The 18-wheel truck printed with the words "Big Diesel" winds down Biscayne Bay Avenue, with passing vehicles honking in welcome, and fans screaming excitedly under the scorching sun.
In the driver’s cabin, Shaquille O’Neal is reflecting on the rules he set for himself when heading to Miami:
First, do not show resentment.
After ending years of cooperation with the Lakers and bringing a championship trophy to Los Angeles, he was essentially abandoned by the Lakers.
Although O’Neal requested the trade himself, the core reason was that between O’Neal and Tracy McGrady, the Lakers leaned towards McGrady because he was young and could sell tickets.
O’Neal felt immense disappointment, which turned into resentment, but at this moment, he must hide that resentment.
Second, embrace the city of Miami, just like in Los Angeles and Orlando.
His destination was the American Airlines Center, to attend the press conference about joining the Heat, with city hall officials and a red carpet waiting for him.
But O’Neal stuck his body out of the cabin, like a mischievous child, using an oversized water gun to spray the frenzied fans; he liked this.
Third, he resolved to follow Pat Riley’s plan, endure for a year, as with the Heat’s lineup, they could only hover on the playoff edge.
He was willing to wait for the Heat to fine-tune their lineup, just like Drexler waited for Olajuwon back in the day.
Meanwhile, he was ready to accept Riley’s rigorous, even harsh training, although he didn’t fully agree with it, but as a newcomer, he had to put on an act.
Fourth, he wanted to integrate into the surrounding social circle and become a social-savvy individual in Miami.
"Go buy tickets now, get cable TV, buy Heat jerseys, steer the boat to the dock, hurry up and ride the water scooter!" At the unveiling press conference, Shaquille O’Neal told fans this: "If you can’t afford a water scooter, get a raft. If you can’t afford a raft, go to Walmart and buy an inflatable raft, just like the one my family has. You definitely have to come because that will be extremely, extremely exciting!"
What O’Neal meant was clear, come to the American Airlines Center to watch him play.
Although the current lineup couldn’t compete for the championship, O’Neal still promised that within three years, he would help the team win the championship.
Fans were enamored by O’Neal’s promise; he indeed had the capability, as long as the league didn’t have Gan, he was the most terrifying beast.
However, a few days later, when the league announced that the Las Vegas Radiance would be moved to the East District for the 2002-2003 season, O’Neal’s smile on his face faded by at least 98.5%.
The league still had Gan, and the Shark was still under his shadow.
——Published in 2011, O’Neal’s autobiography "Shaq Uncut: My Story," excerpt.
The Glory Team’s final regular-season game was against the Cavaliers in Cleveland; they easily defeated the Cavaliers, ending the long journey of 82 games.
The tanking Cavaliers were at the bottom again, diving towards the 2003 number one draft pick, but Arenas delivered a very impressive season, and the Cavaliers intended to keep him as their future cornerstone.
No matter if they could secure the 2003 top draft pick, Arenas was in the Cavaliers’ long-term plan.
Gan Guoyang, Jordan, and Yao Ming played all 82 games without resting, regardless of any physical discomfort, they persisted in participating.
The veterans aged 38, 39 had little reaction; after the game, they rested briefly in the locker room, Gan Guoyang attended the press conference, Jordan relieved the swelling in his knees in an ice bucket.
Yao Ming was miserable; he was almost completely exhausted, had no energy, and after the game, surrounded by some Chinese reporters, the usually humorous and witty Yao Ming couldn’t muster the energy to show his high emotional intelligence and only hastily answered a few questions.
Thinking of the upcoming playoffs, and having to face the Heat and compete against O’Neal in the first round, he really felt like he wanted to die.
On the flight back to Las Vegas, Gan Guoyang saw Yao Ming asleep again and told him to rest well, sleep, eat, relax, don’t train these days, and focus all energy on regaining his strength, ignoring everything else.
In the past, Yao Ming would still forcibly struggle and say he would participate in training.
This time, he really couldn’t be strong; he could only nod. When disembarking the plane, his mind buzzed, and his body felt like it was floating.
Although the playoffs were coming, fortunately, the end of the regular season meant he could rest for some time, and the tightened string in his mind loosened.
At the airport parking lot, Yao Ming asked the translator to drive him home; he was truly out of energy, while Jordan, the guy, was supposedly going to the casino to indulge.
He hadn’t gambled once during the whole regular season; now he couldn’t hold back. The playoffs weren’t urgent, he thought, so he decided to play a few rounds at the casino before anything else.
The team’s veterans went out to seek some enjoyment, to provide some comfort to their bodies and minds before the harsher playoffs arrived.
Porter was very grateful to Gan Guoyang because recently, the league fined Porter fifteen thousand US Dollars for the matter of him being a part-time coach, and Gan Guoyang generously stated that Porter was contributing to the team, so the team would cover half of that cost, and Gan Guoyang would pay the other half.
Although Porter wasn’t short of money, fifteen thousand was not a small amount; NBA players’ salaries were high, but they weren’t as high as the contract amount seemed.
Nevada was considered a very tax-friendly state; it was one of the nine states in the league that did not levy income tax, so the Glory had a strong competitive edge in signing free agents.