In August 2014, the NBA entered the offseason, and the battles between various teams came to an end, followed by the draft and free market signings, and fans and teams entered a long grass period.

But basketball did not stop because of this, on the contrary, during the NBA break, various basketball training camps, amateur leagues, and international basketball games will spring up like mushrooms after a rain.

The two largest summer basketball tournaments in the United States, one is Los Angeles and the other is Las Vegas, especially Las Vegas, which has become more and more prominent in the basketball circle in the past two years.

Not only will the summer league and preseason games be held here, but the NBA is also considering holding regular seasons here in the future to further expand the NBA's market share, and there are even voices hoping to form an NBA team in Las Vegas to closely link the NBA and the casino.

After all, after signing a huge TV broadcast contract, the new strategic direction of the current NBA top management is to combine the NBA with betting, and make betting with huge funds a new incremental area for the NBA.

This may be the only breakthrough point for Adam Silva to break out of Stern's shadow in terms of business strategy.

This time in Las Vegas, the most eye-catching thing was the World Championship training camp of the US national team.

In order to prepare for the 2014 World Basketball Championships, the United States Basketball Association once again used Coach K and recruited a group of NBA rising stars to join the training camp to prepare for the upcoming World Championships.

Like James, Kobe, Anthony and other older generations, players over 30 and 30 no longer join the national team, and Lao K selected a group of young people under 25 and 25 as the backbone of the team.

New MVP Stephen Curry, new FMVP James Harden, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Jamal DeRozan, Anthony Davis, Cousins, Drummond......

The oldest of these players is Curry, who was drafted in 2009 and looks young, but is actually 26 years old, and the rest of the players are all post-09 drafts.

In the current squad, there are 4 people from the Los Angeles Clippers, and the accumulation and cultivation of the Clippers in new forces can be said to be the best in the league and unmatched.

They easily won this year's championship with an unstoppable momentum, losing a total of four games in the four-round series, and the three consecutive championships can be said to be easier and easier.

In this year's draft, they selected Serbian center Nikola Jokic with the 30th pick in the first round, and Jokic, a fat young man, immediately entered the national sports media view, and everyone believed that this may be another magic choice for the Clippers - although it seems that this fat man really doesn't seem to be suitable for basketball.

The Clippers, with young players as the main team, look like no one can stop them next season, and people are starting to expect that the unprecedented but rare quadruple championship since 1969 will be achieved this year.

This should be the biggest suspense of next season.

But another big question about the Clippers in August is whether Paul George will stay in Los Angeles or whether he will go to the San Antonio Spurs to become the new boss there, the successor to GDP, as rumored to be.

After the free market opened in July, George did not immediately renew his contract with the Clippers, although the Clippers had George's right of first refusal, but the lobbyists from San Antonio seemed to move George, so that George had the idea of going to San Antonio to be the new boss.

After all, in Los Angeles, he will eventually be crushed by Curry, Harden, Gasol Jr. and others, and in the small forward position, the Clippers are full of talent and the competition is very fierce.

On the contrary, the Spurs are one All-Star-level small forward at the No. 3 position, and if George goes to the Spurs, his stats, status, and honors will definitely rise a lot, and his contract will definitely be the maximum salary.

George fell into hesitation, he didn't make a decision right away, but learned from his senior, LeBron James, to let the bullets fly for a while, and then talk about it later.

At this time, LeBron James is quietly waiting, and it is still a mystery whether he will stay with the Cavaliers when his contract expires in the summer, or go to another team to form a superteam against the Clippers.

Before his contract was confirmed, George was selected for the U.S. national team and participated in training camp, training with Curry, Harden and other teammates.

His days in training camp weren't easy, as Harden and Curry kept mentally pressuring him not to leave the Clippers.

"Paul, if you leave Los Angeles, you're a traitor to us! When I meet you in the future, I won't be polite. ”

"Do you know, if you go to the Spurs, you will definitely have no chance with the championship in the future, absolutely no chance!"

"Mr. Smart will definitely kill you, do you want to face Smart's wrath?"

In a one-on-one heads-up session, James Harden used his hard-working step-back jumper against George while verbally attacking George.

George was disturbed, and he was really stunned in defense, one was accidentally shaken by Harden and fell, Harden shook his shoulder with the ball, and calmly hit a three-point shot!

“Bingo！ Slipped you kid! Hey, George, is that all you want to do to shovel cow dung in Texas? Or will I give you the MVP next season? Harden pulled George up from the ground.

"Next season's MVP has to be yours? You're too arrogant, if I go to the Spurs, I can still win the MVP. ”

"You dream, you still have to give three old men a hand in the Spurs, I advise you to think about it, don't forget that we are brothers."

George's eyes were glazed, and his heart was indeed very tangled and struggling.

Many friends around him, especially his agent, persuaded him to go to Spurs.

Because in terms of collective honor, three championships are enough.

Many players fail to win a championship in their lifetime and end their careers with regret.

In this way, George's early completion of his long-cherished wish is simply a natural start, and he will not have to be obsessed with the championship in the future, and can concentrate on personal development.

The Spurs are a good group, and Popovich is well known for his player development, and most importantly, the maximum salary contract and the treatment of key players.

This is very attractive to a black American guy like George, and anyone has a heart to be the boss in their hearts.

But what Harden said makes sense, several of them have played with the Clippers since they entered the NBA, and they have created brilliance in a short period of time, and everyone is like brothers.

The Clippers players have very little mobility, they grow together, like a big family, and this kind of atmosphere can be said to be unique in the NBA.

It's just that young people haven't experienced wind and rain, don't know the warmth of home, and always want to go out for a while, so George is very entangled.

At the end of the morning's practice, the players were interviewed by reporters, many of whom asked which team George was going to go to next season.

George was vague and said that he just wanted to prepare for the World Championships and that he was not worried about his contract for the new season.

It would be false to say that he was not worried, no matter which path he chose, George felt regretful.

Leaving the Clippers, leaving his brother and hometown, I think he chose to try out with the Clippers because of his proximity.

But staying with the Clippers, it feels like the future can be seen at a glance, and it seems that some challenges are lacking.

The unknown can bring both fear and temptation.

During the lunch break, George received a call from Popovich.

Most of George's personal calls are handled by brokers, and his own cell phone number is only known to a few people.

Popovich got George's cell phone number out of nowhere, and began texting him after the finals to establish a personal relationship.

Popovich is not an ordinary man in the league, and his coffee position makes George willing to communicate with him.

Lately, I've been on the phone to keep up with him, learn about the content of the training, and the status, and today Popovich continued to chat with George.

"Has Mr. Smart been looking for you lately to talk to you about the contract?" Popovich asked.

"Uh... Not recently, and I didn't look for him. ”

Speaking of Min Congda, George had a slight pause in his words.

After moving the mind of leaving the Clippers, George has never communicated with Min Congda directly, and has always asked his agent to talk.

Because he knew that it was difficult for him to face Min Congda, and he was even more afraid that Min Congda would get angry and criticize him, which was psychologically difficult to accept.

Min Congda is a teacher and a loving father to this group of young people, and although he is not very old, he gives everyone spiritual support, which is not comparable to the average shrewd team manager.

Of course, George has not been in other teams, so he is not particularly impressed, and veterans such as Milicic, Bonner, and Randolph have said that Mr. Smart is simply a philanthropist compared to other team managers.

The first trait that most NBA team managers need to possess is to be ruthless, not to have too deep feelings for the players, not to hesitate to break their promises when necessary, and to treat the players like goods at a price tag in exchange for the chips they want.

And Min Congda is obviously not, which makes George the most entangled in his heart.

"George, I actually communicated with your owner, Mr. Smart, in the playoffs, and I'll be honest with you, we were hoping to trade Leonard, but Mr. Smart refused. Then I said that we would fight for George in the summer, and Mr. Smart said that it was up to George's own will and ideas. So, don't worry about Mr. Smart, he will respect you. ”

Popovich's words were secretly murderous, especially mentioning Leonard, saying that he wanted to trade to get Leonard, but Min Congda refused, said that he wanted to get George, and said that he respected George's wishes, which made it clear that in Min Congda's heart, George's status was inferior to Leonard.

Of course, George understood this meaning, and felt very uncomfortable, although he didn't believe that Min Congda would say this, but it was impossible for him to find Min Congda to question and research.

"Have you spoken? In the playoffs? Are you sure? ”

"Of course it's true, just before the semifinals began, the Lakers and Warriors in the tie-breaker."

Popovich really didn't lie about this, but what he and Min Congda said that day, Min Congda himself couldn't remember clearly.

"I'll think about it again, but if the Clippers have to keep me, I can't help it."

"I know we're going to give you a good offer. If the Clippers are willing to follow up, you can also get a big contract, which will do you good in the end. ”

"Hmm... You're right, thank you. ”

"No, it's normal for players and managers to communicate with other teams, don't be ashamed of it, you know? To be honest, it's hard for me to imagine that your Clippers players are just like college students, protected by Smart so well that they don't understand the rules of the NBA. ”

"Mr. Smart... He was very nice to us. ”

"He's amazing, but everybody has their own destiny and choices. Well, without further ado, good luck, George. ”

With that, Popovich hung up the phone, and George breathed a long sigh of relief.

People's hearts are very delicate, especially when making choices, a very subtle factor may make people change their minds.

Popovich called George for several days, although he never said that the Spurs were good, the Clippers were bad, and Min Congda was bad, but he used clever words to make George's heart more and more shaken.

George feels more and more that he may not be so important in the Clippers, and his status in Min Congda's heart is definitely not as good as Curry, Harden, or even Leonard.

If that were the case, then George felt like he was leaving as if it were nothing.

And Popovich constantly seduced George to try a new path and destiny.

The temptation of the unknown is so great, and the young man's heart is slowly turning to the other side of the mountain.

Although it is very likely that you will climb over this mountain and go to the other side of the mountain, you will find that it is not as good as this.

But people just can't control themselves, they can't control their desire to climb over that mountain.

As the team continued training in the afternoon, George was a little distracted, his mind full of new contracts.

The Clippers, Spurs, Los Angeles, San Antonio, or many more options for him, there are more than one team that has thrown an olive branch to him, and everyone knows his potential and value.

Halfway through the session, the team began to play against each other, and George and Harden were placed on opposite teams again, and the two were on the court.

Harden is still talking about this, so let George hurry up and decide, don't be grinding anymore.

Feeling irritable, George went all out in the confrontation and played a high-quality offense and defense with Harden on the tip of the needle.

On a counter-attack, Harden was on a fast break with the ball, and George was chasing after him, and he didn't want Harden to score easily.

However, just as he jumped and landed on the ground, his foot was on the base of the basket - the base of the basket should not be so close to the bottom line, and then a terrifying scene happened:

The wrong landing angle caused his leg bone to withstand a huge impact, and it broke violently, becoming 90 degrees, and the bone poked out directly from under the flesh.

This sudden and terrifying picture of a broken leg made the American generals terrified, some of them were so frightened that they curled up, and some were so shocked that they couldn't speak.

Harden was even more stunned when he saw this scene, stunned, not knowing what to do, and soon he realized what was happening, he turned his head and closed his eyes and squatted on the ground, trying not to throw himself up.

George fell to the ground in pain, and he tried to get up, but his lower limbs were weak, and after seeing the condition of his calves, he closed his eyes and lay down, his head blank.

It's over, he knows he's finished, his calf is broken like a dead wood, the huge pain hasn't come immediately, it's the brain that protects him, otherwise such a serious injury would make him faint immediately.

The scene was chaotic, and paramedics immediately came to the scene, fixed George on a mobile stretcher, and immediately took him off the court and taken to the hospital for treatment.

The training was definitely not going on, so Coach K immediately canceled the match, let everyone go back to rest, and he rushed to the hospital with the members of the coaching staff to wait for George's injury to be evaluated.

At a time when the Internet was developing, such a serious and terrible injury immediately spread to the Internet as news.

Some fans were deeply sorry and shocked.

Another fan said, "George paid the price for his hesitation, he hasn't signed a contract yet, how can he continue to survive in the league in the future." ”

"He should have signed the contract earlier, and with such a serious injury, I'm afraid no one wants to sign a new big contract with him."

"Not everybody is James and has bargaining power, George's luck is so bad."

Things happen, people can comment as much as they want, and as the person concerned, George, none of this matters.

Bad luck is like that, but it often comes without warning, whether you are happy at the moment and give you a bolt from the blue, or you are already unlucky, and it is difficult to avoid it.

George was taken to the hospital, and the doctors immediately began to treat the wound, and then devised a surgical plan to reconnect George's severed leg.

George Sr. learned about it from a friend's phone call, and although he knew that his son's life would not be in danger, George Sr. was still heartbroken by such a major and terrible injury.

By the time he arrived in Las Vegas, George's surgery had been completed, and doctors had fixed the broken bone with steel nails.

Fortunately, there are no injuries to the rest of the leg except for the broken bones, and hard injuries like this can only be done by waiting for the bones to grow completely.

George gradually woke up from the anesthesia, and these few hours seemed to him like a dream, a sudden nightmare.

He wished that when he opened his eyes, he was lying in a hotel room, it turned out to be just a dream, and he took a nap at noon.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream, he saw his father, George Sr., with a worried face, and his sister standing by the bedside, her face full of tears.

George tried to speak, but he was confused, and he couldn't say anything as soon as the numbing had passed.

Old George took his son's hand and said, "I'm here Paul, dad is here, you're fine, no problem, everything will be fine." ”

George nodded lightly and said in a small voice, "I'm sorry, Dad." ”

Old George shook his head and said, "No, you didn't do anything wrong, no need to say I'm sorry." You are great, you are the pride of our family. It's just a minor setback. ”

George sighed and said, "I... I'm too headstrong, I should... Stay in Los Angeles..."

George Sr. has always agreed with George's ideas and decisions, but he is very opposed to his desire to leave the Clippers and go to another team.

Los Angeles is George's home, and every time the Clippers have a game, the family will come to support him, and if he leaves, he will stay away from his family and away from the Clippers team who have been very good to him.

An old-school person like George Sr. very much hopes that George can play with the Clippers for the rest of his life, and the three championships are in hand, and the team is willing to renew the contract, even if it is not the maximum salary, what does it matter?

But young people always have the idea of going out, and the father and son will inevitably have conflicts on this issue.

Old George touched George's head and said, "You don't have to worry, Mr. Smart called me when I came, and he said that the team will give you a five-year contract normally, exactly the same as before, and not a penny will be missing." He told you to take care of your injuries, and when you were ready, you would be free to accompany him to fishing. ”

George couldn't believe his father's words, he looked at his sister, who gave her an affirmative look.

George, who didn't shed tears when his leg was broken, couldn't bear it at the moment, and tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.

(End of chapter)