Start coaching the Thunder, starting with Westbrook

Chapter 3 Post-match interview, rise to fame

"I declare that the Finals MVP of the 2012-13 NBA Finals is...Tim Duncan!"

There is actually no suspense in this result. First, Duncan is the core of the Spurs and the big brother of GDP.

Without the regret of the seventh game, Duncan is in high spirits at this moment, and he is actually in a better state than next year.

The next step is to give a testimonial speech, and everyone enjoys carnival in the away game, and there are also photos to commemorate.

Family members and friends all participated in this kind of celebration. This joyful atmosphere continued from the temporary awards ceremony on the court to the visiting team's locker room. After the players took a shower, they had to change their clothes to attend the post-match press conference.

And Li Sheng was the one who calmed down the quickest after that burst of excitement. He felt that he should think about where he was going next.

To be honest, just after he realized that he had time-traveled, he immediately thought of how to "be a blockbuster", but after he did it, he was not sure whether he wanted to continue on this path.

You must know that as a reborn person, he has inherited all the conditions of his previous life. With his advanced vision, he can go back to China and do something casually at this time, and he can be more successful than his previous life.

Of course, now that he has stepped onto such a big stage, if he left after leaving only such a trace, especially after a good start, Li Sheng would certainly not be reconciled.

However, after all, the NBA is a place where rice grains fry people. If players can still rely on their strength to silence others, then how to make others obedient as a foreign coach is a very difficult thing to do.

Maybe after he continues to work as an assistant coach in the Spurs for a few years, he can go to other teams with this qualification to mix it up, but it takes more luck to become a head coach.

Of course, it’s still early to think about this. Li Sheng knows that the Spurs still have the ability to win the championship next year. This year’s success may reduce their desire for the championship, but it can also stimulate their self-confidence, especially Leonard, who has been baptized in the finals.

If he can win the championship with the team for two consecutive years and play a more important role in it, Li Sheng's future will definitely be better.

Regardless of whether he will actually become an NBA head coach in the future, this resume will definitely be helpful to his future.

At this time, Popovich found him and asked him to accompany him to the press conference.

Li Sheng was surprised and agreed directly. Anyway, such an opportunity of exposure should not be missed.

Although the coach is not as eye-catching as the player, the weight of the star coach is still quite heavy, and if he can enter the vision of the management of each team through the media, the possibility of considering him when choosing a coach is much greater.

"Lee, I think you should ask Kawhi sometime..."

Li Sheng was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood what Popovich meant.

Basketball is not just about fighting and killing, but also about people's understanding of the world.

Popovich has been able to get along to this day, and he is naturally quite good at handling the world. Even most of the head coaches of his line have this characteristic, and they are especially able to build a good relationship with the players.

In addition, Li Sheng also heard a little overtones. Popovich not only "rewarded" him for his performance today, but also had other intentions.

GDP is getting old, and the day of retirement is not far away. Popovich and them have supported each other for more than ten years. Many people are also speculating that he may retire with GDP's retirement.

Although Li Sheng knew that the old guy was still chasing the coach's victory before he was reborn, and even hoped to enter the playoffs after the stars left one by one, but this has something to do with the team's changes in the post-Duncan era, not necessarily that he has to hang on.

And after he retreats, who will replace him?

Since there is Leonard as a successor after GDP, of course a successor must be cultivated as a coach. Li Sheng obviously caught his eye.

This is not only because of the previous suggestion, but also because of Li Sheng's silent performance before.

It's just that at that time, I could only do things but not talk. Being an assistant coach was okay, but being a head coach was a bit lacking. I didn't expect that I suddenly became enlightened in the sixth game of the finals.

If after Popovich retired with GDP, Li Sheng and Leonard continued to step up, it could also become a good story in the NBA.

Of course, the idea is like this, whether it is feasible or not depends on the follow-up development. After all, no one can think of Leonard's future progress, let alone Li Sheng.

Walking through the backstage to the press conference, Li Sheng had to raise his hand to slightly cover the spotlight, obviously he was not used to such an occasion.

Or Popovich patted him on the shoulder and sat down together, and then Duncan, Leonard and others also arrived one after another.

This was their last post-match interview this season. Almost everyone who could come came, the seats were packed, and the reporters below were also packed.

However, although Li Sheng's arrival surprised them at first, no one cared about him for a long time afterwards, and the problems were all focused on the new FMVP and five-time crown coach Popovich.

As a second-year student, Leonard performed well in the finals against MVP James, and he also attracted a lot of attention.

It was not until the end that a familiar accent surprised Li Sheng: "Hi Li Sheng, I am a reporter from Penguin Sports. I would like to ask you, how does it feel to win the championship after participating in the finals for the first time?"

Li Sheng was stunned for a moment, seeing that it was a girl from his hometown, his mood improved a lot, and he immediately smiled and said, "I'm very happy, but I also think I'm very lucky, because I'm in the Spurs..."

Next, Li Sheng flattered Popovich and the others a little bit, and he planned to go like this.

Although he really wanted to say that he won the game because of himself, and that he won the championship because of himself, but let's not say that no one would believe him, and his own words were not convincing.

Unexpectedly, the reporter suddenly asked again: "Coach Popovich said in an interview before that the final substitution was your proposal. After that, Gary Neal made two free throws. These two free throws are worth a lot of money. Can I ask what you think?"

Li Sheng glanced at Leonard subconsciously, well, he couldn't tell from his face at all.

On the contrary, Popovich raised the microphone with a smile and said, "Usually when I say it's my plan, people don't believe it. Why do you believe it this time when I say it's someone else's suggestion?"

This made everyone laugh. Popovich is a famous joker, so sometimes everyone doesn't know whether he is joking or telling the truth.

However, Popovich's words can be regarded as paving the way for Li Sheng, so Li Sheng immediately nodded with a smile and said: "In fact, I am out of the idea of ​​protecting Kawhi, and I don't want him to take such risks at this moment.

"As for Gary, I usually know that he is a player with a big heart. His experience is more abundant than Kawhi, and his physical strength is also more abundant. At that time, the Heat could only choose to foul. Obviously, both Kawhi and Gary are good choices for them.

"Fortunately, the coach finally adopted my suggestion, and we won the final victory. But I still have to say, this is not my credit, it is the joint efforts of the coach and the players. I don't even think it is a good suggestion.

"It's only good in terms of results, because just like joining the Spurs, my luck in this matter is also very good, so this substitution is a success. But basketball is an incredible thing, and some risks are worth taking..."

The reporters obviously didn't expect that Li Sheng could speak so well, and could speak so well.

It doesn't look like he is the first rookie to come for an interview, but a proven veteran.

Even Popovich and the others are a little curious, what exactly did Li Sheng go through, or is it that he has been "disguised" for the past season?
How could they know that this Li Sheng is no longer that Li Sheng.

Li Sheng didn't know either. At this time, his name had spread all over the Chinese Internet. At least in the basketball-related sectors, many people knew him all of a sudden.

Some subtitles are even more intriguing, such as "Little assistant coach's trick to put out the fire" and "Oriental Raiders in the Finals". Those who don't know may think that Li Sheng punched Wade, kicked James, and knocked Bosh into the game.

However, Li Sheng is still a small person at this time. Even if there is this "miraculous substitution" comedy scene, everyone does not know the real history after all, so they only think that his luck is better. After all, hasty substitutions are often bad results.

More credit for this is still on Popovich's head, and it can be regarded as a bold operation of his.

Of course, success is called bold operation, and failure is dizziness.

After the press conference was over, Li Sheng would go back with Popovich and the others, pack his bags and prepare to go back to the Holy City.

There will be a championship parade next, and the celebration has only just begun.

Unexpectedly, I was stopped by the female reporter from my hometown just now, "Hi Li Sheng, can I accept an exclusive interview with us?"

Li Sheng is not very eye-catching in the NBA or even the Spurs at this time, but in the eyes of domestic reporters, this is an absolute news hotspot.

In the past, it was not that there were no Chinese people who had achieved results in the NBA. Not to mention Dayao, Daba and Sun Yue both won the championship, although it was a fluke.

But there has never been a Chinese coach who has appeared on the NBA court, especially in the finals where he contributed "famous scenes".

It doesn't matter if the domestic audience is not familiar with him, they are not familiar with him, but they can become familiar with him through publicity.

Because Popovich supported him, he even brought him to the press conference, and he may continue his journey with the defending champion in the future. In the future, there may even be scenes where domestic broadcast cameras are fixed on the bench.

So at this time, before other domestic media come over, they will be the first to eat crabs.

(End of this chapter)