Safford.
Inside the training facility, Durant came to a sudden stop and shot a jump shot.
He landed, didn’t pause, and immediately ran to the next spot, caught the ball, and shot again.
He was drenched in sweat but showed no intention of stopping.
Jim Carlos and Presti stood together, watching Durant practice. "Is he going to be okay like this?" Jim couldn’t help but ask.
Ever since returning from Los Angeles, Durant had been in this state of frenzied training.
Everyone knew about his bad luck, how he’d missed out on the 100,000 US dollar prize. It was easy to imagine how big of a blow that must have been for Durant.
And his subsequent frenzied training clearly indicated something was wrong with him mentally.
Presti threw up his hands, showing he was just as helpless.
Durant wanted to do extra training himself; there was no stopping him.
Jim said, "Well, you could have James and DeAndre talk to him, try to help him work through it."
’How do you know I haven’t already sent them to talk to him?’ Presti thought. ’It just didn’t work.’
"His luck is just really bad."
Presti lamented.
From the show’s recording, not only did he suffer one blow after another, but his luck was also terrible. Even he felt sorry for Durant.
Just as the two were talking, a group of people walked into the training facility.
Leading them was Chen Yu.
Startled, the two hurried over to greet him.
After exchanging greetings, Chen Yu looked at Durant on the court. He didn’t rush to stop him, instead asking Jim and Presti how Durant had been recently.
Chen Yu was actually paying close attention to Durant.
He was no less concerned about him than he was about Oden, or even Curry.
Because his talent was rare.
Player talent also comes in different tiers.
Being tall, running fast, jumping high—those could only be considered basic talents.
Top-tier talents are all rarities.
Take Durant, for example. For someone his size, he possessed the coordination and agility of a guard. That was one-in-a-million stuff.
Oden was the same, or else people wouldn’t have described him as running like an 18-wheeler.
Jim and Presti exchanged a look, and Presti was the first to speak. "Chen, there’s no doubt that Kevin will become a star. He has top-tier physical gifts, and at the same time, he’s hardworking enough."
He pointed at Durant in the distance.
During the open tryouts in mid-June, Durant was as skinny as a bamboo pole.
Two months later, he was like a different person, so much stronger.
Simply getting stronger is easy, but to get stronger while maintaining your previous coordination and flexibility—that’s very difficult.
Presti had seen firsthand the grueling effort he had put in.
To become a star, talent alone isn’t enough; you also have to work hard.
He’s more talented than others, and he works harder too. If someone like that doesn’t become a star, who will?
Jim nodded in agreement. "Of this group of players, I’m actually most optimistic about Kevin. There are many hardworking kids, but not many can translate that hard work into realizing their full potential. Kevin is one of them."
For all this time, Jim had been with Durant, witnessing just how rapidly he had grown.
Chen Yu nodded. In his understanding, it meant Durant’s ability to learn was strong enough.
The ability to learn is, in itself, a form of talent.
"Call him over."
When a nervous-looking Durant came before Chen Yu, Chen Yu asked with a serious expression, "Kevin, I wanted to ask if you’ve forgiven Owen?"
At the mention of Owen, Durant’s expression changed slightly.
After a moment of internal struggle, Durant finally said, "Sir, what would happen if I said I haven’t forgiven him?"
He noticed there were no cameras around.
"Of course, nothing would happen." Chen Yu smiled. Durant had every reason to resent Owen.
"Originally, my idea was to have Owen come apologize to you in person, and then give you this."
Chen Yu pulled a check from his pocket and handed it over.
"But he refused."
Chen Yu realized his judgment had been quite accurate. That kid Owen might be young, but he was incredibly stubborn and wouldn’t easily change his mind about something he’d decided.
To put it bluntly, he was obstinate.
He was given a chance to apologize and make things right, but he didn’t take it.
Apparently, he got another lecture from Old Owen.
Since that was the case, Chen Yu decided to just make the trip himself, and while he was at it, check if Durant had been left with any psychological scars.
He didn’t want his mentality to be affected any further.
Besides, Safford wasn’t far; it was a quick drive.
Staring at the multiple zeros on the check, Durant’s eyes widened. He asked blankly, "Sir, is this for me?"
Chen Yu nodded.
It was the compensation he had decided on earlier.
"Sir, thank you... Is... is this really okay?" Durant felt like he was dreaming.
"Take it. Didn’t you want to buy your mother a big house? This is just the beginning. If you lead your team to a championship, then your dream can truly be realized."
One hundred thousand US dollars was only enough for a down payment on a house.
The million-dollar championship prize and the three-million-dollar endorsement deal were the real prize.
Durant nodded vigorously, his face flushed with excitement.
"Alright, I have other things to do, so I’ll be going now. Keep up the good work."
Chen Yu prepared to leave.
When Durant said he didn’t want to forgive Owen, it proved that there was nothing wrong with him.
He had a straightforward personality. Not forgiving was consistent with his character.
After leaving the training facility, Chen Yu prepared to head back to Phoenix.
He had a lot on his plate.
Chen Yu wouldn’t be in Phoenix for more than a few days. He had to go to Spain first; the Old King was already getting impatient, so much so that he almost wanted to fly to the United States himself.
Given his status, it would be quite troublesome for him to come to the United States.
After that, he was going to China.
The Jia A League starts in November, so the commercialization deals needed to be negotiated and a schedule established before then, if possible.
Also, the selection for the National Team could begin.
Chen Yu already had many ideas for building the National Team.
Just yesterday, the Dream Team finished their bronze medal match against Lithuania and was preparing to head home.
They had lost to Argentina in the semifinals, getting knocked out and causing an uproar across the United States.
Chen Yu hadn’t had time to watch the game on TV, but he heard that Stern, who had attended in person, was furious.
He had gone to Athens expecting to see the Dream Team on the podium receiving gold medals, but they ended up crashing out in the semifinals.
The Dream Team’s loss also validated Chen Yu’s team-building philosophy.
You just had to look at how Argentina beat the Dream Team.
Sure, the Dream Team had a mountain of internal problems—Brown’s rigid tactics, his mutual dislike with Iverson, and Mabry causing friction over ball distribution—but Chen Yu felt the biggest issue was their style of play.
After watching all of the Dream Team’s games, Chen Yu truly gained a deeper understanding of spacing and shooters.
With this philosophy in mind, Chen Yu knew how to select players and how to train them.
On the drive back to Phoenix, Chen Yu received a call from Paul Allen.
As soon as the call connected, Paul Allen’s frantic voice came through. "Chen, you’re trading Shaq? Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?"
Chen Yu was stunned for a moment.
After confirming the decision to trade O’Neal, Brian had already leaked the news, so it was normal for Paul Allen to have heard about it.
’Does he mean he wants to get O’Neal?’
Paul Allen said urgently, "Chen, I want Shaq! I get it, you’re trading Shaq to cut salary and build for the future. So why not trade with us? We’ve got plenty of promising rookies, we have ample draft picks, and we even have the cap space to absorb Shaq’s huge contract directly."
"Chen, believe me, the combination of Shaq and Steve will be invincible! Invincible, you hear me?"
On the phone, Paul Allen was uncontrollably excited.
Who needs the young Pioneers team? Who knows how many years it would take for them to win a championship? With O’Neal and Nash, they could contend for the title immediately.
At this moment, he even felt like thanking Chen Yu. As soon as Chen had arrived at the Pioneers, he had cleared out all those big contracts like Wallace’s, freeing up so much salary space that it was perfect for taking on O’Neal’s contract.
When he heard the news, he really felt like he was dreaming, like the championship was within reach.
Chen Yu’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to talk Paul Allen out of this idea without affecting his own business with the Pioneers.
"Paul, have you considered that Shaq might not be a good fit for the current Pioneers?"
If O’Neal went to the Pioneers, setting aside how the trade would even happen, just looking at the roster, an O’Neal-Nash duo—one inside, one outside—seemed like it wouldn’t be a problem.
But Chen Yu felt the two weren’t a great match.
Making O’Neal play some kind of Run-TMC offense according to D’Antoni’s ideas would be a complete disaster.
If they were to build a half-court offense around O’Neal, the current roster would need adjustments, and even the coach would have to be replaced.
And then there was Nash. D’Antoni had his eye on him, believing he would be the core of the Pioneers’ rise, precisely because he could play fast and adapt to his system.
Of course, Nash could slow down, but as soon as he did, his defensive weakness—being a turnstile for everyone—would be exposed.
And his ability to break down defenses in tough situations was nowhere near as strong as Kobe’s or Hardaway’s.
He needed someone to set screens for him in the pick-and-roll to get everyone involved; only then could his true power be unleashed.
Expecting O’Neal to set screens for him was just a dream.
"That’s fine, I can adjust the roster, and I can replace the coach immediately. But the chance to get Shaq only comes once! Chen, I really need a superstar!" Paul Allen was clearly not giving up.
He’d already assembled a roster worth over a hundred million. With a handful of promising rookies, adjusting the lineup would be all too easy.
As for changing coaches, was that even an issue? He could fire Rivers and his staff in a minute. He wouldn’t even blink at the contract buyout amount.
Chen Yu rubbed his temples in frustration and offered his final reason: "The key thing is, Shaq might not want to go to Portland. He wants to go to New York."
Brian had Chen Yu reach out, and they had already spoken with O’Neal.
O’Neal didn’t have much of an issue with the Phoenix Suns’ decision to trade him.
He was decorated with honors and had nothing left to prove.
No, there was one thing he still wanted: money.
So, he requested that, if possible, he’d like to go to a big market—to New York.
There were only two big markets. He certainly couldn’t go back to Los Angeles, so that left New York as the only option.
Trading Stoudemire for O’Neal? Dolan and Thomas would be laughing in their sleep.
Hearing this reason, Paul Allen blurted out a "Fuck," his composure clearly broken.

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