Chapter 157: Season ends, trade Kidd?
On the 23rd, the focus of major American sports media was on the commentary of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and the predictions for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals to be held in the evening.

Barkley said in an interview with SBC TV: "The Nets and the Knicks are almost the same on paper, and the Nets only won one more game in the regular season.

But in terms of lineup rationality, the Nets are a very mature team, with the best organizational ability in the league, impactful inside line, strong breakthrough and jump shot ability on the wing, and most importantly, the best defense in the league.

The Knicks are facing a transition between the old and new core players, and the lineup is not reasonable, which is why the Knicks are in a very passive position in the series. "

"Charles, can you tell me more about the unreasonable lineup of the Knicks?" the reporter asked.

"of course."

Barkley then said: "First of all, they are too weak at the No. 1 position and are severely suppressed by Kidd, which results in the team having no organizational function and everyone can only fight on their own.

Secondly, the wings lack the ability to attack with the ball and break through. The mid-range shooter and the madman are not bad, but their abilities in this aspect are a bit outdated, and they shoot too many jump shots.

Then it's defense, I mean the perimeter defense. The Knicks' perimeter defense in G1 and G2 was quite bad, but last night they defended the perimeter and made a lot of assists and backup defenses. Although the defensive effect was not very good, they won. "

"So Charles, do you think the Knicks will make changes to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions?" the reporter asked.

Barkley laughed and said, "I think so. The Knicks should find some young people with potential who match the Wolverine's age.

They grew together, and the young roster allowed the Knicks to maintain a relatively stable roster for ten seasons.”

The reporter said: "The Knicks don't have that many young people right now, and apart from Wolverine, there isn't even one with potential.

They don't have a lottery pick, so they can only do it through a trade, Charles, is that what you think?"

Barkley shrugged and smiled, "Besides trading, what else can we do? Unless they can pick up a few more Wolverines."

"Haha."

The reporter also found it funny.

Barkley also shook his head and said: "The Knicks may have used up ten years of luck to pick up a Wolverine. There is no chance that they will pick up a second one."

That night, the Western Conference Game 3 began.

In the end, the Spurs defeated the Mavericks on the road, 96:83, taking a - advantage.

Duncan played bravely, scoring 63.2 points with a shooting percentage of 34%, grabbing 24 rebounds, making 6 assists, 2 steals and 6 blocks.

On the defensive end, he teamed up with David Robinson to prevent Nowitzki and Riv LaFrentz from getting a combined total of only 25 points and 11 rebounds.

In terms of rebounds alone, the Spurs had 59 and the Mavericks only had 33.

In another item, the Spurs got 26 free throws on the road, while the Mavericks only got 6 free throws at home.

David Robinson was suffocated on the jump shot from outside, making only 6 of 1 shots and two free throws, so he was not lethal at all.

But Duncan made 14 of 10 free throws, which shows his powerful low-post lethality, comparable to that of Shaquille O'Neal.

He Zhongqiu admires Duncan's performance from the bottom of his heart. If he could perform like this, wouldn't it be as easy for the Knicks to kill the Nets as slaughtering a chicken?

At the end of the day, the Knicks can only blame their own lack of strength for not beating the Nets, and cannot blame their teammates for holding them back.

On the morning of the 24th, after having breakfast with Yang Xue and Philip, I received a call from Xia Song.

"During the Mid-Autumn Festival, your participation in the Asian Championships has been resolved."

"Oh, hurry up."

"The higher-ups have agreed. You will take the power forward position. Jiao Jian has left the national team."

"Focus key?"

He Zhongqiu knew this person, the main power forward of the Yanjing team and the CBA best rookie in 2000. After Bart came to the NBA, he became the core of the Yanjing team.

"Yes, this is the first time he was selected for the national team." Xia Song's tone was a little embarrassed.

"Brother Xia, please tell him that I owe him a favor and ask him to come to me if he has any problems in the future." He Zhongqiu said.

"Okay, I'll contact him." Xia Song said.

"By the way, didn't you resign? How is it going?" He Zhongqiu asked.

"We've made the contact. It's Coach Zhang Heli. As soon as you finish the game, he will return to China to serve as an assistant coach and translator for the men's basketball team." Xia Song said.

That night, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals began.

After fighting all night, the Knicks finally lost at home, falling behind the Nets 1-3. Following last year, the Nets have one foot in the door of the finals again.

He Zhongqiu was exhausted and could not play anymore, only getting 17 points and 8 rebounds.

On the 25th, in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs won two consecutive away games and took the match point with a score of to .

On the 26th, the Knicks lost again on the road and were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of to . He Zhongqiu also ended his first playoff journey.

In the five games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 5 minutes, 35 points and 20.75 rebounds per game, including his shooting percentage, which was lower than his performance in the first two rounds.

三轮系列赛，场均36.6分钟，23.9分12.2篮板2.1助攻1.8抢断4.6盖帽4.1失误3.8犯规，投篮命中率56.2%。

It was a pity that they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, but he tried his best and he didn't have many regrets.

Zhang Heli and others came over to interview us. We chatted for a long time and agreed to meet again in China.

Dayao called afterwards and said, "Zhongqiu, your physical strength is not better than mine."

He Zhongqiu said: "Yao Sanjie, comparing physical fitness with you is lowering my level!"

"What is Yao's three quarters?" Yao Ming's forehead twitched and he gritted his teeth.

He chuckled and said, "I used to train my physical fitness like you. I'm not exaggerating. I average 44 minutes per game, and a one-minute break in each quarter is enough for me to catch my breath. I can still fly and dodge until the last minute."

"Just brag." Yao Ming said indignantly.

"Hey, Yao Ming, I will come back in September to play in the Asian Championships, and we will beat the Koreans." he said.

"You're playing in the Asian Championships just to deal with those Koreans, right?" Yao Ming said.

"Isn't that obvious?" he said.

"Haha, we are capable of beating them even without you," Dayao said.

"Just beating them is not enough. You have to beat them to death. You have to press them to the ground and rub them until they cry." He said in a fierce tone.

"Okay, you are still ruthless." Dayao said.

On the 27th, He Zhongqiu entered the off-season.

Personal trainer Greenfeldon gave him a plan that required a month of rest to allow his body to recover from fatigue.

During this month, he could not perform high-intensity physical and strength training, nor could he perform confrontational training. He could only perform non-confrontational shooting and other training.

This doesn't waste time. This month he wants to concentrate on improving his bank shot skills, and start training his physical fitness and offensive skills next month.

After three rounds of series, some of his skills have been improved accordingly.

攻防战术从68提升到了70级，协防补防都从62提升到63级，单防从82提升到了84级。

Organizing and providing support is his weakness, but he has improved one or two levels as well as launching fast breaks.

That morning, the Los Angeles media suddenly broke the news that Wolverine will join the Blade 3 crew and play an important role.

This news was naturally released by the Blade 3 crew and New Line Cinema, and He Zhongqiu had been informed in advance.

Given the popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the promotion by the media and relevant parties, the news quickly spread on the Internet.

At noon, Frank Zhang came over with a middle-aged white man.

It was introduced that this was a Hollywood agent named Ross Lewis who had just joined the American branch of Zhongqiu Culture.

Frank Zhang said to He Zhongqiu: “Boss, Ross was previously a first-class broker at International Innovation Management Company and he is very capable.

This time the company specifically recruited him, hoping that his joining would help expand the company's agency business in Hollywood." He Zhongqiu chatted with Lewis for a while and invited him to lunch.

Because the crew of Blade 3 has been formed, he has to sign the contract with the producer quickly.

His scenes will be filmed in July, and before that he needs to go to Los Angeles to meet the crew, attend the opening ceremony, and do some promotion.

Not long after Ross Lewis left, Philip, who had left in a hurry after receiving a phone call in the morning, came back. He looked very upset, with his hair and clothes messy, and he looked terrible.

"What's wrong? Have you eaten? If not, ask Mary to make you something to eat?" He Zhongqiu asked.

"I'm not in the mood to eat, oh!"

Philip threw himself into the sofa and sighed, "My nephew Williams couldn't find a job after graduating from college, so he joined a gang in New York. His body was found in the Hudson River last night, shot six times."

"What?" He Zhongqiu was stunned.

Mary came out of the kitchen and said sadly, "My two daughters graduated from public universities and could only find jobs as waitresses."

“College students working as waiters?”

He Zhongqiu couldn't understand. In this day and age, college students in China are considered intellectuals. How could they possibly become waiters?
"Damn happy education!" Philip cursed.

“Isn’t happy education good?”

He Zhongqiu still didn't understand. He just didn't like the education method in China, where the teachers always forced him to study. He liked the happy coaches in the United States, where he could study or not and the teachers didn't have to control him. How great was that.

"What a fart!"

Philip cursed and said in a very unhappy tone: "If happy education is good, why do rich people in the United States send their children to receive elite education? Are they all idiots?"

"this?"

He Zhongqiu felt that this sentence made sense. Those who can become rich are not stupid.

"Let me tell you, Zhongqiu, although you have been in the United States for several months, you have actually never had much contact with this country, because there are many people serving you, and you can't get in touch with them at all. Now let me tell you what the real America is like."

Next, Philip began to educate He Zhongqiu. He talked for two full hours, and it must be said that He Zhongqiu's head hurt.

Around 3 p.m., Scott Layden contacted Kidd's agent.

After hearing what he said, Jeff Schwartz, the most famous agent in the NBA and Kidd's agent, replied:

"Mr. Layden, I am very happy to receive your invitation call, and I also very much hope that Jason can play in the Big Apple."

Hearing this, Leiden knew that the next words would take a turn.

Sure enough, Jeff Schwartz continued, "But Jason is preparing for the finals now. I can't discuss the possibility of playing in New York with him at this time."

"I know that. I just want to know your attitude, Mr. Schwartz. We can discuss the possibility." Leiden said hurriedly.

Schwartz naturally would not reject Layden's suggestion. After all, he did not lie. If Kidd played for the Knicks, it would be a big improvement in his career. Even though the Nets are located in the suburbs of New York, the difference is huge.

The two had a brief discussion and decided to discuss it in detail after the finals.

Layden had a preliminary understanding of Kidd's contract requirements. A long-term contract and a maximum salary were certain. Based on the possible salary cap this season, Kidd's starting salary should be able to reach 13 million.

The Nets own Kidd's Bird Rights, and his annual salary increase can reach 12.5%, an advantage that the Knicks do not have.

The Knicks definitely don't have the space to sign Kidd now, and the team's first task is to sign Wolverine first.

If you want to sign Kidd, you must first clear more than 10 million in space, but that is too difficult. No team's general manager is a fool and willing to swallow such a big garbage contract.

That night, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals began. The Mavericks won a game at home, and the two sides were tied -. The Spurs still held the match point.

On the 28th, He Zhongqiu and Yang Xue set off and flew to Los Angeles.

In addition to translator Philip, those accompanying him included personal trainer Felton, NBA agent Mike Johnson, and Hollywood agent Ross Lewis.

We arrived in Los Angeles at three o'clock in the afternoon, and Xia Song and Wu Jing came to pick us up at the airport.

Xia Song arrived in Los Angeles yesterday. Zhang Heli took over his translation position after returning to China, otherwise he would not have had time to come.

"Brother Jing, have you finished filming your scene?" He Zhongqiu asked.

Wu Jing said with a smile: "The filming is finished and the money has been received."

Xia Song said: "During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wu Jing's overseas agency contract was signed with our company. The commission on income was 5%, and Ross was also the agent."

"OK."

He Zhongqiu nodded.

Hollywood agencies are different from domestic agencies. Domestic agencies have full control over all the artists, while Hollywood agencies are only responsible for one thing, which is film contracts. They don’t care about any business or life matters.

In addition, there are laws and regulations in state legislation and industry systems regarding the commission on client income, which is up to 10%. If it exceeds this limit, the license will be revoked.

As far as he knows, among all the Hollywood agencies, only three can achieve a 10% commission, and the others all have a commission rate of less than %.

He said to Wu Jing, "Brother Jing, let's take it slow. You are just like that in China anyway, so why not stay here for a while and see if there is any chance."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

Wu Jing nodded and said with a smile, "Yesterday, Xia Song and I met with Lin Dian, the action director of Blade 3. After he knew about your relationship with me, he asked me if I wanted to temporarily join his team and be the action director of Blade 3. After discussing it with Brother Xia, I agreed to it."

Xia Song said, "I don't know how much Lin Dian's team got paid for Blade 3, but he offered Wu Jing $5. I thought it would be a good opportunity to gain experience first, so I agreed."

"Okay, that's a good thing." He Zhongqiu said with a smile.

He doesn't have a house in Los Angeles, so he has to live in a hotel first, but because he will stay in Los Angeles for more than two months, he plans to buy a house here.

After dinner at the hotel, several people drank coffee, and Xia Song asked: "Zhongqiu, are you planning to buy a villa or a luxury apartment?"

"What's the point?" he asked.

Xia Song looked at the Americans present. He had not lived in the United States for a long time and was not much better than He Zhongqiu. It would be better to let an American answer this question.

Philip immediately said, "Luxury apartments are also very expensive because they are all located in the city center. Some large flats are even more expensive than some villas. However, after 911/, high-rise apartments are not so attractive to wealthy people."

Ross Lewis said: "Hollywood stars generally like to live in Beverly Hills, and several major brokerage companies are also there. I suggest buying a villa in Beverly Hills."

Mike Johnson agreed, "Wolverine, if you want to train, the apartment is definitely not convenient. You need an additional training hall. The villa can build its own training hall, which is more convenient."

"How much does it cost?" He Zhongqiu asked.

Ross Lewis said: "Last month, an eight-bedroom villa was sold in Beverly Hills for $375 million."

"The villa in the city is not cheaper than the suburbs where I live in New York now." He Zhongqiu shook his head.

Ross Lewis was stunned.

"hey-hey."

"Haha."

Those who knew him better, like Philip and Mike Johnson, laughed.

Xia Song smiled and advised: "Zhongqiu, Dazhi just bought a villa in Los Angeles for 270 million US dollars. A villa close to four million is not bad."

"Did he buy a house here?" He Zhongqiu asked.

"He bought out his contract with the Clippers and got $210 million, and then he bought a house. His wife came with him, and it was more convenient to have a house," said Xia Song.

He Zhongqiu was surprised and said, "Then he spent all the money he earned in the United States on the house. He is more willing than me. That won't do. I have to buy one worth at least five million."

Xia Song said: "He had quite a bit of income from endorsements in China before."

Frank Zhang said, “Rose, the villa you recommended is over 500 million dollars. It’s too cheap. Our boss doesn’t like it.”

Yang Xue was speechless. Sanjin had changed so much. Although he wasn't stingy before, now he simply didn't care about money.

(End of this chapter)