NBA: Warrior godfather.

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There weren't many rookies worth noting in the first round of the draft after the top picks. The two that caught Liam Gonzalez's attention were DeMar DeRozan, selected by the Raptors with the 9th pick, and Jrue Holiday, selected by the 76ers with the 17th pick.

Additionally, this year's draft featured several talented players who made their mark in the NBA, such as Darren Collison, DeMarre Carroll, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, and Toney Douglas. Many of them would establish themselves as solid players, with some even becoming All-Stars.

After the first round concluded, Larry Riley used the Grizzlies' second-round pick to select Jimmy Butler with the 6th pick in the second round.

Although Butler had won two championships with the Butler Bulldogs, the offensive responsibilities of the team were mainly carried by Curry and Gordon Hayward. Butler's contributions were more on the defensive end, and his stats weren't particularly impressive, so he didn't draw much attention from many teams.

Following him, players like Patrick Beverley, Danny Green, Jodie Meeks, and Patty Mills were also picked.

While many experts predicted that this draft class would be weak, it ended up producing numerous All-Stars and impactful players, including two future MVPs, Stephen Curry and James Harden. This class would later be remembered as one of the most talented since the 2003 "Platinum Generation."

The Heat selected Robert Dozier with the 60th and final pick.

With that, the 2009 NBA Draft came to a close, and the Warriors accomplished their main goals: securing both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

But for the Warriors, this was just the beginning.

In Madison Square Garden, people couldn't help but notice Curry's calm demeanor. Both Sam Presti and Donnie Walsh were shrewd, and it was quickly speculated that Curry had a strong connection with the Warriors.

Suddenly, all eyes turned to the Warriors. A team that had long been on the periphery of the NBA conversation was now at the center of attention.

…

Three days later, in the Glenview neighborhood of Oakland.

Mark Baum had long since returned to Indiana, leaving his Oakland mansion to Liam Gonzalez and telling him to stay as long as he liked.

Liam had been busy finalizing the acquisition of the Warriors and overseeing the draft, so he hadn't had time to buy a house of his own. Staying at Baum's place felt convenient, and there was no need for formality between the two friends.

After the draft, Liam returned to Oakland, taking a much-needed two-day rest.

Over the past month, he had been juggling the drama surrounding the Knicks and the Thunder, all while coordinating with Jeff Austin and Larry Riley. The intense negotiations had left him mentally exhausted.

That morning, Liam woke up naturally, enjoyed the breakfast prepared by Tina, and turned on the TV.

Flipping through the channels absentmindedly, he occasionally glanced at the retro clock hanging on the wall. He had an appointment later that day.

Suddenly, he stopped switching channels, landing on a broadcast from TNT.

It was a recap of the 2009 NBA Draft, hosted by Kenny Smith, Reggie Miller, and Charles Barkley, with Shaquille O'Neal joining as a guest.

Although O'Neal was still playing, he was nearing the end of his career and had become increasingly interested in the commentary side of the game. During the offseason, he accepted TNT's invitation to appear on the show.

The TNT team had assembled.

As the show began, Kenny Smith spoke:

"This year's No. 1 pick is Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma…"

"Skip ahead, Kenny," Barkley interrupted.

Everyone turned to look at him as Barkley shrugged:

"I don't want to keep talking about something that's already been discussed to death. As long as the world doesn't end, Blake will be a scoring machine. Let's move on to something more interesting."

Liam chuckled. This was typical TNT—more specifically, typical Barkley. He never played by the rules and always did his own thing, which made him wildly popular among viewers.

Even though Barkley never won an NBA championship during his playing career, his fame as a commentator far exceeded that of most former players.

Kenny Smith, exasperated, said:

"Alright, here's the highlight—this year's No. 2 pick was Stephen Curry, selected by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Warriors along with Kyle Lowry in exchange for Hasheem Thabeet, Anthony Morrow, and Corey Maggette. Let's talk about this deal. Many people are saying Curry was always meant to be with the Warriors. What do you guys think?"

Reggie Miller responded:

"Curry must have received a commitment from the Warriors. Otherwise, there's no way he would have skipped out on every tryout. But I still don't understand why he chose the Warriors. The Knicks would've been the better option, no matter how you look at it."

"Are you saying Curry made a mistake by going to the Warriors?" Kenny Smith asked.

"Of course," Reggie Miller replied. "The Knicks have everything the Warriors do, and New York's basketball market is much bigger. Curry would've been better off choosing the Knicks."

Barkley nodded in agreement:

"Reggie's right. Curry should've gone to New York."

Everyone turned toward him as Barkley continued:

"Only an owner as clueless as James Dolan would give Curry a big contract after his rookie season—if Curry's even still in the NBA by then."

"Charles, are you saying the NCAA scoring champion won't be able to hold his own in the league?" Reggie Miller challenged.

Barkley replied, dragging out his words:

"Look at his game! Ridiculous long-range threes, contested threes, pull-up threes, catch-and-shoot threes—54.3% of his shots are from behind the arc! And look at that skinny frame. I'm not convinced he can handle the physicality of the NBA. I'm seriously worried he'll get pushed around!"

Reggie Miller gave him a stern look:

"Are you taking a shot at me?"

Reggie Miller had made his career as a deadly three-point shooter, too.

Barkley shook his head:

"Look at that baby face. I doubt Stephen Curry has the same kind of fire you had, Reggie... Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. I think he'll be able to stick around and find his role. But a shooter at the No. 2 pick? Come on. James Harden's talent is far superior."

"And the Warriors also gave up Corey Maggette in the trade, a small forward who was averaging nearly 20 points per game. The guy's in his prime! The Warriors got fleeced."

"Oh…"

Liam looked at the screen and smirked. Barkley, as always, remained skeptical of jump-shooting guards. His bias ran deep.

Shaquille O'Neal, watching Barkley, grinned mischievously:

"Hey, Charles, how many years did you play in college?"

"Three years. Why?" Barkley replied.

"And how many championships did you win?"

Barkley froze for a second, then angrily responded:

"…Shaq, we're talking about the NBA here! Why are you bringing up college?"

"Curry also played three years in college," O'Neal said with a big smile, "and he won two championships."

"That just shows how weak the NCAA is these days. I bet Curry won't even get half his NCAA points per game in the NBA!" Barkley fired back.

Liam stared at Barkley on TV, trying not to laugh.

Had Barkley already forgotten the lesson Yao Ming taught him?

End of this chapter

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