บท 32: Forcing the King to Recognize
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"Mr. Baum, are we really going to meet Larry Bird?" Curry asked in a low voice, barely able to contain his excitement.
"That's right, Stephen. You've asked that at least five times," Mark Baum replied, sounding a bit exasperated.
Curry scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
Growing up around NBA arenas, Curry was used to rubbing shoulders with stars like Vince Carter. Unlike players who came from the rougher parts of town, he wasn't awestruck by NBA players.
But this was "Big Bird" Larry Bird!
A genuine NBA legend: 3 championships, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards, three-time consecutive three-point contest champion, and one of the most dominant players in NBA history. After his playing career, he even led the Pacers to the NBA Finals and won Coach of the Year.
He was a man who had done it all. Although Curry hadn't watched many of Bird's games, he was very familiar with his famous quotes:
"Are you all here to compete for second place?"
"I'm going to kill you right here."
During his 14 seasons in the NBA, Bird created a lot of memorable moments and had a huge fan base. Knowing he was about to meet Larry Bird made Curry ecstatic.
"Boss, that's Larry Bird! My dad played against him, and he told me Larry had a kind of magic when he had the ball..."
As Curry continued to chatter excitedly, the three of them arrived at a private box. Mark Baum went in first.
Liam followed him and saw a tall white man with blonde hair and a distinctive hooked nose turn around. It was Larry Bird, the general manager of the Pacers.
"Hi, Mark! The last time we watched a game together was last season, wasn't it? How have you been?" Larry Bird smiled as he shook hands with Mark Baum.
"I'm doing okay. You know I don't really like watching games from a box," Mark Baum shrugged.
Larry Bird looked past Mark Baum and noticed Liam and Curry following him in. He said, surprised, "Coach Liam? Stephen? Mark said he was bringing some friends to watch the game; I didn't expect it to be you two."
"Mr. Bird, you know us?" Liam asked, clearly surprised.
"Hi, Mr. Bird, I'm Stephen Curry, the starting point guard for the Butler University Bulldogs. It's an honor to meet you..." Curry was so excited that he fumbled over his words.
Larry Bird chuckled and patted Curry on the shoulder.
"Come on, Steph. You were a cold-blooded killer against Indiana."
"You watched my game?" Curry asked, stunned.
"Of course. I watch Indiana University's opening game every year, and they rarely lose. I didn't expect them to lose so badly this year. Coach Liam, your tactics were very clever," Larry Bird said with a wry smile.
"Haha, just call me Liam. Mr. Bird, I'm still far behind you," Liam responded modestly.
"Call me Larry. I just got into the NBA when I was 23, and you're already the head coach of Butler. I'm optimistic about your future," Larry Bird said, shaking Liam's hand warmly.
After a few minutes of casual conversation, Liam couldn't help but admire Larry Bird's charisma. It was no wonder Bird was successful in every NBA role he took on. He could win people over with just a few words.
If Liam remembered correctly, Larry Bird would eventually win the Executive of the Year award, becoming the only person in NBA history to achieve the Grand Slam of MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year—a feat even Michael Jordan could never achieve. At least Jordan would never win an Executive of the Year title.
"Stephen, you're lucky to have a coach who lets you play without restrictions," Larry Bird said with a sigh. "When I started in the NBA, Coach Auerbach didn't let me take too many three-pointers. If my coach had been Liam, I might have won more than three championships."
Curry grinned and glanced at Liam.
"I'm also very grateful to Coach. If it weren't for his trust, I might not even be playing in the NCAA."
"Work hard. I see a bit of myself in you. I've always believed that three-pointers are the future of basketball. I hope you can help people realize that. If I have time, I'll come watch Butler's games," Larry Bird said with a smile.
"Larry, you're praising Stephen too much," Liam joked.
Larry Bird immediately shook his head.
"Oh, I'm not like that guy Michael. All the players he picks turn out to be busts, but I have a good eye for talent. Stephen is definitely going to be a star. Are you interested in joining the Pacers? The team could use a shooter..."
"Larry! You can't just steal my core player!" Liam interrupted quickly.
Larry Bird laughed heartily.
"Stephen, if you declare for the draft, you're welcome to try out for the Pacers. I hope you make it to March Madness. If you ever want to watch a game, give me a call. There's plenty of space in my box."
He handed business cards to both Liam and Curry. After exchanging a few more words with Mark Baum, the three of them left.
On the way out, Curry looked at the business card in his hand repeatedly, seeming a bit lost in thought.
"Coach, I'm not dreaming, right? Mr. Bird said he saw some of himself in me... Do you think I could become a star?"
"That was just a polite remark. Did you really believe it? Jordan also said Kwame Brown could be a superstar. If you don't practice hard, you won't even make it to March Madness!" Liam chuckled, shaking his head.
He couldn't let Curry get ahead of himself.
"But Mr. Bird said he's good at judging talent..." Curry tried to defend himself.
"And Jordan said he's great at it too," Liam replied lightly.
"Oh, alright... I'll practice hard." Curry lowered his head, sounding a bit disappointed.
Liam looked at the dejected Curry, and a smile tugged at his lips.
Stephen, you'll find out soon enough—you're not Larry Bird. You're yourself.
When the three of them exited Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Mark Baum's driver was already waiting by the curb.
Once they got in the car, Mark Baum gave an address, and the driver smoothly but swiftly drove the Rolls-Royce to their destination—a high-end restaurant.
The three men ate quickly, especially since two of them were used to eating fast.
Curry had to balance training and classes, so he was always in a rush. Liam, on the other hand, had developed the habit of eating quickly due to the stressful, fast-paced environment of his previous life.
Mark Baum was still elegantly cutting his steak. When he looked up, most of the food in front of Liam and Curry had vanished. He gave Liam a bemused look.
"Why are you eating so slowly?" Liam asked.
"...," Mark Baum was speechless. He glanced around. Every table had diners eating with refined manners—except for these two, who looked like they hadn't eaten in days.
Soon, Mark Baum realized he was being stared at by the two who had finished their meals. He took a few more bites, set down his knife and fork in resignation, and wiped his hands.
"Let's go."
"Are you full?" Liam asked.
"What do you think? Did I make you wait that long? Next time, I have to check out the food at Butler's cafeteria to see if it's that bad. You guys eat like you've been starved!" Mark Baum said, sounding slightly annoyed.
Curry rubbed his hands sheepishly.
"Sorry, Mr. Baum, I'm just used to it..."
Naturally, Mark Baum wasn't actually upset over such a trivial matter. The three left the restaurant. The driver first took Curry back to school, then drove Liam and Mark Baum to a quiet bar.
They had some things to discuss.
Mark Baum picked up a glass of tequila, downed it in one gulp, took off his suit jacket, and smoothed his hair.
"Mark, what's wrong?" Liam noticed his restlessness and asked softly.
"It's nothing. I'm just a bit worried." Mark Baum poured himself another glass of tequila, raised it, and drank it all.
"Is it about the subprime mortgage market?" Liam took a sip of his whiskey.
"Exactly. Although we've planned for this situation, the market should have been volatile, but it's still rising sharply. This is just ridiculous!" Mark Baum downed a third glass.
"You said yesterday that this was all expected," Liam said with a smile.
"Man, as long as it keeps going up, I'm losing tens of millions every quarter! And I've bet everything I have. I'm under immense pressure right now. I have to check the ABX (Subprime Mortgage Securities Price Composite Index) multiple times a day, but it just keeps going up! I don't know if those people are crazy—the real estate market has clearly become a bubble, yet so many are still eager to trade subprime securities!" Mark Baum downed his fourth glass and growled in frustration.
"Take it easy on the drinking... I believe many people have already seen the bubble in the real estate market, but you know those people on Wall Street better than I do. They just want to make money and don't care about blowing the bubble bigger. In their eyes, there will always be someone left holding the bag," Liam chuckled.
"Those bastards! I'm going to..." Mark Baum cursed, but he didn't finish his sentence.
His body swayed, his eyes grew hazy, and he let out a long sigh. He slumped onto the table, his right hand rising unconsciously and knocking over his glass, spilling tequila all over the table.
Liam looked at the drunken Mark Baum in surprise and muttered with a smile, "So you can't hold your liquor after all? I thought you were a heavyweight drinker."
He moved Mark Baum's arm to prevent his shirt from soaking in the spilled drink. Then, he stood up to find the driver waiting outside to ask him to take Mark Baum home.
The driver dropped Liam back at Butler first. After getting out of the car, Liam sent Mark Baum a text:
"Trust me, things will turn around soon."
The next day, he received a reply from Mark Baum:
"Of course, I'm betting everything on it."
Liam smiled lightly and put his phone away. He too had staked everything on this.
The difference was that he had absolute confidence in his judgment.
End of this chapter
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