NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 838 A true leader doesn't need to make a statement. (Chapter without a main character)

On Tuesday, June 26, 2012, with the NBA draft approaching, Sports Illustrated and Slam Dunk magazines coincidentally released special editions on the USA Men's Basketball team, which certainly attracted the attention of onlookers.

After a day, the sports fans who had read the magazine fell silent, not because there was anything wrong with the content, but because they were deep in thought.

It wasn't until Kyrie Irving's tweet went viral this morning that dissenting voices emerged:

"Kobe's so-called spiritual leader is just making excuses for his own failures. Don't use your personal failures to hold the entire national team hostage."

Having just participated in the grand championship parade in New York yesterday, Kyrie Irving was deeply moved by the loyal New York fans. It was the rookie's first time experiencing such a grand event firsthand, and he has now completely integrated into the New York basketball culture.

The reason many basketball commentators remained silent was mainly because Kobe, in this interview, put forward a theory that had never been considered before when discussing the "Redemption Team" of 08:

"The NBA has changed since the beginning of the 21st century. Basketball has become more superficial, and the pursuit of trophies and honors has begun!"

"More and more players are no longer focusing on honing their skills. Three-point shooting is good, but at that time, this skill was hurting the entire league."

"A player's playing style is formed during their teenage years. After entering the NBA, they focus more on playing to their strengths. However, many players blindly switch to other styles during that period, which is one of the reasons for their poor performance in international competitions."

"Our mental attributes are also deteriorating. Young people no longer seek competition like they used to, but instead start to pursue interests. Loyalty has become a joke because of trophies. That's the worst NBA ever."

"In 08, we rebuilt everything. I wanted to influence the team through my performance and show those young people that basketball still has a pure side. In the end, the US team won the gold medal, which made me very gratified."

In the article reviewing the "Redemption Team," Kobe's theory seemed impeccable, given that the US men's basketball team did indeed perform poorly in previous years, and NBA players did not respond positively to the call.

Just as Mamba said, role players are working hard to make a difference in the unseen corners of the league.

Only the Knicks were able to execute the New York system effectively; the Suns, despite their close imitation, were only able to reach the conference finals.

The competition in the NBA is extremely fierce in some ways. Most of the dream players who are forgotten by fans have careers that last only two years, and many of them don't even make the roster.

The league's tactics were forced to "reform," many dream chasers were eliminated, and even the NCAA was affected. Stephen Curry's popularity exploded, largely because he was called "the next Lee" by the media.
Kobe exposed this phenomenon, and of course, Mamba wouldn't deny the importance of championships, but rather emphasized the role of mental attributes once again. This interview can be summarized as follows:

"Winning a championship does not raise the overall level of the league, nor does it make basketball progress."

"Playing with conviction is even more important; that's the key to the progress of basketball!"

As the US captain handpicked by head coach Krzyzewski, Kobe's next task is to revitalize the Dream Team and change the team's atmosphere to avoid repeating past failures.

At the national team level, Kobe's words were naturally on the side of "righteousness," after all, the US team was indeed performing poorly before 08.

A group of millionaire players were taught a lesson by those "minor players," and the honors they achieved were not worthy of their high salaries!

As a fence-sitter, the commentator naturally wouldn't oppose the US men's basketball team. Everyone loves hindsight; whether Kobe's instilled belief was effective or not, we'll see after the Olympics.
Lower-level players who read reports in magazines like Sports Illustrated can only empathize with the situation. Although their defense is poor and their three-point shooting is terrible, they still have their merits!

The "Black and Tough" fans miss the era of "tough confrontation" in the past, when low-post defense was much easier than defending pick-and-rolls. They support Kobe's claim that the three-pointer ruined the league.

"Traditional guards" also miss the past, only responsible for passing the ball and occasionally "stealing chicken". How wonderful it would be to be as pure as the predecessor Stockton. Combination guards and ball-handling cores should not exist. Point guards should pass the ball to big men!
With the support of these eliminated players, social media was flooded with voices in support of Kobe on Monday, while also mixed with some sarcastic remarks from other cities about New York.

During the 16 years that Lee Yu entered the league, the vast majority of NBA fans could only watch the "annual parade" on television.

In the past, although they couldn't win the championship, they could at least dream about it. But now, after watching this year's finals, most fans are hoping that Li You will retire. The "championship game" must change.

The USA Basketball training camp will officially begin on the 8th of next month, and fans are eager to see how Kobe will instill belief in the team.

In contrast, the NBA draft held on the 27th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, didn't attract much attention.

After all, Kentucky's Anthony Davis has undeniable talent, and the Hornets, who will get the first pick, will definitely choose this American big man. The odds from the betting market say it all.

-

On Wednesday the 27th, Kyrie Irving appeared on ESPN's First Take program that afternoon. The rookie has been putting out a lot of noise these past two days and is definitely the week's hottest topic.

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayliss are both seasoned sarcastic commentators. While they can't be too outspoken during the US team's controversy, it doesn't stop them from being sarcastic on certain topics.

Host Jay Crawford recently made a temporary guest appearance here, while Dana Jacobson is not a good fit for a more radical show and has since returned to Sports Center.

For the past nine years, Crawford has spent most of his time at the Sports Center in the evenings and Cold Pizza in the mornings. After ESPN's programming was restructured, he hasn't had many opportunities to come to First Take to discuss basketball.

However, as a loyal fan of Cleveland Sports, Crawford actually agrees with some of Kobe's views. He, like local fans, finds it hard to accept James' departure.

After the show began, host Crawford introduced the previously defeated Dream Team, and the topic quickly shifted to the "Redemption Team," with excerpts from a Sports Illustrated article being shown:
"To some extent, Kobe Bryant's point of view is correct. Even now, I still can't understand why we missed out on gold medals back then."

"This must be related to the basketball environment in the NBA. As a Cleveland sports fan, I, like many other fans, dislike James' 'Decision.' Loyalty has become a rare quality in this era."

Although Crawford, dressed in a grey suit, didn't participate much in the discussion, he still expressed his opinion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I must remind you again that the NBA has always been a business league that brings together the best basketball players in the world."

Stephen A. Smith slowed his speech, tilted his head to look at the camera, and reminded his partner across from him. Only after seeing the nod did he calmly continue:

"As the 21st century began, the alliance developed rapidly, and loyalty also changed!"

"There are still players in the league who are 'one man, one city,' with Dirk and God-Lee being prime examples. The reason I'm mentioning these two team leaders is because I want to say something that many players don't want to admit!"

"Players who are not good enough can no longer be as 'loyal' as they used to be, while those who can bring championships to the fans will stay with the team."

"This is progress for the NBA. If you're not good enough but still want a championship, stop seeking 'loyalty,' because teams won't offer you big contracts." "The truth is that simple. Those complaining about the disappearance of 'loyalty' should examine themselves: what have you brought to your supporters? Stop using 'loyalty' to hold teams hostage!"

By the end, Stephen A. Smith was hoarse and almost called out Captain America by name.
Skip-Bellis shook his head, seemingly finding his partner's viewpoint too extreme, and began to fan the flames again:

"But Kobe's point of view is also valid. The Dream Team of the past did lose its way. They seemed to have lost some of their beliefs, which is the only explanation for their failure."

"In this respect, Li has made no contribution. Since entering the league, Li has never talked about the so-called 'spiritual attributes'. On the contrary, he has always emphasized that basketball is just a job."

"Perhaps in some aspects, Li did make some negative contributions. As far as I know, many big men lost their jobs because they could not survive in the league. The changes in the NBA are unacceptable to many practitioners."

Crawford promptly interjected, glancing at Kyrie Irving beside him, and said with a smile:
“Kyrie, we’ve all seen your comments on social media. You played alongside Lee in your rookie season, so I think your opinions are more convincing.”

It was Irving's first time on First Take, and he was a little nervous, but when talking about it, the anger welling up in the young man quickly made him forget the presence of the cameras in front of him:
"Kobe Bryant is a joke; even his title was stolen from VC!"

“I received guidance from Boss in high school. You know, young people always like to show off. Before that, I also thought basketball was special and sacred.”

"But my boss and my father quickly taught me one thing: basketball is just like any other job, nothing special. All we have to do is do our job well."

"In the NBA, fans are our foundation. To do this job well, we naturally have to fulfill the fans' wishes—a championship!"

"Pursuing the championship is our job. We are just like ordinary people, only God has given us some talents. Those mental attributes are just excuses for insufficient ability."

"Nobody talks about these things on the Knicks. Rookie players just train hard and hone their skills. Don't think that winning a championship can teach young people a lesson. I just want to expose his lies!"

The young man got a little emotional at the end, saying that the grand championship parade made him feel that all his hard work this year had been worthwhile, and that it felt wonderful to see tens of thousands of New York fans chanting his name.

For veterans like Li You, such big occasions were nothing new, but after experiencing it once, Irving was particularly impressed and gained a deeper appreciation for the Knicks' basketball philosophy.

"Kyrie is right, New York fans have also contributed to the championships over the years."

"God-Lee never said he was special. Even though he was financially independent, he still stayed in the league for the sake of his countless fans."

"This passion needs no words to describe it. If you are still in school and have good basketball talent, then go and see how the greatest player in history plays."

"If you make it to the NBA, take this job seriously, work hard to repay the fans who support you, don't make excuses like the clown, and face failure with composure in order to succeed!"

Stephen A. Smith became increasingly excited and his eyes welled up with tears by the end of his speech. It was the first time he had experienced such a scene, and Crawford's eyes were wide open.

When Irving took over and continued to promote Li You's basketball philosophy, Crawford almost thought he was on a televised sermon. He instinctively looked at the silent Skip Bayliss and asked with his eyes:
"Hey guys, how much did you get?"

As if reading the words in his partner's eyes, Skip-Bellis felt a pang of bitterness. If he had changed his identity from a hater to a "Li fan" earlier, he might be financially independent by now!

At 19 p.m. that evening, ESNP broadcast the 2012 NBA Draft as scheduled. As a "draft practice," before the official start, analysts were still analyzing which player the Hornets would select.

However, the sports reporters present were clearly not paying attention to these things. Andre Drummond, a player from the University of Connecticut who was invited into the Green Room, launched a scathing attack on Kobe Bryant supporters in the afternoon:
"Only cowards complain about their environment. Lee said a long time ago that this is the era of three-pointers. Big men need to train harder instead of chasing the so-called Mamba Mentality to make excuses for themselves."

Alumnus Jeremy Lamb also commented on recent trending topics on social media. Having also been invited to participate, the newcomer firmly stated his position in the interview:
“Every young player wants to be like Lee! I’m not interested in discussing beliefs; I just want to work hard and bring championships to the fans who support me!”

"."

Over the years, the University of Connecticut has transformed into a renowned basketball school, with Maya Moore on the women's team and Li You being a star player on the men's team.

While Georgetown University in the Big East Conference dislikes its rising rivals, they always seem proud of Lee whenever they talk about their past competition.

Unlike the undrafted lower-tier players, those invited to the event were all lottery picks. The young men believed in their own talent and admired Lee Woo's philosophy of pursuing big contracts.

Before escaping poverty, no one is interested in talking about "loyalty"; becoming a millionaire is the most important thing!

David Stern, who appeared before the public, seemed oblivious to the recent controversy, refusing to answer questions about the US men's basketball team.

In fact, most board members do not want their star players to participate in the national team. Insurance alone is a hassle for every international competition, so the league's top management rarely speaks out on this topic.

The New York fans at the scene started to boo, still feeling euphoric after their championship parade. Many were criticizing Kobe, while others were chanting about the 76ers' record.

"Sixty-eight!"

The young players, who hadn't even entered the league yet, were already experiencing the influence of New York fans. It's easy to imagine the expressions on the faces of the 76ers players and the nervousness in the hearts of some of the rookie players. No one wanted to play in Philadelphia.

"The New Orleans Hornets selected Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft."

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers from his family and friends, Anthony Davis, dressed in a grey suit, smiled at the camera, put on a Hornets hat that had been prepared beforehand, and quickly took to the stage amidst well wishes.

After taking a photo with the president on stage, the young man was interviewed by ESPN. With the US men's basketball team including a rookie on the reserve roster, Davis was inevitably asked about leadership.
"Davis, we all know you're still on the reserve roster for Team USA. As a young player, do you agree with Kobe's recent views?"

Upon hearing this question, Anthony Davis was somewhat speechless. These sports reporters didn't seem to care about his team's performance in the new season. Thinking about the Mamba stealing the spotlight, the young man simply muttered:
“You know, I used to be a guard, and Lee is a role model for all young people. After entering the league, I just wanted to work hard to give back to the fans in New Orleans.”

"As for the national team, that's not something a rookie like me should discuss. But as far as I know, the US team probably has more than one captain. The real leader probably doesn't need to say too much."

"."

(End of this chapter)