Riaan Imenenja jikelele yeClippers uMichael Winger wayesebenza neqembu labaphathi beqembu ngasekupheleni kukaJulayi 5, 2019, ngaphandle kwehhovisi lesikhashana eManhattan Beach, lapho ukuzamazama komhlaba kuphazamisa kafushane uhlelo lwabo lokushintsha umlando we-franchise.
Ukuzamazama komhlaba kuhlasele ngesikhathi iqembu lizama ukuhlanganisa imininingwane yokugcina ukuze lihwebe ne-Oklahoma City nge-All-Star. UPaul Georgefuthi uvikele ukuzibophezela kwe-ejenti yamahhala kanye nomdlali obaluleke kakhulu we-NBA Finals Kawu Leonard. Ebona amafasitela enyakaza futhi ewa ama-tiles ukusuka ophahleni, uWinger nowakhe Ama-Clippers ozakwabo bagijimela kulokho ababethemba ukuthi kwakuyingxenye ebalulekile yesakhiwo.
“Sonke sigcine sisezitebhisini, emiqondweni yethu, sibalekela izimpilo zethu,” kusho uWinger.
Lapho ukuzamazama sekuphelile, bagijima babuyela endaweni yabo yokusebenza yesikhashana kanye nezingcingo zabo zengqungquthela ukuze bavikele umsebenzi oshaqisayo.
Umphakathi ubungazi ngalesi sikhathi ngokwengxenye ngoba uWinger ugcine iphrofayili ephansi njengesikhulu sesibili esiphezulu se-basketball seqembu. Akazange abambe inhlolokhono yomphakathi. Kumasizini ayisithupha, iqembu ligcine kuphela i-headshot ye-Winger. Kepha amanye amaqembu azungeze i-NBA ayazi okuningi ngoWinger nodumo lwakhe lokuqonda isivumelwano sokuxoxisana seligi kanye nekhephu yeholo. Amaqembu ambalwa ahlole intshisekelo yakhe yokushiya ama-Clippers. Isikhathi ngasinye wayehlala.
Kuze kube uLwesithathu. Ngemuva kwamasonto ezingxoxo nomnikazi weWashington Wizards u-Ted Leonsis, UWinger uvumile ukuba ngumongameli waseWashington weMonumental Basketballindima ezokwengamela kuyo yonke imisebenzi ye-basketball yase-Washington – i-Wizards, i-Mystics ye-WNBA, i-G League engaphansi kwe-Capital City Go-Go, kanye nazo zonke izinsiza ezisetshenziswa yilawo maqembu.
Engxoxweni yakhe yokuqala selokhu aqashwa, uWinger utshele iphephandaba iThe Times ngoLwesine ukuthi usehambile manje ngoba esefinyelele ezingeni elithile emsebenzini wakhe, okuhlanganisa nokuma eCleveland nase-Oklahoma City, lapho ayezibuza khona ukuthi ngabe uzolithola yini ithuba lokuba ngumpetha. isikhulu esiphezulu.
“Futhi uma ngike ngathola ithuba lokukwenza ngizoba nethuba lokukwenzela umnikazi ofanele, abalandeli abalungile kanye nemakethe efanele?” uthe. “Futhi akuvamile ukuthi ngicabange ukuthi emidlalweni esezingeni eliphezulu lawo mathuba aqhamuke lapho cishe wonke amabhokisi akho, uma kungewona wonke amabhokisi akho, ahlolwayo. Futhi leli bekuyithuba engicabanga ukuthi kwakuyithuba elingandile neliyinhlanhla enkulu yokuthi umuntu onjengami ahlole wonke amabhokisi: ubunikazi, imakethe, abalandeli, iqembu elinekhono kakade. “
Ukuma kwezwe kwasiza. U-Winger wayehlala e-Baltimore ngonyaka wakhe wokugcina esikoleni somthetho ngenkathi esebenzela i-ejenti yezemidlalo, futhi wayenezinkumbulo eziqinile zokushayela e-DC ukuvakashela abangani.
“Ngavele ngezwa sengathi uma ngizoke ngiziphonsele inselelo, manje yisikhathi futhi uTed usengumuntu ofanele,” esho. “Ngicabanga ukuthi i-DC iyisizinda sabalandeli esifanele.”
UWinger uhlela ukuvala ngokusemthethweni indima yakhe kuClippers ngesonto elizayo ngaphambi kokuthi agxile ngokuphelele kuWizards. Uzoshiya ngemuva iminyaka eyisithupha lapho uWinger, njengengxenye yehhovisi elisha elingaphansi Lawrence Frankumongameli wokusebenza kwe-basketball, uhwebe uBlake Griffin ukuze aguqule amaClippers asuke enkathini yawo yeLob City aye kwekaLeonard noGeorge esikhathini esingaphansi kwezinyanga eziyi-18.
Uthe ushiya ejabule kakhulu umnikazi weqembu USteve Ballmer “ujabule ngeqembu” kanye nenqubekela phambili ku-a inkundla entsha ye-Inglewoodokulindeleke ukuthi ivulwe ngo-2024, nokuthi iqembu – elake lagwema abasebenzi beligi kanye nabadlali ngaphansi kobunikazi beqembu. Donald Sterling – kwase kuyindawo ekhangayo.
NgoFebhuwari, ubengomunye wamazwi ambalwa abalulekile asekela ukwengezwa konogada Russell Westbrookayemazi kahle e-Oklahoma City, “wathanda” ukuthi uWestbrook ekugcineni wajoyina futhi wavuselela umsebenzi wakhe.
Uthe okufushane kakhulu wuhlu lwezinhlelo ebezingakafezeki. Ukulimala kunqamule imigijimo emithathu yokugcina yeqembu ngemuva kwesizini, okuhlanganisa no-2021, lapho isizini yangemuva ejulile emlandweni we-franchise iphela kowamanqamu engqungquthela – umgijimo anomuzwa wokuzethemba ukuthi ngabe udlulele phambili ukube uphilile.
Ukusuka kwesokunxele, uClippers uphakathi nendawo uMason Plumlee, phambili u-Kawhi Leonard kanye nomgadli u-Paul George babukele besuka ebhentshini njengoba isikhathi siphela ngesikhathi esengeziwe bebhekene ne-Denver Nuggets ngo-Feb. 26 e-Denver.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
“Bengingathanda ukuwina isicoco esisodwa noma ngaphezulu kule minyaka emine sinoPaul noKawhi, kodwa wonke amaqembu azama ukuwina isicoco futhi angafisi ukuthi ngabe awina isicoco,” kusho uWinger. . “Ngiqonde ukuthi, ukuwina ezingeni eliphezulu bekungaba kuhle kakhulu. Yini enye? Yilokho ngempela.
“Mina ngokwami ngizophatheka kabi ngokuthi angikutholi ukwazi kodwa iminyaka eminingi uPaul noKawhi behamba ndawonye ngoba ngicabanga ukuthi bangompetha bomqhudelwano. Ngikholelwa ukuthi emnyombweni wami ukuthi labo bafana ababili uma bephilile bangawunqoba ngokuphelele umqhudelwano, ngakho-ke ngiphatheke kabi ukuthi ngeke ngibe lapho ekugcineni. “
Inselelo yakhe kuWizards ayifani naleyo angena kuyona neClippers ngo-2017 – eguqula iqembu elinomlando wokungaphumeleli komdlalo libe yimbangi ephumelelayo.
I-Wizards igcine ukudlala imidlalo yama-playoffs ngo-2021, okuwukuphela kwayo eyavela ngemuva kwesizini kusukela ngo-2018. I-franchise ayikaze idlule emzuliswaneni wesibili kusukela ngo-1979. umsebenzi ophezulu ngo-2020.
Ngenkathi exoxa noWashington, uWinger uthe isikhathi esincane esichithiwe edweba imicabango yakhe ngokushesha ngohlu olungaphansi kancane kwentela kanokusho enabadlali abayi-13 abangaphansi kwenkontileka. Ingxenye yalokho kungenxa yokuthi uWinger uzobe eqasha futhi eqasha abaphathi abaphethe iqembu ngalinye, futhi uhlelo lwe-Wizards luzoba olwakhiwa kamuva yilowo mphathi wesikhathi esizayo kanye noWinger.
“Sizothungatha umuntu oyedwa ozophatha iWizards,” usho kanje.
Emahoreni angu-24 adlule selokhu aqashwa esidlangalaleni, ubengakakhulumi nanoma yibaphi abadlali. Lokho kufaka phakathi unogada odubulayo we-All-Star u-Bradley Beal, ongomunye wabashayi magoli abahamba phambili kwiligi kodwa olwela ukuhlala engumqemane. Inkontileka enkulu yeminyaka emihlanu ayisayina ngo-2020 ihlanganisa nesigatshana sokungahwebi.
“Abaqeqeshi bakhe bakudala, ozakwabo bakudala, bonke bayamhlonipha ngendlela exakile, futhi uyisihlabani ngokungangabazeki,” kusho uWinger. “Into enzima kakhulu ukuyenza ku-NBA ukuthola ithalente lodumo futhi kunzima nakakhulu ukuthola ithalente lodumo ngezinga lakhe lomlingiswa. Ngakho-ke, ngicabanga ukuthi kuyisiqalo esinenhlanhla enkulu kakhulu. Ngakho-ke kimina, lokho kuyajabulisa ngempela ukuba nomuntu onjengoBrad eqenjini.”
Inqwaba yezingxoxo zakhe noLeonsis, uWinger uthe, uzichithe ekutholeni ukuthi zihambisana kuphi nalokhu akubize ngombono wesithombe esikhulu sokwakha inhlangano. Inqubo yamanani e-Winger. Kanjalo noLeonsis, esho. U-Leonsis wayefuna ukwazi imicabango kaWinger ngokuthuthukisa “isiko” elingaholela empumelelweni eqhubekayo.
Uke waba nendima ebalulekile ngomzamo ofanayo ngaphambili, e-Los Angeles. IWashington iveza umsebenzi ojwayelekile – mhlawumbe nokuzamazama komhlaba okumbalwa.
U-Leonsis “uzimisele ukusebenzisa izinsiza kanye nesineke ukuze akhe inhlangano esebenza kahle kakhulu, evumelana nezimo, futhi uma unalokho imiphumela icishe izinakekele,” kusho uWinger. “Futhi ngakhangwa kulowo mbono. Futhi ukukhombisile lokho ngamaKhabhinethi [who won the 2018 Stanley Cup].
“Ubufakazi bukhona lapho. Kuyindaba nje yokuthatha eminye yaleyo migomo, ukufaka okulingana nama-nuances e-NBA kuleyo migomo, futhi ngethemba lokwakha okuthile okuqinile, okuzwakalayo, okudonsa abadlali abahle, okuheha abasebenzi abahle, ogcina abadlali abahle, ogcina abasebenzi abahle, futhi ekugcineni. iwina imidlalo ye-basketball.”
