LRAB Chapter 3 Signing
Chapter 3 Signing
Seattle in June was shrouded in a fine mist and rain as the city in the Pacific Northwest underwent a complex transformation in the summer of 2007.
The technology industry is booming, with Microsoft headquartered in nearby Redmond and Amazon’s expansion plans changing the skyline of the South Lake Union District. But Boeing, the traditional aircraft manufacturer, moved its headquarters to Chicago in 2001, leaving behind only massive production facilities and an industrial legend.
The city's social atmosphere is also undergoing subtle changes. The air is thick with the scent of coffee culture and technological innovation, fishmongers at Pike Place Market still hawk their wares, and the Space Needle still stands, but the future of the Seattle SuperSonics is shrouded in uncertainty.
The Seattle SuperSonics' history dates back to 1967, the year the NBA expanded and Seattle received its team license. Over the past four decades, the team has experienced both triumphs and setbacks: in 1979, led by Jack Sikma, Gus Williams, and Dennis Johnson, they won their only championship; in the 1990s, with the "Glove and Rain Man" duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, they became a Western Conference powerhouse, reaching the NBA Finals in 1996, only to be defeated by Michael Jordan's Bulls dynasty.
However, the SuperSonics were facing a crisis at this time. Since being acquired by Oklahoma City businessman Clayton Bennett for $3.5 million in 2006, the team's future had been shrouded in uncertainty. Bennett had always wanted to move the team to his hometown of Oklahoma, and although he publicly promised to work hard to keep the team in Seattle, preparations for the relocation were already underway behind the scenes.
The current general manager, Sam Presti, is only 30 years old, making him the second youngest team general manager in NBA history. He is a young talent from the Spurs system and is known for his accurate drafting vision and data analysis ability.
Head coach PJ Carlesimo is an experienced veteran coach who has coached teams such as the Trail Blazers and Warriors. He is known for his strict discipline and defensive philosophy. After 00, he served as an assistant coach for Popovich in the Spurs, so he can be considered a member of the Spurs system.
The reason why the coach and general manager are both from the Spurs system is because owner Clayton and Bennett were once major shareholders of the Spurs, and these people are the team he brought over.
Du Xiaoshuai's black sedan drove into downtown Seattle, rain streaming down the windows, blurring the city's outline and making it appear melancholic.
The SuperSonics' training facility is located in the team's training center in Renton, about a half-hour drive from downtown Seattle. When Durant, his mother Wanda, and his agent Rich Kleiman arrived, team general manager Sam Presti personally greeted them at the arena entrance. He wore a simple gray suit, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses gleamed with the sharpness of an analyst.
"Kevin, welcome to Supersonic." Presti's handshake was firm and brief, and his words were concise: "Boss Clayton Bennett came especially to greet you today and is already waiting inside."
"Thank you very much for your sincerity, Sam." Durant knew what the other party wanted to express, and led his men into the arena with Presti.
As Durant walked into the training facility corridor, the first thing he noticed was the SuperSonics team history photos hanging on the wall: the moment of winning the championship in 1979, Shawn Kemp's dunk, and Gary Payton's defense.
These images and patterns record the glory of a team, although they may look somewhat monotonous.
"Welcome, Kevin!" a voice came from the doorway.
Clayton Bennett stood at the entrance to the training facility office, the Oklahoma Group billionaire dressed in a smart suit, his deep-set eyes smiling.
"Thank you, it's an honor to play for the SuperSonics, Mr. Bennett."
Du Xiaoshuai lifted his two-meter-long legs and hurriedly stepped forward to shake hands, displaying the physique of a hard-working man, showing no disdain for his boss who was a son-in-law of a wealthy family.
As a pure SGA hater in later generations, Du Xiaoshuai once studied the opponent's path to the championship and was fed so many playoff calls that he almost threw up.
The reason why the joke was given a chance was not only because he was bad, stupid and playful, and the new players in the league at that time were indeed of varying quality, but the more practical reason was that the boss behind the other party had great influence.
Putting aside Bennett's father-in-law's media empire, this guy himself was a member of the Spurs' board of directors in the league a long time ago, and was once a major shareholder of the Spurs. It's possible that Bennett was able to rise to power later because of his votes.
Capitalism is all about how interpersonal relationships work. The reason it's not as obvious these days is because old Stern still has some control.
Putting aside what happened later, Bennett now wields considerable influence within the league.
Otherwise, how could they afford a supersonic car? And why did they move its license plate from one of the top ten most livable cities in the US to this godforsaken village of Oklahoma?
How many of these are backroom deals?
Therefore, after Durant arrived at the SuperSonics, he never thought of stopping the team from relocating.
There's no point in stopping it; just stand there and make your money first. If you're unhappy later, you can simply walk away.
As for one person, one city?
Stop joking. If you were transported to this world, you wouldn't take it seriously either.
My wife is going to Los Angeles for a concert tonight! The kids are going to a prestigious school in the morning, and we've already bought a house in the school district! And I want to go to a nightclub to find a brothel and hook up with Hollywood actresses. What the hell am I supposed to do here in Oklahoma?
Do you use helicopters for transportation?
is it safe?
Don't be ridiculous, people play basketball for the money, sentimentality is nothing!
"Kevin, I've watched your college basketball videos, you were great. I look forward to seeing how you perform in the league in the future," Bennett said with a smile.
"I won't let you down. I'll bring my talent to Seattle." Durant rubbed his hands together, looking at the basketball hoops in the arena, and suddenly said to owner Bennett and head coach PJ Carlesimo, "I haven't touched a basketball for several days, and I'm itching to get back to playing. Please allow me to indulge in these skills. You know, basketball has always been my life!"
"Of course." Bennett nodded with a smile, a playful look on his face. Was he trying to give himself some leverage before signing the contract?
As a league director and team owner, he has seen too many exceptionally talented players, but there are very few confident rookies who dare to show off their skills in front of him like this.
The newly hired white head coach, PJ Carlesimo, was already standing on the sidelines, gesturing to his assistant to set up the training equipment. He crossed his arms over his chest and wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking just like Colonel Sanders.
But this coach P.J. and Phil Jackson have completely different coaching styles. Coming from the Spurs system, he inherited Larry Brown's harshness and Popovich's sharp tongue. He was known as the "Screaming Coach" on the court and in training. In 97, he was seriously injured when he was elbowed in the throat by a player during a Warriors practice.
There's an underlying pattern in the NBA: Black coaches are better at developing rookies, while white coaches are better at coaching superstars. Of course, coaching superstars does make it easier to achieve results.
To be honest, Durant wasn't a big fan of this old white coach. He was practically a tanking machine, yet Durant's rookie season record was still among the worst in the league. In his previous life, the team started the 08-09 season with a 1-12 record and was close to getting the number one draft pick. This was related to the team's relocation at the time, but P.J.'s coaching ability was definitely questionable.
Coach P.J. had some past relationship with the owner when he was with the Spurs, so he'll have to make do for now since he's new here.
"Let's start with the basic physical tests," Carlesimo's loud voice echoed in the empty training hall.
After changing into his training clothes and warming up, Durant followed his assistant's instructions and obtained the latest physical test data:
身高测量：裸足6英尺9.76英寸（约2.075米），穿鞋6英尺11英寸（2.11米）——比选秀前体测时又长了半英寸。
Arm span measurement: 7 feet 7 inches (approximately 2.27 meters). The surveyor confirmed the measurement three times before writing the number down on the record sheet.
Standing reach: 9 feet 5 inches (approximately 2.82 meters)
Vertical jump in place: 2.5 feet (76.0 centimeters)
Approaching vertical jump: 3.17 feet (96.5 centimeters)
Baseline shuttle run: 11.51 seconds
3/4 sprint (22.86 meters): 2.99 seconds
Weight: 98 kg / 216 lbs
Body fat percentage: 6.6%
Hand length: 9.75 inches / 24.8 cm
Hand width: 11.25 inches / 28.6 cm
The dynamic talent display did not reach the panel limit, but it was already exaggerated enough. He sprinted into the two-second zone in 3/4 of the game, which is the exclusive domain of speed-type guards.
Upon seeing the newly released summary report, Presti and Carlesimo exchanged a glance. Apart from not doing the bench press, his terrifying static and dynamic talents had improved significantly since the previous tryouts.
Next comes actual contact with the basketball and shooting.
Durant stood beyond the three-point line. The trainer began passing the ball.
First group, mid-to-long range shooting in the bull's horn area: 49 out of 50 shots, shooting faster and faster.
The second group of high-post long-range shots: 48 out of 50 shots made, with a high release point and a high arc.
The third group, corner three-pointers: 18 of 20 shots made, with the three missed shots hitting the back of the rim.
The fourth group, 45-degree angle three-pointers: 18 out of 20 shots made, the only miss was when the foot stepped on the line while shooting.
Group 5, Three-pointers from the top of the arc: 20 out of 20.
After a brief test, Du Xiaoshuai felt he hadn't fully unleashed his potential, especially with his initial mid-range shots.
But it doesn't matter to the team's management anymore; this is already a monster-level shooting percentage!
Especially his three-point shooting. With such a tall stature, he can be a cannon fodder outside the three-point line without the ball. There is indeed one player like this on the team, Rashard Lewis, but he may not be as accurate.
But Du Xiaoshuai is just a rookie who hasn't signed a contract yet!
Is space his limit?
Next up is ball handling practice.
Crossover dribbling, behind-the-back dribbling, feint step, Euro step, triple threat, spin move, between-the-legs dribble, obstacle course, physical contact—the 1.8-meter-tall trainer was toyed with like a wooden stake.
The first time the defender tried to close in, Durant simply used a crossover to gain a half-body advantage and made a pull-up jumper.
The second defender gave Durant a step and a half of space, and Durant jumped directly, releasing the ball before the defender could close in. The ball swished through the net.
The third time, they brought in a trainer who was about two meters tall with long arms, trying to disrupt Du Xiaoshuai's vision. Du Xiaoshuai received the ball with his back to the basket, executed a smooth turn and fadeaway, and the defender could only watch as the basketball arced high into the net.
He then completed several "killer crossovers" followed by pull-up jump shots, each move clean and crisp.
A 100% success rate on contested shots, even more impressive than open shots!
For a player who is nearly 7 feet tall, such ball control is almost unprecedented. But what is even more terrifying is Durant's condition. It seems that he has not touched a ball for several days. His dribbling and shooting are very relaxed, giving people the illusion of being at ease. However, it is becoming more and more silky, as if he is breathing without thinking. But it is precisely this instinctive ease that makes the opponent feel hopeless and helpless!
The supersonic executives, who were watching from the sidelines, felt full of hope!
What kind of template talent monster is this?
It was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of offense that shocked team owner Bennett!
Are all the scouts eating shit this year? Or have they all been bribed by Oden?!
Why can't someone with this kind of talent compete for the top score?
Just because he's too thin?
Didn't complete the 80kg bench press? Is the bench press important in basketball?
As a member of the league's board of directors and the owner of a team with the best eye for future draft picks, he's not some clueless idiot. The offensive talent Durant displayed in less than half an hour was practically epoch-making!
How do you defend against this guy on offense?
There are those who are as good as him but not as accurate, and those who are as accurate but not as good as him—no, there's no one in the league who's more accurate than him; they're at most on the same level.
There are people taller than him but not as fast, and those who are fast, well, there aren't many who are faster than him.
Those taller than him can't dribble as well as him, and those with better dribbling skills are definitely not as tall as him...
In a one-on-one fight, he's unbeatable; in a team fight, his teammates can easily take on 4v3...
Even though the league's current defensive rules greatly limit the performance of players like Kevin Durant, these limitations actually apply to other types of players as well.
So, the current second overall pick already possesses an offense that's in a league unmatched?
It's not that Bennett is making a fuss over nothing. Before that zebra descended upon San Antonio, the ideal player for this kind of spider-like forward, capable of playing both inside and outside, switching freely with and without the ball, and having both mid-range and three-point shots, was Durant!
More importantly, Du Xiaoshuai, who was still a rookie at the time, had already evolved to his full potential!
"We've finally struck gold!" Bennett smiled with satisfaction, clapped and nodded vigorously, and gave General Manager Presti a wink.
He was eager to sign the contract!
Presti nodded almost imperceptibly, quite excited. He had just become general manager and already encountered such a promising talent—a perfect start!
A simple training session further solidified the team's policy of focusing on Du Xiaoshuai as the core.
For decades afterward, General Manager Sam Presti would often reminisce about his initial high spirits upon taking office and the towering figure he once held in high esteem...
Beside the pitch, Carlesimo's head coach P.J. was also a bit stunned. With his boss in front of him, it was a small trial, and he was only responsible for hosting. He didn't have the opportunity to show off his dolphin-like vocals, but he was still quite shocked.
Having served as Popovich's assistant coach for several years with the Spurs, as a senior coach, he had witnessed Duncan win more than one or two championships using the traditional way of playing.
In his mind, the most perfect and greatest player is probably like Duncan: he entered the league as a complete player with solid fundamentals, maxed-out physical talent, top-notch offensive talent, maxed-out defensive talent, maxed-out execution, maxed-out teamwork, and super stable mentality—in a word, "amazing"!
Sometimes he envied his boss Popovich, who seemed to think that simply keeping him tied to the sidelines would make breaking through the first round a breeze.
As for the championship, it's not impossible to win it!
Who doesn't dream of being a champion?!
This rookie is a completely different level compared to Duncan. His physical talent is at its peak, and his offensive talent is practically overflowing. Judging from our conversation just now, he seems quite mature, and like Duncan when he entered the league, these talents seem ready to be realized at any time. As long as his defense and execution can keep up, he might be another answer to basketball.
The pressure is on!
Sometimes, when a team has too many outstanding players, the pressure on the management and coaching staff comes from the roster.
He originally planned to hold off for a year in the new season...
"Great performance! Kevin, we know what you want, you will be the cornerstone of our team," Bennett said, looking intently at Durant as he approached. "I promise the team will rebuild around your vision."
Wanda and her agent behind him showed expressions of joy. Du Xiaoshuai wiped his sweat and said thank you, "Thank you, boss. You won't regret your decision today."
Durant didn't make too many promises, whether it's the playoffs or winning the championship, it's too far off now.
Putting aside his physical attributes, Durant himself is not the kind of player who regards basketball as his supreme faith.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary working man. If it weren't for the fan system in this life, and the fact that the body he transmigrated into had such great basketball talent, he might not have had to pursue basketball.
If I had to describe it, Durant's mentality at this moment was very similar to that of his neighbor, A-Tan. He was indeed pursuing the championship and didn't care about the means, but basketball itself was just a stepping stone to his success.
Of course, this doesn't stop Coach Du from appreciating players who are committed to a pure basketball persona, as long as they are putting it into practice.
The signing room was set up in the conference room of the training center. Photos of past SuperSonics stars hung on the walls, and three thick draft contracts were laid out on the long conference table.
Bennett, Presti, and Carlesimo sat on one side, while Durant and Rich Kleiman sat on the other.
Outside the window, the rain in Seattle continued to fall relentlessly.
"Kevin, we're ready to offer you a rookie max contract," Presti said bluntly. "Four years, $2190 million guaranteed, a team option for the fourth year, plus standard rookie incentives—bonuses for All-Star selection, All-NBA selection, winning MVP, etc."
Ricky Kleiman leaned forward slightly, took the contract, and began to flip through it with a professional expression.
Presti, unfazed, continued, "What are your thoughts on the jersey numbers within the team?"
The SuperSonics have a long history and many legends, but a significant portion of them aren't very well-known. Only the players who reached the Finals in the 1990s are still remembered, but they're almost all retired.
After thinking for a moment, Du Xiaoshuai followed the original owner's wishes and said, "I want to choose jersey number 35."
This is one of the few sentiments he still holds.
After searching through his notebook, Presti didn't ask too many questions. He simply nodded and said, "Okay, the team's previous number 35 jersey was worn by Paulo Silas. Of course, he has left the team, so you can use it."
......
The signing went very smoothly, with the final contract settling on a four-year, $2310 million deal. The guaranteed amount reached the maximum allowed for a rookie contract, and the contract allows for early extensions after the third year, along with a series of Bird rights incentives based on individual accolades and team performance.
After the signing was completed, Presti added, "The league headquarters needs to confirm the draft trade. Jeff Green, the fifth overall pick this year, will arrive in Seattle tomorrow to sign the contract. We will hold our routine rookie signing press conference the day after tomorrow, and you all need to come. I will send the specific time and address information to your agents."
Du Xiaoshuai nodded, stood up, and shook hands and hugged the boss and head coach.
......