Chapter 614
Dai Li held a tablet in his hand and read the title of the news article . An odd expression appeared on his face .
"'The Los Angeles Clipper are basically committing murder! Murder? What does that even mean?" Dai Li furrowed his brow . He did not furrow it because of the article title, but because his picture was attached to the title . His image had been photoshopped to make him look like a murderer .
The first half of the news article mostly just praised Noel . It basically stated that he was diagnosed with blood clots but was still determined to recover . The superstar, who loved basketball and was immensely professional, was a model for every athlete to look up to .
The latter half of the article described the Clippers as heartless . They knew that blood clots were life-threatening, yet they still allowed Noel to play . The article portrayed them as capitalists without consciences . Even if Noel's blood clots had been removed, the anticoagulation drugs still made it impossible for him to participate in intense physical contact sports . Allowing him to play in the NBA was simply handing him a death sentence .
The accusation of murder was aimed at Dai Li . At the end of the article, it even pointed out that if something were to happen to Noel, then the one who would undeniably be responsible was Dai Li .
"I helped Noel return to the court and let him continue playing basketball . This should be viewed as an act of kindness . Shouldn't they praise me? Why are they accusing me of murder? I really don't understand how you Americans think," Dai Li said, a little bit confused .
"I found someone to investigate the article . This story came out of Miami," said the team general manager, Johnson .
Dai Li thought for a moment and said, "I haven't done anything to anger Miami!"
"It was something conjured up by the Heat," Johnson said . "Miami Heat feel wronged, but they can't do anything . They had to resort to a low-handed tactic to mess with our season . If they succeed in stirring up public opinion and manage to put pressure on us, then they will be a bit better off . If Noel plays, and something happens, then this article will be brought up and be used against us . "
Dai Li nodded to indicate that he understood .
Chris Noel used to be a player for the Miami Heat . He helped the Heat win multiple championships, and had been a star of the NBA . Before discovering the blood clot, the Heat paid Noel as much as they could and he was the pillar of the team . Even after Noel was diagnosed with the disease and forced to stop playing the game, the Heat also said that they were willing to retire Noel's jersey number .
When he was a player, they paid him as well as they could and, when he stopped playing, they were going to retire his jersey number . Such treatment was only offered to accomplished stars of the NBA .
The Heat originally thought that, by treating Noel that way, they had done their part . They didn't think that Noel would actually return, much less that he would join another team . This meant that the Heat had taken a huge loss!
Noel had left the game due to the disease so, even though he had been fired by the Heat, his salary had been paid by the insurance company . That meant that the Heat did not lose anything . Now, however, it felt as though they had simply handed over a superstar to the Clippers, which was unacceptable to the Heat .
In the NBA, superstars were a scarce resource . Superstars were able to pick which team they played for, not the other way around . Every superstar was wanted by every team . If a particular superstar implied that he was willing to join a particular team, then that team would do anything it could to try to clear up the salary space they needed to sign the superstar . Otherwise, they would bargain as much as they could to make the deal happen . Salary space was less important than having a superstar .
A superstar of the highest level could even make the management of teams kneel down and lick their shoes . The NBA ruled that teams could not negotiate contracts with free agents before the first of July . Therefore, on the evening of June 30th, a large number of cars belonging to team managers were parked outside the mansions of superstars . At 11:59, the managers would get out of their car, walk to the front of the gate, place their fingers on the doorbell, and wait until it was twelve before pressing it . After that, they did their best to persuade the star to join them .
The team managers were willing to wait outside someone else's house in the middle of the night instead of getting a good night's sleep . This was for the chance to be the first to invite whichever player they were going to join whichever team they managed . That was the way superstars were handled in the NBA .
Because superstars were such a scarce resource in the NBA, the management of the Heat, felt that Noel should have chosen to return to his old team . Instead, Noel went to the Clippers, so the Heat viewed his return as a loss .
There was a myriad of methods that NBA teams could be used to annoy one another . Teams were not as kind to each other as they seemed to be . If one were to look at the NBA as a business, then a deal involving a superstar was worth around 20 to 30 million dollars per year . In the current era, business deals worth several million dollars were important enough to have business firms go to war . One definitely had to do anything necessary to secure a 20 to 30 million dollar deal .
On top of that, the Miami Heat were never a team that was considered kind . The management always adhered to a "Commercial Alliance" spirit . This meant that they definitely did not mind using sneaky methods in order to stir up trouble for other teams in the league .
As for the other teams in the league, they did not want to see the Clippers become stronger either . After all, everyone was in the same league so, on some level, competition existed between every team .
Johnson said, "Noel's return has been approved by the league . Six months of medical reports were enough to prove Noel's health . I don't think the league will restrict Noel's participation due to a news article . I am, however, worried about public opinion . "
Dai Li waved his hand and said, "I'm the exact opposite . I'm worried that the league will do something . As for public opinion, as long as Noel performs, everything will settle down by itself . For the fans, as long as their favorite stars have great stats, then they won't care about potential injuries and what not . "
. . .
Inside the locker room, Chris Noel changed into his jersey .
According to NBA rules, players who were not listed as an active player could only wear a suit when they were at the stadium . Noel had received this sort of treatment before; he had only been able to watch games wearing a suit on the bench . To him, it had been torturous .
For normal people playing a random game that didn't mean anything, it was already fairly anxiety-producing to sit on the sidelines . A superstar, who played in the NBA, felt much more anxiety about being sidelined .
Due to his blood clots, Noel had been forced to warm the bench for multiple games . He could only watch his teammates play . His hands had itched . His heart had felt even worse . It had been tough to endure .
Now, it seemed like his days of suffering had come to an end and that a sweet future awaited him . He could finally return to the court .
The new jersey he wore felt both strange and familiar . At that very moment, his hands started shaking . He was overwhelmed and could hardly contain himself .
A random disease had forced him off the court . It had even made him bid farewell to basketball . Now, he was back!
. . .
Staples Center, Los Angeles
The Clippers were facing the Spurs at home . It was Noel's first game since his return .
Without the cover of his teammates, Noel dribbled quickly to an advantageous position . He received the ball quickly and completed a jump shot . All the while, the player defending against him could not keep up . He could only stare helplessly as Noel shot under no pressure .
The ball went in . The stadium instantly erupted into applause .
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"His score is now in the double digits . He's scoring 50% of his field goals, which is pretty good too . Looks like we don't have to worry about his form anymore!" Dai Li said, smiling .
Noel was different from the other Clippers players . The other players had been forced out due to injuries . Their forms had gotten worse prior to their leaving the game because they had been afraid of injuries . This had caused their play to deteriorate . In the end, they were not on par with the players warming the bench .
Noel, however, had been forced into early retirement due to blood clots . Before he had retired, he had still maintained his all-star level . Getting a 20+10 had been very simple for him . It could be said that he had left the game in top form .
Noel had also still been in his prime when he returned . In the months before the current season, he had still continued training . Therefore, when he returned to the court, he found it easy to return to his previous form .
The Clippers also did not have a tactical system . They relied on their superstars . On the Clippers, once he received the ball and had a good opportunity, he would play solo . If he did not have a good opportunity, then he would pass the ball to his teammate and his teammate would play solo . This sort of simple strategy, which relied on the individual capabilities of the players, did not demand any adaptability . Any star player could play this way once they got on the court . The ball could be thrown anywhere once it was in their hands . For an experienced offensive player like Noel, it was a very handy strategy .
Noel performed with great efficiency in the game . He played 25 minutes and scored 16 points, obtained four rebounds, and got one assist .
Things unfolded as Dai Li predicted . The fans only cared about the stats of their favorite stars . As for potential injuries, they were unimportant in the face of good stats . The following day, the media mainly reported on Noel's perfect recovery . As for the problem of his blood clots, it seemed as if it had been completely forgotten by the people .
This was what happened in sports . A player's results were the most important things . Excellent results were enough to make the public forget about all the negative news .
. . .
In his first game since his recovery, Noel had tested the waters and easily gotten 16 points .
In the following game, Noel got more game time and contributed more to the team . With Noel, the Clippers were fearless in the power forward position .
For a big man, Noel was quick, agile, and had a great leap . He excelled in two scoring methods . He was good at scoring with a post-up followed by the turnaround jumper . He was also good at using the opponent as a cover or for a pick-and-roll and following it with a high-jump shot . His field goal percentage for these two methods were exceptionally high . Moreover, he also had considerable ability to breakthrough into the paint and he could make three-pointers . He try to make three-pointers that often, however .
In the league, Noel was regarded as a top-scoring paint protector .
As basketball developed, human started to realize the different functions of space . One needed space to breakthrough and to shoot . As such, in the current NBA, a good paint protector was a scoring paint protector who also efficiently protected space . As a paint player, if he could not help the team create space, then he would only be a second-tier player .
At one time, centers who could make three-pointers had been very popular . It had been because centers who made threes created more space . During that time, a lot of centers who were awful at free throws began to practice their three-pointers .
Then, the expert tacticians in the NBA quickly realized that when centers were shooting three-pointers outside, the paint was empty . This meant that they surrendered their chance of getting an offensive rebound . Without offensive rebounds, the team would have zero chance of initiating a second offense . Considering that three-point field goal percentages averaged around 30 to 50 percent, one had to go for the offensive rebound most of the time . Giving up the chance to initiate a second offense for the benefit of getting a little room was not worth it .
With that tactical understanding, centers were more likely to sit below the basket and protect the paint . The coach would rarely ever design a tactic that needed centers to shoot three-pointers . Because centers had to protect the paint, the power forward became the first choice for creating space for the team .
Power forwards who were good at shooting were originally more popular in the league . Many centers who were able to make shots also played as power forwards so that they could create more space .
A power forward who created space was regarded as a tactical weapon for a team . Entire tactical systems would change if a team obtained a power forward that was able to create space .
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Chris Noel had, coincidentally, been the best power forward in the league when it came to creating space . He could break through for a layup as well as he could shoot . As soon as he stepped towards the three-point line on either side of the court, the defenders would have to be prepared to swarm him . A superstar player like him also had multiple offensive methods . On top of that, he was a big man, so he was hard to defend against . After all, it was harder to defend against a big guy than a small guy .
Noel's addition to the Clippers did not just strengthen the team a little bit . It was not merely a matter of getting an extra player . It was also a matter of a lot more space being created for the entire team .
Everyone on the Clippers was a top-class scorer in the league . They had MVPs and the scoring king of two consecutive seasons . Not only did every player in every position master their scoring methods, but they also had their own offensive skills that were impossible to defend against . Once players like them were allowed space, scoring was easy as pie .
. . .
Professor Thomas was an expert in hemophilia research .
Hemophilia was a coagulation disorder . Blood clots were an anticoagulation disorder . Although one was the opposite of the other, in medical research, they belonged in the same studies . Therefore, Professor Thomas was also an expert in blood clots .
A good illustration of opposites being more similar than one would think in the medical field was hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism . The former is the excess of the thyroid hormone while the other is a lack of it . The symptoms were the exact opposites of each other but, when visiting the doctor, one had to go to the endocrinology department for both . Doctors who were adept at treating hyperthyroidism were also good at treating hypothyroidism . It was the same the other way round .
A while ago, Professor Thomas had been out in Europe for a business trip . He first went to Switzerland in order to participate in an academic seminar . Then, he had gone to Sweden for a conference with a couple of academics . After that, he went to Germany to visit a few medical cases before finally going to England to diagnose several wealthy individuals . In total, he spent around half a month traveling around Europe .
In this half a month, Thomas was kept busy . He had not had time to pay attention to other things . It was like this for doctors, they got so busy that they couldn't take care of anything else . Even a doctor in the U . S . worked more hours than those with other professions .
Upon returning to New York and getting off the plane, Professor Thomas bought a newspaper and quickly scanned through the headlines .
Finally, he reached the sports section and he saw an article about Noel's return .
"What? Noel is back? He played? He played for 25 minutes!? Does he want to die!?" Professor Thomas exclaimed .
Professor Thomas had provided a diagnosis for and had treated Noel, he completely understood Noel's situation . In his opinion, it was impossible for Noel to return to the game . His disease did not allow him to continue playing in the NBA .
"Which bastard doctor allowed him to play . This is plain murder! The doctor who let him play should lose his license . He should be charged!" Thomas said in anger . Later, he took out his phone and called Noel .
Thomas was considered a doctor with a conscience . He planned to persuade Noel to stop playing basketball .
The call was quickly picked up and Noel's voice came from the other side . "Hello Professor Thomas, it's been a while . "
"Mr . Noel, I just read the news . I heard that you've returned to the NBA!" Thomas sounded somber . "You've made a grave mistake . You cannot play at an NBA level with your disease . Your life is in danger!"
"Professor Thomas, if you're talking about the blood clot, then you don't have to worry . The blood clots in my body have completely dissolved . There won't be any pulmonary embolism or cardiac infarction . My life is not in danger," Noel answered .
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"It's not hard to dissolve blood clots, but the anticoagulation drugs will affect your body's ability to coagulate . If you overuse them, they might even induce hemophilia . With the intensity of the NBA, if you get internal bleeding and it isn't discovered in time . . . it's hard to imagine the consequences," Thomas continued .
"There's also no problem with my body's ability to coagulate," Noel continued, "How do I put this… I'm completely cured!"
"Cured?" Thomas asked, rhetorically, as if to say, You're kidding me, right?
"I'm really cured . I have six months of medical reports from Dell Medical Center . The NBA also officially approved it," Noel said .
After hearing that, Thomas remembered that if Noel could play, it meant that the NBA had officially allowed him to play . The NBA was a huge league, so they must have a bunch of world-class medical experts as consultants . These medical experts were certainly not there for show . Since they allowed Noel to play, then it did mean that there was nothing wrong with Noel's body .
"Your body is really alright?" Thomas asked .
"Of course . Look . I can already play," Noel answered .
Thomas was still dumbfounded, so he asked, "How did you treat it?"
"Training!" Noel said . "My coach created a training plan for me . "
How was Noel's answer so casual? It was so casual that it made Thomas smile .
Thomas usually had a solemn face, as if he had stepped on the tail of a dog and the dog was chasing him .
"Training can cure blood clots? Hehe…"
Then, the conversation ended .
. . .
In the blink of an eye, Noel had already played seven games and the Clippers had a seven-match winning streak . The seven-match winning streak allowed the Clippers sit firmly in fourth-place in the Western Conference .
During this period, Noel submitted another medical examination report to the league to prove that his body was alright .
His stats were great and his body had recovered . The league had no reason to prevent Noel from playing, and those who wanted to see Noel make a mess of things also shut up . No one was stupid, everyone could see Noel's return-to-form .
Noel had felt anxious after being gone from the court for a long time . He finally made it back to the court, so he naturally wanted to prove himself . As such, he exerted extra effort in every game . A superstar player like him, who was already better than everybody else, was going to be phenomenal if he was in the right headspace .
After seven games, Noel was playing 30 minutes per game and his averaged 17+6 .
It was a case of another perfect recovery .Please download our sponsor's game to support us!