69novels Chapter 31's absence is also a point of focus.
Chapter 31's absence is also a point of focus.
On November 6, 2005, the Warriors will play their first away game, facing the struggling New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks are definitely the biggest sucker in the league right now, with a salary of $120 million this season, and James Dolan has to pay nearly $60 million in luxury tax.
However, the Knicks' performance has declined year after year, and not only that, the team has almost traded away all its draft picks.
Wang Kai sat calmly on the bench watching the game. There were many celebrities sitting in the first row of the Knicks' sidelines. Of course, not all of them were there to watch the game. In fact, most of them were using the atmosphere of Madison Square Garden to generate buzz for themselves.
After the game started, both sides engaged in a shooting contest. Baron Davis, who had just returned to the game, missed a three-pointer, while Stephon Marbury missed a floater despite being heavily guarded.
Neither side had a strong defensive system, and neither had a cohesive defensive strategy. Their offenses were also abysmal, relying on a few star players to score haphazardly.
Montgomery was jumping up and down in frustration on the sidelines, but the situation on the field did not change because of him.
Larry Brown didn't yell or shout on the sidelines. He had only been in office for a short time, so he didn't need to worry about his position. Besides, he was a championship-winning coach who had won the NBA championship, so he had to maintain his personal image.
The score was 24-20 after the first quarter, with the Warriors leading by 4 points.
Jason Richardson had a good performance for the Warriors in the first quarter, scoring 10 points with a combination of drives and shots, shooting 50% from the field. For the Knicks, Eddie Curry had a huge advantage in the paint, scoring 8 points.
The key players on both sides, Stephon Marbury and Baron Davis, scored 1 point and 0 points respectively.
Wang Kai sat on the bench for the entire first quarter. Montgomery had already broken off all pretense and would not give Wang Kai any more chances.
The reason Montgomery gave Wang Kai this opportunity in the last game was partly because the team management put pressure on him, and partly because he didn't think a high school player would perform well in an NBA game.
Some old-school college coaches have an extreme distrust of rookies and newcomers. This distrust is based on the rookies' and newcomers' inability to adapt to the pace of higher-level games and to compete against strong teams. These coaches, who have coached in college for many years, have seen too many big rookie players sitting on the bench. So subconsciously, even if a player performs exceptionally well, he will not be given important roles. Only those players who prove themselves in games can gain the trust of some coaches.
Moreover, Montgomery was the one who put pressure on Wang Kai; he wanted to use Wang Kai as a scapegoat to intimidate the other Warriors players.
Wang Kai was positioned right next to the water dispenser on the bench during this game, making him a true water dispenser attendant.
However, Wang Kai didn't care at all. He waved a towel and cheered ten times on the sidelines, achieving a double-double in the first quarter.
During the break, Montgomery called the others over to discuss tactics, but Wang Kai was excluded.
Wang Kai didn't intend to use his popularity to his advantage. He saw Spike Lee, a die-hard Knicks fan, sitting in the center of the front row.
"Go ahead, kid, say hello to this little black guy. It'll help you. He has a huge influence among fans. Maybe he can even make a documentary about you in the future."
Old Ke timely reminded Wang Kai that he hoped Wang Kai would get along well with Spike Lee, after all, this guy is one of the opinion leaders in the black community.
"Hi, Mr. Li, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Wang Kai, you can call me Wang."
"Hey buddy, I know you. That dunk you had in the last game was amazing. Just call me Spike."
"Okay, Spike, to be honest, calling you Mr. Li feels like coming back to my homeland. Li is a very common surname there, with tens of millions of people sharing your surname."
"Haha, really? I'm so happy! To have so many fellow countrymen... I knew your country had a large population, but I didn't expect so many. Oh, I see, with so many people, there must be many geniuses like you, right?"
"Yes, there are many, but very few people can discover geniuses. I'm lucky to have met good people."
Wang Kai walked directly to Spike Lee and started chatting with the flashy-dressed Black man.
"Ha, looks like you've really met some good people. Seriously, how about coming to play for the Knicks? You could make a lot of money here."
As a die-hard Knicks fan, Spike Lee would actively recruit any player he found appealing, even if it was a cheap recruitment effort.
"New York is a big city, and I like it here, but you know, I'm just a rookie right now, and I can't decide my future."
"Hey bro, based on your performance in the last game, I bet Isaiah has his eye on you. If you can keep up the good work, I'm sure you'll be playing here in the future. Seriously, bro, what happened between you and your college coach? I'm really curious."
After a few brief words, Spike Lee, like most Black men, addressed everyone as "brother" or "sister."
"He probably thought I was a high school player and would need some time to adapt to the NBA. But I think I've adapted quite well, at least that's what Coach Jerry Sloan thinks."
After the previous game against the Jazz, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan praised Wang Kai at the post-game press conference, calling him the only player in this year's rookies who doesn't have to adapt to the pace of NBA games.
"Haha, you're right. Jerry may be a bit stubborn, but he has a really good eye."
"Spike, your hat is beautiful, may I take a look?"
Spike Lee wore an orange hat with the Knicks' sparkling diamond logo, which was very eye-catching under the lights.
"Haha, you have good taste too. This is a custom-made hat, and all the diamonds on it are real."
As a "traditional" Black man, he always found shiny things very enjoyable.
Spike Lee took off his hat and handed it to Wang Kai.
Wang Kai took Spike Lee's hat, looked at it, and then casually put it on his own head.
Many spectators on the sidelines noticed the interaction between Wang Kai and Spike Lee, and also immediately saw Wang Kai put on his hat.
Immediately, reporters and cameramen on the sidelines pressed their shutters, and the moment Wang Kai put on his hat was captured by many people.
"Haha, well done, kid. You're the center of attention even when you're not on the field. I think Chris Mullin and Chris Cohan are going to have a headache next."
Old Ke hadn't expected Wang Kai to do something like this. He had always thought Wang Kai was a bit reckless like a young man, but now it seemed that Wang Kai's mind was much more brilliant than he had imagined.