One Year Left to Play-Chapter 310 - 103: One Ball Is All It Takes to Make Them Cheer
On December 3, 1995, at 11:15 a.m., at the Great Western Forum, the Lakers held a press conference to officially announce the signing of Zhang Hao and Jason Williams.
The Logo Man was at the press conference dealing with tricky questions from the media, while Zhang Hao, waiting to appear, felt an unusual tension about the interview.
Earlier this morning, from 7:30 to 8:30, he had interviews with the Imperial Channel and Xinhuanet, which were relaxed. The domestic media were thrilled about him joining the Lakers, a team from a big city, and he received great treatment.
However, listening to the verbal sparring between the Logo Man and the reporters now, Zhang Hao knew that on his first day officially joining the Lakers, he would begin experiencing trials and tribulations.
Meanwhile, Jason Williams felt no pressure at all in this regard. In terms of public opinion, he was just the add-on in Zhang Hao’s trade, the one matching the salary.
Just like Zhang Hao hadn’t realized before joining the Nets that Jason Williams was so good at rebounding, even though he averaged 5.7 rebounds in 13 minutes per game last season, it didn’t make his rebounding well-known among fans.
The fans wouldn’t blame Jason Williams for the loss of Eddie Jones and Divac, so naturally, he felt no pressure.
Zhang Hao speculated that if the fans really blamed Jason Williams, the guy would not only not feel uneasy, but would probably feel quite proud...
"Yeah! Why should I feel any pressure? The Lakers traded for me with such a package, I should be happy they value me so much.
It’s because they value me that they agreed to Schultz’s terms, otherwise, the Buss family wouldn’t have promised me a starting position and at least 24 minutes of playing time just for that sponsorship fee...
Forget about the media, but the fans... they paid to watch the games, so I have to play well, otherwise, I wouldn’t feel right...
But should I still keep a low profile in this interview? This isn’t New Jersey; being low-key here would be seen as weakness, right..."
The Logo Man was great at sparring with the most confrontational reporters, and after dealing with them, he began introducing the two newly joined players: "I am very grateful to Vlade and Eddie for their contributions to the Lakers. They were a very important part of the team’s resurgence, and it’s a pity we can’t continue our cooperation. We should look forward, and I’m thrilled for the addition of Aix and Jason. Their abilities displayed in games made me extremely eager to acquire them, and today, they are finally part of the Lakers."
Hearing this, Zhang Hao and Jason Williams walked into the press conference together.
The spacious interview room was fully packed with cameras, cameramen, and reporters from major media.
Glancing around, all the media present were top-tier, with no second-rate media qualified to enter.
This hostile atmosphere was no less intense than the hostility from 20,000 people when playing away games!
Their microphones and cameras in hand were just like long guns and cannons.
Zhang Hao still chose the number 8 jersey, while Jason Williams chose the number 55 jersey, which he wore during his time with the 76ers and Nets.
The two took their seats, and the Logo Man turned off his microphone in front of him, having dampened the reporters’ fervor somewhat, but ultimately, Zhang Hao himself had to face the reporters.
As for Jason Williams... probably no one would bother with him.
Zhang Hao sat down, and the questions started immediately.
The first question was relatively simple: "Zhang, why did you choose the number 8 jersey?"
"Someone asked me this question before. You might not know this, so I’ll say it again, this time with more confidence.
Because I was the 9th pick, and I really want to figure out why there were 8 players picked before me."
This answer surprised both Jason Williams and the Logo Man beside him. They were aware of Zhang Hao’s strong self-confidence, but they had never seen him be so outspoken.
Jason Williams knew Zhang Hao had a reserved nature; outside of basketball professionally, he didn’t like to speak much and preferred to show off in games through his actions.
The Logo Man, through investigation and observation, also came to know this.
The reporters were the same; they weren’t genuinely hostile towards Zhang Hao... although there might be biases due to skin color, nationality, and other reasons. Their blatant hostility towards Zhang Hao mainly stemmed from the fact that he was in the limelight, and the Lakers, such a hot team, traded him for two almost All-Star Level players, generating a lot of buzz. Ultimately, they were here to ride the wave of his popularity.
To ride the wave properly, they had to do thorough research, to stir up topics accurately.
Before they could strike, Zhang Hao pulled the trigger first!
But this made things easier; just dive right in!
"Do you think you are worth being traded by the Lakers for two All-Stars?"
"As long as they think I’m worth it, that’s all that matters. What I need to do is work hard to make myself worthy of playing under the illumination of 11 championships."
This time Zhang Hao’s answer was much more tempered, but the reporters turned up the heat: "The Nets got two All-Stars and sent you away without hesitation; do you think they feel they’ve made a big profit, think you’re inferior to those two players, and that the Lakers are fools?"
This question was indeed tricky. Facing a tricky question, Zhang Hao chose to be straightforward: "I don’t know what the Nets were thinking. I got two games over 40 points in just 13 games, and along with Kenny, Jason, and others, helped what you consider the favorite for the top pick achieve a record of 7 wins and 6 losses... None of that matters anymore.
