basketball never sleeps

Chapter 279: Cowardly
On May 5, two days before the start of the second round of the playoffs, the press conference hall in KeyArena was already busy in advance.

Stern was sitting in the first row of seats at this time, watching the staff's final inspection and chatting with the congressman next to him about the new arena in Seattle.

A seemingly ordinary bronze man trophy was placed on one side, but it always attracted the attention of most people.

The hall outside was already packed with people. Under each of their heads were press badges from various media outlets, and the cameras following them were also searching in a saturation manner for the protagonist of this feast.

On the other side of the ocean, tens of thousands of viewers were sitting in front of their TVs, eagerly waiting.

Although the MVP has already been determined, it's just like a marriage. If there are only two dry certificates, it's just a marriage, not a conclusion.

As the security guards formed a human wall, Mo Wen, dressed in a smart suit, also made a shining appearance under the illumination of the flash lights.

All parties took their seats, the music started, and Stern, as usual, gave a useless speech that was booed by the reporters, and then finally got to the point -

No one knows... Trophy Stern
Mo Wen Trophy...Stern
Before coming, Mo Wen thought this was just an ordinary award ceremony, not much different from the award the league gave him for topic after he broke the record in the regular season, at most it was a little more formal.

If there is only a press officer, it would be quite painful to just think about “I said it in vain, I said it in vain”.

But when he held the MVP trophy in his hands, a new feeling emerged in Mo Wen's heart. This feeling was different from the championship and FMVP, which was like the exhilarating pleasure after running across the finish line. It was a kind of... desire.

Honor brings people confidence, and self-confidence motivates people to stimulate greater desires.

“This is my time, and it must be my time!”

A mixture of pride and desire made Mo Wen feel like he couldn't wait to get the ball on the court and kill everyone.

And in front of the TV, watching Mo Wen lift up the trophy that symbolizes the highest individual honor in the NBA, many people felt envious and jealous, but also felt empty in their hearts.

This man is only 23 years old!

A year ago, people could still say that Mo Wen’s previous achievements were just “something” combined with great luck.

But when Mo Wen won this year's MVP with a record-breaking unanimous vote, even the toughest duck would be turned into soup.

3 championships, 2 FMVPs, 1 MVP, and various "small honors" that are longer than the KFC menu.

"This man is very handsome, but you can't look at him too much, or you'll start to doubt yourself for living a dog's life at your age!"

"Jordan is pretty amazing, he can actually discuss with Mo on the same level."

"Mo should have come to Seattle a long time ago. If he wasn't in the Heat, would Mo have won the MVP three times in a row?"

While the live broadcast was still going on, discussion threads on major forums in China and the United States exploded first.

Of course, Mo Wen did not forget the standard procedure of an awards ceremony.

"I want to thank my parents, my lover, my teammates, and the fans who have always relied on and supported me..."

"Many people ask me how I have achieved what I have today. I want to say that there is no absolutely correct choice in this world, and the meaning of hard work and persistence is to make our choices correct..."

"..."

In the end, I became the person I hated the most. Maybe this is life.

In front of the TV, Wade looked at the trophy in Mo Wen's hand with envy.

A-Jan and Mo Wen both have it, so where is his MVP trophy?

Seeing Mo Wen casually moving the trophy with one hand, his heart ached. "Hold it steady, boy. You don't know how to cherish it at all. How on earth can you get it? Damn it!"
On the other side, NBA Vice President Stu Jackson also handed the DPOY trophy to Duncan.

He took it with both hands, and after taking the photo, Daidai made a similar move as Mo Wen Qianliwai and held the trophy in front of his chest with one hand.

I am very happy to win the award, but the feeling of the trophy is not as good as that of the Pampas Eagle.

……

After this press conference, Mo Wen briefly talked to reporters about issues that had mostly been repeated before, and then hurried to the next press conference.

That's right, Nike also arranged a press conference in a hotel not far from the KeyArena.

The theme is simple and clear.

The three-year period is up, and I, Nike, will pay you!
The media have long heard that Mo Wen and Nike are negotiating a contract extension.

However, due to the huge amount of money and the true and false news, it is hard to believe. The only thing that is certain is that the NBA will have the only billion-dollar sponsorship contract since Jordan.

But when the cover on Nike's checkbook symbolizing the contract amount was removed, everyone couldn't help but take a deep breath as they had expected it.

$200000000!

The length of the numbers is almost as long as their mobile phone numbers!

What’s even more frightening is that this string of numbers starts with 2. You said you were entering the billion-dollar era, and everyone thought you were just going to push the door open a crack, but who would have thought that you actually kicked the door open!
Before that, what the reporter didn't expect was that Nike spent such a huge price and got not the lifetime contract that everyone had speculated before, but only a 6-year renewal contract after the current contract expires.

The average annual income is more than 30 million, which is almost as much as the total salary of all the Clippers players in a normal year.

"How can you make so much money just by playing ball?"

"I'm not crazy, so Nike is crazy?!"

"I used to think the NBA was really in decline, and had fallen to the point where it was about to be dominated by a Chinese. Now it seems that the NBA still has some backbone. Nike is kneeling just for money."

Many reporters experienced dry mouth and dazed look.

The US dollar is already quite valuable. Before we experience the baptism of the average rich person in short videos, the shock brought by this number will only be greater.

Not to mention civilians, this number is quite scary even in the NBA circle.

According to the league's financial report, the average net income of NBA teams last year (excluding player salaries, operating costs, and taxes) was only $800 million.

In other words, Mo Wen's contract is equivalent to the annual net profit of more than 20 teams combined.

"Fortunately he is not in California, otherwise the California state tax alone would have taken away nearly $3000 million of this amount. I bet my father must be regretting it now."

Little Catherine whispered to Christina beside her.

"Sister, I think you need to be alert. Brother-in-law is too dangerous right now. There must be countless bitches wanting to climb into his bed." Tina's big eyes were like radars, scanning the surroundings for possible threats.

"This is indeed a trouble." Little Catherine pursed her lips in annoyance. She originally thought that she could rest assured as long as she joined forces with her sister.

But the man's stats are too good, and the two of them are no match for him.

Although Catherine and Ruth are not on the same track and can help share the firepower, but with such a large amount of money, there is no guarantee that they will not give up their bottom line.

"I remember Sister Rose. She's still studying in Los Angeles." Tina said suddenly, as if she had thought of something.

"Yes, Sister Rose is only one year older than me...what are you thinking about, little girl!" Little Catherine understood what her sister meant after a moment's thought, and then gave her a slap in the face.

The reporters present originally thought that this press conference was only about the largest sneaker contract in NBA history, but they did not expect that the news of the Winner series becoming an independent sub-brand would be announced later.

The reporters are really confused. After paying so much money, they still have to separate the brand in the end?

The media invited today have basically done their homework and know that sneaker endorsements are generally divided into four levels.

The lowest level is sneaker sponsorship, which basically provides free sneakers plus a signing fee that is just enough for a cup of tea. If you perform well one day, you will have the opportunity to have your own color in the regular series.

The second is the ordinary sneaker endorsement, which usually means endorsing a series. It has certain personal elements, but basically no profit.

The next level up is the signature shoe contract, a higher level endorsement contract, a personalized signature shoe series, and a certain share of the sneaker revenue, which is Mo Wen’s current contract.

The highest level is the "sub-brand" contract that only Danzi had before, which changes from a spokesperson to a partner. ?
However, Mo Wen is not Dan Zi who grew up with Nike after all. The Winner brand can now only enjoy the same sub-brand treatment and second-level profit sharing as AJ in China and several Asian markets.

In America and Europe, Winner will still exist as a highly independent series under Nike's planning.

Until the next contract, either Mo Wen will become a god and become an era, with Winner and AJ officially independent, or Mo Wen will return to the mortal world and become a lifelong cow and horse (endorsement).

Azhan's team, which had not reacted before, could not sit still after seeing this scene. This was exactly the development path they had dreamed of, but now it had been realized by a Chinese.

"The situation now is that you have to win the championship this year, LeBron." Maverick, one of the future leaders of the LeBron James economic empire, couldn't help but say. "That Chinese guy has become the absolute leader of a team and won the MVP. In addition to the honors he had previously won in the Pistons and the Heat... If you don't win the championship this year, we will be very passive in the subsequent development."

"We can't keep putting pressure on LeBron. Have you noticed that the league has recently been trying to promote the second pick? We can contact the media and add fuel to the fire and try not to focus all the attention on Mo." Rich Paul was also offering advice.

James didn't say anything, he just bit his nails, looking like he was frowning in thought, but actually he was eating a lemon like Wade.

A reporter once asked James what his career goal was. At that time, James, who had just entered the NBA, had a clear and firm goal.

That is to become the richest man in the world.

Bold or not?
In the eyes of others, this may be ridiculous, but compared to those black players who have no ambition and just want to have fun after getting paid, having a dream and being willing to struggle is already a win.

"I will, I will win." A Zhan murmured.

The Pacers, who had previously brought suffering to the Cavaliers, failed to create miracles after the upset in the first game. The gap in strength between the two sides was too large, and even though the Cavaliers, who had recovered, still failed to show the dominance they had imagined, they still won the next four games.

James has also watched the playoffs of other Eastern Conference teams. By comparison, he has become more and more confident about breaking out of the Eastern Conference.

As for the Western Conference, they have quite a few teams that James and the Cavaliers find difficult to deal with, but fortunately, there is only one spot qualifying from the Western Conference.

……

While the entire league was discussing Mo Wen's 2 million contract, the date for the second round was quietly approaching.

After winning the MVP and the super contract, Mo Wen did not have a party to indulge himself, but instead followed the team's steps to prepare for the second round.

Even when facing the four girls at home, Mo Wen maintained a certain restraint.

Facing the Spurs, the champions of this year in history, Mo Wen had no choice but to take it seriously.

This is the disadvantage of being in the Western Conference. There are five or six teams with championship potential mixed together, and it's hell mode after the first round. Unlike James, he can continue to enjoy the Nets' service after playing against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference.

The league has invested a lot of publicity resources in this series between the Supersonics and the Spurs. The new MVP and the new DPOY are fighting each other. The last time such a good show happened was when O'Neal played against Uncle Mu.

This time it happened in the second round. Although it was a bit of a waste, it also highlighted the cruelty of the Western Conference playoffs.

It's a pity that neither Mo Wen nor Duncan are the kind of people who like to make harsh remarks for no reason, which makes the tension between the two sides less tense.

But there is a lot of tension between the SuperSonics and the Spurs. The SuperSonics are the team with the most points in the regular season this season, while the Spurs are just the opposite. They are the team that allows the lowest points to their opponents in the regular season.

This wave is the strongest spear meeting the strongest shield.

Moreover, there is quite a bit of hatred between the two sides. Two years ago, the Spurs closed the door and let Bowen eliminate the Supersonics in a despicable way. As a result, they were stepped on by Mo Wen in the finals, which became a footnote to Mo Wen's greatness.

Mo Wen originally thought that his teammates would be nervous facing a strong veteran team, but a word from Guy in the recording room almost caused Mo Wen to sprain his back.

"I feel like the Spurs are just so-so, not that great. Duncan's efficiency is not as good as Dak's, Parker can only break through, you all say Manu is strong, but he doesn't have any outstanding performances most of the time..."

"After playing a few games in the regular season, I found that their tactical execution was very strong and their defensive rotations were fast, but in terms of individual ability, I feel that they are not as good as the two Nuggets."

Looking at Guy, Mo Wen felt like he was watching a newborn calf pointing at a Northeast Golden Tabby.

After opening his mouth, Mo Wen finally held back from preaching.

The first round match against the Nuggets was too easy, so it's not surprising that teammates felt the playoffs were going to be easy.

Let the Spurs help educate him and he will behave himself.

In the past, many people said that the Spurs' championship this year was of low value because they had no significant opponents along the way. The only team that could compete with the Spurs, the Suns, were defeated by Horry. The finals were no surprise at all. If it weren't for "The Future Is Yours", there wouldn't be much to remember.

The liberation of offense has become the general trend. The Spurs were able to defend their opponents to an average score of only 90 points per game in the regular season despite the reverse version. This is a unique ability.

On the offensive end, Mo Wen can use wonderful passes to guide his teammates to seize the opponent's loopholes, but in terms of discipline and defense, he doesn't have many ways. Guiding teammates on the court to guide their positioning has a certain effect, but the overall defensive quality and tacit understanding of switching defenses still need to be honed through hard work.

The game between the Supersonics and the Spurs will be on May 5th, and the Lakers and Warriors will start first in the West.

This is also the first time in history that two underdog teams have met.

The Warriors and Mavericks series would not be surprising after watching two games, but the Lakers' elimination of the Suns was beyond most people's expectations.

After Stoudemire returned and regained his peak form, the Suns became the favorite to win the championship this year.

But unfortunately they met a strengthened version of the Lakers.

The young Paul kept up with Nash's speed, and Bell could not consume Kobe's physical energy on the offensive end. All of this completely liberated the Black Mamba's influence on the offensive end.

Overall, the Suns are a more stable team with better performance. Even after being eliminated, their total score was still 12 points higher than the Lakers.

But Kobe's continuous performance was unstoppable, with 3 games of 40+, one game of 50 points, and an average of 40+ per game in the series, which carried the Lakers over.

Seeing Kobe's state, Los Angeles fans cheered and jumped for joy, and many even shouted the long-lost slogan:

When G1 ended, the fans fell silent again.

Change of plans, fast forward to the battle of dignity.

The Warriors' terrifying forward reserves are not comparable to the Sun's, and what is even more impossible to ignore is the gap in the two teams' interior.

When playing against the Suns, there was basically no difference between Kwame Brown facing Stoudemire and O'Donnell facing Marion. It can even be said that under the guidance of the Death Stare, the Lakers' inside line could sometimes gain an advantage.

But when facing the 2-meter-tall man, everything changed.

After the black seven was successful and entered the second round, Yao Ming's confidence also ushered in a wave of boosts. It was against the Lakers again, and his form was at its best.

He played like Chamberlain on both offense and defense...although it only lasted two quarters.

Kobe was entangled and the gap in the interior was huge, so the hope of breaking the deadlock fell on Paul who performed well in the previous round.

After several months of regular season training, Baron Davis has changed from the fat mode at the beginning of the season to a sturdy form and is much more flexible, but he is still not as good as Paul.

Paul tried his best, making 16 of 10 shots, 4 of 2 three-pointers, and 5 of 4 free throws, scoring 26 points with extremely high efficiency.

But 26 points are not enough to quench our thirst.

With Kobe being watched closely and scoring 24 points on 27 shots, Paul's handling of such a small amount of ball possession could only make the Lakers lose more decently.

"With so many opportunities, why didn't you shoot?" After the game, the "war criminal" questioned the "hero" with a fierce look on his face.

"I... I'm a point guard, the team needs me to organize." Paul bit his lip and did not have the sense of superiority of a "KDA player".

"You organize your MLGB, can't you see what the team needed you for at that time? I dared to take two three-point shots in the first year of the playoffs because the team needed me to score. Look at you again, a coward!"

"I am not you. I have my own judgment!"

"So you plan to be a coward for the rest of your life?"

"An idiot like you who only sees the ball will never understand the true meaning of the organization!"

"But I know how to win the game, you wimp!"

...

After watching the first game, Mo Wen knew that the Warriors would surely advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers' hard gap in the interior and lack of three-point shooting ability destined them to be tortured.

Now the only suspense is to see how many games Kobe can perform against the gangster forwards of "Martial Saint", "Slam Dunk King" and "Eighth Master" (Matt Barnes).

Then the game between the Cavaliers and the Nets in the Eastern Conference ended quickly. The Nets' inside line could not withstand James' "tank charge", and Kidd, who had only a few bullets left in his offensive magazine, ran into the solid Bibby. All the Nets could do was struggle in vain.

...

On May 5, the semifinals of the Western Conference Upper Half kicked off with Mo Wen’s BGM.

During the warm-up phase, Mo Wen even approached Popovich and greeted him in a familiar manner.

“I hope we can have a good series.”

Popovich was a little confused, but the next second Mo Wen came over again and spoke in a low voice.

"I also hope that Tim has a healthy summer."

Popovich's pupils shrank.

"You finally admitted it? You hypocritical, despicable bastard!"

"Haha, keep an eye on your dog." After patting Popovich's shoulder, Mo Wen returned to the Supersonics' half with a faint smile.

The Spurs' notorious history made Mo Wen extremely certain that Popovich would resort to bad ideas if he couldn't solve the problem.

It doesn't matter if the game turns into a gladiatorial arena and all-out violence breaks out. The most that can result from a fight is a suspension and some minor injuries, but the Spurs' unscrupulous behavior of attacking people is unacceptable.

So he had no choice but to make things clear to the old thief once again.

As long as this old guy dares to show any signs of bad intentions, don't blame him for making use of Payton's remaining energy before his retirement.

If given a choice, he really hopes to have a good competition with GDP, the last peak.

As the players from both sides took their positions, the starting lineups of both sides were also displayed on the big screen in the stadium.

Supersonics: Mo Wen, Ray Allen, Gay, Milicic, Tyson;
Spurs: Parker, Ginobili, Bowen, Duncan, Magloire;

(End of this chapter)