The Rest, Only Noise

Trail Blazers fans know that "RipCity" is the team's nickname, which translates to "Rip City" in Chinese. And this slogan was born in the 1970-1971 season, the first year of the Trail Blazers.

Every new team sucks, and the Blazers are no exception. When they played against the Los Angeles Lakers at the legendary Memorial Coliseum, everyone foresaw it would be a one-sided carnage, and it turned out to be the same. But the Blazers didn't give up. In the second half, guard Jim Barnett made an irrational long shot.

Bill Shenily, who was already a commentator for the Blazers at that time, blurted out, "RipCity!"

The Blazers eventually lost the game 133-136, but that moment was recorded in history as a team symbol, a symbol of all the ethos of this team.

That night, McDaniel and Jordan were carried out on stretchers one after another. The Knicks turned their defeat into victory by violent confrontation, but the team did not give up.

They held on until the last minute, giving the Knicks a tough win by just 3 points.

At the end of the game, fans chanted "RipCity" frantically.

For the first time, Louie felt that winning was worse than losing, and he had no idea what Oakley and Ewing would pay for their actions.

During the on-site interview, Louis simply skipped the reporter's questions.

"My mind is still in a mess. If you ask me to comment on the conflict on the field, I'm sorry, I don't know." Louis shook his head helplessly, "I didn't expect it to be like this."

"However, I assure everyone that Patrick's punch was unintentional, and he and Michael are good friends..."

If it is released decades later, it is estimated that a group of reporters will be ready to ask Louis "is he such a good friend"?

Tonight, Ewing's physical assault on Jordan was indeed a lot, and it was hard to deny.

As Louie walked into the aisle, thinking back to the game, he thought he was responsible too.

It was he who insisted on escalating the intensity of the game, so that the Blazers could not adapt, and then used it to win the game.

The fight between Oakley and McDaniel, Ewing was too emotional after he made a dunk, turned around and punched Jordan unfortunately, all of this happened.

Louie entered the locker room and said to the crowd, "I'm so proud of your performance tonight."

"!@%#￥…"

Everyone cheered excitedly.

Louis didn't say anything else, he walked up to Ewing and said to him: "In the press conference later, you must apologize solemnly, and go to the hospital to condone MJ."

"Don't you want me to be his friend?" Ewing asked.

Louis hummed softly: "I just hate you being friends with him on the court."

"What's the difference?"

"You will have sympathy for your friends, but not for your enemies." Louis said, "MJ will clearly distinguish this matter, and you have to do the same, separate public and private, I like every performance of your second half, including giving That punch from MJ. It was the punch that convinced me that you saw him as an enemy, but you still have to apologize to him."

Ewing discovers that Louie has misunderstood him.

He didn't mean to hit Jordan.

"I didn't mean to hit him, I..."

"I 'understand', Patrick, it was an 'accident'." A "knowing" smile swam across Louie's face, "Don't worry, no matter what the occasion, I will insist that it was an accident, and so will you. , even if we die, we must insist that it was an accident."

"That's really an accident!!"

"Yes, 'accident'!"

Louie asked the crowd, "Do you believe that the punch Patrick gave MJ was an accident?"

"Believe!"

"With quotes?"

"bring!"

Ewing now estimates that he will have to jump the Ganges River to clear his grievances with poison.

Unlike in the past, Louis had done enough psychological counseling before taking them to the press conference this time, including how to answer questions and how to refuse to answer malicious questions.

The press and public relations were listening, and after Louis finished speaking, he asked him if he had missed anything.

"Coach Lu, if you're not a coach, you'll be able to do a good job as a news publicist!" The Knicks news publicist said sincerely.

Before Louis crossed over, the main business was news and public relations, finding players, and negotiating, saying that these are relatively familiar.

Since there was no omission, he brought Stockton and the two people who committed the crime to face the media.

Louis did not expect that the first question was actually directed at him.

"Coach Road, Blazers head coach Rick Adelman strongly condemns your team for stealing a victory with violence," asked Charles Berlin of The Oregon Candidacy. How do you respond to that?"

"We did have a lot of physical confrontation, and I don't think that was violence."

"Are you referring to the horrible things Charles Oakley did to McDaniel and the punch Patrick gave Michael that wasn't violent?"

Louis smiled.

"I don't deny that Oak and McDaniel had a heated conflict, but I'm sure you all know that Xavier is not a good boy, he has only played a few professional basketball games, but he has already had conflicts with many people. Before joining the pro Before basketball, he was known as a court thug."

"So, between Orc and him, it can only be regarded as violence against violence."

"Then how do you explain Patrick's punch?"

"Accident."

"Accident?"

"Yeah, accident." Louie didn't think it was an accident, but he insisted that it was an accident, "If you played the game and hit the key ball, wouldn't you celebrate? Everyone's way of celebrating. It's all different, Patrick is from Jamaica, punching is a custom in their hometown, it's a man's act of showing toughness and defending his honor, he did that move to prove his claim to the game, but he didn't expect Michael to be behind him."

Louis kept a polite smile: "It was really an accident, I ask you to look back at that moment carefully, I believe you will get the same answer as me."

Now it's Ewing's fault.

Louis has been to Jamaica?

What is his punching motion "Is it a custom in their hometown? Is it a man's action to express his toughness and defend his honor?" Isn't this nonsense?

He found himself greatly underestimating Louis, a man who didn't blink when he was talking nonsense.

Moreover, when Louie just talked at length about finding rationality and contingency for Ewing's punches, there was a firm force in his words that made people believe that he was telling the truth.

Just look at his tone and expression when he speaks, that kind of calm and firmness that is 100% impossible to be wrong, makes it difficult for people to question him.

Louis blocked all doubts.

Now, it's Ewing's turn.

Another reporter, Eddy Mitchell of the Portland Mercury News, asked sternly: "Patrick, do you think that punch was an accident too?"

Ewing's heart beat faster, and he gave Louie a furtive glance.

Louis nodded with a smile.

"Accident!" Ewing nodded affirmatively, his cheeks twitched in guilt, "It was an accident."

No, this was an accident, what am I guilty of?

Ewing scolded himself mentally in Jamaican.

"So, will you apologize to Michael?"

"Yes, we are friends."

"Will you apologize for what you did in this game?"

"Y..." es didn't come out, Ewing thought of what Louie said before, treating Jordan as an enemy on the court, and he was very happy that he could hit that punch.

Ewing believes the only thing he needs to apologize for is the punch.

As for this game? He wouldn't apologize if that punch was included.

"No." Ewing's disgusting indifference made the reporter feel disgusted, "Why should I apologize? My teammates and I are all in for the win, that's how we win, in the East, in the playoffs. It's going to be a lot more intense than tonight, which is why the world champions of the past few years belonged to the East."

Arrogant, mean and indifferent.

That's the impression Portland reporters had of Ewing, who were so angry they wanted to get up and leave.

However, there is a thug here.

Oakley has been waiting a long time.

When reporters asked him, he acted very frankly.

"I did hit someone, but don't expect any apology from me."

Oakley was unreasonable and strong. After all, McDaniel didn't trouble him.

The Portland reporter asked angrily: "Do you have a clear conscience for what you've done on the court?"

"Of course, why should I feel guilty for beating up a bitch? Are you kidding me?" Oakley's unreasonable attitude finally ended the press conference in the most unfriendly way possible.

The reporters left without even covering Stockton.

Oakley didn't expect this reaction from reporters.

"Did I screw up, coach?" Oakley asked.

"No," Louis couldn't be more satisfied, "you did a great job, that's the attitude we should show."

Louis also said: "You don't have to worry about the fine, I will help you."

"coach..."

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't fight him as soon as you went up. I believe you would kill him in a way similar to Patrick's." Louis smiled, "You adopted a method. It's a short and crude way, although it messed up my game plan, but I'm relieved, thank you, Oak."

"That's what I should do, coach."

Ewing is the most wronged person. He said bitterly: "I really didn't mean it, why do you just refuse to believe me?"

"Yes, it was an accident, you did a good job, and you insist on saying that even in front of me."

Louie patted Ewing on the shoulder admiringly.

"To make people believe that your punch was an accident, you have to convince yourself that it was an accident. Patrick, keep it going."

"It's really an accident! Why don't you believe me!?"

Aggrieved, Ewing began to swear in Jamaica.

But no one believed that it was an accident. Ewing had already seen Jordan behind, and that punch was intentional!

Everyone thought so, except Ewing himself.