The longest river

Chapter 209 Eat melon and eat it on your own head
After the timeout, Kobe was immediately substituted off the court.

Former Lakers head coach Rambis would never have dared to do such a thing.

But Jackson did it anyway.

Because he is the "Zen Master," the person the Lakers paid a lot of money to hire to help this team, which had been swept in the past two years, get out of its predicament.

In some ways, Jackson was no less important to the team than Kobe.

After Kobe left the court, the Lakers' offense noticeably improved.

In the triangle offense, as long as the offensive playmaker can control the ball well, the team can function normally.

Kobe now seems to be a complete side effect for the Lakers.

With two minutes remaining in the quarter, both teams' starters went to the bench for a rest, and O'Neal also left the court. The Trail Blazers quickly widened the gap to double digits.

A little over a year ago, during the 1997-1998 season, the Lakers had Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Ceballos, Kobe, and Rick Fox on the perimeter, and O'Neal and Campbell in the paint, making them one of the teams with the best roster depth in the entire league.

However, after frequent trades over the past two years, the Lakers' roster depth has clearly decreased.

With the addition of Barkley, the Trail Blazers' bench strength has significantly increased. Coupled with Carlisle's roster adjustments, the Trail Blazers have gained the upper hand during the bench transition.

However, Phil Jackson did not bring Kobe back into the game in the first quarter.

When the camera focused on Kobe on the bench, his face looked terrible, but he seemed helpless.

Jackson is not Harris; his control over the team is far stronger than Harris's.

Kobe, who was seething with resentment, was not substituted back into the game until the start of the second quarter.

Kobe started the game with a mid-range jumper to give the Lakers an early lead, followed by a steal and fast break dunk for four points, quickly narrowing the gap to single digits.

Jackson's gaze toward Kobe at that moment was extremely complex.

Kobe is clearly talented, but his current playing style is too selfish.

This kind of player is best used as the team's sixth man, but Kobe Bryant is an extremely stubborn person. He had a major falling out with Harris over starting positions.

This is a double-edged sword, something that people both love and hate.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Lakers 54-48.

The Trail Blazers played normally in the first half, but the Lakers' performance was a pleasant surprise.

Under Jackson's triangle offense, O'Neal was able to maximize his impact in the paint, scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in the first half alone, a performance worthy of an MVP.

However, Carlisle didn't pay much attention during halftime, after all, Yang Shuai hadn't even started to exert his strength yet, and he still had the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic in hand.

After Carlisle finished giving instructions and left, everyone in the locker room started discussing the matter between Kobe and Shaq.

Los Angeles can't keep news, especially with Lue, the one who controls the news.

Yang Shuai did not participate, but he stood by as a VIP spectator.

"I think it's only a matter of time before Kobe is traded. He seems out of place with this Lakers team."

"Kobe didn't understand the situation at all. Shaq has more than just his skills on the court. He gets along very well with his teammates. He has the whole Lakers locker room under his control. Kobe can't beat him."

"But the Lakers can't do without Kobe, and Shaq can't do without a superstar point guard."

"It's possible to trade him. Kobe's trade value is quite high right now. Why not just get a superstar guard in return?"

“I heard that Penny wanted to go to the Lakers during the offseason, and Shaq also asked the Lakers management. However, getting Penny would mean trading Kobe, and the Lakers rejected that trade.”

"Times have changed. If Kobe continues to play like this, even the logo will eventually trade him away."

Yang Shuai listened thoughtfully.

To be honest, he feels no different from anyone else right now. It's no exaggeration to say that Kobe is now a "cancer" on the Lakers.

However, he felt that if the Lakers really traded Kobe for Hardaway, it would actually be a good thing for the Trail Blazers.

Hardaway not only has a clear weakness in three-point shooting, but more importantly, he lacks scoring explosiveness.

Saying that O'Neal needed a "super guard" is not entirely accurate; what he needed was a "shooting guard" with explosive scoring ability.

On the one hand, it's a common problem for big centers: after the first three quarters, their stamina is almost depleted, and if there's a game that needs to be decided in the fourth quarter, they will need guards to score.

On the other hand, while the triangle offense can greatly alleviate the problem of him being double-teamed, if the opponent is determined to double-team him and his teammates on the perimeter cannot punish him, he will still be double-teamed.

Therefore, having a scoring threat of equal caliber on the court, who can mutually restrain and defend him, is the most comfortable offensive mode for him.

So, while it may seem like a feeling, Yang Shuai doesn't think the Lakers will necessarily trade Kobe.

While there are many superstar guards in the league now, the only ones who meet O'Neal's needs are Jordan and him, and those are players Kobe couldn't get.

When the Lakers returned for the second half, their offensive strategy did not change much.

What's interesting is that Kobe displayed his obsessive personality traits.

In the first half, Phil Jackson used his psychological tactics to suppress Kobe, and Kobe didn't shoot at all in the second half!
Even when given the chance, he would pass the ball to his teammates, becoming a non-stick pan.

This infuriated Phil Jackson.

He chose to come to the Lakers because of the "OK combination", but now he can't train the "K" at all.

After Kobe was substituted out of the game again by Phil Jackson, Carlisle also used the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy in the second half of the third quarter.

Moreover, compared to last season, he listened to Hubie Brown's comments and made improvements, waiting for the team to foul out before implementing the "Hack-a-Shaq" rule.

This completely overwhelmed the Lakers.

Phil Jackson brought his coaching staff, his triangle offense, and even his former player Harper, but he couldn't change Kobe's selfishness or O'Neal's defensive and free-throw problems.

Those factors might not be so fatal against other teams, but against the Trail Blazers, a team without the OK combination is clearly no match.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 106-91 on their championship night, securing a winning start to the season.

The Lakers are the Trail Blazers' main rival in the Western Conference this season, and this result undoubtedly gives the team a huge boost in confidence to defend their title.

This confidence was fully demonstrated in the first month of the season.

They achieved a perfect 13-0 record throughout November, placing them atop the league standings with an undefeated record.

The Lakers only had a 10-3 record at the start of the season.

This comparison of results undoubtedly made ESPN's pre-match predictions a huge joke.

To make matters worse, Kobe may have been trying too hard to prove himself by playing too aggressively on the court, resulting in a fracture of his left hand in early November against the Clippers, which is expected to keep him out for six weeks.

However, embarrassingly, after Kobe missed the game, the Lakers went on a seven-game winning streak.

Now, the rumors about a trade involving Kobe Bryant simply couldn't be stopped.

The most frequently mentioned and most likely one is between the Lakers and the Pistons.

The Pistons have been declining since they were overtaken by the Bulls, and they subsequently drafted Grant Hill, the "successor to Jordan," and rebuilt around him.

Hill was at the height of his popularity when he beat Jordan to become the All-Star vote leader.

But over the years, Hill has proven that he could never become Jordan because he simply doesn't have Jordan's scoring ability.

During his many years with the Pistons, he never even led the team to the second round.

Furthermore, Hill has also been experiencing some injury problems, so the Pistons are quite interested in trading Hill for Kobe, who has more talent and a higher ceiling.

For the Lakers, trading a "cancer" player for a smart, high-IQ player who can immediately integrate into the triangle offense, and most importantly, who is absolutely obedient to the coach's arrangements and acts like a "saint" on and off the court, seems like a worthwhile trade.

Even Jerry West acquiesced.

Because the Lakers really do look better without Kobe right now.

However, the person who ultimately rejected the deal was unexpected, as it was Phil Jackson, who seemed to have a strained relationship with Kobe.

Jackson's reasoning was unexpected and proved that he understood basketball better than most people.

He felt that Kobe had the same competitive nature as Jordan.

In his view, the combination of Hill and O'Neal could achieve better regular season results, but it wouldn't help the team beat the Trail Blazers.

He coached Jordan, and he knew that to beat players like Jordan or Yang Shuai, you needed a player with a highly competitive nature like Kobe.

Furthermore, Hill is five years older than Kobe, which will significantly limit the Lakers' ceiling.

Just as one wave subsided, another arose. After the Lakers rejected the Pistons' offer, another person contacted Kobe.

The Lakers' seven-game winning streak was ended by the Kings, with McGrady delivering an outstanding performance, scoring a season-high 30 points.

When asked in a post-game interview if he would like to be teammates with O'Neal, he gave a very affirmative answer.

"Yes, if I were on the same team as Shaq, we could have won three consecutive championships."

This incident completely exposed McGrady's lack of emotional intelligence.

Anyone with a modicum of emotional intelligence knows this is a trap; even if you want to go, you can't express it so directly.

Especially since this season is also the year of McGrady's contract.

But that's what McGrady said, or perhaps he really wanted to be teammates with O'Neal.

As a result, the Kings actually started talking to the Lakers about trading McGrady for Kobe.

Of course, the result was once again rejected by Phil Jackson.

After all, McGrady didn't seem very motivated when he played for the Kings, and his defense was much worse than Kobe's.

The Lakers can't really rely on Harper alone to carry the perimeter defense.

Regardless, these news stories related to Kobe have certainly provided plenty of gossip for everyone in the league.

Yang Shuai was thoroughly enjoying watching it.

Until this day, the Trail Blazers faced off against the Spurs.

The biggest change in the Spurs' roster compared to last season is that Terry Porter, who was signed in the summer, has become the team's sixth man.

However, the Spurs' strength this season is significantly improved compared to last season, because the Spurs' twin towers are in better form than last season.

Robinson is now 34 years old, and his career as an inside player is approaching the age of 35. Time is running out for him.

Although Duncan is not one to express himself, he has always harbored the idea of ​​winning a championship together with Robinson before Robinson retires.

The Trail Blazers' twin towers combined for over 50 points in this game, but the team lost 93-99, ending their 13-game winning streak.

In the locker room after the game, Barkley and Pippen had a heated argument.

Pippen was clearly distracted in this game, scoring only 6 points on 2-of-13 shooting.

"What are you doing on the court? This isn't a preseason game, man!"

"Stop making those accusations! You have no right to talk about me; you're the one who got them 50+!"

At first, they were just having a heated discussion about the issues on the field, but it eventually turned into an argument.

"Shut your stinking mouth! Michael is right, you lazy bum, you don't deserve a championship in your life!"

"What are you talking about? You've spent your whole life as a subordinate, what right do you have to talk to me like that?"

Teammates had already stepped forward to try and stop the two, including Lu, who was also speaking up, but the two, who were in the middle of a heated argument, wouldn't listen to anyone.

Yang Shuai didn't return until he went into the locker room after the press conference.

"enough!"

Yang Shuai's reprimand finally calmed the two down a bit.

Pippen stormed out of the locker room, followed by Barkley.

Yang Shuai, who had just taken responsibility for the team's loss at the press conference, suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.

He recently joined others in gossiping about the Lakers, but unexpectedly ended up gossiping about his own team.

Yang Shuai called Lu over and they went to do extra training together.

After practicing for a while, he and Lu sat on the sidelines to rest and chat.

The reason for calling on Lue was that he was very good at dealing with people, and we wanted to see if he could solve the problems with Pippen and Barkley.

When he came in earlier, he saw that the two of them were already on the verge of a complete falling out.

"I can sense that they don't really like each other," Lu said, expressing his thoughts.

Yang Shuai hadn't noticed this before.

Barkley saw how strict he was with his teammates, but he treated everyone the same because he really wanted this championship.

It wasn't until Lu recounted the argument between the two men in the locker room that things started to get interesting.

Yang Shuai was also quite confused. Normally, people don't argue to the point of exposing each other's shortcomings, unless, as Lu said, they genuinely look down on each other.

However, if you fundamentally look down on the other party, this problem will not be so easy to solve.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

Yang Shuai also sought advice from Lu.

Judging from the reaction in the locker room earlier, Lu's status wasn't high enough; only he could handle this matter.

Lu didn't have any specific methods, but he shared some communication skills with Yang Shuai.

In summary, the sixteen-character principle is: do not make demands, listen patiently; put yourself in others' shoes, and find common ground.

When advising someone, the worst thing you can do is start by saying, "I think you should do this or that," because the other person will most likely do the opposite.

That evening, Yang invited Barkley to his home for a late-night snack.

Barkley, having been in the league for so many years, certainly knew what Yang was trying to do. And given his straightforward personality, he started complaining as soon as he arrived at Yang's house.

“You wouldn’t believe it, last summer he kept calling me, saying he wanted to come to Houston, and that he would only come if I was there. In the end, I was willing to take a million dollars for him, but he turned around and came to Portland for the money.”

Yang Shuai was also taken aback, as he really didn't know about this.

If that's the case, then Pippen is being a bit dishonest.

"And what did I do wrong? He's on a max contract, and if he plays poorly, shouldn't he be allowed to be criticized?"

Yang Shuai nodded: "You did the right thing."

If he really had to choose a side, he would definitely side with Barkley.

Because if he were in Barkley's position, he would definitely have done the same.

This is why the two share similar interests; they are both straightforward and direct people.

However, he also knew that he was the one who should not take sides.

“When Scotty first arrived, I also reprimanded him in public because of his personality. At that time, I thought he probably wouldn’t stay here any longer.”

Yang Shuai's words aroused Barkley's strong curiosity.

Yang Shuai then recounted a series of events that occurred after Pippen joined the Trail Blazers, from trying to emulate him and lead the bench to defeat the starters, to the series of events against the Lakers and Wizards.

"That guy is like a woman, he needs to be pampered." Barkley was speechless after hearing this.

“But that’s just the kind of person he is, isn’t it?” Yang Shuai asked rhetorically at this moment.

A person's personality is very difficult to change. If you asked Barkley to coax Pippen like Jordan did, Barkley definitely wouldn't be able to do it.

Let alone Barkley, Yang Shuai spent a whole season with Pippen and he never tried to appease Pippen.

Barkley sighed upon hearing this.

Yang Shuai's words resonated with him. Now, when he thinks back on what Yang Shuai said, he should probably be glad that Pippen didn't go to the Rockets.

Otherwise, he would not only fail to win the championship, but also lose the money, truly losing both his career and his money.

“Charles, I’ll handle Scottie’s problem from now on. Just pretend he doesn’t exist from the sidelines.”

It's difficult for couples to reconcile after a breakup, and it's even more impossible for colleagues to get back together after a falling out. In comparison, the best outcome is simply to avoid conflict altogether.

As for Barkley on the court, Yang Shuai is not worried. Barkley is not a cunning person and can distinguish between his on-court and off-court roles.

The next morning, the media reported that Barkley and Pippen had argued in the locker room.

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever, and this kind of news can fetch a good price.

Just like with Green Boxing Poole, you end up not even knowing who sold the information to the media.

Just before training began, Yang Shuai called Pippen outside the locker room for a chat.

“I spoke with Charles yesterday, and he won’t say those things about you like he did before.”

Yang Shuai's first words deeply moved Pippen.

He certainly knew about Yang Shuai's relationship with Barkley, but he didn't expect Yang Shuai to side with him.

And this is the first time Yang Shuai has played so well in all the time he's been with the Trail Blazers.

However, before he could express his gratitude, Yang Shuai's next words made him swallow his words back.

"I'll take care of you from now on."

Yang Shuai certainly wouldn't launch a personal attack on Pippen like Barkley did, but Yang Shuai put much more pressure on Pippen than Barkley did.

Pippen will never forget the scene where he was almost forced to leave the team.

He suddenly regretted arguing so fiercely with Barkley yesterday; he had pushed himself into a fire pit.

"Scottie, as I said, our only goal this season is to defend our title. No one is irreplaceable."

Yang Shuai repeated what he had said before, but Pippen heard the same words in a completely different way now.

Moreover, Pippen's mentality is very different now compared to last season. When he first arrived last season, he felt that he was there to save the Trail Blazers and that the Trail Blazers would not dare to trade him.

However, after last season, his need for the Trail Blazers is clearly higher than the Trail Blazers' need for him.

He knows that if he leaves the Trail Blazers now, he will leave the spotlight, and he knows his body is no longer capable of being the core of a team.

Yang Shuai knew Pippen had taken his advice to heart when he saw his reaction, but as he was about to return to the locker room, he remembered something else and gave Pippen another piece of advice.

“I won’t force you to be friends with Charles off the field, but you need to distinguish between what’s on and off the field. If you bring your emotions onto the field, I won’t be lenient.”

Carlisle's current roster rotation involves Pippen and Barkley playing together off the bench, which is actually a major reason why the two had a falling out.

Pippen frowned, but could only nod.

Time flies, and it's already the end of January.

Compared to last month, there have been far fewer scandals in the league this month.

After Kobe's injury, the Lakers experienced a honeymoon period, but their performance subsequently fluctuated.

Just like in the previous game against the Trail Blazers, their current roster depth is limited. With Kobe out, Glen Rice is the only one left in the backcourt who can shoulder the responsibility.

At this point, the Lakers' need for Kobe became apparent, and naturally, the rumors about Kobe decreased.

On the Trail Blazers' side, the conflict between Pippen and Barkley did not develop as the onlookers had hoped.

The Trail Blazers have an 8-2 record so far in December. While they weren't as unstoppable as they were in November, they've clearly made a smooth transition and are showing signs of moving toward their best record in franchise history.

During the Drexler era, specifically the 1990-1991 season, the Trail Blazers achieved a record of 63 wins, but they were stopped from reaching the NBA Finals by the Lakers.

At the end of December, the league's most anticipated annual Christmas game will begin.

Stern never misses an opportunity to make arrangements in this regard. Last year there was no Christmas game, but this year it's the Trail Blazers and the Wizards.

The Wizards' performance this season has exceeded Yang Shuai's expectations.

He had thought the Wizards would be significantly weaker after that trade, but to his surprise, they played surprisingly well.

They currently lead the Pacers by one game and remain at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Therefore, this battle is not only a clash between the two teams that reached the Finals last season, but also a battle between the top teams in the East and West, attracting a great deal of attention.

The game was at the Wizards' home court, and Yang Shuai arrived in DC a day early with the team.

That very night, upon arriving in DC, he and Ivanka went to their room to play poker.

DC has a lot of media, and paparazzi are everywhere. After he won the championship last time, he was photographed leaving the hotel with Ivanka, which was the first time he was involved in a scandal.

This wasn't a good thing for him; he just wanted to have simple physical interactions with the actresses and didn't want to get too involved.

However, Ivanka did make him somewhat nostalgic.

It's not that the other person's technique is particularly good; in fact, compared to Taylor or Richards, whom he had encountered before, she was completely a novice in that area.

This is also a rare thing; American actresses are experienced from a young age, which always gives people the feeling of eating fast food.

Moreover, at this time, Ivanovic not only had a beautiful face, but also a model-like figure, a large waist, and most importantly, she was 1.8 meters tall, which was rare to find someone who could match a basketball player.

If it weren't for the fact that she's Old Te's daughter, Yang Shuai really wouldn't mind having a conversation with her.

During the break between card games, Ivanka chatted with him about that championship night.

Because of Yang Shuai's status, she actually escorted him to the door of the private room that day, but after knocking for a long time, only Tyronn Lue came out.

When Lu saw Yang Shuai's arm around Ivanka's waist, he immediately said that everyone inside was drunk and asked Ivanka to help Yang Shuai to his room upstairs to rest.

As a result, Yang Shuai fell asleep as soon as he got to his room.

Ivaca lay there admiring it for a long time, then couldn't resist touching it.

She couldn't help herself to the strong and masculine man.

Yang Shuai looked completely bewildered.

He always thought that he had acted recklessly while drunk that day, never expecting that the truth was that he was the one who was passive.

But that's normal; a properly drunk person just wants to sleep.

He felt unclean.

That guy Lu is absolutely despicable.

I'll have to buy him some big gold chains to punish him severely later.

However, it's likely that Lu knows Ivanka, otherwise he certainly wouldn't have let a stranger take him away.

Moreover, he didn't expect that Ivanka, who looked so innocent from every angle, was actually a little devil inside.

He slapped Ivanka's buttocks hard.

Halftime is over, it's time to teach Ivanka a lesson she won't forget.

On Christmas Day, the Verizon Center was packed to capacity.

Those who can come to the arena on Christmas Day are all die-hard Wizards fans.

The finals are still a long way off; they can't wait to witness the home team exact revenge on their home turf.

During the pre-game warm-up, the camera focused on Jordan, whose expression looked very serious.

The last time he was this serious before a game was back in the difficult season of 1997-1998.

This season, the Wizards have not only undergone significant roster changes, but also substantial changes in their playing style.

Jordan is averaging only 25.8 points per game this season, the lowest since his injury season, and even lower than the season he just returned from injury.

However, his average assists per game reached 6.4, which is the second highest in his career.

Under his influence, Stackhouse was able to score 20 points after joining the Wizards with a field goal percentage of 44.2%, which was quite efficient for a shooting guard in that era.

Then there's Laettner, averaging 15.2 points and 8 rebounds per game, with his first career field goal percentage over 50%, which reminds us that this star center, whose performance declined last season due to various problems, is actually only 30 years old.

Players including Juwan Howard and Strickland are also in significantly better form than last season.

"Didn't you sleep well last night?"

At the other end of the court, Yang Shuai couldn't help but be curious about Barkley's panda eyes.

This guy probably didn't stay up all night like I did last night, right?
Barkley remained silent, only looking up at Jordan, who was now displaying a serious expression on the big screen.

Yang Shuai now understood that no one wanted to beat Jordan more than Barkley, even though he was no longer the main character.

Yang Shuai didn't say much, he just patted Barkley on the shoulder.

"It's up to you."

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

Wizards: Strickland, Stackhouse, Jordan, Howard, Laettner
Trail Blazers: Billups, Young, Pippen, Wallace, Barkley
Both teams had players absent due to injuries: Rodman for the Wizards and Sabonis for the Trail Blazers.

After the match started, the two sides played somewhat similarly.

The Trail Blazers' Yang Shuai used the ball more to get his teammates moving, while the Wizards' Naben Jordan also focused more on drawing attention and creating space.

This doesn't mean Collins is out of ideas and has started imitating the Trail Blazers' style of play.

This change in playing style was clearly largely due to Jordan.

When Jordan lost the Finals last season, no one knew what he was feeling behind that expression, but he gave the answer with his expression this season.

After realizing that his playing style from last season wouldn't beat the Trail Blazers, the only way he could think of to defeat them was the method Phil Jackson used on him when he was with the Bulls.

He played the team's tactics in the first three quarters, letting his teammates take the lead in the offense, and then switched to one-on-one mode in the final quarter to finish the game.

This is the fundamental reason for the changes in his statistics this season.

The Wizards' other four players are no less talented than the Trail Blazers' other four, but the Trail Blazers quickly gained the upper hand after the game started.

The main reason is that Barkley dominated the paint.

He didn't sleep well last night not because of the pressure of playing against Jordan, but because he was too excited.

With about five minutes left in the first quarter, Barkley had already scored 8 points, and thanks to his outstanding performance, the Trail Blazers led the Wizards 12-6.

After playing for almost half a quarter, Yang Shuai finally figured out Jordan's playing style.

While Barkley received a pass from Pippen and drew a foul inside to get to the free-throw line, Yang Shuai chatted with Jordan on the perimeter.

“You know Charles and Scotty don’t get along very well.”

Yang Shuai spoke in a relaxed tone, as if he were catching up with an old friend.

Jordan rested his hands on his knees, chewing gum without saying a word.

Previously, the media had extensively reported on the conflict between Pippen and Barkley. Seeing the grudges and grievances between these old friends was a rare treat for him.

Unfortunately, nothing came of it.

"However, I solved all the problems with just one sentence."

Jordan couldn't help but turn his head in curiosity.

“I told them, ‘You’re all here to beat Michael, aren’t you?’”

Jordan paused in his chewing gum motion.

"Negative energy from Michael Jordan +520".

(End of this chapter)