NABC Chapter 215: Laying the Foundation! Building a Stronger Future for the Pacers Two Years Later
Chapter 215: Laying the Foundation! Building a Stronger Future for the Pacers Two Years Later
Chapter 215: Laying the Foundation! Building a solid foundation for the Pacers two years from now!
As the dominant force in the league during the 90s, the Bulls did things in a completely different way than other teams when they faced adversity!
When other teams are in trouble, the team leader or coach usually steps up, organizes a meeting to boost morale, and then they have a meal together, go clubbing, or even have a fun party to regain the team's confidence and unity and help the team get out of trouble.
Of course, some teams will simply choose to tank, completely ignoring their predicament. Losing is losing, the next rookie will be even better!
The ability to quickly help the team regain confidence and reunite during difficult times or a losing streak is also one of the important criteria for judging whether a player is a qualified leader.
The Bulls never hold meetings or need any morale-boosting activities!
All they need is Jordan!
When Jordan was silent during training, his eyes were filled with a killer instinct, and he was pushing himself to the limit, every Bulls player would consciously increase their game intensity and training volume, and they would be very serious during training and warm-ups, not daring to relax at all!
That's what makes Jordan so terrifying; it's the result of his accumulated fame and fearsome reputation.
Whether they are opponents or teammates, everyone is afraid of him!
Including Rodman!
Throughout Jordan's entire career, probably only Lin Tian dared to cause him trouble, joke around, or lighten the mood when he was furious.
It was precisely during Lin Tian's two years in office that, quite miraculously, Jordan and Pippen, two guys who couldn't stand each other, actually became friends. Although they weren't exactly best friends, at least when they were facing Lin Tian, they were very united.
But now, the Bulls don't have Lin Tian to ease the tension. During the final warm-up before the second game at the United Center, the atmosphere within the Bulls team was so low it was almost suffocating. The entire Bulls team quietly completed their most basic training exercises.
Even Rodman and Pippen were just doing their usual layups, running, shooting, and stretching. Nobody dared to do anything crazy that night, and nobody dared to show their face.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down!
"Are they here for a game or a funeral?" Lin Tian asked curiously, observing the starkly different atmosphere between the opposing team and the Pacers' side. "They weren't like this when I was here!"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Throughout Michael's entire career, his teams have always been like this when they're in trouble!" Barkley, who played against Jordan in the Finals, couldn't help but shudder and said, "That year in the Finals, we held Michael to 19 of 43 shots in Game 3, and then won in three overtimes."
"After the game, I told the media: Michael isn't scary. We've found a way to counter him. Kevin can completely limit Michael. A Michael who takes 40 shots isn't our biggest fear. We'll win the series!"
"And then," Barkley swallowed again, "in the next game, Michael didn't take 40 shots. He took 37, beat Kevin half to a pulp, and then casually scored 55 points."
"It wasn't just Kevin who got beaten to a pulp," Lin Tian said. "What about you? Didn't he completely destroy your paint? I remember he got 20 free throws in that game!"
"No 20? It was clearly 18! And we did our best. Our physicality and defense exhausted him, and he only made 13 of those free throws!" Barkley said with an air of smear campaign, "Besides, I only committed one foul that game!"
"This is the first time I've seen someone so shameless," Miller said, leaning closer. "If you don't play defense, you don't play defense, but you claim you don't commit many fouls?"
"Tell me, did I only commit one foul?!" Barkley retorted angrily.
"Just tell me how many times you blocked Michael!" Miller said with a sly grin.
"A noob who's never even made it to the Finals has no right to argue with me." Barkley snorted and turned to leave.
Miller wasn't about to let him off the hook, yelling from behind, "If I ever get averaged 40+ points per game in a series and then score 40+ in four straight games, I'll never think back to that series! Whether it's the Finals or whatever the hell it is."
"Because that would be self-humiliating!"
Listening to the two clowns' usual pre-game banter, Lin Tian didn't laugh this time, because the Bulls team on the other side actually felt unfamiliar to him.
Perhaps it was because the Bulls had hardly faced any disadvantageous situations since he joined them, and they had hardly lost a game in the playoffs for two years, so he had never seen the Bulls with such a tense atmosphere.
Or rather, the Bulls were such an oppressive team!
Lin Tian had a premonition that tonight's match would definitely not be that simple, and it might even be the most difficult and dangerous match he had encountered in the past three years!
Lin Tian's premonition came true. At the start of the game, Longley defeated Schmitz and got the first possession for the Bulls. Then, Pippen, unusually, did not look for Jordan in the first possession. Instead, he crossed over Christie and drove straight into the paint. Then, facing Schmitz, he raised his hand and slammed a dunk!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Pippen not only dunked on Schmitz, knocking him to the ground, but also drew a blocking foul, scoring a 2+1!
It's rare to see Pippen so aggressive!
In the past, Pippen was more often seen as Jordan's sidekick!
But tonight, Pippen's performance was clearly different!
His dunk reminded many people of the top small forward who led his team to 55 wins when Jordan retired, averaging 22+8.7+5.6+2.9 per game, and was selected to both the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA First Defensive Team!
Pippen was more than just a second option for the Bulls, playing second fiddle to Jordan; he was truly the best small forward of the 90s!
This dunk not only demonstrated Pippen and the Bulls' attitude tonight, but also showed that Jordan was not the only one who was in a state of anger tonight!
After Pippen made the free throw, Lin Tian encountered Harper's tight defense when he dribbled up the court. Although Harper was no match for Lin Tian in terms of speed and ability, Lin Tian clearly felt that this guy was playing much more recklessly on defense and was more disregarding cost and stamina!
They tore and shoved at Lin Tian like wild dogs!
After dribbling the ball across half-court, Lin Tian first took a step back to create distance, then accelerated and easily passed Hubble in one stride!
A determined defensive effort?
Sometimes, even absolute talent and speed can be incredibly vulnerable!
After getting past Hubble, Lin Tian rushed into the paint and drew Longley's help defense. Then Lin Tian quickly passed the ball to Schmitz, who was left open on the other side. But just as Schmitz got the ball and was about to shoot, Longley had already rushed in front of Schmitz again!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp, clean sound, the basketball was slapped away by Longley and landed in Pippen's hands outside the three-point line. Pippen grabbed the basketball and sprinted towards the frontcourt without a care in the world!
Although several Pacers players quickly retreated to defend, Pippen made a behind-the-back pass after rushing into the paint, passing the ball to Jordan who had just run to the three-point line. Jordan received the ball and did not hesitate. He glanced at the Pacers player who was at least 3 meters away from him and took a three-point shot, which went in accurately!
6: 0!
From the very beginning, the Bulls displayed a level of determination and ferocity they had never shown before!
Pippen's dunks, Longley and Harper's incredibly fast defensive footwork, and Jordan's decisive and calm pull-up three-pointers!
The Bulls were absolutely playing with fire tonight!
The entire United Center was immediately roused by these two consecutive offensive rounds, erupting in cheers and shouts. This was their king!
This is the king of the league!
In the last game, we were just careless and lost. The series starts tonight!
Amidst the wild cheers of the home fans at the United Center, Lin Tian quickly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, then gestured with his hand to request the first timeout of the game!
"Less than 50 seconds into the game, Lin called a timeout! Is he feeling unwell?" As usual, it was Marcus, a familiar face, on the CBS commentary desk tonight.
"He's still pushing forward very fast. Hubble has been desperately trying to keep up, but he can hardly slow him down at all, so I don't think it's an injury issue," Smith said from the sidelines. "Maybe Lin has realized that tonight's Bulls are on a completely different level from the usual Bulls!"
"The Bulls showed their determination from the very beginning tonight!"
Marcus added, "Lin is the person in the entire league who knows the Bulls best. He knows their training methods, team tactics, and the personalities and relationships of the players. If there's anyone who can tell the Bulls are different from usual just one minute into the game, that person is definitely Lin!"
On the Pacers' bench, Lin Tian looked at everyone and said, "I called a timeout just to remind everyone that this game is absolutely different from the previous ones! Today's Bulls will be much harder to deal with than the last Bulls! Perhaps Michael won't score 50 or 60 points tonight."
"But he's definitely tougher! I hope we all give it our all and play with full focus in this game, otherwise we might fall behind in the first quarter!"
As Lin Tian said, the timeout he called just one minute into the game wasn't really about any tactical arrangements. He just wanted to remind his teammates to cheer up and face the game and the Bulls with a different attitude!
After the timeout, the lineups for both sides remained unchanged, but the defensive matchups changed. The person guarding Lin Tian was now Jordan!
"You're scared, Lin. During that timeout, you were the one asking Larry to substitute you, weren't you?" Jordan put an arm around Lin Tian's waist, chewing gum, his eyes full of murderous intent!
"On this play, I'll drive past you on your right and then attack the basket. Can you stop me?" Lin Tian responded to Jordan's trash talk with the toughest approach!
"Who do you think you are? Me?" Jordan scoffed. "Lin, that won't work on me! I don't fall for psychological warfare!"
"Just you wait!" Lin Tian said, then suddenly slammed his elbow into Jordan's ribs as a gift. He then quickly reached out and caught the ball on the sideline, giving Jordan no chance to trash talk or get back at him. He accelerated and slipped past Jordan!
Trash talk can sometimes be a form of psychological warfare, and sometimes, well, sometimes it can be a different kind of psychological warfare!
Lin Tian's plan was to forcefully break through Jordan's right side, to give Jordan a clear signal.
You can't stop me!
Although the move was fast enough and it completely bypassed Jordan, Lin Tian still failed to score.
Longley displayed the same toughness he showed against the Heat last year, leaping into the air and throwing the basketball at Lin Tian's hands with both hands without regard for anything else.
After two crisp sounds, Lin Tian's hand and the basketball were both hit solidly by Lang Li, which was an absolute foul!
But the referee didn't blow the whistle!
The referees signaled for the game to continue after Longley's foul!
Lin Tian didn't throw up his hands to ask for free throws. The ruling had already been made, and the matter was settled. Protesting would not only not change the result, but would also make him look like a spineless coward!
He turned and chased after Hubble, who was launching a counterattack with the ball, and successfully caught up with his former teammate near midfield. He then quickly took the ball from Hubble's hands!
The basketball rolled rapidly toward the sideline, but Lin Tian and Hubble were entangled and couldn't spare a moment to chase it.
Jordan and Miller both chased after the ball. Miller was initially in a more forward position, but Jordan suddenly made a diving save, using Rodman's signature split dive to save the ball!
This reckless action caught Miller off guard, and he was unable to react in time!
Jordan grabbed the basketball with both hands, fell to the ground, and then quickly passed the ball out again!
This time, Pippen received the ball. After getting the basketball, he once again showed his bravery and daring tonight, driving to the Pacers' basket alone. After colliding with Schmitz again under the basket, he made another layup!
As for Schmitz's obvious foul, it was completely ignored by the referee!
The referees used two consecutive calls to tell the players one thing: tonight's game still belongs to you! The 2+1 in the first round was simply because he couldn't control his jaw and accidentally blew the whistle.
In future games, there will be no more free throws for fouls of this level!
In the next offensive possession, Lin Tian passed the ball to Barkley, who then drove hard against Rodman. However, his high-arcing layup after pushing past Rodman failed to find the net!
Rodman, who had just been knocked off balance, miraculously regained his equilibrium. He not only turned and positioned himself in an instant, but also jumped up quickly, grabbed the rebound, and immediately passed the ball to Jordan!
Jordan dribbled up the court quickly after receiving the ball, then passed it to Pippen. Pippen then found Hubble, who was cutting down on the other side, and Hubble lobbed the basketball directly toward the basket.
"boom!"
Then, there was a loud bang! Jordan descended like a god, grabbed the rim with both hands, and completed an alley-oop dunk!
Crazy!
The atmosphere in the entire Joint Center right now needs no other adjective!
10-0 at the start!
Chicago fans went absolutely wild!
The team is extremely satisfied with their performance tonight!
There couldn't be a more dreamlike start!
Although Lin Tian finally broke the team's scoring drought with a mid-range pull-up jumper after a pick-and-roll in the next possession, Hubble quickly completed a layup!
The point difference between the two sides remains at 10 points!
This 10-point gap has not only failed to narrow, but has been slowly widening!
In the first quarter, Bird called all the timeouts he usually does in the first quarter, hoping to help the players regain their rhythm, but to no avail. All five of the Pacers' starters played the entire first quarter!
At this point, Bird didn't dare to make any easy substitutions!
Because he, like Lin Tian, had already figured it out!
The team was behind not because of poor form, but because of their mentality, unlike the Bulls tonight!
The Bulls were fighting with a do-or-die mentality, while the Pacers players still treated this game as just another playoff game!
The difference in intensity and mentality between the two sides was the biggest reason why the gap between them widened in the first quarter of this game!
24: 13!
At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls' score wasn't actually that high.
After all, Bird's instructions and encouragement did have some effect; he successfully raised the Pacers' defensive intensity, but the Pacers still couldn't find a way to score and break through the Bulls' defense.
As the team with the highest average points per game in both the regular season and playoffs this season, the Pacers were completely shut down by the Bulls in the first quarter tonight!
Another piece of evidence that the Pacers were completely shut down is that, despite being a team with the top three assists in the league and the most assists in the playoffs, all 13 points they scored in the first quarter came from individual efforts! They didn't generate a single assist!
This means that the Pacers were limited by the Bulls to relying solely on individual player abilities to attack, but had no way to break through the Bulls' defense using their signature passing, fast breaks, and ball movement.
The Bulls' defense was spot-on! They could barely find any wide-open shots!
In the second quarter, Bird made yet another mistake.
His personnel choices were somewhat conservative; he continued with his previous rotation, fielding Barkley and Christie as starters, along with Best, Dumars, and Ben Wallace as substitutes.
On the Bulls' side, Jackson showed a do-or-die attitude, not only having all three of his key players on the court, but also fielding Kukoc and Kerr at the same time.
They've put their lineup back in that same formation of one player grabbing the ball and four players attacking!
Jackson's meaning couldn't be clearer: he wanted to pull away in the first half and win the game, catching the Pacers off guard!
Jackson's unconventional and unorthodox personnel choices have indeed proven to be incredibly effective!
Jordan scored a basket right away, then stole the ball from Best and assisted Kerr to hit a three-pointer!
Less than 30 seconds into the game, the Bulls extended their lead to 16 points!
Bird still hadn't reacted at this point. He just told the two veterans, Barkley and Dumars, to be careful, but he didn't call a timeout or make a substitution.
Bird's slightly slower reaction directly plunged the Pacers into the abyss tonight!
Barkley's strong post-up move was met with multiple defenders, and his pass was once again stolen by Pippen, allowing the Bulls to complete a fast break!
Dumars received a pass from Barkley, but missed an open three-pointer, and the Bulls launched another fast break!
Then Best was completely left open beyond the three-point line, but this substitute guard, who had never seen much of the big stage, did not dare to shoot. Instead, he dribbled the ball and drove straight into the paint, crashing headfirst into the crowd and committing another turnover!
Turning back, it was Rodman's turn to make a cut, catch the ball, and slam it down with both hands for another 2 points!
This wave of attacks was so fast and fluid that it was impossible to react to it.
By the time Bird realized what was happening and quickly called a timeout, only a little over two minutes had passed in the second quarter, but the score difference between the two sides had already exceeded 20 points!
Even though he immediately substituted all the starting players, and Lin Tian and Miller made some contributions from beyond the three-point line, it was still a drop in the ocean. Although the gap between the two sides was narrowed, the Pacers were never able to close the gap to within 15 points.
50: 33!
At the end of the first half, the Bulls had a 17-point lead!
Throughout the first half, they practically dominated the Pacers!
At the start of the third quarter, Lin Tian suddenly erupted, driving inside and shooting outside, and also taking consecutive mid-range shots. In the first two minutes of the third quarter, he launched a 9-2 offensive surge, narrowing the gap to 10 points!
Just as the Pacers were trying to build momentum and close the gap, the Bulls' defense suddenly changed!
When Lin Tian received the ball at the top of the arc again, Jordan and Pippen rushed up at the same time!
"My God! What am I seeing? Jordan and Pippen teaming up against Lin?" Marcus shouted. "Friends, everyone, please help me recall, aside from those low-post double-teams and help defense situations, has this kind of early double-team at the top of the key ever happened before?"
"Did Jordan and Pippen ever team up so relentlessly against anyone in the league?"
No!
The answer, of course, is no!
Jordan and Pippen have never been so crazy in their lives, double-teaming anyone so aggressively from the high post.
Lin Tian is enjoying unprecedented treatment today!
While the Bulls employed their signature tactic of double-teaming Lin Tian, the defense of the other three players on the team was also very targeted! Christie, who went 0-for-5 and scored no points in the first half, was almost completely left open, while Miller, who performed well in the first half and hit two three-pointers, was heavily guarded by Harper!
Rodman and Longley stayed close to their respective teammates, ready to provide defensive support and move around as needed.
Even Lin Tian was somewhat powerless against the Bulls' star duo double-team. He could only pass the ball. However, even though his teammates were outnumbered 4 to 3, the Bulls' beautiful rotations, quick defensive positioning, and tough attitude prevented them from gaining any advantage!
Christie, who was left open, had a terrible night and failed to perform as expected. Although he was decisive at first after being given space, he only made one of his three shots, which made the Bulls even more confident in letting him go!
The more you're given freedom, the less you dare to shoot; the less you dare to shoot, the less likely you are to make a shot!
With Christie completely left open after falling into this trap, the Bulls' defense became even more formidable!
Lin Tian was double-teamed by Qiao Pi, so there wasn't much he could do. Although Miller and Barkley weren't double-teamed, Rodman and Harper were both excellent defenders, and their close defense made it difficult for them to put on any outstanding performances.
The Pacers' momentum, which Lin Tian had just generated, was immediately wiped out again. With the Bulls gaining an advantage, the score gap widened once more!
By the end of the third quarter, they had once again extended their lead to more than 20 points!
In the fourth quarter, although Bird still didn't want to give up and put his starting players back in for another 3 minutes, they were powerless against the Bulls' united and all-out effort and could not close the gap at all.
When Lin Tian faced a double-team from Qiao and Pi, as well as frantic help defense from Langley and others in the paint, and missed three consecutive shots, the suspense of the game was completely over.
With eight minutes left in the game, Bird substituted his starters early, not letting them waste their energy on the court, but simply surrendering.
It's only 1-1, and it's an away game. Bird is already completely satisfied with this score. The Pacers will really have to fight hard when they get back to their home court!
100: 81!
Ultimately, the score difference between the two sides reached 19 points.
Although the gap wasn't particularly large, anyone who watched the game would know that the Bulls completely controlled the pace of the game. After the Bulls took a 10-point lead at the start of the first quarter, they almost never allowed the Pacers to narrow the gap to single digits.
Tonight they displayed the style and spirit expected of a defending champion and a dynasty team!
At least in terms of attitude and competitive spirit, they completely outplayed the Pacers tonight!
Throughout the game, Jordan scored 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Pippen had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists; and Rodman had 8 points and 21 rebounds. The "Big Three" once again combined their efforts to win this crucial game!
On the Pacers' side, Lin Tian scored a game-high 29 points, but his shooting percentage was only 11 of 29, barely exceeding 30%! In the second half, facing double-teams from Jordan and Pippen, Lin Tian only made 3 of 13 shots.
He had the worst shooting percentage of his playoff career that night, unable to break through the double defense of Jordan and Pippen when his teammates failed to provide enough support.
After the game, Jordan strode confidently to the press conference. His first question to the media was: "Go ask Larry and Lin what number God wore tonight!"
After answering a series of questions, Jordan concluded the series with a single sentence.
"See you in Indiana! For me, this series is just getting started!"
For the Pacers, the situation isn't actually that bad; in fact, it's quite favorable! They've taken the United Center, tying the two away games 1-1. While not a perfect score, that's definitely a 80 out of 100!
But clearly, this is just the general public's opinion on this series.
Several key players on the Pacers, however, have a completely different view!
After returning to Indiana, the Pacers did not rest or relax at all. On their first morning back in Indiana, the whole team gathered at the training facility. Bird brought in a huge TV and started playing the video of the second game, analyzing the game as he played it.
"Reggie, Michael has already dived for that loose ball, why didn't you? He has 5 championships and 10 scoring titles, and he plays like this. Why didn't you rush out and fight him for that loose ball?"
"Come on, Charles, tell me how many offensive rebounds Dennis grabbed over your head? Eight or nine? And you? How many did you grab? You have the nerve to call yourself a former MVP and rebounding champion?"
"Doug, look at these open shots. If you could make just two more, we might win this game! Lin wouldn't be double-teamed so badly by the Bulls! Listen, I can accept you missing! Everyone misses sometimes, but you have to shoot!"
"Got it? We need you to shoot! Keep shooting! I believe you'll eventually make that damn basketball!"
"Rick, you're the same. You're the guy who used to dominate Patrick Ewing. You had a 100% shooting percentage against him in a single game, and you completely crushed him in the first two games! Why would you be afraid of an Australian?"
"He's not even a tenth as good as you! He only reaches your knees at most! Don't be afraid of him, shoot! Shoot! As long as you dare to shoot, the ball will definitely go in!"
Bird called out each player's name, pointing out their shortcomings in Game 2, while clapping loudly to encourage them to regain their confidence and find their rhythm in Game 3, the first home game of the series, and bring a victory to the fans!
Bird spent over seven hours in this tactical analysis session with the players, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bird analyzed the Bulls' tactics, playing style, habits, key player defense, and various details.
They also taught the Pacers a valuable lesson in defense, positioning, communication, and the details to pay attention to during offense.
The players ate breakfast and lunch sitting on the arena floor, and just one look at Bird's bloodshot eyes told you that he hadn't slept since last night! He definitely spent the entire night doing this analysis and research and then relayed it to the players first thing this morning!
The head coach has given it his all! He has done everything he could. Now, it's up to the players!
This kind of video analysis course is not limited to just this one!
There was a gap of about four days between the second and third games of the Bulls-Pacers series. After playing the second game on the 19th, they will have to wait until the 23rd to play the third game of the series.
Therefore, over these four days, the Pacers not only held a long tactical analysis class every morning, but also conducted live game drills in the afternoon to help the players adapt to some new tactics and get a feel for the game.
The reason there was such a long gap between the two games was that, in addition to the fact that it was the conference finals and the league wanted the four teams to get a good rest and not be in poor condition due to the long journey, the league also held the draft lottery during this interval!
This draft draw is still related to the Pacers.
After all, the Raptors have the draft picks in their hands!
If the Raptors don't make the top three, then this draft pick belongs to the Pacers!
So even though the team's training schedule was very tight, Bird still organized the whole team to watch the live broadcast of the draft lottery at the arena.
With Lin Tian and the others reminding them, everyone's attention was focused on the Raptors' general manager, who was drawing lots on their behalf. They were all eager to see what kind of expression the general manager would have if the Raptors didn't make it into the top three.
In terms of probability, the Raptors are actually second to last. At worst, they will get a sixth-round pick in the first round, and only the Nuggets have a higher probability of getting a top-three pick. The probability of them keeping their draft pick is actually very high!
But clearly, things don't always go as planned.
This year's draft is destined to make those teams that tanked to the extreme cry.
For example, the Nuggets, who only won 11 games all year, had the worst record in franchise history and were the worst in the league, and ultimately only got third place. The Raptors, who were second to last, followed closely behind the Nuggets and only got the fourth pick.
When Stern uttered the words "Toronto Raptors, fourth pick!", Lin Tian could almost hear the curses echoing throughout Toronto. The Raptors' general manager, upon receiving the fourth pick, also wore a pained expression.
Fourth? Who the hell wants fourth place?!
They're so bad, yet they're still doing all the work for the Pacers!
It's one thing to be a stepping stone for the Pacers, but they still have two draft picks to give to the Pacers in the next few years!
This transaction was an absolute disaster!
This trade is destined to be the first super bad deal in Raptors history!
They were tricked by that old fox Bird so badly they were practically spitting blood!
In addition, the Clippers got the first overall pick, the Grizzlies got the second pick, and the Warriors got the fifth pick.
Everything was exactly the same as Lin Tian remembered!
It seems the butterfly effect I, Lord Lin, brought about wasn't so terrible after all!
"Alright, I think we'll have a young super talent coming up next season." Bird turned off the TV and looked at his players. "Now, everyone go home and sleep. You'd better stay home tonight, no partying, and definitely no bringing anyone home!"
"If I find out, I guarantee you'll regret it for the rest of your lives! Everyone, I mean everyone, understand?"
"clear!"
"Very good." Bird nodded, looking at the players, and said, "You can dismiss them now. Tomorrow morning's practice is canceled. Everyone stay home and rest well, recharge your batteries, and then tomorrow night, we'll teach the Bulls a lesson! Let them know who the real Eastern Conference champions are this year!"
After saying goodbye to his teammates, Lin Tian drove his Corvette home alone, but before he even left the parking lot, his phone rang.
After answering the phone, Lin Tiancai realized that although the effect of his butterfly had not affected this year's draft, it was very likely to affect every draft in the future!
"Lin, can you trade me to your team? I want to go to Indiana!"
The first thing the newcomer said left Lin Tian completely bewildered. What was going on here?
We're still in the playoffs, and you want us to make a trade?
Fortunately, Lin Tian recognized who the person was.
So I didn't mistake it for a scam call and hung up on him immediately.
"Chris? Is that you? What's wrong?" Lin Tian recognized the voice; the person on the phone was none other than Chris Webber of the Wizards!
Hmm, according to Lin Tian's memory, he should be Chris Webber of the Sacramento Kings right now!
If I remember correctly, on May 14th of this year, the Wizards traded Webber to the Kings in exchange for several players, including Mitch Richmond.
Hmm, shall we wait a moment?
Lin Tian thought about it carefully. Although he had been preparing for the Eastern Conference Finals recently, there seemed to be no news of Webber being traded.
He hasn't been sent away yet?
"It's me, Lin! It's me! My team, those bastards in Washington! Liars! They said they were going to trade me, and to that damn Sacramento! Who wants to go to that godforsaken place! I heard that place only has three nightclubs in the whole city! And the girls are as ugly as if they just crawled out of the Amazon rainforest!"
"Lin, I don't know who else to call, but I think you can help me! I really don't want to leave Washington! I swear, I really want to live out my days here! And even if I have to leave, I don't want to be sent to some godforsaken place! Lin, you must have a way, right?"
What a godforsaken, desolate place?
Lin Tian really didn't expect that Webber, who hasn't become the 'King' yet, would be so disgusted with the Kings.
Unexpectedly, this transaction, which should have happened last week, has still not taken place.
I wonder if this guy would still be so averse to it if he knew that the peak of his career was in that godforsaken place and that he got everything there!
"I know it's really difficult for you guys to trade for me right now, but I don't have many friends in the league. My idiot agent actually said Sacramento is good too, that I could be the team's leader there! I've already fired him, and now I really have no one to help me. I hope you can give me some advice!"
"What about Hakeem? Weren't you two good buddies back in Michigan? He could have supported you and helped your team keep you on the team."
"Don't mention that bastard!" Webber gritted his teeth at the mention of Howard. "That ungrateful bastard demanded that management trade me! He said I was hindering his performance in the paint! He said he could play better on his own!"
"Now, they're putting all the blame for failing to make the playoffs on me! Lin, you're the only friend I have left, please help me!"
"How many years do you have left on your contract?" Lin Tian thought for a moment and asked an important question.
(End of this chapter)