Y13 [EN]: Chapter 188

Y13-188. 2011 Off-Season

[Dallas Mavericks Joining Interview]

Culture Map Dallas Richard Powell

Dallas Morning News Irock Ryker and 5 others

The Dallas Mavericks’ new season kickoff was held at the American Airlines Center. Interviews were conducted with five players: Tyson Chandler, J.J. Barea, and Brian Cardinal, who re-signed with the team, along with new rookie Chandler Parsons, and free agent signing Brandon Wright.

Richard Powell: Chandler, you are now the second highest-paid player in Dallas. How do you feel about that?

Tyson Chandler: I won’t deny there’s pressure, but I asked for that amount because I’m confident in my abilities. I believe my skills are worth that much. That’s why I’m thoroughly preparing for the upcoming season.

Irock Ryker: I know that several teams were interested in you besides Dallas, and the Dallas Mavericks matched the offer that the New York Knicks made at the end. Why did you choose to stay in Dallas instead of forming a “Big 3” with Carmelo [Anthony] and Amare [Stoudemire] in New York, a major market?

Tyson Chandler: Initially, Dallas seemed to undervalue me. So, I was a little upset, but I was swayed by the sincere persuasion of Nowitzki, Kidd, and Terry. And while Youngjae Yoon didn’t constantly pressure me, he was the first to discuss the contract, and he sincerely said that he wanted me to stay if the amount was similar. I only played with Yoon for a year, but he’s become my best friend, and I consider the other teammates as comrades who achieved the championship together. I really like them, and I wanted us to stay together, so I decided to stay in Dallas if the money was the same.

(Omission)

Richard Powell: You might not get a lot of playing time in Dallas. Given your performance last year, you could have gotten more playing time on other teams, so why did you re-sign?

J.J. Barea: This is my hometown. I feel most comfortable on this team, and I want to finish my career here. The Dallas Mavericks are my team, and I feel like I have blue mustang blood flowing in my veins. Although I was initially angry that the Dallas Mavericks were late in making an offer to my agent, I have no hard feelings now that the contract is finalized.

Irock Ryker: It’s a joke, but some people say you signed because you’re Nowitzki’s best friend. What do you think about that?

Brian Cardinal: I just think it’s a joke. No team fills its NBA roster like that. I believe I earned a spot last year. I didn’t think I was a player who couldn’t even get a minimum contract this year, and although it was for limited minutes and under limited rules, I spared no effort to compete fiercely. As a result, I think I was able to sign this contract, so I’m personally proud. Nowitzki and I are very close, but I have the ability to contribute what this team needs even without that connection, and Dallas has shown me a lot of respect, so I also have a special affection for Dallas.

(Omission)

Irock Ryker: Chandler Parsons, Dallas has high expectations for you because rookies have performed well for two years in a row. Rodrigo Beaubois and Youngjae Yoon are examples. How do you think you will perform compared to them?

Chandler Parsons: I know. Especially Youngjae Yoon has put up some really amazing numbers. I’ve watched his games since I was in college, and he seems to have improved even more as a pro. He’s a great role model. I will work hard to be a player who is never behind him. I had a conversation with him during the workout, and I heard that he recommended me to the club. I met him for the first time at training camp, but even though he was already a star, he wasn’t arrogant at all. Instead, he approached Brandon Wright, who joined Dallas with me, and told him about life in Dallas, shared hobbies, and tried to help him with training. So, I’m sure he and I will become good friends soon.

Richard Powell: You could be seen as a lottery pick who didn’t pan out. You didn’t receive a qualifying offer after your fourth year, so you signed a minimum contract with Dallas. Why did you choose this team?

Brandon Wright: No player would turn down a call from the defending champion team. It’s true that I haven’t performed well for four years, but now my injury is almost completely healed. I haven’t been able to play properly due to injuries, so a team with the best medical staff and trainers like Dallas was really attractive. I came here because I was confident that I could prove my worth if I didn’t have to worry about injuries.

(Omission)

With the completion of the introductory press conferences of these five players, Dallas started the 2011-2012 season with a roster of 14 players in addition to the existing 9. Since the defending champion team from last season has kept its core and infused new young talent, it will be a strong contender for the championship this season as well.

ESPN Dallas. 2011.12.13.

Youngjae headed to the conference room after receiving a request for a personal interview. He readily agreed because it was with a Dallas local newspaper. He just disliked too many and too frequent interviews, so Bill Duffy [Youngjae’s agent] was carefully managing the number of interviews. Youngjae also knew the power of the media, so he maintained a relationship with them at an appropriate level.

“How is your current physical condition?”

“I think my physical condition is pretty good, by my standards. I didn’t know if the league would open or not [due to the lockout], but I thought it would be good to get in shape if it did, and even if it didn’t, I was thinking of playing for a year or so in an overseas league.”

The reporter briefly wrote down Youngjae’s words and immediately began asking the next question.

“What do you think about Brandon Wright and Chandler Parsons, who have newly joined the team?”

“I’m still a sophomore, so I’m in a similar position to Parsons, and Brandon Wright is like a senior who debuted in 2007, so I don’t think I can really evaluate them. But I’m sure Wright will be a competent big man who can definitely take on a role on our team.”

The reporter quickly wrote it down and asked Youngjae the last question.

“This off-season was completely different for the Dallas Mavericks. They had a reputation for strengthening their team through trades while maintaining salary flexibility and challenging for the championship, but this season, they focused on keeping existing players as much as possible. What do you think about this?”

Youngjae thought it might be a sensitive question, but he began to answer honestly, without adding or subtracting anything from what he could say.

“The Dallas Mavericks are a team that has really captured my heart. There are many things to like, but the biggest is the team atmosphere. Last season, the team atmosphere was better than any other team, and when we went into a game, everyone was focused on winning, even if there was friendly competition, and they didn’t hesitate to play with hustle. I’m really happy to be able to work with such wonderful teammates again.”

The reporter looked satisfied and asked Youngjae about his expectations for the season one last time.

“What are your expectations for next season? Fans want you to perform even better than last season and reach the All-NBA team or All-Star level.”

Youngjae smiled awkwardly and made a face that showed he really didn’t know.

“I am grateful to the fans who have high expectations and support me a lot as a sophomore. But I’m not very concerned about my personal stats. I want to see the team win this year more than anything else. If the team can win, I will play whatever position and role the team needs, and I am ready to accept it even if it lowers my personal stats. What’s important to me is not personal records, but the team’s victory and championship.”

Youngjae’s answer was, in a way, conventional. In team sports, team success is prioritized over individual achievements. However, from the players’ point of view, they can’t help but pay attention to personal stats, which are directly related to their position and salary. That is why players and coaches sometimes clash over issues such as role distribution, tactical position, and playing time.

However, Youngjae’s stats last year were quite good. If the team wins, his stats are likely to remain strong. Some individual stats might drop slightly, but if the team wins again, he believed that his productivity and efficiency would only improve. He was confident that his personal stats wouldn’t decline, but he didn’t say that out loud. There was no need to.

After the interview in the conference room, Youngjae participated in training again, and fortunately, he was able to finish the session because the interview had been quick. After training, he was planning to do some shooting practice, but he had promised to do supplementary training with Chandler Parsons and Brandon Wright, with whom he had become quite close. However, Nowitzki suddenly called him away, so Youngjae had to postpone the extra practice.

“Yoon, Cuban wants to see you in his office for a while.”

“What’s up? And just me?”

“No, I’m going too. Kidd, Terry, Marion, and Chandler were all called in as well. It seems like something important, but I haven’t heard the details either.”

What could be so important that Nowitzki didn’t know about it? Youngjae couldn’t help but wonder.

‘What’s going on? The roster is full, and the pre-season will start soon.’

But even after thinking about it, he couldn’t come up with an answer, and Nowitzki smiled slightly as he watched Youngjae’s deep contemplation.

“It’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about it. You’ll find out soon anyway.”

With Nowitzki and Youngjae as the last to arrive, a total of 6 players sat down in Cuban’s office with bewildered expressions. Cuban laughed at the stiff players and reassured them that it was nothing serious.

“Cuban, what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing big. I designed the championship ring and called you in to try it on and get your opinion. It’s a special ring, even more ‘special’ than the usual championship ring. I called you because I thought it should fit you guys who will be wearing it.”

The players began to get impatient to see the ring, their faces lighting up at the mention of the championship ring. Cuban smiled and asked his secretary to bring it in. The secretary carefully placed the display case, made of Sipo wood, on the table.

“Wow… this looks really expensive!”

Last year, the LA Lakers’ championship ring was made of gold, which attracted a lot of attention, but the Dallas Mavericks’ 2010-2011 season championship ring in front of them had an elegant beauty that was different. [Sipo wood is a reddish-brown hardwood often used in high-end furniture.]

“Last season, the LA Lakers made a championship ring using gold, so I paid a little attention to that. I couldn’t make the Dallas Mavericks’ first championship ring carelessly. Using GIA-grade diamonds [Gemological Institute of America, a standard for diamond grading] worth about $6,000 per carat, the Dallas Mavericks’ symbol, the untamed mustang, and the trophy are shaped and directly engraved on the ring! The basic frame of the ring is black, so I tried to implement a black & white theme, as if drawing a picture in white on black drawing paper. What do you think? Is it okay? The price is… about 150,000 to 200,000 dollars per piece.”

The players were so shocked by the word “diamond” that their eyes widened. They didn’t know much about GIA, but they were overwhelmed by the shock of the ring’s enormous price.

‘Is that not a small amount? The scale is different,’ etc… Cuban, the owner of the club, shrugged and smiled at the players’ reaction.

“I have to do this much. Isn’t it the Dallas Mavericks’ long-cherished dream and monumental first championship? And you don’t have to worry. Thanks to the championship, I’m getting a lot of side income, so it’s not a problem.”

“Then it doesn’t matter, but is it okay to give a ring at such a high price? I think there will be sanctions from the league office…”

Kidd couldn’t help but ask Cuban in a worried tone, thinking it was too extravagant. There were rules against players and clubs exchanging expensive items, so they were sensitive about it even from the receiving end.

“Are they going to say anything about this? It didn’t cost much.”

Cuban joked that it wasn’t a big deal. The players also figured that the league wouldn’t say anything about the championship ring. Cuban asked if everyone liked it and if they could proceed with the design as is, and the six nodded.

============================ Work Review ============================

★Thank you for your advance payment. Recommendation. Comment. Coupons!!

★Thank you Raipiel, ㅎ0ㅎ, and Donggeuri Hoppang for the sponsorship coupons!! Read one episode today and have a good day^^

＠The pre-season starts from the next episode. Since there are only 2 pre-season games, I will describe only one game and go straight to the regular season.

＠Actually, the reporter asked a question whether it would be a problem because it was such an expensive championship ring. Cuban brushed it off as nothing, and the secretariat passed without saying anything because it was a championship ring. You can’t calculate it as a special allowance just because you gave me a slightly expensive championship ring ㅋㅋ

The NBA strictly regulates the exchange of expensive items between clubs and players due to the salary cap.

Frog Power/// Hahaha. Medal monopoly.

abcd Korean alphabet/// Practical 2nd place!!!

Yabes/// As you said, there is some coercion^^ First of all, even if you only think about it at the time, I think Howard’s screen and pick-and-roll ability is inferior to Chandler’s. Instead, other abilities are good. In addition, Chandler and Youngjae are so well-matched that I highlighted that part. I exaggerated these things a little. Howard would be good for the archery unit, but Chandler would be a better fit for Dallas, which has Youngjae and Barea, who use a lot of screeners, than Howard. Of course, it’s a different story if the salaries are the same ㅎㅎ Heoheo 8 years ㄷㄷ

Lee Dong-seok Dong, Eunseol Seolya, Pai Nensia, Disappearing Soul, Caruso, Omari On/// Thank you for your comments!! Have a good day tomorrow~

H0H/// Huhu Dallas bet on gambling for the ring

Shooting Start/// Hehe Thank you for the coupon~~ I remember seeing the video of that person you mentioned, but I can’t remember the name;; Chandler is really the best defensive center for the playoffs team. Howard has a lot of problems with free throws and mentality. And he overestimates his abilities a bit.

goimosp/// I think they were aiming for either Howard or Deron [Williams], but they failed miserably in the 11-12 season. They had to show some competitiveness in the 11-12 season to be attractive to Deron and Howard, but they all failed miserably. In addition, there is a saying that they were not very sincere at the meetings with the two players.

Ultra 10/// You have to roll appropriately. It’s fun to experience ups and downs ㅎㅎ

rtg98/// Last year, on the basketball site, when the two played together, they said, “Tyson Chandler Parsons did well.”ㅋㅋ

Lafir and Jint/// Thank you for your comments as always!! I will try my best this season too~

Kangja Il/// Youngjae’s best friend!!

Clives/// Thank you for the coupon. I will try to write good articles in the future^^

-DarkANGEL-///Dallas will continue to stay in the playoffs team while players leave and come in unless they fail for a year and rebound;; That’s why I have no choice but to catch Chandler ㅋㅋ. In fact, most fans and experts responded that they had to catch Chandler. It’s difficult even if Youngjae is Kobe and Wade in their prime with Heywood and Mahinmi.

magara/// It’s been a while since I’ve seen you^^ Youngjae is now sweet~~