The moment the news dropped that Zack would miss the entire '08-'09 season due to injury, the entire basketball world erupted into chaos, like a pot boiling over!
"I know how awful this feels. Back then, I felt just like a fan, completely helpless. All I could do was watch from the sidelines and cheer everyone on," the old GOAT said, immediately showing concern for his beloved successor, "I didn't want anyone to bother me – no phone calls, no TV, no music. All I needed was pure darkness."
After a pause, the old GOAT, whose ribs were still throbbing faintly, added, "But I'm sure you'll get through this, just like I did. Trust me, once you push past this dark period, nothing will ever hold you back again."
Zack was undoubtedly grateful for the old GOAT's concern.
However, unlike Jordan back then, the naturally more optimistic Zack didn't feel the "darkness" Jordan described. In fact, he, the injured player, now found himself in the position of comforting his teammates!
Steve Nash felt like his world had just collapsed. Was he really destined to never win a championship? Nash had only joined the Warriors this summer precisely to latch onto Zack's incredibly sturdy "thigh," so when he heard Zack would miss the entire season, his mood could only be described as utterly heartbroken. Boundless darkness instantly enveloped Nash's heart.
Kwame Brown, who was entering a contract year next season, was equally distraught. Without Zack, his "big brother" and partner, the extremely insecure Brown would have to shoulder the Warriors' interior responsibilities alone next season. This terrified Brown, making him worry he wouldn't be able to perform as he had before and thus secure a lucrative contract to support his family next season.
Then there were Jarrett Jack, Will Bynum, and Anthony Morrow (whom they'd wanted to introduce to Zack), all waiting for Zack to return victorious with his Olympic gold medal. With their backbone gone, the Warriors instantly lost their sense of direction.
"How are we supposed to play next season?" Gerald Wallace, who had already emerged from last season's injury slump, asked with a confused look. "Are we going to tank?"
And head coach Mike Malone's reply to the near-star forward was simply, "I don't know."
"It's over! It's all over! That's how I felt when I learned the Messiah would be out for the '08-'09 season due to injury," Mike Dunleavy told reporters years later. "We all knew how crucial the Messiah was to the team. His injury was a fatal blow for us."
Grant Hill, who wanted to grab a championship ring before his career ended, even contemplated retirement after hearing about Zack's season-ending injury. "I don't know if I can keep going until he recovers," Hill said in despair. "And I feel like my arrival somehow jinxed this team's luck."
Troy Murphy, who was patiently teaching McRoberts how to set screens for Zack on the court, suddenly saw the bright sparkle in his eyes dim. "If I could, I'd take all his pain," Murphy said sincerely. "We can't afford to lose him."
Matt Barnes, who had just secured a long-term contract this summer thanks to Zack, rushed to the hospital immediately. He cried his eyes out by Zack's bedside, almost making Zack think he wasn't just out for the season, but for his entire career!
"Matt, you don't have to be so sad. Tim said he's confident he can help me recover 100% from this injury."
"But I can't help but feel for you."
"..."
Undoubtedly, Zack's season-ending injury dealt an invisible, devastating blow to the entire Warriors team. What would their goal be now? With the Warriors' current roster, led by Nash and Wallace, they definitely had the strength to contend for a playoff spot. But if it was just about making the playoffs... would that truly be meaningful for a team that was always driven by the pursuit of a championship?
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### The General Manager's Plan
Warriors General Manager Chris Mullin rushed to the hospital the moment Zack's injury report came out. Mullin needed to confirm Zack's injury to set the Warriors' new season goals and future team-building plans.
The result? Mullin, despite having mentally prepared himself, remained silent for several hours after learning Zack was out for the season.
However, once he calmed down, Mullin showed his decisiveness as a team general manager. First, Mullin told Zack that the Warriors absolutely shouldn't invest too much in the new season. In Mullin's eyes, it would be pointless.
"I plan to have our key players like Steve and Gerald play half the season each. On one hand, they can maintain their form through a moderate number of games in what will be a relatively relaxed season. On the other hand, our championship players, who also need rest, will get more time to recover."
Zack fully agreed with Mullin's arrangement.
Next, Mullin told Zack, "But we can't completely tank either, because this is a team that has won two consecutive championships. Too many losses would gradually cause them to lose their past ambition while you're injured."
Hearing this, Zack nodded noncommittally.
Finally, Mullin said, "I've already looked at next year's draft projections. The player you've been telling me to keep an eye on is currently projected to go in the 5th to 10th pick range in the first round. If necessary, I'll put Jason, Mike, and Troy on the trading block to get a pick that guarantees we can draft him. Don't worry, any player you want, I'll make sure they're on this team's roster."
At this moment, since Mullin happened to mention Jason Richardson, Zack asked curiously, "What's Jason been up to lately? The day I got injured, he seemed to have taken personal leave and missed team practice?"
Mullin gave a wry smile. "Ever since we traded for Steve Nash, Jason has been hinting through his agent that he wants a change of scenery."
Zack was puzzled. "Is there a conflict between Jason and Steve?"
Mullin shook his head. "They don't have any conflict, but I probably know why Jason wants to leave the team."
As a key member of the Warriors' previous two championship teams and holding two championship rings, Richardson had always longed for a higher status within the team. He didn't want to just be "Championship Piece Jason." He wanted to take it a step further and gain a status second only to Zack on the Warriors.
Originally, after Artest was traded, Richardson felt he could somewhat outrank Wallace with his seniority and believed he had achieved that status. But with Nash's arrival in the new season, Richardson immediately felt like he was back to square one. Compared to Wallace, Nash, who had won two consecutive MVPs, was clearly a star guard Richardson couldn't outrank based on seniority. This greatly frustrated Richardson. At the same time, having already tasted championship success, he started thinking about leaving the Warriors to pursue a higher status on another team.
While Richardson's actions were also a way of testing the Warriors' management and coaching staff about his future role, with Zack's season-ending injury, Richardson, feeling that a championship was now out of reach, gradually turned his "testing" into action.
"After the new season, my client's current contract will expire in two years," Richardson's agent told Mullin. "Given his current status on the team, I'm quite sure you won't offer him a satisfactory max contract in the future."
Mullin replied, "If Jason can still maintain his form in two years, we'd absolutely be willing to offer him an extension worth nearly ten million dollars a year."
Richardson's agent shook his head. "That won't satisfy Jason. He's a champion player. In my opinion, if he wasn't playing for the Warriors, he could easily put up star guard scoring numbers."
"Jason has given his most precious youth to this team. To win championships, he even sacrificed his playing style. You can't ask Jason to keep sacrificing; that's not fair."
Richardson's agent's stance left Mullin no choice but to prepare to put him on the trading block. Mullin has always valued personal relationships, but that doesn't mean he's unaware of the dangers of offering max contracts to players who are far from being top-tier stars like Richardson. By the time Richardson's contract expires, he'll be turning 30. If Mullin offers him a max contract, it would not only completely tie up the Warriors' future cap space but also inevitably diminish Richardson's trade value due to being burdened by a "bad" contract.
"In that case, you make the arrangements," Zack said after hearing Mullin explain Richardson's recent change of heart.
Friends come and go, but only championship banners fly high in the wind. Zack was willing to fight for his teammates' interests, but that didn't mean he had to fight for every teammate to get a huge contract that didn't match their actual skill level. Zack wasn't Richardson's agent. He had no obligation to demand a max contract for Richardson.
And after getting Zack's clear statement, Mullin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zack's attitude meant he would support Mullin's decision to put Richardson on the trading block.
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### The League Reacts
The Warriors were about to start the new season without Zack. And upon hearing about Zack's season-ending injury, various powerhouse teams suddenly got a massive boost, like the Rockets story from back in the day, all eagerly preparing to make a run for the championship while the new GOAT was recovering!
Thanks to Duncan's mediation, Ginobili, who was having trouble re-signing with the Spurs, went to the Boston Celtics in a sign-and-trade deal. The Celtics got Ginobili, as they wished. And the Spurs? They got a future draft pick from the Celtics and Wally Szczerbiak, who was entering a contract year.
Zack noticed that ever since losing Duncan, the Spurs had reached new heights in penny-pinching. Unlike in history, where the Spurs management would eventually forgive Ginobili for not listening to the team's advice and insisting on playing in the Olympics with an injury, just to maintain competitiveness... in this life, since the Spurs no longer had any competitiveness to speak of, why would they need to keep Ginobili?
The Lakers, at the last minute, gritted their teeth and matched the Sacramento Kings' 4-year, $50 million offer for Monta Ellis. Initially, considering Ellis was a die-hard Kobe fan, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak thought the Lakers could re-sign Ellis for a relatively lower price. But unexpectedly, the Kings swooped in and offered Ellis a high-paying contract. So, Kupchak found himself in a dilemma.
Then, with the news of Zack's season-ending injury breaking... Kupchak immediately, after an urgent discussion with Jerry Buss, matched the Kings' offer with lightning speed. "Mitch, don't worry about the luxury tax. As long as we can win the championship next season, I'm willing to pay any amount of luxury tax!"
By keeping Ellis, their super sixth man, the Lakers showed the world their determination to win a championship.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, when LeBron James first heard about Zack's season-ending injury, he initially thought it was a joke. Then, he immediately got excited! Although publicly, James expressed sadness for Zack during interviews, saying, "You know, none of us want to see him injured. I hope he can get through it." But privately, James, feeling that divine intervention was on his side, immediately had Rich Paul, who had officially become his agent, pressure the Cavaliers' management. "I knew he'd get injured," James said. "Who told him to always play so hard?"
Before the regular season started, the Cavaliers made two trades. They first traded Pavlovic and a future draft pick to the Celtics for Delonte West. Then, planning to use West as Allen Iverson's successor, they immediately traded Iverson and Gooden to Washington for Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood.
Arenas had suffered a major injury last season, and his return date for the new season was uncertain. Thus, the Wizards desperately needed a star guard to lead the team. Plus, the Wizards had drafted the incredibly talented JaVale McGee in the summer, so Haywood was no longer in the team's future plans. This was a win-win trade for both sides. Under James's repeated pressure, the Cavaliers sent away Iverson, who didn't mesh well with James, and brought in Jamison, a star power forward, to improve the team's spacing. In addition, Haywood was also a quality defensive center.
However, the Cavaliers' management probably never imagined that in this trade, West would soon become their "Imperial Father-in-law." While on the court, West at this time was known for his playmaking and his tenacious, "sticky" defense on opposing ball-handlers... off the court, Delonte West, who always caused trouble, gained notoriety even in later generations primarily because during his time with the Cavaliers, he was rumored to have had an affair with LeBron James's mother, Gloria James.
But before West became the "Imperial Father-in-law," James was extremely satisfied with the Cavaliers' moves this summer. "Brown, this is your best chance to erase the shame of you and the Redeem Team's failure at the BJ Redemption," Rich Paul said. "You have to show people that you also have the ability to be a primary ball-handler."
James, who had wanted to play like Zack since last season, nodded. "I will definitely show the world next season that I am the only player in the league second to the Messiah."
As Zack's biggest sponsor, the news of Zack's season-ending injury was nothing short of an avalanche for Nike. Therefore, Maverick Carter, who had always been close to Nike, also said, "Brown, if you can prove yourself next season, Nike will definitely reconsider offering you a bigger contract extension." Hearing this, James, who instantly felt filled with endless motivation, only regretted that Zack wasn't injured more severely this time. That's right, for this "surface brother," James no longer harbored any genuine affection.
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### The Changing of the Guard
In October, under Grover's arrangement, Zack's surgery in Chicago went smoothly. At the same time, Zack learned from Chris Mullin that team owner Chris Cohan was discussing the sale of the team with a former Celtics minority owner named Joe Lacob.
Although Lacob's financial resources were limited compared to many other magnates, Mullin told Zack that Lacob was currently the highest bidder among the many potential buyers interested in acquiring the Warriors. Knowing that Lacob was the Warriors owner in his memories of the future, Zack smiled and said, "How long do you estimate Chris Cohan will spend haggling with Mr. Joe Lacob?"
Based on the information he had, Mullin replied, "I estimate Chris Cohan can complete the entire sale within half a year. Your injury has caused him unprecedented panic; he just wants to get rid of the Warriors, this hot potato, as quickly as possible."
Zack scoffed, "If the Warriors were truly a hot potato, then how could Mr. Joe Lacob be so enthusiastic about acquiring them?" After a pause, Zack added, "Chris Cohan is just worried that I won't be able to return to my peak, plus my super max contract will officially kick in next season, affecting the team's salary cap."
"Once the Warriors are successfully sold, this will likely be my last season serving you," Mullin, who felt a strong attachment to Zack and the Warriors, said. "Because the new owner will definitely bring in his new staff to take over the Warriors."
"Is that so?" At this moment, Zack suddenly smiled at Mullin and said, "Chris, do you remember what I told you?" Zack knew Lacob's character well and wasn't at all worried that he would be like Cohan, who didn't understand how to treat a franchise player. Moreover, no matter who owned this Warriors team, in Zack's eyes, this team could only be his team. If Lacob thought otherwise, then it would be time for Zack to officially say goodbye to this team.
"Chris, I believe we'll be working together for a long time in the future," Zack told Mullin with conviction. "So, for now, I need to focus on recovering, and you need to help me manage this team well."
After the Beijing Olympics... Mullin noticed that whether it was his demeanor or his way of speaking, Zack was increasingly beginning to resemble a true GOAT. Or rather, he was the GOAT Mullin had always envisioned. Although this GOAT still needed time to return to the court, Mullin believed that once he recovered, the entire basketball world would once again fall under his dominion.
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