chsdbacks Chapter 200 A New Beginning! The Pacers Officially Assemble!
Chapter 200 A New Beginning! The Pacers Officially Assemble!
Chapter 200 A New Beginning! The Pacers Officially Assemble!
Between the All-Star break and the trade deadline, there are four days left. These four days are the final frenzy among the league's management! They will be constantly negotiating and maneuvering, choosing offers that are favorable to themselves, and looking for opportunities to further improve their team's roster.
Some teams want to strengthen their roster, some hope to change players and improve their performance, and some hope to trade away star players who don't fit the team's current development strategy in order to secure a future.
In short, many teams have been very active in the past few days, constantly testing the waters in the market.
The result of this activity is chaos!
After all, the NBA has had a lot of games every day these past few days, and the season has not been suspended at all and is still continuing.
In the past few days, players from almost all teams have been somewhat uneasy. They are worried about being traded by their teams and being sent to places they don't want to go or are not interested in.
This resulted in very significant and obvious fluctuations in the performance of each team. During these four days, there were many upsets in the league, such as the Grizzlies defeating the Lakers, the Kings beating the Spurs, the Nets eliminating the Heat, and the Knicks being defeated by the 76ers, and so on.
The Pacers, for example, experienced some growing pains before the deadline and after the All-Star break. They played two games in those four days, winning one and losing one.
These past few days have been a good time for the weaker teams, giving them a taste of victory.
Before the deadline, the hottest topic in the entire league was the rumors between the Bulls and the Raptors!
Rumors are circulating that the Raptors are hoping to find a true star player to lead the team, allowing this young team to be revitalized and rediscover the feeling of victory!
The team that has been linked with the Raptors is none other than the current league powerhouse, the Chicago Bulls!
Krause hopes to trade Pippen, who has been plagued by injuries this season, to the Raptors in exchange for the Raptors' talented high school player McGrady and other add-ons!
Just as the rumors were becoming increasingly believable, and everyone was saying that the two sides were getting closer to a formal trade, the Bulls suddenly announced that they had never considered trading Pippen! The team will finish the season with its current roster! Their goal will always be the championship!
Rumor has it that the Bulls' sudden withdrawal caused the Raptors' management to privately berate Krause for a long time, saying he was a scoundrel who came and went as he pleased.
But Klaus felt wronged!
He genuinely believes in McGrady and truly hopes to trade him to the team so that he can become the team's new pillar and core after Jordan ages!
But just as the trade was about to be finalized, Jordan found out. He stormed into Krause's office, pointed his finger at Krause, and yelled, "Are you fucking done yet?! Did I think I was being too nice to you?!"
"You think I don't know what you're thinking this summer? You think I don't know you want to trade me away so the team can rebuild ahead of schedule? Let me tell you, I know everything! I'm just too lazy to call you out on it! But you need to have some self-awareness and know your place!"
"I didn't come looking for you, you stupid fatso, but you wanted to send Scott away? What idiot gave you that idea? Huh?"
"Michael, listen to me! Scott's contract is expiring, this is his last year, and he'll definitely opt out this summer to seek a multi-million dollar contract! Unless you're willing to take a pay cut, we really don't have the money to keep him!"
Faced with Jordan's overwhelming power, Krause spread his hands and tried his best to explain.
"Tracy McGrady! This young man is truly amazing! He can score and defend, he can run and jump, and most importantly, he's young! He can do so many things! He will definitely lead the team back to its former glory!"
"Rebuild our glory! Aha! Rebuild!" Jordan scoffed. "Aren't we glorious now? Aren't we the defending champions? Aren't we the top seed in the East? You want to dismantle the top seed's roster and rebuild? Have you lost your mind?"
Suddenly, the aggressive Jordan slammed his hands on the table, his head almost touching Krause's forehead, and threatened menacingly, "Listen, if you trade Scott, you're sending me along with him! If you don't send me, I'll send you! I mean it!"
"Klaus, it's up to you. Do you want that sissy high school kid, or do you want your career? Think it over carefully!"
"By the way, Klaus, let me tell you something: the reason I'm keeping you here as general manager despite how much I hate you isn't because you're great or capable, but because you're stupid! You stupid and greedy pig, if you don't know your place, I guarantee you'll be gone before Scott!"
Jordan's threat clearly had an effect, and Krause's resistance to Jordan once again failed. He once again chose to keep his job rather than stand up to Jordan and back down.
Only Jordan and Krause knew about the conflict, which was obviously not something to be discussed with outsiders. The entire league was baffled as to why the Bulls, who were incredibly active in the trade market one second and seemed ready to make a big trade, suddenly went silent the next second, quietly indicating that they would not make any more trades.
While some people who know Jordan and Krause might be able to guess a little bit about what happened, most people ultimately don't know what actually happened.
However, the speculation surrounding the Bulls' sudden change of attitude did not dampen the excitement of this year's free agency market.
Teams are still listening to offers and considering the methods and details of the trades.
However, after the Bulls backed down, this year's free agency market suddenly seemed to be all bark and no bite. Until the morning of the trade deadline, only a few small trades were made, and there were no trades that would really shake up the league.
Many reporters who were waiting by the phone were greatly disappointed.
Without big deals, they'll have nothing to do!
On the afternoon of the deadline, during the Pacers' final practice, Rose was full of confidence and looked smug.
Just before their final training session before the deadline, Rose specifically sought out Bird to inquire about the progress of the trade, and Bird smiled and told Rose a few words.
"Don't worry, Jaylen, I promise you, you and Reggie will definitely not be playing on the same team again before the end of today!"
Rose, believing he had Bird's assurance, saw a significant improvement in his performance during training. In the scrimmage, he completely dominated Dumars, sinking one incredible shot after another: difficult three-pointers, pull-up jumpers, and layups!
As he scored, Rose continued to hurl insults at everyone.
Then, during another offensive possession, Rose elbowed Dumars in the neck, knocking him away. He then took a step back and pulled up for another mid-range shot, which he made!
Dumas, whose neck had been poked, clutched his neck and sat down heavily on the ground, coughing incessantly. Miller, who was standing nearby, immediately rushed over: "Jaylen! This is training, Joe is one of us! Your actions were too rough! Apologize to Joe!"
"Apologize? Why should I apologize to a washed-up old guy? If Indiana hadn't been looking for a backup, he'd be unemployed by now! The fact that he's training with us is a favor to him! So why should I apologize to him?"
"An outdated old codger?" Miller snorted, stepping forward and pressing his chest against Ross, yelling, "You spineless coward, say that again and see if I punch your nose in the face!"
"Come on! Try it! You think when I said 'washed-up old dog,' I didn't include you, Reggie? You're just a shooting dummy. If you hadn't been the team leader a few years ago, we would have won the championship long ago!" Today, Rose was truly full of fighting spirit, not backing down at all!
Before Miller could even speak or make a move, a pair of large elbows slammed into Ross's face, knocking him down instantly!
"Fuck you! You idiot, don't you know Joe's my brother?" Isaiah Thomas glared at Rose, cursing, "You think I can't fight anymore just because I'm retired? I can beat you up like my own son!"
"Isaiah, it's alright! I'm fine." Dumars quickly got up from the floor and stood in front of Thomas, gesturing with his hand, "Everyone! We're teammates! Don't forget, we're a team, we're all on the same side, it'll be alright!"
"What's going on?" Lin Tian and Bird walked over from a distance and came over as soon as they saw the commotion.
"That bastard's playing style was too rough, he almost crippled Joe!" Thomas blurted out, "He even insulted Reggie, saying he was going to trade him away."
Looking at the expressions of the players on the field, Lin Tian immediately knew that Thomas had not exaggerated at all. Then he turned to look at Rose, his eyes cold, which made Rose's legs tremble.
At this moment, he thought of the Jazz team that was brutally beaten by Lin Tian in the finals last season. Rose still vividly remembered their miserable state.
"Lin, let me explain..."
"No need for explanations, just apologize." Lin Tian's tone was harsh. This kind of infighting and provocation within the team was what he hated most!
Well, although he had been involved in team fights before, he was the victim in that incident because he was provoked.
"Joe, I'm sorry, I was too rough." Ross stood there, hesitated for a long time, and finally apologized to Dumas.
Lin Tian's reputation is truly terrifying!
"And what about Reggie?"
"Reggie, I'm sorry, I..." Ross said, then suddenly looked up at Bird and Lin Tian, a bad feeling creeping over him.
"Since you've apologized, you can pack your things and leave to report to your new team." Lin Tian then immediately gave Rose the order to leave: "Larry has basically finalized the trade for you, so I'm telling you two hours in advance that you can go home now."
"By the way," Lin Tian added, seeing Rose's dazed expression, "If I weren't worried you couldn't take a beating, and if I beat you up and it caused you to fail your physical, you'd be lying on the ground right now! My team doesn't tolerate any violence or targeted incidents within the team."
"You're the same, and so are everyone else!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, Ross didn't dare to look Lin Tian in the eye and turned to Bird, hoping to get some help from him.
Unfortunately, Bird was never on his side from the beginning. He nodded and said, "Lin is right. I've basically finalized the trade involving you. I kept my promise. I said that you and Reggie would definitely not be playing on the same team by the end of today, and I did."
"As for where I'll send you, don't worry, I'll send you somewhere where you can showcase your talent! You might even become the team leader on your new team! Then you won't have to put up with us washed-up old dogs anymore!" Bird's words plunged Rose into utter despair.
He wasn't really stupid; he easily picked up on the subtext in Bird's words.
The new team he joins must be a terrible, weak team. Otherwise, why would those strong teams let him be their leader?
Considering that the cities in the league that are large enough and have comfortable temperatures are generally in good form and performing well, I will most likely be sent to some places where life is not so comfortable, where the cities are small, the teams are bad, and the climate is terrible.
But seeing that none of the rest of the team was on his side, Rose finally nodded, said nothing more, and slunk back to the locker room.
"You can go with him too." At this point, Lin Tian didn't need to worry about anything anymore. He patted Crosher on the shoulder and said, "You'll most likely be traded too, so why don't you go pack with him? After all, you can look after each other when you get to your new teams."
"I...but, Lin, I didn't..." Crosher was caught off guard by Lin Tian's sudden attack and his words were somewhat incoherent.
Lin Tian had already turned and left Crohill, addressing the rest of the players on the court: "The rest of you can start training now! I guarantee none of you will leave, and everyone will be able to continue playing in Indiana, at least this year!"
"Then, go and win that damn championship!"
With Lin Tian's encouragement and promises, the training atmosphere of the entire Pacers team finally returned to normal. Everyone who received a promise to stay trained more focusedly, hoping to get more opportunities in the second half of the season!
Meanwhile, Miller, Barkley, Dumars, and other team leaders quietly approached Lin Tian, asking curiously, "Where were they traded to? Who's coming next?"
"I don't know." Lin Tian stared at him for a moment, then spread his hands and said, "Larry himself isn't sure either."
"So you dare send them back to pack their things, and you dare guarantee everyone they won't leave?" Barkley's eyes widened in disbelief. "What if they don't leave? What if someone else leaves?"
"They'll leave, you can all rest assured." Lin Tian shrugged and said, "As far as I know, Larry has been in contact and making selections. Among those he's negotiating with this time, there's everyone from Grant Hill and Richmond to regular rotation players and role players!"
"Jayson's market value is still quite good, and Larry has a lot of room to maneuver. Let's see what Larry ultimately chooses!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he clapped his hands, signaling everyone to prepare to continue training.
No further incidents occurred during the subsequent training sessions, and the team's head coach and president, Bird, did not appear at the training facility again, with Isaiah Thomas leading the training sessions.
Bird's absence meant the deal hadn't been completed. Although everyone had received Lin Tian's assurance, they were still very curious about who would replace Rose and Crosher.
Seeing that everyone was becoming more and more distracted during training, Lin Tian knew that they were unlikely to continue training properly today. So he discussed it with Thomas and decided to suspend the training, let everyone rest for a while, and wait for Bird's news.
Lin Tian, along with Barkley, Miller, Thomas, and other top players on the team, were too lazy to wait any longer at the training facility. After discussing it, they headed straight for Bird's office.
Just as they reached the office door, Lin Tian and his group heard Bird's excited laughter: "That's settled then! It's decided! You can report to the Alliance immediately. Happy cooperation!"
nailed it?
Lin Tian and the others exchanged glances, and Barkley said excitedly:
"I bet it's Grant Hill! Larry's always liked Grant; he thinks he's a lot like himself!"
"Larry is too narcissistic! Grant is far superior to Larry in both looks and physique. They have absolutely nothing in common except for both playing the small forward position!" Miller said decisively. "I think trading Grant is too difficult. With those two players, the Pistons probably won't even let Larry finish speaking."
"So I think Richmond is the one who adds a bit more firepower to our outside shooting!"
"What's the point of guessing here? Let's just go in and see for ourselves!" Thomas laughed, knocked on the door, and was the first to enter the room. "Larry, we heard you closed the deal?"
"Yes, it's a deal! I think it's a wonderful transaction!" Bird said with a smile. "It's perfect in every way!"
"Alright, stop showing off your abilities. Just tell me, where did you send those two guys? I bet it's somewhere that will make me really happy!" Miller found a sofa and sat down comfortably. "Denver? Or Milwaukee?"
"We're getting close!" Bird said with a smile. "It's Toronto! I've packed them both up and sent them to Toronto! After all, I'm a man of my word. Toronto doesn't have a leader right now, and there aren't any strong players, especially after Stoudemire left, they're leaderless."
"So, the Raptors got what they consider a true leader – an All-Star forward and a promising 10th overall pick who's only played about 30 games! They're very happy with what they got in return!"
"Alright, now you can guess who I got in return for those two?"
"Tracy McGrady?" Lin Tian guessed excitedly, using a name he had been thinking about for a long time!
Of all the small forwards in the league today, if he had to choose three players he would most like to play with, Tracy McGrady would definitely be on the list!
During his rookie season, McGrady was known for his humility, caution, and hard work. He was not only an all-rounder on both offense and defense, but also contributed impressive stats of 1 steal and 1 block per game in his first year. Most importantly, his running and jumping abilities were absolutely top-tier in NBA history!
With him on the fast break, Lin Tian felt he could just close his eyes and throw the ball into the air, and McGrady would definitely catch it and then do a fancy dunk!
Dominating the top ten goals!
Absolutely no problem.
Furthermore, given that Bird said he would look for a young small forward who could score, defend, and fill the team's current gaps, Lin Tian is almost certain that it will be McGrady!
Hehe, McGrady's growth rate is incredibly fast! They traded Rose for McGrady, and in two more years, the Raptors will be crying their eyes out in the freezing cold of Toronto.
Just as Lin Tian was filled with anticipation for McGrady's arrival, Bird continued, "The reason I say the Raptors will make Jaylen their new core and leader is because their team's former leading scorer is now on a plane to Indiana!"
Lin Tian was taken aback when Bird said that.
Team's top scorer?
That definitely isn't McGrady!
McGrady is averaging single-digit points this season. If it's not McGrady, then who is? Who was the Raptors' scoring champion again?
"Doug Christie! The 17th pick in the 1992 draft, 198 cm tall, 91 kg, played shooting guard or small forward, and could also play point guard when necessary. A standard swingman and all-around player for positions 1-3!"
"Larry, they don't want to field McGrady?" Lin Tian couldn't help but ask again when he heard that it wasn't McGrady but Christie.
"McGrady? That high schooler? They wanted to trade Christie for McGrady, but I fought for it for ages! The biggest effort I've put in these past few days has been to get the Raptors to give us Christie instead of that half-finished high schooler!"
"I've watched the game tapes of these two players. McGrady has talent, and he might become a better scorer than Christie in the future, but not now. In terms of immediate impact, he's far inferior to Christie!"
"Christie is definitely the perfect piece for our championship run! He's a perfect player who can contribute immediately! Plus, he still has at least 5-7 years left in his prime, so choosing him would greatly benefit our championship aspirations this year!"
From this perspective, Bird is actually right.
Christie's immediate impact is indeed far superior to McGrady's!
This is Christie's sixth year playing for the Lakers, Knicks, and Raptors. The Pacers are his fourth team in those six years.
Of course, according to the original history, Christie is not at his peak yet. His peak will come when he joins the Kings, where he meets the best teammates of his life!
Head coach Adelman, stalwarts Webber and Williams, along with the two clever Europeans Divac and Peja, and later Bibby and others, these people came together to create the most glamorous, stunning, romantic, and heartbreaking team of the first decade of the 21st century.
That Kings team's Princeton offense was fluid and unstoppable, earning them the reputation as the most dazzling offensive team in the league at the time!
They left an incredibly deep impression on an entire generation of fans!
But Christie was just beginning to emerge. In the middle of the 95-96 season, he was traded to the Raptors and put up impressive numbers of 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, thus securing a starting position for the Raptors.
After honing his skills in the 96-97 season, Christie had the best year of his career this season and earned the nickname "Scalpel"! This nickname describes how his shooting, driving, one-on-one, and stealing the ball from opponents are all as precise and amazing as a scalpel, with an extremely high success rate!
这赛季他场均16.5分5.2篮板3.6助攻以及2.4抢断！他的投篮命中率43%，3分命中率33%，再加上83%的罚球命中率，虽然不算多高效，但绝对是一个平均水平以上的进攻者。
His physical attributes are only slightly above average in the league, so his ability to penetrate on offense is not very good. He mainly relies on mid-to-long-range shooting!
Although his physical attributes are average, he plays very intelligently. On offense, he relies more on off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot, and he doesn't really consume the ball much or hold it for long periods!
Simply put, Christie can score, but not a lot. However, he has a big heart. If the ball is in his hands in the final moments of the game, he won't hesitate to shoot!
He doesn't have a strong offensive drive and rarely asks for the ball to attack. However, without wasting possession of the ball, he has excellent passing skills and league-class court vision on the offensive end, which always allows him to pass the ball out!
Aside from his offensive prowess, Christie's biggest selling point is actually his defense!
With his 198cm height, strong physique, and quick, agile footwork, Christie can hold his own against most of the league's perimeter players!
He is a true all-around defender who can guard positions 1 through 3. More importantly, he is completely different from the famous defenders of this era!
In today's league, whether it's Payton, Stockton, or even Jordan, all perimeter players known for their defense have another characteristic.
Ruthless and vicious!
Because in this era, the league encouraged competition, which naturally led to the emergence of many fierce and brutal defenders.
Christie, on the other hand, is clearly not that type at all!
His defense is purely technical! He rarely engages in close-quarters combat with opponents; instead, he excels at anticipating their next move and prefers to use his experience, reading of the court, and anticipation to make the most appropriate defensive decisions!
Even at his peak, many people said: if we only consider the ability to judge and predict the ball's trajectory to make steals and cuts, Christie was the best player in the league in the early 21st century!
His exceptional wingspan, boundless stamina, and superb court vision are the keys to his ability to dominate most players in the league on the defensive end! This allows him to handle any position with ease!
Actually, this shows that Christie is a typical all-rounder!
His playing style and characteristics allow him to easily integrate into most teams in the league, seamlessly connecting with almost all teams and quickly fitting into their systems.
He may not be a star player, and he may not be selected for the All-NBA Team or the All-Star Game. He may not be the star player of a team, and he may often be the most overlooked player on the team. However, his contribution to the team should not be underestimated!
He is definitely the type of player every team dreams of.
Perfect team players!
He can do anything you want him to do, and he can do it well!
"Larry, you wouldn't trade Rose, who just scored 40+ points in two consecutive games and was selected as an All-Star, plus this year's 10th pick, for Christie, would you?" Lin Tian suddenly felt something was off. With the Pacers' assets, how could they only get Christie, a versatile player who was destined to never become a top star?
"Of course not! I'm not an idiot! The Raptors' rookie management has absolutely no negotiation experience. I had them completely under my thumb in no time. Whatever I want, they'll obediently deliver it to me!" Bird protested angrily, as if Lin Tian's words were a huge insult to him.
"Then tell me, what else did we get?"
"I traded Rose and Croshere to the Toronto Raptors and received Doug Christie, the Raptors' top-three protected first-round pick this year, their second-round pick this year, plus their two first-round picks two years from now and four years from now!"
"Simply put, two players were traded for five, including the Raptors' first-round pick next year, which is a guaranteed top-five draft pick! Next year isn't a weak draft class!"
After hearing Bird's words, Lin Tian understood why he was so happy. Bird knew Rose's true level very well, and the current Rose did not have any real All-Star level strength.
His stats are based on Lin Tian feeding him the ball like crazy, and his teammates drawing a lot of defense. Every game counts. As long as he's on the court, the person guarding him is definitely the one who is the least skilled at defending the opposing team's three perimeter players!
Because the remaining two players both have to defend against Miller and Lin Tian! Their offensive threat is much greater than Ross's.
That's what allowed him to put up such dazzling numbers and be selected for the All-Star game. It's fair to say that Rose's current average of nearly 20+4+4 is somewhat inflated. He's currently ranked first in the Most Improved Player of the Year list, not because of his own efforts, but because of the Pacers' overall influence.
But Christie? If his offensive drive is strong enough, Lin Tian is confident he can become the next Rose…
However, what excited Lin Tian even more were those Raptors draft picks!
Especially next year's team? You want to say that Rose can lead the team to rise again and transform the Raptors from a bottom-tier team into a top-tier loser in just half a season? Lin Tian is the first to disbelieve it! Rose might have that ability in 3 years, but the current Rose is completely incapable!
Unless the Raptors have an incredible stroke of luck and draw a top-three finish, otherwise...
Next year's top five will include Vince Carter and Antoine Jamison, the two stars from North Carolina!
If I can't have my younger cousin, it's not bad to choose an older cousin who can fly, jump, and run even more a year later!
Of course, the top ten picks in the 98 draft also included two Hall of Fame-caliber players: Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.
However, unless he absolutely cannot select the two North Carolina stars who are good at flying and dunking, Lin Tian does not want to select Nowitzki and Pierce.
It's not that they're not strong enough, it's that they play terribly.
We in Indiana have no place for strong players who play ugly.
Playing ball is only good when it's spectacular and involves flying and leaping through the air!
But no matter what, Lin Tian believes that this year's Pacers will definitely be able to achieve the feat of competing for the championship while also drafting a high-ranking rookie!
I'm so happy!
However, despite feeling quite pleased with himself, Lin Tian felt he still needed to have a talk with Bird.
"Larry, when you make trades or draft picks in the future, can we talk about it?" Lin Tian said tactfully, "I think your judgment is really not that great."
"At the very least, I think McGrady has the potential to be a scoring champion, but you look down on him because he's a high school student."
"He can become the scoring champion? With his offensive skills limited to dunks and his defense relying entirely on physical gifts, he can become the scoring champion? If he can become the scoring champion, I'll eat Reggie's All-Star MVP trophy right here and now!"
"Then you should eat mine. I can win a lot more in the future, but Reggie will probably only have this one MVP-related award in his life. Let's save it for him." Lin Tian grinned mischievously, dragging Miller into the mess as well.
Miller was so angry by Lin Tian's words that he yelled and threatened to teach Lin Tian a lesson.
Regardless of whether Ross liked it or not, he had to pack his bags and go to Toronto with Croshill to report for duty.
Refusing to be reported?
Anyway, neither Rose nor Crozier have that much guts now.
But at the very least, Bird did keep his promise and sent Rose and Crosher to a young team to be the leaders. As for whether he can carry the team, that depends on his own capabilities!
Christie's welcome party in Indiana was quite grand, with players like Lin Tian, Miller, and Barkley, as well as Bird and Thomas, the two most influential figures in the coaching staff and management, all in attendance.
The somewhat shy Christie seemed to have never seen such a grand occasion before, and she was trembling a little when she spoke at the press conference.
But at the very least, he felt the enthusiasm and friendliness of the whole team.
Everyone expressed their goodwill towards him.
This put Christie at ease.
After all, he was quite nervous before coming here. He was afraid that the Pacers' locker room would be a hellish place, full of cliques and independent actions.
After all, what normal team would suddenly trade away the newly minted All-Star who is ranked first in this year's Most Improved Player award predictions and is averaging 20+4+4?
Christie, for one, felt that the team must have been plagued by internal conflicts and factionalism, which led to Rose's defeat in the power struggle and subsequent abandonment by the team.
But now it seems... there might be some power struggles, but the whole team is excluding Rose, while the rest of the team are really loving and affectionate towards each other!
After the press conference, Lin Tian warmly approached Christie, put his arm around his shoulder, and said, "Come on, tonight I'll take you to experience the local culture and customs of Indiana. Let's have some fun! Consider it a welcome back dinner."
"Okay, where shall we eat? I'll be bringing my wife along." Christie smiled, indicating that she needed to ask for permission.
"Eat your own meals at home. I'll pick you up after dinner. Bring your wife? Are you crazy? When have we players ever brought our wives to events?" Barkley walked over and cursed, looking at Christie like she was an alien. "Don't tell me you don't know what 'having fun' and 'relaxing' mean."
"Well, I'm sorry, I can't go. My wife will be angry; she doesn't allow me to participate in those activities. Or how about we change the activity? How about coming to my house for dinner tonight? My wife is an amazing cook! Her pasta and pizza are even better than those in Michelin-starred restaurants!"
"You...are afraid of your wife?" Miller leaned over and looked at Christie like she was an alien.
"How dare you slander me like this!" Christie's face flushed red instantly, and she shouted, "There are no men who are afraid of their wives, only men who respect their wives! I respect them! Do you understand? I respect her, trust her, and love her! She is my everything, she is mine..."
"Let's go, he really is afraid of his wife." Barkley patted Lin Tian and Miller on the shoulder, ignoring Christie who was wallowing in self-pity, and turned to walk out of the press conference venue.
An NBA star and multi-millionaire is actually afraid of his wife.
Barkley and Miller, in any case, found it unbelievable.
However, Lin Tian remembered that this Christie was more than just someone who talked about respecting his wife!
He was genuinely scared!
Christie and his wife Jackie had several scandals that caused quite a stir at the time!
Once, a friend of Christie's was going to have a bachelor party before her wedding. As you know, bachelor parties in the US aren't that different from bachelor parties.
Therefore, Jackie strongly refused Christie's invitation, even though Christie repeatedly stated that the person getting married was her best friend, that she was just going to visit, that she wouldn't drink, and that she would be back by eight o'clock.
After a heated argument at home, Jackie went outside and burned Christie's car.
Yeah, I don't dare go.
Another time, Christie had a toothache and went to a dentist to have it pulled, but the dentist was a woman. Jackie immediately kicked the dentist out and gave Christie a good scolding.
Christie was in pain all day and couldn't sleep at night. It was only then that Jackie found a male dentist to treat his teeth.
On another occasion, Christie choked on a bone in a restaurant. A female doctor bravely came to help, but when she was about to give him CPR, Jackie pulled her away and told her to get lost. Despite Christie's severe difficulty breathing and pain, Jackie refused to let the doctor touch him.
Fortunately, there was a male doctor in the restaurant who was willing to help Christie out of the crisis.
And another time...
There are just too many similar things between Christie and his wife. Anyway, Lin Tian felt that neither Christie nor his wife were quite normal. One was a paranoid jealous maniac, and the other was enjoying it immensely.
Lin Tian felt that Christie was just like Boiling Sheep, the only difference being that he was Boiling Sheep and also had tens of millions of assets.
A multi-millionaire, Fei Yangyang!
It can be considered a wonder of the world.
However, as long as Christie's wife doesn't go so far as to stop Lin Tian and the others from going out, Lin Tian is too lazy to meddle in their family affairs. The important thing is that Christie plays well, can integrate into the team, and can help the team become stronger!
That's the most important thing!
(End of this chapter)