San Antonio, Texas. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

As night fell, it was drizzling.

The Holy City is not a particularly bustling metropolis, nor is it a small city in the middle of nowhere, as the second largest city in Texas, it is low-key, restrained, and inconspicuous.

Like the city, the San Antonio Spurs are a low-key and luxurious team, with no lace news, no trade gimmicks, just the public impression that the Spurs are old and a white-haired coach who is "wise and almost demonic" - Greg Popovich, oh, Chinese fans may prefer to call him "Zhuge Vic".

However, it is such a calm, calm, and uneye-catching team, which quietly won 4 NBA championships in the first decade of the 20th century and the 21st century, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, these four odd-numbered years of champions were won by the Spurs and became a special "dynasty team". is like a heavy sword of black iron, the heavy sword has no edge, and it is not skillful.

Maybe this team is great in the ordinary, only those unreliable advertising videos can make people complain, there is a comment that says well, the Spurs, is a group of comedians and artists who have been delayed by playing.

If you don't believe me, you can go find the video and watch it yourself.

Ahem, it's too far away, back to the point.

The streets of the Holy City, with street lights lit up, dotted this ordinary city, from a distance through the rain and fog, plain and white with a little more mysterious color.

In a small and inconspicuous corner of the student shopping street in front of the University of Texas, an old-fashioned wooden van is quietly parked.

This type of trolley is not common in the United States, as it comes from Japan, and is known as "yadola" in Japan, and is designed for ramen chefs who walk the streets. The window is open to the canopy, and a few wooden stools are placed under the canopy, and the outward part of the window sill forms a narrow table, where guests sit on the wooden stools and eat noodles on the windowsill, and the ramen chef operates in the car and chats with people on the windowsill. The soup pot and various ingredients are neatly stacked on the board, and when the guests sit down, the dark curtain is just right to block their upper body, leaving only the legs and wooden benches exposed, as if creating a private space from a distance. Of course, the ramen in this car tastes a little worse than the ones in the store, but it is still passable, and you can not only eat noodles here, but also drink a little wine, and most importantly, the price here is very cheap, which is the favorite of poor students at the University of Texas. Strangely enough, the owner of this Japanese ramen stall is an old American man who has been operating here for more than ten years and has a good reputation, but almost no one knows his name, and he doesn't tell anyone his name.

"Boss, come to the bowl of noodles, as it was yesterday!" As soon as the curtain moved, a handsome young man entered, not noticing that there was already a guest here, an old man in a suit with white hair.

The old man was dressed in a neat black suit, his gray hair was neatly combed, and he wore big sunglasses on his face, so that people could not see his appearance clearly.

The young man also found the old man at this time, smiled apologetically, and then quickly changed his words, "Boss, my noodles are packed." ”

After all, those who want to sit here and eat want to have a private environment, and since there are already people here, it is better to leave early and not ruin the interest of others, especially an old man.

The boss quickly packed the noodles for the boy, and the boy thanked him after paying the money and left, leaving only the boss and the old man in the small house.

"How long do you want to sit with me?" The boss cleaned up briefly, sat behind the counter and faced the old man, "My guests are scared away by you." ”

"Hehe, you don't welcome old friends here." The old man smiled and asked rhetorically.

"Friends to friends, business or business, you come to me and sit like this?" The boss rolled his eyes and pushed back.

"Okay, whiskey, there's this."

The boss handed over a bottle of whiskey and a plate of bacon by the way.

"It's still this kind of bacon, I miss it very much." The old man was not polite, he picked up a piece and gnawed on it.

"Your tastes haven't changed since graduating, Greg." The boss picked up a bottle of Japanese sake himself, poured himself a glass and drank it slowly.

"Well, it reminds me of the old days" The old man took off his glasses and revealed his true face, it was none other than Spurs head coach Popovich.

"You come to me every time you are idle and bored, one is for half a day, every time you come, these children dare not sit and eat and chat with me by the way, I can only look at you old man."

"Hmph," Popovich sneered, "You want to talk to schoolgirls more, you're still so indecent at your age." ”

"Greg, speak responsibly, am I like that?" The boss was a little dissatisfied.

"You, you're not like, you're that kind of person." Popovich took a sip of wine. "Didn't you choose to serve in Japan after graduation just to see Japanese women, and you also learned the kung fu of hand-ramen."

"Hmph, you think I'm you, and I was specifically engaged in Soviet research." The boss was very disdainful, "What's the use, I told you that you can't play, but fortunately you are now a basketball coach, otherwise I estimate that you will lose your job." Like me, I have been in Japan for so many years, how happy, especially the Japanese girls, tsk, it's really a bit unforgettable. ”

"Hmph" Popovich ignored him and continued to drink, the boss didn't want to quarrel for a while, and the sudden silence between the two made the atmosphere in the car instantly embarrassing.

"Have you watched this game?" It was a long time before Popovich spoke, "The wine is gone, help me open another bottle." ”

"You mean the NCAA finals?" The boss nodded, "Look, it's not bad." He handed over a bottle of wine, "Drink to death, you old immortal." ”

"Oh, then let me ask you, what do you think of that Chinese kid?" Popovich unceremoniously poured himself a drink again.

"That Chinese kid? It's a good player, he's very smart, I can see that he still has a bit of a problem with his coordination, and he hasn't let go completely. But he didn't deliberately do some exaggerated actions, but used the simplest and most effective actions to achieve his goal, in this pompous era, there are not many people who are so down-to-earth. ”

"I'm very optimistic about that kid," Popovich said slowly.

"But I don't think it's going to be possible to get him with your team's draft pick." The owner is slow and methodical.

"At what stage do you think he'll be chosen?" Popovich asked rhetorically with interest.

"Although this Chinese kid played a total of a few games from Crazy March to the finals during his college years, he played dominantly in these games, and the final final was a stunner, which is enough to attract the attention of most people." The boss said unhurriedly, "Moreover, although there is no physical test data at present, judging from the fact that this kid can carry two big men to forcibly dunk in the finals, this kid's physical fitness is definitely top, how can such a skilled and physical child fall behind in the draft?" ”

"But he's Chinese." Popovich asked abruptly.

"So what's there, it's better if it's Chinese, there are a lot of markets, which manager do you think will be difficult with money?" Although there has been no draw this year, I can be sure that with your rank, I will not be able to take him. ”

"Actually, that's what I thought." Popovich put down his bottle, "You say, if I trade for a top pick, will I have a chance?" ”

"Are you serious?" The boss put down his glass and asked seriously. "He's worth it?"

Popovich nodded and did not speak.

"I remember you saying this to me back in 1996, when you fell in love with the flying devil of Wake Forest, the big man 21 under your command now. He's a very good player, a superstar, and you said you wanted to get him, and it ended up being a bad year and almost getting fired. Then in 1997 you successfully selected him, and then the results proved that you were right, this big man is very good, brought you 4 championships, and now a full 16 years have passed, and you said this to me for the second time, can I understand that you are bound to win this kid? The boss cut a cigar and lit it for himself, "The flying devil of the year was the one who proved himself, and this time this wonder boy, although the performance of these games is dominant, but can you guarantee that he can also be stable for more than ten years?" Besides, the last time you fell in love with Tim, you prepared a year in advance, so what about this time? The draft test and lottery are about to be drawn, where do you want to exchange for the top picks, and you are not afraid that you will be blind this time? ”

"I believe in my eyes, and I believe in your judgment, since you have also watched this Chinese kid's game, then you tell me, should I choose him?" Popovich also pulled out a cigar and lit it.

"He's not the same style as Tim," the boss didn't reply positively, "Besides, didn't you already have a successor last year?" The No. 15 rookie who came through the trade. ”

"Tim has Manu and Tony, and they've been with me for a long time, but they're going to grow old, and it's time to plan for the future. Kawhi (the official translation of Leonard's name seems to be Kawhi, but people prefer to call him kawaii) has a lot of potential, but I think he and the Chinese Qin will work well together, one defensive, one offensive. ”

"You're trying to take that kid for Michael? Treating Kawi as Scotty? ”

"I'm not Phil, he only likes to use superstars, I like to create superstars, and I think if Qin can partner with Kawai, they have a good chance of surpassing Michael and Scotty." Popovich seemed to have made up his mind.

"So, how do you want me to help you?" The boss suddenly became interested.,Can make his old friend so attentive.,This kid must have his advantages.,His old friend is by no means a person who decides such a big thing just by watching a few videos.,It seems that this thing is a little interesting.。

"I'll let you know, see you then." Popovich took the last sip of his wine, put on his sunglasses, picked up the hat on the table and put it on his head, turned around and lifted the curtain and left.

"Hmph, and I don't pay for the drink." The boss complained that he had warmed himself a pot of sake on a small stove, which had become a habit in Japan for too long.

The wonder boy of Kansas, if he can really be recruited by old friends, it will be very interesting.

The boss grinned silently, and the smile was buried in the boiling wine.