Chapter 34: Surprising
Michael Jordan was jumping up and down here and cursing the old fox, while Pat Riley had already lit a victory cigar, and in the rising smoke, he showed a smug smile. Although he paid a high price, he had no regrets in his heart, and even felt in his heart that the importance of this choice was greater than selecting Michael Beasley with the second pick.
At the same time, Yang Mo was still standing there in a daze.
He really didn't expect it. He just sat there, dumbfounded, looking at the surprised people around him. All of a sudden, many images popped up in his head, from the first basketball his father gave him, to the day-to-day practice, to being rejected by the CBA youth team, to the first buzzer-beater in Cuba to lead South China University into the quarterfinals, to being defeated on the street, to...
The scenes from the past lingered in my mind like an old movie replaying, and tears involuntarily flowed from my eyes.
By the time he stood up, it had been almost ten minutes since David Stern announced the result. This was definitely an exception in the history of the draft, as the trade had already been announced, but Yang Mo hadn't even stood on the stage to speak.
Now Yang Mo is very embarrassed because he doesn't know which hat to wear when he goes up to speak. He should wear a Bucks hat, since he is now a Miami player. He should wear a Miami hat, since the one who chose him is the Bucks again.
After much hesitation, Yang Mo simply wore two hats, the Bucks hat on her head and the Heat hat on top of the Bucks hat.
Seeing Yang Mo wearing two hats, there was not much surprise at the scene. After all, the biggest surprise was that Yang Mo was selected with the eighth pick.
Yang Mo walked onto the stage, and David Stern came up to greet her and shook her hand: "Welcome to the NBA family."
"Thank you." Yang Mo smiled slightly, walked to the front of the stage, holding the microphone, looking at the people below with different expressions, some blessing, some disdainful, some booing, all kinds of expressions and emotions.
Yang Mo smiled slightly and said slowly, "I know that it was a surprise for everyone that I was chosen for this position. In fact, it was also a surprise for me. A month ago, I was still worried about my future and didn't know what job I would do after graduation. Now... I have got one of the best-paid jobs in the world."
After Yang Mo finished speaking, there were some quiet noises and scattered applause from the audience.
"It's normal that people don't recognize me now. I hope that in the near future, everyone will recognize my ability, and then they will give me a thumbs up and say: Oh! That Chinese Yang is amazing, and that is definitely a wonderful deal for Miami in the history of the draft." Yang Mo continued calmly.
Yang Mo's neither humble nor arrogant attitude calmed the people below down a little.
"Thank you Milwaukee for choosing me, even though I've never dealt with you guys. Thank you to the Heat for bringing me to Miami. I hope my talent can help the team improve. Finally... thank you to those who have looked down on me over the years. I will build the most magnificent castle with the stones you threw at me, and I will sharpen your slander against me into the sharpest weapon, and I will follow me to open up new territories, sweep through thousands of enemies, and move forward all the way."
Having said that, Yang Mo bowed and walked off the stage.
If Yao Ming left Americans with the impression of being kind and humorous, then Yang Mo now leaves them with the impression of being tough and aggressive.
After walking off the stage, TNT, which had bought the exclusive broadcasting rights for this talent show, immediately invited Yang Mo to the studio, where several hosts were already waiting for him.
This was the alliance's arrangement, and Yang Mo did not object. It was just a TV interview, wasn't it? Just come.
After sitting down in the studio, host Fields quickly began his opening remarks: "Let us welcome this year's No. 8 pick, power forward Yang Mo from China."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Mo corrected him: "Actually, I can also play as a small forward, but when defending, I prefer to stay in the penalty area."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Fields smiled and turned to the two guests next to him and asked, "Chris, Jeff, what do you think?"
Chris Webber smiled and said, "I know nothing about Yang. I have never seen his game, so I can't make an analysis for the fans now. But my intuition tells me that this kid will be a good player. His speech above touched me a lot."
After Chris Webber finished speaking, Jeff Van Gundy took over the conversation. He did not comment directly, but asked Yang Mo: "Yang, can you tell me which team you play for in China? I coached Yao, I have been to China several times, and I know a little bit about it."
"I don't have any experience playing in a professional team." Yang Mo shook his head and said frankly: "I'm a student."
"Oh, this is really surprising." Jeff Van Gundy was surprised for a moment, then asked: "Today, three outstanding point guards are canvassing for you. Are you very good friends?"
"Of course." Yang Mo nodded. In his heart, he even regarded those three guys as brothers.
"So it was your skills that conquered them? And not some other reason that made them promote you so hard?" Van Gundy continued to ask.
"Yes. We had a confrontation at the Orlando training camp." Yang Mo said without hesitation: "I think it was at that time that we formed a deep friendship. They thought I might not be selected, so they helped me."
"Are you surprised about the No. 8 pick?"
"Of course, I always thought I might be selected in the early second round or late first round, but the fact that I was selected scared me. I even sat on the sidelines for 10 minutes before I came to my senses."
"Okay, let me ask you a professional question. As we all know, your height is not outstanding among inside players. How will you survive in the restricted area?"
"I think height is not the only determining factor in the penalty zone. Positioning, strength, wingspan, basketball awareness and control of the rules are all very important. And it just so happens that I am very good at all of these," Yang Mo said confidently.
"Okay, that's all my questions. I hope you have a great NBA journey. Fields, is there anything else you want to add?"
"No more." Fields shook his head and continued, "Well, thank you for coming to our studio, and I wish you all the best in Miami."
"Thank you, goodbye." Yang Mo waved to the three people, waved at the camera, and walked out the door quickly.
After Yang Mo left, the three of them started discussing again.
"Is Pat Riley crazy? Is the Chinese market that important? Last year's Yi has already proved that Yao Ming is not replicable, and this year he actually picked a pocket center." Fields said in great confusion.
"No, I don't agree with you. I think this guy might be able to give us a little surprise." Chris Webber immediately retorted: "Pat Riley has never messed up in the draft. He can take such a big risk to choose Yang. Yang must have something special."
"I am more inclined to Chris's opinion. I very much agree with Yang's opinion on the restricted area just now. I think he is a smart player." Van Gundy also expressed optimism about Yang Mo's future.
Fields was embarrassed. He was just a host, and his job was to control the flow and liven up the atmosphere. When it came to professional knowledge, he was only half-baked. Just then, DJ Augustin, the No. 9 pick of the Bobcats, came over. He quickly changed the subject: "Okay, now No. 9 pick Augustin is walking towards our studio..."
