The longest river

Chapter 224 The Portland Dynasty!
在拿下G1之后，开拓者队乘胜追击，在G2又以108比96击败76人队再下一城。

艾弗森30投12中，三分4投1中，罚球14罚10中，再度空砍35分。

As it turns out, most media outlets were right. Even if they were playing the Lakers, let alone the Trail Blazers, the 76ers would have a very difficult time winning a game.

As for stories of lone heroes, they are nothing more than fantasies in the minds of some media outlets and fans.

Reality is not a movie or TV show; popcorn-style endings don't happen.

Even if we bring up the Pacers' past victory over the Bulls, that was based on the premise that the Pacers and Bulls were of similar strength.

Even without Yang Shuai, the Pacers could still drag the Bulls into a Game 7.

However, there is a clear gap in strength between the 76ers and the Trail Blazers.

After Game 2, when a TNT reporter brought up the question from before the Finals about who was better, Yang Shuai or Iverson, hoping to embarrass Brown, Brown's answer was once again unexpected.

“We all know the definition of MVP. If AI were on the Trail Blazers, he wouldn’t have done any worse than Hansen.”

Brown had many conflicts with Iverson during his time coaching the 76ers, with Iverson missing the most training sessions. However, Brown often defended Iverson in front of the media.

This is a contradictory behavior, but it is also a true reflection of Brown's situation with the 76ers.

As the son of Philadelphia, Iverson's position in the 76ers was unshakeable, and Brown had no choice but to keep compromising.

The day before Game 3 of the Finals, the Trail Blazers traveled to Philadelphia.

After arriving in Philadelphia, they took a bus to their team's accommodation.

Looking out the window from the bus, Yang Shuai couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

Although he had never lived here, the place felt strangely familiar to him.

He had previously declared that he would never play for the 76ers, but he never imagined that one day he would be playing in the NBA Finals here.

Shortly after arriving at the hotel, he received a call from Eskridge, who said he was downstairs.

Eskridge is now the head coach of Lower Merion High School, but he still has his own team in the Sonny Hill League.

The league's continued high popularity is inseparable from the silent dedication of the grassroots coaches in Philadelphia.

They drove to the competition venue, and the scene immediately erupted in cheers.

Although Yang Shuai no longer plays here, the legend of his playing days still circulates here.

His rivalry with Kobe Bryant, in particular, has become a classic street story passed down by word of mouth.

Because of his contractual obligations, Yang Shuai is currently unable to play, but that didn't dampen the fans' enthusiasm. He still showcased several difficult dunks in the half-court, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.

Afterwards, Yang Shuai also signed autographs and took photos with the players present.

Everything went very smoothly.

Just as Yang Shuai was about to leave, some fans, whether they hadn't managed to get an autograph or were there to cause trouble, shouted some things at him.

"AI will beat you on home turf!"

Those who caused trouble were quickly silenced by those around them, but their words still reached Yang Shuai's ears.

After getting into the car, Eskrich repeatedly apologized to Yang Shuai.

He originally invited Yang Shuai to boost the league's popularity, but this unpleasant incident happened instead.

"Ron, that's not your fault."

Yang Shuai wasn't angry; instead, he comforted Eskrich.

Given Iverson's popularity in Philadelphia, it would be abnormal if no one said anything to him.

The following evening, Game 3 between the Trail Blazers and the 76ers tipped off at the Wachovia Center.

The stadium was packed, and even though they were down 0-2, the Philadelphia fans' support for their home team remained unwavering.

Like the Sonny Hill League, Philadelphia has a very strong basketball culture.

Especially when the camera focused on Iverson, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Allen Iverson is now a totem of Philadelphia. Philadelphia fans share the same opinion as Brown: in their minds, Iverson is a player on par with Yang Shuai.

Iverson ignited the crowd's emotions right from the start with a fast break layup on a defensive counterattack.

The 76ers' "one-for-four" defensive strategy is fundamental, and their ability to rise to prominence this season and break through in the Eastern Conference is largely due to their fast break defense.

Iverson's speed was also an absolute weapon in defense and fast breaks, because no one could keep up with his speed.

The 76ers' victory suggests that tonight's game may be different from the past two.

Soon, they realized that tonight's game was indeed different from the previous two, but not in the way they had imagined.

In the following possessions, Yang Shuai began to frequently exploit Iverson's mismatches using pick-and-rolls.

It looks like Yang Shuai was inspired by that play in the previous game, or perhaps Yang Shuai just wanted to wear down Iverson's stamina on the defensive end.

Brown, of course, wouldn't let Yang Shuai have his way; he directed and coordinated from the sidelines to protect Iverson.

But that inevitably disrupted the 76ers' defensive formation.

While the 76ers' players are very strong defensively, the Trail Blazers have too many players who can pass the ball well, such as Young, Billups, and Sabonis.

Moreover, they have played together for a long time and have excellent teamwork, which makes it easy for the opponent to find a weakness during defensive rotations.

As the game progressed, the 76ers' defensive system gradually collapsed.

On the offensive end, Yang Shuai was determined to shut down Iverson tonight, not giving him an inch, which made it extremely difficult for Iverson to score.

The Trail Blazers led the 76ers by 25+ points in the third quarter and ultimately won the game easily 100-86.

Yang Shuai recorded his first triple-double in the Finals, contributing 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Iverson made 10 of 29 shots, scoring only 23 points.

The Philadelphia fans at the stadium experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, going from hope to utter despair during the 48-minute game.

Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, even the most eloquent words are futile.

At the post-match press conference, Yang Shuai was asked about his game strategy for tonight.

Because his targeting of Iverson was too obvious today.

Yang Shuai chose a very positive answer this time.

"If I don't beat him out once, some people will always think we're on the same level."

The “some people” here could be Brown, some senior executives within Reebok, or even those who shouted at him from afar like he did last night.

Those people's fantasies come from Iverson's statistics, but they automatically ignore Iverson's inefficiency.

So far in the Finals, Iverson has been shooting 40% or less in every game.

Iverson was indeed very strong, but basketball, as a sport that relies heavily on physical talent, has a player's ceiling determined by their height.

"What adjustments do you think the 76ers can make?"

A reporter asked a rather unusual question.

However, with the Trail Blazers now leading 3-0, it's not just a matter of a dynasty being on the horizon, but even the possibility of a sweep to win the championship. This makes the question seem less incomprehensible.

"I think they, especially AI, should shoot more three-pointers."

Yang Shuai's answer instantly caused a stir among the audience.

That statement was absolutely devastating.

Literally speaking, Yang Shuai's suggestion was undoubtedly a good one.

As basketball has evolved, teams have gradually realized the importance of three-pointers, and they have begun to be used by more and more teams.

This is particularly clear from Yang Shuai's perspective.

When he first entered the league, although there were well-known three-point shooters, the overall number was relatively limited.

However, nowadays, almost every team has a shooter who averages four or even five shots per game, and some teams even have more than one.

That has nothing to do with the no-handcheck rule, but more with how much importance the head coach attaches to it.

Because rules are rules, just like Yang Shuai's time with the Pacers, rules can be overcome through tactics.

The simplest example is the pin-down, a weak-side pick-and-roll tactic. As long as the pick-and-roll is of high quality, the shooter can use it to get a shot off.

The existence of the no-handcheck rule simply prevents NBA teams from adopting the small-ball era, because the returns from everyone on the team shooting three-pointers are too low.

Therefore, in this context, it is a reasonable suggestion to let Allen Iverson, who has the most three-point attempts on the 76ers, take more three-pointers.

However, everyone knows how much Larry Brown hates three-pointers.

Therefore, Yang Shuai's words were even harsher than his comments about allowing Iverson to shoot three-pointers when he faced the 76ers back then.

To put it bluntly, they cornered Brown.

He has already given good advice. If Brown doesn't take it, it means he doesn't want to win; if he does take it, it means he has completely abandoned his principles.

It remains to be seen what Brown will choose, but everyone knows that the 76ers have no chance of beating the Trail Blazers, no matter what they do.

Or, for the 76ers, their more realistic expectation now is whether they can win a game at home and avoid being swept.

Two days later, Game 4 of the Finals continued in Philadelphia.

As soon as the game started, the familiar whistle blew, and Wallace was called for two fouls in less than three minutes and had to be substituted.

Moreover, Iverson became an insulator; even a slight touch would be a foul.

The league doesn't want to see a Finals sweep; at the very least, to keep the lone hero story going, the 76ers need to win at least one game.

However, Yang Shuai, as always, refused to cooperate. He continued to use mismatches against Iverson to move the 76ers' defense around and revitalize the Trail Blazers' offense.

At halftime, the 76ers and the Trail Blazers were tied at 50.

The tie seemed ironic given that Iverson had taken 14 free throws in the first half.

Especially in the second half, Carlisle changed his strategy from not being able to touch Iverson to limiting his ability to receive the ball, and the 76ers' offense immediately went cold.

This "one-protect-four" tactic has a major drawback: the "one" player needs to take a lot of shots to develop their feel for the game, while the others don't have many opportunities to shoot during that time.

So if you suddenly let the "four" take over the team's offense, it's essentially the same drawback as the ball-dominant style of play: they can't get into their best form.

As the point difference widened, Iverson couldn't care less about anything else. He switched back to point guard and started taking more three-point shots in an effort to close the gap.

Iverson's three-point shooting touch was surprisingly good, just like in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

He got into a rhythm by constantly taking free throws in the first half. The camera quickly focused on Brown, whose face looked like he was constipated.

He naturally pretended not to hear Yang Shuai's suggestion, but now Iverson's choice looks like he accepted Yang Shuai's advice!
凭借着艾弗森单节6中4的神奇三分，76人队三节结束时还以80比83紧咬比分。

When Iverson left the court in the third quarter, the Philadelphia fans in the arena gave him a warm cheer.

From the 76ers' perspective, it was Iverson who rebounded strongly after being defended poorly by Yang Shuai.

How the rebound occurred is not important to them.

After all, for die-hard fans of a star player, even black can be seen as white.

They hope the 76ers can win tonight's game and create a "glorious defeat" ending for Iverson's lone hero.

However, in the fourth quarter, reality gave them a cold slap in the face.

Iverson's hot shooting in the third quarter is a low-probability event; it's unlikely he'll maintain that shooting percentage in the final quarter.

The Trail Blazers continued to limit his ability to receive the ball, forcing him to take turns dribbling and attacking.

Even Carlisle made a countermeasure, assigning Lu to lead the defense and then having Yang Shuai provide backup.

It's true that Iverson gets whistles, but Yang Shuai, when on help defense, won't touch Iverson. As for those "air whistles," they won't give them to Yang Shuai, who is already a star player in the league.

The Trail Blazers started to pull away again.

After establishing a lead, Yang Shuai began to use high backcourt shots to disrupt the pace of the game.

The point difference doesn't seem that big, around ten points, but the 76ers' lack of three-pointers and inability to mount a fast break has turned it into an insurmountable barrier for them.

The 76ers' starters held on until the final offensive possession, but that wasn't enough to change the course of the game.

When the final whistle blew, the score was 103-94.

As the final whistle blew, Brown's face turned icy cold.

So in the end, he not only failed to get revenge, but also suffered a complete and humiliating defeat.

He was not only severely humiliated, but his constant compromises also led Iverson to start shooting three-pointers, making him the biggest joke of the Finals.

The Trail Blazers players began charging down the court.

Even Yang Shuai couldn't help but excitedly clench his fist and roar to the sky.

Although the outcome was already predetermined after the first two matches, when this moment arrived, no one could remain calm.

Because this is not just a championship, but a dynasty!
The Trail Blazers became the team that completed a dynasty after the Bulls!

Moreover, only those who are part of the team truly understand how difficult it was to win this championship.

The core players who won two consecutive championships were aging, and accumulated internal conflicts forced the team to make trades, but the players brought back in the trades failed to perform well...

Theoretically speaking, after winning two consecutive championships, the Trail Blazers, just like the Bulls after their three-peat, should naturally enter a rebuilding phase.

But thanks to their accumulated talent, coupled with sacrifice and growth, they managed to do it!
Moreover, throughout the entire playoffs, they only encountered resistance when playing against the Lakers, and this team is no weaker than last season.

"We may witness the birth of a team that surpasses dynasties."

Barkley was deeply moved at this moment.

After all, he was a player developed by the 76ers, and it was hard for him to remain calm as he watched his former team being ruthlessly swept.

But seeing the Trail Blazers, the team he had also played for, complete a dynasty, he couldn't hide his excitement.

If his body hadn't truly reached its limit, he would have loved to play for another year.

And to be honest, he had never seen the Trail Blazers' core transition like this before.

Because the Trail Blazers essentially completed their dynasty this season without even having Pippen.

With a new core roster that is highly competitive, it's not impossible for the Trail Blazers to win four consecutive championships.

Or, if you're feeling a bit bolder, not7.

Of course, none of those "ifs" matter at this moment, because this is a moment of celebration for the Trail Blazers.

In addition, Yang Shuai once again failed to lift the trophy on home soil.

The phrase "Yang Shuai will not lift the trophy at home in the Finals" has become a meme, much like "Jordan will not play a Game 7 in the Finals."

When Yang Shuai walked into the player tunnel, Allen not only bowed with both hands in worship, but also excitedly stepped forward to try and pick Yang Shuai up.

Dynasties!
Yang Shuai led the team to achieve what he never dared to dream of before.

This is not a simple matter of 1+1+1=3, because it is equivalent to helping the Trail Blazers establish a team culture, and incidentally it will also help Portland break through the bottleneck of the basketball market.

Not only in Portland, but also in many surrounding cities including Seattle, fans will become Trail Blazers supporters.

Most importantly, the basketball part of Allen's heart was completely filled.

So many people questioned his spending strategy before, and even mocked him, saying that basketball is not like football and that you can't make it work just by throwing money at it. But now, he has completely proven them wrong.

When the celebration in the locker room ended and they returned to the venue, the championship award ceremony had already been set up.

Unlike previous years, the temporary stage this time was much larger, and it was quite obvious that Allen had put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.

Many fans remained at the scene.

Yang Shuai's previous visit to Sonny Hill was reported by Philadelphia media, which brought him a lot of positive publicity.

So most fans felt the same way as Barkley; although the loss was hard for them, they were still willing to applaud Yang Shuai.

The Trail Blazers players walked up the steps onto the stage.

Stern's emotions became complicated again when he saw Yang Shuai.

He would be happy to see Yang Shuai complete a three-peat and become another player with absolute influence after Jordan.

However, a three-peat is also the limit he can accept.

What Barkley said was also what he was worried about.

If a team wins four or more consecutive championships, it means they have a monopoly.

Monopolies are certainly detrimental to development in any field.

So while congratulating Yang Shuai, he was already planning how to counter the Trail Blazers next season.

Of course, that's something for next season as well.

"Let's congratulate the Portland team, the 2001 NBA champions, for doing it for the third consecutive year, establishing the Portland dynasty."

Stern even used the term "dynasty" publicly for the first time to describe the Trail Blazers.

Confetti rained down, and the Trail Blazers players erupted in wild celebration once again.

It was at this moment that Barkley came over as a reporter to interview the Trail Blazers.

He also fully demonstrated his sense of humor by asking a question before interviewing Allen.

"Mr. Allen, if I don't get any playing time for a whole season, will you offer me a contract?"

"Of course, you won us our crucial second championship."

Allen's answer was affirmative. After all, just like when Jordan's second three-peat was broken, although the Bulls later achieved revenge, it was still a bit lacking.

"God, I should have asked you this question sooner!"

Barkley's exaggerated expression brought the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

This successfully made Carlisle and Yang Shuai, who were standing nearby, laugh.

Although everyone knows that it was just Barkley creating a show effect.

After all, Barkley knew the answer to this question even without asking. The reason he didn't do it was because being able to play was his bottom line.

If he sits on the bench for a whole season and gets a championship ring, it will only become a laughing stock for him after he retires.

When Barkley handed the microphone to Carlisle, Carlisle mentioned the incident at the beginning of the season where Yang Shuai voluntarily gave up possession of the ball.

“We all know that doing that would cost him a three-peat for MVP, but he doesn’t care about that. He wants to lead the team to victory more than any honor.”

Carlisle was very lucky, winning three consecutive championships right from his debut. Only Phil Jackson had ever accomplished this feat before.

Jackson's achievements came from Jordan, while his came from Yang Shuai.

He has no reason not to praise Yang Shuai.

"Coach, I care about honor."

However, when Barkley handed the microphone to Yang Shuai, Yang Shuai directly refuted Carlisle's words.

Although this denial is very real, no one is a saint, how could anyone be indifferent to great honor?
Especially something like a three-peat, Yang Shuai knew before he time-traveled that even someone as strong as Jordan couldn't achieve it.

However, just as fans were wondering why Yang Shuai gave such a response, making him seem somewhat lacking in emotional intelligence, they quickly realized that they were naive.

Or rather, they forgot that Yang Shuai is the king of cool in modern times.

"But I'm only 24 years old, I have plenty of time to complete it (the MVP triple crown)."

As soon as Yang Shuai finished speaking, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

This would be a zero chance for anyone else, but it's really possible for Yang Shuai.

Just as Yang Shuai said, even though he has been playing in the league for six years, he still has plenty of time left since he entered the league at the age of 18.

At this moment, Vaccaro, who was sitting in the audience, also felt an indescribable excitement after hearing these words.

Because Yang Shuai, this high school student, is running towards surpassing Jordan.

After the interview, the results of the FMVP selection were announced.

For the Trail Blazers, Yang Shuai averaged 33 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in four games, making his Finals MVP win a foregone conclusion.

Although he unfortunately didn't achieve a three-peat as MVP, he did achieve a three-peat as Finals MVP.

Once Yang Shuai began his FMVP speech, he abandoned his previous joking attitude.

“Rashid and Chauncey are both MVPs in my heart. We definitely couldn’t have done this without their growth.”

When Yang Shuai finished his speech and raised both trophies above his head, confetti rained down on the crowd once again.

This is Portland's dynasty moment.

(End of this chapter)