As the final whistle blew to end the game, even the calm Popovich excitedly punched the air and rushed onto the court, then directed the players to toss He Xi Meng into the air.
Yes, this game, for which a championship celebration had already been prepared, almost went down the drain due to the hesitations of Duncan and David Robinson. Although the Spurs were highly likely to win eventually, that would have been on the road against the Pacers a few days later, or perhaps, when the series went to a Game 7...
He Xi Meng understood the twin towers' performance in this game. After all, it was their first time so close to the championship trophy, and anyone would feel some tension. Especially David Robinson, who had been in the league for 11 years before finally getting such an opportunity, with the championship trophy within his grasp...
He Xi Meng accepted his teammates' tributes and enjoyed the fans chanting "f/
In fact, if David Robinson's stats hadn't been so far behind He Xi Meng's, Popovich might have even considered giving this year's "FMVP" to David Robinson. After all, David Robinson was about to retire, and his performance was declining year by year. Duncan was still young, and Popovich believed that with the current Spurs lineup, one championship trophy was definitely not the limit. Therefore, they could "share a bit" first, give it to David Robinson, then to Duncan, and if there was any left over, give it to He Xi Meng...
"Wow, the old man treats the championship MVP like a 'sit down and share the fruit' situation? Distributing it one by one?"
However, this was very Spurs, and very Popovich! He Xi Meng liked it.
He Xi Meng just loved this kind of Spurs: if even the "FMVP" could be discussed, what couldn't be discussed?
What is brotherhood basketball? He Xi Meng believed this was the true brotherhood basketball.
Brotherhood basketball isn't just talk, with people secretly arguing over who has the bigger contract, who has the smaller contract, who gets more shots, and who gets fewer shots.
True brotherhood basketball is: I'm happy playing with you! I'm willing to fight alongside you, to offer my back as your shield, your spear, and to strive with you for the highest honor, to become the greatest player in this league, or even this world!
As for who gets more and who gets less during this process of making money and earning honors together, it doesn't matter. Everyone's well-being is true well-being, and everyone's happiness is true happiness...
Therefore, He Xi Meng gladly agreed to Popovich's suggestion and gave the FMVP, which originally belonged to Duncan, back to Duncan.
At the end, Duncan had to say "Thank you" to He Xi Meng with deep emotion...
"No need for flowery words! If you really want to thank me, remember to pat my head less! I distinctly feel that my hair volume has decreased this season compared to last season..."
Duncan was merciless when it came to winning awards, but when it came to He Xi Meng's hair volume, Duncan shook his head like a rattle drum, resolutely refusing to take the blame.
"As age increases, everyone's hair volume decreases. That's natural hair loss, what does it have to do with me? Besides, my blessing action helps massage your scalp and stimulates your hair follicles to regenerate..."
"I..." He Xi Meng was so angry he wanted to snatch the "FMVP" trophy back from Duncan's hand...
The Finals were over, and the players were about to enter a wonderful vacation.
David Robinson planned to attend a few concerts to cultivate his temperament, then take his family to a small island in Central America to soak up the sun.
Duncan planned to buy a classic car he had long admired and continue his car modification hobby.
Ginobili planned to return to Argentina to visit his family and enjoy the natural scenery of the Pampas.
He Xi Meng... He Xi Meng planned to follow the Spurs coaching staff to the Minnesota Timberwolves' home arena, the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend the 2000 NBA Draft!
The league teams generally didn't have high expectations for the quality of this year's rookies. In layman's terms, this was a "weak draft year." But the league teams definitely didn't expect that this year's draft quality wouldn't just be a weak year; perhaps, looking back ten years and forward ten years, this year's rookie class might be the thinnest.
Among this class, perhaps only four players could be considered stars.
The first pick, Kenyon Martin, was an All-Star as a reserve in the 2003-2004 season. The 19th pick in the first round, Erick Dampier, was an All-Star as a reserve in the 2003-2004 season. The 43rd pick in the second round, Michael Redd, was also an All-Star as a reserve in the 2003-2004 season.
The fourth player was Jamal Crawford, the 8th pick in the first round, who never made an All-Star appearance but won multiple Sixth Man of the Year awards.
Besides these, the only others fans might recognize are Mike Miller, Hedo Turkoglu, and Quentin Richardson. But none of these were qualified to be called stars.
Looking at the 2000 draft class, there wasn't a single superstar, and excellent role players were few and far between.
For the management personnel responsible for selecting rookies on other teams, finding a rookie with excellent potential this year would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. But for He Xi Meng, all of this was transparent.
Kenyon Martin, Crawford, and Dampier were drafted too high, and their cost-effectiveness was very low compared to their potential. He Xi Meng had no interest in them. He Xi Meng's target, from beginning to end, was the second-round pick Redd!
In the 2000 NBA Draft, the Spurs did not have a first-round pick, but they had two second-round picks. The first was the 41st pick in the second round, and the second was the 54th pick in the second round.
This 41st pick in the second round was perfect for intercepting the Bucks' 43rd pick in the second round, bringing Redd back to San Antonio...