Chapter 426 Five Seven Team Basketball League

   The next day, on the 19th, the game day of the Western Finals G1 battle.

  The Suns did not practice in the morning, and arranged a two-hour recovery session in the afternoon.

  Dameng, Glider, Lei Gong, etc. were still living at Lao Wang's house. At eight o'clock in the morning, everyone ran to the living room, turned on the TV, and tuned in to ESPN.

   "Old K, I didn't run again this year." Da Meng said with envy.

   "Old K, I got it this year. I will work hard next year to defend the MVP for three consecutive years. Even Jordan has not done it." Lei Gong laughed.

   "In modern basketball, only Larry Bird has won the MVP for three consecutive years, and Russell and Chamberlain are ahead." Glider said.

  Pharaoh laughed, this year's MVP really can't run away, except for Jordan at the beginning, he has been leading since then, and the team record is also the first of the Suns.

  Chicago, Jordan is also sitting in front of the TV, he may also win the MVP, although the chance is not the old K, but what if?

   In 1993, his numbers were much better than Barkley, but the MVP was given to Barkley's fat man, and he might be given to him this season.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fans and friends, NBA players, the honor you are most concerned about, the regular season MVP is about to be announced. It is the standard of a true superstar, it is the best player of the season. Some honor..."

   ESPN's NBA program at nine o'clock started. After the host made a call, he took out a white envelope, opened it, and pulled out a card. He glanced at it, and a surprised expression appeared on his face.

   "It's not really me, is it?" Jordan was startled, and his upper body left the back of the sofa.

   "I X, wouldn't I give that old braised egg?"

   Seeing the host's expression, Pharaoh's heart lifted.

   "Old K, don't panic." Lei Gong said quickly.

   "Old K, it's okay to lose it, you already have one anyway." Da Meng quickly comforted.

"that is."

  The glider nodded and joined the road.

   Old Wang glared at the two of them, what nonsense? Is this thing not too good at all? If I win a few more MVPs and championships, and then rank the top 50 superstars, I might be able to overwhelm Jordan.

   At this time, the reporter put away his surprised expression and said with a smile: "Oh, guess whose name I saw? You can't guess it, let me give you a little time to guess?"

"Go to **** you!"

   "Silly X host!"

   At this time, countless fans scolded in front of the TV.

   "Stupid X host." Da Meng and others also scolded.

   Only Lao Wang's expression is not very good, it seems that it is really not him, otherwise the host will not have this expression.

   And Jordan, a smile appeared on his face, it should be him, otherwise the host would not have this expression.

   Thinking of 1993, the MVP was given to Barkley, and the final championship was also robbed by the Suns. This time, I hope that what happened in 1993 will be repeated. He won the MVP and then won the championship.

The host seemed to imagine what the fans were doing now, and quickly said: "Okay, I won't give you a chance to guess, I'll announce now that the NBA's 1997 regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) is, it's actually... It's actually... come, see for yourself."

   Having said that, he stopped talking, and held the card upright, signaling the camera to zoom in.

   "This dog's host!"

  Pharaoh and the others quickly got up and ran to the TV.

  With them, Jordan couldn't sit still, and hurriedly ran to the TV.

   But when they ran forward, the camera had been pulled to the front of the card, and three huge square words appeared on the screen: Wang Tiejun.

   "Sheet! Damn host, what are you acting? You like acting so much, why don't you go to Hollywood to be the host of a sports channel?"

   Jordan, who had just run to the TV, didn't see his name, and it was Chinese square characters again. He felt that he was being played, and he couldn't help but yelled and kicked the TV.

   "Haha, congratulations to old K, you actually defended the MVP, you were the best player in the regular season of the 96/97 season..."

   At this moment, the host's voice rang cheerfully.

   "I think he is a little more pleasing to the eye." After laughing happily, Old Wang said with a smile.

   "General, a little ugly." Da Meng said.

   "I think you are jealous of me."

   Old Wang squinted at Da Meng and said dissatisfiedly: "Eat my food, drink my food and live with me, but you are jealous of me, Da Meng, why don't you be a person?"

"that is."

  The glider nodded in agreement, and quickly congratulated Lao Wang: "Old K, defending the title, it's time for a treat, I want to eat chicken."

   Old Wang was delighted, waved his hand and shouted: "Dezhou Braised Chicken, enough for the evening."

   "Brother."

  The glider, Daimeng, and Lei Gong are not good-natured.

   "Okay, the rooster is just a rooster." Lao Wang laughed.

   At this time, his mobile phone and landline began to ring, and he received one after another from his friends' congratulatory calls and text messages, reporters' interview calls, and various sponsors' congratulatory calls.

  …

   At four o'clock, Hu Weidong found the headquarters of the Suns, and Pharaoh picked him up at the door.

   "Old K, congratulations, you are MVP again." Hu Weidong smiled when he saw him.

   "You know that too? Haha, what a trivial thing, it's no fun to take it every year." Old Wang smiled proudly.

  Hu Weidong smiled helplessly, what are you pretending to be? Look at your smile, you are happier than picking up gold ingots.

   "Put your luggage in my car first, you can drive my car to the Westside Center, and we will go back together at night. This is the ticket, you take it first."

   While talking, Lao Wang took Lao Hu to the parking lot.

   "Mercedes-Benz off-road, how much is this car?" Hu Weidong's eyes lit up when he saw Lao Wang's car.

   "I don't know, the sales version from Mercedes-Benz is about $400,000 to $500,000. It's not a sports car, and it's not very expensive. That kind of luxury sports car is so expensive, there are millions of dollars." Old Wang said.

   Laohu's mouth twitched, giving it away for nothing?

   "Old Hu, I still have training, so let's go first." Lao Wang said.

   "Okay, then I'll go, let's eat something first." Lao Hu said.

   "Okay, you can go to the martial arts hall to eat, there are so many people there, and they spend a day playing there." Old Wang said.

   "Okay, let's go there and have a meal." Lao Hu smiled.

   On the evening of May 19th, the Westside Arena was brightly lit, full of voices and stars.

  From state legislators to city councillors, wealthy businessmen and celebrities, Hollywood star models, sports stars from all walks of life, wives of two teams, etc., crowded with conspicuous places.

   This series is broadcast live across the United States by TNT, and ESPN TV is on the other side of the Eastern Conference Finals.

   When Pharaoh waited for a group of Suns players to get off the bus, a large group of reporters gathered around, and one of them was a fat man who looked familiar to him.

   "Old K, congratulations, MVP again." Barkley shouted enviously.

   "Old K, congratulations." Other reporters also sent congratulations.

"thanks, thanks!"

  Pharaoh smiled and clasped his fist, then said to Barkley, "Charles, are you really a commentator?"

"Haha, I've talked with TNT. They are very satisfied with my performance. After I retire next season, I will sign a commentator contract. And I will also be a special guest in this Western Conference Finals. Great, right?" Buck Li was happy.

   "Charles, how was the ratings of your show last night?" Lightning asked curiously.

   "Pull it, but that's Bill Wharton's show, not mine." Barkley immediately denied it.

   "When you're on the phone, you can say it's your show." Pharaoh reminded.

   "No, you must have heard it wrong."

Barkley didn't admit it anyway. After finishing, he wanted to cover up the inside story. He pulled Old Wang and Lightning to the back. When the people in front were far away, he asked in a low voice, "Hey, old K, Lightning, help me. , My first time as a commentator, give some inside information."

   "What kind of inside story do you want?" Lightning asked curiously.

"for example…"

  Buckley glanced at Horry in front of him, and asked in a low voice, "Has that kid Horry decided to leave the team?"

   "Stop talking nonsense, it shakes our military heart, Charles, I know you, but my fist doesn't know you." Old Wang shook his big fist in front of Buckley's face.

   "Who are you frightening? Hit me, and I'll be in your house for the rest of my life."

  Buckley pushed Pharaoh's fist away in disgust, and asked mysteriously, "How about I exchange a message with you?"

   "What news?" Pharaoh asked curiously.

   "Larry Bird is going to coach the Pacers." Barkley whispered.

   "Larry Brown really quit?" Lightning asked in surprise.

   "He's been with the Pacers for four years without any results, and this time he was eliminated in the second round. The Pacers are not willing to give him another chance, and Ewing is not satisfied with his coaching." Barkley said.

   "Then you have to contact Larry Bird and buy some time for Lao Hu." Lao Wang thought about it.

   Buckley whispered again at this time: "I have the news for you, how about yours?"

   "No." Pharaoh and Lightning shook their heads at the same time.

   "You two bastards!"

   Barkley scolded angrily and said, "I know that the management is not satisfied with Danny Ainge, he is transitional, tell me, will you change the head coach next season?"

   "I don't know." The two of them shook their heads at the same time.

   "You two guys? What a waste of time on you guys."

  Buckley was so angry that he quickly dropped the two and ran to the front to interview others.

   Seven o'clock, the visiting team's locker room.

  Postman Malone, John Stockton, Hornacek, the original Jazz triangle, plus the quasi-first-class center Campbell, can be called the four kings of the Jazz.

   Next to it is a large cast of quality role players, Brian Russell, Antoine Kyle, Kerry the Giant Morris, Ostertag, Shanton Anderson, and more.

   A strong main lineup, coupled with a high-quality bench lineup and a mature tactical system, this is the strength of the Jazz to hit the championship, and it took many seasons to build a lineup.

   The atmosphere in the locker room was a bit like an army about to go out. It was silent, tense, harsh, and meticulous. No one spoke, only rustling voices, all of them were making final preparations.

  The postman is bandaging his feet, and there is a staff member helping him. There is no expression on his face, as if the upcoming Western Conference Finals is not important to him.

   When facing the media, he did not let out any harsh words, and he appeared very peaceful.

"Time is up."

   It's almost half past seven, and Jerry Sloan greeted him.

   A group of substitute players stood up and were ready to go to the heat.

  The postman let out a long breath and stood up too. At this time, there seemed to be only some silence just now, and there seemed to be a burst of blood on his peaceful-looking face.

   He stood there, and all the players automatically converged on his side.

   "The Suns, our sworn enemy of the Jazz."

   His first sentence was even a bit sharp and murderous, so it could be seen that this sentence was full of his emotions and came from the bottom of his heart.

   This kind of emotion was suppressed in his heart. Now that the Western Conference Finals was about to start, he finally couldn't suppress it, and some couldn't wait to spread out.

As soon as he said these words, he thought of his past with old K. He couldn't beat it off the court, and he couldn't beat it on the court. The hatred buried in his heart could no longer be suppressed, and it rose up like a dragon. Straight to the sky.

   Today, we don’t need to press any more, we have the strength, this time we will kill the old K, kill the sun, and make it to the finals.

   "Western Finals, we will win!"

   The sharp blade-like voice sounded again. He stared at the teammates in front of him, and his voice came out from between his teeth: "Old K, leave it to me and Campbell, and the others to you."

   "Victory!"

  John Stockton raised his right fist while shouting.

   "Victory!"

   The entire locker room responded with a bang. The Jazz hadn't even appeared yet, but his aura had already reached its peak, like an army that would go out on an oath.

   At 7:30, the two sides announced the starting lineup.

  Sir: Campbell, Karl Malone, Brian Russell, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton

  Sun: Wang Tiejun, Rasheed Wallace, Robert Horry, Kidd, Kevin Johnson

  The Western Finals is broadcast live by TNT TV station in the United States, and there are hundreds of TV stations around the world that buy broadcast signals.

  The CCTV live broadcast also started live broadcast from this time.

   "Congratulations to Tiejun for winning the MVP again and defending the title. It's really gratifying!" Zhang Lili laughed.

   "Congratulations, Mr. K!" Su Qun also laughed.

   Zhang Lili smiled and said, "There are not many MVPs in the history of the league for two consecutive years!"

  Su Qun said with a smile: "The defending MVP also shows that Old K has truly entered the peak period. It depends on how long he can maintain the peak period. It is best to win two more championships in the peak period."

Zhang Lili nodded, shook his head again, and said, "If you want to win the championship at your peak, you need to cooperate in all aspects. The so-called right time and place, people must cooperate one by one, and it is possible to win the championship. champion."

  Su Qun nodded and said, "Indeed, most of the league's superstars achieved nothing at their peak, that is, the team's strength did not keep up, or they encountered stronger opponents at the same time."

   Zhang Lili then began to analyze: "The Suns and the Jazz are actually very familiar with each other. They have two wins and two losses in the regular season.

Su Qun said: "The reason why the Suns have a very good record this season is because in addition to the strong main lineup for a long time, there are Wilkins, Chapman, Kidd, Kobe and others in the bench lineup, and their scoring ability should be considered very strong. .

   But the Jazz also have a large group of high-quality backup players, which is also an important reason why they can tie the Suns in the regular season. Neither side has a clear advantage. "

"Not bad."

   Zhang Lili nodded and said: "The Jazz have accumulated for many years, and finally they have come up with a lineup that can rush to the championship. This team can indeed cause a big obstacle to the Suns now."

   "That guide, do you think the Suns will be difficult for the Western Conference Finals?" Su Qun asked.

Zhang Lili smiled and said: "There must be difficulties, the Jazz are really strong. Before Campbell was brought in, the Jazz only had a little postman's low-post offense, and with the perimeter driving and layup, the low-post offense accounted for very little. "

   "Yes, the postman mainly uses mid-range shots, and he really plays less low-post offense." Su Qun said.

   Zhang Lili continued: "But now with Campbell, his low-post offense is a little more than that of the Postman. Combined, the Jazz's low-post offense is much higher than before, which improves the overall offensive efficiency.

   In addition, over the years, the Jazz's lineup has stabilized, and the tactical system has been fully established, which is also a key reason for the increase in the Jazz's strength, otherwise it will not be enough to build a lineup.

   The tactical system, which can integrate the strength of all players in the team, is the most important foundation of a strong team. "

   "Tactical system?"

   nodded, Zhang Lili said: "The Suns' tactical system this season is still following the previous tactical system, that is, the traditional center tactics.

   And the Jazz is a system based on pick-and-roll tactics. For such a system, the Suns are required to have a strong ability to switch defenses. If any position is not fast enough to switch defenses, or make mistakes, it will be troublesome. "

   "Director Zhang, Old K's speed is not slow anymore, he is faster than Postman and Campbell. His switching ability should be no problem, right?" Su Qun asked.

   Zhang Lili shook his head and said: "Fast movement speed is only a basic quality of defense switching ability, and cannot determine the strength of defense switching ability.

The ability to switch defenses requires first of all to fully understand the opponent's tactics, and to have sufficient awareness of switching defenses. Then, physical fitness and mobility can keep up. The most important thing is to cooperate with teammates. Otherwise, it is easy for two people to defend one and the other completely. Possibility to lose.

   In addition, when the two tactical systems meet, not only are the requirements for the players very high, but also for the coaches. "

   "Head coach?"

  Suqun has a bad feeling, can Danny Ainge, a rookie head coach, handle Jerry Sloan?

   At this time, Zhang Lili pointed to the screen and said, "Look, there are many Chinese people at the scene, at least a thousand people, holding a lot of signs with the name of the Tiejun."

Su Qun nodded and said: "In recent years, there are more and more Chinese in Phoenix. Because of the old K, this city should now be the most welcoming American city for Chinese, and it is also the most suitable city for Chinese to live. Because of this, they moved here from other cities, and many people who have immigrated from the country have also chosen here.”

   "That's right, it's actually pretty good here. It's the fifth largest city in the west and has a lot of potential for urban development. In addition, I think that sooner or later a Chinatown will be formed in the Chinese gathering area of ​​Phoenix." Zhang Lili said.

"possible."

  Su Qun smiled and said, "If Mr. K came forward to communicate with the city hall, I think Chinatown would be established faster."

   "Buy another street? Haha!" Zhang Lili laughed.

  Suqun came up with another idea and said: "Actually, Cangzhou City can establish a friendly relationship with Phoenix, and there should be no problem with the old K as a link."

   "The mayor is right downstairs, why don't we go to interview later?" Zhang Lili laughed.

   "Okay!" Su Qun nodded and smiled.

   At this time, CCTV switched to Fengshen Street.

  To the north of Fengshen Street is the construction site of the K-era Sports Center. The huge basketball hall has begun to take shape. The back of South Street is already full of people, and there are also dense people on Fengshen Street.

People without money crowded behind South Street and Fengshen Street, and those with money went to Bar Street. Every playoff game, the styles of bars big and small here would suddenly change, as if they had become basketball bars. , once the playoffs are over, it will be replaced.

  I don't say it elsewhere, but in BJ, playing basketball and talking about basketball has become a fashion.

   Everywhere in Cangzhou, like Fengshen Street, the atmosphere of basketball is very deep.

   In the past few years, in addition to cultivating massage talents, Cangzhou has built a large number of basketball courts up and down, and schools from elementary school to high school also attach great importance to basketball.

What's even more surprising is that Wang Tiejun's hometown, the May 7th Brigade, has the most people who have followed Pharaoh to the United States and is super rich. This year, the production teams organized several rural basketball teams and started a May 7th Brigade Basketball League. , The villagers raised funds to build an open-air basketball court that can accommodate tens of thousands of people in the original stage, and play together in the slack time.

This league is quite attractive. Within two months, nearby villages have joined one after another. Now the entire Qingxian County has organized more than 30 teams to join the league. The scale is getting bigger and bigger, and there are games every night. , county and city leaders often attend the scene to support.

   At this moment, the open-air basketball court of the May 7th Brigade was already crowded with people. Instead of a game, there were a lot of TV sets on the court, and everyone watched the Western Finals collectively.

   (end of this chapter)