hotmtlnovel Chapter 192 All-Star Starting Lineup Revealed! Michael's Furious Outburst
Chapter 192 All-Star Starting Lineup Revealed! Michael's Furious Outburst
Chapter 192 All-Star Starting Lineup Revealed! Michael Jordan's Furious Outburst!
After hanging up Connery's call, Lin Tian didn't pause for a moment and immediately called Jordan.
"Michael, where are you?"
"The locker room." Jordan's tone was surprisingly good this time, without the slightest bit of displeasure because of the loss and being ignored by Lin Tian.
Needless to say, this bastard was definitely waiting to see Lin Tian make a fool of himself. He wanted to see how Lin Tian would handle this chaotic situation and how he would explain it to the girls.
Explain? I'm a damn time traveler, what the hell am I supposed to explain!
"Do me a favor, Michael, you owe me!" Lin Tian didn't waste time with Jordan's pleasantries and went straight to the point, asking for help: "Don't refuse! It's simple, meet me at the tunnel entrance in 5 minutes!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he hung up the phone without giving Jordan a chance to refuse.
Then he immediately made his third phone call.
"Angelina, where are you?" Lin Tian made this call to Julie, who was supposed to be the easiest to deal with and the least likely to cause problems.
"We're almost at the hotel. What time are you arriving?" Julie's response was exactly as Lin Tian had expected—clean, concise, and straightforward!
A girl who has explicitly stated she doesn't want to be in a relationship is a good guy!
Lin Tian glanced at his watch. Luckily, it was Christmas Day, and the match started very early. It was only 7 p.m., which would have been the start time of the match in the past, but Lin Tian could handle it!
"I'll be there at 2 o'clock sharp!"
"Are we still leaving?" Julie's question was always simple and straightforward.
"I'm not leaving!"
Lin Tian breathed a sigh of relief after hanging up the phone.
Solved!
There's only one left, it's no big deal!
Lin Tian then called Theron and asked her to meet him at the entrance of the players' tunnel, which was also the place he and Jordan had agreed to meet.
While on the phone, Lin Tian quickly walked out of the locker room and found Theron at the place they had agreed to meet.
"Charles, let's wait a bit. Michael invited me to their house for Christmas dinner. Let's go together." After meeting Theron, Lin Tian continued his quick and decisive style from tonight.
They don't give you a chance to ask questions, a chance to object, or a chance to refuse!
It's all about going head-to-head!
"Hey Lin, we're here." Jordan, with his arm around Juanita and holding his two sons' hands, walked over from a distance.
Lin Tian quickly took out two pairs of sneakers, two jerseys, and two sets of protective gear such as knee pads, elbow pads, and headbands from his bag, and said with a smile, "Jeffrey, Marcus, these are gifts for you. I hope you like them."
"F*** you! Lin, what kind of rubbish Christmas present is this?!" Jordan glanced at it and immediately cursed, "AND 1? Your own brand of sportswear, and you're giving it to my son as a gift? Did you spend a single penny? Is there any difference between this and something you buy at a street-side store?"
"Of course there's a difference!" Lin Tian solemnly took out a pen, signed his name on the jersey on the spot, and then handed the items to the two DeAndre Jordans: "See, it's different now! Hope you like it."
"They won't like it! Their dads have the world's best-selling signature shoes and the best sports gear in the world, why would they use yours? FUXX! Lin, I've never seen such a bastard and shameless person in my life! No one could be as shameless as you!"
"No, Dad, actually I really like it! I've always wanted Lin's autographed sneakers! You don't know, AND 1 is so cool! We young people love it..." Jeffrey only got halfway through his sentence before he dared not continue. Jordan's killer aura could scare even NBA superstars, let alone two little kids.
Lin Tian didn't give Jordan a chance to continue scaring the kids, and quickly said, "How about letting Juanita and Charitz take a walk first? Didn't you say Phil wanted to talk to me? Let's hurry up."
After Lin Tian said this, Jordan realized what kind of help Lin Tian wanted from him.
Help them lie and cover up this fabricated gathering.
"Scott and the others are all here in the office, just waiting for you." Jordan finally showed some loyalty and didn't sell Lin Tian outright. He then thoughtfully added, "It might take several hours. I saw Phil get some drinks."
"I won't trouble Juanita, I happen to have a friend in Chicago, I'll go meet her, and then we can meet up again, how about that?" Theron, being such a smart person, immediately indicated that she was fine on her own and didn't need Juanita to accompany her.
"See you later." Lin Tian didn't dare to be coy at all this time. Without any hesitation, he quickly greeted Jordan and pulled him back to the player tunnel.
Inside the players' tunnel, Jordan asked curiously, "What about the other two girls? How are you going to handle them?"
"I'll take care of this now, Michael. Have a good night. I need to go find Jennifer." Lin Tian didn't waste any words with Jordan, the instigator. He waved and walked in the other direction of the passage, while also taking out his phone to make a call.
"Jennifer, where are you? I'm at the parking lot."
The real battle is about to begin!
……
At 2 a.m., after Lin Tian had coaxed Jennifer and Charlize to sleep and then knocked on Julie's door, he couldn't help but sigh that he was really relying on the double buff of Nedved's Iron Man aura and the stamina rune on his arm tonight. Otherwise, he would not be a transmigrator, let alone a cultivator, his legs would be weak and he would have to hold onto the wall to walk.
Julie opened the door, a cigarette dangling from her lips. She was wearing a lace nightgown, the ultra-short fabric of which perfectly showcased her curves and long legs. Leaning against the wall with a languid yet playful expression, she truly deserved the compliment of being a world-class beauty.
Julie didn't say much, but took a drag of her cigarette and blew it into Lin Tian's face: "You'd better still have the strength."
Having said that, if Lin Tian were to utter another word, he wouldn't even be considered human. He took a sudden step forward, hoisted Julie onto his shoulder, ignored her screams, and threw her onto the sofa.
"You need to take a shower." Julie suddenly stretched out her foot and tapped Lin Tian's shoulder. Lin Tian looked at the tiny foot, which was completely disproportionate to Julie's height, and couldn't help but grab it and rub it. Then he frowned and said, "I think you need to take a shower too."
Even though Jolie had been playing the role of a sexy woman the whole time, she couldn't hold back anymore. She quickly pulled her foot back, and very unceremoniously sniffed it, saying, "Nonsense! It doesn't smell."
"I didn't say it smelled," Lin Tian said with a mischievous grin, reaching out to grasp the small foot again. "Did you bring black stockings?"
"My suitcase has everything, what do you want to do with it?"
"Go change!"
A few minutes later, when Lin Tian came out after taking a shower, Julie had already changed into a standard office lady outfit, except she wasn't wearing high heels. Lin Tian leaned back on the sofa and said, "Come on, Angelina, give me a report on what activities we have planned for tonight."
Julie lifted one foot and placed it on the sofa, leaning forward as she said, "Lin, you're not so tired that you have to resort to this method to continue, are you? If you're really that tired, we can just go to sleep, we can just cuddle and sleep, I promise I won't touch you."
You look down on people, don't you?
Upon hearing this, Lin Tian jumped up immediately!
There are some things that you simply cannot tolerate in this lifetime.
What plot, what temptations, what new gameplay? Maybe next time!
I'll make you submit first!
……
Lin Tian didn't know what time he went to sleep that night, but he really felt that he had just closed his eyes when he was awakened by a warm touch. Lin Tian looked down at Julie, who was working hard.
Just then, Lin Tian's phone rang. Lin Tian glanced at the caller ID and instinctively wanted to throw the phone aside, but Julie climbed up and whispered in Lin Tian's ear, "Answer the phone."
"It's a girl."
"I know, that's why I let you answer the phone."
Seeing Julie straighten up, Lin Tian stopped arguing and answered the phone.
"Charles, are you awake?"
"I'm at the airport." Theron's voice sounded perfectly normal. "Did you have a good night?"
Ah this...
How should we answer this question?
"Juannita's turkey is roasted very well, I quite like the flavor." Lin Tian thought for a moment and then blurted out a bunch of nonsense.
Then, Lin Tian chatted with Theron about this and that.
After talking for more than ten minutes, we finally hung up the phone.
Lin Tian had just hung up the phone when it rang again. Looking at Julie, who was already a little exhausted, Lin Tian said, "It's another girl. Should I answer it?"
"Catch it!" Julie bit her lip; at this moment, she was unwilling to admit defeat!
"Jennifer, are you alright?"
Seeing Julie's insistence, Lin Tian had no choice but to answer the phone again.
Hopefully, Jolie can hold on!
Consider this as her physical training in advance for filming Tomb Raider in two years. If she can withstand this, then filming some action movies will be a piece of cake!
Well, it's worth mentioning that while Lin Tian and Julie were arguing, or rather, Julie was arguing with herself, the system started giving Lin Tian gifts again. This generous and wealthy gift-giver was, of course, Michael Jordan!
This time, Jordan's feelings were completely different from the previous times he gave gifts to Lin Tian.
In the previous instances, Jordan felt angry, upset, and insulted.
They felt betrayed by the Minotaur and that Lin Tian had changed his mind.
But this time, Jordan was in a really good mood. He even started to regret it. He regretted messing with Lin Tian like that yesterday. What a great guy! Although he's usually unreliable and talks nonsense, he still gives a lot of face on a stage like the Christmas Day game!
Lin Tian claims he will never forget Chicago; his two years there were his most precious memories!
After the Christmas battle, only warmth remains; behind the fiery showdown, a pair of staunch friends are hidden!
Lin Tian claims to be Michael Jordan's best friend, stating that their relationship is one of healthy competition!
Love-hate relationship! Lin Tian claims he wants to defeat Jordan because Jordan is his best friend!
Merry Christmas, Michael! Lin Tian says he hopes Jordan likes the Christmas present he gave him!
Well, just these few headlines made Jordan feel happy. He felt that he hadn't wasted his time covering for Lin Tian last night, nor had he been wrong to force himself to eat the turkey he had prepared for Lin Tian because Juan Rita was angry that Lin Tian stood him up.
I almost ate myself to death!
Of course, the media, which always likes to stir up trouble, can't just say good things about Lin Tian and Jordan in the newspapers. In fact, most of the reports are actually trying to stir up trouble.
"Whether Scott is there or not, we can beat the Bulls. Lin Tian says the Bulls aren't scary!"
Michael can't score 40+ triple-doubles every day; tonight's Bulls were an exceptional performance!
Lin Tian claims his game-winning shot was all thanks to Jordan's trash talk! This game-winning shot was entirely due to Jordan!
What are your chances of winning if we meet in the playoffs? Lin Tian: 100%!
The real reason Lin Tian left Chicago has finally been revealed: he claims his biggest dream is to beat Jordan!
Lin Tian is happier in Indiana! He doesn't actually miss Chicago!
Jordan didn't see any of these sensational news stories! He didn't care!
Lin Tian praised me, so the rest must have been taken out of context by those bastard reporters to sow discord between us brothers!
Jordan at this moment is somewhat similar to the trio of girls from last night.
How to describe this state? It's that they completely believe in Lin Tian, and even when Lin Tian is too lazy to lie, they will deceive themselves and ignore the facts.
Or to put it another way, it's like saying, "I didn't want to be hooked, but he called me 'baby'!"
……
After the Christmas Day game, the Pacers returned to Indiana and played two more games in December, defeating the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies, two of the Canadian teams, at home.
Then, on New Year's Day, the Pacers played the New York Knicks on the road.
Facing the formidable Knicks, the Pacers' entire team underperformed. Three-point king Miller was specifically targeted by mid-range king Allan Houston throughout the game, making only 3 of 14 shots, including 0 of 7 three-pointers, a very poor performance. Other players like Barkley and Dumars also had poor performances with mediocre shooting percentages.
步行者全队称得上打的不错的，就只有19投8中拿下20分11次助攻的林天以及拿下19分6篮板5助攻的杰伦·罗斯！
In this game, with the Pacers trailing by only 12 points in the final five minutes and still having a chance to win, Bird opted to pair up his more trusted Dumars and Miller at the forward position.
However, the result was that these two failed to play their strong offensive game, and on the defensive end, they were brutally beaten by Larry Johnson and Allan Houston.
Ultimately, the Pacers lost this crucial battle for position between two top Eastern Conference teams, 88-105.
Their record is currently set at 20 wins and 11 losses!
But this loss wasn't the end of it. On January 3rd, the Pacers embarked on a five-game road trip in the West, facing the Jazz, SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. In short, aside from the Spurs, they would be going head-to-head with the four Northwest teams!
This trip to the West can definitely be called a hellish journey. Apart from the Nuggets, who are a complete weak team and a bottom-feeder, the SuperSonics and Jazz are the Western Conference champions of last year and the year before, and are currently ranked first and third in the West, respectively.
The Spurs and Trail Blazers are slightly weaker, but only slightly weaker. Both teams have a winning percentage of over 60% and are currently ranked fifth and sixth in the Western Conference!
If it weren't for the Denver Nuggets, who are ranked last in the league, making the game easier, more than half of the teams in the league would have to be prepared for a long losing streak when they come to the Northwest Division for away games.
On January 3, Lin Tian faced the SuperSonics, who had made a big trade in the summer, and showed no mercy against his old rivals led by Payton and Vin Baker. He scored 13 points in the first quarter with inside drives and outside shots.
Meanwhile, Barkley completely dominated Baker in the paint, scoring 9 points in the first quarter and forcing Baker to commit two fouls and leave the game early.
In the second quarter, Payton went all out against Lin Tian, using a full-court press and practically gritting his teeth to defend him and maintain his nickname "The Glove".
In this quarter, Lin Tian did indeed go 0-for-2 and score no points, but he delivered 4 assists, leading the team to continue to widen the gap.
In the third quarter, Payton continued to relentlessly guard Lin Tian, displaying his best defensive skills and limiting Lin Tian to only 3 points in the quarter! However, while he could stop Lin Tian's scoring, he couldn't stop Lin Tian's passing or the Pacers' terrifying scoring ability as a whole.
Although Lin Tian didn't score, the SuperSonics were slowly pulled away from the Pacers' lead.
At the end of the third quarter, the score difference between the two sides had reached 15 points, but the SuperSonics are indeed a top powerhouse in the league. In the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, they attacked inside and outside, and led by Payton, Schrempf and Vin Baker, they launched a 14-3 offensive run, narrowing the score difference to within 5 points.
Then it was Lin Tian's turn to perform.
He hit a three-pointer, grabbed the rebound, and then made a fast break layup. On the defensive end, he stole Payton's dribble one-on-one and drove to the frontcourt for a powerful dunk!
After a 7-0 run by individual players, the Pacers extended their lead to over 10 points! And they maintained that lead for a period of time, no matter how hard the SuperSonics chased, they just couldn't catch up, they were just one step away!
With 40 seconds left in the game, Lin Tian drew another foul from Payton and went to the free-throw line. At that moment, George Karl gave up, substituted all his key players, and officially surrendered.
After Lin Tian made both free throws, Bird quickly called a timeout after only one possession and substituted his starters.
Ultimately, the score was 98-84, with the Pacers securing a 14-point lead and getting off to a good start on their Western tour.
Although Lin Tian's scoring efficiency wasn't high throughout the game, making only 9 of 22 shots, he successfully broke free from Payton's control in the fourth quarter, once again turning Payton into a "fingerless glove." Lin Tian's position as the league's number one "glove terminator" is becoming more and more secure.
But at this moment, the excited Indians were unaware that this game would become the only one they won out of five games on their western tour!
The day after playing the SuperSonics, the Pacers arrived in Denver, facing a back-to-back game, consecutive away games, the players being overworked the previous day, and the harsh climate of Denver.
With all these factors combined, the Pacers played somewhat out of sorts today. In the game against Denver, the Pacers were more like the bottom team in the league. They were dominated by Denver for almost the entire game and couldn't turn the tide until the fourth quarter.
Although they narrowed the gap to within 10 points at one point, they still couldn't withstand the glimmer of victory that Denver had finally seen. Like starving wolves, they ultimately lost the game 87-95, a deficit of 8 points.
Then, in the next three games against the Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Spurs, the Pacers suffered three consecutive humiliating losses!
Since Lin Tian's return, the team's unstoppable momentum has vanished. The continuous away games have left the Pacers' veterans exhausted. In addition, these teams all have top-tier interior players in the league. The games against them have completely exposed the Pacers' weaknesses in interior defense and lack of height.
Against the Jazz, Malone had 37 points and 13 rebounds. Against the Spurs, the San Antonio twin towers combined for 55 points and 29 rebounds. Against the Trail Blazers, the twin towers of Sabonis and Wallace also combined for 44 points and 20 rebounds.
The Pacers' interior defense was completely overwhelmed!
While the team's interior defense was completely overwhelmed, Bird, trusting veterans more, preferred to let Dumars and Miller play more, unconsciously reducing Rose's playing time, who had performed well in the previous two months.
在这波4连败之中，罗斯场均时间暴跌到了26分钟，他的场均数据也从之前林天刚复出时的几乎20+5+5下降到了14分4篮板3助攻。
So, after the team returned to Indiana, Rose, whose dissatisfaction had been brewing since the Christmas Day game, approached Bird and Lin Tian after a practice session.
"Larry, Lin, I'm a straightforward person, and I always speak my mind." Rose looked at Lin Tian and Bird and said, "I really feel that I should play more and have more playing time. In these recent games, sometimes I was clearly in better form, but I couldn't help the team in the final moments."
"I really don't want to be sitting on the bench when the team needs me. I hate that feeling. I also don't want to be powerless to help the team every time it falls behind. I will support the coach's coaching and Lin's position, but I feel that I am not receiving the respect I deserve."
Bird listened quietly to Rose's words. To Lin Tian's surprise, this guy, who had always been unruly during his playing days, actually nodded in agreement: "You're right, Jaylen. The rotation in these few games was indeed my fault. Sometimes you're in better form than Reggie or Joe, but I reduced your playing time because I trusted the veterans more."
"I will pay attention and study my rotation situation carefully. We are all doing this for the good of the team, so I don't think this is a big deal. I will increase your playing time, especially when you are in good form."
"Thank you." Ross had prepared a whole host of arguments, and he had even researched a lot of evidence for this meeting, intending to use it as leverage to persuade Bird and Lin Tian.
He even prepared a set of statistics showing that he was the player with the highest shooting percentage after receiving Lin Tian's pass, and also the player who brought Lin Tian the most assists. He was just waiting to use this to bring Lin Tian to his side if things didn't go well with Bird.
I never expected that none of it would be needed now? It went so smoothly, far beyond my wildest imagination!
Could it be that... in Bird and Lin's hearts, I, Jalen Ross, am much more important than Miller and Dumas?
That's normal! I'm only in my early twenties, and those two old bastards who are about to retire can't run or jump high. What makes them think they can compare to me in terms of team status?
Thinking of this, Ross couldn't help but feel smug, his mouth practically stretching to his ears.
"You go to training first, Jaylen. Lin and I need to discuss the specific rotations and tactical changes again." After Bird finished speaking, he waved his hand, indicating that Rose could leave first.
After Ross closed the door, Lin Tian said, "I really didn't expect Larry to be someone who admits his mistakes."
"What are you talking about?" Bird rolled his eyes and said, "Right is right, and wrong is wrong. I have indeed been too reliant on veterans in the last few games, giving Jaylen, Ben, and Dale too little playing time. When our interior defense was being destroyed, I relied too much on the outside shooting touch instead of increasing our interior defense."
"Isn't this the reason for the loss? What's so hard to admit? Even if Jaylen doesn't come to me, I will increase his playing time in the next few games and adjust the rotation order."
"I didn't expect that although you seem like a stubborn, self-righteous, and arrogant egomaniac, you are actually very receptive to advice and willing to change yourself." Lin Tian nodded with satisfaction, indicating that he was very pleased with Bird's willingness to listen to advice.
"I'll take that as a compliment from you, you bastard," Bird said, giving Lin Tian a pair of middle fingers without any hesitation.
"But you agreed so readily," Lin Tian said to Bird, while also giving him a pair of middle fingers. "I'm worried it might backfire."
"Backfire?" Bird retracted his middle finger and instead extended his two little fingers to continue his provocation.
"What if he's overconfident? What if he thinks you see him as the hope for the team's revival?"
"If he plays well, he might be the hope for the team's revival." Bird, as shrewd as a man, immediately understood Lin Tian's meaning, leaned back in his chair and said, "But if he's in a hurry to seize power, then there are so many excellent swingmen in the league, we don't necessarily need him."
"This was my fault. I was just a little anxious, hoping the team could quickly get out of the losing streak, and I overlooked the potential consequences of my words." Bird said, then looked at Lin Tian again and said, "Or maybe I should just say it: you tacticians and psychologists have dirty hearts!"
"Why didn't you remind me?"
"Who told you to talk so fast? I tried to remind you, but how? Did I just tell you to shut up and whisper something in your ear?" Lin Tian spat and said, "You speak without thinking, and you're blaming me?"
"I'm the head coach and general manager, how dare you talk to me like that?" Bird glared at him, cursing, "Do you believe I'll bench you and then trade you to Minnesota or Milwaukee?"
"Then you'll become a hero in those two cities. When I lead them to a dynasty, the fans there will definitely remember your selflessness!" Lin Tian shrugged and said, "Maybe they'll even erect a statue of you! The statue will say: Our team's greatest unofficial member."
Bird waved his hand, too lazy to continue the nonsense with Lin Tian, and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, there's one more thing. Do you know the results of the second phase of the NBA All-Star voting?"
"Reggie is still ahead of Michael?" Lin Tian knew something good was about to happen when he saw Bird's sly grin.
"He's in the lead! And not only is he in the lead, his lead has widened! From less than 5 votes in the first stage, he's now leading Michael by 10 votes! Reggie has a total of 130 million votes! Let's put it this way, Reggie has never received 130 million votes in any year in his entire career! I think you should ask him to treat you to dinner!"
"Then he'll have to treat us to a big meal," Lin Tian said with a smile. "What about the rest?"
"You just want to ask yourself, don't you?" Bird rolled his eyes and said, "280 million votes, that's already broken an NBA record. If this trend continues, your final vote count will most likely exceed 400 million! This number is really a bit shocking even to me."
"I already found Michael's 2.4 million votes last year incredible; I thought that record would stand for at least 10 years! I never imagined that you would break that record so dramatically in less than a year!"
"Does your China really have 20 billion people?"
"There aren't that many, just over a billion. Larry, you really should read more books, then you won't look so stupid!" Lin Tian shrugged. "What about the others? Larry, do you really want me to ask them one by one?"
"In the East, you have a commanding lead of 280 million votes over everyone else. The second-highest number of votes in the backcourt is Reggie Jackson with 130 million, followed by Michael Jackson with 120 million, and then Grant Hill, the forward, has 140 million votes, which is the second-highest number of votes in the entire league."
"Add Charles with 100 million votes and Mutombo with 70 votes, and the five of you are currently the people with the most votes in each position."
"Besides Michael, Ewing currently has 65 votes at center and Kemp has 90 votes at forward. These three are considered to have the hope and possibility of surpassing the current starters and making it into the All-Star starting lineup."
"The situation in the West is more interesting. O'Neal and David Robinson have 71 and 69 votes respectively. The suspense and competition between them at the center position will definitely go on until the last second."
"Then there are Malone, Garnett, and Duncan, who have received 58, 55, and 50 votes respectively! They all have a chance to become All-Star starting forwards, but judging from the current public opinion, Malone, who has the most votes, is actually the least safe."
"Because he has a grudge against you! Now everyone knows that the source of this year's surge in All-Star votes is China, and it's you! Many people have already cleverly and promptly recorded their campaign messages in Chinese, but how effective they will be is hard to say."
"Then there's the backcourt in the West. Gary is actually the only guy in the West who can basically lock in a starting position right now. He's already got 119 million votes. Not only has he become the Western Conference's vote leader for the first time in his career, but he's also far ahead of other guards in the West."
"However, I heard that he became a starter entirely because of your Chinese fans, because they thought you could easily beat Payton and then easily win an All-Star MVP, which is why so many people voted for him."
"As for the last spot in the Western Conference backcourt, Kobe is currently leading with 61 votes, but Stockton is close behind with 57, Marbury with 55, and Kidd with 51. These guys all have a chance to compete for the last All-Star starter spot."
"How does it feel to see the West in such a mess? At least 70% of the credit for this chaos goes to you. If your fans hadn't suddenly started voting for you like crazy this year, and hadn't also voted for others as well, it would have been impossible for everyone to get such an exaggerated number of votes this year."
"I have no interest in the chaos in the West. I'm just curious what Michael is thinking now that he knows the gap between him and Reggie is widening," Lin Tian said, stroking his chin. "Tell me, what do you think he'd do if I publicly announced that I was willing to give up my All-Star starting position to Michael?"
"What will he do? If you tell the media that, you better pray that Michael doesn't have a nuclear bomb, otherwise he'll definitely hit you in the head with a nuclear bomb!" Bird said, making a rocket launcher firing gesture with both hands and firing a shot at Lin Tian.
"Then let's wait and see!" Lin Tian leaned back in his chair with a relaxed air. He had a feeling that this year's All-Star Game would be another rewarding experience!
How joyful!
……
Following this brief but highly productive conversation, Bird indeed changed the team's rotation and tactical details in their first game back at home.
First, we need to make the team play faster, increase Barkley's number of passes after grabbing rebounds, and let Lin Tian and Rose run freely. We also had the team watch a lot of videos of the Warriors team under Don Nelson in the early 90s so that the team could play faster!
Then, the playing time of the veteran duo of Dumars and Ainge was reduced, allowing them to rest as much as possible and shoulder less responsibility during the regular season. After all, in the first month without Lin Tian, they had already given their all to keep the Pacers at around 50% winning percentage, and now they deserve a rest.
With both players' playing time reduced, the biggest beneficiary is naturally Rose!
Rose's playing time, shot attempts, and average stats have all seen a significant increase! His confidence has returned to him once again.
In their first game after a four-game losing streak on the road, the team came out firing on all cylinders at home against the Nets, outscoring them 121-80!
41分的大胜让步行者终结了4连败的阴霾，同时，罗斯在这场比赛中上场30分钟，拿下21分4篮板4助攻的漂亮数据！他再一次成为了球队的第二号得分手！
Then, in the next 5 games, Bird continued to increase Rose's weight in the game, and his number of shots and playing time began to increase significantly.
In the six games following a four-game losing streak, Rose averaged 33 minutes per game, scoring 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, with a field goal percentage of 55% and a three-point percentage of over 40%!
In these six games, Rose practically became the Pacers' second-in-command. His role on the court and his stats were second only to Lin Tian, who averaged 23.4 points, 11.5 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game during that period!
Led by this young duo, the Pacers have achieved a six-game winning streak! They are once again on the right track!
After a six-game winning streak, the Pacers lost to the Charlotte Hornets on the road. Then they started another winning streak, winning two games in a row to say goodbye to January and welcome February!
In the blink of an eye, there are only about two weeks left until the All-Star Game begins.
The Pacers are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30 wins and 16 losses. They are only one game behind the third-place Hawks and could overtake them at any time. They are also only three games behind the second-place Heat. In the remaining half of the season, they have a very high chance of surpassing the Heat and becoming the second-place team in the East.
As for the top seed in the East, it still belongs to the Bulls for the time being. However, the Bulls have now achieved a record of 35 wins and 10 losses, and Pippen has recovered his health and returned to the team in late January.
A fully-fledged Bulls team led the Pacers by a full 5.5 games in just half a season. Under these circumstances, the only way to overtake the consistently strong Bulls team would probably be to pray that Jordan gets injured.
Although they have no chance of surpassing the Bulls, the Pacers have widened the gap to four games with the fifth-placed Cavaliers, essentially securing a spot in the top half of the standings.
In addition, throughout January, Lin Tian averaged 24.4 points, 11.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. Unfortunately, the team suffered a four-game losing streak, which prevented Lin Tian from winning his second Player of the Month award.
But now, with the increase in the number of games played, Lin Tian has finally made it onto the official statistics leaderboard for the first time. Including the data from December, he ranks 7th in the league with an average of 22.1 points per game this season, 8th in the league with 2.1 steals per game, and tops the assists list with 11.3 assists per game!
At the same time, Lin Tian also became the only player in the entire league to rank among the top ten in the league in all three statistical categories: points, steals, and assists!
Even if the condition is changed to: ranking in the top ten in any three main statistics, only Lin Tian, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal in the entire league can achieve this!
Both O'Neal and Robinson were great at scoring, rebounding, and blocking!
Only Lin Tian is capable of scoring, assisting, and stealing!
At least in the first half of this season, based on the statistics, Lin Tian is definitely the best point guard in the league today!
Of course, Lin Tian didn't care at all about this ranking that was neither legitimate nor based solely on data.
He knew very well that before winning the championship, things like being ranked in the top ten in the league in three statistical categories were all fake!
Only when he leads his team to victory and wins the championship will he truly become the NBA's number one point guard recognized by everyone!
For now, Lin Tian has only one goal: to win as many games as possible in the regular season so as to gain more home-court advantage in the playoffs!
However, including the Pacers, none of the teams have reached the point of charging forward and fighting hard yet. Before the All-Star Game begins, they all have one last period of relaxation.
The trade deadline two weeks after the All-Star break will be the time when all teams grit their teeth and really fight tooth and nail!
That time was not only when each team made its final adjustments, but also when each team was gearing up and began to fight desperately for a playoff spot or a 98 draft pick!
It's important to understand that while 98 couldn't compare to 96, where you could practically find an All-Star caliber talent with your eyes closed, it was still far more dazzling than the lackluster 97!
Mike Bibby, Lever Levernz, Jordan's protégés Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter of North Carolina, Jason Williams, nicknamed "Little Lin Tian," Kansas's super talent Paul Pierce, and equally gifted players like Ogvorkandi and Robert Treller are all geniuses capable of changing a team!
In short, this year's rookies are far more dazzling than the 97 draft class, where Duncan was the only standout, or rather, the only one worth looking forward to! It's worth every team tanking desperately to get a high draft pick!
Of course, those tanking teams have little to do with Lin Tian. Teams with him can't tank!
Lin Tian only has eyes for the championship!
In February, the Pacers continued their good form from the end of January. They first won two consecutive games, bringing their winning streak to four games again. They also surpassed the Hawks to become the third team in the Eastern Conference!
Next, the Pacers welcomed the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who were looking to get revenge!
In this game, the Bulls displayed their fighting spirit and ruthless attitude, adopting the mindset of a Game 7 in the Finals. They went all out from the very beginning, leaving the Pacers, who are usually slow to start and have mediocre defense, with no chance to fight back. In the first quarter, the Pacers were already down by 11 points!
In the second quarter, Phil Jackson once again demonstrated his determination to go all out tonight. He lifted the playing time restriction that had been in place since Pippen's return, allowing Jordan and Pippen, who had played the entire first quarter, to continue playing!
At this point, Bird made a mistake. He didn't change the lineup in time, leaving Barkley to lead the bench unit against Jordan and Pierce. The result was predictable.
Less than two minutes into the second quarter, the Bulls used their signature aggressive defense to overwhelm the Pacers, extending their lead to 17 points!
Although Bird reacted quickly and swiftly changed his starting lineup, the huge gap had already been formed. Even though the Pacers chased frantically in the following game, they were never able to catch up. Finally, when the final whistle blew, the score was 101-90!
The Bulls defeated the Pacers by 11 points, successfully avenging their Christmas Day loss!
After the game, Jordan, who scored 31 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists, proudly stated, "Lin was right last game; I can't consistently get 40+ point triple-doubles every night anymore, but I can still bring victory to the team! We are still unstoppable!"
"We have another matchup this season, and I'm really excited, it's in just 3 days! In 3 days we'll be back at the United Center, and I'll show Lin and all that Pacers trash who the real kings of the league are! I'll also show them that when we're all out there, they're nothing!"
Next, the Pacers won another big win against the 76ers at home, and then they set off again for Chicago to prepare for their third matchup of the season against the Bulls, which would also be their last regular season game!
It's unclear what the league was thinking when they allowed the two teams to play three games in a row within about 40 days! But these two games, which were only three days apart, gave both sides the illusion that they were playing a series.
On the morning of February 7th, the day before the Bulls and Pacers' third game of the season was about to begin, and also the last day of the first week of February, the league finally announced the final results of this season's All-Star voting!
After nearly three months of competition and countless fan votes, the All-Star starting lineup for this season has finally been announced!
The final rosters of the All-Star teams for this season, with ten players from each conference, have caused a stir throughout the league!
This result was truly unexpected!
In the Western Conference, O'Neal ultimately won with 99 votes over Robinson's 94 votes, successfully becoming the starting center for the NBA Western Conference. On the forward side, perhaps the "grudge against Lin Tian" buff was too strong, as Malone was overtaken by Garnett and Duncan in the final moments, not only receiving only 81 votes but also losing his All-Star starting position.
With 89 votes and 93 votes, these two young number 21s became All-Star starters for the first time in their careers!
In the backcourt, Gary Payton became the Western Conference All-Star vote leader due to his "fingerless glove" and Lin Tian's "glove terminator" skills, garnering a career-high 150 million votes and becoming the starting guard for the Western Conference All-Star Game. Kobe Bryant, on the other hand, beat Kidd, Stockton, and Marbury to become an All-Star starter off the bench.
It's worth mentioning that Kobe is the youngest All-Star starter in NBA history, and he is also the first player in history to become an All-Star starter after playing less than 10 games!
Kobe's treatment also shows how high his exposure was in Los Angeles and how popular his playing style was!
The five starting players for the West were finalized as follows: the Los Angeles duo of O'Neal and Kobe, the two number 21 forwards of Duncan and Garnett, plus Payton, the "fingerless glove".
The east side is much more interesting than the west side!
First, Ewing ultimately failed to make a comeback, receiving only 88 votes, less than Mutombo's 92, and thus failing to become a starter.
Hill received 171 million votes and Charles Barkley received 128 million votes, meaning the two will be the starting forwards for the East!
As for the Eastern Conference's defense...
Michael Jordan, thanks to his dominant performance against the Pacers a few days ago, managed to salvage a significant number of points and attract a surge in votes, which kept his vote count increasing over the last two days.
Ultimately, Jordan garnered a staggering 168 million votes, marking the second-highest vote count of his career.
However, he failed to make the All-Star starting lineup, and his votes still ranked third!
Lin Tian's good friend Reggie Miller won by an incredibly narrow margin of 169 million votes, securing the last spot in the All-Star starting lineup in a thrilling and exciting game!
Even so, just days before the All-Star voting deadline, Jordan had dominated the Pacers' perimeter, leading his team to a resounding victory and regaining a significant number of votes for himself.
If the two teams hadn't been so mismatched in their second matchup, the vote difference between Jordan and Miller would probably have been even greater!
Michael Jordan was kicked out of the All-Star starting lineup!
This one news item alone is enough to drive the entire public opinion to a frenzy tonight, raising countless topics and sparking a long-lasting discussion among fans across the United States!
The buzz surrounding this discussion may even surpass that of the All-Star Game itself, and it will likely be brought up again and again for many years to come.
After all, this is the king of the league, the undisputed strongest, Jordan who has won countless honors and 5 championship trophies. This is Jordan who led the league to first place and ranked first in scoring. How could such a person be squeezed out of the All-Star starting lineup?
Unbelievable! This is absolutely incredible. Many fans even thought April Fool's Day had moved from April to February when they heard the news!
They couldn't think of any reason why Jordan wasn't in the starting lineup.
Not only fans, but also many players, coaches and retired legends have joined the discussion. Apart from those clowns who are just trying to attract attention and generate buzz, almost everyone agrees that Jordan should be the All-Star starter this season.
Even local Indiana fans were caught off guard. Three All-Star starters? Two of them had pushed Jordan to the bench?
This feeling is so unreal!
Furthermore, if you ask Indiana fans what they think of the All-Star voting results at this time, their answers are generally very straightforward.
Does Miller deserve to be an All-Star starter? No!
Was Miller thrilled to start? Absolutely!
Who the hell wants to see Jordan in the All-Star starting lineup? Of course, it's Miller shooting threes that's the most exciting and entertaining thing to watch!
Compared to the thrilling battle between Jordan and Miller for the starting lineup, which was only 10,000 votes apart, Lin Tian broke the record with 403 million votes, significantly breaking the All-Star voting record and setting a new record that is now unattainable for future generations!
What was the record for All-Star votes before this year? Jordan set a record of 240 million votes last year, and before that, around 120 million votes.
This year, Lin Tian's performance was three times that of a normal year, improving last year's record by as much as 40%!
This number will most likely remain unchanged for many years to come.
But compared to Jordan being squeezed out of the All-Star starting lineup, Lin Tian winning the vote leader seems somewhat insignificant.
That's Jordan, who just won two consecutive championships!
At the same time, a very serious meeting was also taking place inside the NBA headquarters building in New York.
"I think the voting rights of overseas fans should be canceled or proportionally canceled! They don't understand basketball at all! They are insulting basketball, and their random voting has made our All-Star starters a laughing stock!" An official used strong language, directly stating that the voting by Chinese fans was excessive and should be banned.
"Scoff, I understand what you mean, but honestly, do we really care about fair or rational voting? The purpose of the All-Star Game is to let fans see the players they most want to see on the basketball court, isn't it?"
Stern looked at his subordinate and calmly said, "Moreover, and more importantly, when has voting ever received such high attention and discussion? Even though the results have only just come out and many of the subsequent effects haven't yet unfolded, I truly believe that this matter is more beneficial than harmful to us!"
"The buzz, attention, discussion, and public participation—everything has reached its peak! This is beneficial for our brand development and the alliance's reputation!"
"But American fans want to see Michael more! China has over a billion people. If they really want to see someone, they can definitely see it! What about the interests of American fans? What about their preferences?" Another official stood up and expressed his opinion.
"You mentioned Scott yourself, China has over a billion people! If they all became our fans and were willing to spend money on our games, how much benefit do you think we would gain? How much profit do you think we could make? I think I need to emphasize our goal again: globalization! internationalization! globalization!"
"I want the NBA brand to be a global brand. I want people all over the world to watch the NBA! I even hope that fans can cast 1000 million votes for their favorite players! That would prove that 1000 million people are paying attention to our league and are willing to pay for it! Could there be better news than that? Hmm?"
Scott retorted, unwilling to accept defeat, "But our local fans..."
"If our local fans are unhappy, then vote! Seriously, Lin only got 400 million votes this time. How many votes came from China? Only 240 million! That's about 60% of the total votes! The actual number of people from China who participated in this vote is only two-thousandths of their total population!"
"Honestly, I think this number is too small. I would be happier if they could cast tens of millions of votes! As for us, it would be really embarrassing if we couldn't even beat two-thousandths of theirs."
"But we all know that Miller is not as good as Jordan. Compared to Jordan, Miller doesn't deserve an All-Star starting position at all!" Another official stood up and expressed his opinion.
"Does Kobe deserve it? Essentially, is there a difference between Kobe getting a lot of votes from California and Miller getting a lot of votes from China? Does Kobe deserve to be an All-Star starter more than Stockton or Kidd? Why don't you have any objections to Kobe becoming a starter because of Los Angeles' influence?"
At this point, all the officials understood that this meeting was more of a notification than a discussion.
Stern had already made up his mind; the meeting was to persuade everyone, not to listen to their opinions.
"So, I think we've reached a consensus." Stern smiled and looked at everyone, saying, "We'll accept all the votes from China, and votes from all over the world, for now, without any changes!"
"At the same time, we also need to celebrate that the NBA's globalization plan has officially taken a very big step! Fans from Asia are starting to get involved!"
"Finally, I think we can already set the tone and theme for next year's All-Star Game promotion."
Stern paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, "Avenge Jordan! Send Jordan back to the All-Star starting lineup! Keep the All-Star vote leader title in America! We'll promote it like this, are you okay with that?"
After saying this, Stern adjusted his glasses, leaned back in his chair, and gave the impression that he was stating his opinion and leaving it to the others to decide who agreed and who disagreed.
Oppose?
You've already made the decision, so why would we object?
Unsurprisingly, it passed by everyone.
"Then, you can start making arrangements for this in advance. Go and talk to the reporters and media you have good relationships with, including some retired legends who have close ties with the league, and ask them to express their views on this matter in various programs and occasions."
This meeting at NBA headquarters was definitely not made public. Apart from industry insiders, no one would even know that such a meeting was being held until today.
But almost everyone in the basketball world will definitely be provoked by the fact that Jordan is not in the starting lineup, and will make all sorts of comments. However, it will take at least 2-3 days for those comments to really take off. After all, this is not the internet age, and it is not an era where a tweet can be seen by millions of people immediately.
In the era of print media, it would take at least 1-2 days for news to spread.
But that's for ordinary fans. For NBA players, especially those directly involved, they can express their opinions tonight!
The Bulls' locker room was eerily quiet tonight; not a single person dared to make a sound, and even the players' breathing was much quieter than usual.
As for the reason?
Jordan was tired of the All-Star game; he was genuinely too lazy to play. His preferred way was to just go through the motions, casually dunk a couple of times, without putting in any effort.
Even after he overexerted himself in the first two months of this year and single-handedly carried the team's record, he was already thinking that once he made it into the All-Star starting lineup, he would find an excuse not to play or play less so that he could take advantage of this rare weekend to rest properly.
But how do I put this?
I may not like it or want it, but you can't take it from me!
After learning that he had been squeezed out of the All-Star starting lineup by Miller and Lin Tian, Jordan didn't say a word. His expression was as ugly as if he had just eaten three pounds of poop. He was furious!
Therefore, it's perfectly understandable why the Bulls' locker room is so quiet right now.
At the very least, Jordan's mood might improve only after he delivers another crushing defeat to the Pacers tonight.
Thankfully... tonight's game is against the Pacers!
Otherwise, this atmosphere will have to last for at least another week.
Kill the Pacers!
That was the only thing on the minds of every player on the Bulls team at that moment.
After all, if they don't beat the Pacers, they'll definitely get beaten by Jordan!
(End of this chapter)