NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 731: "Misfortunes never come alone" (no protagonist chapter)

On Monday, June 2010, 6, after the Lakers flew back to Los Angeles overnight, several Los Angeles media outlets suddenly "launched a heavy attack" early this morning.

The Los Angeles Times broke a heartbreaking news that Tim Duncan’s financial advisor Charles Banks was suspected of financial fraud!
Charles Banks' winery business was going from bad to worse. This wealthy man who was full of vigor and vitality in the past two years used Duncan's money to invest in his own company, but still failed to solve the business difficulties.

According to inside sources, Charles Banks defrauded Duncan of at least $350 million, not including the investment his wife Amy made in the "coach".
TMZ even did an in-depth report, and after the Los Angeles media broke the news, Duncan, who had just returned home, once again made the front-page headlines.

The news was really explosive. Amy and her economic advisor actually teamed up to "explode gold coins". Duncan, who came to Los Angeles, became the most tragic MVP in the NBA circle.

Gossip spreads fast. Obama even updated his Twitter this morning. Although healthcare reform has been hindered, the president still cares about basketball. In this difficult time, he sent his best wishes to Duncan:

"I believe Tim Duncan will get through this. Never underestimate the heart of a champion!"

"."

At 9 o'clock, at the Toyota Center training hall, Jim Buss was furious in his office, his face red with anger. These Los Angeles reporters were really too much and made the "scandal" public again.

There was no training session in the morning, and the players needed to rest after the away game. Jim Buss wanted to come early to organize the management to "send warmth", but the players didn't see it before the "explosion" came first.

"These damn reporters! What do they want to do? Why are they reporting such news at this time?"

Jim Buss threw away his coat, yelled, looked through the newspaper, and paced back and forth behind his desk in anger.

He couldn't imagine how Tim Duncan would feel after reading the news. The "green light" was not enough, his trusted business partner also cheated him out of his money.

When Jim Buss saw this, he was furious. Duncan had become a "big loser" and was "exploding gold coins".
The old Buss, who was in poor health, was no longer able to manage the team. Jeanie Buss saw her brother's angry look and was silent for a while. Linda Rambis, who was still working for the team, suddenly spoke up:
"Why did TMZ release the news at this time? They rarely reported NBA news in the past."

Linda Rambis, who was wearing a black dress, saw that everyone was looking at her. After hesitating for a moment, she told the gossip she had heard:
“I remember that Lee invested in Bleacher Report (B/R) and TMZ. Maybe these news were directed by someone.”

"It was Li who made that coach **"

Jim Buss was confused and complained subconsciously. Jeanie Buss, who couldn't stand it any longer, interrupted and said angrily:

"Don't say that in front of us!"

Kupchak had been silent the whole time, but when he saw the two were about to quarrel again, he took over the conversation and said seriously:
"Maybe Phil should give Tim a call. The TMZ news is too explicit. These guys have made him a joke. I think the team should say hello now."

"."

Jim Buss, holding his forehead with one hand, sat back in his chair. He was the one who pushed for the signing of Tim Duncan. The Lakers' return to the finals has doubled his voice.

But no one expected that they would lose two consecutive years together with MVP. Not only did they lose the game, but there was also a "green light incident" in the locker room.

The big man is definitely going to leave in the offseason, the Lakers have to rebuild again, Jim Buss regrets trusting Kobe, and the Mamba can't even control the locker room. This scandal has made the team a joke:
"The trade veto is the stupidest decision. Maybe I should have sent him to Chicago!"

Hearing her brother complain again, Jeanie Buss couldn't stand it anymore, crossed her arms and glared at him, retorting:
"Don't use what has happened to question your original decision. Don't show your frustration in front of the players during the afternoon training session."

"It shows that we care and that we stand with Tim."

Jim Buss was not interested in listening to his sister's instructions. He suddenly thought of something and looked at Kupchak and quickly asked:

"How about Amare Stoudemire? I believe he'd be interested in coming to Los Angeles, or we could trade Kobe and completely rebuild and bring in LeBron James."

"8 championships, next season is our chance, we have to do something!"

Looking at her furious girlfriend, Linda Rambis had to remind her:
"I want to remind you that Dr. Buss did not want to see Kobe leave, and he made that promise."

Kupchak was also speechless. The home game hadn't even started yet, and he surrendered in advance. Jim Buss ignored the two ladies and turned around to continue:

“This is a good opportunity for us to complete the reconstruction”

"The trade will destroy the team culture we have built. You are overdrawing the Lakers!"

The two Busses started arguing again, but this time they didn't argue about Duncan. The two sides had completely different attitudes regarding Kobe. Jim Buss just wanted to send Mamba away.

Once this idea came up, ideas kept coming, and Jim Buss even directly imagined:

"We can form a Big Three team! LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Amar'e Stoudemire. I don't believe we will lose like this!"

Kupchak was moved when he heard this idea. As long as Kobe could be traded, perhaps the Lakers could really achieve a renewal and even have the opportunity to start the next ShowTime.

In the end, the two ladies strongly objected and the meeting ended unpleasantly. The people who left the office had mixed emotions. The Lakers might be about to change.

In the afternoon, many reporters came to the Toyota Center training hall. As usual, the Lakers had to accept pre-game interviews. This was required by the league and the team could not refuse.

There was no Duncan in the training hall. One million US dollars is not a small amount of money, and the former MVP had to deal with household chores.

The ESPN reporter could feel the oppressive atmosphere in the training hall. A young man from Yahoo Sports holding a camera could not help but whisper to his colleagues:
"This is the worst locker room atmosphere I have ever witnessed, maybe even the Wizards."

"You're kidding me! Man, Arenas bringing a gun into the locker room is the worst thing ever. The Lakers just lost too many games."

The TNT reporter took over the conversation in a low voice. When the “Holy Lance Ranger” was mentioned, smiles appeared on everyone’s faces. The Fox Sports reporter even added in a low voice:

"I used to think Allen Iverson was the worst. God, this is the first time I've ever been beaten to retirement."

"But now it seems that Tim Duncan is more sympathetic. If he hadn't come to Los Angeles, perhaps none of this would have happened. The City of Angels swallowed him up!"

Reporters from the Washington Post were also here to watch the show. Michael Wilbon predicted last night on the PTI sports talk show that the Lakers would rebound strongly, and the newspaper also published a column.

One night has passed. Now, looking back, this article seems to have become a joke. It is unknown whether Duncan is still in the mood to play. The empathy between men made several reporters sigh:

"If it were me, I would even pull out a gun to solve the problem!"

"Shit! Shannon Brown may have known all this. This guy cheated his brother."

"."

When it came to the interview session, Kobe, wearing a training suit, was sweating profusely, and Mamba had a long face. The experience of their partners was really sympathetic.

Kobe did not give a good look to the reporters in front of him. In his opinion, these people were here to add fuel to the fire. There was no doubt that no matter how he answered, the reported news would be tampered with.

"Kobe, we didn't see Duncan. Did you guys communicate today after returning to Los Angeles?"

Kobe, with a dark complexion, was a little annoyed when he heard the questions. These people didn't care about the game, but kept chasing after family affairs. Obviously, they had no good intentions:

"Tim and I have been discussing the game since last night. I know what you want to know, but this is Tim's personal business!"

"I'm only going to answer questions about basketball right now. Tim is a real man and he can handle it."

When the TNT reporter heard that they were not allowed to gossip, he immediately became unhappy. Seeing Kobe still looking sullen, he immediately "put on eye drops" and said in a mocking tone:
"20 of 7, 8 of 2 three-pointers, 7 of 1 in the crucial third quarter, and you only scored 2 points in Game 21. How will you respond to Lee's 41-point triple-double?"

Noticing that many reporters had teasing looks on their faces, Kobe felt even worse. For a moment, he could only respond expressionlessly: "I never care about the statistics. I just make the right choices on the court!"

"The series has just begun, and you will see my response in the next three home games."

Kobe was in a worse and worse mood as he was surrounded by reporters. Fisher, who returned to the locker room early, was now complaining for his teammates. Fisher didn't expect that the economic advisor also kept it a secret from Duncan. This was too tragic:
"Maybe we should go visit Tim. This is a big blow to him. It seems that everyone around him has betrayed him. It's dangerous and we should show our support now!"

Fisher clapped his hands and expressed his opinion, hoping to get support, but Barnes on the side shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"Give Tim some time. I think it's best for him to be alone right now. If it were me, I wouldn't want to be the center of attention."

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Tim suddenly pulled out a gun. I can't accept this situation of using his money to enjoy life."

"."

Feeling guilty all of a sudden, Fisher subconsciously comforted himself in his heart that he just wanted to take over and didn't want to destroy the family. Shannon Brown was the worst person who knew about the incident but didn't report it.

The atmosphere group members remained silent, and finally Odom expressed his approval. He also didn't want to "air the family's dirty laundry":
"Leave Tim alone for a while, I'm sure he'll be ready tomorrow!"

"We should at least win one game. Maybe winning can help him forget these painful things."

Everyone in the locker room expressed their support. Vujacic couldn't help but sigh repeatedly. Duncan was just too miserable. If he lost again this year, with a record of 0 wins and 7 losses, he even worried that his teammates would leave basketball.

The evening PTI sports talk show once again kept up with current affairs. In addition to reporting that the Knicks had already gotten off the plane, it also analyzed the losses that Duncan suffered by coming to Los Angeles.

According to calculations by professionals, once Duncan divorces, his personal wealth will shrink by 40%;

In sports, Duncan has completely missed out on the highest honor, the "Man, One City Award", and he can't get rid of the label of a wimp. He has lost to the MVP team for three consecutive years and there is a high probability that he will never win a championship in his career.

At the end of the show, Michael Wilbon even sympathized with Duncan like the fans and took the initiative to say:
"I hope to see Duncan get a victory. He deserves it. He has given too much for basketball."

"Bless the Lakers. I hope they can cheer up at home. They have no way out in tomorrow night's game."

The views expressed in the past few games also appeared on social platforms. Some fans even called for Duncan to win two games, saying that he neglected his family for the sake of basketball. Such a basketball fanatic should be rewarded.

Duncan, who had been staying at home all this time, was completely defeated at this moment. The room was a mess and he even had the urge to burn the house down.

Duncan's phone kept vibrating. He knew they were text messages from his friends, but he was in no mood to respond.

In the end, it was Bruce Bowen who knocked on his old teammate's door. The friendship they had formed in San Antonio was more reliable than those in Los Angeles.

Bowen raised the pizza in his hand without saying anything. The "Green Light Incident" made him feel guilty. This incident was like a fuse that changed Duncan's life beyond recognition.

Duncan, who was eating pizza with big mouthfuls, suddenly looked up, looked at his old teammate with wide eyes and said:

"I'm going to win this championship and I'm going to leave here with my kids. It's not your fault, man. Maybe this is God punishing me for the choices I made."

"."

Duncan muttered as he recalled his obsession with the championship. When he talked about the finals he lost in David Robinson's retirement season, his eyes became red again.

The big brother has always taken care of him and gave him the core position neatly. Duncan was very grateful, but he lost consecutive games and was ridiculed by New York basketball critics.

Patrick Ewing made a direct comeback, and his reputation turned David Robinson into a complete waste and a wimp.
Speaking of these old stories, Duncan finally shed tears. He was a little envious of Tony Parker, because the Frenchman could always surrender with a clear conscience.

“I really wish I could help.”

Bruce Bowen also showed a sad look on his face, but Duncan shook his head, calmed down, and whispered:

"Pop is right, someone has to sacrifice, that's the NBA."

Bowen suddenly felt that basketball was boring, and Lynch Hunter's words came to his mind involuntarily. "A basketball game that can only lose but not win" makes the championship contenders feel desperate:
“Tim, it’s just basketball.”

Hearing the comfort from his old teammate, Duncan felt inexplicably angry. He lost so much for the championship, and now he was told "it's just basketball"?
"No, I must win, even if only once!"

Without saying anything else, Bruce Bowen felt a little regretful as he looked at Duncan who was swearing and swearing. If he had not been injured by mistake, perhaps his old teammate's life would not have become like this.

-

On Tuesday, June 6, three hours before the game started, the atmosphere outside the Staples Center was already boiling. The New York fans who came to Los Angeles in groups all wore blue No. 8 jerseys and shouted wildly at the camera:

"Win! Win! Win!"

"Knicks in four!"

"."

Although the game has not started yet, the New York fans who love to watch the fun have already got into the game. The Lakers have already exploded and they firmly believe that they will win tonight.

Phil Jackson, who was attending the pre-match press conference, sat in his seat with his hands on his waist. Without waiting for the reporters to ask questions, he said slowly and solemnly:
"Tim will still start tonight, and I must reiterate that I will only answer basketball questions."

"Your reporting is hurting a father and hurting a family."

"Basketball should be purer!"

The Lakers' press officer screened the questioners in advance, which made some reporters anxious, but the old man from KFC didn't give the onlookers any chance to ask questions.

On the CCTV side, Zhang Weiping and others were also present. When they got the chance to ask questions, Yang Yi took the initiative to ask the question that the old man was concerned about:
"If the Lakers complete a comeback in the next game, will you continue to coach this team?"

Phil Jackson, who only felt tired, opened his mouth when he heard this question, but did not speak for a while. He recalled his experiences over the years, and finally looked at everyone and whispered:

"It's not about championships, it's not about money, I love Jenny, I love this team, but it's time to end."

"The Lakers won a championship, it was a wonderful experience!"

“The media will glorify failure, but for me, the inability to fail just makes me depressed and miserable.”

"Jerry West once told me that the sight of green made him sick. I played in New York, but now I hate blue."

"Basketball is like that, it's a winner-takes-all game, and it's time for me to retire."

Many reporters in the audience did not expect Phil Jackson to announce his retirement so bluntly. Everyone asked questions at once. Zhang Weiping also felt sad when he saw the old man rubbing his eyes:

"It's all fate! Kobe is really bad, if he coached the Knicks"

The old man started to let Mamba take the blame again. Yang Jian looked at Phil Jackson, whose eyes were red on the stage, and exchanged a glance with his partner. He couldn't help but sigh:
"It turns out that what Lynch Hunter said was true!"

"."

(End of this chapter)