08 Rookie Kobe s successor, the strongest representative of the NBA high school student, how can a genius destroy his own worth of 100 million yuan in three years

At Madison Garden, New York on 2008 draft night, when David Stern read out "Third Pick: OJ Mayo", the Memphis Grizzlies management slapped excitedly - they just exchanged No. 5 pick Kevin Love + sharpshooting Mike Miller for the talented defender. The scout report was densely marked with "Bryant's back leaning back" and "Wade-level breakthrough speed". ESPN even produced a special film in advance. No one expected that this teenager, who is regarded as Kobe's orthodox successor, will be suspended for life in the NBA for carrying hallucinogens in eight years. Mayo was already a phenomenal superstar in the United States during his high school years. He was selected into the All-American Team for three consecutive years. Huntington averaged 29.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists in high school, making ESPN an exception to produce a personal documentary "Son of the Chosen" for high school students. When he was co-producing an advertisement with James in 2006, the 17-year-old said to the camera: "My goal is not to be the next person, but to make everyone forget Jordan." This kind of arrogance beyond his age turned into reality in Memphis - he attended 82 games in the rookie season, averaging 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He scored 40 points against the Warriors. He scored 11 different ways, including a bottom line negative angle leaning back jump shot, which made the commentator exclaim "Bryant possessed." In the Grizzly locker room, Mayo's wardrobe was posted with Kobe's poster, and the ringtone of the mobile phone was the theme song of the documentary "Kobe 24/7". In 2009, he scored 22 points in front of Kobe, and after the game he received his idol's signature sneakers, with the toe saying "Keep Hungry." This illusion of inheritance lasted until the 2010 All-Star Weekend. Mayo was selected as the shortlist for the Rookie Challenge MVP. Nike launched his personal logo: the winged eagle surrounds the number "32", symbolizing the ambition to fly to the peak. The cracks in fate began in the 2011 locker room conflict. Due to dissatisfaction with the substitute position, Mayo broke out in physical conflict with defensive champion Tony Allen. The surveillance video showed him yelling when he smashed the tactical board at the opponent: "I was born to be in the spotlight!" This incident became a turning point - his three-point shooting percentage plummeted from 38.4% in the rookie season to 28.3%, and his defensive efficiency deteriorated from -0.7 to -3.1. When the Grizzlies transferred him to the Development League in 2012, the scout report had become: "The offensive choice is like a drunk poet, and the defensive attitude is comparable to that of a museum security." Mayo, who switched to the Mavericks in 2013, had a brief return and turned into the "Best Sixth Man" with a 45% three-point shooting percentage. But Dallas police records reveal a deeper crisis: his car was stopped nine times for speeding within two years, and suspected banned objects were found in the car many times. In July 2016, an NBA ban pushed him into the abyss - the 29-year-old golden age evaporated in the poisonous fog due to two years of ban on the anti-drug regulations.

When Mayo survived with a 37% shooting percentage in the Taiwan SBL League, Love, who was squeezed away by him, won the championship trophy in Cleveland. This cruel contrast between mirrored life peaked in 2018: Mayo was arrested in the South African League for carrying marijuana when Love signed a maximum salary of 120 million. When talking about this, Grizzlies' old teammate Conley sighed: "OJ's basketball IQ is higher than 99% of players, but he is always fighting against an invisible enemy."

Now Mayo has paid a great price from being young and reckless to being steady in middle age. Last March 2024, O.J. Mayo became the assistant coach of the third team of Liaoning Men's Basketball Team. The 2008 NBA Tanhua came to an end in the NBA early.