One Guard

The drifting heavy rain is washing the streets of Salt Lake City, making the whole city very empty, and there are no people in it. [full text reading]

Due to its proximity to Salt Lake, the city experiences the Great Lakes Effect 6-8 times a year. In addition to the large amount of snowfall, the storm is also one of the "masterpieces" of the Great Lakes Effect.

Under the attack of the storm, few people are willing to go out for a walk. But at this moment, an old man was standing there holding a black umbrella. Although his windbreaker was mostly wet, the old man still had no intention of leaving.

The old man holding a black umbrella lowered his head, and in front of him was a tombstone in the shape of a cross. This tombstone seems to be the same as those around it, but the people buried under the tombstone are extraordinary to the white-haired old man.

The old man took out a white rose from the inner bag of the windbreaker, bent down with difficulty, and gently placed the rose in front of the tombstone. As they get older, the elderly also seem to experience the degeneration of their own bodies.

"I'm old too, man, I'm old too... I think it's time for me to say goodbye to the basketball world. You know, the exciting place like the basketball court may really no longer belong to me This is an old man." The old man said to himself to the tombstone, as if he was chatting with his old friend.

"The team is in good shape this season. We just won a seven-game winning streak. Although we lost Carlos, Millsap and Al have filled the gap left by his departure very well. But... Deron doesn't seem to have a good time with me, and your son Greg, who doesn't love basketball as much as you do. I'm getting less and less support from the front office, and I feel like, I'm about to leave, buddy. I think I may not have much time left to command the team for you." The old man coughed twice as he said. In Salt Lake City in December, the temperature is not as comfortable and pleasant as in Dallas.

"Okay, stop making a fuss, I just want to see you today and have a chat with you. Hey, do you remember the young man I told you about last time? Gordon Hayward, he is a good Dude, very talented and hard working. Even if I'm not in Salt Lake City, you can count on him to get the Jazz back on track. Okay, it's getting late, I should go back and watch the boys practice .Tomorrow's game against the Dallas Mavericks, I hope you can bring us good luck." After the old man finished speaking, he stared at the words on the tombstone for a few minutes. Then he sighed, turned and left silently.

If it weren't for him lying in the cemetery, the old man might have chosen to retire. But he just couldn't let go of the Jagged Jazz that he and that person had created. After all, this team has spent more than 20 years of hard work.

Jerry Sloan and Larry Miller, two guys who love basketball extremely, made the Jazz in Salt Lake City a powerful force to be reckoned with in the league.

The Houston Rockets, which Chinese fans love so much,

He was rejected by the Jazz several times and was unable to break through the second round of the playoffs.

Larry Miller is a team owner who loves basketball extremely. For the sake of the team's performance, he can unconditionally support Sloan, and Sloan also has great rights. Even the team's personnel changes, the general manager of the team has to listen to Sloan's orders.

But that all changed when Miller Sr. died of diabetes in 2009 and his son Greg Miller took over.

Sloan no longer had the rights because Greg's love was football, basketball was no love for him, it was just business. Because of this, Greg didn't value old Sloan as much as his father did. The team management will no longer listen to Sloan's voice. The old man is now just a head coach, nothing more.

As such, Sloan has not had a good time with the team in the past two years. After all, in the past so many years, the Jazz besides the old Miller counted him Jerry Sloan as the biggest. And now, even Delong dared to make eye contact with him. This huge sense of gap naturally made the hot-tempered Sloan very uncomfortable.

These various reasons, coupled with his own physical discomfort, made Old Sloan plan to quit. He is undecided in his mind, on the one hand, the worsening working environment, on the other hand, is the iron-blooded teacher created with painstaking efforts by himself and his old friend Miller. It was this indecision that made Sloan come to chat with Old Miller early in the morning.

Although it was a chat, the deceased could not give Sloan an answer. All decisions are in the old man's heart.

Although he is struggling in his heart, as long as he is still sitting in the position of head coach, Sloan will do his best for this team.

He was still the second to arrive at the team's regular training this morning. Because Gordon Hayward was always ahead of everyone.

"Good morning, Coach!" Seeing Sloan stepping into the training ground, the childish Hayward greeted the gloomy old man.

"How is the practice Gordon?" Sloan did not return to the office, but stood on the sidelines and chatted with Hayward.

"Hey, not bad." The white forward scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Continue to practice Gordon, don't stop before the official training begins." Sloan is not a coach who likes to use rookies, which can be judged from Hayward's average playing time of 13 minutes per game. So after a brief chat with Hayward, he planned to turn around and leave.

But today, as Sloan was about to walk to his office, Hayward stopped him from behind.

"Boss!" Hayward's voice echoed in the empty training ground.

"Is there a problem Gordon?" Sloan turned slowly.

"I...I recently..." Hayward knows that Sloan is a very fierce and strict coach, and after spending so much time with this old man, he also knows that Sloan is not a good-tempered person. elder. So, the white striker hesitated a bit when he spoke.

"If you go on like this, I'm leaving." In fact, Sloan had already guessed what Hayward wanted to say. Tomorrow, their opponent was the Dallas Mavericks. Apart from the German, the most topical player of the Dallas Mavericks now is Hayward's college teammate Yiyang.

When you meet your former teammates in the NBA, everyone wants to achieve a good result. And good results, you need more playing time support. Hayward's playing time like soy sauce every game is naturally unable to support his performance.

"I feel that I have been in good form recently, and I will meet my teammates in college in the next game. So... so I hope you can give me more playing time, sir." Hayward bit the bullet If you speak your mind, the big deal is to be scolded by the old man for a while.

Sloan wanted to rebuff, and then use his roar to let the young man know who is in charge of playing time. But suddenly, Sloan swallowed his tantrums. "Okay, if you performed well in today's team training, I will increase your playing time tomorrow."

"Ah!?" Even Hayward himself didn't expect things to go so smoothly.

"Little devil, you'd better be smart. I don't want to fulfill your wishes. I just want to win. Players in better condition deserve a chance to play." After Sloan finished speaking, he turned around and left, Go to the office.

Why did he suddenly change his mind? Because even a stubborn old man like Sloan had to admit it. It's time for a change of dynasty in the NBA league. The era that belonged to him and the Jagged Jazz has passed, let the young people make their mark in this league...

※※※

December 3rd, Salt Lake City Energy Solutions Arena. Outside the arena today, fans lined up in a long queue, and they all shouted crazily in front of the cameras of the photographers. Every night when there is a home game, it is a passionate carnival for this group of fans.

Seven consecutive victories, 15 wins and 5 losses. The Jazz's record this season is as good as those of the top teams in the West. Today at home, even in the face of the Mavericks, a formidable opponent who is making great strides, the Jazz are looking forward to continuing their winning streak.

For a team that has won as many as seven games in a row, no opponent will scare them. In Salt Lake City, no one makes it easy.

Yiyang walked into the player tunnel, still carrying his and Terry's bags. When he followed his teammates and was about to enter the visiting team's locker room, a guy who had been leaning against the wall and waiting for a long time made Yiyang tremble with excitement.

"Crack!" The two bags fell to the ground at the same time, Yiyang opened his arms and walked towards the white striker.

"Gordon!" Yi Yang might never have imagined that when he saw Hayward again, he would become so excited.

College, bulldogs, winning streaks, championships, sense of belonging...these things, no matter how long it takes, are fond memories that will never go away in Yiyang's mind. And these good memories were created together by the white guy in front of him.

"Haha, welcome to Salt Lake City, man!" Hayward yelled, and the two embraced tightly.

"Have you seen the situation outside? Those guys are all here to see us win." Hayward was talking about the dense crowd of fans.

"Then I'm afraid your fans will be disappointed!" Yi Yang was not to be outdone.

"Hey, the coach said today that he will increase my playing time. At that time, I will not show mercy to you!"

"Just let it go, Butler's number one scorer!"

Hayward looked at his watch with a smile, but the smile suddenly froze. "I have to go back, or the coach will lose his temper again."

After speaking, Hayward turned and left. But after taking two steps, he suddenly stopped again.

"as well as."

"Um?"

"Come on."

"Um."

Hayward's back disappeared into the corner of the player tunnel. From that moment on, Yiyang knew that the Mavericks were about to face a troublesome opponent today.

Let's keep fighting on the basketball court, man!