232. Seeking a Playoffs Berth

Just after Li Chen returned to the United States, he received a call from Korver.

"Oh, it's Kyle! How have you been lately?" Li Chen asked with a smile.

"I'm... okay, um..." Korver stammered.

"We're all brothers, don't be so formal, just say what you want to say."

Li Chen's words reassured Korver; Li Chen was still the same Li Chen, unchanged despite becoming a big boss.

Thinking of this, he mustered his courage and said, "Boss, I want to play for your Warriors, the annual salary..."

Li Chen was taken aback at first. The Warriors were currently lacking veteran players to anchor the team, and Korver's arrival was a timely boon. After Korver finished speaking, Li Chen interrupted him, saying, "Stop talking nonsense. The Warriors have plenty of salary cap space right now, and I won't treat you unfairly."

Korver felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you, boss."

"Oh! That soft voice, is she so touched she's about to cry?"

Li Chen's teasing made Korver's face burn, and he stammered, "No... no way."

Then Li Chen remembered something else and asked, "By the way, Kyle, do you know how Elton is doing?"

When Elton Brand was with the Clippers Odom was giving him trouble.

"He went to the Philadelphia 76ers, got injured last year, was dropped from the starting lineup, and became a substitute. Now he's doing even worse than me."

Li Chen nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Pack your things and come to San Francisco."

A few minutes later, Li Chen hung up the phone and then dialed Elton Brand's number.

"Hey! Isn't this our big boss? What brings you to call me?" Elton Brand teased Li Chen with a smile, showing no sign of his annoyance.

"Hey! Weren't you down on your game? You don't seem to be in a good mood! Forget it then! I was thinking of getting you to play for the Warriors, but it seems unnecessary now."

Li Chen's words startled Elton Brand for a moment, then he quickly realized what was happening and cried out, "No! I'm in a terrible situation right now!"

"A 17.5 million contract is pretty good," Li Chen joked with a smile.

"That's good, but I've been struggling to return to my peak form since my injury, and I guess it's coming to an end."

"Don't worry, you stay with the Philadelphia 76ers for now. If they want to trade you, the Warriors will trade you to them."

"This... isn't this inappropriate?" Elton Brand, somewhat embarrassed.

Li Chen rolled his eyes. "Hey! Can't you be a little more serious when you're acting? It's obviously fake."

"Hahaha! Sorry, Chen, my acting skills disappointed you."

After hanging up the phone with Elton Brand, Li Chen fell into deep thought.

Now he's thinking about whether to try and make the Playoffs this season. The Warriors' current problem is that they're too young and inexperienced, so their performance is very inconsistent.

Moreover, their defense is too poor. Although they have Leonard and Klay Thompson, two All-Stars who will become good defenders in the future, that's a matter for the future.

After much deliberation, Li Chen remembered someone and called over the team's general manager Bob Myers.

A short while later...

"Boss, what do you need me for?"

"Bob, I need Kevin Garnett and Elton Brand. Do you know how to do that? And, without using any rookies."

Bob Myers' lips twitched when he heard Li Chen's request; this was going to be difficult!

"Boss, all I can say is that I'll do my best."

Li Chen nodded. He didn't insist, as it was a bit much to ask, since the Warriors had no assets other than their rookies.

A few days later, Bob Myers came to Li Chen's office again.

"So, Bob, do we have a chance?"

After carefully considering his words, Bob Myers said, "The Philadelphia 76ers won't let Elton Brand in unless we pay a high price."

Li Chen nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed, but he didn't show it.

"As for Garnett..." Bob Myers paused slightly, then continued, "There seems to be a sliver of hope."

"A sliver of hope?" Li Chen murmured to himself before falling into deep thought.

"I'm sorry, Boss, I couldn't complete the task you assigned me," Bob Myers said apologetically.

Li Chen ignored Bob Myers' words; he was now thinking about how to impress Garnett.

A moment later, Li Chen suddenly asked, "Bob, what did Kevin say?"

"Him? At the time, what I heard from him was that he wanted to continue chasing championships with the Celtics and didn't want to come to the Warriors."

Li Chen nodded again, then said, "Give me his phone number, I want to talk to him."

As he spoke, Li Chen took out his phone and waited for Bob Myers to give Kevin Garnett's phone number.

At the same time, Bob Myers was slightly taken aback, and then a troubled look appeared on his face.

Seeing that Bob Myers hadn't given Garnett's phone number yet, Li Chen looked up at Bob Myers. When he saw his troubled expression, he knew that Bob Myers was hiding some details.

Li Chen didn't ask any questions, but simply waited quietly for Bob Myers to continue.

Bob Myers knew he had to speak up, so he stammered, "One reason Garnett didn't want to come to the Warriors was because the Warriors weren't strong enough to compete for the championship, and another reason was..." Bob Myers looked at Li Chen without saying anything.

Li Chen was incredibly intelligent; he immediately understood the meaning behind Bob Myers' words.

Li Chen chuckled, "What a petty fellow."

However, Li Chen learned a lesson from his previous life of poverty: money can solve 99% of problems, and the remaining 1% that cannot be solved requires even more money.

In this lifetime, he witnessed the truth of this statement.

As his thoughts wandered, Li Chen realized that Bob Myers was a good subordinate who knew how to consider his boss's feelings, so he smiled and said, "Bob, you don't need to worry about that, just give me the phone number."

Seeing that Li Chen was determined, Bob Myers could only nod and give Li Chen Kevin Garnett's phone number.

A short while later, after watching Bob Myers leave, Li Chen dialed Garnett's private number.

The call was answered shortly afterward.

"Hello, Kevin, I'm Li Chen."

Li Chen's call made Garnett pause for a moment. To be honest, Garnett was very jealous of Li Chen because he had not only won the NBA championship he had always dreamed of, but had also surpassed Michael Jordan.

It's worth noting that Garnett actually wanted to become a minority owner of a team.

This can be seen from the agreement he reached with the Timberwolves when he returned, but in the end, the matter turned into a major mess.

Garnett replied in a cool tone, "I've already said, I'm after a championship, and there's no way I'm joining your Golden State Warriors."

Li Chen smiled confidently and said, "Kevin, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" Garnett frowned.

"Yes, it's a bet, a bet that the Warriors will win the championship within three years."

Hearing Li Chen's boastful words, Garnett was speechless. He then retorted sarcastically:

"Chen, I admit you're a great basketball player, even surpassing Jordan. No one in our generation can beat you. But just because you're good at basketball doesn't mean your team can still be as invincible as you are."

Garnett's words were quite polite.

"Why don't you listen to what the stakes are?" Li Chen said with a faint smile.

Seeing that Li Chen still didn't know when to back down, Kevin Garnett sneered, "Then tell me, if I'm interested, what's wrong with joining your Golden State Warriors?"

"I believe you will be moved."

Garnett scoffed inwardly. "I don't believe you can sway me, Kevin Garnett. Do you think I've never seen money before?"

"Our bet is that the Golden State Warriors will win the championship within three years. If they don't win the championship within three years, I will give you Kevin Garnett a 5% stake in the Warriors."

Garnett was stunned when he heard this. He knew that NBA owners had terrifying control over their shares, and they were unwilling to sell them.

But Li Chen actually used shares as a stake.

Garnett had to admit he was tempted; he simply didn't believe the Warriors could win a championship within three years!

The only thing troubling him now is whether or not he should give up on chasing the championship.

Garnett gripped his left hand tightly; it felt as if two selves were arguing within him, tearing at each other as if fighting over something.

In the end, Garnett compromised, once again proving Li Chen's theory that money is omnipotent.

Garnett said somewhat dejectedly, "Fine! I have to admit you beat Li Chen."

"Kevin, you won't regret it," Li Chen said with a faint smile.

"I have a question," Garnett said, somewhat puzzled.

"What? I'd be happy to answer your question."

"I want to know why me? You know, we don't get along well."

Yes, Garnett didn't understand; his relationship with Li Chen had been unpleasant from the start.

Li Chen laughed, "Hey, Kevin, when you first entered the league, you were the one who talked big because you were All-Star Player, okay? And later, you were the one who got slapped in the face? You started to hate me. I've always been the victim."

"Uh..." Garnett blushed, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it was indeed true.

Garnett's contract this season is a 2+1 contract, and in the third year, the player can choose to leave or stay.

Coincidentally, Garnett hasn't renewed his contract yet.

With the general arrangements finalized, Li Chen handed over the follow-up tasks to Bob Myers.

He believed that this middle-aged man could definitely handle it well.

As expected, Bob Myers successfully signed Kevin Garnett a little over ten days later. The Warriors paid the price with a first-round pick. Although Garnett was worth more than that, Garnett questioned his departure, and the Celtics had no choice but to let him go.

Actually, Kevin Garnett is a complete fool. He thought he was 100% guaranteed a 5% stake in the Warriors, and he actually took a pay cut.

When Bob Myers reported to Li Chen was also quite surprised.

He then smiled and looked Bob Myers in the eyes, saying, "Bob, you did it, didn't you!"

Bob Myers was slightly stunned. He never expected Li Chen to say such a thing, which made him realize how terrifying Li Chen was.

At the same time, Bob Myers knew that as long as he put in the effort, he wouldn't be overlooked.

As for why Li Chen knew, it's because he and Garnett hadn't reached that point yet. He would believe Elton Brand or Korver if they voluntarily took a pay cut, but he didn't believe Garnett.

Keep in mind that just a moment ago the two were at odds, and without any emotional connection whatsoever, how could Garnett possibly do this?

As for how Bob Myers tried to persuade Garnett, he didn't care; his 5% stake was just empty talk anyway.

Because he believed the Warriors could win the championship within three years.

Therefore, Kevin Garnett's hopes were dashed, and that was all.

Just as Li Chen had imagined, Korver offered five million to sign with the Warriors.

Keep in mind that Korver is currently in his prime, and he'd be worth at least eight million.

However, Li Chen refused and instead offered him a three-year, 30 million yuan contract.

Thanks to Li Chen's intervention, the NBA season did not experience a lockout in 2011, and the regular season officially started on November 1st.

In the first game, the Warriors hosted the Clippers.

The Clippers have made significant adjustments this season.

In addition to having a powerful center like Howard, they also acquired Chris Paul, a super point guard, from the Pelicans (formerly the Hornets), Billups, and Jordan, a rebounding and rim-running specialist. Therefore, the Clippers.

The Clippers' starting lineup for this game is:

Chris Paul (Point Guard)

Billups (Shooting Guard)

Deron Butler (Small Forward)

Jordan (Power Forward)

Howard (center)

The Clippers fielded a twin-tower lineup, and the power of a twin-tower lineup should not be underestimated.

The Spurs' championship win in 1999 with their twin towers lineup of the Admiral and Duncan is a good example.

However, with Garnett nearing the end of his prime, the Warriors are no worse than the Clippers.

Curry (Point Guard)

Korver (Shooting Guard)

DeRozan (Small Forward)

David Lee (Power Forward)

Garnett (center)

The Warriors also have a twin-tower lineup. Although Garnett is not as good as Howard in his prime, Garnett's experience is still enough to keep up with Howard to some extent.

Curry started the game with a series of missed shots, which showed that he wasn't having a good shooting night.

However, David Lee and Garnett's rebounding abilities greatly improve the Warriors' margin for error.

Next, Curry stopped insisting on shooting three-pointers and instead cooperated with his teammates.

This is something Curry learned from watching Li Chen countless times.

The Warriors thus worked closely together, demonstrating unparalleled teamwork.

Garnett repeatedly used his individual skills to attack the Clippers' defense.

The Warriors have consistently maintained a high scoring level, and their consistent shooting percentage and excellent rebounding control have given them a significant advantage.

At the same time, the Clippers also demonstrated their strength.

They used defensive strategies to constantly limit the Warriors' scoring ability.

Chris Paul's steals and dirty tricks caused Curry considerable trouble, resulting in a very poor performance from Curry in this game.

The Clippers' offensive tactics kept the score close, and the intense competition made the atmosphere on the court tense and suspenseful.

The Clippers led the Warriors 24-20 after the first quarter.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Warriors' starting lineup, except for David Lee, had all the other players sitting in the bench.

Their substitutes are:

Harden (Point Guard)

Klay Thompson (Shooting Guard)

Leonard (Small Forward)

DeMar DeRozan (Power Forward)

David Lee (Center)

If a time traveler from the future were to witness this scene, they would be utterly astonished; even a single team boasts four future All-Star caliber players.

Harden seems to have a knack for coming off the bench; he played exceptionally well, and these future top shooters all demonstrated their top-tier shooting abilities.

Their shots were decisive and accurate every time, whether mid-range or three-pointers, leaving the Warriors in awe.

Their offensive tactics complemented each other, forming a powerful offensive force.

In addition, the Warriors' defense was also excellent. They closely guarded every offensive route of the opponent, giving the Clippers no chance to breathe.

Klay Thompson and Leonard, in particular, showcased their exceptional defensive talent.

The Warriors' bench completely outclasses the Clippers' bench.