NBA: Basketball Legend.

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Durant’s Trumpet, Big Deal!

Chapter 51: Durant’s Trumpet, Big Deal!

As soon as the trade news broke, Paul Pierce lost it.

”Are you kidding me?!” he shouted during an interview. ”I gave this team ten years of my life. Ten! If that doesn’t count for something, I don’t know what does.”

Pierce was furious—and for good reason. Just last season, he’d played along with management’s plan to tank. From opening night, he deliberately underperformed so the Celtics could land a top pick. The result? Boston ended up dead last in the East and won the Durant sweepstakes.

And now that they got their guy?

They kicked him to the curb.

”What kind of operation is this?” he ranted to reporters. ”It’s like getting cheated on by your wife—and you’re the one who bought the condoms for her and her side dude.”

Savage.

General Manager Danny Ainge didn’t respond. The man was known for being cold-blooded, always making moves with one thing in mind: winning. Feelings didn’t factor in.

Now that Durant was in the picture, Ainge was ready to build around him—with Al Jefferson and Rajon Rondo flanking the rookie phenom. As for the Celtics’ record this season? Ainge didn’t care. His only directive was simple:

Let KD cook.

Whether he missed 10 shots or 20, it didn’t matter. Just keep feeding him the rock. The goal was clear—develop Durant, fast. And if the team landed another top-three pick in next year’s draft? Even better.

The 2008 class was stacked: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Eric Gordon, Brook and Robin Lopez. Add any of them to the young core, and Boston’s future would be lit.

But Pierce?

He was no longer part of that future.

He went scorched earth in the media, torching not only Ainge but also Durant.

”New superstar? Don’t make me laugh. Dude’s skinny as hell. I heard he can’t even bench press 185 pounds. Can’t even lift the bar with plates!”

Oof.

Rule #1 in the NBA: don’t come for a man’s pride, especially not on national TV.

Pierce didn’t just talk trash—he hit a nerve. The infamous bench press story had haunted Durant since draft night.

And KD wasn’t about to stay silent.

---

Inside his apartment, Durant clenched his fists, then walked into his bedroom, closed the door, and fired up his laptop.

He scrolled through the latest headlines and flipped to a burner Twitter account—one of many.

Time to clap back.

”Pierce is washed. The team needs change.”

”He’s holding the Celtics back. Old head can’t move anymore.”

”Paul Pierce talks a big game, but if he had half the skills he thinks he does, we wouldn’t have finished last.”

”Who cares about bench press? KD has a basketball, not a barbell. Give him the rock, he’ll cook that fossil.”

”KD is the future. In 10 years, y’all will say Ainge made the smartest move in franchise history.”

After a barrage of tweets, Durant leaned back in his chair, feeling satisfied. The burner had done its job.

But while Pierce was the angriest, Ray Allen might’ve been the most anxious.

He and Pierce had talked in the offseason—plans were in motion to join forces in Boston and chase a ring together. Now? Pierce was headed to Toronto, and Allen was stuck in Seattle, rethinking everything.

He was nearing the twilight of his career. If he wanted a shot at a championship, it had to be soon.

The SuperSonics weren’t blind to this. They didn’t block Ray’s request to leave—but they made one thing clear:

Bring us something valuable in return.

The franchise had already let Rashard Lewis walk last year. If they also lost Ray Allen without a decent haul, the rebuild would be in shambles. What they needed now was talent—young, high-upside players and, most importantly, draft picks.

Over the next two weeks, teams around the league came knocking, looking to make a deal for the sharpshooter.

Seattle didn’t bite immediately.

They played the waiting game—just like an auction. Best offer wins.

Finally, on July 12, the SuperSonics and the Dallas Mavericks reached a preliminary deal.

Dallas was offering:

Devin Harris (promising young PG),

Brandon Bass (strong, athletic forward),

two first-round picks,

and one second-rounder over the next two years.

Harris and Bass were solid, but it was the draft picks that got Seattle excited. For a team rebuilding from the ground up, picks were like gold.

Even better? Ray Allen was thrilled about the destination.

The Mavs had just finished the regular season with the best record in the West. Teaming up with Dirk Nowitzki gave him a legit shot at the title.

Mark Cuban couldn’t contain himself.

He immediately posted on social media:

”Ray Allen! Welcome to Dallas—your new home!”

But... he jumped the gun.

Some parts of the deal were still being finalized. Realizing his mistake, Cuban deleted the post.

Too late.

Fans had already screenshotted it. The news spread like wildfire. By sundown, everyone in the league knew: Ray Allen was headed to Dallas.

---

Chen Yan got the update not long after.

When he saw the notification, he couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.

Ray Allen and Dirk Nowitzki on the same team?

That’s a cheat code from beyond the arc.

They weren’t just going to shoot threes—they were going to drill holes through the earth’s crust.

With Pierce in Toronto and Ray Allen in Dallas, the legendary Celtics Big Three—Pierce, Allen, and Garnett—would never happen in this timeline.

History had officially been rewritten.

---

July 19 — Morning.

Chen Yan got up, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and powered on his laptop to catch up on the latest NBA news.

Then he saw it.

”Breaking News! Lakers and Timberwolves Agree to Massive 7-Player Deal!”

No way.

He blinked twice.

Suddenly, he was wide awake.

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