Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 95 New Reinforcements Arrive, Get Out of the Way!
ESPN is looping Kobe's Lakers highlights with a headline that's glaringly obvious: "The End of an Era: Kobe Bryant's Lakers Years".

The screen flashed through every classic moment of Kobe wearing the purple and gold jersey—the three-peat with Shaq, the 81-point night, the season of consecutive scoring titles. The final image froze on his back as he left Staples Center for the last time as a Lakers player.

Meanwhile, TNT's panel of experts is engaged in a heated debate about the Grizzlies' gains and losses in this trade.

“Listen, Jason Kidd is 35 years old!” Kenny Smith practically roared. “He’s no longer the player who can average a triple-double in the playoffs! The Grizzlies traded away their only All-Star player, their most talented wing and their most accurate outside shooter, and all they got in return was an All-Star guard past his prime and a wing player who is too heavy and has serious injury risks? My God! Memphis got robbed!”

Charles Barkley immediately retorted: "Kenny, do you really know what you're talking about? Kidd is still one of the smartest point guards in the league! He can make everyone around him better! Look at how he played in New Jersey last year! And they got Josh Howard—he may have injury concerns, but he's still an All-Star caliber forward! And the rights to that Spanish big man, who's supposedly doing very well in Europe!"

The two seemed unable to reach an agreement, so host Ernie Johnson chimed in: "Most importantly, they cleared out Rudy Gay, who couldn't coexist with Eli, strengthened their weak backline, added toughness to their flanks, and have young forwards like Trevor Ariza as an extra addition. For Eli, this is a new beginning, and a good one."

Yes, this is a good start, and for many people it is.

After learning of the trade, Kobe was excited about the Mavericks' championship prospects. As for Los Angeles?

"I spent some of the best time of my life there, and I'll never forget it," Kobe said. "I wish them good luck."

However, Kidd's breakup with the Nets doesn't seem to be so amicable.

At least, the Nets don't even want to pretend.

General Manager Rod Thorne stated that due to the team's struggles this season and Kidd's obvious decline, he no longer appears to be the player who brought them a "360-degree change" at the beginning of the century, therefore the team must trade him.

Thorne went a step further and offered substantial criticism of Kidd: "As the season progressed, it became clear that his mind wasn't on the game anymore. He's the kind of player who, once his mentality wavers, is no longer the player he used to be. I could see that he was distracted. This simply won't work."

Kidd himself has not made any public response to this.

However, the moment the deal was officially finalized, Kidd took the initiative to call Xu Ling.

Although the two had never exchanged contact information before, it wouldn't have been difficult for Kidd to get a phone number given his extensive connections in the league.

Because the deal itself was somewhat sudden, the conversation between the two parties didn't last long. Xu Ling briefly expressed his anticipation and excitement about the upcoming collaboration, and the call ended.

On the same day, a relatively low-key trade also took place in the league: the Cleveland Cavaliers sent young guard Shannon Brown and a future second-round draft pick to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Delonte West, adding much-needed experience and depth to their backcourt.

The following day, the players involved in the four-way trade passed the necessary medical examinations, and there were no further obstacles to the trade itself.

On February 2, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Trevor Ariza, and Vladimir Radmanovic arrived in Memphis.

Tonight, the Grizzlies will host the Utah Jazz.

The four new signings will not play, as they have not yet officially trained with the team.

However, according to regulations, the Grizzlies still have to hold a formal press conference to welcome the four new additions.

The press conference was packed with reporters, and the flashes of light were almost blinding. As Xu Ling, West, and Jafaroni took their seats, a commotion arose in the crowd—Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Trevor Ariza entered the room.

Kidd walked at the front, calm and composed, as if this were just one of countless press conferences in his career. Howard looked slightly nervous, constantly adjusting his suit collar. Ariza, on the other hand, looked like a complete newcomer, his eyes wide open, seemingly overwhelmed by the scene. Radmanovic looked the most normal and relaxed, even whistling as he entered.

West then officially welcomed them to the Grizzlies.

Then, everyone sat down, and questions came flying in like snowflakes.

"Jason, the Grizzlies are considered by many to be an unpredictable team. What made you agree to this trade?"

“Uncertainty? That’s just what outsiders think. In my opinion, the Grizzlies are a team that couldn’t be more certain—just like Eli is an undeniable genius.” Kidd paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the reporters present. “I’ve played against Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. And not long ago, I played against Eli twice, and he led his team to victory both times. In my opinion, he’s destined to be a member of the next hall of fame. I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to play alongside him.”

This statement not only brought a smile to Xu Ling's face, but also reassured many local Memphis media reporters present.

However, it's well known that Kidd was far from a "nice guy"—in fact, he caused quite a stir with every team he played for. Xu Ling, similarly, is a notorious troublemaker. This combination of veteran and young player inevitably gives the impression of "throwing a lighter next to a powder keg."

The focus of the questioning then shifted to Xu Ling.

“Eli, what are your thoughts on working with Jason Kidd? Will this change your role on the team?”

“I’ve been wanting someone to pass me the ball for ages. You know I’m not the kind of guy who likes to dribble for twenty seconds. With Jason, I might not even get a chance to dribble past half-court—it’s perfect. From now on, I’ll just shoot, I’ll just drive, I’ll just catch and dunk. Don’t be surprised if I break the rims at FedExCare one day.” Laughter erupted from the crowd. Xu Ling was such an enigmatic figure; everyone who didn’t know him said he was hard to get along with, a bully, but this bully always brought joy to people off the court.

The question then shifts to Josh Howard, another key player in this trade.

Most people's impression of him is that he is ugly. When the distance gets closer, no sense of beauty is generated. Instead, the ugliness is confirmed.

There's no way around it; anyone who possesses both the thickened version of Evil Flower's big mouth and Bucktooth Jane's buck teeth will never be associated with beauty or handsomeness in their entire life.

"Josh, you've come from a championship contender to a growing team. Does that make you feel disillusioned?"

Howard's answer was meticulous, almost textbook-perfect: "The experience in Dallas was invaluable, but I look forward to starting a new chapter in Memphis. There's a young core here, an excellent management team, and I believe we can do something special together."

Overall, the press conference went as smoothly as expected.

There was no unfriendly atmosphere at the scene. After the players finished their interviews, West publicly shared the inside story of the trade.

The inside story is interesting, but West isn't always interesting, so a Memphis reporter asked, "Do you think this deal was ultimately the right one?"

This caused West to fall silent for a moment.

This silent moment created an awkward atmosphere.

Then West broke the silence in a deep voice: "In the NBA, there are no absolutely right decisions, only decisions that must be made."

“We now have the great Jason Kidd, the tough Josh Howard, and three other excellent players,” West said slowly. “But we’re also saying goodbye to an era. An old era. We won’t look back and think about whether it was right or wrong, because a new era has arrived, and we just hope it will be better than the last one.”

After the press conference, both the team and the media had their own things to do.

The Grizzlies will face the visiting Utah Jazz with a depleted roster, while several new additions will have the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and watch how their new team plays.

Before the game started, Xu Ling was preparing in the locker room, but Kidd sat down in front of the cabinet next to him.

"Is something the matter, JK?"

Xu Ling asked.

"Just wondering how confident you are about tonight's game." Kidd didn't seem to care about the outcome. "You have to face Utah with a depleted team."

Xu Ling asked with a smile, "How much confidence do you think I should have?"

“50%?” Kidd said optimistically. “Maybe less.”

Xu Ling smiled, stood up, and stomped his feet hard. Everything was normal; he was in top form.

"Old man," Xu Ling casually gave Kidd a vulgar nickname, "you newcomers just sit back and watch, and learn how we Memphis welcome new friends."

"As for my confidence in this match," Xu Ling shrugged slightly, "that's a little gift I prepared for you."

After saying that, Xu Ling patted Milicic, who was praying for tonight's game, and then walked out of the locker room.

The Grizzlies' new additions haven't quite caught on yet.

Veteran Eddie Jones chuckled and said, "Don't mind him, that's just how Eli is. He's actually very easy to get along with."

Vladimir Radmanovic, who had not yet been dubbed "the Skiing Man," asked with a laugh, "Does Rudy Guy agree?"

The atmosphere in the locker room quickly became cheerful again. In any case, as time goes by, the story of Xu Ling kicking Rudy Gay out of Memphis will become bizarre and fantastical through the retelling of generations. Who was right and who was wrong is no longer important. What is important is that it defined Xu Ling and also served as a reminder to the new Grizzlies recruits who had just arrived.

In Memphis, there's one person you can't afford to offend: Number 1, who's always bouncing around saying he'll give you a victory as a gift.

(End of this chapter)