no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 251 "Promise"

The referee reacted and quickly rushed to Green's side and pushed Artest away.

Artest turned his head with a puzzled look on his face. He looked down and found Green lying motionless on the ground with a surprised expression.

There was no conflict on the court this time, because the fact that Green was knocked unconscious was such a psychological shock to the Warriors players that no one would have thought that Artest would do that to him too.

The game entered a technical timeout. Finally, the staff brought a stretcher and directly carried Green, who was still unconscious, to seek emergency medical treatment.

This elbow is enough to be recorded in the history of NBA criminals.

The referee then issued a penalty, and Artest was found guilty of second-degree malicious intent and was directly expelled.

Green's unexpected departure also left the Christmas game without much suspense. Although Curry had an explosive 4 three-pointers in the third quarter, the Bulls ultimately defeated the Warriors 105-91.

So you say that Green's status in the Warriors is indeed not high, but he is very important to the Warriors, especially with the outside shooting this season. He is the core of the Warriors' five-small tactics. If they fight hard, the Warriors must beat the Bulls. The team is quite difficult.

赛后的数据统计，徐永40分6板5助攻，罗斯18分3助攻，巴特勒16分4板8助攻，亚当斯11分16板。

库里26分3板7助攻，汤普森21分，巴恩斯14分4板，伊戈达拉12分4板5助攻，博古特5分9板。

After the game, Xu Yong and Artest attended the post-game press conference together.

When reporters saw Artest appear, they all showed surprised expressions. The Bulls' arrangement was really unexpected.

After just a few regular questions, the reporter pointed the finger at Artest.

"You attacked Draymond (Green)'s right cheek with your elbow during the game. Why did you do that malicious move?" A reporter from TNT asked Artest in an unceremonious tone.

"No, I didn't mean it." Artest's reply stunned everyone present.

"I was so excited, knowing I hadn't dunked in an official game for two years, and then I went into a celebration frenzy and I felt someone pushing me from behind, I didn't know who it was, I just thought It was unfortunate to keep him away, but I definitely didn't mean it."

The reporters in the audience looked at each other in shock. If they hadn't known about Artest's "brilliant" resume in the past, they would have believed it.

But it's hard to say there's anything wrong with what Artest said, because what he described is consistent with the details that happened in the game.

The reporter saw that Artest's answer was impeccable, and then turned the blame on Xu Yong.

"Xu, what do you think of this malicious conflict that occurred during the game?"

Xu Yong glanced at the reporter who asked the question and replied calmly: "Ron, I'm sorry, it's Charity World Peace. He raised funds for the Children's Mental Health Association and auctioned the championship ring he won in 2011 for charity. He donated all the $65 he received to children's charities. He is now a good man and not someone who would intentionally hurt others, so I also think it was just an accident."

The reporters whispered among themselves, and then discovered that what Xu Yong said was indeed true.

So maybe, it was just like what Artest described, but Green pushed Artest when he wanted to serve, which led to the accident?

Fans were also debating fiercely on social media after the game.

"Artest definitely did it on purpose. He was the instigator of the fight in Auburn Hills, and he domestically abused his girlfriend. He is a grumpy guy!"

"I don't agree with your statement. People will change. Since returning from suspension, he has never had a conflict with an opponent. This is definitely an accident."

"I agree. Artest was also the Kennedy Award winner in the 2010-2011 season. What Xu said is all true. He is now a peace lover." Comment from "KBforever".

"Fuck you peace lovers, go watch the video brother, his elbow kick is quite explosive even in MMA!"

"So they are celebrating, why do you want to push them?"

"He deserved it. I repeat, he totally deserved it. He first attacked Xu and then kicked Adams in the crotch. I think he was just lucky if he didn't get beaten to death!" Comment from "KBfnas" .

"Whether Artest's action was intentional or not is debatable, but there's really no reason why he kicked Adams. He was aiming to annihilate his descendants!"

"So, the perpetrator has become the victim? Do you believe that Adams can beat Green to death if they go to the Octagon for a fight?"

"Should I say it, Adams is really hard. He recovered after being kicked in the crotch for a few minutes. His girlfriend is so happy."

"...Brother, do you have a strange way of thinking?"

……

After the press conference, Xu Yong and Artest returned to the locker room together.

"Ron, no matter how the league punishes you, I will bear all your losses." Xu Yong turned to Artest and said.

"No, I'm not happy with that kid either. I've never seen anyone do that (egg chasing) action." Artest said with a shameless face. Even the showdown between him and Ben was face to face. Yes, it is absolutely impossible to go to the opponent's lower third lane.

"I will pay." Xu Yong stopped.

"We still have a long way to go," he continued.

Artest heard the underlying meaning of Xu Yong's words and nodded.

Seeing this, Xu Yong smiled and pulled his shoulders, walking to the locker room together.

Because Rose has a maximum salary, it involves super luxury tax, which is more troublesome to deal with, but Artest's basic salary is just a matter of his words.

Keeping Artest, even if he is never needed again, is a huge psychological deterrent to opponents, especially after what happened this night.

The day after the game, the Warriors announced Green's injury. The good news is that he only suffered a mild concussion. The bad news is that he needs to rest for 10 to 15 days. As a key figure of the Warriors, he His absence is bound to have a huge impact on the team's record.

On the same day, the league established an investigation team to investigate the incident during the game.

Two days later, the league punished Artest based on the results of the investigation, suspending him for seven games and imposing a huge fine of $7.

Judging from the intensity of the punishment, the investigation team should have adopted Artest's explanation and did not characterize it as a malicious incident. You must know that since Auburn Hills, the league has always been cautious about fights in order to rebuild its image. It will be dealt with strictly.

This penalty naturally aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Warriors and appealed to the league. They believed that Artest's suspension was too small.

But in the end, after negotiating with league officials, the Warriors withdrew their complaint.

The Warriors officially did not give a specific reason, but according to people familiar with the matter, it is most likely related to Green's previous pursuit of Adams.

The impact of this Christmas war has not come to an end until this time, but to some extent it is the beginning of another grudge.

Because not only was the gap between the two sides on the court, but the Warriors' dream of hitting the longest winning streak in history was shattered here.

Shortly after the Christmas Day game, the league announced the results of the first round of voting for the 2016 All-Star Game.

For the first time since Xu Yong entered the league, he was not voted the first-round vote-winner. The first-round vote-winner belonged to Kobe.

With Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement and the passive [retirement tour] beginning, fans' enthusiasm for the Black Mamba has reached an all-time high.

However, there is another good news for the Bulls, that is, in addition to Xu Yong and Butler, Adams appeared in the front row of the vote for the first time. He is now ranked in the Eastern frontcourt after Xu Yong, James, Anthony and Paul George. , ranked fifth.

This season, Adams has set career highs in all statistics, averaging 11.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 61.3%. He ranks third in the league in rebounds and ranks first in the league in offensive rebounds. First.

If the league hadn't canceled the center position in the All-Star voting, he would have entered the starting lineup directly in this first-round voting.

According to the former James, including Rose and West, the Bulls have once again formed their five-star lineup.

It is worth mentioning that this year's All-Star Game is held in Chicago. This is the third time that Chicago has hosted this event. The last time was in 1988, when Jordan was only in his fourth grade.

……

Time flies so fast, it is already a month later, and the time has come to the end of January.

Several important things happened in the league in the past month. The first one was that the Warriors suffered a losing streak. They lost to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers in early January, which was shocking. After that, Green only rested for six days. An emergency comeback was announced, and the Warriors rebounded with an 1-game winning streak.

In the words of fans, through a group of control group experiments, a surprising fact is that Green is more important to the Warriors than James is to the Cavaliers.

Rough words are not rough, which is why Xu Yong knows that the Warriors have repeatedly indulged and tolerated Green's behavior in history, because when Green was there, he could really help the Warriors win.

Then after losing to the Mavericks and Heat at the end of January, although the Warriors started with a 1-game winning streak, they were already worse than the Bulls' record in the same period last season. This also forced the management and coaching staff to re- Consider their goals for the season.

Because during the 28-game winning streak, the biggest voice from the outside world was that the Warriors would do what they failed to do last season and set a record of 73 wins, but now the situation is completely different.

Or in other words, Artest's elbow caused the history that Xu Yong knew to move towards a new fork in the road.

The second thing is that the Cavaliers have begun a winning streak. They have opened up the gap with the Pacers, Raptors, and Heat behind them, and are hotly chasing the Bulls.

Xu Yong's judgment was correct. James gradually adapted to the penalties and began to play some exciting games. The Cavaliers' Big Four finally seemed to be on the right track.

Or this development also proves one thing. If he had not become a Nike darling and had privileges from the beginning, he might have become a "real.superstar".

The third thing is that Kobe's retirement tour has reached an unprecedented level. As long as there is a Lakers game, fans no longer pay attention to the outcome of the game, but only focus on Kobe himself.

When Kobe Bryant visited Boston, the Celtics presented a piece of "Old Green Floor" representing the team's highest honor before the game. This was the highest respect paid to an opponent.

"I can't imagine what it will be like when Kobe starts the last game of his career." When O'Neal said this on the TNT program, his expression was both happy and jealous. He thought he had won the same number of championships as Kobe. The two were even, but the fans told him through their actions that it was not like that at all, and he still lost one end after all.

One last thing, in the week near the end of the month, the league has successively announced the starters, substitutes, and individual event rosters for this year's All-Star Game.

West starting lineup: Curry, Westbrook, Kobe, Durant, Leonard;

Substitutes: Lillard, Klay Thompson, Harden, Draymond Green, Aldridge, Howard, Cousins

Eastern starting lineup: Wade, Butler, Xu Yong, Paul George, James;

Substitutes: Paul, Irving, Isaiah Thomas, Anthony, DeRozan, Bosh, Adams
In the individual competitions, the splash brothers Curry and Thompson will continue to participate, but Xu Yong will not continue to participate.In the dunk contest, last year's defending champion Zach LaVine will continue to participate, and his main opponent is Aaron Gordon from the Magic.

After the list was announced, fans are also looking forward to Xu Yong's performance in the main game, because this is the first time he has played in the All-Star Game at home since entering the league.

According to past practice, stars playing at home will be given the most ball rights, not to mention Xu Yong's current league status.

On this day as usual, Xu Yong went to the locker room to change his jersey and prepare for training.

But at this moment, Thibodeau came to the locker room with a serious face and called Xu Yong out directly.

Xu Yong could feel that something had happened, but he didn't ask any questions on the way.

When he arrived at the coach's office, Thibodeau locked the door and hesitated to speak. After he finally sat down in his seat, he said, "It's bad news."

Xu Yong looked puzzled. Now that the Bulls have a good momentum, why did they suddenly respond to bad news.

"Derek tore the meniscus in his left knee."

Thibodeau's tone was very serious, and Xu Yong's heart trembled after hearing it.

Rose has changed his style of play and is still injured?
"He worked too hard this season, he wanted to help the team too much." Thibodeau sighed.

Xu Yong was startled when he heard this.

It seemed unreasonable, but it got a reasonable explanation at this time.

The reason why Rose worked so hard was not only because he wanted to help the team, but also because of the bet between him and Raunsdorf.

This is Rose's biggest motivation and biggest hidden danger. When he played against the Cavaliers before, he was already unable to play due to knee soreness.

"Where is he now?" Xu Yong asked.

"Infirmary, I just came over there too."

"Tom." Xu Yong said and stood up.

"I will inform others about Derek's injury later."

Thibodeau glanced at Xu Yong and nodded.

After leaving the coach's office, Xu Yong took a deep breath and walked towards the medical room.

When he entered, he saw Rose looking at his left knee in a daze with red eyes.

Besides Rose, Hinrich was also there. Judging from his appearance, he must have been undergoing treatment, and he happened to meet Rose.

"You guys talk." Hearing the footsteps and turning around to see Xu Yong coming in, Xinrich stood up and said.

"Kirk, wait for me at the door." Xu Yong left Xinrich behind.

Hinrich nodded and left the infirmary, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, Xu, I've burdened you too much, too much." Ross looked up and saw Xu Yong, and he kept apologizing.

"Don't say that about Derek." Xu Yong walked to the bed and sat down.

"No, it's really me who is dragging you down. If it were anyone else, you would have won more championships." Rose said Xu Yong's familiar words.

"I'm a liability, you should have let them trade me." Then he looked down at his knees and muttered.

"Yes, I can still let them trade me. It's not the trade deadline yet. I'll call Gal now." Rose looked around for his phone.

"Stop, Derek, stop!" Xu Yong stopped him, feeling that Rose's emotions were on the verge of collapse.

"You know that's impossible." Xu Yong's next words made Ross stunned for a moment, and then his whole body was like a deflated rubber ball.

Yes, he has such a big contract, and there is still a year and a half left, and he is injured again, especially since it is still the middle of the season, which no team wants.

Seeing that Ross was no longer so excited, Xu Yong continued: "Since you can defeat it once, you can also defeat it the second time."

Rose has survived two seasons of reimbursement, and it's only one season now. What's more, Rose's injury this time is different from the previous one. This is not the kind of injury that will continue to explode.

Ross looked at Xu Yong and didn't know what to say for a moment. Xu Yong was like his life-saving straw. Every time he wanted to give up, Xu Yong saved him time and time again.

"And..." Xu Yong's expression suddenly became serious, "Don't say what you said just now. I was the one who stopped them from trading you. You would make me feel that my choice was wrong."

"I did not mean that……"

"Whether it means that or not, the decision was made by us. Now that we have made it, don't regret it, but overcome it. Maybe you are optimistic and positive, your injury recovery is better than expected, and you can come back in the playoffs?" Xu Yong His face softened.

After hearing this, Rose nodded, finally no longer so frustrated.

"Believe me, no matter what, I will win that bet. This is my promise." Xu Yong then looked at Ross and said word by word.

"Recuperate well, remember what I said, being positive and optimistic is the only thing you can do now." Xu Yong said, standing up and patting Ross on the shoulder.

Ross didn't know how to respond, so he could only nod again.

Xu Yong then left the infirmary. After going out, he motioned to Xinrich to go with him.

The reason why he didn't let Hinrich leave first was because he told Thibodeau that he would inform Rose about Rose's injury.

When he walked out of a corner, he took a long breath.

With a torn meniscus, surgery and recovery period, Rose would never be able to make it to the playoffs. What he just said was just to make Rose more optimistic.

Rose's injury will have a great impact on the Bulls. Rose averaged 18.4 points per game this season, and no one can replace him.

And more importantly, Hinrich is no longer capable, and the Bulls' point guard suddenly has to rely on the newly joined Dellavedova.

Although Dellavedova fights hard, his abilities are limited.

"Xu." At this moment, Xinrich suddenly stopped.

Xu Yong turned back in confusion.

"I'll apply for a deal," Hinrich said.

"What?" Xu Yong thought he heard wrongly.

"I will retire after this season. It doesn't matter where I play, and my contract is expiring. It's okay to switch to a league-average point guard." Hinrich said seriously.

What he said is indeed not impossible. The contract he signed with the Bulls was 500 million per year. If he added an extra, such as replacing Calderon from the Knicks, he would be able to adapt.

Xu Yong was a little touched. A player is willing to sacrifice himself for the team. This is really rare in the NBA. It can only be said that Hinrich is worthy of being the soul of the Bulls.

"Kirk, don't do anything stupid like that, it won't change anything," he continued.

Hinrich had one man, one city, and was traded out in the last half year. This was an "unhappy end" to his career, and this regret will last a lifetime.

And as he said, nothing can really be changed. Hinrich's trade value is too limited. How much improvement can replacing Calderon bring to the Bulls?

As for the others, Hinrich cannot replace them, so the gain outweighs the loss.

"But……"

"We also have Randy (Foye), who can play the No. [-] position, and our No. [-] position doesn't need to be very good at organizing offense." Xu Yong finally joked.

Hinrich could only nod with a wry smile.

Although, it does seem to be the case. Butler, the Bulls' real ball-handling organization, is just like Ron Harper back then. The point guard's responsibilities are more of a porter and defense. Now there may be one more space opener.

Therefore, the promise Xu Yong made to Rose was not impossible to fulfill.

They ended up back in the locker room.

Most of the people in the locker room had already arrived, and they were all talking and laughing.

The All-Star Game is a carnival for fans and a rare break for most players. They will get a long vacation if they don't have to participate in the All-Star Game.

After making sure everyone was there, Xu Yong gave Hinrich a look. Hinrich turned around and closed the door to the locker room, then walked back to his seat and sat down.

After hearing the noise, the team members all looked toward the door one after another, and they all looked puzzled when they saw Xu Yong.

"Bad news, Derek suffered a torn meniscus and will miss the rest of the season." Xu Yong said directly without delay.

His words made many people change their expressions. Although Rose is no longer the Rose of the Windy City, his importance is self-evident.

There were even expressions of boredom on some people's faces. After all, Rose had too many injuries.

"Injuries are something no one wants to experience, and they are inevitable during the season. I know that will weaken our strength, but what I want to say is that it will not change our goals."

After glancing around at his teammates, Xu Yong then said what he said to Ross before:

"I will lead everyone to defend the title, that is my promise."

(End of this chapter)