LRAB Chapter 42 The Flying Devil of Vic Forest!
Chapter 42 The Flying Devil of Vic Forest!
"Talking to you is exhausting," O'Neal complained. "You know what I'm going to ask, can't you be a little more proactive?"
"You know, I never talk about this," Lin Ze shrugged.
This is also one of the biggest differences between him and O'Neal and other black players.
The other guys were always happy to talk about their heroic deeds at night, but Lin Ze had little interest in it; he didn't like discussing it.
O'Neal knew his habit, so he could only shake his head helplessly and walk to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball.
Standing opposite him was his senior, one of the four great centers, "The Admiral" David Robinson.
He was also the one with the worst relationship with O'Neal among the four great centers.
Or rather, O'Neal really disliked him.
The two had a fierce scoring duel in the final game of the 1994 regular season.
That night, Robinson went on a scoring spree in an almost shameless manner, racking up a meaningless 71 points, thus narrowly defeating O'Neal to become that year's scoring champion.
It was from that incident that the petty-minded O'Neal began to hold a grudge against Robinson.
Every time O'Neal faced Robinson, he would bring extra energy and play with greater intensity.
"Second Private, are you ready to get blown up?" O'Neal started trash-talking as soon as he saw Robinson standing in front of him. "Want to switch? Let your little brother, oh no! Your big brother, jump the ball with me? Your knees can't jump anymore, can they?"
"That trash we swept in last year's Western Conference Finals is acting all high and mighty now?" Robinson scoffed. "Please, just beat me once in the playoffs! Even just one!"
"What does your winning streak last year have to do with you! Have some shame, you softie!" O'Neal snorted. "Did you score even one 15-point game in that series?"
"Hey Tim! Aren't you going to lend a hand? Your big brother is about to be roasted by Shaq." Lin Ze greeted Duncan, who was standing next to him.
Duncan first turned to look at O'Neal and Robinson, then slowly said, "It's okay, David is a veteran, he won't get angry."
"But you played really well this year! I knew you'd make it in the NBA back in college."
Lin Ze rolled his eyes, too lazy to say anything more to this guy.
Duncan was indeed praising Lin Ze, but what did Duncan say about feeling he could make it in the NBA during his college years?
Nonsense!
Southern California and Wake Forest did play a friendly game, in which Duncan scored 33 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, and blocked 5 shots.
Lin Ze, who was facing off against him...
Not to mention.
Duncan and Robinson are the Spurs' current twin towers and top two players.
Although Duncan only entered the league in 1997, he was actually two years older than Lin Ze. He completed four years of college before entering the NBA.
这也让他一进入联盟就展示出了十足的即战力，生涯第一年就场均21分12篮板2盖帽且入选全明星和1阵2防，可以说他一进入联盟就是联盟前十的顶级球员。
This immediate combat capability is among the top tier in the entire history of the league.
Not to mention that in his second year with the team, last year, he firmly established himself as the team's leader, making David Robinson willingly become his second-in-command and assist him. The two of them formed a twin towers that swept the league last year to become the 99 season champions.
In his first year, he was selected to the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive Second Team. In his second year, he was selected to the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive Second Team, won the championship, and received the Finals MVP award. He made MVP-level players who were still in their prime willing to play supporting roles for him. Duncan's resume in the first two years of his career can be described as dreamlike. It is not an exaggeration to say that even Jordan could not have done it.
Many people even listed Duncan as a candidate for GOAT after he led his team to the championship last year, believing that he was the player with the best chance of surpassing Jordan and challenging Jordan's position.
Of course, Lin Ze knew better than anyone else: Duncan failed.
Winning the championship last season was the closest he ever came to Jordan.
Who told him to run into a dynasty team that might be led by the strongest duo in history?
Yes, now, it's the strongest trio in history.
At this moment, the referee had arrived at the center of the field and blew the whistle to start the game.
The Christmas battle has officially begun.
"Snapped!"
O'Neal easily defeated Robinson, whose jumping ability had declined significantly due to serious injuries, to secure the Lakers' first offensive possession of the night.
Fisher, who was called up to the starting position, slowly moved forward after receiving the ball and then passed it to Lin Ze on the wing.
Lin Ze had just raised the ball with both hands when David Robinson ran towards him.
"Oh? You're so badly beaten by Shaq that you don't even dare to go inside?" Lin Ze knew as soon as he saw Robinson coming over that this old guy would be his matchup tonight. Without thinking, he started trash-talking: "I thought being willing to be second fiddle to someone was embarrassing enough, but it turns out there's something even more embarrassing."
"How about after the competition, I write a letter to the Navy Headquarters and help you apply for a Purple Heart? That thing is perfect for you. Anyway, it's hard to say whether you're physically disabled, but your heart is definitely disabled."
Robinson was naturally furious when he heard Lin Ze's trash talk.
He certainly knew that the Purple Heart was an award given by the U.S. government to service members who suffered lifelong disabilities for various reasons during their service.
Robinson didn't think he needed those things.
The two players were exchanging barbs at the top of the arc, while O'Neal under the basket had already scored 2 points with a hook shot, giving his team the first points.
With Lin Ze on the court, the Spurs dared not double-team O'Neal in the paint. But if they didn't double-team him, even if Duncan was a top defensive player of the DPOY level, he would definitely not be able to contain O'Neal in a one-on-one situation.
The Lakers also didn't double-team Duncan because their outside shooting was accurate, and the Spurs' was just as good.
First of all, although Robinson is known as one of the four great centers, his offensive firepower covers the entire three-point line. He has always been the most complete, widest offensive range, and most like a small forward in the 90s.
In addition, Mario Elie and Chucky Brown are both very reliable shooters, so Duncan's post-up space has always been quite good.
However, Duncan did not possess the unparalleled destructive power and terrifying physical strength of O'Neal, making his one-on-one play rather dull.
Even though he is only 24 years old this year, his playing style looks like that of a 40-year-old man.
A steady, methodical back-to-the-basket dribble, a mediocre high-post catch followed by a turn, an aesthetically unappealing feint with the ball raised, and then a series of seemingly stumbling footwork changes and a barely achievable low layup.
If someone who doesn't understand basketball were to see Duncan's offense, they would definitely think that he was just average, because his offense lacked any aesthetic appeal and the techniques he used were the most basic and simplest beginner moves.