hotmtlnovel Chapter 447 I am willing to give everything in pursuit of the truth!
Chapter 447 I am willing to give everything in pursuit of the truth!
Both Iverson and Garnett, who were once disappointed, have finally fulfilled their wishes to play with a truly top-tier superstar! As for what level they can reach afterward, and whether they can break through the blockade of strong teams like the Lakers and Mavericks to reach the Finals and win the championship.
That depends on their luck and how well they work together!
What truly shocked the entire league was that, despite the Timberwolves seemingly making a huge sacrifice and mortgaging their entire future, they actually didn't give up any immediate contributors!
They either traded away past stars who were no longer able to play, or draft picks that hadn't yet been cashed in.
In other words, after this trade, the Timberwolves can field Iverson, Sprewell, Szczerbiak, Garnett, and Ogvokanddi, who was just acquired from the Clippers, as their starting lineup.
This starting lineup is absolutely luxurious! It's comparable to the Lakers' Shaq-Kobe duo.
Suddenly, the odds of the Timberwolves winning the championship next season skyrocketed. Before the draft was even over, Las Vegas had already updated their championship odds to fifth in the league!
Second only to the Pacers, Lakers, Mavericks, and Nets!
It's even higher than the Magic, who have had a top-tier roster for the past few years but have had terrible results!
All we can say is that the Timberwolves really went all out this time, making a huge gamble! This is definitely the biggest and craziest trade in their franchise history!
However, it's understandable that the Timberwolves would go all in like this. They can't use their draft picks anyway, so they might as well sell them!
In previous years, they were penalized by the league by losing five first-round draft picks due to the dual contract scandal with Joe Smith!
Although the league later reviewed the case and reduced the penalty from five to three, this year actually marked the Timberwolves' first first-round draft in four years...
Then a big one came right away!
All I can say is that we Minnesos just don't like draft picks!
Following the news of this trade, Minnesota fans were ecstatic and celebrated wildly. Iverson and Garnett – this lineup was definitely something to celebrate!
More importantly, both of them are quite young, in their early twenties and in their prime. As long as this lineup remains intact, they will be strong contenders for the championship for the next five years!
Even if it doesn't happen in one year, what about two, three, or four years?
There will always be a day when we succeed!
In stark contrast to the Timberwolves fans' wild celebrations, the Philadelphia fans were devastated by the departure of their beloved Allen Iverson.
They had finally witnessed the team's resurgence, watching it become a powerhouse in the East, making the playoffs for several consecutive years and even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. But then, Allen Iverson, who brought them so much joy and excitement, was gone.
No Philly fan is happy, no Philly fan is excited about the seven draft picks the team acquired, and no Philly fan thinks the team's trades and rebuilding were the right thing to do.
Give us back Allen Iverson!
This is a true reflection of Philadelphians today!
After all, they were still dreaming of getting Garnett even before the trade was announced! But who knew that things would turn around so quickly.
Garnett didn't come, and Iverson left.
despair!
A profound despair!
Lin Tian was completely unconcerned about the despair of the Philadelphia fans.
He was even quite pleased, as the West had gained another strong team and the East had gained another tank team. Of course he was happy!
Then, the draft was basically coming to an end.
It's almost the Pacers' turn to make a selection.
"Lin?" Bird had already laid down completely, indicating that he fully supported Lin's choice!
With Lin around, who needs to use their brain!
Lin Tian watched as the league's vice president went up and read out names one by one. After the Lakers, with the 57th pick, selected Brandon Hunter, Lin Tian glanced at the remaining players, then handed over a rookie report and said, "Add a center!"
"Alright!" Bird didn't even bother to check who it was; instead, he made a phone call: "Hey, Pacers, we're looking to draft... Let me see... Matt Bonner! Yes, that's him!"
A member of the Mamba family who isn't particularly strong but has a lot of fame, nicknamed "Red Mamba".
This guy's abilities in all aspects are just so-so. As a pure inside player who is 213 cm tall, he is not good at positioning, his rebounding is average, his rim protection is not good, his help defense speed is not fast, and even his finishing ability under the basket is not worth mentioning.
He was drafted into the NBA not because of any of the traditional big men's skills.
He relied on two things.
1、投篮！职业生涯3分命中率超过40%，并且每场都能投中1个以上的3分，在这个年代，这家伙绝对称得上顶级3分炮台。
2. Ruthless! His breakthrough game was when he slapped Garnett to the ground, confronted Garnett head-on, and gained the upper hand!
Leaving aside whether Nate is tough or soft, Bonner is definitely not a coward. He may look soft on the court, but his personality is anything but!
Yes, there's another advantage.
This guy has red body hair.
This person is incredibly popular; in Chinese terms, they're extremely lucky! Like a giant red envelope.
Choosing him for the team is a good omen and a worthwhile trade-off!
After the Pacers selected Bonner with the 58th pick, this year's draft has officially come to an end, and the people involved in the draft have started packing up and going about their business.
Next, the players will officially enjoy a wonderful vacation and can finally relax, while the management will still have headaches to deal with player signings, transfers, and the Summer League.
As for Lin Tian, he took out another piece of paper, wrote a name on it, and handed it to Bird, saying, "If possible, try to find this person in the Summer League. If he works out, keep him on the team. If not, forget it. It's not a big deal."
Bird took the paper from Lin Tian and fell into deep thought as he looked at the name on it.
Who the hell is this?
I've never heard of this rookie before.
Just as he was about to ask again, Lin Tian had already turned and left the office, waving his hand and saying, "Don't bother me if you don't have anything to do this summer. I'm busy. Robert is waiting to arrange my world tour for this year! Oh, and there's the World Athletics Championships. I have to run one more race to officially qualify for next year's Olympics."
Anyway, I'm very busy this year.
As Lin Tian spoke, he disappeared. Bird, of course, scoffed at Lin Tian's claim of being busy.
Bullshit!
No matter how busy you are, can you be busier than me?
I have to deal with the contract renewals of Ben Wallace and Gilbert Arenas, and I also have to rush to find replacements for them. I also have to organize a summer league team and scout and observe players.
Once this whole thing is done, summer will be almost over, and it'll be time to head to the training camp.
Busy? You're telling me you're busy?
I don't believe you're going to see Pelinka right now!
Bird, who knows Lin Tian very well, is willing to bet $10 that Lin Tian has most likely gone to the Hilton Hotel to catch up with his old flame.
If Lin Tian heard Bird's accusation, he would definitely angrily tell Bird: You have a good eye for people!
If you've come all the way to New York, wouldn't it be a waste not to tame the wild horses and experience the beautiful New York night view?
As for Pelinka's business arrangements?
Let's discuss it again!
Let's talk about it in July, there's no rush.
Lin Tian spent the next few days in New York. After Hilton finally begged for mercy, saying, "Your Majesty, you are amazing. I have lost," Lin Tian returned to Indiana without stopping to begin his vacation.
He took a break until July 5th. Lin Tian originally wanted to stay a few more days, since Theron had only been in Indiana for two days and he wanted to spend more time with her.
But early that morning, Pelinka knocked on Lin Tian's door, cornering him inside the villa, and said, "My goodness! My dear goodness! If you don't start your trip soon, we can forget about going on our world tour this year!"
"Aren't you supposed to be participating in the World Athletics Championships in August? We only have 20 days left at most. I'm telling you this now, if you don't pack up and leave, our world tour this year is canceled! You don't need to go anywhere, and you don't need to do any promotion! I don't care how many pairs of your sneakers you sell!"
"And from now on, I'm not going to get involved in your affairs anymore. I'll just assign you some random recent graduate intern, do whatever you want with them!"
"This is great news!" Lin Tian's eyes lit up when he heard the event could be cancelled. "It's a deal! Double happiness!"
"Fuck you!" Pelinka cursed angrily, then immediately backed down: "Just two weeks! This time I promise to make the trip relaxed and comfortable; we'll go to the most comfortable cities with the best weather!"
"I guarantee you'll get everything sorted out within 20 days, and I'll even put the final stop in Paris so you can immediately jump into track and field training after the event and win a World Championship gold medal! Pretty generous of me, right?"
"If you'd said so earlier, everything would have been fine by now." Lin Tian stretched and said, "Is everything alright now? Should I go back to sleep? When do we leave?"
"tomorrow!"
After leaving those last words, Pelinka immediately got up and ran away, giving Lin Tian no chance to catch him or stop him to bargain. His speed in that instant made Lin Tian think that he should give up his unpromising job as an agent and become a sprinter instead.
Who knows, maybe they can test their skills against me in the World Championships final?
...............
On August 1st, Pelinka kept his promise.
After the activities that morning, all the schedules were indeed over. In the following days, Lin Tian and the training team led by Yu Weili provided by China would train together in Paris to prepare for the World Athletics Championships in 20 days.
Before the World Championships began, Lin Tian took a break after a training session to open his 02-03 season review package.
The gift pack had arrived a while ago, but Lin Tian had been having so much fun playing that he hadn't really thought about anything else. He hadn't been in a great need for gift packs or skills lately, so he hadn't bothered to open it until now.
With the World Championships just two days away, Lin Tian thought for a moment and decided to turn this thing on.
What if he also gets a talent for sprinting and easily breaks a world record?
Give it a try!
It's worth mentioning that this season's gift pack is S+!
This is also Lin Tian's second S+ level season overall rating gift pack.
Lin Tian has now completely figured out the system's nature. To get an S+, you need at least one of the following: 70+ wins in the regular season or a perfect record in the playoffs. You also need to have many historic performances in terms of individual highlights, top-tier individual statistics, and a unique status within the team.
Only when you have all of these can you possibly get an S+.
However, Lin Tian really doesn't care whether it's S+ or S anymore. What he's most looking forward to is whether they can release something like the 'Flat Earth Theory'! That thing is the purest thing he's ever used in terms of all his skills and items!
The purest joy! Unadulterated by any other impurities.
"Open the gift pack!"
With a mischievous urge, Lin Tian opened the gift package.
"Host has gained 20000 experience points."
Well, it's nothing to mention.
"Host has acquired the rune: Burst Rune!"
"Burst Rune: Increases the host's burst damage by 30%."
Wow! They really came!
Lin Tian, who was hoping to make a big splash at the World Championships, didn't expect that the system would actually give him a speed-related rune!
Explosive power increased by another 30%!
To be honest, in the NBA, this explosiveness is no longer of much use. After all, Lin Tian's speed is already unmatched in the NBA, so having a little more explosiveness makes little difference.
But this thing will be very useful in Lin Tian's pursuit of the fastest human legend!
Let's break another world record in a few days!
happy!
"The host has obtained a one-time item: Health Preservation Pod."
"Health Preservation Chamber: Can be used once. If the host chooses to retire after use, as long as they no longer participate in sports as an athlete, the decline in physical fitness due to age can be reversed."
"The longer the treatment lasts, the better the effect. It can be used for up to 3 years of health maintenance, but it cannot be used after the age of 40."
This……
Lin Tian was a little stunned when he saw what had been revealed.
There really is a damn fountain of youth!
Unfortunately, it can only be used once and can only be used for 3 years. It cannot be used after the age of 40. Otherwise, if Lin Tian used this thing when he was 50 years old and used it for 50 years, wouldn't he be able to reverse his aging?
Aside from the possibility of being captured and sliced, which could cause some trouble, everything else is fine.
Unfortunately, the system had clearly considered the possibility of Lin Tian being sliced up, so it directly limited the time and effect for him.
That's so thoughtful and touching... my ass!
But this "health capsule" also reminded Lin Tian of something, something he had never thought of before.
That is, although he is a time traveler, he has not gone to the point of defying the heavens.
If bodily functions are destined to age and deteriorate, they will still age and deteriorate!
pity.
After considering this, Lin Tian became even more certain of one thing—
Enjoy life while you can!
You have to be happy!
Otherwise, I would be letting this system down!
This S+ gift pack only contained these three items, nothing fun to do, which disappointed Lin Tian. However, when he stood on the sports field the next day and secretly ran a race at full speed to test his speed before everyone else arrived, he was terrified.
This number is so close that it will likely be sliced up by someone.
Then, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Lin Tian deleted the electronic timer's record.
Hmm... that's too scary, it's better to hide it and not let anyone know!
In the following days, members of the national track and field team also arrived in Paris to meet with Lin Tian, Yu Weili, and others. Liu Xiang, who had a good relationship with Lin Tian, was particularly excited to see him.
"Brother Lin! I'm incredibly fast right now! I think I can win a medal! Maybe I can even break the world record."
"Hurry up? Come on, let's get on the track and have a race."
As soon as Lin Tian saw Liu Xiang about to brag, he immediately said, "You're no good."
"Then let's not." Liu Xiang forced a wry smile onto his face, which was now covered in even more acne: "It's not related to my major."
"How about trying the 110-meter hurdles?" Lin Tian had just gotten his new gadget a few days ago, and he was incredibly excited and eager to find someone to test his skills against and thoroughly humiliate it.
"Really?" Liu Xiang's eyes lit up immediately, but he quickly calmed down again: "Forget it, I won't run! If I lose, all the confidence I've worked so hard to build up will be gone. If I win, there's nothing to be proud of. I might even get revenge by running 100 100-meter dashes with you, Brother Lin."
"I won't run, I won't run with you."
What are you saying! I'm asking you what you said!
What do you mean by "if I lose, I'll drag you to run 100 100-meter races as revenge"? Do you think I, Lord Lin, am that kind of person?
Watching Liu Xiang run away with his luggage at lightning speed, Lin Tian felt helpless. If Liu Xiang wouldn't run with him, then the rest of the team... there were no other sprinters on the team.
The athletes who came this time were all middle- and long-distance runners, marathon runners, hammer throwers, long jumpers, etc., so they really couldn't be paired with Lin Tian.
There's no other way but to wait for the World Championships to start and then crush the foreigners!
However, the arrival of the main force from China brought Lin Tian another piece of news that made him very happy.
Director Xin is out of class!
After saying "the earth is flat" at the Laureus World Sports Awards in May, countless people have used it as a joke to tease and ridicule him.
However, this matter wasn't actually that big of a deal, mainly because Director Xin had a proven track record to protect him.
With an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the achievement of defeating Brazil to become the Laureus World Sports Team of the Year, these honors and outstanding results are enough to warrant a few words and he won't have to step down.
Normally, it involves writing a self-criticism, reading it aloud, various punishments, apologizing, then saying nice things to the leader, treating them to a few meals and drinks, and finally, as time goes by, the matter is forgotten.
As the saying goes: solid results guarantee a stable position!
The problem is, Director Xin won't admit his mistake!
He absolutely refuses to admit his mistakes!
When asked to write a self-criticism, he wrote: "I shouldn't have revealed the truth to the public," "I shouldn't have forced the majority to accept the true truth," "It was wrong of me to expose the truth of this world," and "I sincerely admit my mistakes, but I also vow to protect my faith to the death."
His boss rejected his comments like this several times and scolded him a lot.
But he still wrote similar things in every self-criticism, emphasizing a hard tone! In the end, even the leader couldn't stand it anymore and said, "You don't need to write anymore. Let your secretary do it for you. You just need to read it aloud during meetings."
Then, the secretary, still dutiful, quickly wrote a heartfelt, deeply moving, tear-jerking letter of self-criticism filled with regret, self-blame, and pain.
It details how difficult his journey was, how many hardships and obstacles he encountered, and how many unexpected events and difficulties he faced. In the end, he led the entire team step by step, overcoming all obstacles and riding the waves. Finally, with the guidance and help of the leaders, they rose to the challenge and successfully achieved this precious result.
Anyway, the secretary cried while reading the self-criticism she wrote.
This is so well written!
I was so moved!
Logically speaking, as long as Director Xin reads the text aloud, even if he doesn't read from the script or burps while reading, the matter should basically be over.
But then, Director Xin finished reading the entire self-criticism at the meeting, and even bowed to indicate that he was done. I don't know what got into him.
Perhaps it was his unwavering pursuit and dedication to ideals, dreams, truth, and justice that led him to utter his final words—
"My final words are this: although I have offered my apology, although I have reflected on my actions, and although I have said many things here that were not to my true feelings, I still firmly believe that the earth is flat!"
"Galileo and Copernicus, they are heretics! I really hope that everyone can have a rational discussion, instead of attacking, despising and arguing with each other because of some different views on truth and celestial bodies."
"We are all just pursuing the truth, and I am just on the path of pursuing the truth..."
Director Xin said that much, or rather, he said quite a lot more, but no one could hear him anymore.
His microphone power was cut off.
And then?
He was transferred away from his frontline position and even distanced himself from sports.
Considering his love and pursuit of celestial bodies, as well as his exploration of truth, the organization very considerately appointed him as the director of the observatory.
At the very least, it's a job that matches your major, right?
Of course, there were also strict orders from above: he could do whatever he wanted to do, explore whatever he wanted, and play as he pleased, but he was not to be allowed to teach the children who came to visit the observatory.
There will be complaints...
After Director Xin stepped down, the streets erupted in cheers!
After all, everyone has memories. They all remember that from 96 to 98, Director Xin refused to let Lin Tian join the team, which led to the team's defeat in Asia and missed the 98 World Championships.
Some fans even think that if Lin Tian had been recruited into the team for both the 1996 Olympics and the 1998 World Championships, the Chinese men's basketball team might have won four consecutive world championships by now!
Director Xin is an absolute sinner!
The fans don't miss him at all!
As for his successor, it has not been announced yet. Currently, the work of the Basketball Association is being temporarily handled by the former deputy director. The organization still needs to discuss who will be selected to take over the position.
Well, the main thing is to see if the successor has any special scientific views or pursuits that are different from ordinary people.
If so, just pass!
The Chinese Basketball Association can't afford to lose face again!
…………
On August 31, 2003, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, the scene of the 100-meter final.
As the flagship and most popular event of the World Athletics Championships, the 100-meter sprint was, unsurprisingly, a packed stadium.
Of course, not all the spectators at the event are there to watch the 100 meters. The World Athletics Championships sell all-day tickets, which allow you to watch the entire day.
It's just that the 100-meter dash is indeed the most popular.
For example, when the athletes stand on the starting line, all the spectators' attention is unconsciously drawn to them.
Who will emerge victorious this year? Who will continue the legend of the fastest man?
Will a new world record be set? Who is in better form?
With these questions in mind, running fans are extremely excited!
As for the person they are most looking forward to?
Just look at the state and clothing of the audience! There were at least dozens of red flags fluttering in the wind, and the crazy running fans were waving their red flags excitedly. Countless people were wearing Pacers jerseys, Chinese national team jerseys, T-shirts with Lin Tian's image on them, or all sorts of other Lin Tian-related merchandise.
Of these people, at most one-fifth were Chinese who had traveled across the ocean to France.
More than 80% of them are foreigners!
Their enthusiasm was no less than that of running fans in China; they chanted Lin Tian's name wildly, expressing their admiration and respect.
After all, Lin Tian had easily made it to the finals with the highest overall score in the previous competitions! He had encountered almost no challenges along the way, and no one could even see his taillights!
One reason is that Montgomery and others who were neck and neck with him a year ago were suspended for taking drugs, while veteran sprinter Greene is getting older and his performance is declining, and he even failed to reach this year's final. European star Chambers was plagued by injuries and did not even pass the preliminaries.
Simply put, Lin Tian's opponents have changed completely, and among these newcomers, there are really not many formidable figures worth mentioning.
In other words, due to Lin Tian's sudden emergence and Montgomery's self-destruction, the sprinting world has directly entered a period of transition and dimming of stars.
Truly standing out from the crowd!
Even in this final, the audience didn't feel there was any suspense. What if Lin Tian arrogantly said: "Are you here to compete for second place?"
No one would think he's arrogant.
Who told him to be so fast?
Today, the only suspense for everyone is whether Lin Tian can break the world record, and if so, by how much!
As for competing for the championship?
Anyway, nobody's looking forward to that!
Among this group of people, who can compete with Lin Tian?
Lin Tian even briefly recalled this competition himself.
It seems to have truly been called the "worst 100-meter sprint final in history".
Throughout the entire race, across all eight lanes, no one managed to break the 10-second barrier.
Winning the championship will be absolutely effortless!
"Look, all the runners are in position! They're standing on their tracks! They're doing their final warm-up and relaxation!"
Yang Jian's familiar voice came again. He was the commentator for Huaxia Sports Channel today. Lin Tian was not the only one who became famous in the Golden League. Yang Jian also became a star of Huaxia Sports because of his magnetic voice, steady yet passionate commentary and rich and detailed vocabulary.
In this match, the leaders once again entrusted him with the commentary duties!
He is widely recognized as the best commentator in track and field today.
"And I also believe that our Chinese audience is watching this competition to see Lin Tian create another miracle and continue to break his personal record! It's been far too long since track and field fans have seen Lin Tian since he ran in Morocco."
"In this respect, we have to be a little envious of basketball fans, who can always see Lin Tian playing basketball on the court. But I also have to say that we are even more fortunate than MMA fans, because they haven't seen Lin Tian in the ring since that life-or-death duel between Lin Tian and Tyson."
"Even on the NBA stage, Lin Tian hasn't made a move." (End of Chapter)