Chapter 897
You little black snake who doesn't follow the script!
Sweeping Across America! The American Dream Brought by Lin!
This is why we're all here! Jeremy Lin has made the world remember his name!
Lin Tiancheng wasn't lying; Jeremy Lin's name is indeed remembered by everyone!
Call him Lin Madness! After leading his team to three consecutive wins, can Jeremy Lin's miracle continue?
Three consecutive 20+ point games: Is the greatest undrafted player in history born?
"Linsanity's jersey sales skyrocketed! Within a week, they jumped to 7th place nationwide!"
He's a basketball god this week! The Bobcats vs. Wizards game drew over 2200 million viewers!
Next game: Lakers! TNT and ESPN have both changed their broadcast schedules and will now broadcast this game simultaneously!
Harvard's wall of prominent alumni may soon feature the only photo of an athlete!
“Lin said that Jeremy’s miracle has only just begun!” Miller said on ESPN. “A week ago I didn’t believe it. I thought it was just a flash in the pan, but now I think Jeremy’s journey has only just begun!”
Jackson also said, "What's most amazing about Jeremy isn't his scoring ability, it's his composure! Think about it, a week ago you were nobody, but a week later you suddenly became the number one star in the country. Anyone would be a little smug at that moment."
"But Jeremy? No! Absolutely not! He didn't get cocky. He remained calm and humble in interviews, and he maintained his original playing style during the game. He was incredibly calm and rarely made those impulsive shots."
"With this mindset, I believe he can achieve great things!"
"Jeremy has exposed his weaknesses in the game against the Wizards," Barkley said on TNT. "He lacks talent. Those scouts aren't idiots. Compared to Wall, he is completely outmatched in terms of talent."
"In the NBA, talent is always the most important thing. If you don't have talent, you lack the hardware to become a star. No matter how strong your other software, such as mentality, skills, and shooting ability, you can't become a top star!"
"Maybe Lin can be remembered by everyone because of this breakout, maybe he can become a qualified NBA player, but that's all, that's all! That's his ability and ceiling, just an ordinary NBA rotation player!"
"He was just lucky to have Rose injured and Lin trusting him so much. Otherwise, he might never have made it in his life! 99% of the people in this league, if you give them a chance, they can all surprise you!"
Payton immediately retorted, "Charles, I disagree with you. Did Steve Nash have any extraordinary raw talent? But he was an MVP and Finals MVP winner. Lin entered the draft, and I'm talking about a different Lin. Did he have any extraordinary talent when he entered the draft? No."
"Did Augustin get a chance after Rose's injury? Yes! But he didn't deliver anything! Kwame Brown, Ogvorkandy, and those other high draft picks who were busts, didn't they get a chance?"
"They all had opportunities, but they couldn't seize them! Are they all in your so-called 1%? Then shouldn't you appropriately increase your 1% sample size?"
Kenny added, "I share Gary's opinion. Lin seized what might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We all know how lenient this league is towards top rookies, and how harsh it is towards undrafted and second-round picks."
"If he misses one opportunity, Lin may not be able to be drafted by the Bobcats again this season. He will have to play in the G League for the whole year and even for his entire career."
"But he seized the opportunity and delivered several outstanding performances in a row. Admit it, Charles, Jeremy was great!"
"He's definitely great! I said he's great, I just don't think he can become a top star!"
O'Neal chimed in, "Come on, Charles, we all know how bad your judgment is! The only right thing you ever did was cling to Lin's coattails, otherwise you'd just be a fat guy who's accomplished nothing."
"So if I were you, I would definitely cling to another Lin's leg, he can earn you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
"What right do you have to talk to me, you bastard who also won a championship by riding on someone else's coattails?" Barkley yelled at O'Neal. "Besides, both of them can call me a fatso, so what the hell makes you so special? You're way fatter than me!"
"So what if I won a championship by riding on someone else's coattails? Aren't I speaking up for Steve right now?" O'Neal said smugly, "Supporting a player with average talent who can achieve great things is supporting Steve!"
"Instead of being like you, a stupid fatso, who just spouts nonsense here!"
"I bet you! Lin will be targeted by Kobe in the next game! Kobe will teach this kid what the league's top-tier defense is! Kobe will show this kid that when facing top-tier talent, all that hard work and motivation is bullshit!"
"Kobe will shut him down! 10 points! Or a terrible performance with a lot of shots but low accuracy. Lin's performance in the next game will definitely be awful! I bet you guys!"
"Then let's bet!" O'Neal said confidently, "I bet Lin will score more than 10 points in the next game against the Lakers!"
"And then there's the one who takes a lot of shots but has a low accuracy rate! If he takes 35 shots, even an idiot can get 20 points!"
“Then let’s do this,” O’Neal said confidently. “After the next game against the Lakers, let Gary and Kenny vote. If Lin’s performance is good, I win; if it’s bad, you win; if it’s average, it’s a tie!”
"What should we bet on!" Barkley thought for a moment, then, without fear, asked directly.
"Call him Dad!" O'Neal thought for a moment and said, "The loser has to call the other person Dad whenever they see him for the next week!"
"Great!" Barkley slammed his hand on the table and said, "I'm already prepared for another fat son!"
The day after Barkley and O'Neal, the two half-ton duo, made their bet, the entire Lakers team arrived in Charlotte.
They are about to face the Bobcats on the road, who have finally returned to their home court.
The Bobcats, who had just completed a long away game trip, had rested for two days and were now fully rested and in top condition.
The Lakers are in a very good position right now. They are currently second in the Western Conference, only one game behind the top-seeded Mavericks. As long as they don't give up on becoming the top team in the West, every game they play from now on will be crucial.
Such a high-profile and high-impact competition cannot afford to fail!
If the Lakers can break the Bobcats' winning streak, it will be a very effective boost to their morale!
An hour before the game started, the entire Bobcats team had already gathered in the team's locker room. Lin Tian did not give the usual pre-game speech, but instead took out a TV and turned it on.
"Look, Kobe is being interviewed live!"
In Lin Tian's memory, Kobe was quite arrogant at this time, saying that he did not know Jeremy Lin, did not know who he was, had no idea what he had done, and did not care who Jeremy Lin was. He said he was just there to win.
Arrogant and disrespectful remarks.
If Jeremy Lin heard this, it would definitely ignite him completely, get him into the zone, and beat Kobe by 3-40 points!
“I watched the tapes of his first three games. Jeremy is amazing. He made a lot of incredible shots. I also know how tough it was for him after he entered the NBA. I heard that he even had to sleep on his teammates' couches.”
"I might go head-to-head with him, or I might let my teammates go first, it depends on the coach's arrangements, but if Jeremy poses a threat to us, I will do everything in my power to take him down and go head-to-head with him!"
"His drives, passes, and shooting are all impressive. His talent may not be as exaggerated as Wall's, but in some ways, he is more unstoppable than Wall."
“We will handle this carefully. Phil has also prepared some targeted tactics, not only against Jeremy, but also against Yao, DeMar and the rest of their teams.”
"The Bobcats are very strong, and we will not let our guard down just because Derek is out."
"Advice for Jeremy? I don't think he needs my advice. He has Michael and Lin on his team, he can definitely get a lot of useful advice. If I give him more advice, it might just confuse him."
"If I had to say, I'd like to come to Los Angeles when my contract expires. I'd really like to be his teammate."
……
silence.
After Kobe's interview, an awkward silence fell over the Bobcats' locker room. The players were waiting for Lin Tian to give his concluding remarks and boost morale.
Lin Tian cursed Kobe in his heart.
Where is your arrogance and domineering attitude? Where is your disregard for others?
Where does all this humility and caution come from? Where does all this politeness come from? And you even watched Jeremy Lin's game?
Okay, Kobe probably really did see it, but you little black snake who doesn't follow the script are making things difficult for Master Lin!
How can this boost morale?
So, you're saying I should play well, improve, and then I can go play in that glamorous world of Los Angeles? After all, Kobe personally recruited me...
"Ahem, ahem." But the atmosphere couldn't stay awkward forever, so Lin Tian cleared his throat, looked at everyone, and temporarily changed his speech: "Do you remember what I told you a week ago, Jeremy?"
Jeremy Lin was stunned for a moment. Lin Tian had said so much to him, how was he supposed to know what this seemingly random sentence meant?
Fortunately, this guy was a proper Harvard graduate after all. He quickly went through what Lin Tian had said to him in his mind, and combined it with the current situation, Lin Shuhao immediately understood! He said confidently, "You don't need to tell anyone my name."
"The world will tell them for me!"
"Yes! That's the line!" At this moment, no matter what Jeremy Lin said, Lin Tian would say that he was right, that this was the line he wanted.
"Now, the world knows your name. New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Toronto, Sydney, all of China, and even the whole world, they all know your name."
"They idolize you, they strive to be your role model."
"Now I can say the second half of what I didn't say back then."
"Keep pushing yourself to the limit, even more relentlessly and diligently than before, and then etch your name into the minds of the entire world!"
"I want you to be the first person people think of when they mention 'grassroots legends' or 'rags-to-riches stories' 10, 20, or even 50 years from now!"
"Right now, everyone knows you, but no one remembers you yet!"
"Alright everyone, get ready and let's move on to our second phase!"
"Let the whole world remember you!"
"Let them remember us!"
Amidst cheers, the Bobcats players filed out of the locker room and rushed onto the court to begin their warm-up.
The enthusiastic fans immediately erupted in wild cheers and shouts, displaying the ultimate passion!
The team's recent three-game winning streak and the unexpected rise of Jeremy Lin have made them extremely happy!
This is the kind of game they want! Jeremy Lin is their favorite superstar!
Of course, it's not that Charlotte has forgotten Rose, it's just that Jeremy Lin is indeed their favorite right now!
Amid chants of "MVP" from the crowd, Jeremy Lin calmly walked onto the court and began warming up.
Lin Tian then greeted the old fox Phil Jackson, and then he saw Kobe walking towards him, smiling and saying, "I didn't expect you to know so much about us."
"I will never underestimate you, Lin! I will not let anything related to you go! I will defeat you, I will show you my power, I will not lose to you again!"
"So I've been studying your game for a while now. Don't think you can fool me with your tactics! Jeremy is great, but we're prepared. Tonight, we're going to win."
Good guy!
Lin Tian glanced at Kobe, thinking, "So, you were watching the video and studying our players' behavior beforehand because you're blaming me, huh? Is it because you're afraid of me?"
What else could Lin Tian say?
Beat you to death!
Tonight, the Lakers cannot afford to lose, and neither can Lin Tian and the Charlotte team!
In particular, although Kobe had thoroughly studied the Bobcats' roster, Lin Tian, as the head coach, had also watched a lot of Lakers game footage!
One of the most noteworthy points is that Kobe's performance began to decline.
This guy is no longer at the level he was two years ago, where he could beat anyone except Lin Tian to a pulp.
Knees, fingers, shoulders, wrists, ankles...
Unbeknownst to many, the Iron Man, the Flying Man, has become the mature and slightly aged Black Mamba, while Kobe, who once soared through the air and was known as the "Showboat" when he first entered the league, has also shed his youthful glory and become a classic backcourt player with his signature post-up moves and fadeaway jump shot.
This summer, Kobe missed the World Championships to treat his knee. In order to ensure he wouldn't miss games in the new season, he didn't follow his doctor's advice to have surgery, but instead opted for conservative treatment, letting his body's own resistance help him recover from his knee injury.
But clearly, given Kobe's age, this kind of tough-on approach is no longer suitable for him.
After the season started, Kobe's field goal percentage and points per game hit new lows in the last 10 years, while his number of field goal attempts and turnovers were higher than the previous season.
His current matches are filled with struggles.
Of course, he wasn't completely unable to play. His average of 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game still makes him one of the league's top swingmen. However, compared to players like James and Wade, Kobe was indeed starting to decline.
The best news for the Lakers right now is Durant.
Durant's progress is faster than expected, and in his fourth year in the league, he has become one of the league's top scorers.
His average points per game also surpassed Kobe's for the first time, making him the Lakers' leading scorer. At the same time, his height of around 210 centimeters, combined with his small forward playing style, made him almost impossible to defend.
This guy has already started to take over Kobe's mantle and try to become the Lakers' number one player.
At least for now, in the first three quarters of the game, Durant is indeed more difficult to deal with than Kobe.
But in the fourth quarter, as long as Kobe had enough energy, he was still unstoppable.
This guy's experience and skills are truly unparalleled; ordinary defenders simply cannot pose a threat to him.
In addition, there's Bynum, who has further developed. Now that O'Neal has retired, Bynum can rightfully and proudly declare: I am the best center in the West!
Of course, this is on the premise that Garnett, Nowitzki, Milicic, Bosh, and others all play the power forward position.
Although Bynum and Durant have both made significant progress, the Lakers, apart from Kobe, are also facing a noticeable aging problem.
Kirilenko's lateral movement has slowed down significantly. He used to be able to defend positions 1 through 4, but now he can only defend positions 3 and 4. He clearly can't keep up with those young guards. In addition, his already inconsistent offense has become even more negligible, and his average points per game have even fallen below 10.
The Lakers' long-standing problem at the point guard position is becoming increasingly serious.
The only person that starting point guard Fisher can stop right now is Kobe. All other guards can beat him as easily as beating their own sons.
Backup defender Farmar was once a source of great hope, but now he has faded into obscurity.
To put it more bluntly, or to put it even more harshly: the Lakers are at a crossroads again!
They could either rebuild outright, trading away players like Kobe and others, rather than wasting the precious youth of Durant and Bynum.
They could either make targeted improvements, keeping the Big Three and finding a reliable power forward or point guard to increase their chances of winning the championship.
This is something many Lakers fans have been hoping the Lakers management would do, but unfortunately, Buss and Kupchak have never done it.
They seemed content with the status quo and just getting by.
The Lakers fans' resentment has been growing steadily, almost imperceptibly! (End of Chapter)