Chapter 599: Blocked Shot Leader
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Karaby found out he was being traded when he saw the reports on the news.
Karaby might have felt slighted, but he was used to it. The 35-year-old had completely fallen out of the team’s rotation last season. Even during unimportant games, the head coach was not willing to give him too much playing time. He had only played 24 games the entire season.
Karaby had been brilliant when he was younger. He was 6.9 feet tall and had a wingspan of 7.5 feet. Everyone thought he was born to play basketball
Karaby had entered the NBA as a model player. He received was named the blocked shot leader just two years in. Although he was never on the All-Star team, he was named blocked shot leader four times, won NBA defensive player of the year award, and the best defender twice. Looking at the honors that he had received, Karaby was definitely one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Karaby was capable in scoring and he could even make three-pointers. However, due to his defensive ability, he never had many chances to shoot.
As a player that played inside the three-point line, he was relatively light. He was only 235 pounds. Many players on the frontline were stronger than him. For this reason, he was more vulnerable to injuries. This greatly reduced his overall performance in an otherwise brilliant career.
However, it was because of his lightweight that Karaby’s movements were flexible and quick. With his excellent wingspan, he could guard against the smaller players and also supplement the team’s defense. These features were suitable in an era where the small ball style was popular. However, all this was only relevant when Karaby was younger.
The aging of basketball players who had larger physiques was much more serious than the aging of smaller players. Five years ago, Karaby was named the NBA’s blocked shot leader. Now, the only thing he had left was his wide wingspan and his vast experience in the NBA. Due to his age, his body was no longer as nimble as it was. It was not possible for him to jump like a young man. He had also never been a strong player inside the three-point line. He wasn’t even fit to act as a human s.h.i.+eld underneath the basket.
The Nuggets gave Karaby a five-year contract for $55 million. For a 35-year-old, this was the last contract before his retirement from his professional basketball career. However, Karaby deteriorated faster than the Nuggets expected. As he aged, his injuries became more frequent, reducing Karaby’s effectiveness on the court. Eventually, he was taken off the team’s rotation.
Karaby’s current two-year contract for $23 million was not very high, but for a player who couldn’t get on the court and had to sit on the sidelines, it was garbage.
Karaby knew that this contract was basically his pension, so he was not planning on competing with the younger guys. As long as he could live comfortably, finish getting his pension, and then retire from the NBA, he was satisfied.
…
Karaby’s agent contacted him for the first time after the transaction,
“I can’t believe the Nuggets actually traded you to the Clippers. There weren’t any rumors about this. I only saw when I watched the news,” the agent complained.
“That’s how I learned of it too. The Clippers haven’t contacted me yet,” Karaby said. “I am hesitating whether or not I should go to Los Angeles to report in.”
“The deal is done. You have no power to refuse,” the agent said.
“No. I mean I don’t know if it’s worth it to go to L.A.” Karaby sighed depressingly. “I think the Clippers will dismiss me. I just saw the Clippers’ roster. They already have 17 people. This means they have to dismiss two people. I will be one of them.”
“It is a possibility. Ronny and the Clippers have already fallen out because of the contract renewal. That’s why the Clippers used Ronny to trade for a draft pick. Your current contract has no value. There are still two years left. If they wanted to free up their finances, they would have to wait for a year. It’s better to dismiss you straight away,” the agent said. He was not considerate to Karaby at all.
“I am waiting for the news of my dismissal from the Clippers. I thought I would be playing for another two years before retiring. Now it seems that I won’t even get to play this season. I have to retire in advance,” Karaby said, sounding helpless.
After he ended the call with his agent, Karaby sat alone in his living room and recalled the glorious moments in his career. It was as if he was saying goodbye to basketball.
His phone suddenly rang. The number on it was odd but Karaby did not think much about it. He answered out of habit.
“Is this Karaby?” The person on the line asked.
“Yes, I am Karaby. Who are you?” Karaby asked in a neutral tone.
“I am Dai Li, the head coach of the Clippers. You probably know who I am, right?” the person on the line said.
Karaby was shocked.
Is the Clippers coach, Dai Li, going to inform me of my dismissal personally? Karaby thought.
However, Dai Li said, “I think you already know that you have been traded to the Clippers. When will you come to Los Angeles to report in?”
“Go to Los Angeles to report in?” Karaby was surprised again.
From the sound of this, they might not dismiss me, Karaby realized.
Dai Li then said, “If possible, I hope that you can come to Los Angeles early. I have developed a training program for you. It may help you to restore you to your youthful state.”
…
“There will be a total of six months this regular season. From November of this year to April of next year. The playoffs will end in June next year. That means that a team has eight months of compet.i.tion from the start of the season to the end of the playoffs.”
Dai Li wrote an “8” as he was speaking.
According to the calculations of the age-reducing card, to last for eight months, he needs to be five years younger. Karaby is 35 years old, and if he becomes five years younger, he will have the body of a 30-years-old. If I remember correctly, Karaby was the blocked shot leader in the NBA five years ago!
Dai Li couldn’t help but laugh when he thought this.
The current Karaby would be useless. However, if Dai Li used the age-reduction card on Karaby and made his body five years younger, Karaby would be back at his peak. He would be the blocked shot leader in the free-throw lane, just as he had been in the past.
Everyone thought that my biggest gain in the deal with the Nuggets was the first-round draft pick. In fact, Karaby is my biggest gain!