Chapter 1 2016 NBA Draft

On June 24th, U.S. time, the 2016 NBA draft took place as scheduled at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The draft teams from various league teams entered the arena early.

In front of the stage was still the green room, and this year a total of 16 people, including popular rookies Ben Simmons and Ingram, were invited to enter.

This number was significantly less than last year, which also indicated that this year was a weak draft year.

Simmons and Ingram both looked nervous.

The draft order had already been determined by lottery a month ago.

The Lakers had the first pick, and the 76ers had the second pick.

Although the two were guaranteed to be in the top two, there was a big difference. Going to the Lakers meant going to Los Angeles, not only becoming the top pick but also going to a big city.

This looked good at first glance, but who became the top pick was not up to them; it depended on what the Lakers management thought.

As Tang Tian and Demps walked towards the draft room, they unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance.

Kobe, who had only retired two months ago, was wearing a smart suit, but he had grown a Lasa beard and had a small belly.

It seemed that he was enjoying his retirement life immensely.

When Tang Tian saw him, he said something to Demps, and then went up to greet him directly.

"Hey, Kobe."

"Hey, Michael Tang."

Kobe smiled and reached out to Tang Tian, his mouth becoming slick.

Tang Tian laughed loudly after hearing this. This Kobe had really become a legend in seconds, like a different person.

During the chat, Tang Tian also learned that Kobe was here to advise his old friend Kupchak.

The Lakers had finally gotten a top pick, and whether to choose Simmons or Ingram was a matter of revival, so Kupchak had to fully consider all opinions before making a final decision.

Tang Tian didn't interrupt. He was willing to give the Lakers advice in the past because of Kobe, but now that Kobe had retired.

"Training together this summer?"

Tang Tian glanced at Kobe's small belly and joked.

"No, no, another day, I have to work hard to have a boy now."

Kobe laughed, then turned and pointed not far away.

Vanessa was sitting there, with three daughters beside her, and she waved when she saw them.

Tang Tian also smiled and waved to them.

"Then good luck to you."

Tang Tian said with a smile after withdrawing his hand.

In terms of having sons, he was easily better than Kobe.

After chatting for a while, Tang Tian said goodbye to Kobe and then entered the draft room.

With live broadcasts and broadcasts all prepared, the 2016 NBA draft was about to begin.

Adam Silver walked out from behind the stage, his face looking very bad.

The 2015-2016 season had come to an end, but the discussion about the refereeing in the Finals had not stopped.

If it weren't for Tang Tian's 62 points in the end, which brought the championship to the Pelicans, the league might not have been able to end.

In this case, the league's board of directors and team owners had a lot of opinions about him, and some had even suggested replacing the league president.

If he hadn't negotiated a new broadcast contract before, he would have stepped down by now.

But even if he was barely in office, his influence was not as great as before.

He walked to the front desk and tried to squeeze out a smile.

What greeted him was a chorus of boos from the audience.

If the boos for Stern and himself in the previous years were just symbolic, then this was a real boo.

It was conceivable how dissatisfied the fans were with him and the league.

Silver was very embarrassed, but he could only force a smile, and after the boos subsided, he began his opening remarks.

"Welcome to Brooklyn, New York..."

Tang Tian watched the outside through the TV in the draft room, and when he saw Silver's expression, he felt inexplicably happy.

It was a pity that Silver didn't step down this time, but at this rate, he wouldn't be far from stepping down.

In history, the league really started to have a lot of ticky-tack fouls after the league introduced new foul rules in the 2018-2019 season.

At this rate, Silver probably wouldn't last until that day.

"The first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers, they have five minutes to consider."

After saying the first pick, Silver finally felt relieved and quickly walked back to the backstage.

This was the most difficult draft since he took office.

"Tang, who do you think they will pick now?"

After the Pelicans made a trade with the 76ers, their picks were 20 and 22, and it was still early for that.

The draft had just begun, and discussing the top pick was normal.

"Ben has a higher probability."

Tang Tian replied.

The butterfly effect was getting bigger and bigger. Not only had the lineups of the teams and history changed greatly, but even the draft picks had changed.

The Lakers getting the top pick was probably the result that Lakers fans dreamed of.

Simmons was the most popular choice for the top pick, but the Lakers' management was quite chaotic now. Jim Buss had given up power, and Jeanie Buss was online.

No one knew if the Lakers would be particularly fond of Ingram, so Tang Tian could only say that Simmons had a higher probability.

Fortunately, the five minutes passed quickly, and Silver came out with the Lakers' choice.

He was greeted with another round of boos. Silver's life was really a bit difficult.

But when he was about to announce the result, the audience fell silent again.

Everyone was still looking forward to who the top pick would be.

Simmons and Ingram both craned their necks.

"With the first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select... Ben Simmons, a 2.08-meter small forward from Louisville University."

When Silver read out this choice, the Lakers fans who came to the scene screamed loudly.

Simmons' performance in college was far better than Ingram's, and he was hailed by the media as the next James.

The Lakers picking him was a sure win.

"The Lakers are about to rise again."

Demps said instinctively.

The Lakers had always wanted to pursue James, and now they had a new James.

Tang Tian smiled and said nothing.

Simmons' talent was indeed outstanding, but his motivation was a problem. In history, there were constant off-court news in Philadelphia, and in Los Angeles... no one knew what he would become.

After the Lakers selected Simmons, the 76ers then selected Ingram.

However, because the teams in the Western Conference last season had very poor records, many of the remaining rookies in the lottery went to the West.

The Suns, with the third pick, selected Jaylen Brown and formed a twin-star duo with Porzingis.

The Timberwolves selected Kris Dunn with the fourth pick.

The Nuggets selected Jamal Murray with the fifth pick.

The Kings selected Buddy Hield with the sixth pick.

The Bucks selected Dragan Bender with the seventh pick.

...

The earlier picks proceeded quickly, and shortly after the lottery ended, it was the Pelicans' turn.

The 20th and 22nd picks were very awkward in a weak draft year.

This was also the reason why the 76ers were willing to trade two similar picks in a package.

However, Tang Tian had a plan in mind after agreeing to the trade.