The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 92 - 85: Not Knowing How to Lose (Two in One)

Every NBA season has a trade deadline, which, as the name suggests, is the last day teams can make trades during the season.

So don’t be fooled by how much a team’s salary cap was exceeded or how much in luxury taxes it paid at the beginning of the season; the key date to watch is this one.

Those teams not willing to pay the luxury tax will do everything they can on this day to get the team payroll below the salary cap or the luxury tax threshold.

The Wizards were one such team this year.

The Wizards’ big three finally had a clean bill of health this year, but due to form and morale, their record remained poor, with a major victory over the Cavaliers being one of the few highlights of their season.

But it seems that the team leader, Arenas, found such highlights insufficient and went for a bombshell instead.

He became the first "Gun King" in NBA history, drawing a gun on his teammate Crittenton amid locker room disputes.

Though he didn’t fire the gun, as the writer Chekhov said one might after drawing it, this act shattered both his career and public image.

Before this, Wade had a classic "throat-slash" celebration gesture, which was full of arrogance but subsequently strictly prohibited by the NBA’s administration.

The NBA, as the pinnacle of world basketball and the focus of basketball fans worldwide, does not tolerate any form of violence that crosses the line.

Arenas was thus subjected to a season-long suspension and cooperated with a government investigation, with the possibility of imprisonment on the table.

This incident made the Wizards’ management, who were already considering rebuilding due to poor performance, firmly decide it was time, and the Wizards’ clearance sale was officially on.

Dallas got one of the big three, Caron Butler, as well as Brandon Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, for the washed-up Josh Howard—who had long since lost the prowess of his early years, playing only 31 games this season with a 40% shooting rate for 12.5 points and 3.6 rebounds—plus a bunch of filler from the Wizards.

The Cavaliers also took the opportunity to trade Ilgauskas and a first-rounder to the Wizards for their "second-in-command," Jamison.

While this wasn’t the biggest news of the trade deadline—the Rockets sending one of the Four Great Guards, McGrady, to the New York Knicks takes that title—when Hansen entered the locker room, he could still sense the barely concealed excitement on the players’ faces.

Although Jamison was already 33 years old, he still averaged 20.5 points and 8.8 rebounds this season with the Wizards, with a field goal percentage of 45% and a three-point shooting percentage of 34.5%.

Put simply, the power forwards who could outperform him were really just those playing in the All-Star Game.

Even with regard to inside space, the number who could outperform him were very few.

Of course, at this time no one in the locker room truly showed their emotions, since Ilgauskas hadn’t left yet.

If you were to pick the most influential player in Cavaliers’ history, that would be James.

But if you had to choose the most popular player, that would be Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas was the Cavs’ first-round pick in 1997 and had been with the Cavaliers ever since.

During his 12 seasons with the team (excluding the 1999-2000 season, which he missed due to injury), he made it to the All-Star Game twice and was the team leader before James arrived.

He was humble, hardworking, and uncomplaining, maintaining team unity, even giving up his starting spot without a word when O’Neal came along this season.

One could see nearly every positive trait of a professional player in him, and he was respected by everyone in the Cavaliers.

James was the first to get up, walk over to Ilgauskas, give him an affectionate hug, say many reluctant parting words, and his eyes were even slightly red-rimmed.

This scene deeply moved others in the locker room.

Keep in mind, since entering the league, Ilgauskas was the one who’d always been there with James.

Of course, except for one person.

Seeing this, Hansen retracted his previous criticisms of James, thinking he might be better suited to being a politician than a businessman.

After all, a politician, besides having brains, needs acting skills.

If James really didn’t want Ilgauskas to go, would the Cavaliers’ management dare not to heed his words?

Remember, last season, when the Cavaliers were originally planning to get Varejao to lower his price on a new contract, James chose to play as a substitute to put pressure on the management, forcing them to sign Varejao to a six-year, $48.2 million long-term contract.

So in the end, James didn’t prevent the trade because the former "Little Sweetie" had become the "Bull’s Wife," grown old.

Besides, it could bring him an experienced All-Star starting power forward.

Just as James could apologize after being beaten up for the sake of being a champion this year, in the end, interest comes first.

After James, the other Cavaliers said their farewells to Ilgauskas one after another.

This, of course, included Hansen.

Hansen was still grateful to "Big Z," who gave him advice at the time; if not for him, Hansen would probably have been buried at the end of the Cavaliers’ bench.

Although being benched, he could have publicly criticized James to force a trade away, but that method was too uncertain.

By comparison, the process of making a place for himself on the Cavaliers team was certainly more pleasant.

Of course, he didn’t overreact like James, because he knew Ilgauskas would be back.