After changing careers, I became the number one player in basketball

Chapter 339 338: The last hope to stop the Lakers! The strongest opponent is coming! (Please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket!)

Author: Grove Street Brothers

Chapter 339 338: The last hope to stop the Lakers! The strongest opponent is coming! (Please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket!)

Larry Bird had only one impulse at this time - give me my jersey, I want to play!

Because at this time, his team was being beaten to the point of collapse.

Ever since the match against the Lakers at the end of the regular season, Bird knew very well that this year's Western Conference team would definitely have a surname named Xie.

The Lakers are just pretending to be eighth in the Western Conference, but in fact they are still the most dominant team in the league.

Therefore, Bird had already made preparations to reunite with the Lakers at the Forbidden City.

He regards the Lakers as his biggest opponent and is constantly preparing and studying.

Eager to complete revenge in the finals!

However, what Bird didn't expect was.

This year in the Eastern Conference finals, he encountered a huge problem.

The New York Knicks, who were once swept every year, have awakened!

On the court, the madman lobbed the ball to O'Neal inside.

O'Neal was in a very deep position, so the moment he caught the ball, he was directly double-teamed by the 2.11-meter Dale Davis and the 2.24-meter Dutch giant Smits.

The two Pacers insiders stretched out their hands to cover the basket, and it was simply dark. Most people couldn't even find the basket in this situation.

But after O'Neal received the basketball, he felt like he was in no one's land. He first turned around and pushed away the strong Dale Davis, and then faced the Dutch giant who came up to defend him, and dunked directly!

Easily, the Shark successfully scored in the dragnet set by the Pacers.

The tall Smits and Dale Davis were like two wooden stakes in front of him, at the mercy of the shark.

And this is already the 41st point O'Neal scored today!

41 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, shooting 59.4%.

The shark's dominance has reached its peak!

Dale Davis and Smits looked helpless. O'Neal's body was not human at all!

O'Neal's radio host girlfriend also looked helpless. It would be great if the shark could be as aggressive at home as he is on the basketball court.

He is a big shark on the basketball court, but becomes a baby shark at home.

O'Neal's destructive power embarrassed the fans in Indianapolis, but the whole world knew that O'Neal alone could not accomplish anything.

If O'Neal was swept in the playoffs just once or twice, it might just be a coincidence. But if he is swept every year, then it is a matter of strength.

What's scary about this year's Knicks is that they not only have Sharks, but they also have No. 8 who is only 20 years old but is already extremely mature!

After Shark completed the dunk, the Knicks gained a 4-point lead.

The tenacious Reggie Miller wanted to use a three-pointer to narrow the point difference and pull the team back from the brink.

But this round, he was strictly guarded by Kobe.

Kobe's defense this season is even better than his offense.

This year's best defensive team once again has six players, namely Kidd, Shea, Garnett, Duncan, and Mourning.

And Kobe!

At 20 years old, he has become one of the best defensive players in the league.

Kobe's defensive improvement has been huge, partly because of his growing experience.

Secondly, it’s because of Zen Master.

Phil Jackson, the old man sitting on the Knicks bench, is undoubtedly an indispensable figure for this year's Knicks.

After he came to New York, he told the Sharks to quit all variety shows and let him integrate into the triangle offense.

During training, Jackson occasionally allowed Sharks to be late. This flexible and appropriate management model made O'Neal very happy, and he was naturally in excellent condition on the court.

Let him evolve into the most bloodthirsty and complete form.

As for Kobe, Jackson knows very well that a team does not need two people who have so much shooting power. There must be a priority in scoring, so that the team's offense can operate normally.

So he told Kobe:

"I know you want to be like Shay. You practice his turnaround jump shot every day, his passing moves, and you know all his offensive skills by heart.

Indeed, Shay's attack can destroy all living things in this world.

But have you ever thought about it? What really kills Shay the most is his defense!"

As soon as the Zen master said these words, Kobe suddenly realized.

So this season, Kobe is not only obsessed with offense, not just exerting strength on the offensive end.

He began to put more energy into the defensive end, and finally became a defensive leader in the eyes of a Zen master.

When Kobe goes crazy, he will not only defend his opponents, but also himself. He can defend himself to the point where his shooting percentage is only about 20%, which shows how strong his defensive ability is now.

Originally, from training with Shay before, Kobe's defensive foundation was very good.

Now the Zen master only needs a little training to train Kobe into a top outside shooter who can "kick his butt and know what to do next".

Who doesn’t love this kind of person who “knows what to do just by patting his butt”?

Zen Master can't put it down for the current Kobe Bryant.

No, this time in the Pacers' key offense, Reggie Miller was so entangled by Kobe that he couldn't even catch the ball, let alone finish it.

Miller, who only wanted to defeat Shay, never imagined that he would be locked up by a 20-year-old young man!

Kobe's defense was not only skillful, but also aggressive.

When Miller runs, Kobe, who is equally agile, can catch up immediately.

And once Miller stops for even a second, Kobe will start to fight fiercely with Miller, frantically fighting for position, like a mad dog!

This crazy-dog defense reminded Miller of the regular season not long ago, when he was so guarded by Shea that he couldn't even make a shot in the fourth quarter.

Kobe's defense has really started to look a bit like Shay's.

It's just that Shay is taller, has longer hands, and is more terrifying on defense.

But in terms of attitude, Miller felt that Kobe was infinitely close to Shay.

That feeling of "I'm going to lock you up today" is exactly the same!

Now Reggie Miller finally knows why people say Kobe is Shay’s godson.

If it weren't for the age difference, Bryant Sr. might have had to drag Kobe to do a paternity test.

Kobe's entanglement prevented Miller from finding scoring opportunities.

After finally running out of space and raising his hand for the ball, the ball was stolen away by the extremely fast Kobe Bryant!

In fact, this period of Kobe's defense was the best in his entire career.

During this period, he has good physical fitness and does not need to invest too much energy on the offensive end.

After that, even when he led the team to two consecutive championships, Kobe never played a better defensive level than this.

After stealing Miller, Kobe grabbed the basketball and started to counterattack.

He transformed into the Knicks' sharpest blade, ready to pierce the Pacers' chest.

Today's Kobe Bryant has not yet gained weight to become "Little Malone", so he is extremely fast. Reggie Miller and Jaylen Rose can only helplessly watch Kobe Bryant enter the penalty area.

Then, Kobe performed an extremely elegant one-handed 360° spin dunk!

Not to prove how well he can jump, but to prove that he can operate with one hand!

I'm really not that young!

After this goal, the Pacers fell behind by 6 points in the final 43 seconds.

As long as the Knicks hold on to this 6-point advantage in the last 43 seconds, they will advance to the Finals for the first time since the Ewing era!

Kobe and O'Neal teamed up and almost destroyed the Pacers.

Larry Bird reluctantly called a timeout, although it was not impossible to chase 6 points in 43 seconds.

But judging from the Knicks' current state.

Shay was not overthrown by the younger force, but his own walkers may not be able to escape misfortune.

With a dunk and a counterattack after a steal, Kobe and O'Neal, the rising and strongest combination, stopped last season's Eastern Conference championship.

When they walked off the stage, the two looked at each other, and then couldn't help but laugh sweetly. At this time, the two were like a couple in love, silently admiring each other and being extremely happy. Who would have thought that

, will they get into trouble in the future?

Bird's hunch was right. After returning from the timeout, Jaylen Rose's breakthrough layup was met with blood from a shark.

In this year's playoffs, one obvious thing that can be felt is that the Sharks' defensive enthusiasm has become much stronger.

The Sharks' defense is actually the same as Barkley's. Most of the time it's not very good, but when it comes to seriousness it's definitely very good.

The basketball that was stolen from Jaylen Rose ended up in the hands of Reggie Miller.

At this time, the attack time was running out, so Miller could only dribble toward the corner, put a little distance away from Kobe, and then directly drifted to shoot a three-pointer.

Unfortunately, Kobe was still chasing after Miller, clinging to Miller like candy, and finally blocked Miller's shot.

Miller reluctantly took a shot and escaped the block. However, due to extremely strict interference, the basketball finally came out of the frame!

Once again, Kobe and O'Neal teamed up to destroy the Pacers' attempt to close the score!

And Reggie Miller's missed shot also meant that the Pacers were completely kicked off the cliff by the Knicks.

In the past, the Pacers could still try to use the shark-killing tactic to achieve miracles and get a chance.

But now, due to the modification of the league rules, the shark-killing tactic has become obsolete.

In the end, the Pacers could only foul Kobe who was holding the ball and send Kobe to the free throw line.

But unfortunately, Kobe made two free throws at the critical moment and continued to widen the point difference!

Larry Bird closed his eyes and finally got rid of Jordan, but he didn't expect that such a strong enemy would appear in the Eastern Conference.

The combination of Kobe, O'Neal, and Jackson allowed the Knicks to take a step forward without major changes to the player lineup.

If the previous Knicks were like a man's left hand, which was just enough, then the Knicks with the Zen Master now is a beauty who is rich in humiliation and wealth, pursuing experience!

In the end, the Knicks nailed the Pacers' coffin in front of all Indianapolis fans on the road.

The total score is 4 to 2, and the Knicks advance to the finals to meet the Lakers!

Karl Malone danced with joy when he saw the Sharks reaching the finals.

Finally, people's topics and attention will finally focus on the Knicks and Lakers!

I'm saved!

Since being eliminated by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, Malone has been living in shame.

Rodman said something in an interview after the team won G5, which is still mentioned by major media:

"This is 10 yuan for postage. Thank you to the postman for delivering the Western Conference Championship!"

An MVP was mocked like this by a guy who averaged less than 5 points per game in the series, and Malone couldn't refute him!

This kind of shame is simply destroying Ma Long's dignity!

These days, Malone's dreams are filled with images of Rodman and Shay stepping on him.

He also finally understood why Drexler chose to retire.

This kind of humiliation is really unbearable!

If we say before, Malone still had some illusions about overthrowing Shay.

So after this year's Western Conference Finals, Malone was completely convinced.

He never wanted to meet Shay in a series again in his life.

Finally, after having nightmares for so many days, Karl Malone finally waited for his next victim.

Next, the outside world's attention will be attracted to the Knicks.

I can finally take two days off!

At the Eastern Conference championship award ceremony, O'Neal and Kobe lifted the championship trophy together.

The Shark, who scored 40+10 data, felt that nothing in the world could stop him at this time.

Lakers? The Lakers with Shay are indeed very strong. The Sharks have not forgotten that in Shay's first game back, he attacked the Knicks.

But what the Sharks have not forgotten is that the Lakers won that game with Shea's three-pointer!

In other words, the hard power of the Knicks and Lakers is actually very close.

And after entering the playoffs, O'Neal feels that the whole team is improving and everyone is in better shape.

If they play against the Lakers again in this state, the Knicks will definitely have a chance!

Therefore, during the championship interview, Shark also announced in a high-profile manner:

"From now on, don't call me Shark anymore, please call me Aristotle.

Because Aristotle said that excellence is not an act, but a habit!"

Good guy, the whole ugly media calls him good guy.

The domineering tone of O'Neal's speech was truly as powerful as that of the top five in the Central Plains.

Unlike the low-key Duncan and Hill, O'Neal is more destructive and aggressive. His size is also more oppressive than the other two.

Of course, O'Neal's performance was indeed more terrifying than Duncan and Hill.

In six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, O'Neal's stat sheet was simply unbelievable.

43 points, 19 rebounds, shooting 67.7%.

40 points, 24 rebounds, shooting 61.1%.

33 points, 13 rebounds, shooting 62.5%.

36 points, 21 rebounds, shooting 52.0%.

35 points, 11 rebounds, shooting 63.0%.

41 points, 12 rebounds, shooting 59.4%.

The word "dominance" was vividly explained by O'Neal.

The last of the top four centers who is still at his peak seems to be ready to reach the peak of his career!

Although Shay has slapped countless people in the face, even though Shay has turned the MVP into a clown. Although the Lakers' lineup is now extremely neat.

But Shark's terrifying performance and his confident speech still made the whole world look forward to the finals.

When two of the most dominant players meet, what kind of sparks will be created?

After the award ceremony, O'Neal hugged Kobe and ran back to the locker room excitedly.

And I want to work together with the Zen Master to conquer the world.

He believed that Phil Jackson would definitely say something to motivate the team and bring the team's morale to a higher level before the finals began.

However, after Shark entered the locker room in high spirits, he found that Phil Jackson had just taken off his suit and shirt, and was wearing a torn white vest, lying on his side on the floor of the locker room.

Knicks players are all used to Zen Master's abnormal behavior.

Zen masters always say things that make people confused, and they always do things that make people confused.

For example, he often takes a handful of weed, lights it in the locker room, and then walks around, saying it can drive away evil spirits.

For another example, he is often photographed high-fiving and celebrating with opposing fans.

Sometimes he would not say a word before the game, and sometimes he would say something incomprehensible.

Every great sage must have some quirks, and the players never said much about them.

O'Neal shrugged and could only encourage his teammates:

"Guys, I'll lead you to that damn gold cup!

The 1990s have passed, and a new dynasty will be established by us!"

The other Knicks players also shouted along with the shark.

For a time, the entire locker room was extremely lively.

But the Zen master was incompatible with this lively atmosphere. He was still lying on his side on the carpet in the dressing room, holding his head with one hand. No one knew what he was thinking.

No one noticed that his eyes hidden behind his glasses were filled with murderous intent!

Zen Master wants to win the finals more than Shark and Kobe!

The war between Jordan and Shay ended forever in the summer of 1997 with Shay's victory.

but!

The war between Phil Jackson and Shay continues!

Now, Master Zen, armed with a new and powerful weapon, is very optimistic about the prospects of the finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers are, after all, past their prime.

It's just that Shay is still at his personal peak.

Shay may be able to kill the Phoenix Suns by himself, but he can never stop the Knicks' explosive combination!

Thinking of this, the Zen master got up from the ground, patted the dust on his hands, and told the whole team in a calm tone:

"When the darkness comes to an end, when we look up, we can see the light."

The Knicks players looked at each other, and Master Zen said something that they couldn't understand.

but.

Never mind him!

Everyone believes that as long as the Zen Master is around, they can always win!

In this way, the strongest Finals opponent after Jordan appeared in front of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Stern can only hope for his final trump card.

Will Shay and the Lakers' dominance be ended?

Now, it's all about the Knicks!

(End of chapter)