My Name is Kobe Bryant

Chapter 871 New Legend

"Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers for winning the No. 1 pick in 2003!" Stern said with a smile, while Gilbert, the owner of the Cavaliers, also smiled and held the cold envelope.

Won the draw!

The chosen one!

Glory to Cleveland!

The number one high school student in the United States!

Draft template Magic Johnson + Dr. J Irving!

The best rookie after Kobe!

It's mine!

From today!

Cleveland is no longer the backwater that everyone looks down upon.

We will create a dynasty!

A legendary era!

"Dad, we need to elect a new general manager and head coach as soon as possible." Jimmy Buss looked excited.

"We need to prepare in advance for the draft and new season's transactions!"

"In this year's playoffs, the team closest to the Spurs is the Lakers, not the Celtics! We are only one step away from the championship!"

finally!

He finally survived until the two old guys retired.

Finally, Bass didn't have much energy to control the team anymore.

With the current Lakers, no one can stop him from controlling this team.

Jimmy Buss is no longer young, he is in his 40s.

Under West, he worked as a scout and an assistant. He has waited too long and he can't wait to take over this team!

"Hey, Jimmy. We need to find the right person, not rush it." Jenny Bass snorted.

How could she not know what Jimmy was thinking?

Jenny has always looked down upon her younger brother.

If the Lakers end up handing over to this prodigal playboy, I'm afraid things will be bad in the future.

But the old Buss still prefers to pass his team on to his son, which also makes Jenny Buss very dissatisfied.

"Jenny! You should get a boyfriend! Instead of worrying about the team!" Jimmy Buss yelled at his sister.

"Jimmy! How dare you talk to your sister like this!" Jenny Bass frowned coldly.

Old Bass raised his hands and rubbed his temples.

He is aware of the overt and covert struggles between his children.

And when the two great gods West and Harris left, this contradiction reached its peak.

"Old man, you really left me with a complicated problem." Old Bass was used to discussing problems with West Harris, but now, he no longer had anyone to discuss with.

The team will eventually be passed on to his son in the future. Bass narrowed his eyes.

"Jimmy, do you have the right guy?"

"Yes! Dad! I recommend a general manager-Jerry Krause!"

Krause, the former Bulls general manager?

Old Bass didn't know when his son had a relationship with this extremely smart Jew.

The Bulls have been in slump since Jordan left, and Krause was also used as a scapegoat to get out of the team.

I have to say that Klaus is capable. But the problem of getting along with the players made Bass hesitate.

"Dad, West's assistant Mr. Kupchak is more suitable for our team!" Jenny Buss argued.

Kupchak was a member of SHOWTIME as a player and has won many championships with Magic.

After retiring in 1986, he became Jerry West's assistant general manager.

He has also been running for the Lakers over the years. He knows the Lakers team better, and he is also more familiar with the members of the Lakers.

Buss Sr. was originally prepared to listen to his son's idea, but obviously Kupchak's option was more suitable.

"You guys go down first and let me think about it."

Bass waited for his children to leave, sat quietly for a while, and then called West and Kobe.

Kobe also had a headache when he received the call from Bass.

honestly.

Kupchak is a guy who only stacks up big-name stars and does not consider the combination of the lineup at all.

If he trades the Lakers' role players for a few old All-Stars, Kobe will have a headache.

Klaus is even more impossible.

That Jew is so power hungry! He will work with Jimmy Buss to make the Lakers a mess, and this team will not be pure.

An impure team has no way to create miracles and defeat the strong with the weak.

The Lakers' current paper lineup cannot withstand Krause's efforts.

"So what do you think?" Hearing Kobe's opinion, Old Buss had an even more headache.

"BOSS, MAGIC has been a bit idle recently"

Old Bass's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Then you have to help me persuade MAGIC."

"I will."

What the Lakers need is not just a general manager with strong abilities and strong connections.

All Kobe wants is a general manager who loves basketball, has no desire for power, and can focus on working with him.

Magic may not be a professional general manager. He likes to have fun. He is often late and skips work.

But for Kobe, he is the most suitable candidate.

On June 18, 2003, Magic Johnson joined the Lakers as general manager.

Uproar!

Lakers fans are excited!

Their former leader, Magic returns to the Lakers!

Although Magic's last experience as a coach with the Lakers was not a good one.

But everyone believes that Magic and Kobe can create greater glory!

"Kobe! We can work together!" The magician was excited!

It just so happened that he was a little tired of the business affairs of Mamba Sports.

The Magician is such a person, he always pursues novelty, and nothing can limit him to one place for a long time.

Back to the Lakers!

He is full of desire for the championship again!

Of course, Buss took a step back and invited Kupchak and Krause to serve as assistant general managers.

Kupchak chose to accept it.

Klaus refused.

"MAGIC, welcome back!" Kobe also let out a sigh of relief.

It's amazing. If Buss lets Kupchak and Krause serve as general managers, it will not be easy for the Lakers to turn around in the next few years.

Maybe this team, which already has the prototype of a dynasty, will be destroyed.

Magic and Kobe are both pure basketball people.

They, like West Harris, will not get involved in the team's politics.

What they want is simple, a championship!

"Now, let's discuss the candidate for the head coach." Magic said excitedly, "How about I come directly?"

In Magic's fantasy, he single-handedly takes on the role of general manager and head coach, and then leads the Lakers to create a dynasty again.

So pretty! So pretty!

"NO." Kobe instantly rejected Magic's decision.

"Okay, let's send out some invitations first." Looking at Kobe's serious look, the magician shrugged.

The Lakers' head coaching position may attract the prying eyes of the world's top coaches!

That was an opportunity to coach Kobe Bryant, the best player in history!

That is an opportunity to create a dynasty again!

That's an opportunity to coach a super-rich team second only to the Celtics in terms of the number of championships in history!

Magic believes that once the recruitment of coaches is made public, many legendary coaches in the league may not be able to sit still!

"Should I respond to Magic's invitation?" Charlotte Hornets, Phil Jackson was extremely confused.

His four-year contract with the Hornets just expired this year.

Michael Jordan has offered him a contract extension, but to be honest, Jackson doesn't really want to stay with this team.

After all, Charlotte, North Carolina, is really not a good city in the United States.

Whether it's wealth or living environment, this place is far different from those big cities in the United States.

And from a basketball perspective, after Jordan retired, this Hornets, although they still have the league's strongest small forward Grant Hill, have gradually left the first echelon of championship teams.

The team is aging seriously, and the next record may only be worse than the previous year.

What Phil Jackson wants is a championship and the honor of being the strongest coach in history.

Charlotte had nothing to offer him.

This summer, the Knicks, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Grizzlies all extended invitations to him.

The most likely to win the championship are undoubtedly the Lakers and Grizzlies. In the eyes of Zen Master, these two teams are the top giants that are only one step away from competing for the championship.

All the team lacks is the finishing touch.

But Zen Master felt a little awkward when he thought about coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been his rivals for many years.

But he really wanted to coach Kobe and live in the comfortable city of Los Angeles. This made the Zen master very confused.

Another point is that the role of head coach of the Lakers is obviously subject to competition.

If things go by and the Lakers don't take a fancy to him, it will undoubtedly be a shame for the Zen master.

"Forget it, let's go to the Grizzlies."

After comprehensive consideration, Jackson gave up the opportunity to coach the Los Angeles Lakers and went to Vancouver to coach Canada's glory-demigod.

The Lakers' head coach candidate has attracted the attention of many first-line coaches in the league and NCAA coaches.

But Kobe and Magic have yet to find a suitable candidate.

"Is Larry Brown really not good?" Magic asked Kobe. The Pistons had the second-worst record in the league this season, and Larry Brown was kicked out.

"There's no point in being purely defensive."

"Then pair him with D'Antoni as an assistant coach."

"No, I cannot accept the team's coach being willful."

"You just want to take full control of this team!"

"It's okay if you say that."

Kobe suddenly found a candidate.

Rick Clare!

In this life, Carlisle joined the Trail Blazers assistant coaching staff in 1994 and became Carlesimo's right-hand man, working there for 7 seasons.

Claire joined the Nets in 2000 and this year took the Nets, whose lineup was not outstanding, into the playoffs consecutively.

"This young man doesn't have a good resume at all. Is he good at offense or defense?"

"Get him D'Antoni and Thibodeau."

"???" The magician slapped his forehead. He felt that he could be such a coach.

Isn't this a mascot?

"No, Old Buss will not agree to the star-studded Lakers being led by such a young man."

Kobe thought for a moment, and it was indeed true.

The coach of the Lakers is either a star of his own team or a coach who has been famous for a long time.

For a young man to be elected as the coach, Old Buss would not agree to it even if he favored himself and Magic.

"The most suitable NBA coaches are George Karl and Larry Brown. That guy Phil rejected our invitation."

"In addition to the NBA, maybe we can also consider famous coaches from the NCAA."

"Coach K Krzyzewski also rejected our invitation."

"Then there won't be many others useful."

Magic and Kobe looked at each other helplessly.

It seems that it is really difficult to find a suitable replacement for the role of Lakers head coach.

It is necessary not only to not have too much say in the team, but also to have sufficient experience.

These two points seem to be somewhat self-contradictory.

"Otherwise, let D'Antoni be the head coach and get him some good assistant coaches."

"That's all it can do."

Finally, after discussions with Kobe, the Magic announced that team assistant coach Mike D'Antoni would be the team's head coach.

And Byron Scott, Tom Thibodeau, Brian Shaw, Dwayne Casey, and Patrick Ewing became the team's assistant coaching staff.

Kobe is very satisfied with this coaching staff.

Not to mention D'Antoni, he won the best coach twice in his previous life.

Byron Scott, Thibodeau, and Casey have all won the best coach.

Brian Shaw and Patrick Ewing, two assistant coaches who have been transferred from players, can also ensure communication between the coaching staff and the players.

"Okay, now we need to discuss this year's draft policy." Magic quickly summoned the coaching staff to attend the meeting.

The coaches were not surprised to see Kobe, the only player attending the meeting.

What's weird? They're all acquaintances. Who doesn't know how much say Kobe has in this team?

In particular, the general manager became Magic Johnson, the majority shareholder of Mamba Sports.

I understand everything.

"We have the Pistons' No. 2 pick! The No. 25 pick in the first round! And the No. 5 pick in the second round!" said Byron Scott, who spent a lot of money to get this pick from the Pistons, which also became Larry Brown The direct trigger for the end of get out of class.

"You must make good use of the No. 2 pick! In the subsequent picks, if you can't select a very good player at the position, is it necessary to trade up? Or it will be exchanged for some immediate combat power." Dwayne Casey was originally an assistant with the Sonics Coach, but was poached by Magic and Kobe.

"Who said you can't pick a good player with No. 25?" Kobe smiled slightly.

On June 25, 2003, in Madison Square Garden, New York, countless young people in suits and ties sat uneasily on the sidelines.

At this time of year, many people's lives will change from this moment on.

The draft is a turning point in life!

The favored man of heaven will become the new owner of each team.

Many talented players who were once in college will also disappear from the public.

This is the NBA!

The best basketball players in the world are gathered here!

Maybe you can do everything in your league.

But so does every player here!

"LeBron, you look great." James' mother straightened his tie.

"LeBron, are you ready? Your legendary career will begin from this moment." Pelinka smiled.