The experts analyzed with great detail, but the final result was a four-game sweep for the Lakers, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers by a decisive 4:1!
Kobe returned to his normal form from Game 2 onwards, putting up 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in the next four games, followed by 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, then 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, and finally 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists...
After his initial 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 1, O'Neal posted 28 points, 20 rebounds, 9 assists, and 8 blocks in the following four games, then 30 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks, followed by 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists, and finally 29 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 blocks!
Especially in Game 2, O'Neal was close to achieving a quadruple-double, astonishing the entire league.
The OK combination gave the 76ers no further chances to win, and the Lakers smoothly secured the championship trophy for the season. O'Neal, with his Finals statistics of an average of 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game, became the Finals...
Although Duncan never understood the meaning of this "privilege"—working without extra pay was worse than being a helper at his modified car shop! At least Duncan would never have shortchanged He Xi Meng for his labor...
But He Xi Meng's enjoyment and Duncan's hobbies were never in the same domain. Perhaps it was only after retiring and dedicating himself entirely to his modified car business that Duncan would suddenly realize that what he was truly better at was basketball!
The court was the ultimate destination of his career; modified cars could only ever be a hobby, a pastime, a place to spend money and have fun, not a place to earn a living, gain self-worth, or achieve honor.
Selecting rookies and renewing contracts with veteran players have always been closely linked.
This is because the purpose of selecting rookies is to groom talent and supplement the roster. The position of the rookie to be selected depends first on assessing which position the team lacks players in.
There were quite a few players whose contracts were expiring for the Spurs this summer. David Robinson, Brad Miller, Ginobili, Elliott, Kerr... all of them were expiring, needing renewal, waiving, or trading.
First, regarding David Robinson, Popovich's intention was clear: he would definitely be re-signed. As a legendary player for San Antonio, David Robinson's best choice was to finish his career in San Antonio. This was a crucial aspect of fostering player loyalty.
He Xi Meng agreed with Popovich's opinion; David Robinson, as the first iconic figure in the Spurs' rise, had to stay with the team. The crucial question was, what kind of contract would he be signed for? Too high, and it would affect the team's subsequent renewals and reinforcements; too low, and if David Robinson was not satisfied, felt offended, and left San Antonio in anger, the loss for the Spurs would be more than just an aging veteran.
Just like last season, when the Knicks abandoned Ewing, it wasn't just their reputation that suffered. It made many top stars in their prime reluctant to go to New York easily, fearing that once their performance declined, they would be ruthlessly discarded by the team.
Although this league is a commercial one, and value is the biggest core for its operation, as flesh-and-blood players, who doesn't want to have stable security, a reliable promise, and a decent career while working?
Popovich's final offer was a two-year, $20 million contract. $5 million was David Robinson's current actual market value, and the other $5 million was for David Robinson's contributions to the Spurs over the years.
This contract was neither too high nor too low. Even if other teams tried to disrupt things by maliciously poaching, this contract would give David Robinson enough resistance. Simply adding two or three million would not be enough to attract David Robinson. To be attractive, the annual salary would need to increase by at least $5 million. And now, for teams in the league to offer $15 million annually to poach an aging veteran on the verge of retirement—even a future Hall of Famer—they would need to carefully consider their salary cap.
Unless they had an irreconcilable feud with the Spurs, there would be no "big spender" willing to pay that price to acquire David Robinson.
Therefore, since Popovich already had a plan and was uncharacteristically generous in offering David Robinson a ten-million-dollar contract, He Xi Meng had no objections.
Next, concerning Brad Miller, Popovich's original intention was to keep him! Popovich also knew that Brad Miller was unwilling to play as a substitute, so he prepared to offer him a six-year, $42 million contract, averaging $7 million per year, to keep Brad Miller, and promised that he would become the Spurs' starting center, at the latest in two years, and at the fastest in one year!
The Spurs rarely offered long-term contracts to role players, so Popovich's sincerity in wanting to keep Brad Miller was evident. Miller's future role was envisioned as David Robinson's replacement, a lower-tier version of the twin towers.
Brad Miller was indeed an excellent team player, and his overall demeanor was a good fit for the Spurs. He had proven this over the past two seasons. However, in He Xi Meng's vision, after David Robinson retired, the future Duncan should have a better partner!
For example...