Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 77 No Other Choice (Thanks to Nian_Old_for the generous donation)

In the FedExCare president's office, Jerry West observes the players' training through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Guy did not participate in team practice today.

The reason is back tension.

West was waiting for Guy's agent, Arne Treme, who believed that after what had happened, Guy would definitely react, and Treme would be the one to carry out his will.

He pondered while waiting, but couldn't calm his mind.

What troubled him even more was the unpleasant conversation he had just had with Xu Ling. The young man's toughness and decisiveness had exceeded all his expectations. He had considered many possibilities: Xu Ling would defend himself for his actions, or simply admit his mistake; after all, what had happened was done, and all they had to do was clean up the mess.

But West never expected that Xu Ling would refute his criticisms in a way that accused the management.

West was by no means an unreasonable person. Xu Ling's offensive rebuttal made him doubt that he had misjudged him again. For a moment, he almost thought that the person standing in front of him was not the emotionally stable, gentle and easy-going Xu Ling, who had never had any unpleasant encounters with anyone during his short year of college, but Nick Van Exel.

An irrational madman, an emotionally unstable person whose reaction to criticism is unpredictable, but Xu Ling is not that kind of person.

This made West unable to help but consider things from Xu Ling's perspective. He was someone who was good at arguing with himself and liked to repeatedly think about whether things that had already happened could have been better. For example, in the 1962 NBA Finals, they fought a seven-game series against the peak Celtics. Until the last shot of the seventh game, the outcome was still undecided. The Lakers had a chance to win the game against the Celtics at that moment. West was on the court, and Baylor was also on the court. Giving the ball to either of them could have killed the game, but in the end, they chose to let Frank Selby take that shot.

You know, that shot missed.

Countless historians like to speculate that if the Lakers' coaching staff were wise enough, they should have given the ball to their star player. How could you not let your "clutch player" take the last shot when you have him?
West woke up countless times, recalling the shot he took, but he couldn't dream of the moment he scored the winning goal. The demons in his heart couldn't let him imagine such a wonderful scenario. Back in reality, he could only coldly realize that at the time, it was the right decision. If it weren't for Selby scoring two goals in the final moments, there would have been no final moments in the game.

West is accustomed to analyzing problems from multiple perspectives, weighing the pros and cons, and ultimately arriving at an indisputable conclusion.

Regarding today's controversy, West was not unable to understand Xu Ling's feelings and was aware of the pressure he was under. However, he still found it difficult to accept that Xu Ling, at such a critical juncture, would completely tear off the mask of civility with a resolute attitude of "to hell with team interests, I don't care, I just want Gay dead."

But even if he can't accept it, what can he do?
Downstairs, Marc Jafaroni's whistle blew, signaling the official end of today's training.

The players dispersed in twos and threes, discussing their plans for the evening, but Xu Ling remained on the court. He called over his trusted confidant Roderick Craig, changed into a dry training uniform, and then, under the guidance of trainer Drew Graham, began an extra forty minutes of defensive training.

It is said that this is a habit he developed during his university years.

When Xu Ling first arrived at Texas Tech, his defense was far from the formidable force it is today. Then-head coach Bob Knight required him to practice defensive footwork for an extra half hour every day. Within months, he transformed into the "Freeze," a player feared by forwards and guards throughout college basketball.

"Mr. West, training is now complete."

Laura Grankole came in to announce.

"Does he practice like this every day?" West asked suddenly, looking at the tireless figure on the court.

"It seems so, as long as it's at home," Grankoller stated truthfully.

West fell silent for a moment. Although Memphis appeared dilapidated and outdated in many ways, perhaps only a third of the area met the standards of modern civilization for the wealthy. Once outside Beale Street, entertainment options were scarce. Even so, Xu Ling's almost ascetic self-discipline was still touching.

"He should try to find some entertainment to relax."

West couldn't help but ponder. Perhaps this young man wasn't as bad as he initially judged? Perhaps basketball was his only solace here? Perhaps he simply had too much pent-up anger with nowhere to go, and West had unfortunately become the outlet for it all?

West watched quietly as ten minutes, twenty minutes, and half an hour slipped by... Finally, Xu Ling finished his extra practice, and the gym returned to silence.

The phone on the desk still didn't ring.

It seems Arne Treme won't be calling.

Treme was a smart man and knew that the best thing Guy could do at this moment was to remain calm and wait patiently for the slim chance that Treme hoped for—otherwise, they would only expose more flaws.

Unfortunately, Xu Ling's earth-shattering performance and declaration have, in the most cruel way, obliterated all other possibilities.

Now, West and his team, whose future is uncertain, have only one option left: to fulfill the Lord's wish and clear all obstacles in his path.

Since we can't get a call from them, let them call us first.

Without further hesitation, West picked up the receiver and dialed Arne Treme's number.

“Arne,” West’s voice was tinged with a cold weariness, “inform Rudy. Starting tomorrow, he will be placed on the daily observation list due to ‘back tension’ and will be out of action indefinitely.”

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Tremee burst out in a shrill voice: "What? Jerry! You can't do this! You're going to ruin him! His value has plummeted. Doing this is like telling the entire league that you're going to sell him off cheaply! This isn't in either of our interests! We can talk. Rudy knows he was wrong, he can apologize."

A hint of mockery flashed across West's face.

An apology? Before practice today, bowing his head and admitting his mistake to that wretched Chinese man in public was Rudy Gay's last chance! And he actually thought that faking illness for a few days would make everything go back to square one? Naïve, foolish. Completely irresponsible with his own life. Perhaps some people are destined to make mistakes on major decisions before truly maturing, but unfortunately, Memphis can only be the transit point that helps him mature. "Arne," West interrupted him, clearly losing patience, "this isn't a negotiation. This is notification. This is the only way I can think of right now to protect his 'remaining value.' You should know that suspending him for 'personal reasons' is too suggestive, while 'injury' is the oldest reason for suspension in professional sports."

"Are you really going to push things to the extreme?! Everyone will see what's going on!" Tremey practically yelled. "You'll completely enrage him! Aren't you afraid he'll tell the media everything?! Then the Grizzlies will become a laughingstock worldwide!"

"You'd better shut him up."

West is the kind of person who is conflicted, troubled by himself, and indecisive. He has too many concerns and fears, worrying about the consequences of his mistakes. But once he makes a decision, he is also someone who will never turn back.

West coldly stated, "Because if he dares to say a single extra word to the media, I will make sure he spends the next two years 'treating' his back in the G League. I swear I mean it, and for his own good, you'd better relay my words verbatim to him."

All that could be heard on the other end of the phone was heavy breathing.

Arne Treme never expected that the situation would plummet from "very bad" to "hellish" in an instant.

Is this what it feels like to play for the Grizzlies?
Treme made a final attempt to protest: "Jerry, think about the consequences, this is really ugly."

“The situation is bad enough,” West said. “Now we’re just choosing a relatively decent way to end it.”

Tremee's efforts failed.

The following morning, the Memphis Grizzlies released a brief announcement on their official website:
"Following an assessment by the team's medical staff, forward Rudy Gay will be sidelined indefinitely due to back strain. His return date is uncertain. He will be placed on the day-to-day list and will miss all basketball-related activities until further notice."

The announcement revealed no further details. Like a stone thrown into a lake, it didn't cause any ripples at the official level, but beneath the surface, it triggered an undercurrent powerful enough to engulf everything.

Everyone knew that Rudy Gay's career in Memphis had come to an end prematurely in the most professional and cruel way.

That evening, the Grizzlies will host the Milwaukee Bucks.

This was also the Grizzlies' first game after waiving Rudy Gay.

Despite the controversy, FedExCare was packed with fans tonight.

On the sidelines, team owner Michael Heisley and president Jerry West appeared side-by-side, looking solemn. Their simultaneous appearance was a strong signal in itself, attracting frequent camera attention and various interpretations from reporters without needing to say more.

Is this some kind of statement supporting the team?

Journalists can always find metaphors and allusions in seemingly unrelated things.

Xu Ling, however, had no interest in the silent power struggle unfolding in the stands.

His gaze passed over the noisy crowd and landed behind the baseline.

There was a new, unfamiliar caddie there, who looked a little chubby.

Xu Ling walked to the sidelines and tightened his shoelaces.

The new, chubby caddie was struggling to carry a basketball hoop that was almost as wide as him, huffing and puffing as he moved forward, his round face turning red from the effort.

Xu Ling reached out and helped him up.

“Thank you, sir!” The little boy looked up, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “My name is Henry! Henry Carter! This is my first time here!”

"You're welcome, Henry." Xu Ling smiled, finding the boy's energy to be very pure. "Just call me Eli."

Henry put down his basket and looked at Xu Ling curiously, seemingly mustering his courage before asking his next question: "Mr. Eli, everyone's been talking about Mr. Rudy Gay all day. Is he sick today? When will he be back? I love watching him dunk!"

The chubby boy's tone was innocent and direct, without any adult probing or scheming; he simply missed his favorite soccer star.

Xu Ling crouched down, looking directly into Henry's pure and unadulterated eyes, his smile as gentle as ever.

"Henry, some players leave to go where they are needed more. And some players stay."

Well, how should I put it?

The man who had personally ended Rudy Gay's Grizzlies career patted the boy on the shoulder: "...so that this place becomes a place everyone wants to come back to."

Henry blinked, feeling as if the kind Mr. Eli had both answered him and said nothing at all. But he remembered the words "need" and "come back," and nodded blankly.

(1) West's recollection of the 1962 Finals is basically a retelling of his thoughts on that shot in his autobiography. But I still don't understand, so I checked the game's statistics, and I'm even more confused. That night, Baylor went 13-for-40, and West went 14-for-30, combining for 76 points. Meanwhile, Selby, who took the final shot, went 2-for-10 overall. In other words, he missed the entire game, so the Lakers decided to let him take the game-winning shot? I don't get it.

(End of this chapter)