NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 875 Forgetting is worse than retiring. (Chapter without main character)

On Wednesday, January 1, 2014, the first day of the new year, sports commentators still sent their best wishes to Lee Woo on social media as he celebrated his 36th birthday.

The NBA's highlight reel of Lee Woo released on YouTube has also garnered significant attention. The top 100 goals received unanimous praise from fans, with many die-hard fans calling for a 500-goal highlight reel as well.
Unlike Kobe Bryant, a well-known highlight reel star in the league, Li You is not only ridiculously good at video editing, but also far ahead in the advanced statistics he has introduced in the last two years.

On his birthday night, the comments section of related videos was filled with onlookers mocking Kobe. It wasn't that the onlookers were maliciously mocking him; the reason was more because Kobe had experienced too many Finals and often faced off against him.

Early in his career, Mamba suffered a major setback. He contributed several memorable moments in the Finals, but he was unlucky again later on. As his physical condition declined, he was easily beaten by a single step.

The league seemed worried that Kobe would be forgotten, so after two months of silence, the Mamba returned to the public eye in this way!
That evening, during the 76ers' away game against the Nuggets, Kobe Bryant, who had come to Denver, was again booed by local fans, and the female fighters' organization did not forget to hold up whiteboards in protest.
In the third quarter, head coach Doug Collins passionately shouted from the sidelines, and the 76ers finally secured the defensive rebound decisively.

On the bench, Jrue Holiday looked sullen and helpless. During the offseason, the management planned to trade him for a bigger player, but Kobe Bryant directly rejected the idea.

It would have been a good thing to stay in Philadelphia and play alongside Kobe, but after injuries occurred, Jrue Holiday could only watch as the locker room gradually fell apart.

Even with injuries, Kobe Bryant couldn't turn the tide for the 76ers, who went 12-18, a losing streak that dropped them out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

"Oh!!"

Cheers suddenly erupted in the arena. When Holiday came to his senses, he realized that Kobe's drive to the basket in the previous play had been blocked by Kenneth Faried!
Faried looked extremely excited after completing the block. The young man first roared, then wagged his index finger in Kobe's direction, while continuing to taunt him.
"This is a no-fly zone tonight! Denver hates the Mamba!"

"."

In the past, Kobe could still maneuver in the air, but the recent games have been too tiring. After returning to the away game, Mamba felt that he could not hold on and his body lost its vitality.

Thaddeus Young, standing under the basket and loudly encouraging his teammates, began to display his leadership qualities again. Compared to the dark-skinned Kobe, the young man appeared more composed.

No one in the league respects veterans. On the contrary, because Kobe succeeded in the CBA, most players look down on the Mamba even more, and they are eager to show off their skills when they encounter him in the regular season.

Since the highlights were released yesterday, Kobe's mood has been extremely bad. When he was blocked, his face turned dark and he didn't forget to give a "death stare".

But the Nuggets players weren't buying it at all; instead, they continued laughing and joking, with Wilson Chandler even making a sarcastic remark while inbounding the ball:
"The old man's angry! Watch out for his elbows, let him shoot, I swear I can handle this guy!"

Yelling loudly, Wilson Chandler wanted everyone in the arena to hear his taunts. JJ Hickson collapsed under the basket, and the big man grinned at the sight of the Mamba. Everyone wanted to pick on the weak.

The 76ers' most recent backcourt partner with Kobe is Eric Mayno, who was signed in free agency during the offseason. Because of his poor performance, the young man doesn't even dare to look Kobe in the eye.

When the ball was taken out of bounds, everyone spread out as the offense resumed, watching Kobe back down to attack near the right side of the defense.

Undrafted player Hollis Thompson positioned himself at the top of the key to receive the ball. The young man from Los Angeles was the most aggressive, but Kobe had no intention of passing the ball at all.

The noisy arena spurred Kobe to put all his energy into consecutive post-up plays, with Wilson Chandler providing full-force support from behind, giving the Mamba no chance to turn towards the baseline.

Amid the cheers of the Denver fans, Kobe forced his way to the vicinity of the paint, swayed his shoulders, twisted his body towards the top line, and, facing the defense, forced a fadeaway jump shot that missed again.
Chandler was faked out and gave up trying to contest the rebound, but he perked up again when he saw Kenneth Faried grab the rebound. As he ran up the court, he didn't forget to chase after Faried, hurling insults and taunts.
"I've got this guy sorted out!"

During the offensive transition, the two players were pulling and tugging at each other. Seeing this, the Denver fans in the arena became even more excited. Ty Lawson, who was chasing his opponent across half-court, did not slow down but instead seized the opportunity to drive straight to the basket.

Eric Meno chased after the defense with all his might but ended up committing a foul. The referee blew the whistle, and cheers erupted throughout the arena.

With a record of 14 wins and 16 losses, the Denver Nuggets' performance this season has been less than ideal in the highly competitive Western Conference, and George Karl's "everyone contributes" strategy seems to have lost its "magic".

The second half was a complete mess. After Lawson made both free throws, he shook his head and retreated on defense, taunting his opponent. When the 76ers attacked again, Kobe was double-teamed once more.

Facing a pick-and-roll at the top of the key, Randy Foye forced his way through, and JJ Hickson, along with his teammates, slid in to block him. When Kobe dribbled to the right wing, he tried to accelerate to cut in, but was unable to accelerate due to the pull.

Fortunately, the referee called a foul. Even with the ball dead, the two continued to pull on Mamba. An enraged Kobe grabbed the ball and elbowed Lawson, who immediately clutched his face and screamed in pain before collapsing to the ground.
The Nuggets players immediately rushed over, with Chandler and Faried pushing and shoving each other. Surrounded by the crowd, Kobe, covered in sweat, threw a punch while being pulled, and the two sides were locked in a tangled mess.

"Oh"

Denver fans shouted loudly, while Lawson, who was lying on the floor, rolled around to avoid the "charge" of people. However, he was outnumbered and Kobe was eventually pushed out of bounds.

Seeing the referee and Kobe fall into the camera's view, the shouts from the crowd grew louder. Only Hollis-Thompson from the 76ers tried to help, while the rest of the players just watched.

The referee who separated the crowd eventually called technical fouls on both sides. On the Nuggets' bench, Danilo Gallinari, who was "injured," shrugged and then turned to wave to the fans behind him, and soon the shouting and cursing grew louder and louder.

When Kobe returned to the bench with a furious expression, Marreese Speights tried to comfort him, but the Mamba immediately glared at the "injured player," who could only shrug and remain silent.

No one could talk to Kobe, not even his old teammate Odom, who looked helpless. The league's GOAT 100 goals list had a huge impact on the Mamba.
After both teams took their free throws, the game continued, but under George Karl's direction, the Nuggets players kept trying to break the Mamba Mentality.

Double-teaming, off-ball pulling, shoving during layups—the "martial arts moves" became increasingly common. Late in the third quarter, as Kobe Bryant's "three-on-three" attack on Evan Fournier brought him to the ground, the Mamba was ultimately ejected from the game.

"Li's 'toy'!"

"Clown, where are you going? To continue praising Chinese basketball?!"

"Black people don't play basketball like you! Get out of America!"

"Fuck you! 'Traitor'! Don't ever show your face again."

"."

Along both sides of the tunnel, some Black fans were shouting wildly. Infected by the atmosphere, those around them joined in the cheering and cursing, enjoying the feeling of wantonly humiliating star players.

Unable to defeat Li You, bullying the "weak" Kobe was obviously the choice for most people. As Kobe was about to enter the player tunnel, he was splashed with a drink, and the Mamba finally couldn't hold back anymore.

An even bigger conflict erupted when an enraged Kobe tried to confront the fans, only to be hit by even more drinks and popcorn instead.

A Black fan who leaned out was pulled back by Kobe, causing chaos at the scene. Even as security intervened, onlookers, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, continued to shout excitedly.
"Arrest that traitorous Niko!"

-

On Thursday, January 2nd, the second day of the new year, the NBA imposed a heavy penalty, fining Kobe Bryant $50,000 and suspending him for 10 games.

The Denver Nuggets also announced that the three provocative fans have been permanently banned from entering the Pepsi Center.

Immediately, many players in the league stopped campaigning for the third round of All-Star voting. After learning what had happened, everyone took to social media to support Kobe. Kobe Bryant, the person involved, did not travel with the team to Sacramento. Head coach Doug Collins, in a pre-game interview, angrily criticized the basketball environment in Denver, and then revealed some inside information:

"I don't understand why so many people disrespect Kobe. Those unscrupulous media outlets are leading fans to humiliate a champion!"

“Kobe started playing with a shoulder injury in mid-December. He could have chosen to rest on the bench, but he ultimately continued to fight despite the injury.”

"The basketball court is not a place to vent frustrations; fans should be appreciating Kobe's performance in his final years."

Despite missing Kobe Bryant, the 76ers displayed remarkable energy in their back-to-back game that night, especially Thaddeus Young, who was unstoppable with his drives and outside shots, and dished out 5 assists throughout the game!
For the Kings, Waiters and Ben McLemore both missed their three-point attempts, prompting DeMarcus Cousins ​​to nearly punch his teammate in frustration, ultimately leading to a disappointing loss.
The experiment by championship assistant coach Mike Malone was a disappointment. Dion Waiters trained for a season but remained inefficient, with issues in ball handling and dribbling, and was never able to achieve the combo guard effect that Malone envisioned.

Fortunately, Cousins ​​particularly liked the championship-winning assistant coach. With the support of the two core players, Mike Malone secured his position as head coach, and the team's 10-21 record became "promising for the future."

After the game, Thaddeus Young didn't forget to hug and greet Mike Malone, and the two chatted and laughed for a long time.

Thaddeus Young, who scored a game-high 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, broke into a smile as he discussed the victory in an interview.

"As the true leader of the team, I know how to win!"

"My championship experience tells me that you can only win when you play for each other like family."

"Our record is indeed not ideal, but we are confident that we can overcome the injuries and everything will be alright."

-

On Monday, January 20, 2014, the All-Star voting channel officially closed.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant will both miss out on starting positions in this year's Eastern Conference All-Star game, with Kyrie Irving leading by a wide margin in votes!
Many die-hard fans expressed their dissatisfaction on social media, but it was normal for Li You to campaign for his teammates. Coupled with the support of New York fans, the young man's crushing victory over the veteran was not surprising to the commentators.

Despite the New York fans' occasional criticism of Kyrie Irving, arguing that his rookie playmaking was inadequate and that he only blamed others when double-teamed, Irving's playing style is undeniably entertaining. One outstanding performance from him and the fans quickly forget his shortcomings.
With more playing time, Kyrie Irving has been featured in the Sports Center's highlight reels whenever there's a game, and his incredibly rhythmic dribbling keeps New York fans coming back for more.

While Wade was busy trying to keep his good friend on the team, he didn't say anything after being left out of the draft. Kobe, who was about to finish his suspension, was getting more and more upset. He couldn't accept being pushed out of the team by a rookie who punched him.

That night, the fading Pierce had a breakout game, hitting a three-pointer in the last minute of the fourth quarter and then responding with consecutive one-on-one shots.

When Pierce, surrounded by young players, stole the ball from Hollis-Thompson in the final moments and earned free throws, he stood up, head held high, pounded his chest repeatedly, and shouted passionately:

"Yee!!"

John Wall was also happy for his good friend, and the young man kept waving his arms, causing the Verizon Center to erupt in cheers. The Wizards fans in the arena began to shout loudly:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Pierce, feeling triumphant, almost burst into tears upon hearing the long-awaited cheers. Perhaps influenced by New York, Boston fans are very discerning, and the passion for basketball shown by Washington fans deeply moved the veteran.

102-107, Pierce made both free throws to seal the victory for his team. As the buzzer sounded, Kobe Bryant on the bench quickly left.

After winning this game, the Wizards' record improved to 20 wins and 20 losses, a significant improvement compared to last season.

Fans gave all the credit to the veteran, and many were still shouting loudly during the interview. The Wizards players also surrounded Pierce, which brought tears to the veteran's eyes.

"This feeling is wonderful. I just want to thank everything here. It is these loyal fans who have made me feel respected again!"

"You know, this record isn't our limit. I swear, we'll get back to the playoffs this year. John is just too good; his speed and power will 'shine' in the playoffs!"

"The playoffs are our stage, and I will do my best to help the team achieve that goal."

The young man hugged the veteran and shouted happily. In the stands, fans holding up whiteboards that read "The Truth" never left. Pierce, who witnessed this scene, was completely satisfied, and the veteran even had a strange feeling:

"Maybe I should leave the radiation-filled areas of New York sooner."

-

On Tuesday the 21st, the 76ers will face the Knicks on the road, and there will be no suspense as they will suffer their 70th loss.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s article this morning was very pessimistic, with several columnists saying that even if Lee Yu retired, the 76ers might not be able to beat the Knicks.

With the passage of time, the championship-winning 76ers of the past has been forgotten. After 18 seasons, many fans have even been "mentally imprinted" with the idea that their home team is numb to losing!
Although Li You has given more exposure to younger players this season and focused more on family matters, Kobe still doesn't want to see his old rival's smiling face, and his emotions fluctuate greatly before each match.

During the afternoon practice session, the 76ers players sensed something was wrong; Kobe was attacking everyone indiscriminately.

"He's definitely going to pass the ball again! Switch defense, this piece of shit can't do anything."

"Attack me! Shoot! He can't make it!"

"You bunch of bastards, all you know how to do is forge iron!"

"Why is nobody saying anything? A few words have scared the shit out of their wits!"

"With a record of 3 wins and 7 losses, losing 7 out of 10 games, these bastards are just 'self-satisfied'."

When Kobe was in full swing, he would unleash a barrage of trash talk with every touch of the ball. Hollis-Thompson and Eric Mayno were so intimidated that they didn't dare to utter a sound, and even when they made mistakes and were scolded, they didn't dare to respond.

"Jrue! These cowards are like toilet paper!"

"Fuck you! 15 wins, and this is how you train every day?"

Growing increasingly angry, Kobe began complaining to Jrue Holiday on the sidelines. The younger player could only manage an awkward smile. After practice ended, before the assistant coach could even speak, the Mamba launched into another tirade:
"I'm going to end this losing streak! You spineless cowards, if you don't want to win, don't get on the bus. Keep licking Li's ass."

Before Mamba could continue his attack, Holiday suddenly exclaimed, and Thaddeus Young silently charged forward, landing a precise straight punch on Kobe's face.

Everyone rushed forward, but Thaddeus Young, who had practiced boxing for many years, displayed amazing strength, knocking Mamba to the ground in just a few seconds. Even as his teammates pulled him away, he didn't forget to kick and shout loudly:

"Shut your filthy mouth! You pathetic clown, you dare talk about Lee? You're just trash who puts on airs with minimum-salary players."

"."

(End of this chapter)