On Monday, July 7, 2008, the Orlando Summer League was held in the Maitland area.
Although not open to the public, a large number of sports journalists rushed over.
Only teams, media, and invited guests were allowed to watch, but the curious onlookers were also eager, mainly because this was Derek's first appearance.
Since his bold statements at the Draft, Derek has gained the attention he desired, and more and more commentators began to discuss his pure skill, incidentally comparing him to Lee's Rookie season statistics.
Unlike Rookies from a few years ago, Derek plays as a core point guard, and OJ Mayo, also drafted this year, is the same.
Both have been influenced by Lee's playing style.
During his college career, Derek had a lot of drives to the basket and was excellent at finishing at the rim.
Mayo, on the other hand, was versatile.
He had an excellent shooting touch and could also distribute the ball, easily dishing out 4 assists in a game, known for being "able to score from anywhere on the court."
After Chris and Deron, the Rookie point guards further approached Lee's playing style.
On the day of Derek's highly anticipated debut, his opponent, Michael, was overlooked.
Durant, who was accompanying Thunder in the Summer League, comforted his good brother before the game:
"As long as you can dominate that guy, I swear all the news after the game will be about you!"
The Thunder players in the Summer League all wore white jerseys, which was a significant difference from their Seattle days, and Durant was still somewhat uncomfortable with this.
Seeing the Rookie Russell's excitement, Durant gave his good brother a few more instructions before returning to his own team.
The move was faster than he expected, and the protests from Seattle fans made him feel a bit sad.
During the Chicago Bulls versus Miami Heat game, sports journalists at the scene continuously pressed their shutters, and some were even posting real-time updates on Twitter.
Every time Derek missed a shot, fans expressed disbelief.
With the support of his teammates, Michael completely suppressed Chicago Bulls with his individual performance.
Before the end of the third quarter, Miami Heat was already leading their opponent by a large margin.
As Michael suppressed Derek, Durant, who was watching from the sidelines, felt relieved.
Wearing a Thunder gray T-shirt, he was now also the focus on the court, but the content on his phone attracted him more.
Durant logged into his alternate account and quickly found the desired news on Facebook.
The goddess's personal account posted a "family photo," in which Scarlett was holding the little one and smiling particularly happily:
"New family member!"
The photo was taken in a hospital room.
Last night, Lee welcomed his seventh son.
The related update was posted in the afternoon, and the comment section was once again filled with blessings.
After commenting with his alternate account, Durant also breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the goddess was in good condition and still as beautiful as ever.
He had already changed nearly 10 temporary girlfriends, but unfortunately, he still couldn't find the feeling of their first meeting.
Typing quickly, Durant angrily denounced the comments from brainless fans:
"Stop talking nonsense, marriage will spoil love!"
The good news was that the two were still not married, but the bad news was that they had not broken up and might continue to have more children.
As the game neared its end, the sports journalists present were discussing in hushed tones.
Michael, sitting on the Miami Heat bench, held his head high, a smug smile on his face.
He had dominated this game!
He played only 23 minutes but scored 28 points.
Compared to Derek's 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 turnovers, Michael won big this time.
Associated Press reporters were surprised that Derek performed so poorly.
Although the Summer League had some intensity, it shouldn't have been so difficult to score.
A combo guard should have explosive scoring ability:
"I don't have high hopes for Derek. Rookies nowadays are starting to like to talk big and seek attention. I don't know where they learned it from. No one used to be like this!"
As soon as the white journalist with a beard finished speaking, several people from ESPN on the other side laughed.
The other party was clearly outdated:
"Agents know that getting attention leads to more endorsements, and fans actually prefer these statements. If everyone were like Tim, the NBA Finals ratings would definitely drop again this year."
"He's far from it. Clay Lee was already easily getting double-doubles in '96. Derek is clearly overrated. He can't even handle the Summer League, and there aren't many fans present!"
A TNT reporter was also there, complaining for a bit, and soon someone retorted:
"This is just a regular Summer League game. He just needs to adapt to the game's intensity."
"."
Derek, who was substituted by Thibodeau, was a bit annoyed.
Too much attention made him perform poorly.
In fact, he wanted to play quietly, but his agent told him that he could only get more contracts by getting attention.
As a poor child who grew up in Chicago, Derek craved money.
His brother had sacrificed a lot for him, and after entering the NBA, he just wanted to make money as quickly as possible.
"You're not mature enough when handling the ball. You're too focused on your own performance!"
"This is just a closed Summer League. I want to see your performance beyond scoring. You should understand what I mean."
Thibodeau had already secured the Head Coach position.
To take over the team as quickly as possible, he personally led the team in the Summer League, with one of the main goals being to evaluate Derek.
The Head Coach's words made Derek silent, but he finally nodded vigorously.
Compared to statistics, he should indeed gain the coach's trust as early as possible:
"I will adjust."
The balding Thibodeau showed a kind smile.
He admired Derek.
From a physical talent perspective alone, Lee in his Rookie period couldn't compare to the current Rookie.
He was confident that Derek would transform under his guidance:
"Don't doubt your talent. I witnessed Lee's growth. Your starting point is better than his Rookie period, and I will make sure you successfully fulfill your potential!"
Derek smiled again.
Thibodeau had already told him that he would formulate a strict training plan to make him play like Lee, and he was looking forward to it.
When the game ended, the score was 94:70, with Miami Heat winning by a large margin over Chicago Bulls.
Michael dominated the first overall pick!
"I could actually play even better! More assists, more rebounds. I should have gotten the ball earlier at the start."
"I'm already looking forward to the upcoming games."
Michael boasted about himself.
Winners always get preferential treatment, while Derek, who was also being interviewed on the sidelines, was no longer as frustrated as he had been a few minutes ago:
"We didn't win the game, so I feel I performed very poorly."
"Fortunately, tomorrow is a new day, and I firmly believe I can adjust."
With the Seattle SuperSonics officially relocated, many reporters also gathered around Durant, asking about his feelings on the move.
The Thunder core showed a melancholic expression:
"Personally, I didn't think we would move so quickly. To be honest, I wasn't ready."
"I settled in Seattle, bought a house with my mom, and our whole family moved in together. Without a doubt, Seattle is my home."
"But this is work. I look forward to playing in a new city with new fans. Russell is even better than you imagine, I swear, Oklahoma City fans will love his passion!"
Russell, wearing a Thunder white training uniform, beamed when he heard his partner's words and also took the initiative to speak to the media:
"Things happened very quickly, but I'm very happy to be part of the Thunder family!"
"I want to win with everyone, and these past few days I've even gotten a lot of attention from fans, which is really cool."
Durant was indeed very satisfied with the Defense guard Russell.
He planned to emulate Lee's team-building strategy by accumulating defensive players around him, until he heard the word "leader," which made him frown slightly:
"You are all here to assist me."
"."
On tuesday, July 8, many newspapers' sports sections were abuzz with Derek's poor debut performance.
In an ESPN column article, a commentator soon sarcastically mocked:
"The guy with less than 40% shooting in the NBA Finals claims to be the best player in the league!"
"A Rookie who hasn't played a single game in the league challenges the GOAT."
"NBA, I don't know since when, has become like this: as long as you have a big mouth, you can get extra attention."
Thunder also lost their opening game, but most of the news was about Durant.
The big star still lived with his mom, which made many people drop their jaws.
There was no exciting news in the free agency, so New York fans turned their attention to their own training camp.
In this year's Summer League, there was a special player—Patrick Ewing Jr.
After being selected by Sacramento Kings with the 43rd pick in the second round, New York Knicks spent money to acquire Ewing Jr.
Father and son playing together was not possible, but taking care of a legend's son was something they could do.
Patrick Ewing Jr. was a genuine second-generation player.
Compared to Michael's good sons, Patrick's talent was not particularly outstanding.
But since his father was a Hall of Fame champion center, Patrick received care very early on!
He changed four high schools, and when he entered college, he received an invitation from Indiana University.
He played two seasons, and in 2005, he followed in his father's footsteps back to Georgetown University.
At Georgetown, Patrick wore his father's No. 33 jersey.
Originally, Mourning was the last player to wear No. 33, but as the son of a good brother, he could naturally get permission easily.
In his senior year, he won the Big East Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
Although Patrick's abilities were mediocre, he still received praise for his maturity and stability.
Next week is the Las Vegas Summer League, and some New York onlookers are planning to go and see, and incidentally confirm whether Patrick Ewing Jr. will inherit his father's number!
As for competitiveness, it has been relegated to second place.
Everyone just wants to see Patrick Ewing Jr. play.
In a way, this second-round pick is the biggest "star" in the Summer League.
New York Knicks also didn't give up on this free publicity.
After the Draft, MSG gossiped about the training camp every day.
Over a week, it truly felt like a basketball reality show, and fans in front of their TVs were thoroughly entertained!
Since Serge Ibaka won't be playing in the NBA next season, and Timofey Mozgov, selected 30th in the second round, also chose to play in Russia, there's only one Rookie left this year:
The Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament—Mario Chalmers from the University of Kansas.
In the Orlando Rookie training camp, MOP Chalmers performed poorly, overshadowed by the excellent performance of George Hill.
On the New York Knicks' side, Jeff Nix, who is in charge of college scouting, highly praised Hill, which led the New York Media to become mindlessly enthusiastic, heavily promoting the Magnificent Seven who had already made a name for themselves in high school.
At the NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs quietly selected George Hill with the 20th pick, which angered New York reporters, who constantly made sarcastic remarks, while the 30th pick, the MOP, became a nobody after being drafted.
When Chalmers, full of joy, arrived to report to the team, he saw a large number of cameras and thought his hardships were finally over, but he didn't expect that these people were focused on the 'Second Generation'!
Chalmers, who believed his talent was overlooked, causing him to fall to the 30th spot, saw this situation and turned into a sour lemon in less than a week.
At 8 AM, at the Tarrytown Training Center, a large number of New York reporters and MSG staff were in the parking lot preparing to film, and upon seeing that familiar Cadillac SUV, everyone became energized.
Ewing Jr. barely inherited his father's height.
At 24 years old, he's a true older Rookie.
His 2.03-meter height allows him to be a forward swingman, but unfortunately, his talent is mediocre, making it difficult for him to even be the 15th man.
Ewing Jr., stepping out of the car, first revealed his'superstar face,' then carefully closed the car door, faced the camera, smiled, and politely greeted:
"Good morning, gentlemen!"
This large SUV was a gift from Lee to little Ewing for entering the NBA.
After modification, it is not only bulletproof but also powerful, with a luxurious interior.
Though it's called a used car, it's impossible to buy.
Not long ago, little Ewing educated everyone about the gift 'Uncle Lee' gave him, which made the spectators in front of their TVs exclaim in delight, confirming that Lee's car was indeed not as simple as it appeared.
Chalmers, who had arrived at the training camp earlier, watched the second-round pick surrounded by cameras and muttered a sour curse.
In college, he was the protagonist, but now he can't even compare to an older second-round pick.
"Damn it! How many days have they been filming! What's so good about this? What's so attractive about this guy..."
Gary Neal will participate in the Summer League.
As a 'veteran' who has played for the New York Knicks for a season, he shrugged indifferently upon seeing the Rookie so sour:
"This is New York. There's no shortage of excellent players here. The best basketball players on Earth play here!"
"Fans like him for a simple reason: he has a Hall of Fame champion center as a father and can call the Goat 'Uncle Lee.'"
Chalmers, of course, knew all this, but he was the MOP, and the NBA in his imagination was completely different from reality:
"I can call him 'Uncle Lee' too!"
"..."
Seeing Chalmers' desire to claim kinship, Gary Neal's eye twitched slightly.
He also felt that the current basketball environment was somewhat abstract, and New York fans' focus was always unique.
Filming began in the cafeteria, and the entire atmosphere team looked enviously at Patrick Ewing Jr.
The Second Generation player was truly infuriating!
The filming content mainly covered players' diets, morning video and training sessions, afternoon scrimmage, and finally, the coaching staff would select the best player of the day.
Interspersed throughout were player team formations, with Patrick Ewing Jr. clearly being the team leader, gaining unanimous approval from his teammates, and everyone actively creating opportunities for him.
Mike Malone, as the Head Coach of the Summer League, never expected the team to play such tricks this year, leaving him stunned.
If his acting hadn't been up to par, he would have almost ended the 'clumsy performance' on day one.
When the day's training sessions were all over, Patrick Ewing Jr., wearing the New York Knicks' white training jersey, didn't win the best player of the day but applauded Chalmers.
"Mario played very well! I like his performance on Defense. Remember, to establish yourself in the NBA, Defense is the most important thing."
Chalmers, praised by the Head Coach, stood in front of everyone, trying hard to control his facial expression, but upon seeing little Ewing leading the applause, his mood soured again.
After the training session, returning to his seat on the sidelines, little Ewing was drenched in sweat.
He was very satisfied with today's performance, and MSG would show his stylish dunk tonight:
"I'm starting to look forward to the Summer League next week. This is the beginning of everything!"
"I don't want to embarrass my father, nor do I want to let down Uncle Lee's expectations for me. I want to make them proud of me..."
The camera clearly captured the resolute gaze on little Ewing's dark face.
This was the 'Son of a Superstar,' who, despite mediocre talent, was extremely hardworking.
Watching the MSG reporters scramble for interviews, Chalmers, who was doing an ice pack nearby, grimaced in jealousy.
In the subsequent programs, it was highly likely he wouldn't have much screen time.
The Second Generation bastard had stolen his spotlight!
On Wednesday, July 9th, the NBA announced early that the moratorium period had ended and set the salary cap for the 2008-09 season at $58.68 million.
Exceeding $71.15 million would incur a luxury tax, the mid-level exception was $5.585 million, and the team minimum salary was $44.01 million.
Philadelphia's sports media was the first to jump out and announce good news to the vast number of fans: they had reached a deal with Elton Brand last night, and 'The Captain' would lead the 76ers to rise again!
Chicago Bulls fans were a bit numb.
The Associated Press reported that Derrick Rose had right knee tendinitis and would miss the rest of the Summer League.
In recent years, the only player who suffered an injury before officially entering the league was Greg Oden from the previous draft.
Rose's injury caused Chicago's sports media to feel anxious.
After Lee returned to Manhattan from Washington, he had been taking care of the succubus during this time.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, successfully taking another step towards the 'Lee Family Football Team.'
The townhouse in Manhattan is very close to the hospital, and Melinda also goes there when she has time.
Only Kim still has to go to work.
Recently, the South District Federal Prosecutor's Office has been particularly busy, and there have been severe internal turbulences.
At the dining table, Kim, in a blue professional suit, guzzled juice.
Seeing Lee bring over freshly cooked fried eggs, she rolled her eyes annoyed, then ate heartily.
"You look much better, my dear. You need to rest appropriately. You're going to resign anyway..."
"Yesterday we didn't sleep until 2 AM!"
Kim, with her hair tied in a ponytail, looked up and interrupted Lee, her face slightly flushed at his suggestive gaze.
Sometimes, she found it hard to control her body.
"Do you want me to go with you to St. Michaels? I don't like Cheney's family gatherings. The Secretary of State doesn't like you."
In recent years, there has been almost one 'family gathering' annually.
Ever since Cheney's health worsened and she was attacked last year, her eldest daughter began organizing them.
Kim went once and had a bad impression of her.
Lee, taking off his apron, walked behind Kim, helped her tidy her blonde hair, and then whispered:
"Now they are the ones who need us. They are all afraid, afraid that Cheney's heart won't last for a few more years, afraid of losing the power in their hands. Senator, she has no chance at all."
"It's a good opportunity to get you a speech slot at the Republican Party convention, so everyone can have a deeper impression of you!"
After Axe Capital earned a large profit, people had already started sending money.
The company spent 8 years completing its transformation, and Lee was very satisfied with this, successfully outlasting the old man who helped them.
And as time passed, Lee and the other young people would likely become increasingly wealthy, while the other party's influence began to decline.
Time was on their side.
"Governor?"
Lee didn't answer the question, only kissed the somewhat puzzled blonde girl, and at the same time, envisioned the future:
"If needed, we still have to get married. Don't voters all like happy and complete families? And we need to have another girl, and the whole family will campaign for you together."
Melinda, yawning and wearing only underwear, squeezed to the dining table.
Hearing Lee's words, she immediately laughed:
"What if everyone likes independent women? Do you still want a divorce? What a scoundrel. Which state allows more wives? My dear, you should donate a sum of money in advance."
Watching the blonde girl, who had her chest on the dining table, speak more and more outrageously, Kim rolled her eyes at both of them, quickly ate her breakfast, and then grabbed her suit, intending to leave.
Only after being hugged by Lee did she voluntarily kiss him.
Melinda looked at her slender back and couldn't help but exclaim:
"Kim's butt is getting rounder and rounder!"
Lee prepared two more breakfasts.
After turning on the TV, the Good Morning America program was just broadcasting news about the United States Mens National Basketball Team:
"The hardest-working player is on the move. Kobe Bryant postponed his surgery after the NBA Finals loss, and he arrived in Las Vegas yesterday. He is the earliest to arrive at the training camp among the summoned players."
"..."
Kobe, who woke up early to go to the University of Las Vegas, was also enjoying the attention of the sports media.
Upon arriving at the training facility, he didn't answer those boring questions but instead faced the camera and said forcefully:
"If anyone doesn't want to train hard, don't come to the national team!"
"We've been humiliated in the past few years. Now my only goal is a gold medal!"
...
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)