ctnovel Chapter 50: The Draft is in Progress!
Chapter 50: The Draft is in Progress!
As soon as Zeng Zhengang sat down, he heard a familiar voice.
"Zeng, Zeng, I'm here." Westbrook stood up at the next table and called out to Zeng Zhen, "Come here, Kevin's here too."
Zeng Zhen walked over and gave Westbrook and Love, his two friends, a high-five and a shoulder bump.
The three hadn't seen each other for a while, as they were all busy with their respective pre-draft work.
After leaving campus, all three of them matured quickly. Wearing suits, they looked less naive. Westbrook was less reckless, and Love even grew a beard.
Their friendship remained pure. If anyone else touched Westbrook's head, he would glare angrily, but Zeng Zhen could touch it however he wanted without any problem: "Russell, look, there are quite a few people around watching us. I enjoy seeing them hate us, but they can't do anything about it."
Upon hearing this, OJ Mayo, Ross, and the others all turned their gazes toward them.
"Haha, it seems you're really not worried about getting revenge when you go to the NBA," Westbrook said with a laugh.
"Are you worried?" Zeng Zhen asked in return.
"Of course not, I'd still crush them in the NBA!" Westbrook said bluntly.
In his previous life, Zeng Zhen greatly admired Westbrook.
In an era dominated by showmanship stars, Westbrook's authenticity became a unique hallmark. He never hid his emotions, refused to change himself to please the outside world, and was often outspoken in interviews, avoiding platitudes and even directly refuting reporters' sharp questions, demonstrating the straightforwardness of an old-school player.
Westbrook's character is beyond reproach.
To his family: He is a model husband and father, and his family is his strongest support. He often shares heartwarming moments with his wife and children on social media.
To fans: He has no superstar airs and often gives away jerseys and shoes after games. He once gave his 10th jersey to a die-hard fan who had followed him for 10 years, which moved the fan to tears.
For the community: Through its foundation, it has funded more than 100 schools and built dozens of community centers, doing charity work quietly and without fanfare.
To teammates: He is the spiritual leader in the locker room. Although he is strict with young players, he is also willing to share his experience.
Even though he often became the team's scapegoat on the court towards the end of his career, almost none of his teammates had a bad word to say about him.
"Keep a low profile." Compared to Westbrook, Love is a bit more reserved, but deep down he also craves competition.
The three chatted briefly about their recent situations, and then Zeng Zhen returned to his seat to chat with his team members.
7 PM.
The lights of Madison Square Garden were focused on one person as David Stern, dressed in a suit and wearing glasses, walked onto the stage with a smile amidst boos from the fans.
The commissioner, who had dominated the NBA for many years, skillfully scanned the entire arena, made a gesture to listen for boos, and the boos grew louder and louder. He smiled and quieted down for a moment before speaking into the microphone: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2008 NBA Draft."
"Tonight, we will witness the birth of a group of extraordinary talents, many of whom will become future NBA superstars." "Now, the first overall pick, the Chicago Bulls, await your selection..."
Then there's a wait of about 5 minutes!
The camera then repeatedly focused on Rose, Mayo, and Beasley.
The order of importance basically falls between these three.
Stern quickly received the small envelope, opened it, and read aloud: "First overall pick, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis!!"
Ross stood up and hugged his family, then straightened his suit and strode forward.
Bulls general manager Patterson then came out of his office and told reporters, "We believe Derrick will lead the Bulls to a resurgence, and Derrick will become a superstar in the future!"
The Bulls' decision was not surprising. They were not worried about Rose's family's gang background, but rather firmly believed in the character of this son of the Windy City.
Of course, choosing Rose, who comes from the local area, means that the Bulls' management won't be criticized, regardless of success or failure; this is the least risky option.
Zeng Zhen knew that Rose deserved his position as a point guard; he was the youngest MVP, and if it weren't for injuries, Rose might have achieved even greater things.
David Stern then waited for the Miami Heat to make their second overall pick selection, also with a five-minute wait.
At this time, the temporary draft operations offices of various teams were bustling with activity.
Especially on the supersonic side, everyone was extremely tense. The assistant was constantly making phone calls, and Presti was closing his eyes and holding his breath.
"Pat Riley's call is connected." The assistant quickly handed the phone to Presti after making the call, and everyone else fell silent instantly.
Presti opened his sharp eyes and quickly switched to battle mode: "Pat, I'm not wasting time. I want your second overall pick!"
A calm voice came from the other end of the phone: "No problem, but you have to trade KD for it!"
Although Kevin Durant was called a "blacksmith" in his rookie season, his growth potential has gradually been shown, and he is a good core player for building a team. Riley thinks he can be paired with Wade.
"KD is non-negotiable, but you can pick and choose from the rest of the team and draft picks."
"Snapped!"
Beep beep beep!!
Upon hearing the other end of the line hang up, Presti handed the phone back to his assistant: "Make the next call."
In the Heat's office, Pat Riley looked at the phone and sneered, "Sam, your ambitions are too big."
Pat Riley knew exactly what Presti was thinking; this guy wasn't satisfied with having the fourth pick this year and wanted a higher draft pick.
But the Heat have no interest in any assets other than Durant from the SuperSonics!
"Boss, Larry Bird from the Pacers is calling."
"Hang up."
"Donny Walsh of the Knicks called."
"Hang up."
"Larry Riley from the Cavaliers called."
"Hang up."
Neither the Pacers nor the Knicks have the same value as the No. 2 pick. The Knicks can't draft the player they want with the No. 6 pick, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have no value other than James, so they are unlikely to trade James.
Pat Riley wasn't even in the mood to deal with the phone call.
Then the phone went silent as he waited for Supersonic to call back; he wanted to see if Presti would be willing.
Unfortunately, the phone call never came.
Pat Riley eventually wrote a name on the card his assistant handed him.
Hanging up the phone when you can't reach an agreement or don't want to talk won't be considered rude tonight, because everyone is in a hurry.
It's not that they only started communicating with these higher draft picks tonight; rather, most of these teams will make their final decisions on draft night.
If a team's desired player is drafted and another desired player is available, they may have a need to make a trade.
What general managers need to find are these kinds of transaction demands.