NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 682: Champions Do Not Need Recruitment (Daily Chapter)

On Wednesday, September 2009, 9, the Lakers opened training camp first. Compared with previous years, Phil Jackson seemed a little anxious.

It has been confirmed that the 09-10 season will be the last year for the old man to coach the team. Most sports media can understand why the training camp started early this time, as the championship coach wants to leave in glory.

The Toyota Center training hall was packed with media reporters early in the morning. After a few months of rest, the white-haired Phil Jackson looked much more energetic. He talked about the offseason in front of everyone and sighed with a smile:

"I am very satisfied with the team's actions. We have retained the full lineup and even have the opportunity to make targeted adjustments before February."

"A lot of people want the Lakers to make a big move, but our goal is not 73 wins. I just want to see the team stay healthy in April next year."

The burly old man from KFC seemed to have fully recovered from the loss in the finals, and he was full of confidence when talking about the new season. This appearance made some sports reporters think a lot, perhaps this was also related to Mamba.

After finishing his trip to China, Kobe returned to Los Angeles. In addition to continuing his training like crazy, he also took the initiative to apologize!
No one expected Mamba to do this. Just this Monday, when Kobe was interviewed, he talked about the "trade application" that year and expressed his guilt:
"I'm sorry for letting this become so public, I did hurt a lot of fans."

"My team was dealing with this at the time and we didn't think the team was going to compete for a championship, and I just wanted to say something about that."

"Looking back on this incident, I could have handled it in a better way. I'm sorry. I apologize for my immaturity."

Since Kobe's public apology, a group of basketball commentators have been discussing what caused Mamba to give in. Soon, a close friend of the Lakers management who did not want to be named broke the news:
"The Buss family does not plan to renew Kobe's contract in advance. They believe that Kobe cannot support the Los Angeles market."

The Lakers were jealous after the Knicks announced that the renewal rate of season ticket holders for the new season reached an astonishing 100%.
In fact, the Knicks have not changed much in the renewal issue in recent years. Since Li You joined the team, the lowest data has been 96%. After winning four consecutive championships, it has been 4% for many years.

After Duncan joined the Lakers, the season ticket renewal rate reached 98% last year, but due to consecutive losses, this figure fell below 90% in the new season, completely falling out of the first tier.

The season ticket renewal was poor, and Buss was furious. The Lakers had the opportunity to renew Kobe's contract in advance before the 27th of next month, but this matter was ultimately rejected by the Buss family.

The management is tough and the Mamba is soft. Although Kobe has no worries about his next home, staying in Los Angeles is still the best option. If he really goes to Memphis, his popularity will plummet.

Phil Jackson did not talk about the contract renewal. The old man from KFC does not care about Kobe's future at all. If he has to send Mamba away to join the management, he will not be polite.

Some reporters noticed that Duncan was wearing a protective gear on his left knee. The old man at KFC talked about it and seemed deeply moved. He exclaimed loudly:

"Tim was troubled by an injury in the final in June, but he insisted on playing, which also inspired the whole team."

"I am not worried about his injury, but in the new season, I will reduce his playing time a little bit. We are fully focused on the playoffs."

Veteran Joe Smith has a constant smile on his dark face. He made the right choice to join the Lakers. He even has a chance to start because Odom is likely to serve as the sixth man to support the bench.

Barnes is also in a good mood. The team has not yet decided on a small forward, so this is his chance and he can enter the starting lineup.

Fisher was chatting and laughing with the atmosphere group. Although the training camp started a little earlier, it would not affect his good mood. As long as he put aside the concept of winning or losing, playing in Los Angeles would undoubtedly be a wonderful thing.

"I wish Steph could come here! He's not happy with the Warriors."

He publicly called on the media to hope that the Warriors would trade him. Barnes has always been paying attention to his former teammates. In addition, the Lakers are interested, so he talked about this matter with Fish and did not hide his attitude.

As the leader of the locker room, Fisher felt that this deal was difficult. He glanced at Kobe in the distance and whispered:
"I don't think Kobe would agree. Jackson doesn't respect him very much."

When the trade was made public, Stephen Jackson was fined $2 by the league, but he made a lot of fun of it. When talking about the Lakers' interest in him, he laughed and said:

"I have no interest in assisting Kobe. I am not his fan. In this league, the only player I admire is Lee. Kobe is just an ordinary star trying to attract attention."

"I just want to leave the Warriors. Los Angeles is good, but it doesn't matter where I go. As a championship forward, I'm already better than 80% of the players."

There are rumors that the Warriors are going to be sold, which means that many players are not in the future plans, and Stephen Jackson is one of them.

Barnes also glanced at Kobe and raised his eyebrows. It was indeed difficult for this deal to happen. Mamba had had enough of the "bombs" in the locker room. Gerald Green's punch at Mamba last year was still vivid in people's minds.

While Duncan was still whispering with Bowen, Kobe, who was sweating profusely after training, finally finished his training. His trip to China rekindled his passion for basketball. It turned out that there were so many people who sincerely supported him.

In comparison, failure and physical fatigue are nothing!
Although Kobe was not as tough as before in his goodwill towards the Lakers, he did not smile when talking about the team's No. 3 position and trade rumors, and responded meaningfully:
"In my opinion, true champions don't need to be recruited!"

"The Lakers' winning culture has never disappeared. We need the real 'Lakers.' As the team leader, I don't mind swinging to the No. 3 position."

“I’m in great shape!”

The sports reporters who gathered around took a close look at Kobe's physique. His muscles were taut and he indeed looked stronger. The previous rumors that Mamba would continue to hone his low post skills in conjunction with technology seemed to be true.

On Friday, September 9, before the Cavaliers training camp opened, Delonte West got into trouble for illegal gun possession and domestic violence and was confirmed to miss next Monday's training camp.

James, who is busy promoting his documentary and new book, is not bothered by this issue. After all, with the addition of Raja Bell, the championship guard can make up for the loss.

Dwight Howard, who considers himself the leader of the team, immediately expressed his support and demonstrated his leadership style:

"I believe West will return to the team soon. Don't underestimate his desire for the championship."

Although the "Happy Beast" shows himself in front of the media from time to time, head coach Mike Brown still does not put him in an absolute core position. In the new season, the team will still focus on the outside.

Agent Goodwin secretly expressed his dissatisfaction to the outside world, but still could not change the attitude of the coaching staff. Keeping James, who is in the last year of his contract, is the first priority, and the "Happy Beast" who has a contract has to be ranked second.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers' team reporter shared a training photo of the Chosen One. In the photo, James is stronger, and the Twitter dynamics later confirmed this:
"LeBron continues to live up to his talent and the weight gain has not affected his mobility."

Fans in the comment section followed suit and looked forward to the future. In the photo, James looked in great physical condition, completely different from those players who gained weight during the holidays.

In the afternoon, the fans who were discussing the Chosen One turned to the Celtics reporters. Since Rondo joined the team, there has been more and more fun.

"I saw a brand new Celtics team. Our offense looks more reasonable. Rajon Rondo is an underestimated talented guard!"

The updates on Twitter looked serious, but most of the comments were asking "When does the boxing match start?"
Since an unnamed source broke the news that Rondo and Garnett almost had a fight, the news about the Celtics has completely changed. No one pays attention to the performance of the old men. On Monday, the 28th, at 10 am, the Celtics' new Big Four officially debuted. Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, and Garnett appeared in front of reporters together for the first time.

Although it was not an official media day, there were still a large number of reporters coming to the training camp to witness the new version of the Celtics.

When all four were seated, Rondo sat in the middle, his dark face full of smiles, and there was no sign that he had ever had a conflict with the team's nominal leader.

The Boston Herald reporter was very considerate of the native leader Paul Pierce. Among the four, only he was selected by the team, and the questions he asked were also very heartwarming:

"Pau, thank you for your contribution to the Celtics. You are already 32 years old. What are your plans for the future?"

"Will you choose to retire in 16 like Li?"

When tough guy Pierce heard the reporter's concern about his future, he was touched for a moment. However, when it comes to the age issue, he is not as sure as Li You:
"I don't know, maybe I'll keep going until I'm 34? If I can win the championship this year, I might keep going until I'm 36."

"Lee was able to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but I can't do that. 4 points, that's crazy!"

"I just want to see the 17th championship banner raised over the TD Garden before my career ends."

Speaking of the championship, Pierce couldn't help but reveal a melancholy look on his face. Unlike several other teammates, he has been in the East and has been beaten for too many years. When he said this, he didn't believe himself in his heart.

Soon a reporter asked about the "school district basketball" issue, to which Ray Allen did not deny it, but he did not admit it outright either. Instead, he changed the subject and responded seriously:

"I'm only focused on the game at hand!"

"The youngsters on the team have grown up. They are no longer rookies. As long as they stay healthy, I believe we can return to the Eastern Conference Finals."

"I am excited about Rondo's arrival. We have talked a lot and we have an incredible consensus on tactics!"

“This is a good start.”

Garnett, with a dark face, glanced at the two of them silently. He really didn't expect that Rondo could get along well with Ray Allen. You know, the latter is an "oddball" in the team.

"Ray helped me integrate into the team. He is underrated and his tactical qualities amaze me!"

"Lee and he teamed up to win the championship in college, and I hope my championship experience can help him too."

"I want Ray to be the team's first offensive option. No matter what the Celtics have done in the past, in my opinion, the outside offense is more important."

"."

There was no need for reporters to ask questions. Rondo took over the conversation very naturally and began to share his championship experience. Many reporters listened with gusto. In the past, Garnett was the core of the Celtics' offense and defense, but that seems to be changing in the new season.

The two people who were bragging about their business made Garnett's eyes twitch slightly. He always felt that Rondo had something else to say and was always provoking him, but today's press conference was more important and Garnett didn't want to be laughed at.

When asked about the tactical problem, Garnett did not admit it, but reiterated his role:
"No matter how things change, the Celtics' defense will not relax! Everyone has to work hard for it."

This statement did not resonate. When the Knicks next door could score 120 points from time to time, Boston fans also wanted to see a hearty offense.

A goal is always more exciting than a missed shot or a free throw. Even the most "loyal" reporter will not completely agree with Harden's point of view.

When the press conference was over, Garnett returned to the training ground and looked at Rondo and Ray Allen talking and laughing. His face darkened. He glanced at Pierce who was following him and asked tentatively:

"Bro, maybe a change isn't a bad thing. Does Coach Rivers agree?"

Thinking of Rivers who only paints pie in the sky, Garnett cursed in his heart. Although he reluctantly agreed with the tough guy Rondo, he was still a little dissatisfied with the coach's "trusteeship" posture:

"I'll talk to the coach about this. Damn the offense! He's only been in the league for a few years."

Pierce glanced at his partner. He felt that if Garnett said this in front of Rondo, the other party would probably raise three fingers. When he thought of such a scene, he felt bored:

"How did the alliance become like this!?"

On Thursday, October 10, the media open day, the Knicks officially opened training camp.

Unlike other teams, the Knicks only have two preseason games this year, one is a friendly match against the Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv at home on the 18th, and the other is a warm-up match with the second team in New Jersey.
Although the championship guard is missing, the lineup still has JR Smith and Gary Neal, and rookie players Wesley Matthews and Danny Green can be considered as backup forces.

As for JR Smith being suspended for 7 games, it is not a problem. Li You can swing to the No. 2 position, and with the addition of big man Ibaka, Dio has also successfully lost weight, the team is stronger on paper!
Of course, these statements are all conclusions drawn by New York basketball critics, but so many years have passed, and the exaggerations have come true. Most New York fans believe local reports that the championship was loaned back before the new season even started.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, Li You's orange Tesla Roadster was photographed by a reporter. Since Ax Capital invested in electric cars, Li You has become an "environmental protection pioneer".
At the Tarrytown Training Center, familiar New York reporters arrived early, and even earlier than them was Ben Wallace. The championship center was out of gas, but his training attitude was at its best.

Witnessed by everyone, Li You, dressed in casual clothes, hugged his old teammate again. Big Ben's face was full of excitement, and he said loudly in front of the reporters:
"Li always lends a helping hand to me when I'm in the most difficult time. This is the inheritance of champions!"

The Chicago media has a great prejudice against players from New York. Ben has been criticized for the past two years. Li You patted his old teammate on the shoulder and said with a sigh:

"No one will ever forget Ben's contribution to the team! I don't like the way Chicago is trashing him."

"Think about Sprewell, who left New York as a championship guard, but when he got to the Bulls, he got nothing but bad reviews."

"True championship members never need to be recruited. Ben is back home. In the new season, his experience will help our rookies. New York's inside line needs to be passed on!"

"."

Even though Li You was lying with his eyes open and Sprewell was just playing badly, it was good enough that the Chicago fans didn't pull out their guns, but the reporters at the scene all echoed:

"Lee is right, this is New York's heritage, champions don't need recruiting!"

(End of this chapter)