no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 247 King, but Adi version

Jokic, fell in love with drinking tea.

Xu Yong just gave it casually at first, but unexpectedly, he actually created a [Serbian Tea Master].

But fortunately this is real tea.

Tea is similar in effect to coffee in that it can refresh the mind. It can also promote gastric juice secretion and fat dissolution to a certain extent, thereby assisting in weight loss. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

However, Xu Yong still reminded Jokic that although tea is good, you should not drink too much. Drinking too much can easily cause kidney problems.

This was advice from him before he was reborn, a human in the golden elixir stage.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is already mid-September, and the Bulls' pre-training mini-camp has come to an end, with remarkable results.

When Thibodeau arrived at the team and started the official training camp, after seeing the state of the players, he said that it seemed redundant if he, the head coach, did nothing more.

So on the first day of training camp, he skipped basic training and started full-field tactical drills directly.

Then he was pleasantly surprised to find that the two core players, Xu Yong and Butler, had improved again.

Butler has enriched his breakthrough methods. Before, his breakthroughs basically relied on grabbing the first step, but he added European steps and small floaters, which significantly enhanced his breakthrough lethality, and his step-back jump shot His ability has also become much more stable, which is obviously the result of a lot of training. God knows how he did so much in one summer.

And Xu Yong's sudden improvement in low-post singles ability that can support tactical initiation made Thibodeau sure that he does seem to be a bit redundant.

The core of the team keeps getting stronger without having to push him, so why do you want him to do that?
But during the formal training, there was an episode.

That is, in the single-quarter confrontation for several consecutive days, the bench team defeated the bench team.

Bench: Dellavedova, Holiday, Artest, Kyle Anderson, Jokic.

Substitute team: Hinrich, Foye, Ennis, Prince, Hawes.

Part of the reason for this is the status of the substitute team.

In fact, since last season, the performances of Hinrich, Foye and Hawes have been declining compared to before.

In addition to Hinrich's age issue, Foye and Hawes are more due to lack of playing time.

This is something that can't be helped. The Bulls' iron triangle is at its peak, especially with two physical monsters. The substitutes have limited playing time, and without enough playing time, the players' condition will decline.

The rest is that the Bulls' bench strength is underrated.

Needless to say, Delavandova, the Bulls originally signed him for rotation, and with his excellent form, the coaching staff can safely let Hinrich serve as the third substitute.

The unexpected performers were Anderson and Jokic.

Anderson's defense, three-pointers, and even his state on the court give people the most direct feeling that he is completely ready to play.

As for Jokic, although his performance was not very good. On the defensive end, he was repeatedly passed by Foye when facing off against Foye, but he has a particularly good sense of rebounds and can always successfully predict where the ball will land. What's more important is that when the ball passes his hands on the offensive end, he can immediately find the person with the best opportunity.

In other words, he is not a data emperor, but he is the one who can make others better.

These are talents that cannot be reflected in one-on-one situations and can only be displayed in full-field confrontations.

Xu Yong is amazing to watch off the court. It’s not without reason that Jokic can surpass Sabonis and Divac to become the best passing big men in NBA history. This kind of talent, just like Durant’s possession, shouldn’t be. The coordination that belongs to his size is the same, and it is something beyond [general cognition].

This little episode made the competition for the Bulls' rotation suddenly become fierce.

The result of this competition is that the Bulls won 7 out of 7 games in the preseason and beat their opponents by an average of nearly 20 points per game.

This is not to say that the Bulls are stronger than last season, or that they are more ruthless, because the Bulls are the same as in the past few seasons. The main players only played in the first half, and the substitutes played in the second half.

And the reason is that they are playing as substitutes. In order to compete for opportunities, the substitutes are working hard to express themselves.

And judging from the results, this competition is healthy.

After the preseason ended, ESPN conducted a ranking of the strength of each team in the new season.

At the top of the list is the Cavaliers...the opponent in the opening game, the Thunder.

The analysis given by ESPN is: When the Thunder have Kevin Durant, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Serge Ibaka, it is difficult not to put them in the first position. It will be the best time for Kevin Durant to reach the top.

If you replace Durant in this analysis with James, and replace the remaining three brothers with the other three big players of the Cavaliers, you will find how familiar he is.

As the defending champions, the Bulls edged the Cavaliers into second place.

As the Western Conference champions in last season's regular season, the Warriors also overpowered the Cavaliers and ranked third.

Anyway, the Mavericks look very strong and are still sitting on top of the Cavaliers in fourth place.

It may be unbelievable to say, but the Cavaliers' Big Four ranked directly in fifth place!
ESPN is a vivid interpretation of what it means to be yesterday's Xiao Tiantian and today's Mrs. Niu.

To be honest, the Cavaliers' lineup on paper this year is unprecedentedly strong. Coupled with a season of running-in, it is not an exaggeration to rank in the top three, or even first.

But unfortunately, when the Cavaliers needed James the most, James was abandoned by Nike, and naturally he missed those opportunities.

Xu Yong opened social media after breakfast that day, drank tea made by Jokic, and almost burst out laughing.

"Hot chicken ESPN, Nike's dog, open your eyes and act like a blind man!"

"Which ESPN prediction was accurate? The Bulls were previously predicted to be eighth. Didn't the Bulls win the championship?"

"Watching ESPN is worse than watching TNT. Look at TNT this year... Fuck, why is the Bulls the number one predicted by TNT?!"

"TNT is Xu Yong's dog, but you still have to watch FOX. I'm Tefak, why is the Warriors number one on FOX?"

"By the way, when the Cavaliers, Heat, and Pacers were ranked first, why didn't I see you calling? The tide has turned, brother." A comment from "Los Angeles Nation".

"Poor king, abandoned by the mainstream media like this." Comment from "KBfnas".

"Hypocritical users are born at the peak, and true believers are witnessed at dusk."

"Are you saying that the 30-year-old king is at dusk? Be careful and I will report you!" A comment from "Knight Loyal Guard".

……

"What's so funny?" Jokic poked his head curiously.

Xu Yong handed him the phone.

After watching it for a while, Jokic choked and coughed. He hadn't even opened social media yet.

"It's a pity that we won't play the Cavaliers in the opening game." After receiving the phone from Jokic, Xu Yong said with a slight pity.

James has received so many benefits before, including those rules. In the final analysis, it is Nike's influence on the league. Now that influence has suddenly disappeared. James is afraid that he will not get the whistle he wants by kneeling on the court all night.

"We can watch." Jokic said seriously.

Xu Yong was stunned for a moment, then laughed, this is indeed possible.

Their opening game this season will be on the second day of the season, and the opponent is the Lakers. You can really watch this focus game on the first day.

In addition to James and the Cavaliers, he also wants to see what the Thunder's lineup will look like this year.

In history, the Warriors went straight to 73 wins this year. Let's assume that the Western Conference opponents have become stronger and the Warriors still strive to achieve it. But if they don't break out of the Western Conference in the end, they will be even more ridiculous than the Cavaliers last season. .

"Boss, I think I'm ready now." Jokic put down his teacup and said, because Anderson kept calling Xu Yong "Boss", he also changed his words now.

Both Adams and Anderson looked at Jokic curiously. Jokic has indeed changed a lot in the past two months.

Xu Yong put away his smile at this time, and then said seriously: "You have to be prepared not to have a chance to play. This is a championship team and it will take a process."

Based on Jokic's big-child temperament, Xu Yong felt it was necessary to remind him to prevent him from feeling frustrated.

"Yes, I basically didn't play much last year, but I think the situation will be different this year." Anderson nodded.

Jokic was somewhat disappointed when he heard this. The past two months have been the hardest training months in his life, and he also performed well in the preseason.

"Be patient, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared." Xu Yong comforted.

Jokic nodded, pouted and continued to drink his tea.

That night, except for those who lived in two villas, Butler also drove over.

Speaking of which, Butler is quite good. After signing a five-year maximum salary with the Bulls, he advanced his salary in advance. In addition to buying a house for himself, he also bought a new house for his adoptive parents and gave it to Xu. He will always give him a Ferrari worth more than 5 yuan in return for giving him the car and helping him over the years.

I came over now and prepared a lot of snacks to eat while watching the game.

Xu Yong, Butler, Adams, Anderson, Jokic, a group of people are sitting on the sofa, with a bunch of snacks on the coffee table, and waiting to watch the game. It would be great if this scene was captured by the media news material.

Before the game started, it was time for betting again. However, there were many people today, so instead of betting like last time, Xu Yong was the banker. He bet on the Cavaliers to win, and then opened a 1-for-2 handicap. Others could do whatever they wanted. pledge.

"Senior, I want to stake the remaining tens of millions in my bank card." Butler said eagerly.

"If you are not afraid of working for me for your entire career." Xu Yong started the trash talk session.

In the end, everyone placed their bets. Butler bet the most, 5 US dollars, Adams bet 5000, Anderson 1000, and Jokic bet a pack of old class stamps.

After they finished betting, they also entered the entrance ceremony, eating snacks and watching.

This game was played in Cleveland, and both teams used regular starters.

Thunder: Harden, Robertson, Durant, Ibaka, Howard;

Cavaliers: Irving, JR Smith, James, Davis, Love.

However, during the home ceremony, Xu Yong noticed a detail.

Davis has gained a lot of weight, and you can feel his muscles even through the screen, while Love... directly transformed into a male model.jpg.

Speaking of which, the Cavaliers' poor performance last season, apart from running-in and injuries, the two insiders have never been sure who will play four and who will play five.

But it can be seen from this detail that it is certain that Davis will play five and Love will play four.

Love finally followed Bosh's prediction, losing weight and squatting in the corner.

After the opening ceremony, when the starting lineup was displayed on the screen, just as Xu Yong had judged, Davis did appear in the C position.

This is good for the Cavaliers in the short term, but not necessarily in the long term.

Xu Yong still knows something about Davis' glass attributes. If you let him hold the fifth position for a long time, he will definitely be reimbursed for the season.

The game started quickly, and Howard jumped to get the ball for the Thunder.

Then, Xu Yong just picked up a squid ring and stuffed it into his mouth, but his movements stopped the next second.

Howard is actually setting a pick-and-roll for Harden?

Has his two years in Los Angeles smoothed his edges, or is it just a show-off when he first arrived in Oklahoma?

The answer came soon after the pick-and-roll, because after Harden was mismatched against Davis, he just dribbled the ball and took a step forward before throwing the ball away.

The ball flew toward the basket, and Howard had already knocked away JR and jumped into the air. He scored the first goal of the Thunder career with an alley-oop dunk.At his peak, Harden was arguably the best shooting guard in the league, and he was able to turn Capela into a quasi-All-Star center.

When thinking of this, Xu Yong was suddenly surprised to find that Capela was sitting on the bench of the Thunder team. Is this Thunder team the plus version of the brave Rockets team?

Then in the next round, the scene they were looking forward to appeared immediately.

The Cavaliers opened up and allowed James to break out. James was called for a walk in the first round when he broke through Durant!
There was an inexplicable silence at the door of the room, followed by roars of laughter.

Except Xu Yong.

Xu Yong didn't want to laugh, but had to hold back. After all, he still needed to remain somewhat reserved in front of all the younger brothers.

But when James spread his hands and received a warning whistle from the referee, and saw James' black question mark face in the camera, he still couldn't hold it back and laughed along with the others.

Although it had been anticipated that James might lose his privileges, he did not expect that it would be so miserable and that he would be targeted like this at the beginning.

He had only seen someone with his head in his hands called for a technical foul in the CBA before, but this was the first time he had seen someone with his hands spread out and called for a technical foul.

This referee is too much.

And as the game progresses, the tendency of penalty decisions becomes more and more obvious.

Even when James and Ibaka had a ball rights dispute, the referee whistled the Thunder's ball rights, but after slow-motion replay, it should have been the Cavaliers' ball rights.

Finally, after being called for a foul while chasing a defensive shot, James exploded. He took off his braces and shouted at the referee to question him. He also sprayed the referee after the referee ignored him: "If you can't do this well, find someone else." You look like an amateur referee!"

Because the players now have microphones on their clothes, this segment was broadcast directly.

Then, the referee gave him a T.

Butler laughed so hard that he slapped his legs.

But after such a set of combos, James really became honest.

In Xu Yong's impression, Xiao Hua, who was once forced to panic because of penalty issues, once commented on James, saying that he was a "spoiled child".

In a sense, this evaluation is quite appropriate. Many abstract things in this world only appear after being indulged.

But now, the maintenance of capital is no longer, the pampering is no longer, and the only way to be dishonest is to be honest.

But don't tell me, after being honest, James played pretty well.

This is also reasonable. James is a star after all. Even if his physical strength cannot reach the first echelon, his historical level of physical fitness is still above the All-Stars. To use the classic saying, you are in the first tier. NBA points increase, if you are given a chance, you must have the ability to increase it.

Not to mention that he has had a lot of the ball in his hands since he entered the league. Even if his skills have not improved much, they are still improving.

On the other hand, with the Thunder, as the Cavaliers gradually adapted to the referee's penalty scale, many problems appeared.

For example, although Harden sent an amazing alley-oop pass in the opening game, his overall condition was not good and he made many mistakes.

He didn't listen to Xu Yong's advice and was obviously guarded by [Best Defensive Player] Kardashian.

Fortunately, Durant's performance was still brave, and the two sides were inseparable.

Finally came the final decisive moment, the two sides were tied, and Durant had the chance to score the winning goal.

Facing James' defense, he took a shot from the three-point line at a 45° angle. The ball hit the frame, but the referee's whistle sounded immediately.

James did not hit Durant's hand with this ball, but the referee called James a defensive foul!
James's reaction was particularly funny. He originally wanted to spread his hands, but perhaps thinking of the situation he was being targeted tonight, he immediately put them back halfway. In the end, he could only spit out the braces and bite them in his mouth, shaking his head helplessly.

Durant made the last three free throws to kill the game.

In a big battle, the final protagonist is the referee, which no one expected.

Because of this referee, Xu Yong lost tonight's bet and had to pay a total of 112000 knives, plus 2 packs of old class stamps.

"I really should have bet my tens of millions." When the results came out, Butler said with a smile.

"And senior, if we meet the Cavaliers again next time, what do you think of the opponent?" Then when Xu Yong went to the safe in the room and took it out to everyone, Butler did not forget to add. 【Note 23】

"Boss, will the referee be so biased against us next time we play the Cavaliers?" Adams asked a very real question.

Xu Yong thought for a moment, then shook his head.

In tonight's game, the opening whistle was clearly sending a message that James no longer has the privilege.

Or in other words, James received the 13-year 2 million Adidas endorsement contract that originally belonged to Harden, as well as the iconic cart of shoes, but he also inherited the "differential treatment" that originally belonged to Harden.

But the result of the game and the final penalty was more of a demonstration of Durant's promotion to Nike's top spot.

The Bulls don't have this characteristic.

Moreover, Xu Yong didn't like that either.

He could obviously win by relying on his strength, but in the end he relied on the referee. Even if he won, he would not be happy. From this perspective, it is not a bad thing that he did not sign with Nike in the first place.

"At least we are fair." Xu Yong replied. He had beaten James at 5-on-8 many times before. He was looking forward to what would happen if the two faced off again under fair conditions.

……

After the game between the Cavaliers and the Thunder, the James fans made a fuss on social media and almost sent Xiao Hua’s mother to greet her. But the final result was that the league issued a referee report stating that the final two minutes of the game were There was no problem with the penalty, including Durant's final buzzer-beater: Although James had no hand, he violated Durant's shooting cylinder.

James' subsequent statement was very interesting. He did not dwell on the final penalty, but said: Victory or defeat is not determined by the last two minutes.

The implication is that there were also penalty issues in the first 46 minutes.

As a result, his voice, like other players who protested in many seasons before, fell into silence and received no response from the league.

The discussion about this game did not last too long, because the next day, the Bulls and Lakers game was about to start, which was also the season opener for both sides.

Although Kobe did not say before the season that this was his last season as Xu Yong thought, with the return of Gasol, the outside world's expectations for them this season have been heightened.

And on paper, the Lakers really have a certain chance of making it back to the playoffs in the Western Conference this season.

The game was in Chicago. The United Center was particularly lively on this day. Big names gathered at the scene. Even Jordan, who had not appeared in an NBA game for a long time, came to the sidelines.

Before the players from both sides entered the arena, the lights focused on the center of the field, and the Bulls' championship award ceremony began.

This year's championship award ceremony was very unique. The players did not enter in advance, but waited in the player tunnel, as if waiting for a surprise to be revealed.

The familiar and classic prelude of "Sirius" began to play, and Xu Yong moved his body unconsciously.

If the NBA is compared to a war, they won on the night of championships, and now is the moment of awards, especially this championship is of great significance to him.

"I heard Mike (Malone) say that this year's championship ring will be very special." Butler said as he approached Xu Yong.

"Why is it so special?" Xu Yong stopped and turned around to ask.

Butler shook his head. He had only heard about it.

Xu Yong gave him a roll of his eyes, this wave was purely titillating.

At this time, the rings outside have been awarded to the players.

Rose was the first to appear, then Foye...The last one was Butler, and the last one was Xu Yong.

Everyone else just had a simple name, but when it was Xu Yong's turn, the DJ on the scene stretched out the tone.

"Now, the 6-foot-9 small forward from Arizona State...Xu~Yong!"

When Xu Yong trotted out of the player tunnel, the cheers reached the climax of the award ceremony.

Xu Yong came to Xiao Hua and took the championship ring from the opponent's hand.

It was at this time that he discovered that the news Butler heard was true, and this year's ring was indeed unique enough.

It is not a separate ring ring, but a whole shape like a "9", except that the lower section is close to the ring itself.

In terms of cost, because there are no blue diamonds used to inlay the numbers, this ring may not be higher than the previous two, but the shape and design can definitely give full marks. Not only is it full of directivity, but it is also unique enough.

On a whim, Xu Yong put the ring directly on his hand and raised it above his head.

The scene was filled with roars and tsunamis. A large number of fans stood up to applaud and cheer, and the cheers soared into the sky.

At this moment, Jokic poked his head and looked at the ring in Anderson's hand curiously.

After Anderson noticed Jokic's gaze, he handed the ring to him. Jokic looked at it from close range, with uncontrollable affection in his eyes.

It was the first time he saw a championship ring in real life, and he didn't expect it to be so beautiful.

"Don't be envious, you will soon have it too." Anderson, who was in a similar mood to Jokic at this time, put away the ring under Jokic's reluctant eyes and put it away carefully.

Listening to the chat between the two of them, Butler showed an expression that looked like the two of you had never seen the world before.

The on-site staff gave the microphone to Xu Yong.

He was required to give a brief speech before the championship banner was unveiled.

“When they brought me to this city with the second pick in 2009 under great pressure, I thought at the time, I must bring a championship to this city. Now we have done it three times, but that’s still not the case. It’s not enough, we need your support and thank you all for your support.”

When Xu Yong finished speaking, next to the 2010~2011 and 2011~2012 season flags, with fireworks scattered all around, the 2014~2015 season flag was slowly unveiled.

The United Center was once again filled with overwhelming cheers from the fans.

After a long time, the cheers from the audience died down, and the scene entered the warm-up session.

At this time, Xu Yong greeted some familiar people on the sidelines one after another, including Jordan of course.

Jordan's body has completely gained weight. Although it has only been two years, he is no longer the same person who could play one-on-one with Xu Yong at the drop of a hat.

At this time, Kobe also came here and hugged Jordan and Xu Yong one after another.

"If I have time, I won't miss your game."

Jordan said something very meaningful after hugging Kobe.

Although Kobe didn't say it, he could feel that Kobe's current state was very similar to when he was with the Wizards. It was really one less game to watch.

This is also the reason why he came to the scene tonight in addition to witnessing the award ceremony of the Bulls' ninth championship.

"Then I can see you often in the past two years." But Kobe obviously didn't think so.

Jordan laughed and shook his head when he heard this.

Xu Yong couldn't help but be a little confused when he heard this. The implication of Kobe's words was that he would continue to play for two more years, at least he would definitely not retire this season.

This high-spirited fighting spirit made him have some self-doubt. Was there another deviation in his memory? Did Kobe retire only next season?

(End of this chapter)