When pride still matters

Chapter 528 It’s Not Over Yet

Phil Jackson had no words to say when facing reporters' questions.

When the California media questioned him why he did not assign the most crucial offensive times to Kobe, he could not say that the Supersonics adopted the strategy of "we chose to let James receive the ball" at that time.

"I know this is hard to understand. Please believe us, we also want to give the ball to Kobe, but the situation is more complicated than we thought," Jackson said. "In the game, you can't do whatever you want, and letting LeBron take the ball is not a bad decision for us."

But the result?
James' performance nearly burned the Staples Center to ashes.

"It's just," Jackson said helplessly, "LeBron is not skilled enough in the low post."

This is already a very euphemistic statement.

Not to mention that James's back-to-the-basket attack on Roy was actually a big man against a smaller man, Roy hadn't played a game for half a year before. All he had left were the game instincts he had acquired since he was a child and the remaining muscle memory. There is no defense for such a person.

James could have used the most clumsy way, crushing the opponent like a bulldozer, or even giving up the back-to-the-basket and turning around to attack the basket, but he chose to use the clumsy way, relying on a few shots and then turning over to shoot.

In James' arsenal, this is one of his least reliable scoring methods.

Facing the opponent's defensive loopholes, his offensive choices almost buried the Lakers' season.

This is not something Jackson can wash away with just a simple "not skilled enough" statement.

Moreover, James' inability to beat anyone in the low post was only one of the more prominent problems exposed by the Lakers in the decisive battle. The more serious problem was that their inside line was blown up.

The Supersonics used one game to prove that as long as the Lakers kept calling on the inside line led by Marc Gasol, they would not be able to find a solution to the problem.

Now, the Lakers' morale has been shattered, James lost a game that he could not lose, and their morale has hit rock bottom.

There was almost no chance of winning in Game 6 back in Seattle.

For the evil empire, tonight is the final trial.

The sixth scene was nothing more than the day of the execution.

"It's not over yet," Jackson said. "There have been many stories of teams falling behind 1-3 in the conference finals, and there's no reason why we can't bounce back from a 2-3 deficit."

No reason? No, there will be one soon.

"It's not over yet." In the face of this disaster, James acted strong on the outside but weak on the inside. "We will do everything we can to bring the game back to Los Angeles. The next game will be a battle of dignity!"

Then the reporter asked him: "To defend your dignity, will you continue to try to post up Brandon Roy?"

James said coldly: "Next question."

"What did Frye say to you after he made his final attack?"

“Next question!”

"If those key offensive plays were handed over to Kobe, would the results be different?"

"Next question!"

The malicious world came to James.

To the media, they were just telling the truth, and James couldn't face these things.

If he wants to face it, he has to accept that he led the Lakers to failure.

Kobe also had to endure awkward questioning.

The incident dates back to the press conference after Game 4.

When Yu Fei attracted attention by saying "I want to score 50 points in three consecutive games", Kobe reacted strongly and said that he would retire if Yu Fei did it.

Tonight, Yu Fei not only did it, but also completed all the indicators brilliantly.

He scored 50 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, the first 50-point triple-double in playoff history.

"Kobe, will you keep your promise?" the media asked curiously.

"No." Kobe had to eat his words. His career couldn't end this way. "That was said in anger."

“Are you disappointed in LeBron?”

Shouldn't he be disappointed in LeBron?
Before LeBron brought the team into the abyss, the game was actually in a stalemate. Then, he missed consecutive back-to-back shots against Roy, and Yu Fei grabbed the defensive rebound and made two fatal three-pointers.

It’s not that James’ post-up play should have been successful, but in that situation, as the core of the team, he should have made achievements by facing the opponent’s defensive loopholes, but he brought disastrous consequences.

Kobe pursed his lips and said, "I'm disappointed in everyone."

Then the role players spoke.

"I don't want to say that the blame lies with LeBron, but this is a fact and I have to tell the truth," Ron Artest said bluntly. "If I don't tell the truth, more people will."

"It's mainly my fault. I messed up the game," Marc Gasol said. "I take full responsibility."

Richard Hamilton hinted subtly: "We all had our bad moments, but the chaos at the end really hurt us. I think that might have determined the direction of the series."

"I shot 8-for-4 tonight," Antawn Jamison said. "I mean, I was the only starter that shot 50 percent. I might be responsible, but you can't say I caused that."

Mike Bibby explained the Lakers' current situation in one sentence: "Desire is a bottle of poison. We have too much of it, and now its toxicity has taken effect."

The various aspects of the Lakers team clearly show how a team can quickly decline from its heyday.

All it takes is one bad defeat, one guy who should be leading the team to steer the ship into an iceberg instead.

The evil empire was born out of an endless desire for championships.

They sold the prospect of winning the championship to those who had the talent but did not have it, and the desire for glory brought them on board.

But now, the man who guided them onto the boat committed a suicidal act.

Naturally, those who come to satisfy their desires must find out what the other person is thinking.

But James said it's not over yet, they are going to fight for their dignity.

It was a high-sounding slogan, but his teammates wondered why an evil empire as powerful as this would be reduced to fighting for dignity.

Who dragged them into this damn desperate situation?
"Our work isn't done yet, why celebrate? I won't do that, there's still one game left." Coach Lue imitated Kobe in a high-profile manner, "We're going to send them home at home!"

Reporters asked how he felt when he saw Roy defending James in the low post in the final moments.

"Mood?" Lu joked. "Maybe a little excited. This is the matchup we want to see."

"Did you guys know from the beginning that LeBron couldn't beat Brandon one-on-one?"

"No, no, it's not." Lu mentioned an interesting story behind the scenes. "Brandon felt that Frye played like Michael Jordan tonight. In order for us to win, he had to become Frye's Scottie Pippen. At the critical moment, the opponent chose to single out our Pippen. What do you think I have to worry about?"

The reporter then brought up Scottie Pippen's words to Roy.

"That's true." Roy asked complacently, "Don't you think my defense at the last minute is very similar to Scottie Pippen? No, can Pippen defend LeBron in the low post?"

This is a difficult question to answer.

It seems that Roy really believes that he is a defensive master like Pippen.

However, his teammates gave a completely different answer.

"Our strategy is to let LeBron play against Brandon. Even if we put him against our worst defender, we have confidence in LeBron!"

That's what Kwame Brown said.

So of course the reporter would ask: "Why do you have confidence in LeBron?"

Brown acted as if it was a matter of course: "Didn't you see how he played at the last moment?"

"If it were me, Brandon would never walk off the court standing..."

"You didn't start in the last two games. Does this shake your judgment of yourself? Do you still think you are the best center in the league?"

In the past, Brown would have emotionally defended himself and said he would return to the starting lineup as soon as possible.

But this time, he thought for a moment before saying, "Shaquille O'Neal stopped being the No. 1 center many years ago. Everyone will have this day. Maybe my time is over..."

The most unusual thing about the entire interview was that when the reporters heard Brown say "my era", they didn't feel the slightest bit of discomfort.

Over the years, Brown's big mouth has become well-known. From his perspective, he constructs a narrative logic in his own way.

Those superstars who were defeated by Yu Fei in the playoffs were also defeated by him. The feats that Yu Fei accomplished in front of them also seemed to be accomplished by him.

So according to this logic, if Yu Fei is the best player in the league, then he is the best inside player because he actually beat those people on behalf of the team.

Kwame Brown's arrogance is a product that will be remembered by the times, just like the 28-game losing streak before James joined the Lakers, which is deeply rooted in people's hearts.

It's just that tonight, a lot of people have things to say.

Jermaine O'Neal recalled that last summer, Kobe persuaded him to accept the Lakers' minimum salary to compete for the championship.

"Look at what they are like now, I'm glad I didn't stay," O'Neal said. "I feel sorry for Kobe. He worked hard. Some things are beyond his control."

Chris Bosh refuted his critics by telling them to look at his own statistics.

"Once you look at my numbers tonight, you'll laugh at anyone who says I can't play center."

Kevin Durant talked to ESPN about how the Sonics can win with a more team-like approach, and he also met with Nike executive Lynn Mehmet.

"Child, are you satisfied with this result?"

Mehmet asked.

This may be the most dreamy way Durant could think of to end the game. Although Yu Fei's feat of scoring 50 points in three consecutive games will become the main topic of media discussion, he scored 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists after Yu Fei, ranking third in the team. If it weren't for Bosh's huge advantage in the interior, he should have been the second scorer in the team.

But it doesn't matter. What matters is that he performed better than James on the opposite side in this game.

He scored when he should have scored, and made full use of his talents when he should have defended.

"I couldn't be more satisfied, Uncle Mehmet." Durant said with absolute confidence, "The Lakers are done, we will achieve three consecutive championships!"

Mehmet didn't pour cold water on Durant or dampen his enthusiasm. In the end, he said nothing.

Maybe this is a victory for Durant, but it is definitely not a victory for Nike.

But in Nike's plan, no matter who wins the Western Conference Finals, Nike should be the winner, because three of the four superstars in this series are from Nike.

And now, Yu Fei has overshadowed Kobe Bryant alone, and his star power of scoring 50 points in three consecutive games is enough to cover up Durant's contribution.

The most intuitive data is that after tonight's game, Reebok's stock price soared 4% in a very short period of time.

Nike did not benefit at all from Durant's victory. Instead, its stock price fell due to James' disastrous performance.

This is a final result. Not only did Yu Fei win, but Reebok also won.

Of course, Durant won, too.

But Nike lost miserably.

Yu Fei came to the media interview room, which was filled with media from all over the world.

They have countless problems.

The pre-game highlights about Yu Fei and Kobe were mentioned first.

The media asked Yu Fei whether he thought Kobe would abide by his promise and choose to retire.

"This is Kobe's business," Yu Fei said. "Personally, I still want to play against him."

Then, another media outlet asked Yu Fei if he would strive to score 50 points in four consecutive games in the playoffs.

Yu Fei smiled and shook his head: "I don't think the Lakers can cause us such a big trouble in the next game. I don't need to score 50 points again."

So, the Seattle media relayed James' words about fighting for dignity to Yu Fei.

Yu Fei smiled sarcastically: "Hearing him say he's fighting for his dignity is like hearing a playboy having sex to protect the sanctity of his chastity. Isn't that ridiculous? What dignity does he have?"

This was just Yu Fei's gentle finishing blow. Compared with the media, Yu Fei was already much gentler.

In the two days after Game 5, GIFs of James posting up Roy began to flood the Internet.

All the jokes about "when you need a player to save your life with a post-up shot, LeBron steps up" are shattering everything about James.

Before Game 5, James might have been despised and mocked for "The Decision," but he was still largely considered a superhuman with the most powerful body and the perfect template for the ultimate warrior.

But now, his reputation has begun to deteriorate.

When fans talk about him, it's like Yu Fei calling him a wimp to his face, thinking he's a coward.

Media outlets like Bill Simmons began to suggest that James had no "killer instinct."

The recency effect is too strong, leaving James' camp with no room for argument, and even lying down and being ridiculed has become a difficult task.

The Lakers' infighting continues.

Artest's remarks undoubtedly caused lasting harm to James.

When a team consciously places the blame for failure on one individual, they can never find peace.

The Lakers entered Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals under intense external pressure and extremely low internal pressure.

May 5, KeyArena
A person who claims to fight for dignity looks like a person without dignity.

He showed neither bloodiness nor fighting spirit, nor the desire to win. He was on the court, but just a walking corpse.

He will hold the ball and attack, but that is basically to maintain the statistics.

In the first quarter, he scored 8 points on 3 of 9 shots, while Kobe scored 7 points on 4 of 10 shots. They seemed to be performing well, but the Lakers' defense collapsed completely.

The inside line was targeted, the outside defense was not active, and James watched the players score with all kinds of eyes, allowing the Supersonics to score 34 points in a single quarter at home.

After the first quarter, the Lakers were already 13 points behind.

Fans who dreamed that the Lakers would bounce back tonight were disappointed.

Kobe did try to rebound, but he couldn't do it alone.

With his inside line being targeted and unable to play, Kozan needs to go all out to compete with the Supersonics on the court.

But after James scored 9 points in the first quarter, he lost power in the second quarter.

He couldn't seem to find the energy to play.

This kind of James is not uncommon for Fei. When he was still in the Cavaliers last year, he caused the "Friend's Mom Gate" incident during the series with the Bucks. Didn't he play like this?

It’s just that last year’s Youma-gate was later proved to be an unfounded rumor, and now, he seems to have not recovered from the failure of G5.

No one knew what he had been through, and no one knew what he was thinking. He just stood there, like a man whose fate had come to an end, and passed away naturally.

He scored nine points in the first quarter and then went scoreless.

He didn't attack or defend, he just occasionally grabbed rebounds, dribbled across half court, passed the ball to Kobe, and then stayed on the outside.

Kobe took full responsibility, but unfortunately, he couldn't perform well under the Sonics' tight defense.

最终，科比全场34投15中，低效地砍下36分7篮板5助攻，湖人在客场以22分的差距落败。

This is the end of the Western Conference Finals.

This is the outcome of the Imperial Battle that the outside world has been eagerly awaiting for a year.

It is justice that triumphs over evil.

It was a sign that Reebok was about to replace Nike to dominate the sports world.

James scored 9 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in the game.

His performance, his statistics, the high-spiritedness when he made the decision, the heroism when he held the first press conference on behalf of the Lakers, more than one, more than two, more than three?
Kojan equals five championships.

This is what the outside world expects of them.

Now, all dreams will come true and all obsessions will become bullets of reality.

4 is better than 2
The Seattle SuperSonics eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Actually, I wish the game was more intense." On the night of the victory, Yu Fei did not further insult his opponent. "I thought they would play better. I know Kobe has tried his best, but what about the other guy? I thought I knew him, but it seems he is not what I imagined. Maybe we never really knew him, but it doesn't matter, enjoy life, maybe for him, it's just a game."

What the Chosen Ones never understand is that it’s hard to enjoy your real life when it’s a walking joke.

But it’s easy to pretend you enjoy it.

That's what LeBron James does.

He said: "Everyone who wants me to fail will eventually wake up tomorrow and live the same life they did before they woke up today. Whatever personal problems they have today, they will still have tomorrow. I will continue to live my life the way I do."

After the game
"My phone is on silent mode, no ringtones, and I'm thinking of changing it to LeBron Mode." - Bill Simmons
"Hey, LeBron, maybe when you stop playing like a wimp you'll start living like Fry Yu." - Skip Bayless

"LeBron is right. I'm still living the same life today as I was yesterday. I'm still glad he lost." - Dan Gilbert

"Frye, you defend the purity of competition. Go and compete for your seventh championship. You are the real GOAT!" - Dan Gilbert (two consecutive posts)
"LeBron you're right I still live the same life this morning and you and I still have the same number of rings! Wow! #NBAFinals" - Marc Stein
In Cleveland, a city James has abandoned, fans jeered him at sports bars, reports Dan Weitzel of Yahoo Sports.

“No one here hates LeBron, they’re laughing at him,” Weitzel wrote.

CNN affiliate WOIO-TV put a one-word headline on its sports page under a photo of James holding up a Lakers jersey: "Loser!" The site's story began: "LeBron James still has no ring."

On Monday morning, ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd launched a contest on Twitter: "LeBron has hit a roadblock. We're trying to coin a word to describe it... Weird, Scared, Disappeared and LeBron. Any suggestions?"

Kwame Brown ended the conversation with a typical James joke: "Don't we already have the answer?"

"Coward Brown!"

The regicide conference is in full swing, but Yu Fei agrees very much with what James said.

That's right, when he wakes up tomorrow, his life will be the same as yesterday.

He still has to prepare for the finals, still has to fight for victory, and still has the mission of saving the Supersonics.

It's all over the place.

(End of this chapter)