NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 537: The Birth of "Fan Circle Basketball" (Daily Chapter)
As the All-Star voting deadline approached on Tuesday, January 2008, 1, some former star players took the opportunity to speak out.

The Wizards have recently become the focus of basketball critics, not because of their outstanding record, but because they defeated the "Big Four" twice in the games last Friday and Monday.

The Celtics have a relatively easy schedule, but last week they had a record of 1 win and 2 losses. Ray Allen was unwell, Pierce was in a slump, and the old guys were a little tired after Marbury was suspended for one game.

The previous loss to the Bobcats left many people stunned, and being swept by the Wizards was even more jaw-dropping. After all, Arenas had left knee surgery in late November and was likely to miss the regular season.

78:85，在全员出战的情况下，凯尔特人队在第4节仅拿到13分，奇才队核心安托万-贾米森15中4，卡隆-巴特勒17中5。

The fact that they were able to win the game despite such a performance undoubtedly shows that the Celtics performed even worse.

The Wizards, with an incomplete lineup, had a mediocre record, and only reached 18 wins and 16 losses after winning these two games.

The Los Angeles media, who were waiting for the trade to happen, started to make sarcastic comments. Since they were sure they would get Duncan, they began to actively participate in the discussion of the championship, and the corresponding comments also expanded:

"You can't win a championship just by having a lot of stars. A dual-core team is the best championship combination."

The relevant articles were well received by Lakers fans, and some young fans even called on the Internet not to vote for Nowitzki, and also campaigned for Duncan in an attempt to reverse the German votes.

This year's All-Star Game seems to be very different from previous years. Fans no longer pay attention to statistics or players' specific performances. Many people only vote for the players they "like".

It can also be said that the tickets are only reserved for idols, and by the way, they have to step on opponents. When hearing someone "fans Garnett", some people who are just there for fun will laugh:
"A traitor is also worthy of a ticket?"

Such external environment means that the Celtics' "Big Four", who have an excellent record, will most likely miss the All-Star starters.

New York fans were the most active. They were the ones who initiated the boycott of the two cowards, Garnett and Duncan. Seeing that the Lakers were about to return to the championship race, Kobe could not escape the disaster:
“What about Kobe?”

This is the most popular "meme" on Reddit. Whenever Lakers fans want to make their presence felt, there will always be related comments below. Fortunately, the Lakers have a lot of die-hard fans, so the boycott has little impact.

In the morning ESPN program, the phenomenon of voting for the New Orleans All-Star Game was also reported. Arenas' big mouth in the interview last night also became a hot topic of the day:

"I don't care about the 'Big Four', all the players know that they broke the unspoken rules."

"I've been following the results of the polls recently and I've seen the fans' reactions. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up not being selected for the starting lineup."

"The All-Stars are a gift to the fans. They have the right to decide who will be the starters! It is only right that Garnett and Duncan were hated and lost their positions in the end."

"I actually dislike Kobe even less. He always acts like a winner. In fact, he is no different from me. The only difference is that he has an MVP-level partner."

As the trade is about to happen, there is more discussion about Kobe. Arenas is obviously jealous again. His popularity has dropped sharply after the injury and fans are almost forgetting about him.

ESPN also likes to stir things up, and took the initiative to help fans recall the performance of Kobe's former MVP partner O'Neal. The old Shark has a high probability of being eliminated again this year, but he has not been idle during this period.

With 8 wins and 29 losses, the Heat are likely to dive for the No. pick. O'Neal has some attendance issues and his mind is not on the game. He has been sarcastic with his old partner recently:
"I feel bad for the Lakers. They overestimated Kobe. He is not fit to lead the team and always makes a mess of the locker room."

"Kupchak deserves respect. He found another MVP, but I am not optimistic about this combination. Lee will shatter their fantasy again."

"Two ordinary All-Stars can't defeat a superstar. If the Lakers make it to the finals, I will be there to witness their defeat."

When the team suffered a crushing defeat to the Hornets led by Chris Paul, O'Neal, who missed the game due to injury, commented on the news with a big grin in the locker room after the game.

The old Shark is almost becoming a basketball commentator this year. He changes the subject every time the team loses a game, but many reporters like such a big mouth. It is much more interesting than reporting on the Heat's poor record.

The ESPN program aired this morning and had a good effect. Arenas and O'Neal are just the beginning. After the voting results are announced, there will be more discussion!
The Celtics' loss is a good thing for the Knicks because they have another five games this week.

Although it is better than the experience of consecutive away games in the Western Conference, the overly dense schedule still consumes the enthusiasm for the game and increases the risk of injuries.

On Sunday, facing the Pistons with a 7-man rotation, the Knicks missed their first shot in the new year and finally relied on tough defense to hold on to the home victory.

85:94, the score seemed similar, but the game actually went into the fourth quarter.

On Tuesday, the Knicks only scored 104 points in their home game against the Wizards, and they had to fight until the fourth quarter to win the game with a 4-point advantage.

When the Nets faced off against the Brooklyn Nets in a back-to-back away game on Wednesday, Kidd, who had been involved in trade rumors, finally found his touch again, frequently finding his touch from beyond the three-point line, and the Nets eventually ended their 29-game winning streak.

The atmosphere in the Izod Center after the game was a bit weird. Many fans did not feel happy about winning, but instead complained more.

The Nets' record is 19 wins and 19 losses, and they are still on the edge of the playoffs. Some people bought tickets to watch their opponents, and they no longer have any expectations for this team.

Kidd, who was being interviewed, did not look very good. He was fed up with such home atmosphere. In fact, he had always been brooding over the playoffs that year.

I have even fantasized more than once that if the Nets' home atmosphere was a little better, would they be able to win the series?

It was not until the middle-aged reporter in the audience gossiped about the latest news that Kidd finally came to his senses and immediately denied it:

"I don't want to talk too much about news that has nothing to do with the game. LeBron James is an excellent young man, but I will not join the Cavaliers."

"I want to express my gratitude for the compliments from Coach Van Gundy. The Nets must be nervous at this stage. We need to gain some advantages before the trade deadline."

The Cavaliers, who are still trying to sell Larry Hughes, have approached the Nets. James' agent is also working hard to get "Captain America" ​​to play in Cleveland, and no one in the team objects.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer even promised local fans that an All-Star point guard would be acquired before the trade deadline, but now it seems to be "unrequited love."
"Dallas seems to be pursuing you as well. What do you think about returning to the Mavericks? Michael Finley thinks you can help the team."

Looking at the persistent ESPN reporter, Kidd, who was sitting on the stage, began to frown. After thinking for a while, he did not say anything final, but replied meaningfully:
"I'm not getting any younger and I hope the team can align with my goals."

"As for Dallas, that's where I started my career and I had three great years there."

The Nets plan to completely "lie down". In this era when stars begin to "band together", it is already difficult for the current lineup to compete for the championship, and Kidd and the team have conflicts again.

After hearing this not-so-positive answer, many reporters realized that there was a high possibility that Kidd would leave the team, and another Eastern Conference team would fall out of the championship race.

The winning streak was ended. In the visiting team's locker room, many Knicks players felt regretful. If they were in better shape, they might have a chance to break the record.

The role players were very involved in the game, for a reason that seemed a little outrageous to some commentators. Li You was slacking off, allowing others to get better involved in the game.

The person who discovered this pattern was ESPN data expert Hollinger. After a lot of data analysis, he found that Li You only needed to score mediocre 30 points in each game, and role players would be in better shape.

At the beginning of this year, ESPN published a related article in its column, and naturally, there were countless people who opposed it.
If this view is translated, it means "Li You's good stats in the regular season will make his teammates lose their form." Fans naturally disagree. "Ge Ge" should average 50 per game!

There are always some outrageous data that will refresh people's cognition, but for the Knicks coaching staff, what Hollinger said actually makes sense. When the score is leading by a large margin, everyone fights hard, but it is easier to miss shots in the stalemate stage.

It is difficult for role players to reach the level of core players, and being invisible in adverse situations is actually the norm.

Raja Bell returned to his seat and clapped his hands in frustration. There were too many games this week and he didn't train hard, which caused his condition to fluctuate a lot:

"We almost broke the Lakers' record." In 03, the Knicks had 29 consecutive wins. For the old players, the record is no longer new, but everyone is still interested in the data.

"The schedule is terrible. If I could play three games a week, I promise I could perform better!"

Artest said this sarcastically, with a bit of lack of energy. Ever since he was diagnosed with heart problems and received conservative treatment, his body has been prone to fatigue.

This kind of decline is helpless, and the vast majority of professional players will go down this path. After all, most players cannot play for a full four years, and only those "monsters" can ignore the loss.

Dior, who has always been "Buddhist", also felt regretful. He said that he didn't care about the outside world's evaluation, but in the end he still wanted to prove that he deserved the contract.

After all, the big mouths of the New York media sometimes don't distinguish between friends and foes, and even criticize their own people when they are unhappy.
"There are also back-to-back away games. Fortunately, there are only two games next week. The opponent will definitely lose again."

Dio also joined the discussion. Even a team with a deep lineup like the Knicks will feel tired before the All-Star Weekend, and the Celtics, who are fighting hard against their main players, will obviously be even more tired.

Li You casually glanced at the statistics handed over by the assistant coach and stopped paying attention. Instead, he joked with Gasol next to him. The voting was about to end, and the Spanish big man got a big bargain this year:

"I can guarantee that the starting spot will be yours. Congratulations in advance, Pau!"

Upon hearing the voting results, Gasol couldn't help but smile. In fact, in terms of popularity alone, he is not as good as the "Iron-Blooded Wolf King". American fans love tough guys like Garnett.

But this time the tough guys banded together, and coupled with the disastrous defeat in the Christmas game, their impression points plummeted, causing Gasol's votes to quietly surpass his opponents.

"I thought of Dirk. He should be grateful to Duncan. I didn't expect that we would have the opportunity to get the starting position this year."

Gasol's tone revealed schadenfreude. It felt great to witness the veteran "superstar" fall behind.

After returning to the locker room, D'Antoni didn't offer any chicken soup. Instead, he gave a few words of encouragement and announced that everyone would have a day off next week, which caused everyone to cheer. Training is good, but it is even better to relax occasionally!
On Monday, January 1, after the online voting channel for the All-Star Game was closed, a basketball commentator revealed that this year's voting results would be beyond everyone's expectations.

This made Arenas, who won the game, a little unhappy. The popularity of the Wizards' victory over the defending champions only lasted for one day?
On Friday, with Wade and O'Neal both resting, the Knicks easily won their opponent on the road, helping the Heat continue their quest for the No. 1 pick;

In the back-to-back games on the second day, the Wizards finally defeated them. Jamison, who had been in a slump for several games, then had an explosion, and the Washington Post reported it extensively after the game.

Unfortunately, fans don’t care about this at all. After all, the Wizards have never been a championship-contending team.

With the Knicks' big win over the 76ers at home on Monday, everyone's attention is focused on the voting results for this year's All-Star Game. This is a battle of "family"!

On Thursday the 24th, TNT announced the voting results for the New Orleans All-Star Game:
With a record-breaking 321 million votes, Li You was elected as the most popular voter without any suspense. While breaking his own record, he also made his "family" excited!

Partnering with Li You in the backcourt is Dwyane Wade, who received 140 million votes. Although the number of votes was small, he still suppressed Kidd and successfully won the starting position;
At the forward position, LeBron James received 192 million votes and Pau Gasol received 188 million votes;
The center position was a victory for the young people. Dwight Howard received 196 million votes, not only surpassing O'Neal, but even surpassing his teammate LeBron James in popularity.

The voting results for the Western Conference All-Stars were even more surprising, something that would have been impossible in previous years:
The starting backcourt was Kobe Bryant with 168 million votes and Chris Paul with 138 million votes;

The forward position went to Carmelo Anthony with 158 million votes and Dirk Nowitzki with 156 million votes;

The starting center was Yao Ming, who received 171 million votes.

After announcing the results, TNT also specifically marked Allen Iverson, who received 102 million votes, and Tim Duncan, who received 147 million votes. The two were eventually overtaken in the third round, which is a very rare situation.

In the studio, Ernie Johnson had a puzzled look on his face. This time, Li You's fans had made a big effort to vote, breaking records for their idol and getting their "successor" into the All-Stars.

By the way, they also boycotted Garnett and Duncan, and Kobe was also blocked in the final stage. In the end, this list can be said to be a complete "reflection of popularity."

Charles Barkley didn't know how to comment for a moment. The starting lineups of previous All-Star games were all outstanding players, but the situation this year was really different. The voting also made him feel outrageous:
"321 million votes, God! It's unbelievable. More people are starting to pay attention to Li."

"Congratulations to Chris Paul for getting a starting spot in his first All-Star game of his career! Coach Byron Scott has the opportunity to coach the Western Conference All-Stars, and they deserve recognition."

Seeing his partner talking nonsense and no longer making sharp comments, Kenny Smith couldn't help but smile and looked at him and teased:

"Chuck, I thought you were going to say something. After all, the results of this year's All-Star voting were beyond many people's expectations."

Charles Barkley was serious and did not criticize the fans for voting randomly. Instead, he said meaningfully:

"All-Star Weekend is a gift to the fans, and every voter gets to make their own choice about who they want to see start in the weekend."

"I'm certainly not talking about strength, from my perspective it's more about respect!"

"Lee has always been with the Knicks. He has brought honor to New York and made Madison Square Garden a true basketball mecca, so everyone respects him."

When he said this, Charles Barkley paused, feeling a little sad, and finally continued:
"Some players make their own choices for the championship, and if the fans don't like the decision, they can vote for someone else."

"Adults need to take responsibility for their actions instead of begging for handouts! If there are new champions this year, I think they will regain respect too."

Kenny Smith was a little surprised to hear this. He thought his old partner would speak up for some players, but he didn't expect that the other party actually did not agree with "banding together".

"A championship will make them respectable again? Are you sure about that, Chuck?"

Ernie Johnson, who was sitting in the middle, also turned his head and asked a question. Noticing that both of them were looking at him, Charles Barkley finally responded in an inexplicable tone:

"No matter what others say, in my opinion, the championship is always the most important."

"When they face an unbeatable opponent, it is understandable that they choose to unite together, but the problem is that they lose to the opponent after joining forces."

"."

Perhaps because he saw himself in some of the players, Charles Barkley was not as active as before in the following show. He had a strong feeling that history seemed to be repeating itself.

As the broadcaster, TNT started promoting this year's All-Star Game very early. At the end of the show, Kenny Smith warmed up for this year's Development League All-Star Game:

"This Friday will be different from previous years. We will enjoy the Development League's dream night. Remember to lock in TNT in advance!"

The day after the voting results were announced, some players were so upset that Iverson and McGrady complained to the media at the same time after the game.

Duncan, who was not selected as a starter, remained silent. Perhaps the former MVP had already focused all his attention on the subsequent trade, but soon a piece of news from Los Angeles made Duncan unable to sit still.

On Sunday, the 27th, the Los Angeles Times broke the news that Kobe was injured, and the Lakers immediately confirmed the news:
"Kobe Bryant has torn the ligament in his right pinky finger. The injury is still under observation and he may not be able to play in the All-Star Weekend."

The Spurs were preparing for a game against the Jazz on the road. The atmosphere in the team was weird that night. No one looked at Duncan, but everyone's meaning was clear:

"Boss, the opponent's core is injured, do you still want to leave?"

Duncan still did not give a positive answer, but left quietly. Popovich wanted to take this opportunity to talk to his thigh again, but seeing this situation, his heart sank again:
"It's over. San Antonio is without Tim Duncan."

(End of this chapter)