The Rest, Only Noise

June 28, 1995

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, SkyDome

In order to welcome the two new Canadian teams to the league, for the first time in NBA history, the draft conference will be set up in a foreign country.

"Welcome to the 1995 NBA Draft." Stern, as usual, stood center stage, "First of all, I would like to welcome Toronto and Vancouver to our family. This year is a landmark year for professional basketball. , we have two Canadian teams, and at the same time, it is the first time in the history of the draft that it will be broadcast live on two TV stations. I wish our fans and friends in the north (referring to Canada), and come to the Rainbow Stadium to witness this special event in person Moment viewers had a great time!"

"I'm sure you all know the rules, so let's get right to it."

"In the 1995 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets with the No. 1 pick had five minutes to make their decision."

Before the draft officially started, the scene focused on the draft.

Although the two sides reached an agreement for a short time last year, they did not reach a long-term agreement. After the end of the season, they quarreled again.

The players' union has been greedy under its new chairman, Patrick Ewing, and the owners don't want to make any concessions.

The relationship between the two sides is currently very stiff, and if no agreement is reached in the next two days, the alliance will be suspended.

Far in the draft war room in Los Angeles, Louie and the others watched the game live on TNT.

This year is the first time that TNT will broadcast the NBA draft. Louie chose to watch TNT instead of NBC because he has a better impression of TNT host Ernie Johnson (Ernie Johnson).

Anyone who has followed Shaquille O'Neal and Barkley's retirement life must know the TNT Sky Group, a super team of four middle-aged men. Ernie is the only white man, and his voice is quite recognizable.

"What is the probability of Houston picking KG with the No. 1 pick?"

Jerry Bass asked Louie.

"Should be 0."

While Louie didn't know why Smith was favored, TNT introduced the player as a "future superstar" before the draft began.

Does anyone miss "Superstars of the Future"?

"So sure?" Bass asked. "What if they didn't choose Joe?"

Louie said with a smile: "Then they won't choose KG. If they want to go to the side, they can only choose Jerry Stackhouse with the first pick."

As soon as the words fell, Stern came out.

Without any surprises, the Rockets selected Joe Smith with the No. 1 overall pick.

If you want to know if the No. 1 pick was the consensus candidate at the time when he was selected, it doesn't take much time to verify it. Just listen to the reaction of the scene when he was selected.

Even the Canadian, who knew nothing about college basketball, applauded Smith.

He stood center stage and shook hands with Stern.

The two guests invited by TNT were Hubie Brown and college coach Rick Pitino.

The Browns are a hoot every year, and Pitino's assessment is a cliché that Smith is a terrific contender with a great work ethic and the passion he needs to live up to his potential.

It sounds good, but this kind of evaluation can obviously be copied to every high-ranking rookie.

"Yes, he is very enthusiastic and has a professional ethics, but he has no awareness of gaining weight." Louis complained in the war room.

"Is this a bad choice?" Jenny didn't say that against Louie, she just wanted her voice to exist in the war room. "He looks good."

Jim scoffed, "Sister, I wish you never had a day when you made draft decisions for us."

"Then you talk about how bad Joe Smith is!"

"I don't know, but I firmly agree with Coach Lu!" Jim hugged his thigh decisively, "Do you think you are more professional than our president."

Bass said displeasedly, "Jim, show some respect to your sister."

Louie's expression was wonderful, and he wished that Bass was there when Jim told The Secret History of Bass in his office.

He would know that those "Bass Secrets" were the real disrespect compared to what was happening now.

After the Knicks got the third pick, the Blazers and Heat stopped their pursuit of the second pick.

The Spurs were forced to make their own choices.

They didn't need Stackhouse and they didn't trust Wallace, so the choice was a bit of a surprise.

They chose the safest, Antonio McDyess.

Neither Smith nor McDyess' picks have changed, and Louie feels that going to the Spurs might give McDyess a better development.

Next up is the Lakers.

"The Lakers have had a top-five pick again since 1987."

"It was a hard-won pick, and they sent Scottie Pippen for it."

"Pippen's departure and David Robinson's injury brought the Lakers to the end of the tragic era. This is the first draft that Leader Lu has personally controlled since he entered the Lakers. We all know that Leader Lu is a We will wait and see who he will choose with the third overall pick.”

"KG is still in that position, right?" Louie joked.

This may be the first time West has responded to Louie's joke with a joke: "Looks like we're going to have to pick him."

"Can I give Kevin a call?" Louie asked, "Can I answer the phone on the spot?"

Although there are mobile phones now, they are not easy to carry. Moreover, high school students like Garnett cannot afford to use them at all. To make calls to the scene, they have to call a dedicated phone booth.

That meant Garnett had to leave the green house and run to the phone booth.

"It might work?"

Whether it works or not, Louie wants to try it.

At this time, in the small green house at the draft conference, Garnett was surrounded by several women with strong faces.

That was his mother and two sisters.

He sat nervously in the seat arranged on the scene, although his sister kept comforting him, but it didn't help.

He was naturally prone to sweating, and when he was nervous, the sweat on his forehead couldn't be wiped off.

"My child, trust that the Lord will take you where you want to go."

KG's mother, Shirley Garnett, saw her son's anxiety.

"Mom, I don't have a draft commitment." Garnett shook his head. "No team promised to draft me."

At this time, a staff member came over and said, "Kevin, I have your phone number."

"Phone?" Garnett thought, it must be his high school coach.

Although Garnett didn't think he would be selected third overall, he didn't like waiting for others, much less let others wait for him, so it took him less than ten seconds to run from the little green house to the phone booth.

"Hey, who are you?"

"Kevin, we met in Los Angeles two days ago."

Louie had the best voice in Garnett's mind, and he remembered Louie's voice even though they only met once in Los Angeles and didn't have a deep conversation.

"Coach Lu?"

"I'm glad you still remember me." Louis sped up his speech. "Before you fly back to the little green house, I have something to tell you—"

Garnett's heart races ~www.readwn.com~ In two minutes, you'll hear from Mr. President that the Lakers selected you with the third overall pick. "Louis paused for a second, "Are you ready to be a Laker? "

Garnett covered the phone excitedly, stomped his feet hard and shouted in a low voice: "YES! YES!"

"It is my pleasure, sir!"

"I will do my best. I..."

"Okay, Kevin, you still have a minute to go back to the little green house." Louie joked, "If you would rather miss the moment when Mr. President reads your name, and continue to chat with me, I will be very touched. of."

"Thank you very much for your call, I, I don't know what to say anymore, I won't let you down, I... I'm going back, see you in Los Angeles!"

Garnett hung up the phone, thanked the staff member who had informed him that he had a phone call, and ran quickly to his mother and sister.

"Kevin, whose number is it?"

Shirley didn't know what was going on, but his son was excited.

Garnett liked to look directly at the sun since he was a child, and his mother always said that if he looked a few more times, the sun **** would burn his eyes out, but he still did it.

In this way, he would make a wish to Jehovah, asking him to take care of his family and bless him to leave the chaotic streets of Chicago and go to a better place one day.

Today, "God" answered his wish.

"Mom..." Garnett had a relieved smile on his face, "We're going to Palm Springs."

The rest is history.

"The Los Angeles Lakers selected with the third pick in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft...Kevin Garnett from Farragut High School!"