LRAB Chapter 276 The Christmas Battle is Coming! I've Become a Thug for No Reason
Chapter 276 The Christmas Battle is Coming! I've Become a Thug for No Reason
Chapter 276 The Christmas Battle is Coming! I inexplicably became the spiritual leader of a gangster group!
After a minor controversy over the starting lineup, the Pacers quickly reached a consensus, and Carter naturally became the Pacers' starting shooting guard, while Miller, the soul and cornerstone of the Pacers for the past 10 years, officially became a substitute.
This is the first time he has officially become a substitute for the team since his rookie season.
But as Miller himself said, since he was relegated to the bench, the Pacers' offense has indeed become more fluid, efficient, and terrifying!
Having just entered his second year, Carter has fully adapted to the NBA game thanks to his strong talent and hard work. This season, he has not only become more aggressive and decisive in his breakthroughs, but his finishing ability under the basket has also improved significantly.
Moreover, he has made significant improvements in passing, vision, control of the game's tempo, timing and routes of cuts.
In addition, his three-point shooting, which was not very consistent last season, has improved significantly this season! Last season, Carter's three-point shooting percentage in the regular season was only 34%, which is considered a passing grade in the league.
This season, his three-point shooting percentage has skyrocketed to 44%! Within the Pacers, it's second only to Lin Tian's 45%! He also ranks second on the team in average field goals made per game, just behind Lin Tian!
It's fair to say that Carter is being used as the Pacers' third option, which is a real waste of his talent!
Even if you asked him to go to a playoff team right now and be the leader, he would definitely be able to do a great job!
After all, in Lin Tian's memory, Carter in his second year was already averaging 25+5+4 and leading the Raptors to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history! He was an absolute star player from his second year onwards!
With the Pacers, Carter's brilliance was somewhat overshadowed because of the team's luxurious roster and the abundance of capable players.
Even so, with his explosive and stylish playing style and increasing playing time, he quickly won over a large number of fans!
在卡特出任首发之后11月剩下的8场比赛里，他场均的数据提升到了18.2分3.1篮板3.4助攻，投篮命中率48%，3分命中率44%！
A perfectly efficient third-leading scorer on the team!
在他的身边，是场均仍旧能够轰下24.4分10.4助攻2.9次抢断的林天以及场均20.6分10.1篮板5.1助攻的克里斯·韦伯！
The Pacers' Big Three average over 60 points per game on the road! Among all the trios in the entire league, only the Lakers' Shaq, Kobe, and Rice trio can average more points per game than the Pacers' Big Three!
But for the Lakers, O'Neal alone averages 30 points per game, while Glen Rice averages less than 15 points. The three of them combined for 60 points, which is somewhat reminiscent of Kobe and me combining for 81 points.
More importantly, the Lakers' trio's average playing time is 40 minutes, 38 minutes, and 31 minutes!
And what about the Pacers' trio? Lin Tian played 36 minutes, Webber played 33 minutes, and Carter played 30 minutes!
Their total playing time was reduced by a full 10 minutes!
This makes the firepower of these three Pacers players even more terrifying!
In these eight games, the Pacers naturally won all of them!
Their record this season is now 15 wins and 1 loss!
They firmly hold the top spot in the league!
In the official power rankings released after November, the Pacers unsurprisingly ranked first!
Unfortunately, Lin Tian was not selected when the league announced the Player of the Month for the first month of the season!
Although his stats so far this season are very impressive, with 24+5+10+3, he is definitely an all-rounder!
However, the league still awarded the Player of the Month award to Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, who led his team to a 13-3 record in his first month!
In the first month of the season, O'Neal averaged 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game, with a terrifying 61% field goal percentage!
This behemoth under the basket has clearly learned from its mistakes this season and has not indulged too much during the offseason. Unlike in the past, it no longer needs to spend a lot of energy at the beginning of the season to lose weight and regain its form. This season, O'Neal has been on fire from the very first game of the season!
As for the reason?
It's actually quite simple. The first thing Phil Jackson did after confirming he would become the Lakers' head coach during the offseason was to call Shaquille O'Neal.
As for the content of the phone call, it was, of course, what Jackson excelled at: a mix of motivational quotes and a nutshell—the combination was absolutely top-notch!
"Shaq, you've played seven seasons in the league already, right? If I remember correctly, Lin played three fewer years than you? He already has three championships, one MVP, and one Finals MVP. And then there's Tim Duncan, who's considered the best power forward and led his team to the Finals!"
"Ewing won the championship last season, but in your career so far, you're certainly great, but your individual and team honors seem to be only one All-NBA First Team selection and one scoring title? Don't talk about Second Team, Third Team, All-Star and stuff like that. Who cares about those things when you're a top-ten player in history?"
After delivering a scathing critique of O'Neal, Jackson suddenly changed the subject.
"Honestly, among the four great centers, Patrick and David are both softies. They can't compare to Hakeem at all. However, Hakeem is past his prime and could announce his retirement at any time."
"This is a great opportunity for you to become the best center, or do you think a short guy like Alonzo Mourning is more suitable to be the league's best center? Are you willing to let a guy like him be a double All-NBA First Team member for many years in a row?"
"At least last season, he was the number one center, Shaq. Are you satisfied with that? Letting a short guy who's less than 210 centimeters tall and gets destroyed by you every time you play him become the number one center, you don't really care, do you? If you don't care, then I really shouldn't have come to Los Angeles."
"There's only one reason I came to Los Angeles: I saw a guy here who's just as good as Michael. I saw a guy here who has the potential to replace Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain as the greatest center in NBA history. That's why I came."
"I really hope... you won't let me down!"
After listening to Jackson's words, O'Neal showed a level of motivation he had never had in his career before, training like crazy during the offseason and getting into game shape ahead of time. His goals were clearer than ever before!
MVP!!! Scoring Champion!!! NBA Champion!!!
The greatest center of all time!!!
Yes, of course. After hanging up with O'Neal, Jackson immediately called Kobe.
"Kobe, you've been in the league for three seasons now, right? If I remember correctly, Lin has only played one year longer than you? He already has three championships, one MVP, and one Finals MVP. Duncan, who joined the league a year after you, is already considered the best power forward and led his team to the Finals!"
"I think the era of the four great centers is over, and the next era might be the four great shooting guards..."
"Allen is already second on the scoring list, and Carter won Sixth Man of the Year, but you..."
"Don't tell me you don't care. If you don't care, I really shouldn't have come to Los Angeles..."
"There's only one reason I came to Los Angeles: because I saw a guy here who's just as good as Michael, a guy who has the potential to replace Michael as the greatest shooting guard in NBA history. That's why I came!"
"I really hope... you won't let me down!"
The same words, slightly modified and repeated twice, have a remarkable effect!
Kobe, who was already known for his hard work and dedication, doubled his training during the offseason after receiving a call from Jackson. His first goal was to at least surpass Allen Iverson!
In short, both of Lakers' stars have had a breakout season after Jackson's two phone calls! The Lakers' record has consistently been second only to the Pacers, firmly holding the second spot in the league and first in the Western Conference!
Despite having a superior team in terms of power rankings, MVP rankings, and team record, Lin Tian was ultimately snatched the Player of the Month award by O'Neal. Although he didn't show anything on the surface, Lin Tian showed no mercy to the Bucks' three sharpshooters in the first game of December.
Lin Tian unleashed his full power, displaying 100% form and offensive desire. Throughout the match, he turned "Alien" Cassell into an "alien" himself. In fact, he was completely outmatched and utterly humiliated by Lin Tian!
这场比赛，林天登场39分钟，31投19中，其中3分球9投5中，罚球11罚10中，爆砍53分11篮板10助攻5抢断的恐怖数据！他不但拿下职业生涯的又一个50分三双，还刷新了本赛季至今为止的个人单场得分记录！
Lin Tian proved with his actions that he deserves the Player of the Month award more than anyone else; he is the best player in the league!
接下来连着3场比赛，又连续拿下40分11次助攻、44分10次助攻和42分13次助攻的数据！
连续4场40+10的表现，林天也是又一次刷新了一个全新的联盟记录，他成为NBA历史上，第一个连续4场轰下40分10助攻的球员！
Of course, the Pacers also achieved a four-game winning streak in these four games! And Lin Tian also won another Player of the Week award.
In these four games, more and more people have said that Lin Tian is already the greatest point guard in NBA history in terms of ability! The only difference between him and Magic Johnson is the accumulation of statistics, the accumulation of honors, and most importantly: the number of championships!
Or, to put it another way, the number of times you've won a championship as the leader!
Although Lin Tian has three championships, his first championship was for a supporting role, at most he was the team's third or even fourth key player, which is more important than a regular starter, and its significance is negligible.
As for the second one, although Lin Tian's status in the team and in tactics has improved by leaps and bounds, he is almost the second-best player in the team, at least on par with Pippen.
However, Lin Tian missed half of the finals due to a brawl, so the value of this championship is not very significant for him, especially considering that he aims to be the greatest point guard in NBA history. These two championships seem somewhat insignificant.
On the contrary, for his third championship, Lin Tian delivered an absolutely perfect performance. He played a top-level game throughout the entire season, from the regular season to the four rounds of playoffs. The value of this championship is definitely 95 points!
But compared to Magic Johnson, although Magic Johnson has two championships that weren't Finals MVP, he still has three Finals MVP championships! Lin Tian and Magic Johnson are indeed far apart in terms of major honors.
But Lin Tian's advantage is also obvious: he's only 26 years old!
He still has at least 7-8 years of peak performance to pursue championships and various honors. Given his current form and the team's roster, it's not impossible for Lin Tian to catch up with Magic Johnson!
After Lin Tian's four consecutive 40+10 games, the Pacers' winning streak has reached 11 games!
Then, perhaps finally feeling tired, the Pacers immediately embarked on a new winning streak after losing their next game.
Well... it's worth mentioning that during this period, the most miserable team in the league was undoubtedly the Raptors, and the most miserable player was naturally Rose.
During this period, the Raptors played two games against the Heat and one game against the Lakers.
In the two games against the Heat, Rose went 5-for-19 in one game and 3-for-17 in the other, and also got blocked a total of 7 times! Mourning, Mashburn and Malone, three muscular men, really taught him a lesson.
The Raptors lost by 38 points and 33 points in one of these two games! They were truly stunned by the Heat's performance.
Next, the Raptors waited for the Los Angeles Lakers at their home court!
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant are currently enjoying a honeymoon period of cooperation. The older brother O'Neal is taking great care of his younger brother Kobe. Not only did he stand up for Kobe before the game started and give Derrick Rose a good scolding, but once the game started, the big man also went all out on the defensive end, which is extremely rare for him. He devoted all his energy to the defensive end.
On the offensive end, this guy handed the offensive reins to Kobe, allowing Kobe to unleash his full offensive potential and completely dominate Rose!
A true point-to-point explosion!
Under the combined attack of the OK duo, Rose went 2-for-13 in this game, along with 6 turnovers! As for Kobe, he relentlessly harassed Rose for almost the entire game, not only scoring his first 40+ point game of his career with 41 points, but also adding 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 steals!
O'Neal had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks!
The OK duo taught Rose a lesson, and also taught the Raptors a lesson!
119: 80!
Another resounding 39-point victory, another complete and utter thrashing!
After this game, Rose became a laughing stock in the league.
Those who boast the most will get the worst beatings!
Xie Baoqing, oblivious to his own mortality, provoked Li Yunlong, resulting in the complete annihilation of the entire mountain stronghold.
Ross was even more impressive; he single-handedly provoked three teams of Li Yunlong...
Even though Rose has been in excellent form this season, averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, rumors quickly spread that the Raptors wanted to trade him after that game against Los Angeles.
I can't take it anymore, I really can't take it anymore. How can someone be so incompetent yet cause so much trouble?
If you mess with someone with a good temper, that's one thing, but if you mess with someone who's tough, stubborn, vengeful, and petty, who else is going to die if not you?
Then, at this crucial moment, those petty guys from Indiana resurfaced.
Lin Tian: "Jaylen is actually a good guy. He plays very hard and always puts in the most effort during training. He just sometimes loses his way, which makes him seem a bit dim-witted. For example, two years ago he asked the team to trade Reggie for someone whose position didn't overlap with his and who could help him defend better."
"We all laughed when we heard the news. I had tried to correct his wrong idea and his lack of self-awareness, but he was determined. There was nothing we could do but send him away. But to be honest, I quite like him, if only he had an older brother on his team who was willing to indulge and pamper him."
"His path will definitely be smoother."
Miller: "I was very close to being traded. Larry approached me and said that a young guy on the team wanted him to trade me. I was terrified, really terrified! I thought it was Lin's idea, after all, in Indiana, only Lin has the status to say that."
"When Colary said it was Jay Chou, how did I react? Well, I was like, 'Screw you!'"
Bird: "Jaylen used to get along well with us. I acknowledge his attitude, ability, and ambition. He once desperately wanted to make the All-Star team, and I'm happy to see his progress over the years. After all, he wouldn't have made such great progress if he were with the Pacers."
"But he's not perfect either. He gave me an ultimatum: trade Reggie and Joe, or trade him. There was no third option. I had to make an incredibly difficult choice."
The Pacers' Big Three's successive statements have effectively cemented Rose's place on the pillar of shame.
Some teams were initially quite interested in this guy who was capable but had a sharp tongue, but as soon as the Pacers' trio spoke, everyone immediately realized what was going on.
Good grief, he's foul-mouthed, lacks self-awareness, a locker room bomb, provoks authoritative players, and causes trouble everywhere, getting the team beaten up several times for no reason...
Who would dare to spend a lot of money to acquire a player like that?
So almost overnight, the Raptors, who had previously received many good offers, found that the number of teams discussing trades with them suddenly decreased significantly, and even those that were still willing to talk to them offered significantly less in terms of assets and offers.
Simply put, the Raptors' Derrick Rose will either be a liability or sold at a discount.
That same night, Raptors general manager Isaiah Thomas called Bird: "You damn bastard! You stupid idiot! Are you messing with me? What have I ever done to you? Why the hell do you have to say something now?"
"Do you think it's easy for me to sell a player? Huh? You've ruined my team! You bastard! You think I won't shoot your stupid face?!"
"I did it on purpose, Isaiah," Bird grinned, showing no embarrassment whatsoever for tricking his old buddy. "I sold your first-round pick to Cleveland, and I have to do my job properly afterward! I promised them at least a top-five pick, and I'm trying my best to keep my promise, aren't I?"
"You know I'm a man of my word!"
"Fuck you! Go to hell!" Thomas cursed as he hung up the phone; he was truly in a precarious situation.
Externally, Rose can no longer fetch a high price. The best approach is to keep a low profile, wait out this period of high demand, and then put Rose up for sale at the trade deadline or during the offseason.
The problem is that there isn't much harmony within the Raptors team these days.
The troublemaker was Rose again. He missed two consecutive practices because he heard that the team was going to trade him again. His playing style in the game became more and more selfish. His teammates on the Raptors also became more and more disgusted with this leader who was not very good.
The one who probably regrets it the most is Crosher. This former 10th overall pick in the first round was traded by the Pacers because he believed Rose's bad advice and rebelled with him. Now he is with the Raptors and is regarded as Rose's stalwart, and is isolated along with Rose.
What terrible things have I done?!
Thomas angrily hung up the phone and sat in his office, pondering strategies. He wanted to find a way to change the team's current predicament.
Of course, the most painful thing for him is that both of his future draft picks are in the hands of others, which makes it impossible for him to even tank!
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting! My ex was such an idiot, giving up so many first-round draft picks for Rose, making it impossible for me to make any moves now!
After hesitating for a moment, Thomas sighed, picked up the phone, and dialed: "I agree to that deal you guys made before, two first-round draft picks plus something to get Jaylen! What? The price dropped? One? FUXX! Screw you!"
After angrily hanging up the phone, Thomas persisted and picked it up again.
He needs to talk to someone again!
……
Rose's trade is not a big deal in the league. All teams are still continuing their games and seasons, and they will not stop because of this.
By late December, the Pacers had a terrifying record of 28 wins and 4 losses, firmly holding the top spot in the league and leaving all other teams far behind!
For example, the Lakers, currently ranked second in the league and first in the Western Conference, only have a record of 25 wins and 7 losses. They are closely followed by the Heat with 25 wins and 8 losses, and then the Portland Trail Blazers with 21 wins and 10 losses and the San Antonio Spurs with 20 wins and 11 losses.
Based on their current record, the Pacers have almost secured the mid-season championship!
And unless there is another large-scale injury crisis, they are very likely to lock in the regular season championship this season!
Their momentum is simply too strong!
They are number one in almost every offensive statistic in the league, including average net points, field goal percentage, fast break points, three-point percentage, three-pointers made, assists, and points per 100 possessions!
The current Pacers, while their defense ranks only around 10th in the league, their offense is undoubtedly number one! And it's a league-leading number one, far ahead of all other teams!
Leading by a significant margin!
Such a powerful attack brought not only continuous victories, but also the fans' wild praise!
As of late December, four of the top ten players in jersey sales this season are Pacers players!
They are Lin Tian in first place, Carter in fifth place, Miller in eighth place, and Weber in ninth place!
In terms of sneaker sales, AND 1, thanks to popular players such as Lin Tian, Carter, and Williams, surpassed established sneaker brands like Adidas, Reebok, and Converse, ranking second only to Nike in the overall sneaker sales chart!
The gamble that the three founders of AND 1 made on Lin Tian back then has finally paid off, making them incredibly wealthy!
Also worth mentioning is the GG "Street Dance Storm," which was proposed by Lin Tian and signed at the end. After about 10 months of airing, it has become the most popular and beloved sneaker GG in the United States!
The surge in AND1 sneaker sales is also largely attributable to this GG!
Another piece of good news was told to Lin Tian by Austin, one of the founders of AND1.
"Street Dance Storm" has been shortlisted for both the Chicago Moby GG Awards (results to be announced in February next year) and the Miami Creo GG Awards (results to be announced in February next year), and has a good chance of winning both!
The most likely winner is the Mobius Award, since the selection and voting for this award have already ended. Austin used his connections to find out that "Street Dance Storm" is very popular!
Regardless of whether they win the award or not, these two awards are known as the five most important GG awards in the world. Not every single person who wins this award will eventually make a name for themselves in the GG world and become a powerful figure.
Well, Lin Tian wasn't embarrassed at all, and said that if he could win an award, he would definitely go to Chicago or Miami to support him!
I copied it openly and honestly!
As time goes by, the most important holiday of the year for Americans is just around the corner.
Christmas!
As is customary, the league has scheduled three of the most anticipated and exciting matchups on this day. These three games are basically the three regular season matchups that fans across the United States most want to see and look forward to!
This year's three matchups are: New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers!
A head-to-head battle between the East and West coasts, a clash between Shaq and Ewing, a showdown between Kobe and Houston's two generations of shooting guards! A crucial game between the Western Conference's top seed and... well, the Eastern Conference's eighth seed.
Stern, watching this game, was actually filled with regret!
Knowing that Ewing was injured and didn't return until mid-December, and that his performance after returning was terrible, and that the Knicks' record wasn't great either, he wouldn't have let the Knicks and Lakers play each other on Christmas Day!
Simply put, it's a waste!
Both teams have the highest popularity, the largest market, and the hottest topics in the United States. However, given the current state of these two teams, a matchup on Christmas Day would obviously not achieve a synergistic effect, especially considering that there are two other matchups scheduled for Christmas. This matchup would seem like a waste.
If Jordan hadn't retired and Ewing was still in top form, this matchup would have been quite exciting, but now it's a bit lacking!
Stern would rather have the Lakers face the Pacers! It would be better to have these two teams with the best records play a top-level matchup than to waste the Knicks' time here!
Unfortunately, the schedule has already been set and there's no time to change it.
Then it's Pacers vs. Trail Blazers!
The Trail Blazers are currently ranked second in the Western Conference. Their star-studded strategy is becoming more and more refined. There is no absolute core player on the team, but everyone who steps up is a great player!
The team clearly has huge ambitions and aspirations this year, and they have been one of the most active and decisive teams in the entire league during this offseason.
They traded Isaiah Riddle, the team's former leading scorer, for the Hawks' tall guard Steve Smith, who was an All-Star three years ago; they acquired Scottie Pippen from the Rockets; and signed former All-Star center "German Cannon" Schrempf from the SuperSonics for two years and $4.4 million.
In addition, the team already has strong players such as Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, Arvydas Sabonis, Brian Grant, and Bonzi Wells!
Although they don't have any truly top-tier stars, no one dares to underestimate this team's fighting spirit and strength.
In addition, this team also has nicknames such as "Portland Prison", "Portland Exiles", and "Portland Criminals". From these nicknames, it can be seen that it is more appropriate to call it a criminal concentration camp than a basketball team!
Drunk driving, speeding, prostitution, illegal possession of firearms, domestic violence, street fighting, animal abuse, illicit ties with gang members...
To put it another way, Stoudemire, nicknamed "Little Flying Squirrel," who would drink a little and speed at 200 mph on the highway before being pulled over by the police, and Rasheed Wallace, nicknamed "Roaring God" for his habit of swearing at referees, are like dutiful children in this team!
These two matchups are considered the highlights of this Christmas Day game, while the last match is for fans who like to see new players.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Jersey Nets!
The Nets have two young rookie stars, Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn, and they have just acquired Rick Smits, a veteran player from the Pacers. As for the 76ers, they have Allen Iverson, a superstar who is second in the scoring list this year!
This matchup will be a feast for the eyes of fans who love watching star players score high, especially young guards!
Three matches, three different styles—no matter what, fans can find a match they like and enjoy watching.
Lin Tian has played against the Trail Blazers quite a few times in the past two years, so he knows the team very well!
Moreover, it's to the point that ordinary people don't believe it.
How should I put it? He knew each player on the Trail Blazers team's drinking capacity, their preferences for women, what kind of venues they liked to go to, and how they liked to behave there.
For example, Rashid, who was tall and imposing, preferred smaller women around 160 cm tall, while Damon Stoudamire, who was less than 180 cm tall, preferred standard Western women of similar height with breasts bigger than his head.
As for Sabonis, who came from Europe, he preferred Latina girls who also had exotic features.
As for Scottie Pippen, who was already an old acquaintance of Lin Tian, there was no need to say more; Lin Tian even knew how long he could last.
As for your question about why Lin Tian knows so much about this?
Lin Tian didn't actually want to know this much.
But what's that saying again?
You can't hit someone who's smiling.
For example, right now.
On the afternoon before the Christmas battle, Lin Tian drove a minibus and waited outside a five-star hotel in Indiana.
The location he chose was very secluded; not only was it hidden from the police, but it also offered an excellent view, allowing him to clearly see everything happening at the hotel entrance.
Lin Tiandu felt that if he hadn't discovered and occupied this spot, it would definitely be a VIP parking space reserved for paparazzi!
A few minutes later, Lin Tian saw several tall figures file out of the hotel lobby.
"Scott!" Lin Tian stuck his head out of the car window, shouted in that direction, then slapped the car body twice before retreating back inside.
Hearing the commotion, the burly men over there immediately walked over.
Then Lin Tian pulled open the car door, and Trail Blazers players Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, Steve Smith, Bonzi Wells, Domantas Sabonis, Damon Stoudamire, and others lined up to get into the car.
"Boss Lin, this car of yours is so creative!" Rashid looked around the vehicle after getting in, with an expression of discovery, and said, "Driving a minibus to have some fun, those damn paparazzi and reporters will never expect to see us!"
"Don't call me Boss Lin, it sounds awful." Lin Tian pouted, clearly resistant to the title.
"How about I call you 'boss'? I've seen that's what the henchmen in gangster movies call their bosses," Brian Grant suggested.
"You guys are too young! You don't understand anything." The oldest, Sabonis, squinted and grinned mischievously. "I've seen a few Chinese movies. Someone like Lin should be called 'Red Rod'! That means the most powerful and toughest boss!"
"Red Stick?" Lin Tian was stunned for a long time before he understood what Sabonis, that old rogue, meant.
"Yes! That's the pronunciation I heard! You see, Lin really likes this! Oh, and there's another word, which I just learned: Daboule flower red rod! It means 'King of Thugs'!" The old European rogue smiled mysteriously again, showing off his bizarre knowledge base.
"Double Flower Red Stick, right?" Lin Tian shook his head, unable to figure out where this European had learned these words. He simply stepped on the gas and drove towards the venue he had prepared.
Although Lin Tian didn't say anything, the other guys on the Pioneers immediately got excited and started discussing giving Lin Tian a really awesome nickname!
"DFRR!" Rashid was the first to speak. "That's what we'll call it! It's an abbreviation of four letters, and that's exactly the kind of vibe I like best."
"You uncreative idiot," Steve Smith retorted without hesitation. "It's awful! Listen to mine: DF Daboule R! How about that? Isn't it way better than yours?"
"Go to hell! Did you even go to college, you idiot?" Rashid gave Smith the middle finger, implying that Smith's idea was nothing special.
"How about we call him Lin... Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology?" A voice muttered timidly from the corner. Everyone looked over and saw a sturdy, dark-skinned man, Jermaine O'Neal, whom the team had drafted four years ago but hadn't gotten much playing time.
Well, if Lin Tian hadn't suddenly joined the Pacers, this guy would have had a turnaround next season, joined the Pacers and quickly developed into the team's leader, becoming one of the league's top power forwards!
But now, the Pacers' style of play is completely incompatible with this guy, so they probably won't bring him in. In that case, who knows when this guy will be able to turn things around?
"Hey Jermaine, that's interesting." Bonzi Wells patted his younger teammate on the shoulder in approval. Both were substitutes on the team and young players, so they got along very well.
However, the others completely ignored what Jermaine O'Neal, a supporting player, was saying. The Trail Blazers' team culture doesn't include helping younger players develop; they were still talking about their own things.
"I really didn't expect you to get along so well with these bastards," Pippen said, sitting next to Lin Tian. "I thought these scoundrels wouldn't submit to anyone."
"Would you believe me, Scott, if I said I didn't expect them to like me this much?" Lin Tian shook his head helplessly.
He was telling the truth. He didn't know why he was so liked by this group of pioneer thugs. When they first showed him this almost worshipful goodwill, Lin Tian's first reaction was: This is definitely a scam!
These bastards definitely want to get themselves drunk, put them in sacks, and throw them into the Mississippi River!
But after several encounters, Lin Tian discovered that this group of people actually did admire him to some extent...
Even Stoudemire, who had a minor grudge against him a few years ago, has become his little fanboy.
After thinking it over carefully, Lin Tian felt that it was probably because his actions on the court, especially the time he taught the entire Jazz team a lesson, had subdued these thugs.
They were so obedient that they would bow down to Lin Tian as soon as they saw him, insisting on calling him "Big Brother." If they weren't so ignorant, Lin Tian believed that this group of people would definitely burn joss paper, chop up a rooster, set up an altar, and immediately become his disciples, following him from then on.
Anyway, that's how it is. Lin Tian inexplicably became the spiritual leader of the NBA's number one hooligan group. Every time the two sides played a game, this group of people would ask to get together with Lin Tian and make a scene to show their admiration!
(End of this chapter)