LRAB Chapter 152 Assaulting the Referee? Mona Lisa Opens a Bottle
Chapter 152 Assaulting the Referee? Mona Lisa Opens a Bottle
Chapter 152 Assaulting the Referee? Mona Lisa opened a bottle of pure draft beer!
"Oh my God! What have we just seen?!"
"A new sprinter! A completely new sprinter!"
"Michael Lin!"
"Insane hang time! Terrifying gliding distance! At this moment, Lin is possessed by the spirit of Drexler!"
"That was terrifying! What did I just see?"
The fans and DJs at the scene went wild because of Lin Tian's shot!
Extremely long gliding distance, perfect turning timing, powerful combat ability and core strength, plus an almost unbelievable feel.
All of these factors combined resulted in Lin Tian's incredible buzzer-beating layup!
"That shot! Absolutely a work of art! Lin's shot can be called the Mona Lisa of the basketball court! So gorgeous! So imaginative! Let's watch it again, no, let's watch the replay 10 more times! Someone go tell our director not to show GG during the break!"
"Let's play Lin's layup on repeat! Keep playing it!"
Marcus, who was also commentating on the game tonight, went completely wild once again! That buzzer-beater was so powerful that he was speechless!
Then, something even more incoherent happened—
"Lin is up on the floor! He's going to celebrate! Let's see what kind of move he'll make to celebrate this flawless round! What move will he make to match this historic round? We see, Lin, Lin throws a punch! Is he going to celebrate with a fake jab?"
"His direction... his direction seems a bit off! Oh no! He hit it! Lin hit Crawford!"
"Bang!"
A muffled thud came from Lin Tian's fist!
After making the layup, Lin Tian lost his balance. The first thing he did after getting up was to open his mouth wide and cheer wildly. Then he clenched his fist, turned around, and swung it behind him!
It seems he wanted to express his excitement with a jab aimed at the air!
This way of celebrating is not uncommon.
When Jordan made "the shot" that eliminated the Cavaliers in the playoffs, he jumped up and threw a series of punches into the sky!
Similar celebrations familiar to 21st-century audiences include McGrady's backhand punch after scoring 13 points in 35 seconds, Tyson Chandler's series of punches after a game-winning block in his later years, and Boozer's "severing genitals" punch after scoring a 2+1 play during his time with the Bulls. All of these are similar celebrations!
Lin Tian's move, to be honest, was more like Jordan's move, with his whole body fully extended, clearly showing that he was using all his strength.
In terms of momentum, it's more like Chandler's move, both of them opening their mouths wide and celebrating with a roar. In terms of style and demeanor, it's more like McGrady's move!
Well, in terms of the result, it's more like what happened with Boozer; there were people standing behind him too!
Crawford let out a scream and fell to his knees!
Lin Tian's punch almost made him vomit his dinner from the night before!
Crawford knelt on the ground, gagging and coughing incessantly, feeling as if his internal organs were all tangled up.
"I didn't mean to, I swear." Lin Tian squatted down next to Crawford and said, "I really didn't mean to make you infertile, I really didn't mean to hit you there."
"Missed it!" Crawford managed to say, enduring the excruciating pain, before feeling like he almost couldn't catch his breath and collapsed back onto the floor.
Thankfully, I didn't hit it.
Lin Tian swore he really didn't see Crawford behind him; he was quite startled.
What happened? Suddenly, a big black rat appeared behind me.
Lin Tian almost tripped over himself.
At this moment, the doctors on the sidelines rushed onto the field to check if Crawford was alright, while Lin Tian kept an eye on Crawford.
What should we do?
Do you still need to use the revenge plan you've already devised?
If you don't use it, then you've wasted your time thinking about it.
But continuing to use it seems a bit inhumane!
I've been hitting myself so hard I'm convulsing!
Seeing Crawford's miserable state, Lin Tian kept scratching his head, wondering if he should go and apologize.
But at this moment, the fans in the United Center were already laughing. The big screen was playing Lin Tian's buzzer-beating layup over and over again, and, unfortunately, the footage would freeze on the moment Lin Tian punched Crawford in the stomach every time.
Even Marcus and Smith in the CBS studio were almost unable to hold back their excitement.
If these two weren't both veterans with over a decade of experience in the commentary industry, they would probably be laughing their heads off right now.
This is such a coincidence! This is hilarious!
How do I put it when someone makes an epic layup and then punches the referee?
It's like Mona Lisa, after smiling, suddenly picking up a bottle of draft beer, biting it open with her teeth, and shouting, "Hey! We're all brothers who have fun together!"
It just feels really out of place!
But no matter how incongruous it seemed, it happened. For the next 20 years, whenever someone rewatched Lin Tian's incredibly spectacular 1-on-4 layup, they would inevitably take another look at the scene of Lin Tian punching Crawford in the stomach.
What is meant by "gap moe" (or "contrast-cuteness")?
That's the charm of unexpected cuteness!
"Do you think Lin did it on purpose? Was that punch to get revenge for the technical foul he got for no reason in the very first second of the game?" Marcus suddenly asked Smith with a wicked grin.
"I think instead of speculating here whether Lin did it on purpose, let's see what Crawford will do now. Will he give Lin a second technical foul and eject him from the game?"
Smith, a seasoned veteran, was not so easily fooled. He quickly gave a near-perfect answer, drawing all the audience's attention back to the game.
Crawford, rubbing his stomach and looking pale, stood up and walked step by step to the monitor, turned on the playback, and began to watch.
Once, twice, three times.
Crawford watched the surveillance footage of the previous round over and over again.
The audience at the stadium and those watching on television watched the replay on the big screen in the center of the stadium again and again.
The more closely Crawford looked, the happier the fans in the stadium laughed.
That's why it's said that at its core, comedy is tragedy.
This punch is the best proof!
After watching the monitor replay more than 20 times, Crawford finally turned around, found the technicians, and announced his ruling.
"2 points are valid!"
Gone!
Just this one sentence!
Crawford watched it 20 times and only noticed that Lin Tian's shot was indeed released before the light came on, so it was definitely valid!
As for Lin Tian's punch...
Crawford watched it more than 20 times but couldn't find any evidence to prove that Lin Tian did it on purpose.
Because Lin Tian never looked in his direction from beginning to end, and he did indeed appear to be randomly waving his fist in celebration.
Regardless of whether Crawford admits it or not, he can only assume that Lin Tian's punch was unintentional.
After all, even if it was a punch, it was an accident that occurred after the game time had ended, and Crawford really couldn't find an excuse to give Lin Tian another technical foul.
After all, according to the rules of the NBA and the basketball world, during the game, the referees are an invisible wall; any basketball or player that touches them is treated as if they have only touched thin air.
Since Lin Tian couldn't find evidence that this was intentional, Crawford had no choice but to endure it.
At least, it didn't harm his descendants, right? Even if Crawford doesn't really need this thing anymore...
During the break in the first quarter, Cowens didn't go to Rice to say anything this time. He felt that Rice hadn't been beaten enough.
He needs to be beaten up a few more times before he realizes his good intentions.
Not to mention that there was a nearly 30-point deficit after the first quarter. Instead of wasting energy thinking about how to catch up, it would be better to just lie back and let the Bulls completely wake Rice up!
Cowens had even made up his mind to prepare. If Rice could be woken up and realize his mistake, Cowens would study some useful tactics and have a good fight with the Bulls and Phil Jackson. Even if they couldn't beat the Bulls and were swept, Cowens believed that the Hornets' future was bright!
But if the Bulls can't wake Rice up, if he plays like this for four consecutive games, then he'll quit after the series! He won't even take the rest of his salary! With that kind of stubbornness, if Cowens continues coaching, he feels he'll definitely make money but not live to spend it!
He'll be furious!
To avoid being driven mad by Rice, the first thing Cowens did was to stop talking to Rice and also prevent Rice from having a chance to talk to him!
Go back to the court and get thrashed!
I'm not going to bother with that!
Trailing by nearly 30 points in the first quarter, the team's key player was completely shut down by the opponent, and his performance was no different from that of an undercover agent. The head coach also completely gave up and did not think about how to close the gap.
The outcome of this game for the Hornets is predictable.
In this game, Jordan finally didn't score 50 points again, but he still managed to score 37 points in just 3 quarters, shooting 18 of 22 from the field, 1 of 1 from 3-point range, and without a single free throw! Although his shooting percentage was still over 80%, at least Jordan didn't score 50 points tonight.
The only good news for the Hornets is that Rice didn't break the NBA record for most turnovers tonight, but that's all.
他最后只失误了10次，和88-89赛季的凯文·詹森以及93-94赛季的安芬尼·哈达威并列NBA季后赛单场失误榜第一名！
Aside from failing to set a new record with a nightmarish 10 turnovers, the Hornets really had no good news tonight...
Rice continued his stubbornness, putting on a performance that completely blew the United Center's rim off its feet: he made only 1 of 15 shots and scored a total of just 3 points in the entire game!
Jordan's tight defense, coupled with the Bulls' seamless help defense, rotation defense, and rotation defense, made Rice feel like he had taken a trip to hell rather than playing a game in Chicago tonight.
That's so tragic!
Even Rice, even though he was incredibly confident before tonight, even though he dared to yell at Jordan during the game.
After that night, he finally calmed down.
As Cowens wished, he was finally intimidated, and Rice finally began to consider whether he should not play like this and whether he had made the wrong choice.
At least, in the post-game press conference, Rice didn't say anything like "I will beat Jordan," or "I will let the whole world know my name and know that I am no worse than Jordan."
His war of words with Jordan has finally come to a temporary end.
Jordan himself had no interest in chasing after a drowning dog, especially one he had beaten so badly and without any resistance. He almost never answered reporters' questions about Rice.
Bullying the weak is something that should be done occasionally, but chasing and beating them up every day is a bit pointless.
After securing another easy two-game winning streak at home, the Bulls have won 13 straight games since last year's Eastern Conference Finals. They have gone four series without a loss, and the team's dominance is becoming increasingly frightening.
What they need to do next is bring this fear and oppression to Charlotte, so that the people of Charlotte can experience the terror of Jordan and the Bulls up close!
At this moment, inside the Charlotte Hornets' home training facility, the Hornets are preparing for their first practice since returning to their home court.
Cowens, instead of starting training, sat down and looked at Rice, saying, "Glenn, tell me, after such a poor performance away from home, what are your thoughts on our next two home games?"
"Coach, I'm very confident! I still believe we can win! At least we haven't lost a single home game, and we still have a chance to tie the score at 2-2 at home! I believe my brothers and I can do it!"
Looking at Rice's confident and determined eyes, Cowens couldn't help but nod.
This guy, although he's single-minded, not very bright, likes to deceive himself, and has no self-awareness and can't see his own position, at least he's very good at wanting to win and having confidence!
At the very least, with the Hornets currently demoralized and everyone thinking about ending the season and going on vacation, Rice still maintains a very strong desire to win!
It wasn't a waste of all the energy I spent on him!
As long as there is progress, everything is negotiable!
Next, let's see how I, Cowens, use my skills to give the Bulls a good thrashing in Charlotte! Let the world know that we, the Charlotte Hornets, are not to be trifled with!
"I already know why we lost the first two games!" Rice patted his chest and said, "I lost because I was too high-profile, too flamboyant. I provoked Jordan and the Bulls too early, allowing them to prepare thoroughly and study my playing style, which is why I kept falling into their defensive traps!"
Cowens listened to Rice's words and nodded repeatedly.
This kid's not bad!
That's why they say failure is the mother of success.
"So! This time I didn't give any interviews before the game, and I didn't say a single boast to the media. I wanted the whole world to think that I was scared, that I was cowardly! That way, the Bulls would let their guard down!"
"Well said! That's exactly right, Glenn! Remember, temporary setbacks are not terrible; they will only become stepping stones on our road to success! They will be the most beautiful scenery on our path to success! The more painful the failure, the sweeter the success will be! Glenn, I'm so glad you realize this!"
"Thank you, Coach!" Encouraged by Cowens, Rice said with even more confidence, "So, in Game 3, the Bulls definitely won't put up any high-intensity, targeted defense against me. They'll definitely let their guard down. At that point, if you spread out and let me continue to go one-on-one against Jordan, I'll definitely be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort and make Jordan run away with his head in his hands!"
"You mean..." Cowens started to say, then his eyes widened as he stared at Rice in disbelief.
What did that idiot just say?
Am I just too old and hallucinating?
"Coach, do you also think I'm right?" Rice saw Cowens looking at him and assumed that Cowens was impressed by his courage and confidence, so he immediately asked with a smile.
"You little brat, you're such a pain in the neck!" Cowens yelled angrily. "Are you out of your mind? Do you even know how to play basketball? If you like playing one-on-one so much, go play tennis or even box! What are you doing playing ball here?!"
"You still want to challenge Jordan?! You still want to challenge Jordan?! Are you out of your mind? Can't you see that Jordan could easily crush you with one hand? He could hang you up and whip you however he wanted? You two aren't even in the same league!"
"When will you finally realize this?!"
Cowens's voice grew louder and louder, eventually turning into a roar. He yelled at Rice, "You idiot! If you want to keep losing by 5-60 points in two consecutive home games, then keep going one-on-one! But if you, you damn idiot, want to win, then you'd better listen to me!"
"Get it?! Listen to me! Play according to my instructions! Don't go and provoke that damn Jordan! Understand? You can't beat him! I'll say it again, you piece of trash, you'll never beat Jordan in your life, get it?!"
"Teach...practice?" Rice never expected that the usually refined, calm, and elegant Cowens would unleash such a loud and frantic roar. Slightly bewildered by the outburst, he tentatively asked, "Coach, can I try again, even just one more quarter?"
"Try my ass! You want to try, huh? Fine! I'll resign right now! I'm not putting up with you anymore! I'm going to hand in my resignation to management right now! Then, you can play however you want, okay? If you're happy, you can even be the coach yourself! Okay?" Cowens had completely lost his temper and was yelling at Rice.
"No, Coach, I'm willing to listen to you." Rice was terrified by Cowens's almost frantic roar and fierce attitude.
He swallowed hard and immediately admitted defeat.
"I'll fight however you tell me to."
Cowens, panting heavily, looked at Rice and finally nodded in satisfaction.
At the same time, he cursed himself in his heart.
FUXX! If I had known it was this simple, if I had known that a good yelling would solve the problem, I would have yelled at you, you idiot, during halftime of the first game! If I had yelled then, the score might be 1-1 now!
Fortunately, it's not too late!
In addition, starting from the night after the second game of the series, the league finally stopped holding back and began to announce the major awards for the regular season!
Moreover, this time, the announcement included many awards at once!
The first awards announced were for two management positions: Best Manager and Best Head Coach.
The Best Manager award was given to Donnie Walsh of the Knicks, who made sweeping changes to the team after taking office, trading away Mason and bringing in Houston and James, making the team's roster stronger and more balanced!
Of course, the biggest reason he won this award was actually because he got Ewing to sign that one-year, $3 million contract! Although they didn't end up with Jordan, Walsh's move saved the Knicks owner at least $15 million! What owner wouldn't like a general manager like that?
The job was done, and money was saved. There's no manager better than this!
As for the Best Coach award, it was taken by Pat Riley of the Miami Heat, who has been constantly overhauling the team since last season.
He successfully acquired Mashburn at a low price and traded him for "Beetle" Hardaway. He also made good use of two second-year players, Leonard and Danilovic, and brought in defensive stalwart PJ Brown and veteran Dan Mali.
Through a series of moves and acquisitions, brilliant draft picks and skillful use of talent, Riley transformed the Heat from a team that barely made the playoffs with 45 wins last season to one of the league's top powerhouses this year, achieving a franchise-best regular season record of 61 wins!
The name of the Master Calculator resounds throughout the martial arts world once again!
Many people even say that it was precisely because Riley's actions, which started last season and continued intermittently for two seasons, that he missed out on the Best Manager award and suffered a great loss.
But if last year's and this year's best general managers were combined into one, then Riley would definitely be elected by a landslide!
Perhaps it was because he suffered a setback in the Best Manager selection that he was able to win another Coach of the Year award from Jackson and Sloan!
All I can say is that it all comes down to human relationships and social dynamics.
Next, the league announced the Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie Team for this season.
Allen Iverson, with his All-Star caliber averages of 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, was unsurprisingly elected Rookie of the Year with a high number of votes!
The All-Rookie First Team consists of Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace, Camby, Stephon Marbury, and Kemba Walker!
Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Kittles, Knight, and Maloney were all selected to the All-Rookie Second Team!
Next, the Sixth Man of the Year award went to John Starks of the Knicks, while the Defensive Player of the Year award was given to Dikembe Mutombo, known as "The African Mountain." This was Mutombo's second time winning the award in his career, and more and more people believe that he is the best defensive center in the league today!
The All-Defensive Team, which is always closely associated with Meng Keqiang's best defensive player, was also announced by the league around the same time.
Jordan and Pippen were selected together again, and together with Malone, Mutombo and Gary Payton, they formed the league's most defensively capable five-man lineup.
The All-Defensive Second Team consists of Blaylock, PJ Brown, Anthony Mason Jr., Hakeem Olajuwon, and John Stockton.
It's worth mentioning that Lin Tian earned several votes for the All-Defensive Team with 1.8 steals per game. Although he is still far from being selected, at least his name will be seen!
Next, the winner of this season's Most Improved Player award was announced!
The moment the results of this award were announced, they immediately caused a huge uproar!
The reason is simple: no matter how you look at it, the recipient is somewhat unworthy of the award.
The award goes to Isaac Austin from the Miami Heat, a player whose name, when mentioned, would elicit a question mark from 99% of people: "Who is this guy?"
It's not surprising that no one recognizes him, because he hasn't appeared on the NBA court for two whole seasons. His last appearance in the NBA was in the 93-94 season, when he played 14 games for the 76ers, averaging only 5 points and 5 rebounds per game, making him a complete bit player.
After that, he couldn't find a job for two whole years until he joined the Heat this season and became an important member of the Heat team. This season, he is averaging 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and is a typical blue-collar player who can finish off easy baskets.
His award has led many to question the league's selection process, given that after Austin, there are Rasheed Wallace, Doug Christie, Glen Rice, and others in line!
In terms of progress, team contribution, popularity among fans, and actual fighting ability, which of these people is not better than Austin?
Unless the league's criteria for selection is that Austin didn't play a single game last season and all his stats were zero, but this season he played all 82 games and averaged 9+5, and the league counted his improvement as going from 0+0 to 9+5, then he would indeed deserve the award.
In addition to the speculation, the league has also provided its explanation, stating that one of the biggest criteria for selecting the Most Improved Player is unexpected and tremendous improvement! This award is to recognize players who can improve in ways you wouldn't expect.
Therefore, the progress of players like Rasheed, Christie, and Rice was described by the league and voters as "expected progress," while Austin's progress was described as "unexpected progress," which is why the award was given to Austin.
No matter how the league explains it, this award has caused great dissatisfaction and a lot of discussion among fans. Almost no one thinks that Austin deserves this award!
Some even speculate that Austin might be Stern's illegitimate son, which is why he was able to receive an award that he absolutely shouldn't have received under his father's protection.
Of course, the most noteworthy player in this award selection is Lin Tian, who came in second!
本赛季的林天场均能够拿下18.3分9.5次助攻3.9篮板1.8次抢断，怎幺看都已经迈入了一流后卫的行列！联盟中比他数据更好的组织后卫，绝对不超过5个！
Compared to last season's 15.2 points, 4.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, Lin Tian's scoring has increased by 3.1, his assists by 4.8, his rebounds by 1.8, and his steals by 0.2. It can be said that Lin Tian has made all-round improvements this season!
Not to mention that when Lin Tian was leading the team alone this season, he also put up a perfect 27+10 stat line in a single month. He not only led the team to a perfect record, but was also selected for the All-Star Game and won the All-Star Game MVP!
Whether it's the extent of his improvement, his team's performance, his exposure, or his highlights, Lin Tian is clearly the "most improved player".
Unfortunately, the only thing he didn't meet was that inexplicable rule of the league.
As a player who made a name for himself and won the championship last season, Lin Tian's progress was obviously "expected progress", which is why he was unable to surpass Austin and could only rank second among the most improved players!
While fans were furiously condemning the award, even bringing up racism, Lin Tian himself seemed indifferent to it.
It's just a MIP, not an MVP. Whether you have it or not, it really doesn't make much difference!
If the MVP award were to be snatched away from him by the league in any given year, Lin Tian would probably have to give it a good talking-to and have a heated debate with everyone!
Right now, he's just the most improved player, nothing to brag about!
Not to mention that although this award sounds impressive, Lin Tian is very aware of the curse associated with it!
McGrady, O'Neal, Arenas, Simmons, Ellis, Granger, Brooks, Paul George...
These exceptionally talented individuals, which one of them didn't suffer a serious injury within two years of winning the award? Among this group, there are at least five unlucky guys who missed the entire season due to injuries and had to take a year off!
This award is really not worth accepting!
Then, on the night before the game, the league probably thought that since so many awards had already been released, or maybe they thought that since everyone was criticizing the Most Improved Player award selection, they would bring out something more worthy of debate among the fans, so that they could have a good argument!
After all, how could the NBA, a league of its own, allow countless fans to argue so fiercely over something as trivial as Austin and MIP? It's too shameful! If you want to argue, argue about the annual roster! That's what's befitting the image and strength of the NBA!
Thus, the All-Star Team of the Year has been officially announced!
Just one day before Game 3 of the Bulls-Hornets series, one of the biggest mysteries of the regular season was revealed!
First up is the All-NBA First Team, which includes Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Grant Hill, Michael Jordan, and Tim Hardaway.
The selection of these five players to the All-NBA First Team is largely expected. Apart from Hardaway's somewhat lackluster stats and the fact that he is not the team's leader on the Heat, which led to some controversy regarding his selection, the other four are virtually uncontroversial.
The second lineup consists of Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Glen Rice, Gary Payton, and Mitch Richmond.
There's really not much to argue about with this lineup; all five players are either dominant forces in their respective regions or the second-in-command of top teams.
Perhaps the biggest controversy is that, given that Payton and Hardaway have similar individual statistics, Payton's better defense makes him the team's leader, and many people feel that he deserves to be on the All-NBA First Team more!
The third team consisted of Shaquille O'Neal, Vin Baker, Anthony Mason Jr., Anfernee Hardaway, and Lin Tian!
To be honest, there's not much to argue about with this lineup. Apart from Lin Tian, all the players selected are established NBA stars who have been around for a long time. Their stats and records absolutely deserve a spot on the All-NBA team!
Lin Tian's selection is somewhat controversial, because the person who was squeezed out of the All-NBA team by Lin Tian is none other than John Stockton, a veteran NBA guard from the Utah Jazz!
In fact, comparing the two players, in terms of statistics, Lin Tian's 18+9 is comparable to Stockton's 14+10, so they are evenly matched. However, in terms of record, the Bulls have 70 wins, and even though the Jazz have 64 wins, the Bulls still have a slight advantage.
It seems reasonable for either of them to be selected for the third team.
However, many fans felt that Stockton had a higher status, more seniority, and was the Jazz's second-in-command, making him more important to the team, while Lin Tian was only the Bulls' third-in-command and far less important than Stockton. In addition, Lin Tian was relatively inexperienced, so it was somewhat unreasonable for him to be selected for the All-NBA Team.
Of course, many fans also believe that Lin Tian's performance was more outstanding. His performance in January when Jordan was not playing was something Stockton never achieved in his entire life. At the same time, he averaged 4 more points per game than Stockton, but only 1 fewer assists. Even in terms of statistics, Lin Tian is better!
For a time, discussions about who deserved to be in the All-Star team more, Lin Tian or Stockton, were almost everywhere. Various media outlets seized the time to make the debate about who deserved to be in the All-Star team more heated in their programs before the game started!
Finally, when the next day arrived, and Stockton and Lin Tian appeared in Los Angeles and Charlotte respectively, countless reporters rushed towards the two of them, eager to ask them for their opinions on the best lineup!
Stockton appeared quite nonchalant when facing reporters. He shrugged and said, "I don't care. I've been on the All-NBA team many times. I don't need to be selected to prove my ability. Everyone knows how good I am. Lin's selection is well-deserved."
"So, you think Lin is better than you and deserves to be on the All-NBA Team more?" The reporters weren't about to let Stockton off the hook so easily; they immediately dug a huge hole for him.
Faced with this obvious pitfall, the self-important Stockton didn't hesitate and stated directly: "Lin definitely deserves to be on the All-NBA team, but if you ask me who should be selected more, I'll definitely tell you it's me! I'm better than Lin, I deserve to be on the All-NBA team more than anyone else, but I don't care at all!"
Stockton spoke lightly, but every reporter could see the resentment in his eyes, and they could also see that this old guy was definitely not as calm and carefree as he seemed!
He cares a lot! It's just that, being a seasoned veteran, there are some things he's too embarrassed to say.
At almost the same time, Lin Tian was also spotted by the media outside the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Faced with almost the same questions as Stockton, Lin Tian's answer was full of aggression: "I deserve any honor! I have that confidence, and I don't care what others think."
"If anyone disagrees, then step onto the court first. We're here, we're in Chicago, and we'll win every time!"
"Anyone disagree? No problem! If you're so capable, stand in front of me and let's settle this on the court! I'm confident I can defeat all challengers! I'm confident I can crush everyone who thinks I'm not good enough! If some people refuse to accept their age, if some people think that those with more experience should be included in the annual team."
"Then I can only pray for their stupidity, hoping they can be a little smarter and stop spouting nonsense about status, seniority, and years of service on the field of competitive sports! If experience and age are all that matters, have you forgotten that we have Parish on our team?"
"He's a living legend! He's the oldest guy in the league! With him around, can't we just go straight for the championship trophy?"
Lin Tian and Stockton's hostile remarks have excited many people! Especially since the Jazz and Bulls are the top seeds in the East and West respectively, and both are currently leading their opponents 2-0, there is a high chance that they will meet in this year's Finals!
Now, more and more people are looking forward to the Bulls and Jazz meeting in the Finals!
In Charlotte's visiting team locker room, Jackson once again sat comfortably on the table in the middle of the room. This time, there was no tactical board, no television, and no statistics.
Jackson sat there and said, "If Cowens isn't an idiot, the Hornets definitely won't play against us in this game like they did in the last two games, which was almost suicidal. They'll definitely start playing the right kind of basketball."
"That is, the offensive tactics they rely on in the regular season."
"Simply put, Rice is the main offensive player, but he doesn't have that much ball possession. The ball is mostly in the hands of Divac near the free-throw line and point guard Muggsy Bogues. What the Hornets are best at is not one-on-one play, but spreading out the whole team and taking advantage of the fact that everyone can shoot to fully stretch the space on the court."
"Use passing and shooting range to attack and move the opponent's defense around. Use pick-and-rolls and playmaking to create space for shooters. They have too many players who can shoot, which makes it impossible for us to find their real strengths and main offensive options. We can't leave any of them open, which stretches our defense out too much!"
"With their offense stretched thin, their shooters will find plenty of opportunities—either direct shots, drives to the basket, or cuts after pick-and-rolls. That's the Hornets' true strength!"
"So, in this game, we won't target Rice anymore. Instead, we'll play man-to-man. Everyone will find their assigned defensive partner, and no one is allowed to lose focus or get lost. We need to communicate on the court, and when we encounter their screens, we'll shout it out loud!"
"Tell your teammates how to defend, communicate! Against teams that play a passing, cutting, and shooting style, communication between teammates is paramount! Understand?"
"clear!"
(End of this chapter)