He Xi Meng's purpose for this visit was already clear to Dell Curry. After days of deep thought, Dell Curry still had some reservations.
"I am very honored to receive your invitation, and I am also very eager to become the head coach of the SuperSonics! Your trust in me makes me very touched, so I must also be frank with you. I don't have much coaching experience. My biggest worry is messing up the team's work and bringing unnecessary trouble to your championship aspirations..."
Dell Curry was an honest man, so he not only considered his own interests but also fully considered the team's interests.
This was precisely what He Xi Meng valued most about Dell Curry.
"Hey, I thought it was something else!" John laughed as soon as he heard Dell Curry's concerns. "The thing you need to worry about the least is coaching! Xi Meng has prepared a bunch of veterans for you, who can serve as your part-time assistant coaches on the court!"
"Aren't veterans hard to manage? I heard Kobe isn't easy to get along with..."
"You don't need to worry about any of this!" He Xi Meng also patted his chest and guaranteed Old Curry, "You just need to do the regular coaching work! I will come forward with Kobe to help you manage the players. I will also help with team lineup and strategy. Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Celtics, was also a rookie when he started. Look at him now, he has become the league's best coach! Don't worry, when you come to the SuperSonics, you just need to do less and observe more. I guarantee that your future achievements will not be lower than Kerr's..."
"You think that highly of me?"
"No need to doubt! It's you, no one else!"
"Then, I..."
"Bang!"
The hinges of the door to Curry's living room could no longer withstand the pressure from Stephen Curry and Seth Curry and immediately gave out.
The door fell heavily to the ground, startling Old Curry, He Xi Meng, and John in the living room.
The two young Currys stumbled up from the fallen door and sheepishly said to the three, "Sorry, please continue!"
"Dad, sign the contract quickly! If you miss this village, you won't find this shop anymore!" Seth Curry, being impatient, couldn't help but urge his father not to dally any longer and to sign the contract quickly.
Old Curry's old face flushed. Just as he was about to scold Seth, He Xi Meng reached out and stopped him.
"Seth is right! We should focus on important matters first! John, hand the contract to Dell..."
And so, with the instigation of He Xi Meng and John, and the assistance of Stephen and Seth, Dell Curry signed his name on the employment contract, officially joining the SuperSonics and beginning his head coaching career!
While He Xi Meng was finalizing the SuperSonics' head coach, Presti had also secured the last two roster spots for the SuperSonics.
He traded for the 2007 first-round pick, 18th overall, Italian sharp-shooter Marco Belinelli, from the Warriors, and then traded for the 2007 second-round pick, 8th overall, "Big Baby" Glen Davis from the Philadelphia 76ers!
Good heavens! A draft guru is indeed a draft guru; he can find cost-effective rookie players with just a casual look!
Even He Xi Meng, with his cheat-like abilities, had to admit defeat to Presti's eye for talent!
What was even more critical was that after Presti's operations, the SuperSonics cleared out all players with an annual salary exceeding 2 million and successfully finalized 10 roster spots with a total salary of 12 million!
The SuperSonics' final payroll was only 2 million over the luxury tax line! This left a considerable amount of salary cap space for the SuperSonics' future and saved them a large luxury tax payment...
This ability to save money earned a heartfelt thumbs-up even from the usually picky Kobe.
Thus, after months of continuous effort, the SuperSonics finally completed a thorough teardown and rebuild.
From the team owner, general manager, and head coach, down to the starting players, reserve players, and third-string players, everyone was cleaned out!
Not a single player from last season's SuperSonics remained, either traded or waived.
The new season's roster for the SuperSonics.
Starting lineup: Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Grant Hill, Kobe, He Xi Meng.
Yes, to recruit Hill, Durant had to be moved to the bench. It was reasonable for a rookie in his first year to play off the bench!
Think about Kobe, think about He Xi Meng; they both grew from the bench!
Moreover, from the bench, Durant would get more offensive opportunities than in the starting lineup.
Although Durant was dissatisfied, he couldn't defy the powers that be. He Xi Meng and Kobe were both top-tier superstars in the league now!
Durant could only start as a junior.
However, He Xi Meng had privately assured Durant that if he played well and won Sixth Man of the Year, he would definitely start next year! Even if his performance was outstanding enough, he could replace Grant Hill this season and become the de facto starting small forward...
When it came to encouraging young players, He Xi Meng had already mastered it...
SuperSonics' second unit: Dikembe Mutombo, Chris Webber, Durant, Penny Hardaway, Steve Francis!
Four veterans who refused to grow old, besides Durant.
Their health and competitive form were unknown.
But with Durant holding the fort, as long as the other four didn't cause trouble, they should be more than enough for the bench of most teams.
Furthermore, the SuperSonics' third unit was very young.
If the second unit encountered health problems, the rookies from the third unit could step in directly.
The members of the third unit were: Glen Davis, P.J. Tucker, Marco Belinelli, Thabo Sefolosha, Sun Yue...
On October 30, 2007, the NBA 2007-2008 season tipped off.
The SuperSonics' first game of the new season was at home against the Kings.
Before the game, both teams exchanged friendly greetings.
Of course, it was mainly the Kings greeting the SuperSonics.
The Kings were also in a rebuilding phase this season, with their leading stars being He Xi Meng's former proteges: Brad Miller and Kevin Martin...
In the spirit of taking care of his former proteges, He Xi Meng limited his shot attempts to 12 in this game. He shot 8 for 12 from the field, including 6 for 10 from three-point range, scoring 22 points and dishing out 18 assists. His scoring wasn't high, but his 18 assists in the season opener set a benchmark for point guards across the league!
"Come on, everyone, try to break my record..."