The next day, December 7th, local time.
Shen Xiao personally talked to " Da Zuo " Mourning and his agent. He also called General Manager Morey and sat together in the box on the third floor of the Amazon Center.
"Shen, why did you call me here?”Mourning was wearing a white t-shirt and a Knight jacket. He looked very casual.
"Alenzo, stay. The Cavaliers need you, and the fans here need you.”Shen Xiao's expression was sincere as he looked at Mo Ning and stretched out his right hand.
"What do you mean by that?"
"He has played more than a dozen games in the regular season. Howard's average is 10.8 points, 9.7 blocks, and 8.1 boards.”
"At the end of the day, the Cavaliers are still a young team. I'm worried that once we enter the finals. The young Howard would become…You can't even withstand a single blow."
Shen Xiao pondered for a while. He placed his right index finger on the table and tapped rhythmically.
"I need your defense, and the Knight needs your experience. You've played against Shaq countless times, even in the playoffs. They are all familiar old rivals."
"Shen, can I talk to Alenzo?”
Mo Ning's manager looked at Shen Xiao and said in a deep voice.
"No problem. However…Alenzo, as long as you can stay in the Knight. Renewing his contract with the Cavaliers for three years at 13.5 million USD. Sign a contract with you on middle-class terms.”
Shen Xiao looked at Mo Ning with a sincere expression and spoke first, wanting to play the emotional card.
"If you are not satisfied, we can add a player option or ETO to the contract. As long as you agree to stay, the Cavaliers are willing to retire your jersey and hold a retirement ceremony for you.”
"Alenzo, it's up to you. I respect your decision."
When Mo Ning's agent heard the price, his pupils constricted. He decided to leave the decision to Mo Ning.
Mo Ning was silent for a while, as if he was deep in thought. He felt like he was witnessing the rise of a dynasty in this young knight team.
Nash's vision was broad and he had a good view of the overall situation. He passed the ball like a ghost.
Iguodala's calm defense, Death Coiling, and his ability to shoot and pass.
James 'fierce breakthrough, strong physical fitness, and sharp style of play.
Battier was good at offense and defense. He had an accurate three-pointer and did not like to occupy the ball.
Dwight Howard's superb jump and block. Backboard. The points they scored were all at the level of the Alliance's top interior players.
In the substitutes 'lineup, Gerrard Wallace attacked sharply, jumped amazingly, and fought fiercely.
Mo Williams was diligent and hardworking. Every day after the training session, he would silently practice shooting 1000 three-pointers.
Rajabel, a draft pick. However, he relied on his precise mid-range shots, unyielding suppression, and mad dog-like defense to gain a firm foothold.
There was also Wang, who was the first to arrive at the training center and the last to leave.
Hard working. talented. He was young and full of vigor, as if he was the true portrait of this knight team.
As long as the team's management wasn't kicked in the head by a donkey or caught in the door. Such a lineup was enough to enter the semifinals of the Eastern Division.
"Shen, thank you for your sincerity. I was moved by your sincerity, so…I decided to stay.”Mo Ning took the initiative to stand up and extended his huge right hand to Shen Xiao.
"Happy cooperation, Alenzo!"
A bright smile appeared on Shen Xiao's face, and the two of them shook hands cordially.
He had finally found a weapon to fight against the big shark. A healthy " colonel ", no longer suffering from kidney failure, and an All-Star center who was not afraid of the inside game.
After that, General Manager Mo Lei got out of the private room and personally went to the legal department to print a new three-year contract.
He signed a new contract with Mourning on middle-class terms for three years. The third year was the player option!
Every year in the NBA, every team had a clause to sign free agents, and the excess was not recorded in the luxury tax.
The middle-class clause was a product of the labor agreement after the 1999 lockdown. At that time, the total salary of many teams exceeded the salary cap, resulting in the team having no salary space to operate the player transfer transactions, hindering the normal flow of players in the league. As a result, the team's desire to obtain a transfer exception above the salary cap grew, and the middle-class clause came into being.
An hour later, the Cavaliers officially announced to the media that they had renewed their contract with Alonzo Mourning in advance. The details of the contract were not announced.
……………..
Time flew by in a blink of an eye.
It was the end of December, and winter had arrived in Orlando.
The Cavaliers welcomed a ten-game winning streak and firmly occupied the first place in the Eastern Conference.
James had an average of 23.2 points, 5.3 rebounded, 4.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in December. He was officially announced by the NBA as the best player of the month in the Eastern Conference.
Howard, the Warcraft, had an average of 11.6 points per game in December, 10 rebounded, and 8.2 blocked shots. He was voted the best rookie.
Iguodala, who had an average of 18.7 points, 2.9 assists, and 4.5 steals per game in December, was also voted Best Rookie.
Nash, 16.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in December. First week in the East. Player of the week!
12-09 The Cavaliers were 121-107 against the Raptors. The entire team had 12 players, all of whom scored in double figures. Including the substitute, Uncle Mu, who also scored 10 points and blocked two shots, the team defeated the Raptors.
12-11 They fought hard in the fourth quarter against the Raptors at home. They relied on Warcraft and Mourning's outstanding performance to suppress Ben in the paint and won the final victory with a 7-point advantage.
12-13 In the home game against the Celtics, with seven three-pointers from Steve Nash, Paul Pierce performed well and scored a game-high of 30 points, eight rebounded, three steals, and four assists, but he was still unable to turn the tide. Knight won with a score of 111-107.
12-15 They challenged the Pacers in the away game. With seven seconds of offense and the team's nine players scoring in double figures, they fought hard in four quarters. With a score of 108-102, they won the away game with difficulty.
12-17 They returned to their home ground to face the Rockets, which were led by Boss Fu and Yao Min. The Cavaliers once again used the run-and-gun tactic. All five players in the starting lineup scored in double figures, with James getting the team's highest score of 26 points, 8 rebounded and 3 blocked shots.
Iguodala had 20 points, two assists, and one steal.
Nash had 18 points, six assists, and three steals.
Battier had 14 points, six boards, and eight blocks.
Howard had 11 points, 10 rebounded, and 10 blocked shots, earning his first triple-double.
In the end, with a stable performance, the Cavaliers won this tough battle with a 92-84 Rocket!
12-19 The Cavaliers challenged the Philadelphia 76ers in an away game. Before the game, Allen Iverson was absent for the entire season due to a fracture. In other words, he would be disqualified for the season!
That night, James performed very well. After 38 minutes on the court, he scored a team-high of 35 points, four rebounding, five assists, and four steals.
In the end, the Cavaliers defeated Philadelphia 108-87 in the fourth quarter.
12-20 After a day, they stood back to back. The Cavaliers played against the Bulls in the away game. James continued his heroic performance and scored a team-high of 27 points, 6 rebounding, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocked shots, and 5 fouls.
The starting five players all scored in double figures and performed steadily. In the end, the Cavaliers beat the Bulls 91-88 in the away game.
12-23 The Cavaliers, who had returned to their home ground to get enough rest time, faced the challenge from the New Orlean Hornets. The nine members of the Cavaliers scored in double figures. They played in the third quarter and the Cavaliers won the game with a score of 103-90 against the Hornets.
12-25 Two days later, he flew to Orlando. It was an away game against the Magic. Against Tracy McGrady, the Orlando Magic led by McGrady, the Cavaliers faced their biggest challenge.
McGrady had an explosive hand in the game. He scored a high of 41 points, 8 rebounded, and 11 assists, helping the Orlando Magic drag into overtime.
In overtime, Gordon and Raja Bale. Kyle Korver, substitute.
At the critical moment, Shen Xiao made the decision to substitute. Kyle Korver was brought on to replace Shawn Battier.
Korver, the three-point shooter, made two fatal three-pointers!
Gordon rushed into the basket and suddenly faced McGrady with a backpass without looking at him.
When the ball reached the player, Lagabel suddenly appeared. With a cold-blooded emergency stop, he entered the net.
The score instantly widened by eight points. Then, James carried the explosive bag and rushed in. He pulled the bar forcefully in midair to avoid Juwan Howard's block. He threw the ball from a zero angle and hit the board.
McGrady was sweating profusely, and his face was filled with despair. He had worked hard for nearly an entire night, but he still lost!
"Le Bulang, you have a group of good players and a good coach. Congratulations!"
After the game, McGrady took the initiative to hug James and pat him on the back.
"Tracey, you are very strong. You deserve the championship. Come help me this offseason. I will convince Shen to trade you."
James whispered into McGrady's ear and extended an invitation. It could be said that they appreciated each other and recognized McGrady's personal strength.
"If you can win the championship, I'm willing to be your second in charge next season.”McGrady did not refuse, nor did he agree. Clearly, he was listening to James.
Maddie felt very lonely. He had lost 19 games in a row. Other than him, only Juwan Howard, Tyrone Lu, and drew Gooden had support for him. The other players were basically players who wanted to kill the thief but were powerless. McGrady's average of 24.8 points, 6.4 rebounding, and 5.3 assists per game during this period was hard to find fault with, but for the Orlando Magic, it was far from enough. McGrady was already extremely disappointed with this team that could not be helped.
He was now at his peak, the turning point of his career.
He could only rely on himself. He was like a lone wolf.
12-26 A day later, he took the Cavaliers 'private plane back to Orlando. It was a home game against the Chicago Bulls.
In this game, Shen Xiao once again used a strange move to defeat James. Howard and the other two were placed on the inactive list, allowing the two main players to take turns resting. In the end, with the help of Nash. Iguodala. Gerrard Wallace played steadily. The three players scored in double figures and each scored 20 points, 17 points, and 16 points.
The Bulls won 87-90 against the Cavaliers.
With a total record of 25 wins and 4 losses, he was temporarily ranked first in the eastern region!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。