Chapter 146: Draft Meeting
The NBA Finals in the 14-15 season can be called a Hollywood drama. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info
The Warriors and Cavaliers are the hottest teams in NBA history this season, and on July 12, 14, James announced his return to the Cavaliers. In the summer of the same year, the Cavaliers formed the Big Three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love through signing and trading, and jumped from a team struggling for the playoffs to a championship contender, and then the Warriors ranked first in the Western Conference with 67 wins and 15 losses this season, and won the first seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, he defeated the New Orleans Pelicans (4-0), the Memphis Grizzlies (4-2), and the Houston Rockets (4-1) to win the Western Conference championship and advance to the NBA finals.
Compared with the ease of the Warriors, the Cavaliers, who are constantly injured, are especially difficult, and in the first round against the Celtics, Love dislocated his shoulder and reimbursed the season.
Before the game, the media was obviously more optimistic about the recuperated Lakers.
As a result, the Warriors immediately proved the correctness of the media's keen observation 1-0, but the next scene was absolutely unexpected.
The Cavaliers suddenly made a strong effort on the defensive end, and the Warriors lost two games in a row, scoring only 93 and 91 points in the two games, which was far from the previous 100 points, and the form suddenly became favorable to the Cavaliers.
However, after the lack of Irving and Love, James had to lead the team single-handedly, facing the Warriors who were in full swing, the Cavaliers lost three games in a row, and the Warriors won the NBA championship in the 14-15 season with -2, and Iguodala, who had the best defensive effect against James, won the FMVP.
In this case, on June 26, the NBA2015 draft received a lot less attention.
Li Dong and Joe Thomas entered the theater of Barclays Center early in the morning, and many team management personnel had already arrived at the scene. And some of the team's superstars also came to the scene, such as the Heat star Dwyane Wade with the No. 10 pick, such as the Kings star DeMarcus Cousins with the No. 6 pick, and the biggest name is the Warriors star Stephen Curry, who just won the first MVP in his life, which has become the focus of media attention.
After greeting some "acquaintances", he entered the small green house under the arrangement of the staff.
Little Green House, as the name suggests, is the official invitation to enter the scene to participate in the draft, there are about fifteen people every year, all of whom are the favorites of the NBA Lotto draft, and it is a great privilege to be accompanied by relatives and friends. Of course, for Li Dong, his relatives in the United States are his agent, the old man Joe Thomas.
Other people like Coach Bill, trainer Jack and others also came to the scene to cheer for Li Dong and Kelly Oubre and others.
It is worth mentioning that Joe Thomas didn't know what tricks he used to sign Kelly Oubre to his name, and this newcomer who had just entered the NBA agent class immediately had two outstanding potential stocks, which was simply the "best rookie".
At seven o'clock in the morning, ESPN began to broadcast the prepared draft on time.
"Hey, Li Dong." Gordon Hayward saw Li Dong enter the arena and greeted him generously.
When Li Dong was still thinking about who could roar at the draft meeting, he heard the roar that almost stopped his heart, and he suddenly turned his head in the direction of the sound.
Justis Winslow smiles in the distance, and next to him is a beautiful girl with a hot body.
Li Dong glanced at him, then nodded with a smile, which was regarded as a greeting.
And Kelly Oubre, who was next to Li Dong, was not so good-tempered, this guy snorted coldly, turned his head away, obviously did not have a good impression of Gordon.
After walking a few steps, Li Dong met another acquaintance, Jahir Okafor of Duke University.
After the two met, there was no more tension in college, and after looking at each other, they suddenly smiled, and then opened their arms and hugged each other heavily.
It's a very strange feeling, the players who come here, a lot of the players who didn't like each other in college, but now they feel sorry for each other, and they feel like they come out of a league, as if they come from the same organization, and there is an indescribable sense of identity and intimacy between each other, which is something that some international players and players in the non-top ten leagues can't feel.
Jahir Okafor whispered in Li Dong's ear and said, "I wish you a good pick." ”
Li Dong patted him on the shoulder and also blessed him: "You too, I wish you can go to the team you want to go to." ”
The two laughed, and the ESPN broadcast camera was suddenly fixed on these two people.
Many fans in China who follow Li Dong watched the draft on some online platforms, and were surprised to see Li Dong being able to greet many players they didn't know one by one, and they couldn't help but have a thought in their hearts that "it turns out that Li Dong is very comfortable in the United States".
In fact, it is the same everywhere, and powerful people will always be recognized and accepted by people.
After another period of time, when Li Dong and the others were waiting impatiently, the current president of the NBA, Mr. Adam Shaw, walked onto the stage of the theater with a warm smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, welcome to beautiful Madison Square Garden for this year's NBA Draft."
Before he finished speaking, the audience boos and applause rose together, startling Li Dong, who didn't know why, he touched his head, not knowing what the situation was.
Xiao Hua's face remained unchanged on the stage, he saw this kind of scene every year, and he had long been accustomed to it.
After talking nonsense without nutrition, Xiao Hua introduced the rules of the draft conference, and then officially announced the start of the draft meeting.
A few minutes later, the staff handed over a small note from the team's private room, which belonged to the Timberwolves high-level who held the top pick, Xiao Hua glanced at the note under the gaze, and then showed a knowing smile on his face, cleared his throat into the microphone, and began to speak slowly.
"In the 2015 NBA Draft, the first pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose ......"
The eyes of the whole world are focused on this 50-year-old man at this moment, and the players in the small green house under the stage have a nervous look on their faces, even Li Dong, who has always been calm, is inevitably a little dry at the moment, with sweat stains on his forehead and palms clenched.
This suffocating scene spread to the audience in front of the TV, Xing Jinwen, Si Tianxiang, and Doloris......
"Carl!"
"Anthony Downs!"
There was a slight sigh from the sidelines, but there was a tidal wave of applause, whistles and cheers, and everyone blessed the Timberwolves with their expected choice.
Li Dong's body relaxed, he and Joe Thomas looked at each other, and then he shrugged his shoulders in a pretended relaxed manner and sighed.
"It's okay, the Timberwolves just made the same choice nine years ago." Joe Thomas comforted Li Dong in this way.
Li Dong smiled faintly and said, "Downs is not weak, I am the manager of the Timberwolves, and I will choose this way." “
But an unconvincing glint flashed in his eyes, which was still captured by Joe Thomas, who knew Li Dong as well as his wife, but he knew how arrogant the little guy he signed was, although he always looked extremely modest on the surface.
The spotlight was on Carl Anthony Towns, who handed over baseball caps representing the Wizards.
The 19-year-old boy has a little dark skin, and after he stood up, he hugged his relatives one by one, and his crisp suit made him look handsome and chic, and he didn't know how many female fans in front of the TV were fascinated at this moment.
Soon, Carl Anthony Towns stood on the stage, and after shaking hands with Xiao Hua, he took the microphone and made an exciting declaration, saying how he loves Minnesota, his idol is Garnett, how he loves basketball, and how he works hard to perform in the NBA.
After Carl Anthony Towns went down, Xiao Hua stood on the stage again, at the lecture table, into the microphone, squinted, glanced at the small note in his hand again, and then began to announce the selection of the Lakers with the second pick.
In the team's private room, the Lakers general manager and head coach comforted each other, "No problem, no problem, our choice is absolutely right." “
"It's like the Bulls picking Michael, it's like the Cavaliers picking LeBron." Buzz nodded, firmly. (To be continued.) )