The rest is just noise

(Because the plots of today’s two chapters are coherent, they are combined into one)

"Have I ever told you the story of Adolph Rupp? Everyone I've ever met said he was a racist. Yes, he did hate black players -" Auerbach said deliberately.

He paused to whet everyone's appetite before continuing, "He also hates white people who can't play, hates blue and green people who can't play. To put it bluntly, he hates people who can't play. That's it.

Simple."

Louis didn't know Rupp because they never had the chance to meet - Rupp died a year before he entered the industry.

After Louis had the idea of ​​coaching, he read a lot of information and had a certain understanding of Rupp. But after so many years, the only thing that left an impression on Louis was that Rupp's man-to-man defense became a key player in basketball games.

conventional defensive tactics.

What Auerbach said about Rupp today allowed Louis to understand another side of this legendary college coach.

Especially that story...

"Why do I say he is far stingier than Benj? Because I have never seen anyone stingier than him. He is the stingiest person I have ever seen in my life."

In the early 1950s, the famous razor scandal (1) destroyed a large number of traditional NCAA schools, including the University of Kentucky, which was a wealthy university at the time, and was suspended for one year. It was precisely because of Kentucky's suspension that Auerbach passed the NCAA in April of that year

The NBA annual meeting changed the rules of the draft - all players who spent four years in college are automatically eligible for the NBA draft, instead of having to wait until graduation to become eligible - as we all know, this rule allowed the Celtics to draft LaLongda decades later.

Lee Byrd.

Auerbach also became friends with Rupp at this time.

Once, Auerbach and Rupp dined together and spent a total of $3. Reed decided to treat him and left a 50-cent tip for the waiter.

Rupp stared at Auerbach, "You tipped 50 cents? That's too much!"

Before Auerbach could react, Rupp picked up one of the quarters, put it in his pocket, and then stopped talking.

Half a century later, why does Auerbach still clearly remember this incident?

There was a smile on the old man's face, which was a reminder of the old days: "I always thought he would return the money to me, but he didn't."

Compared with Rupp, Benj, who kept saying that he was not willing to give the other party a cent more, finally raised the offer to US$1.8 million. Although it still did not meet the psychological price of the other party, this was an increase of up to US$800,000, which was far from the

This incarnation of Grandet, who cares about cent units like Rupp, can be compared.

Although Louie had been attending the luncheon for several years, there was an endless supply of Auerbach stories.

He often told stories that Louis had never heard before. This was one of the reasons why Louis insisted on attending the luncheon.

Of course, the more important reason is that the people attending the luncheon are elites from all walks of life in the United States. For example, not long ago, Louis met a Boston politician named David Ford at the luncheon, and the business manager of his department happened to be

Land planning, with his help, Louis' plan to build a new arena in downtown Boston achieved a breakthrough.

This is the key step from zero to one.

Time has entered February, and no large-scale transactions occurred during this year's trade deadline. Each team made minor repairs and ushered in the All-Star Weekend peacefully.

This year's All-Star Weekend, the most exciting thing is not the Dunk Contest or the All-Star Game, but the Rookie Challenge.

The star-studded sophomore team can even put together an all-star set@

Was blocked by Anthony's goal.

Despite the loss, Lin Ziye, who led the game in terms of statistics, was still selected by the NBA as the MVP of the Rookie Challenge.

When Lin Ziye was asked by an ABC reporter how he felt about becoming the first MVP of the losing team in the rookie game, his answer was enough to make NBA officials ask themselves whether it would be better to select an MVP in the second year.

"The MVP is not important, I decided to give it (the trophy) to the lucky audience at the scene."

Then, Lin Ziye chose a young and pretty girl who was big and fair.

"Are you entering the courtship period again?" Lu Wuxia couldn't help but ask.

Lin Ziye responded: "Yes, I have just ended a painful relationship, and I urgently need a generous and wealthy girlfriend to soothe my wounded heart!"

One day later, in the All-Star Game, the Eastern Conference Stars won the game with an overwhelming talent advantage. O'Neal, who scored 26 points and 13 rebounds, was elected AMVP.

After the All-Star Weekend, various parties began to predict the MVP and "the team most likely to fail in the playoffs."

Steve Nash, who has never entered the MVP discussion, has historically remained on the MVP prediction list with his life-changing performance in Utah.

At the same time, the Jazz in the West and the Celtics in the East are also widely regarded as the two teams most likely to overturn in the playoffs.

Just when everyone was thinking about the playoffs, on February 28, 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers challenged the New York Knicks in an away game that shocked the world.

The way they focused the world's attention was not through high-quality game content, nor through ultra-difficult buzzer beaters, but through events that had nothing to do with basketball - fights.

The Lakers are a volcano waiting to erupt.

Whether they like it or not, Garnett and Kobe can no longer coexist. This can be seen from Garnett's rejection of the Lakers' early contract extension. By the end of the season, the Lakers will have to make a decision.

It seems that this decision is not difficult to make. Although Garnett is careless, his reputation in the Lakers is far less than that of Kobe, because he is a very strong boss, and Kobe, who has been extremely calm through meditation training for a long time, seems to be more

Easy to get along with.

The irony is that Garnett claimed to be the boss, and Kobe had no intention of usurping the throne, but the two gradually drifted apart.

Because there are still people like Artest in the Lakers.

The cause of the matter is not complicated. As for the Knicks, James Posey is the inheritor of the old Knicks' style. He likes to do things that provoke the emotions of his opponents.

The two sides almost came to blows in the first half because Posey elbowed Artest.

Kobe pinned down the furious Artest and said, "Now is not the time."

So Artest decided to wait for that time to come. In the second half, the Lakers went smoothly. By the fourth quarter, the lead had reached 16 points.

Artest asked Kobe: "Is it time?" Kobe said: "Whatever."

However, Posey, who started the trouble, had been replaced. Artest couldn't swallow this breath, so he approached McGrady, who seemed to be bullying him.

This is really the wrong person. McGrady doesn't seem to be a troublemaker. In fact, he is not weak at all. When he realized that Artest was going to regain his position with him, he made an unceremonious move.

He fought back and hit Artest on the left side of his face with an uppercut that could seriously injure someone.

The two teams, who were already like dry firewood, exploded at the drop of a hat.

"Don't fucking touch my people!" As the boss, of course Garnett has to protect his younger brother, even if it is a younger brother who is at odds with him all day long.

Garnett did the right thing, but he shouldn't treat Kendrick Perkins as a soft persimmon.

Garnett pretended to be the boss and tried to persuade Perkins to make peace, and at the same time squeezed Perkins, which ultimately angered the black man with a colorful inner life.

Garnett, who was supposed to persuade him to make peace, was defeated by Perkins.

Seeing more and more players advocating for peace joining in the fight, Artest, who was pulled to the sidelines by Kobe to comfort him, suddenly felt a chill on his head, as if

Took a cold shower.

He instantly realized that a fan from behind was throwing beer at him.

Artest lost his humanity and pounced on the fans like a wild animal, making the situation completely out of control.

The KG era of the Lakers can end in many ways. What the public imagines is a dramatic severance, but the Lakers are a team similar to the Knicks after all. When faced with a choice, they often passively choose the one with the most effective program.

that.

Malice surrounds Eden, and fierce conflicts interrupt the game. As for the ending?

The game ended early. McGrady claimed that Artest was a softie. Garnett lost his support because of his unwillingness to fight and quit. Except for Hill, all other Knicks players on the court participated in the fight. Although Artest was out of the game,

He was sulking, but he hit the wrong person. Kobe wanted to stop him very much, but when he and Artest appeared in the audience together, the punishment would be inevitable.

The neutral audience watching the excitement was excited, and the media was even more delighted. A TV night like this has not happened in the NBA for a long time.

The only ones who were injured, and will continue to be hurt by this incident, are the Lakers and Lakers fans.

Before time travel, the so-called Brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills by the Pistons was just a large-scale brawl to Louis, but after time travel, it was different.

The Brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills didn't happen, but the Brawl at Madison Garden did.

Since Louis entered the industry in 1978, there have been only a handful of NBA breaking incidents. Kermit Washington punched out Rudy's brains, the fledgling Little Lu punched the referee into the ICU, and the league was suspected of being involved in the 1985 lottery draw.

Cheating, the second dynasty of the Celtics was ended by the Knicks in 1988, the formation and expedition of the Dream Team in 1992, the "Game of the Century" between the Knicks and the Trail Blazers in 1993, Manning and Petrovic were broadcast live in the United States

Fighting, the "beautiful basketball" of the Lakers... However, the only things that can compare with the intensity of the fight in the garden are Washington's punch and the game of the century in 1993.

Looking at the negative impact, the Garden Fight transcended basketball and was worse than Washington's punch.

Because the background of Washington’s punch was in the late 1970s, people generally didn’t like the NBA at that time. It was an era when fans could dislike too many black players and not watch the games. The criticism of Washington himself was the public’s criticism of black players.

A concentrated outburst of dissatisfaction and prejudice against the group that has come to dominate basketball.

Garden Fight is not.

This is a different era.

From the perspective of equal rights and anti-racial discrimination, the NBA is even a utopia in American sports. As a pioneer of equal rights in the major leagues, there is no discrimination (on the surface) and everyone can express themselves freely. Stern put professional

Basketball has become a world-class super sports league comparable to the five major football leagues.

They are a millionaire-making machine. There is a group of gentlemen here. Gentlemen do not know how to fight. Anyone who dares to fight will be punished.

Now, Ron Artest has torn up the new uniforms that Stern forced the players to wear, once again awakening people's bad impressions of the NBA.

The impact of this incident on the NBA is roughly equivalent to the negative impact of Tyson biting Holyfield's ear.

In terms of news coverage, it is on the level of "Zipper Stories the Chain Master and the Intern Secretary Have to Tell".

In the past few years, the only things that could surpass this were 911, Diana's car accident, and OJ Simpson's Mustang car chase.

This is a true Television Hall of Fame night.

In a practical sense, this fierce battle may completely end the Los Angeles Lakers in the KG era.

In less than 24 hours, the NBA responded quickly. Ron Artest was suspended for one year.

This is the attitude of the league, or Stern's attitude.

If it was just a fight, even if Artest fucked McGrady's brains out, he wouldn't be suspended for such a long time. Those who are willing to watch the game are the players' parents, and no physical conflict between the two parties is allowed under any circumstances.

At the same time, the players union said it would fight for Artest.

We believe this was an off-court incident and the league has no right to punish Artest for this.

Kobe Bryant was suspended for 20 games.

This is definitely the most unjust verdict in history, because Kobe did not take any action during the whole process. Although he ran into the audience with Artest, he went to stop the latter.

Both the Lakers and Bryant's agent said they would appeal.

Shanton Anderson was suspended for 15 games. He didn't rush into the stands, but he left the bench and basically beat up everyone on the Knicks.

Kevin Garnett was suspended for 5 games. Garnett's agent launched a crazy complaint mode about this, because from the video replay, Garnett did not attack anyone, he has been "avoiding" the opponent's offensive.

In fact, sometimes it is better not to explain than to explain.

Although the agent clearly pointed out that Garnett did not do anything and should not be suspended, this will not only cement Garnett's reputation as a softie, but will also lose the trust of his teammates.

In the biggest on-court conflict in the NBA in the past 27 years, as the team boss, Garnett could only have two attitudes: fight for his teammates, or prevent them from making mistakes.

Garnett chose to escape. His posture of hiding his fist was very handsome, and he maintained his dignity to the greatest extent, but he also forever lost the respect of his teammates.

As Artest said: "I know I can give my back to Kobe."

The reporter asked, "What about KG?"

"I don't know if I can trust him," Artest said.

In fact, after returning to the locker room that night, there were reports in Los Angeles that many people within the Lakers accused Garnett of not using his influence as the boss, causing the situation to get out of control.

Another tabloid directly exposed the player who questioned Garnett in public - Brevin Knight.

In addition to them, the Lakers also have Barbosa, Brevin Knight, and Bobby Simmons suspended for 3 games.

It can be said that he has been punished.

The Lakers are severely weakened, but what about the Knicks?

James Posey, who can be said to be the mastermind behind the brawl in the garden, was not punished because he was sitting in the audience at the time of the incident and was not involved in the conflict.ωωw..net

The person who was punished the most by the Knicks was Tracy McGrady, who was suspended for 12 games.

Followed by Zach Randolph, who was suspended for 6 games.

Then Kendrick Perkins was suspended for five games.

Chris Webber was suspended 4 games.

Then, because the Knicks failed to provide on-site security and failed to register fans throwing beer at players, Knicks vice president James Dolan was fined $1 million.

Because Artest hit the wrong person, the innocent victim expressed his intention to sue the NBA.

As for the fan who actually threw beer at Artest, his punishment was just a lifetime ban from MSG.

In order to continue to absorb this huge wave of traffic, TNT invited Louis to do a program to talk specifically about this historic scandal.

"I think the league has to protect the interests of the fans, especially the fan who was accidentally injured," Louis said. "Imagine you are the fan who was accidentally injured by Ron Artest, and you have been watching the game for two hours.

, and drank some beers. Suddenly, the game turned into an action movie, and then it turned into a horror movie as Artest charged at the fans. The scariest part is that you find the victim of this horror movie

It's you. The demon in the movie suddenly bursts out of the screen and pounces on you. Think about this..."

Louis is very willing to stab the Lakers in public opinion.

The harder the Lakers are punished, the less effective they will be in the playoffs.

Although KG's conflicts have torn the team apart, this destructive internal conflict is also an opportunity for the most imperfect team to transform into a perfect team.

Who can guarantee that Kobe and Garnett will not suddenly have a big fight in the locker room at a critical moment, and then Kobe punches Garnett, so they reconcile, the Lakers become stronger again, and then sweep the league.

…It’s very satisfying when this kind of thing happens to you, but if it’s your opponent, Louis will have trouble sleeping and eating.

This year's Celtics are very competitive. Although the team is a bit younger overall, the league has undergone tremendous changes.

If the Lakers, who have the highest paper ceiling, crash and sink because of this, there will be no team with enough talent to be in the same league.

The two players on the Mavericks are certainly strong, but the team as a whole does not have the depth and thickness needed to compete for a championship.

The rest, such as Penny's Suns, Nash's Jazz, and O'Neal's 76ers, are all powerful in one area and have the potential to be whetstones, but they can only go so far.

It seems that the only hidden dangers to the Celtics leading to the finals are the Knicks and the Heat.

Although many of their players have been suspended, they will all return before the playoffs. Moreover, because they just won the championship last season, the Knicks are full of confidence. After the battle at MSG, they may have achieved unprecedented internal unity.

From a lineup perspective, the wing combination of McGrady and Hill can suppress all teams, but the Celtics also have an advantage. The inside group led by Yao Yueban, Gasol, and Boozer is enough to make up for the shortcomings of the wing line.

If they really meet in the playoffs, it all depends on the players' condition and Bird's coaching skills.

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