NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 701 Winning without being "numbed" (7000-word chapter)
2010年2月14号星期日，牛仔体育场涌入了108713名球迷，上座人数打破了之前在底特律福特球馆的78129人的上座纪录。

Looking back, the last time Dallas hosted the All-Star Game was in 1986. As the host city again, local fans were completely excited.

However, from the perspective of watching the game live, the experience may not be very good, especially for fans who bought the screaming seats in the back row, who can only stare at the big screen to watch the game.

Even if you buy front-row seats, they are still some distance away from the venue. Only the courtside seats are not affected. Many fans have complained about this on social media.

It wasn't just the venue that was complained about. On Friday, the second-year rookie unexpectedly lost, ending his seven-game winning streak.

No one expected that the 09 rookies, which was known as the "weak draft year", would suppress the second-year rookies throughout the game. Tyreke Evans performed well, and even though Westbrook scored 40 points, they still lost in the end.

After witnessing this game, some fans complained that the second-year rookie was not committed enough, and Saturday's individual challenges and dunk contest led to more and more complaints.

Paul Pierce won the trophy in the three-point contest with just 20 points;

Although Nate Robinson’s dunk received 61% of the fan vote, the play was nothing new;
In contrast, in the Skills Challenge, Steve Nash defeated the newbies and won the trophy, which was the best performance in all the events.

Although the 35 seconds in the preliminary round was hard to complain about, the 29.9 seconds in the final reflected the level of the veteran!
None of the competitions were exciting. The record set by Li You had been there for years, but no one has broken it yet. The All-Star Game, which was going in the opposite direction, was eventually denounced by fans.

It's not the NBA's fault, it's just that the sports media hyped it up too much before the game. In the three-point contest, many reporters encouraged Stephen Curry early on, but he ended up with 18 points in the first round and 17 points in the final.
The fans whose expectations were maxed out were dumbfounded. With less than 20 points and this kind of shooting level, he actually tried to "bump into" Li You?
New York fans even mocked the newbies on social media. As soon as the game ended, some people started to "shrimp and pig heart":
"With a thin body and overrated shooting, maybe Stephen Curry should ask his father for advice on how to become a qualified NBA player."

"."

Li You developed various three-point shooting records to another level. After getting used to these records, although Curry gradually gained playing time, he was unable to gain recognition from fans and critics.

After the three-point contest ended on Saturday, Curry's reputation suddenly dropped to a lower level, with some New York reporters giving the newbie the title of "poor imitator."

The last player to receive this treatment was Kobe Bryant, but Mamba is imitating Michael Jordan.
Even entertainment events can hold "criticism meetings". Curry, who was originally participating in the competition happily, felt aggrieved and wanted to respond but was stopped by his father.

Old Curry knows the basketball environment in New York too well. The noble New York fans like to win in a "unique" way, and anyone who wants to imitate or surpass them will be rejected.

In the end, the rookie Curry could only watch himself being laughed at silently, while the loyal New York fans showed him another side of the basketball mecca.
On Sunday afternoon, at the pre-game press conference, Dirk Nowitzki, as the host player, naturally received more attention. This is also one of the default rules that the host city will be the protagonist of the All-Star Game.

Although the Mavericks have a good record, there are also some conflicts within the team. After losing to the Nuggets before the All-Star Game, Kidd even publicly criticized Josh Howard:
"Some of us didn't put our full focus on basketball! That's inexcusable."

Josh Howard had a birthday party during the playoffs last year. This time, he was called out by the veteran and didn’t even pretend. He directly refuted:
"I don't know how we can win when our core players are shooting less than 30 percent."

“I’ve been working hard and I deserve my salary.”

These words were directed at Nowitzki. Facing Nene who had just returned from injury, the German made 17 of 5 shots and scored 17 points inefficiently, leading the team to a crushing defeat.

His teammates were sarcastic and Nowitzki did not refute, but Cuban could not stand it anymore. He predicted during the Celebrity Game on Friday that the Mavericks would be involved in a multi-team trade!

Although the team owner supported him, the German still did not get much respect and he was still a complete "softie".

Sports journalists sometimes "bully the weak and fear the strong". Seeing that Nowitzki was easy to talk to, they made trouble for the German. After chatting with him, they immediately asked a question:

"Dirk, can the Mavericks return to the finals after making the trade? If they can't win the championship, does it mean that the lineup is not the fundamental problem?"

The Fox Sports reporter asked such a question, which made everyone at the scene look puzzled. Everyone could hear the hidden meaning, which was blaming the Mavericks for the core problem of their failure.

The smile on his face was a little stiff. Nowitzki, wearing a red-striped All-Star training suit, obviously didn't want to brag and failed to answer the question immediately. Kidd couldn't stand it anymore and helped his teammates out:

"We are working hard, and the whole team is working hard for the championship!"

"Whether you admit it or not, there are shortcuts to winning championships. I can join the Knicks. You know, Lee and I have always had a good relationship. If we join forces, in a few months, I will have another ring."

"But I didn't choose to do that, and Dirk was the same. He had the opportunity to make the same decision as Duncan, but after losing, he chose to win it back on his own."

Kidd's words were recognized by most reporters. Seeing that everyone stopped whispering, the veteran added a few more words:

"When young people start discussing forming a team, old-school players like Dirk deserve more respect!"

"Maybe we won't win the championship, but we will work towards this goal until the end of our careers."

After hearing Kidd's words, Nowitzki was so emotional that he almost burst into tears on the spot. It was really hard for him.

He lost by a large margin in the finals, was eliminated in the first round after being elected MVP, his fiancée turned out to be a liar and almost made him become a father, and his teammates had no interest in basketball and openly laughed at him.

In addition, the New York media would ridicule him whenever they thought of it. Since the defeat in the finals, Nowitzki has not lived a comfortable life, and basketball has brought him nothing but "pain."

The reason why these reporters are so aggressive now is mainly because the Mavericks beat the Knicks last month, and New York reporters took the lead in adding fuel to the fire, which made everyone remember him again.

"With most of Lee's career overlapping, Dirk, are you confident that you can lead the Mavericks to a championship?"

As the broadcaster, TNT still gave the Germans a "step". The young reporter did not embarrass the host, and Nowitzki was relieved. No matter what he thought in his heart, he naturally refused to admit defeat:

"Of course, I will lead the team back to the finals, and for this, I am willing to give everything."

Nowitzki, who will be 6 in June, felt a little bitter when he said this. Li You is also 32 years old. Whenever the German thinks of this, he always feels that his future is bleak.

After the interview, old Kidd was not in a good mood. He could feel the impact of young people on the league.

Wade has expressed "brother basketball" in front of the media more than once, and the combination of James and Howard is more dominant this season!
Although Anthony is not as topical as his other two good brothers, the Nuggets' record is not bad. With a complete lineup, they even have a chance to catch up with the Lakers.

These young players have already made it to the divisional finals. It’s no wonder that the media is increasingly pessimistic about the veterans. Results don’t lie, and the young players are indeed just one step away from the finals.

"Is the team sure it wants to give up Howard?"

Hearing Nowitzki's whispered question, old Kidd agreed casually. He was not interested in cooperating with people who had no intention of playing. When he thought of Barea spreading his championship experience, the veteran felt aggrieved.

When the two returned to the locker room in silence, Nash immediately went up to greet his friend when he saw him. O'Neal sat back on the therapy mat, raised his hand, and then grinned and shared key experience:

"Do you know why Kobe didn't come here? Because my little brother finally understood how difficult it was to win the championship!"

"Without me, he'd get the shit beat out of him by Lee!"

Stadler laughed loudly when he heard this. Instead of refuting, he exaggerated and said:

"My experience in New York tells me that Shaq is right. No one will worry about Kobe in the finals because Lee can handle him!"

"It's a pity Kobe didn't come. I was planning to take him to apologize to Lee. As long as he plays basketball with a low profile, no one will embarrass him in the future."

Champion guard Billups, who also has a ring, shrugged and continued the conversation:
"I think Kobe didn't come because he realized the gap between him and Lee, which can't be made up by training. Even if he used technology products, it probably wouldn't have any effect."

"If I were Kobe, I wouldn't choose to be played by Lee in front of 10 people. They beat the Knicks not long ago. I guarantee that Lee is ready to embarrass him!"

"."

The three of them complained about Kobe Bryant's absence from the All-Star Game. Mamba made an excuse for his absence, which angered many players:

"I have no interest in participating in boring exhibition games with people who have no interest in basketball."

Kobe was talking about the old Shark. O'Neal's tour messed up the Suns' record, but he was still voted into the starting lineup by the fans. Mamba couldn't bear to see his old partner's smug face, so he simply stayed in Los Angeles to recuperate.

Zach Randolph, who was selected for the All-Star Game for the first time, was stunned. The fat black man subconsciously turned his head to look at Duncan, but found that the former MVP was immersed in his own world with headphones on.

Deron Williams was the calmest. Although Kobe had defeated him before, the newbie never recognized the Mamba and would complain about him whenever he got the chance, looking as if he understood the situation well.

Durant had a surprised look on his face. He didn't expect Kobe's reputation among the All-Stars to be so bad, especially O'Neal, who didn't acknowledge Mamba's contribution to the championship.
"It's easy to beat Kobe, but it's hard to beat MVP. Man, you're still young, but in a few years, you'll understand what I'm saying!"

O'Neal acted like an old senior, raised his eyebrows at Durant, and belittled his younger brother again. The newbie didn't dare to say anything more, but just smiled awkwardly.

Hearing a few people starting a new round of gossip, Durant pricked up his ears and listened carefully, while taking note of the useful information in his mind. When he returned to the Thunder, these would be his topics of conversation.

In the Eastern Conference locker room, Wade scowled, and his good partner David Lee turned on the "licking dog" mode again, sitting next to Li You and flattering him:

"Kobe is too scared to come to Dallas! He can't even handle an exhibition game."

"."

Howard loved to laugh at the Mamba, so he responded with a laugh, and after standing up, he danced and imitated Kobe's accent:

"I have no interest in participating in boring exhibition matches!"

"Why did so many people vote for him? Just because he slept in the training hall? I know this news must be fake."

James had just met with Anthony, and when he returned to the locker room, he heard his partner attacking Mamba. When he looked at Wade, he found that his good brother's face was full of helplessness.

Garnett also had a gloomy face. Being a substitute was already embarrassing, and now hearing several people laughing at his friend, he felt even worse.

Bosh, the little unknown, had no objection and watched them bragging with a smile. James looked around and looked at Li You again, asking seriously:

"Lee, what are we going to do about the game tonight?"

Rose, who was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time, couldn't help but widen his eyes. Joe Johnson was a little surprised. Gerald Wallace also turned his head, and several people showed surprise on their faces.

"This is Dirk's home court, we have to respect him. This guy is definitely a tough guy in the playoffs!" Li You, who was sitting on the side, said this while looking at Garnett who didn't say a word with a smile. Paul Pierce didn't expect that his tough partner would actually endure it, and then whispered:
"Dirk is at least not as bad as the media portrays him to be. He is indeed underestimated."

Having been beaten up by the Germans in the playoffs, Hardt reluctantly agreed. Li You no longer looked at the outdated MVP and gave instructions in front of everyone:

"At least let the opponent hold on until the last quarter. I don't think this is difficult. Anyone who wants to compete with the host for the trophy, remember to perform hard!"

Gasol took this opportunity to express his attitude first. The Spanish big man shrugged his shoulders and said casually:
"I want to get out early because we have back-to-back games on Tuesday."

After the All-Star Weekend, the Knicks will face the Bulls in two games. Rose, who had been silent all this time, cursed in his heart that it was really unethical for Old Dunn to save his strength to "beat" him.

When Joe Johnson was still hesitating, Howard took over the conversation without hesitation:

"Lee is right! I think AMVP suits me."

The shameless "Happy Beast" began to "canvass votes" for himself, and Gerard Wallace was completely confused. Could this trophy be "predetermined"?
Garnett, who witnessed this scene again, curled his lips secretly. This was one of the reasons why he didn't like Li You's behavior. Basketball games shouldn't be like this. Hard work became for the trophy.

At 19:30 that evening, Usher's "More" quickly ignited the atmosphere of the entire stadium.

When the players were introduced, the host Nowitzki was a little embarrassed. There were obviously more than half as many fans cheering for him as there were for Li You. Most of the fans who bought tickets tonight were fans of the winning team, and the local Dallas fans could do nothing about it.

Fortunately, Li You was always able to cooperate with the performance and did not steal the limelight from the Germans. He simply waved to the fans, which made the spectators on both sides of the stage feel a little regretful. They still wanted to interact passionately.

Usher, who sings and dances rap, shook his head secretly when he saw this scene. No matter how Jay-Z appealed, black people would not buy it.
Before the game started, Nowitzki, as the host, had to give a speech on the spot. The Germans were a little embarrassed because there was booing in the stadium. Mark Cuban, who witnessed this scene, also had an ugly look on his face.

After Nowitzki expressed his gratitude and sent his blessings, the scene that made Mavericks fans angry occurred.

As 20 p.m. approached, the shouting could not stop as Li You hit three-pointers in a row during warm-up:
"God-Lee! God-Lee! God-Lee!."

The team is about to achieve its 8th consecutive championship. The online fans who don’t watch the game much are only paying attention to Li You. With the support of a large number of fans who like to win, the Cowboys Stadium seems to have turned into Madison Square Garden.

When old Kidd saw his partner's embarrassed look, he didn't know what to say for a moment. Hook has recently been advertising Li You's new signature shoes, and now it seems that it has worked.

On Monday, February 2, all major sports media published photos of Howard grinning and holding the trophy.

"Happy Beast" got what he wanted, but most of the column articles were more about making fun of Carmelo Anthony. This young man who stole the show was "sanctioned" by Li You in the fourth quarter.

After head coach Mike Brown knew that Li You was planning to slack off, he actively rotated the players and sought benefits for his own players.

What Black Bread didn't expect was that when Nowitzki was a little slow to warm up, Anthony completely dominated the game with his inside and outside shots.

In the last quarter, the Western Conference All-Stars led by 6 points. If the game ended, Anthony would definitely hold the trophy, but something unexpected happened. In the three crucial rounds, Li Youlian scored 9 points.
After turning the game around, James took over the game again and helped his partner stabilize the situation. In the end, the score was 138:134. Anthony, who wanted to grab the trophy, had no choice but to watch the "Happy Beast" receive the award.

After the game, Gerald Wallace, who was experiencing the All-Star Game for the first time, was completely convinced. Li You did what he said and arranged the game clearly:
"It's hard to describe this All-Star trip! Not only the 10 fans, but Lee's control of the game was incredible!"

"God-Lee! Just like those fans shouted, it was God's show!"

"."

As for Howard, the "Happy Beast" kept thanking Li You after holding the trophy after the game. The young man seemed to have forgotten that he was almost knocked down by Big Ben not long ago, and successfully became a "Li fan".

Kobe, who was still recuperating in Los Angeles, arrived at the training hall early in the morning. The content of the newspapers in Los Angeles was no different, the only difference was that O'Neal's "demeanor" was praised.

The old Shark only played for a few minutes symbolically, and then gave his position to Nowitzki, which was recognized by the Dallas fans!
After the game, O'Neal did not forget to add drama to himself. When talking about making such a choice, he began to be sarcastic:
“Although we lost the game, I always knew who the protagonist was.”

Although some commentators believed that O'Neal was dissatisfied with Anthony stealing the limelight, after reading the newspaper, Kobe always felt that his old partner was laughing at him again!

Although Shannon Brown did not have a very impressive performance in the dunk contest, he was very satisfied with the trust of the coaching staff. Assistant coach Bruce Bowen even gave him face-to-face guidance.

When Kobe arrived at the training hall, Shannon Brown was already sweating profusely. Seeing how hard he was working, Mamba finally smiled:

"Keep it up, man! We're going to win this trophy."

There was no training session scheduled this morning, so Shannon Brown took the initiative to practice more. After receiving the approval of the training ground leader, he immediately patted his chest and promised:
"I swear, I will keep going until we win the championship!"

"."

The two exchanged ideas on pick-and-roll techniques for a while, and when Duncan showed up, Kobe rarely praised him in front of his partner:

"If everyone worked as hard as Brown, maybe we would have won the O'Brien Cup a long time ago!"

"Some lazy people will only make excuses for themselves. No training sessions are not a reason for them to relax."

Duncan, who didn't have much presence in the All-Star Game, also praised Shannon Brown for her hard work when he heard Kobe's exclamation. His wife Amy told him that Brown has been actively promoting the gym:
"He really works very hard. Bruce told me that he has been honing his defensive skills since the beginning of the season!"

"Maybe we should talk to the coach so Brown can get more playing time."

After hearing Duncan's encouragement, Shannon Brown did not agree as he had done before. Instead, he expressed his opinion modestly and quickly said goodbye to the two.

When they arrived at the parking lot, Shannon Brown still didn't tell Amy about the photo, thinking of Duncan's care for him. Since he noticed Amy's submissive attitude, he had other ideas in his mind.

Even after driving away, Shannon Brown was still hypnotizing himself in his heart, muttering to himself:

“I’m helping a family!”

On Tuesday the 16th, after the All-Star Weekend ended, the crowd turned their attention to the regular season, and the Bulls fans were clamoring for "revenge."

After Michael Jordan, the "Windy City Rose" became the first guard to be selected to the All-Star Game in so many years, which made many fans excited.

Tom Thibodeau was a little worried. The championship assistant coach knew Li You's bad taste. The more the opponent resisted, the more intense the confrontation became.

On the contrary, those weak teams that are lying flat can sometimes seize the opportunity to win the game, which has been repeatedly confirmed in recent years.
The United Center was packed again that night, and excited Bulls fans cheered for Rose from the start of the game.

Perhaps he wanted to prove himself too much, so the rookie who was trying hard to defend forced a layup during a confrontation at the end of the second quarter, dodged the block, and finally fell to the ground in pain.

When the team doctor came in and confirmed that he could not continue the game, Thibodeau rubbed his face helplessly, and Rose, who had a calf strain, was helped off the court.

Kevin Harlan, who was watching this scene from the TNT commentary booth, could only praise Rose's confrontational spirit again:

"There aren't many young players who can take the initiative to challenge! I admire Rose's attitude towards the game. He reminds me of Allen Iverson."

Reggie Miller on the side almost couldn't hold it back. Everyone knows how miserable Iverson's experience was. He was "beaten to retirement" by Li You:

"I am more concerned about Lee's physical condition! Many veterans are helpless against Rose's speed, but Lee seems to be very relaxed."

"In several direct confrontations, Rose was at a disadvantage on both offense and defense, which is not an easy task for a 32-year-old veteran."

"."

After the start of the second half, Kirk Hinrich took over the defensive responsibility, and within a few rounds, he understood why Rose was struggling so much.

He couldn't keep up with the speed and wanted to use the home court advantage to increase physical confrontation. Hinrich wanted to use subtle little moves to complete the defense, but after half a quarter he felt a dull pain in his ribs and his thighs began to feel numb.

Encouraged by Thibodeau, the tenacious Bulls allowed Li You to clock out in three quarters. He played for only 27 minutes, shot 18 of 14, 6 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and scored 31 points efficiently without any free throws.
The fourth quarter entered garbage time, and Noah, who was plagued by injuries, stared at the two sides going back and forth.

The Knicks' atmosphere team was in great shape and didn't seem to be affected by the holiday at all. On the other hand, the Bulls' players were a little slow to warm up and the score gap kept getting bigger and bigger.

By the end of the game, the boos had completely disappeared and some Bulls fans had already left early. The Knicks defeated their opponents 123:82!
Matthews and his friends were all smiling. Li You, who was being interviewed, did not forget to encourage everyone. The newbie was excited in front of the camera and shared the secret of his good form:

"We didn't let up and it was an honor to experience such a great season with Lee. I will continue to put all my time in the gym!"

"."

Although JR Smith, who was passing by, was laughing happily, he was speechless for a moment when he heard Matthews flattering him. He found that the locker room was becoming more and more crowded, making him feel uncomfortable.

Danny Green, who has never been trusted, is really frustrated. The less playing time he gets, the harder he has to work. Seeing the success of the flatterer, he can't help but have a different idea in his mind:
"Maybe I should try a different approach?"

In the game that ended earlier that day, the Los Angeles sports media praised Shannon Brown for his outstanding performance last night!
面对鱼腩勇士队，19中11，高效轰下27分10篮板3助攻2抢断1盖帽1失误的两双数据。

After honing his skills for most of the season, Shannon Brown has completely won the trust of the coaching staff, and Lakers fans are cheering for this rising star with explosive physical fitness.

For a while, the two teams on the West Coast and the East Coast entered the winning state again. This kind of publicity method has been around for many years, but fans on both sides still enjoy it and say it’s great to win!

On Friday the 26th, the Lakers once again went on a winning streak and continued their previous good form at home, easily defeating the 90ers 109:76.

After the game, Kobe was in a better mood after learning that the Knicks lost to the Grizzlies. He took this opportunity to praise Shannon Brown's recent outburst again:
"I've witnessed Brown's efforts! He has dedicated himself to basketball. I'm not surprised by his performance!"

"Obviously this is the championship puzzle we need. I hope the Lakers can maintain the current momentum. We still have a chance to catch up with our old rivals!"

“Remember, God will not let down those who work hard in training!”

"."

(End of this chapter)