Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 378 Nowitzki's Wounded Pride

The transaction happened suddenly.

But for many star players, trades are nothing new.

You might come to the locker room one day and find that the name of one of the lockers has changed and there's a new locker.

In professional leagues, everyone has the right to pursue bigger contracts and environments that better suit them.

If you're unhappy with a job and don't want to continue, you can simply quit.

So many star players just watched and silently calculated what kind of impact this trade would have on the league.

Those who were familiar with Ray Allen even went up to him and chatted for a few minutes to offer their congratulations.

Ray Allen quickly adjusted his mindset and took the initiative to talk to Marion for a few minutes.

He and Marion were fairly familiar with each other and had spoken before.

As for Joe Johnson and Dwight Howard, they have never spoken.

But now they're teammates.

"Dwight, keep it up, you're the team's hope," Ray Allen said calmly.

Ray Allen was aware of the implications of this deal.

Because management contacted me, and after consideration, I expressed my acceptance of leaving.

Although it's said to be acceptance, from the team's perspective, it means wanting to leave.

So it's not surprising that this deal happened.

Ray Allen wants to leave.

Especially after learning that the Suns had won the number one draft pick and selected Howard.

All media outlets are saying that Howard could become the next Kwame Brown, and the Suns have a chance to replicate the Magic's miracle.

With the Bucks, Ray Allen saw no hope of winning a championship; at best, he only made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

With the Three Musketeers disbanded and Ray Allen joining the Supersonics, he knew his hopes were even slimmer.

Ray Allen will be 30 next year, and he doesn't want to waste any more time with the SuperSonics. If the Suns have a chance, he'll give it his all.

Therefore, Howard is very important.

Marion and Joe Johnson both nodded in agreement.

Marion patted Howard on the shoulder, encouraging him to train hard.

Howard might be able to determine the Suns' ceiling.

“Dwight, I’ll keep you on your toes,” Ray Allen added.

He is known throughout the league for his self-discipline and his strictness in not tolerating any wrongdoing.

These words only fueled Howard's rebellious spirit. He patted his chest and assured him, "Ray, don't worry, I swore to God that I would train hard and let God's glory shine on the entire NBA."

When have I ever slacked off these days?

The glory of God?
The three men had strange expressions, but it was none of their business what they believed in.

As long as Howard trains hard, that's fine.

With the help of Tang Sen, the Suns might really be able to make waves in the Western Conference next season.

Meanwhile, Nash, carrying his bag, didn't chat much with Nowitzki and quickly returned to his hotel.

On the way back, Nash had already made his decision.

Howard, Marion, Ray Allen – that's a pretty good lineup.

Although the Mavericks have a good roster, after so much effort, they still can't see any hope of winning the championship, and Nash's heart has begun to waver.

The Mavericks' interior defense is really weak.

With that in mind, Nash called Duffy.

“Bill, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to the Sun.” Nash made his decision.

Duffy on the other side also wanted Nash to go to the Suns, not only because the Suns offered a bigger contract, but also because he felt the Suns had a better chance.

"Steve, believe me, you won't regret this decision. The Suns have already acquired Ray Allen as promised, and most importantly, there's that kid Dwight."

“I know how amazing Tang is. Believe me, that kid definitely has the ability to become the next Kwame Brown, especially with your help.”

No matter how strong the inside players are, they still need the point guard to pass the ball.

The Magic won the championship because they took off after Billups arrived.

In Duffy's view, Nash going to the Suns would complete the final piece of the puzzle for the Suns' championship run.

“You’re training with Tang now, you should know how amazing he is,” Duffy concluded.

Nash nodded.

It must be acknowledged that we've been at the training camp for about half a month now.

Nash had already felt the changes in his body.

There's also the matter of expertise.

For example, Tang Sen's team also knew that he had congenital anterior vertebral palsy, so they would control the amount of training in a targeted manner and design a separate training method for him.

It's still useful, though.

"That's all for now." Nash hung up the phone.

I can't help but think about the Suns' roster for next season.

If Dwight Howard, like Kwame Brown, could also run pick-and-rolls with him, that would be perfect.

We also have a top-class striker like Ray Allen on the flanks.

With Marion, a top-tier defensive forward, the Suns' roster is truly impressive.

……

Today is trading day, and the Suns are very busy.

Securing the number one draft pick thrilled the Suns' owner, who promised to increase investment, even if it meant paying the luxury tax. For example, to find a backup for Howard, they acquired center Steven Hunter from the same draft class as Brown from the Hornets.

He replaced PJ Brown back then, but never proved himself afterward, remaining mediocre. Apart from having decent physical attributes, he never developed sufficiently outstanding skills.

The wasps lost patience, and the Suns offered a small incentive to acquire him.

Then we also need to fill the gaps in the forward line.

D'Antoni wants to replicate his fast-paced style of play, and he wants Howard to play center and Marion to power forward, so the small forward position needs to be strengthened.

He set his sights on Quentin Richardson, who was languishing with the Clippers, had decent stats but was prone to wild shooting with a 4% field goal percentage, and was simply unable to help the team win.

D'Antoni has his eye on his three-point shooting and his decent athleticism.

The deal was also completed today.

Then Brian Colangelo received a call from Duffy.

Nash agreed and came.

"Really?" D'Antoni excitedly waved his fist in the air and immediately urged Colangelo Jr. to book the plane tickets.

Let's go to New York now.

Sign the contract quickly and secure the money; the worst-case scenario is that Nash might change his mind.

"And I need to see them, it would be even better if I could see Tang Sen."

D'Antoni looked excited; his vision was gradually coming to fruition, but one crucial element was still missing.

Or rather, Tang Sen has the ability to help himself achieve it.

It's three points.

D'Antoni needs his players to shoot a lot of three-pointers.

From point guard to center, everyone needs to be able to shoot three-pointers.

D'Antoni wanted to meet with Townsend and made the request in person.

The two flew to New York overnight, met with Nash, and finalized the contract.

The next day, while all the media were still discussing the only major deal from the previous day, the second deal was announced.

Nash's stats are decent, but he's still a level below a star player.

However, his signing still caused some ripples.

There were really no major transactions.

This year, due to Townsend's training camp, many teams have chosen to wait and see, reluctant to easily send away their core players.

Just like yesterday, all the players who participated in the training camp learned about Nash's signing with the Suns after the morning training session.

Nash was too embarrassed to look Nowitzki in the eye with disbelief.

"Sorry Dirk, the Suns offered me a bigger contract," Nash said, offering an excuse.

There shouldn't be any problem with me pursuing big contracts.

Nowitzki was still in shock.

It took Nowitzki a while to come to his senses; he noticed the gazes of the players around him.

After a slight hesitation, Nowitzki stood up and hugged Nash, saying softly, "It's okay, Steve. I told you, whatever decision you make, I'll support you."

This made Nash even more ashamed.

At that moment, many Western Conference players' expressions turned strange.

Ray Allen, Steve Nash, what are the Suns up to?
Is this team, which was a minnow last year, trying to turn things around this year?
The key is that the Suns' current lineup seems to be quite effective.

Nowitzki said it was okay, but how could he not be upset at all?

Nowitzki didn't believe the claim that the Suns offered him a bigger contract.

Nowitzki believes there's only one reason: Nash favored the Suns over the Mavericks.

Or rather, they don't have a high chance of winning the championship with him.

This truth is what hurt Nowitzki the most.

After leaving the training facility, Nowitzki didn't start his car, watching as all the luxury cars drove away.

Nowitzki gritted his teeth, got off the car again, and returned to the training facility.

The media called them "softies," and fans complained that the Mavericks invest so much every year and pay luxury tax, yet they still can't achieve a breakthrough.

Now even his teammates think that they can't win a championship with him.

Nowitzki has only one thought: to get stronger, to prove to everyone that he is not a softie, that he can lead the team to victory, and to pursue the championship.

He returned to the training hall and quietly found a ball to practice more.

This is a private training facility. Tang Sen hadn't left yet when someone immediately informed Tang Sen of Nowitzki's return.

"Why did he suddenly get all excited?" Tedsky asked, puzzled.

As stated at the beginning of the training camp, you don't need to do extra training; just strictly follow the training plan.

Even Kobe, a training fanatic, was reminded by Tang Sen that his request for extra training was rejected.

Nowitzki's insistence on returning for extra training can only be attributed to a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"It's probably because Nash left."

Tang Sen shook his head slightly, got up and headed to the court.

Nowitzki's pride was hurt when his good teammate switched to another team, which shows that he didn't believe they could win a championship together.

Tedsky immediately realized what was going on, nodded with a smile, and then said, "You know what, the Suns' roster is actually pretty good now that Steve went there."

"Also, Tang, didn't you notice? Once these two trades are completed, the Suns' starting lineup will be entirely in training camp."

There were exactly five players, no more and no less.

In other words, the Supersonics and Mavericks essentially did the work for the Suns.

(End of this chapter)