NABC Chapter 180 When the three former foul-mouthed kings of the League gather together!
Chapter 180 When the three former foul-mouthed kings of the League gather together!
Chapter 180 When the three former foul-mouthed kings of the league gather together!
Next, Hill broke through and was met with Miller's help defense. He quickly passed the ball to find the open Hilly, but as soon as the ball was passed, Lin Tian, who had been lurking around, rushed out and stole the ball, and quickly launched a counterattack!
The Pistons immediately launched a rapid counterattack. Lin Tian, because his interception was close to the baseline, was unable to immediately launch a fast break. Williams and Hill had already quickly returned to their own basket.
But Lin Tian seemed completely oblivious to the two defenders under the basket, continuing his rapid advance and driving all the way into the three-point line!
Behind him was Healy relentlessly pursuing him, and in front of him were Williams and Hill. Just as Lin Tian reached the edge of the 3-second zone, he was surrounded by the three of them!
But Lin Tian still jumped up!
However, his eyes weren't on the basket, but rather on Rose, who was making a rapid cut to the basket on the other side!
Hill reacted incredibly quickly, taking a step towards Rose in the blink of an eye, blocking Lin Tian's passing lane.
But Lin Tian seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. The basketball didn't fly towards Rose or the basket at all. Instead, it flew directly behind his head to the three-point line.
Miller received the ball and, without hesitation, pulled up and launched a three-pointer!
The league's top three-point shooter hits his first three-pointer and scores!
Hill's mid-range shot missed again, and Barkley grabbed the rebound. As soon as he landed, he used his hands to throw the basketball towards the frontcourt!
Lin Tian, who had already rushed to the midfield, leaped high and grabbed the basketball. Then, with a quick glance, he saw the basketball fly out again before he even landed!
This pass completely shattered the Pistons' defense!
They never expected Lin Tian to pass the ball so quickly! All they could do now was watch him go!
Rose quickly got into position again, and taking advantage of the Pistons' lack of time to defend, he once again executed a 180-degree spin and dunk!
"Jay Chou! Jay Chou! Jay Chou!"
The entire venue was turned into a concert-like frenzy by Rose's two dunks!
In the next few minutes, the Pacers' offense really took off!
In positional play, they had Lin Tian's unstoppable breakthroughs and lightning-fast passes, Barkley's low-post isolation plays, Schmitz and Miller's catch-and-shoot, plus Rose's cuts and isolation plays, which made the Pistons' defense fall apart and crumble.
If the game goes on in transition, with Lin Tian, the league's best playmaker, Barkley's passing, and Rose and Miller's finishing ability, the Pistons' defense simply can't keep up and can't compete with the Pacers' multi-pronged offense!
With six minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 18-9, with the Pacers leading by nine points.
Bird waved his hand and began the rotation!
Schmitz, Barkley, Rose, and Miller all went to the bench for a rest, while Dumars, Crosher, Ben Wallace, and Davis all came on!
Clearly, Bird knew that Lin Tian wouldn't be able to play in the first 22 regular season games, so he intentionally let Lin Tian play a little longer and perform more in front of the fans.
The situation changed immediately once the substitutes came on.
This lineup certainly doesn't have the same offensive talent as the starting lineup, but Ben Wallace and Anthony Davis are both role players. Crosher is making his professional debut at an age where he's ready to fight and play hard on defense!
In this lineup, apart from Dumars, the other four players are all incredibly aggressive on defense!
Facing the Pacers, who had suddenly changed their rhythm and style, the Pistons, who were already struggling, immediately found themselves on the defensive again!
Hill's drive to the basket was blocked by Ben Wallace and Anthony Davis, and the ball flew into Dumars' hands. Dumars immediately found Lin Tian and quickly passed the ball to him!
In this lineup, Lin Tian became the only player on the team who could run and charge. He no longer held back, stopped observing his teammates' positioning, and directly increased his speed to the limit. He pushed the basketball in front of him, and his speed instantly reached its limit!
Chase?
No one on the Pistons could see Lin Tian's taillights. In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had already reached the frontcourt and completed a one-handed dunk with a considerable gliding distance!
Lin Tian finally figured out how to use Liu Xiang's "Leap of China" talent.
When dunking, the gliding distance and the posture in the air are noticeably better than before!
His handsomeness has doubled!
As for other more practical uses?
It already makes Lin Tian look even better when he plays basketball, so asking for more is just asking for too much and being ungrateful, isn't it?
After his powerful dunk, Lin Tian clapped his hands loudly and shouted, "Guys! Go all out on defense! Let's show the Detroit guys our defense!"
"Yes! Kill them!" Ben, with his afro, was clearly following Lin Tian's instructions. He must have been yelling at the mirror at home all the time. Now, he was shouting at the top of his lungs. Coupled with his muscles and ugly appearance, it was really a bit scary!
The most noticeable effect of Ben Wallace's roar was that Hill did not choose to break through in the next three rounds.
Instead, he took two three-pointers and one mid-range shot.
Unfortunately, his touch wasn't very good.
Of his three long-range shots, only one made a three-pointer; the other two bounced off the rim.
The Pacers seized the opportunity and launched two fast breaks in a row. In one, Lin Tian drove directly to the basket and dunked again. In the other, Lin Tian attracted the attention of three defenders and passed the ball to Dumars, who then hit a three-pointer!
The Pistons are clearly struggling to keep up!
The point difference between the two sides is approaching 15 points or more.
And yet, the Pistons haven't even started their rotations yet, while the Pacers' four key players have all gone to rest.
Pistons head coach Doug Collins crossed his arms and bit his lip tightly. He was quite surprised that his team had been beaten so badly by a completely new team at the start of the season.
He knew the Pacers were united and their goal was the championship, but after all, the team had undergone a rebuild in the summer. Theoretically, they should have needed a few games to adjust, right? But how could they play so aggressively in their first preseason game?
Or is Bird really a genius? How could a rookie head coach manage to mold a team together in such a short time?
Collins's thinking couldn't help the Pistons close the gap. Hill was having a tough time on the court, struggling to carry the team alone.
Besides Hill, the team has no other reliable ball-handler. Neither Lynch Hunter nor Malik Healy are reliable ball-handlers; they can only be pure finishers.
Although the newcomer Williams has championship experience and the physical ability to attack, he is ultimately a finisher with little ability to organize or create his own offense.
After Dumars left the team, the Pistons team was completely on Hill's shoulders!
In the first quarter, Hill played the entire quarter, which is very unusual for him! It's extremely rare to see a key player like that playing so much in the preseason, giving him so much playing time!
But there was nothing he could do. Collins really didn't want to lose by such a large margin, or lose so badly. So the only thing he could do was to let Hill play on the court a little longer.
Unfortunately, Hill didn't help the team much today.
首节比赛他虽然打满了，可只有9投3中，只拿到了8分2篮板2助攻，还出现了2次失误！
With their star player performing so poorly, the Pistons naturally struggled to put up any resistance. They trailed the Pacers by a whopping 19 points, 17-36, in the first quarter!
Even so, this was only because the Pacers' four key players only played half a quarter, as they entered their rotation time early.
"It's okay, Grant, it's just a preseason game, he's just getting a feel for the game!" Collins said as Hill returned to the bench, hoping that his key player would feel better.
But this time, what awaited Collins was not Hill's gentle smile, but a roar of anger.
"How can you say it's okay? How can you say it's okay? FUXX!" Hill glared at Collins and yelled, "What's wrong with the preseason? Getting blown out by 20 points in the first quarter of a preseason game? Do you think Detroit fans will think it's okay? Will they encourage me? They'll just criticize me! They'll just yell at me!"
"And that damn management! All they cared about was getting me to lead the team past the first round and recreate the team's glory days of the 80s, but what did they do?"
"All these years, what kind of help have they brought me? Allan Houston is gone, Terry Mills is gone, Otis Thorpe is gone! Everyone I thought was good, you let them go and then fill the salary cap and roster with other cheap guys!"
"Fine, even that damn Joe Dumars left this season! Is it my fault? Is it all my fault? You let my teammates go one by one, you made the team's roster worse and worse, and now you blame me for not leading the team past the first round? Ridiculous!"
Hill's sudden outburst startled the entire Pistons bench. Hill is usually very gentle and rarely even raises his voice, so why did he suddenly lose his temper today?
Why? Actually, Hill couldn't say why either.
He's just angry!
I'm furious that the team can't keep a single player, and I'm furious at the management's stinginess and stupidity!
Look at the Pacers on the other side? As soon as they heard they could get Lin Tian, they immediately dismantled their team and made changes, going all in and assembling a team with such strong roster in just one summer.
But what about the pistons?
With two of the team's greatest legends on the opposing team and the team's management in complete disarray, Hill even felt that even if Lin Tian were willing to join the Pistons and sign a 7-year, $1.4 million contract, the Pistons' management might not be willing.
Well, I doubt they'd be unwilling; they'd definitely try to bargain.
7 years, 1.4? Let's make a deal, how about a slightly cheaper price, 7 years, 7 million?
Nine times out of ten, the Pistons' management will do this!
That's just their style!
"Grant, what's wrong? Are you in a bad mood? Did those Pacers bastards hurt you?" Collins was confused, but he still had to patiently try to comfort and reassure Hill.
"I'm fine! But I'll go back and have a chat with those bastards." Hill glared at Collins and said fiercely, "I need help! I need someone to share the burden, I need a real point guard, and I need some better, more promising teammates!"
"If they still remain unmoved and make no changes, then fine, you don't need to kick me out, I'll just leave on my own! The people of Detroit don't think much of me? Hmph, who doesn't think much of whom is still uncertain!" After saying this, Hill didn't look at Collins even once, but turned his head to look at the court.
He was absolutely furious!
It's just jealousy, it's just envy!
Why can the Pacers assemble such a perfect and powerful roster in just one year, while the Pistons' roster gets worse year by year?
After hearing Hill's words, Collins was not in a hurry, but visibly relieved.
Thank goodness.
All they're asking for is reinforcements!
That scared the hell out of me! I thought they were going to go to management and ask me to be fired!
As long as it's not about firing me, Grant Hill, you can talk to management about anything you want, anything is negotiable!
All you want is help!
Let's go together then, we're not afraid the management won't take it seriously!
At this point, the point difference between the two sides on the court was getting bigger and bigger, and it looked like it was about to reach 30 points.
Four minutes into the second quarter, Bird once again made a sweeping decision, sending Barkley, Schmitz, and Miller, who had just played well, off the court to rest. Lin Tian, Pope, and Bohannon came on, joining Davis and Dumars who were still on the court, to continue playing!
Bird's message today was very clear: the other key players should just play a little, get some exercise, and then come off the bench; as for Lin Tian, he should aim for 30 minutes! If the game isn't too difficult, then he should play 40 minutes!
Since you can't play the games for the first two months after the preseason, what's the point of saving your energy?
Take good care of yourself and give back to your fans!
The game was essentially over by the middle of the second quarter, with the Pacers ultimately winning 120-90, a 30-point victory over the Pistons, securing their first preseason win.
Throughout the game, Lin Tian played 30 minutes, scoring 19 points, 18 assists, and 6 rebounds, showcasing an all-around performance. Under his orchestration and leadership, the Pacers achieved a 57% field goal percentage and a 49% three-point percentage, completely overwhelming the Pistons!
Apart from Lin Tian, no other player on the team played for more than 25 minutes. Barkley scored 13 points and 9 rebounds, Schmitz had 8 points and 5 rebounds, Miller had 15 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, and Dumars also scored 8 points.
而全队得分最高的，则是全队唯一能跟着林天奔跑的杰伦·罗斯！他全场比赛出战23分钟，就14投10中，轰下了24分3篮板2助攻的数据！
Half of his baskets come from fast breaks, and the other half are jump shots or drives to the basket after a cut to the basket. It can be said that Rose has become the biggest beneficiary of the Pacers' current system!
In positional play, the opponent's attention is focused on the key players, so he faces the least defensive pressure. During transitions between offense and defense, he is the fastest runner and gets a lot of dunking opportunities.
Rose is likely to have a breakout season ahead of schedule!
After all, according to Lin Tian's memory, Rose only got his chance in the 99-00 season after hard work, when he finally succeeded Miller as the team's number one scorer and won the Most Improved Player award.
But now, this guy is likely to explode ahead of schedule!
The subsequent preseason games fully demonstrated that Lin Tian's view was correct!
After defeating the Pistons, the Pacers played seven more preseason games. To everyone's surprise, in these eight preseason games, the Pacers' leading scorer was neither Lin Tian, who signed the record contract, nor Miller, the team's veteran, nor even former MVP Barkley.
Jalen Rose!
This guy played like a fish in water in 8 preseason games, averaging 19.5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He has become the team's fast break leader and number one offensive weapon!
Besides Rose's breakout performance, Lin Tian averaged 19 points and 12 assists in 8 games. His passing, his control of fast breaks, and his strong scoring ability have convinced more people that he is the league's best point guard!
Of course, it's worth mentioning that Bird, that old guy, indeed continued his cunning and underhanded nature from when he was playing basketball.
In eight preseason games, Lin Tian played an average of 33.7 minutes per game in four home games, but this number dropped to 25.5 minutes in away games!
This guy goes all out to reward his fans at home, but when he's away, he just substituted his starters as soon as the game is over and doesn't let them play a single minute longer!
What a bad guy!
Furthermore, Miller's three-pointer, Schmitz's mid-range jumper, and Barkley's strong inside attack—the Pacers' starting five truly delivered a well-structured, dynamic, and entertaining three-dimensional offense! The team had highly accurate scorers in every area, capable of making shots from anywhere!
In addition, the Pacers' bench has defensive stalwarts, three-point threats, and experienced veterans.
It's fair to say that the Pacers' current roster boasts a diverse range of talents and a deep bench, making them one of the favorites for the championship!
Their opponents, facing such a fast and offensive Pacers team, were almost always crushed in every game, and were beaten badly in every game!
In the eight preseason games, except for the last game where Bird rested many key players and even Lin Tian only played 20 minutes, leading to their big loss to the Nets, the Pacers averaged a net win of 18.3 points in the other seven games, a number that ranks first in the league!
What's even more terrifying is that everyone can see that the Pacers weren't playing at full strength. Their preseason rotation was extensive and chaotic. Apart from Lin Tian, no one had consistent playing time. From starters to substitutes to bench players, everyone got playing time in the preseason.
However, it is clear that the Pacers will not continue to play like this in the regular season. They will definitely shorten their rotation and let their key players play for longer periods.
It will be interesting to see what level the Pacers will be able to achieve by then.
After the eight preseason games, Lin Tian represented the team and attended tonight's press conference with Bird.
In Bird's words, "The capable should do more!" You can rest for two months during the regular season, but if you don't take advantage of the preseason to contribute and show your face, what will happen if the fans forget about you?
Helpless, Lin Tian had no choice but to obey.
"Lin, you achieved a 7-1 record in the preseason, and apart from tonight's loss due to the absence of your key players, you've won all your games! Are you satisfied with this record?"
"I'm not satisfied, I'm extremely dissatisfied. Larry's coaching is terrible." Lin Tian said with a smile, "If he can keep winning even when the key players aren't playing, then he'll be a qualified head coach."
Lin Tian's joke drew bursts of laughter from the reporters; everyone knew he was bluffing. Another reporter immediately stood up and asked, "So, what do you think of this result?"
"The preseason is a time for team cohesion. We are coheding, and so are our opponents. So we won't place too much importance on the preseason results. The regular season and the playoffs are where the real battles will be decided."
"So, as we all know, you won't be able to play for the team in the first 22 games of the regular season. Are you worried that your guys won't be able to handle it?"
"I'm just glad that the suspension didn't happen during the playoffs, but in the first half of the regular season, so we still have plenty of time to adjust and gel."
"So, Lin, have you been following the Bulls' games? Do you know their preseason results?"
coming!
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian knew that the previous questions were just a warm-up; the real action was about to begin!
"I don't know, I haven't been paying attention at all. I have a lot of things to do, but I think if it's all eight preseason games, with Michael and Phil's abilities, it'd be 6-2 or maybe 7-1?"
As soon as Lin Tian gave this answer, he heard the system's announcement!
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 30 experience points!"
Wow! Michael's got so much free time, watching a live stream here?
Then I certainly can't let you down!
At that moment in Chicago, Jordan, who was receiving physical therapy in the locker room while watching TV, angrily crushed the cup in his hand.
Well, luckily it's a disposable paper cup; if it were a glass cup... he wouldn't have been able to break it.
"Damn it!" Jordan had watched all eight of the Pacers' highlight reels. He had long considered the Pacers the biggest rival on the Bulls' road to a three-peat, so he started analyzing the team's tactics and each player's condition early on.
And the result? All that hard work from me!
This bastard actually said he didn't know anything about our game?
Fuze! The more I think about it, the angrier I get!
"Well, the real record is actually 3 wins and 5 losses! The Bulls only won three games in the preseason," a reporter reported, revealing the Bulls' less-than-stellar preseason record.
"Is Michael injured? Or is the Bulls having some kind of large-scale rest?" Lin Tian asked. After seeing the reporters shake their heads, he continued, "Sure enough, I've been thinking about this during the offseason, and now I think it's time."
"When?" the reporters immediately pressed, their instincts telling them that Lin Tian was about to drop another bombshell!
"Even the best athletes cannot escape the ravages of time; they will be defeated by time! As they get older, their competitive state will decline, their abilities will become worse, they will miss shots they could make, and they will be unable to defend against players they could defend against."
"Michael should be around this age this year."
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 100 experience points!"
FUXX! What the hell is this bastard saying? Am I getting old? Am I declining in performance?
"I guess Michael has to undergo long hours of physical therapy after every game to recover, otherwise the intense fatigue would probably cause him a lot of pain. As his good friend, I really hope Michael can take care of his health!"
"Michael Jordan's emotions fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 100 experience points."
"Is being tired really painful?" Jordan grumbled as he sat up on the treatment bed, startling the therapist next to him so much that he almost jumped up.
"Michael, what's wrong? Your treatment isn't over yet."
"I'm done! I'm going to add another set of power! FUXX! Damn Lin, this Christmas I'll send you to meet Satan."
After receiving two sets of experience points at the press conference, Lin Tian realized that no matter what he said, he wouldn't receive any more experience points from Jordan. He knew that Jordan had most likely turned off the TV. Since Jordan wasn't watching anymore, there was no need to continue rambling. After making a few more perfunctory remarks, Lin Tian and Bird left the press conference.
Next, all they need to do is wait for the regular season to start and then go all out in the games!
Three days later, on October 31st.
The NBA's new season has officially begun!
As is customary, the defending champion Chicago Bulls will be the first team to start the game tonight. They will not only be the first team in the league to play, but they will also raise their fifth championship banner and present their championship rings at the United Center.
As for their opponent, the league certainly wouldn't just assign them any opponent on this day. The New York Knicks, a formidable rival of the Bulls in recent years, became the visiting team tonight.
Originally, as the night of raising the championship banner, the entire Bulls team should have been extremely happy. Regardless of who the opponent was, celebration and release should have been the main theme of the night.
But tonight, not a single Bulls player was smiling!
From Jackson to Pippen, Rodman, and then to Harper and Longley, no one on the entire Bulls team looked happy at that moment.
Everyone had a tense expression.
As for the reason?
Just look at Jordan. His expression right now doesn't look like the Bulls are having a championship award ceremony; it looks like they're watching the Knicks raise their flag.
He was filled with rage, his eyes blazing with a ferocity that seemed intent on tearing his opponent to pieces.
And when almost all the ceremonies were over and it was Jordan's turn to speak on behalf of the team, the guy still didn't show the slightest smile.
"We've lost some players this year, but we've also gained a lot of new talent. What I want to say is, as long as I'm here, the Bulls are champions! We won't fail to win a championship just because someone comes or someone leaves. No one, no one here, is that important!"
"This year, we'll do it again! We'll sweep everything aside! We'll win our sixth championship!"
"Michael! Michael! Michael!"
"Michael! Michael! Michael!"
"Michael! Michael! Michael!"
The fans roared with excitement as they listened to Jordan's declaration!
This is their king, this is the king of the alliance!
Domineering! Fearless! Always loving challenges!
Is there anything more exciting than announcing your intention to win this year's championship at the championship flag-raising ceremony?
"Looks like that Asian kid's departure has really upset Michael," Ewing said, stroking his chin with a lewd grin. "Guys, Chicago doesn't have any guys that good right now. Let's give Michael and the whole of Chicago a good beating! Let's show them who really is this year's champion!"
Allan Houston, Charlie Ward, Larry Jensen, Charles Oakley, Patrick Ewing!
After discovering that their opponent was missing the guy who terrified them the most, the guy who made them afraid to increase the intensity of the game and their defensive moves, the New York gangs were all itching for a fight.
They're ready to give Jordan a taste of the horrors of the New York mob!
Tonight... some people will indeed feel that long-lost, deep terror.
However, New Yorkers clearly haven't figured out who should experience the horror.
In the first possession of the game, Jordan, unusually in recent years, received the ball directly at the top of the key, then elbowed Houston in the stomach, causing the "Mid-Range King" to stumble back two steps. Jordan then accelerated and charged towards the paint.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Oakley didn't even have time to jump before Jordan dunked over him!
In the very first possession, Jordan played like he was 27 years old!
Wild! Fierce! Ruthless!
This dunk was just the beginning, just a declaration-like moment for Jordan.
At his age, it's impossible for him to play like that for the entire game.
But Jordan has plenty of ways to make New Yorkers despair.
Low post back-to-the-basket move.
He relentlessly attacked in the low post, and no matter who came up to guard Jordan, whether it was Houston, Ward, or James, they would all be mercilessly beaten!
Fadeaway jumper, turnaround jumper, fake move and layup...
Throughout the game, Jordan used his skills and experience to easily teach New York a lesson, once again shattering New York's proud ironclad defense.
The New York players even hoped that Jordan would teach them a lesson with those unreasonable and ferocious dunks he had at the start of the game.
Because in that way, they would at least feel that they were just a little lacking in physical fitness, and if they worked hard and trained their strength, they would still have a chance to defend against Jordan.
But now, they are being completely outmatched by Jordan in terms of intelligence, skills, and ability!
Completely crushed, with no chance to fight back!
With only 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Jeff Van Gundy had no choice but to substitute all his starters. At this point, they were already down by 21 points to the Bulls.
Jordan scored 49 points all by himself!
Only that one dunk at the very beginning!
For all the other shots, Jordan made them in the most despairing and painful way for New Yorkers.
Jordan delivered a flawless performance, turning the game into garbage time and announcing the Bulls' triumphant return!
Preseason games? What decent person would care about preseason results?
The lion had only taken a nap!
At the post-game press conference, Jordan made no attempt to hide his criticism from reporters: "I have to say, I know every year there are several teams that talk about winning the championship, about beating us, and every year we prove them wrong!"
"As long as I'm here, the Bulls will always be champions! As long as I'm here, Chicago will never fall!"
"As for that team made up of arrogant brats, losers, stray dogs, and cowards who only know how to run away, they are not worth mentioning. They are not even in my sights! My goal is the championship. As for that team, they are just stepping stones on our road to the championship."
Jordan's "certain teams" and "certain arrogant kid"—everyone knows he's talking about Lin Tian and the Pacers.
So, before the Pacers' home game against the 76ers, a large number of reporters rushed to the Pacers' side and relayed Jordan's words verbatim to the Pacers players.
"A stray dog?" Barkley scoffed.
"Loser?" Miller's lips twitched slightly.
"A coward who only knows how to run away?" Bird's eyes narrowed even more.
Then, Lin Tian, dressed in an AND 1 outfit, clapped his hands vigorously and said, "Everyone, everyone, look here."
After attracting all the reporters' attention, Lin Tian slowly said, "Regarding Michael, on behalf of my teammates, I will give you a perfect answer."
"Tell Michael to wash his ass and wait. We'll see who has the last laugh at Christmas!"
"Oh, right, and some endnotes too. Larry said, 'Michael, I'll fuck you!' Charles said, 'Come lick my fat ass!' Reggie said, 'Michael, you're a piece of stinking shit!' Joe said, 'Sorry, I don't know how to swear, let me greet Michael for him.'"
"Michael, we'll see! How about a bet? Let's see who has the better record before Christmas? If you're tough, we'll have a match; if you're not, then forget it." After saying that, Lin Tian quickly sat back down in his chair.
I wonder how much experience Jordan will give me after making such a bold statement?
When the reporters saw that Lin Tian was silent, they immediately pointed their microphones at Barkley, Miller, and the others, wanting to ask them what they thought of Lin Tian's words.
"Thoughts?" Barkley scoffed. "I wanted to swear, but Lin already did, so I have nothing more to say."
"I hope Michael's old bones won't break prematurely because of Lin's words. I'm still waiting to teach him a lesson in the playoffs." Miller understood Lin Tian's meaning and put Jordan in a difficult position again.
"Lin is right. I'm not very good at swearing, nor do I like it," Dumas said with a smile. "But my buddy is a swearer. You can ask Isaiah; he says the same thing as me!"
"That stupid nigger, that grasshopper who thinks he can jump high, that narcissist who looks like a plumber but thinks he's handsome, that idiot who can't grow a single hair but refuses to admit he's bald—he must be so jealous of my thick hair!"
Former league number one villain, Isaiah Thomas, started rapping right in front of the media!
All the reporters were very satisfied.
With such a bunch of clowns, foul-mouthed kings, troublemakers, and trash-talking masters all together, will they ever have to worry about material or running out of things to write about?
One reporter even suggested making a documentary, and he already had a title in mind: "How interesting would it be if the league's current Trash Talk King teamed up with the former Trash Talk King and the former Trash Talk King before that!"
This title alone makes you want to keep reading!
However, there is still one small question to ask.
The reporter didn't hold back and immediately voiced his curiosity: "Larry, you were the league's former Trash Talk King, Isaiah was the former, so who do you think is the current Trash Talk King?"
This question really stumped the two veterans. They looked at the team's three trash-talking masters and fell into deep thought.
Barkley is good at clown talk and sarcasm, leaving people speechless.
Miller is a master of sarcasm; he can use anything to make his opponents question their existence.
As for Lin Tian, his trash talk has only one standard: when he hits someone, he only hits them in the face; when he curses someone, he curses their mother.
It's really hard to choose who the current king is.
"Forget about voting, the king of trash talk, I'm voting for Lin," Barkley interjected with a laugh. "Think about it, if Lin can't beat you guys with a verbal battle, he might resort to violence!"
Barkley's words drew a burst of laughter from the audience.
Following Barkley's logic, indeed, no one in this league can out-criticize Lin Tian.
"Charles, that's slander! I never resort to violence when I argue with people, and I never argue before I do!" Lin Tian protested with a laugh. "Aggression is aggression, and arguing is arguing! I distinguish between the two very clearly!"
"So, everyone in the alliance, there's no need to be afraid. I'm a very reasonable person. If you talk, we'll all talk; if you act, then we'll act!"
Lin Tian's very "principled" words immediately drew another burst of laughter from the reporters! The reporters even felt as if they were covering an All-Star game.
Aside from the All-Star Game, where else can you find so many masters of creating hilarious content gathered together for you to interview?
"Alright, everyone, we need to start preparing for the game." Bird clapped his hands and looked at the reporters, saying, "How about you all leave now?"
Although the reporters hadn't had enough questions yet, the head coach had spoken, so they didn't waste any more words and left the scene in a very orderly manner.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Pacers have definitely made it onto all the media's whitelist.
Interviewing them was fun!
Shipments are available! High returns!
I'll come again next time!
Once the Pacers had all returned to the locker room and closed the door, all the laughter and jokes vanished. Bird, his playful expression gone, looked at everyone seriously and said, "Guys, our first official game is about to begin. I don't think any of us have been misled by the preseason results, have we?"
(End of this chapter)