Chapter 134: Jalen Rose’s Fate

After the game against the Clippers, Jalen Rose was immediately informed by the team that he had been traded.

Upon hearing this, Jalen Rose felt a surge of joy.

Unlike other players who dread being traded or dislike it, Jalen Rose was actually eager for a trade.

He had already signed a lucrative contract, so it didn’t matter which team he joined. As for his tactical role, given that his skills had comprehensively declined, it would be the same anywhere.

Switching teams was purely advantageous for him, with no downsides.

He had grown tired of the fans’ ridicule and boos in Toronto, and it had broken his heart.

As long as he could leave Toronto, anywhere else would be fine.

“Coach, which team am I traded to?” Jalen Rose asked.

“It’s a pretty good place — New York, the basketball mecca, the Knicks. Go enjoy the spotlight there, Jalen,” the coach replied.

In truth, the coach wasn’t too fond of the trade. He had given up Jalen Rose, who averaged 12 points per game, along with a first-round pick from 2006.

But the Knicks’ return was just Antonio Davis, who averaged less than 5 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Moreover, Antonio was clearly nearing the end of his career and might retire as soon as tomorrow.

The only upside was that Antonio’s large contract had just one year left, allowing the Raptors to free up significant salary space next year to re-sign Chris Bosh.

Still, it was somewhat of a loss for Toronto.

What pushed the Raptors’ coach to decide was today’s game: Jalen Rose played like a sleepwalker on the court, had a falling out with fans after the game, and rambled nonsense during the press conference.

Such trouble was better sent away.

“Thank you, coach,” Jalen Rose said happily.

After all, it was New York — far better than Toronto.

With his bag in hand, humming a tune and stepping with a swagger, Jalen Rose joyfully arrived in New York.

The next day, he enthusiastically joined the team’s combined practice, eager to make a good impression on the coach.

“Jalen, I’ve got good news for you,” Larry Brown said with a stern face. Were it not for the phrase “good news,” his expression would have looked more like he was delivering bad tidings.

“Oh? What good news?” Jalen asked.

“Jamal said he’s not feeling well, so he’ll miss the next game. You’ll start as the shooting guard. Any questions?” Larry Brown said.

“No problem, coach. I’m ready anytime,” Jalen Rose replied, nearly moved to tears. This felt like meeting a true mentor.

Leaving the place of heartbreak for the big city and encountering a discerning eye — at this moment, Jalen Rose almost wanted to cry.

“Line up, start training. We have to win the next game. We need to prove ourselves,” Larry Brown said coldly.

He was very dissatisfied with the team’s current record: 14 wins and 31 losses, even worse than the Raptors by one game.

What was worse, the team’s roster wasn’t weak on paper.

Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Francis, Eddie Curry — all star players.

With such a group performing so poorly, Larry Brown was on the verge of being fired.

Jalen Rose happily joined the team to practice tactics. After a while, Larry Brown said, “There are two key points to focus on against the Clippers: stop Brand and He Xinghui. You must concentrate fully on He Xinghui, focus, don’t pay attention to every word he says...”

“What?” Jalen Rose gave a bewildered look.

The next game is against the Clippers? I’m the starting shooting guard? And I’m supposed to guard He Xinghui?

Coach, thanks a lot to you and your whole family.

If it weren’t for being new and not daring to act out, Jalen Rose truly wanted to take a sick day. After all, mental illness counts as sickness too.

After that, Jalen didn’t pay attention to a single word Larry Brown said.

What should I do? How am I supposed to guard He?

Jalen was worried that He Xinghui would explode that game.

If He Xinghui scored big on him, the Knicks’ fans would surely not welcome him either.

And Knicks fans were famously picky and harsh.

Even the team’s legendary player Ewing had been booed out, so what chance did a new player with a tainted history have?

Just the thought of being booed by countless fans every time he played made Jalen uneasy.

Meanwhile, the Clippers were also training.

However, they were doing regular drills, not specially practicing tactics against their next opponent like the Knicks.

Because the Knicks weren’t worth that effort — just a bottom-dweller.

After several hours of training, the Clippers took a break.

“He, the day after tomorrow at Madison Square Garden, how many points are you planning to score?” Kaman asked, taking a sip of water and chatting casually.

He knew He Xinghui liked to score high, especially in front of beautiful women.

Madison Square Garden was also dazzling with stars, the only place comparable to the Staples Center.

On that day, countless beautiful celebrities would surely be attending.

“I’ll try to keep it low. I’m afraid more beautiful celebrities will like me, and I won’t be able to handle it,” He Xinghui said.

“...” Everyone wanted to shove the Gatorade bottle into Kaman’s mouth. Only someone with too much free time would voluntarily start a conversation with He Xinghui. That was just asking for trouble.

Whenever He Xinghui opened his mouth, he would show off within three sentences.

“Try to keep it low” — was that even human speech?

“That’s true. Anyway, you already have enough honors. Unlike me, after playing for years, I haven’t won any,” Kaman sighed.

“Chris, if you want honors, it’s quite simple,” He Xinghui said.

“Oh? How? Tell me,” Kaman eagerly asked. Others also perked up; they wanted to know what trick He Xinghui had to help an average player win awards.

“From the next game, don’t score at all. Try to get a zero. That way, your season average will be very low, and next season, if you score around ten or more points, you’ll win Most Improved Player,” He Xinghui said.

“...” Only then did Kaman realize he had been fooled.

If he dared to do that, he’d be kicked off the team or benched the next day.

“Tch,” everyone booed and scorned.

He Xinghui explained, “What I mean is that to be great, you need to be strong yourself. There’s no shortcut to winning honors.”

“He, your words make sense, but why do we always want to punch you after hearing them?” Cassell joked.

Everyone else nodded in agreement; He Xinghui’s words struck a nerve.

“Ahem, personal honors mean nothing. We’re a team; collective honor is what matters most, like a championship. And winning a championship isn’t out of reach for us,” He Xinghui quickly gave them hope, lest they find excuses to torment him.

A championship?

Some scoffed, thinking He Xinghui looked nothing like a champion.

Of course, some were inspired by his confidence and grew a stronger ambition for the title.