The Rest, Only Noise

June 24, 1992

draft day

While the world is focusing on the training camps for the Dream Team and the Collegiate All-Star United, it is also paying attention to the NBA draft.

Fortunately, the timing of these two events does not conflict.

Neither the NBA nor USA Basketball are stupid enough to let two very gimmicky things collide.

Before the draft began, a seismic deal first came out.

After being dormant for eight years, the mediocre Earl Monroe finally made the biggest stroke of his general manager career.

Of course, this is what both parties want.

The Clippers sent the No. 5 pick in the first round and Rick Schmitz and an unprotected first-round pick in 1993 to Houston in exchange for Hakeem Olajuwon, who had been tortured by the Rockets for many years.

During last season, Olajuwon almost left the Rockets.

It's just that no team can make a suitable offer and choose to stay.

This summer, Olajuwon has only one year left on his contract, and he has made it clear that he will not renew his contract with the Rockets when the contract expires. Therefore, when the Rockets are unable to meet Olajuwon's vision of building a championship-winning team, they return the most profitable returns.

A quasi-All-Star center, a No. 5 pick in the draft year, a first-round pick with a high probability of turning into a lottery.

This is the price of a one-year right to use a super center with one offense and defense.

No team can follow.

Knowing that he was traded, Olajuwon found a local TV station to shoot a 10-minute short film "I was traded? I'm so sad, see how sad I am to laugh" to review his 8-year journey in Houston .

Clippers general manager Earl Monroe said with great pride: "We have the confidence to keep Hakeem in Los Angeles, and we also have the ability to build a championship team around Hakim. My owner Mr. Donald Sterling hopes Send a message to the world through me - we're ready to spend!"

Sounds kind of funny.

Stirling? The most stingy boss in professional basketball history is going to spend money?

Sterling is untrustworthy, but the combination of Olajuwon and Mutombo is a rare pair of extremely offensive and defensive twin towers in the merger era.

Mutombo himself has a DPOY appearance, and Olajuwon is one of only four superstars in the league with both offense and defense. These two alone are enough to bring the Clippers into the playoffs.

NBC analyst Doug Collins said: "Everything is pointing to a lot of big trades this summer. Some teams that have lost their competitiveness are already targeting next year's draft, and the likes of Clyde Drexler The whereabouts of this kind of player is also worth looking forward to.”

This year's draft is different from previous years.

This is the first time since the 1980s that the NBA has arranged the draft outside of New York - Portland.

Blazers fans rejoice.

In particular, David Stern emphasized in his opening speech: "Portland has a glorious sports history, and the Trail Blazers were the Western Conference champions last season."

"Now, the 27 teams participating in this year's draft have all understood the process of the draft. Orlando, which has the No. 1 pick in the first round of this year, will make their selection in five minutes."

"I'd be shocked if Shaquille wasn't the first person to be drafted," said Bob Neal, a commentator on NBC, which aired the draft nationally.

"I'm going to be shocked," said Hubie Brown, something that made Boston feel uncomfortable. "It's going to be the most confusing pick since the Billy Owens fight."

Doug Collins was much more direct: "I think the negative impact of this is going to go far beyond the Billy Owens deal."

Orlando's delegates looked nervous, as if they were making a difficult decision.

When Louis in front of the TV saw this scene, the Coke in his mouth almost sprayed.

"What are they struggling with?"

"Wouldn't anyone really be entangled between O'Neal and Mourning?"

Five minutes later, the answer was revealed.

Even Stern temporarily gave up his suspenseful speech rate and read it out normally: "In the 1992 draft, the Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O'Neal with the No. 1 overall pick, from Louisiana. State University."

There was unanimous cheers.

O'Neal stood up, walked onto the stage and hugged the president. In an interview, he said that he didn't care about Wright being included in the dream team, and so on.

Louie almost forgot that he didn't recognize the best team in history because he didn't have a dream team.

Several of the NBC commentators started the annual show.

"The obvious choice," Neal said exaggeratedly. "Even if you put the best player in every draft of the past 20 years in this draft, Shaquille is the No. 1 pick."

Hubby Brown pretentiously commented: "His willingness to defend may be an issue, but he's unparalleled offensively, and once he gets the ball in the post, it's over. Orlando's priority is to He found a good lob."

Doug Collins' comment was a bit more serious than Brown's: "Don't be misled by his physicality and athleticism, he has decent interior skills and is unique in his post-up close-to-the-basket hook, given his size and athleticism. Agility, you can think of him as a seven-foot-one Charles Barkley."

In front of the TV, Louie looked at Ewing with schadenfreude.

"You're going to die at his hands next season," Louie said.

Ewing joined the alliance for seven years, and believes that he is no weaker than others except for the three bodhisattvas (Sampson).

That's it?

Even if you only look at O'Neal's college highlights, there is no doubt about this person's ability.

Ewing knew that O'Neal had two hits, but in front of Louis, let alone two hits, even if he had four hits, six hits, eight hits, it wasn't like Sampson would beat him to amnesia when he met him year after year, never mind. Let him bow down.

In Louis's room, in addition to Ewing, there are Sampson and Bird and Zhao Yuanzheng.

It's a strange combination, the Green Kai duo and Ewing shouldn't be peeing in the same pot, but strangely, they become friends.

Seeing Louie making fun of Ewing like this, Bird naturally remembered how Louie had provoked him when he was still in Boston.

"You **** can't stop eating shit!" Bird resolutely stood in the same camp as Ewing.

"That's right!" Ewing suddenly found out that two people who have the same disease and pity each other can really transcend the barrier of skin color and become confidants. "If you say I'm not as good as him before we fight, are you still my coach?"

Louie smiled and said, "Don't make fun of me, you're not as good as this shark. It needs a real battle test? It's obviously not as good, right, Ralph?"

Sampson and Ewing have a strange friendship.

In terms of interests and hobbies, the two are not the same, but Ewing wants to befriend him because Sampson is the only center who has beaten him to the point where he has no temper.

Since they are friends, Sampson must speak carefully.

"I think O'Neal has a bigger advantage at the basket, but outside the paint, Patrick has a clear advantage." Sampson said fairly.

"Die laugh!" Louie joked, "Did you hear that, Patrick? You're a seven-foot-tall center as strong as King Kong, forced to shoot outside by this rookie with no feathers. How dare you Are you saying that you are stronger than him?"

Bird once thought, if Louie didn't go, could the Celtics dominate from 1984 to 1992?

Now, he has no illusions.

Whether the Green Army can dominate to this day, let's not say, he is not sure whether he can endure Louis for so many years.

"I understand you, really." Bird looked at Ewing pityingly.

Ewing was so angry with Louis that his face turned blue and purple, and he secretly wrote down O'Neal's name and the team that chose him - Magic, right? Better the **** than me, right? I, Nima, don't beat up this little brat in the regular season, even if Louie is right!

After the second pick, the representative of the Philadelphia 76ers looked relaxed.

They easily picked Ewing's junior, Alonzo Mourning.

Several people from NBC blew it up, and Ewing stood on the platform for his junior: "I think ZO is the real champion. He is much better than O'Neal!"

"Come on, the insiders from Georgetown are all the same shape. You can see what he looks like by looking at what you were like." Louie patted Sampson, "It's this kind of stuff, Ralph uses a It can be crushed with one hand."

Ewing was about to retort, but thinking about Sampson hitting himself like he was playing...

"I admit that he is not Ralph's opponent, but I compare it to O'Neal. Do you dare to say that O'Neal is stronger than him?" Ewing gradually lost his reason.

"Bet me not drinking Coke for a year," Louie said startlingly. "He's no match for a shark at all."

Ewing, Bird, and Sampson all know what it means for Louie to not drink Coke for a year: "Are you serious?"

Bird asked curiously, "What do you want to bet on?"

"Patrick~www.novelmt.com~ If I lose, I won't drink Coke for a year, if I win..." Louis smiled sinisterly, "You are not allowed to accept nightclubs, bars, and underground clubs for one year. special service provided.”

"It's not fair!" Ewing said eloquently. "Drinking Coke is just a hobby. It's a physiological need for me. Can it be the same? You can skip chicken for a year, but can you skip the bathroom for three days?"

Isn't anyone shocked by Ewing's high and low IQ?

Look at this sophistication ability, why can't it be put in front of reporters? Hit hard inside, right?

"Don't you know what Coke means to me?" Louie looked at Ewing in disappointment.

"He didn't forbid you to find a girlfriend. If you lose, you can find a stable girlfriend to solve your physical needs, which can also make your life more stable." Bird laughed wickedly, "But if this **** doesn't drink for a year Coke... no, in three days at most, he jumped off the building."

"Hill bumpkin, where on earth are you standing?"

"QNMD! You don't think I'm on your side, do you?"