Basketball Terminal

Chapter 108 Almost
The Nets led the Hornets by 25 points at halftime. In the third quarter, Nash worried the Hornets might mount a comeback, given their 50% winning percentage, not being a bottom-ranked, completely tanking team. However, the Hornets' performance tonight was truly poor. They scored 12 points in the first quarter, rebounded with 35 points in the second, but went cold again in the third, shooting 6-for-22 for only 15 points – their worst offensive performance of the season.

Despite missing two key players, the Nets quickly turned the game into garbage time. Li Wei didn't need to exert himself fully on defense; he could simply stay under the basket and wait for rebounds. The Hornets' shooting was terrible tonight, only making 34% of their shots – one in three. That kind of shooting won't win you a game.

One wonders what Hornets owner Michael Jordan, the basketball legend, thought of his team's performance, given that he was present at the game. With Durant and Harden absent, the Hornets desperately wanted a win to push for the playoffs. However, their offense was abysmal, and when the cameras focused on Jordan in the stands, he looked utterly helpless.

The world of basketball is fair: the more dominant Jordan was as a player, the more disastrous he became as a team owner. He consistently picked the wrong answers when building his teams, leading them down a path of mediocrity. Looking back at Jordan's actions after entering management, if he had rejected his first choices as flawed decisions, the Wizards, Bobcats, and Hornets would likely be in much better shape now.

Unfortunately, Jordan's great achievements as a player fostered arrogance, resulting in few dissenting opinions and a harmonious atmosphere where everyone followed his lead. As a result, Jordan's teams consistently struggled in the lower ranks, barely making the playoffs, let alone winning a championship. For over a decade, the biggest highlight of the Bobcats and Hornets has always been the team owner himself and the tired joke of "the owner is warming up."

Li Wei started in the third quarter and played for five minutes. After the point difference widened to over 30 points, he was substituted to rest. In the fourth quarter, Nash played Li Wei for another three minutes, intending to substitute him when the game was essentially over. At this point, Li Wei didn't want to leave the court. He thought, "They pushed me to play when it was crucial, and now that it's garbage time, they want me to rest?"

"Coach, I'm not tired," Li Wei volunteered.

"It's already garbage time."

"Yeah, I'm a garbage player. I'm the lowest paid player. I can't even afford a $2000 fine, so I should be on garbage time."

Li Wei was quite shrewd; he took this opportunity to explain his difficulties to the coach. Nash, seeing that Li Wei rarely volunteered to play more, thought that he was young and could indeed use this opportunity to gain more experience. So, after the timeout, Li Wei remained on the court and played the rest of the fourth quarter with the substitutes.

Li Wei, who had already achieved a triple-double, took advantage of this opportunity to pad his stats to 16 points, 17 rebounds, and 15 assists in the low-intensity garbage time game, achieving a 15+ triple-double! Although the stats were padded, he did not take up any shots, but quietly grabbed rebounds, passed the ball to his teammates, and assisted Johnson, Shamet, Sexton, and others to score.

In the official game, Li Wei experienced the "ball-dominant" playing style firsthand. Although his ball-handling hunchback still didn't look good, his stats and performance were undeniable. Even in garbage time, the Nets players didn't play haphazardly; under Li Wei's direction and organization, they diligently executed their tactics, which was truly commendable. Ultimately, the Nets secured a resounding 122-89 victory over the Hornets at home, a 33-point margin.

After this victory, the Nets successfully surpassed the Philadelphia 76ers to become the top team in the Eastern Conference and the second-best team in the league, with a record second only to the Utah Jazz.

Li Wei's 15+ triple-double performance earned him the MVP award. Although the stats may be inflated, for some fans who didn't watch the game, a post-game report would be like, "Wow, 15+ triple-doubles! That's amazing!" It is indeed impressive, but not that impressive, as Li Wei himself knows.

So, in a post-game interview, Li Wei humbly said, "My performance benefited from the coach's arrangements and my teammates' cooperation, not from my personal ability. A statistic may be attributed to one person, but it's often not just one person's achievement. My assists came from my teammates' positioning and good shooting touch, my rebounds came from their boxing out and willingness to let me pass, and my points were the result of my teammates' brilliant passes. Also, the coach's pre-game arrangements gave me more opportunities. There's not much that truly belongs to me; I'm just part of the team."

Turner TV reporter Mari Tenchi looked at Levi with eyes that shone like a moonlit stream. The two agreed to have a big showdown the next day. She told Levi that Turner TV's Inside the NBA program had already planned to invite him to participate, and that he should get ready in the next few days.

Back in the locker room, Li Wei checked his phone and saw a text message from his younger brother: "Brother, you did a fantastic job tonight, thank you so much. I won't be driving you home tonight, you'll have to figure out how to get back yourself! If Mom asks, just say I'm staying at your place tonight, thanks! I'll return the car to you tomorrow!"

When Li Wei saw the message, he knew that his younger brother's spring had arrived. He didn't disturb him and instead sent him $300 as pocket money.

Nash went into the locker room, pointed at Levi and said, "Victor, come on, let's go to the press conference."

"Oh? I just had an interview."

"That's different. James and Kevin aren't here tonight, so it's you."

The Nets' post-game press conferences are usually attended by Nash with the Big Three. With Durant absent, it's Irving and Harden. Today, Harden was also absent, but Levi had an outstanding performance, so he was brought along to answer questions from reporters alongside Irving.

This was Li Wei's first time entering the post-game press conference room, usually where star players go after games. As soon as he entered, all eyes and cameras were on him; Li Wei knew countless eyes were watching. Yet, he remained surprisingly calm. After sitting down, he naturally answered several questions from reporters. One of them was particularly pointed: "When the team doesn't have Harden and Durant, they actually win more games. Does that mean you've become better?"

Li Wei replied, "One game isn't a reliable indicator. In the NBA, it's common to see teams win big even when their star players aren't playing. But if we take a longer view and look at the entire season, especially the playoffs, it's impossible to achieve good results without these stars. We're all really looking forward to James Harden and Kevin Durant returning to the team; then we'll be the strongest team in the league."

Back in the locker room, Nash was very satisfied with Levi's performance, saying that he knew to always put the team above himself, rather than taking credit for his own wins and blaming his teammates, coach, or team for losses. He also told Levi, "Your technical foul fine will be reimbursed by Boss Cai, so don't worry too much." It seems he sensed Levi's ulterior motives and that he cared a lot about the $2000 fine.

Last time, Li Wei was fined $4000 for a powerful chop and elbow to LeBron James. This time, he'll be fined another $2000. If there are any more technical fouls later, the fine per foul will increase. Li Wei is understandably upset about being fined on such a low salary, so he's happy that Coach Cai is willing to cover it. Since joining the Nets, Li Wei has brought viewership and attention far exceeding his salary.

Everyone left; the game day was over. Steve Nash packed up and was the last to leave the arena. Sitting in his car, he let out a long sigh of relief, finally relaxing. The life of a head coach is even more exhausting than playing basketball, even though he doesn't have to run, compete, or face the collisions of defenders much taller and stronger than himself. This exhaustion isn't physical, but mental. If he were a player, he would have already gone out for a drink with his teammates after the game. Back then, he had long hair, loved going out, and enjoyed the nightlife of the big city with his teammates, like a rock star. Being a coach, however, requires constant mental strain; his mind can't stop working for a single moment.

Nash cut his flowing hair, and his personality changed as well. Over the years, while managing and coaching various teams, he also engaged in investments, philanthropy, and sports business, gradually becoming more conservative and steady. Becoming the Nets' head coach brought unexpectedly immense pressure and an unexpectedly chaotic situation. Nash felt an unprecedented challenge.

Nash was a very conflicted person. When he was young, he became Canada's most famous basketball player, an NBA regular season MVP, and a superstar. But he once told his good friend Greg Francis, "I feel extremely guilty for living such a comfortable and easy life and for being so lucky."

Becoming head coach brought real pressure, and Nash discovered things weren't so simple. The good news was that things were gradually improving, his thinking was shifting, and some of his actions were proving correct, such as his use of Victor. The emergence of Levi provided Nash with a breakthrough.

Nash pulled out his phone and texted Joe Tsai: "[I paid Victor's technical foul fine for him. I used your name; you're the boss, so the credit goes to you.]" He quickly received a reply: "[It's on me. Don't always try to be the unsung hero. Congratulations, we're number one in the East tonight.]"

The two chatted for a few more minutes; their relationship had become closer than before. After putting down his phone, Nash was about to start his car to go home when he noticed a dark figure pressed against the car window, staring at him like a zombie.

"what!!"

Nash screamed in fright, startling everyone outside who took a step back. Upon closer inspection, they saw it was Levi! Rolling down the window, Nash asked, "What are you doing here, Victor!"

"I don't have a car to go home, so I'd like to hitch a ride with you."

"Where's your car?"

"My brother drove it away. He dropped me off at the W luxury apartment complex, which is very close, only fifteen minutes away."

"Come on up! Can't you find anyone to take you home?"

"When you become stronger, people will gather around you, but as you continue to become stronger and stronger, you will become more and more lonely, and people will leave you."

Although he knew Li Wei was talking nonsense, for some reason, Nash felt that those words struck a chord with him.

"Hey Victor, do you have any sneakers you're endorsing right now?"

"No, some companies have approached me to be their spokesperson, but the contracts are too lucrative and I don't want to sign them."

“I know a Chinese company; you could consider doing an ad for them if you need the revenue.”

"Really? It's not like it'll be a long-term contract, is it?"

"No need, how about we just shoot an ad and settle the payment in one go?"

Are there any conditions?

"From now on, you need to listen to my instructions more and play well."

"Please, I've always listened to you, Coach."

Nash nodded in agreement. The two had been getting along better and better lately, but Levi was always just a little short of Nash's requirements.

(End of this chapter)