Tang Tian then signaled for the team members to sit down and wait.

Williams' wife was named Ingrid, and she had also come to the New Orleans Arena. Tang Tian remembered her as a very gentle woman.

The light in the emergency room remained red. By late at night, the team members had gradually returned to their rooms.

Stevens, after being persuaded by Tang Tian, also went back to rest first. Tang Tian, Davis, and Holiday were the last to stay and accompany Williams.

Regardless of whether the final outcome would be the same as in history, Williams needed someone to be with him now.

The rescue continued until the next morning. Finally, the doctor in charge of the rescue came out of the operating room with a grave expression.

They got up and walked over, and the doctor shook his head helplessly at them.

The rescue had failed. Ingrid no longer had any vital signs.

Williams was distraught, and Tang Tian and Davis supported him on either side.

His four children also began to cry.

Experiencing such a tragedy in middle age was undoubtedly devastating for the Williams family.

Williams went to the operating room, and when he came out, his expression had become firm. After comforting his children, he began to handle the funeral arrangements.

Tang Tian and Davis also left after offering their condolences.

On this day, the news also spread throughout the league.

Many NBA players and coaches expressed their condolences.

Williams had entered the NBA as an assistant coach in 2005 and had been in the league for 10 years. He was known for having good relationships in the NBA.

In the week that followed, the Pelicans' players were not in good shape. They lost two of four games, and the Warriors narrowed the gap in wins to 1.5 games.

A week later, Ingrid's memorial service was held at a church in New Orleans.

In addition to the entire Pelicans team, coaching staff, and management, many well-known figures in the league also attended.

Spurs coach Popovich, Williams' former head coach, had a game that night but still made it to New Orleans.

Clippers coach Rivers, former NBA coaches P.J. Carlesimo, Jeff Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, and Tom Thibodeau all attended the memorial service.

Former Pelicans assistant coach Borrego, as well as former Pelicans players Norris Cole, Gordon, and Reggie Evans, were also present.

Nearly a thousand people attended the church.

After the memorial service, Williams spoke with Benson for a long time.

After that, he also chatted with Stevens, Tang Tian, and Davis for a long time.

He would resign from his position as the Pelicans' first assistant coach to spend time taking care of his four children.

This outcome was different from what had happened historically, but it was clear that this was the result of Williams' careful consideration.

"Coach, we're always behind you."

Tang Tian knew Williams had made his decision and said to him.

"Continue to strive for the championship. You can do it."

Williams was most concerned about his family now, but he still offered his blessings to Tang Tian and the others.

The next day, the Pelicans officially announced Williams' resignation as the team's first assistant coach.

However, the announcement also stated that although Williams was resigning, the Pelicans would still pay him the remaining four years of his $5 million salary.

This move was supported by the league, which stated that it would share half of the salary.

The Pelicans' record had been improving in the past two years, and their market value had been increasing. Although it was a small city, its influence among fans and the league was growing.

Benson was already a good owner and willing to invest in the team, so making such a decision was not difficult.

As for the league, Xiaohua was very sensitive to business. This was a good opportunity to promote the league and its image, and there were no disadvantages to him doing so.

But regardless of the reasons, this outcome was the best for Williams.

He could receive income and take care of his family.

With Williams' situation resolved, the Pelicans refocused their attention on the games.

The team had recently lost three straight games, and their lead over the Warriors was only 1.5 games.

With the Warriors also playing well, they needed to play well in the remaining games to maintain their position as the top team in the league.

The players needed to adjust their emotions, and for the management, they also needed to recruit a new first assistant coach.

Dempsey had spoken with Nash, but the latter's thoughts were still the same as before: he wanted to focus on his family and continue serving as a team consultant.

In this situation, the best option for the Pelicans was to go to the free agent market or poach someone from another team.

Although Williams had resigned, his contributions to creating a team atmosphere were significant.

This aspect might not seem important, but without someone like that, the locker room would always be unstable, like the Cavaliers, and they wouldn't be able to perform at their full potential.

Therefore, interpersonal skills were still a key consideration when recruiting a first assistant coach.

In addition to that, the team also needed a defensive-minded coach to help Stevens share some of the workload.

After all, Williams only handled communications, and Stevens' workload on the team was still very large.

The Pelicans management had clear target candidates: Ron Adams of the Warriors and Bzdelik of the Rockets.

These two assistant coaches perfectly met the Pelicans' requirements.

However, after Dempsey contacted them, both declined the invitation.

The Warriors' record wasn't much worse than the Pelicans', and it wouldn't be appropriate to jump ship to a major competitor halfway through the season.

If that really happened, it would be the coach version of turning enemies into friends.

Bzdelik's situation was similar.

Although the Rockets' performance was a tier below the Pelicans and Warriors, he got along well with the Rockets' players and had a promising future.

With both target candidates declining, the Pelicans had to settle for a defensive-minded coach.

After all, with the foundation laid by Williams, the Pelicans already had a good team atmosphere.

Lionel Hollins, Mike Brown, and J.B. Bickerstaff became potential candidates.

Hollins was the former head coach of the Grizzlies, and he was the one who built the Grizzlies' tough defense.

He had just been fired by the Nets this summer and was currently unemployed.

Brown's situation was similar to Hollins', the only difference being that he had been unemployed for a longer period.

As James' coach during his first stint with the Cavaliers, he was ridiculed by fans and criticized heavily.

But his defensive abilities were among the best of all head coaches.

Bickerstaff's situation was a bit different from the previous two. He had been an assistant coach since entering the league in 2004.

He had previously assisted McHale on the Rockets and also went to Boston with McHale, and was now an assistant coach for the Celtics.

The Celtics' improved defense this season was inseparable from him.

The three men's situations were different, but they were all very interested in joining the Pelicans.

It was just a matter of how the Pelicans would ultimately choose.