Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 432: Chapter 368: Miller

A van drove along Highway 26 in Phoenix City.

Inside, Reggie Miller lowered his head slightly, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.

The traffic ahead began to build, and the van slowed down.

Miller’s gaze swept past an office building. A massive promotional poster was hanging on its side.

O’Neal and Hardaway were front and center, with the entire Phoenix Suns team assembled behind them. Right in the middle was an O’Brien Champion Trophy.

At the top was a giant number 2!

The implication was clear: the Phoenix Suns were gunning for the team’s second championship trophy.

Just two days ago, the Suns had swept the Lakers 4-0 to become the first to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Once they got past the winner of the Spurs and the Mavericks, the Suns were highly likely to defend their title.

There was still no team in the entire East that could contend with the Suns.

The van sped up again, but Miller’s eyes followed the poster, filled with a sense of longing.

A dozen or so minutes later, the van arrived at the Chen-Hill Memorial Clinic.

It was much quieter outside the clinic now.

The empty sun umbrellas in the corner were a testament to what had once happened here.

A few reporters were camped out under the sun umbrellas, chatting among themselves.

The iron gate was shut tight.

The clinic was by appointment only, and patients always booked in advance. Normally, only a small side gate was opened.

"Go on, give them my name," Miller’s agent, Hahn Trellem, said to the driver from the passenger seat.

After the driver got out, he turned to look at Miller, hesitated for a moment, then said nothing.

Hahn Trellem was Kobe’s first agent. He also represented Tracy McGrady.

Because of Tracy McGrady, Trellem and Chen Yu knew each other well.

Then again, there wasn’t an agent in the United States sports world who didn’t know Chen Yu.

A short while later, the iron gate opened.

The few reporters camped nearby looked over, but the van’s windows were tinted, so they couldn’t see inside.

The van drove into the clinic and stopped in the parking lot.

Miller took a deep breath, then slowly got out of the van and followed Trellem toward the medical center.

"Reggie, long time no see!" Having been notified of their arrival, Chen Yu was already waiting outside the main entrance.

They had seen each other once last year when the Suns played the Pacers at home, but Chen Yu didn’t travel with the team for away games, so it truly had been a long time.

Miller immediately squeezed out a smile and stepped forward to hug Chen Yu.

Chen Yu then shook hands with Trellem before leading them both into the medical center.

"Are you here for your ankle?" Chen Yu glanced at Miller’s right ankle.

He had injured his right ankle during the season.

He had been receiving treatment on and off and had missed some games. The last injury report submitted by the Pacers showed that his right ankle had developed bone spurs and loose fragments, and the cartilage was also worn down.

You couldn’t say the injury was entirely due to him playing through it, but rather that he was too competitive and never rested properly.

Miller nodded, then curiously asked if Michael Jackson was still around.

He was a star, sure, but in front of Michael Jackson, he was just another fan.

"You’re out of luck. He just left yesterday. But if you stay for the surgery, you should be able to see him soon. He’s coming back next week."

Michael Jackson had gone back to Santa Barbara to take care of some work, but he was returning to Phoenix next week.

To continue filming the weight-loss show.

It was his own idea. He said he just wanted to film the show with Chen Yu.

Chen Yu knew he was trying to repay him. It was a kind gesture, and it would be rude to refuse.

Miller just said, "Oh," and fell silent for a moment.

Chen Yu led him to an examination room and asked why he was suddenly so quiet.

He seemed to have something on his mind.

Miller was somewhat introverted, but he was usually quite talkative around friends.

"It’s nothing. By the way, Chen, can my ankle be treated?" Miller said, pointedly changing the subject.

Chen Yu had his medical records, so he knew his condition.

’For me, this isn’t a huge problem.’

He called for William to take Miller for some tests.

"Ham, what’s up with Reggie?" Chen Yu asked Trellem after Miller had left.

’All that time studying psychology wasn’t for nothing. I can tell when something is on someone’s mind.’

Trellem hesitated for a moment. "To be honest, he’s struggling with whether or not to re-sign with the Pacers."

It dawned on Chen Yu. He immediately remembered that Miller’s contract was up this summer.

Chen Yu had spoken with Miller during the World Championship last year, and at the time, he’d gotten the sense that Miller looked up to Ewing and Olajuwon and might be thinking about joining the Suns.

’But that was just a thought I had. Could Miller actually be serious about it?’

’Otherwise, why would he be struggling with re-signing with the Pacers?’

"Ham, does Reggie really want to come to the Suns?" Since they knew each other well, Chen Yu didn’t see a need to beat around the bush and asked directly.

Trellem gave a slight nod, confirming it.

"Chen, you know as well as I do, given the Pacers’ current situation, there’s no way they can win a championship anytime soon."

"They can’t even get out of the East, let alone contend with the West."

"And he’s almost 38 this year. He’s disciplined, and his body is still in decent shape, but how many more years can he play? After a 15-year career, he really wants something to show for it."

Trellem sighed.

Chen Yu sighed as well.

’That old scoundrel really crushed a lot of dreams.’

It was no wonder that after winning the championship last year, Ewing just had to do a little dance in front of Jordan.

Trellem continued, "But he loves the Pacers, he loves Indiana, he loves every single fan there. And most importantly, he can’t help but feel that leaving the Pacers would be a betrayal—to himself, and to everyone."

Chen Yu nodded.

The game-winner against Jordan, 8 points in 9 seconds, the choke sign... Miller was a fighter to his core—rebellious and unyielding, never one to admit defeat.

’If Jordan had ever tried to recruit him to the Bulls, Miller’s first words would have definitely been, "Fuck you."’

’But eventually, you have to yield to age, have to compromise. At 38, in the twilight of his career, chasing that dream one last time... there’s nothing wrong with that.’

’Ewing did it. Oakley did it. Plenty of guys have done it. So why can’t he?’

’But his pride was making him conflicted.’

"How about this," Chen Yu said. "I’ll talk to him later."

’Not to persuade Miller to join the Suns, even though I work for them.’

’As a friend, I just hope I can help Miller make a decision he won’t regret, one that he can be at peace with.’

Miller’s ankle wasn’t in terrible shape.

The inflammation was actually more troublesome than the bone spurs and loose fragments in the joint.

Often, a simple sprain can evolve into a major issue, with inflammation being the most critical factor.

Inflammation causes persistent swelling and continuously erodes healthy tissue.

That same day, Chen Yu arranged for Miller to be admitted to the clinic.

The next day, the Suns had a scheduled practice.

Chen Yu arrived at the arena in the morning. He had barely sat down when Brian burst through the door.

"Chen, did Reggie Miller come to your clinic for surgery?" he asked, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.

Chen Yu shot him a strange look. "Did you plant a mole in my clinic?"

Reggie Miller had come in secret and hadn’t been seen at all. Plus, the clinic staff was always tight-lipped, so the reporters didn’t know about it yet.

If they knew, it would have been in the papers today.

"Of course not."

Brian gave an embarrassed laugh, his expression a little awkward.

"That’s right, he’s here for surgery. What’s it to you?" Chen Yu continued to sort through his files.

Brian said hurriedly, "What do you mean, ’What’s it to you?’ I’m asking if he wants to join the Suns. His contract is up this summer, you know."

Chen Yu sighed. ’I knew he was going to say that.’

"Brian, it’s only May. What’s the rush?" ’Signings don’t start until mid-July. It’s still way too early.’

Brian said, "I’m not rushing. It’s just that after we win the championship, guys like Oakley are definitely going to retire, and several of them will go at once. Don’t you think I need to plan ahead? Otherwise, it’ll affect my trades during the draft."

A thought struck Chen Yu. "Are you really planning to trade up?" he asked.

The draft lottery was only about ten days away.

’And if the Suns were to trade up, the target would obviously be Wade.’

"If you draft a lottery-pick guard and then sign Miller, won’t your backcourt be a little crowded?"

’A lottery pick, a super-prospect who I myself predicted would make the Hall of Fame... you’d have to develop a player like that properly.’

’And if you’re going to develop him, he needs playing time. He needs to start.’

’Wade is a point guard, but he can also play shooting guard.’

’So if you sign Miller, you can’t just have him come off the bench, can you?’

Brian nodded. "I won’t lie, that is my plan. That’s why I need to prepare in advance. If the trade falls through, I can still sign Miller."

With a clear plan and a backup option, he’d have more leverage in trade negotiations; otherwise, it would be easy for the other team to get the upper hand.

Chen Yu waved him off. "Let’s put that aside for a moment. Listening to you, it’s like we’ve already won the championship. What if we don’t? Charles and the others might not retire."

They’ll only retire if they win the championship. If they don’t, why would Oakley and the others retire?

’So,’ Chen Yu thought, ’whether we sign him or not, that conversation has to wait until after the Finals in mid-June.’

"Chen, how can you have so little faith in us?" Brian shot Chen Yu a reproachful glare.

O’Neal’s back and healthy, the roster is complete. No matter how you look at it, we’re set to defend the title.

"Trust me, we’re definitely going to defend our title this year. And not just this year, but next year, too. We’re going to build our own Suns dynasty. Oh, by the way, I’ve already had someone start designing the Championship Rings. I’ve even got the first drafts. Want to see?" Brian’s face was overflowing with confidence.

Chen Yu stared at Brian, dumbfounded.

"Brian, whatever you do, don’t let the press find out about this."

’If we end up not winning the championship, this will be a massive embarrassment.’

Brian just snorted, clearly not listening. "Enough of that nonsense. Chen, do you think Miller wants to come to the Suns? His performance was affected by injuries this season, but he still averaged 12.6 points. He’s definitely past his peak, but he’s still got something left in the tank."

"Last season, his salary was 12 million. So if we re-sign him, we should probably cut that in half, right? I’m thinking five or six million should be about right. We can’t sign him for too long, either. One year would be best, two at the most. That gives us flexibility for next year."

"Hold on."

Seeing that Brian was getting carried away, Chen Yu quickly stopped him.

"He’s just here for surgery. He never said anything about joining the Suns."

Just as he was speaking, his phone vibrated.

Chen Yu glanced at the screen and saw it was a call from J Kidd.

Signaling for Brian to be quiet, Chen Yu answered the call.

The first thing out of J Kidd’s mouth was to ask where Chen Yu was. He was back in Phoenix and wanted to treat him to a meal.

"Oh, and I’m not alone. Let me know when you’re free and get over here."

J Kidd added mysteriously.

’Since he made a point of saying it, it definitely wasn’t Joumana. It must be a friend.’

’Who could it be?’

Then, a thought struck him, and a name suddenly popped into Chen Yu’s mind.