NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 645 Designate a "successor"! (No protagonist chapter)

Thursday, May 2009, 5, after the Eastern Conference Finals ended last night, LeBron James once again became the "traffic leader".

The Cavaliers' loss did not surprise many commentators. After all, Madison Square Garden has become a devil's home court. In New York, no one is surprised.
The trend of the series will be determined by the Cavaliers' home court. Whether they can drag the game into G5 and defeat the "old man" is the biggest highlight of this round of games.

Perhaps because he was unwilling to lose, after 19:33 in the third quarter, James, who tried his best, was unable to narrow the gap to less than 10 points, so that after the game, the Chosen One seriously commented:

"I don't think there's anything wrong with the Cavaliers, we made the right decisions in the game!"

"The loss was only because the opponent performed more consistently. The gap between the Cavaliers and the defending champions was very small."

"."

At the press conference, sports reporters accused James of a power outage at a critical moment, but he refused to admit it and gave this reason. Naturally, he was ridiculed by commentators after the game.

But what was surprising was that on the Knicks side, Li You and Gasol attended the press conference and praised James and Howard highly, praising each other to the sky.

"I see talent and hard work in LeBron. At the age of 24, his performance is too outstanding. He is destined to succeed in the future."

The last player Li You praised in this way was Tim Duncan, but their careers overlapped for most of the time, and Duncan has not found a successful "future" until now.

Considering James' age, sports reporters all think that what Li You said is correct. Isn't this just designating a "successor"?
When you think about how James praises Li You every day, and how they are both in the same Hook camp, the Chosen One has a bright future!
霍华德在G1表现得同样极为出色，15中9，罚球6中3，砍下了21分13篮板的两双数据。

Gasol, who will soon be 23, was also generous in his praise for the 29-year-old:
"I have seen his growth. Howard's low-post skills are underestimated. His rebounding and defense are really outstanding. He will become a dominant big man in the future!"

"."

Sports reporters deliberately asked Gasol to comment on Howard's "stiff back-to-the-basket", but the Spanish big man did not laugh at his opponent. After all, being able to put the ball into the basket is a good shot, and rough technique is not a big problem.

However, this praise made some players unhappy. O'Neal mocked the Beast on his social media last night and deprived him of the title of "Superman":

"There are a lot of big guys in the league right now who can't attack except for dunking."

"Howard's poor offense puts 'Superman' to shame! When I was 23, I wouldn't have made such ugly low-post moves."

This is not the first time that O'Neal has mocked Howard. In fact, in the last round of games, the old shark was sarcastic after seeing the Cavaliers sweep the Celtics.

The more attention Howard received, the worse his mood became. The two had no grudges against each other, but the petty O'Neal just looked down on him.
In the morning ESPN program, the Cavaliers' performance was highly praised. The score difference was not big, 108:119, and the game was not decided until the end.

You have to know that the score difference in the first two rounds was huge, and the Cavaliers only lost by 11 points, which has proved that 67 wins were not a fluke, they are really strong!
It was also widely reported that James once again won the "Li You Recognition Award". Li You has not given this honor for a long time, and the award is of great value.

When it was time for TNT's show in the afternoon, they were supposed to talk about tonight's Western Conference Finals Game 2. Although it couldn't be broadcast, fans needed information. However, the trio took a different approach and criticized the Cavaliers amidst their praises.

After a brief review of the game, the director gave the statistics of the two core players:
26中13，三分线外8中3，罚球8中5，34分7篮板9助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误，詹姆斯的数据极为亮眼；
19中12，三分线外11中6，罚球6中6，36分6篮板14助攻2抢断2失误，第三节爆发一波，李佑最终交出了一份大号两双数据。

Looking only at Excel, the two were evenly matched, but there were significant differences in the course of the game. In the crucial third quarter, James failed to respond in time.

"I think LeBron James is shirking his responsibility. The Cavaliers' performance from beyond the three-point line is indeed not as good as in the semifinals, but James has big problems with his decision-making at critical moments."

"He should have stepped up himself instead of giving the ball to his teammates. I know it was an open opportunity, but as a team leader, he should have taken the initiative to take responsibility for responding to the ball."

Charles Barkley turned his head and stared at his partner, giving his opinion that James should not have passed the ball in the face of the Knicks' sudden contraction of defense.

If we look at the results, James really shouldn't have passed the ball, but Kenny Smith doesn't like results-based thinking. Hearing his partner still producing, he took the initiative to interrupt and said:

"The game belongs to five people. Look at the Knicks' offense. Everyone on the court knows where to pass the ball."

"James is learning how the defending champions play, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

In the Knicks team highlights, some rounds of continuous passing broke through the opponent's defense. Rondo and Dio, who came off the bench, were also good passers and ran tactics. The Cavaliers had a visible gap.

This is related to the rotation of nearly 8 players, but another part of the reason is the tacit understanding problem. In this regard, Ernie Johnson did not make a fuss, but said tactfully:
"The Cavaliers rely more on the individual abilities of their players, which is also the coaching philosophy of head coach Mike Brown. They performed very well before encountering the defending champions."

"."

No one supports him, Charles Barkley feels bored, and the show next door always "quarrels". In order to increase the ratings, Big Mouth once again puts forward outrageous views:
"I don't think Lee is optimistic about James. On the contrary, I think Lee is playing tricks on his opponent. He seems to be giving himself more motivation."

"The Cavaliers' backcourt can't limit him at all. According to the performance in the first two rounds, Li can easily score 40 points."

Kenny Smith shook his head repeatedly. He did not agree with this statement at all. He interrupted again and reminded seriously:
"This is the Eastern Conference Finals! Why didn't the Cavaliers' defense work in the first half? Howard did a great job defending the pick-and-roll!"

"At 24, James has reached the Eastern Conference Finals. By the time he is 30, Lee has retired. No one in the league can stop the rise of the Cavaliers."

Talking about retirement again, Ernie Johnson, who was sitting in the middle of the studio, spread his hands to stop the two from arguing, and then asked earnestly:
"Why do you all think Lee will retire early? I remember him saying he would be the last player from the class of '96 to retire."

"Think about Kobe, he is younger than Lee, it's too early to talk about this now!"

Charles Barkley grinned as if he had heard a joke. He perked up when talking about Kobe and joked to the camera:
"If I were Kobe, I would choose to retire as soon as possible, maybe I could take Lee with me, and James would definitely agree with this!"

"."

The Lakers were actively warming up for Game 2. At the Staples Center, a well-informed reporter saw the discussion on social media and asked an outrageous question when interviewing Kobe:

"Kobe, if we lose the finals again, when are you going to retire?"

"?"

It's rare that Kobe is in the mood to accept an interview with ESPN, but the first question made Kobe look puzzled. He is still in his prime, so this is simply humiliating him:
"I'm not interested in answering such boring questions!"

Kobe's face turned black. The finals hadn't started yet, but some people were already impatient to see failure. They wanted to leave directly, but after thinking about it, they decided to give everyone face.

"Do you think LeBron James will surpass you? Lee believes that James will achieve greater success in the future."

Although he also won the "Lee You Recognition Award", Kobe has never taken up the banner of "successor". When he heard his "arch-enemy" praising his opponent, he felt even worse for a moment and felt that he was being ignored again.

Kobe raised his right arm in front of everyone, then raised a finger, looked around, and then responded expressionlessly:
"After you win the championship, come and talk to me about this issue! I am the only active player who has won the championship at the shooting guard position!"

Without even looking at the faces of the crowd, Kobe turned around and walked away. He did not look back even though several people behind him were shouting at him. He was fed up with these boring reporters who only wanted to laugh at him.

In the locker room, the Lakers atmosphere team was in a good mood. It had nothing to do with basketball. Kardashian was "really great". Everyone was listening to Odom bragging, and occasionally someone asked questions that all men could understand.

"I'm planning on having a party during the offseason, and I can introduce you to those girls then!"

"Maybe it won't be long before we get married. I'm a little worried about my private life being made public. You all know that they all live in the spotlight."

"."

Odom kept talking about his recent feelings, and Vujacic could understand it a little. His girlfriend Maria Sharapova is also a big star and has received extra attention in her life:

"I think this is a good thing! When I go out, I am followed by people, just like those big Hollywood stars."

“Man, you’re gonna enjoy this!”

Looking at Odom with a smug smile on his face, Barnes also joined in on the topic. When talking about his girlfriend's recent life, he sighed:
"You don't need to perform well on the court to get more attention. Sometimes I envy these girls because they don't need to train."

Soon there were noises of booing in the locker room. The girls also needed some "training", so Odom took this opportunity to start bragging again. When he got excited, his bald head began to reflect light.

Since his wife Amy also participated in the daily activities of the "wives group" and even had the opportunity to make a guest appearance, Duncan did not stop her. He just wanted his family to be happy.

At this time in the locker room, Duncan returned to his seat and watched everyone bragging calmly. When Barnes occasionally asked him about family matters, he also responded honestly:

"Amy's gym is doing well and is not losing money at the moment. I will invest some more money in it."

"."

Perhaps influenced by Kardashian, Duncan feels that Amy likes fitness more and is more strict with her figure management, but as long as his wife is happy, spending some money is not a problem.

Duncan supports the family gatherings organized by Odom, as he is able to make up for the neglect caused by daily high-intensity training in this way. This is life in Los Angeles, and he has begun to integrate into it.

Ariza, who got the starting position, has been busy looking for his next contract recently. After wandering in the lower leagues for many years, he finally made it. He doesn't want to miss this good opportunity.

When discussing the contract issue, Gerald Green was also helping with the planning, and the atmosphere group gradually became involved in the heated discussion.

The Lakers hold the initiative. As long as they are willing to pay the luxury tax, they have a chance to retain their lineup. When Kobe returned to the locker room, he saw Fish "fighting" with everyone else and subconsciously began to frown.

"Stay focused. I don't want to see Anthony perform in our home court again. Don't think the game is a sure win."

Kobe interrupted everyone's chat with a sullen face. Some topics had been discussed for almost a week, and he didn't understand why people were still gossiping.

Suddenly, everyone was quiet. Seeing Kobe's dark face, they immediately responded and then stopped looking at the dark face. Odom shrugged his shoulders and took the initiative to apologize:
"You're right, Bro, we have to protect our home turf!"

"Would you like to come to my party? If we can finish this round as soon as possible, we will have a long break."

Although Kobe sometimes behaved unkindly in the locker room and on the court, Odom still appreciated it. When he was frequently traded, at least Mamba did not add insult to injury.

"I need to watch videos at night instead of wasting that time at parties."

"Listen, we didn't do anything."

As soon as Kobe opened his mouth he talked about work, Odom almost rolled his eyes on the spot. Li You was so tired of winning that most players chose to lie down. There were not many who worked as hard as the Deadly Mamba.

Judging from the record, the Lakers have been successful. They have sold three rounds of tickets for the playoffs and will receive additional attention once they enter the finals.

Odom nodded perfunctorily and sat next to Duncan again. The party had to have a big star present.

Fisher saw that Kobe could not control the locker room and did not know how to comfort him. Role players do not really care about championships. Contracts are the foundation, and life is more important:

"Don't worry, Bro, we're all ready, and we all need to relax sometimes."

Barnes naturally took over the conversation next to his friend, with a nonchalant smile on his face, and once again shared his championship experience:
"Yeah, man, you gotta learn to enjoy the game! Lee always told us that life is bigger than basketball"

Kobe's eyes twitched slightly. This was not the locker room he wanted. Many people lacked the desire for the championship.

After the game started at 20 p.m. that night, the focused Kobe showed exceptionally good form again. He was in hot form after the opening and Dahntay Jones was unable to limit Mamba's offense at all.

Anthony, who was severely ignored before the game, was a little slow to warm up. Phil Jackson developed a highly targeted defense, trying to keep his opponent away from the basket.

Anthony made 6 of 1 shots and contributed 2 points in a single quarter. His poor performance caused the Nuggets to fall behind in the first quarter.

22:32, the double-digit score difference turned head coach George Karl into a "hair dryer".

Kenyon Martin contributed 10 points and performed the best. The bench cheered passionately, and Billups also shared his championship experience that "10 points means nothing". The morale of the lagging Nuggets was boosted.

Amid the boos from Lakers fans, Anthony gradually regained his touch and, with the support of his teammates, made 8 of 5 shots in the second quarter, scored 14 points and successfully helped the team narrow the gap.

54:56, at the end of the first half, Kobe walked towards the player tunnel with a sullen face, and his teammates relaxed too early.

After the second half started, the inside combination of Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario frequently took care of Duncan, and Anthony, who became more and more excited, began to rush for frontcourt rebounds.

This forced Duncan to focus on protecting the rim, and both sides began to miss shots. As a result, after three quarters, the game ended in a tie.

In the last quarter of the game, the Lakers fans at the scene shouted loudly. At the critical moment, Billups stood up and broke through again and again to the free throw line.

Duncan also took free throws, but with 15.7 seconds left in the game, he suddenly missed two free throws. Eventually, Billups found an opportunity and took the game away with consecutive free throws.

105:101, when the game ended, Kobe said nothing, walked quickly through the player tunnel with a sullen face, ignored the fans on both sides, and cursed in frustration before entering the locker room:
"Damn life!"

(End of this chapter)