Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 284 The NBA's Greatest Talent Scout
The reporters in the audience stood with their mouths agape, their "silent" shouts finally drawing Carlisle's attention back.

He reached out and adjusted the microphone, saying, "It's my responsibility."

"We have the most talented rookie in history, he gave it his all."

Yao Ming scored 43 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, and also had 3 blocks.

With such data, it's hard to imagine that Yao Ming was still a rookie.

“We still have the best players, they all worked very hard, and they almost created a miracle. I regret that I couldn’t help them in the last game.”

"So yes, it's my responsibility, my mistake."

Carlisle nodded again, and before the reporter could ask any more questions, he got up and left the scene.

The same answer came from Yao Ming.

"It's my responsibility. If I had made that last shot, we would still have had a chance."

Yao Ming rubbed his face, his exhaustion evident.

A New York journalist in the audience was the first to applaud.

Then the applause grew louder and louder.

Even the reporters from the Sentinel newspaper started applauding.

They saw Yao Ming's humility and sense of responsibility.

They don't shift the blame when they lose.

Anyone who watched the game knows how hard Yao Ming fought.

Without Yao Ming, this series would have been over long ago.

Everyone was disappointed.

The Knicks lost Game 7, and if the Magic win the championship, then the Knicks really missed out on the title.

This time, however, the New York media was surprisingly tolerant.

That evening, neither the New York television news nor the major New York newspapers the following day criticized the Knicks for losing the game.

It was all praise and encouragement, along with expressions of regret for the loss in Game 7.

They also said that losing in Game 7 is nothing.

In 1992, they lost to the Bulls in Game 7. In 1994, they fought their way to the Finals in Game 7, but lost to the Rockets. In 1995, they lost to the Pacers in Game 7, and in 1997, they lost to the Heat.

There's no need to worry about having too many lice; losing this year is no big deal.

And it's not the players' fault.

The New York Times then shifted its focus to the alliance.

They questioned the referee, bald Jamal Crawford, who argued that in the final 3 seconds, when Yao Ming made a three-pointer, slow-motion replays showed that Brown did pull back, but his hand still touched Yao Ming's wrist.

Then Yao Ming took a three-pointer, but it was an airball, and the ball rolled out of bounds.

This should be considered a foul, and Yao Ming should be awarded three free throws.

Down by 6 points, if Yao Ming had made all his free throws and brought the score back to 3 points with 35 seconds left, the Knicks would have had plenty of time and opportunity to turn the game around.

Yao Ming went to argue with the referee, but to no avail.

The opponent served quickly, and Yao Ming's retreat was not timely enough, which ultimately led to the loss.

The Knicks argued that this call changed the final outcome of the game.

Crawford blew away the Knicks' championship hopes.

The hat was pinned a little too high.

But it resonates with the frustration and unexpressed feelings of New York fans right now.

The foul was widely discussed on major television stations that day.

This is New York, full of mouthpieces.

The league, in a hurry, released a referee report later that day, specifically explaining why the play was not called a foul.

Because Yao Ming didn't stand on tiptoe, but stood still with his body leaning forward, actively seeking out a foul.

Therefore, it was not a normal, continuous shooting motion, and the whistle should not have been given.

This response clearly failed to quell the anger of the New York media and fans.

In fact, Tang Sen noticed this foul after the game.

Given the previous suspicion that the league deliberately postponed the game by a day to tell a story, Tang Sen naturally had ample reason to suspect that this was a crucial misjudgment that changed the course of the game.

It was at the behest of the league, and the referees did it intentionally, to ensure that Stern's story was told correctly.

Without a doubt, the referees absolutely have this ability. They officiate games every day and have a very accurate grasp of the game's pace.

But then I thought, there are no "what ifs". We've already lost, so what if we can't have another match?

impossible.

Therefore, for the Knicks, the 02-03 season has officially ended.

Looking back on the entire season, Tang Sen felt that while there were regrets, it was also a great success.

The group of "geniuses" that Leiden had gathered from all over the world, under his leadership, showed some promise and realized their potential.

As for the goals set at the beginning of the season, they were even exceeded.

And naturally, there was no vacation afterwards.

The players can take a break and catch their breath, but the management team's work continues.

On his third day back in New York, Carlisle called a meeting with Townsend and Leiden.

A small meeting of three people.

They essentially represent the three main parties involved in the uniform organization.

"Anything can be said behind closed doors," Carlisle said first. "The season is over, there's no point in bringing up the past."

There can only be one champion, but there will always be losers.

"But Scott, we need to optimize our roster, especially the perimeter. We need a perimeter star who can reach the level of McGrady and Kobe."

There must be a reason for losing.

Yao Ming is strong enough, and there are enough role players; the only problem lies in the perimeter.

Allan Houston, who is over 20, is good, but not good enough.

They are at least not up to the level of McGrady and Kobe.

If the Knicks are aiming for the championship, they need to have at least two superstars like the Magic and Lakers.

Tang Sen nodded slightly.

It seems that Carlisle also saw this problem.

Layden scratched his head in frustration. How many backcourt players in the entire league are on par with Kobe and McGrady?

After counting them all, I'm afraid only Allen Iverson is left.

Among the so-called "Big Four" shooting guards, Carter's ability to break through defenses was clearly a level below, with only Iverson able to match McGrady and Kobe.

Further down the list are Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Steve Francis, who are actually on par with Houston in terms of skill level.

But you can't have Iverson either.

With the Knicks' current salary cap space, they are capable of attracting a star player to join them.

But there aren't many big-name free agents this summer.

For example, Kidd, Malone, Payton, Reggie Miller, they're all old guys, Carlisle probably wouldn't even look at them.

So Leiden looked at Tangsen and asked if Tangsen could help Houston with some special training in the summer and reach the level of McGrady and Kobe.

"What do you think?"

Tang Sen asked back.

You're thinking of yourself as a genie again, aren't you?

Even if Allan Houston were 32 years old and in the twilight of his career, even if he were ten years younger, with his physical talent, it would be difficult for him to reach the level of McGrady and Kobe.

McGrady's long arms and legs, amazing coordination, and truly historic talent.

Kobe's talent is absolutely top-notch, his coordination is off the charts, and there's something else that Tang Sen discovered after getting to know him last summer: his recovery ability is absolutely freakish.

It's like, even if you train like crazy, you need three days to recover, while Kobe can be jumping around again in just one day.

For athletes, this is also a remarkable talent.

Therefore, in a true comparison, it would be difficult for Houston to reach the level of McGrady and Kobe.

He can do the same technical moves, but he just can't do them to the same level as McGrady and Kobe.

Otherwise, why would Tang Sen not teach him skills, but instead let him focus on shooting?
Some technologies require physical support.

Layden fell silent, then asked about the group of talents he had recruited: Stevenson, the next Jordan; Jones, an athletic monster, if he trained for another year, could he reach the level of Kobe and McGrady?

Tang Sen didn't want to answer this question.

They are all geniuses, but there are even more geniuses among geniuses, and that's where the difference comes from.

Carlisle, of course, knew how difficult it was to acquire McGrady and Kobe, and said, "Our best option is to try to trade for Iverson."

"If that doesn't work, then I think it's better to develop our own rookies. Yao Ming is still young, and I think it's necessary to find a young player to grow with."

"Scott, do you think we have a chance to get the number one draft pick?"

Carlisle thought the Akron boy was pretty good.

Although he didn't pay much attention, the media's hype about it like this must mean they're quite capable.

Ryden bristled and quickly shook his head, saying, "Rick, what are you thinking? Even if the Cavaliers traded their entire team, they would never trade away the number one draft pick."

But Carlisle's idea struck a chord with Renden.

He wouldn't even dare to think about Iverson; it's too difficult. The 76ers would probably only make a trade if they could get Yao Ming.

Therefore, the best option is, as Carlisle said, to look for new talents among the rookies.

If we lose this year, it only means that the genius we found last year wasn't good enough.

Let's forget about last year's rookies.

Layden has already made his selections, and last year was a great year for big men, with the strongest rookies being Yao Ming, Stoudemire, and a bunch of big men.

The highest draft pick among pure shooting guards is Jones, who was drafted 14th by the Knicks.

“Or Caron Butler, he played well for the Heat in his rookie season, he’s the small forward we need,” Redden added.

Carlisle quickly ran through the list in his mind, then locked onto a face and shook his head, saying, "No need. I don't think he's any different from Gerald."

Same physique, same outstanding athletic ability, a model of playing ball with physical strength.

Putting up stats on a terrible team like the Heat is completely meaningless.

Leiden shrugged and said, "Then it can only be this year's rookies. The media says this year is a big draft year, and we still have our own first-round pick."

"Then I think it's possible to make an upward trade by giving up some chips, but the main thing is that you have to think carefully about who can stay and who can leave."

These young players have only been nurtured for one season; they may still have untapped potential.

Carlisle nodded.

The Knicks' first-round pick is the 19th overall pick, which is a decent position.

"The key is who to choose."

This year we've been busy making it to the Finals, so the draft has been handled by the scouting department, and we haven't had time to arrange the specific tryouts yet.

Now that the season is over, we have some time.

He looked at Tang Sen and said, "Tang, you're in charge of player training, so you know what real talent is. Therefore, you need to help us select a truly talented backcourt player."

Then, they would spend a season developing him to help the Knicks contend for the championship.

The requirements are extremely high, and the difficulty is immense.

But Carlisle believed in Townsend, the NBA's greatest talent scout.

Tang Sen nodded slightly; this was the obvious choice.

After losing this year, Tangsen changed some of his ideas.

That means he wants to stay with the Knicks for another year.

When he was discussing a collaboration with Stern, Tang Sen thought that if the Knicks won the championship, he could leave with peace of mind and focus on his own career.

Then he could naturally join the league and become the vice president.

Otherwise, the league's vice president can't be employed by a particular team.

But now that they've lost, Tang Sen has decided to postpone the cooperation.

He was a champion trainer; he had succeeded with the Magic, and he couldn't just leave the Knicks with a defeat and a slinky demeanor.

Furthermore, Stern contacted Townsend once after the season ended.

He expressed his regret over the Knicks' elimination.

Then, it was implied that the Knicks definitely have a chance next year.

I sense there's something hidden in what this guy said.

Perhaps in his script, the Knicks will be eliminated this year, but will regroup and come back stronger next year.

At that time, it will be a story of revenge.

All the regrets and all the efforts, after a year of reflection, will come to a perfect end after we win the championship next year.

The fans' emotions were stirred up, and the matchup against the Magic generated a lot of buzz.

Yao Ming's image has also become more complete.

A king who achieves success too easily can seem unreal.

Only a lone hero who has failed, especially one who averaged 40 points per game and still failed, can truly inspire respect when he rediscovers himself, fights back, and wins the championship.

By then, Yao Ming will truly become the league's top star.

Then it will drive the huge Chinese market behind it.

If that's really the case, Tang Sen couldn't help but marvel at how amazing this old guy's ability to craft stories was.

Is there a group of Hollywood screenwriters locked up behind him, writing scripts specifically for him?

That's why Townsend made the decision to stay with the Knicks for another year.

The company will still be established, and star players will continue to be recruited.

One spot per team, one million over three months, miss it and it's gone.

Then next summer, the league will invest in the project, and I will join the league as a vice president.

Negotiations regarding the shares did not go smoothly.

If they drag it out for a year, it will allow Stern and the team owners to see what they can bring to these stars, and then their shares will be more valuable.

Seeing that Tang Sen had no objections, and Leiden nodded, Carlisle said, "Then let's do it this way. Let's hurry up and send tryout invitations to all the shooting guards and small forwards who are participating in this year's draft."

"Regardless of the media's predictions on their draft order, Tang has to see it for himself to know who has the talent."

Media draft predictions take more into account, but the Knicks don't; they only look at physical attributes and talent.

It's already June, and it's time for all the rising stars to start their tryouts.

The draft list for this year was announced in mid-last month, with a total of 42 players from the United States and 31 international players.

There's also a Chinese player named Xue Yuyang.

The target of the invitation is small forwards and shooting guards.

Size can be flexible if appropriate. For example, for a shooting guard, you can be 1.96 meters tall, but 1.91 meters or 1.8 meters tall, who tries to swing and play shooting guard, definitely won't work.

Iverson is so rare; his body-to-leg proportions are exaggerated to the point of being inhuman.

At over 1.8 meters tall, his calves are longer than some players who are 2 meters tall.

So you could say that he's over 1.8 meters tall, but with the long legs of a two-meter player, he combines the speed of a short person with the stride length of a tall person.

One can imagine the magnitude of that forward turn.

Such talent is one in a million, extremely rare.

(End of this chapter)