mountain top

Chapter 267 When the noise subsides, seize the present and the future

The establishment of the First Dynasty of Warriors, also known as the First Dynasty of Qin, has had a profound and far-reaching impact on the present era.

Oracle Arena.

When Qin Yue rightfully lifted his fifth Finals MVP trophy, this superstar, who fulfilled all the world's fantasies about the new GOAT in the post-Jordan era, already possessed an aura of overwhelming power.

David Stern saw Jordan play when he was 29 years old.

That was the year Jordan officially stepped onto the path to godhood.

But in Stern's eyes, the 28-year-old Qin Yue was clearly the more formidable figure.

"Charles, Shaq, do you think the current Messiah has surpassed Michael back then?"

On TNT, Kenny Smith asked Barkley and O'Neal a question.

Upon hearing this, O'Neal said, "He's only twenty-eight years old, but he's already won five championships. Considering he's younger than Michael Jordan when he won his first championship, Kenny, I'll answer that question for you."

"Yes, he has surpassed Michael back then."

Barkley then said, "Kenny, I told you the answer to this question last year. As long as Messiah can establish his own dynasty, he will be able to prove that he is better than Michael was back then."

"Of course, based on what I know about Messiah, he would never publicly admit that he is better than Michael before he surpasses Michael in the number of championships."

It must be said that Barkley truly understands Qin Yue.

In the center of the venue, when faced with a question from the host, Qin Yue calmly replied, "Five championships cannot be greater than six championships."

Although in Qin Yue's previous life, some people dared to challenge Jordan even with four championships they had acquired piecemeal.

But can such staged accidents truly gain the respect and recognition of the world?
Qin Yue doesn't want to be a loan GOAT.

I don't want to be a marketing GOAT either.

Since he has eight seasons left in his career plan to surpass Jordan, he has already set a goal for himself.

Qin Yue, of course, couldn't possibly use his five championships to try and take advantage of the old GOAT.

Qin Yue comes from the future.

He was well aware of the restlessness and repulsive marketing that permeated the NBA, a league teeming with GOATs.

Therefore, five championships will not exceed six, which is Qin Yue's final respect for Jordan, the former basketball god.

Qin Yue was also telling those who came after him how to surpass him and Jordan.

In Qin Yue's eyes, demons and monsters should stay where they belong.

As for those so-called unparalleled geniuses?
Excuse me, is it possible that the only unparalleled genius is someone who can meet the threshold of meeting him and Jordan?

"It's regrettable that the Knicks, led by 'KD,' failed to stop the Warriors from winning the championship on home soil. But what's encouraging is that Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh has officially announced that he will put that false 'Chosen One' on the trading block this summer." — The New York Times

"What kind of helper LeBron James, who has absolutely no connection to the 'Kings,' can bring to Durant has become the most pressing question after the Finals." — ESPN Finals Summary

"Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh stated that despite LeBron James' less-than-ideal Knicks career, he remains a player with extremely high trade value." — Los Angeles Times

"On the night the Warriors won the championship, several Hollywood actresses were spotted at the basketball legend's East Bay mansion." — The Sun

"When discussing the team's goals for the new season, Coach Mike Malone stated that the Warriors will be aiming for a four-peat next season." — San Francisco Chronicle

According to the Warriors' management plan, the team will hold an unprecedented dynasty tour in the Bay Area a week later.

Before the royal tour
Preparing to inject fresh blood into this dynasty team in the upcoming draft is also a key focus for Warriors president Larry Riley and general manager Chris Mullin.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Warriors will follow Qin Yue's advice and use their first-round draft pick this year to select Draymond Green from Michigan State University.

Warriors president Pat Riley initially resisted Qin Yue's interference in the team's draft once again.

However, just as Qin Yue remembered, after the team tried out Green, Riley immediately fell in love with this young player who was only 198 cm tall but had a wingspan of nearly 217 cm.

Indeed, outstanding physical attributes are the foundation upon which Green will become DPOY in the future.

Furthermore, back in his college days, Tom Izzo, the legendary coach of the Spartans, had left a very deep impression on Qin Yue.

Qin Yue knew very well that it was no accident that Green, who had played for four years under the irritable old man Izzo, would become a defensive stalwart in the future.

After all, what is Izzo's coaching philosophy?
Isn't it about using intense physical pressure and relentless defense to prevent the opponent from scoring more points than you?

As one of Coach Izzo's favorite players on the Spartans, Qin Yue believes that Green not only learned the essence of Izzo's coaching style under his guidance, but also laid a solid foundation for his future NBA experience.

Moreover, players like Green are the only ones you don't dislike when they're teammates. Qin Yue would never allow him to play for another team.

As for Green's unruly personality and the trouble he will surely cause the team in the future?

As the GOAT of this era, if Qin Yue didn't have absolute confidence in his ability to recruit Green, how could he possibly recommend that the team select Green?

In fact, there is a very obvious characteristic in Green's personality.

That is, Green has always had a very clear understanding of matters of principle.

For example, in the future, you might find that Green is James' loyal follower off the court.

But on the court, Green will still go all out against James.

In addition to advising the Warriors to select Green in the first round, Qin Yue also did not let go of the Warriors' 30th pick in the second round of this year's draft.

Because there is another hidden gem of a player in this year's draft that the Warriors should consider.

In the NBA, many players possess inherent cornerstone qualities.

And as the universally recognized cornerstone of team building
Robert Thackeray is undoubtedly one of the best.

This is a young player who, off the field, always inspires his teammates with his positive energy.

In Qin Yue's previous life, almost all of Thackeray's teammates and coaches who had worked with him had a deep memory of Thackeray's dedication during training and when he served as the water cooler.

In particular, his outstanding statistics in the NBA, such as waving a towel 100 times, cheering for his teammates 80 times, and handing them water cups 50 times per game, have become one of the most difficult records to break in the NBA.

If you don't understand something, just ask. How can anyone not love Thackeray like that?

Of course, even if the Warriors had already set their targets in the draft, Riley still had to be wary of other teams potentially trying to steal their spots.

Since Green's projected draft position was roughly between the late first round and the early second round before the draft, Riley, just to be on the safe side, had Mullin contact his old friend Bird.

Although in today's NBA, every team is extremely cautious when making trades with the Warriors.

However, considering that the Pacers' first-round draft pick was only two positions higher than the Warriors', Bird agreed to the trade to swap first-round draft picks with the Warriors almost without hesitation after learning that the Warriors were willing to pay a sum of cash within the rules.

With this, the Warriors' preparations for the draft have come to a successful conclusion.

On June 25, the multi-million dollar Warriors Dynasty parade officially took place in the Bay Area.

On the day of the Dynasty Parade, the people of the Bay Area warmly welcomed the Warriors' championship float wherever it went.

This vibrant scene brought tears of emotion to the eyes of many Warriors players.

"Being able to play for this team is undoubtedly the luckiest thing in my life."

Retiring veteran Hill said, "People always say Oakland is the promised land of the basketball world in recent years, but isn't it also my personal promised land?" Bell, who deeply agreed, said, "Grant, now we are both dynasty players, we have to have a good drink tonight."

Have a drink? More than just one drink.
On the champion's float, Ben Affleck, who had been drunk for several days in a row, was now filled with resentment that his aging body could no longer last for another three to five seasons.

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that on the day of the dynasty parade, Curry, who was once the least popular player among Warriors fans, has now become the second most popular player on the Warriors team after Qin Yue.

However, Curry, who already has three championships, is now facing a deep dilemma.

This summer, just as Qin Yue remembered, the person responsible for negotiating the contract renewal with Curry's team at Nike was none other than the later-famous Nick Harrison.

Curry never imagined that he wouldn't even be able to get a four-year, $40 million contract extension from Harrison.

Without joking, given Curry's current commercial value, the contract extension fee that Curry's team is asking Nike for is not unreasonable.

It's worth noting that as Qin Yue's deputy, Curry's popularity in China has been growing rapidly over the past two years.

Therefore, whether it's for the purpose of expanding into the Chinese market or because Curry has gradually established his star status in the Bay Area, this is a reasonable contract renewal offer.

But as the person who became the poster child for the term "brain-dead," Harrison's thought process was destined to be different from that of ordinary people.

After all, how many outrageous things has Harrison done since becoming the Mavericks' general manager?
From Jack Brunson to Kristaps Porzingis, and then to personally sending Luka Doncic to Los Angeles.

If we say...
Among these, because of Porzingis's "glass constitution," you can still find angles to whitewash Harrison.

From the summer of 2012 when he chose not to renew Curry's contract, almost every decision Harrison made, from Nike to the Mavericks, was a mistake.

What's even more amazing is this guy's confident demeanor every time he makes a wrong choice.

For example, when Harrison was deciding not to renew Curry's contract, he said, "There are tons of players like Stephen Curry in the NBA, why should we waste money and publicity resources on him?"

For example, Harrison said of Brunson: "Jack Brunson is not worth that much money at all. He is just an average role player."

For example, after discovering that Doncic's influence in Dallas was so great, Harrison defended himself by saying, "I didn't realize Luka was so important to the fans."

This is Nick Harrison.

One current Nike executive described him as brain-dead, a description that you might even find insulting.

Qin Yue learned of Curry's troubles during the Warriors' dynasty tour.

However, Qin Yue was not worried about Curry's future at all.

Qin Yue was well aware that Nike's resources were currently concentrated on him and Durant.

Therefore, even if Harrison hadn't made this move, Curry, who stayed with Nike, would have had a hard time getting more publicity resources.

On the contrary, Under Armour, which is about to snatch Curry's endorsement deal just as he remembered, can offer Curry more income in the endorsement contract and give him the treatment of Under Armour's number one player.

As for the non-basketball treatment Curry will inevitably receive on the court after leaving Nike?

To be honest, from the moment the Warriors Dynasty was established...
Even if Curry signs with Nike in this lifetime, he is destined to enjoy reverse referee treatment.

In Qin Yue's view, the Warriors' monopoly on the championship can certainly bring a huge amount of attention to the NBA in the short term.

However, if this continues, with the loss of suspense surrounding the championship, a decline in NBA viewership is highly likely.

Therefore, as the Warriors' second-in-command who is 100% targeted by the league, how could Curry possibly escape the fate of the "Curry Rule"?

Therefore, given the comparison, since signing with Under Armour can bring Curry more income, why should Qin Yue persuade Curry to stay with Nike and suffer humiliation?

There is no place to stay here.

Amidst the clamor of Bay Area fans, the Warriors' dynasty tour came to a successful close.

At the celebration party that night, Qin Yue bid farewell to many of his former teammates and once again realized the true value of Kobe's words, "Friends come and go, but the championship banner flies high."

In addition, at this celebration party, Qin Yue also officially revealed his career plans to his teammates.

Interestingly, after learning about Qin Yue's career plans, the most nervous player on the Warriors team was actually Curry, who had least wanted to play with Qin Yue and play for the Warriors back then.

"You only plan to play until 2020?"

Curry counted on his fingers.

If Qin Yue retires only in 2020, wouldn't that mean that at the age of 32, he would have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the post-Qin Yue era?

Curry can't imagine whether the Warriors can remain as competitive as they are now after Qin Yue retires.

But Curry, who was used to supporting Qin Yue from behind, had never felt so tense before.

Seeing this, Qin Yue laughed and said, "Stephen, didn't you always say that the Warriors have entered your era?"

Upon hearing this, Curry blushed and said, "You know, I was just joking."

Meanwhile, Brown reminded Curry, "To be honest, after Qin's retirement, I really can't imagine how other teams will 'retaliate' against the Warriors."

revenge?

Of course revenge is needed.

In competitive sports, any team that has ever dominated a league in a certain era is almost always destined to face retaliation from other teams.

For example, Manchester United after Ferguson's retirement.

For example, the Bulls after Jordan retired.

In short, young Curry never really thought about what would happen after Qin Yue retired.

But when Curry noticed the hopeful look in Qin Yue's eyes, he instantly understood why Qin Yue had told his teammates that night when his professional career would end.

"Did you learn from the experience of the 'OK' breakup back then?" Brown said to Qin Yue shortly after the party ended.

Qin Yue nodded and said, "That is naturally one of the reasons."

As someone who has been through it all, Qin Yue knows very well that the handover of a star player is always a very difficult thing to handle in competitive sports.

Having already established a sense of belonging to the Warriors, Qin Yue neither wants the Warriors' future young players to cause unnecessary trouble for the team due to their eagerness to rise to the top, nor does he want to leave an impression of deliberately suppressing young players in the later years of his career.

As for another reason for telling teammates about one's career plans in advance?
Of course, Qin Yue wanted to use this to remind his teammates.

The Warriors will be in a championship window for the next eight seasons.

Clearly define the shift handover time.

And clarify the team's future goals.

When the noise subsides.

There was no need for Qin Yue to mobilize them.

The already eager wolf cubs in the Warriors' ranks couldn't wait to improve themselves and seize the present and the future.

……

P.S.: Update delivered. (Also, I'd like to say that Ah Qiao's predictions are just for fun. Please cherish life and stay away from gambling.)
(End of this chapter)