his future.

"I'm not proud, it's just the beginning."

"I want to be a player like Michael Jordan. I still have a lot to improve." James said, "My defense is not good enough, my mid-range shot is unstable, and my body needs to be stronger to keep up with the NBA. Confrontation, I'm excited to be in this family and I'm ready for the challenges ahead."

Even though he is only 18 years old, he behaves as modest and stable as an adult.

The reporters at the scene had a good impression of him, and James' performance won unanimous praise.

The champion has returned to his place.

The team holding the second pick is the Magic.

In the past few seasons, the Magic is still at a low point, just like the Celtics have been in a slump after losing Duncan, and after Penny abandoned Orlando, the Magic have to rebuild.

They need to pick up brand new sharks and pennies.

Even if there is only one of them, it is enough to help the team rise.

Turkoglu has good potential and can be the main player in the championship in the future, but it is unrealistic to expect him to lead the team to rise.

The Magic's management is sober, and Turkoglu can be used as a starter, but they still need a real cornerstone.

They once pinned their hopes on Kwame Brown, a high school student who the Pistons had high hopes for.

Unexpectedly, the Pistons went astray.

Brown averaged 15 points and 7 rebounds in the second season.

His future performance is likely to stay on the current data for a long time.

After two years of trials, the Magic have seen that Brown's upper limit is limited, and they no longer regard him as the team's future. If a cornerstone player really appears, they will not hesitate to initiate a trade.

James is the only player in this draft who is considered a lower-limit All-Star, and the Magic also tried to take out the second overall pick to find a trade with the Timberwolves.

They don't mind adding a few extras.

It is said that the Timberwolves rejected the Magic in this way: "We even rejected the Lakers' chips, can we see your second pick?"

No one knows the specific situation. The Magic only know that the Timberwolves' determination to keep the No. [-] pick is unshakable.

They look like if the Pistons offered Dor.Mo to make a deal with them, they would say no.

There is no way, young potential stocks are so charming.

This feeling is like playing with stones.

You never know whether the value of a stone bought with a lot of money will double after you cut it open, or it will be a rotten thing with no characteristics on the outside and mediocrity on the inside.

Without James, the Magic can only find the most promising rookie.

It seems that Anthony is a better choice, but the general manager of the Magic and Dumars watched the Atlanta open trial together, and he was as fascinated by the handsome European talent as Dumars.

It's just that they're not quite sure yet.

Due to the success of Dirk Nowitzki and others, these young tall Europeans who can shoot and run are very popular in the NBA, but for a young man who has just turned 18 and has not undergone much polishing, he has spent a lot of money in the draft. Is it really worth it for the No. [-] pick?
Later, Milicic went to the Motor City for trial training, so news broke that the Pistons were determined to win Milicic.

At first, some people thought it was a smoke bomb.

Within a few days, the Magic management received a trade proposal from the Pistons.

The fifth pick in the first round + the 29th pick in the first round + Earl Watson changed to the second pick.

The general manager of the Magic saw that the Pistons were serious, and he was even more convinced of Milicic's talent and prospects. He thought that the cooked duck could still make him fly?
They decided on the spot to reject the Pistons' offer.

Moreover, in order to disgust the Pistons, they also made an additional offer: future draft picks + Reid, we can consider it.

Naturally, the negotiation broke up unhappy.

The Pistons gave up the second pick, and the Magic firmly decided to choose Milicic.

Therefore, the next result is not unexpected.

Stern stood up and announced the final result: "In the 2003 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Darko Milicic with the second overall pick in the first round, from Novi Sad High School in Serbia."

The young and handsome white man stood up, and his fate changed from then on.

The time traveler effect affects everyone.

He was selected by the talent-hungry Magic. There is no Larry Brown there, no veterans who suppress his growth, but there is fertile soil for rookies to grow rapidly.

Of course, the nightclubs in Orange City must be more fun than the nightclubs in Motown.

Through on-site interviews, Mo Mengchen found that Milicic's English is not very good, and his accent is very heavy. If you don't listen carefully, you can't hear what he is saying.

The same 18-year-old genius, compared with James' maturity and stability, he is like the opposite.

Restrained, shy, shy, even withdrawn.

It doesn't matter, it has nothing to do with him anyway.

Next is the main event.

In fact, as long as the Timberwolves choose James and the Magic choose Milicic, the Pistons are destined to win the draft.

The team with the third pick is the Warriors. They have already reached an agreement with the Pistons. Therefore, the players they choose can also be regarded as the players selected by the Pistons.

"The Warriors have been dormant for a long time, and they need a real cornerstone player to revitalize the team."

"Let's see if the Warriors can get their Rick Barry in this draft."

Stern came to the stage again.

His smile is still kind.

"In the 2003 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Carmelo Anthony with the third pick in the first round, from Syracuse University!"

(End of this chapter)