basketball never sleeps

Chapter 303 An Era

On the championship night, the citizens of Seattle realized that the city not only lacked a new stadium, but also a nightclub.

The excited fans took a walk around the streets and found that apart from the packed nightclubs and bars, the only coffee shop left was Starbucks.

Because Schultz sold the Supersonics to Bennett, many Supersonics fans had a boycott of Starbucks, but tonight, they forgave Schultz.

The originally quiet Starbucks coffee shop was packed with petite bourgeois fans who wanted to celebrate but didn't dare to do so. The atmosphere was strangely like coffee soaked in soda water.

Starbucks' nightly sales hit a new high, but Schultz was not happy at all.

The rapid rise of the Suns after Colangelo sold the team made the shrewd president of the American Basketball Association the joke of the year. However, after selling the team, he enjoyed an undefeated home record, 69 wins, a Western Conference championship, a sweep of the finals, and a new arena that was about to be built...

Fake, all fake!
Schulz could no longer face his past life, and the half-written autobiography began to resemble the book Rousseau wrote after he was kept by a man - Confessions.

On the other side, Bennett also felt a little lost.

The development of the Supersonics this year exceeded his expectations, but after playing the first two games of the finals, he had made all the preparations he needed after winning the championship.

What about the super-large fruit plate, rainbow rice, spicy roast chicken...

But who would have thought that such a big and lively place would have no one come in the end.

After the plane landed, the players simply showed the trophy in front of the media and fans, and then dispersed.

Mo Wen was accompanied by his family and the governor's wife. Ray Allen is also a well-known good man in the NBA. The two eldest brothers hugged their brothers and led the way home.

Milicic is quite playful, but he has almost made it clear that he is leaving in the summer, and he is not very willing to join Bennett's party. Besides, he is much more familiar with local nightclubs than Bennett.

In the end, Payton was famous enough to want to indulge himself in this final moment of glory, but his wife was watching with their two children in her arms.

There are not many women as "sensible" as Kirilenko's wife.

(Kirilenko's wife allows him to cheat once a year)
The guys on basic salary and rookies were happy, as each of them got seven or eight girls. However, they were not completely happy, because those idiots had no big brother to support them and were busy bragging and drinking, so in the end they all ended up with the same amount.

The girls in the field were all numb. It was fine that they couldn't see Mo Wen and Ray Allen, but they couldn't even harness the inferior horses.

Who among the girls understands? This is my first time attending such a simple venue.

The next morning.

After breakfast, little Catherine accompanied Mo's mother in the kitchen to learn how to make Chinese pastries, while her mother-in-law Maria watched with interest.

"Is Wen still not awake?" Maria asked.

"He's awake, but he wants to rest for a while longer." Little Catherine stroked her hair, her face red.

Seeing how weak little Catherine was at first, Maria almost understood what was going on, as they had all been there.

"Oh, by the way, where's Tina? I asked her to call you guys for dinner just now, but she's gone again."

"Uh, he should be playing with his trophy." Little Catherine's little finger twitched, slowed down the kneading of the dough, turned her head and asked naturally, "Mom, do you want to try? I seem to be a little exhausted."

"You young people." Maria smiled and shook her head, took the dough, asked little Catherine to act as an interpreter, and chatted with Mo's mother about family matters.

Master bedroom upstairs.

Mo Wen was working hard to repair and assemble the Lego car that Tina brought.

The slender and long body has a V-shaped engine when the hood is opened.

Looking closely at the engine, the piston rod inside can even move up and down. Tina turned it for more than half an hour and finally overloaded the cylinder.

The test drive car is not a mature model after all, and is not that durable and sturdy.

Mo Wen wanted to exercise with the two older sisters downstairs, but there were too many people at home.

He opened the window and saw a light rain in the early morning. The slightly cool air between spring and summer carried a hint of earth and grass, which made Mo Wen couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Patting Tina's cushioning to signal her that it was time to wash, Mo Wen turned around and rolled up the map-style sheets with a sea salt scent.

He always felt like something was missing in the room. After turning around, Mo Wen discovered that it was Tina's underwear that covered his FMVP trophy.

I don’t know if this little girl did it on purpose.

But Mo Wen didn't care much about it.

For some reason, after returning home, his excitement about winning the championship quickly cooled.

Obviously this championship means more to him.

Get a ring that truly belongs to him, win four consecutive championships that neither Danny O'Neal nor O'Neal have, win the final bet against the Seattle Municipal Government, and end the joke that he and James are lifelong enemies...

Maybe this is the reason why I win.

Looking back at my past four championships, they were all pretty even.

When the media describes Dan Zi's greatness, they always mention that Dan Zi never played in a Game 7 of the Finals.

But for Mo Wen, the only game he lost in the four years of the finals was the one when Larry Brown replaced him after he made the tying shot.

Mo Wen felt that James should kowtow to him. If he hadn't personally shaved the heads of Deng Daidai and German Tank in the Heat's previous two years, no matter how many headbands he wore this year, he wouldn't be able to hide his shiny forehead.

After all, getting swept in the finals is like taking a test with multiple-choice questions. It's not easy to get zero marks.

Although it is comforting to have a smooth journey, Mo Wen still hopes that these opponents will introduce more "stones".

Absolute strength made Mo Wen's mentality unconsciously swell. He began to regard victory as something in his pocket, so he had the leisure to enjoy the process.

……

"Mo Wen is crowned king again, his era has finally arrived!"

"Four consecutive championships, three consecutive FMVPs, a review of Mo Wen's career, a dynasty!"

"The little emperor covered his face and shed tears in the locker room. He just wanted to win a game."

"The Seattle Mayor's Office is crying. How will the $2.6 million bet be fulfilled?"

"Experts dissect the secrets of the Sonics' sweep; 33 three-pointers overturn basketball tradition!"

"Many core players were absent from the Sonics' championship party, but the championship could not hide the contradictions!"

On the second day after winning the championship, Mo Wen and the Supersonics undoubtedly dominated the front pages of various media.

The figures of four consecutive championships and the bet of the century are really shocking. Even though everyone has foreseen the results along the way, they still can't help but sigh.

The mayor of Seattle straightforwardly acknowledged the legality of the bet at a press conference in the morning, and said that he would convene the council to discuss funding issues and plans as soon as possible, which pushed the heat of this matter to a whole new level.

Ah Zhen, you are serious!

Haven’t you seen Arsenal across the sea? In order to repay the loan for the new stadium, they even sold their captain to Barcelona.

The Supersonics, as a champion, got a new stadium for free, which stunned Wenger and other Gunners executives. They are undefeated at home, so they are familiar with it. How can they get 2.8 million for this?
They seemed to understand why Beckham was willing to join the North American league.

In addition to the superficial shock of numbers, there is also a regular reserved program - Mo Wen's historical ranking.

Before this year, Mo Wen's status as a superstar was actually not stable. Even though he had championships, was the assists leader, the steals leader, and countless triple-doubles, he did not have his own team and could not be considered a true superstar in the strict sense.

But after Mo Wen joined the Supersonics and completed the Grand Slam of scoring title, regular season MVP, first team and first defense, and Finals MVP in a single season, and secured his status as a superstar, everything he had before became an accumulation of quantitative change to qualitative change.

"I'd love to find a reason to kick him out, but unless I exclude him by nationality, I can't find any other reason to exclude him from the top ten in NBA history - if I dare to face my heart, I might rank him second in history. As you can see, he is a player of the same level as Jordan, and unless he chooses to leave basketball himself, it's hard for me to find an option from the current team that can beat him." Bill Simmons wrote in his column.

Other experts and media have similar views. Even if Mo Wen suddenly announced his retirement in the summer, the honors he has accumulated now are enough to rank him in the top ten in NBA history, and he's not even a goalkeeper.

Someone compared Mo Wen and Dan Zi before, but that was more of a hype gimmick. The highest mountain is not so easy to surpass. 2 dynasties, 6 championships, 5 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, 9 best defensive lineups, 11 best lineups and countless odds and ends - these are not something you can claim to be. Magic can only be defeated by magic, and Excel can only be fought against by Excel.

Mo Wen himself is aware of this, so before he wins his seventh championship he will not market himself as surpassing Dan Zi to become GOAT.

And when he wins his seventh championship, what belongs to him will be his. If I don't give it to him, you will be guilty.

……

The Sonics' championship parade was scheduled for the weekend three days later, and the local radio station warned of the possibility of heavy traffic almost as soon as the Sonics made the announcement.

Seattle is very livable and has a low population density, but the city’s road planning is a mess. Traffic jams on weekends and holidays are almost 100% likely to trigger a hidden copy.

On the day of the championship parade, all police officers in the city were mobilized, and personnel from neighboring counties and cities were also transferred in to finally allow the parade bus to maintain a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Supersonic Champions!"

"Mo MVP!"

"Lei, I'm your fan, please let Mo take a look at me!"

"..."

Looking at the enthusiastic fans lining the streets on live TV, Stern showed a long-lost smile on his face.

The basketball market in Seattle seems to have been steadily activated. As long as Bennett and the Sonics management don't do anything naughty and stupid, and operate at a normal rhythm, it will be easy to create a big basketball market equal to that of Chicago during the Bulls Dynasty. Thinking of this, he thought of the Cavaliers and James.

Although this year's finals was one-sided, the ratings were surprisingly good, with both the average and highest ratings being better than in the previous two years.

Although there are many dividends from the century-long gamble, according to surveys, audiences also like to watch the new generation of magic bird wars.

Unfortunately, Cleveland's potential is really limited. If James can move to a big city and find a good helper...

Stern knew that he was just thinking about it, and James' loyalty was still the focus of the league's propaganda at this stage.

On the parade bus, Hill finally added the final accessory of a championship coach - a cigar.

The way he put his hands in his pockets angered many coaches who were watching the show on TV.

Big Fan is pulling again, and he also has the iron-blooded defense he learned from Riley.

The time when Hill's presence was most felt during the Sonics' championship journey was when he handed the tactical board to Mo Wen.

The fact that he can become a champion coach is simply an insult to the coaching profession!
Boss, listen to me, the position of coach is still very important.

Mo Wen, holding the FMVP trophy, naturally received the warmest welcome from the fans. The female fans in Seattle were not as enthusiastic and bold as those in Miami, but they did not hide their love for Mo Wen.

If you have a girlfriend, doesn't that mean you only have one competitor?

Isn’t that how TV dramas are filmed? A super tall, rich and handsome guy gives up the well-matched but pretentious rich girl and falls in love with an ordinary girl who is good-for-nothing but has a peaceful heart.

Mo Wen was not stingy with his sunny smile, and would even occasionally blow a kiss, causing screams.

Little Catherine, who was watching from the side, was not jealous. This was a normal part of a celebrity's job, and her father was more skilled at this than Mo Wen.

In the summer, Mo Wen plans to open his own fashion brand in Seattle. He also plans to further develop his personal brand this year like other Hollywood superstars and launch some high-end fast-moving consumer goods, such as perfumes, cosmetics, alcoholic beverages, etc. These female fans are all good customers.

Although he can make huge profits from the American stock market by relying on his foresight, one thing is certain: the money of capitalists is money, and the money of ordinary fans is also money. He would not be able to bear not to make a big cut of the world's largest consumer market while guarding it.

No one would complain about having too much money. Mo Wen also wanted to respond to the country's call 20 years later to have more children so that the property would be easier to divide in the future. Otherwise, he would have to watch his children fighting over the palace like old Bass did. As for the current domestic policy, although foreign marriages are also considered as extra births, children who do not settle in the mainland are not counted as children. He has consulted a lawyer.

"I kind of understand why Bruce would do anything to win." Ray Allen, who was standing next to Mo Wen, turned his head and looked at Mo Wen. "Winning the championship is so damn cool!"

As he spoke, Ray Allen lifted his three-year-old son above his head as if he was holding a championship trophy.

The little guy wasn't stage-shy at all. He laughed out loud while his father, who was two meters tall, held up the roof of the double-decker bus.

After Ray Allen put him down, he imitated his father's words and said "Fucking Cool!", which amused everyone around him and attracted Ray Allen's wife to come over and beat him up.

Milicic also received the fans' heartfelt requests to stay, but Milicic is no longer the naive boy. Although he was still moved to tears, he did not change his mind.

He also wanted to accompany Mo Wen to build a dynasty before leaving, but now is indeed the best time to withdraw. If he really stays for another two years, the comfortable environment in Seattle will only make him more reluctant to leave.

During the final speech celebration of the parade, the host asked Xiang Mo Wen.

“Do you have the confidence to build a dynasty in Seattle?”

Mo Wen shook his head, feeling awkward for the host.

Mo Wen put away his joking smile and pointed a finger seriously.

"I don't want to say that I will lead the team to win three, four, five or six more championships. I am not that greedy. I only need one."

"An era."

“An era that belongs to me.”

“An era that belongs to us.”

"An era that belongs to the Seattle SuperSonics."

Quiet.

Even though everyone was used to Mo Wen's occasional nonsense and wild talk, they still couldn't help but tremble at this declaration.

In a narrow sense, a dynasty is three consecutive championships, while in a broad sense, it means maintaining strong competitiveness over a relatively long period of time, winning championships occasionally, but often occasionally.

And above the dynasty comes the era.

The concept of "era" is not clear because there are few cases. Many people even confuse the concept of era with decade because of the similar time span.

But what is relatively clear is that there have only been two eras in the NBA before.

The Celtics era led by Bill Russell, and the Jordan era.

Era, only three letters, but everyone can get a glimpse of Mo Wen’s endless ambition from them.

People seemed to have gone back a thousand years and heard the hoarse and deep kingly declaration of the man who conquered Europe and Asia.

Surrender, or die.

boom! ! !
The fans at the scene responded to Mo Wen’s wild words with thunderous applause.

A true king will not emphasize his status, but will show his strength and edge.

Gun in hand, follow me.

Bennett was stunned. He realized why Reinsdorf was willing to give Jordan 3000 million salary when the salary cap was only 3000 million.

As a businessman, he should only believe in himself and money, but now he has a feeling of accompanying Mo Wen in his madness.

"You should fully cooperate with him this summer. You don't need to worry too much about Dak's contract extension. As long as the luxury tax is not too high, I can still afford it."

Presti on the side had a strange look on his face.

"You may not believe this, but Mo told me earlier that he doesn't mind the team's decline."

"?"

……

"Fuck you, if it's not related to the matter then just quit. What did you tell me before? I've already agreed to Jermaine, and you're reluctant to do it again. Are you kidding me? You piece of shit!" Kobe, who was holding the phone, had a dark face and clenched his fists as if he wanted to punch the middle-aged man on the other end of the line.

"Listen to me, Jermaine's contract is too big. Bird asked for three draft picks. We don't have the space to sign anyone, and we can't trade with the draft picks. We don't have any room to strengthen the team. I think we can take a look and maybe there are better options." Kupchak explained hurriedly.

"Fuck, there's a better choice. I've been waiting for three years. That Chinese guy has already won three championships, and that top pick has also made it to the finals. How am I worse than them? Why should I still wait?!" Kobe yelled.

"Calm down Kobe, trading is a very serious matter. I believe that you and the boss have the same goal, which is not for one or two championships. We need longer-term planning and a little patience..."

beep-

There was a dead tone on the phone and Kupchak could only smile bitterly.

Old Buss didn't want to pay so many chips and so much luxury tax. What else could he do? He could only use rhetoric to make excuses, but Kobe was no longer the willful child who could be easily coaxed.

"Kobe must be pissed now. His friend was taken to the doorstep but not allowed to go home. I can't imagine how aggrieved he must be." Aunt Jenny said with a smile while sitting on Phil Jackson's body.

"Your father has simply lost his ambition. Your brother would not have made such a choice if he were in his place." The Zen master frowned with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Perhaps I should add fuel to the fire."

"Ok?"

"There are some things Kobe should have the right to know, such as..."

"for example?"

"For example, the year I came back, your father told me that he hoped I would save money on recruiting players and use more time and planning to complete the reconstruction." Stroking Aunt Jenny's stockings, a faint light flashed across the Zen Master's glasses.

"If you tell him about this...I'm afraid he will break up with my asshole father?" Aunt Jenny hesitated.

"The breakup doesn't stop him from playing. Michael Dunk's relationship with management was even worse, but it didn't stop us from winning the championship. Believe it or not, after we win the championship, the two of them will still act like father and son in front of the media."

"Hehe, come to think of it, you want it too. I see more and more people are questioning you. If you don't win the championship, no one will buy your autobiography." Aunt Jenny poked the Zen Master's face.

The Zen master smiled and did not deny it.

Compared to other coaches, the Sonics' championship had the biggest impact on him.

Old Hill was led by Mo Wen throughout the whole process and successfully became a championship coach, which brought the dog-tethering theory to the table again.

Because of his mediocre performance in the past two years, people have started to discuss whether he won those championships by hugging superstars.

With his hands full of rings, he doesn't need to prove himself, but he also hates being doubted.

Kobe wants O'Neal, and he wants him too.

"Don't you want it?" The Zen master's fingers slid up the stockings.

"uh-huh."

(End of this chapter)