basketball never sleeps

Chapter 299 Signature and Deposit
"No, no, no, I don't want your money. You are heroes of Seattle. I'll treat you to dinner." The pizza shop owner acted as if money was dirt and waved his arms to refuse the US dollars handed to the window.

"A hero, me?" Milicic scratched his head. The corners of his mouth were first raised with embarrassment, and then pride and pride widened the barely perceptible curve.

He hasn't heard this title for a long time since leaving Detroit.

"You know, ever since you guys made it to the second round that year, I knew you were going to make a difference. I've been watching the NBA for more than 20 years, and you're the most flexible big man I've ever seen..."

Most of the main players will be very hungry after playing a game, and the aroma of wheat bread mixed with cheese, sausage and spices in the pizza shop will further amplify people's hunger.

However, at this moment, Milicic felt that the boss's sincere praise from the heart was far more delicious than the pizza in his hand. Even after entering the playoffs, he has never lacked praise.

He just loves to listen.

He is a star player that everyone pays attention to, but he is also an ordinary person who needs to obtain energy from the outside world, both physically and spiritually.

Although the body and the spirit are concepts of two dimensions, those sincere compliments can break the boundaries and feed his tired body with a mouthful of tonic soup.

Of course, where there are delicious things, there will be unpalatable things.

To this day, Larry Brown's contemptuous eyes and disdainful mouth corners still flash back in his mind from time to time.

[I won't let you play until you learn how to defend! ]

[Do you know what you are doing? The team pays you to play basketball, not to perform those funny and poor three-pointers! ]

[You will never be as good as Rashid, you wimp! ]

【…】

Escaping from a hometown ravaged by war, invasion and civil war, coming to the prosperous United States, and after the draft night, transforming into a young millionaire that everyone envies, this is a dream that ordinary people can't imagine.

But after the initial sweetness, Larry Brown showed up and destroyed everything.

Before coming to the United States, all he learned in English were polite expressions, but in the Pistons, the word he used most was sorry.

Most NBA players don’t really love basketball.

People's love for something often comes from the positive feedback it brings. In competitive sports, positive feedback is victory.

The NBA is cruel because it brings together the kings of positive and negative feedback from every year and every region, but is only willing to provide one positive feedback.

In this league, most players rely more on the positive feedback of money to maintain a positive attitude.

Milicic once wanted to regard this job as a complete business, equating money with suffering.

fortunately.

Fortunately, he has Mo Ge.

Mo told him that he deserved the money, and the suffering Larry Brown brought him was meaningless except for being ridiculed in his autobiography. He loved basketball, the feeling of scoring goals, and even more, he loved the victory after trying his best.

That year with the Pistons, home fans liked him more for his auspicious nickname - "Human Victory Cigar."

He gained nothing from the cheers of the fans, only humiliation.

Even though he later became a city hero in Detroit after a few punches, the fans only cheered for his courage and strength at that moment.

But now, he truly feels the fans' true love for him.

He suddenly thought of the screams of the fans when Mo Wen, Ray Allen and Payton came on the court at the same time in the second half today.

A current of electricity ran across his back and hit his forehead.

He seemed to be wondering what Mo Wen meant by following his heart.

That was a path that Pippen spent half his life figuring out.

To become a greater Pippen or to become a piece of history for a city?
After thinking for a long time, he still couldn't decide.

But to be honest, the pizza here is really delicious.

……

Losing two road games is not a big deal for the Cavaliers, at least in the eyes of Cavaliers fans.

Although the last case of a team losing the first two games in the finals and then coming back was in 55 when Bill Walton, who was already 1977 years old, was at the peak of his career, there have only been two such cases in the NBA's decades of history.

But the Cavaliers had just accomplished the feat of turning the tables after losing two consecutive home games in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is one of the best in NBA history, so don't panic.

Humans are very good at self-PUA, just like a new car. We are always very cautious before driving it, but once it is filled with gas and on the road, it is only a matter of time before we stand up and pedal.

However, Cavaliers fans can accept a failure in the overall situation, but they cannot accept such an ugly loss.

Although the two losses to the Pistons at home in the Eastern Conference Finals were ugly, most fans can still see hope for the Cavaliers to win.

But after two games with the Supersonics, many experts have classified this round of finals as the one in 02 and 03.

In short…it’s possible for the Cavs to win a championship, but it’s a bit unlikely for the Cavs to win a championship.

The team played so ugly but didn't want to admit the difference in strength, so we can only say that there was something wrong with the team's play, or to be more specific, someone's play was problematic.

Hey, did you know there’s a ghost in your house?

There is no need for detailed analysis. Fans can quickly identify the "traitor" by looking at the post-match statistics.

It's you, Mike Bibby, from the West!

毕比G1只得8分4助攻，G2也只有11分3助攻。

For a starting point guard, this data is barely acceptable, but the problem is that Bibby is the second highest paid player on the Cavaliers, and he was acquired by the Cavaliers with double-double machine Gooden and a draft pick.

As a result, he had little presence on the offensive end, and on the defensive end, he let Mo Wen have his way.

Geneva refund!
[I don't understand. He makes a defensive posture on the court and then stands there waiting for LeBron to pass the ball to him. His intensity is not as strong as when I go shopping with my girlfriend. How can he earn tens of millions a year?]

[Stop blaming Bibi. Can't you see that he is already trying his best to resist the master's orders? ]

[Shit Bibi, what else can you do besides making Mo Wen sweat? ]

The voices denouncing and criticizing Mike Bibby spread from online forums to expert commentary on TV shows.

People subconsciously overlook the fact that in the Eastern Conference before, Bibby had a stable 15+6 and helped the Cavaliers organize and develop the offense when James was not around.

Scolding Bibby alone was not enough, so the Cavaliers' uniform team also became the target of criticism.

The A-level reinforcement that was sought after by all parties on the trade deadline has now become the biggest stumbling block hindering the Cavaliers from winning the championship.

Mike Bibby returned to his apartment in Cleveland and rarely went out, and could not be spoken.

He was numb.

In the Kings, he is the team's top boss, the veteran leader in the locker room, the core that the coach relies on, and the mentor of rookies.

The only thing that bothers him is California's damn high taxes.

After being traded to Ke Village, everything was gone.

Ajan Reed is of course the absolute core, and Big Z, as a ten-year veteran of the Cavaliers, is also above him. He can accept being reduced to the fourth in the team because all this brings the hope of winning the championship.

The Cavaliers are indeed only one step away from winning the championship, but no one knows better than him how far this step is.

He has been in the league for nine years, but every time he stands in front of Mo Wen, he feels like a rookie.

He could sense that Mo Wen was not specifically targeting him, because most of the time Mo Wen wanted to torture A-Jan and Reed, and that look could not deceive anyone.

Even if Mo Wen dealt with him in a professional manner, it was still a burden that he could not bear.

Mudd!

Back in Cleveland that night, he began to miss his days in Sacramento.

"Hello, Chris? I, huh?"

"Mike? Ah, yeah."

Sometimes when men invite you for a drink, they don’t need to talk too much.

……

"Admit it, the main problem of the Cavaliers now is not other people, what old inside, what useless Bibby, what thin bench like corn flakes and stupid coaches, enough! I'm really tired of such idiotic remarks. Admit it, the key to the problem is LeBron Raymond James."

"He told the media that this is a team game and that he should put his energy into the things that will maximize the team's benefits. Come on, do you think you can be more team-oriented than the three-time assists king? What he should do most now is to stand in front of Mo like a man and defend him with all his might!"

"Will Bird avoid playing against Machiavelli? Will Ewing avoid playing against Olajuwon? Will I avoid playing against Michael Dunk? The Finals is a stage for heroes. If LeBron doesn't realize this, he will never beat Mo."

After a debate in TNT's roundtable, Barkley gradually became angry and chose to completely ignite the topic, slamming the table and challenging James again.

Kenny Smith helplessly spread his hands towards the camera, but glanced at the manuscript below.

The director methodically gave close-ups of the expressions of the guests present.

Yes, this was a planned explosion.

In fact, many of Sir Alex Ferguson's controversial remarks were not made on the spur of the moment.

Language is just a lever. If a topic can cause heated discussion, it means there is something wrong with it.

Most people can see the problems with Ajax, but the audience likes to hear the flattery and hype about Ajax, and are willing to believe that the battle between Moscow and Zhan will be the Magic Bird battle of the new century. The media are also willing to ignore these problems and hype them unilaterally.

If the first game was because the Cavaliers lacked experience and needed to adapt, then after two games, the turbulent tide should have receded.

Other guests on the show continued to refute Barkley's shocking remarks.

However, the direction is no longer that Azhan is very good, but that Azhan is not that bad.

"If nothing else, LeBron has a huge disadvantage in experience. In his rookie year, Mo was able to face the historic Lakers with a group of excellent teammates. In the past two years, he dominated the league with two top-10 players in the Heat. The Cavaliers are a team fighting for the No. 1 pick. No one here can teach LeBron how to succeed."

"LeBron's physical talent is still very obvious, but the Sonics' defense on him is too tight for him to show. Look, his shooting percentage is not bad..."

"LeBron just has some minor issues..."

"LeBron's time is in the future..."

A Zhan, who was watching TV, was touched when he heard many people speaking for him. But before he could fully appreciate the warmth of this world, several famous speakers smoothly turned the topic to his question.

The group started.

No, weren't you just debating?
Where is my lawyer? Why are you wearing the plaintiff's clothes?
Kenny Smith & Earl Johnson & Reggie Miller & Kerr: Although, how can excuses be faster than betrayal?
Criticism and fights are not meaningless. They helped A-Zhan point out the core problem that he couldn't beat Mo - A-Zhan was trained incorrectly.

He focused too much on his body and neglected the development of his skills, which allowed him to perform steadily in low-level games, but he was at a loss when faced with a targeted blockade by a truly strong team.

It is said that O'Neal's physical talents are invincible and his dominance under the basket is unprecedented and unmatched, but why did it take him five years to reach the finals for the second time after he had his head shaved in 95?
When he was 25 or 26 years old, he could still run all over the court and block shots. Wasn't his body stronger than the bloated body he had at 30 when he won the Lakers' last two championships?
The fundamental reason is that O'Neal is not that invincible. It's not just his free throw problem. The Zen Master once said that O'Neal's level will drop a lot when facing a meat shield and a flexible power forward double-team.

Talent cannot solve all problems. Don’t you see that people like Dongfang Xiangyuan Daying also have to practice special skills?

The hosts of TNT pulled up James' shooting heat zone charts over the years, and were "surprised" to find the problem.

James' shooting skills really show his age-defying ability.

Except for the improvement in the second year compared to the first year, the shooting percentage at the basket continued to rise, while the shooting percentages in other areas remained relatively stable.

The year before last, his close-range shooting was a little more accurate, but his mid-range shooting declined. Last year, his mid-range shooting declined, but his close-range and long-range shooting improved. This year, his mid-range shooting is a little more accurate, but his long-range and three-point shooting declined again...

Even low-income black people whose math skills are only at the early childhood education level can see one fact from these data: if James is not a hopeless shooting idiot, then he must not have done much shooting training.

So the public opinion that originally condemned Mike Bibby turned to James and the Cavaliers coaching team.

They all felt that James and the Cavaliers coaching staff wasted James' talent.

[God, I can't imagine how wonderful it would be to have a LeBron talent and Mo Wen's skills.]

[A city like Cleveland doesn't deserve to have superstars. They don't know how to train superstars at all! ]

[LeBron has a problem too, he has a big contract with Nike but he doesn't know how to hire a better coach, he trains his muscles a lot but they don't seem to be of any use. Look at Mo, he hired top students and professors from Columbia University, no wonder he keeps getting stronger.]

[Interestingly, LeBron and Mo have always claimed that they pay more attention to physical training, but Mo has become stronger and has a dunk-level technique. This reminds me of my Chinese classmates who always say that they don’t review and get high scores in exams. Are Chinese people so cunning? ]

Originally in history, public opinion was quite tolerant of James. In his fourth year, he led the team to the finals alone. Even with the support of the league along the way, even if he was shaved head, even if his shooting percentage in the finals was ranked last among all the big bosses, it was still amazing enough.

But Mo Wen's existence has spoiled the tastes of the media and fans.

He won three championships in the first three years of his career, and when he came out to lead the team as the boss, he won the first place in the regular season and easily reached the finals in the playoffs.

Looking at how James made it to the finals in his senior year, it seemed a matter of course.

After turning off the TV, Azhan and several of his knights sat on the sofa.

"Let's talk about it. LeBron is fighting hard on the court, and we can't just sit there and watch him get criticized like this." Maverick Carter spoke first.

James, who still makes a living from contracts, does not have that much money and resources to influence public opinion. Originally, James had channels to influence public opinion. His agents, the Goodwin brothers, were famous veteran agents who were very familiar with public relations.

But Eric Goodwin not only wanted to be his agent but also wanted to be his elder in the legal sense. The interests involved were too great, and he had no choice...

"That damn media group, they always give them gifts, but in the end they still say nonsense, it's obviously not LeBron's problem..."

Azan's team is very pragmatic. They know that complaining will not solve the problem, but they really can't come up with any effective response to the current situation.

The principle that what you can’t get on the battlefield you can’t get at the negotiating table doesn’t only apply to military affairs.

"I think we can spend some money to hype up the fact that the No. 2 overall pick is leaving the team this summer. No, this is the team's job. We can contact the Cavaliers and have them contact the media. Another hot topic can distract the public's attention and also weaken the Sonics' fighting power, right?"

Fu Paul came up with an idea that was fairly reliable.

A-Jan, whose brows were furrowed, suddenly had his eyes brightened. Oh, he almost forgot that there was this hidden bomb in the supersonic speed.

The signal that Milicic has not renewed his contract in advance is actually very obvious. The Sonics are now going smoothly and seeing the championship is within sight. It is a time when people are impatient. If the problem is brought to the table at this time...

Even if it doesn't affect others, it is enough to affect Milicic. Although his previous performance was not as disgusting as Mo Wen's endless mention of the Cavaliers' inside line, it was obviously a level higher than the Cavaliers' inside line.

Azhan now just wants to seize every favorable condition. Even if he cannot win a trophy for the village, he must win a victory for himself.

Otherwise, if Mo Wen shaves his head again, his title of No. 1 draft pick will be nailed to the pillar of shame.

"Don't worry, we have already contacted the media, you just need to have a good rest." Gilbert said that James could pay attention to the nightly news. After all, he is a billionaire and knows a little about high-end business warfare.

That is to say, there are more hotels in Cleveland and the fans are of high quality, otherwise he would also like to replicate the little tricks the Pistons use to entertain visiting teams.

6 month 13 day.

Milicic was lying on the sofa in the hotel, staring blankly at a copy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that still smelled of ink. Millsap, who was in the same room with him, glanced at Milicic furtively from time to time.

The newspaper headline is very eye-catching: "Supersonic will disintegrate soon"

The accompanying photo is a supersonic group photo, in which many characters are separated. The style of the picture is not "honest" at all, but rather has the flavor of a Hong Kong tabloid.

The content did not discuss any conflicts among the Sonics players, but was just an analysis of the Sonics' salary for next season.

Gilbert did not simply ask reporters to point the finger at Milicic, but pointed it equally at every high-paid player except Mo Wen.

Milicic may leave, but isn't Ray Allen, a 30-year-old man with injury risks, more worthy of being sent away than Milicic?

Tyson Chandler's progress this year is not simply the result of Mo Wen's efforts. Isn't his substitute Francisco, who earns half of Tyson's salary, also performing well?

Earl Watson doesn't play much and still has a $600 million contract. Should he be traded away with something else?
The two rookies that the team is most assured of are Gay and Millsap.

They both performed well, and their four-year rookie contracts are absolutely worth it. It is too anti-intellectual to say that they will be sent away.

"Are you already impatient?"

Milicic turned his head, caught Millsap's eye and started teasing him.

"Um, ah? You mean the competition?"

Millsap touched his head and pretended to know nothing.

"Tsk, don't tell me you don't want to start. When I was a rookie, I understood the feeling of being a substitute better than you. I wanted to play so much, but I had to look at that old ghost's face. At that time, I thought it would be great if Rasheed, Ben, Okur and other inside players were injured at the same time. Hehe, let's see who else the old ghost can use if he doesn't use me."

Milicic raised the newspaper, a sad smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Tell me the truth, do you want to?"

Millsap's face turned red when he realized that he had been caught peeping, but he still nodded stiffly.

"Of course I want to, but you're stronger and more suitable for the team. I can learn a lot from you. I can also wait until you get injured one day. No, I can wait until I become strong enough to compete with you."

"Hahahaha, damn it, you really wanted to wait until I get injured. I finally caught you, didn't I?" Milicic snapped his fingers, pretending to be the big brother who was going to take care of his younger brother.

"No, Dak!" Millsap, who had not yet built up a big body, felt his anus tighten. Before he could continue to call for help, Milicic gave a strange cry and pounced on him.

After a rolling around with the men in silence and the women in laughter, Milicic left the bed contentedly, and even pulled up his pants in a serious manner, which almost broke the defense of Millsap who was covering his head.

When he arrived at the door of Mo Wen's room, Milicic put away his playful expression, took out his small-screen iPhone as a mirror, smoothed his hair and adjusted his clothes, like an adult.

"Brother Mo, I want to say something..."

"Have you thought it through?" Mo Wen roughly guessed Milicic's purpose when he saw the newspaper in Milicic's hand.

"Yes I want to try."

After two seconds of silence, Mo Wen couldn't think of any words to persuade her to stay, so he just smiled and shook his head.

"Pity."

Milicic's heart trembled. What a pity! What a pity! Did he do something wrong? Did he really make the wrong choice?

For a moment, Milicic's mind was full of thoughts.

"It's a pity that if you had thought it through before going on the court, we could still play a game in Seattle. Now we are on the road, and I'm afraid LeBron won't be so hospitable." Mo Wen put his arm around Milicic's neck and called to Payton who was going out nearby, indicating that they should go downstairs to have breakfast together.

"Hey, play?" Milicic scratched his head blankly.

There is a half-hour interview time before the NBA game, but many core players have privileges and generally will not appear in the locker room during this time to be harassed by reporters. However, today the reporters were very lucky, as all the Supersonics players appeared in the visiting team's locker room during the interview time.

Naturally, the media asked about Milicic's contract extension and the possibility that the Sonics' salary next season may exceed the luxury tax line by 2000 million.

Mo Wen didn't say much but just led the reporters to Milicic.

"First of all, I am willing to renew my contract, but if the contract renewal does not go smoothly, I would also like to follow Mo's footsteps and go to a new team to try to experience the feeling of being a core player. This depends on my agent and the team to negotiate."

"Yes, I will give my best and all my strength in this game, just like Mo did in the Heat last year. I regret that I didn't figure it out in Seattle, but I think the away fans also deserve to appreciate my peak state."

"LeBron, I know you want to defeat Mo, but I'm sorry, your opponent today is me!"

In front of the camera, the 2003 No. overall pick opened his mouth wide to reveal a row of white teeth, and gave a thumbs-up to the media. Under the flash lights, in the cramped visiting team's locker room, he signed his name as if to the whole world...

(End of this chapter)