The longest river

Chapter 130 The Biggest Winner on Trading Deadline

How could he shoot from that spot?

In the commentary booth, Ernie Johnson was stunned by Yang Shuai's performance.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he shoots from mid-court now.”

Mike Brin, standing to the side, was also filled with emotion.

However, their smiling faces showed that they really liked Yang Shuai's performance.

After all, this is something they've never seen before, so it's a completely new and exciting experience for the audience.

In the final quarter, Yang Shuai made four three-pointers, allowing fans to relive his classic performance of making six three-pointers in a single quarter during last season's playoffs.

Moreover, when the Western team started their rotation, he used his three-point threat to drive to the basket and even had a spectacular dunk.

Bird then arranged for Yang Shuai to play the entire quarter.

Yang Shuai scored 20 points in the final quarter, setting a new NBA All-Star Game record for points in a single quarter.

Thanks to his phenomenal performance, the East team outscored the West team by 18 points in three quarters, and led by 12 points at the end of the third quarter.

With the momentum of victory already established, the East team began vying for the AMVP award in the final quarter.

Yang Shuai didn't have many opportunities in this quarter.

The Eastern team ultimately defeated the Western team 132-120 to secure the final victory.

Jordan contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, achieving the first All-Star triple-double in NBA history.

Pippen scored 19 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists.

Yang Shuai scored the most points in the game, contributing 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

After the game, fans patiently awaited the final AMVP selection results.

"The 1997 All-Star Game MVP was... Yang Shuai."

When Stern announced the result, Gund Arena erupted in cheers.

If it weren't for last season's controversial All-Star MVP award, it would most likely have gone to Jordan, who made history, this year.

But now, he has given the award to Yang Shuai, who has scored the most points and is the most beloved Yang Shuai by Cleveland fans!
Furthermore, Yang Shuai became the youngest player in NBA history to win the All-Star MVP award.

Indeed, the most perfect script was not designed by Stern, but was destined by fate.

When he heard the result, Yang Shuai was quite excited. He said that, just like he said in the pre-match interview, he hadn't thought about performing because he was isolated this time.

Unexpected things always bring more joy.

Moreover, he doesn't think that the AMVP is a worthless honor. Just like the park championship is still a championship, the AMVP is still an MVP even if it has no value.

When giving his acceptance speech, Yang Shuai kept it simple, mainly focusing on the support he received from the fans at the stadium.

This kept the atmosphere at the scene very high, as they genuinely wanted to see Yang Shuai play for the Cavaliers in the future.

During the post-game group photo, Yang Shuai saw James trying to come down onto the court but being stopped by security. He frantically waved and called James's name.

He gestured to the security guards to let James in.

James ran to his side excitedly, and the first thing he said was:

"I've switched to basketball, and I want to become an NBA player as great as you in the future!"

Yang Shuai was stunned when he heard this.

It wasn't James' decision, but rather the volume of his voice that drew the attention of everyone around him, including the media reporters.

Is this guy really that smart, even though he's only in middle school?

However, he didn't say anything.

Unlike Kobe, even if Yang Shuai doesn't want to, he can't stop himself from becoming Kobe's idol.

In the end, all he could do was pat James on the head to offer encouragement.

When I touch it, the thought that I'm touching the head of my deskmate's idol makes it feel pretty good.

After the All-Star Game, Yang Shuai stayed in Cleveland for another day before returning to Indianapolis.

The All-Star Game is followed by the annual trade deadline.

However, due to the large number of trades that have already taken place during the offseason, including the Mavericks' "3J" roster being traded away, this year's trade deadline is much quieter than last year's.

But in the midst of this calm, the Pacers suddenly made a move, giving everyone a real surprise.

They traded Best, Ascu, and two future second-round draft picks to the Kings for Mark Jackson!

This deal is difficult to evaluate.

When Yang Shuai saw the news, he had a feeling that the Kings' management must have been held at knifepoint by Walsh before agreeing to the trade.

To acquire Mark Jackson, the Kings traded a lottery pick and a first-round pick, which ultimately ended up with him and Jermaine O'Neal.

And now they've sent Jackson back, and all they've got are these chips?
Best does have some talent, but his height makes it difficult for him to become a starting-caliber point guard in this era.

Ascu was simply a bonus given away to balance the contract.

In other words, the Kings turned two first-round picks into second-round picks and then got the rights to Mark Jackson for a season. It just goes to show that the world is a huge makeshift organization, and Yang Shuai thinks he might have done a better job as the Kings' management than they are now.

However, upon deeper analysis, the Kings have their reasons for doing so.

Perhaps because he was defended so badly by Yang Shuai that he questioned his existence, Richmond's performance this season has been very poor, and the Kings are unlikely to make the playoffs this season.

Tanking to secure a better draft position is a natural choice for them, because unlike last season, they have their first-round pick in their hands this year.

Of course, more importantly, just like when the Nets made their decision, what ultimately tempted them to make this decision was the prospect of having Duncan next year.

If Duncan had entered the draft as a freshman, he would have been the number one pick; if he had entered as a sophomore, he would still have been the number one pick; if he had entered the draft last year, the number one pick would still have been Duncan, not Iverson; and the same will be true next year.

Moreover, Duncan will definitely be on the draft list next year after finishing his senior year of college.

In fact, many teams have gone crazy for Duncan this year.

The most typical examples are the Celtics in the East and the Spurs in the West.

Auerbach even privately declared, "If the Celtics don't draft Duncan next year, I'll retire," in order to secure the number one draft pick.

Even Celtic home fans cheer and celebrate when their team loses.

The Spurs' situation was even more obvious, because David Robinson got injured after playing only 6 games, and they started their all-out descent at the beginning of the season.

In addition, the Nets, Grizzlies, Nuggets, 76ers, Raptors, Warriors, and even the Mavericks before, all traded away three core players at once, largely because of Duncan.

It's no exaggeration to say that half the league was tanking for Duncan.

It's entirely understandable that the Kings joined the tanking movement after their playoff hopes were dashed.

Moreover, there was a shortage of starting point guards in the league during the middle of the season, and there weren't many veteran point guards either. The Pacers' offer included young players and draft picks, which was already the best among all the teams.

As for the issue of saving face, for NBA management, profit comes first.

Regardless of the Kings' motives, the Pacers are undoubtedly the biggest winners of this trade deadline.

马克·杰克逊虽然在今年4月份就要33岁，但是他这赛季在国王队的状态非常好，场均能够10.4分5.2板12.3助攻（联盟第一），并且还有39.7%的三分命中率。

And just as Yang Shuai once said to Robertson, 33 or 34 years old is the age for a point guard to make a name for himself.

Of course, the most important thing is that Jackson had played for the Pacers before, and he has a natural understanding with the rest of the team, which will save him time in getting used to each other.

In conclusion, although Mark Jackson is not as talented as Kidd, he is the most suitable starting point guard the Pacers can get at this stage.

Two days after the trade was finalized, before the Pacers began their daily practice, Yang Shuai met the veteran point guard in the locker room.

Mark Jackson was actually no stranger to him.

It wasn't because of the previous trade where the two swapped teams, but because I often saw news about Mark Jackson when I watched the news before.

Curry's mentor, Kerr stole his thunder, and then as a commentator he was a Jordan fanboy—this series of events makes it hard for him not to remember this guy.

As a former Pacers player, Mark Jackson quickly struck up a conversation with the others after he came in.

This guy seems to have just as much personal charisma as Scott.

However, Yang Shuai did not step forward.

Theoretically speaking, Mark Jackson was traded by the Pacers because of him, and any normal person would have some thoughts about that.

Indeed, that was the case; Mark Jackson did not take the initiative to greet Yang Shuai.

The Pacers will face the Heat after the All-Star break.

The two teams are now only one win apart, making this a crucial battle for position.

During team practice, Mark Jackson demonstrated exceptional adaptability.

This surprised Yang Shuai.

Because Mark Jackson did play for the Pacers before, but that was under Brown.

Now the Pacers' head coach is Bird, and they've completely changed their tactics and style of play, but Jackson has adapted perfectly.

He even gives the impression that he has been with the Pacers all season.

It can only be said that Jackson's basketball IQ is beyond the average level.

However, a point guard who is 1.85 meters tall with average physical attributes can make it to the All-Star game and has one of the highest assist numbers in history. To achieve this, he must have some extraordinary qualities.

Yang Shuai was quite excited about the training techniques.

To be honest, ever since he transmigrated, whether in high school or in the NBA, he has never encountered a top-tier point guard, let alone a first-rate one.

In fact, even Robertson last season played combo guard, and his main strength was defense.

But just as he was getting excited, Mark Jackson came over to him.

He wasn't there to discuss tactics; he had simply heard that Yang Shuai loved one-on-one duels and just wanted to have a match with him.

-Dividing line-

①: Historical trade record: In the summer of 1996, the Pacers traded Mark Jackson, Ricky Pierce, and a 1997 first-round pick to the Nuggets in exchange for Jalen Rose, Reggie Williams, and a 1997 first-round pick; at the trade deadline that season, the Pacers traded Vincent Ascu, Eddie Johnson, and two second-round picks to the Nuggets in exchange for Mark Jackson.

(End of this chapter)