Chapter 256: inherited

The summer days pass very quickly, the players are training for training, and the holidays are on vacation. ≯一≥Novel≦＜≦﹤≤﹤≤﹤≤≦≦≦﹤﹤≦﹤＜≤Fans can see their favorite stars all over the United States, and some young fans are busy participating in training camps organized by the stars.
The major media have entered a long period of grass. They can only report on the signing actions of each team, argue about the historical status of the players, review the retired stars and the past history, and then follow up and report on the stars. Gossip, boring like sardines washed up on the beach and killed by the sun.
Of course, there are still some events worthy of attention throughout nBa. After the opening of the free market in July, all teams fished in the free market to expand their team's strength. In August, free agents signed contracts successfully, and there were fewer and fewer fish in the free market.
In the West, in addition to the Lakers taking down Malone and Payton, and the Spurs to supplement Nesterovic and Robert Holly, the king of the strong team, who has lost ground for two consecutive years, also completed an excellent deal. In a three-way trade, the Pacers' center Brad Miller, who is proficient in passing and has a tough style, brought a different kind of vitality to the Kings.
The most not to be underestimated is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Although Garnett’s trade cost them a lot, it also brings more room for manipulation. After the trade with Kassel, they got it through a complex four-party trade. Sprewell, the Timberwolves troika took shape for a time, which made the already fierce competition in the West even more cruel.
In contrast, the Eastern Conference team is also busy strengthening the lineup. In addition to the Nets signing Mourning, the Detroit Pistons won Campbell to further strengthen their insides, and the dormant Miami Heat got all-around in the free market. Star Lamar Odom, Riley is slowly building a new Miami Army.
However, all these actions seem to be of little significance under the expansion of the Boston Celtics Green Corps, because the two signings in August made the Boston Ironclad reach the peak of the Eastern Conference's book strength.
On August 7, after three days of negotiations, Angie announced that they had reached an agreement with former Jazz defender Lagabere. They will sign the tough and outstanding backcourt player with a biennial exception. Coupled with the previous relationship with Leon and Ralph Alston, who won with a basic salary, the Celtics defender's problem has basically been solved.
The only thing Angie regrets is that Steve Kerr insists on retiring, otherwise the Celtics' backcourt will be more stable with Kerr.
By mid-August, the Celtics, whose total salary had passed the luxury tax line, did not stop their actions, and they still had a full middle class in their hands that was not used. The three bosses of the team have all talked. In order to get Boston to win the championship next season, they are willing to pay a lot of luxury tax.
With the boss’s commitment on expenses, Angie continued to hunt in the free market and finally won the team’s last puzzle at the end of August. It is also a very important addition to the front line-a free agent from the Houston Rockets, James Po In the West, Angie snatched him from the Memphis Grizzlies with a three-year full middle class contract. Although the Grizzlies gave a higher salary and years, the Boston championship may have attracted him.
At this point, the Celtics’ 15-man roster is complete, center pJ-Brown, Dalem Porter, Wang Zhizhi, power forward Garnett, Anderson, Dior, small forward Pierce, Posey, Daniels, shooting guard Reid, Bell, Ciri, point guard Arenas, Alstom and Strickland, the total salary reached 68.35 million US dollars, and the luxury tax line was 20 million US dollars, which means that they will have to pay nearly 90 million for salary next season. Ten thousand U.S. dollars.
However, each position has a player, a qualified substitute, and a potential or experienced backup. For a time, the Celtics have an unprecedentedly strong lineup. Although the luxury of the lineup cannot be compared with the Lakers, their structure is reasonable and the depth of the lineup is unparalleled in the world.
It can be said that Danny Angie worked hard to shape this team and took classes in Los Angeles at Leon, then returned to Boston and ran to Marshfield for training camp, running around by himself, and chatting with this famous lodge for a while. When looking for this veteran to play cards, Anji met with an unknown number of brokers back and forth on the plane, and did not know how many batteries the cell phone would consume every day.
When Angie received a call from Posey's agent and determined that he would choose the Celtics, his heart finally settled down. He called Leon that night and told him with a showy nature that through his unremitting efforts for more than a month, the Celtics have been formed into an extremely powerful army, and whether he can win the championship next season depends on him. Of it.
Leon certainly wouldn't give him a chance to be proud, saying "If there weren't that deal in the draft, everything after that would have no life or meaning," he blocked Angie back.
Du go back and go back, but Angie is right in one thing, he did build an extremely powerful Boston army. Although Posey and Bale are not particularly well-known players, Leon, who is familiar with everyone in the league, knows that these two guys are young and capable and have great potential.
For such a team, if Leon can't lead them to win the championship, it will be a failure for him and there is no room for return. He can reach the finals this year and lose to the Spurs in the end. Even if they won the championship this year, even if they won the championship this year, if the process is not satisfactory and it will be extremely difficult to win, it is estimated that it will be called the victory but the shame. Up.
Therefore, an unprecedented pressure came to Leon's shoulders. This is the pressure that coaches of all levels of the team have faced. Winning, of course, losing, is all the same.
And right now, it’s mid-August. The Celtics’ number one player just traded this year, Kevin Garnett, has not yet set his uniform number.
There is no doubt that Andy Miller is a stubborn and disgusting guy. In fact, Garnett’s attitude has long been loosened. He is going to pick the No. 5 jersey that Bill Walton has used. It is neither the Celtics’ retirement number. , Has also been used by a superstar similar to himself, which is really a good choice.
But Andy Miller didn't know what was wrong in his mind, insisting that Qingshan would not relax, so he wanted Garnett to wear size 21. Leon understands his mind. He knows that the star’s jersey number is also a symbol, with great commercial value and historical significance. The 21st has followed Garnett for eight years and has become a symbol of Garnett, from a businessman From the perspective of consideration, he does not want to change this logo.
So the matter dragged on. The Celtics did not contact Bill Sharman, and Garnett did not let go. With the media’s incitement, if Kobe hadn’t come out to block a shot, the season hadn’t At first, Garnett and the Celtics will give the impression that they are incompatible and conflicted.
In the end, the solution of this problem fell on Leon's shoulders. He went to Redondo to visit Bill Sharman after Geergurich's training, and then returned to Boston. In the middle of the day, the Celtics lineup was settled, and he went to Garnett's hometown of South Carolina.
After signing the contract, Garnett did not stay longer in Boston. His problems, including the jersey number, were handed over to Miller. Now Leon wants to find Garnett and solve this problem with him in person.
This was a real meeting between the two after the big deal was completed. In Garnett's mansion in his hometown, the atmosphere was a bit embarrassing. After all, to Leon, Garnett is like a wolf that has been hunted by him for a long time in the forest. After a long period of trapping, tracking and setting up traps, Leon, a cunning hunter, finally captured the wolf. For your own use.
This kind of relationship between prey and hunter is naturally embarrassing.
However, Leon subsequently proposed to take Garnett back to Boston. He said he would take Garnett to Boston to pick his jersey.
So, the two took Garnett’s private jet from South Carolina and flew to Boston for one night, and then Leon drove Garnett on a tour of Boston. They passed the Trinity Church, the Boston Library, the North End Harbor, the Fine Arts Plaza, and the Charles River, all the way north to the old Boston Garden, which symbolizes the glory and history of the Boston Celtics-the former site of the Boston Railway Station.
The arena had been demolished four years ago and it was ready for commercial use. Leon stopped his car and looked at it, telling Garnett about the dark period that the Celtics began after 87 years.
Along the way, Leon is like a historian, like Garnett, recounting the rise and fall of the nBa's biggest giant, how they dominated one party, how long lasting, and how they fell to the abyss of darkness. Garnett was fascinated by it. He is a basketball superstar, but he is not a basketball historian. He knows that the Celtics are great, but he doesn't know that there are so many stories and so many characters behind it.
Finally, Leon took him to the current Celtic home stadium North Shore Garden~EbookFREE.me~ He easily took Garnett into the arena. Today, it happened to be free and there were no other activities in the hall. Maintenance and finishing.
Coming to the venue hill, standing on the parquet floor, Leon asked Garnett to look up, the 16 high-hanging championship flags, 21 retired numbers, and 2 special retired jerseys.
Leon took out a letter from his pocket, handed it to Garnett, and said, "This is a letter from Sharman to you. He told me that if you can become a real Celtic, then , You are eligible to wear the No. 21 jersey."
Garnett took the letter, did not open it, but asked, "How to become a real Celtic?"
"Know it, understand it, love it, love it, and finally you become a part of it, like those flags hanging in the air." Leon said, taking out a cigar from his pocket and handing it to Garnett, then lit it with a match.
In the haze of smoke, Garnett seemed to see his jersey being hung on the dome of the North Bank Garden along with the championship flag.
The Celtics inherited not only the jersey, but also the history and spirit. (To be continued.)