With this game over, the next one wasn’t until the 9th. They had plenty of time, so unlike NBA away games, there was no need to fly back home overnight.
So the United States Team would stay in Niigata today and fly back to Miyazaki tomorrow.
Back at the hotel, after taking care of some follow-up work, Chen Yu returned to his room and called Brian.
It was already late at night in the United States, but Chen Yu got the feeling that Brian had just come from a wild celebration and hadn’t gone to bed yet.
"Chen, did you guys lose? If so, you should hurry back to the States. You can still catch the last game of the Finals. And let me tell you, after we win, we’re planning to celebrate in Las Vegas. The team’s footing the whole bill!" Brian said cheerfully over the phone.
Now that they’d gotten past the Lakers, the championship was as good as won. That’s why Old Kolangelo had already generously announced that after winning the title, they’d be going to Las Vegas for a full-blown celebration.
Chen Yu silently rolled his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we won. And I feel like we have a pretty good chance of making it out of the group stage."
’This guy. Can’t he wish us a little luck? It’s the National Team, after all.’
Who would have thought that Brian would just mumble, "That’s a real shame."
He actually thought it was better not to advance from the group stage. They weren’t going to win the championship anyway, so the final result was going home regardless. The only difference was whether they went home early or late.
Hearing this, Chen Yu couldn’t help but pour some cold water on Brian. "Don’t get too cocky. Be careful not to celebrate too early. You haven’t won the championship yet. No matter how weak the Magic are, they’re still the Eastern Conference champions. Plus, they have Hill and Tracy McGrady. Don’t underestimate them. If you lose and blow the championship, you’ll become the biggest joke in league history."
That single sentence sobered Brian up quite a bit. He then said sheepishly, "What do you mean, ’you’? It’s ’us,’ okay? But you’re right. If we’re going to celebrate, we should wait until after we’ve actually won the championship. It’s too early now."
He then asked why Chen Yu had called. Was it just to congratulate them?
"Not entirely. I heard from some reporters that O’Neal wants to be traded to the Phoenix Suns, so I’m calling to ask you what the situation is," Chen Yu asked.
The other end of the line went silent. All that could be heard was the sound of Brian’s breathing, growing heavier and heavier.
"Hold on a second." Brian hung up in a hurry.
He had been so busy celebrating that he hadn’t paid any attention to what was happening in the media.
Chen Yu went to take a shower. Just as he was about to finish, his phone rang.
It was Brian calling. He had clearly figured out the situation.
"Chen, you’re going to stay in Phoenix for the long haul, right?" Brian asked out of the blue as soon as the call connected.
’Brian felt like laughing in the media’s face. They always said he had a bad eye for talent, signing a bunch of trash contracts. But what could they say now? Signing Chen Yu as the team doctor was the most brilliant move of his entire career.’
’Putting everything else aside, ever since signing Chen Yu, hadn’t even trash contracts like Hardaway’s and Gugliotta’s been turned into treasures?’
Brian knew that Chen Yu, this "miracle doctor," was a huge draw for players—he had managed to attract Olajuwon and Ewing—but he never expected the pull to be this strong. He had even attracted a top superstar in his prime like O’Neal.
That’s why he had asked that question.
’At this very moment, Brian felt that the salary he had offered Chen Yu before was too low. With this kind of drawing power, even a max contract wouldn’t be too much.’
Chen Yu was speechless. "Why are you bringing this up? I’m asking you, if O’Neal wants to come, do you want him or not?"
After all, the Phoenix Suns had just gotten the first overall pick, and they were about to select a potential-filled center in Yao Ming, whom they planned to develop as a cornerstone.
If they really traded for O’Neal, then drafting Yao Ming would be a waste, wouldn’t it?
Over the phone, Brian answered almost without hesitation, "Duh, of course we want him! That’s O’Neal we’re talking about."
Chen Yu fell silent.
’That’s right. It’s O’Neal. Who wouldn’t want him?’
Yao Ming might be good, with amazing potential and outstanding talent, but he was, after all, just an NBA rookie who hadn’t proven himself yet.
O’Neal, on the other hand, had already proven that if you could get him, and if he was healthy enough, you could win a championship. He was the cornerstone of a dynasty.
Brian continued, "Chen, do you think the Lakers would agree if we traded the first overall pick for O’Neal? I think they would. O’Neal wants to leave anyway, and Old Bass has always favored guards. If the conflict between O’Neal and Kobe completely blows up and he’s forced to choose one, I have a feeling he might pick Kobe."
Kobe is a guard, and he’s younger.
"With the first overall pick, they could draft Yao Ming, who is also a center with a lot of potential. He could grow alongside Kobe. I think that would be very appealing to them."
Other than that, Brian couldn’t think of any other assets that could sway the Lakers.
Hardaway was definitely untradeable.
This season, Hardaway had already proven that a healthy version of him was a dynastic cornerstone.
He could win a championship paired with an aging Olajuwon, let alone an O’Neal who was still in his prime.
Even in their youth, they could team up and reach the Finals. It would only be better now.
As he said this, another name popped into Brian’s mind.
Kidd!
Watching the playoffs this year, Brian had actually been feeling that Hardaway’s role on the court could partially replace Kidd’s.
They could absolutely turn Hardaway into the primary ball-handler, responsible for both playmaking and scoring.
Kidd, on the other hand, aside from his playmaking, was severely lacking on offense. That jump shot of his... he just could never get it down.
Of course, Kidd also had his defensive skills, but with his salary of nearly eight or nine million, they could easily trade him for some purely functional role players.
Most importantly, Kidd’s contract was also expiring next summer.
At that time, Kidd would definitely demand a max contract, and the Phoenix Suns’ payroll would explode.
Three superstars was really too many.
Two superstars was just right.
Actually, Chen Yu had already guessed that Brian would think this way, and had even predicted he would use the first overall pick to make a trade.
He just couldn’t help but feel it was a bit of a shame.
Chen Yu actually had a very positive impression of Yao Ming, his fellow Chinese player.
"Actually, instead of worrying about whether you can get O’Neal—since this is all just speculation on your part—I think you should first worry about how to offload Tom’s huge contract," Chen Yu added.
This season, a recovered and healthy Gugliotta played decently, averaging 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in the regular season.
His playoff performance was also okay.
As a starter, he was adequate.
But he was making over ten million, which was not worth it by any measure.
Plus, his contract was long. Seizing the opportunity to dump that burden was the sensible thing to do.
Otherwise, if the Phoenix Suns wanted to remain competitive, they’d have no choice but to pay the luxury tax.
The mention of Gugliotta immediately soured Brian’s mood. He didn’t say much more on that topic and instead asked, "Chen, if we really can trade for O’Neal, can you guarantee his health? You know, with his weight and his age, he’s already starting to have injury problems."
He’s great, no doubt, but if it’s like with Hardaway, where he starts having injury problems right after we trade for him, then it would be a huge loss.
Although he believed in Chen Yu’s medical skills, Brian needed to hear Chen Yu say it was possible with his own ears.
"Don’t worry, his issues aren’t complicated," Chen Yu said decisively.
Just some minor problems with his toe, ankle, and things like that.
To be honest, for a player with O’Neal’s weight to play for so many years without suffering a career-ending injury like a torn ACL is a testament to his outstanding physical gifts. They’re on a historic level.
He’s only 30 now. Keeping him healthy... I can’t say he’ll play until he’s 40 like Olajuwon, but five more years, until he’s 35, should be a breeze.
"That’s good. Now I have some confidence." Brian felt reassured. Regardless of whether the trade would ultimately succeed, at least he could go for it without reservation.
After hanging up, Chen Yu’s heart was also racing with excitement.
A trade involving O’Neal would definitely be one for the history books.
But after the excitement passed and he calmed down to think it over, Chen Yu felt there were still risks involved.
For example, would O’Neal and Hardaway be a good fit?
In terms of personality, it was hard to say. He was afraid they’d see a repeat of the drama between O’Neal and Kobe fighting to be the top dog.
In that respect, a young Yao Ming with less seniority was obviously a better fit.
Chen Yu even felt that O’Neal’s playing style wasn’t a good fit for Hardaway either.
Hardaway was better suited to an inside-out big man like Olajuwon, who could provide pick-and-roll screens.
Not only could O’Neal not do that kind of work, he wasn’t willing to do it either.
This season, the Phoenix Suns’ tactics had been vibrant and effective. But if they swapped Olajuwon for O’Neal, they would probably devolve into the same kind of hero-ball the Lakers played.
However, Yao Ming presented the same problem.
The current Yao Ming was a bit thin, but his agility was still quite excellent.
But after entering the NBA, he would inevitably have to bulk up to compete with stronger centers. No one could guarantee that he could become a rare player like Olajuwon.
So once he bulked up, it would also be difficult for him, at that weight, to provide screen support for Hardaway like Olajuwon did.
Moreover, Yao Ming hadn’t entered the NBA yet. No one knew what kind of player he would become.
Whether he would be a bust like Kwame Brown or become a team cornerstone like Duncan was completely unpredictable.
Therefore, even if O’Neal was great, this was a classic case of not being able to have your cake and eat it too.
’Oh well, I’ll let Brian worry about it.’
Chen Yu was just curious about the matter. He couldn’t interfere with the actual process; it was all up to Brian and the others to decide.
Most importantly, it was still a question whether O’Neal could even leave.

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