The longest river

Chapter 226 Offseason Earthquake
Betting companies jumped on the bandwagon at this time, offering odds on Kobe and Shaq leaving the Lakers.

Although the odds for this three-way choice (O'Neal, Kobe, no trade) weren't high, it served as a kind of prize, setting the stage for this farce.

The odds of O'Neal leaving the team are lower than those of Kobe.

It seems the betting odds are that Shaquille O'Neal will be the Lakers' go-to guy in this whole mess.

At the very moment the free agency period began, several teams made offers to the Lakers for O'Neal.

The reason for choosing this time is that O'Neal's contract is too large, and some teams can only take over O'Neal's contract by using the trade exception at this time.

However, these teams' offers have basically all fallen through.

This sends a very clear signal: the Lakers' decision to break up OK is not about rebuilding around Kobe or Shaq, but about maintaining the roster to continue their pursuit of the championship.

Once this signal was transmitted, things instantly became complicated.

After all, there are very few players in the league whose trade value matches that of Kobe or Shaq.

Take Kobe as an example. Even if the Lakers changed their strategy, they could accept players except for the center position, which would only include a handful of players like Yang Shuai, Iverson, Duncan, Garnett, and Carter.

But these players are now considered unsellable by their respective teams.

"I think it will be harder for OK to achieve results without each other."

On the set of the documentary filming, Lu and Yang Shuai talked about this current hot topic.

"Then you're wrong. Kobe's expectations of his teammates were much lower than that of that fat guy."

Lu's viewpoint represents the majority opinion, but not that of Yang Shuai, the time traveler.

Shaquille O'Neal's requirements for teammates to win a championship were only lower than those for LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant's were only slightly higher than those for Hakeem Olajuwon.

"That's true. If the Lakers had actually pursued Duncan before, I think his pairing with Kobe would have made the Lakers even more difficult to deal with."

Yang Shuai gave Lu an approving look, "You really know your stuff."

While Duncan's pure ability is not as good as O'Neal's, he doesn't have as many weaknesses that O'Neal can exploit.

Moreover, unlike Shaq, Kobe didn't have a fixed playing style; he was more adaptable.

Historically, if Kobe had been given a Gasol, he would have won two consecutive games. If Duncan had been given one, he would have been a real tough opponent.

"Do you think the Timberwolves would agree to trade Shaq for Garnett?"

At that moment, Lu had a flash of inspiration.

The Timberwolves are in a somewhat awkward position now because of the previous back-door contract issue.

Yang Shuai shook his head.

Although Garnett was a better fit for Kobe than Duncan, the Timberwolves had no reason to want O'Neal.

Garnett is known as "the ticket king," and his ability to sell tickets is even better than O'Neal's.

More importantly, O'Neal's contract is no smaller than Garnett's, and trading him wouldn't solve the Timberwolves' current predicament.

Of course, the most important point is that Garnett is only 24 years old, and youth is an asset.

"Then I think we're guaranteed a four-peat next season."

Lu immediately popped open a bottle of champagne.

Since neither Duncan nor Garnett will go to the Lakers, no matter what trades the Lakers make, they won't be stronger than they are now.

The OK farce continues, and it's unlikely to end anytime soon.

At this time, in addition to filming documentaries, Yang Shuai also participated in the creation of his own statue.

Of course, the main focus is on facial design.

Just like NBA owners don't get too involved in team operations, the specific design of the statue was done by a designer, and the main structure was finalized by that designer.

The designer, Rich James, created an image of him sitting on a throne, with blooming roses beside the throne.

This trend seems to echo his documentary, "Throne of Thorns."

The statue is expected to be unveiled in September, and as Allen said, it will be very large, which is expected to cause quite a stir.

In mid-July, a major deal occurred in the free market.

The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets have reached a trade agreement, with Stephon Marbury and Jason Kidd swapping teams.

After Kidd joined the Suns, the team was eliminated in the first round every year, and the management was looking for changes.

At the Nets' introductory meeting, Kidd uttered his famous quote: "I will lead the Nets to a 360° turnaround."

It's true that physical education students' math skills are taught by their physical education teachers.

The Lakers' farce reached its climax at this point.

The Lakers team is now divided into two factions.

Owner Jerry Buss was a fan of Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal not only played basketball well, but also had a very close relationship with Buss.

However, his son, Jim Buss, and the team's general manager, Jerry West, are staunch Kobe supporters who believe that facts have proven that building a team around O'Neal is impossible.

Phil Jackson did not take sides in this struggle, but outsiders knew that he valued Shaquille O'Neal far more than Kobe Bryant.

It was around this time that rumors began to circulate that McGrady would trade Kobe.

The owner and head coach are the two people with the most say in the team, and it seems that Kobe is the one who will eventually be traded.

Around this time, Vaccaro and Reebok reached a conclusion in their negotiations.

Reebok has agreed to spin off the HY brand.

After the brand becomes independent, Yang Shuai's original 5% sales commission will be taken back, and he will own 51% of the profits of the independent HY brand.

This profit-sharing ratio means that Yang Shuai is actually the big boss of the HY brand, and Reebok is working for him in reverse.

After signing the new contract, Yang Shuai felt like he could finally relax and enjoy life.

Sigh, looking at it this way, James is still lacking. He even has to bring his talent with him just to earn some Hennessy endorsement fees.

Look at Yang Shuai, he'd be considered a loser if he even glanced at Hennessy.

Of course, the brand's independence means that it is directly linked to Yang Shuai's popularity.

If Yang Shuai's influence declines, then a decline in sales is inevitable.

To give an example, he used to be just an employee working for Reebok, but now he is a major shareholder in a company he co-owns with Reebok.

This will undoubtedly give Yang Shuai more motivation to play.

As this news broke in the media, it triggered a major earthquake in the business world.

This means that in terms of commercial value, Yang Shuai is already on par with Jordan.

But don't forget, Yang Shuai is much younger than Jordan.

Of course, youth is an asset, but whether he can truly surpass Jordan depends on the changes in Yang Shuai's influence both on and off the court.

After signing the contract, Yang Shuai quickly embarked on another trip to Asia to promote the newly independent brand.

When he arrived in China, the Asian Championships were being held in Shanghai.

He also appeared on the sidelines to watch the Chinese team play against Lebanon.

His appearance quickly ignited the stadium.

With the aging of domestic defenders like Hu Weidong, Chinese fans are increasingly looking forward to Yang Shuai joining the Chinese national team.

In their view, Yang Shuai's appearance was sending a positive signal.

This match is the second stage of the group stage, which is the second round to determine the top eight teams after the group stage ends.

Lebanon is much weaker than the Chinese team, but perhaps because Yang Shuai was there, the whole team seemed to be on steroids, pressing fiercely from the start and quickly gaining the upper hand.

The Chinese team didn't regain their composure until the second quarter before starting to take the lead.

But then something really absurd happened: despite being the home team, the referee's whistle clearly favored Lebanon.

With the help of the referee, Lebanon took the lead again before halftime.

In the second half, the referee's calls remained biased, whether due to inherent discrimination or the Chinese Basketball Association's lack of influence with the World Basketball Association.

This made the atmosphere on the field increasingly tense.

As the fourth quarter began, the Lebanese team, who had been playing frantically, started to tire, and the Chinese team gradually took control.

With 9 seconds left in the game, the score difference reached 11 points, and the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Just as the fans began to cheer and Yang Shuai was about to get up to greet the Chinese team members, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

The Lebanese players seemed to be sore losers. The number 4 player pushed over a Chinese player named Zhang Cheng, who then kicked him.

What followed was a massive brawl on the stadium. First, several Lebanese players ganged up on Zhang Cheng, then the rest of the Chinese team came to his aid, and the two sides engaged in a chaotic melee.

Fans in the stands joined the fray, throwing water bottles precisely at the Lebanese players on the field, and some even picked up advertising boards from the sidelines and smashed them.

The first phase of the conflict was only quelled when security personnel entered the field and separated the players.

But just then, by sheer coincidence, a fan in the stands hit Lebanese player number 11 on the head with a water bottle, and coincidentally, the bottle cap hit his forehead, causing him to bleed.

Player number 11 immediately turned red in the eyes and charged aggressively toward the Chinese team's bench, seemingly wanting to cross over there to settle scores with the fans.

However, from the Chinese team's perspective, seeing a person with blood on their forehead charging over means they couldn't beat the players on the field and were coming to cause trouble for the players off the field.

Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming didn't move, but Liu Yudong and Li Nan, who were standing to the side, had already gotten up quickly.

Seeing this, the other Lebanese players rushed over again.

But this time, facts quickly proved that the Chinese team was truly formidable in fighting.

Li Nan unleashed a flurry of punches with impressive force, while Battier slammed a Lebanese player to the ground under an advertising board and then kicked him repeatedly.

By this time, the police outside the field had already entered and, in order to prevent any accidents, protected the Lebanese players in the center of the field.

This made them easy targets for the fans' water bottles, and the Lebanese players finally realized they had to retaliate and started throwing bottles back at the fans.

Only after most of the water bottles had been thrown from the stands did the Lebanese players leave the stadium under the escort of police and security.

The entire process lasted about ten minutes.

After watching the dramatic ten minutes, Yang Shuai was filled with emotion.

The Palace of Auburn Hills pales in comparison.

However, he did gain a new understanding of the Chinese team's fighting incident.

In the past, many people would joke that "the Chinese team is bad at playing ball, but good at fighting," making it seem as if the national team was doing something unproductive.

But tonight's match was clearly a result of unfair treatment and provocation from the opposing team.

This actually shows the national team's fighting spirit.

Once everything had settled down, Yang Shuai walked toward the national team's bench.

"You were very calm just now."

He praised Yao Ming.

His only concern was that Yao Ming might get injured in a fight.

While a large physique can be an advantage in a fight, if someone is too big, like Yao Ming with a high center of gravity, they are actually the most vulnerable.

"I was a little stunned at the time."

However, Yao Ming scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. He and Wang Zhizhi, who had never experienced such a scene before, were both stunned.

When Yao Ming said that, Yang Shuai remembered that Francis, McGrady, and Artest had all stood up for Yao Ming.

It seems that Yao Ming is well aware that he is not suited for fighting.

Now Yang Shuai doesn't need to worry too much.

On the same day that Yang Shuai returned to Portland after his Asian tour, the free agency period was nearing its end, and the Lakers' OK saga finally came to a close.

The Lakers, Pacers, and Hawks have reached a three-way trade agreement.

The Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal and Scottie Pippen to the Lakers in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Toko Kukoc, Theo Ratliff, and Alan Henderson.

The Pacers traded Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Toni Kukoc, and a future first-round draft pick to acquire O'Neal;
The Hawks traded Theo Ratliff and Allan Henderson to the Pacers in exchange for Scottie Pippen and a first-round draft pick.

The Lakers ultimately made the surprising decision to trade O'Neal.

Moreover, O'Neal actually went to the Pacers!

Yang Shuai was momentarily stunned when he saw the result.

Just like when Yao Ming ultimately went to the Wizards in the previous draft, there was absolutely no prior indication of it.

As expected, the saying came true: real deals don't leak out as rumors, because what gets leaked are negotiations that have already fallen through.

However, upon closer inspection, the transaction is not entirely incomprehensible.

If Yang Shuai were to grade Bird's management career performance, this move would deserve an A.

Last season, with Jordan's retirement, the Pacers had a chance to reach the NBA Finals, but they failed to even make it to the Conference Finals, making it undoubtedly a failed season.

Jermaine O'Neal, in particular, couldn't perform to his full potential under Thomas's system.

Bird only hired Thomas, and it's impossible for him to fire him after just one season, so he can only work on the roster.

O'Neal was the perfect fit for the tactics that Thomas employed.

And this is, after all, Shaquille O'Neal at his peak.

Many people would have imagined Curry and O'Neal playing together, but that was impossible due to their ages. However, now the combination of Miller and O'Neal has emerged!

With Miller drawing attention on the perimeter, O'Neal's offensive space inside will be greatly expanded.

Similarly, with O'Neal drawing attention inside, Miller can get more and better three-point opportunities on the outside.

Such a combination is hard not to make people's imaginations run wild.

The Lakers, on the other hand, also made the best trade for them.

Compared to Duncan and Garnett, whom they couldn't acquire, O'Neal was the best asset they could get.

Not to mention Artest.

One of the main reasons the Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers was that they didn't have a defender to match up against Yang Shuai, forcing Kobe Bryant to guard him.

Not only does it consume physical energy, but due to their size disadvantage, their defensive effectiveness is also poor.

However, Artest had already proven himself to be a top-tier defender during his rookie season when he played in the Finals with the Pacers.

His addition can relieve Kobe's defensive pressure, allowing Kobe to devote all his energy to the offensive end.

Moreover, although Ratliff and Anderson's contracts are a bit long and tedious, they are at least immediate contributors in the paint.

Not to mention Phil Jackson's former protégé, Kukoc.

As for the Hawks, their acceptance of Pippen's contract was more about freeing up existing contracts and further rebuilding.

They previously traded Mutombo to Philadelphia for Ratliff, reducing the team's salary cap pressure, but Ratliff's contract would also extend to the 07-08 season.

Anderson's contract was relatively smaller, but still worth over $700 million per year, and it also lasted until the 04-05 season.

As for Pippen, although his salary is high, he only has two years left, and the Hawks will be able to free up a lot of salary cap space after that.

It's just that in the final stage of his career, he suddenly went from a championship contender to a rebuilding team, and Pippen must have been cursing under his breath.

But everyone knows that after missing that game-winning three-pointer last season, Pippen's luck in his basketball career has completely run out.

"I told them long ago that we would never win a championship with Kobe on the team."

"The Kobe they chose is a selfish maniac. He doesn't know how to lead a team at all. I actually hope they can make it to the Finals so I can crush them myself."

"Of course we all know that the Trail Blazers are in the West and they will never make it to the Finals, but I will help the Pacers get back to the Finals and win the championship."

O'Neal is not Pippen; he doesn't just keep his thoughts to himself. Instead, he chose to unleash his emotions at the Pacers' introductory ceremony.

Coincidentally, Kobe appeared at the press conference for the new recruits. He was in high spirits after winning the final battle and also responded to O'Neal's comments in front of reporters.

"O'Neal's free throws and defense destroyed our game, and his attitude toward practice dragged the team into the abyss."

"I've never been a selfish player. I've spoken with Jermaine, and we're both incredibly excited to work together. We'll lead the team to our ultimate goal."

These words from O'Neal and Kobe confirmed the internal strife news that Los Angeles media had previously reported.

This also marks the official falling out between OK and the team, and every encounter between the two teams thereafter will likely be a bloody battle.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Whitsett is trying hard to trade Kemp, because last season Kemp could barely be a substitute.

However, even if the Trail Blazers were willing to give up their draft picks, no team was willing to take them on.

Besides the fact that Kemp himself had no trade value, another very important reason was that other teams were unwilling to cooperate with the Trail Blazers.

After all, even a tanking team doesn't want to become the driving force behind the Trail Blazers' four-peat.

This was already evident in the Pippen trade last season.

In other words, the only advantage Portland has over Salt Lake City right now is that some veteran players who want a championship are willing to sign with minimum contracts.

As for the rest, we can only rely on ourselves.

(End of this chapter)