The rest is just noise

Chapter 870 Birds and orangutans who share the same disease

June 24, 1992

draft day

While the world is focusing on the training camp of the Dream Team and the College All-Star Team, it is also paying attention to the NBA Draft.

Fortunately, the timing of these two events does not conflict.

Neither the NBA nor USA Basketball would be stupid enough to let two very gimmick things come together.

Before the draft began, a seismic trade was first announced.

After eight years of inactivity, Earl Monroe finally made the biggest move of his general manager career.

Of course, this is also a matter of both sides getting what they want.

The Clippers sent the fifth pick of the first round, Rick Schmitz and an unprotected first-round pick in 1993 to Houston in exchange for Hakeem Olajuwon, who had been tortured by the Rockets for many years.

During last season, Olajuwon almost left the Rockets.

It was just that no team could provide a suitable offer, so he chose to stay.

This summer, Olajuwon only has one year left on his contract, and he has made it clear that he will not renew his contract with the Rockets when the contract expires. Therefore, when the Rockets are unable to meet Olajuwon's vision of building a championship team, they changed

Returns that maximize profits.

A quasi-All-Star center, a No. 5 pick in the first year of the draft, and a first-round pick that has a high probability of turning into a lottery pick.

This is the price of a one-year right to use an offensive and defensive super center.

No team can follow up.

After learning that he had been traded, Olajuwon asked a local TV station to film a 10-minute short film titled "Am I being traded? I'm so sad, look how sad I am laughing." to review his eight years in Houston.

.

Clippers general manager Earl Monroe said proudly: "We are confident in keeping Hakeem in Los Angeles, and we also have the ability to build a championship team around Hakeem. My boss, Mr. Donald Sterling, hopes

Send a message to the world through me - we are ready to spend money!"

It sounds a bit funny.

Sterling, the stingiest owner in the history of professional basketball, wants to spend money?

Sterling is not trustworthy, but the combination of Olajuwon and Mutombo is a rare twin tower with both offense and defense in the merger era.

Mutombo himself has the status of DPOY, and Olajuwon is one of only four superstars in the league who can play both offense and defense. These two alone are enough to bring the Clippers into the playoffs.

NBC analyst Doug Collins said: "There are signs that a lot of big trades will happen this summer. Some teams that have lost their competitiveness have already targeted next year's draft, and players like Clyde Drexler

The destination of this kind of player is worth looking forward to."

This year's draft is different from previous years.

This is the first time since the 1980s that the NBA has arranged the draft outside of New York - Portland.

Blazers fans are happy about this.

In particular, David Stern emphasized in his opening speech: "Portland has a glorious sports history, and the Trail Blazers were the Western Conference champions last season."

"Now, the 27 teams participating in this year's draft have all understood the relevant procedures of the draft. Orlando, which holds the No. 1 pick in this year's first round, will make their choice within 5 minutes."

NBC commentator Bob Neal, who broadcast the draft nationally, said half-jokingly: "I would be shocked if the first guy picked wasn't Shaquille."

"I would be very shocked." Hubie Brown said something that made Boston people uncomfortable. "This will be the most confusing choice since the Billy Owens battle."

Doug Collins was much more direct: "I think the negative impact of this will be far greater than the Billy Owens trade."

The representatives in Orlando looked nervous, as if they were making a difficult decision.

When Louis in front of the TV saw this scene, he almost spit out the Coke in his mouth.

"What are they struggling with?"

"Is there anyone who would really be torn between O'Neal and Mourning?"

Five minutes later, the answer was revealed.

Even Stern temporarily gave up his habit of setting up suspense and read out normally: "In the 1992 draft, the Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana with the first overall pick.

State University."

The crowd cheered unanimously.

O'Neal stood up, walked onto the stage and hugged the president. In an interview, he expressed that he didn't care about Wright being included in the Dream Team.

Louis almost forgot that he didn't recognize the Dream Team as the best team in history because he didn't have him.

Several members of the NBC commentary box began the annual performance.

"The undoubted choice." Neal exaggeratedly said, "Even if the best players in every draft in the past 20 years were put into this draft, Shaquille would still be the No. 1 pick."

Hubie Brown pretentiously commented: "His willingness to defend may be an issue, but his destructive power on the offensive end is unparalleled. Once he gets the ball in the low post, it's all over. Orlando's top priority is to get the ball."

He found a good lobster."

Doug Collins' comments were more serious than Brown's: "Don't be misled by his physical fitness and athletic ability. He has good inside skills, and his near-basket hook with his back is unique. Considering his size and

The agility, you can think of him as a seven-foot-one Charles Barkley."

In front of the TV, Louis looked at Ewing gloatingly.

"You will die at his hands next season," Louis said.

Ewing has been in the alliance for seven years and considers himself to be no weaker than anyone except the Three Bodhisattvas (Sampson).

That's it?

Even if you only look at O'Neal's college highlights, there is no doubt about his ability.

Ewing knew that O'Neal had two blows, but in front of Louis, let alone two blows, even if he had four, six, or eight blows, unlike Sampson, who would beat him to amnesia when he met him year after year, don't even think about it.

Let him put himself at a disadvantage.

In Louis' room, in addition to Ewing, there were Sampson, Bird and Zhao Yuanzheng.

This is a strange combination. The two giants of Green Kai and Ewing should not be able to pee in the same pot, but the strange thing is that they became friends.

Seeing Louis making fun of Ewing like this, Bird naturally remembered how Louis provoked him when he was still in Boston.

"You bastard is such a dog that you can't stop eating shit!" Bird decisively stood on the same side as Ewing.

"That's right!" Ewing suddenly discovered that two people with the same disease can really transcend the color barrier and become confidants. "If you say I'm not as good as him before we even fight, are you still my coach?"

Louis suppressed a smile and said: "Don't tease me. You are not as good as this shark. It needs to be tested in actual combat. It's obvious that you are not, right, Ralph?"

Sampson and Ewing's friendship was a strange one.

In terms of interests and hobbies, the two of them have nothing in common, but Ewing wanted to make friends with him because Sampson was the only center who beat him until he lost his temper.

Since they are friends, Sampson must speak carefully.

"I think O'Neal has a bigger advantage under the basket, but outside the paint, Patrick has a clear advantage." Sampson said fairly.

"That's hilarious!" Louis joked, "Did you hear that, Patrick? You're a seven-foot-tall center as strong as King Kong, and you're forced to shoot from the outside by this rookie with no feathers. How dare you?

Do you think you are better than him?"

Bird once thought, if Louis had not left, could the Celtics have dominated from 1984 to 1992?

Now, he has no illusions.

Let alone whether the Green Army can dominate today, he is not sure whether he can endure Louis for so many years.

"I understand you, really." Bird looked at Ewing with pity.

Ewing was so angry at Louis that his face turned blue and purple. He secretly wrote down O'Neal's name and the team that selected him - the Magic, right? He's better than me, right? I'm not going to treat this little kid in the regular season.

Even if the shit comes out, that bitch Louis is right!

After the second pick, the representative of the Philadelphia 76ers looked relaxed.

They easily selected Ewing's junior Alonzo Mourning.

Some people from NBC started to brag about it, and Ewing even stood up for his junior: "I think ZO is the real No. 1 pick. He is much better than O'Neal!"

"Come on, all the big men from Georgetown are in the same shape. Just look at what you were like back then and you will know what he is like." Louis patted Sampson, "Just this kind of thing, Ralph can use a

You can crush it with just one hand."

Ewing was about to retort, but thought about Sampson hitting him for fun.

"I admit that he is not Ralph's opponent, but what I am comparing is O'Neal. Do you dare to say that O'Neal is better than him?" Ewing gradually lost his rationality.

"Bet I don't drink Coke for a year." Louis said shockingly, "He is no match for the shark."

Ewing, Bird, and Sampson all knew what a year without Coke meant to Louis: "Are you serious?"

Bird asked curiously: "What do you want to bet on?"

"Patrick, if I lose, I will not drink Coke for a year. If I win." Louis smiled sinisterly, "You are not allowed to accept special services provided by nightclubs, bars, and underground clubs for a year."

"Unfair!" Ewing said plausibly, "Drinking Coke is just a hobby. It's my physiological need. Can it be the same? You can go without chicken for a year, but can you go to the bathroom for three days?"

Is anyone not shocked by Ewing's high and low IQ?

Look at this ability of sophistry, why can't it be done in front of reporters? A heavy blow to the inside, right?

"Don't you know what Coke means to me?" Louis looked at Ewing with disappointment.

"He didn't forbid you from finding a girlfriend. If you lose, you can find a stable girlfriend to satisfy your physical needs, which will also make your life more stable." Bird said with a bad smile, "But if this bastard doesn't drink for a year

Coke. No, within three days at most, he would jump off the building."

"Redneck, whose side are you on?"

"QNMD! You don't think I'm on your side, do you?"