NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 619 "How many rings do you have?" (No protagonist chapter)
The 2009 Phoenix All-Star Weekend ended in a "happy ending" way. At the end of O'Neal's career, he finally reconciled with Kobe!
On Monday morning, the 16th, almost all sports media were reporting on O'Neal and Kobe lifting the AMVP trophy together.

The "OK combination" reunited and won awards together. The coach of the two was still Phil Jackson. The old man of KFC almost cried after the game. His eyes were red when he was interviewed:

"I know Shaq and Kobe, they are both great players, we have achieved success together, and now I am very happy to see them clear up the misunderstanding!"

"Over the years, many people didn't respect the Lakers. It's ridiculous. I don't want to see them become a laughing stock. Fortunately, everything is over!"

"."

Many Lakers fans also expressed their approval of Phil Jackson's words. It has happened several times that the Lakers have won the championship and still been ridiculed.

This time O'Neal and Kobe have reconciled, which means that the two will no longer blame each other, and those sports media who like to exaggerate can also stop. Now everyone needs to respect the champion in Los Angeles!
However, among the many news, the Associated Press report was not very eye-catching. After the game, they interviewed O'Neal, who did not praise his little brother as fans imagined:

"I'm too old. Although I've recovered a lot of my physical condition since coming to Phoenix, I know it's hard for me to chase the championship again."

"I actually don't care about the reports from those reporters because Li has always recognized my achievements. Although we can't talk directly during the game, we both know the greatness of our opponent."

"I love my little brother and when I start looking back on my Lakers career, I have to admit, Kobe had some valid points!"

"We wasted some opportunities. If my free throw percentage could go up a bit, maybe I could lead the team to win another championship."

"But there are no ifs in the NBA. With one MVP, one Finals MVP, two AMVPs, and the best lineup, I have no regrets in my career!"

"Thank you Mr. Lee and Mr. Russell for the best All-Star weekend I've ever experienced."

This interview video was repeatedly broadcast by TNT last night. Lakers fans were moved after watching it, and Kobe's fans also felt that the old shark was friendly, but in the morning the Associated Press gave a more objective evaluation:
"Compared to Kobe's forgiveness, O'Neal cares more about Lee's approval. We still don't know what the four said during the meeting, but this result may be the best."

"."

There was no game on the 16th. Early in the morning, Kobe, Duncan and Phil Jackson prepared to return to Los Angeles. As the host, O'Neal naturally had to see his good brothers off!

127:107, after the Western Conference All-Star team won, Kobe was not actually happy, and he forced a smile during an interview last night.

When Kobe saw O'Neal taking photos with fans in high spirits at the hotel, he almost couldn't hold back, but there were too many sports reporters, and Duncan was also there, so Mamba had no choice but to bite the bullet and go forward.

Many sports reporters who wanted to continue watching the drama recorded this moment, and immediately pressed the shutter button after seeing O'Neal and Kobe hugging and greeting each other warmly.

"Sorry, Bro! The regular season is still going on. I haven't given up. I have to fight for the Suns. Next time we meet, we will still be opponents!"

A smile appeared on O'Neal's fat face, and he said these words in a deep voice while hugging Kobe. He enjoyed this moment very much. Sports reporters were surrounding him. He became the biggest winner of this All-Star Weekend.

"I will give the trophy to Sharif. Thanks again my little brother!"

In order to show his magnanimity, Kobe gave last night's customized trophy directly to O'Neal, and said in front of the media that it was a gift for his eldest nephew Sharif.

The old Shark was not polite and took the trophy away after the game. He only thanked him now. Kobe couldn't comment on this. Facing many reporters at this time, he could only show a "happy" smile:

"This is what I should do. We all hope that the child will be happy and like this gift."

"When we meet again, I will still give my all in the game. This is my style of basketball. You know, man, I will attack you with all my strength."

Hearing what his little brother said, O'Neal laughed. He knew that the other party was talking about the problem of pick-and-roll defense. He didn't care at all. He hugged Kobe again and took the initiative to express his goodwill:
"Although Lee is the best player, I support Kobe to win the MVP trophy. I know my little brother, he works really hard."

Kobe's eyes twitched for a moment. He felt that the old man was talking about something else. But in front of so many reporters, he could only laugh and express his attitude towards basketball again:

"I crave trophies, but I love championships more, and now I just want to see the team go into the playoffs healthy."

"."

The two performed in front of the media, while the low-key Duncan followed Phil Jackson with his bag, and the two discussed the trade in a low voice:
"Tim, what do you think of Jermaine O'Neal? That way you can go back to power forward."

O'Neal's salary this season has exceeded 2000 million. If Marion's average of 1700 points per game at 12 million is considered a decline, then Jermaine O'Neal is a clear premium.

Coupled with occasional injuries, the Raptors finally chose to cut their losses in time. After the player only played for half a season, they were willing to pay a first-round pick to send him away.

The two briefly discussed this matter last night. After careful consideration, Duncan still couldn't make up his mind. He felt that using Odom as a bargaining chip would destroy the team's chemistry:

"The team is in good shape now and we have a chance to regain the home advantage."

The old man from KFC was not surprised to hear this answer. Duncan's experience with the Spurs made him "responsible" and he rarely interfered in trade issues. The trade of O'Neal was Kupchak's idea.

Halfway through the season, Odom returned to the starting lineup in most games. Chris Mihm was completely out of gas, and the Lakers lacked a strong center.

"Back in Los Angeles, we can sit down and talk again. You know, Tim, we should not only care about our own condition, but also pay attention to our opponents!"

"."

Phil Jackson's words were meaningful. There are no secrets in New York. Gasol is facing the end of the season. Pat Riley insists on asking for David Lee. The Knicks' height has dropped. This looks like an opportunity.

Shaking his head slightly, as an old rival, Duncan no longer believed in the "Twin Towers" lineup. When he partnered with David Robinson, although that was the closest time to the championship, they still lost in the end.

Duncan was too embarrassed to say that O'Neal was incompetent, so he could only give the old man at KFC a look and tactfully suggested:

“Maybe we should try to give more minutes to the forward players.”

When Kobe left O'Neal who was reluctant to leave, he returned to the two and heard the topic of the trade. Mamba did not express his opinion on this, but gave the two a reassurance and said confidently:

"Trading won't solve the problem completely, I will deal with the difficulties I encounter."

Looking at Kobe's calm expression, Duncan was speechless for a moment. They had no chance to play against the Knicks in the remaining regular season. Once the other party made a trade, they could only continue to watch the tape. Duncan was a little nervous about this. Seeing Kobe's confident look at this moment, he finally quickened his pace and reminded him in a deep voice:
"We are still behind our opponents."

When the three of them were about to board the return flight, Kobe was too lazy to think about O'Neal's attitude. He knew that the recent trade rumors had affected Odom again. Before boarding the plane, he took the initiative to send a text message to his old teammate:

"Lamar, you're staying in Los Angeles, and we're going to win a championship, this year."

Odom, who was having fun in Los Angeles, got the boss's guarantee. Artest, who was tossing and turning in New York, didn't dare to call Li You. Finally, he got a positive answer from General Manager Donnie Walsh:

"Metta, the coaching staff and the data team all told me that your competitive state is declining."

"It's a team decision and we have to win."

Unlike David Lee who was ready, Artest didn't want to leave. He knew his physical condition was poor, but he never thought about leaving.

As for the World Peace Club, that is a responsibility he must take. After joining Green, like his predecessors, Artest has awakened. He hopes to speak for his compatriots during the black president period.
During the halftime break of the All-Star Game, although Obama was not present, he personally filmed a short video. In this video, he once again congratulated the national team for winning the gold medal, and did not forget to show his goodwill to the black players who supported him.

Such an action also deeply moved the members of the World Peace Club. They did nothing wrong. You know, Bush never did this. The president just preferred championship teams.

In the afternoon, when we returned to our home in Queens, our family, friends and followers had already filled the entire house.

Everyone chattered about Obama's love for basketball and proudly stated that the World Peace Club had received an award.

It was not until everyone noticed Artest's somewhat lonely figure that they noticed the big star's depressed look. His cheeks had become a little thin, and with his beard and long hair, he looked particularly dejected.

"Mehta, did the President invite us to the press conference? I heard there is a youth training event in Washington, can we get a spot?"

"There's a dinner after the press conference. What should I wear? God, this is so exciting..."

"Are we going to protest about health care reform? They say Obama is going to be in trouble, we have to help him, black people have to stick together."

"."

There were men and women, young and old in the room, and many of them were discussing the big deal that Aohe was about to make;
Some relatives and friends also hoped that Artest could introduce them to a stable job. Life was hard for everyone, and those who had bought houses before could no longer pay their mortgages.
The closer followers didn't say anything. They had been secretly discussing moving these days, and finally came to the conclusion that going to Miami might not be a bad thing. After all, the weather there is better and the girls are hotter!
"I don't know, I might leave New York."

Artest sat on the sofa and covered his face with his hands. As soon as he finished speaking, exclamations came from the room, "Why", "How could this happen", "We have to stay here" began to ring out.

"The Knicks can't abandon you, you're just not in good form, every player will decline, they can't do this!"

The followers who did not want to leave the city started clamoring again. Everyone was denouncing at the same time, but got no response, and finally the noise died down.

Until a chubby follower handed him the phone. Artest took a look and then covered his face again. The phone was passed around, and shouts and exclamations rang out again. The child from Queens was abandoned!

On Twitter, several sports reporters broke the news about the deal. Unlike previous discussions, Pat Riley's high asking price was not successful:

"The Knicks sent Mette World Peace, David Lee and a 2009 second-round pick to the Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion."

This deal saves the Heat some money, but also increases the Knicks' luxury tax, after all, Marion's salary is 1730 million.

Considering that the contract will end this season, the Knicks can also save money in the future. After seeing that the deal was actually reached, many basketball commentators expressed their opinions on their personal social media.

Among them, the statements of several reporters from Yahoo Sports were recognized by more fans:

"James Dolan has begun to deliberately cut spending. After eight consecutive championships, the defending champions will face a 'reshuffle'."

Artest was sent away, but Thaddeus Young, who had just returned home in the afternoon, was overjoyed. The newbie was nervous during the All-Star Weekend. Although he always followed Li You, he never dared to ask related questions.

Since his agent had not given a positive answer, Thaddeus Young went home and kept scrolling through his phone, hoping to find psychological comfort, but he didn't expect that he would actually stay.

Filled with joy, he paced back and forth in the room. Finally, he called Chalmers and said excitedly without waiting for him to speak:

"Hey Bro, I'm staying, I knew Lee would take care of me! God, I'm so happy!"

On the other end of the phone, Chalmers, who had returned to Manhattan, was also scrolling through his phone. He was in a good mood and wanted to respond, but he found that Thaddeus Young was too excited and couldn't stop for a while:

"I almost forgot what temperature you told me to brew oriental tea last time. The weather is still very cold now, and I have to consider the temperature change."

Upon hearing this question, Chalmers almost cursed the person as a "dog bootlicker" on the spot, but remembering that he still had to hold on for a few more years, he became enthusiastically discussing the future with the newbie.

The two talked for a full half an hour. After hanging up the phone, Chalmers looked at the extremely busy street scene outside the apartment and couldn't help but ponder again, "There are all kinds of licking dogs", which is a good thing:

"Li doesn't seem to like hip-hop music, maybe we can start from that aspect!"

Since Marion packed up his bag early, the Heat players didn't really react when they saw the trade information. Many of them were even relieved because they didn't want to work with the crybaby O'Neal.

As a well-known tough guy in the league, Artest fits in very well with the Heat's locker room culture. Even Wade, the absolute core player, would not deny this.

Although they haven't officially divorced, Wade has already dumped his childhood sweetheart and is single again. When he flew back to his home in Miami, he naturally got the news first.

The Heat are still working hard for the playoffs. Wade knew that Artest's competitive form had been poor in the past few months. He wanted to help his new teammate adapt to the Heat's team culture, so he took the initiative to ask Li You for his phone number.

In order to maintain his own style, Wade pondered for a while when editing the text message, and sent it out after repeated consideration:
"Man, I'm Wade, welcome to the Miami Heat. We'll help you get back into the game as soon as possible. Let's do a great job!"

Wade had just sent the text message and thought he would have to wait a while before getting a response, but his phone rang very quickly. When he saw the content, he was so angry that his eyes widened:
"How many rings do you have?"

(End of this chapter)