The longest river

Chapter 206 Defeating Jordan is the primary attraction

The bus departed from the Rose Garden Stadium and returned to the Rose Garden Arena, where Yang Shuai delivered a speech as the team representative.

His last words echoed in the air above Portland.

"Now that we have the first one, let's move on to the second one."

The era of 21-year-old Yang Shuai and the young Trail Blazers has only just begun.

The day after the championship parade, Vaccaro visited Portland.

He was making arrangements for Reebok's China tour in the summer.

Reebok originally scheduled the event for August, but due to the China tournament, they moved it to the week before the tournament.

This is done to maintain the popularity of the Chinese tournament.

Moreover, Yang Shuai didn't go alone this time; Reebok sent its new "Big Five" lineup: Yang Shuai, Iverson, Carter, Yao Ming, and Lewis.
After missing out on Tracy McGrady in the 1997 NBA Draft, Reebok successfully drafted Vince Carter in last year's draft.

However, in essence, this is a two-man-three lineup, with Yang Shuai and Iverson as the core players.

"Did you see the news about Michael?"

After finishing their business, Vaccaro also mentioned Jordan.

Yang Shuai shook his head. He had been so focused on winning the championship these past few days, and oh, on his new relationship, that he hadn't had time to keep up with Jordan's activities.

"Is he considering retirement?"

“Consider?” Vaccaro found the word a little strange.

Retirement is retirement, not retirement is not retirement; who would use the word "consider"?
"Michael announced that next season will be his last."

"Yes, a retirement tour."

Yang Shuai can always find elements in Jordan that he is familiar with but do not belong to Jordan.

However, Jordan's retirement tour is clearly different from Kobe's.

Although Jordan will be 37 years old next season and his condition will probably be a little worse than this season, at most he will just have degenerated from the God of Basketball to a superstar.

As for Kobe, by then, injuries had reduced him to nothing more than sentimentality.

However, this is not entirely unexpected.

The second comeback that he knew Jordan had was purely accidental; it was impossible for the current Jordan to play until he was 40 and unable to play anymore before retiring, as he knew.

Normally, the experience of last season's Finals should have made Jordan realize that his era was over and that he should retire gracefully.

But just like Jordan's decision not to retire last season, Jordan is a perfectionist, not to mention that he lost the Finals this time.

However, the very real question is: if the Wizards couldn't win last season, will they be able to win next season?
Apart from Jordan, the Wizards are still quite a bit weaker than the Bulls.

Neither Richmond nor Howard are much different from Vin Baker of the SuperSonics next door. Their stats look good, but they're not quite at the level of the NBA Finals.

Unless the Wizards make a big splash in the trade market.

"The Wizards are very active in the trade market right now."

Just as Yang Shuai thought of this, Vaccaro brought it up as well.

Jordan's statement about his final season was, in effect, putting pressure on the Wizards' management.

But Yang Shuai didn't think they could make any good deals.

Putting aside the issue of team cohesion (the new season is a full season with ample time for integration), if the reports are true, Jordan, like him, is essentially not just a player, but a partner of the team.

The Webber-Richmond swap is the best example.

Jordan's eye for talent was remarkable. He didn't think much of Pippen back then, and then he didn't think much of Grant. The only players who caught his eye were Richmond and Stackhouse. Who could resist that?
No sooner had Vaccaro left than Paulo arrived.

Because the champion's parade hadn't ended, the people around him were very considerate and didn't bother him.

But now that he has time, it's like when you come back from vacation to work—it all comes one after another.

Although the shortened season was rushed, it still compressed the timeline for the new season. For example, the draft is on June 26, which means it will start tomorrow night.

Paul came to report to him on the signing process.

He has successfully recruited Richard Hamilton, a member of the Pistons' "Fab Five" who played alongside Kobe in the AAU Championship and the Sonny Hill League.

Come to think of it, Hamilton should have played with Yang Shuai in high school and was among the last batch of players to enter the NBA.

After graduating from high school, he went to the University of Connecticut and only announced his candidacy after completing his junior year.

According to Paul, Hamilton's current draft stock is in the top ten, even higher than Lewis's before.

Hamilton's continued success after finishing his junior year of college suggests he's a late bloomer, and it also indicates that the quality of this year's draft is significantly lower than last year's.

Then there was another player Yang Shuai mentioned, Ron Artest, whom they failed to acquire.

Like Garnett back in the day, Artest longed to work with Nike.

However, there was an unexpected bonus: James Posey, also from Ohio, who had previously faced off against Yang Shuai, also chose HARK.

On the day of the draft, Paul went to New York, where this year's draft was held at Madison Square Garden.

Then on the same day, Rondo arrived in Portland.

He came to talk to Yang Shuai about the documentary.

Following Yang Shuai's victory, HARK Company plans to capitalize on the momentum by releasing a documentary about her.

Paul still has the footage he filmed for Yang Shuai during his high school years; that's the part of the documentary that will attract the most attention.

Therefore, the prospects for this documentary are very optimistic.

If successful, it would be HARK's first step into the film and television industry.

They could even make a movie based on the documentary, since Yang Shuai's background and his NBA experience are excellent film material.

Of course, these things must be done step by step; taking too big a step will only cause problems.

When discussing the documentary, Rondo seemed hesitant to speak.

Yang Shuai didn't know what else Rondo needed to hide from him, but after Rondo finally revealed the truth under Yang Shuai's urging, it was Yang Shuai's turn to hesitate.

This matter is essentially unrelated to Yang Shuai, yet it is inextricably linked to him.

Because it's related to "Yang Shuai's" mother.

In fact, it wasn't until after Rondo finished speaking that Yang Shuai remembered something he had almost forgotten: the original owner's mother had never appeared.

Theoretically speaking, now that he has achieved great success, the original owner's mother should have already been trying to curry favor with him.

Yang Shuai was even prepared to sue her. Although she had abandoned the original owner of the body, there was no need to have any contact with this kind of mother.

After listening to Rondo's explanation, he actually fell into deep thought.

The original owner's mother still lives in Cleveland, but she is struggling financially and even homeless.

In other words, even though she was struggling financially, she didn't come to Yang Shuai.

This kind of thing is quite rare in the United States, because the culture here prioritizes profit, and most people wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.

After thinking for a while, Yang Shuai also gave Rondo a solution.

He asked Rondo to buy her a house and give her a sum of money, on the condition that they sign an agreement to sever all ties.

In any case, the other party did manage to raise the original owner to the age of 14.

This is to avoid future trouble.

Rondo certainly wouldn't say anything. Yang Shuai severing ties with his family of origin also means he will be closer to them.

Rondo didn't leave immediately, but stayed to watch the draft with Yang Shuai that evening.

Speaking of the drafts from 1999 to 2002, they were probably the least well-known in NBA history, basically all of them were weak drafts.

This year's number one pick is Elton Brand. Yang Shuai has very limited impression of him, only remembering that he seems to have a nickname "Captain".

The second overall pick left the deepest impression on Yang Shuai because he was Steve Francis, who had been Yao Ming's teammate, also known as "Big Brother Francis".
He seemed to have heard of Byron Davis, the third-place finisher in the draft, but then again, he didn't.

He also remembered Odom, the fourth pick, one of the "three highs" his deskmate mentioned, the one who was strong, but not too strong;

Then, up to the seventh pick, the Cavaliers selected Hamilton.

This result is quite good.

The Cavaliers are currently rebuilding, with Kemp and Ilgauskas in the paint, but all the perimeter players are newcomers.

Hamilton's talent is far superior to that of players like Sura.

Then there's Shawn Marion, the Suns' ninth overall pick, who was also one of the players I disliked the most.

Posey was ultimately drafted 15th overall by the Knicks.

In fact, not all rookies can achieve better development by joining a weak team.

Posey played a full four years in the NCAA and is a genuine player who can contribute immediately. Sending him to a strong team, especially one that lacks defensive resources, would actually be more beneficial for his development.

Artest was drafted 16th overall by the Chicago Bulls.

This surprised Yang Shuai. Although he had heard that Artest had broken Jordan's ribs with his elbow, he didn't know that Artest had played for the Bulls.

Then Yang Shuai saw that the Pacers had selected "AK47" Kirilenko with the 24th pick.

Actually, if Pippen hadn't given up this year's first-round draft pick in the previous trade, he would have been quite keen to make a move to acquire Kirilenko.

After the first round of the draft, Yang Shuai received a call from Barkley, who told him that he had arrived in Portland.

Yang Shuai immediately turned off the TV and then went to pick up Barkley.

Yang Shuai seemed somewhat surprised when he met Barkley.

Barkley looks even more muscular than he did in last season's playoffs.

So, have you made up your mind?

After picking Barkley up in the car, Yang Shuai got straight to the point.

He extended an invitation to Barkley during last year's playoffs, so there's only one possibility that Barkley would reach out to him now.

"The final season."

Barkley's answer was also quite straightforward.

This also explains why Barkley is in the same state now.

The idea of ​​making a final push can provide a powerful driving force within you.

This answer seems familiar.

Oh right, just like Jordan.

That's quite interesting. Jordan and Barkley, these two old rivals and old friends, both chose to return home in the same season.

It's just a matter of who will ultimately get what they want.

"Let's go get some food first, and I'll have someone take you to see a house tomorrow."

As Yang Shuai spoke, he drove the car to a nearby Western restaurant. As a foodie, he knew exactly where the best places to eat were in Portland.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Yang Shuai and Barkley chatted and ate, both appearing quite excited.

Barkley needs no introduction. After a near-desperate season with the Rockets, joining the Trail Blazers was a lifeline for him.

Yang Shuai's excitement stems partly from being teammates with Barkley. He was really looking forward to playing for the Suns during the draft, but unfortunately, he didn't make it. Now, he can make up for that regret.

On the other hand, Barkley's addition is indeed very important to the Trail Blazers.

After winning the championship last season, "Hot Stick" Williams chose to retire, leaving the team without a backup power forward.

Or to be more precise, he's a backup center, because Cato can only be used as a meat shield.

Moreover, Sabonis will be a year older next season, and it's unknown what condition he will be in then.

Especially considering the opponents next season.

Putting aside the Wizards, whose fate is uncertain, the Lakers will be their biggest rival next season.

The Lakers will win their first championship in history this season, marking the beginning of the Lakers' "OK Dynasty".

Moreover, because Kobe's development is faster than in history, the Lakers will be even stronger.

And of course, there's the Pacers.

Jermaine O'Neal's growth has also made the Pacers stronger; last season, the Wizards almost couldn't beat them.

Defending the title is the goal, but it won't be easy.

"And one more thing."

As they were talking, Barkley suddenly became a little embarrassed.

Does the team need a guard?

Yang Shuai thought for a moment, then nodded.

Although the Trail Blazers had prepared to sign several large contracts as trade bait before Yang Shuai's big contract took effect in the season he signed, they were basically all given away in the Pippen trade.

This is why the Trail Blazers' bench strength was weak last season; apart from Walter Williams, the rest were all rookies and minimum-salary players.

After seeing Yang Shuai's reaction, Barkley immediately recommended someone: Kevin Johnson.

"Didn't he retire?"

Yang Shuai seemed somewhat surprised when he heard the name.

He had heard of Johnson before his time travel, but not because of basketball, but because Johnson became the mayor of Sacramento after retiring.

Just as you might remember who the best singer, dancer, rapper, and basketball player in the entertainment industry is, crossover experiences always leave a more lasting impression.

However, after traveling through time, he will gain a better understanding of Johnson because they will face each other on the court.

He was the leader of the Suns before Barkley joined them, and he averaged 20+10 for three consecutive seasons, making him one of the league's top point guards at the time.

During the 1996-1997 season, he averaged 20.1 points and 9.3 assists per game.

However, due to injuries, age, and the arrival of Kidd, his average points per game in the 1997-1998 season was only 9.5. Coupled with the lockout, he announced his retirement. In other words, Johnson has been retired for a year now. Does he still have the ability to play in the NBA?

“I told him about my plans to come to Portland, and he was interested. We trained together for a while after that.”

Barkley recounted the whole story.

It's quite normal for Johnson to be interested, or rather, Barkley's choice of the Trail Blazers wasn't entirely due to Yang Shuai's invitation.

One of the most important reasons was that the Trail Blazers beat Jordan.

In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Suns, with Johnson and Barkley, were the better team, but they lost to Jordan.

Now that the Trail Blazers have not only defeated Jordan, but also have the opportunity to defeat him again, why wouldn't they want to join them?

The primary attraction for these two old guys was the opportunity to beat Jordan.

However, Barkley certainly knew that joining the defending champions wasn't something that could be done just by talking; he simply wanted Yang to give Johnson a tryout opportunity.

This was naturally not difficult for Yang Shuai.

After finishing his meal, Barkley went back to his hotel to rest.

Free agent signings don't begin until July 1st, so he can use these few days in Portland to familiarize himself with the area.

After parting ways with Barkley, Yang Shuai called Paul to discuss the draft.

To his surprise, there were Chinese players in the second round of the draft that he hadn't looked at.

Wang Zhizhi was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, 7th overall pick this year.

Yang Shuai doesn't know much about Wang Zhizhi's NBA career, and Wang Zhizhi probably didn't sign up voluntarily but was 22 years old, because Paul had previously shown him the list of those who had voluntarily signed up.

The Wizards began their moves the very next day.

They traded Ben Wallace and Richmond to the Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse and Christine Laettner.

The Wizards were initially unwilling to trade Webber for Stackhouse, but after going around in circles, they ultimately traded Richmond, whom they acquired in exchange for Webber, for Stackhouse.

This junior from North Carolina, whom Jordan favored the most, ultimately ended up with his loyal senior!
In addition, Laettner, as Jordan's teammate on the Dream Team, also perfectly fit Jordan's needs.

Just as Yang Shuai had guessed, Jordan's will was influencing the Wizards' management's decisions.

This deal has also attracted much media attention.

On TNT's "NBA Insider" program, Abbott highly praised this trade.

A large part of the reason the Wizards lost the Finals last season was the lack of support from his teammates. Richmond is past his prime and is about to face a contract extension.

Stackhouse is younger and more aggressive, and more importantly, he can play the right way alongside Jordan.

Moreover, Ben Wallace lacks offensive firepower, so acquiring Laettner in exchange would greatly enrich the Wizards' interior offense.

"Michael will get his revenge, just like he did in the 1997-1998 season."

Albert made a judgment in advance.

Amidst the heated discussions, July 1st arrived, and the 1999 NBA free agent market officially opened.

The biggest fish in this year's free agency market is Penny Hardaway of the Orlando Magic.

After O'Neal left, Hardaway failed to carry the Magic and was instead plagued by injuries, playing only 78 games in the two seasons from 96 to 98.

He was able to play the entire season last year thanks to the league lockout, which allowed him to recover from his injury.

However, it was precisely because he led his team to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference last season that his new contract became uncertain.

His fame is so great that if he renews his contract, it will definitely be for the highest salary.

Although the maximum salary under the new collective bargaining agreement will not be the same $100 million contract that O'Neal had, Hardaway's injury has made the Magic's management hesitate.

Ultimately, Hardaway chose to leave for Phoenix, signing a 7-year, $8668 million contract with the Suns via a sign-and-trade deal.

The Suns assembled a super backcourt duo of Kidd and Hardaway.

In addition, they also acquired Clifford Robinson from the Nuggets, and with the addition of Tom Gugliotta, who was signed last season, the Suns have "run" into the championship race.

The other championship contenders in the league also began to strengthen their rosters on this day.

The Jazz signed former Sacramento Kings starting center Alden Polynes to strengthen their interior defense;

The Spurs signed veteran Terry Porter to increase their backcourt depth;

The Lakers traded Ruben Patterson, who had a conflict with Kobe, and instead signed Brian Shaw from the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers signed former Suns stars Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley to two minimum contracts.

The Trail Blazers' signings have undoubtedly garnered the most attention.

Although Barkley will be 37 years old next February, he still averaged 20+10 in the playoffs last season against the Trail Blazers.

As a result, he joined the Trail Blazers on a minimum salary, which immediately drew widespread ridicule.

Defection to the enemy, looting equipment—all sorts of rumors flooded the internet.

They are clearly unhappy with this signing. The Trail Blazers are the defending champions and are already strong enough. Now Barkley has joined on a minimum salary. Is this even fair?

However, Barkley, who has already settled in Portland, seems completely unconcerned about these comments.

He certainly had ambition; he joined the Suns during his prime to challenge Jordan.

His joining the Rockets after his peak was for the same reason.

If he really wanted to defect, he would have gone to Chicago right after Jordan's comeback; he would have been a much better fit for Jordan than Pippen.

To be frank, he knows his own body best, and he's not even sure if he can finish this last full season.

If it weren't for Yang Shuai's invitation, he might have already announced his retirement and given up all this trouble.

Of course, regardless of Barkley's opinion, the outside world's perception of the Trail Blazers will not change.

It is foreseeable that the Trail Blazers, who are already the defending champions, will face even more targeting next season.

Not only those teams that are contending for the championship, but even those that are not strong enough to contend for the championship will make defeating the Trail Blazers their main goal.

Fortunately, after some time, another event occurred that diverted people's attention.

Phil Jackson has returned to the scene.

He will be heading to Los Angeles to coach the Lakers in the new season.

This immediately became the focus of public opinion.

Keep in mind that Jordan had just lost the Finals last season, and Phil Jackson, instead of trying to save his Jordan, went to the Lakers.

Sure enough, Yang Shuai and the others were absolutely right when they discussed it.

Phil Jackson was shrewd to the core.

He didn't go to the Wizards with Jordan last season, which essentially meant he didn't have faith in the Wizards, and as it turned out, his judgment was correct.

Moreover, taking a season off was the only way for him to break free from being associated with Jordan after Jordan announced he would not retire.

Now that the Wizards have Collins, if he wants to make a comeback, he'll have to "reluctantly" go to Los Angeles.

In this day and age, going to a big city is not only a player's dream, but also a head coach's.

The Lakers generously offered Jackson a 5-year, $3000 million contract.

It's worth noting that Jackson coached the Bulls for so many years and won so many championships, but only in his last season did his annual salary reach the average salary of $600 million under this contract.

When Yang Shuai saw this news, the question that had puzzled him before was answered: how did the selfish Kobe and the lazy Shaq win three consecutive championships with the Lakers? Jackson might be the key.

Most coaches don't change a team, but a good coach can transform a team completely.

Bird had already set the best example of this in Indiana.

Despite the constant news from the free market, Yang Shuai didn't pay much attention.

Having played in the NBA for so many years, he knows very well that the key to defending the title is not the change in the strength of the opponents, but the improvement of his own strength.

For example, Sabonis's ability will inevitably decline next season; age is always a player's biggest enemy.

This is especially true for players like Sabonis who are already playing with injuries.

It's not just Sabonis; Pippen will inevitably decline as well.

In this situation, besides hoping for the growth of Wallace and Billups, improving Yang Shuai's own strength is equally important.

His main improvements this summer have been in flexibility and jumping ability, as well as starting to train some back-to-the-basket techniques.

Yang Shuai is only 22 years old and is far from needing to gain weight to focus on back-to-the-basket moves.

Because perimeter players need to post up, gaining weight is almost a must; you need to be able to control your opponent.

Therefore, three-pointers and drives will remain Yang Shuai's main scoring methods, and improving the consistency of finishing these offensive moves remains his main direction for improvement.

As for training some back-to-the-back techniques, it's to be able to inflict some misalignment penalties when necessary.

Because if you're misaligned, you don't need weight or a competitive advantage.

As for being easily double-teamed, Yang Shuai's current passing ability allows him to orchestrate the team's offense using double-teams, just like Duncan did last season.

Besides these, another crucial point for Yang Shuai is the utilization of the "zone" state.

He now knows that the key to entering that state is desire, but creating that desire is not so simple.

All he can do is continue to strengthen specific muscle groups in Grover's way.

Just as he realized back then, training is the only way to increase the likelihood of getting into the zone.

With such persistent training, September arrived before we knew it.

During this period, Yang Shuai has improved his layup to 96, dunk to 90 (sprint dunk 95), rebounds to 88, blocks to 85, and close-range shots to 80.

His breakthrough finishing ability is now the best in the league.

If he can improve his mid-range shooting and passing to 90 in the new season, he will be able to dominate the court on his own, just like a young, peak Jordan.

Training camps for various teams also began around this time.

Since it was a normal season, Yang Shuai did not hold any personal season training camp like he did last year.

More than two months later, Yang Shuai met his teammates again.

Well, unsurprisingly, his teammates all look much rounder than before.

It's inevitable to become complacent after winning the championship; that's only human nature.

So at the opening banquet on the first day, Yang Shuai and Carlisle gave the team members a pep talk.

Carlisle's words made the team members eager to try.

"One championship is not enough to show our value. We deserve a dynasty, especially now that we have Hansen, the new god of basketball."

"New Basketball God" is a meme that originated from Allen's words to the media cameras after he worshipped Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai didn't take it seriously, because he knew that such a thing was like a target, set up to be shot at.

However, it is very effective as a way to boost team morale, because it is the foundation of this team's existence.

Carlisle played the good cop, and Yang Shuai followed suit by playing the bad cop.

"Our only goal for the new season is to defend our title. No one is irreplaceable."

Yang Shuai isn't the type to send away an opponent if they're not performing well, but he doesn't mind doing so if someone's attitude is off.

Of course, only Yang Shuai could say something like that.

As Carlisle said, Yang Shuai is the foundation of this team, and everyone else can be replaced.

Of course, this is more of a reminder, because defending a title is not easy, and no one will actively adjust the championship lineup unless absolutely necessary.

Somewhat surprisingly, Barkley, as a "new member" of the team, also played the bad cop, issuing warnings to his new teammates.

"My only goal in coming to this team is to win the championship. I will give my all for that goal, and I will show no mercy to anyone who tries to stop me from achieving it."

Barkley's approach may seem reckless, but that's just his personality—he doesn't play games; he's straightforward and to the point.

Moreover, it's clear that he was genuinely traumatized by his time with the Rockets.

Although the Big Three he joined the Rockets were all relatively old, the impact they had on the league was significant, almost on par with the Bulls at that time.

As a result, if it weren't for that unexpected upset by the eighth seed, they wouldn't have even made it to the division finals.

So he didn't want to spend his last season with the Trail Blazers, only to find that the Trail Blazers still couldn't win a championship.

In that case, he would not only become an "uncrowned king," but he would also have a "cancer" attribute, which is worse than not having a championship at all.

Of course, he is fully entitled to do so. After all, apart from not having a championship, Barkley is an MVP and a true superstar.

However, not everyone would agree, and Pippen subconsciously frowned.

Putting aside the order of arrival, Barkley was his defeated opponent.

Overall, however, the opening banquet went quite well.

On the second day, after the training camp officially started, the team members were very enthusiastic and proactive.

This is a very good sign.

For the defending champions, internal unity is more important than external enemies.

Barkley integrated quite well, and Carlisle respected him and developed a special tactical system for him.

This means the Trail Blazers now have another set of tactics that can be used as a phased offensive strategy on top of their existing ones.

Jordan would definitely be envious if he saw this, because if he had Barkley by his side in last year's Finals, the Wizards might not have been a match for the Trail Blazers.

However, it is clear that Barkley would rather retire than join Jordan's team.

As September draws to a close, training camps for various teams are coming to an end, which means the China Open is just around the corner.

Yang Shuai and four other Reebok employees set off for China a week in advance.

After traveling through time for six years, he finally had the opportunity to set foot on his homeland.

(End of this chapter)