500: 185: Taste Buds Grow at the End of the Large Intestine (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_2 500: 185: Taste Buds Grow at the End of the Large Intestine (Requesting Monthly Tickets!)_2 A few weeks earlier, Boston fans were fantasizing about the dawn of another Bill Russell era.
Instead, the Celtics didn’t even land a second overall pick.
Stern tried hard to make everyone feel that it was purely luck.
Whether good or bad, you had to accept it; that’s just how the lottery works.
But Bostonians didn’t buy that nonsense.
After so many years of tanking, the Celtics had never secured the No.
1 pick in any season.
What about the Magic?
They managed to get the No.
1 pick two consecutive years.
Although the ’93 No.
1 pick Chris Webber didn’t bring much improvent to the Magic Team, he indirectly facilitated Roger’s joining.
Without Webber as the main bargaining chip, the Magic could never have traded for Roger.
As other teams transford their fortunes with the No.
1 pick, the Celtics still saw no light at the end of the tunnel, driving the Boston fans to utter despair.
What followed bore no suspense as David Stern announced the Spurs had selected Tim Duncan with the first overall pick.
Amidst the applause, Duncan, dressed in an off-white suit, smiled shyly.
At that mont, no one knew how wild his smile could get.
The cara then cut to a grey-haired Greg Popovich, with a pocked face as solemn as a lake.
Upon realizing the cara was on him, Popovich forced a smile, contrasting with the excited fans around him.
For him, selecting Duncan wasn’t the end.
The basketball season in San Antonio was just beginning.
If Roger and Shaq could win three championships, Popovich believed that the Spurs would also welco their own dynasty.
At that mont, Roger was at ho, watching the draft live with Kevin Garnett.
After the season had ended, Garnett had co to Florida and was spending the holiday with Roger.
“What do you think of him?” Garnett eyed Duncan like an adversary.
After all, this stone-like man would be going head-to-head with Garnett next season.
The dia had been anticipating this 21 vs.
21 matchup for a long ti.
“He’s big trouble,” Roger nodded, “You have to be ready for that.”
Garnett was surprised.
He had expected Roger, with his personality, to have a disdainful attitude towards everyone.
And yet, he actually said that dummy was big trouble?
Garnett beca even more excited, “That’s exactly why I’m spending the whole sumr with you!
When do we start training?”
Before Roger could respond, Joe Abunassar was already howling, “God, can you at least leave and my wife three nights!”
Garnett laughed, “Cut it out, Old Joe, stop boasting.
By the second night, you’ll be calling Roger, begging him to start training.
Any place would be good enough to get you out of your wife’s room.”
“Shut up, Kevin.
My wife isn’t that horrible, and I’m not so weak.
I might even be better at push-ups than you!”
Amidst the laughter and chatter, everyone awaited the result of the second overall pick.
Jerry Krause was sweating profusely but his eyes were determined and full of confidence.
Tracy McGrady, however, looked sleepy, as if all that was happening had nothing to do with him.
The reason McGrady was so composed was that, like Duncan, he had already received a promise.
Just the night before, at midnight, McGrady’s agent received a call instructing him to bring McGrady to a secret location arranged by the Bulls for a dical checkup.
The Bulls would trade for McGrady at the third overall pick!
The exposure for the top three picks was different from other rookies, so McGrady’s team was also willing to cooperate.
McGrady and his agent drove an hour out of Charlotte and sneakily entered a private dical facility through the back door.
If you didn’t know better, you might think they were arranging for a kidney transplant.
This physical confird to Krause that McGrady’s back issue wasn’t so severe, at least not for now.
Many teams were scared off by McGrady’s injury risks, but Krause decided to take a gamble.
He had already negotiated with the Celtics to trade Scottie Pippen for the Celtics’ third and sixth picks.
He would use the third pick to select McGrady.
Indeed, such a trade was in the original history, but it got shot down by Michael Jordan’s declaration, “Trade Scott, and I retire.”
In this history, though, no one would call Krause to prevent the trade.
Krause and McGrady both brimd with confidence.
Krause believed other teams were not confident in McGrady’s health and that surely no one would snatch him up.
McGrady believed that since the second overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers, had never invited him for a workout, they definitely wouldn’t select him.
But David Stern’s announcent left both n reeling.
They realized sothing: In this world, nothing is ever 100% certain.
“With the 1997 NBA Draft’s second overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers select…
Tracy McGrady, from Mount Zion Christian Academy.”
“Dammit, what happened!?” Jerry Krause erupted.
He imdiately picked up the phone to call the new general manager and head coach of the Celtics, Rick Pitino.
He suspected it was Pitino, the rookie fresh from college basketball, who might have inadvertently leaked the information.
It must be the 76ers, knowing he wanted McGrady, intentionally picked him to extort a huge ransom from him!
Those bastards!
“Rick, I told you to be cautious!”
But Rick Pitino on the other end was also agitated, “I swear I haven’t told anyone, I have no idea what’s going on!”
Reviews
All reviews (0)