Chapter 355 Ask him to interview me, how can I answer it?
In Lu Yu's previous life, whenever the loyalty of the NBA league was mentioned, people would think of Kobe, Nowitzki, Duncan and Stockton, who completed the feat of "one man, one city for nineteen years" in their careers.
Among them, Kobe played for the Lakers for 20 seasons, and Nowitzki played for the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons. However, there is still a one-man, one-city player in the league, and he is the soul of the Miami Heat - Haslem.
Haslem participated in the 2002 draft. Because he was only 2.03 meters tall and weighed 100 kilograms, he played in the post. He neither had Yao Ming's shooting height nor Stoudemire's muscles and explosiveness. As a result, all teams were not optimistic about Haslem.
In the end, Haslem unfortunately lost the draft and had no choice but to go overseas to play.
In his previous life, he successfully signed with the Miami Heat in 2003 and became teammates with Wade, the fifth pick of the year, to start his NBA career.
But this time, he has not returned from overseas.
He also wants to come back, but no team has ever been optimistic about him.
Lu Yu has never found a suitable candidate in the free market list, but when he was on the phone with the old captain Casey Green, he learned that Haslem, who played several games with them in the NCAA that year, was still there.
Anonymous overseas.
No wonder I haven't seen his name on the free market.
Haslem is one of the most famous undrafted players in Lu Yu's memory. He is not tall but plays both the power forward and center positions. His defense is extremely fierce, and he has been with the Miami Heat for one player and one city.
You must know that it is not easy for one person to occupy a city in the Heat.
The big-cheeked guy couldn't bear to be like that. He might as well have been ruthlessly plotted by Lai Li and was eventually driven to the Bulls. James played brother basketball for four seasons. When he saw something was wrong, he ran away.
Only two people died a good death with the Heat.
One is Bosh. Pat Laili has no chance to recruit him. After the contract was given, Bosh was found to be ill. At this time, he said, "I won't give you the contract. You are a fucking useless person. It's pure fraud."
And then go to court?
Even if they go to court, the Heat will still lose or lose.
So Laili just wanted to be a favor, and maybe if Bosh was moved, he could take the initiative to return part of his salary or something. Of course, Bosh was moved, but if he wanted to return the money, there was no way.
The other one is Haslem.
Apart from being disliked by the fans, Haslem is fine in other aspects. He is a qualified blue-collar man who is willing to do all the dirty work of rebounding and defense.
The most important thing is that in the past two years in Europe, he has also developed a mid-range shot.
Players with mid-range shots are particularly important for Lu Yu. Whether Lu Yu plays outside or inside, there must be a player in the high position who can shoot from mid-range. Otherwise, the congestion in the penalty area will make Lu Yu uncomfortable.
When Lu Yu told D'Antoni that he thought Haslem was good, D'Antoni's expression was exactly the same as that of current Suns owner Colangelo.
Who is this guy?
So D'Antoni asked someone to contact Haslem: "Hello, I am Mike D'Antoni, the head coach of the Suns. Lu Yu said that you have met before and he likes your playing style very much. I hope you can come to the team to try out."
Train once."
"Fuck you, you liar."
Haslem hung up the phone directly.
He didn't believe that the Suns would take a fancy to him, and he didn't believe that Lu Yu would appoint him. As for why the liar knew that Lu Yu knew him, stop making trouble. All fools knew that they had played against each other in college.
A few days ago, he also received a scammer claiming that he was Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley...
In the past two years in Europe, although he really wanted to return to the United States to play, he knew that it was very difficult, and when did the team need to call the head coach personally when looking for players?
For a small character like him, if a staff member is arranged to call him, he will go there without any hesitation.
After a while, his cell phone rang and it was an unfamiliar number.
"Udonis, I am Lu Yu..."
"He's a fucking liar, and a serial liar." Haslem didn't believe Lu Yu would call him at all. Lu Yu is now the top star in the NBA, but he is just an undrafted player who can't even play in the NBA.
Small role on.
"Wait, don't hang up the phone."
Lu Yu on the other side of the phone said quickly: "In that game, I beat your teammates, and you quietly helped me stop the others, right?"
Haslem was stunned for a moment.
In fact, many people didn't notice this detail. Reporters never reported it. Even many teammates at the time didn't notice Haslem's actions. At that time, Haslem just didn't want his teammates to get injured.
But anyone who can tell this detail is at least... not an ordinary liar.
Haslem decided to listen to what the other party had to say.
"I know that even if I say this, you may not believe me. Do you still have contact with Matt Bonner? You can ask him if this number is my mobile phone number, and my captain Casey,
He recommended you to me a few days ago, and you also have his number, so you can check with him."
Haslem was really stunned this time: "Wait for me for two minutes."
After hanging up the phone, he wrote down the number displayed on the phone and called Bonner: "Matt, do you know Lu Yu's number?"
"Of course, the players from our NCAA class also had parties together, what happened?" Bonner asked.
"He may be looking for me, but I'm not sure it's him. I'll give you a number and you can help me see if it's his."
Immediately afterwards, Haslem reported his mobile phone number, and after receiving confirmation from Bonner, his breathing began to become rapid.
"Brother, I might... I might want to play in the NBA!"
"Really? Congratulations, which team is it? It can't be Phoenix, right?"
"Yes, it's probably Phoenix. Wait, do you have a phone number from Heat coach Pat Riley?"
"have."
"Forget it, I can't find the call record here. I'd better contact Lu Yu directly. Let me tell you this first, man, when I really enter the NBA, I will definitely treat you to a big meal."
Haslem quickly hung up the phone. If Laili knew that he missed the opportunity to sign Haslem just because there was no call record, he would probably faint in the bathroom crying.
Soon, Haslem called Lu Yu. He did not go to Casey to confirm, because Bonner's confirmation alone was enough.
"Lu, I'm really sorry. I don't have your number. You know, I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter."
"Are you here to invite me to try out with the Suns? I just rejected the invitation of head coach D'Antoni a few days ago. I'm so stupid. He must be the real head coach. Why did I refuse such a job opportunity?"
Damn it, I should find an agent, I may have lost too many job opportunities because I was alone."
Lu Yu listened quietly to his ramble.
This was a sign of someone's excitement, and Lu Yu understood it very well.
Haslem has been wandering in Europe for two years, and no one is more eager to return home than him.
"Lu, are you really going to invite me to join the Suns?"
He finally finished speaking and repeated the question he just asked.
"No, I'm not inviting you to join the Suns."
Lu Yu's words made Haslem, who was still excited just now, feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"Ah... you didn't invite me. Did I make a mistake? Oh my God, it's so disappointing. I'm sorry, Lu Yu. I'm not blaming you. I just thought wrong. I was too excited.
I'm sorry, I need some time to calm down." Haslem was extremely frustrated.
Lu Yu on the other end of the phone said unhurriedly: "What I mean is that you need to sign with an agency first, such as the one I own. With an agent, you can better negotiate the contract amount with the Suns.
"
"What?"
Haslem didn't react a bit: "You mean... Haha, Lu, I love you to death. I'm going to sign the contract now. You'll be waiting for me in Phoenix."
He was so excited that he almost cried.
"Let's go to Spokane first. I'm going back to Spokane in a few days."
Lu Yu's agency is headquartered in Spokane. Although the city's agencies are underdeveloped, with them here, many talented high school players are willing to come to Gonzaga every year.
It can be regarded as a kind of reward from Lu Yu to his alma mater.
Of course, this return is a two-way benefit.
The reason why I want to go back to Spokane this time is because Bellucci is about to give birth. People in Phoenix are very distracted and have many inconveniences. But in Spokane, the paparazzi there are supported by Luyu Media Company.
The only problem is that Jessica will definitely have a hard time for a few days.
It's strange to say that it stands to reason that I had the most to gain from Theron, Hathaway and Alba, but they didn't get pregnant. It was Bellucci who had the baby first.
When everything was arranged, Lu Yu came to Phoenix with Haslem, who had become his player.
During the trial, Haslem performed well, especially his screens, which were of high quality. Even Nash was full of praise for them. Except that his speed down the line was not as good as the Suns' previous inside core Amar'e Stoudemire, in other aspects
Not bad at all, not to mention he also has an extra mid-range shot, making his offensive routine more diverse.
D'Antoni was pleased with his performance.
Soon, Haslem reached a two-year contract with the Suns. As a result, the Suns' core lineup has been completed.
Immediately following is the makeup photo shoot for the new season, the press conference and the public training session.
After taking the makeup photos and discussing within the team, it was decided to make a poster of the starting five together. Lu Yu stood in the C position, next to Nash, Richardson, Marion and Haslem.
When the poster was made, head coach D'Antoni finally figured out the problem that had been bothering him.
He had been struggling with the issue of who should play center in this lineup before. He originally wanted to let Haslem play, but Haslem is not tall. He can play center occasionally and make a guest appearance. If he really has the upper hand in the paint, it will probably be very difficult.
Effortless.
There was always a voice in his heart that asked Lu Yu to play center forward, but he didn't dare to say it.
When Lu Yu was measured this time, his height was measured at 215cm, which is definitely enough to play center. The question is, is Lu Yu willing?
What surprised him was that when he found Lu Yu and expressed his thoughts, he didn't expect that Lu Yu actually agreed. How did he know that Cartwright was the power forward who begged him to play last season, and he also played well?
Happy.
From then on, he had a goal.
To be a man who truly goes from one to five in the league!
Now D'Antoni's request is exactly what he wants.
The key is Lu Yu's running and jumping ability, which is definitely the best in the league. Starting from the start and bombing will simply make the opponent despair, okay?
Of course, the premise is that the team members can successfully adapt.
Lu Yu plays center, and he has to pull out Stoudemire for comparison. Unlike Haslem, Haslem may not be as good as Stoudemire physically, but Lu Yu can crush Stoudemire.
The existence of Demier Street.
When the team has a player like Lu Yu who can run fast breaks, shoot three-pointers, and hit hard inside.
Why do we have to limit our tactics to one type?
D'Antoni suddenly felt very sad, because he didn't know other tactics. He had been studying this all these years. It would be better if other tactics were simple. After all, those were basic skills, but he couldn't master the more complicated ones.
So at the beginning of the new season, it will still be mainly about running and gunning.
For the rest, just learn as you go.
After Lu Yu agreed to play center, he felt like a heavy burden was on his shoulders. In the past, he could just use a set of run-and-gun tactics to get by, but now that Lu Yu is here, it can't be justified to continue to do so.
That guy Cartwright, he and Lu Yu can win a championship together.
Got two more!
Why can't I do it myself?
D'Antoni knows all too well how much a championship has a huge impact on a coach's worth. There are basically two levels of head coaches whether they have a championship or not.
In Lu Yu's previous life, although George Karl was also the coach of Qian Sheng, his historical status was much lower than that of Jackson and Popovich.
He didn't know if he was just wishful thinking.
But any coach who has a player like Lu Yu who once dominated the league, or even Lu Yu who is only in his early twenties, cannot help but have wishful thinking.
When you have Lu Yu, these are no longer infatuations, right?
It's a pity that D'Antoni has never heard that song, otherwise he would definitely sing loudly: "My future is not a dream..."
However, reality soon dealt him a heavy blow.
At the team's new season press conference a few days later, a reporter directly asked him a heart-wrenching question: "Coach D'Antoni, is the team's starting lineup already so damaged? Do you want Lu Yu to come in?"
Playing center? And the team’s bench, if it’s the worst bench in the league, I think you won’t have any objections, right?”
D'Antoni looked at the reporter resentfully.
Who the hell let this in? Can we still have a pleasant chat?
How can I answer this question if he asks me to interview him?
Do I have to say, yes, you are right, our substitutes are really bad, we don't want to play well this season, we just want to mess around and see if we can make it into the playoffs.
D'Antoni doesn't know if he will be beaten by fans if he says this.
But he will definitely be beaten by the substitute players in the team.
