Author: Christopher Antonini

The layout of Stamps' restaurants is different from other places: they are all located at the back of the spectators, connected to the places where the spectators watch the games, and can provide food and drink for the spectators at any time. The people who came to see the game, half of it, spent three dollars every time to buy a hot dog and a drink — that was more than 20 years ago, when it was still at the Great Western Forum, and now the price is up to five dollars — to get back their seats in the stands and eat while watching the game.

If you are willing to spend an extra two dollars, you can buy a box of fries, or onion rings, and make a snack pairing, if you pay more than ten dollars, then you can have a good meal, but these customers, most of whom have dinner, probably do not have such an appetite. Only VIP customers will enter the private room in suits and leather shoes, ask for some steaks, pizza, red wine, and watch the game while eating.

At the age of fifty-eight, I opened an Italian restaurant in the Staples Center; My brother said that the foundation is too thin, and I am afraid that I will not be able to do high-end VIP business, so I will make some catering and drinking for ordinary fans. Ordinary fans, although it is easy to talk, there are also a lot of nagging and entanglement. They tend to be picky about the taste of pizza and say why there is no pineapple on Italian pizza, they insist that there is pineapple on authentic Italian pizza, I don't want to argue with such a person, I will give him a punch to sober him up. So after thinking about it for a few days, my brother said that I couldn't open a restaurant. Thanks to a large loan from the Clippers to support me in a high-end restaurant, my store was opened.

Since then, I've been working at Stamps all day long, delivering pizza to fans. Although I have made some money, I always feel a little monotonous and boring after a long time. My brother always comes to eat white food, and Anschutz always hooks up with Linda, and he can't teach people to be lively; Only Don Smart was able to laugh a few times when he arrived, so I still remember it.

Don Smart is the only person in the restaurant who eats in a suit and leather shoes. He was of ordinary stature, with a ruddy complexion, a face often mixed with worry, and a sense of wisdom in his eyes. Although he wore a suit and leather shoes, he always wore the same set, and it seemed that he hadn't changed it for more than ten years. He speaks to people, always mixed with Chinese characters, and sometimes teaches people to half-understand. Because his name is Smart, he's the general manager of the Clippers, and he's the benefactor I was able to open this restaurant, so I call him Don Smart.

As soon as Don Smart arrived, all the employees looked at him and laughed, and some exclaimed, "Mr. Smart, the Clippers have won again!" He didn't answer, but said to me, "Get a beer and another pizza." Then he loosened his tie. They kindly shouted, "The Clippers will definitely make the playoffs!" Don Smart's eyes widened and he said, "Why are you so irresponsible...... predicting?" The day before yesterday, the Clippers beat the Bucks Curry to come back and hang and play. Don Smart blushed and had a worried look on his face, explaining, "You can't win a hanging...... Injury! …… Jennings was absent and won disgracefully. The succession of difficult words, such as "Princeton" and "Chuanche", caused everyone to laugh: the inside and outside of the store were filled with a cheerful air.

I heard people talk behind their backs that Don Smart was an orphan, but he didn't give up on himself, studied hard, worked hard, and was said to have worked as a cook, and later won Sterling's favor and became the general manager of the Clippers. In just one season, the Clippers have brought the Clippers to the playoffs. It's a pity that Curry was injured early this season and had surgery, and the Clippers didn't start the season well. However, in January, Kerr came, and the Clippers gradually recovered, and their results improved. The wins are getting a lot more and the rankings are a little higher. Don Smart may be happy to come to eat with me noticeably more. He eats pizza and steak in our restaurant, and he never has to pay for it; Although I used to run restaurants and houses, I would never take a penny from Don Smart.

Don Smart drank two glasses of wine, and his worried look gradually dissipated, and a little pizza fan asked, "Mr. Smart, can the Clippers win their next game against the Heat?" Don Smart looked at the little fan who asked him and nodded his head to say yes. The Clippers are about to embark on an road trip, and the second game is against the Heat. The young fan continued, "So will the Clippers make it to the second round of the playoffs this season?" Don Smart immediately looked depressed and uneasy, his face covered with a layer of gray, and his mouth was full of words; This time we may be able to, but it's not bad to get a good sign. At this time, everyone laughed too: the air inside and outside the store was filled with joy.

At these times, I can laugh and feel the same joy in my heart. And when my brother met Don Smart and asked him like this, everyone was very happy that the Clippers were recovering. Don Smart doesn't like to talk to us about basketball, he always says he doesn't know how to play. He got a little drunk during the Bulls game and said to me, "Do you know basketball tactics?" I nodded slightly. "I know how to play basketball," he said,...... I'll test you. What are the main attack tactics of Eagle Tactics? "I think, Mr. Smart, you are really embarrassed for me, how can I come up so professionally? So he went to greet the business, but did not answer.

Don Smart didn't seem to have forgotten this, and said to me at halftime, "You really don't understand?" …… I'll teach you, remember! These routines should be remembered. In the future, when I am a head coach, I will need it. "I thought to myself, how can I be a manager? However, this time the Clippers led the Bulls by 11 points at halftime, the Bulls are the first in the league, but they can't beat the Clippers, Don Smart must be happy. I tried to answer him, "The Hawks tactics should have been used by the Atlanta Hawks first, right?" Don Smart looked very happy, knocked the nails of his two fingers on the table, nodded and said, "Yes, yes! …… Did you know that there are four basic offensive strategies for the Eagles? "At this time, business came, and the VIP room ordered steak, and I had to walk away. Don Smart had just dipped his finger in the beer and wanted to draw tactics on the table, and when he saw that I was gone, he sighed again, and looked very sorry.

I've heard Ida say that Don Smart knows tactics very well and is an absolute genius, but he always pretends not to understand to take care of the self-esteem of the coaching staff, and he's great.

Towards the end of the Bulls' game, the Clippers won without suspense, and some small fans surrounded Don Smart. And he signed them, one for each of them. The child asked for an autograph, but he refused to let go, saying that he still wanted Curry's autograph. Don Smart panicked, with a helpless smile on his face, bent down and said, "You don't actually want my autograph, you want Curry, right?" Straightened up and looked at the side of the court, Curry was squeezed and couldn't get through, all interviews and autographs, and he scored 34 points in this game. He shook his head and said, "When you go on a road trip, I'll bring you autographs." So the group of children scattered in laughter.

Don Smart is such a jolly person that without him, the Clippers fans and players would simply not be able to get by.

One day, about two or three days before the All-Star break, Linda was slowly making pizza and kneading the dough when she suddenly said, "Mr. Smart hasn't been here for a long time." It's been a long time since I've made him pizza. "I also think he hasn't been here for a long time. A young employee who loves to watch football said, "Why did he come?" …… The Clippers' road trip is 11 consecutive trips, with All-Stars in between, and they can't come back. Linda said, "Oh! "This road trip was too long, everyone thought it was more than lucky, and the result was a four-game winning streak at the beginning, and the Heat couldn't beat them!" "What happened?" "How? Lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 in overtime, and immediately won over the Raptors and Bucks. "And then?" "Then I lost to the Timberwolves!" "It's poverty alleviation." "Yes, but the record is still 11th in the West, and it is three wins short of 8th." Linda didn't understand much specifically, so she didn't ask anymore and continued to make her pizza silently.

After the All-Star break, the Clippers were still playing on the road, and the teams were trading all over the place, and Anthony went to the Knicks; Heat trade to get Battier; The Staples Center has been a Lakers game for the past few weeks. But I've also started to pay attention to the Clippers, who have won two games in a row against the Thunder and the Hornets. Finally back in Los Angeles on February 24th, they were going to play the Lakers on the 25th.

I was preparing the ingredients that afternoon when I suddenly heard a voice, "Have a beer." The voice was low, but familiar. I looked up and saw Don Smart sitting at the table outside the restaurant. He seemed to be thin, and his hair was unkempt; Wearing a new Clippers jersey and holding his chin, this jersey is very trendy, Kanye West designed and developed for the Clippers, and it sells very well; When he saw me, he said, "Have a beer." ”

Linda also stuck her head out and said, "Mr. Smart? Would you like to eat the pizza I made? Don Smart turned his head and replied, "That's ...... Next time, I'm going to want a beer right now. Linda smiled and said to him, "Mr. Smart, the Clippers are making the playoffs again!" This time, he didn't say irresponsible predictions, but just said, "Don't mention it." "Isn't it a few wins away?" There is a chance, just like last season! Don Smart whispered, "It's hard to say, it's hard to say...... and his eyes looked a lot like telling Linda not to be so optimistic. The staff and chef of the restaurant laughed with Linda. Don Smart was always so humble. I poured the beer, brought it out, and put it on the table. He took the glass, and I saw that he was wearing a Rolex watch on his wrist, which was said to have been given by a sponsor, and the Clippers had more and more sponsors. After a while, he finished drinking, and went to the field to warm up with the players in the respectful farewell of others.

Since then, Don Smart hasn't come to dinner for a while. They beat the Lakers at Staples Center that day, and it was Harden again; Then they narrowly beat the Celtics back-to-back, and the yellow-green army died at their hands; They went on an away trip again on March 7, and Don Smart definitely followed, until they beat the Wizards on March 12, and they had a ten-game winning streak! On March 14, the last away game, play the playoff contender Grizzlies.

I finally haven't seen it until now - about Don Smart is coming back with the West Eighth.

March 2011

This update is written more slowly, delaying other chapters, and it will be updated later

(End of chapter)