NBA: Miracle Workers

On Monday, June 1, 2015, Kobe Bryant, who had just undergone surgery, updated his Twitter and Instagram accounts, seemingly unaffected by the defeat, with the Mamba beaming with a smile:
"Back to normal life! My kids seem to be starting to get interested in basketball! #MambaFamily #God'sBlessing"

In the photos on Instagram, Kobe's two daughters are seen together, a rare occurrence. During his time playing in Philadelphia, Kobe spent most of his time apart from his daughters, and there were many gossip stories about conflicts between the father and daughters.

After returning to Los Angeles, these news reports completely disappeared. Although he was not happy with his time with the Lakers, Kobe's relationship with his daughter visibly improved.

Local reporters captured images of Kobe taking his daughter to school on multiple occasions. After suffering such a devastating Achilles tendon rupture, Kobe seems to have finally gained his family's understanding.

Although it sounds absurd, the fact is that Kobe received more respect after leaving the court in this way. The comment sections of the two posts were unusually harmonious, and no one was mocking the Mamba.

Shaquille O'Neal was quick to retweet and comment, saying that the old shark seems to have developed amnesia these past few days, constantly praising his little brother on the show!
Without any sarcasm, when discussing Kobe's performance in the series, Shaquille O'Neal directly targeted the Warriors, offering a sharp critique:
"Stephen Curry will never reach Kobe's level, and we all know why the Warriors won the series!"

"."

The Warriors' reputation has soured mainly because of videos edited by Kobe's die-hard fans on YouTube.

The specially selected clips featured exaggerated screens that continued from last season to this year's Western Conference Finals, with various illegal screens creating three-point opportunities that left onlookers speechless.

Bogut and Draymond Green's "closing screen" was heavily criticized by fans, while their actions of pushing the defender away from the perimeter seemed commonplace in comparison.
Some commentators have already called for a ban on such illegal screens, and Mark Jackson, the former head coach of the Warriors and a proponent of this tactic, has spoken out at this time:
"Many teams in the league use it, but few players can capitalize on these open looks like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson."

After a weekend of developments, the league has still not made a statement, clearly intending to continue supporting the Warriors. After all, viewership ratings don't lie, and fans simply love Curry's games!
Many industry insiders have also noticed the new president's plan: with Li You about to retire, the NBA has become path-dependent and intends to promote another star with a similar playing style and a good image.

While the Los Angeles media were still criticizing the Warriors, many professional basketball commentators remained silent. The 67-win Warriors were clearly a rising star in the league, and the criticism of their image was left to the fans.

At 10 a.m., First Take aired on time, and this episode's theme was naturally Kobe Bryant.

Mamba's career is over. He will be almost 39 years old when he returns from injury. Although Kobe did not make a clear statement after the game, everyone knows that the championship guard will not return to the court.

In previous years, female host Carrie was indifferent to Kobe due to media coverage, but after witnessing Kobe's perseverance in shooting free throws despite a ruptured Achilles tendon, she began to genuinely admire him.

"It's unimaginable that Kobe would persist in shooting free throws despite the excruciating pain; this scene may well be a reflection of his entire career."

"I think many fans have seen his extreme pursuit of victory. What are your thoughts on this year's Western Conference Finals?"

Stephen A. Smith, known for his fickle nature, has recently changed his tune, no longer vehemently criticizing the Mamba. Skip Bayliss, however, found this amusing and, unusually, gained the upper hand on the show.

When the conference finals were discussed again, Skip Bayliss naturally voiced his support for Kobe, offering a serious commentary to the camera:
"We all know that the NBA has other attributes besides competition. This year's Western Conference Finals is actually a microcosm of the NBA Finals in recent years."

"The Spurs were able to lead the Knicks by double digits at halftime last year. I'm not denying the talent of Tim Duncan and the team, but they clearly received some preferential treatment in terms of officiating."

"The Warriors are the same; they are playoff rookies and looked very pathetic in their matchup against the Lakers."

"Kobe is a true superstar. He didn't complain; he responded with basketball. He helped his team take the lead until he left the court, but LeBron James ruined that great performance."

"What truly led to the Lakers' defeat was Dwight Howard's technical foul. He was outmaneuvered by a playoff rookie, and the suspension changed everything."

Not long ago, Kobe was still called a "pseudo-superstar" by Skip Bayliss.
When the Lakers narrowly defeated the Clippers 4-2, the outspoken critic argued that Mamba was a liability and that their advancement was merely a result of Chris Paul's hamstring injury.

Seeing his partner's drastic change in expression, Stephen A. Smith almost lost his composure. He had underestimated his partner's thick skin; his forgetfulness could strike at any moment. But at this point, he had no choice but to join in the boasting:
"Kobe showed us his Mamba Mentality, which reminds me of Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, when Willis Reed returned from injury and led the Knicks to the championship!"

"LeBron James' performance was disappointing. I know he has some back problems, but that's no excuse for losing to playoff rookies."

"I don't like the Warriors. They're like a poorly made version of the Knicks. Of course, among the imitators, this young team is the best performing in recent years."

"Steve Kerr made some attempts during his time with the Suns, and after coming to the Warriors, he finally brought those experiences of imitation to the Bay Area."

"67 wins, an excellent record, but after watching their playoff performance, they have no chance in the finals."

There aren't many commentators mocking the Warriors, so the First Take team clearly intended to grab attention, with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayliss going all out for the next few minutes.

Kobe Bryant completely shed his "cancer" image, and the Mamba Mentality was no longer a joke. LeBron James, on the other hand, was labeled with a series of tags such as "loser," "softie," "fake superstar," and "coward."
Howard's signature smile has also become an "idiot's smile," which completely reversed public opinion and successfully corrected the prevailing attitude towards basketball after the Mamba left the sport.

Skip Bayliss, speaking his mind freely, got completely carried away, adopting the demeanor of a "Mamba Mentality" supporter, and sarcastically mocking the abstract basketball environment in New York:

"Kobe demonstrated through his actions what true basketball is all about!"

"Although he only has one championship trophy and has never won an MVP award in his career, the Mamba Mentality will live on forever in the years to come, which is far more important than the honors of the championship."

"Perhaps Lee will still lead the Knicks to another championship, but all he will leave New York with is a cold trophy, and those crazy fans will eventually 'turn against' his team!"

Ever since Lee Yu led the reserve team to blow up the so-called "five-star Hawks" in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York sports media have started their usual scathing mockery.

The fan club also joined in the fray, routinely mocking the unsophisticated Atlanta fans and celebrating the upcoming championship ahead of schedule.

This behavior greatly displeased analysts like Baylis who favored the Hawks, and they naturally seized the opportunity to respond.

As if he'd heard a joke, Stephen A. Smith couldn't help himself, and at the end of the show, he revealed his identity again, saying sarcastically:
"I love the cold trophy! Everyone in New York loves the cold trophy Lee left us because it means the Knicks are the greatest team in the world!"

"Our winning culture will continue to be passed down. Even 100 years from now, when basketball fans talk about 'dominance,' they will remember Lee's legendary career."

"Remember, don't criticize a legendary team with 19 championships!"

"."

Hosts Kari and Skip Bayliss were both stunned for a moment when they heard the last part. After a brief moment of thought, they realized that Big Mouth had essentially taken out a loan to win two championships.
As his partner began his usual boasting, Skip Bayliss, feeling a bit stifled, could only mutter a complaint to himself:
"These New York lunatics!"

-

On Wednesday, June 3, the day before the Finals, Kobe Bryant once again became the focus of sports media attention. The hospitalized Mamba updated his show "Detail," providing a detailed analysis of the Western Conference Finals loss.

In addition to praising Curry's strong ability to draw defenders, the article also pointed out the problem of young players choosing their driving routes after pick-and-rolls.

This is also one of the Lakers' secrets to limiting Curry's performance. Viewers who watched the show exclaimed that Mamba knows basketball!
At the end of the episode, Kobe announced some good news: "Detail" will be partnering with Netflix to create even better programming for basketball fans. Interestingly, the stubborn Mamba also revealed some information beforehand, leaving many die-hard fans exclaiming, "Unbelievable!"
"Thank you, Lee, for your support of the show. I believe that working with Netflix will be another great start!"

"."

Two years ago, the company's board of directors almost directly implemented the poison pill plan because Lee Yu bought 10% of Netflix's shares. The related "battle" lasted for a long time and almost became a "long-running drama".

Even now, the public is still unclear why the two sides reconciled, but what is certain is that Li You did have influence within the board of directors and used the platform to help his girlfriends' careers take off.

After many veterans and young players repeatedly thanked Lee every year, Kobe also expressed his gratitude, which left some die-hard fans with mixed feelings. What happened to their "lifelong rivals"?

After ending his career, Kobe Bryant reversed public opinion, with even Bill Simmons, a well-known basketball commentator who had always looked down on the Mamba, publishing a column praising him.

"Kobe embodied the Mamba Mentality; regardless of championships and honors, he has achieved true success in the world of basketball!"

As a young team that has made it to the Finals, the Warriors are still not favored despite having home-court advantage, and their reputation has been declining recently.

At noon, ESPN and other media outlets conducted routine interviews with the young players after training. The Finals brought huge exposure, but many players were not happy due to the external environment.

The controversial illegal cover became a "daily issue," and after dealing with it for several days, Klay Thompson finally lost patience and simply spoke the truth:

"If you have any questions about these cover-ups, you should ask the referee for his opinion instead of relying on conjecture and speculation."

"If there's no whistle, we'll stick to this tactic. It helps the team win games. As for anything else, I don't care at all."

"These accusations are meaningless to me. There aren't many teams in NBA history that have won 67 games. Our record has already proven our strength."

"."

Most reporters were satisfied with this answer; platitudes are unacceptable, and only sincere statements can better fabricate news.

Thompson defended the team, while Curry, who was being analyzed, was in a difficult position. The young man did not expect the media reporters to be so "enthusiastic" and insisted that he respond to the technical flaws mentioned in the program.

"I did have some problems in the series, on both ends of the court, and this show really helped me a lot. You know, I will continue to hone my basketball skills."

Curry's humble statement was sincere, but he clearly underestimated the level of abstract thinking among New York reporters:

"Curry, does this mean you should return the MVP trophy to Lee? We all know why the commentators voted for you."

The reporters around were watching with amusement, a situation that almost every MVP would encounter. The Knicks, with 60 wins, were eligible to be nominated for any award, and Li You's Excel spreadsheet was exceptionally beautiful.

If it were a simple vote according to the form, Li You would have swept all the trophies. Curry used to find it amusing, but now, faced with this situation, the young man is a bit bewildered.

"Lee is great. He is a role model for all young players. You know, more and more young people are starting to practice three-pointers from a young age, and that's all thanks to Lee's influence."

"It was my dream to face Lee in the finals. Even now, I still find it somewhat unbelievable."

"."

Curry abruptly changed the subject and started his usual boasting. The reporters around him almost burst out laughing at the sight; they just love this kind of abstract, quirky humor.

-

Thursday, June 4th, the Warriors' 40-year championship drought fueled a surge of excitement among their fans. Before the game, ABC's broadcast team captured numerous images of the expectant yet nervous crowd.

"I don't know if we can beat the Knicks, but anything is possible in basketball. Maybe we can also start the era of the Warriors."

"With 67 wins, we can still put up a historic level of offense. We also have two home games, and Oracle Arena will put pressure on the defending champions."

"I love Curry, I love this team, and I believe the young guys can create miracles."

In front of the camera, the fans being interviewed all had expectant looks on their faces, which was completely different from the past. In the past, San Antonio fans had long been numb from losing, and only a very small number of them had any expectations.

The Warriors have undoubtedly injected new vitality into the league, and this vitality will certainly continue for many years to come. Li Youneng's retirement is everyone's biggest expectation.

With more than an hour to go before the game, in the home team's locker room, Steve Kerr, having taken off his suit jacket, sat among the players, looked around at each one, and solemnly gave them some instructions:

"We must take the initiative and show our best on both offense and defense in the first quarter."

"You need to be passionate during the game, maintain a sense of urgency, keep a steady grip on the ball, and accelerate immediately when you see an opportunity."

"Find our rhythm, don't worry about the opponent's goals, OK?"

"Listen, don't worry about Lee's goal, he's bound to score, nobody can stop him, but we'll limit the other players' scoring."

As a rookie coach, Steve Kerr's ability to lead the team to 67 wins in his first year is certainly impressive. The locker room atmosphere is relatively relaxed, and everyone can participate in the discussions.

When Bogut heard that the head coach planned to use the "death lineup" early, he frowned slightly, while Draymond Green nodded, looked around at everyone, and said with a relaxed expression:

"Wow! I love this last-minute decision. The biggest stage, the 'death lineup'! If Ibaka and I get into a fight, remember to help me out!"

"Perhaps we should also incorporate boxing into our training sessions."

Noticing his teammates all looking at him nervously, Iguodala hesitated, then Draymond Green gave an awkward smile and added:

"Come on! I'm just kidding. We've beaten so many 50-win teams with this roster, we've beaten the Lakers with all the superstars, and we can keep winning!"

"Let's go!" (End of Chapter)