NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 683 "Champion Poison"? (No protagonist chapter)

The preseason officially begins on Tuesday, October 2009, 10. Except for teams like the Knicks that only have two warm-up games, most teams will make their debut this week.

As a championship-contending team, the Heat naturally received extra attention after renewing David Lee's contract and insisting on retaining Artest.

On the same day at the American Airlines Arena, they welcomed the Bobcats, who are also from the Southeast Conference. Head coach Larry Brown was entrusted with an important task by Michael Dunk. Although there were no major moves during the offseason, the slogan of the playoffs was still shouted.

Okafor, who was suffering from injury, officially returned, but unfortunately, the championship guard Wright will be absent for at least 3 months due to surgery.

After leaving the Knicks, Wright has always struggled with injuries. The Chicago Tribune has been sarcastic about this more than once - if something is produced in New York, there must be something wrong!

In fact, according to statistics from media professionals who are interested, every player who leaves New York will have problems.

Injuries appear when stats are rising, and decline when healthy, just like Stoudemire, who had some highlights after joining the Suns, but got injured again last year, and his playing style is no longer as fast as before.

This metaphysical statement naturally doesn't mean anything, but many basketball critics believe that playing in New York is too exhausting.

Such comments almost made New York fans laugh to death. Including the playoffs, the Knicks have to play nearly 100 games a year, and it is impossible to have no consumption.

As for the injury problems after leaving the team, that is not the Knicks' business. Look at Li You's attendance rate. He has played for so many years and is still healthy. Injuries can only mean that his physical attributes are not good.

Artest has not suffered any injuries since leaving New York, but this is related to his weight loss. Although he can still contribute excellent defense, his condition has become increasingly unstable.

In last year's playoffs, the championship forward saved the Heat from danger twice. As for why the team fell into trouble, there is no need to discuss this matter.

What Wade doesn't like about Artest is that the championship forward "doesn't take the blame for losses, but relies on him for wins", and the opponent is always laughing at him, so naturally the Flash won't be happy with him.

Although it is a preseason game, according to the requirements of the NBA, players have to arrive at the stadium an hour and a half in advance as usual.

Wade wanted to leave a good impression on the fans in his first appearance of the new season, so he arrived early, but Artest seemed to be possessed by Li You and almost checked in on the clock.
The training camp has been open for more than a week. With the encouragement of head coach Artest and Spoelstra, many people volunteered to practice more. However, Artest left on time and clocked in faster than anyone else.

On Sunday, Haslem was a little angry and complained in the locker room:
"Everyone is working hard for the championship, you shouldn't do that."

When he said this, Haslem thought everyone was on his side and that the champion forward would say some polite words and compromise with his teammates. However, Artest didn't even look at him, but turned his head and said:
"You want to teach me how to win a championship? Get eight rings first and then teach me."

"In New York, a nigger like you isn't even qualified to hand over a towel!"

Haslem's face turned dark and he almost exploded on the spot. Seeing his younger brother being humiliated, Wade pretended to say "Hey" a few times, but Artest didn't even look at him and clocked out again.

Carlos Arroyo was signed by the Heat during the offseason. This was the first time that the Puerto Rican guard, who became famous in the Athens Olympics, saw the team leader being ignored. He and his teammates looked at each other in bewilderment for a moment.

After this incident, Arroyo was no longer as bold as before when interviewed by Miami sports media. He was no longer as bold as before when imagining the future:
"I'm still adapting. You know, playing in Orlando, I won't get this kind of attention. I just hope I can turn the pressure into motivation and contribute to the team."

"."

The Heat coaching staff took tonight's preseason game very seriously. Artest's entry on time made Wade furious. He didn't see anyone in the locker room and cursed in anger:
"Why couldn't he come earlier! Damn it, he always thinks he's special."

Seeing Haslem trying to take over the conversation, curly-haired David Lee once again showed his leadership qualities and stood up to comfort him:

"Don't worry about the details. Meta won't be late."

"We have to focus on tonight's game, the pre-season game, and the fans who bought tickets don't want to see a loss. Bro, you have to calm down. Metta is not your enemy. His championship experience can help you."

Mike Beasley, who has been flying high in the offseason, couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene. Wade's face became even darker, but he didn't dwell on the issue anymore as he had a step to take. He clapped his hands and asked everyone to warm up.

When Artest was about to enter the locker room, the Heat were already "fully armed". Seeing this, the champion forward was too lazy to explain. He threw his hat and said casually:
"Don't play that with me! The Heat didn't pay me more!"

"."

Daequan Cook and James Jones looked at each other without saying anything. Joel Anthony from the atmosphere group even thought that what he said made sense. Only Haslem could hardly hold it anymore.

Haslem, who has fully accepted the Heat's team culture, can only leave quickly at this time. The locker room culture and heritage he cherishes have been devalued by the championship forward. He sincerely hopes that the slick guy can send the other party away.

No matter how the championship forward destroyed the locker room culture, after the game started at 19:30 that night, the Heat home commentator Eric Reed praised Artest.

With 2 minutes and 12 seconds left in the first quarter, Artest stole the ball from Gerald Wallace face to face, causing the opponent's second turnover.

When Eric Reed saw the champion forward rush across half court, ignoring Raymond Felton's return defense, and dunked with one hand, he couldn't help but yelled:

"I love world peace! This is the defense the Heat need!"

"Don't let those boring emotions affect our judgment. Meta World Peace won 8 rings in New York. We have the best forward players in the league!"

"."

When David Lee and Wade made consecutive pick-and-rolls, easily breaking through the Bobcats' defense and helping the team score continuously, the American Airlines Arena was completely boiling.

The slow-starting Bobcats seemed to be stunned by the Heat who were practicing extra. Larry Brown looked grim, and after requesting two timeouts that failed to change the situation on the court, he could only stand on the sidelines with his arms folded helplessly.

As David Lee passed the ball to Haslem at the bottom right of the basket and assisted his teammate to score, the first quarter ended with the score fixed at 13:29.

Although it was just a preseason game, the Miami fans at the scene still shouted happily as Artest waved his arms to show himself.

Head coach Spoelstra also high-fived everyone. Although Artest was a maverick in the locker room, the champion forward did not take the initiative to cause trouble. From a professional perspective, there was no problem:

"We're doing great! But it's not time to relax yet."

Wade felt a little aggrieved when he saw the coach just saying a few words of encouragement and then starting to draw up tactics. The opponent was obviously there to assist him, but Artest was the one who acted so stupid!
With a big lead in the first quarter, Artest and David Lee seemed to have regained their familiar rhythm and showed excellent competitive form.

At halftime, the Heat fans were very excited to see that the Bobcats only scored 31 points. Many people on both sides of the player tunnel were shouting everyone's names.

"Meta is not a cancer! He is our champion striker!"

"." There were also New York fans in Miami, and several young people shouted excitedly. Artest grinned and patted his chest to show that he received it.

This made Wade even more depressed. He made a lot of statements during the offseason, but failed to achieve his goals. Instead, many fans were dissatisfied with him and believed that he lacked leadership qualities.

Seeing the Heat staff in the tunnel enthusiastically high-fiving the champion forward, and seeing David Lee interacting enthusiastically with the fans behind him, Wade forced a smile under the gaze of everyone, but felt even more uncomfortable:

"This is my team!"

On Wednesday, October 10, the Cavaliers, who also made their debut in the preseason, defeated the Bulls last night. Championship guard Raja Bell also played well, hitting four three-pointers in the first half.

Howard also performed extremely well. Facing Joakim Noah, who had just joined the team, he completely dominated the inside and repeatedly demonstrated his low-post skills.

Wade was criticized by Miami fans because of his contract issues, but James, who also has a short-term contract, does not have these troubles. The local fans in Cleveland are extremely loyal.

Even though James was not doing much, he still received the most cheers last night. In order to keep the Chosen One, the Cavaliers fans went all out and the season ticket renewal rate reached a new high.

As the most competitive team in the East, ESPN also reported the Cavaliers' game last night on its morning Sports Center show. In the post-game interview, James smiled happily and made another assurance:

"I can feel that we are getting closer and closer to the championship!"

“As a kid from Akron, there was no reason for me to leave.”

It seems that James' stay with the Cavaliers is a foregone conclusion, and Raja Bell has also proved that New York has not produced any "toxic players". Taking advantage of this trend, New York basketball critics began to criticize the Bulls' team culture.

Even though the Knicks relied entirely on the Bulls for reconstruction, it does not mean that they should thank the other side. The grudge between the two sides has lasted too long, and they will be sarcastic whenever they have the chance.

This morning, the New York Times mocked Derrick Rose's "glass body" and used last night's game to criticize the Bulls' operations over the years:
"Chicago doesn't love basketball at all, and a lot of people forget how bad they were before Michael Jordan came to the team."

"When they lost Michael Jordan, every player who went to Chicago was going to have problems, and don't forget that Sprewell, whom they always denigrated, had success in New York."

"Ben Wallace also did well with the Pistons after leaving New York, but he got slammed by them in Chicago."

"Derrick Rose couldn't save the team, but they drafted Tom Thibodeau, who will bring New York's championship culture to Chicago."

Rose was injured in the first preseason game, and Thibodeau's habit of fighting against the main players has not changed after all these years.

The Chicago media complained that the main players played too much time, but New York stood up for the good guy Thibodeau. Although there was no game, Knicks fans also joined in the fun and "vindicated" Sprewell.

On Thursday, the 8th, the preseason game between the Suns and the Lakers also attracted the attention of fans.

Although Steve Kerr wanted to send the old Shark away, O'Neal's lack of interest in basketball stopped many teams from moving forward. The trade has been delayed until now, and they can only wait for a buyer before or after the All-Star Game.

Regardless of the team's attitude, O'Neal likes the Suns very much. After joining the team, his physical condition has improved a lot with the help of the medical team.

In the last season of his career, the old Shark felt that it was a good choice to retire here. He returned to Los Angeles and smiled brightly before the game. When he talked about his little brother, he showed his full support:

"I've always been paying attention to my little brother, and the Lakers should fully support him!"

"I know how hard Kobe works, and this is my last season, and I want to see him succeed."

"No. 3? I respect Stephen Jackson's opinion"

The sports reporters in Los Angeles were completely speechless. The old shark supported Kobe on the one hand, but at the same time respected Jackson for mocking his little brother. Everyone present confirmed that O'Neal had not forgiven Kobe at all.

Stoudemire was unable to play due to injury, but when the championship forward was asked about the "basketball culture" dispute between Chicago and New York, he immediately supported his former club:
"It's an honor to be selected by New York and play alongside Lee! For a young man, being able to play an important role on a championship team has changed my career."

“I knew about Michael Jordan’s Bulls, but after that, Chicago never had success.”

"Lee reshaped New York's winning culture, and the championship is the best proof. Now every young person is eager to play for the Knicks. I don't know why some people call him 'champion poison'."

As if this statement was unconvincing, Stoudemire gave an example with a serious expression:
"When I was playing in New York, no one asked us to train hard!"

"Li never makes demands on anyone. Everyone just needs to focus on their own physical condition. No one complains. On competition days, everyone is happy."

"I have always wanted to bring this championship experience to the Suns, but I failed. I am not Lee, and I really regret it."

After hearing this, the old shark seemed to recall his experience in the Lakers. Thinking of his involuted little brother, O'Neal also took over the conversation and couldn't help but say in a sarcastic tone:
"Amar'e is right, this is the real winning culture!"

"When I was with the Lakers, I was always encouraging my teammates. We had a chance to win more."

"."

Steve Nash saw the two people frantically spreading the "championship experience" and sat in his seat speechless. He didn't believe these nonsense.

In the game at Staples Center that night, Lakers fans witnessed the new Tech Mamba. The strong Kobe showed off his low-post footwork in many rounds and completely blew up Fernandez on his opponent.

Although it was just a preseason game, Kobe was very serious, showing a "ferocious" expression from time to time, and every time he punched to celebrate, he would arouse cheers from the fans.

O'Neal, who was slacking off the whole time, tried hard to show himself in the first half, but the team was trailing by 16 points at halftime, so he clocked out early in the second half.

At the end of the game, the Lakers won by 20 points. Kobe made 19 of 10 shots and scored 28 points. Such a performance excited the Lakers fans at the scene.

When Kobe was interviewed by reporters on the sidelines after the game, he looked puzzled when asked about "champion culture". He hadn't watched the news recently, but after thinking for a moment, he said seriously:
"We can't relax, whether it's a game or training, everyone has to go all out!"

"We haven't succeeded yet, so everyone needs to be strict with themselves."

"."

(End of this chapter)