The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 666 - 253 You Can Always Trust LeBron James! (Happy National Day!)_2

Chapter 666: Chapter 253 You Can Always Trust LeBron James! (Happy National Day!)_2

The risk was just too high.

Carter’s next team probably wouldn’t regard him as the core player anymore.

That’s one of the reasons why superstars generally don’t switch teams easily.

Even All-Star level players are assumed to take a step back in status on their new teams unless they join a squad that’s rebuilding.

Take Vince Carter, for example: after joining the Nets, Jide ranked higher than him; moving to the Cavaliers, LeBron was in front too, and with the Suns, he was behind both Nash and Little Si.

Even "Sky Hook" Jabbar, after moving from the Bucks to the Lakers, gradually became a secondary figure behind "Magic."

As for later players like Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo,

wherever they went, their disputes mainly revolved around their status within the team.

They believed their experience and seniority were enough to lead the young cores of their new team, but their new teams didn’t take them seriously. When the squabbles reached management, they were the ones to go.

It wasn’t until Jimmy Butler reached the Heat Team that he once again became the leader.

In Su Wan’s memory, there were only two players who maintained their leading status after changing teams: McGrady and, of course, Old Zhan.

Coincidentally, these two "self-confident fellows" both encountered "good guys" who weren’t too concerned with the leading role.

The team most closely associated with Vince Carter now was none other than the New York Knicks.

Some media reported that Donnie Walsh was in contact with the Suns’ management.

And the person who leaked this information...

was Erin!

Naturally, Su had told her this.

And the outside world had come to recognize Erin as Su Wan’s "anointed successor."

Carter joining would provide a stable shooting option at the small forward position.

The only question now was whether Carter was willing to come off the bench.

It was about the pride of veteran superstars.

Although Su knew that Vince Carter wouldn’t mind a bench role in the future—by then he had begun to enjoy basketball and wasn’t too concerned about victory, so he naturally didn’t care about starting—that was later.

Now...

Su wasn’t so sure.

But he was clear that this was Carter’s best chance to join the New York Knicks, and if they couldn’t get him now, it would be very difficult to do so later.

Once again, it was the pride of veteran superstars; they wouldn’t join an overly strong team.

Vince Carter would later reject the Golden State Warriors for that very reason.

Of course, New York had its own advantages.

Like Stephen Curry...

Carter had watched over Curry as he grew up, and Curry affectionately called him "Uncle Carter."

When Curry saw the news that the Knicks were pursuing Carter, he was thrilled.

When reporters asked, he didn’t mince words: "If it happens, that would be awesome!"

From his expression, it was evident he was eager to play "uncle-nephew basketball."

But this was understandable; for Curry, who had watched Carter soar on the basketball court from the sidelines as a child, one of the influences leading him to this path was undoubtedly Carter’s airborne silhouette.

As such, the game was dubbed "New York’s trial match."

Curry even went out of his way to greet Carter before the game, their warm exchange captured by sideline cameras.

The game wasn’t very intense.

It proved that with only Steve Nash, and without a quality interior line, the Phoenix Suns struggled to create a "Run-and-Gun Wave" that had enough bite.

The New York Knicks dropped 18 three-pointers, using what had once been the Suns’ signature style to take the win at the American Airlines Arena.

D’Antoni, standing in the place that had made his name, looked over at a forsaken Nash after the game, and approached him first: "Buddy, you should really think about your own future!"

The game revealed that Nash was still in good form, at least still at his peak—if he joined a team with enough firepower, he might still have a chance at the Championship Trophy.

D’Antoni knew all too well how much his former protege craved that trophy.

Nash responded with a smile.

It was a smile that seemed forced, tinged with bitterness.

He wasn’t Su Wan, and not even Barkley.

The best the Suns had done under his leadership was to brush the floor of the Western Conference Finals.

The Suns made his name, and he couldn’t just ask them to trade him away before his contract ended.

Even if it meant sinking with the team, that was all he could do.

It was his fate.

Vince Carter had a decent performance tonight, sinking 3 out of 5 three-point attempts, drawing covetous glances from the New York media.

They all knew the Knicks needed as many three-point shooters as possible this season.

Following the game, the rumour quickly received an update:

Donnie Walsh’s negotiations with the Suns’ general manager had entered a substantive phase.

It seemed the Suns’ general manager, noticing Walsh’s clear interest in Vince Carter, wanted to choose one among Stephen Curry, Danilo Gallinari, and Paul George.

Walsh’s response was impossible.

The Knicks saw limited potential in what Carter could contribute, and their need for him was equally limited; therefore, they wouldn’t pay too much to secure him.

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