Pope of Basketball.

Summary

. The chapter details Yang Rui's experience at the 1999 NBA draft in Washington, where he is granted significant influence over the Toronto Raptors' selections. Despite the Raptors' low draft position (24th overall), Yang Rui evaluates potential players and decides to focus on those fitting the team's system rather than pursuing high-profile foreign talents like Andrei Kirilenko and Manu Ginobili, who are not available. During the draft, the Raptors select Kirilenko, changing history, and later pick Zhu Mei Yin Jones at 28th. The narrative emphasizes Yang Rui's strategic approach to building a championship team and his willingness to trade the second-round pick for more experienced players. .

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