Volume 5: Unrivaled

Dennis's hopes were dashed. He could only hope Leonard put up even better performances, ideally outshining Durant, and then, when there was one year left on his contract next year, pressure the Celtics' management. Jokic was double-teamed on defense and targeted on offense, managing only a triple-single of 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, along with 3 turnovers. The six-game road trip finally came to an end. Zhang Yu was very satisfied with the 4-2 record and gave the entire team a day off. After this game, Klay fans never showed up in the Warriors' fan section again. Soon afterward, the Lakers officially announced the trade, sending shockwaves through the league on an otherwise rather quiet trade deadline. James's media vote total was unusually high, reaching 70 votes, while Leonard had only 21. But in the fan and player voting, the two were evenly matched. Relying on his advantage in the media vote, James successfully made the All-Star starting lineup. His game-winning three against the Bulls further displayed Jaylen Brown's nerves and clutch ability. Even if he had played poorly before that, it did not overshadow his strengths. After all, he was only a rookie and should not be judged by star standards. For more than a month now, the MVP race had been a two-man show between Curry and Harden. Everyone else could at best rank third. But the trade deadline was February 8, and Jeanie Buss's urging had become increasingly urgent. The next day, Magic Johnson could only suppress his anger and revise his terms: one first-rounder plus one second-rounder, along with matching salary, and Lopez would be the Warriors'. But Riley remained unhurried. Rather than immediately accepting Magic Johnson's terms, he countered with the Warriors' offer: one first-round pick plus matching salary. This was also the