NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 865 The Great Loser (Chapter without a main character)

On Sunday, June 9, 2013, with the end of Game 2 of the Finals, New York fans had already begun their championship parade.
There was no suspense; even with the Spurs shortening their rotation, they still lost both games by 30+ points.

If we only consider the intensity of the game, it's not even comparable to this year's Eastern Conference Finals. Although the Heat also conceded early, LeBron James was simply unstoppable on defense.

The Knicks' frontcourt couldn't match up against Kawhi Leonard, but they held their own against rookie Leonard.

Even though Marion sometimes couldn't keep up with the younger players' speed, Leonard didn't score 30+ points like James. His average 10-15 points had no impact on the game's outcome, and the Spurs didn't even have a clear strength.

The lackluster Finals have once again prompted commentators to criticize this year's Western Conference playoffs. They argue that if it weren't for the "injury bonus," and the Finals opponent was the Thunder, the young players should have performed better.

Last year, Kevin Durant showcased his MVP caliber, shooting over 50% in all four Finals games with extremely high efficiency and impeccable individual ability.

This year, they went even further, but a series of injuries stopped the Thunder in the conference finals. Now that the Finals weren't exciting enough, Oklahoma City fans immediately brought up old grievances and started criticizing the Spurs' James Harden on social media.

Following the two games, New York media outlets drew their own conclusions, with multiple columnists expressing the same theme:
"When a team's core player is Tim Duncan, they have no chance of winning a championship."

"If you're expecting the Spurs' superstar to score 40+ points to respond, then you'll leave the arena disappointed after the game."

"Eight Finals appearances prove that Tim Duncan cannot lead a team to a championship. He is the most overrated superstar among active players."

"."

Reaching the Finals is something to be respected, but Duncan lost too many times, and when he came to the highest stage, he was ridiculed by basketball commentators.

After two years of keeping a low profile, sports media have started digging up old stories again. After a loss, they naturally look at career statistics. With no outstanding performance in basic or advanced statistics, Duncan's reputation has plummeted once again.

ESPN's data experts even gave their conclusions directly:

"Tim Duncan may have been successful in the 80s, but in the context of modern basketball, he is just a star player whose skills and playing style are outdated in every aspect."

Every Finals appearance is a blow. The losers have no voice. The media only educates fans about how bad Duncan's performance was, while nobody really cares about how his teammates performed.

After two days of rest, the Spurs suffered a crushing 88-124 defeat in Game 2. They will face a do-or-die game in San Antonio on Monday, and naturally no one is optimistic that Duncan will lead the team to a comeback.

The Finals are not very intense, and as a result, the league doesn't like the Spurs. The team has broken viewership records for several years, but it will most likely be interrupted this year.

The drop in viewership is naturally the fault of Tim Duncan and the Spurs, proving once again that teams with low viewership are not suitable for the Finals.

-

On Monday, June 10th, despite the certainty that the Spurs would lose, major sports media outlets still made a concerted effort to promote the game.

However, unlike the promotions at the beginning of the month, this time the advertisements mostly focused on Li You and the Knicks players, with Kyrie Irving and Danny Green, who performed well in Game 2, receiving more attention.

The two combined for 32 points off the bench, with Irving dishing out 8 assists and committing no turnovers, while Danny Green contributed 5 three-pointers, displaying a very hot shooting streak!
In his second NBA Finals appearance, Kyrie Irving performed even better than last year. Although he couldn't completely shut down George Hill, he still used his exceptional talent to limit his opponent.

Just like last year, Drederic Irving witnessed his son's performance in the Finals from start to finish. Irving performed exceptionally well, and his family and friends were given the opportunity to be interviewed.

TNT invited Kyrie Irving's godfather, Rod Strickland, to its pre-game program in the afternoon.

After retiring, he became an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky. This veteran, who once competed with Li You for the assist title, has lost the style of his playing days, and his hair has begun to turn gray.

"Many people don't realize how lucky it is to be able to play alongside Li!"

"With the Knicks, in every practice session, you not only get to match up against the greatest player of all time, but you also get to witness firsthand how the GOAT leads the team."

"If I had had this kind of developmental environment during my rookie season, perhaps I could have achieved even greater success in my NBA career."

Strickland, dressed in a black suit, gave a enthusiastic pep talk to the camera, and seeing O'Neal nodding in agreement, he added:
“I always keep in touch with Carey. He has already surpassed me in achievements, but he is not satisfied and is constantly striving to improve.”

“Deep down, Carey even had some concerns; he sometimes questioned whether he could maintain New York’s dominance after Lee’s retirement.”

"You know, playing basketball in New York is never an easy thing."

Veterans who experienced basketball in the 90s know what New York fans were like back then; Patrick Ewing didn't receive much recognition before winning the championship.

As Li You's retirement date approaches, more and more people are looking for entertainment, and some fans who dislike the Knicks have even started discussing the 2016-17 season.

If we wait another three years, New York may face a "cleansing".

"In two seasons, Kyrie Irving has made tremendous progress. It's too early to talk about the future, but Lee's guidance to him is already starting to show."

Shaquille O'Neal picked up the conversation, revealing that he was also looking forward to the future of the Knicks. He predicted that if they lost, the first to hold a meeting wouldn't be the commentators, but rather the current die-hard New York fan club.

Even the large number of existing New York basketball commentators will join the outcry; after so many years of winning, the New York basketball environment can no longer accept defeat.
"I don't want to discuss Lee's performance. Neither second-year rookie Kawhi Leonard nor the Frenchman he was matched up against could cause him any trouble."

"Under this kind of defensive pressure, I wouldn't be surprised if Li scored 100 points."

"The best defender against Lee in the league is still my little brother Dwyane Wade. Now I'm more curious to see what Tim Duncan will do after the Finals loss."

O'Neal continued to score, looking down on Leonard and Parker, believing that the Spurs' perimeter defense was useless.

"Tie Elgin Baylor's record? I think that's a great achievement too. Duncan has at least reached the Finals eight times, which is second only to Lee among active players."

Kenny Smith, who also seemed a little embarrassed when talking about records, offered his opinion and continued:

"As for his future choices, perhaps Duncan will stick with it until after 2016?"

“I know it sounds incredible, considering he was already 40 years old at the time, but I maintain that the Spurs’ championship window may open after Lee retires.”

When Ernie Johnson heard about the three-year loan offer, he shook his head repeatedly. Just as the conversation was about to turn to whether Duncan would still be in the league at 40, it was necessary to remind him again:
Down 0-2, the Spurs faced a similar situation in the Western Conference Finals; perhaps they still have a chance.

"If Lee can help the Spurs win a game against a rookie's defense, I'll eat this table!"

Charles Barkley, who had been silent all along, suddenly responded by shaking his head, pointing to the table with his large mouth, and then adding with a serious expression:

"Guys, the Finals are over! This should have been the Thunder's chance, but sometimes that's just how the NBA is."

"Rhodes, let's continue talking about the Knicks' locker room. What challenges do rookies face on a championship team?"

The group stopped discussing the awkward record; after all, Elgin Baylor didn't want his "glorious" experience to be mentioned repeatedly. Rod Strickland, with a smile on his dark face, continued sharing:

“New York should cancel some of our ‘traditional events,’ Kyrie told me that everyone on the Knicks is like family.”

An hour before the game started, the CCTV sports commentary team arrived at the AT&T Center. With Kobe's help, Zhang Weiping successfully interviewed Tim Duncan. Although the veteran only answered two questions, everyone was still very happy to get firsthand information.

"Duncan has had a tough time. I know many people are criticizing him for shooting 3-for-13 in Game 2, but considering he's 37, fluctuations in his performance are quite normal."

"Not every player can be as consistent as Li You; even Kobe Bryant sometimes missed shots."

As Zhang Weiping continued his usual spiel about Kobe, Yu Jia's eye twitched slightly. Knowing the person in question was in a different situation, he quickly interjected, asking Kobe a question:

"Kobe, we've noticed that American sports media outlets believe the Finals are over. In your opinion, do the Spurs still have a chance to turn the series around after returning to their home court?"

Kobe, dressed in a black suit, had been smiling at the camera, but frowned slightly upon hearing the question, yet still patiently answered:
"I have to say that most of the time, whether it's ESPN or TNT, those columnists simply don't understand basketball."

"Those advanced statistics only represent basketball statistics, but what affects the game is more the desire to win."

"Maybe it's because we're playing on the road, but I don't feel the energy from the Spurs. But I understand them. Nobody likes playing the Finals at Madison Square Garden."

At this point, Kobe raised an eyebrow self-deprecatingly, saying that he doesn't even want to go to New York anymore, not just for games. He doesn't even use an Apple smartphone anymore, and he hates anything associated with New York.

"Kobe has a point. Mental attributes do come in handy. The Spurs didn't play their hardest on the road!"

"."

Zhang Weiping immediately translated, but the old man still slipped in some personal opinions when facing the camera, and began his usual boasting:
"But then again, even the strongest mental attributes won't be of much use against Li You. GOAT is truly amazing; getting 40 points is like drinking water for him!"

"If they don't double-team, they'll attack you whenever they have an opportunity. When they do double-team, the Knicks' ball moves around so fast that the Spurs can't handle it at all."

The old man spoke a bit fast, and his Chinese had a slight "er" sound, which made Kobe, who was trying hard to learn Chinese, only able to continue smiling. Yu Jia took it as Zhang Weiping's accurate translation and turned to Mamba again to ask:

"We all know that you and Duncan played together for several years, and during your time with the Lakers, you completely dominated the Western Conference!"

"Now that Duncan is 37 years old and back in the Finals, how would you rate this teammate?"

Kobe's face also showed a look of reminiscence, recalling Duncan's tragic experience, and he responded with a serious expression:

"Tim's understanding of basketball surpasses that of many excellent players! I've always believed he's a natural winner!"

"To this day I still don't understand why those media outlets would ridicule an MVP who has experienced eight Finals appearances."

"The championship isn't that important. In my opinion, the process of chasing the championship is what's memorable. If Duncan is a loser, then I'd rather call him a 'great loser'."

"."

Zhang Weiping almost burst out laughing when he heard this. The old man didn't believe this kind of talk. There was no need to make too many excuses. Losers were simply not good enough.

As the game time drew near, the AT&T Center gradually became more lively. With a rare return to the Finals, San Antonio fans showed great enthusiasm for watching the game, and the more they fell behind, the more they supported their home team.

The ABC commentary team was seated in the center of the arena, with Mike Brin and Jeff Van Gundy still connected to the studio back. This year's invited analyst, Bill Simmons, continued asking questions:

"Jeff, I noticed that Lee only played for 30 minutes in G2's match. We just discussed this in the studio, and Maggie thinks that Lee only used less than 50% of his strength."

"After breaking his own record with 32 points in a single quarter in Game 1, Lee seems to have lost some of his motivation. You have had a great success in New York, and as one of the coaches who knows Lee best, we all want to hear your thoughts."

All these years later, Van Gundy's most well-known label remains "the coach who coached Lee." Back then, he was so arrogant that he was somewhat averse to it, but as he's gotten older, the championship-winning coach has actually started to like this label.

"In the 2010 Finals, Li scored 26 points in a single quarter, and in 2013, we witnessed a crazy 32 points in a single quarter."

"I think Li used 8% of his strength at certain points in the game, but most of the time he was focused on controlling the game."

"After so many championships, statistics and records have lost much of their meaning for Li, while controlling the game brings him satisfaction."

Facing the camera, Van Gundy's bald forehead gleamed, and after a long boast, he began to brag about his experiences:
"Many people don't know that Lee tried to control the game in his rookie season. While many players entered the starting lineup and started to pursue statistics, he paid more attention to the details of the game."

"Behind those incredible records, Li still maintains his original attitude towards basketball, and this pure pursuit of victory is something all young players should learn from."

"."

On camera, Van Gundy's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke. Jalen Rose, watching this scene in the studio behind, felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could speak, Bill Simmons suddenly chimed in:
"You're right, I need to apologize to Li. I shouldn't have questioned Li's passion for basketball in the past!"

"Having gone through so much, Lee still maintains his original attitude towards basketball. The greatest player in history has shown us what greatness truly means!"

Bill Simmons apologized on the spot, his eyes slightly red after a loyal statement. Jalen Rose was stunned, wanting to join in the praise but finding himself at a loss for words. His face darkened with frustration, and he could only manage a single interjection:
"Guys, I feel the same way."

"."

With more than half an hour to go before the game, the Spurs players had already left the locker room to prepare for their game. Tonight, Popovich made another lineup change, starting Diaw and George Hill.

With one big man and four small men, Popovich went all out after returning to his home court, unleashing his playoff trump card.

As he walked toward the players' tunnel, George Hill, now in the starting lineup, was still a little nervous, trailing behind and taking deep breaths while jumping around to warm up.

Dio, standing to the side, showed no signs of nervousness. Seeing his teammate's expression, he even had the mood to joke:
"Don't be nervous, Bro! After Kawhi received Gary's guidance, he wasn't troubled by Lee in the last game. I've said it before, deciding the outcome isn't our job, so don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"I put up some great stats in the finals, and I guarantee I'll get a lucrative contract next time."

The Frenchman reaped the benefits in this way back then, but George Hill's expression didn't look so good when he heard about the championship experience again.

As if struck by a thought, Dio suddenly widened his eyes and whispered:

"Didn't you express your gratitude to Lee in an interview like Kawhi did?!"

"."

George Hill remained silent for a while, eventually managing only a forced smile as he continued to project his tough-guy image:

"Bro, I'm not a rookie! I'm not like you. This is my first time experiencing the Finals in my career, and I don't want to look back on it as a pushover."

Seeing his teammate squander three opportunities to express his opinion, Diaw shrugged and stopped trying to persuade him, simply patting George Hill on the shoulder and encouraging him:
"Don't push yourself, just enjoy the game!"

Watching the fat Frenchman waddle away, George Hill quickly sped up to catch up. The young man was internally encouraging himself; the power of self-consolation was proving very effective at this moment.
"The coach is right, I can decide the outcome of the game."

(End of this chapter)