NBA: Warrior godfather.

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January 29, Auckland.

The cold current from California moving south brings endless cold winds to the Bay Area, and large clouds of water vapor cross the sky, enveloping the city in thick fog, making Auckland's winter cold and damp.

Mark Twain once said:

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

The same can be said for Oakland, which is near San Francisco. Summers are damp and cold, and winters are even worse. The cold seems to penetrate to the bones. The sun is rarely seen here. The sky above the city always seems to be gray and overcast, which makes people feel uncomfortable. But Biedrins didn't seem to feel the cold at all. He happily drove his beloved Lamborghini from the mansion he had just bought for $800,000 last year to the Oracle Center.

Tonight, the Warriors will play the Bobcats at home, and he's going to the arena to train.

Biedrins' house isn't far from the Oracle Center. He quickly arrived at the arena, parked his car, and walked into the training room.

He wasn't early or late; the training would begin in fifteen minutes, and the team's rookies had already arrived, warming up like American players.

Curry was leaning against the basketball hoop, watching Butler and Matthews compete in a one-on-one duel. When he saw Biedrins enter, he greeted him:

"Hey Andris, how many points are you going to score tonight?"

Biedrins laughed:

"That depends on how many passes you give me."

"Don't worry, I'll pass it to you as soon as I get the chance!" Curry made a passing gesture.

"Haha, then I'll definitely dominate the Bobcats' paint area!" Biedrins also made a gesture to catch the ball and then spun it around his head in tribute to Duncan.

He waved goodbye to Curry, whistled happily, and quickly walked toward the locker room to change.

After beating the Celtics last month, the Warriors played 14 games this month and achieved a record of 8 wins and 6 losses, maintaining their sixth place in the Western Conference.

During this time, Biedrins' tactical role on the team shot up suddenly, with his points and rebounds rising to 16.7 points and even 13.5 rebounds, averaging an impressive 2.8 blocks per game, second only to "Warcraft" in this period, drawing attention from the outside world, which put Biedrins in a good mood.

But the problem was that some commentators and writers said that his stats didn't help the team much. If the Warriors hadn't concentrated the ball too much on Biedrins, wasting many opportunities, they could have won more. With just two more victories, they could rise to fifth place in the Western Conference.

Biedrins didn't like hearing this. The Warriors' opponents this month included many strong teams like the Lakers, Suns, and Cavaliers, as well as playoff-caliber teams like the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, and Hornets. Was it his fault? He played strictly according to the tactics set by the coach.

Although he took more shots during this period, reaching 14, only surpassed by Curry's 17, and his shooting percentage was also lower than before, Biedrins believed that this was only temporary. As long as he was given more time to adapt, he would be able to maintain his current scoring while recovering his efficiency and becoming an inside star.

No one wants to be a role player forever. Although Biedrins had been playing quietly, he also longed to become a star someday and sign a big contract. If the coach gave him the opportunity, he had to seize it!

Biedrins hummed a light melody from his hometown in Latvia, changed clothes, and went to the training field. His teammates were also there, and the coaching staff stood in front of everyone.

Since the Warriors had easily defeated the Hornets in the last game, Liam praised everyone's performance as usual, especially Biedrins, briefly talked about the characteristics of the Bobcats, and then began the training.

As there were still games left to be played that night, the team finished practice at 11:30 AM, and the players were given the afternoon off to continue their physical preparation for the evening's game.

Biedrins was just about to head home for lunch when Liam stopped him:

"Andris, come to my office."

Biedrins was a little surprised, but nodded:

"Okay, I'll be right there."

He quickly went to the locker room for a shower, changed, and made his way to Liam's office.

"Sit down," Liam said with a smile, settling onto the couch.

Biedrins sat down on the couch across from him, his face full of anticipation. He didn't realize that Liam's expression was a bit more complicated, and thought that, given his excellent performance this month, Liam was about to assign him more important tasks.

"Coach, what do you need from me?" Biedrins asked respectfully.

Unlike Curry and Butler, even though Liam was only three years older than him, Biedrins gave great importance to his role as coach and never joked around with him. He always listened carefully to what Liam said.

After entering the league, Biedrins had played under Nelson, a man of his word and a strict authority figure, which helped Biedrins develop the habit of being obedient.

Liam hesitated for a moment and then slowly said:

"Andris, there's something I need to tell you... you're going to be traded."

"Uh... what?" Biedrins' smile froze, and a couple of disoriented sounds left his throat as he stared at Liam in shock.

Liam sighed quietly:

"Yes... this is still being discussed, but it's just a matter of working out the details. There's a high probability that this will happen and that you'll leave the team."

The smile vanished from Biedrins' face. Slowly, the shock began to fade, and he spoke with some difficulty:

"I understand... can you tell me which team I'm being traded to?"

He looked directly at Liam, his voice dry and the respect in his eyes entirely gone.

Liam smiled bitterly:

"It's the Bobcats... Larry originally wanted to inform your agent, but I thought I should tell you first. I'm sorry."

Biedrins fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head:

"You don't need to apologize to me. I've been having a great time this season, especially this month. Although, I guess this is just for the Bobcats to inspect the merchandise... Can you tell me when exactly I'll be leaving the team? I can start preparing for the move."

"It depends on when we reach an agreement with the Bobcats, but I don't think it will take more than ten days. It could be tomorrow or maybe a week from now," Liam explained.

Biedrins fell silent again. After a moment, he slowly stood up, walked directly to the door without any pleasantries, and said flatly:

"Don't worry, I'll play well in these games. Thanks for telling me this so I can be prepared."

Liam watched Biedrins' tall figure as he walked toward the door and couldn't help but say:

"Andris, I made this trade not because your performance hasn't been good enough. It's just that... you don't quite fit into the team's plans. You're a very good player. Remember how you play now; that's the style that suits you best. If you keep playing this way, you'll definitely become a star!"

Biedrins paused, turned his head slightly, and spoke in a low voice:

"Coach, thank you. I thought I'd stay with the Warriors and cooperate with Stephen forever. Now it seems I was too naive... I know you're a good person like Coach Nelson, and I understand everything you said. Don't worry, I'll play well. If nothing else happens, I'll leave first. There's a game tonight, and I need to rest."

Liam opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He just nodded and gave a reluctant smile:

"Get some rest. I'll organize the tactics for tonight's game."

Biedrins gave a slight bow to Liam, exited the office, and carefully closed the door behind him.

Liam stared at the closed door, feeling conflicted inside.

Biedrins was the first player who truly changed, and Liam knew he wouldn't be the last. As Ron Adams once said, the NBA is a business, and there's no room for sentiment.

He had simply halted the deal, kept Biedrins, and allowed him to remain the center of the Warriors, no matter who the other great centers were.

But Liam was no longer a fan. He was the owner of the Warriors and had to be responsible for all the players on the team. It was impossible for him to choose another uncertain path when he knew there was a clear road to success.

Before the time travel, it had all been a retrospective. If he hadn't opened his eyes after the time travel, wouldn't it have been all for nothing?

Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts aside, grabbed the phone, and dialed Larry Riley's number.

"Boss."

"What did Rod Hawkins say? Is he satisfied with our conditions?" asked Liam.

Rod Hawkins was the general manager of the Bobcats. Larry Riley had been in talks with him for a while, but no agreement had been reached regarding Tyson Chandler.

"He thinks Tyson Chandler, who can fully recover from his injury, will be a better player than Biedrins, rather than giving a first-round pick. And according to him, we're not the only team wanting to trade with the Bobcats. The competition with other teams has made him much tougher," Larry Riley explained.

Liam frowned slightly. He hadn't expected dealing with the Bobcats to be so difficult. A 28-year-old center with potential injury risks was such a challenging asset to acquire.

He had originally wanted to ask for a first-round pick in this trade, but now it seemed unrealistic.

"Boss, I think this is just a way for Rod Hawkins to drive up the price. Tyson Chandler is quite old, and there are injury risks. I don't think it's a coincidence that other teams are also interested in him," Riley said.

Liam reflected for a moment, and Riley made sense. Tyson Chandler had returned and played eight games, averaging 22.8 minutes from the bench, with 6.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks. Not bad, but anyone with a sharp eye could see that his body was still affected by past injuries and he looked rusty on the court.

Given his age of 28, the general consensus was that Chandler would decline in the future and might even become a "glass man."

However, Liam knew that Tyson Chandler had been traded to the Mavericks in a three-team deal after that season, and he quickly became the defensive pillar of the Mavericks, helping them dominate the interior and leading them to win the NBA Championship by defeating the Heat, which featured the "Big Three."

What Rod Hawkins said was true, but not necessarily a lie. It made sense that the Mavericks hadn't contacted the Bobcats earlier, but with Liam's influence, the NBA had already seen many changes. Who knew what butterfly effect would ripple through the league? Would it cause the Mavericks to act sooner than expected?

Liam thought for a moment and then said:

"The night is long, and the dream is long. Let's reduce the condition to a second-round pick and complete the trade with the Bobcats as soon as possible."

Larry Riley hesitated before replying:

"Boss, Tyson Chandler's recovery doesn't look too good. Shouldn't we wait and see how he recovers?"

"No, we need to complete this trade before the All-Star Game!" Liam said firmly.

He clearly remembered that Jordan was about to join the Bobcats. The basketball god was very good at playing and managing the team. Who knew what tricks he might pull off with Chandler?

Moreover, Tyson Chandler's physical condition was gradually improving, and his performance would only get better. With the Mavericks already in the competition, he couldn't let the Bobcats raise their price. He needed to take the opportunity to control the initiative and complete the deal quickly.

Liam's attitude was resolute, and Larry Riley could only follow his instructions and initiate a new round of negotiations with Rod Hawkins.

...

"Second-round pick? Larry, Chandler is a second-round pick. He's proven his worth in the playoffs. Biedrins has only played two rounds in the playoffs, and his performance has been average. I don't think we should pay too much—just a second-round pick," Rod Hawkins said on his cell phone, from a hotel not far from the Oracle Center in Auckland.

He had come to Auckland with the team just to observe Biedrins' performance on the court.

"Chandler may be a second-round pick, but he's already 28 years old. I don't see the possibility of him realizing his full potential, and he's had serious injuries. We all know how hard those kinds of injuries are for a center. And Biedrins is still young, has tremendous potential, and has been performing very well this season. You're getting

what you're paying for in this trade," Riley said.

"In that case, why do you want Chandler?" Hawkins asked.

Larry Riley sighed helplessly:

"You know, I can't make the decision. My boss is very optimistic about Chandler. He stubbornly believes that Biedrins doesn't fit the team's development. The Warriors need a big center and firmly believe that Chandler can fully recover from his injury and become the defensive pillar of the Warriors. Trust me, if Chandler's contract wasn't expiring, I'd rather resign than accept this trade!"

Rod Hawkins lamented:

"Some people just like to interfere with team operations... Alright, I'll give you an answer in three days."

He felt the same way that Riley did. Jordan may still be a minority owner of the Bobcats, but he liked to interfere with the team's operations, which frustrated Rod Hawkins greatly.

After thinking for a moment, he picked up the phone and dialed the general manager of the Mavericks, Nelson.

End of this chapter

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