bookbashuk Chapter 342 The opening match begins! A new season starts!
Chapter 342 The opening match begins! A new season starts!
2000年10月31日晚上19点30分，在印第安纳的老牌体育场城市广场球馆内，18000多名印第安纳球迷早早的就聚集在了这里。
Last season's Finals saw the Pacers, who cherish their memories, play here. This is Lin Tian fulfilling his promise to give this arena, which has been with the team for 25 years, a wonderful ending.
Today, however, is the real farewell ceremony. Tonight, the Pacers will play their last game here, and they will raise the championship banner and present the championship rings.
Meanwhile, on this night, the Pacers once again invited many team legends, including Myle Daniels, Roger Brown, and others whose jerseys are hung on the ceiling.
Chris Mullin and Sam Perkins, who just retired this summer and made great contributions to the team's championship, were also invited to attend.
Then, as the team's current players ran out of the player tunnel, the fans in the stadium immediately gave the team's heroes a huge and crazy cheer. These were the people who gave the team the greatest honor in its nearly 30 years in the NBA, twice!
These are the people who led their team to the top of the NBA, dominating the league twice!
These are the same people who have won one MVP award, one Sixth Man of the Year award, one General Manager of the Year award, one Coach of the Year award, one All-NBA Team award, one All-Defensive Team award, and many more awards over the past few years!
Indiana basketball has never been so triumphant, Indiana basketball has never been so exhilarating!
The fans' heartfelt cheers lasted for almost five minutes before being interrupted by the sudden dimming of the lights and the sudden lighting of the large screen.
The big screen at the venue began playing a documentary about the team's championship win last season. The short 5-minute documentary showcased the team's journey of overcoming obstacles, defeating opponents, riding the waves, and forging ahead!
It features the team's winning streaks and record-breaking moments, as well as footage of the team defeating one opponent after another. It's a compilation of the team's highlights from last season!
Well, it's just a highlight reel, without any hardship, desperate situations, tragic situations, internal strife, conflicts, or moments when the team faced difficulties!
No! Absolutely not!
Because the Pacers last season really didn't have these things!
A record-breaking 75 regular season wins! Breaking the Lakers' 33-game winning streak to achieve the longest winning streak in NBA history! A record-breaking 15-game playoff winning streak to win the championship! Also, Lin Tian's two-time MVP, and Miller, the team's former core player, winning the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Last season's Pacers were strong contenders for the title of the greatest team in NBA history! What difficulties or tribulations could a team like that possibly face?
It is right to recall the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present, and not forget the hardships of the past.
But sometimes, for some teams, those moments simply don't exist! And there's really no need to force them!
Because the team just keeps winning! They are the strongest!
As the Pacers stood on the podium, Lin Tian raised the Larry O'Brien Trophy, a symbol of everything, the video ended, the big screen went dark, and then the same line of text slowly appeared on all four screens.
"One more time?"
Along with those words, Lin Tian's voice rang out! His words instantly resounded throughout the entire stadium!
This was the question Lin Tian asked the Indiana fans during the championship parade. The entire Indiana crowd cheered wildly for Lin Tian's words, and the commotion at the championship parade was almost terrifying!
Tonight, when the question was raised again, the fans in the City Square stadium erupted in wild cheers once more!
Then, the originally meaningless and frenzied cheers quickly coalesced and finally turned into a unified slogan.
"One more time!"
"One more time!"
"One more time!"
The whole place was buzzing with excitement!
"How arrogant." Allen Iverson, the 76ers' star player and the Pacers' opponent in tonight's season opener, scoffed. "This time next year, it'll be our turn!"
"Great! This time next year, it'll be our turn, Allen! We'll definitely win the championship! We'll be a perfect duo!"
Behind Iverson is the 76ers' new coach, whom they just hired this year. He is a former Phoenix Suns legend, a five-time All-Star, a 1974 NBA champion, and the player who led the Suns to the NBA Finals and led the team to 55 or more wins for three consecutive seasons.
Paul Westphal!
He was recognized as a good coach who was good at getting along with players and teaching according to their aptitude. He had first-class on-the-spot command ability, was good at adapting to changing situations, and was very good at self-reflection. He would correct his mistakes immediately. His entire playing and coaching career was the opposite of the word "stubborn".
He excels at offense, is a top-tier defender himself, has a versatile style, is flexible in lineup rotation, and is adept at using newcomers and different lineups and tactics to counter opponents.
This guy is basically the opposite of Larry Brown!
He is a completely different kind of coach from Brown!
Bringing him in essentially means that the 76ers are determined to make changes, to satisfy Iverson, and absolutely do not want to repeat the scandal of last season, where the coach and players fell out and had serious conflicts in key playoff games.
The 76ers are determined to change!
At the same time, Westphal was also a player with a flamboyant playing style and a strong offensive ability. He averaged more than 20 points per game for five consecutive years and was selected as an All-Star. In addition to his individual offensive skills, he was also known as a tactical mastermind. Even during his playing days, he was considered to be a great head coach!
He led the Suns to develop a fast-paced offensive style that set a trend in the league at the time, and is considered one of the pioneers of the NBA's run-and-gun and small-ball style.
Westphal's most famous moment as a player was during the 1976 NBA Finals against the Celtics. With the Suns down by one point with one second left, they couldn't inbound the ball and were about to commit a five-second violation. Westphal cleverly called a timeout.
But the Suns had run out of timeouts at that point. According to the rules, his timeout allowed the Celtics to go to the free-throw line and take two free throws.
Although the Celtics were awarded two free throws, the Suns no longer had to endure a five-second violation that would result in a change of possession. With only one second left in the game, a change of possession would essentially mean the end of the game.
At the same time, this timeout also allowed the Suns to inbound the ball from midcourt instead of the baseline.
The whole situation immediately changed!
The Celtics then made one of two free throws, and the Suns, trailing by two points, inbounded the ball again from midcourt. This time, Westphal's teammate Garfield Head hit the game-tying shot, sending the game into a third overtime!
Because of this suspension, both the NBA and the NCAA subsequently changed their rules.
The new rule states that if a player calls a timeout without prior notice, the opposing team will be awarded two free throws and possession, instead of the previous two free throws!
The purpose of the new rules is to prevent players on the losing side from taking advantage of loopholes or using clever tricks.
This rule was once known as the "Westerfal Rule".
"You all understand now, right?" After the championship banner was raised and the players received their rings, and both sides finished warming up, Lin Tian stood in front of all the players and told them the story of Westphal.
After saying that, Lin Tian blinked and looked at Webber, saying, "Chris, do you know why I told you this story?"
"FUXX! Screw Westphal, I'm not Chris Webber if I don't smash his head in! That damn bastard ruined my NCAA championship!"
Weber immediately waved his arms and roared to show that he understood.
That's the bastard I hate! What a load of crap, the Westphal Rule! If that bastard hadn't called that damn timeout 20 years before me, I would have been the one to call out the Void Timeout, turn the game around, and create a miracle!
I won't become a laughing stock, but rather a witty, intelligent, and incredibly quick-witted tactical genius!
And this clause will become the damn "Chris Weber Rule!" It sounds 300 times better than that bullshit Westphal Clause!
Kill him! We must kill him tonight! Beat him out of class!
Knock him out of the NBA! Beat him to a pulp! We have to beat him!
So, after both sides finished warming up and the starting players took to the court, the atmosphere among the Pacers players, who should have been overjoyed and excited to receive their championship rings and raise the championship banner, was very strange.
Webber, in particular, is the Pacers player who is probably the least concerned about winning and the most carefree. Right now, he has a murderous look on his face!
The intense killing intent made Ratliff, who was facing him, shudder and feel a chill run down his spine.
What's going on? Did this guy's wife get stolen?
Stay away, stay away
Iverson originally wanted to come over and greet Lin Tian and say a few trash words, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, before he even had a chance to open his mouth, Webber stood angrily between Lin Tian and Iverson.
"The strong don't shake hands with the weak, just like a lion never befriends a hyena! What I despise most are those guys who profit from flashy tricks and so-called off-field tactics!"
Webber's murderous aura startled Iverson for a moment, then the guy pointed at Lin Tian and said, "Chris is insulting you, isn't he? Lin, your flashy little tricks and so-called off-court tactics, aren't they your specialties?"
Lost!
For the first time in his life, Lin Tian lost a trash-talking contest!
He was speechless.
After all, Iverson on the other side was practically the most aggressive guy in the entire league, while he himself...
Okay, I'm the dirtiest guy in this alliance, and I don't even think there's anyone else like him.
After Iverson's words, Lin Tian suddenly felt: Could Chris be indirectly criticizing me?
"Bang!"
Lin Tian lightly kicked Webber from behind and said, "Chris, are you insulting me?"
"No! I was cursing Iverson!" Webber turned his head, still looking aggrieved. "My NCAA championship was lost because of him!"
"Bullshit! You're the one who stupidly called for a timeout, what the hell does that have to do with me?" Iverson immediately raised his middle finger, indicating that it was none of his business! When you were playing in the NCAA, I was still in junior high school, what does it have to do with me!
"You guys, that's enough! Are you never going to stop? If you keep kicking and flipping me off, I'll give each of you a T-shirt as soon as the game starts!"
Tonight's referee is Lin Tian's old friend, Fox, who has risen rapidly in recent years and is now becoming a top-tier referee in the league! This guy has become more and more domineering in the past two years, and the hesitation and gentleness he had when he first met Lin Tian have long since disappeared.
After Fox said that, Iverson and the others shrugged and stepped aside, preparing for the game!
The Pacers' starting lineup is exactly the same as last season! The offensive and defensive duo of Ben Wallace and Chris Webber anchor the paint, and many people call them the most contrasting frontcourt pairing in the NBA!
Coincidentally, the 76ers' starting lineup is exactly the same as it was during last season's playoffs.
Troy Hill and Theo Ratliff will lead the frontcourt, with 3-and-D player George Lynch starting at small forward. The backcourt will be staffed by blue-collar point guard Eric Snow and the team's leading scorer and one of the league's top scorers, Allen Iverson!
Judging from this starting lineup at least, although Westphal's style and coaching philosophy are completely different from Larry Brown's, he has inherited Brown's general approach from last season.
That is to make Iverson the absolute core, unleash his offensive firepower as much as possible, and pair him with blue-collar players who can defend, shoot, and rebound in the other four positions to cover up his average defensive ability.
In short, apart from changing a head coach, the 76ers' tactics are essentially the same, at least for now!
As for the actual outcome? We'll only know after we fight it!
With the referee's whistle, Hill and Ben Wallace, who looked to be about the same height, both just over 2 meters tall, jumped at the same time!
Although the two look about the same height, and even both are listed as 206 cm tall, everyone knows that Ben Wallace's 206 cm includes his exaggerated afro, while Hill is bald!
Thick hair and ample volume can make Ben Affleck look more intimidating and fierce, but they cannot compensate for the absolute difference in height.
"Snapped!"
After the crisp sound, Hill slapped the ball to Iverson behind him. The first thing Iverson did after getting the ball was to accelerate!
Crazy acceleration!
He immediately pushed his speed to the limit and sprinted at full speed towards the Pacers' basket!
Just as Lin Tian was about to turn around and catch up with Iverson, he was surprised to find that Ratliff and Lynch were both standing behind him.
We're still in midfield, and they're already giving me a double screen tactic?
Lin Tian's inability to bypass the suddenly appearing screen duo meant that no one on the Pacers could keep up with Iverson's speed.
Iverson accelerated all the way to the Pacers' basket, and then, with Christie, the only player who barely managed to catch up with him, he raised his hand and made a reverse layup!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Iverson scored the team's first 2 points in less than 5 seconds!
A quick assault that starts in 4th gear right from the start!
After that one play, the difference between Westphal and Larry Brown became apparent.
Clearly, Westphal was the crazier and bolder one!
While Brown previously allowed Iverson to fully unleash his firepower and offensive capabilities, he did not permit Iverson to engage in such unreasonable and frantic offense. He preferred to play half-court offense and let Iverson receive the ball through screens and off-ball movement to make more reasonable shots!
In that situation, Iverson was relatively more efficient and made fewer mistakes, but he also expended more energy! He spent at least half of each game running and struggling to get past his opponents. As long as the team was on offense, Iverson couldn't stop!
Keep running!
When it came to Westphal, Iverson still had to keep running, but the most obvious difference was that this time, the ball was in Iverson's hands!
He can fight however he wants!
Simply put, it's one person having the ball while four others watch. Iverson, you'd better figure it out!
The next few minutes of the game completely confirmed Lin Tian's guess about Westphal's tactics.
The 76ers' most common tactic is for Iverson to have the ball at the top of the key, then the two big men will come out from the inside to set a high double screen for him, and then Iverson will look for an opportunity to drive or shoot!
If the Pacers come up to help defend and completely leave a 76ers player open, Iverson can pass the ball to his teammate at any time so that the teammate can catch the ball and shoot!
This tactic, to put it nicely, is an open tactic and an attack centered around Iverson as the absolute core.
To put it bluntly, it was just Iverson playing haphazardly by himself!
This tactic relies heavily on Iverson's form and touch, and also demands a lot from his stamina. If Iverson is in good form and can score 40-50 points, then the 76ers will be unstoppable.
But if you encounter a situation where Iverson is not in good form, you can only pray to the gods and hope that the opponent is also not in good form.
In short, this 76ers team is simply no match for the Pacers!
During those few minutes when Iverson was unleashing his full energy on the court, the Pacers, or rather Lin Tian, didn't get carried away and try to match his speed or individual offense.
No need. I, Lord Lin, am already past that age! I'm too old! I don't like competing with young people anymore!
Cough cough, just showing off.
In those few minutes, the Pacers played very slowly, engaging in a half-court game with the 76ers, and the reason for doing so was quite simple.
Webber is holding back his anger and is determined to get revenge!
Lin Tian was naturally happy to let Webber take revenge and fight, so that he could expend more energy and get back into shape.
As for the reason?
This offseason, just by looking at this guy's physique, you can tell he hasn't trained at all in the past few months. He's gained almost a whole size compared to last season's Finals, and his stamina and shooting touch have also declined.
After training camp and preseason, this guy has successfully lost a lot of weight, but he still needs time to find his form.
There are countless examples in this league of players whose performance has declined due to indulgence during the offseason. Some players can return to their peak form in a month or two, like Shaquille O'Neal.
Some people might never return to their peak after a summer of indulgence, like Vin Baker and Kemp.
But Webber's current state is clearly just due to lack of practice. With some exercise and playing some basketball, he should be 100% recovered by Christmas at the latest!
Of course, Webber wasn't the only player on the Pacers team to experience weight changes.
At the very least, Lin Tian's weight has increased by about 5 kilograms since the end of last season!
However, unlike Webber, Lin Tian's 5 kilograms were a side effect of deliberately gaining weight in preparation for a boxing match and after ingesting three bottles of "fat."
Given Lin Tian's training intensity, he could easily lose those few kilograms of weight if he wanted to.
But
Why should we reduce it?
After being the Flash and the Little Steel Cannon for so many years, Lin Tian decided to change his style a little this season and try out the feeling of a true backcourt battering ram!
Therefore, Lin Tian not only did not lose weight, but also added many new muscle-building plans to his training.
After training camp, preseason games, and his own summer training, Lin Tian even weighed himself before the start of this game.
94 kg!
For a point guard, this number is absolutely outrageous!
Throughout NBA history, only Magic Johnson weighed 96 kilograms at the point guard position, which is heavier than Lin Tian's current weight! In terms of weight alone, Lin Tian is already the second heaviest point guard!
But don't forget, Jason is a point guard giant who is over 206 cm tall! Lin is only 191 cm tall!
Of course, this is looking forward.
Looking further ahead, in the 21st century, with the increasing number of heavy guards, there are indeed a few true heavy guards who can reach or even surpass Lin Tian's weight.
Yes, not Deron Williams, nicknamed "Little Fatty," who only weighed 90 kilograms at his peak.
It was Jason Kidd in his prime! After joining the Nets, he successfully gained weight to 94 kilograms! This was so that he could create mismatches and defend against players at the shooting guard and even small forward positions in the league.
Another weight monster was Baron Davis, the "original big bearded man." As the leader of the Golden State Gang, the "big bearded man" weighed a terrifying 97 kilograms at his peak, even surpassing the 206-centimeter "Magic" Johnson, making him arguably the biggest powerhouse in NBA point guard history!
But now Lin Tian has pushed himself to 94KG. Coupled with his speed and terrifying explosiveness, when Lin Tian really gets going this season, the entire league's rims and rim protectors will probably scream in agony!
The first victim was Theo Ratliff, the league's leading shot blocker!
This shot-blocking expert, who has averaged more than 3 blocks per game throughout his career, encountered Lin Tian, who was going all out for the first time tonight, when he was helping to defend under the basket at the end of the first quarter!
The Pacers' positioning was still going strong tonight. Webber, who scored 12 points in the first quarter, was backing down his opponent in the low post. But this time, Lin Tian, who had been watching from beyond the three-point line, suddenly accelerated and cut to the basket!
Originally, Snow was caught off guard by Lin Tian and had no time to chase him down. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Tian charged into the paint.
How could Weber, who always kept his eyes and ears open, let Lin Tian make a wasted trip?
Not only will he not let Lin Tian go for nothing, but he will also make Lin Tian the number one player in today's top ten goals!
After catching a glimpse of Lin Tian out of the corner of his eye, this guy immediately stopped looking in that direction even once. Instead, he turned his back to block Hill, calculated the approximate route of Lin Tian's attack, and without even turning his head, threw the ball over his head into the air!
Weber's entire movement was fluid and graceful, like he was dancing a waltz!
However, the result of his overly casual approach was that there was a slight discrepancy between the time he estimated and the actual timing of Lin Tian's attack, and the angle of his pass was also a little too close to the basket.
At least visually, this shot looked more like Webber casually tossing it towards the basket with his back to the goal, rather than intending to pass it to Lin Tian for a mid-air pass!
"FUXX! Chris, are you possessed by Ben?" Lin Tian sensed something was wrong as soon as he saw the angle at which Webber threw the ball. He hurled the most insulting curse word he could think of at Webber and then jumped up.
I had to jump, this guy's pass was too close to the basket!
Ratliff had already jumped and reached out, ready to intercept the ball directly!
"Get lost!" After jumping, Lin Tian charged with all his might, bringing tremendous impact. Therefore, his timing, height, and speed at the highest point of his jump were all at their peak!
Lin Tian's jump was incredibly visually striking!
It was as if Lin Tian had installed a liquid nitrogen booster on himself; in the blink of an eye, he flew into the air and caught the basketball with one hand before Ratliff could even get to it!
"Bang!"
Almost simultaneously, the two collided head-on in mid-air!
A complete head-on collision, a direct confrontation!
There was absolutely no trickery involved in the collision!
Ratliff, who had jumped high into the air, seemed to have been hit by some terrifying giant hammer or a running beast. He lost his balance and was about to fall sideways from the sky!
If that's all there is to it, then this goal is nothing special!
After all, this wasn't the first time Lin Tian had knocked someone flying through the air.
The difference this time was that after the collision, Lin Tian's movements were not delayed or sluggish at all. His movements did not change, and his posture in the air remained as if no collision had occurred.
The impression he gave was that he had just bumped into nothing more than a piece of air, a plastic bag, or a piece of paper!
Unstoppable! After receiving the ball in mid-air, Lin Tian threw it almost like he was throwing it towards the basket!
The enormous explosive force erupted in an instant, and the speed at which his long arm pressed down was even faster than the speed at which Ratliff fell!
This shot gave the impression that Lin Tian had not only defeated gravity but also universal gravitation!
"boom!"
Then, a deafeningly loud bang rang out. As Lin Tian threw the ball into the basket with one hand, he was also lunging forward. Ratliff, who had already lost his balance, was not only powerless to stop Lin Tian's dunk, but he also almost fell sideways in the air.
He and Lin Tian almost formed a giant plus sign in the air!
The word "basketball" is composed of a horizontal stroke and a vertical stroke! The winner gets a thunderous dunk, the loser lies on the ground!
It's that simple!
After landing, the entire city square stadium was silent for a moment, then immediately erupted into a roar like a flash flood!
The fans in the arena went completely wild. This dunk, this most direct, bloody and violent dunk, left countless fans gaping and wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and shock!
The stimulation and secretion of adrenaline from this ball was so exaggerated that it defies scientific explanation!
Even the fans at the scene weren't the only ones going crazy. Webber, who made the pass, pushed Hill aside and then hugged Lin Tian tightly!
"Lin! FUXX! How did you do that, Lin? How is this possible? FUXX! That's Ratliff! How is this possible!" Webber held Lin Tian in his arms, roaring incessantly. "I'm the one who passed that ball!"
I deserve half the credit!
Lying on the ground, Ratliff stared at Lin Tian with eyes full of terror. That dunk had chilled him to the bone!
This wasn't the first time he'd been dunked on, or even the first time Lin Tian had dunked on him.
But this time... it's completely different!
That impact, that relentless, unstoppable force—let's just say Ratliff was overwhelmed by it all!
He felt like God was going to take him away!
That's terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!
Not only Ratliff, but Hill stared blankly at Lin Tian, even forgetting to denounce Webber who had just pushed him. Snow and Lynch swallowed hard, unsure whether to help Ratliff up or avoid Lin Tian.
Lin Tian is really terrifying right now!
"Theo, the ball!" The only 76ers player who could still maintain his fighting spirit was Iverson. Seeing that the Pacers players were all wanting to celebrate and were somewhat distracted, he immediately reached out for the ball, wanting to catch the Pacers off guard.
But Ratliff didn't hear what he said at all. At this moment, Ratliff made a decision to himself in his heart.
I will never try to block Lin Tian again in my life, it really will kill people!
Iverson was very unhappy that no one served him the ball!
He didn't quite understand what these people were doing. What a great fast break opportunity, why give it up?
Westphal noticed that Iverson had his arms outstretched and even looked like he was about to jump up, and he also noticed that his other players were clearly at a loss and out of sorts.
Westphal quickly called a timeout; he needed to calm his players down and let them collect their thoughts.
Otherwise, if the game continues like this, the point difference between the two sides will definitely widen!
After thinking about this, Westphal suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh.
At this point, there were still 2 minutes left in the first quarter, and the score was 22-20!
The 76ers are still leading by 2 points!
But Westphal was thinking that his team would fall further and further behind! Clearly, Lin Tian's goal shocked not only the players on both sides.
Even the coach needs to calm himself down!
"Well done, Lin! I'm definitely making a highlight reel of that and putting it in my safe!" Carlisle reached out and bumped hands with Lin Tian, excitedly saying, "I'll tell everyone I know that my very first official NBA game as a coach featured a historic dunk!"
"This is the honor of my entire life!"
Compared to Bird's sharp tongue, arrogance, and ever-confident demeanor, the rookie Carlisle wasn't as confident. Right now, he needed to gain the players' favor and support, rather than establishing absolute authority among them!
So now, when he opens his mouth, nine times out of ten it's praise for the players!
Fortunately, the team has Lin Tian, the absolute leader, who is willing to cooperate with him. When the team needs someone to step up and play the "bad cop," Lin Tian will always step up to criticize the team, so that everyone on the team doesn't become too lax.
Lin Tian and Carlisle's partnership began during training camp and preseason. Carlisle was responsible for encouraging, praising, and motivating the players, while Lin Tian was responsible for criticizing, pouring cold water on, and playing the bad guy.
"Chris, you shouldn't have done that." Lin Tian received Carlisle's signal and immediately said, "That move you just made might get you a technical foul, and there wasn't even a dead ball. If the 76ers weren't such trash, they would have started a counterattack immediately."
"At that time, I was being held by you and couldn't get back on defense, and then you let go of Hill, making it easy for us to concede points!"
"Everyone needs to remember! Especially in situations like this, we need to stay calm! Don't forget, we are the defending champions! We've seen countless big moments! We have plenty of opportunities to celebrate! But on the field, while the game is still going on, we must maintain a sense of urgency, understand?"
"clear!"
Lin Tian's prestige and ability make him virtually the undisputed leader in the team. His words do not cause the players to feel that he is pretentious; on the contrary, they make the team more united!
After the timeout, Carlisle made substitutions, bringing on both the newcomer Miller and the veteran Miller, replacing Webber and Carter.
The 76ers made only one substitution, removing the still somewhat disoriented Ratliff and bringing in Lin Tian's former teammate, Kukoc. The game continued!
With Kukoc on the court, the 76ers gained another ball-handler and offensive initiator.
The 76ers didn't waste Kukoc's talent; on his very first possession, the ball was in his hands, allowing him to orchestrate the team's offense.
Kukoc received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side, then waved for Snow to come up and set a screen for him, resulting in a switch. He ended up on the wing, outmaneuvering Lin Tian!
This was originally one of Kukoc's signature moves. He could use his height and strength to bully opposing defenders, and he also had excellent skills at the defender level, so he was not afraid of smaller defenders' tackles and fronting maneuvers.
This time, however, Kukoc was clearly used to his old style of play and forgot who the Pacers' guard was.
"Tony, are you crazy?" Lin Tian couldn't help but ask himself when he switched to guard Kukoc, "Why don't you just pass the ball out?"
"FUXX!" Kukoc couldn't help but swear as soon as he saw Lin Tian.
But he was once the king of Europe, and his years of experience in the NBA had taught him that he couldn't be so cowardly! No matter how afraid he was of Lin Tian, he couldn't just pass the ball without even touching a hair on Lin Tian's body!
That would make us a laughing stock in the entire league.
Kukoc knew that even ten of him tied together wouldn't be a match for Lin Tian if he was just trash-talking, so he quickly turned around, used his back to block Lin Tian, and at the same time exerted force to try to push towards the inside!
According to Kukoc's plan, he only needed to bump into Lin Tian a couple of times to test Lin Tian's defensive center of gravity and foot positioning, and then he could quickly decide whether to turn around or continue to defend, whether to turn around and shoot or turn to face up and drive!
Kukoc has that much confidence!
With his height and skills, even if he wasn't as good as Lin Tian, Kukoc believed he could attack and defend as needed!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Kukoc then went all out and rammed into Lin Tian three times in a row!
Knowing how strong Lin Tian was, he used all his strength in every strike!
Then?
Then he stayed where he was, without moving an inch!
Lin Tian's feet didn't slide back even a centimeter. In fact, Kukoc noticed that Lin Tian didn't even adopt a horse stance! He just stood straight, one hand on his waist, which was enough to withstand his back attack!
"Give it your all, Tony! Don't let others laugh at our old Bulls teammate!" After Kukoc failed to budge him even slightly after several attempts, Lin Tian didn't forget to mock him and continue to distract him!
He knew very well that his old teammate was good in every other way, but his mental fortitude was simply not worth mentioning!
To put it bluntly, this guy is too soft.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they're hopeless and can't be helped.
With his ability and talent, he should have achieved far more than he has now. Even if he can't lead his team to become a contender for the championship or MVP, he should at least be a regular member of the All-NBA Team and All-Star team.
Kukoc's current situation is neither good nor bad; he has even lost his starting position on the 76ers!
If he continues to be so weak, he won't be far from being eliminated from the NBA.
When he was with the Bulls, Phil Jackson was there to give him psychological guidance, so he could occasionally be tougher and more ruthless. But now that Jackson is gone, this guy has completely become a kite-like man who just floats around aimlessly!
He was mocked by Lin Tian on this play, but he didn't talk back or try to prove himself. Instead, he became hesitant and his eyes started to wander, obviously looking for a teammate to receive the ball!
Lin Tian had been waiting for this moment!
Just as Kukoc found his teammate who had slipped out to receive the ball, Lin Tian suddenly dropped his defense behind Kukoc. The sudden loss of contact caused Kukoc to pause noticeably, and then Lin Tian flashed in front of him.
Before Kukoc could even make a pass, Lin Tian intercepted the ball from Kukoc's hand and launched a counter-attack towards the front!
The plain was flat and deserted!
Facing the 76ers' unprepared backcourt, Lin Tian sprinted with the ball all the way, then jumped up almost at the free-throw line. After an incredibly long gliding distance, he slammed the ball into the basket with one arm once again!
A powerful dunk from the free-throw line in a real game!
Looking across the entire league, perhaps only Lin Tian could pull off such a spectacle from time to time!
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The fans in the stadium started singing again!
Our war god has opened fire! (End of Chapter)