Chapter 999
: They've all been corrupted by the Di-Hu! Kobe and Durant's imaginations are l
The final 3.4 seconds of the game were no longer important.
With a 4-point gap, even if the Bobcats can hit a 3-pointer in the shortest time, the time it takes for the basketball to fly through the air will be enough to completely wear them down.
Even so, Stevenson still diligently called a timeout, set up a quick three-point play, and then sent the players onto the court, using a very rigorous and meticulous running play to create a three-point opportunity for Hayward.
Catch the ball, shoot, miss.
The match has officially ended!
"Congratulations to the Lakers!" Van Gundy announced as the game ended: "Congratulations to them on winning their season opener and getting off to a winning start, narrowly defeating the defending champion Bobcats by 4 points on the road!"
"I think the Lakers' goal this season is self-evident: the championship! Their only goal is clearly the championship!"
"The Bobcats played quite well tonight. Their performance, their tenacity, their tactical execution and fighting spirit should not be underestimated. They definitely have a chance to defend their title, and they have a chance to show everyone that last season was not a flash in the pan."
"Rose scored 33 points and 7 assists in the opening game. The Finals MVP's goal this season is obviously to be a real MVP to complete his career. Yao hit 3 three-pointers tonight and scored 18 points and 8 rebounds. His shooting range and playing style are still one of the Bobcats' most important weapons."
"In addition, Boozer was unstoppable in his matchup against Durant tonight, completely exploding and scoring the second-highest 26 points and the most 12 rebounds on the team. The Bobcats are still in excellent form this year."
"Among the starters, the worst performer was undoubtedly DeRozan. Tonight, DeRozan, who was matched up against Lin for most of the game, was taught a good lesson by Lin. He only scored 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist on 3-of-12 shooting, along with 3 turnovers!"
"DeRozan was completely shut down and dominated by Lin, which was a major reason for the Bobcats' loss!"
"But more than a victory, I think what fans care about and want to know more about is Lin's performance." Jackson followed up: "Lin's performance tonight was absolutely worthy of the fans who have waited for him for three whole years."
"Although he seemed to be coasting and finding his rhythm in the first and third quarters, he showed no mercy when he needed to explode! His scoring spree in the second and fourth quarters, his overwhelming defense against Rose in the final moments, and his powerful dunk all proved that Lin is still as sharp as ever!"
"Especially that dunk, I think unless some other beastly dunk comes along, Lin's dunk is definitely a worthy contender for the top ten dunks of the season!"
"No, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's already locked up in the top three. That shot, where he took on four opponents and forced his way in, was so explosive. I can hardly imagine more than three shots in a season being more spectacular than that one!"
“What if Lin himself picks out three better ones?” Van Gundy said from the side. “This is only the first round. This is Lin! He can do anything that doesn’t surprise anyone.”
"This guy is terrifying!"
Van Gundy's words silenced Miller and Jackson once again.
Yes, that's terrifying!
Especially his control of the game in the final moments and his explosive scoring ability when the team needed him to explode were absolutely astonishing.
This guy...
Saying he's still got it doesn't sound like an insult.
This is a super weapon that is ahead of its time.
"Look at the Lakers' performance." Jackson, being a point guard by trade, had a big heart and quick reflexes, quickly picking up the conversation and preventing the silence from lasting too long: "Kobe scored 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Durant had 23 points and 7 rebounds, going toe-to-toe with Boozer."
"In addition, Bynum had 13 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks. The team's three core players all played exceptionally well."
"But the most outstanding one is obviously Lin. Although he does most of the time feeding the ball to his teammates, his performance is still amazing just by those two bursts of scoring."
“35分17助攻13篮板4抢断2盖帽！”
"This is Lin's answer to the defending league champion and Finals MVP after three years!"
"What's even more insane is his efficiency. He didn't make a single mistake tonight, and his shooting percentage was over 60%!"
"A terrifying forest, an unstoppable forest."
Miller sighed and said, "I still can't believe it. When I was Lin's age, I was completely unable to play anymore and had to retire!"
"Stop bragging." Jackson interrupted Miller mercilessly: "Even when you were 25, you weren't at Lin's level now. You were just an average third-tier star. But Lin, at 38, was still playing at a historic level!"
The usually sharp-tongued Miller, unusually, did not protest or refute, but silently nodded and said, "It is true that I was trying to unfairly accuse Lin. We are not players of the same level."
Miller's words are enough to show how impressive Lin Tian's performance was tonight. Even Jordan, who eliminated him multiple times in the playoffs, never said something like that to Miller, a proud, sharp-tongued, and arrogant man.
But Lin Tian completely defeated Miller.
Miller wasn't the only one impressed by Lin Tian; countless Lin Tian fans around the world went wild, their pride finally standing tall thanks to his performance tonight.
Meanwhile, many of Lin Tian's haters stared blankly at their TV screens, seemingly lost in thought.
They originally thought that Lin Tian's return gave them a chance to finally find his weakness and turn the tide. However, they did not expect that Lin Tian would plunge these haters into despair with just one match.
That's incredible!
Meanwhile, on the court, Rose let out a long sigh and walked over to Lin Tian, saying, "I won't lose next time."
"I advise you not to say that," Lin Tian said with a smile. "Countless people in this alliance have said this to me, and their fates are all surprisingly similar."
"Losing, losing one after another, I can't even get back up."
"It's my own choice not to get up. I will keep trying and work hard to get up, but you can't expect me to lie on the ground and not move!"
"Well done." Lin Tian patted Ross on the shoulder and said, "That's why I decided to coach the Bobcats last year."
Upon receiving a compliment from Lin Tian, even though he had already achieved great success and become the most sought-after rookie in the league, he still nodded excitedly, his eyes revealing absolute confidence.
The words 'I won't let you down' were practically etched onto Rose's face.
"How's your ankle?" Lin Tian ran into Yao Ming again, gave him a high five, and asked him carefully.
"It's nothing," Yao Ming smiled, indicating that he was perfectly healthy.
"Take care of yourself and get some rest. With your physique, you're going to play in the Asian Cup this summer? Aren't you afraid you'll collapse?"
"Hehe...who told us to lose the World Championships?" Yao Ming flashed his signature smile. "Everyone wanted at least an Asian title, right? Speaking of which, I still have a mission this year! London..."
"Screw you." Lin Tian waved his hand and directly rejected Yao Ming: "I'm tired, I'm too old, I can't play anymore, it's time for the younger generation to shine."
After saying that, Lin Tian didn't give Yao Ming any chance to persuade him and continued to greet the other members of the Bobcats team. He was too familiar with this team; he knew almost everyone.
Finally, Stevenson walked over and said with some helplessness, "I still lost to you."
"Isn't that obvious?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "If I were on the coach's bench, you might have a chance, but now that I'm on the court myself, what makes you think you can beat me?"
"Because I'm your disciple!"
"You think you can dream?" Lin Tian waved his hand, said a few more words of comfort and encouragement, and then returned to the locker room with his teammates. They still had to attend the post-match press conference.
ESPN, in an extremely unusual move, extended the broadcast of the game.
Although the live stream was temporarily interrupted, it did not switch to another program.
The three commentators were still there, continuing to analyze the game.
This is Lin Tian's first game back, so he has to be given the respect he deserves. Fans, players, and management from all teams in the league are eager to see Lin Tian's first post-game interview since his return, and they all want to hear what this guy has to say to the league.
A typical press conference doesn't attract much attention, and very few people watch the live broadcast across the city. Most people simply turn on their computers or buy a newspaper the next day to see what anyone said at the press conference and then discuss it briefly.
That's it.
But this time, ESPN really didn't want to miss out, believing it could significantly boost ratings.
As it turned out, their idea was correct; indeed, quite a few people were glued to their television sets, eager to see what Lin Tian would say.
The only exception was the three ESPN commentators, who were truly put in a difficult position.
I don't know what the backend was thinking, it just wouldn't show any ads, and just let these three people have an awkward conversation.
From the course of this game, the data, the highlights, to the effects and benefits brought by Lin Tian's return, how far can the two teams go this season and what level can they achieve?
When they ran out of things to talk about, they started looking forward to tomorrow's game.
This will definitely save a lot of time, since there are 7 games tomorrow with 14 teams facing off, each making their season debut.
The three of them went through each match individually, analyzing who was stronger and weaker, and who would win and who would lose.
Just as they were analyzing the sixth matchup and inwardly cursing, wishing the press conference would start soon, the director's voice finally came through their earpieces.
The press conference has begun! Lin Tian has made his appearance!
The three of them were overjoyed. Van Gundy quickly said, "Let's turn our attention to the press conference and see what Lin has to say!"
He then quickly turned off his microphone, picked up a glass of water, and gulped it down.
I'm exhausted! Normally, when discussing a match, you wouldn't just keep talking non-stop without any commercials.
Especially considering that they had already been commentating on the match for more than four hours, starting from the pre-match preview and the awards ceremony, and then they had to talk non-stop for another half hour. The four of them were also human, and their mouths were dry.
Seeing that Van Gundy had set an example, the other two quickly took off their headsets, grabbed their water glasses, and gulped down their drinks.
We need to take it slow.
At the same time, they also wanted to hear what Lin Tian would say tonight.
"Hello everyone, it hasn't been that long." Lin Tian sat down casually, and Durant and Kobe sat on either side of him with great self-awareness.
The seating arrangement alone immediately disappointed many reporters.
They originally wanted to ask who the leader of this team was, but now that both of them are following Lin Tianma's lead, what is there to provoke?
This is boring, so incredibly boring!
The three of you should at least have a fight and then decide who's the king and queen!
Kobe: I played, I played all summer, and I got knocked out about 300 times. I can't remember how many times I got knocked out and then I lost my job as the team's leader.
"Who usually takes on the leadership role on this team?" Although the three had already been assigned a seating arrangement, with Lin Tian seemingly sitting firmly in the first seat and Durant appearing to be the younger brother, the reporters were unwilling to give up so easily.
We have to squeeze harder, we have to dig deeper, just in case? What if we can uncover some stories? What if someone accidentally lets slip something?
Isn't this exactly what we journalists do?
"Isn't it obvious enough?" Unexpectedly, the first to speak was Kobe, who was sitting to Lin Tian's left. He looked at the reporters and said, "Isn't it obvious who's the boss?"
If Lin Tian said that, it would make perfect sense; that guy's trademark is arrogance.
Even Durant said it was normal for his younger brother to be sent out to smooth things over, but for Kobe to say that was a bit disappointing for the reporters.
Kobe, didn't you even defy Shaq? Didn't you even defy Jordan? Didn't you still not submit even after being beaten three, four, five, or six times by Lin Tian and the Pistons in the Finals?
Why are you giving in now?
This Lin Tian... is he a snake-training expert?
"Lin is the leader of our team, he is the number one star of this team!" Kobe said this very casually, and even the best micro-reaction experts would not find any resistance on his face.
Tamed! Completely tamed!
As for how it was tamed?
The reporters wanted to know, and they immediately asked, "Why? Why not you?"
"That's a rather crude question," Lin Tian said with a smile. "Why? Isn't it obvious? Go open Google and type in both of our names, and it will tell you why I'm the team leader."
Lin Tian spoke casually, and Kobe readily admitted it, but Durant next to him kept his head down and remained silent.
He knew the truth; he knew what was going on between the two of them.
It was decided by fighting.
Who knows if it was July or August, morning or noon, Durant couldn't remember.
He only remembered that one day, Lin Tian, wearing boxing gloves, cornered Kobe in a corner of the boxing ring and rained down a barrage of punches on Kobe, saying as he hit Lin Tian, "If a reporter asks you, what will you, an idiot, say?"
This scene was etched in Durant's memory, and it completely dispelled his idea of going up into the ring to play with Lin Tian.
Durant knew why the two were so 'harmonious' right now, but there were also things he couldn't understand.
Kobe isn't an idiot. Does he not know that his skills are worlds apart from Lin Tian's? Does he not know that he's no match for Lin Tian? So why did he insist on gambling and playing around with Lin Tian like that? Was he torturing himself?
Since Kobe isn't stupid, why would he accept a bet where whoever wins becomes the team's leader?
Unless Lin Tian forced him! Kobe was bullied by Lin Tian! Lin Tian used beatings and threats to force Kobe to give up his position as the team's leader, and Kobe chose to endure the humiliation for the sake of the championship and for his love for Los Angeles and the Lakers.
It's too ridiculous.
Durant also felt that his ideas were too outrageous.
But he had read Sherlock Holmes, and he knew what deductive reasoning was. By eliminating all the wrong answers, the remaining one, no matter how outlandish, would be the truth.
Ok……
But Durant still felt that this was a bit too outrageous.
He would rather believe Kobe was a masochist than believe this.
and many more……
hiss……
Considering Kobe's career and his usual behavior, it does seem a bit...
When Durant first thought of this, he even slapped himself. He wondered if he really was that close to the truth...
While Durant was lost in thought, Kobe certainly had his own ideas, which were completely different from Durant's.
He was mainly grateful to Lin Tian.
Of course, I'm not grateful that he came to the Lakers, nor am I grateful that Lin Tian took my team's leader position.
He was grateful to Lin Tian for handing him a ladder, allowing him to descend safely.
Kobe believed that Lin Tian must have known that after the season started, reporters would go crazy asking them questions, such as whether they were good buddies, who was the leader, and who was the team's number one core player.
How do I answer this kind of question?
Kobe is proud, so it's impossible for him to back down voluntarily.
But Kobe also knew that his career over the past ten years, how should I put it?
Top scorer, yes.
MVP, yes.
The best lineup is yes.
But compared to Lin Tian, these things are nothing.
This guy has accumulated a mountain of MVPs, championships, and Finals MVPs.
Both logically and emotionally, Lin Tian should be the team leader.
But Kobe had to save face!
You ask him to take the initiative to back down, to say that he should be number two, but he just can't bring himself to say it!
At that moment, Lin Tian arrived.
Lin Tianlai fought with him, beat him up, and then took the opportunity to bring up this issue.
In Kobe's view, Lin Tian, who was good at psychological analysis and could always guess what his opponents were thinking, had definitely seen through him as well.
He knew he was willing to give up his position as the leader but was unwilling to say it directly. He knew he was willing to sacrifice, including data, status, and reputation, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Therefore, Lin Tiancai used this indirect method to achieve his goal.
Although he was quite harsh, Kobe always felt that he had made a worthwhile friend when he thought about how Lin Tian had gone to great lengths to help him solve his problem in order to save his face!
Only a true brother would go to great lengths to help you, just to save face for you.
As for the matter of hitting Kobe hard and making him hurt all over, they went through all that trouble and gave him such a good way out, so what's wrong with hitting him hard?
Grateful! Kobe was grateful!
Even if this step is not made public and outsiders don't know about it, this kind of thing is meant to be self-deceptive anyway, and it's enough for Kobe to know it himself.
Brothers in our hearts!
These two were lost in their own wild thoughts, but what about Lin Tian?
He's very simple; he only had one reason for beating up Kobe.
I was itching to get my hands dirty, so I looked for a target. Kobe seemed to enjoy getting beaten up, so I went for it.
It's a pity Durant was scared out of his wits; otherwise, the achievement of punching Durant a few more times and making two top NBA stars tremble and unable to fight back would never have been possible.
such a pity!
As for the rest?
I never thought about it, I never thought about it at all. It was just trash talk after I had a good time, and it's not really any different from asking 'Do you submit?'
As for whether Kobe was serious?
Let him be serious if he wants to; I'm not losing out anyway.
"Lin?" The reporter noticed Lin Tian seemed a bit distracted, so he called him again and repeated his question: "What else do you want to say about this alliance, about your former opponents?"
"Your king has returned," Lin Tian said with a smile. "Are you ready to be crippled by me again?"
Lin Tian, the incredibly arrogant and domineering man who was untouchable by anyone, has officially returned! (End of Chapter)