warrior godfather

Chapter 536 Letters of Frustration

When Antetokounmpo left the Oracle Center, his heart was full of pride.

He can't wait to start training, and he wants to follow in the footsteps of Butler, Green, and Leonard, and walk out of his star road.

But he can't go to Charlotte now. Two days later, the Las Vegas Summer League will start. As a rookie, Antetokounmpo is going to participate in this summer league (note).

This is also the first time he has participated in an NBA-level confrontation, although it is only a fringe player and a rookie-level confrontation.

Fortunately, the duration of the summer league is not long, only 10 days, which will not delay Antetokounmpo's summer training plan.

After Antetokounmpo and George Dimit left, Larry Riley came to Zhang Yu's office and talked to him about the contract extension.

During this period of time, Zhang Yu took a vacation for himself and took a good rest. He did not communicate with Larry Riley on work. He just took advantage of the opportunity of meeting today to learn about the contract renewal of the Warriors players.

"Clay's attitude is very firm, he wants a maximum salary..."

"Drummond's attitude is rather ambiguous, and he didn't give a specific condition. He doesn't seem to want to talk about contract renewal now..."

"Isaiah and Chandler have the same attitude. They made it clear that they don't want to sign a contract extension this summer, and they want to wait until next season is over..."

Zhang Yu listened carefully to Larry Riley's report. He always contacted the agents of Clay and Green, but the agent represented the player's attitude, and what the agent said was what the player meant.

After Larry Riley finished speaking, Zhang Yu asked:
"You negotiated the contract renewal. You must know the specific situation better than me. What do you think they think?"

Larry Riley thought for a moment and said:

"Clay's idea is very clear. After Jimmy leaves, his tactical status on the offensive end will definitely be improved and he will play a greater role. Naturally, he wants a big contract."

"Drummond's performance this season is very comprehensive, but he is not particularly outstanding in all aspects. After Jimmy leaves, it is difficult for Kawhi to fully fill his vacancy. Drummond should be confident that he will play better next season. It shows that he also wants a big contract."

"As for Isaiah and Chandler, they also have the same idea as Drummond, and the team did not renew Jeremy's contract. Jimmy left. They will get more opportunities next season. Renewing the contract now is good for them. It's not worth it, and they want a big contract."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and chuckled lightly:
"Yeah, the champion has won two, and everyone wants a big contract..."

"Then shall I continue to talk to them next? Or put it on hold for a while? If we continue to talk, it will be our turn to set the terms." Larry Riley asked.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said:

"Keep talking! Give Clay a contract that is 100-200 million lower than the maximum salary. Try it out. If he agrees, renew the contract directly. If he doesn't agree, then put it on hold. He insists on the maximum salary. If not, then wait until next summer to talk, anyway, he can't meet the conditions of Rose's terms."

"Don't worry about Drummond's contract extension, let's talk about it next year."

"Isaiah and Chandler will definitely not agree to renew their contract now, so don't worry about it, let them play well in the contract year, no matter whether the contract renewal can be negotiated next year, they can use it for another year, which is not bad .”

"Okay." Larry Riley felt relieved and agreed.

The contract renewal issues of these players are not easy to solve. After winning the championship, they are all a little impetuous, especially seeing Butler with a super maximum salary in the Bulls, they are even more jealous. They all want a big contract. Also very firm.

However, he was still a little puzzled, why Zhang Yu didn't say much about Green's contract renewal, but just casually mentioned it lightly.

But Larry Riley was an old man, and he would not ask the bottom line of everything. He buried this little doubt in his heart and left Zhang Yu's office.

Of course he didn't know that there had been an agreement between Zhang Yu and Green.

Green has done so much dirty work, and Zhang Yu promised to give him a contract with an annual salary of $100 million higher than the market price.

Zhang Yu has not forgotten this promise, and now it seems that Green has not forgotten either.

……

July 7, Las Vegas, Thomas & Mack Arena.

Today, tens of thousands of spectators gathered in this arena belonging to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The atmosphere was extremely hot, and people cheered and cheered for the team that was competing for the summer league championship.

Their appearance here is not entirely due to their interest in basketball games, many people are just joining in the fun.

The tickets for the Las Vegas Summer League are very cheap. Many tourists who come to the casino will buy tickets to watch the NBA team when they are excited.

The audience who bought tickets to enter the arena today must have made a profit. The two teams participating in the finals were the Warriors and the Suns. The game was very exciting and the confrontation was fierce.

Especially the Warriors' Middleton, Bazemore, and Jamichael Green are obviously higher than other players. With their performance, the Warriors have an advantage in scoring.

However, the Suns are not helpless. The short and sturdy PJ-Tucker, Morris, and Morris have all shown good strength. Although the Suns lag behind, the point difference has been maintained at about 6 points, and With 2 minutes left in the game, it is not that there is no chance of a comeback.

The audience at the scene were also very excited because of the tense atmosphere of the game. They never expected that they could see such a wonderful game in Las Vegas for only a dozen dollars.

However, Antetokounmpo, who was sitting on the bench, was full of frustration while cheering for his teammates.

He only played 12 minutes today before being replaced by the Warriors summer league interim head coach Kerr. He could only sit on the bench and wave towels to his teammates who were fighting on the court.

This game is also the epitome of Antetokounmpo's entire summer league. He played more than ten minutes in each game, scored a few points and a few rebounds, received 6 or 7 fouls, or even more, and then was dismissed by the team. Er replaced the field and never had a chance to play again.

Fortunately, he was sent off after receiving 10 fouls in the summer league, otherwise he has been sent off several times.

However, his performance on the court was so bad that he could only sit off the court and watch JaMychal Green take over his position and show off his power on the court.

Antetokounmpo was very depressed. When he played in the Greek League, although his statistics were not particularly outstanding, he was also a very comprehensive player. But when he came to the United States, he knew what it means to be beyond the sky and to be beyond the human.

Perhaps these players participating in the summer league have few talents better than him, but they have a fierce style of play and tough confrontation. Going inside, scoring is very difficult.

And his shooting is very bad, and he is not a threat on the outside. Although the team gave him the core position of the team, let him start the game, give him the ball, and let him play singles, but he lacks scoring methods and is at a loss on the court. You can only score a few points and pick up a few backcourt rebounds by running down and stealing chickens piecemeal. Apart from that, there is no other contribution.

JaMychal Green’s talent is far inferior to Antetokounmpo’s, but his confrontation, shooting, and awareness are all better than Antetokounmpo’s. He also has inside footsteps, can be inside and outside, and can score on the court. Detokounmpo is going to be great.

Bang!

Antetokounmpo sat on the bench, watching JaMychal Green received a pass from Middleton, raised his hand and swayed, then strode into the inside line, swung his right hand round, separated by Morris Jr. who was defending, He slammed the ball into the basket, and let out a long roar when it landed, feeling very envious in his heart.

This is his favorite way of attacking. If it were him, he wouldn't even have to feint, and he could start directly outside the three-point line.

However, he can only do it in the Greek second division, and now...

Antetokounmpo looked down at his "delicate" arms and legs, and sighed quietly in his heart.

He was a monster in Greece, but coming to the NBA, even in a summer league of fringe guys and rookies, his body is thin.

brush!
On the court, Middleton singled Tucker and made a jumper with an emergency stop. The Warriors led by 8 points.

Antetokounmpo clapped his hands, looking at Middleton who was calm after scoring the goal, feeling a sense of powerlessness in his heart.

Middleton is only a second-round pick and is also very thin, but his shooting is very accurate, better than any of Antetokounmpo's teammates in Greece.

In this summer league, Middleton is the Warriors' scoring leader, averaging 23.3 points per game, and his mid-range jumper is unsolvable.

His talent is far inferior to Antetokounmpo, but his confrontation is very good. He looks thin, but his anti-interference ability is extremely strong. He has repeatedly hit difficult shots when he is out of balance, which surprised Antetokounmpo. .

The existence of Middleton and JaMychal Green also made Antetokounmpo sound the alarm.

They couldn't even play in the Warriors last season, but they have such outstanding strength. How strong will the Warriors' backup strikers Parsons and Yi Jianlian, starting strikers Leonard and Green, be?

Can he get a chance to play in such a fierce competition?
After being inspired by Larry Riley, Antetokounmpo is very confident in his future development, and will soon be able to gain a firm foothold in the Warriors along the trajectory of Butler, Green, and Leonard. , has a place in the rotation lineup.

But now, he found that he was simply wrong.

After seeing the performance of Middleton and Jamichael Green, Antetokounmpo didn't even have the confidence to compete with them, let alone compete with players like Yi Jianlian and Parsons who have a stable chance to play in the playoffs up.

Zhang Yu did say that he should be trained well and gave him a detailed training plan, but he didn't say how long it would take to train him.

Now, Antetokounmpo finally realizes that this time may be two years, three years, or even longer.

The Warriors have so many powerful strikers, and he has so many shortcomings, it is difficult for him to have a chance to rise in a short period of time.

And the Warriors are still the defending champions, so there is even less time for him to practice.

Antetokounmpo is starting to worry about his future. If he has been sitting on the bench, how can he grow?
……

With the outstanding performances of Middleton, Bazemore and JaMychal Green, the Warriors finally defeated the Suns 98:91 and won the Las Vegas Summer League championship.

After receiving the trophy, the Warriors players celebrated a little and walked out of the arena.

The championship in the summer league is not worth much at all. The Warriors players such as Middleton will soon have championship rings. When it comes to the fierce competition of the team's strikers, I am thinking about my future development.

Declined the invitation of his teammates to go to the nightclub to have fun together, Antetokounmpo returned to the hotel where the Warriors stayed, got into the gym, and began to exercise.

An hour later, a sweaty Antetokounmpo walked out of the gym, exhausted but refreshed.

He is eager to gain muscle, improve his strength and confrontation, and become a muscular stick like Howard and Jordan.

Back in the room, Antetokounmpo took a shower, changed into a refreshing nightgown, collapsed on the sofa, and picked up his phone.

He wants to talk to George Dimiter and go to Charlotte tomorrow to start training.

But before clicking on the address book, a text message prompted Antetokounmpo's spirit.

It was sent by Zhang Yu, and Antetokounmpo quickly clicked on it.

"Giannis, I watched every game of yours. You played very well. I saw your hard work, your competitive spirit, and your determination to defend every opponent even if you fouled. I am very happy. , you can play summer league with that mentality."

"Remember, when you step on the court, winning should be your only pursuit, don't be disturbed by other things, no matter how bad you play, you can't be depressed, you can't give up, this kind of mentality is the best for a player precious thing."

"I've seen this kind of competitive spirit in Jordan, Kobe, and Steph. Today, I saw it in you. Come on, Giannis, I hope you can achieve as brilliant achievements as them one day, and I Believe me, you can do it."

Antetokounmpo stared at the phone screen, and it took a long time for his expression to become vivid again.

The boss really keeps an eye on me, he even watched all my summer league...

At this moment, Antetokounmpo was so moved that he even forgot that Zhang Yu might also be inspecting other Warriors players.

He only had one thought, that Zhang Yu really valued him very much and had high hopes for him.

"Boss, don't worry, I will definitely live up to your expectations. I will take Jordan, Kobe, and Stephen as my goals. I will treat every game with the attitude of treating the finals!" Antetokounmpo Clenching his fists tightly, endless power surged in his heart.

　Many people ask the Cavaliers' 12-year first-round pick. Let me explain here, it has been traded to the Jazz in exchange for the 11 Nets' first-round pick, and Leonard was selected.

　　Note: Alphabet was originally going to participate in the European U20 Championship, and made minor changes for the needs of the plot.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)