Yao Ming was created with the No. 1 pick, but was exchanged for McGrady! Why did 20.6 points and 6.2 assists become rebellious in the times?

Steve Francis, this "Fire King" makes people love and hate: the starting point guard of the Western Conference All-Stars for two times, but only tasted once; he was regarded as the number one star by the Rockets, but was sent away by the team twice; he and Harden are the same score + assist double-gun pioneers, but they have become a typical representative of the rebellious era because of their "rebelliousness". What's even more interesting is that he used his No. 1 pick to open the NBA door for Yao Ming, but was eventually used by the management in exchange for the "more awesome" McGrady.

Francis was born in 1977 in the slum of Tacoma, Maryland, USA. He lives with his mother and grandmother. He was not outstanding in high school, but he bombed the basket with explosive bounce and unyielding will. Because his academic performance was difficult to go straight to the NCAA, he first honed himself at community college, and then was favored by the University of Maryland. In the 1998-99 season, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game, leading the team to the top 16 in the country and was selected into the second team in the United States. Unfortunately, his mother died at the age of 39 in 1996, and his family was only supported by meager scholarships, so going to the NBA became his inevitable choice. On the 1999 draft night, the Grizzlies selected Francis with the second pick. He was excited and burst into tears on the spot, but immediately said, "I don't want to go to Vancouver, it's too cold; I just want to play in the warm sun in the United States." His hot temper was about to show signs. After being quickly traded to Houston, he won two consecutive Western Conference All-Star starts with a rapid momentum of 20.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, but he never led the team to the finals - in 12 years of professional career, he only tasted the taste of a playoffs in 2001.

What is more intriguing is that in 2002, he won Yao Ming with the No. 1 pick, but it also allowed the Rockets management to see McGrady who was "more dominant". Francis, who left the Rockets twice, went through the Magic and the Knicks' second encounter with the Rockets, but never got the chance to win the championship. That "scoring + assisting the top, rebellious and unruly" made him the ultimate contradiction in the hearts of fans, and also made his legend full of deep regrets and dissatisfaction.