NBA: A collection of super busts

The starting lineup for the University of Pittsburgh was: Brandon Knight, Julius Page, Donta Smith, Chevon Brown, and Torrey Brown.

If you're a regular NBA fan, you'll definitely recognize some of those names.

Unfortunately, this Brandon Knight and the Knight who would later become the league's number one background character are not the same person at all. There is no connection between the two. The fact that they share the same name is purely coincidental.

If you're a fan of martial arts novels, you'll notice that Guo Jing's sworn brother plays center here.

Unfortunately, this guy isn't another Chinese-American player in the NCAA; his name is also a coincidence.

The Pittsburgh team, with its underdog lineup and strong teamwork, made it to the round of 16 thanks to their unity, resilience, tenacity, and determination.

If we were to find one team among the 64 teams in this year's 3rd Madness tournament to be the "league's number one passionate team," and select a team that shouts slogans like "Don't underestimate our bond!" "Charge for my brother who can't play basketball!" and "Coach, I want to play basketball!" and then unleash tremendous energy to stage a comeback and win all the way up the ladder...

The University of Pittsburgh is definitely the top choice.

Despite their mediocre talent, they defeated strong opponents in succession, achieving two consecutive upsets to advance to the round of 16.

Now, they are facing one of the best teams this year!

Everyone wanted to know if their magic could continue!

The players on the field were eager and ready to compete, while in a corner of the stands, a smiling old man waved to another old man beside him: "Hey, Pat, you're here to watch the game too? Who's got your eye on? Let me tell you!"

"To run into you at a venue with 7 people, I must have had terrible luck tonight." An old man with meticulously combed slicked-back hair, each strand seemingly perfectly positioned, said expressionlessly, "Jerry, I don't remember we're friends."

If you watch the NBA regularly, you'll definitely recognize who these two guys are.

Jerry West and Pat Riley are both godfather-level figures in NBA management, and their resumes are so impressive that they cannot be listed.

All you need to know is that if you were to rank all the commissioners and general managers in NBA history, these two guys would definitely have a place on Mount Rushmore, even if they weren't number one!

West is now the president of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Riley is the head coach and president of the Miami Heat.

However, these two teams are currently ranked third from the bottom in the West and East respectively, making them like two equally brilliant but contrasting talents.

"At least we used to be friends," West said with a smile. "Do you want to choose Wade? Or Ye? Or have you discovered some other potential gems?"

"I was just passing by and took a look." Riley remained expressionless, his face radiating indifference.

"Fuck you." West and Riley had worked together for many years, so he didn't need to pretend to be polite in front of Riley. Instead, he simply gave him the middle finger and said without any regard for his image, "Your dishonesty is as annoying as ever."

"Miami is almost 2000 kilometers from here. You're just passing through? Why don't you stop by Syracuse or Cleveland instead?"

"Because the Heat aren't playing away games there," Riley said calmly. "Didn't you know we just had a bloody battle with Minnesota last night?"

"But what about you?" Riley then looked at West curiously. "Your draft picks are in Detroit, aren't they? Can you get them back? If not, what are you doing here? Does a second-round pick really warrant the commissioner's personal intervention?"

"Don't even mention it, that bastard Joe was even more shameless than his partner! I said I wanted our draft picks back, and the first thing he said was Gasol. So I told him to go eat shit." West shrugged. "But I still have the Rockets' draft picks. They probably won't make the playoffs this year."

"What if I get lucky and land a top-three finish?"

"You're dreaming." Riley snorted, too lazy to bother with that old fox West.

The Rockets are currently sixth in the Western Conference. Based on their record, they only have a draft pick of 15 or later. With that, do they really want to be in the top three?

Let's see if the Rockets lose to the lottery first!

But Riley obviously wouldn't ignore West because of this.

He knew this old man too well.

He knew West wasn't the kind of guy who traveled around aimlessly. Since he was here, it meant he must have his eye on a player. Whether or not he had draft picks was irrelevant, because he could always devise some kind of trade to steal a win.

In 1996, West pulled off a masterful stunt, trading his prime All-Star center Vlade Divac for the Hornets' 13th overall pick to select a high school player. To this day, it remains a legendary and talked-about move.

"I think I heard someone talking badly about me?" A calm and even voice came from behind. The two looked over and saw a middle-aged, overweight black man: "Jerry, talking badly about people behind their backs is not something someone of your status should do."

"You're not dead yet, Joe," West snorted, quite rudely.

"I can give you the middle finger on Jerry's behalf." Riley took on the task of giving the middle finger this time.

The person who could bring these two old men to an agreement was, of course, the guy they both hated.

Pistons general manager Joe Dumars was also a key figure in the "Bad Boys" era of the Pistons.

When the Pistons and Lakers met in the Finals, the Pistons swept the Lakers to win the championship, while the Lakers' dream of a three-peat was shattered, failing to create a true dynasty. Riley also left Los Angeles after that defeat.

These two people are unlikely to have a good impression of anyone who came from the Pistons!

Not to mention that Dumars now holds the Grizzlies' draft picks and is demanding exorbitant amounts, and now he's here to pick rookies.

It would be a miracle if West gave him a kind look after such blatant NTR behavior.

Meanwhile, the Pistons are currently ranked second in the Eastern Conference and are considered by many to be able to reach the conference finals or even the NBA finals. Playing in the conference finals while drafting a top-five rookie is something that attracts a lot of envy.

Riley thought that if the Pistons drafted another super talent this year, they would probably dominate the Eastern Conference for years to come, making it even more difficult for his Heat to rise again.

Therefore, regardless of past grievances or current conflicts, Riley and West are unlikely to give Dumas a friendly look.

But Dumas clearly knew that these two disliked him, so he happily sat down between them. Even though he claimed to be a gentleman, guys from the Bad Boys Legion were naturally not exactly good people.

Dumas doesn't feel uncomfortable about being disliked at all; in fact, he enjoys it!

"Who are you two here for? Share your picks! Or, if you were me and got a top-three pick, who would you choose? Jerry, share your thoughts, if I gave this pick back to you, who would you pick?"

"Choose your grandma." West snorted impatiently, ignoring Dumas.

"Who has she taken a fancy to?" Riley didn't answer the question, but muttered to himself, while also feeling a sense of relief that he had come to watch the game tonight.

After all, although he didn't have a good relationship with West and the entire Lakers team—his departure wasn't pleasant at all—he never doubted West's draft judgment and ability.

If any player catches West's eye....

If there's an opportunity, you should definitely try to intercept it!

Jerry's Choice: Honest and Reliable Products for All Ages.

For tonight's game, there are clearly only two people for whom West would make a special trip to the game.

Wade and Ye Feng!

Who exactly is it?

As for Dumas?

Riley acted as if this person didn't exist and completely ignored him.