Declining the Invitation

January passed like a rainbow after the rain, fading quietly into the azure sky as February arrived without a sound.

Throughout January, the Boston Celtics achieved a record of 9 wins and 7 losses; while their winning percentage exceeded 50%, their overall record remained below that mark.

Regarding this performance, Doc Rivers expressed great satisfaction.

Goodwin had also become an important reserve player for the Boston Celtics, averaging 11.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game, while hitting 3.3 three-pointers per game at a staggering 56% clip, making him the most accurate three-point shooter in the entire league.

Even established stars like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller had to tip their hats to him.

Because of this, many teams scrambled during the final trade window, calling Danny Ainge one after another to try and trade for Goodwin.

Danny Ainge refused them decisively!

Trade him? Not a chance—this is a player we developed ourselves.

Danny Ainge hadn't expected Goodwin to break out so quickly; even though he was only averaging 11.5 points, his presence on the floor significantly lightened the burden on Paul Pierce.

Because Goodwin's perimeter shooting percentage was so absurd, opponents were forced to pay him serious attention, even assigning their best perimeter defenders to guard him, which made things much easier for Paul Pierce.

Paul Pierce remarked that he had never played in such a "wealthy" situation before.

Even Antoine Walker, who was known as one of the Twin Stars alongside him last season, hadn't been able to provide him with such easy defensive spacing.

Paul Pierce even went to Doc Rivers to suggest that Goodwin should be moved into the starting lineup.

Regarding Paul Pierce's suggestion, Doc Rivers pondered for a moment before rejecting the proposal.

Although Goodwin was indeed an important part of the Boston Celtics now, his strengths and weaknesses were very obvious; once he became a starter, he would inevitably be targeted by opponents.

Doc Rivers believed in letting Goodwin accumulate more game experience while strengthening his defense; as time passed, Doc Rivers trusted that Goodwin would overcome his defensive shortcomings and earn a starting spot through his own merit.

Doc Rivers looked forward to the arrival of that day.

At the same time, besides Goodwin, Doc Rivers had also discovered another gem on the roster—Kendrick Perkins.

His ceiling for defense and screen-setting was even higher than that of the starting center, Mark Blount, especially in pick-and-rolls, where his massive frame could carve out space for his teammates.

However, there was one fatal issue: Kendrick Perkins lacked experience, often picking up 4-5 fouls in limited minutes, forcing Doc Rivers to bench him.

Doc Rivers: Sigh!

A gem is a gem, it just needs to be polished properly.

Thus, whenever Doc Rivers had time, he would watch game tapes with Kendrick Perkins, making sure he understood when to help on defense, how to execute help-side rotations, and how not to be fooled by pump fakes.

At the same time, he also had Mark Blount pass on his own game experience to Kendrick Perkins.

The entire Boston Celtics team was on the rise, and Doc Rivers believed that as long as the players continued to grow, they would go far.

February 1st, Boston Celtics training facility:

Goodwin received an invitation to this year's NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest once again.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think my current strength is enough to participate in the Three-Point Contest," Goodwin declined.

The Three-Point Contest is one of the events of the NBA All-Star Weekend, held the day before the main game. Under normal circumstances, the competition is divided into two rounds, with each player getting one chance per round. The top three scorers from the first round advance to the finals. The format for the second round is the same as the first. If there is a tie in the finals, a tie-breaker round is held until a winner is determined. The player who scores the most points within one minute is the winner.

The Boston Celtics once had a player who won the Three-Point Contest three years in a row—Larry Bird.

He also left behind a quote that fans still remember; at the '86 All-Star Three-Point Contest, the imposing Larry Bird told the other contestants in the locker room before the event: "Are you guys here to compete for second place?"

In the end, he fulfilled that statement, winning the '86 All-Star Three-Point Contest and beginning his path to a three-peat.

Hearing Goodwin refuse again, the NBA staffer was truly dumbfounded. This was simply unheard of; being able to participate in the All-Star weekend was an honor for any player, and countless players wanted to participate but couldn't, yet this Goodwin was something else!

He actually refused twice!

How am I supposed to report this back!

The NBA staffer tried to persuade him, but Goodwin remained firm in his decision.

Nearby, his teammates looked on with envy.

This guy was truly a "chosen one"—not only did he have handsome looks, but he also had impressive skills, receiving an All-Star invitation in his first year in the NBA; he was the textbook definition of a novel protagonist.

Michael Jordan: ???

Magic Johnson: ???

LeBron James: ???

In reality, Goodwin's situation was far worse than other "chosen ones," as other superstars had their fame established even before the draft, and some even helped their teams win a championship in their rookie season.

A player who debuted at his peak, winning the FMVP in his rookie season, the GOAT of NBA point guards—Magic Johnson.

Magic Johnson was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft. In his debut season, Magic Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game; he was a dominant force on the court and showed an incredible ability to make his teammates better. His presence on the floor helped the Lakers achieve a 60-22 record, becoming the number one seed in the West.

However, Magic Johnson's true greatness was revealed in the playoffs. He led the Los Angeles Lakers into the NBA Finals to face the Philadelphia 76ers; in the Finals, Johnson put on an unbelievable performance. After the core player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went down, he scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in Game 6, leading the team to victory and helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the championship in six games.

Due to his outstanding performance in the Finals, Magic Johnson was named the Finals MVP. He became the first rookie in NBA history to win the award, and his performance is still considered one of the greatest in NBA Finals history.

By comparison, Goodwin was far behind.

Therefore, Goodwin knew very well that developing quietly was the right way to go.

One step at a time, moving forward.

Did Goodwin not crave the All-Star game? Of course he did; participating in the All-Star game meant popularity, and popularity meant money, but all of this needed to be supported by strength.

No rush, no rush; the Three-Point Contest trophy, I will wait to claim you in the future.

After declining the invitation, Goodwin left the staffer with a view of his back and threw himself back into his training.