NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 578 Good Man ( words)
ESPN/ABC added interviews with coaches to the broadcast of this year's playoffs, which is not very friendly to the losing team. Nuggets head coach George Karl complained about this.

Phil Jackson had been happily making sarcastic comments to the opponent, and the Lakers were crushing the opponent all the way. Every time his witty and humorous comments would trigger heated discussions after the game, the old man from KFC naturally liked this kind of segment.

But in the finals, it was fine for Phil Jackson to be interviewed during the intermission of the first half on the road, but after returning to his home court, he was embarrassed to "pick his feet" because the Knicks team clocked out after three quarters.

In Game 4, all the sports media flocked to Los Angeles. Perhaps because of the loss of face, Phil Jackson made a big move in the second half and sent himself out of the stadium.
As the third quarter was about to end, the Knicks bench celebrated in advance, and the Lakers fans at the scene watched the game in silence. Then the old man from KFC suddenly exploded and clashed with the linesman.

The referee was a bit confused. He only gave Phil Jackson a technical foul the first time. But the old man from KFC refused to give in. He looked very angry and chased after the opponent and scolded him:

"You guys made the game ugly tonight!"

Steve Jarvie was not a good-tempered referee. He just gave Li You two free throws, but he was scolded and blew the whistle, directly signaling "You can go."

Phil Jackson didn't even look at the coaching staff beside him, and walked away quickly with a blank expression. This situation made the Lakers fans in the back row dumbfounded. It all happened too fast.
"shush"

The confused fans booed subconsciously. On the Lakers bench, the coaching staff looked at each other. Old coach Winter held his forehead in his seat. He knew his partner. Phil Jackson just didn't want to lose face:
"What the hell! Who of you wants to be interviewed?"

As the third quarter was about to end, it was the home team coach's turn to express his opinion, but with the current score difference, anything he said would only add to the embarrassment and he would even be laughed at after the game.

As a senior, Winter didn't want to hear those boring questions. The younger Kurt Rambis saw that everyone was looking at him, sighed and said helplessly:
"OK! I'll take care of Tafoya. Don't let Kobe play again. We need to end the game as soon as possible."

Kurt Rambis looked unhappy after he said this. The team played like shit tonight. After Kobe made a "confident statement" in the locker room at halftime, the team had an even more disastrous performance.

The good news is that not many of the 18000-plus fans left the stadium. The bad news is that half of them turned against the team, as if things were back to more than 10 years ago, when Kobe was booed every time he made a shot, and those who stayed were there to watch the fun.

The game was about to enter garbage time. On the Knicks bench, Rondo, wearing a mask, yelled at Kobe who was dribbling the ball across half court:
"Give the ball to Lee, man! Stop shooting! Your fans are booing you!"

“You can’t do anything!”

Ever since being pinned down by Kobe Bryant, Rondo's nose has been crooked. He missed G3 and tonight, due to health reasons, his playing time was greatly reduced. It's all Mamba's fault.

After the game started, he kept muttering. If he hadn't been warned by the referee, Rondo would have wanted to perform in front of the technical table.

The relatively quiet court allowed Kobe to clearly hear the trash talk. JR Smith was no pushover either, wishing he could put a camera on his head, adding drama to his performance all the time:

"I'm the best player! I got beat by Lee! I'm going to go cry to Shaq and tell him I was wrong"

JR Smith, holding a towel, imitated Kobe's voice and way of speaking and shouted, and finally made a "crying" expression of rubbing his eyes to the fans behind him.

The performance of the two made the Knicks bench particularly happy. Even the rookie Thaddeus Young was enjoying this moment. While Kobe was dribbling the ball between his legs, he joined in the cheering:
"Boss, let him go! Oh! Shit! He missed the shot again! Rebound +1"

On the left wing, Kobe used Duncan's screen to briefly get rid of the defense, stepped back and missed the jump shot, then broke through the defense and shouted angrily at the Knicks bench:
"What the hell! Niko!"

If looks could kill, the bench would have been empty. Kobe's angry look only made everyone happier.

JR Smith shook his head and imitated this expression. Everyone covered their faces with towels and laughed again. After the second half of the game started, Kobe, who kept shooting, became the happy fruit of everyone.
"Shh!"

It was difficult to tell who the boos were directed at at this time. After Li You crossed half court, there were only 18.6 seconds left. Time passed quickly and all the Knicks players on the court stopped near the baseline, waiting for the time to expire.

Kobe, who was obsessed with three-pointers tonight, made more and more aggressive defensive moves. The referee stopped blowing the whistle and watched the two "arm fights" and kept pushing each other.
No Lakers player on the field double-teamed Kobe. After the big man signaled "1 on 1" and "give me the ball", except Duncan, everyone else passed the ball honestly and respected Kobe's request.

Phil Jackson decided to leave the court after he found that the team was no longer in command, and the "non-stick" style of play of several players on the court pitted Kobe badly. Without the help defense, Li You played more easily.
Kobe, sweating profusely, didn't seem to care about the passage of time. He kept cutting the ball with his eyes wide open, and he wanted to hang on Li You. At this moment, there was only basketball in his eyes.

With 3 seconds left in the third quarter, Li You, who was near the logo, first used his right arm to pry apart the opponent's arms, then quickly twisted his body, raised his center of gravity, and dribbled the ball with his left hand.

When Kobe adjusted his defensive position, Li You suddenly lowered his center of gravity and quickly changed direction. Amid the cheers, the two men once again engaged in physical confrontation.

Facing Li You's continuous behind-the-back dribbling and swaying body, Kobe Bryant began to move backwards involuntarily. The sweat on his face seemed to show that he was very tired, and his bared teeth showed his mood at the moment.

When Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly accelerated, Kobe slid to the left rear with all his strength, and the seemingly successful defense had a loophole again due to the sudden pull back from the hips.

"Oh!"

The wonderful shake caused exclamations again in the Staples Center. Kobe showed an expression of incomprehension on his face, and watched Li You, who switched to his left hand, accelerate again.

There was hardly any pause, and Kobe stopped and started quickly. Without time to regret, he gritted his teeth and chased after him again, sliding with all his strength. The tense muscles in his legs were visible to the naked eye, and the audience sitting in the front row became even more silent.

The third quarter was about to end, and time did not allow Li You to break through to the basket. He had already gained most of his body space, and when he reached the left elbow area, he slowed down on his own initiative.

Kobe, who had just come up to defend, tried to lean against Li You with his body, but faced with the shaking of the ball, he involuntarily adjusted his defensive position.

In a flash, Li You quickly turned around, passed the ball directly, jumped up, and drifted to the left and back, just avoiding Kobe's block!
Maybe it was a successful defense in the eyes of the fans, but after the basketball flew out, Kobe only hit his right hand, and before it landed, he cursed helplessly:
"Shet!"

"buzz"

The basketball was still in the air, the buzzing sound had already sounded, and as the net swayed slightly, the Knicks added another 2 points, and Staples Center turned into a library again.

Li You, who was unloading his strength, smiled and patted the black referee Tom Washington on the left sideline. The latter seemed a little helpless, and without even looking at Kobe, he smiled and explained:

"Li, you have to consider the feelings of the fans here! You won!"

"Sir, we missed a lot of free throws!"

Watching the referee explaining behind Li You, Kobe became more and more annoyed when being ignored. He didn't want this kind of help. At this moment, he just felt that everyone on the court was laughing at him.

94:55, no boos, only the Knicks atmosphere team shouting and celebrating wildly.

Duncan was the first to return to the bench. Without the head coach, he covered his face with his hands, appearing to be in great pain. The atmosphere team didn't know how to comfort this low-key MVP.

Odom got more opportunities tonight, but he played the worst performance of the series. He frequently received assists from Duncan during the game, which made him feel a little guilty. He put his arm around his teammate's shoulder and said:
"Sorry, Bro! It's my problem!"

As everyone returned to their seats, Old Winter tapped the tactical board and announced the decision when everyone looked at him:
"Keep your composure! Congratulate your opponents immediately after the game. We have made it back to the finals! There are no losers in this round."

"."

There was no frustration in the old man's slightly hoarse voice. After drinking this bowl of "chicken soup", the atmosphere group felt much better. Only Kobe suddenly looked up, stared and said in a deep voice:

"Don't replace me! I won't stand by and watch my opponent humiliate me!"

There was no player next to Kobe, so everyone left a seat empty. Everyone was worried about being elbowed, and when they heard that the boss was still going to play, the atmosphere group members looked at each other in confusion.

Before the fourth quarter, Michelle Tafoya, wearing a blue dress, looked at Kurt Rambis with a smile. Under the watchful eyes of the assistant coach, she quickly asked a question:
"It's hard to see coach Phil Jackson so emotional. What happened? He seemed very unhappy with Kobe's performance."

Kurt Rambis subconsciously adjusted his black-framed glasses. He had anticipated this kind of question, so he responded calmly:

"No, Phil has been encouraging Kobe to take more responsibility. He performed very well tonight and the coaching staff was very satisfied. It was just an ordinary foul and he got a little emotional."

"Will Kobe continue to play in the 4th quarter? The Lakers don't seem to have given up the game completely."

Kurt Rambis realized that the coaching staff might not be able to convince Kobe, so he could only explain:

"Our task is to reduce the difference to less than 20 points as soon as possible. The game is not over yet."

Although she did not answer the question directly, Michelle Tafoya still smiled and ended the interview considerately. In her opinion, with such a big score difference, the Lakers should have given up.

On the ABC commentary booth, seeing that the Knicks had already replaced their substitutes and Kobe was still leading the Lakers, Mark Jackson sighed inwardly and shared a little story again:

"I really admire Kobe's fighting spirit! You know, Jeff, when I was still in the Pacers, I was deeply impressed by Kobe!"

"He would ask Miller and me some basketball questions. One time Kobe visited me and talked for an hour at my doorstep."

"Kobe is a good guy!"

Van Gundy, who had completely regained his confidence, immediately laughed when he heard his partner's words. As the game was about to start, he joked again:

"I'm more interested in what Kobe asked you for advice? You know, I never saw him in New York."

"He really liked Michael Jordan. He asked us a lot about our experience against the Chicago Bulls. We didn't like the Bulls at the time. Miller called Michael Dunk a bastard."

"What shocked Miller and me was that Kobe actually practiced those skills afterwards. His love for basketball is far beyond people's imagination!"

Hearing Mark Jackson's answer, Van Gundy laughed again and shared his own story:
"You know, Lee was able to formulate tactics for the team after entering the league. He never doubted his basketball skills. He seemed to be able to control the game naturally."

"Kobe was great, but Lee was on another level, so in the end the Knicks beat the Bulls and completely dominated the Eastern Conference!"

"I know you don't like him, but from a basketball perspective, Lee is far better than Kobe, and the young Michael Jordan is closer to the current Lee."

"You're right, Kobe is a good guy, he's still chasing Michael Jordan, Lee has changed modern basketball."

The two had already shared a whole "little story", so Mike Breen could only interrupt tactfully and talk about the "pure strength" of the two teams again:
"Perfect offensive rhythm! JR Smith made 6 of 2 shots in the last game. It seems that he has a great chance of getting back to his game form tonight!"

"If the Lakers want to continue to pursue the championship, I think they have to complete the upgrade in the offseason."

The Knicks' bench lineup has proven itself in the regular season. Rondo and JR Smith form the backcourt, and the front three are Prince, Dio and Gazuric.

This lineup is D'Antoni's favorite. Although the height is reduced, the spatial capacity is extremely good. It is rarely used in its entirety in the playoffs out of caution.

During the Lakers' garbage time, Farmar and Kobe partnered up in the backcourt, and the front three became Ariza, Luke Walton and Turiaf. PJ Brown did not play much in garbage time.

In the playoffs, Phil Jackson also relied on more rotations to crush the Western Conference teams, but after the finals, the Knicks clearly won over their opponents.
"Oh"

There were exclamations in the stadium again. After continuous passing of the ball, Kobe broke through JR Smith at the top of the arc. As a result, he was assisted by Rondo in the left elbow area, and was hit in the chin!

Kobe fell to the ground in pain, and there was another conflict on the court. Rondo was protected by his teammates in the back, and he didn't care about the referee's whistle, and clapped his hands repeatedly. He came here for revenge:

"Stop brushing the data, clown! You messed with the wrong people! **"

"."

In the slow-motion replay, Rondo's move was steady, accurate and ruthless, hitting Kobe in the face, leaving a gash on his lip and a mouth full of blood, which made the Lakers fans at the scene exclaim in surprise.

Perhaps it was because Rondo ignored the advice and kept talking trash, which made the referee unable to bear it. After watching the replay at the technical table, the referee quickly made an additional penalty and pointed to the player channel.

D'Antoni and Li You both looked puzzled. The atmosphere team on the bench held their heads and rushed to the technical table:

"You can't change the penalty at will! The same action, the Lakers just committed a common foul."

Rondo didn't care about these. He saw Kobe stand up, took off his mask, gave him a middle finger, lifted his jersey, and walked quickly towards the player channel with his head held high, accompanied by staff:

"He's just a clown! A clown who can only rack up stats during garbage time!!"

On both sides of the aisle, some people booed Rondo who was shouting loudly, while others expressed their agreement and joined in the booing and shouting.

Kobe returned to the bench with his eyes wide open as he accepted the emergency treatment. He did not expect the rookie to have the guts to retaliate against him, which showed that the other party had no respect for him.
When the game resumed, JJ Barea of ​​the Knicks came on the court. The little guy seemed very excited and the entire quarter would belong to him.

Artest was pulled back to the bench by his teammates. Seeing Kobe insisting on shooting free throws with tape on his mouth, he immediately swung his towel and mocked loudly:

"Please save your energy for the extra practice after the game, Mr Best! Don't forget to let the reporters take pictures of you."

"shush"

The Lakers continued to miss shots and were booed constantly. To everyone's surprise, Barea, who had just come on as a substitute, showed excellent competitive form.

After the arc top pick-and-roll, he got rid of Farmar and Barea hit another three-pointer. Mike Breen also exclaimed in surprise:
"JJ is doing so well, he's playing like Lee!"

"."

As time went by, Barea broke through to the right side of the defense after a pick-and-roll and attacked Farmar with his back to the basket. When he tilted his body and made a fadeaway jump shot in the paint, Knicks substitute Li You took the lead in throwing up the towel.

In the next round, Kobe elbowed Barea who was switching defense on the right wing. The latter fell to the ground exaggeratedly and the referee called an offensive foul. For a while, the Knicks team jumped up and down.

When Dio passed the ball back to find Barea on the right wing after the pick-and-roll, the latter shook off Walton who was switching defense, tilted his body and stepped sideways to make another jump shot. D'Antoni even raised his hands high to celebrate!
"Good job, Bro!!"

While the Lakers requested a timeout, Li You came to the court and high-fived everyone, shouting encouragement. On the other side, Duncan was still leaning back in his chair, staring at the floor with lifeless eyes, and his whole body was "wandering away."

Kobe's face was terribly dark. No one was sitting next to him, and anyone could see that he was in a bad mood. Not only did he fail to narrow the gap in 3 minutes, but he allowed the opponent to widen his lead.

ABC's broadcast camera kept panning around the two teams. Unlike the Lakers, everyone in the Knicks' atmosphere team high-fived Li You before they came on the court, and everyone had a smile on their face.

Kobe covered his face with a towel and his hands. He did not return to the court. With the huge score difference, the game had completely lost its suspense.

"Oh"

The occasional exclamations in the stadium made Kobe feel even worse. At this moment, he even expected the game to end immediately. He really didn't want to be humiliated again.

Vujacic worked very hard after coming on the court, but JR Smith's outburst was unreasonable. He made consecutive hits from beyond the three-point line, making several Lakers players on the court feel desperate.

With 20.9 seconds left in the game, Dio hit another three-pointer in the left corner. The Lakers fans at the scene finally couldn't hold it anymore. Under the influence of anger, boos resounded throughout the stadium.

In the final moments, Farmar used free throws to help the team narrow the gap. When the opponent stopped attacking and the game time was up, all the Lakers players on the field collapsed on the floor.

"what!!"

136:82, scored 42 points in a single quarter. When the buzzer sounded, the ball was thrown into the air, and Barea and several others jumped and celebrated wildly.

The sports reporters at the scene were divided into two groups. One group rushed towards the Knicks bench, while the other group surrounded the Lakers bench, their shutter buttons almost smoking.

Everyone wanted to squeeze next to Duncan, but after the big man stood up, he ignored them, lowered his head, and walked quickly towards the player tunnel.

Another Kobe, surrounded by flash lights, covered his head with a towel and was reluctant to get up for a long time. No one could capture his expression. This special Mamba became autistic.

Without showing respect to his opponent, Kobe stood up and walked quickly to the player tunnel like Duncan, which made Fisher dumbfounded. When Fisher squeezed next to Li You to congratulate him, he quietly revealed the situation, "loser player tunnel", and the old opponent had obviously broken through the defense.
"It's okay, Bro, I understand how they feel! Remember to help me deliver the gifts!"

After a brief hug between Li You and Fisher, they patted each other on the shoulder and whispered something in each other's ear. The sports reporters around them didn't notice anything was wrong until they waited for a long time but still didn't see any signs of Duncan and Kobe.

"They are clowns!"

"What a bunch of wimps! You lost so badly that you can't face anyone. We blew up Los Angeles!"

Artest and JR Smith hugged each other, and their relatives and friends around them celebrated and shouted. Naturally, everyone condemned such impolite behavior of their opponents.

The noise grew louder and louder, and many reporters noticed that Kobe and Duncan had disappeared. Phil Jackson was nowhere to be seen either. The reporters who couldn't find anything fun also began to denounce the Lakers.

"Where did they go? The Lakers have no right to refuse interviews!"

"Shit! I want to report to the league where Mr. David Stern is!"

For a moment, the scene was in chaos. It was impossible to interview the other protagonists, and everyone began to crowd around Li You, which made the reporters from ABC shout loudly. Tafoya was able to stand firm with the help of Li You.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we still have plenty of time!"

Li You, who was wearing the Knicks' away training uniform, had to remind them loudly. On the other side, near the technical table, D'Antoni was grinning from ear to ear, pulling Kurt Rambis to give him chicken soup:
"This is a wonderful finals. You guys performed really well. After a major trade, you made it to the finals in the first season!"

"I have a feeling that maybe in the next few years we will play against each other again, and I am looking forward to it very much."

Some Lakers staff, like the fans, began to watch the award ceremony. It was also a rare experience to see Li You raise the glass on the spot.

In the home team's locker room, Kobe sat in his seat, covering his face and trying to control his frustration. He was extremely disappointed and felt extremely desperate at the same time.

Under such emotional pressure, Kobe was afraid to see Li You's smiling face. He didn't want to show his weakness in front of the reporters, so he finally chose to cry alone.
Duncan locked himself in the bathroom. The team staff looked at each other in confusion. This was the first time they had encountered such a situation.

When Phil Jackson knocked on the locker room door, everyone returned to the room. The staff blocked the reporters again, and after a burst of shouting and cursing, silence was restored.

"Congratulate your opponent! Show your respect for the champion! This is what every player should do!"

"54 points, yes, we set the record for the largest point difference in the history of the Finals, but who cares about that? This is no different from losing to the opponent by 1 point."

"We have succeeded, we are one of the best teams in the league, and the championship window belonging to the Lakers has just opened. You know, what I said is true!"

Phil Jackson served a "pot of thick chicken soup" with a determined look. Kobe's eyes were slightly red and he nodded heavily. On the other side, Duncan returned to his seat and still didn't make much noise.

He abandoned his parent team and entered the finals for the fifth time in his career, but another tragedy happened. Duncan's mentality exploded and this result made him a joke again.

Duncan couldn't hear anything the old man from KFC said. When he thought of Li You smiling and stretching out his hands to show his 10th championship, the surging emotions in his heart became difficult to control.

After an unknown amount of time, Duncan realized that everyone was looking at him. He forced a smile and whispered:
"I'm fine, I just want to stay a little longer."

Fisher carefully observed his teammate and found that he seemed to have forgotten to shave and looked a little sloppy. Only then did he realize that Duncan could no longer hold on after losing G3.

The Lakers were still quietly waiting for the press conference. In the middle of the Staples Center, on the podium, people wearing white championship T-shirts were cheering loudly along with Li You who was holding up the trophy:
"what!!"

Perhaps it was because this year's playoff atmosphere group had a great sense of participation, and at this time the shouting of the crowd was particularly loud.

Barea was even so excited that he shed tears. He made 5 of 5 shots in a single quarter and scored 12 points. This was the result of his two years of hard work. The little guy thought of the competitive environment of involution and couldn't stop crying for a while.
Of course, in the eyes of many sports journalists, these are definitely "tears of happiness". The moment the record is created, their names will appear in mainstream newspapers.

When host Stuart Scott noticed David Stern was grinning from ear to ear, he immediately realized that the ratings for Game 4 must have exceeded expectations, making it the most successful finals in recent years.

The trophy was too familiar to everyone on the Knicks team, so Li You casually handed it to his teammate. Gasol finally touched it twice with a smile, and quickly gave the trophy to the newbie.

Thaddeus Young and Gary Neal looked at the golden trophy and screamed exaggeratedly. If they hadn't been stopped, they would have already bitten it.
"Mike, since Mr. Dolan chose you to take over the team, the Knicks have won the championship for 6 consecutive years, getting closer to the Celtics' record. Tell us how you feel at this moment!"

Scott, who was wearing glasses, pulled D'Antoni to his side. James Dolan, who was standing next to him, also held his hat and hugged the championship coach, saying excitedly:

"I thought about it for a long time before making the right choice. You fulfilled your promise, Mike. I am proud of you!"

D'Antoni recalled the boastful PPT with infinite emotion. Everything he boasted about came true, and even God was helping him:

"I just want to thank the Knicks for their trust, thank Lee, and thank the fans for their support. We have the most professional management, the best players on the planet, and the most loyal fans in the world!"

"It's hard to fail in this environment! I love New York"

Although these words sounded a bit arrogant, both the league staff and the fans at the scene were applauding the mustache. There was no doubt that at this moment, D'Antoni had surpassed Phil Jackson.

The reason why the old man from KFC was defeated was that in just a few years, D'Antoni equaled the achievements he had made in half his lifetime.

The thank-you interview was still going on. On the other side, with the encouragement of Phil Jackson, Kobe had already changed his clothes. Perhaps because he was too eager for the trophy, he finally came to the player tunnel.

Every time Sports Illustrated interviewed Li You, they would take a picture of the room full of trophies. Although Kobe had seen it many times, he still felt very sad when he witnessed this moment again on the spot.

“.场均40.0分6.5篮板10.0助攻2.3抢断0.8盖帽0.3失误，2007~08赛季，NBA最有价值球员奖属于Clay-Lee”

"."

It was no different from the annual TV broadcast, except that the background this year was changed to Staples Center, and David Stern's voice seemed to be filled with a smile.

The shouts of the fans on both sides of the tunnel disappeared at this moment. Kobe stared at Li You who was holding up the two golden trophies. It was not until the increasingly loud shouts from the audience that he came back to his senses:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

"I am very happy to have fulfilled my promise with the help of my teammates! Crazy JJ and JR! Tayshaun's selfless contribution and Dan's excellent defense!"

"Of course, there is also the amazing Boris, who can play from the 1st position to the 5th position. He is our all-around player! I believe he will have the opportunity to become the best player in the team in the future."

Li You's words made the atmosphere group laugh, and the people at the scene also laughed. Dio was pushed to the front by the crowd, and pretended to be helpless amid the booing.

Kobe immediately frowned when he heard this, then turned away, but he could still hear a faint voice in his ear:
".I hope New York fans like this gift! Loyalty will not be in vain"

Just as Duncan imagined, when taking the photo, Li You sat on the podium with a bright smile, and raised his hands to his chest in front of the camera, 10 fingers, 10 championships.

The cheers resounding throughout the stadium could not stop, and when the Knicks returned to the locker room, the staff pushed in a large amount of customized Spade Ace champagne.

Li You had already put on his goggles and taken off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body. The curly-haired boss was the first to spray champagne, and then the scene entered a stage of chaos.

Chandler drank champagne and then jumped up and down. Gasol also made strange noises and even poured water into his shoes. He suffered a foot injury and this season was also difficult for him.

The golden Ace of Spades seemed to be shining, and the Los Angeles reporters watching were jealous. Until now, they still couldn't understand why the opponents always made those shots.

When the Lakers held a press conference, Duncan, wearing a loose gray casual suit, had his expressionless face again. Just like in Game 4 last year, the out-of-date MVP seemed to collapse again during the game.

Repeating last year's story, in the fifth finals of his career, Duncan still failed to make a breakthrough. The championship seemed to be within reach yet so far away. No matter how hard he tried, the final result was a loss.

This is also the fifth time in his career that he has entered the finals. He has set the record for the biggest score difference. Wearing a fitted black suit, Kobe took his seat and took the initiative to express his opinion without waiting for questions:
"I said, losing is my problem! I failed to take on the responsibility of a leader."

"This is our first year together and the team still has many shortcomings. I still believe that we can succeed and the Lakers will soon be in the finals again."

Kobe spoke slowly and seriously, which caused different expressions among the reporters. ESPN was the first to ask the question:

"The Lakers set a new record for the largest margin of victory in the Finals!"

"Why do you think the Lakers lost? In the four games, you were unable to break through Lee's defense. Is this the fundamental reason for your loss?"

22中7，三分线外9中3，罚球11中8，G4科比贡献了全队最高的25分，命中率依旧未能达到四成。

"I'll find a way! It's not difficult for me! As for the hit rate, I never pay attention to that."

"I only play to win, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win, and I'm going to get this done."

Kobe Bryant answered the question calmly, and he began to comfort himself in his heart, believing in what Magic Johnson said, that his "mortal enemy" was not as self-disciplined as him, and would definitely decline earlier than him.
Reporters who wanted to attack Kobe based on statistics were somewhat disappointed, as he insisted, "I don't care about statistics," and no matter how they refuted, it was useless.

"Tim, do you think the Lakers have surpassed the Spurs in terms of roster?"

Duncan, who had been silent recently, was slow to respond to the question. This question was like "rubbing salt into the wound". Everyone looked at the MVP:

"Kobe is right, we have found the problem and now we need to fix it."

"I have been on a very good roster both in the past and now, and reaching the finals is the best proof of that."

The sports reporters seemed to want to put the blame for the loss on Kobe, but Duncan kept answering the questions irrelevantly, which also left the audience helpless. They didn't like the answer.

The local reporter in Los Angeles seemed to be overwhelmed. After the polite talk, he suddenly asked a sharp question:

"Kobe, do you think the Lakers have been successful this season? After this finals, do you still think you are the best player?"

For a moment, everyone looked at Kobe, who had a sullen face. Kobe did not disappoint everyone. After thinking for a moment, he responded firmly:

"The second place is the biggest loser, but the Lakers have risen again. Compared with previous seasons, we are very successful this year. Everyone in the team works hard and the atmosphere in the locker room has become better!"

"I am still the best player. You can laugh at my failure, but I will stand up again. God knows how hard I work. I firmly believe that hard work will pay off."

"."

When two golden trophies appeared on the stage, the "megaphones" couldn't wait to ask Li You questions, and soon applause and cheers broke out in the media room. The winners always get preferential treatment.

Li You, shirtless, smiled and waved his hands, stroked his wet black short hair, and exuded the scent of champagne. He had just sat down when he heard the question about Kobe.

"I agree with him. Kobe is a good person and a good player."

"Everyone has a different definition of success and the best. Some years ago, someone told me that championships are not that important. Some even said that after more than five championships, the trophy loses its meaning."

"I have no objection to this because everyone is in a different environment. In New York, fans like trophies. I am the same as them and I like to participate in the championship parade every year!"

"So in order to meet the fans' expectations, I will keep winning until my teammates and I can no longer win."

When seeing Li You raising his eyebrows to the reporters from TNT and Los Angeles when he said this, many people smiled. The "champion overflow theory" came from these two sides. These people are simply possessed by sour grapes.

"Lee, I think many fans are looking forward to you breaking the record for the highest score in the finals. We all think that this is not difficult for you. In the future, will you consider increasing the number of shots to achieve your goal?"

ESPN reporters are still focused on the data. This year, Li You averaged 19.3 shots per game, with a shooting percentage of 71.4%, a three-point shooting percentage of 55.3%, and a free throw percentage of 96.9%.

In 4 games, he only missed one free throw and did not take many shots. Although his efficiency was high, it was not the data that the media expected.
"Although I'm 30 years old, I still feel very young. Maybe I'll have many finals in the future, so I haven't thought about it yet."

"This is also a math problem. When my shots exceed 25, it means that the substitute lineup's shots are compressed. The number of rounds in a game is limited. About 88 rounds is the most suitable rhythm for the Knicks."

"When I need more points to win the game, I won't refuse to take a shot. Now, praise my teammates, they are better than the data reflects!"

"."

After the press conferences of the two teams ended, Phil Jackson was interviewed by familiar reporters in the player tunnel, while Kobe and Duncan moved to the visiting team's locker room for their final farewell.

When they saw the two people appear, the Knicks team was a little surprised. Li You seemed very generous and hugged and greeted his old opponent cordially.

Kobe kept a sullen face and gave dry congratulations. Duncan didn't say much either. He simply gave a fist bump and wished:
"Congratulations, Li! You're one step closer to a great record!"

"You know man, I respect what you've accomplished, how did the champagne taste last year? I'm really sorry that Coach Popovich has chosen to retire."

Li You, who had changed into a black suit, sounded very sincere when he said this, as if he had lost a respectable opponent. Duncan's eyes twitched, and he couldn't hold it anymore.
"I can't get through to him on the phone. If you get a chance, remember to say hello to him for me!"

Soon, the slightly tipsy D'Antoni and his companions pulled the two men aside to talk. Only Rondo was still staring at Kobe, whispering to the newbie beside him from time to time, with a mocking look on his face.

Kobe, feeling uncomfortable, quickly said goodbye and left. Li You finally pulled Duncan, patted his old rival, and gave his sincere blessing again:

"I have prepared a special championship champagne for you. The Lakers have a share, but you two are special. I hope you like this gift more and I hope it will bring you good luck!"

"God bless you!"

Duncan's expression, which had been expressionless, finally showed some signs of change. Li You's sincere smile made him want to punch him. He was ridiculed again.
Kobe, who was the first to return to the locker room, quickly noticed the purple and gold Ace of Spades in everyone's hands. Under everyone's gaze, Kobe quickly opened the exquisite gift box on his seat.

The two bottles of purple and gold champagne looked good, but the card next to them made Kobe furious. It was a championship photo of him and O'Neal, and on the back was Li You's handwriting:

"You are my eternal rivals - salute to Mr Best!"

"Fuck!***"

Under the surprised gazes of the crowd, Kobe kept cursing and tore the card into pieces. He had almost forgotten about the old shark, but after being reminded by Li You, he remembered that the turmoil in the finals was not over yet.

Nearing 1 o'clock, the Hyde Lounge nightclub on Sunset Boulevard ushered in the "championship moment". James Dolan had booked tonight's carnival early, and the girls showing off their beautiful bodies were cheering for O'Neal.

O'Neal rapped excitedly to the rhythmic music. He came here to get drunk after the game. With the arrival of the Knicks team, he became even more excited:
"You know how I be, Kobe couldn't do without me!"

"."

"I'm a stud and Kobe kicked me out!"

"I won't do that. I'm Shaquille O'Neal. No woman is going to turn me down!"

"."

(End of this chapter)