no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 234 The collapse of the dynasty begins from within

"What are they shouting?" Adams asked Butler without responding.

Butler's expression was very interesting at this time. He smiled and spread his hands to show that it had nothing to do with me.

"Who.is.your.dady." West reminded him.

Adams then pointed at Butler and blamed him with a smile: "It's all your fault."

At this time, the on-site photographer was also very good at it, and the lens was given to James.

The shouts of the fans at the scene continued. James' expression was very interesting at this time. He pretended not to care, but his eyes subconsciously rolled up to see what was going on. When he finally looked up and saw himself on the big LED screen, he wrinkled. He frowned and finally pretended that nothing happened.

At this time, beside him, Davis and Irving subconsciously wanted to hide from the camera. After all, this was not a good thing.

This scene is destined to become a classic shot of the season.

To be honest, the behavior of the Bulls fans at the scene was very excessive, and it was even more shameful and humiliating for the photographer to take the camera. If it were an ordinary giant, he would have gone berserk, at least turn it into motivation and win the game.

But as Blatt knows, the Bulls are too strong, and this can't be solved by going crazy.

Moreover, Thibodeau played West at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and when it came to the main stage, he used James Johnson as a power forward.

In the end, the Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 109-97 at home, winning their 12th consecutive victory at the start of the season.

数据统计方面，徐永28投17中，得到赛季的第一个40+，45分8板5助攻2抢断2盖帽2失误。

巴特勒21分6板8助攻，韦斯特12分6板，亚当斯10分11板，罗斯9分4助攻。

For the Cavaliers, James had 23 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. It is worth mentioning that his plus-minus value was +7, which was tied for the highest on the team with Dellavedova.

欧文21分3助攻，乐福17分8板，戴维斯15分11板4盖帽。

"Senior, why did I see you were very happy before the game, but why are you a little unhappy after the game?" On the way to the press conference after the game, Butler couldn't help but turn around and ask.

Xu Yong could only smile and indicate that it was okay.

In fact, he talked a lot with Theron last night. In addition to the name, he also talked about whether the child should be made public.

The two people agreed on this point and both believed it should be made public.

Theron hopes that her children will not be troubled when they grow up. When asked, she cannot tell who her father is;

As for Xu Yong, although the method of not being able to get married was a bit unusual for him, he knew that this kind of thing could not be hidden, it was just a matter of time.

It's better to be early than that night, it's better to choose a day than to hit the sun, and it's better to hit the sun than today.

But in this situation today, 2 people chanted "Who.is.your.dady" in unison. Imagine that he sat down after the game and told the media with a happy face: "I am a father!"

This is not to convey joy, but to become one of the most lethal trash talks in the history of the NBA.

So how can he be happy?

And he can't blame Butler. After all, Butler just made an impromptu trash talk.

It can only be said that the root cause of everything is James. If James didn't throw his powder away to provoke Bulls fans, there would be no such thing.

In Chicago, the city of gangsters, James is sometimes not smart enough.

……

Cleveland, basement of a mansion.

An assistant wearing a protective mask threw the glass bottle into the air, and James, holding a special baseball bat, smashed it into pieces.jpg.

Then, the process repeats itself.

Mike is a good psychiatrist. After James decided not to accept his treatment, he gave James one last suggestion. Build a [venting room]. When you have emotions that need to be vented, don’t hold them in your heart, but use something like this way to vent it out.

From Indiana to Cleveland, James has been using this.

Facts have proved that this thing is still very useful.

After breaking an unknown number of glass bottles, James's mood finally stabilized.

He took off his protective gear, turned around and walked out, then returned to the living room.

Rich Paul and Windhorst had been waiting for him there for a while.

"I watched the game, and I think the Cavaliers will have the upper hand next time we play." Windhorst said when he saw James.

James said nothing. After fighting with Xu Yong for so many years, he knew this old rival better than anyone else.

With Xu Yong's state, even if the Cavaliers are fully adjusted, the two sides will only be [-]-[-] at best.

"King, I think the Bulls' current strength goes beyond the concept of a general strong team."

What Paul Fu said at this time successfully attracted his attention. As his agent, Paul Fu had no reason to suddenly say something praising his opponent.

"So I think in addition to making us stronger, we also have to find ways to make them weaker."

James became even more confused when he heard this.

Wouldn’t he know what Rich Paul said?

Isn't this the goal that he personally stepped in over the past few years?

But Xu Yongyong is afraid of this, and this season the Bulls also added two thugs, Johnson and Artest.

Why do you think he didn't get angry at the last moment of last night's game?

After suffering a beating from Bosh, he is now more wary of these old rivals.

"I mean..." At this moment, Rich Paul lowered his voice.

……

Time flies, and it’s already the end of December in a blink of an eye.

After two months of competition, the Bulls' record is 19 wins and 1 loss.

I can't say it's a bit exaggerated, I can only say it's quite outrageous.

Because the only game they lost was when both Rose and Butler were injured.

And because of this, the Trail Blazers, who defeated them, were even praised by the fans.

Thanks to this divine performance, the Bulls began to frequently make headlines in major media, and even "Sports Illustrated" used them as the cover.

Xu Yong stood in the C position. Next to him were Butler and Adams, and behind him were Thibodeau and Rose.

The new Bull Iron Triangle?No, they even have Rose.

That was the headline on the first line of the first page of Sports Illustrated.

Even some of the Bulls' role players are starting to receive some endorsements.

For example, Adams officially endorsed a male enhancement brand, and then that brand became a small hit.

The Bulls' market has truly expanded this season.

Although they have yet to win a season championship, they are resurgent as the third largest market after Los Angeles and New York.

At this time, the first round of voting for the NBA All-Star new season began.

In the Eastern backcourt, one person's name is particularly dazzling.

吉米·巴特勒赛季至今场均能贡献20分6.2板6.4助攻1.7抢断，47.4%的投篮命中率也是生涯新高。

With this kind of performance and the popularity of the Bulls, he beat Wade and Irving, trailing Paul in votes and ranking No. 2 in the Eastern backcourt.

He ultimately missed the All-Star Game last year, but with this momentum this year, he has a high probability of becoming an All-Star starter in the Eastern Conference.

Although the season is not over yet, the performance in the past two months has proven that Butler's [confidence] choice in the summer was correct.

……

chicago.

On this day, after finishing the game and knee treatment, Rose returned home.

Although he has changed his playing style, serious injuries for two consecutive years will have sequelae, which will make him need to sit out some games, and will also cause him to feel pain after some games.

Fortunately, the Bulls' record has been improving all the way, and it has all become worthwhile.

However, after returning home, he found that his second brother, Reggie Rose, who also followed him on the Bulls, was a little depressed.

"What's wrong?" Ross looked at his most trusted brother and the most educated brother in the family with confusion.

"I think that's a little unfair," Reggie said.

"Unfair?" Ross was confused.

"Jimmy Butler is going to be an All-Star starter now, and you'll never get that chance again. This was your team."

Ross was stunned for a moment, not because of what Reggie said, but because of Reggie's attitude.

As early as two years ago, they had accepted the fact that the Bulls were Xu Yong's team.

"Yes, Xu is talented, and he deserves it, but why does Jimmy have to be ranked in front of you?" Reggie continued.

"He took his chance."

"You were injured before, but now that you have recovered, you should at least be the second in command of this team." Reggie said and looked at Rose's knee. He knew how hard his brother had worked to come back.

"Jimmy won it with his strength." Rose was still very sober.

"Did you look at the cover of Sports Illustrated? You weren't even in the front row and they were saying things like 'They even have Rose,' which I think is so unfair compared to what you've put in. ." Reggie continued.

Ross took a deep breath. If he didn't think about this topic, he actually didn't care about it. But when these words came from the mouth of his most trusted brother, it was hard not to feel fluctuations in his heart.

He was once the hope of Chicago's stars and the youngest MVP. Now he is just the "sixth man" of the team. The gap is indeed huge.

He looked at Reggie and took a long breath: "There is nothing fair or unfair. The team is constantly winning. I think this is the best state now."

The experience of these two years has made him mature a lot.

Reggie's expression was a little complicated at this time. He felt his brother's maturity, but he still felt that the effort was not worth it.

"Jimmy Butler's rookie contract will expire next year." At this time, he said a more realistic question.

"With his current performance, even if the team doesn't want to give it, other teams will offer him a maximum salary contract. Do you think the team will match it by then? If it matches, the salary will explode, will you still be here by then? ?”

Rose was silent this time.

The new collective bargaining agreement and the luxury tax are so punitive that ordinary bosses really can’t afford it.

And the Bulls' summer operations have shown the problem, and they are trying their best to avoid such a situation.

In fact, if Butler accepts the early contract extension offered by the Bulls, then Raunsdorf may bite the bullet and maintain the lineup.

After all, the Bulls' current market is expanding, and it is worth paying tens of millions in luxury tax.

But Butler didn't agree, and more importantly, it was actually the team's status issue that Reggie said.

A sixth man with a super maximum salary is replaceable and will most likely be replaced.

The more he sacrifices now, the more likely he will be replaced by then.

Reggie stood up and walked to Rose's side, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder: "Derek, I don't want you to do anything excessive. I know your feelings for the team, but I think there are some It’s time we fought for ourselves.”

……

Xu Yong has also become very busy recently. He has participated in media interviews and the media reports on him have increased significantly.

This also includes mainstream media like ESPN that had a hard time dealing with him before.

Thinking again about ESPN's previous report on Xu Yong, maybe it was not just a diversion as it seemed.

ESPN is preparing more or less in advance.

After all, James' contract with Nike expires this summer. If Nike really doesn't renew James' contract, there will be a backlash. ESPN doesn't want to be on the other side of the torrent.

Not only the media, Xu Yong’s participation in sponsor activities is also increasing.

If in the past two seasons, the Bulls' prospects were unclear and everyone else was still a bit wait-and-see, this season everyone can see that Xu Yong is likely to become a god, and they all want to get involved as soon as possible.

Even league officials have begun to increase the frequency of his promotions.

Stern also hopes to officially push Xu Yong to that throne before he retires.

The fake No. 1 constantly demands respect from others, and then emphasizes his position by wearing a crown; the real No. 1 never needs to move on his own.

Xu Yongdu became a little overwhelmed, and sometimes he had to reduce his training time.

Because there are many things here that he can’t just say he doesn’t want to go. He is no longer an [individual].

He somewhat realized what Jordan said: "Many people say they are willing to try to be Michael Jordan for a day or a week, but I don't think they understand that being me is not fun, and you won't envy my lifestyle. .”

When January came, the Bulls' record began to show some ups and downs. They first lost to the old rival Thunder, and then lost to the Pelicans a few days later.

The loss to the Thunder is understandable. After all, the Thunder have caught up with the Warriors in record since Ibaka returned, but the Pelicans are different. The Pelicans are now the team that Westbrook is reveling in the statistics.

And although they are still first in the league in terms of record, they have lost more games this week than in the past two months.

This forced Xu Yong to completely bring his attention back to the team.

After the loss to the Pelicans, he offered to watch the game tape with Thibodeau in the video room.

While watching the video, he began to feel that something was not quite right.

There were some rounds when Butler asked for the ball and Rose didn't give it to him, but instead attacked it himself;
In some rounds, Rose called for tactics, but Butler did not move according to the tactics.

There seemed to be some issues between Rose and Butler.

Because there wasn't much interaction between Rose and Butler, and he was busy with off-court matters during this period, he didn't even notice it.

"Is my arrangement unfair to Rose?" Thibodeau asked Xu Yong after watching the video.

After all, he has watched a lot of videos, and he can see the order of the ball possession issues. Rose doesn't like to express, so he is expressing his dissatisfaction in this way.

"Tom, you did it right, I'll take care of it." After saying this, Xu Yong stood up and left the video room.Thibodeau is right. As a coach, what he has to do is to find the team's winning model. The team's record this season has already illustrated the problem.

Xu Yong returned to the villa after leaving the office. He was not in a hurry to deal with it, because the problem between the two was indeed a bit difficult.

The reason why he told Thibodeau to let him come was because communication between players is always better than that between coaches. If the coach comes forward, it will easily amplify the problem.

After thinking for a while, he first made a phone call and called Butler from next door.

"Senior, you're still up so late?" Butler asked with concern after entering the door. It was already past eleven o'clock in the evening.

"Jimmy, sit down first." Xu Yong signaled, then opened a cigar and gave him a cigar, and lit one himself.

Butler did not light it, but put it back on the table. Although the cigar was not good for lungs, he did not have this hobby.

"Is there any problem between you and Derek?" When Butler sat down, Xu Yong asked directly. With his relationship with Butler, he didn't need to use indirect ways to speak.

"No, we have no problems off the court." Butler shook his head, "But senior, you know me. I am not a person who likes to retreat. He did not follow the tactics required by the coach, and I also made my response."

Xu Yong looked at Butler and said nothing.

Butler looked a little uncomfortable.

"Senior, I'm sorry, what I did was not rational." He finally apologized.

"Jimmy, you are a player who can become the leader of the team. You need to learn how to deal with such problems correctly." Xu Yong said at this time.

Butler was startled for a moment, then looked at Xu Yong and nodded vigorously.

"It's getting late today. Let's go back and rest first. I'll handle the rest of the problems." Xu Yong said and stood up.

After Butler left, he stood at the window with his cigar and blew out a smoke ring.

Butler has struggled all the way, but because of his relationship, it can be said that it has been a smooth journey from role player to rotation to core organizer after entering the NBA, so when encountering this kind of problem, he will deal with it this way and Not surprisingly.

And Butler quickly realized that this approach would not solve the problem.

So the crux of the problem still lies with Ross.

He remembered that Butler had discussed contract extension with him during the offseason.

If Butler really renews his contract with the maximum salary by then, excluding Adams, the salary of their four starters will fill the salary cap.

From his point of view, he definitely wants to play for two years. By 2016, the salary cap will skyrocket, and these will no longer be a problem.

But the boss thinks about the problem from a different perspective than the players. The tens or even hundreds of millions spent in luxury taxes all come out of their pockets.

He hasn't had much contact with Raunsdorf, but the latter is obviously not the type of boss that Cuban or Ballmer was.

And the key is that Rose is not indispensable now. Rose is not in the Bulls' iron triangle.

It wouldn't be surprising at all if the Bulls trade Rose one day.

So thinking from his perspective, he can understand why Rose made these moves.

Perform well and strive for team status. Even if you fail to increase the transaction value, even if you are really traded, it will still mean your status in the new team.

Everyone will think about themselves, and they need to think about themselves.

He picked up the cigar and took another puff.

After standing at the window for a while, he turned back to his seat, put out his cigar, and already made a decision.

The next day, Xu Yong made an appointment with Ross to have dinner at his manor.

"Is your ankle okay?" Xu Yong asked Ross concernedly while eating.

"The ankle is fine, but the knee still reacts a little sometimes." Ross forced a smile. He could actually guess the reason why Xu Yong invited him to dinner at this time.

"Speaking of it, you can be regarded as dedicating a pair of knees and a pair of ankles to the team." Xu Yong sighed.

In fact, if he were the boss, the current problem would be very simple to solve, just make some contract extension commitments to Rose. After all, Rose's maximum salary will expire in the summer of 2017.

Rose's comeback this season proved that he can still play, and the key is that Rose was once a totem player for the team. Keeping him will also make the team appear humane and win the support of more fans.

Unfortunately he is not.

When Ross heard this, he also had a look of emotion. He put down his guard and looked at Xu Yong differently.

"Recalling that we beat the Cavaliers together, and then defeated the Heat's Big Three to win the championship, it feels like it was yesterday." Xu Yong continued to sigh.

Rose's expression became complicated when he heard this, and finally said with a wry smile: "I wish I had listened to your advice earlier."

If he had listened to Xu Yong earlier, he would not have been injured. Even if Xu Yong grew to his current status, he would have been Xu Yong's best helper.

Xu Yong smiled and raised the wine glass in his hand.

There are more medicines in this world than wine, but there is no regret medicine.

"Derek." After putting down his glass, Xu Yong looked at Ross and his tone changed.

“When the Big Four in Cleveland formed a team, the whole league was worried, but I wasn’t worried because I knew that just like the Lakers’ F4, no matter how they dealt with it, the issue of ball rights would always be with them.

When a team has problems with the ball, that is the beginning of its decline. Only when everyone performs their duties can they perform well. I think even we have experienced this. "

When he finished talking, Xu Yong looked straight at Ross.

Ross lowered his head and nodded after a long time.

Xu Yong didn't say it very directly, but he knew that in the season when he won the MVP, Xu Yong made sacrifices. In the end, the ownership of the FMVP when the team won the championship actually illustrates the problem. If Xu Yong wants to compete, that MVP may not be his.

"You should know me. I have always felt that the team is the most important. If I really need it, I can give up some of my rights. I just want that championship. You know we have failed for two consecutive years. "Xu Yong's eyes never moved.

"No, that won't work." Ross looked up at Xu Yong and shook his head, his eyes full of guilt. Xu Yong had already made sacrifices back then, and if he was asked to make sacrifices now, he would really feel guilty for the rest of his life.

"I'm sorry, Xu, I'm a little selfish." His eyes changed from guilty to apologetic. He had no problem thinking about himself, but he was only sorry for Xu Yong. You must know that Xu Yong has been supporting him since he arrived at the Bulls. After he was injured, or before he was injured.

"Derek." Xu Yong called Rose's name again, but his tone softened, "'The collapse of the dynasty begins from within.' What's more, we haven't proven ourselves yet. If we go through this now, we will only be happy. Our opponents."

"I understand, I will communicate with Jimmy." Rose's expression was serious.

Xu Yong nodded when he heard this, and then clinked glasses with Rose: "Everything is for the championship."

After finishing the meal and seeing Rose off, Xu Yong also let out a long breath.

The problem seems to have been solved, and it didn't make a big fuss.

At this time, looking back at what he did back then, it seems that he has a long-term perspective.

If he and Rose had competed for the MVP back then, this problem would have been unsolvable.

And the reason why he uses softness instead of hardness is also based on this point. After all, as he said, he and Rose have had years of struggle together.

……

After a relatively struggling week, the Bulls quickly adjusted back to form. They defeated the Mavericks, Raptors, Hawks and other powerful teams one after another, and soon started a new wave of winning streak.

At this time, someone had already begun to think about a problem.

In the latest episode of TNT, Barkley and Kenny Smith formally raised this issue.

"Are the Bulls trying to hit the Bulls' regular season record of 72 wins?"

This is the first time in many years that a team can achieve this goal.

And what’s even more interesting is that it’s the Bulls.

What's even more interesting is that the Bulls (69 wins) still have the second-highest regular season record in history.

Chicago · Breaking franchise records is history · Bulls.

Originally, when the super giants choose a team, they have to consider the Bulls when they see it, because Jordan has done too many things in Chicago, not only the 6 championships, but also a lot of records.

It was like a pile of rammed earth that couldn't be shaken at all.

But now, Xu Yong leads the new Bulls team and wants to loosen the soil.

The discussion on this topic has also allowed the Bulls to continue to be the most popular team in the league and the team that has long dominated the team strength rankings.

Even the Warriors, who played a dazzling record next door, were completely eclipsed.

……

cleveland.

"Crack! Crack!"

James smashed glass bottles in the venting room again.

And this time, he smashed it longer than usual.

When Rich Paul's plan worked, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep.

But just one week later, the situation has fundamentally changed.

The Bulls are in a state of glory right now.

And even the media outlets like ESPN used to flatter him.

Including Nike also hinted that he must win the championship this season, otherwise the cooperation is likely to end.

"A bunch of snobbish guys!"

He finally got so angry that he threw his baseball bat against the wall and left the vent room in a huff.

When he returned to the living room, he saw that Rich Paul also had a bad expression.

Rich Paul previously swore that the Bulls would be in big trouble, but now people are talking about breaking the historical record!
What makes him even more irritated is that the Cavaliers have not been able to adjust well during the season, especially Irving, who seems unwilling to just be an assaulter.

This has also led to the fact that although the Cavaliers have a good record, they have been ups and downs. Not to mention catching up with the Bulls, their record is still suppressed by the Pacers.

"King, I think to solve the problem of running-in, you can choose to have a truce for a period of time." At this time, Paul Fu began to make suggestions again.

James' expression still didn't improve.

"Let that Kyrie guy recognize his ability to lead the team and let him know that the Cavaliers can't do without you. I think he will change his mind on his own."

Hearing this, James's expression improved a little.

But he is also a little worried. What if the team has a better record without him?
Then he will be the one who is embarrassed!

"I have seen the schedule. The team's schedule will be very difficult in the next period of time, and it also includes the second match against the Bulls immediately. After about 8 games, the schedule will become simple again."

James had a smile on his face at this time. This is indeed a perfect solution. It will make those people feel like "you really need me so much", and then all problems will no longer be problems. 【Note 22】

"What you said before about weakening the Bulls..." After his mood improved, James reiterated what Rich Paul had said before.

"I will increase my efforts, and their problems will not disappear suddenly." Paul Fu said with certainty.

James nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this.

What goes up must come down. With their two-pronged approach, this season may not be the Bulls' world!
……

chicago.

The day before the game against the Cavaliers, Rose returned home after training.

"The second round of voting is out, and Jimmy is still second. If he really starts, he will have a solid position in the team." Reggie looked at the happy Ross and couldn't help but remind him.

Recently, Rose has been content with the role assigned to him by the current team. If this continues, Rose may really leave Chicago.

"Reggie, I have promised Xu. This is necessary for the championship. The team is on a winning streak now, isn't it? They are all starting to discuss whether we can break 72 wins." The team is back on track, Rose's current mood Quite happy too.

"People will remember the 72-win Bulls team with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Danny Rodman. Who will remember Ron Harper?" Reggie couldn't help but ask.

"I'm very happy now. I really feel that winning makes me happier than improving statistics. As for the future, who can say for sure?" Rose replied with a smile.

Reggie sighed, his brother was too naive.

If Raunsdorf had that kind of courage, it wouldn't have been so difficult for the Bulls to win their second three consecutive championships.

"And I know Xu." Seeing Reggie's reaction, Ross put away his smile and suddenly changed to a serious tone.

Reggie looked at Ross confused.

"He is someone who values ​​the team very much. He is communicating with me in a soft way now. If I insist, he will use a tough way for the team. If it really gets to that point, maybe this season will not be over yet." When it's over, I'm leaving Chicago." Ross said with a wry smile. After that meal, he not only knew Xu Yong's attitude, but also knew his [position] due to Xu Yong's insinuations.

Reggie was stunned. He wanted to say it was impossible, but if he thought about it carefully, was it really impossible?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh again.

Although Xu Yong is very good to their family, after all, his own interests are involved.

Seeing his brother's reaction, Ross suddenly flashed back to the words he heard when eating at Xu Yong's house: "If we go through this now, only our opponents will be happy."

He thought about it. At the beginning of the season, Reggie wouldn't think about this, but recently it seems that he has been mentioning it?
"Reggie, have you been close to anyone lately?"

"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

"I know you're thinking about me, but don't you think it's hurting the current team that I insist on doing that?" Rose suddenly asked.

Reggie frowned at first, thinking that his brother had misunderstood him, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed that this was indeed the case.

There was silence in the room for a while. Reggie thought about it carefully for a while and remembered that a friend had indeed mentioned this matter to him twice.

He had the same idea as Rose. He felt that the other party was thinking about them, so he didn't think much about it.

But when Rose said this, something seemed wrong.

"That person, I remember, was also a friend of Rich Paul." After a long time, Reggie said.

Rich Paul, also known as Rich Paul.

The two looked at each other and seemed to understand.

They were being used as guns.

(End of this chapter)