strokinit Chapter 256 The Championship Parade and the 04 Draft
Chapter 256 The Championship Parade and the 04 Draft
Chapter 256 The Championship Parade and the 04 Draft
Immediately after the Finals, the Mavericks returned to Dallas for the championship parade.
Although the owner of the Mavericks, Mark Cuban, paid a lot of attention to the players' wages, but he spent a lot of money in this championship parade.
After all, this is the Mavericks' first championship, and it must be done in a high-end and high-end manner.
On June 6, the Mavericks held a championship parade.
Due to Li Xuan's reasons, the sports channel broadcast the championship parade live, allowing domestic fans to feel the joy of winning the championship.
Despite the hot weather on the day of the parade, tens of thousands of Dallas fans took to the streets to share the joy of winning the championship with the Mavericks players who returned triumphantly from Detroit.
The parade consisted of 3 floats, 10 convertibles and 12 trucks.
Nowitzki stood on the second floor of the lead car holding the O'Brien Cup, experiencing the feeling of being a king.
In the final analysis, the boss of this team is still Dirk, and Li Xuan is just a rookie who has played in Dallas for a season.
On the parade car, Li Xuan didn't complain about the arrangement. He held up his FMVP trophy and enjoyed the cheers and shouts from the fans on both sides of the street.
He enjoyed this moment very much, the feeling of being worshiped by thousands of people was really great.
"This kind of experience can't be too many times!"
With a smile on his face, Li Xuan roared excitedly with his teammates around him.
At this moment, Nash ran to Li Xuan's side and expressed his inner thoughts.
"Li, do you think we still have the chance to see such a spectacular scene?"
"Of course!" Li Xuan replied firmly.
"My contract is about to expire, but the new contract has not been negotiated. I don't know if I can fight side by side next season." Nash expressed his concerns.
After hearing this, Li Xuan fell into deep thought.
In the original time and space, Nash was not kept by the Mavericks because of salary and ability issues, and he left Phoenix.
Now that the Mavericks have won the championship, Cuban shouldn't be so brain-dead, breaking up the championship lineup, right? !
"It should be possible. After all, we rely on strength to win the championship. As long as the main lineup remains unchanged, we have a good chance of defending the title." Li Xuan expressed his opinion.
After hearing this, the haze in Nash's heart was swept away, he smiled again, and continued to participate in the championship parade.
Not long after, Uncle Mu also came to Li Xuan's side.
Seeing this, Li Xuan was a little confused, my side job is not a psychiatrist!
"Thank you, Li, for making my dream of a championship come true. Next season, I may not appear on the NBA stage."
"I have realized my dream. I have no regrets in this league, and I can't play high-level games. It is only appropriate to retire after winning the championship."
Thank you, little guy, without you, we would not be able to easily win the championship, keep working hard, I am very optimistic about you! "
Uncle Mu explained his purpose, and gave Li Xuan a warm hug.
"Next time I will be a spectator to watch your game, come on!"
Li Xuan smiled and nodded, feeling happy for Uncle Mu.
Although Uncle Mu can still play for a few more years, he can only act as a substitute, and his playing time will be limited. It is perfect to retire after winning the championship.
After Uncle Mu left, no one came to Li Xuan for consultation on "psychological problems", and then he threw himself into the celebration again.
At the same time, Jerry Colangino, chairman of the Ugly National Basketball Association, personally visited Larry Brown, who was on vacation.
Old Brown saw the old Colangino visiting, and immediately guessed the purpose of his trip.
Due to the disastrous defeat in the previous Men's Basketball World Championships in 02, the Dream Team urgently needs to regain its world dominance in international competitions.
Colangino straightforwardly explained the purpose of his visit.
The Athens Olympic Games will start in about two months, during which there will be a series of activities such as training camps and warm-up matches.
It can be said that the time is quite tight, and it is too late if you don't hurry up.
As the most important part of the dream team, the head coach candidate must be confirmed immediately and put into work as soon as possible.
When Old Brown heard that the Dream Six team was composed of Iverson, Duncan and others, he almost had the answer in his heart.
With such a lineup, even if the head coach is O'Neill's grandma, he can win the Olympic Games.
"Jerry, I've accepted this mission. I'll definitely bring you back the champion." Larry Brown patted his chest and promised.
Seeing that the purpose of the trip was successfully achieved, Colangino smiled, chatted with Brown for a few more words, and then left quickly without further interruption.
Larry Brown looked at Colangino's leaving back and smiled.
"Smelly brat, die!"
Larry Brown wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of the Olympics to teach Li Xuan a lesson and wash away the shame of the finals.
If he can't beat that little devil with a lineup as strong as the Dream Team, then he can only retire on the spot.
But such a result is impossible to happen. The only result is that Li Xuan, that stinky brat, will suffer.
On the other side, the parade convoy came to the end of the parade, the American Airlines Center Arena.
The Mavericks deliberately held interactive activities with fans in the arena.
The players of the Mavericks stood on the podium one after another to express their reflections.
As the hero of the Mavericks' championship, Li Xuan naturally played in the finale.
When Li Xuan played, more than 2 fans in the arena chanted the slogan "MVP" and warmly welcomed Li Xuan, the hero who won the championship.
Li Xuan stood on the podium set up in the center of the court and delivered his speech.
"Thank you for coming, we cannot win the championship without your support.
This season we overcame difficulties and defeated many powerful opponents. Without the help of my teammates, I could not do it alone. This championship is the best praise for our unity. Thank you for everyone's dedication and hard work. "
After Li Xuan's speech, the championship parade basically came to an end.
……
……
After the Mavericks championship parade, Li Xuan disappeared from the sight of media reporters, and no one knew his whereabouts.
Out of human considerations, the Basketball Association did not allow Li Xuan, who had just finished the finals, to return to the team immediately, but gave him a half-month vacation to go home and spend time with his parents.
Li Xuan got together with Wade and other friends for a few days, and then set off to return to China.
He hasn't returned to Huaxia since crossing over.
When Li Xuan set foot on this familiar land, he was very excited, and there was a sense of intimacy in his heart.
"I feel comfortable when I go home, it's better to go home!"
After Li Xuan sighed, he put on a mask and walked out of the airport.
According to the address his parents gave him, Li Xuan took a taxi to the city center.
Before, Li Xuan sent back all his salary and asked his parents to buy a bigger house in the city center.
Originally, Li Xuan planned to buy a single-family villa, but the old couple are not used to living in a house that is too big, and it is about the same if it can be 200 square meters.
After returning home, Li Xuan had already thought of a countermeasure, and easily dealt with his parents' greetings.
Facing unfamiliar yet familiar parents, Li Xuan quickly accepted his role, chatting and laughing while having a reunion dinner with his parents.
Good times are always short-lived. Li Xuan was reunited with his parents at home for a few days, and then boarded a flight to the capital to join the national team training there and start his national team career.
……
……
When Li Xuan was training with his teammates from the national team, the draft came as scheduled.
On June 6, the 25 NBA Draft was held at Madison Square Garden.
According to the old rules, David Stern gave the same opening speech, and then amidst boos, he opened the envelope in his hand and announced the champion candidate.
"With the first pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected center Dwight Howard from Atlanta Christian Academy."
In front of the TV, Maddie angrily threw the wine glass in his hand to the floor.
Originally, he wanted to suppress the shock, but unexpectedly it turned into shock.
"Fuck! I don't play house with that high school student." Maddie complained angrily.
Before, McGrady asked his agent to put pressure on the Magic management.
It is recommended that the Magic trade the No. [-] pick in exchange for an All-Star player to reinforce the team, or choose Okafor for immediate combat.
With such a reliable helper, McGrady believes that he can break the curse of the first round of the playoffs and lead the team to a further step.
Now that Howard, a high school student, is chosen, the attitude of the Magic management is very clear. They chose the future and gave up the present.
After suppressing the anger in his heart, McGrady took out his mobile phone and called his agent.
"Call the management right now and apply for a trade. I don't want to stay in the Magic for a moment."
McGrady's agent, Allen Trim, heard McGrady's growl from the microphone, and knew that his employer was very angry at this time, and dissuading him had no effect, so he could only agree to McGrady's request.
Back at the draft conference, Stern announced the No. [-] candidate.
"With the second pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft, the Charlotte Bobcats selected center Emeka Okafor from the University of Connecticut!"
In front of the TV, Jordan put down his wine glass and cigar after seeing the Bobcats choose Okafor, and clapped his hands excitedly.
Since being cheated by the Wizards, Jordan has always wanted to make a comeback.
When the Bobcats joined the league, he got his wish and became a minority shareholder of the Bobcats.
Jordan also participated in this draft and gave his own opinions.
He believes in his vision of drafting candidates very much. After all, the last rookie he picked has already become the FMVP.
And with the lessons learned from the past, Kwame Brown, the champion of parallel imports, Jordan no longer believes in high school insiders.
"With Okafor's immediate combat power, I believe the Bobcats will rise soon!"
Jordan was very confident, picked up his wine glass again, smoked a cigar, and continued to watch the draft.
"With the third pick in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls selected guard from the University of Connecticut - Ben Gordon!"
Immediately afterwards, with the fourth pick, the Clippers selected Deron Williams.
Due to Li Xuan's reasons, Delong participated in the draft ahead of schedule, and his selection was not bad.
Deron took the stage to accept the Clippers hat, shook hands with Stern, but had other things in mind.
"Li, Fatty Ben is here, get ready to die!"
"Ouch!" Stern was hurt by Deron.
Only then did Deron come back to his senses, let go of Stern's hand, and apologized again and again.
"Fuck! I offended the big brother before I entered the league, will you wear shoes for me!" Delong blamed himself very much.
Stern smiled, patted Deron on the shoulder and said something to resolve the embarrassment.
"It's okay, the young man is really strong, I am optimistic about you, come on!"
After Deron responded to Stern with a smile, he walked down quickly. He didn't want to stay for another second, and was embarrassed to be able to pick out three rooms and one living room.
After this episode, the draft continued.
With the fifth overall pick, the Wizards selected Sean Livingston.
"Mok Wenwei" does not know if he can avoid injuries and fulfill his talent to become the next magician by playing in a different environment.
With the sixth pick, the Atlanta Hawks selected Devin Harris.
With the seventh overall pick, the Phoenix Suns selected Josh Childress.
With the eighth pick, the Toronto Raptors selected Andre Iguodala.
Everyone was a little puzzled by the selection of the Raptors.
The Raptors already have Carter at the third position, choose a first-round substitute? !
Could it be that the "half-human, half-god" wants to change jobs?
The general managers of other teams smelled something unusual, and called the Raptors general manager Brian Colangelo one after another, and gave their respective offers.
In the office of the general manager of the Raptors, Colangelo looked at the quotations sent by his colleagues, happy and troubled.
He had just taken over Grunwald's job and became the general manager of the Raptors when he encountered the job-hopping of the head star.
Colangelo glanced at the price tag given by Mavericks owner Cuban, but did not raise interest.
"I want to exchange Vince for only one Steve, and it's not too bad to add Lee."
Colangelo inadvertently complained, and a flash of light flashed in his mind.
"If you bring the two together, there must be something wrong."
Colangelo held back the excitement in his heart, pulled out Cuban's phone and called to see if he could succeed.
At the same time, Phoenix formed a powerful lobbying team and went to Dallas to poach corners.
Back at the draft conference, Stern was already announcing the tenth pick.
With the tenth pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Luke Jackson.
Apart from some shooting ability, this white small forward is useless. It is simply a parallel import touted by those unscrupulous experts.
For such a mysterious operation of the Cavaliers, people can't imagine.
It is impossible for the Cavaliers to send James away!
Even if the general manager of the Cavaliers has a brain twitch, such a result will not occur.
Cleveland finally waited for their emperor, how could they pack it up and send it away.
The draft continued, with the No.11 pick, the Golden State Warriors selected Biedrins.
With the No.12 pick, the Seattle SuperSonics selected Robert Swift.
With the No.13 pick, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Sebastian Telfair, a talented point guard who is as famous as James High School.
Li Xuan has no impression of this person, it should be water, and he failed to fulfill his talent.
The subsequent draft picks were basically the same as Li Xuan remembered, without any changes.
With the No.18 pick, the New Orleans Hornets selected the nerve knife JR-Smith.
The Mavericks selected Ariza with the No.14 pick in the second round.
With the No.30 pick in the second round, the San Antonio Spurs selected Sergey Karalov.
The Spurs management wanted to pick up the leak but failed to do so.
So far, the draft has basically come to an end, and Li Xuan's new journey is about to begin.
(End of this chapter)