Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 152 - 105: Sought-after Olajuwon

By the fourth quarter, the Heat tried to mount a comeback, but Hill controlled the pace of the game well.

He was passing the ball, creating opportunities for his teammates.

But whenever his teammates’ offense faltered and the Heat started to build momentum, he would immediately choose to drive hard and score, stabilizing the situation.

Chen Yu glanced at the time.

Not much time left, and the point difference was still nine points.

’Barring any surprises, we should be able to win this one.’

Just as he was thinking this, Weisbrod suddenly sat down next to Chen Yu.

"No need to thank me," Chen Yu said first. He and Tracy McGrady were friends; that was the only reason he had come to help.

Weisbrod smiled. "I still have to thank you, but I also have something else to discuss."

"Go ahead."

"Chen, have you seen the news? Olajuwon is planning to leave the Rocket after this season ends," Weisbrod asked.

The Rocket had long been eliminated from playoff contention, so as the season drew to a close, Olajuwon’s future destination had attracted a lot of media attention.

In any case, the Rocket definitely weren’t going to give him another big contract.

His annual salary this season was $16.7 million. Even if he was a celebrated franchise legend for the Rocket, he was already 38 years old. There was no way he could get another max contract.

Moreover, Olajuwon had already revealed to reporters that he was preparing to leave the Rocket.

Chen Yu nodded. Of course, he knew about this; Olajuwon had told him himself.

’He’s old, but his heart is still young. He wants to chase another championship. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sought me out for treatment.’

Weisbrod continued, "He also said he’d be looking for you for treatment this summer, and that you’ve spoken. You’re very optimistic about healing his knee. Chen, can you tell me what condition his knee is in?"

Chen Yu didn’t know that Olajuwon had revealed his plans for treatment. ’But for Weisbrod to ask this... could it be that he’s interested in Olajuwon?’

But it made sense when he thought about it.

The Magic’s center position was very weak.

They had two true centers on their roster: Michael Doriac and Andrew DeClerk. The former was only in his third year in the league and lacked experience.

DeClerk, on the other hand, had been in the league for years but had never made a name for himself. He couldn’t even secure a stable starting position.

Occasionally, John Amichie would play center, but he wasn’t tall enough.

In fact, none of them were tall enough. The tallest, Doriac, was only 6’11".

But Olajuwon had the height. As a former top-tier center, even with his significant decline, he was still averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds this season.

He was much better than the three guys on their roster.

Most importantly, Olajuwon would be cheap.

They could probably sign him for just a few million.

Even if Olajuwon wanted to go to a team with championship hopes, the Magic fit the bill.

As long as Hill could stay healthy, the Magic were a team that could contend for a championship.

Therefore, from Weisbrod’s perspective, he was the perfect fit no matter how you looked at it.

The only question was Olajuwon’s physical condition.

And only Chen Yu knew the answer to that.

"What do you think?" Chen Yu didn’t answer the question directly, instead posing one of his own with a smile.

Weisbrod’s eyes lit up, and he instantly felt reassured.

But thinking about it, Chen Yu suddenly realized that Olajuwon would also be a good fit for the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns’ frontcourt was also incredibly weak.

Dudley was old, and Gugliotta was a shell of his former self.

Next season, if Hardaway returned, they could form a lineup of Olajuwon, Robinson, Marion, Hardaway, and J Kidd.

Chen Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

’That lineup would be incredible!’

Most importantly, Olajuwon was cheap and a free agent. They wouldn’t have to give up much to sign him.

Chen Yu decided he would mention it to Brian when he got back.

’I’m the Suns’ team doctor now. Emotionally, I’m always going to lean toward the Suns.’

Of course, the final choice was still up to Olajuwon.

As the game neared its end, the cheers from the crowd grew louder and louder, coming in waves.

’There shouldn’t be any more surprises.’

When Eddie Jones missed a three-pointer and Outlaw leaped up to grab the rebound, the Heat didn’t foul again.

The last few seconds ran out.

The entire TD Waterhouse Center instantly erupted into a sea of celebration.

On the court, the Magic players were already hugging each other in excitement. Finally, they had caught the last train to the playoffs.

Chen Yu stood up and applauded.

The next moment, he was unexpectedly pulled into an emotional hug by Pleasance.

"Chen, thank you!"

Pleasance was incredibly emotional. ’I can finally get off the interim tag!’

Then came the assistant coaches, Monty and Brown, and of course, Hill and Tracy McGrady weren’t far behind.

Hill hugged Chen Yu, unable to control his tears.

This season, he had been through so much. If it weren’t for Chen Yu, the outcome would have been completely different.

"What’s there to thank me for?"

Chen Yu patted Hill’s back. ’It’s more like we helped each other succeed.’

It was only after healing Hill that he had started down the path to becoming a world-renowned doctor.

Hill was surrounded by reporters. Although he hadn’t scored much in the first half, he still finished the game with a near triple-double of 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists.

With a dominant scorer like Tracy McGrady on the team, he was practically becoming a triple-double machine.

Pleasance and Riley shook hands.

Then, Riley surprisingly walked over and stood in front of Chen Yu.

"Chen, can we talk for a minute?" Riley said with a smile.

Chen Yu was slightly taken aback, but he nodded.

It was too chaotic here, with reporters and cameras everywhere. Chen Yu followed Riley into the players’ tunnel, found a secluded spot, and then asked what Riley wanted to talk about.

"Chen, we want Alonzo to return for the playoffs," Riley said, looking at Chen Yu with a pleading expression.

Before Chen Yu could answer, Riley quickly added, "I know he has kidney disease, but he’s been recuperating all season. He’s recovering well now, and he wants to return to the court himself."

Missing the regular season was one thing, but if the Heat wanted to go far in the playoffs, they couldn’t do it without Mourning.

Toward the end of the season, Riley had repeatedly submitted reports to the league, trying to get Mourning cleared to play, but Chen Yu had rejected them every time.

"No."

Chen Yu shook his head again, his expression serious. "Pat, you should know, this is a fatal disease."

People can actually die from this. It’s no joke.

"If this is what you want to talk about, then there’s no room for discussion. The league established the player health management department precisely to ensure player health. In Alonzo’s situation, there are no other options." Letting a player in his condition on the court was simply a joke.

Riley wanted to say more, but Chen Yu had already excused himself and left.

Chen Yu didn’t stay long in Orlando. After celebrating that night, he rushed back to Phoenix the next day.

The regular season was over.

In the end, the Suns moved up one spot, finishing sixth in the West.

Their first game against the Kings would begin on April 22nd.

In these three days, Chen Yu had to seize the time to get the entire Suns team’s bodies in top condition, preparing them for the playoffs.

On the way back, Chen Yu received a call from Olajuwon.

He was eager to begin his treatment.

「On the day he returned to Phoenix」

The team was on break, but the front office staff were not.

Chen Yu went back to the US Airways Center and immediately found Brian to talk about Olajuwon.

"Of course!"

Brian slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up.

"To what extent can he recover?" Brian asked eagerly.

The most crucial factor was still Olajuwon’s condition.

"Don’t worry, I’m quite confident I can heal him," Chen Yu said with a smile.

Brian’s heart beat faster, but then he frowned and said with frustration, "Tom’s contract is too much of a problem."

It was not only large, but it also had several years left. If it were an expiring contract, they might be able to get rid of it, but as it stood, it was really hard to deal with.

Chen Yu also knew about Gugliotta’s situation. "Brian, during the offseason, I can perform another surgery on Tom. He’ll be out for a while at the start of the season, but it should improve his condition somewhat."

Even if he couldn’t fully return to his All-Star level of 20-plus points and 9-plus rebounds from his Minnesota Timberwolves days, he wouldn’t be reduced to a backup center like he was now.

Brian’s eyes lit up again, and he quickly started calculating.

They definitely couldn’t get rid of Gugliotta, so their only option was to try and salvage the situation, just as Chen Yu said.

In that case, the Suns would continue to pay the luxury tax. To sign Olajuwon, their only option would be a sign-and-trade.

They might have to throw in two draft picks.

Because the Rocket were determined to rebuild, draft picks would be very attractive to them.

However, the Suns’ goal was a championship. Signing Olajuwon and having Hardaway return, using these last two years to make a championship run, would be worth it.

"Chen, you have to do a good job treating Olajuwon, then," Brian said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"And Anfernee."

Brian added. If the Suns wanted to contend for a championship, they could be missing anyone but Hardaway.

"Don’t worry."

Chen Yu smiled, then returned to his clinic to prepare for Olajuwon’s arrival.

However, to Chen Yu’s surprise, before Olajuwon arrived, someone else rushed to his clinic first.

Mourning!

Accompanied by Riley and his agent, David Falk, he arrived at Chen Yu’s clinic.

And before they arrived, Jordan had even called Chen Yu.

Because Jordan’s agent was also Falk.

"Chen, Alonzo is a warrior. Don’t be so quick to refuse him. Give him a chance, take a look at his condition first," Jordan persuaded him.

Chen Yu had to respect Jordan’s request.

"Alright, I’ll evaluate his condition."

Chen Yu wasn’t an inflexible person. Of course, if Mourning’s condition wasn’t good enough, it wouldn’t matter who asked.

Unless Stern himself told Chen Yu to get lost.

’That’s unlikely.’

Falk was very influential in the NBA. He was known as the public enemy of the owners, a godfather-like figure with immense power.

But during the lockout, Falk had clamored about building a new league to sideline the NBA. Stern probably hated his guts for that.

On the morning of the 20th, Chen Yu met with Mourning and his group.

Mourning was wearing a white shirt and a baseball cap. On the court, he had a fiery temper, but off the court, he had a good personality. Chen Yu had chatted with him during the All-Star Game, so they weren’t strangers.

"Chen, this is a nice place," Mourning said, looking around and giving a compliment.

Chen Yu then greeted Riley and Falk. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Riley was usually stern and unsmiling, but in front of Chen Yu, he tried hard to force a friendly smile.

Whether Mourning could return or not was all up to Chen Yu.

As for Falk, he didn’t put on any airs as the "godfather of players" in front of Chen Yu. He chatted cheerfully with him and even asked about soccer.

He asked if Ronaldo’s agent was around, saying he wanted to chat with them.

NBA agents take a 4% commission, while soccer agents can take up to 10%. They can also purchase a player’s ownership rights and get a cut of the transfer fees.

So, although basketball players have higher salaries, when it comes to agent income, soccer is still more lucrative.

Chen Yu shook his head, his gaze falling on Mourning.

His kidney problem remained, but Chen Yu didn’t see any obvious swelling on his body.

His legs, in particular, had almost no edema.

He had glomerulosclerosis, which affects kidney function. The most obvious symptom is swelling throughout the body; in severe cases, the person can’t even walk.

But Mourning’s condition was surprisingly good.

He was a star with a high net worth, so it wasn’t surprising that he could afford the best treatment.

But the key was his physical condition and whether he could play.

High-intensity sports put enormous stress on the body. If a game were to trigger acute kidney failure, he could really die.