Chapter 949: Chapter 10 Hope_3
The only weakness of the Heat right now is the center position. Secali is an excellent and diligent player.
But if the Heat wants to advance further in the Eastern, they must have an outstanding center; otherwise, it’s hard to compete with strong teams.
Riley, this hyena, vulture, Death Eater, has always been keeping a close watch on the League’s excellent inside players, eager to recruit one under his command.
This includes Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Riley has planted informers and ears in various teams. He has already heard news that there is a clause in Ewing’s contract that if Ewing’s salary is not ranked among the top three in the League that year, he is eligible to terminate the contract.
When Ewing initially signed the contract, his salary was the highest in the League, but in recent years, with the increase in large contracts, Ewing is unlikely to be in the top three.
If this clause is triggered, Riley will attract Ewing to the South Coast like he snatched Drexler.
Then there’s Olajuwon, who hasn’t been having a comfortable time with the Rockets. The team’s performance is stagnant, and his relationship with his teammates is terrible.
The Houston media criticizes Olajuwon as a black hole on the court, trying to play like Ah Gan without having Ah Gan’s talent, and his efficiency doesn’t even come close to Ah Gan.
Under immense pressure, Olajuwon converted to Islam; otherwise, why would someone as triumphant as he was think about embracing religion?
Of course, Riley has his favorite target, and that is Gan Guoyang.
Riley never gave up hope of bringing Gan Guoyang to Miami; he has always been undermining the Portland Trail Blazers.
The entire Heat organization, from top to bottom, is permeated with the shadow of the Trail Blazers. If Gan Guoyang could come, Riley and the Heat’s owner are willing to pay any price.
In tonight’s game against the Miami Heat, the Trail Blazers did not perform up to their usual standards in the new stadium; the entire team was somewhat unadapted.
Including Gan Guoyang, his first three offensive attempts didn’t score, which is quite rare for him.
The new stadium shone with the brilliance of technology and modernization, and looking up, one could see four giant screens that could replay the exciting moments on the court in real-time, allowing fans sitting high up to see more clearly.
The once-transparent glass curtain walls are gone, and people can no longer enjoy the Portland night view while watching the game. The stadium is completely enclosed, with top-notch sound and lighting effects.
But everything felt so unaccustomed, and the Trail Blazers collectively lost their shooting touch under the strong defense of the Heat.
Tonight, they shot only 2 of 15 from the three-point line, and the poor shooting continued throughout the game, making it an ugly defensive battle.
Drexler played an outstanding game, with 28 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, celebrating the new stadium for the old team.
The Heat 94:89, won by a 5-point margin, handing the Trail Blazers a loss in their first game after the All-Star break, and a home defeat at that.
This has been rare in the Trail Blazers’ history over the years, as they usually gain momentum after the All-Star break, often storming into the playoffs.
Even in the 1988 season, after the chaos of the first half, the Trail Blazers found their rhythm again after the All-Star break.
This year, they faced new problems, not internal conflicts, not scattered unity, not internal decay, but simple fatigue.
Everyone seemed a bit tired, including Bobby Berman, Adelman, and the staff.
The third year is the year to be tired, to be weary.
At the end of the game, Pat Riley didn’t forget to try to entice Gan Guoyang with words.
"Sonny, you look a bit tired. You should come to the South Coast to enjoy the sun and recover. Portland is too cold; it’s uncomfortable to stay too long."
"Is that so? I see Clyde is balding; it must be from all the sunbathing in Miami."
Riley chuckled and didn’t say much more, trying to plant a seed in Gan Guoyang’s mind.
If one day he encounters difficulties or desires a change in life, that seed would sprout.
He would think of coming to Miami, where there’s sunshine, beaches, familiar faces like Clyde, Yin Man, and Jack Ramsey.
These were all essentially prepared for Gan Guoyang. Riley believed that as people get older, they always become nostalgic and want to return to the past.
However, Riley didn’t realize that Gan Guoyang turned and forgot Riley’s joke right away; all he was thinking about was hope, not nostalgia.
Because his second child was about to be born.
Gan Guoyang is rarely a person to feel exhausted. A nap, a walk, and everything is fine.
Because he is always filled with anticipation for the future, always.
