The Trail Blazers’ general manager Buckwalter was the one who handed a check to Moses Malone, creating the first high school player in American professional basketball history, marking his career-defining moment as a professional manager.
But over 20 years later, as Buckwalter watched Kobe and Little O’Neal train at the rookie camp sidelines, he wondered if he had made a massive mistake back then, and why he was repeating the same error now.
"That day, I put a stack of cash on their dining table, a total of 25,000 US Dollars, in 1974, 25,000 US Dollars... Back then, there was an oil crisis, prices were soaring, inflation was rampant, but 25,000 US Dollars was enough to buy and renovate that broken house of Moses’, which had a big hole in the wall that leaked when it rained, a home devoid of furnishings. And that 25,000 was just a signing bonus; the real contract would reach a million, making it hard for him to refuse under those circumstances."
"The number of people wanting to recruit him was countless. I was mainly competing with the University of Maryland’s coach and trying to avoid his greedy uncle, whom I had to pay just to see Malone. I didn’t want to pay, so I sneakily climbed over fences, avoided a vicious dog, and snuck to their door to knock. Later, he still went to the University of Maryland for five days but couldn’t stand the campus life and called me, saying he wanted to accept the team’s contract... Now, I feel that might have been a mistake, just like in 1976 when the Trail Blazers didn’t keep him, he should have stayed in college. He would have been even greater."
Buckwalter chatted with Larry Bird during a training break, and according to his plans, he would retire after three seasons, passing the general manager position to Bird.
Bird and Moses Malone were rivals for many years, during the early 80s when the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers battled intensely, they were bitter enemies in the Eastern Conference.
In 1981, Bird faced off against Rockets Malone in the finals, and they knew each other well. At that time, they hated each other, and Bird had insulted Malone in public.
But over time, these grudges no longer mattered, and Bird agreed with Buckwalter’s view: "If Moses had received a good college basketball education like Jabbar, things would indeed have been different."
Bird insisted on finishing four years of college before entering the NBA, even though he had already been drafted in 1978 and his family was equally poor, he still insisted on receiving a college education, going through an important transitional growth phase.
"So, if you’re aware of the mistake, why choose high school players again? And why the hell pick two in a row? Bucky, this makes your admission of errors seem hypocritical, much like a rich man saying he doesn’t like money, which is contemptible."
Bird posed the soul-searching question, implying that picking one would be enough, but choosing two was excessive.
Buckwalter pointed to Gan Guoyang, who was training, and said: "It was Ah Gan who pointed to the names for selection, and Jermaine too; if he didn’t nod, we wouldn’t have picked them. You should know our main purpose in the draft was to satisfy Ah Gan so he would return. He is evidently satisfied."
Bird laughed and said: "Am I part of that satisfaction?"
Buckwalter gave Bird a look and said: "Hard to say no."
This left Bird quite displeased, realizing he was part of the plan to lure Ah Gan back.
Buckwalter continued: "Our original plan was to select Peja Stojakovic; we really need a small forward with excellent shooting. But considering the relationship between Serbia and Croatia, we gave up, as Ah Gan preferred Jermaine."
Bird said: "Is Petrović’s influence still there?"
Buckwalter said: "We always remember him, his drive, and passion for basketball always linger in my mind. You know when I first saw Kobe, what came to mind was Pete. I think Ah Gan might feel the same. That’s why he cares so much about Kobe, believing he didn’t care for and help Pete enough."
Bird said: "But Kobe will only be Kobe, he won’t be the second Petrović. Anyone who wants to be a superstar won’t want to be a second somebody."
Buckwalter nodded and said: "On this point, I agree, just like there won’t be a second Larry Bird."
Bird’s mood slightly improved; he was also a rookie at this rookie training camp, a new coach.
Typically, head coaches don’t attend training camps like these with selection nature during the summer, but Bird had a lot to learn.
For him, the rookie training camp was a great opportunity to practice, to look at a team from a different perspective, a stance he hadn’t stood before.
Bird quickly discovered how deep an impact past irritations and dissatisfactions have on you.
Just like the influence parents have on their children, a son might disdain his father who drinks, smokes, and curses.
However, when he grows up and faces the same difficult life circumstances, his reaction may very well be the same—and all this could stem from his grandfather, his grandfather’s grandfather...
Bird didn’t appreciate Bill Fitch’s harshness and venom, but Bird found that when he saw players not working hard, he couldn’t help but want to mock them.
Moreover, like Fitch, he also liked intense physical training and preferred to set strict discipline to constrain players’ actions on the court.
Even though, as a player, he detested these from the bottom of his heart, he found himself unconsciously adhering to these principles as a coach.