Coach, I don't want to retire yet

Chapter 582 Qiao, Ke, Mai, the cycle of fate!
Popovich endured the pain and watched Iverson perform acupuncture on Duncan.

This feeling of heartache and pain made Bobo's heart full of sadness about the past.

Which wrong step did he take that led to him becoming the head coach of the Lakers and letting the GDP of the Spurs go to Coach D?

What did he do wrong to make things turn out like this?

Popovich certainly doesn't regret becoming the head coach of the Lakers and coaching super players such as Yao Ming, McGrady, Kobe and Roy.

If he hadn't seen Duncan and the others under Coach D, he would even find it very interesting. As a basketball coach, it is a dream come true for him to be able to coach players of Jordan's level in his career.

This is also why he cherished Duncan so much in the past.

Duncan is a player at the level of Jordan, but he broke his wings early in the Spurs and did not fly to the height he should have.

Even though Duncan never flew to the heights he should have, Popovich still regarded Duncan as a player on Jordan's level.

It is precisely because of this that Popovich considers it his luck to be able to coach Duncan.

Now, he has lost Duncan, but has gained Yao Ming, McGrady and Kobe, three players at the same level as Jordan, or even beyond Jordan's level.

This is even greater luck.

This should be even more fortunate.

But such luck can sometimes make people feel very uncomfortable.

A Jordan makes people happy.

The two Jordans are a headache.

With three Jordans in one team, not only the opponents would be terrifying, but the head coach would also be terrifying.

Jordan was willful, and Phil Jackson dared to put Jordan on the bench and control him.

The two Jordans were so willful that even Phil Jackson would probably just tremble in fear and not dare to move.

If the three Jordans acted willfully at the same time, then any head coach except Coach D would probably avoid them.

The current Lakers team is like this. Their three 'Jordan' players are now stubbornly practicing their own basketball philosophy. No one can change them, and he cannot change their stubbornness.

Whenever Popovich thinks of the three 'Jordans' of the Lakers in this series, he respects Coach D's ability to coordinate the team's superstars. At the same time, he is also grateful that he has met Duncan, a Jordan who is strong, gentle and full of leadership. There is only one Duncan in the history of the NBA.

Maybe there are stronger players than Duncan in the history of the NBA, but no superstar can make people feel as reassured as Duncan.

This may be why he still loves and misses Duncan so much.

If he leads the Lakers to defeat the Thunder successfully, he will face Duncan in the finals.

"If Coach D can really restore Tim's peak athletic ability, even for just one series, we will see the peak Duncan that has never appeared before, the strongest Duncan, the player who only appears in our dreams!"

His favorite player was developed to the most mature state by his most respected competitor. This feeling made Popovich feel so complicated that it was difficult to explain.

Excited, expectant, self-blaming, and in pain, looking at the magical and complex expression on Popovich's face at this moment, Bowen just wanted to shout in his heart at this moment, Coach D, you really have Popovich under control!
"Pop, I think we should not think about the finals right now. We need to win the next game first. If we lose the next game in Goose City, we won't be able to go to the finals, and naturally we won't be able to see what the strongest Tim Duncan is like."

Bowen's words made Popovich even more uncomfortable.

"This kind of thing must never happen. This year's finals must be ours!"

Yes, it must be ours, but, Pop, you need to first convince McGrady and Kobe to not be so willful in the next game, otherwise, the next game may be our last game.

Then, Popovich and Bowen were disappointed.

Because McGrady, Kobe, Yao Ming and the Lakers players didn't care at all that they were already trailing 2-3 and had lost the series match point.

"Popo, I think the next game will be left to me and TMC."

Popovich was speechless.

It is said that Coach D likes to walk by the river often, enjoying the feeling of walking by the river and dancing without getting his shoes wet.

He now finds that Coach D is in exactly the same situation with each of the Lakers players.

They were already trailing 2-3, but they were still dancing by the river!
None of them even have a sense of urgency!
Not only did McGrady and Kobe have no sense of urgency, but Yao Ming, Ebanks, Roy, Jokic and Antetokounmpo, who could have stopped McGrady and Kobe, also had no sense of urgency and just let the two of them continue to play.

In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Thunder, Durant and Westbrook were very excited before the game started.

The Thunder won the decisive game in Los Angeles in the last game, which made all the players on the Thunder team excited.

The Lakers are indeed the strongest team in the NBA.

But now the Thunder lead 3-2!

Before the game, Durant and Westbrook took the initiative to run to their idols to hug, salute and thank them.

"Russell, do you feel like you have broken through your ceiling and entered a completely different world? You don't have to answer me. It's exciting to enter such a world. I feel like I am the strongest person in the world. I also had this feeling when I was young, but in fact, this is not the strongest. For us basketball players, there is never the strongest."

Westbrook was shocked. He didn't expect that his idol didn't praise him for his good performance in the previous game, but actually said this. Is this considered trash talk?

It shouldn’t count.

"Russell, I'm not the best player in the NBA, but I can still show you what a stronger basketball world is like than the one you live in. You think you and KD are in the same world as us, but in fact, we are still in different worlds."

At this moment, McGrady was actually saying the same thing to Durant.

Durant was as shocked as Westbrook.

After winning the last game and three games in a row, they really felt that they had seen the backs of McGrady and Kobe, and became players in the same world as Kobe and McGrady, players who could touch Goat.

Then, now Kobe and McGrady told them that they were actually teasing two people and they were still far from the finish line.

How can Durant and Westbrook accept this?

Therefore, at the beginning of the game, Durant and Westbrook showed their strongest concentration and strength to attack McGrady and Kobe.

In the past three games, they, Kobe and McGrady have been evenly matched in the scoring process.

They were suppressed from the first three quarters, to the half, and then to only one quarter in the last game. This shows that they are almost as strong as McGrady and Kobe, and it is not because Kobe and McGrady are physically weak that they can be evenly matched with the two.

Therefore, Durant and Westbrook are looking forward to this game.

Durant and Westbrook even felt that they could fight Kobe and McGrady on equal terms from the beginning. Durant and Westbrook had good ideas and their ideals were very ambitious.

However, the final result was extremely tragic.

In order to win this game, the confident duo's game strategy was to attack McGrady and Kobe hard from the beginning of the game, thus building momentum and winning advantage.

However, the two young players who rushed towards McGrady and Kobe were suppressed by both McGrady and Kobe.

And they suppressed the enemy from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.

Just like G1 of this series.

After the game, both Durant and Westbrook began to doubt their lives.

Before the game, Kobe and McGrady said that their growth, breakthroughs, and progress in this series were actually teasing them.

They didn't believe it, but now, can they still not believe it?
Look at the results of this game.

Not to mention the two young stars, even Popovich, who was very worried before the game, was stunned by the result.

The duo who had been getting stronger and stronger in the past three games and had made him more and more worried were easily suppressed by McGrady and Kobe?
After the game, Kobe and McGrady walked in front of Durant and Westbrook.

No taunting, no trash talking.

"Russell, KD, remember the shadow standing in front of you tonight. Keep moving forward. One day, you will be able to touch it. One day, you will be able to surpass us."

Durant and Westbrook were stunned as they watched the two men turn around and leave after they finished speaking.

When McGrady and Kobe returned to the locker room, they no longer had the cool and domineering attitude they had on the court and in the player tunnel. They locked the locker room door in a very ungraceful manner, then collapsed on the ground, sticking out their tongues to cool down in a very ungraceful manner.

"These two guys are real beasts!"

"It was almost impossible to control them the whole time!"

Hearing the hurried knock on the locker room door, Maizi and Kezi quickly got up, straightened their clothes, and opened the locker room door elegantly, handsomely and casually.

Seeing that it was Popovich and other Lakers players coming in, Kozi said to Popovich in a very handsome manner: "Popovich, look, I told you not to worry, the victory belongs to us. TMC and I will not play in the next game. Yao, I think you don't have to play either. The game will be handed over to Nikola, Giannis, Michael, Devin, Brandon and others."

Watching Kobe, who was like a god in this game, Popovich nodded woodenly.

You guys are so awesome, everything you say is right!
Moreover, the starting lineup of Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Ebanks, Roy and McCaw also seems to be strong.

There are also players such as Li Kaier, Dinwiddie, Zhang Tielin, Dellavedova, Bonner, Belinelli and others on the bench, which seems to be okay.

At the very least, they are on par with the Thunder in terms of strength, or even stronger than the Thunder.

It's their home court, they're a little stronger, and their head coach is also stronger, so there's no reason for them to lose to the Thunder.

At this time, in Charlotte.

Du Kang and the Bobcats players were also watching the game between the Thunder and the Lakers.

It is indeed wonderful.

"I knew these two guys were going to play this game!"

Jordan said this like a fortune teller.

Jordan did guess, though.

Jordan said this before the game started.

"These two guys will definitely leave their strongest backs to Durant and Westbrook to inspire these two young people to keep moving forward!"

Give Durant and Westbrook confidence, lead them forward, tell them the direction to go, and then, when they are most confident, give them a hard blow, embed the strongest back into the deep of Durant and Westbrook's hearts, so that the two have a promising direction for their future and will not get lost. It can only be said that Mai Zi and Ke Zi really care about Durant and Westbrook.

After all, these two young men are the successors chosen by McGrady and Kobe.

"Michael, Kobe and McGrady in this game will be your opponents in the finals. Do you feel any pressure?"

The things left for Jordan were previously left to Westbrook and Durant. This shows that Mai Zi and Kobe have deep love for the two young players of the Thunder, but it is also a threat and warning to Dan Zi from a distance.

Danzi, you've missed so many games in a row in the playoffs. If you don't get out of your father's shadow and get your form back, if you still act like a turtle and just play defense, then just wait to be beaten by us!
The threats from Kezi and Maizi were very strong.

Danzi must be Alexander now.

However, Du Kang felt that it was not a bad idea to leave two extremely powerful and invincible shadows of Kezi and Maizi in Danzi's heart.

Danzi's return this time is not to be invincible.

Danzi's return this time is to reach the highest peak, to reach the 100 that no one has ever set foot on.

"Michael, don't forget why you came back. The path you take is different from others. The strength of TMC and Kobe is the propellant for you on this road, not an obstacle."

Jordan looked at Du Kang and nodded, not quite understanding what he meant.

After thinking about it for a while, Jordan finally understood it.

Why did McGrady and Kobe leave?

Because the two of them could not see the way to go forward.

Their road has come to an end, so they are eager to imprint their strongest selves on the highest stage of the basketball world. They want to leave their best for the whole world to worship.

That's why they are thinking about retiring in this season, because this season is their strongest season.

If possible, Kobe and McGrady definitely don't want to retire this season. They naturally want to keep going.

But they could no longer go on.

They are powerful, they are invincible, but they are also full of regret and tragedy.

At the same time, they are so great.

"I used to guide them, but now they guide Durant, Westbrook, and even me when I return. Coach D, maybe this is what you call fate? Basketball is always watching over our heads."

"Yes, this is the cycle of fate."

(End of this chapter)