The longest river

Chapter 46 Going around in circles
Stern frowned instinctively when he saw the result.

He opposes the idea of ​​high school students running for office.

It's not that he thinks high school students can't play in the NBA; after all, he knows the talent of top high school students. What he's really worried about is their mental maturity.

Players who haven't attended university are still immature in many ways, making them easily lost in a life of extravagance and debauchery.

Now, not only are high school students re-entering the league, but there are two in a single year, which is clearly not what he wants to see.

However, he still read the result aloud with a smile.

Although Yang Shuai's high school background made him unhappy, the fact that an Asian player has made it to the NBA stage, especially as a lottery pick, will be a strong boost to his overseas market expansion.

what happened? !

This is the reaction of everyone present.

Yang Shuai was predicted to be selected 27th overall, how did he suddenly end up in the lottery?!

Lin Xiulan was the first to react. She didn't quite understand the difference between these draft positions, but she knew that Yang Shuai had been selected and had successfully entered the NBA!

She stood up excitedly, then pulled Yang Shuai, who was still a little dazed, to his feet and gave him a warm hug.

Yang Shuai only came to his senses slightly at this point.

From the early second round to the late first round, then to the middle of the first round, and finally the thirteenth pick, he actually became an NBA lottery pick!

He recalled the night after his time travel, spending his time on a park bench with mosquitoes, the training sessions he had endured over the past two years, even when he was exhausted, and the Los Angeles mansions that Thaddeus had shown him that involuntarily came to mind.

All of this felt like a dream to him.

He truly transcended social class through basketball!
His mind was filled with excitement. After hugging Lin Xiulan, he hugged Johnson and Fisher, expressing his gratitude to the latter.

Then came Rondo and Robert.

After hugging everyone, he turned around and took the Kings hat handed to him by a staff member who was already waiting on the side. Under the flashing lights around him, he began to walk down the passage.

He was so excited that he had forgotten to button his suit jacket, and now he seemed a little flustered.

This scene seemed particularly magical to the audience.

Because all the previously selected rookies came from the Green Room, and the rookies all went up the stairs, but Yang Shuai went down.

Just as Yang Shuai was halfway there, he heard a series of boos from his ear.

The boos came from none other than Sacramento Kings fans who had traveled from Sacramento to Toronto to watch the NBA draft.

They never imagined that their home team would use a lottery pick to select a high school guard and an Asian player!
"This choice is truly unexpected." TNT's renowned commentator Ernie Johnson couldn't help but remark on the fact that the entire draft was broadcast live by TNT this year.

According to previous reports, the Sacramento Kings' starting point guard from last season, veteran Spud Webber, has parted ways with the team, and they will prioritize adding a point guard.

Their top target was Shawn Lespeights from the University of Michigan, who was selected as the best point guard in this draft, but he was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 8th pick.

So, is this a case of desperate measures being taken after the draft target has been snatched away?
"This will be the worst pick in this year's draft," commentator Mav Albert put it more bluntly.

When Yang Shuai signed with Reebok, he bluntly stated in the commentary booth that it was a 99% failure. Now that he's saying the same thing again, it shows that he really doesn't have a high opinion of Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai had already walked down the stairs and onto the stage aisle.

It's called a passageway instead of stairs because it doesn't have steps; instead, it's a 30° upward slope, giving you a strong sense of climbing.

It wasn't until then that Yang Shuai finally calmed down and had time to think about being drafted by the Kings.

Sacramento is not even as good as Indianapolis.

Moreover, he didn't even go to Sacramento during his previous Western Conference tryouts, and he doesn't know who's currently on the Kings roster either.

So, was the Kings' decision to snatch him away simply because they thought highly of him, or were they just helping other teams make a choice?

The Lakers had the Hornets help them draft Kobe Bryant, and the Spurs had the Pacers help them draft Kawhi Leonard; these are well-known examples in Lakers history.

The Miami Heat's draft cabin.

When they took down Kurt Thomas, they stood up and applauded in celebration.

But now, everyone involved in the draft, including Riley, is dumbfounded.

Finder has reached an agreement with the Clippers to trade Levi's for the Clippers' 15th and 35th picks.

With the 10th pick, they can get a center like Thomas, and with the 15th pick, they can get a guard like Young. This would give the Heat a perfect draft pick.

And now you're telling me the Kings snatched the player upfront?!
For a moment, Riley regretted not using the 10th pick to draft Yang Shuai, because if he had drafted him directly, no one could have intercepted him before the Heat.

But the next second he breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it's very unpleasant to have something snatched away, the thought of not having to take that risk might not be a bad thing.

Moreover, rookies who are scouted by the management of a team like the Kings are unlikely to have much of a future.

Yang Shuai had already walked onto the stage.

He shook his head.

He didn't know the answer to the question he had just asked, or rather, it was something he couldn't control, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

He walked toward Stern, who was smiling.

"Welcome to the NBA." Stern reached out and shook hands with Yang Shuai, offering his congratulations.

“Nice decoration.” He then noticed the national flag on Yang Shuai’s suit lapel.

"Thank you." Yang Shuai smiled and shook hands with Stern, then turned around to take a photo with the league president.

History was frozen in time at this moment.

After coming off the stage, Yang Shuai sat on the sidelines and was interviewed by reporters, a treatment that every first-round show receives.

The interview was conducted by Krieg Seger, a well-known reporter from TNT.

Seg is one of the few non-NBA players that Yang Shuai knew in his past life, because this guy especially liked to wear a floral shirt when conducting interviews.

Of course, at this time, SEG was only in his forties, and he was dressed in a very conservative stone gray suit, but the shirt inside had a lot of black plaid.

"You're the first high school guard in NBA history to be drafted in the first round. What made you decide to skip college?" This was the question that garnered the most attention.

“KG and I are good friends. Once when I went to Chicago to visit him, we ran into Jordan and Pippen playing in the arena. Joe Dumars was also in that arena.”

At this stage, not only Stern but also Seger were a bit tired, but Yang Shuai's answer instantly revitalized him.

Of course, the spirit of the audience watching the live stream also applies to those watching the live stream.

“We played one game against them, and after that game, Joe Dumars came over and told us, ‘Kids, you can go into the league now.’”

"You won?"

Yang Shuai smiled and shrugged; it was better not to answer such a question than to answer it.

Seg, of course, understood what he meant and burst into laughter.

“We all know that KG has encountered some difficulties in his studies, but you have no problems with your studies. You are capable of going to university, so why did you give up? Or do you think you will regret this decision in the future?” Seger couldn’t help but ask.

He usually only asks rookies one question, but Yang Shuai's answer just now has made him very curious about this Asian player.

"When I'm 40, I'll look back on my career and wonder if I would have had a better career if I had chosen to go to college. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't, but I think I'll be proud then because I dared to take on the ultimate challenge of the NBA right after graduating from high school."

Yang Shuai's words gave SEG a pleasant surprise; the high school student in front of him was no less impressive than the college players he had interviewed before.

While Yang Shuai was being interviewed by SEG, Johnson in the studio was already talking about a news story related to Yang Shuai.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to make a trade with the Sacramento Kings. They had previously wanted to use their 17th pick to select Yang Shuai, but the Kings snatched him up first.

This news also illustrates another scenario in the NBA draft: when some teams have already selected their desired players and don't have the players they want, they will choose to snatch players from other teams and use those players as bargaining chips to gain more benefits.

After finishing his interview, Yang Shuai immediately signed autographs for fans on the sidelines, then took a photoshoot, and finally attended an event prepared for him by Reebok.

Yang Shuai unexpectedly became the lottery winner, and Reebok executives are probably all smiles right now.

At the Reebok event, there was a Q&A session with reporters.

Because of her unexpectedly high draft position, coupled with the story told during the interview, Yang Shuai still attracted a lot of attention from reporters.

"Who is your idol? Michael Jordan?" Unlike official interviews, the questions asked by reporters here are more personal.

Yang Shuai shook his head as he listened to the reporter's leading question.

"No, my idol is Drexler."

Is Drexler really Yang Shuai's idol?
Actually, no, he doesn't have any idols in the real sense.

But since Drexler has already been used as a shield before, there's no harm in using him again.

Moreover, his draft comparison was Drexler, which makes sense.

Sure enough, the reporter looked slightly disappointed when Yang Shuai said no, but immediately looked enlightened when he heard Drexler's name.

Did you ever imagine you'd be selected 13th overall?

"No, to be honest, it was a surprise to me."

"Does that put pressure on you? It's such a surprise."

"No, not at all. They chose me because they trust me, and I will prove that their trust is absolutely worthwhile."

Yang Shuai's answer drew applause from the crowd.

The confidence he displayed was unlike that of an Asian player.

After finishing the Reebok event, Yang Shuai was finally able to return to the stands to rest. He will also be meeting with the Kings' draft team later.

However, during this break, Fraser suddenly stood up abruptly from his seat.

This sudden move startled the others, who were discussing the evening's celebrations.

Yang Shuai also looked curious, while Fraser was always very composed.

"Aren't you going to Sacramento?" After a while, Fraser looked at Yang Shuai.

"Cleveland?" He was not far from the commentary booth when he was being interviewed earlier, and he heard what Johnson and the others were talking about.

Fraser shook his head.

Indiana.

Indiana?

Yang Shuai was also a bit confused.

Why did we end up going to Indiana after all this time?

"The Kings were helping the Pacers make their selection from the start; they (the Pacers) knew the Heat and Cavaliers both wanted to draft you." After the results were finalized, Fraser learned more inside information.
"To get you, they even traded Mark Jackson to the Kings."

When talking about Mark Jackson, Fisher's tone was clearly surprised.

Mark Jackson is a well-established NBA star and holds a significant tactical position with the Pacers. He played a crucial role in the Pacers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

The Pacers are now willing to trade Jackson for Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai nodded when he heard this.

Just as he had thought before, going to the Pacers might not have been the best option.

However, the fact that the Pacers were willing to trade for one of their star players shows how highly they regard him.

Going to a team that believes in him is obviously a good thing.

Moreover, the Pacers are a championship contender, and if he can compete for playing time, he might even have a chance to stand on that biggest stage.

-Dividing line-

①: The Kings traded the 13th pick (Young), Dunn Coswell, and the 1996 first-round pick to the Pacers in exchange for Mark Jackson and the 1996 first-round pick.

(End of this chapter)