The Whip of the God of Basketball

　　 On game day, Dick Hart will wake up at 7:30 every morning. After a simple breakfast, he will get on his Opel car and go to the training hall to start the day's work. After coming to Boston last year, he let his wife Mary move here with them and live in a large apartment provided by Boston. Hart is 70 years old this year. It has been twenty years since he entered the NBA as an assistant coach in 1982. He has been in the Eastern Conference teams such as the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. Because only the Eastern team with a defensive tradition will need him as a famous defensive expert.

　　 Like the defensive style he has coached on the team, Hart is a tough and serious man. When Indiana and another bad-tempered Rick Carlisle partner, the two have a surprisingly good understanding. After the Pacers of the Bird era fell apart, Hart was already in a semi-retired state, but Jim O'Brien's invitation began to make him decide to come out again to help the Celtics reshape the defense.

　　 There is no doubt that the history of the Celtic legend has attracted Hart. After becoming a member of the Celtics, when he comes to the training hall every day, Hart will look up at the championship banner hanging on the training hall. On the night of the game, the retired jersey and championship flag of North Shore Garden will make Hart feel sacred and solemn. As early as when coaching in Pennsylvania, Hart was a fan of the Celtics. He liked to listen to Johnny Most's radio broadcasts and at the same time loved the glorious history of the Celtics.

　　 So when O'Brien called, Hart agreed without hesitation. O'Brien is not only the son-in-law of his former coach Ramsey, Hart almost watched O'Brien's basketball path to the present day, and it was a matter of course that he helped O'Brien.

　　 They also achieved success last season. A beautiful turnaround brought the team back to the playoffs and gained a lot of hope. As an assistant coach, Hart also hopes that O'Brien can gain a lot this season and lead the team further, so that O'Brien can also be one step closer to being an excellent and great coach. O'Brien has paid a lot for this day. .

　　 However, with the start of the new season, Hart felt that O'Brien was going further and further on a bad road.

When he drove to the training hall, some young players had already arrived here, Michael Reid, Arenas, Joe Johnson, Dalem Porter, Tony Batty and Paul Pierce. Individuals are training their heads. Arenas is shooting, Pierce is practicing his back, and Dalembert is practicing leg strength in the power room. Everyone worked very hard, but the arena still seemed a little dull. This is not the feeling that a young team should give, but there is no way. In November, the Celtics have been losing.

"Good morning, Mr. Hart, look at the defensive training plan I made today. Is there anything wrong?" Hart just changed his clothes when he met Leon with the training plan sheet. He always comes early and works. Do it quickly.

Hart glanced over the training schedule, nodded and said: "No problem, a good training plan... But maybe we should practice zone defense today. Yesterday I watched videos of a few games. Some **** The team started to use zone defenses in certain periods. This is a good disruption to the opponent's offensive rhythm. We are a bit lagging behind."

　　 Leon clipped the plan sheet and responded: "But O'Brien doesn't want to train zone defense. He thinks it is enough to rely on pressing defense and one-on-one. Today we will still train strong and weak defensive transfers."

Hart originally wanted to continue to talk about defensive strategy with Leon for a while. Leon is a very talented assistant coach he has seen, a real genius-in memory and understanding, and extremely strong work energy. With his curiosity for knowledge, Hart felt that the defensive experience he had accumulated for decades was about to be drained by Leon.

　　 But thinking of the call from Auerbach he received last night, he was not in the mood, and Hart felt a little nervous about the upcoming changes in the Celtics. But after a short while, he calmed down. After all, for an old man on the court who is as knowledgeable and experienced as him, there is nothing particularly big of a deal.

　　 After a while, other players, coaching staff and staff arrived at the training hall, including Dennis Rodman. Hart met O'Brien, and as the weather turned cooler, O'Brien began to put on his jacket. His complexion doesn't look too good. After entering November, the Celtics have a record of 3 wins and 6 losses. In the last game they lost to the Atlanta Hawks with a gap of 87:98 at home by 9 points. Tonight they will face the Toronto Raptors at home again. After such a bad start, a victory, especially a home victory, is very important. But O'Brien is not sure about winning the Raptors.

　　 At the coach meeting in the morning, O'Brien looked solemn. He rarely listened to other people's speech without saying a word, and then kept looking back at the video clips of the Raptors' recent games. "We should start Blunt. The data shows that when he and Walker are on the court at the same time, the opponent's inside score will be reduced. We should make some changes." Vogel suggested to O'Brien while watching the video. He is now O'Brien's most important deputy.

　　 Hart shook his head after hearing this. Although he also acknowledged the role of data work in the formation of troops, he could not agree with the arrangement of relying solely on a small amount of data and separated from the actual situation of the game. Hart looked at Leon and wondered if he would refute it. Unexpectedly, Leon also nodded, noncommittal.

　　 John Carroll is not to mention, he has always been an unknown role in coaching meetings. Hart didn't bother to talk to O'Brien when he saw this situation. Let him do everything.

Sure enough, in the evening game, O'Brien sent Mark Blunt to start, instead of the more reliable Tony Batty. The result was that the old Hakim Olajuwon scored 17 points in the paint. , The new high of the boss dream this season. The Boston Celtics were beaten all the way by the Toronto Raptors under the noses of 20,000 spectators at home, but they did not struggle in the end and lost another game at home.

After the game, O'Brien attended the post-match press conference alone. Both Pierce and Walker, the core of the team, refused to participate. What is even more strange is that the old Hart, who used to be next to O'Brien, did not. Attended the press conference, but returned to the locker room with the players.

When the reporters finished the interview, they were all invited out of the locker room. When O'Brien returned here, he found that something was wrong. The dull atmosphere that had been shrouded in the team during the morning training reappeared in the locker room. This atmosphere seems to be aimed at O'Brien.

The young players are sitting in the front position, Arenas is the first to bear the brunt, next to Michael Reid, they stare directly at O'Brien; while the old players sit in the back, frowning and not speaking. Some hands clasped his chest and looked at O'Brien faintly. Pierce sat on the stool with his head down and did not speak, Antoine Walker took a shower in the bathroom, and the sound of water in the quiet dressing room was harsh.

　　 Old Hart stood beside the tactical whiteboard, looking at O'Brien, who was a little bewildered-he had said three words to the players since he entered the dressing room, but he didn't get a response. O'Brien also turned his gaze to Old Hart. Hart walked to O'Brien, took his shoulders and said in his ear: "Sorry, you're-out (sorry, you're out)."

　　 O'Brien stared at Hart with wide eyes, apparently asking what the ceremony was. Hart pondered for a while and explained: "Last night, Arnold Auerbach called me. He said that the team's record did not meet expectations. There are also some problems with the team's construction. After consideration, the team has to change the main player. The coach ~www.NovelMTL.com~ Hart’s words are simple but heart-warming. O’Brien knows that if this is said from Hart’s mouth, it means there is no room for turning back. It’s not the team manager Wallace who told him this. It is not President Danny Angie, not Honorary Chairman Auerbach, but his right-hand man. He personally recruited assistant coaches. The elderly and prestigious Dick Hart, O'Brien knew, this was the end of his short 2001-2002 season. ended.

　　 The people betrayed their relatives.

　　Everything came too fast, just a few defeats made O'Brien, who was still the savior of Boston in the summer, turned into an out. O'Brien couldn't help but think of Pitino last year and his sudden resignation. At that time, he was the superior. Now he is in the same situation as Pitino. This is the terrifying NBA giants as terrible as a quagmire, a big hand swept him out easily.

　　 O'Brien felt the humiliation, he glared at Hart, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice: "So will I leave it to you next?"

After saying this, O'Brien regretted a bit. He was so dazzled by the sudden departure that he felt that Hart had taken his head coach position, but Hart was not the kind of head coach. Ambitious person, he is 70 years old, he just loves basketball and Celtics to help him.

When Hart heard O'Brien's words, he withdrew the hand on his shoulder. He pointed to a person on the side and said in a no longer gentle tone: "The head coach who replaces you will not be me. It's him."

The person he points to is John Carroll who has been sitting at the door with a blank face~www.NovelMTL.com~Book friends are welcome to visit and read. The latest, fastest and hottest serial works are all at~www. NovelMTL.com~ For mobile phone users, please go to read.