An All-Star, All-NBA Third Team, 18.0 points and 10.2 rebounds, on a 60-win team, and he stays put. And how does the news come out? Thursday, late in the evening, the agent confirms it to an ESPN insider. A few hours before the deadline. An agent, an insider, and that’s it. The richest league in the world has its moment, and it lands at the hour my caretaker switches off the strip lights.
So I’m doing the intro again. Saturday, half past eight, the two school fête spotlights. The caretaker leaves me half the lights, as usual.
“Mesdames et messieurs, dames en heren. He wasn’t at media day. He wasn’t at the first training sessions. He’s back for five years. At centre, from the Detroit Pistons…” Two seconds of silence. “…Jalen Duren!” [jingle]
That’s what it deserves. In real life, my hall’s sound system chose that moment to play the under-12s’ warm-up music, because the sound system has opinions. But at least there was a moment.
He was off the roster until the deal. You don’t introduce a player who isn’t on the sheet. Afterwards, you can.
He joins the squad straight away for the preseason. There will be a hall over there, with a microphone, for the first game. I’ll leave them the jingle. Just saying.
It’s true, we checked: Eurohoops.
