basketball never sleeps

Chapter 236: Demon War
The DJ on the sidelines has started playing lively music and the victory settlement has begun.

屏幕上，莫闻的数据不算太夸张——32分14助攻7篮板3抢断1盖帽。

This is a stat that other players can brag about for a year, but in the eyes of home fans, it is a performance that they can see when they arrive at the game.

In front of the camera, some fans were holding up Mo Wen's portrait and shaking it enthusiastically, some fans were holding up beer cups and cheering for the home team players, just for a smile from Mo Wen, and there were also crazy fans who wanted to go past the security just to get a kiss on a Sonics player.

But none of this has anything to do with the Lakers players.

Duang——!
With another missed three-pointer, the glimmer of miracle disappeared. Kobe, who had lost hope of winning, seemed to have caught up in the ebb of adrenaline and was drained of all his strength in a short period of time.

Compared to the physical fatigue, losing to the solo Mo Wen might have been a bigger blow to him.

It is difficult for him to describe his mentality, which may still be due to his desire to win against O'Neal.

He failed to win the FMVP when he partnered with O'Neal to win the championship, but Mo Wen won two FMVPs by stepping on O'Neal.

Of course, he could also brazenly say to the stats sheet that although the Lakers lost to the Supersonics, he beat Mo Wen.

But this is meaningless. Such words may fool the fans, but they cannot fool himself.

But failure will always be let go, maybe tomorrow, maybe later, but never today.

Having already scored 49 points and only one free throw away from scoring his first 50 points of the new season, Kobe chose to give up.

The more points you cut in vain, the more embarrassing it is.

All we can say is that Kobe is still young. Now people will see that his shots are in vain, but data is like thatch, which becomes more mellow as time goes by. In the end, who will remember that the raw materials of this liquid gold were stepped on by feet during production?

After the game, Kobe was not as arrogant as he was during the game, and seemed to have forgotten the passionate elbow fight with Mo Wen during the game. He put on a smile and humbly hugged Mo Wen and interacted with him.

At the press conference, Kobe, who had the best statistics, also turned on the "Mo Blow" mode, and praised Mo Wen wholeheartedly.

"Don't look at my better stats, but Mo's influence on the court tonight far exceeded mine. In fact, if Mo wanted to, he could have surpassed me in stats, but he was too selfless."

"Who of us has better skills? That's not the question. You have to understand that in my video room, I put Mo's video tape next to Michael's."

"The best player in the league? It's either me or Mo, there's no doubt about that. I don't know if he will improve next year, but this year he and I are both at the same level."

The reporters felt that Lao Ke's praise for Mo Wen was a bit too much, but Lao Ke felt a little embarrassed. He was still worried that the media would think that he was being stubborn and ignoring objective facts by ranking Mo Wen and himself on the same level as the active GOAT.

Mo Wen's scoring is at the same level as his, but the proportion of free throws in Mo Wen's score is the lowest among the top ten scorers in the current scoring list.

As for free throws, Mo Wen completely crushed his level.

If Kobe wasn't so overconfident in himself, he would have felt that he and Mo Wen were not players of the same level.

After the press conference, Kobe did not leave immediately. Instead, he went to Payton and contacted the Sonics players to get together after the game.

Well, mainly he wanted to talk to Mo Wen.

The defeat in the head-on confrontation made Lao Ke realize that he was no longer the best player in terms of technology!

So, Kobe Bryant couldn't help but use his strongest talent and skill - learning, to ask for advice.

After all, if you can't defeat them, you can just learn from them and defeat them.

Shame?

Could anything be more embarrassing than losing a game?

Kobe felt that Mo Wen was the same type of person as himself. No, he was even more hardworking than himself.

It is well known that Mo Wen had mediocre physical talent in his early years. Thanks to Mo Wen's floor-flow playing style and the American dream-like "civilian hero" marketing persona created for him by Nike and Mo Wen's team, many fans still firmly believe in this stereotype.

But everyone in the NBA circle knows that this statement is a joke to fool people!
Kobe, who has had similar rapid growth experiences, knows better how much hard work and effort is behind Mo Wen's progress of one step each year.

No, Mo Wen's starting point was lower than his, and it took him less time to grow to his current state than him. Combined with Mo Wen's current incredible technical level, it can only mean that Mo Wen works harder than him, much harder, and works more scientifically!
Looking at Kobe's sincere and hungry eyes, Mo Wen couldn't help but raise his hand.

No wonder Payton couldn't refuse Kobe's advice. The purest desire for basketball in his eyes was something that anyone who loved basketball could not refuse.

But Kobe's request was really a bit difficult for him.

What I mean is, Kobe, do you still have any technical weaknesses now?

Yes, but it can only be said that he is not strong enough, and compared with players of his and Danzi's level, he is not strong enough.

You should know that the mastery of technology also involves a "marginal effect". The higher the level, the harder it is to make progress.

Mo Wen didn't have any good training methods, because he relied on experience, and Danzi was also slowly honed under the torture of Big Bird and Piston.

When it comes to specific technical details, everyone's physical conditions are different, and experience is not entirely applicable.

Think about Kobe's failed transformation into the future?
He changed from a double-motion shot to a Curry-style single-motion shot, and changed the position of his elbow when shooting, but the underlying logic of this transformation is that Kobe lost his burst and bounce as he got older, and he had to make these changes in order to find opportunities to shoot.

It would be truly insane to ask Kobe, who is in peak physical condition and technical level, to practice techniques that can only be used after his physical condition declines.

As for Mo Wen’s own experience of success…does not sleeping count?
He trained his body scientifically during the day and practiced his skills mindlessly at night. The dungeon space also gave him a small cheat to improve his physical potential. He persisted for three and a half years and did not die of a mental breakdown...

Well, I'm so damn strong!
Mo Wen thought about it for a long time, but in the end he couldn't think of any way to help Kobe improve qualitatively.

"From a purely technical perspective, I can't help you much, but from the perspective of improving your scoring efficiency and offensive threat, I suggest that you review your game videos more often and pay more attention to the positions of your teammates on the perimeter. Improving your offensive options is a relatively easy area for you to improve."

"Also, practicing three-pointers more often will probably help you get more space. To be honest, if your three-pointers are at a level that's not good enough, then I really don't know how to defend you."

"But whether it's improving your offensive options or increasing your three-point production, it will not enhance your offensive level in a short period of time, but will affect your performance until you successfully complete the distribution and integration with your original technical system. To be honest, I'm not sure whether you will become stronger or weaker in the end, but it will definitely make your team stronger."

Maybe it's a bit cliché, but it's the fact. With Kobe's current talent, there are only two ways for him to improve himself.

Mo Wen believed that Kobe had thought about this before. The question was whether he was willing to use it after he knew the correct and simple way to solve the problem.

There is no need to worry about whether Kobe’s basketball IQ is good enough. After Kobe retires, he has written novels. Wouldn’t he have enough brains to write novels?
"Are you saying that if I make improvements in this area it will affect my performance?" Kobe frowned and pondered.

"Of course, because if you make the transition, you will definitely become hesitant. You will hesitate whether to pass the ball to a teammate with a better chance or take the shot yourself. You will hesitate whether to take a three-pointer to score more points or just take a two-pointer right away... You should be aware of the damage that hesitation can do to the game."

Mo Wen has experienced this before, but the steps were reversed. He played reasonable basketball at the beginning, and later learned lone wolf basketball. During that time, Mo Wen clearly remembered his condition. His three-point shooting was not firm, and his assists and turnovers increased significantly. Until he found his balance again, his performance in the dungeon was obviously downgraded.

The future "Little Fox" Fox of the Kings is also a good example. He was originally a top-notch classic outside player with accurate mid-range shots and no blind spots after entering the three-point line. Later, he switched to the magic ball style of play. He was hesitant and lost his accuracy in mid-range shots, and was not decisive and sharp enough in the interior. It seemed as if he was delayed by three-pointers.

There will inevitably be some pain during the transformation period, but as long as you can get through it, your strength will definitely improve.

Looking at Kobe who was lost in thought, Mo Wen did not explain any more. He was just providing a way. In fact, Kobe, who had already evolved early, would definitely be stronger than in history even if he took the old path.

Mo Wen did not hide his secrets. Pointing fingers at others was one of the great pleasures in life.

Payton was willing to teach Kobe back then because he thought that if Kobe became stronger, it would force him to improve himself.

Being afraid of others becoming stronger makes you selfish... Even Du Xiaoshuai is not that loser.

While Kobe was still weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Pao came over and started to get close to Mo Wen.

Seeing his hesitant look, Mo Wen probably knew what he was thinking.

Young man, I see that you have amazing talents, so you must be a good candidate for martial arts. I have a unique martial arts book here. Do you want it?
After that, Mo Wen took out a notebook from his trouser pocket, on which was written a line of big characters: "Lingbo Weibu (Celtics Thomas Limited Edition)".

Originally, there was a saying called "Paul's Dilemma" that was widely circulated among the people. It said that whenever the team needed Paul to step up and score 40+ to save the world, Paul could only get 20 points.

With Kobe on the Lakers, Paul naturally doesn't need to have such a heavy scoring task and the ability to score at critical moments, but at the same time, Paul can't have such a high ball possession weight.

If he wants to increase his influence on the game, the easiest way is to increase his off-ball running, and use continuous off-ball cuts to pull the opponent's formation while creating a suitable one-on-one environment for himself.

Thomas' peak time was short, but the scoring explosiveness he displayed was something that he would have difficulty achieving throughout his career.

Although Thomas also plays a style of play in which he finishes with the ball, if you observe his games, you will find that he actually relies a lot on off-ball movement to create an environment for himself to finish.

Usually, the Celtics will let Horford, a versatile player like Odom, hold the ball in the high post. After Thomas uses his speed and size advantages to move to the right position, Horford will pass the ball or hand it off to Thomas for him to make a fatal shot.

Tristana has not yet suffered any injuries that have caused his speed and burst to decline, so there is no barrier to learning Thomas' playing style.

Of course, Mo Wen doesn't think that Cannon can achieve the scoring ability of Isaiah Thomas in his peak period by simply changing his playing style. One is whether the playing style developed since childhood can be changed. The second is whether Cannon's shooting and finishing ability is not good enough. The third is whether the Lakers can provide the same high tactical environment and covering ability as the Celtics in the future.

In fact, for someone like Tristana whose finishing ability has not been fully developed, the most important thing is to improve herself step by step.

You are a teammate of Kobe, but your shooting percentage is not as high as Kobe's. How can this be acceptable?

"When your contract expires, you can come to the Supersonics. I will then teach you how to dribble with your fingertips." Mo Wen patted Xiao Pao's shoulder kindly, and the next second his poaching behavior was warned by Kobe with a raised elbow.

God knows how much luck the Lakers spent to select such a reliable teammate for me. How dare you poach him?
Although Kobe failed to obtain the "Sword of Exorcism", he finally accepted two favors from Mo Wen, and Mo Wen had already figured out how to use these two favors.

When the time comes, just let Kobe help him coach the rookies in the training camp.

Think about it, the players and rookies on the team who need training in the future will first train with Kobe, then with Ray Allen, and finally in the team training camp. Wouldn't their growth rate take off?

……

"Hey, what happened just now? Why didn't you answer my call?"

On the other end of the phone, O'Neal muttered with a hint of complaint.

"A guy just invited us to a nightclub to have some fun. I bet you don't want to know." Mo Wen laughed dryly.

"It's just going to a nightclub... oh shit, is it that arrogant idiot?"

O'Neal immediately responded to whatever he thought of.

"Mo, as a brother, you really disappoint me. I called you to congratulate you on winning the game tonight, but I didn't expect you to ignore my call and play with him behind my back. Traitor! Traitor! You traitor! I won't live any longer, wuwuwuwu!"

Listening to the creepy "coquettishness" on the other end of the phone, Mo Wen got goosebumps all over his body.

"Go away. If you keep howling, I'll record it and play it to Sharif and Shakir!"

"Tsk, whatever you want, Sharif is right next to me anyway." O'Neal said nonchalantly. "Dad, can I leave? I feel like vomiting, ugh--" Sharif said to his father with difficulty on the other end of the phone.

“…Hahahaha!” Mo Wen, who heard it clearly, held his breath for half a second, but still couldn’t help it.

"Fuck, you little brat, come here. I'm going to let you see your daddy's love today!"

It's just a joke, it's true that O'Neal holds a grudge, but after winning five championships, his obsession with Kobe is not that deep anymore.

Today, he called to congratulate Mo Wen on his victory, but mainly because he wanted to find someone to chat and talk to.

It's sad to say, O'Neal has never been short of friends, but people come and go during the offseason, and afterwards O'Neal found that several of the people he used to have a good relationship with had left. There are many people in the team who can get along well with him, but there are only a few left who he can talk to in private.

Coupled with the Heat's poor record, even the usually optimistic O'Neal is not happy anymore.

O'Neal himself is in trouble and he will most likely have to undergo surgery again, this time for a problem on his knee.

After Mourning decided to retire, O'Neal lost a reliable substitute and had to play more time despite his increased weight.

According to Riley, he just thought of it as losing weight on the court.

Although O'Neal is resentful, after all, he has taken a 2000 million contract, so he has to do things worth the price.

Then, of course, his 35-year-old body couldn't hold up for a few games and started calling the police for repairs.

He could choose conservative treatment, but for the team's long-term interests, the team doctor still recommended that he undergo a minor surgery, which is expected to keep him out for 4 to 6 weeks, and it is even a question whether he can catch up with the Christmas game.

Mo Wen could already imagine how worried Van Gaal must be after hearing the news. Doleac also left in the summer, and Mo Wen couldn't even remember the name of O'Neal's current substitute. Now it's time to truly test Van Gaal's level.

I heard from O'Neal that Riley has contacted Mourning again and plans to ask Mourning to come back for a while - these damn capitalists don't even want to leave any surplus value for the working people!

Apart from trying to comfort O'Neal as much as possible, Mo Wen could not think of any effective way to solve the Heat's predicament.

If he were still in the Heat, he would suggest that the Heat make a big rotation, even if they can barely make the playoffs. Anyway, as long as the Heat's lineup is healthy, they will definitely have no rivals in the Eastern Conference.

But now, Van Gundy and Riley obviously cannot bear the pressure of poor performance, and are stuck in a death spiral of wasting players and adding fuel to the fire.

……

The subsidy bet referendum between the SuperSonics and the Seattle municipal government ended voting almost within the shortest statutory referendum time.

Everyone could sense that something was fishy, ​​but when the vote count was complete the municipal officials realized that their little moves were totally unnecessary.

Even in the most random municipal ballot box, more than 90% of the votes were in favor.

It turns out that you should never underestimate a heart that wants to eat melons.

With the blessing of a city and an expression that looked as if he was not sure whether to laugh or cry, Bennett completed the signing of the bet subsidy agreement with the municipal government under the witness of the media.

Unexpectedly, many other team owners expressed doubts about this.

They felt that the Sonics were actually breaking the rules by doing this, because before they had been "begging" with a clear conscience, but how come the amount of "begging" was linked to KPI? Wouldn't they just be lousy employees?
Shabby, so damn shabby!

But if you want to say who is the most heartbroken, it has to be Schultz.

He begged and pleaded with everyone but got nothing, yet he bought the team. Bennett came and said nothing, but such a large subsidy was approved just like it was a gift.

What? Are you really just bullying honest people?

Mo Wen also breathed a sigh of relief. With this subsidy bet, he didn't have to worry about Bennett doing anything weird for the time being.

Mo Wen expects to defend all 41 home games.

The Sonics' lineup is not bad. In this era without super teams, if they are a little ruthless and have a bit of luck, it is not impossible to defend them all.

Mo Wen could also feel the league's support for the Supersonics. Although the refereeing environment at the Supersonics' home court had not yet reached the league-leading level after "Kneel and Penalty", it was almost among the top few in the league.

If they can really do that, the momentum of the Supersonics will be accumulated to a terrifying level. The most important thing is that the Supersonics players have beliefs other than just competing for the championship.

Competing for the championship may still be a distant and abstract term for a relatively young team like the Supersonics, but you have to think about it in a concrete way, fighting for the arena where you will play in the future, fighting for new lockers, water dispensers and bathrooms... Although it sounds a bit petty, the motivation brought by this real and tangible goal is immeasurable.

Of course, there are many teams that can pose a threat to the Supersonics.

The Warriors who are about to arrive are the biggest obstacle.

Domestic fans have been looking forward to this Chinese derby after the two players changed teams for a long time, because this is the first time that the two have faced off as the absolute core of the team. Some netizens called it the "Battle of Demons" based on the homophonic sounds of their surnames.

"The Demon (Mo) tribe is dead, the Yao (Yao) tribe should be established, the year is Jiazi, and the world is blessed!"

"Warriors of the demon tribe, raise your flags and follow the great demon. It's time to fight back!"

"Support the Great Demon and defeat the Demon King!"

"Humph, we demons are afraid of you? Our Demon King has won three consecutive championships and is already invincible. No matter how big or small you are, you have to kneel down when you see the Demon King!"

"..."

Mo Wen, who was browsing domestic forums for nothing, was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say. Aren't you guys too immature?
However, when he saw Yao Ming changed his QQ profile picture to the gorilla transformed by Son Gohan, Mo Wen also silently changed his profile picture to the rice cooker (Picco) devil.

Oh, how can you say that things between men are childish?

This is clearly the innocence and childlike fun of a child!

On November 11, Yao Ming, wearing a Warriors uniform, came to KeyArena with his teammates.

"We will definitely win. Even though the SuperSonics have won nine games in a row, you have to look at the opponents they played against. Apart from the Suns, there are no other strong teams, right? We beat the Spurs and Pistons before, and of course they are also very strong, but we will use our strength to prove who is the strongest team in the West!"

In front of the camera, Yao Ming raised his thumb and pointed at his jersey.

He looked so proud and smug that one would have thought he had been possessed by the great football star next door.

Dayao has really changed a lot.

After the trade, Yao Ming, who had thrown away his reserve and some of his idol image, began to show his original character.

Be careful in what you say and do, be modest and polite, and be mature beyond your years?

To put it bluntly, it is nothing more than the attitude that Yao Ming has to perform or play when he is given high hopes and shoulders a heavy responsibility.

Who doesn’t want to be themselves, who doesn’t want to live for themselves? But in the end, people cannot escape from responsibilities.

Mo Wen's existence makes Yao Ming's commercial value and even social status much worse than in the original time and space.

But it also relieved Yao Ming of the responsibilities that were originally on him, giving him the opportunity to live like a young man in his twenties.

"You are so confident. Have you prepared any secret weapons?" Coach Zhang, who flew here specially, became excited and looked at Yao Ming with curiosity.

"There is no secret weapon, but now we both have good teammates, and I think it's time for me to win." Yao Ming scratched the back of his head and said righteously, but the cunning flash in his eyes still made Coach Zhang realize something.

interesting.

But Coach Zhang didn't ask any further questions because the game was about to start.

During the warm-up, Mo Wen and Dayao simply exchanged fistfights as a greeting. Since they were all buddies, they didn't bother to say those useless pre-match harsh words. There were things they wanted to say, but both wanted to wait until after the game to communicate as winners.

Before the game started, the attentive Ray Allen noticed something was wrong with Mo Wen. Unlike his usual relaxed and somewhat nonchalant appearance, his expression today was noticeably more serious.

Ray Allen thought Mo Wen cared about the China Derby, but what Mo Wen really cared about was the win or loss of the game.

The referee took the ball and walked to the center of the field, and the players from both teams also formed their formations.

The Sonics' starting lineup remains the same: Mo, Ray, Guy, Mi, and Tai;

The Warriors' starting lineup includes: Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, and Yao Ming;
Tyson beat Yao Ming in a jump ball, and Gay received the ball and immediately passed it to Mo Wen.

Richardson, who had witnessed Mo Wen's long three-pointer during the warm-up phase, was shaken by Mo Wen's little worship and lost his defensive position. Mo Wen, who had rushed into the free throw line, took a step to push away Monta Ellis, who was there for no reason, and easily made a hook shot.

Monta Ellis, like his predecessor Arenas, is a player who is self-disciplined to the point of self-abuse. But no matter how hard he tries, if he doesn't gain weight, his thin body like Nash's is destined to make him a sieve on the defensive end.

The ball was exchanged, and Mo Wen rarely encountered an opponent who could physically defeat him.

The thick-waisted and big-butted Baron Davis was like a gangster bully. He lowered his head and relied on his weight to control the ball without any reason.

In contrast to Monta Ellis, Baron Davis is known for being jealous and undisciplined.

Others gain three pounds during every holiday, but Baron Davis gains 30 pounds during the offseason.

At the beginning of every season, his chubby physique would make people wonder whether he was going to switch to playing inside.

But this guy is talented enough. With a height of 191cm and a weight of 105kg, he can still maintain a certain explosive power, coupled with his honed and flawless ball-handling skills.

Even though Mo Wen was knowledgeable and experienced, he had no better way to deal with this style of play and could only let him go.

Anyway, Baron Davis's body shape makes it difficult for him to perform those clever techniques, and he can't get rid of Mo Wen's defense. Once he is pushed inside the three-point line, the defense has a different logic.

Byron Davis was also very clear about the advantages and disadvantages of his own playing style. He played a fake pick-and-roll with Harrington outside the three-point line, and he quickly took advantage of the gap to pass the ball to the real protagonist of the night.

Tyson and Chandler have fought each other many times, so they should have some experience. But for Yao Ming, who has not given up his shooting range in this time and space, he can only dance to the steps of Shanghai.

Swah——

Yao Ming bumped his chest with Byron Davis, then pointed at Mo Wen.

2:2, the first round of the "Demon War" ended in a tie.

　I'm sorry everyone. My cough has not been getting better. I value life very much, so I went for a check-up while I was on IV drip, and it was suspected to be pneumonia. I was also fortunate to receive a basket of IV drip packages. I have been recuperating and on IV drip these two days, so I haven't had time to code. The update frequency may remain relatively slow recently, so please forgive me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)