Chapter 1 The End

The awards ceremony came to a close, and with it, the tail end of the 2018-2019 season.

In the same vein, the footsteps of the new season quietly approached.

Although the Men's Basketball World Cup in August was highly anticipated, there were two major events for the NBA to undertake before that.

One was the free agency market arriving in July, and the other was the upcoming 2019 NBA Draft.

However, before the draft, the Pelicans officially announced some news.

After retiring, Tang Tian had purchased 10% of the team's shares and was now a minority owner of the Pelicans.

Moreover, he would serve as the team's vice president, mainly responsible for the team's operations.

The so-called operations were basically the work that [General Manager] Dell Demps was doing now.

This actually meant no change for the Pelicans.

It was just that Tang Tian used to give suggestions to Demps in private, and now he openly issued instructions to him.

This was equivalent to making the past work public.

For Tang Tian, his first job after becoming a member of management wasn't going to be easy.

When he transmigrated in his previous life, it was at the end of 2019. In other words, his 'heavenly eye' only extended that far.

The following work would really have to rely entirely on his personal ability.

But he wasn't a pushover in this regard. The experience of his previous life was there, coupled with Demps' growth in recent years, he was still capable of doing a good job.

This year, the Pelicans only owned a first-round pick, 27th overall.

Demps had scouted several rookies, and Tang Tian had a general understanding of them.

However, he still asked Demps to try to trade for a mid-second-round pick.

Several of the team's players' contracts were expiring this year, so the Pelicans' work in the draft was actually quite significant.

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was June 21st, and the NBA Draft kicked off at Madison Square Garden.

The scouting teams from all 30 teams entered the venue before the draft began.

Tang Tian, dressed in a suit and tie, arrived on the scene with Demps and Stevens.

His appearance drew screams and cheers from fans of various teams at the venue.

However, compared to before, seeing Tang Tian as a member of the team's management felt a bit strange.

The draft lottery for this year had already been determined.

The Knicks had won the first overall pick.

After Carmelo Anthony left, and John Wall and Dwight Howard suffered serious injuries, the Knicks had tanked their way to a new level last season, and ultimately got their wish.

The Big Apple had finally ushered in a new opportunity for revival.

The hype surrounding the NCAA last year was arguably the biggest in recent years, and it all stemmed from a player named Zion Williamson.

The Grizzlies had won the second overall pick.

The lottery results for each of the tanking teams last year were pretty good.

The Hornets had won the third overall pick.

The fourth pick belonged to the 76ers.

The fifth pick belonged to the Cavaliers.

…

The number of players invited to the green room this year was also the highest in history, reaching a full 20 players.

The green room was a whole size bigger than in the past, making it seem very lively.

However, this meant that many players would ultimately fall out of the lottery.

In other words, this was the most competitive draft in recent years.

After waiting for a while, Jayson Tatum walked out from backstage amidst the cheers of the fans at the venue.

Tatum's performance over the past season could be described as perfect. Instead of booing, the fans welcomed him with cheers, which was the greatest affirmation.

After a familiar opening, Tatum announced the first overall pick.

The cheers at the venue erupted once again, and the decibel level was even louder than before.

Because the first pick belonged to the Knicks, this was the Knicks' home court, and the Knicks fans in attendance were the most numerous.

Five minutes later, Tatum came out from backstage again and announced the Knicks' final selection.

"With the first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select Zion Williamson, a 2.01-meter forward from Duke University."

Without any suspense, when Williamson's name was called, the decibel level at the venue increased again.

His college highlights began to play on the LED screens at the venue, and his performance was incredibly violent.

This was a player who was touted as a heavier version of LeBron James, and had already signed a lucrative deal with Nike.

It was no exaggeration to say that his momentum entering the league was the greatest since James.

The people of New York were truly excited this time.

Williamson couldn't hide the smile on his face either.

Although the Knicks' management was terrible, it was still a New York powerhouse after all.

Starting his professional career in such a bustling metropolis, his commercial value would explode from the start.

The Grizzlies, with the second overall pick, made a selection that was pretty much in line with the draft predictions.

After successively trading away Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, this team, aside from [center] Jaren Jackson Jr. who they drafted last year, didn't have much talent.

So their goal was clear, which was to select the best talent available.

With Williamson being selected, their target was also determined.

Ja Morant.

In his sophomore season, he averaged 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.

He was the first player to average 20 points and 10 assists since the NCAA started tracking assist data in 1980.

He led Murray State to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and personally won the NCAA Bob Cousy Award (annual best point guard).

In terms of talent, he was the best point guard in this year's draft.

In an era where point guards were prevalent, this selection didn't have much suspense.

The suspense was with the third overall pick.

RJ Barrett, who was previously highly regarded, performed generally at Duke University, and De'Andre Hunter and Darius Garland were all possible choices for this pick.

It all depended on what Michael Jordan would choose.

Jordan surprisingly chose Mohamed Bamba last year, but Bamba suffered injuries in his rookie season and performed only so-so.

So what kind of choice would Jordan make, and even what kind of mood the selected person would be in, were all very interesting things.

Five minutes later, amidst the expectant gazes of fans, including Tang Tian, Tatum walked out from the draft backstage for the third time.

"With the third pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select… RJ Barrett, a 2.01-meter shooting guard from Duke University."

Everyone had different reactions to this draft result.

Some people felt that Jordan was being uncharacteristically stable this year.

Some people felt that this was very Jordan, because Barrett had a reputation, but he really didn't play well at Duke University.

In any case, Barrett was still selected in the top three.

He seemed to be in a very good mood, wearing a Hornets hat and walking briskly onto the stage.

Shaking hands with Tatum and taking photos.

And then, he didn't immediately step down, but instead, in front of so many people below the stage, he undid the buttons of his suit and revealed the clothes underneath.

It wasn't a shirt, but a jersey, a jersey that looked a bit old.

The Spurs' number 31.

If it was ten years earlier, no one would know who this jersey belonged to.

But now, everyone knew.

This was the jersey that Tang Tian wore when he was with the Spurs!

The venue instantly exploded.

They weren't very fond of Barrett, but now it seemed that Barrett was a fan of Tang Tian!