basketball never sleeps

Chapter 289 Three Years Period
At the post-game press conference, Seattle reporters did not see the classic sad expressions they expected on the Warriors players' faces.

The Game 7 with the Lakers in the last round tortured them but also greatly strengthened their character. The Supersonics are strong, but not so strong as the Heat last season who would explode at the slightest look.

"The Sonics were in better shape and hotter than us, and that's why we lost."

"Losing is frustrating. Our experience has taught us that every game and every ball in the playoffs is crucial, but we also know that no one can win all the time. As long as we try our best, losing will also be worth losing."

"Kobe's scoring ability is not weaker than Mo. In the last round, we were able to find a way to deal with Kobe. This round, we can also find a tactic to limit Mo. As I said before, we believe it!"

In the post-game interview, Stephen Jackson held the microphone and talked freely, not at all like he had just lost the game.

Dayao on the other side was not in high spirits and barely held up his head. He performed well on the offensive end today, but the points lost on the defensive end due to frequent calls from Mo Wen also made him feel frustrated and guilty.

He was very annoyed, but Yao Ming also knew that this was his problem, not Mo Wen's.

As he enjoys the bonus of height, he naturally has to bear the side effects of his height on athletic ability.

Old Nelson had just advised him in the locker room not to worry too much about defensive problems, but he really couldn't let it go.

On the other side, Mo Wen, as usual, cheerfully shared the joy of victory with the reporters. After the noise died down, he did not rush home. Instead, he called Catherine and his sister-in-law to tell them that he would be home late, and then asked his bodyguard to drive to a Chinese restaurant that had been booked in advance.

Today's game time is relatively early, and we will finish at around 8 o'clock, so we can have a midnight snack.

Not long after Mo Wen greeted the familiar boss, a big man also got out of a taxi hunched over at the entrance of the hotel.

"Don't you say you're angry? I thought you wouldn't come." Mo Wen teased.

"I'm just angry, not crazy. Why didn't I come when the dog owner invited me to dinner?"

Dayao sat down on the chair exhausted, turned around and said to the boss who had just come in to take a photo with him, "Boss, pick the expensive ones, the more expensive the better. I got poked several times during the game today, and my flesh is still red. It was all your fault, I have to eat it back!"

"I've ordered the dishes. Don't be like you did last time, staring at a big pork elbow without picking up your chopsticks and just smelling the smell. You picked out the potatoes from a pot of beef and ate them. You're more polite than a grown girl." Mo Wen didn't comment, but brought up the past.

"Hehe, how do you feel about the first game of the Western Conference Finals?" Without waiting for Mo Wen to speak, Yao Ming asked first.

"I have three championships and you ask me?" Mo Wen couldn't help laughing.

"You have three championships and you're still...this is your first time playing in the Western Conference Finals!"

"Why, do you want to know how it feels to win so you can go home and dream tonight?"

"Hey, you look like a pen. One of us must lose today!" Dayao chewed his native language and started a full-scale fight with Mo Wen.

After a while of commotion, the two returned to their seats.

"Don't worry about it. Do you know why Mr. Nelson doesn't blame you? Because the root of the problem is him." Listening to Dayao's self-blame, Mo Wen shook his head and explained.

"It's been a problem before that big centers are easily hit by pick-and-rolls. Luc Langley and O'Neal's defenses have also been good at pick-and-rolls. They rely on outside rotations to defend well. You Warriors have enough outside resources, but you can't coordinate, so you have to be targeted by me."

Mo Wen is not afraid to let Yao Ming know what the Warriors' problems are, because even if he knows, he will not be able to change anything.

Defensive qualities and defensive tacit understanding cannot be developed in a day, and old Nelson has never paid attention to defense since he became addicted to offensive basketball. He is a good coach, and there is nothing wrong with his coaching ability under the title of a thousand-win coach, but he is not a championship coach because the basketball philosophy he pursues is too idealistic.

The logic of offensive basketball is high efficiency, while the logic of defensive basketball is high tolerance. If it is a single-game system, the two logics are equally important, but in the playoffs, which can last up to seven games, tolerance is undoubtedly a more noble attribute.

The reason is not complicated, but now that the league's rules have changed, the concept of offensive basketball is as popular as the sharing economy later.

Nelson Sr. did not abandon his offensive philosophy when the league turned to defense, and it is even less likely that he will turn around now.

But in Mo Wen's impression, the leader of the second generation of small ball is about to retire, and offensive basketball still has not been able to prove itself.

It can even be said that the offensive system dominated by the Moneyball theory was finally successfully proven after the Celtics repeatedly drew cards and tried and failed, combined with top-notch defense.

"What do you think would happen if I was a little gentler?" Yao Ming still didn't give up. If he had the flexibility he had when he was 20 years old...

"If you're any gentler, I'll come in and dunk on you. Do you think this is the CBA?" Mo Wen said sarcastically.

Dayao was speechless. What this kid said was really irritating. What was even more irritating was that what he said was true.

As the two chatted, the dishes were served one after another, and the topic of their conversation gradually shifted away from basketball and turned to the summer vacation.

Even though both of them made it to the Western Conference Finals and the vacation seemed to be greatly shortened, this summer was the most relaxing year for Mo Wen and Yao Ming.

The Yanjing Olympic men's basketball team was already qualified for direct entry, and winning the World Championships gave the men's basketball team a golden medal. The summer Asian Games seemed insignificant. Both of them communicated with the Basketball Association in advance and announced that they would not participate for the time being in order to give young people a chance to train.

Domestic media and fans did not think there was anything wrong with this.

The Olympics are getting closer, and everyone is waiting for the two to create another miracle so as to "learn the spirit of men's basketball." Participating in the Asian Championships will simply increase the risk of injury for the two, which is really not worth it.

"I'm probably getting married in August. You'll be in the country then, right?"

"Even if I'm not in the country, I have to buy a plane ticket to go back. After all...how can you start eating if I don't come to the table, right?" Mo Wen raised his eyebrows.

"Go away, and start eating. If your gift money is not big enough, I will let you in or not!" Dayao pouted, but he was not annoyed. "By the way, you are not a child anymore, when are you going to do it? If not, you can get the certificate this summer. You will be busy next summer."

"I'm not in such a hurry yet. I'll book it this summer. We'll see about the time later." Mo Wen pursed his lips.

In fact, neither his management team nor Nike are happy to see a high-quality idol like Mo Wen embrace marriage so early.

But... they are nothing.

Although Mo Wen likes to play, in his value system, family and family are the foundation of life. What he is concerned about now is just his sister-in-law's feelings and the future governor's reaction when he knows about the sisters.

He was still too decent.

The Huaiyang cuisine in the restaurant was good, but neither of them ate much. Instead, they spent most of their time picking food for each other, especially the greasy meat dishes, which were almost piled high on both of their plates.

"Eat more meat and get heavier so you can fight Tyson."

"You need it more. You are still young. How will you grow taller if you eat more meat?"

After a few bites, it felt like they were being urged to drink.

The restaurant owner lamented that even though the two of them seemed to be fighting to the death on TV, their relationship in private was closer than that of brothers. The way they picked up the dishes was so sticky that even young couples couldn't be so affectionate.

……

That night, when Mo Wen returned home, the lights in several rooms were still on.

Little Catherine was dozing off on the sofa while reading a book. When she saw the man coming back, she smiled happily and gently and hugged him.

Words like congratulations on victory were too polite for the two of them. Just by touching their noses and foreheads, they understood each other.

The young couple shamelessly spoke about the sticky "spicy dance oil", but Christina on the other side was unwilling to be out of the picture. She came down from the second floor and deliberately made a clapping sound with her slippers, and also opened her arms to ask for a hug.

Mo Wen stretched out his arms just like Jiao Enjun, without any trace of acting, it was all from the heart.

However, it was not yet time to rest, so Mo Wen followed the two trainers to do pre-sleep yoga as usual, and then enjoyed a massage of the Emperor of Bathing.

The very serious kind.

"This bastard!" Feeling Yukiko's pain, Big Catherine muttered in dissatisfaction.

"Can't help it? If you had been more proactive, maybe he would have stayed tonight." Ruth teased.

"What do you mean I can't help it? He's just a playboy and a stinky man." Big Catherine said stubbornly.

"Hmmmm," Ruth sighed leisurely, swinging her voluptuous long legs.

When Mo Wen finished washing up, the two sisters who had arrived earlier also separated on both sides and whispered to each other.

The two sisters have a very good relationship, but they both have long hair. If they lie together without keeping a distance and occasionally interact with each other, their very soft hair may automatically get tangled in the earphone wires in their pockets the next morning.

Mo Wen, who had mastered the ball-carrying and positioning skills, found his position familiarly. He suppressed his inappropriate anger while being surrounded by people on both sides. When he turned off the lights and was about to enjoy the whipping of the copy, he suddenly remembered that there was something wrong with Tina's expression just now.

"Little Tina looks a little unhappy. Did something happen?"

"Remember that mom called during the day and said she would come to support you two days before the finals, so Tina has to go back to her room to sleep later." Little Catherine whispered.

Mo Wen suddenly realized that not only his father-in-law's family had come, but also many of his own brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins ​​had come. There were too many people, so he did not arrange for them to stay at home. The relatives did not want to disturb his rest and were happy to stay in the hotel he arranged for them.

But if my mother-in-law and my parents come over, they will definitely have to move in, so many things will not be so convenient.

Christina pouted but didn't complain much. Old Deng was still the governor and her man was a celebrity, so she couldn't be willful. She just stuck closer to him.

Mo Wen couldn't bear to see his sister-in-law suffer any injustice, so he turned on the bedside lamp again and opened the drawer of the bedside table with his long arms.

"You still want to compete, right?" Looking at the square outer and round inner circle that Mo Wen took out, little Catherine's face turned pretty.

"Take a rest tomorrow. There is no competition scheduled for the day after tomorrow's talent show draw." Mo Wen patted the two sisters, indicating that Ehuang and Nuying should get to work.

Strong power always makes people swell unconsciously. Mo Wen clearly felt that his thoughts had deviated slightly, but he did not think that controllable indulgence could affect the final result.

Few people remember that Dan Zi stayed up all night gambling before the Eastern Conference Finals, but Zhou Qi eating an egg-filled pancake after the physical test will be talked about for the rest of his life, and it may even become a meme.

The crescent moon on the lake in front of the villa is rippling in the water, and the late cherry blossoms in Seattle in May are dotted into the water by the breeze.

As the saying goes, raise your glass to the moon, and your shadow and you become three people.

Seattle did not sleep that night.

……

On May 5, the Quicken Loans Arena, which is about twice the size of Key Arena, welcomed a rare bustle.

Before the game started in the morning, a group of fans wearing No. 23 jerseys were posing in front of a large and conspicuous "King" poster.

Michael Reed, who was passing by, just took a quick look without stopping for long. He drove all the way to the entrance of the parking lot at the back and saw the poster of the whole team that had been taken earlier. He couldn't help but stop to take a closer look.

In the poster, he is standing next to James in the middle with his arms folded, smiling happily.

He was indeed very happy.

Seven years ago, he was just a second-round pick. He was injured at the beginning of the season and did nothing throughout the season. He was excluded from the playoff roster and could only sit in the second row behind the bench like the fans, watching the three Musketeers Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Cassell fight against Iverson and the African mountains.

Five years ago, the Bucks had an internal conflict, and the three musketeers and the head coach were quickly cut off by the management. The Bucks' past glory became a tree ring, and he became the only remaining bud on the sawed-off stump.

Two years ago, dissatisfied with the team's attitude towards contract renewal, he chose to return to his hometown. He had lived in Columbus, only two hours' drive from Cleveland, from birth to college (who isn't a son of Ohio?). For this, he was branded as a traitor and earned $1000 million less in his six-year contract. He still suffers all kinds of insults from fans when he returns to Milwaukee.

But he doesn't care, he believes he will create big things with this talented brother.

A year ago, the younger brother was full of energy and won the MVP at the same age as Jordan just entered the league, which proved that he had chosen a good teammate. But the joy did not last long. They encountered the most terrifying nightmare in NBA history - the Heat Big Three. Cleveland experienced the second worst fire since the Cuyahoga River fire in 1969. All the dreams and visions turned to ashes in just a few days.

Now, after all his efforts, he has finally reached the harvest season.

He felt that this was his destiny. Jordan started the Bulls dynasty in his seventh year, and O'Neal also started the Lakers dynasty in his seventh year. Now was his seventh year.

That is to say...

Drip!

"Hey, Mike, what's going on? Why did you stop?" The silver Cadillac behind him rolled down the window, and another Mike, Mike Bibby, leaned out and asked.

Reed frowned slightly, stretched out his hand to make an OK, then stepped on the gas and drove into the parking lot.

"As expected of Cleveland, it's still so cold in May."

As soon as Reed got out of the car, he heard Bibby's sigh, who was parked next to him. Looking at Bibby's short-sleeved shirt and shorts, Reed's mouth twitched.

"You should wear more clothes, bro."

"No need. A little cold will stimulate the muscles. We're going to play the Pistons tonight, so we have to move around." Bibby and Reed chatted awkwardly as they walked to the gym. "By the way, you've been in the East. Are the Pistons really that scary in the playoffs?"

"It's okay, actually." Reed replied subconsciously, and then he recalled the scene three years ago when he led the Bucks to be beaten by the Pistons in the first round.

However, things change over time.

The Pistons now have one less DPOY (Big Ben), one MVP (Mo Wen) and one third-team player (Molicic) than before, but they are surrounded by the All-Star team such as James, Bibby, Webber and Big Z.

The poles are reversed!
Thinking of this, Reid couldn't help but reveal a "silly smile" like the Nike logo on his face.

The three-year period is up, the Dragon King... no, the Deer King has returned!

Bibby looked at Reed's confident and even slightly perverted smile, and felt relieved. If the locals said so, then it must be true!

After entering the stadium, James was still leisurely accepting interviews from the team reporters.

"The Pistons are a great team with a glorious history. Two years ago, they defeated the Big Four of the Lakers and brought Detroit back to glory. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but the facts are in front of everyone. The current Detroit is no longer the championship team it was two years ago!"

"I think we'll win the series in five games and have enough time to prepare for the Finals."

"What's the hope? I hope we can stay healthy. As long as we can stand on the court, we can beat all opponents."

In fact, the Cavaliers' journey from the first round to now has not been very smooth.

Mike Brown is not an offensive coach. Although the Cavaliers have many stars, the ball rights of the Cavaliers are still distributed to James as usual. This makes the overall operation of the team like those mobile phones that are fully loaded but not optimized, and do not perform as expected.

But most of the time they are able to suppress their opponents with their hard power. Although their methods are a bit simple and clumsy, they are effective... or they are enough for the time being.

The Pistons' defense is well-known, but the Heat have proven through examples in the past two years that, given enough power, 89 degrees is still a slope!

Boom boom boom!

The Pistons bus was parked outside Quicken Loans Arena.

A group of tough guys with cold temperaments set foot on this joyous land.

The reporters who had been waiting for a long time gathered around, but were stopped by the security and staff accompanying the team. They could only watch the Pistons players enter the stadium without any reluctance.

"What the hell are you pretending to be? Do you still think you are the champion?"

"If the Heat hadn't fallen so quickly, would they have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals?"

"If the Pistons hadn't traded Mo, they would still be able to play now. I think their luck was limited to that one year."

The reporters who only captured the footsteps and back view sneered in dissatisfaction.

The Pistons players didn't hear the reporters' whispers, but they knew that the outside world generally had a negative view of them.

Facing the epically enhanced Cavaliers, the Pistons, whose players had no player scoring over 20 points, were not good enough.

But what does it matter? They have played against the Lakers F4 before!

The elite, they are fighting against the elite!
After changing in the locker room and entering the arena, Billups looked up at the empty dome of Quicken Loans Arena.

It’s great to have a broad vision, and it would be better if it always was like this.

At night, quite a few Americans tuned into sports channels.

Compared to the battle between the two Chinese yesterday, they are more inclined to follow the serious black-skinned American Chosen One.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, James sprinkled magnesium powder as usual.

But his confident smile didn't last long.

The Pistons had done a thorough study of the Cavaliers. They were not intimidated by the Cavaliers' luxurious lineup and immediately targeted James with the same force they had used against Mo Wen.

They no longer stuck to the regular zone defense, always keeping two people in front of James while keeping him at a distance.

A-Jan is disgusting but he doesn't have any good solution.

Historically, James has maintained a considerable shooting percentage under the pressure of his CBA teammates. Although it is not accurate, it is definitely there.

But with teammates like Reed, Bibby and Webber, he had to make a "sacrifice" and reluctantly subcontracted the shooting tasks to focus on his best breakthroughs and passing.

This also means that his current shooting level is the same as O'Neal's free throws, which is quite dependent on luck.

After missing three shots, James decided to focus on organization. This kind of defense does not require strong organizational skills. As long as he can attract two defenders and pass the ball, that is the best organization.

James' sacrifice was not in vain, and the Cavaliers led by 6 points in the first quarter because of his organization.

However, what is somewhat embarrassing is that James only got 0 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists despite playing almost to the full potential in the first quarter.

He passes the ball a lot, but doesn't assist a lot.

In order to maximize the value of involving the defense, Reed, who has the best shooting, usually does not stand on the same side as James.

Usually Bibby, who stands at the top of the arc, and Webber, who is the axis in the middle, are both very smooth setters. When they are not sure, they would rather attract the defense a little and pass to teammates with stronger abilities. But it’s okay, now there are advanced data, and James’ sacrifice will be reflected in the advanced data!

However, as time reached the halfway point, the Cavaliers did not widen the score thanks to James' sacrifice. Instead, the Pistons made up the gap with excellent shooting.

The heavy footsteps of Webber and Big Z also became the target of attack by the Pistons. With the Supersonics as a reference, Sanders' coaching level on the offensive end also reached a new level.

The current Pistons are not very good except for their damage in driving to the rim. They can shoot three-pointers, pick-and-rolls, and mid-range shots, and they fly high after shooting and take off when they get the touch.

During the half-time break, James lay on the statistics table and couldn't help biting his nails while looking at the data sheet.

6 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, what is he doing?
The team was only leading by one point, so what did the Cavaliers do?
In the locker room, Mike Brown continued to arrange tactics according to the situation in the first half. He felt that the Cavaliers' rhythm was fine and the Pistons could not always be so accurate. As long as the players followed the plan, they would definitely have a greater chance of winning.

Others also agreed with this view. Several main players are veterans and they are well aware of the development of the situation on the field.

But James approached Mike Brown, waving the statistics sheet and hoping to make more of his offensive threat. Mike Brown couldn't refuse, so he gathered a few assistant coaches together to discuss adjustments.

Even though the Cavaliers have more stars now, Mike Brown has always known that Cleveland only has one sun.

The Cavaliers gambled their future and traded so many stars just to please James.

Just like medieval knights to kings, loyalty is more important than ability.

In the second half, under the tactical arrangement, more counterattacks and pick-and-rolls made James's data finally start to pick up.

James doesn't just think about scoring, he also knows how to pass the ball at the right time and often has three or four people double-team him, which makes it stress-free for other Cavaliers players.

But after a timeout, Sanders adjusted his defensive position inside and used pocket traps to cause two consecutive pass errors by Ajay.

Sanders' defensive skills are not very profound, but he has a group of high-quality talents.

It's like commanding a group of armored cavalry in a field battle on the plains. As long as you give a clear direction, you may not necessarily win, but you will definitely get results.

Unable to find his direction, Ajax began to feel lost. After returning to his initial rhythm, the frequent passes made him quite at a loss.

This situation occurred when Bibby first came and Mike Brown tried to take away some of his ball rights and let him play without the ball.

In a daze, he heard the fans calling him, and he also briefly found himself with a powerful dunk in a fast break counterattack.

But more often than not he was trapped in the big net of "reasonable basketball" that the Pistons had woven for him.

Fortunately, Reed withstood the pressure and handled the ball passed to him by James well. Bibby also rarely played at the level he had when he was in the Kings. His frequent shots forced the Pistons to face the price of targeting James.

But under Billups' coordination and Sanders' offensive tactics, the Pistons withstood the Cavaliers' star offensive and held on to the score until the end.

With 30 seconds left, the Cavaliers were leading by 3 points and the Pistons had the ball.

Everyone thought the Pistons would grab a three-pointer, but Billups broke through and scored an iron-blooded 2 points, contrary to his usual style.

Then, during the Cavaliers' serve, they decisively fouled Weber who was receiving the ball.

Only then did Mike Brown realize that he had made a big mistake. At the critical moment, he actually let Webber go up!
The Detroit fans who drove two hours to the sidelines couldn't help but smile when they saw Webber at the free throw line.

All the old fans in Detroit will never forget the stupid timeout that Webber took 14 years ago.

In the 1993 NCAA finals, Webber called a timeout when the team had already used up all its timeouts, and was given a technical foul, which made the Michigan Five Tigers, who had been fouled all year, end up regretfully again.

Just as Jordan's final buzzer-beater in college gave him unparalleled confidence, Webber's mistake also caused him to be haunted by the nightmare of key balls throughout his entire career.

It is worth mentioning that Webber's opponent at that time was Rasheed Wallace, who is now wearing a Pistons jersey.

bang bang.

Webber's two missed free throws made James' eyes widen. You too...

Rashid grabbed the rebound and passed it to Hamilton who was running in the front.

Reed, who scored 40 points, gritted his teeth and chased after him. The fact that his career night was about to be ruined made him forget about the physical fatigue.

Snap—swish—beep!

The home referee wanted to go against his conscience and take care of the home team, but this fast break shot was broadcast live nationwide, so if he didn't blow the whistle, it would be a classic.

2+1.

Hamilton scored and got a free throw.

A small number of Detroit fans completed their occupation of Quicken Loans Arena.

In the blink of an eye, a 3-point lead turned into a 2-point deficit. Who can bear this?

Mike Brown called a timeout, and with 6 seconds left, they still had a chance to score the winning goal.

Ajan and Reid stood in the front.

A chance to be a hero lies before them.

"Let me do it." Azhan took on the responsibility of the king without hesitation.

Reed opened his mouth. James' performance in key shots before was not good. The data of 9 out of 0 three-pointers in the regular season was still vivid in his mind. Reed also wanted to make up for his mistake of not defending successfully and making a free throw.

But looking at Azhan's determined face, he gave in.

His name is Michael Reed, but he is not Michael Jordan after all
"Follow Reed and Bibby, they will most likely choose the buzzer beater instead of the tie. We must also pay attention to controlling fouls in the interior. We still have the opportunity for overtime for the 2-point shot, and we must not give them the chance to shoot a three-pointer!" Sanders tried hard to restrain his excitement.

The Pistons players were very calm.

"What do you think?" Rasheed asked Billups next to him secretly.

"LeBron has been chasing that kid. If it was that kid, what do you think he would choose?" Billups' sharp eyes seemed to see the old teammate thousands of miles away.

“Then there’s no choice.” Rashid counted on his fingers.

He may not be able to understand the changes in tactics for a while, but if you want to talk about people, he understands them very well.

Pause back.

Bibby successfully passed the sideline ball steadily to James.

Reed ran frantically under the cover of Big Z, while Bibby rushed all the way to the basket after making a free throw.

Valanciunas, who came on as a substitute, set up a pick-and-roll outside the three-point line.

As time passed, James did not hesitate much. He pulled the ball and rushed in with the help of Varejao's pick-and-roll.

But the Pistons did not let him go. Rasheed and McDyess did not pay much attention to Bibby who pulled to the corner. They kept an ambiguous distance and were ready to defend the basket at any time.

Billups blocked his path, with Prince chasing behind him.

His chances were compressed to the three-point line, otherwise he could only gamble on the referee's whistle after rushing in.

Seeing James leaping outside the three-point line, Billups stepped forward but failed to interfere, but there was not much panic on his face.

He clearly remembers James' shooting percentages in various areas this season.

From outside the left three-point line, he made 106 of 30 shots, with a hit rate of 28.3%, most of which were open shots.

This hit rate is unacceptable unless you are truly the chosen one!
Swish!
The red light came on and the Nets stood still.

……

On May 5, in the combat meeting room in Seattle, Bennett reluctantly handed a cup of hand-brewed coffee to the intruder.

"Hey, Paul, do you think this is appropriate? You are the owner of the Seahawks and the Trail Blazers!"

"What's going on?"

Paul Allen was lying on the sofa in a very familiar manner. "First of all, I am a Seattle native and a fan of the SuperSonics. I am an annual member of two boxes in the KeyArena, a shareholder of the SuperSonics Future Wizards Arena, your partner in the NBA, and Mo's neighbor. I think I have some capital to be here."

Suck it~
Although Bennett wanted to say that this was his territory, he really didn't have the courage to do so in front of this person.

Paul Allen talked for a long time but didn't get to the point. Apart from those miscellaneous identities, his most important identity is - the richest man in the NBA.

People say that wealth is just a number after a certain point, but that is only true for ordinary people.

The Oklahoma City consortium behind Bennett, including the banks, is only worth about 10 billion dollars, and Paul Allen is much better off than them despite his series of failed investments.

What’s even more terrifying is that Allen is an “invincible man” who is suffering from cancer and has no direct descendants.

Mo Wen shrugged helplessly at Bennett who was looking over. He was Paul Allen, whom he met during his morning walk. What could he do now that this top American street urchin was coming to join in the fun?
He didn't even want to come because the Sonics' first-place record in the league had already locked up this year's draft pick. According to the lottery rules, after the lottery rankings were announced, the draft picks would be ranked in reverse order based on the regular season record.

The Sonics' first-round pick at No. 30 is confirmed. His purpose in watching the lottery is not only to show his sense of participation and ceremony as the head of the team, but also to discuss the subsequent draft candidates.

This year, apart from the big fish in the first round, the Supersonics' pseudo second-round pick can only choose one target.

On the contrary, the draw for the Trail Blazers, owned by Paul Allen, was more "suspenseful" this year, and they became the protagonists of this routine meeting.

The bottom eight teams in this year's regular season record are: Grizzlies, Hornets, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Bucks, Clippers, Raptors and Timberwolves.

Under the chairmanship of the little bald head, the Clippers, Timberwolves and Bucks got the guaranteed no. 1 pick, and then the two favorites for the No. 1 pick, the Celtics and the Grizzlies, were both eliminated.

The logo man, who was the Grizzlies' representative in the lottery, acted in disbelief when he heard that their ping-pong ball popped out at the fourth pick. Then he became very angry. They only won 20 games and their goal was to have at least a second pick. If they can't select Embiid and Durant, the Grizzlies' one-year bad performance will be meaningless. Even Gasol will probably not be willing to stay with the team. RNM is behind this. Return the money!
Bosh, who was pulled back to participate in the lottery, was already sweating profusely in front of the camera. According to the Raptors management's draft style of not seeking the best but the most expensive, if the Raptors draw an early pick, they may have to choose a big man as his teammate again.

Well... there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that. He can just apply for a trade directly, right?

Stern, who was secretly watching, was also surprised at the Raptors' good luck, but the god of probability finally made a move, and the Raptors were eliminated with the third pick.

Paul Allen raised his eyebrows in surprise, especially when he saw that the Hornets drew the second pick.

The Trail Blazers finally got the second No. 1978 pick in team history since 2.

"We got the No. 1 pick? Wow, it looks like we're lucky." Paul Allen said with an uncontrollable smile on his face.

After buying the Trail Blazers, he had been taking the money route, hoping to quickly realize his basketball dream, but the management was not supportive and it ended up in a mess. This No. 1 pick did give him some new imagination space.

"Congratulations, Paul. It looks like the Trail Blazers won't have to move!" What else could Bennett do but smile and applaud while signaling his secretary to pour some wine.

"Just a top pick. If you want it..." Paul Allen took the glass and shook it without any intention of drinking it.

Presti, who had little presence at the side, had his eyes lit up. He was very optimistic about both Durant and Oden. Bennett's breathing also became rapid. After a year of media publicity, he also knew the importance of this No. 1 pick.

"If you want, why don't we switch teams? The Trail Blazers may be a little short, but if that's not enough, I can trade you shares in the Rose Garden." Paul Allen revealed his true colors.

"That's boring." Bennett turned his head away and didn't want to talk at all.

The century-long gamble between the Supersonics and the city government and the existence of Mo Wen turned Seattle from a garbage basketball market into a hot basketball market that attracted national attention.

It can be seen that this prosperity can be maintained as long as Mo Wen does not leave.

With the government bet as a backing and private fundraising, the new stadium that he originally used as an excuse is not far away.

Bennett and the consortium behind him could become the next high-quality asset of the Lakers and Knicks. There is no way they would let others take advantage of him.

"David has said he wants to have a meeting in August. George Zinn doesn't want to play in New Orleans anymore. Your original plan is no longer feasible. I think you really should consider it." Paul Allen made it clear.

The Hornets, which had been under the Oklahoma City Hornets brand for two years, are not doing well after moving back to New Orleans this year. George Shinn, who is suffering from heavy losses, has already made arrangements with many owners and wants to turn the fake into real ones - in short, Bennett has been stolen.

Speaking of which, the Oklahoma City consortium behind Bennett does not want to operate across states. If George Shinn is willing to give up part of his shares, some shareholders who support Bennett may choose to withdraw and run their local businesses.

There are no other sports teams in Oklahoma City. If the Energy Arena does not have a fixed local team to operate it and relies on concerts and occasional college leagues to make a living, it will be a pure loss.

The SuperSonics are making money, but they are not a strong team and do not have any high-level relationships with the local bosses in Seattle.

Bennett was clear about the game of capital and did not refuse forcefully. He was not from Seattle, and if he wanted to run the Supersonics well, he would inevitably have to introduce local forces.

On the other side, Mo Wen and Presti were looking through the rookie information compiled by the scouts.

"Mo, do you think this year's top pick will be the emperor or the kid from Texas?"

The two bosses exchanged a few words in private and then came over curiously.

Paul Allen knew that last year's Sonics draft and subsequent signings were all led by Mo Wen. Judging from this year's results, Mo Wen's eye for selecting teammates is indeed very sharp.

Mo Wen did not give a direct answer. "I can't say anything else, but I agree with one thing the media said. Oden does look a lot like Russell, especially in terms of their appearance. He looks just like a young Russell."

"Bill? He does look like him." Alan nodded.

The two were no strangers to Bill Russell, as the "Lord of the Rings" star also lived on Mercer Island in his old age. The old man was so tall that people who often walked around the island knew him.

However, everyone present was a smart person and could hear the other meaning behind Mo Wen's words.

"That guy named Durant, I've also watched his college games. He is quite thin, but I could still sense a threat from him," Mo Wen continued.

Paul Allen blinked and said, "Really? He is a very capable young man, but I don't care. Charlie (the new manager of the Trail Blazers) said he has a plan, so let's see what he can do. I have some new ideas about the design of the new stadium in Seattle..."

……

On June 6, the curtain of Game 23 of the Western Conference Finals opened on time.

Perhaps the Eastern Conference Pistons' feat irritated the gangsters, and they showed even more fanatical passion than in the first game as soon as they came on the court.

The Supersonics players who easily won Game 1 let down their guard and were caught off guard, allowing the Warriors to show good offensive and defensive efficiency.

Seeing that his teammates were not in good shape, Mo Wen stopped feeding the ball to the Sonics and used a relatively inefficient but more stable one-on-one duel to help the Supersonics stabilize the situation.

"It's useless, we will kill you, you are not strong enough, you are strong alone, but we are a better team, we will end your miracle, just like RIP LeBron." Jackson's trash talk was not rhymed, but it also had rhythm.

In response to him, Mo Wen crossed over and the first mate pulled back for a three-pointer.

Swish!
SuperSonics 26:28 Warriors.

Jackson wiped the sweat from his nose. Mo Wen's cold look always made him feel like a clown.

With 36 seconds left in the first quarter, Byron Davis signaled that he wanted to take a shot.

Pushing across half court and bypassing Yao Ming who failed to score, Byron Davis took a step outside the three-point line, but Tyson's jump was quick and he quickly passed the ball to Harrington on the other side.

Harrington's fake shot and real breakthrough did not fool Milicic. After passing the ball with his back to the basket, he passed it to Richardson on the other side. Richardson's shot was disturbed by Mo Wen who came back, and his shot on the rim was blocked by Gay. After receiving the ball, Mo Wen directly changed hands under his crotch to avoid the bearded man's open grab, and then stepped forward to speed up.

Jackson returned to defense quickly and overtook diagonally to confront.

Mo Wen suddenly slowed down, took small steps and dribbled the ball behind his back, then changed hands and prayed again. Jackson was subconsciously alerted and could only watch Mo Wen pass the ball forward.

Al Harrington followed again, and the two collided at the free throw line. Mo Wen braked suddenly, grabbed the ball with one hand and made a fake layup, then pointed at Harrington again, but instead of taking the open shot, he threw it to the backboard on the other side.

Tyson, who followed, grabbed the ball in the air and slammed it into the basket. He landed with a loud roar, which cheered up all the fans in the KeyArena.

"Beautiful, that's it!" "Kill them!" "Dogs and dogs!"

Old Nelson ignored the defensive lapses and instead yelled at his players to serve the ball quickly.

On the other hand, Mavericks' Jackson's breakthrough layup was interfered by Tyson, and the two sides ended the first quarter in a tie.

On the bench, Mo Wen saw Ray Allen holding his ankle with an ice pack and understood why he made only 4 of 1 shots in the first quarter. He didn't say much but discussed with old Hill about adjusting personnel usage and lineup.

The bone spurs and tissue damage on Ray Allen's ankle have been delayed and only conservative treatment has been carried out. Originally, the Supersonics did not make the playoffs. Ray Allen's ankle surgery has been completed and he has started to recover, but now he can only rely on painkillers and ice compresses to relieve the pain.

The situation on the other side is actually similar. Both Beard and Richardson, two dunk contest-level players, are hampered by knee injuries, and their footwork and jumping ability are far inferior to those in the regular season.

Yao Ming also has ankle problems, which is why Nelson reduced his low-post offense.

At the start of the second quarter, Mo Wen played point guard, letting Earl Watson take charge, teaming up with Damien, Millsap and Francisco to withstand the impact of the Warriors bench.

The Warriors' bench lineup focused too much on double-teaming Mo Wen, resulting in large open spaces frequently appearing in the corners on both sides. Damien and Millsap seized the opportunity and hit three-pointers in the corners in succession, making sure that Mo Wen's physical energy was not wasted.

Seeing that the substitutes could not hold the team back, the Warriors replaced their main players, intending to use up their energy in a rotation game. Milicic, who had taken a short rest, stood up and backed up to the basket for four consecutive times, showing his "explosive free throw power" and causing Harrington to commit two fouls and Jackson to commit one foul. He made 4 of 2 free throws and stabilized the advantage created by Mo Wen and the substitutes until the halftime break.

The Warriors players are a little discouraged. They played with passion, but they failed to win in one go and now they are a little confused.

They did consume a lot of Mo Wen's energy, but they also paid a price, some in physical strength, some in fouls, and some in confidence.

……

(End of this chapter)