Chapter 205 The Streetball Game

Mazhuke didn't come to the scene, and Tatum just announced it and went back to the backstage.

At this time, there were not many people at the draft site.

Tang Tian prepared to get up and find Walker and the others, when his cell phone rang.

It was a message from Mazhuke, saying he wanted to treat him to dinner.

Does this guy also know how to repay kindness?

"In the 2011 NBA second round, 30th overall pick, the Sacramento Kings select Isaiah Thomas, a 1.75-meter point guard from the University of Washington." Tatum announced the final pick of this year's draft.

Little Thomas was at the scene. He looked a little angry. His expression wasn't good when he shook hands with Tatum on stage. It was obvious that he was also holding his breath to prove himself.

"Thank you to all the fans and friends who were present and paid attention to this draft. The 2011 NBA Draft is now over."

When Tatum announced the end, there were not many people left at the scene, and Tang Tian also got up and left the arena.

The 2011 draft came to an end. Among the players Tang Tian had played against, Irving was the No. 1 pick, Monroe was the No. 2 pick, Derrick Williams was the No. 4 pick, Klay Thompson was the 11th pick, Leonard was the 15th pick, MarShon Brooks was the 25th pick, and Jimmy Butler was the 30th pick, almost all of them were first-round picks.

This also shows how valuable Tang Tian's defense was in the NCAA, enough to support him in the NBA.

After the draft, ESPN commented on the results, with the Cavaliers and Spurs being the only two teams to receive an S+ rating.

Spurs: Maybe many people don't know Kawhi Leonard yet, but he is the best defensive rookie this year. Although his shooting ability is terrible, if he can develop it, he will be another terrifying superstar. Tang Tian, yes, they only used the 31st pick to select Tang Tian, the player who made consecutive buzzer beaters against North Carolina and Duke in the past tournament, a top-notch 3-D player with a Champion's Heart.

The draft came to an end, and the rookies were eager for the upcoming Summer League, and the teams were also impatient for the free agency market that was about to open.

But the constant news of a lockout made them inevitably worried amidst their anticipation.

Many people have not experienced a lockout, after all, it was more than ten years ago, but those who have experienced it, whether it is the labor side or the capital side, do not want it to become a reality, because it is a very big loss for both sides.

Time flies to July 1st. Exactly one week after the end of the NBA draft, the league announced that the NBA officially entered a lockout because the labor and management sides could not reach an agreement on issues such as the "hard salary cap" system and "profit sharing".

During the lockout, NBA players will not receive salaries, NBA teams cannot negotiate with players, nor can they sign and trade players. At the same time, players cannot use the team's training facilities for any reason, and teams cannot hold any summer training camps, exhibitions, team meetings, and coaching gatherings.

In addition, NBA team websites can no longer use players' images and cannot use players as promotional representatives.

The lockout finally came.

The labor and management sides will continue to negotiate a new agreement, but no one knows when the lockout will end.

However, because they were mentally prepared before, Tang Tian and Walker didn't react so much.

They couldn't sign rookie contracts because of the lockout, so they started a new round of training.

Procopio originally planned to go to the Mavericks, but now he can't, and he will take the time to come to them when he has nothing to do.

Time flies to mid-July.

Under Cecilia's strict requirements, Tang Tian's weight loss plan has achieved initial results. In a month, he has dropped from the original 100kg to 96.5kg, and there have been no negative side effects on his body.

Tang Tian can feel that his movement speed has slightly improved compared to before.

At this rate, he should be able to complete the weight loss before August, and then start the next muscle gain plan.

This day after training, Tang Tian received a call from the Professor, inviting him to participate in a commercial streetball game.

This was something Tang Tian had promised the Professor before, and it was also very convenient for him in New York, so he had no reason to refuse.

He said goodbye to Walker and Thompson and said he was going to play streetball, but what he didn't expect was that the two of them also wanted to go with him.

The three brothers of hard training are inseparable.

He greeted the Professor, and the Professor agreed.

He had no reason to disagree, Walker and Thompson were both lottery picks this year!

They went to Queens and met with the Professor, and signed the commercial contract by the way.

The return for the game was actually average, only about $10,000, and after taxes, it was less than $6,000.

The money was not much, but what the Professor said later made them, especially Tang Tian, excited.

"LeBron will also participate in this game."

James!

It is absolutely impossible for James to participate in this kind of street amateur game in normal times, but this year is an exception. The NBA lockout has left big-name players without training venues, and they need games to maintain their form.

The Heat's decision to ditch him in the draft was Riley's decision, but James also contributed to it.

It really is, enemies don't meet.

The location of this streetball game is in Rucker Park, and the scene is already crowded with people and colorful flags are fluttering.

Completely different from the bird droppings all over the place in winter, Rucker Park is a real basketball mecca in the summer, not to mention knowing that James will come today, streetball players and fans are squeezing their heads to come.

Tang Tian and the Professor arrived at the court first. Adding Walker and Thompson, as well as a few streetball players, they had a team.

About ten minutes after they arrived, there was a burst of cheers and whistles from the crowd. On the other side of the court, James entered the court. In addition to his bodyguards, he was also followed by Norris Cole and James Jones.

He brought his old friends and younger brothers to the streetball court.

"LeBron! LeBron!"

The fans chanted James' name in unison. As the second person in the league, his popularity is very high.

The players from both sides successively went to the center of the court to greet each other. The Professor and James were chatting and laughing, and the two seemed to have a good relationship.

At this time, Tang Tian greeted Cole. The two tried out together, and although they didn't become teammates in the end, they were considered half friends.

After the greetings, the starting five players from both sides stayed on the court, and the others temporarily retreated to the sidelines.

Their jerseys were black and white. Tang Tian's side was the white team. The five players, the guards were the Professor and Walker, the forwards were Thompson and Tang Tian, and the center was Tank.

On the black team's side, the guards were Cole and James Jones, the forwards were "Killer" Foster and James, and the center was Buffalo.

Both sides are a combination of professional players and streetball players.