The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 522 Socialist Basketball
Jerry West didn't stay in Portland for long. He couldn't stay in Gan Guoyang's townhouse forever. There were still many things to deal with in Los Angeles, such as persuading his family to come to Portland with him, which was not an easy task.

After finalizing all the details of the draft and helping Buckwalt devise a trade proposal, West secretly returned to Los Angeles three days before the draft.

So far, apart from the core members of the Trail Blazers' management team, only his good friend Willie knows that he will sign with the Blazers.

Willie wasn't part of the NBA circle. After graduating, he stayed in Logan, West Virginia, as a high school basketball coach, where he achieved great success and was highly respected in the local community.

After learning of West's decision, Willie was very supportive of West, saying, "Friend, you should leave that circus of the Lakers and go out and try your luck. You've suffered too much injustice and pain there, haven't you? The atmosphere there doesn't suit you. Portland is more suitable for you, although there's too little sunshine there."

West said, "It's okay, the Trail Blazers have a big sun in them."

The support from his friends strengthened West's resolve. He did not hate the Lakers; the Lakers were still his home, the place he longed for.

But sometimes a man should leave home and venture out into the world, especially when his home can no longer accommodate him.

Back in Los Angeles, the Lakers kept trying to contact West. Buss, that indecisive guy, was still trying to rebuild his relationship with West, but West didn't want to talk to him anymore. He quietly waited for the 1989 NBA Draft to begin.

The next draft will be held on June 27 at the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York.

Located directly beneath Madison Square Garden, this is a multi-purpose hall that can accommodate 5000 people and host a variety of events.

Most NBA drafts are held here.

According to the previous draft lottery, the Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs received the top three picks.

From the third pick onwards, teams are ranked according to their regular season record, starting from the fourth. The worst team, the Los Angeles Clippers, is ranked fourth, and the Charlotte Hornets are ranked fifth.

The Chicago Bulls have the sixth overall pick, acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Nets.

The seventh through ninth places are the Indiana Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Boston Celtics, respectively.

The Celtics fell very quickly; in 88, they were still able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and battle the Bullets to seven games.

By 89, they had completely declined and were unable to adapt to the new situation in the NBA. Coupled with Bird's serious back injury, they were shut out of the playoffs.

This year, the league added two new teams, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic, bringing the number of first-round draft picks to 27.

The expanded draft has further increased the complexity of this year's draft, with each team undertaking extensive preparations before the selection process.

Buckwalt arrived in New York a day early and communicated with Jerry West in Los Angeles by phone to exchange information and opinions.

Jerry West is very nervous. He always has a cold and calm demeanor, but in reality, he is very passionate and easily gets nervous and excited.

Buckwalt was equally nervous, as it was relatively rare to intercept someone else's target during the draft at that time.

Auerbach has pulled off this maneuver many times in the past, with Bill Russell, Parish, and McHale being his classic examples.

But doing so will incur resentment. The more glorious the Celtics were in the past, the more desolate the Celtics will be now and in the future.

From Stern to the team managers, everyone was wary of Celtic. Auerbach had originally wanted to use Fleischer to balance his relationship with Stern and establish good relations with the players' union.

As a result of Fleischer's death, Auerbach's efforts were in vain, and now the entire Celtics team is showing signs of being targeted and marginalized by the league.

It was Buckwalt's first time doing this, so nervousness was understandable. He asked West again on the phone, "What if the Lakers don't agree to the trade?"

West told Buckwalt, "If we're not going to trade, we're not going to trade. We'll keep Divac for ourselves. He's a talented player."

"But we already have Sabonis and Agam. Besides, Divac is Sabonis's rival in the Olympics. Petrovic is also a Yugoslavian, but one is Croat and the other is Serb. Wouldn't that make our locker room relationships too complicated?"

West said, "Didn't you say the Trail Blazers were all about strength and power? With Forrest Gump on the team, what's there to worry about in the locker room?"

Buckwalt was speechless; he couldn't very well take back what he had said.

And West is right, if Divac is really that good, then we should either take him or keep him.

Buckwalt thought of Inman, who sacrificed himself for Walton by resigning from his position as general manager.

Now, Buckwalt is doing the same thing, making a move that is bound to cause controversy, and Portland will inevitably have a war of words with Los Angeles.

I'll bear the blame for the Lakers' misfortune.

Besides drafting Divac, Buckwright is also working on another trade.

The Trail Blazers are hoping to trade Kiki Vandeweghe for Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Mike Sanders.

Mike Sanders will become a free agent this summer, but the Trail Blazers don't have the salary cap space to sign him directly, and Vandeweghe is taking up $100 million of that space.

Moreover, Vandeweghe's previous contract contained complex provisions regarding trades, including a clause that the Trail Blazers would have to pay him $50 in compensation if he were traded to a team other than his designated team—this is perhaps the key reason why Tang Jianguo didn't want to trade him, rather than any sense of loyalty to the player.

After West arrived, he believed that a complex, multi-party trade could be devised to resolve Vandeweghe's contract issues and simultaneously acquire Cavaliers guard Sanders.

Sanders became a free agent this summer. He meets the requirements of having played for seven years and signed with two or more teams, allowing him to leave the Cavaliers without any restrictions.

However, if the Cavaliers are included in the trade, they can still get some return without completely losing a player.

After arriving in New York, Buckwalt tirelessly traveled around and made phone calls, hoping to resolve the defensive issues at the guard position during the draft.

On the evening of the 27th, the draft officially took place at the Ferratt Theatre in Madison. Buckwalt and his assistant waited quietly backstage, and he kept stamping his feet to relieve his anxiety.

He recalled the moment he signed Moses Malone in 1974, a contract that was equally complex and included many clauses, such as giving his mother pocket money.

Before the contract was signed and announced, Buckwalt was very anxious because Moses Malone would become the first high school player to be signed by a professional team, which would inevitably cause a lot of controversy.

Fortunately, Moses Malone proved himself and became a superstar in the league. Although it was a great pity and a foolish mistake for the Trail Blazers to miss out on him, the signing in 1974 was ultimately the right decision and will be remembered in the history of American professional basketball.

Fifteen years later, Buckwalt realized that tonight's choice would also go down in history.

The draft process has begun, with each team handing over an envelope with their desired player written on it to David Stern in turn. Stern then went on stage to announce the results.

For teams that are drafted late, this wait is agonizing.

You don't know if your favorite player has already been chosen when it's your turn.

Now Buckwalt is trying to steal the Lakers' thunder and make things difficult for them.

Moreover, Buckwalt was wondering if another team might snatch Divac away from him?

If that's the case, they'll have to activate Plan D.

The Sacramento Kings selected Pavis Ellison from the University of Louisville with the first overall pick.

Ellison, nicknamed "Never Nervous Ellison," is always very calm on the court. He has an excellent wingspan and shoulder width, and in his senior year of college, he averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game.

His defensive abilities caught the Kings' attention, and his height, wingspan, and calm mentality made him look somewhat like Forrest Gump.

Therefore, the Kings, who had the number one draft pick, selected him, hoping to find a Forrest Gump to save the Kings' dismal basketball market.

Bill Russell was forced to leave after a very unsuccessful season, and the Kings did not improve after changing coaches, otherwise they would not have won the number one draft pick.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat, who held the second overall pick, acquired Drexler in their first season under Pat Riley's management and performed admirably.

They were also quite lucky, getting the second overall pick with a not-so-bad result.

According to the lottery rules at the time, teams that did not make the playoffs had an equal chance of being in the top three picks.

Nine envelopes with the names of nine non-playoff teams written on them were placed inside a transparent sphere and shaken. Stern would then draw three of them, who would become the third, second, and first overall picks in that order.

In 1987, the league changed the lottery rules, and for the sake of fairness, only the top three picks were drawn, and the rest were ranked according to their records.

By 1989, as the league expanded further, this mechanism, which gave all non-playoff teams an equal chance to finish in the top three, became unfair.

Teams like the Boston Celtics, who are on the edge of the playoffs, have a real chance of getting the number one pick, just like the team with the worst record in the league.

Therefore, starting next season, the league will modify the lottery rules and introduce a weighted mechanism, so that teams with worse records have a higher chance of getting a high draft pick, while teams with better records will have a lower chance of getting a high draft pick.

The Heat selected Glen Rice, a forward from the University of Michigan, with the second overall pick, to form a forward-guard partnership with Drexler.

In the 1989 NCAA National Championship, Glen Rice led his team to the national championship and was named the best player.

Riley was very happy that the Kings did not select him with the first pick. After acquiring Rice, the Heat already had their core structure. As long as they could find a way to acquire an excellent center, the Heat would soon have the ability to make a run for the playoffs.

With the management of a group of outstanding talents such as Riley, Inman, Spoelstra, and Cunningham, the Heat rose to prominence quite quickly.

The San Antonio Spurs selected forward Shawn Elliott from the University of Arizona with the third overall pick.

He is a John Wooden Award winner, and in his senior year of college, he averaged 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, making him a very well-rounded forward.

Overall, the 1989 draft class had average talent, unlike the 1984 class where every player was exceptionally gifted and became a top star upon entering the league.

Unlike 1985 and 1987, there weren't super favorites like Ewing and Robinson who were guaranteed to be number one draft picks.

A weak draft year like this really puts the management's vision to the test.

The Clippers selected Danny Ferry with the fourth pick, while the Hornets selected JR Reed from the University of North Carolina with the fifth pick.

The Hornets' selection prevented the Bulls, who had the sixth pick, from fulfilling Jordan's wish by not being able to acquire a North Carolina player, and they could only select Stacy King from the University of Oklahoma.

The Boston Celtics, holding the ninth overall pick, indeed selected Michael Smith.

The real highlights of this draft were in the non-lottery picks: the Golden State Warriors selected Tim Hardaway with the 15th pick, the Seattle SuperSonics picked Shawn Kemp with the 17th pick, and then the Chicago Bulls selected BJ Armstrong with the 18th pick.

Generally, players drafted later in the draft are those with distinct strengths but also noticeable weaknesses. Tim Hardaway and BJ Armstrong are both short guards, while Shawn Kemp is a high school player whose development in various aspects is not yet complete.

Such players often don't get the attention they deserve from the teams ahead of them. This is where the management's ability to discover and cultivate young talent, as well as their patience and courage, are put to the test.

Clive Robinson is in the same category, and Buckwalt predicts he will fall to the second round.

Even less valued than these flawed players are overseas players. Many scouts simply don't go to Europe to observe and discover players—players like Forrest Gump, who were developed in the American system, are not considered overseas players.

As Stern went up to announce names one by one, it was soon time for the Trail Blazers, who were selected 24th overall.

Buckwalt hadn't felt this nervous in years; he felt like a naughty child.

But when he thought of Don Nelson's furious reaction, he felt a secret thrill. Last season in the Western Conference Finals, Nelson had given the Trail Blazers a lot of trouble.

With the 23rd pick, the Atlanta Hawks selected Roy Marble, and Buckwalt breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that no one was going to scramble for Divac.

He immediately handed the prepared envelope to Stern's assistant, then nervously returned to his seat.

Two minutes later, Stern stepped forward, opened the envelope, and announced with a smile:

"With the 24th pick, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Vlade Divac from Yugoslavia!"

As soon as Stern announced the result and the name, the Lakers were thrown into chaos.

Buckwalt could imagine that Don Nelson would start swearing and want to call the Trail Blazers.

Sure enough, 30 seconds later, the call reached Buckwolter, and Don Nelson's roar came through the receiver.

"Buck! What are you trying to do? You already have Forrest Gump and Sabonis, why are you taking Divac?! Are you forming a socialist army? This is America, America!"

Don Nelson didn't even mention the hijacking; he directly attacked the Trail Blazers' ideology.

Buckwalt's tension had dissipated; since he had already made his choice, the next step was to negotiate terms.

"Because we have Sabonis, Agam, and Petrovic, we know how good these players are. Drafting good players is every manager's responsibility. Nellie, if you want Divac, how about we make a trade and get Kevin Duckworth in return?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Nelson had calmed down and knew that the Trail Blazers had deliberately hijacked the deal.

"No, we're not going to touch Kevin, don't even think about it. You want James Edwards too? Let me tell you, no way! You want a backup for Forrest Gump, and Edwards is the perfect backup. But you're not getting him, not a chance! Even if we don't get Divac, I won't give you either of them. Go build your own socialist army!"

After saying that, Don Nelson slammed the phone down before Buckwalt could even add anything.

Listening to the dial tone on the phone, Buckwalt shook his head and said, "Madman, Nellie is a madman. This...shit, are they really going to form a socialist legion?"

If Divac joins the Trail Blazers, they will have four players from Eastern Europe and socialist countries like China, which is unprecedented in NBA history and unlikely to be repeated.

For a moment, Buckwalt panicked, unsure of Don Nelson's true intentions.

Is this a battle between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers, or is the Lakers determined to get rid of Divac and let him rot in the Trail Blazers' hands?

Buckwalt is about to call Jerry West; he needs West's advice.

The Lakers, who had the 27th pick, made their choice: they selected Dino Raja, also from Yugoslavia, with the 27th pick in the first round.

Buckwalt was a little confused; he had been worried that the Lakers would trade Cliff Robinson to the Trail Blazers.

But clearly, the Trail Blazers did a good job of keeping it a secret; they didn't try out Robinson, and the Lakers were unaware of the Trail Blazers' intentions.

As a result, they chose Raja, Divac's teammate on the Yugoslav national team.

Raja was originally a target for the Celtics.

Far away in Boston, in the Celtics' draft director's office.

Auerbach has not been in charge of the team's draft work since 1986.

However, he will still pay attention to the team's choices and see who other teams have selected.

Auerbach knew about Raja; Yugoslavian players were full of talent.

This guy is white and has excellent low-post offensive skills.

During the 1988 offseason, the Celtics visited Europe and played a McDonald's Open against Spain, Yugoslavia, and Italy.

Yugoslavia faced Celtic in the first round and lost 85-113, a defeat that was hardly surprising.

However, two players made a strong impression on the Celtics during the game.

One is Drazen Petrovic, whose pull-up three-pointers made Dennis Johnson's defense look like paper.

Another one is Raja, whose footwork in the low post is comparable to Kevin McHale's.

Petrovic has already been drafted by the Trail Blazers, so the Celtics can't get him.

Raja then came into the Celtics' management's sights, and they wanted to select an offensive player who could replace McHale in the low post.

Auerbach originally thought that these Yugoslavian players were unfamiliar to other teams, so there was no need to worry about them being poached.

They can draft Raja with a second-round pick.

But when the Trail Blazers drafted Divac with the 24th pick, Auerbach had a bad feeling.

They already have Forrest Gump and Sabonis, so why did they take off Divac?

Just minutes later, the Lakers, having lost Divac, came to snatch Raja from the Celtics.

After receiving the news, Auerbach picked up the phone on his desk and called that little bastard Don Nelson.

This guy is a meritorious player for the Celtics, yet he betrayed us and went to the Lakers, even stealing our players!
"Nelli! What are you trying to do! Why did you draft Raja! This is the guy we want! We've already tried him out, and he's not going to play in Los Angeles!"

Auerbach directly threatened Don Nelson, but Nelson remained calm in the face of Auerbach, saying, "The Trail Blazers also stole our players."

"The Trail Blazers... What does the Trail Blazers have to do with me? Just because the Trail Blazers are trying to steal from you, does that mean you're trying to steal from me?"

"Calm down, Arnold. That's how the draft is. It's either you snatch me or I snatch you. You've done it so many times, haven't you? But you've reminded me that Divac isn't going to Portland either. If he comes to Los Angeles, I'll send Raja to Boston."

Auerbach was furious.

Times have indeed changed; it's no longer his era.

These little brats, they're all fighting over each other, and now they're even trying to take from me.

So, it seems I've done too many bad things in the past, and now I'm being shot even when I'm not doing anything right?

Meanwhile, Buckwalt immediately contacted Jerry West.

West wasn't alarmed when he learned that the Lakers wouldn't give up either Duckworth or James Edwards.

He said, "The Lakers made a draft promise to Divac that if he wasn't drafted by the Lakers, he wouldn't come to the NBA. The Lakers will then use this to threaten us into a trade to get more assets."

"Then what do we do?"

"Then execute Plan B and leave Divac behind."

"But why isn't he reporting for duty?"

"No, if I were to step in, he would definitely come to report. And we have Petrovic, he would definitely be happy to come to Portland to play."

Divac and Petrovic were teammates on the Yugoslav national team and had a very close relationship, like brothers.

Therefore, West's move to acquire Divac is a double-edged sword; whether the Lakers make the trade or not, the Trail Blazers are already in a winning position.

Edwards is a veteran, plug-and-play, outstanding offensively, tough defensively, and experienced, making him a perfect substitute.

Whatever can be exchanged is the best outcome.

If they can't get a replacement, they'll keep Divac. Divac is the player Jerry West has his eye on and wants to select despite opposition.

He knew better than Don Nelson how much potential this Yugoslavian center had.

In Don Nelson's opinion, keeping Duckworth and Edwards might be enough; the two, one old and one young, are indeed quite good.

After all, they were brought in by West, and West knew their capabilities perfectly well.

"Let's just wait for news from the Lakers. Don't contact them first. Focus all your energy on the Sanders trade. The Knicks want Vandeweghe. You're in New York now, so make that trade happen as soon as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications."

“I understand… but Jerry, if Divac comes, we’ll have four… players from Eastern countries. Can you accept that?”

West was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before saying, "Basketball is basketball, it has nothing to do with anything else."

West said that, but Buckwalt knew that he didn't really mean it.

This guy is always saying one thing and meaning another. He went to great lengths to attack the Soviet team at the Rome Olympics, partly out of personal grudges.

But regardless, the draft is over, and we can only wait and see what happens next.

Moreover, Buckwalt believed in Forrest Gump and believed that he could suppress everything.

(End of this chapter)