Chapter 42: Entering the Forest of Wolves

  "Tom, that Chinese guy is gone," In the New York Knicks' video editing room, Jeff Van Gundy was watching a clip of the game between the New York Knicks and the Pacers. The team had lost to their arch-rivals again this year, with a final score of 1-4, after being eliminated by the Heat in the second round of the playoffs in 1997. Fans were dissatisfied, and the boss was unhappy too, putting him under great pressure; at one point he even thought he might be fired himself, but fortunately the team had not hired that Chinese guy and instead continued to believe in him.

  Although the Knicks' season is over, Jeff Van Gundy's troubles are far from over. To prepare for next season, he spends every day in the video editing room, watching his team's losses over and over again. This kind of torture is not something that ordinary people can understand. Furthermore, his trusted assistant Tom Thibodeau told him that the Chinese person he dislikes the most has come to New York again, but this time it's not to steal jobs, but to poach his players.

  Tom Thibodeau is the most powerful person in his coaching team. If Thibodeau were to be poached, he can't imagine how the team would fare next season. He's a coach who likes defense and his team's defensive system was all established by Thibodeau.

  Fortunately, Xibo Du did not respond to that Chinese person. This also made him very pleased.

  "Yeah, he left yesterday. He's been asking me out every day for the past three days and it's getting on my nerves," Tom Thibodeau said with a wry smile. He wasn't a very well-known assistant coach, at best having some experience in the NBA. He had worked with the Timberwolves from 1989 to 1991, but he didn't want to go back there now. He was doing well with the Knicks and Van Gundy valued him highly, and he himself was also satisfied with his position on the Knicks.

  After getting a positive answer, Fangandi let out a sigh of relief and then seriously discussed the game video with Xibo Du again.

  Two very cautious and serious people can indeed produce resonance and sparks when they are together, just like Fangandi and Xibo Du.

  ......

  ......

  Twice came to New York, twice left in disappointment, Zhuang Fei now has some doubts whether New York is his own decline.

  He came to invite Xī Fó Dù this time very seriously, as a former CBA player who idolizes Yao Ming, he is not unfamiliar with Xī Fó Dù at all. Xī Fó Dù is Yao Ming's true mentor, and many of Yao Ming's skills were practiced under Xī Fó Dù's guidance. What surprised him was that Xī Fó Dù's rating in the Wang Chao system had reached 90, with a potential level of A+. In the Wang Chao system, coaches with A+ potential are much rarer than players with A+ potential.

  No matter how hard Zhuang Fei tried to persuade him, this person was determined to follow Xiao Fangandi. If Xiao Fangandi didn't fire him, it's likely that Zhuang Fei would never be able to recruit him in this life or the next. Such a stubborn person is truly rare.

  After staying with the Knicks for three days, he soon had to go to Minnesota to sign with the Timberwolves. In the past two days, mainstream American media have been reporting on his departure from the Knicks to join the Timberwolves.

  The second day after leaving New York, Zhuang Fei arrived in Minnesota.

  For Zhuang Fei's arrival, the Timberwolves attached great importance to it. The people who came to the airport to pick up Zhuang Fei were led by boss Glen Taylor and accompanied by general manager Kevin McHale. Almost all of the Timberwolves' high-level executives showed up. This also gave Zhuang Fei a fright, as he saw his two assistant coaches, Stefans Green and DeAntoni, among the welcoming party.

  This time, the signing of Forest Wolf was well-prepared, with many media outlets arriving two days in advance. Zhuang Fei is not an ordinary coach after all. Today, major US media such as USA Today, The New York Times, Los Angeles Daily News, and Associated Press were all present.

  This also delighted Timberwolves boss Glen Taylor, as the previous Timberwolves couldn't even invite a big-name media outlet with money, let alone a full-scale mobilization like now, and all at their own expense, without spending a single penny of the Timberwolves' "media public relations fee".

  That's the appeal of a big-name head coach, Grenville Taylor couldn't help but remark.

  The signing ceremony was held in the Forest Wolves Club's Xinhewan Room, which is usually spacious but now seems a bit crowded.

  "Leaving the NCAA is a bit reluctant, but being able to enter the NBA and challenge another style of basketball, I think it will be a great thing. This absolutely has nothing to do with what some media reported that I joined the NBA for money, because Vicksburg gave me an annual salary that was not less at all." As expected, the media is very interested in Zhuang's motivation for coming to the NBA. Two days ago, Zhuang saw some media in New York loudly proclaiming that he left for the sake of money, which also made him feel helpless.

  "If you want to enjoy the NBA style of basketball, why not choose a big market team? I heard that the Lakers, Celtics and Knicks have all contacted you. To be honest, the Timberwolves are a team without history or foundation, they're not worthy of you." After asking this question, Zhuang Fei could clearly see Gao Tai Le's embarrassment.

  However, Zhuang Fei still didn't show any emotional fluctuations, and instead said with a smile: "The Timberwolves are indeed a team without much history or foundation. They've only been in the NBA for eight years, and it wasn't until this year that they made it into the playoffs. The team doesn't even have a decent flagship player, the whole club is like a blank sheet of paper."

  "But I want to tell everyone, I love painting, I am happy to draw some beautiful pictures on a piece of pure white paper to enrich this white paper. Similarly, I also like to create history, just like what I did in Wigan, before I joined, Wigan had never won the championship, I hope to create the same history with Wolves."

  "Are you saying that your goal is to lead the Forest Wolves to win the championship? Do you think that with the current strength of this team, they have the ability to contend for the championship?"

  "Why not?" Zhuang Fei smiled and asked back, then continued: "We have many talented players, like Ma Buri, Garnett such young players, like Tom - Gugliotta such mature stars, and also like Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell such veterans, I believe these people are capable of achieving any results"

  "It's said that Mabri doesn't seem to want to stay with the Forest Wolves, and Treipot and Guglielmo's contracts are about to expire. They also don't seem to have any intention of lingering around the Forest Wolves for years to come. Do you have confidence in keeping them?"

  "Of course, I certainly think I can keep them all, and they are also very happy to stay." Zhuang Fei smiled mysteriously, as if the outside news about the Forest Wolf players' departure was non-existent.

  The signing ceremony lasted for a long time, mainly because there were too many reporters present. After the signing was over, Zhuang Fei officially became the head coach of the Forest Wolves.

  The Forest Wolves season has already ended, but the players still gave Zhuang Fei face and almost all came to the club, except for one person.

  "Mr. Gren, where's Marbury?" Zhu Fei asked regretfully to the team boss Glenn Taylor beside him. He didn't see Marbury among these people.

  Glen Taylor looked a bit embarrassed after hearing Zhan Huang's question, then smiled wryly and said: "Stephen said he didn't want to see you, hoping the team could trade him before the start of next season."

  Just last year, after he gave Garnett that big contract, the team's atmosphere changed. Those who were dissatisfied with Garnett's contract, apart from the league's bosses, also included the Timberwolves players, especially Marbury. Garnett took $20 million a year, close to half of the team's salary cap space, making it difficult for him to do anything in the future and making those players whose contracts were about to expire think: should they take a pay cut to renew their contracts? Taking a pay cut is not impossible, but is it worth taking a pay cut for this lottery team every year? Marbury was still hesitant about whether to stay or leave, but when he heard that the team's new head coach was Zhuang Fei, he didn't hesitate at all. This also made Glen Taylor very disappointed. He didn't want Marbury to leave.

  Zhuang Fei furrowed his brow after hearing what Gren Teller had said, and he made up his mind.