basketball never sleeps

Chapter 228 Right above it! (Above the Sky) 12K
"I thought about it a lot and hesitated for a long time, but in the end I decided to hand the team over to a more suitable person to run it. He is the best buyer for Seattle and he really wants to keep the team here. If he wants to move the team away, I will not sell it to him. When I bought this team five years ago, I knew my responsibility. Now I am handing it over to him, and I believe he will consider the public interest of Seattle."

After being delayed for nearly a month and a half, facing Bennett's sky-high acquisition price of 4 million, Schultz still chose to make his family suffer.

At the press conference, Bennett, who was standing next to him, also patted his chest and said in a sincere tone that he himself did not believe: "My ultimate goal is to bring an NBA team to Oklahoma, but it has nothing to do with this change of ownership of the team."

Stern, as a witness, also promised the visiting reporters that the Supersonics would not leave Seattle.

Commitment and assurance became the most repeated words in this press conference.

However, when you wear your vest inside out, all the excuses are nothing but empty lies like "three times the compensation if the product is fake".

Many fans who care about the SuperSonics are panicking. Mo Wen has arrived, Schultz has postponed the trade, and everything was going in a good direction. How could it suddenly be so sudden...

Everyone wants to organize a protest, but with the press conference already in place, they don’t have anything to protest about. Are they going to ask the new boss to make another guarantee?

Moreover, due to the poor performance in the past two years, except for the die-hard fans, most of the fans who like to win have left, and even if we organize, we can’t organize many people.

Fortunately, not long after, good news came from the media.

Mo Wen's girlfriend has completed the admission procedures for Washington State University.

No matter what, Mo Wen still seems to want to stay in Seattle.

……

"Nice to meet you, my MVP!" In the office of the general manager of the Supersonics, a standard American white man with a Melody face gave Mo Wen a very friendly hug.

"Nice to meet you too, my new boss." Mo Wen also put on a fake smile.

After a brief greeting, Bennett had a frank discussion with Mo Wen about the outlook for next season.

It must be said that Bennett is indeed respectful. After learning from Ricksander and Schultz that Mo Wen interfered with (most) of the team's personnel operations as a player, he not only did not show any disgust, but also generously stated that he was just a new boss and did not understand team operations.

Mo Wen has condescended to come and provide technology to help the poor, so why shouldn't you do whatever you want?
If you have any requests in the future, you can always make them. We will get you whatever person you want. As long as you don't spend any more money, we will do it!

Rick Sander was not replaced immediately, but Presti, who was poached from the Spurs by Bennett, has been assigned to the position of assistant general manager.

Mo Wen was a little surprised by Bennett's submissive attitude, but he didn't take his words seriously.

He has no experience as a team owner? There was a period of time in the 90s when Bennett was a major shareholder of the Spurs. There was no need for the media to dig up this kind of thing. Stern revealed it at the press conference to prove that Bennett was reliable.

Mo Wen did not expose him. Everyone knew what he was thinking, but with him around, the Sonics' performance could not be bad. With the fans returning, it would be difficult for him to leave. He also had the right to veto a trade, so it was impossible for him to be traded...

If the team is forced to move away even though the home stadium is full and profitable, those loss-making small city teams may be more active in seeking relocation than him. After all, who doesn't want to make money in a big city?

The Clippers make bad money every year, the Knicks make bad money every year, this is much better than losing money due to poor performance in small cities.

At that time, Bennett can either lie down and make money with tears, or wait for two years and wait for the Hornets owner in the South to take over when he doesn't want to play anymore.

I don't know how long the Hornets owner can play. Historically, they at least have Paul who can lead the team to revival. Although Cannon's hands are dirty, his smile is hailed as the most charming and "Ding Zhen" smile after Magic and Melo. In addition, Cannon has led the team to recover year by year. The Hornets owner was able to hold on until the "Emperor's Southern Tour" before he could no longer withstand the losses.

But the Hornets in this time and space have chosen more "expensive" inside players instead of the "right" outside players in the draft in the past two years. Without being able to trade for top guards, there is really no sign of their record recovering.

When leaving, Mo Wen was also given two boxes of Oklahoma specialty coffee beans brought by Bennett. The old boss gave him coffee, and the new boss also gave him coffee. It can only be said that the capitalists in capitalist countries don't even bother to act.

Rick Sander was sent away to handle the business, while Presti and Bennett watched from the window as Mo Wen's car drove away from the arena.

"Boss, I don't quite understand why you let a player handle such important matters. From any perspective, it is not right for a player to interfere in so many team matters."

Presti looked at Bennett with some confusion.

Before coming to the SuperSonics, he had been working as an assistant to the general manager of the Spurs. Buford, the Spurs' general manager who had a good personal relationship with Bennett, felt that this was an opportunity for a further step forward, so he recommended the fast-growing Bennett to Bennett. However, in Buford's description of Bennett, this was a shrewd and controlling boss. But looking at Bennett's words and deeds today, he doesn't seem like someone who can match this evaluation.

Unlike the hypocritical smile just now, Bennett picked up the red wine used for decoration on the cabinet next to him, slowly unscrewed it with the bottle opener on the keychain, and poured half a glass for himself and Presti.

"All of you professional managers will try to instill a point of view in us bosses and the board of directors - don't interfere too much in the company's business, and leave professional people to professional matters, right?"

"For us, this is indeed the most correct consensus." Presti nodded with his lips pursed.

"What if we insist on intervening?" Bennett continued to ask.

"It's not called meddling in normal decision-making, but if you intervene too much at regular nodes, it is likely to bring uncertainty, confusion and unnecessary risks."

Presti copied Xuan Ke's answer.

"Yes, I agree with this point of view, because this is the law of business." Bennett raised his head and lightly nodded his chin. "Anyone who disrespects it will be punished. There are many examples in the NBA that prove this point of view."

"So what you just did..." Presti seemed to have figured something out.

"Even when the boss interferes with the team, there will be problems. How can a player who has only been in the NBA for three years and is complacent, have the ability and possibility to make this happen?"

Presti moved his lips, his frown relaxed, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Unable to suppress the sneer gathered at the corners of Bennett's mouth:
"Haha, three consecutive championships as a rookie, a world championship champion, from being with someone who was kissed by the goddess of luck to being with someone who had an affair with the goddess of luck, luck has given him everything in front of him, but he regards all of this as his own strength. If there is still a reason for the team to trade, then interfering with the draft is a manifestation of his stupidity."

"Reality will teach him a lesson, and we are responsible for telling the fans the reasons for reality. All the blame is attributed to him, and we, because of the trade veto given by the stupid former owner, don't even have the possibility of trading him. This way I can easily complete the plan, right?"

"This is really a sad story." Presti nodded woodenly. He also saw Mo Wen's ending, but he did not have any empathy because it was Mo Wen's own fault. Even a meritorious head coach who was transferred from general manager to general manager like Popovich would not interfere so much in the affairs of the general manager. Mo Wen, a player, dared to do this and he deserved to suffer a big loss!

Ding--

The two clinked their glasses, raised them gracefully and put them to their lips.

Ten seconds later, Bennett looked at the bottle with a frown. Presti, who often drank red wine with Popovich, also noticed that something was wrong and came over.

[Decorative props are not allowed to be consumed]

No, this is fake wine?

The two looked at each other and quickly ran towards the water dispenser outside the office.

……

It is already September after the World Championships ended, and some teams that had an early holiday have begun to gather players for training, including the Supersonics.

Although it is true that Ray Allen organized a training camp in the middle, it was not for the team.

The players have nothing to complain about. In most contexts, "If you're not good at it, practice more" is not a joke, but a realistic rule.

Mo Wen... of course is not among them. If he wasn't worried about the negative impact on the new team, he would even want to skip the preseason.

The team's current head coach, Bob Hill, is not the kind of person who is difficult to talk to. When he was coaching the Spurs, he had a good relationship with the main players. Mo Wen had experienced this in the copy.

Moreover, he has a deep connection with China. In the 03 World Championships, he gathered a group of ragtag players in the United States to serve as sparring partners for the Chinese team. Later, he became a consultant for the CBA foreign aid draft camp and was hired by Guangdong as a coach. Before the draft, Liu Wei also participated in the basketball training camp he organized in the United States. Before coming to the Supersonics, he came to China many times to make money.

Historically, 10 years later, Hill stayed in Guangdong for several years to help Li Chunjiang for an annual salary of several hundred thousand dollars. This can be said to be quite open-minded and realistic.

Mo Wen wanted to rest more, and the coach had no objection, and the boss would have no objection either.

Bennett hoped that Mo Wen would become more "inflated" anyway, so he could just blame it on others if his grades were bad.

After accompanying little Catherine to complete the admission procedures, Mo Wen started traveling with his sister-in-law, two trainers, security guards, and other accompanying team members.

I had been staying at home before because I was concerned about the impact. After all, my teammates in the national team were all in training. It would be fine if I didn't go back, but eating, drinking and having fun everywhere would inevitably be criticized.

Due to weather reasons, the group did not head south, but instead headed north along the Pacific Ocean and visited Canada.

During this period, Mo Wen was tempted to buy an island for fun. A few hundred thousand US dollars could buy an island of a hundred acres, which seemed very tempting, but he was persuaded by his assistant.

The island of Canada is not expensive, and the cheaper ones can be bought for tens of thousands. However, just like the $1 castle in Europe and the $1 aircraft carrier that Russia gave to India, the big expense is behind. The so-called permanent property (debt) right is only a limited property right. If you want to build, you have to apply for it and it is difficult to get approval. There are also environmental protection fees and animal protection fees... Mo Wen originally thought he was quite rich, but after his assistant calculated the figures, he wanted to make time to shoot commercials again.

Natural scenery is beautiful, but repeating it will inevitably cause aesthetic fatigue.

Fortunately, the age of consent at Canada University is also 16, ahem.

Little Catherine and Tina thought that if they could break free from the shackles of morality and join forces to fight the enemy, they would be able to achieve the effect of 1+1>2. However, with Mo Wen's self-discipline, the help of two professional trainers, and the little bit of insignificant potential provided by the system, Mo Wen has almost reached the point of 10.

Even if it is impossible to replicate Zhang Erwan's feat, it is still no problem to have a "seven-color rice bowl" whenever he wants like the magician.

Scientific research has shown that in-depth communication with different opposite-sex partners will prompt men to give more inheritance information (the amount of extramarital affairs is twice the normal amount), so little Catherine's plan may have been wrong from the beginning. Stimulation within the scope of one's ability will only make people stronger.

"Sister, let's go find Sister Ruth to exercise tomorrow. It seems like there's no end to this bad guy." Leaning in Mo Wen's arms, Tina rubbed Mo Wen's abdominal muscles unconvinced.

Little Catherine nodded tiredly. She wanted to find Big Catherine and Ruth to ask Mo Wen if he was sick. She had heard rumors before that one hour was the limit for a normal man. Today, the two of them worked together and lasted for two hours. Mo Wen's breathing had just become a little rapid, but now it has even calmed down.

"You can practice yoga and aerobics, but don't train your muscles like Miss John (Elder Catherine)." Mo Wen said earnestly.

Big Catherine is not pursuing the big body like Barbie, but because of her low body fat percentage after long-term training, there is really no soft flesh on her body except for those two places. Her figure looks well-proportioned thanks to scientific exercise planning and good stretching. When it comes to intimacy, she is the type that is highly challenging and gives a strong sense of conquest, but one such girl is enough.

Soft, tender, white and smooth is the aesthetic demand that normal humans like from the bottom of their hearts.

"Why, are you afraid that we will deal with you, your lecherous brother-in-law, after we become proficient?" Tina asked with a little pride.

Mo Wen rolled his eyes. Big Catherine was tamed by him and she understood after just one pat. Why would I be afraid of you two?

"Believe me, I'm doing this for your own good. You're still young, and consuming too much energy while training your muscles will affect the development of the little bear!"

Bears are supported by glands, so their size is inversely correlated with the fineness of their skin. Generally speaking, the better the skin, the smaller it is. (Asian girl: …)
Both sisters have good skin. Correspondingly, little Catherine, who has finished her development, is only the size of a B cup, which is at the bottom of the American level. But Mo Wen doesn't mind. The price of Ruth growing to 38E is that she has to refill her perfume every half a day. For someone who will sleep with him every day in the future, Mo Wen thinks it's pretty good now.

"Really? Forget it, I'll just listen to you." Little Tina, who was not very big to begin with, decisively gave up the idea after hearing this.

We headed north until we crossed the border into the even more boring Alaska, and then we flew back to Seattle at the end of September.

After two days of farewell madness, the two sisters held each other's hands with tears in their eyes. The further relationship made them both realize how indispensable each other was.

But they have to separate. If Tina stays in Seattle to go to school, more than one father-in-law will be suspicious.

……

In Los Angeles, in a training hall with the Lakers sign hanging on it, a small man was struggling to get up from the ground.

"Kobe, you are a bastard. Are you going to kill me and then trade my body?"

"You're not dead yet, are you? Stop complaining. If you can fight, continue. If you can't, go down and change people."

In the new season, Kobe, who put on the No. 24 jersey [just symbolizes 24 hours], did not show any apology. At most, he just went up to help Xiao Cannon.

"Do you want to fight?" Pushing away the black hand, moving his shoulders, Xiao Pao looked at Kobe with murderous intent.

"If I have to fight, it will be with Mo. For someone like you who can't even make it to the semi-finals of the World Championships, those bullshit words will only make you look more incompetent." Kobe twisted his mouth. He has been using Kobe's experience from this year's World Championships for half a month, but it is still so useful.

"You fucking bastard!" Xiao Pao really wanted to rush forward, but with the size difference, it would probably be a waste of time if he really fought. Others would just let him go, and Snake really fought. "Everyone knows that it was just his luck."

"Huh? Luck? Wait until you have worked hard in your life but still achieved nothing, then talk about luck. Now, no matter from which aspect, you are not qualified to judge it."

He had doubted Mo Wen's luck, but he believed that Mo Wen had the ability to live up to his honor. The new season was about to begin, and by then, whether it was luck or strength would definitely be clearly revealed through the results.

Chatting secretly and observing that Tristana didn't seem to be feeling particularly unwell, Kobe, who still had a cold face, also breathed a sigh of relief. It couldn't be entirely blamed on him just now. If Tristana's black hand wasn't so annoying, he wouldn't have subconsciously elbowed him just now.

It is also because there have been too many and too complicated news recently, which made Kobe, who was originally able to remain calm, a little more impatient and wanted to help Tristana grow faster.

The Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Rockets and 76ers have accelerated their contacts.

To be fair, Kobe was not so eager to embrace the next star inside teammate when he had Erik Snyder.

One reason is that the low post is really good, and the other is that he wants to prove to O'Neal that he doesn't need to cooperate with a super inside player to win the championship.

But the situation is stronger than the person. He may not need a super inside player, but he also does not want his opponent in the championship race to have a super inside player.

Another year of BUG-level reinforcements by the Heat has made him feel more and more insecure. Now, let alone surpassing Jordan, if Wade wins another championship and gets the FMVP, his status will surpass his!
But this world is ultimately based on logic.

The Lakers don't have an offer that's hard for others to refuse.

Without giving up Kawhi Leonard, their bargaining chips are nothing more than Odom, who has less ball possession, Kwame Brown, who has slightly better statistics, and future draft picks that are obviously worthless.

It doesn't seem bad, but considering that the trading target is an All-Star level center, it is totally not good enough.

Gasol has led the Grizzlies into the playoffs for three consecutive years. Although they haven't won a single game, their strength is obvious to all.

Not to mention Yao Ming, he has surpassed the current O'Neal in terms of dominance under the basket. In addition, he has learned mid-range and long-range shooting from Mo Wen, and he is the leading center of this era without any serious injuries. The Rockets management wants to get rid of this little thing, which is an insult to Dawson's IQ.

Harden does have a strong desire to move, but he has a clear goal. He would rather go to the Suns. In the eyes of inside players, assist-type guards like Mo Wen and Nash are definitely more attractive than scoring champions like Kobe and McGrady. If he goes to the Suns, he can help the team make up for its defensive shortcomings, and the Suns also have chips that can be traded. It is a more perfect place no matter how you look at it.

Kupchak and Ainge are very active and contact major teams every day. If a direct trade doesn't work, they will try a three-party or four-party trade.

The Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe boasted about how attractive their teams were and how bright the future was, but the actual progress remained only on paper.

As the preseason approaches, the big trade rumors are becoming more and more maddening, like a sneeze that can't be sneezed.

But fans of all major teams breathed a sigh of relief.

The team’s current record is not ideal, but blind trades may end up with no stars to play for.

As Gasol and Harden announced that they would lead their brothers to make another charge, the Rockets management also began to re-negotiate the contract with Yao Ming's team. The dark clouds that have been brewing since the offseason seem to be coming to an end with much thunder and little rain.

?
"I don't understand the meaning of him doing this, is it just to show his importance? He should first figure out his position. He is not irreplaceable like Shaq. There are stars in this league who are better than him. I think some people should work hard like me to do their best, instead of complaining all the time."

Just as the Rockets were about to sign a matching offer to Yao Ming, McGrady, who had gained weight during the offseason, suddenly jumped out and mocked them.

McGrady's unhappiness is understandable. Yao Ming had been competing with him for the position of leader, and he felt that Yao Ming was overestimating his own abilities. How could a player who had difficulty catching the ball be a good team leader?

In his opinion, Yao Ming's testing of the free market in the summer was just a show to force the Rockets management to abdicate. Whether it was Yao Ming's status as a restricted free agent or the Bird clause, it was destined that the Rockets had the ability to force Yao Ming to stay.

Disappointed with the team management's inaction?

Indeed, he was also disappointed, but for someone of his age, is Yao Ming so anxious as his rookie contract has just expired?

Many things are different when viewed from different angles. The Rockets' backcourt is pretty good, and they also have Yao Ming in the interior, so McGrady feels okay. If he were put in the same environment as the Lakers in history, with Mihm and Smush Parker guarding him, he would probably seek a trade like Lao Ke.

From Yao Ming's perspective, McGrady is certainly a good helper, but the two more important positions for Yao Ming are power forward and point guard.

He needs a qualified power forward to share his pressure on the defensive end and a point guard to feed him more balls so that he can better play his skills. However, the Rockets have not made much effort in this regard, and have not achieved any results.

At this point in time, as soon as McGrady's remarks came out, the environment that had just calmed down became weird again.

Yao Ming is not someone who cannot tolerate being wronged. He is fine with being shorter, but his team disagrees.

The Rockets management tried to persuade McGrady to apologize, but McGrady felt he was not wrong.

then--

The offers from various teams were once again placed on the table of the Rockets general manager.

Fran Bilimboli, a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a Yao-fan and McHale-hater familiar to old Rockets fans, stood up and shouted at this critical moment:
Trading McGrady is in line with the will of heaven; the world is in a state of deterioration and people’s hearts are getting worse; without Yao Ming, the team will no longer be a team!
But unfortunately, he is just a columnist.

Alexander has thought about this option, but the only player on the market who can match McGrady is Allen Iverson of the 76ers.

Putting aside whether the 76ers management is willing to trade, Iverson's endless off-court scandals are a bit daunting, not to mention that Iverson's height is not suitable for the current Rockets.

Because of Mo Wen's existence, the Rockets earned much less revenue from China, but even if you look at the data alone, Alexander would not want to trade Yao Ming even if his brain was connected to a fire hydrant.

The Rockets wanted to delay the game, but time waits for no one. The preseason is about to begin, and Yao Ming has not renewed his contract. What else can they do?

"You ruined my whole life!"

On the phone, Dayao complained to Mo Wen like a young wife whose innocence had been violated.

"Don't give me that crap. I just made a suggestion at most. You made the decision and your team carried it out. I'm lucky enough that I don't charge you any consulting fees. Why are you trying to blackmail me?"

Mo Wen said coldly.

"Damn, because of this, the whole league is laughing at us. Don't you know, hey..." Yao Ming sighed heavily on the other end of the phone. He had never been questioned so much since he was a rookie. If it weren't for the fact that Dream, who had the same experience, stood up and said a few words for him a few days ago, he wouldn't dare to ask what his reputation in Houston would be like.

Mo Wen chuckled and didn't care about Dayao's worries.

"You would have lost your reputation if you had left, but you should thank McGrady. He cut off your chance to stay in the team, but he also gave you a way out. You're calling me now, so you should have some clues, right?"

"You can tell nothing from me. Yes, there is a team that seems to be a good fit for me, and their chips also make Dawson excited." Dayao was silent for a moment and smiled bitterly.

"Then go. Anyway, that place is quite suitable for our domestic players. If they can't trade enough space for me, I might go there first."

"Ah? Shit, have you guessed which team it is?" Yao Ming couldn't help but swear.

"There are not many teams with player configurations that suit you. Considering the bargaining chips, there is only that one." Having studied the information of various teams before, Mo Wen did not think this was difficult to predict.

Any manager with a keen eye can guess Yao Ming's next club.

"Okay, get ready to look at houses and move in. You don't have much time left to pack." After getting confirmation from Yao Ming, Mo Wen hung up the phone with peace of mind.

他抽出了一份交易报告，勇士队用今年选下的首轮新秀中锋奥布莱恩特（10顺位）和休赛期续约的迈克邓利维（11+5），交易到了老鹰休赛期续约的艾尔哈灵顿（18+7）。

Al Harrington had lost enough in the past two years with the Hawks. He had wanted to get a big contract and then trade away. He happened to meet Nelson, who joined the Warriors earlier. Nelson was very optimistic about this energetic inside player and sent away the physically weak organizing forward Dunleavy Jr. without hesitation.

After this trade, the Warriors have no shortcomings. Think about the next trade that may happen...

"If the Thunder can be counted as an Eastern Conference team, it would not be impossible to move. The Western Conference is too competitive!" Mo Wen cursed inwardly.

No rivals in the West?
The West is full of rivals!

On October 10, when domestic fans were still enjoying the National Day, a transaction caused a sensation in the domestic basketball circle.

After Mo Wen changed teams twice, Yao Ming also changed his next team before the preseason after arduous negotiations.

勇士队送出去年选下的潜力中锋“小鲨鱼”拜纳姆+（上赛季14+10）白人中锋特洛伊墨菲+08的首轮签+09年的首轮互换权+10年选秀权，以先签后换的形式从火箭得到姚明和附赠的穆托姆博。

In addition, the Warriors also immediately stepped forward and promised to fully accept and recognize the agreement that the Rockets had originally reached with the Basketball Association.

Domestic fans were mentally prepared and did not react too puzzled. After seeing that the transfer destination was San Francisco, the fans quickly abandoned their attachment to Houston.

After all, everyone knows that San Francisco is the city with the largest Chinese population in the United States. San Francisco is also the most familiar American city to most Chinese people besides New York. Being able to play in your own territory is definitely better than playing in Houston, which you have never heard of before.

Golden State fans also went wild over the news.

Although the price seems a bit high, compared with the Shark trade two years ago, it seems to be a severe rip-off. Compared with the Carter trade a year ago, the number of draft picks is the same, but the value of the talented players and potential new stars paid is far exceeded.

But that's Yao Ming!
Even though he was plagued by injuries last season and did not make the playoffs, as long as he can perform at his normal level, he will be the T0 player in the league today.

Look at the Warriors' current lineup, center Yao Ming + power forward Al Harrington + dunk king Richardson + All-Star point guard Baron Davis + French Jordan Pietrus
Don’t talk about the promising future, we can even expect to win the championship this season!
What are you waiting for? It's time to say that -

Not only is the starting lineup top-notch, Mo Wen also knows that their bench is not weak either. Matt Barnes and Monta Ellis, players who later became famous, are still receiving a base salary of hundreds of thousands of US dollars from the Warriors!
Mo Wen had asked Rick Sander to inquire about Barnes' price before, but old Nelson was very smart and would not trade him even for a second-round draft pick.

Mo Wen doesn't know how high the ceiling of the Rockets can be when they are healthy, but it is not surprising that the Warriors, who were able to upset the Mavericks in history, can win a championship with Yao Ming.

There is a limit to the happiness in the world. If the fans in San Francisco are happy, the fans in Houston will not be happy.

The center they spent four years training seemed to be able to lead the team back to glory, but when they woke up, their dreams were shattered.

WTF? Who can stand this?
Murphy has good statistics, the Shark has a promising future, and the two draft picks are a big profit, but——

We want Yao!

We only want Yao!
By the time Houston fans realized that the matter was done and started to blame each other, they were also divided.

Some burned Yao Ming's jersey, some accused McGrady of driving Yao Ming away with harsh remarks, some angrily criticized the management for not doing anything to disappoint Yao Ming, some angrily scolded Alexander for being stingy and unwilling to spend money to recruit players, and some questioned why the team didn't trade Yao Ming for a better star...

McGrady, who had refused to apologize, also regretted it.

"I didn't mean to push him away, I just felt that as a team... we should work together... we can do better, and then we can discuss what we need to strengthen... if we can sit down and have a good chat... he didn't contact me after that."

McGrady's blank expression in front of the camera fully demonstrated that he had never anticipated the consequences of his remarks.

When Kobe heard the news, he was even angrier than McGrady.

You said that you finally have a reliable teammate with a good temper, but you don't know how to coax him. You're thinking about competing without any results!
Fight, fight, fight. Now that they've run away, you don't have to fight anymore. So what are you going to do next? You're back to the Magic environment. If you have the ability, you can become the scoring champion again. There's nothing else to do anyway.

In addition to being angry at McGrady for not fighting hard, Kobe was also angry that Yao Ming did not come to the Lakers.

Yao Ming is not only strong going to the Warriors, but coming to Los Angeles can also help the Lakers regain the qualification to compete for the championship.

Originally, if Yao Ming had signed a short 3+1 contract with the Rockets, given the conflicts between Yao Ming and the Rockets, the Lakers would have had a chance if they had used their hoe well. But now that he has gone to the Warriors, it would have been extremely difficult to poach him.

Baron Davis has the same personality as Big Dad. He is very passionate, a little bit prickly, and likes to go against the management, but he is very kind to his teammates and brothers. He is not the kind of core player who cannot stand others being better than himself.

Even if Yao Ming turns against others, others will not think that he is still the kind of good guy who can be ignored.

There is one less possibility for the future and one more formidable enemy at the moment... The Lakers have a long way to go before they can revive... No, we need to train Paul more!
……

The day after Yao Ming officially announced his change of club, Seattle finally waited for Mo Wen to return to the team and gathered enough people to hold a press conference.

What Mo Wen needs to do first is to familiarize himself with the management and coaching team. He has basically met the players in Ray Allen's training camp.

The assistant coach in charge of training is former Sonics player Schrempf, the one in charge of offensive tactics is Shimark, who once contributed to the Sonics' championship, and the one in charge of defensive tactics is Gudenchesa, who was hired by coach Hill from Jazz coach Sloan.

Before the press conference, Ray Allen challenged Mo Wen for a one-on-one match again.

He still couldn't believe that Mo Wen could maintain his form and playing skills even without practicing during the holidays.

Witnessed by the media, Ray Allen successfully replicated the score from the previous training camp, and even contributed a shot of Mo Wen "bullying" and knocking down his teammate.

"Do you have any disagreement with Mo Wen? Did Mo Wen knock you down just now to embarrass you on purpose?" A reporter asked Ray Allen with a microphone.

"Just like Pippen knew the gap and mission between himself and Jordan, I also know that my mission is to assist him. He, like Jordan, is a natural leader and an invincible powerhouse of this era. It is my great fortune to be his teammate." In front of the camera, Ray Allen expressed his loyalty sincerely.

The media person in charge of the interview looked at Ray Allen with disbelief.

"Are you serious, Allen? Last year you weren't even afraid of Kobe when you were interviewed."

Ray Allen nodded. "I'm serious. Kobe is very strong, but I can do everything he can do. He is better than me, but I can definitely catch up. But Mo--"

He used an obscure American slang, which translated means -

“The higher you look, the higher it rises; the harder you dig, the stronger it becomes.”

The reporters all thought it was an exaggeration, but looking at Ray Allen's serious yet calm expression, everyone became a little scared.

We want to dig up some explosive news, not listen to you telling stories from the Bible like a believer. If you were cursed, would you just blink?
At the same time, another group of reporters were holding microphones and interviewing Mo Wen.

"Mo, do you have any comments on the Sonics' lineup for the new season?"

Mo Wen answered without hesitation, "I couldn't be more satisfied. We have mature veterans and talented new players. We have our own advantages both inside and outside. In terms of configuration, we are no worse than the Suns two years ago."

The reporters' eyes lit up.

"That is to say, do you think the team can make it to the Western Conference Finals like the Suns did in 05?"

"No, no, no, I can't guarantee that. The Western Conference is much stronger now than it was two years ago. It's a more practical goal to make a difference in the second round and get the team back into the ranks of the playoff powerhouses."

Mo Wen is not being modest. You can tell by counting on your fingers.

The Mavericks and Spurs are in a very stable situation, the Suns have Stoudemire back to full strength, and the Lakers with the addition of Cannonball are also a force to be reckoned with. Add to that the rising Warriors and the Supersonics led by Mo Wen, and it is foreseeable that the first round of the Western Conference playoffs this year will be very fierce.

On the other hand, the East.

As for the Heat and the Cavaliers, they are okay. The Pistons are not a big concern as they lost Ben Wallace and failed to get Yao Ming. The Wizards and the Nets both have serious problems in the interior which cannot be solved yet, and the Magic's Howard is still immature.

If the Heat collapses again like they did in the past, the Little Emperor's journey to the Eastern Conference playoffs may be easier than Mo Wen's World Championships this year. Of course, it will also be easy for others to sweep him later.

After the routine interview, the Supersonics also organized the players to take photos in various poses.

And the team's lineup was finally complete for once.

Point guard: Mo Wen, Earl Watson, Atkins;
Points: Ray Allen, Payton;
Small forward: Gay, Damien Wilkins (undrafted), Michael Grabel (05 second-round pick);
Power forward: Milicic, Millsap, Craig Smith;
Center: Tyson Chandler, Francisco, Johan Petro;

The signing list did not reach 15 people. The team had previously tried out Kareem Rush, the three-point shooter of the Lakers in the past two years. Considering that he had played against Mo Wen in the 04 Finals, the management originally planned to give him a non-guaranteed contract. Unfortunately, after the tryout, Rush suffered a groin disease and the signing was shelved.

After the Supersonics press conference ended, the only team left that had not yet officially finalized its roster was the Warriors, who were waiting for Yao Ming to take over.

Experts from various media have also begun to rate and predict the lineup for the new season.

Unexpectedly, the Supersonics, who were not favored by many people before, are not low in ESPN's ranking. Their strength rating has reached 5th in the league. Only the Heat, Mavericks, Suns and Warriors are ahead of the Supersonics.

The reason they gave was very simple. Mo Wen and Ray Allen were undoubtedly the most powerful outside combination in the league after the "Mo Wen and Wei combination".

Although Milicic is not strong enough and Tyson Chandler is a bit weak, they are enough to be pulled out to do pick-and-roll and supplement the inside offense.

Especially with Mo Wen and Tyson Chandler, the Sonics' defense will definitely be much better.

It is difficult for everyone to predict what the chemistry of the Supersonics will be like, but based on Mo Wen's personal strength alone, and in conjunction with Ray Allen, it will be easy for them to advance to the second round.

In addition, Mo Wen is also far ahead on the MVP list.

Without the "drag" of Wade and O'Neal, as long as Mo Wen can produce numbers equivalent to those of the Heat and send the Supersonics into the playoffs, it will be difficult for the MVP to fall into the hands of others.

The little brother's current situation is the same as the "big brother" who will have diarrhea in the second round in the future. Although the MVP does not look at the playoff performance, the big diarrhea you have will still make people feel scared. People still want to give the honor of MVP to the real strong rather than the limited strong, unless you can really beat Excel.

Wade is only ranked 7th on the MVP prediction list. Because the Heat has not reduced the number of stars, the value of the data in this environment is not convincing.

Rasual Butler, who just left the Heat, is a good example of this problem. He was originally just a role player, but because he stayed with the big guys, his advanced data almost crushed the four major shooting guards. When there are many stars, there will be people with corresponding advantages to deal with different problems. Everyone only needs to do the work they have advantages, and the data will definitely look good.

"Hey, you guys are envious, but I'm going to get to drink Mo's first soup! Not only will I be the first to drink it, but I can also drink it 4 times this year!" The Nuggets are in the same division as Seattle, and seeing that they can play against the SuperSonics in the opening game, Melo excitedly showed off to a few friends in the ICQ group.

Wade: "..."

James: "..."

Bosh: “…”

Milicic: “…”

melon:"???"

[Shared by Dwyane: A man in Florida tried to rob a gun store with a knife, but the owner fought back with blank bullets. He cut off half of his palm in shock.]

[Sharing from LeBron: Cleveland Clinic - A Guide to Medical Treatment at the World's Famous Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Treatment Hospital]

【Sharing from Chris: Toronto’s New Immigration Policy】

[Miličić has added WINNER to the group chat]

WINNER: “BRO?”

[The group has been disbanded]

……

Mo Wen didn't put in much effort in the preseason, only playing for a dozen minutes per game before being substituted. It didn't matter whether the team won or not, as his main focus was on practicing tactics and examining substitutes.

The Sonics' tactical system had big problems in the past. McMillan, who led the team into the second round, was capable, had clear plans and ideas, and paid great attention to defense. But because Schultz advocated offense and only considered offense when recruiting players, McMillan had no soldiers available. If the Sonics had included his defense in their plan in 05, they might not have fallen in the second round.

After taking over, Coach Hill didn't pay much attention to the offensive tactics and focused all his energy on repairing the defense, but without anyone, the improvement had little effect.

However, the series of trades made by the Supersonics during the offseason brought a turning point, and the Supersonics finally have someone available on their defense!
Milicic's defense is just barely at the second-rate level. He is not good enough when played alone, but with Tyson Chandler backing him up, the two of them are enough to deal with most teams.

Defense accounts for 40% of Tyson's multi-million contract, rebounding accounts for 40%, and the rest is other abilities.

There is Gay at the small forward position, and his draft template is McGrady, so he can naturally follow McGrady's old path.

Although he is not very happy to be a blue-collar player, the Supersonics are not the Grizzlies and there are not so many opportunities for him to waste.

Even Ray Allen had the ball taken away by Mo Wen and had to study three-pointers and defense, let alone him as a rookie.

It is better to say that the starting lineup solves the problem of the substitutes.

Millsap, Francisco and Craig Smith were all selected for their defense, and the bench lineup can solve 90% of the defensive problems as long as they can solve the interior defense.

The defense of the outside substitutes is acceptable. If they can't hold up, Mo Wen has already built up his physical strength, and he can still screw himself and score more points.

After several preseason games, the performance of this group of substitute players can be considered remarkable.

After all, Mo Wen's ability in explaining tactics is at the ceiling level in the NBA. Even if you crush it into pieces and stuff it into your mouth, you can't even swallow it. So you can consider changing your industry.

Fans also found the Sonics' change in style refreshing.

They thought Mo Wen would bring the same aggressive offense as the Suns, but in fact, the current Supersonics did not inherit the previous team's fast break and three-point style, but instead stabilized and slowed down.

Especially when Mo Wen was on the court, the smooth and flexible coordination and movement seemed to be more attractive than the previous fast break that was as empty as a kite.

Mo Wen actually likes this era very much. There is the small ball whirlwind as well as the slow swing of positions. The league encourages offense but does not abandon defense. It can be said to be a hundred flowers blooming.

But what made Mo Wen sad was that he would probably bring such a prosperous era to an end.

"Have you noticed that Mo doesn't seem to like shooting three-pointers as much during team training recently?" In the Sonics training hall, Coach Hill asked Payton, who was disguised as an assistant coach.

"If he doesn't reduce it, I will also advise him to shoot less. He is too accurate, and it's not good for the team if he keeps doing this." Payton replied indifferently.

"Isn't it bad to be too accurate?" Coach Hill touched his smooth forehead and expressed that he couldn't understand the thought process of today's superstars.

"When you find that your teammates can score easily, those players who lack confidence will naturally become dependent on them, and then become lazy, or even give up their skills. But basketball is a sport for five people. Everyone has his or her own value and mission. Only when players are always involved in offense and defense can they maintain sufficient concentration and observation." Payton explained patiently to Hill.

"...Can this kid still be called a player?" Hill watched Mo Wen and Schrempf working together to teach Milicic and Tyson their footwork. His presbyopic eyes seemed to have seen a layer of divine light.

"I don't know. Anyway, I'm very glad that I was born ten years earlier. If I were born in the same era as this kid, hehe..." A relieved smile appeared on Payton's face.

It is said that the guards in Jordan's era had a hard time. Apart from him, Drexler and Stockton, there were basically no other famous guards.

It seems that the outside players who are in the same era as Mo Wen will have a really hard time. If the Supersonics are given a year or two, it is likely that the entire league will face the twilight of the gods again.

Payton seemed to see the shadows of Baylor, Barkley, the two Jazz elders and his former self again. A kind of ghost called unyielding until death was slowly awakening in those stars without a championship.

……

On November 11, a Boeing plane slowly landed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. A group of young people wearing emerald sportswear attracted the attention of many passengers and crew members around them.

Mo Wen stretched lazily, then turned around and clapped his hands, drawing the players' attention to himself.

"Are you ready guys?"

"Yeah!!!"

"What are we?"

"Supersonic!"

"Where are we going?"

"Right above it!"

(End of this chapter)