Raymond was alone in the utility room. In front of him was an old video recorder, and next to the video recorder was a whole box of video tapes.
Video recorders and video tapes, which were once standard equipment in American households, have long been eliminated. Even if they are not thrown away, they will be thrown into the utility room like the Raymond family.
At this time, Raymond found these video tapes. He picked up one of them with a nostalgic look on his face, blew off the dust on it, and put it in the video recorder.
The old video recorder can still be used after being plugged in, but the obsolete picture tube TV in the utility room is no longer so clear, and even the colors have become very inconsistent.
Raymond appeared on the TV screen. At that time, he was only 18 years old and had just graduated from high school. Then he participated in the NBA draft and was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 9th overall pick in the first round.
It is difficult to find the game videos from that year, but Raymond still retains the game videos from his rookie season, but in the form of video tapes.
"I was so young at that time." Raymond looked at his immature self in the picture, with an afterthought smile on his face.
Raymond changed the video tape. On the unclear picture on the TV, Raymond was facing the Indiana Pacers.
"I remember that game, I got 10 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first double-double of my career. At the time, I was only 18 years and five months old. I was also the youngest double-double in the NBA at that time. players."
Raymond changed another videotape again. This was a game he faced against the Nets, which at that time were still the "New Jersey Nets."
"In that game, I scored 22 points, which was also the highest scoring record for a rookie at that time."
"That rookie season is really worth remembering. I remember that my field goal percentage reached 45%. It was the highest field goal percentage in a single season for a 21-year-old player in NBA history."
Raymond picked up the video tape on the other side. The word "Magic" was marked on it. Raymond knew that this was a video after he transferred to the Magic.
He picked up a videotape, put it in the video recorder, and began to reminisce about himself back then.
"I still remember that season, I was not yet 21 years old, but I averaged 26 points per game. I was also the third player in NBA history to average 26 points per game before the age of 21."
The screen on the TV gradually changed to a wonderful collection of goals. The ball almost came to Raymond's hands. He always had various ways to put the basketball into the frame.
"In those two seasons, I won the NBA scoring title twice. I still remember that I was the fifth player in NBA history to score 40+10+10."
The content of the videotape only recorded the season when Raymond won the scoring title. The subsequent Rockets career was not recorded in the videotape. However, Raymond remembered that "35 seconds and 13 minutes". In the last 35 seconds of the game, he scored three three-pointers and a three-plus-one, helping the Rockets achieve an impossible reversal, and that scene will be remembered by countless fans.
Unknowingly, Raymond suddenly felt itchy and wanted to play ball. He stood up, walked out of the utility room, and came to the basketball court of the villa. He picked up the basketball and started shooting or making some beautiful layups.
The weather was very hot, and before long, Raymond was already sweating all over. But he felt that it was not enough, as if something important was missing.
Raymond stopped and looked at the basketball in his hand in confusion.
"How long has it been since you felt the feeling of victory?" Dai Li's question once again appeared in Raymond's mind. He looked at the lonely basket in front of him, but felt that he was even more lonely than the basket.
"The feeling of victory is missing!" Raymond suddenly sighed. He had realized that even though he had retired, deep down in his heart, he still longed for victory.
"If I want to play ball, I can go to the Rockets training ground at any time to enjoy it, but only on the court can I taste the feeling of victory." Raymond suddenly had an impulse in his heart, and he dropped the ball in his hand. Basketball, quickly ran back to the room, and then found Dai Li's business card on the table in the living room.
Raymond picked up the phone and dialed Dai Li's phone number.
"Hey, is this Coach Li? I'm Raymond..."
…
Not long after, Dai Li and Johnson came to Raymond's house again.
"Coach Li, I want to know, if I join the Clippers, what position can you give me? Can you guarantee that I will be included in the rotation? I don't want to be on the bench for a season." Raymond asked. road.
"I can guarantee that you will enter the team's rotation." Li Dai nodded without hesitation, and then said: "If you are in good condition, I plan to let you start."
"Starting?" Raymond shook his head with a bitter look on his face: "I don't dare to think about starting. I am injured now. I can only play for a few minutes in a game. I am already thankful."
"I know that your back injury, waist injury, knee injury, and foot injury are the four serious injuries on your body. In addition, your groin, wrist, elbow, hip, and big toe of your left foot have also been injured. . But these are not problems." Dai Li smiled and waved his hand: "Even your congenital scoliosis is not a problem in my opinion."
"Coach Li, are you kidding me?" Raymond said in disbelief.
After playing for so many years, Raymond has naturally accumulated a lot of injuries. He originally chose to retire because of a back injury that would not heal for a long time. He also never recovered after minimally invasive knee surgery. In fact, he is only a player at the second and third positions. In terms of age, he is not yet old.
Raymond's most serious injury was his congenital scoliosis. At that time, some experts predicted that he could play for three or four years at most. Because of this problem, Raymond fell to the ninth pick in the draft. was selected. And this congenital scoliosis is also the biggest problem affecting Raymond's career. If it weren't for this congenital scoliosis, Raymond's strength would definitely have gone up a notch.
At this time, Dai Li finally took out the promotional brochure he had prepared.
"What I am best at is rehabilitation training. Over the years, I have also helped many well-known athletes with rehabilitation training. Many of them have suffered injuries that are enough to affect their careers. These are all successful cases. "
…
Dai Li and Johnson left Raymond's villa
"Raymond seemed very excited just now." Johnson said.
"Of course, there are two biggest enemies of professional athletes, and that is time and injuries. Time is something that no one can defeat. Facing the aging of the body, we can only let it go. But injuries are different. They are always standing. Things that are opposite to athletes, and athletes can also fight against. Any athlete with an injury will be fully interested in methods that can help him recover from his injury." Dai Li replied.
Johnson nodded and then asked: "Who is our next target?"
"Did you bring swimming trunks?" Li Dai seemed to ask an unrelated topic.
Johnson immediately understood: "Are you going to Miami? Are you looking for Chris Noel?"
"Yes, we need inside players. Now is the small ball era, and the requirements for inside players have also become different. Those inside players who are fast, can switch defenses at any time, and have the ability to shoot three-pointers are very popular. And Chris Noel, Definitely the best spatial 4th position in the NBA currently." Li Dai answered.
"But Noel is different from others. Other athletes leave the field due to injuries, but Chris Noel had to leave the field because of illness. The blood clots in his body may be fatal and cause thrombosis. It may even cause pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction. This is a disease that requires treatment, and it is not something you can solve through training." Johnson said.
"In the final analysis, there is a problem with his own anti-coagulation function. If he had no blood clots in his physical fitness, the conditions you mentioned would not have occurred. He should be able to pass the NBA physical examination, right?" Li Dai continued: "You are responsible for negotiating the contract. As for passing the NBA physical examination, leave it to me."
…
Chris Noel, 2.11 meters tall, serves as a power forward and occasionally plays the center position. He has been selected to the NBA All-Star team 11 times and has won two NBA championships. He is definitely a superstar player.
Noel belongs to the kind of insider who is very mobile. As a big man, Chris Noel has the ability to shoot from the outside. He has won the NBA Shooting Star Competition three times in a row. He once shot 40% of three-pointers in his career. One season.
Many fans criticized him for not playing tough enough, always shooting from the outside and not daring to attack inside. But in fact, he is very good at rebounding. Although he doesn't like to cause damage in the inside, but considering the small ball first In this era, this kind of space-based No. 4 who can shoot from the outside is definitely the most popular No. 4 player.
Like other stars, Chris Noel also suffered many injuries, but it was illness that ultimately took him off the court. Doctors found a blood clot in his lungs, which could have caused a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Then, the worse news was that he had problems with his anticoagulant function. He said that blood clots were prone to occur in his blood vessels. Blood clots would enter the main meridians of the limbs, and the biggest impact would be Either it blocks the pulmonary artery, causing pulmonary embolism, or it blocks the cardiovascular system, causing heart disease. These are fatal diseases.
Although taking anticoagulant drugs can treat this disease, anticoagulant drugs also have a side effect, which is an increased risk of bleeding, and it is not easy to stop bleeding after bleeding. Lifting sports like basketball will inherently increase the chance of blood vessel bleeding. What's more, the competition in the NBA is very fierce. If you have been taking anticoagulant drugs, you will not be able to play in the NBA.
In the end, the NBA Players Association released a medical report that determined that Chris Noel suffered a "career-ending injury." This report also meant that Noel would leave the NBA. Although Noel has never announced his retirement, his club, the Heat, has announced that he has been laid off and has promised to retire his jersey.
…
In summer in Miami, there are piles of beauties in bikinis on the beach, and at night, the nightclubs are also filled with people reveling in carnivalesque.
Noel's mansion is right on the seaside. The mansion has a three-story swimming pool and a private yacht dock near the sea.
However, when Dai Li and Johnson came here, they found a sign saying "take action" hanging at the door.
"Does Noel want to sell the house?" Li Dai asked subconsciously.
"It seems that the Heat laid him off, which really made him sad. He doesn't plan to stay in this city anymore." Johnson said.
"This is better. We have a greater chance of convincing him." Dai Li said and pressed the doorbell.
…
"Chris, we want to invite you to join the Clippers." Johnson was afraid that Chris would misunderstand what he meant, and then said: "Not the team's management, nor the team's coaching staff, but join as a player. Clippers, that is to say, we want to ask you to come back."
"Comeback? Why use this word! I haven't retired yet!" Chris Noel patted his chest with a look of displeasure.
"Yes, he hasn't retired yet!" Johnson said with some embarrassment, but he was muttering in his heart: The Heat are already retiring Noel's jersey, but he still has the nerve to say that he has not retired in this situation!
Dai Li asked from the side: "Mr. Noel, so you are interested in joining the Clippers?"
"Of course! I also have a villa in Los Angeles. I wanted to sell it a few years ago but failed to sell it. Now I can live in it." Noel replied.
Dai Li and Johnson looked at each other. Neither of them expected that things would go so smoothly.
However, Noel continued: "I can go to the Clippers, but I want a starting position!"
"That's no problem." Dai Li agreed readily.
Li Dai agreed so readily, which surprised Noel. In his current situation, he simply cannot pass the NBA physical examination. He can't even make the team's roster, let alone a starting position. If Dai Li were not the head coach of the Clippers, Noel would even think he had met a liar.
Noel asked with some confusion: "Coach Li, you should know my current physical condition, right? I am referring to the blood clots in my body."
"Of course I know." Dai Li nodded.
"Then you should know that with my current body, it is impossible to pass the NBA's physical examination. NBA officials will not allow me to play on the court." Noel continued.
"I know too." Dai Li nodded again.
"You clearly know that I can't play, so you still agree to my request?" Noel asked in confusion.
"Isn't it still several months before the start of the new season? During this period, if you come to Los Angeles to train, I am sure that you can recover." Dai Li seemed very candid.
"Only training? Can't solve the problem of blood clots? Are you kidding me?" Noel obviously didn't believe what Li Dai said.
"We can sign the contract first. If you really can't pass the NBA physical examination before the start of next season, then we will lose a lot of money. I don't think anyone would joke about millions of dollars, right?" Li Dai said. .
Noel thought about it and felt that what Li Dai said made sense, so he nodded and agreed.
"About the contract, our team manager Johnson will contact your agent." Dai Li thought for a while, then asked: "Finally, I have one more question. I thought it would take a lot of effort to get it done. I persuaded you to join the Clippers, but I didn't expect you to agree so readily. I want to know why you made the choice so quickly."
"You should have seen me listing my plans to sell this house at the door, right? I no longer plan to live in Miami. In fact, I originally planned to go to Los Angeles. I also have a large villa there." Noel He opened his mouth and answered.
"Is it because the Heat laid you off?" Dai Li asked.
"That's just one of the reasons. I've been in this city for many years, I love Miami, and I love being in the Heat. I have a familiar group of teammates here, and we won two championships together. I originally thought I would live in this city forever, but I got that damn blood clot!"
Noel took a deep breath and continued: "I should have retired like a superstar with full glory, enjoying flowers and applause, and enjoying a perfect retirement ceremony, instead of lying in the hospital wearing a hospital gown, waiting. While others announced that I could no longer play, I was like an abandoned orphan!
"I'm not willing to leave the court like this! So I said to myself, if I can, I will definitely return to the court!"
"I can not be reconciled!"