no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 136 Bull reinforcement, another way

After Yao Ming was traded to the Bulls, the big names in the free market have basically been settled.

In addition to the known ones, several others that have attracted more attention are:
The Knicks signed Stoudemire with a 5-year, 1 million maximum salary contract after an empty basket;

After a period of back and forth, Ray Allen finally agreed to renew his contract with the Celtics with a two-year, $2 million contract;
Kobe, Nowitzki, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay and others all stayed in their respective teams;

David Lee was poached by the Warriors with a 4-year 6400 million contract;

Tyson Chandler chose to implement the player contract and was then sent to the Mavericks by the Bobcats in exchange for Eric Dampier as the main bargaining chip.

These are the same as what Xu Yong knows.

The difference is: Boozer signed with the Pacers for 5 million in 8000 years. In order to free up salary space, the Pacers sent Mike Dunleavy to the Bucks with the draft pick;

Then came a series of operations by the Bulls.

After completing the deal with the Rockets, the Bulls did not choose to supplement the power forward position.

Just like what Thibodeau said in the exchange with Foreman, he hopes to play a lineup of one big and four small in the new season, so he is more inclined to strengthen the outside line.

So the first goal of their follow-up reinforcement is Ray Allen, whom Thibodeau has worked with before.

It is a pity that after some exchanges, although Ray Allen had disagreements with the team, he felt that this was not the right time to leave.

After failing to sign Ray Allen, the Bulls immediately used a three-year 3 million contract to win the old Celtics player Tony Allen, who also worked with Thibodeau before.

Allen was selected by the Celtics in the first round in 2004. He has excellent athletic ability, strong physical fitness, and often staged flying dunks.

In the third grade, he successfully entered the starting lineup and averaged 11.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is a potential new star with both offense and defense.

However, injuries ruined him. He was reimbursed for the season after a dunk sprained his knee, and he lost his athletic ability and gradually marginalized in the Celtics.

Later, the addition of Thibodeau helped Allen transform into a defensive player and gain a foothold with the Celtics.

However, because of his limited role on the offensive end, he has not been reused in the Celtics.

This time Thibodeau signed him because he knew his defensive skills.

And this is a normal market price, and the value of functional defensive players in the free market is very limited.

And Allen chose the Bulls, in addition to Thibodeau's rebuilding mentor, there is also the starting position promised to him by the Bulls, which will give him the opportunity to play his own value.

In the previous Yao Ming deal, the Bulls had 2100 million left in their 800 million salary space, and after this wave of operations, there are still about 500 million left.

They were going to use this contract to keep Kwame Brown, who performed well in the playoffs last season, but the Celtics offered Brown a 2-year 1500 million contract.

Obviously, Brown played his worth in the playoffs last season, and there is no shortage of insiders like him with size and defense.

As for the Celtics, Perkins was seriously injured in the finals against the Lakers last season. The Celtics urgently need to supplement the inside line, and because both Pierce and Ray Allen can renew their contracts, they can afford this. contract.

Angie: If you dig me a hoe, I'll give you back a hoe. Isn't that reasonable?
But just after Angie poached Brown, someone from the Bulls has already taken the initiative to vote.

O'Neal left the Cavaliers and reached a two-year minimum salary contract with the Bulls with a player option for the second year.

This is different from the history that Xu Yong knows. In O'Neill's history, he went to the Celtics with a basic salary this year.

But there is no difference in essence. At the end of his career, the Sharks just wanted to hug their thighs once and win as many championships as Kobe.

And the Bulls also have Yao Ming, who cherishes him, and Xu Yong, who he boasted a lot last season, and now that Brown has a chance to leave, he actually doesn't have to think too much about it.

For the Bulls, there is no harm in signing O'Neal with a minimum salary, because that doesn't even take up salary space.

And the Bulls also chose to retain that salary space first, and then used the full middle class to win the Jazz shooter Kyle Korver for 3 million in three years.

Although Bill Walker played well last season, he has too many potential injuries, and the team needs to have a stable three-point tactical point.

After completing these operations, the Bulls' core lineup is basically in place.

Starting lineup: Rose + Tony Allen + Xu Yong + Artest + Yao Ming;

Subs: Hinrich + Korver + James Johnson + Taj Gibson + O'Neal.

This lineup is obviously stronger than last season. The defense Thibodeau wants is to have all the starting and subs full.

Especially in the starting lineup, Kobe frowned when he saw it, and James turned around and gave the ball to Wade to show that you are the boss of the team.

As for the future, they only need to make good use of the remaining 500 million salary space and continue to strengthen.

When Xu Yong saw a series of news about the Bulls, he was a little surprised.

Because the team not only sent away Noah, but also sent away Deng.

Mo Gou is still a dog, knowing that if the Bulls really win the championship, he will definitely be criticized, and he will weaken the Bulls' strength in different ways.

But thanks to Thibodeau, the head coach of the Bulls, he poached a good corner of the Celtics.

It's just that he signed Allen, and he also knows that Thibodeau is really going to play a senior and a junior next season.

That way he'll be playing small forward most of the time.

In other words, is he gaining weight?

But gaining weight is inevitable, because he knows how terrifying James' weight will be in the new season.

That is directly added to 120 kg, and the deceleration shoes on the field can draw two black marks on the ground.

Of course, it is impossible for him to gain that kind of weight. First, James dared to play like this because of his abnormal physical fitness. Even if he won’t be injured, the loss of flexibility and flexibility after gaining so much is not worth the candle;

The second is more important, he didn't have that time, James didn't play the World Championships, it took a whole offseason, even including the first half of the regular season to get used to the new weight, he didn't have that much time.

Of course, how much weight he gained will be after competing in the World Championships. Now, his focus is still on the World Championships.

When the time came to late July, Xu Yong was already preparing to return home early.

He is not going to participate in the joint training of the national team right away, but to participate in the brand China tour organized by AJ and instructed by the league.

In addition to him, there are also Wade, who has just formed the Big Three of the Heat, and Carmelo Anthony, the head of the Nuggets and AJ's active leader.

This wave of AJ can be said to have dispatched the strongest lineup of the Big Three, obviously to create momentum for Xu Yong's signature shoes.

Before boarding the plane, Wade chatted with Xu Yong, but after boarding the plane, Wade sat down with Anthony and chatted.

Speaking of which, James, Wade and Anthony are the ones who really have a good relationship with the 03rd generation. Including their little brother Paul, they will be the future banana boat brothers.

If it wasn't for Anthony being greedy for money and signing the first contract with the Nuggets for an extra year, then the Heat's Big Three should have nothing to do with Bosh.

Xu Yong didn't care about this either. It was cleaner for him to be alone, and he hadn't returned to China for a long time, so he felt a little homesick.

I fell asleep on the plane, and when I woke up, it was almost here.

The first stop of their trip to China this time was Shanghai. Xu Yong couldn't hide his excitement when the plane hovered and began to descend, and he could gradually see the outline of the city.

Sure enough, the NBA is just a job, and it feels better to be at home.

When the pilot landed at the airport and walked out and heard the familiar local accent from time to time, the feeling became more and more intense.

But just when he was about to have a warm hug with his hometown, he was surprised by the scene at the airport exit.

I was really surprised, that dense crowd of people was so dense that I couldn't see the end at a glance, and even the road in the distance was blocked.

Wade and Anthony looked around after getting off the plane. It felt very fresh. The two had been chatting non-stop, but they were also scared when they came out now.

It is not the first time for them to come to China. They have come with the dream team once during the BJ Olympic Games.

Speaking of this scene, they saw something similar when they followed Kobe out of the bus.

No, it wasn't that exaggerated even then.

Obviously, these Chinese fans cannot come for them.

And the sign held by the friend on the trash can in the distance is already eye-catching enough, of course, the friend on the tree hanging the sign upside down is even more eye-catching.

Xu Yong took a deep breath. It's not that he hasn't done psychological construction, but the enthusiasm of the fans at this moment is still beyond his imagination.

Of course, the security personnel at the scene were already prepared.

What a joke, Xu Yong's domestic popularity is phenomenal now!

Not to mention Yao Ming, Yao Ming can only avoid his edge.

A Chinese forward and guard with a strong style of play and good looks, won the best rookie and finished black eight, there is no one in comparison.

This has even broken the circle.

Xu Yong came to the guardrail and reached out to applaud the fans. These people in the front row must have been waiting here for a long time.

When he got to a place with a little less people and a safe and controllable place, he stopped to sign for them.

Wade and Anthony behind him hesitated for a moment, but still followed.

Although from the perspective of NBA cards, none of them are bigger than Xu Yong's coffee, but this is Xu Yong's home game, they can't compare at all.

Those fans who didn't get Xu Yong's autograph only noticed Wade and Anthony at this time, and they also took Xu Yong's jersey and sneakers to ask them for autographs.

Wade and Anthony glanced at each other, gave them autographs after a wry smile.

Because the fans were so enthusiastic, they stayed at the airport for more than an hour.

When it was time to leave, there were even many fans chasing the bus.

Seeing the crazy fans, Xu Yong waved them to stop chasing. While being moved, he was also sure that his decision to play in the World Championships was right.

For players, there is a difference between the honors of the Olympics and the World Championships, but for fans, as long as the national team participates in international competitions, the difference is not that big.

Their event schedule was very tight, the bus did not go to the hotel but went directly to the event site.

The event was held in the Jiangwan Gymnasium. More than 3000 fans had already filled the arena, and there were also fans outside the stadium.

The security at the scene is also very high standard, so although there are many people, the order is not chaotic.

It can also be seen from this that the reason why some events are chaotic at the scene, and even the event is forced to be cancelled, is fundamentally because of insufficient knowledge of the players' positions and the wrong venue for the event.

After entering the event site, the stands held high all kinds of signs and big head cards related to Xu Yong.

What kind of AJ event is this? It's clearly Xu Yong's personal fan meeting!
Wade and Anthony could only smile wryly, and they realized that Stern had arranged for them to be bodyguards this year.

Fortunately, Xu Yong is still very understanding of the world. After the event started, he intentionally or unintentionally brought the topic to Wade and Anthony, which made them feel a lot better.

The event went smoothly, the three-point contest, the slam dunk contest, and then playing against the players of the National Youth League, teaching some lucky fans some basketball skills and so on.

At the end, there was an interactive session where fans in the stands asked questions.

The beginning was also very smooth, until a fan picked up the microphone to ask a question, which caused a burst of booing from the fans.

The fan questioned Wade: "As a superstar who led his team to fifth place in the Eastern Conference last season, you chose to team up for first defense. Last season's MVP James, what do you think?"

After asking this question, the translator was stunned and didn't know how to translate it.

Although Wade can't understand Chinese, mvp and James' pronunciation, which he can probably guess, have begun to feel a little embarrassed.

Xu Yong didn't help to make a rescue at this time, he felt pretty good about Wade, but even if he, as a reborn, knew in advance about the peak grouping, he still felt very shameless.

The host can only skip this question upon seeing this.

But someone opened the door, and the style of asking questions later gradually began to crooked.

"James is the mvp, aren't you worried that he will steal your team leader position after he comes?"

"Do you think the championship won by taking such a shortcut will add to your career?"

"Have you ever thought about what to do if you fail to win the championship?"

Seeing that the situation was out of control, the organizers had no choice but to hastily end this session.

Wade pursed his lips at this moment, probably because he didn't expect that he would come to the other side of the ocean, and he would inevitably be tortured.

He hasn't even played a game yet, and I don't know if he has begun to regret the compromise he made at the beginning.

After the event, they returned to the hotel to rest for a while, and in the evening, they attended another party together.

The party is for entertainment, and beauties are indispensable, and of course there are more domestic insiders.

In this place where Messi has to toast when he comes, you can't hide.

Xu Yong dealt with it for a while, and found a chance to sit on the sofa in the corner to rest.

But not long after sitting down, Zhang Minji came over.

"There is one who is engaged in foreign trade. He is the sponsor and coordinator of our national team's European training. He is your die-hard fan and wants to meet you."

Xu Yong originally frowned, but he nodded when he heard about the coordination of the national team.

Not long after, Zhang Minji brought a Chinese man in his 30s over. He had a good temperament, but his skin was a bit dark, and he was clearly a foreign trader.

"I've seen a real person." The other party was very enthusiastic as soon as he came up, and directly held Xu Yong's hand.

Xu Yong was surprised, smiled and motioned for the other party to sit down and chat.

"Whether I'm in Africa or Slovenia, as long as there's your game, no matter how busy I am, I have to spare time to watch it. I'm really excited." After sitting down, the other party realized that he was a bit abrupt just now, and explained with a smile .

At this moment, Xu Yong looked at the other party in surprise. He is engaged in foreign trade in China and travels to Africa and the Balkans. This person has something.

"I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Xu Jiming. Speaking of which, we are still in the same family." The other party then introduced himself.

They were all surnamed Xu, which made the distance between the two of them a lot closer.

The two quickly chatted, and Xu Yong also got to know more about this fan of his family.

This is also an inspirational person. When he was less than 20 years old, he went abroad to do foreign trade. At first, he went to the Balkan Peninsula. Later, he went to Africa where the country invested in Africa. He was also a basketball fanatic. Basketball's golden generation fans too.

With money, love, and a network of connections, he has become a very special bond.

"I was at the scene during the 08 Olympic Games. At that time, I knew that you would definitely become a star in the NBA." Xu Jiming said and pulled up his suit, revealing the Bulls No. 6 jersey he was wearing inside. Da State University's No. 23 jersey, and even his No. 23 Bush High School jersey on the inside.

Xu Yong stared blankly, then got up and gave the other party a hug.

Now Xu Yong completely lost his resistance, and they chatted more.

"I have been in the Balkans and Africa for many years. You should know Rwanda, right?"

Xu Yong nodded. Hotel Rwanda, the movie starring Don Cheadle, is the "War Machine" in Marvel.

"On the streets of Kigali, the capital, young men of Durant's stature run all over the street, with narrow shoulders, long arms, and long legs, but the place is poor, there is not enough food, and even talented people can't play basketball." Xu Jiming sighed with emotion. road.

Xu Yong nodded. Unlike what many people think is delicious and lazy, there are actually a lot of Odbia in Africa, but because they have no sovereignty, they can only export the cheapest raw materials. They are sucked by Western countries all the year round, and food and clothing are always the first problem.

But people like Mutombo, Luol Deng, and Mbah a Moute show that there is indeed no shortage of talent in that place.

"Then in the Balkans, although there may not be those in Africa who are talented, they got rich early and have already established a basketball system, so their performance has been stable."

What Xu Jiming said is also true. Before the disintegration, Yugoslavia was the only team that could fight against the dream team. Even if it disintegrated, it would still be a world basketball powerhouse.

But Xu Yong looked at Xu Jiming, not quite understanding what he wanted to say.

"What I mean is that our country does not lack basketball players, but lacks training methods. I see that because of you, many children have gone to the United States to play basketball, but to be honest, only those with good physical fitness It is possible to have opportunities there, and more can only rot in the country.”

"You mean to send it to Europe?" Xu Yong now understood what Xu Jiming wanted to say.

"Yes, those people in Africa want to play, and most of them immigrated to Europe. If we also send children to Europe, there are great opportunities to train them. Moreover, they emphasize tactical literacy, and the players they cultivate are spiritual." Xu Jiming nodded. .

"I've actually always wanted to sponsor some children to play basketball in the Balkans, but we don't really trust European basketball now." Xu Jiming continued.

When Xu Yong heard this and looked at Xu Jiming, he couldn't help laughing.

What Xu Jiming said coincides with what he thought before.

In fact, Chinese basketball has no shortage of insiders. The biggest shortage is guards. Except for a few players such as Hu Weidong, everyone else is soft-footed in international competitions. There is no confrontation, no shooting, and the ball is not smooth.

On the contrary, Europe plays at the back.

As fans often say, the United States can train the four major shooting guards, but it can't train Ginobili.

You must know that Ginobili is not a European, he is an Argentine playing in Europe.

And it's not just Ginobili, those European defenders may not have good physical fitness, but they are all better than the other.

So in fact, this should involve a matching problem. If the insiders are kept in the country for training, then the talented strikers are sent to the United States, and the defenders are sent to Europe. Finally, they are the same as the group, and then they are pulled together to play for the national team. The strength of the basket is not bad.

(End of this chapter)