So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 150 You must respect me

It wasn't until David Stern entered that the attention returned to the draft itself.

A draft that occupies a very special significance in NBA history:

The 96 draft officially begins.

There was no change in the "No. 76 pick". After the performance of "Junior Jordan", the Philadelphia 90ers won their first "No. pick" in the s. The newcomer they selected with this "No. pick" was also the same as the original one. Same:

Georgetown University sophomore Allen Iverson.

At this time, Allen Iverson had not yet grown his iconic "ditch" hairstyle, and his face had not become fat yet. He looked very young, but because the hip-hop flavor was not that strong, his whole person He doesn't look so unruly.

This can be regarded as the first rookie of the "96 generation" to break out of the circle.

In 01, he lost the finals, but he won the hearts of fans around the world.

The slogan "loyalty and love for life" also spread in this alliance from that time.

Speaking of which, the "96 generation" can also be described as the "spiritual generation".

He was originally the favorite to become the No. 76 pick, and even gave the Philadelphia 76ers management a lot of guarantees. He thought he was sincere enough, but in the end, the Philadelphia ers still chose Allen Iver, who has a criminal record. Sen.

It was an era of "spiritual" collapse, and mentioning "spiritual" influence was like a clown performing a burlesque show.

It's just that Sharif has only made the playoffs once in his entire career, and it was in the relatively distant 05-06 season, which makes him a forgotten player in the "96 generation".

Take him as an example. On the court, he is enough to be called the most successful player in the NBA in the first three seasons. Even though he only played half a season in the third season and was reimbursed for the season without any awards, but just The honors he won in the past two years are enough for him to have such a status.

This guy's character is not good. When the book was about to be finished, there was a sudden break in updates. New books were released and updated at a fast and sometimes slow pace. He is a bad person with a very bad conscience. If such a person had not been supported by a group of brothers, he would have become a "sharp brother" long ago!

As far as his entire career is concerned, it is really not bad. In his first season, he contributed 18.7 points and 6.9 rebounds. In the following 7 seasons, he averaged more than 6 points per game in 20 seasons, and never reached 20 points. In the season, he also averaged 19.9 points per game. He scored "20 plus 10" data in one season and "4 plus 20" data in 9 seasons.

That was an era where "honest people" were bullied!

It is said that fans in the entertainment industry are the craziest, but in fact some fans in the future sports industry are even more crazy than fans in the entertainment industry.

Camby's career can be roughly divided into two stages. In the first stage, he was diligent and diligent, but the media did not think highly of him. He even almost wore the label of "parallel import second place" because of the emergence of many talented people in the "96 generation". hat; in the second stage, after he was injured, he began to speak with "data" after a great enlightenment, which allowed him to successfully win the "Best Defensive Player Award" and his total career contract salary exceeded million.

"Smile, honey, this pick is already great. Don't let the camera see your displeasure. This will give them a chance to make a fuss!" At the reminder of his agent, he adjusted his mood and revealed Smiling and walking towards the field.

This is especially true in circles such as the sports world and the entertainment industry, which have relatively weak average culture.

You can see a bit of dissatisfaction and a bit of loss on his face.

But in fact, if it weren't for basketball, football, or the entertainment industry, many glamorous people would even have trouble eating.

As a fan, Meng Lang has experienced changes in two eras.

But no matter what achievements a player can achieve, in ancient times, they were just "actors" and something for people to watch. With this idea, let alone Allen Iverson, what about the "Ball King"? Should word of mouth collapse or should it collapse?

However, this problem of weak contract spirit may have been reflected in his career. After all, this is a guy who never "never" trains!

From a salary perspective alone, Camby's career with a salary contract of over 96 million is still very successful, and he can also be called the "second place" of the " generation".

Allen Iverson was unruly and never left the firing line with minor injuries. The picture of 25 injuries all over his body moved many fans.

Meng Lang was originally a fan of Allen Iverson, but as he gradually made some speechless actions, he became less interested in him. When he saw him taking a photo with David Stern, he felt emotional in his heart. It's just because of his fighting spirit on the court.

Once upon a time, their spirit was the most valuable asset of this league.

This is a group of "super geniuses" with distinctive personalities.

The problem is that many crystal fans use a player's accolades to cover up his shortcomings off the court.

He doesn't know what feelings are at all, which has a lot to do with the fact that Shang K met too many "good girls" before he traveled through time. The "emotional concept" that is deeply rooted in the bone marrow cannot be changed. But no matter what reasons he has, he can only convince himself that from the perspective of outsiders, he is a "scumbag"!

No matter how "god" a player performs on the court, he is just an ordinary person off the court. Normal people have some shortcomings.

Looking at the data alone, the Grizzlies' choice of him was not wrong.

Then it was the Timberwolves' turn to select the fifth overall pick.

But he is very "scumbag" when it comes to handling emotional matters!

"Scum" can't be more "scum"!

Martha was actually very suitable for him and treated him very well, but he still chose to break up because "the two of them will have different paths in the future." Being with Madonna is just because of her current appearance. Making Madonna pregnant was also caused by the vanity unique to men...

When everyone in this league is "teaming up", "one person, one city" and "loyalty" have become the least valuable things, and it will also become a shackles when you want to leave for the championship. Sometimes, they will immediately send sarcasm:

"Isn't it said that one person, one city? Why did you choose to stay together in the end?"

It's just that this spirit didn't carry over to him off the court.

To give a less appropriate example, let's talk about a guy who wrote a basketball novel called "Ruthless Love for the Common People" at Qidian.

Then with the fourth pick in the first round, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Stephon Marbury.

Especially after entering the league, he understood this matter even more.

In fact, Meng Lang also knows that the star's skills and his character off the court cannot be summed up.

However, as time goes by, Allen Iverson has become synonymous with "inefficient scoring king" in the mouth of a new generation of fans, and he is not even close to Irving's status. Kobe has also become the player with "the worst choices for good", as if reasonableness is the truth of everything on the court.

He knew very well that the main reason for such changes was the change in the league's appearance.

In addition to him, there is Kobe's "Mamba Mentality", Ray Allen's hard training for more than ten years, the shooting he has developed, and...his body. ——Even Kobe Bryant became a dagger for a period of time after he retired, but Ray Allen’s figure never got out of shape, so much so that he later left the league for three or four years, and still had daggers from time to time. Sources say "he will return to the league."

This result was a bit beyond Marbury's expectations. He was stunned for a second before getting up.

With the third pick in the first round, the Vancouver Grizzlies selected Sharif Abdul-Rahim, their second rookie in franchise history.

He also fell to the fourth pick in the first round.

Of course, Allen Iverson's reputation has declined due to some reasons of his own. He wants to make money but also wants to make money while standing. When a player has such an idea, there are only two possibilities:

One reason is that he doesn't take these fans seriously; the other reason is that he thinks too highly of himself!

Wearing the "crown" for a long time will indeed give rise to the illusion of "I am the emperor"...

In short, work ability does not represent character.

The Toronto Raptors selected Marcus Camby with the second pick.

The camera showed Ray Allen, and you could see that he was a little nervous.

If he is not selected this time, he will fall out of the top five picks of the "96 generation".

This is naturally not what he wants to see, and even his self-esteem can't accept it.

Good thing...

"With the fifth overall pick in the first round of 1996, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Ray Allen, who came from Duke!"

As Meng Lang knew, the Timberwolves selected Ray Allen with the fifth pick.

At the same time as "Junzi Lei" took to the stage, Meng Lang was also shown the scene.

Among the players who have come out of Duke over the years, Ray Allen's draft pick was the lowest, fifth overall in the first round.

Everyone else was in the top four picks of the first round.

But if we really want to talk about it, Ray Allen is actually the fourth pick in the first round. Because Meng Lang knew very well that a trade notice would appear on the big screen soon: the Bucks, who selected Marbury, would trade him for the Timberwolves' Ray Allen.

When making such a trade, people usually want to take advantage of the situation. The most classic operation was that in 93, Pat Williams used the "No. pick" to select Chris Webber, and then used Webber to trade for Hada from the Warriors. Wei and three first-round picks.

This transaction was already very profitable and became one of the classic transactions.

Now it is even more of a classic among classics.

Because after this deal, Pat Williams used one of the picks in exchange for Meng Lang, creating the "LV" combination and winning two consecutive championships. Although the media and fans in Orlando have ruined it all, it does not affect the classicness of this transaction.

The Bucks management did not play this trick to trick the Timberwolves.

Ray Allen himself is also a very good potential rookie, and it is impossible for the Timberwolves to offer other bargaining chips to get Marbury.

The Bucks actually just want to make some cash.

Well, the poor management is like this. Every penny must be calculated carefully, and every draft pick must be maximized to maximize its value. Even if it only costs 30 US dollars, that is still good.

What surprised Meng Lang was that until Antoine Walker, the eighth pick in the first round, put on a Celtics cap and walked to the stage, he didn't see Ray Allen appear on the big screen. Exchange club information with Marbury.

Did I remember it wrong?

No, it happened at this time?

Milwaukee fans were also dissatisfied with the management's choice. They preferred Marbury to Ray Allen.

In order to please Bucks fans, "Gentleman Lei" once deliberately increased the frequency of his breakthroughs with the ball, and never missed the opportunity to dunk. But Bucks fans still didn't buy the bill.

Later, Ray Allen gradually corrected his mentality and focused on shooting, becoming one of the best shooters in the league.

Is it possible...

Has the timeline changed again?

Meng Lang thought of Rasheed Wallace, who ended up going to the Pistons early in the last draft.

If you think about it carefully, the Timberwolves now have Bob, a number one position that is very suitable for the 90s: he has little scoring ability, but it does not affect his ability to organize the entire team's offense in an orderly manner.

Entering the third season of his career, Bob Hurley, who has not been involved in a car accident, is averaging 11.3 points and 7.5 assists per game.

A very standard set of statistics for a "top point guard" in the 90s.

Coupled with Kevin Garnett at the power forward position and Laettner at the center position...

This Timberwolves really lack an outside shooter who can stretch the space.

Thinking about it this way, there is nothing wrong with the Timberwolves choosing Ray Allen.

What Meng Lang is more worried about is:

Ray Allen has been on the same team as Kevin Garnett since his debut. What if they drafted Paul Pierce again in 98...

Oh my God!

Meng Lang suddenly felt a lot of pressure.

The "Big Five" of the Pistons have been announced in advance, and now Boston's "Big Three" are also expected to gather in advance, and they are still the "young version" of the "Big Three". Meng Lang feels a lot of pressure just thinking about the future of this league.

However, although he felt a lot of pressure in his heart, Meng Lang's eyes became brighter and brighter.

He was thinking about the opponents he might encounter in the future, and one after another rookies came on stage and took photos with David Stern.

"In the 1996 NBA Draft, with the th overall pick in the first round, the Charlotte Hornets selected...Kobe Bryant!"

coming!

Meng Lang's thoughts returned to the stage under David Stern's reading. The big screen at the scene showed a close-up of Kobe, with no expression on his face. His manager didn't know what he said in his ear, and then he walked onto the stage. During this period, the camera kept showing Meng Lang.

The bond between these two people has been formed.

Meng Lang silently witnessed this historic moment. No matter how much controversy there is later, the moment players like Kobe, Tim Duncan, and LeBron were selected in the draft is definitely worth witnessing.

After all, everyone will be curious about what it looks like when a big boss becomes a "big boss".

When Kobe walked off the court, the latest transaction notification was given on the big screen at this time.

Meng Lang looked surprised.

Not that I'm surprised there's a deal.

He knew that the original Lakers would give Divac and acquired rookie Kobe Bryant from the Hornets.

In fact, the sensation caused by this transaction is not that big at the moment.

Divac is not yet an All-Star. He became an All-Star in 01, and it is only now in 96.

目前他发挥最好的一个赛季，是94~95赛季的场均16分加10篮板加4.1助攻以及1.4抢断和2.2盖帽。这个赛季他的状态有所回落，只有12.9分8.6篮板3.3助攻1.7盖帽1抢断，只能算是一个全能型的中锋，这也是他职业生涯大部分时期的写照，实力大概在准一线到准全明星之间。

This deal during this period was roughly equivalent to the later 2011, when Popovich traded George Hill to get the Pacers' 15th pick in the first round.

Surprising enough, but not shocking enough to be sensational.

It was only because Divac later became an All-Star that the deal made by the "logo man" seemed bold and highlighted his unique vision.

But in fact, Jerry West had a more important reason for trading Divac:

Clear salary space!

Only in this way will he have enough salary space to acquire free agents of Shaquille O'Neal's level.

Therefore, Jerry West believes that trading Divac is imperative.

Firstly, the next year of his contract is as high as 472 million; secondly, he is already confident enough to get Shaquille O'Neal, so naturally he has to free up a big center position for him.

可这次，湖人队还是跟黄蜂队进行了交易，但给出的却不是迪瓦茨，而是场均9.7分的安东尼-皮勒加上场均13.9分7.6篮板2.2助攻1.1抢断2.6盖帽的埃尔登-坎贝尔！

The combined contracts of the two of them can also clear about 4 million in salary space.

Kobe seemed to have expected it, and was not surprised at all that he was sent to Los Angeles. There was excitement in his expression, and he said eagerly into the media's microphone: "I can't wait to fight Meng Lang!"

After Kobe, another familiar name appeared on the stage:

Steve Nash was selected by the Suns with the 15th pick in the first round;

Jermaine O'Neal was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 17th overall pick in the first round;

Big Z was selected by the Cavaliers with the 20th overall pick in the first round;

……

Such familiar names all entered the league during the "96 generation", which shows how solid the quality of the 96 generation was.

At the end of the draft, Meng Lang chose to leave early, but was still blocked by many reporters at the door.

"Dream, does your appearance in Madison mean that you will meet with the management of the New York Knicks next?"

"No, I haven't thought about it yet, I'm enjoying my vacation and I won't think about it until free agency officially arrives."

"So how do you feel tonight, in Madison..."

"I can feel the enthusiasm of the fans, but I don't like the kind of fans who are only enthusiastic about me at this time. Everything I have experienced tells me that the city I want to choose must be a city that respects me! "

As if the speech at the press conference that day was not enough to vent, Meng Lang's chat box opened up instantly, "If I only sign a two-year contract with the team and reserve the right to jump out of the contract the following summer, then you can scold me. ; If I have been asking the team overtly or secretly to overdraw the future, and finally failed to win the championship but left, or won the championship, but chose to leave because the team's future is no longer bright, you can also scold me; if I am not working hard enough on the court, if I do not treat the game as my last game and work hard, if I do not have the integrity and professional ethics of a professional player, if I am a problem player, then OK, I will accept all the boos. I will not have any refutation, let alone ask you to respect me, I know that is easily criticized!"

"But if I come to a city amid boos, I work hard to become the core of the team, and prop up the team when there is absolutely no hope, I make this team history. Best, I have brought glory to this city, and I have made this team the focus of the league, so as fans of this city and the media, you should stand by me unconditionally..."

"I have enough confidence to say this, even if I have decided to leave that terrible city, but..."

"Orlando, you must respect me!"

"Without me, you are nothing!"

"I also warn all players who want to stay in Orlando, or are preparing to go to Orlando, if it is for money, then there is nothing wrong with a big contract in front of you, but if it is for other reasons, then I hope you will consider it carefully, unless you Have the confidence to do better than me!”

(End of this chapter)