NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 691: Disdain, Doubt, and Yearning (Daily Chapter)
On Sunday, December 2009, 12, O'Neal's tour continued when the Suns visited Los Angeles for the second time this season.

When he returned to his home court for the first time, Kobe looked down on his old partner's tour. Although he did not deliberately criticize this style of play that ignored the team's record and forced statistics, he did not say anything good after the game.

The Lakers officials did prepare a wonderful highlight for O'Neal at the time. As the only champion in the new century, the old Shark showed off his prominence!
Before the game started that night, Mamba, who was on a winning streak, had been a little unhappy since he arrived at the stadium in the afternoon. This was the second time, but the Los Angeles fans still welcomed O'Neal very much.

Obviously, the Suns' performance has been poor because of the tour, but the fans don't seem to care about it. The commentators also highly praised O'Neal's recent performance, and some even praised him:

"37-year-old O'Neal is still capable of being selected into the All-NBA Team!"

"."

Stephen A. Smith suggested in yesterday's show that the old shark should be selected for the best team. Since O'Neal received the "Li You Ultimate Recognition Award", his reputation has been getting better and better!

Although Olajuwon has two championships, as we all know, 1 is greater than 2, and O'Neal's achievements have surpassed that of the championship center.

What is even more incomprehensible to Kobe is that the current public opinion has almost become 1 greater than or equal to 5. Although he also wants to "win one championship above all others", Mamba is unhappy again when he sees his old partner really being recognized.

Playing in Los Angeles for the last time in his career, O'Neal was more fully prepared and arrived at the stadium more than two hours in advance. ESPN reporters were there all the way, and everyone followed him to the home team's locker room.

"I know how hard my little brother works! He never lets up since he entered the league!"

O'Neal, wearing the Suns' orange training uniform, turned to the camera and spoke well of Kobe. Everyone wanted to echo him, but soon the old shark added:
"Kobe knows the gap between himself and the real superstars. I didn't understand it in the past. You know, I can win most games with my talent, but after going through so much, now I only have respect."

"Although it's difficult for my little brother to bring another championship to Los Angeles, he has given everything he has, and I don't want to hear the outside world discredit his efforts anymore."

The old Shark's words sounded like he was praising Kobe, but when the sports reporters thought about it carefully, they found that the old Kobe in front of them was belittling Mamba again!

Kobe never admitted the "gap".
Witnessed by everyone, O'Neal, who entered the locker room, ignored Kobe's emotions and warmly hugged his old partner, then hugged his little brother and praised loudly:

"Tonight I will accept the No. 24 jersey! This represents a more mature Kobe. Although he failed to win the championship after changing the number, in my opinion, Kobe with No. 24 is closer to Michael Jordan."

Hearing the praise from his old partner, Kobe forced a smile on his face. He didn't like this kind of "performance show" at all, but he had to cooperate at this time:
“I hope Sharif likes this gift!”

Facing the camera, Kobe smiled and gave his blessing, then took out the Mamba series signature shoes that he had prepared. After O'Neal took them, he praised them repeatedly with a smile on his face, but what he said made Mamba a little unhappy:
"Hopefully one day we'll see our kids competing together! Bro, I hope Sherif finds a superstar partner and they'll be as successful as we are."

"."

As we all know, Kobe does not have a son yet. Since losing the game, Mamba has announced that he will focus on basketball and not consider the issue of children. This is completely different from the situation where Li You is about to form a football team.

Although he suspected that the old Shark was being sarcastic to him again, Kobe was too lazy to explore it further. Now he just wanted to end this exhibition game as soon as possible. He didn't understand why so many people were paying attention to such a boring event.

When Fisher also came to the locker room, the atmosphere became even more heated. Old Fisher had no conflicts with O'Neal, so it was natural for him to flatter him:

"Time flies! I'm almost at retirement age, and it's amazing to see Shaq still perform like this!"

"While everyone is praising his talent, many people forget that Shaq is 37 years old."

The praise from his old teammates made O'Neal smile even more brightly. By the time Duncan and others came to the locker room, Kobe had been squeezed to the back. When he heard the "conversation between MVPs", Mamba almost collapsed.

In this game, O'Neal announced that it was a "duel between MVPs." On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, as the two players faced off directly in the game.

But considering that Kobe is the original leader of the Lakers, the old Shark is obviously trying to flatter his partner, and the commentators are talking about it with great relish, because they like this kind of "storytelling basketball".
Although there was no pre-game greeting at the 19:30 game that evening, O'Neal, who visited Staples Center for the second time, was still very popular.

Steve Nash didn't want to perform, but unfortunately the locker room was completely out of control, and with the extra traffic brought by the tour, the team management compromised, and O'Neal became the first tactical point.

“MVP! MVP!”

In the middle of the first quarter, as O'Neal stood on the free throw line, shouting soon rang out in the arena, which made Kobe, who was performing efficiently, a little unhappy.

Old Buss also came to watch the game tonight. Although he and O'Neal had many unpleasant experiences, the old Shark did bring the championship to the team, and many old fans missed the game very much.

The Lakers' offensive rhythm was not fast, but O'Neal, who was running all over the court and performing hard, was still sweating profusely after the first quarter. He has tried his best in recent games.

26:29, the Lakers were not leading by much, and Phil Jackson on the sidelines did not give many instructions. In the opinion of the old man from KFC, the Suns would collapse sooner or later.

The result of the game no longer matters. O'Neal once again became the only protagonist on the court. After three quarters, he led the Lakers to establish a 15-point lead!

"Oh!!"

O'Neal walked towards the bench and waved repeatedly when he heard the cheers of the fans. He was very satisfied with his treatment. Among the active players, no one except Li You could be respected like him.

Kobe, who also clocked out after three quarters, sat back in his seat expressionlessly. If he felt disdainful during the matchup last month, he was even a little puzzled as to why O'Neal would sacrifice the team's record.

But after seeing the fans' enthusiastic reaction, Mamba felt a little envious. Although he was unwilling to admit it in his heart, by the end of his career, his treatment might not be as good as that of his old partner.

After playing for more than three minutes, the fourth quarter completely entered garbage time. In the end, the score was fixed at 4:88. The Lakers continued their winning streak and their record reached 113 wins and 15 losses.

At the end of the game, many reporters gathered around O'Neal and watched the old Shark and Duncan exchange jerseys. Both of them smiled in front of the camera.

"Another conversation between MVPs! Great showdown!"

“I hope everything is going well for you!”

O'Neal and Duncan wished each other well again, and the Staples Center became more and more lively. By the time of the press conference after the game, the old Shark had already forgotten about his little brother.

When asked by an ESPN reporter whether the Lakers have a chance to win the championship this season, O'Neal responded with a serious look:
"Unless Kobe can penetrate Lee's defense, the Lakers won't have much of a chance relying on Tim alone."

"You know, there is a gap between MVPs, and even bigger gaps between superstars. I will wish my little brother the best and hope he can prove himself again."

"."The local sports media in Los Angeles did not refute, and even felt that O'Neal spoke his true feelings. They no longer trusted Kobe. It had nothing to do with hard work, but just lack of strength.

The more successful his old partner became, the more uncomfortable Kobe felt. He still didn't like sacrificing the team's performance for personal gain, but he secretly envied the warm welcome O'Neal received.

When the physical therapy session ended after the game, Fisher saw what Kobe was thinking. It was rare for the old fish to speak his mind. While the staff were away, he whispered again:

"Like Steve Nash said, championships shouldn't be all we pursue."

"Bro, there's no need to make things difficult for yourself. We're not young anymore. We're in the final stages of our careers, so we should enjoy the game even more."

Fisher, who knows the inside story, compared the daily lives of Kobe and Li You and felt that Mamba had made too many sacrifices and worked so hard but still received no recognition. He hoped that his old teammate could let it go completely and stop worrying about it.

"Maybe you're right, but I don't need anyone's guidance!"

"Now I just want to see the team continue its winning streak. We have to win all the following games in one go, especially the Christmas game. I must win!"

On Christmas Day, the NBA arranged another East Coast vs. West Coast showdown, this time at the Knicks' home court. Kobe had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Old Fish raised his eyebrows and stopped persuading him. In fact, he also liked this year's Christmas game. Going to New York, he just happened to spend the holiday with his good brother Barnes.

Facing his old teammates, Kobe began to fantasize about the Christmas game. O'Neal's performance show stimulated Mamba again, and he also wanted to get more attention.

On Thursday, December 12, O'Neal's tour continued and the Knicks continued to win.

With three games a week for two consecutive weeks and a relatively easy schedule, the Knicks have successfully won 24 consecutive games. Such a record has led to more and more calls for an eighth consecutive championship.

The New York sports media has repeatedly "loaned money", but Chicago never buys it, especially after Derrick Rose's bold words, more old fans began to look forward to the team's real rise!
The 20 p.m. game that night received extra attention. Before Rose himself spoke out, the Chicago Tribune started fanning the flames:
"Derrick Rose will end New York's winning streak at the great United Center!"

A few years ago, under the leadership of championship guard Sprewell and others, the Bulls entered a dark age. Although they returned to the playoffs later, their performance was still poor.

Fortunately, Rose's talent is visible to the naked eye. Considering the development of modern basketball, fans have high hopes for the point guard "Rose".

Last season, the newbie also experienced national live broadcast, but tonight's game at 20 p.m. made him feel more pressure. The Chicago fans were extremely eager to end their opponent and they burst into 12 points of enthusiasm after the game started.

The noise made by nearly 90 fans seemed to bring the arena back to the s, but that championship team was no longer there, and as time passed, the enthusiasm of some fans faded.

With 7 minutes and 58 seconds left in the first quarter, Joakim Noah's screen at the top of the arc failed to prevent Rose from getting rid of Li You. When his teammates had already started to move down, the rookie who was surrounded chose to break through again.

Rose suddenly stopped and started while moving, holding the ball in his left hand at a very fast speed. He jumped with both feet when rushing into the paint area, trying to break through the defense with a jump step.

But when he was in the air, Ross, with his left arm pulled sideways, found helplessly that Li You was already waiting for him in the air. The newbie had to tense his body again and make a crooked one-handed throw before landing on the ground.

Due to the interference, the basketball hit the backboard but almost missed the basket. Rose, who was forced to hover in the air, sat on the floor after landing and watched Li You turn around and take the rebound.

Tom Thibodeau on the sidelines was very dissatisfied with Rose's offensive choices and yelled loudly:

"Calm down! Don't make any more mistakes! Go on defense!"

Although Thibodeau was very strict, Rose knew that the coach was really doing it for his own good, so he stood up immediately without being pulled by his teammates. He thought the opponent had already launched a counterattack, but he didn't expect that Li You's advancement speed was not fast.

Rose rushed across half court and came to the right wing, where he just squeezed into Li You's side. He then immediately established a defensive position. When he saw Li You stop, he thought it was a positional attack and the newbie breathed a sigh of relief.

Li You, wearing the Knicks' blue away jersey, waited until the rookie landed at the bottom side before waving his left arm, signaling Gasol to move up and create offensive space.

Rose, who was about to squeeze through the pick-and-roll, began to adjust his center of gravity, but he didn't expect Li You in front of him to suddenly dribble in a suspended manner, then lowered his center of gravity, held the ball in his right hand, and forced a breakthrough.

Without any fake moves, Rose made a clear prediction and slid to the left rear with all his might, but he was squeezed past in an instant. He could only stretch out his hand after stumbling, but was pushed away by Li You's ball-protecting hand.

"Oh!!"

The Bulls fans at the scene exclaimed, and in the blink of an eye, Li You had already taken to the air. Although Noah under the basket bravely rushed up, before he jumped to the highest point, his opponent had already started to hover.

With his head level with the basket, Li You passed half of his body over Noah, pulled his right arm back, and after fully accumulating strength, he dunked fiercely!

"boom!"

The basket made a loud bang, and Noah fell to the floor due to inertia and jumped out of the baseline. The wonderful dunk made many fans change sides on the spot, and cheers suddenly broke out in the United Center.

"Lee, who will be 32 at the end of the month, looks faster than Derrick Rose! It's incredible! It seems that Rose will have a hard time performing well tonight."

On the TNT commentary stand, Doug Collins once again praised Li You's performance in the matchup. With 8 wins and 14 losses, he is still not optimistic about the rookie's performance this season.

Rose came to his senses and raised his hand to signal when he saw his teammate's embarrassed look. The newbie was a little confused. Last season, Li You's speed didn't seem to be so fast. The two faced each other many times in the regular season, and he had a deep impression.

The Bulls did not use double-teaming in the first quarter, and as an important supporting role in the main event, Rose had to meet the fans' expectations alone.

Thibodeau's pre-game chicken soup gradually lost its effect. Facing Li You's unreasonable "tank charge" time and time again, Rose responded with continuous 24-second buzzer-beating jump shots.

When Luol Deng saw his teammates missing shots one after another due to being defended, he looked at his coach helplessly. During the transition offense, the distracted Bulls players once again watched Li You "overtake" continuously, playing 1 against 5 in the frontcourt and making a gliding slam dunk!
"I forgot one thing last year. Welcome to the NBA, rookie! I love playing in the United Center the most!"

Rose, who was about to catch the ball, heard Li You's whisper beside him, and his scalp tingled for a moment. He suddenly thought of Allen Iverson, and groaned in his heart, but said very toughly:

"You are not welcome in Chicago!"

(End of this chapter)