So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 73 Dennis, as you wish
  "Good morning Durham, just yesterday Dream had a wonderful debut and he is still outstanding!" - "Durham Local News".

"With 26 points and 7 rebounds, Chris Webber conquered Golden State in his debut. Will you regret it in Orlando?" - "Golden State Times"

"With 2 points and 5 rebounds, Sean Bradley showed signs of parallel imports. Another representative failure for the 76ers?" - "Philadelphia Inquirer".

……

The first show was exciting enough, and Meng Lang once again attracted a lot of attention with his performance on the court.

His "glider" three-point goal also became one of the "Top Ten Goals" in the NBA today, ranking third. When Meng Lang got up early in the morning, Tai Lun thoughtfully called him to remind him to watch the show.

I have to say that although the English commentary is passionate, it does not have the full-bodied temperament of the Chinese commentary.

It's a bit tasteless~
  During breakfast.

Meng Lang flipped through the newspaper that had been prepared and placed on the table. ——These are prepared by the team arranged by Tai Lun. They are responsible for cleaning Meng Lang's house every day and preparing Meng Lang's meals when he is at home. Of course, they are expensive. Meng Lang has to spend 1 US dollars on this every month. But after making so much money, you should enjoy it. If he travels back in time again, who knows how many years it will take to become a "rich man" again?

There are reports about him in the newspapers.

Adidas has obviously stepped up its promotional efforts.

不过也是，孟浪拿到了19分4篮板3抢断3助攻，对比昨天同样迎来首秀，拿到了26分7篮板的“状元郎”克里斯-韦伯并没有明显的差距。

只是除了他们两个，还有拿到了16分7助攻2抢断2盖帽的安芬尼-哈达威，其他几个夏天一起合练的“93一代”首秀属实不太行：
  "Monster" Mashburn only had 7 points and 3 rebounds in his debut; Alan Houston did not get a chance to play; Bob Hurley's 7 points and 6 assists can only be regarded as ordinary...

Of course, with Sean Bradley's hip-stretching debut as a backdrop, their future is worth looking forward to.

Meng Lang's slogan did work. Otherwise, how could the names of these people be worthy of reporters writing a special report? In this period of relatively concentrated reporting resources, any exposure is a luxury for NBA stars.

"To be honest, I had forgotten this happened. Of course it wasn't a big deal in the first place!" - "SA Express News".

Meng Lang also saw a very interesting piece of news.

When the Spurs media asked Rodman about his affairs, he looked surprised and said: "Have I provoked him? What is there for me to provoke...because he said that the '93 generation' will become 'Golden Generation'? Haha, that's possible. I hate this brat who talks big words. I'm looking forward to this game and I hope he can leave a deep impression on me!"

The Magic's second game of the new season is an away game against the Spurs.

After breakfast, Meng Lang picked up his packed backpack and drove the latest Mercedes-Benz Grand G that Tai Lun had prepared for him. Well, the Mercedes-Benz Grand G of this era was not new or new. The appearance changes are not huge.

High emotional intelligence: classic style;
  Low EQ: Lazy!
  After meeting the team at the airport, Hardaway greeted him first. After Shaq hooked him into the Magic's special plane, he pulled him in front of Nick Anderson.

"You two, let's talk!"

The morning news was praising Meng Lang's outstanding performance.

The "Orlando Sentinel", which is afraid of chaos in the world, reported extensively on the altercation between Meng Lang and Nick Anderson.

A bunch of bitches!
  Shaquille O'Neal claimed his role as the leader of the Magic as soon as he joined the team, and he specifically talked to Chuck Daly about it.

It's just that the most senior head coach in the league doesn't think it's a big deal: "Man, we are winning, and this is part of the winning culture!"

Shaquille O'Neal couldn't understand what he was talking about.

The coach doesn't care, he, the leader of the Magic team, does.

"We are both on the Magic team. We see each other every day. We are destined to be the best buddies, aren't we? You two, let's forget about the unpleasantness before. I believe you can get along very well. Nick is a great guy. , Meng, you too..."

Shaq is a naive big boy.

This is fully reflected in his words.

"I'm a very good person, but that doesn't mean I will give up my starting position. Sooner or later, it will be mine!" Meng Lang, who had just sat down, stood up and patted Shaq on the shoulder, then changed to a seat by the window, waiting for the plane to take off. .

Shaq was a little embarrassed, but at this time he finally understood what the problem was.

He wants to talk about friendship, but what these two people are fighting for is their future.

He also understood a truth:
  It’s impossible for all teammates to be brothers!

Chuck Daly didn't care about the reason for this matter, and he understood it.

Because this is an inevitable part of the cruel NBA. The team atmosphere that cares about me and everyone may only exist in novels or comics.

He didn't feel this because he was "the proud son of heaven" and basketball chose him.

So he subconsciously ignored these.

This year the Spurs changed to a new home arena.

It’s the newly built Alamodome.

As far as Meng Lang knows, the Spurs will play their home games here for the next nine years, and it will not be until 9 that they move to the AT&T Center Arena, which will become more familiar to fans.

"I feel good, I played well here last time."

During the reporter's interview, the last time Meng Lang mentioned was the NCAA finals.

He scored 29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Three consecutive 3-pointers defeated North Carolina at the last minute.

When a hot man lifts the championship trophy here in the future, he has already done so once.

"So you mean you will perform well in front of Rodman?" The reporter who interviewed him keenly felt what Meng Lang really wanted to express.

"Who is Rodman? Oh, is it 'that duck' in Madonna's bathtub?"

This summer Rodman's romance with Madonna detonated the entire United States.

Although Rodman is a very charming basketball player, he is still a bit underwhelmed in front of Madonna's celebrity status.

The media affectionately called him Madonna's "duck in the bathtub."

In 94, when Madonna said the classic "I would pay $2000 million for Rodman to get me pregnant," Rodman's title became "the most expensive kid in history."

Ok……

It’s a shame it’s not 94!
  Otherwise, this is what Meng Lang is saying now.

He was never afraid of exposing people's wounds and enjoyed doing it.

The reporter who interviewed him covered his mouth and left. If he left a second later, he could no longer suppress his laughter.

The words quickly reached Rodman's ears. During the pre-game warm-up that night, he came over specifically to chat with Meng Lang. Right in front of his "old mentor".

During the pre-game interview, Rodman almost cried when talking about Chuck Daly.

He has always believed that Chuck Daly was the most important person in his life. Without Chuck Daly, he would not be where he is today.

It was entirely under the protection of Chuck Daly that he survived in the Pistons for so long, so when Daly left, he was also kicked out by the Pistons management this summer. Of course, this also involves the Pistons management's desire to carry out a "rectification movement." The "Bad Boys" brought "two consecutive championships" to Detroit, and now in order to lick David Stern's butt*, they are actually preparing to turn the Pistons into a bunch of "good guys". Every time I think about this, Daley Just want to laugh.

However, he knows very well that Chuck Daly will not stop this from happening, and he likes to see this interaction between players.

It's just that Shaquille O'Neal stood in front of him and Meng Lang.

"It's fun for a second-year rookie to help a first-year rookie get ahead!" Rodman looked at this scene, laughed teasingly, and left gracefully.

Shaquille O'Neal was very angry. He felt that he was being underestimated. He hoped that his teammates could help him create more mismatches and let him beat Rodman in isolation.

Meng Lang wanted to say:
  "Don't, that's not something you can handle."

The "big sharks" who run rampant in the league have few nemesis. Apart from the "shark-killing tactics", Rodman is the one to talk about.

Later, after O'Neal went to the Lakers in 96, in a game against the Bulls, he was blocked by Rodman at halftime and scored 0 points in the first half, in surprisingly good condition. This shows how sophisticated Rodman's defense is.

But Shaq is angry now, and even if he said it, it might be of no use.

Chuck Daly watched all this silently. Knowing his former disciple's abilities, he did not stop him.

Again, let the change happen. He is looking forward to Shaquille O'Neal's transformation after this game.

Rodman is an important addition to the Spurs this summer, even though the deal cost only 245 million. Not as good as either Hardaway or Meng Lang.

But his arrival freed up David Robinson, allowing the "Admiral" to focus more on the offensive end.

We can also see from the first game the division of labor between the Spurs' interior duo. David Robinson scored 7 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. If this data continues, he will get a "triple double" in this game. Rodman easily grabbed 7 rebounds.

For the Magic, Shaquille O'Neal and starting forward Jeff Turner only had 3 rebounds combined.

The Spurs also led by 30 points, 23-7.

"fxxk, that bitch keeps making little moves, and the referee is just watching, why don't you call this stupid blow?" O'Neal cursed while wiping his sweat with a white towel.

His teammates followed what he wanted and created a matchup with Rodman, but they only completed one of three attacks, and the effect was not good.

Rodman's circling and constant small movements made him upset.

Meng Lang was put on the court again at the beginning of the second quarter. The difference was that last time he was responsible for widening the gap, and this time he was needed to narrow the gap.

Spurs head coach John Lucas has studied Meng Lang well. When defending, he mainly focuses on destroying his catches. Meng Lang was not in very good condition tonight. He missed his first two catches and shots.

Fortunately, the Spurs are also a team that relies on starting points to score, and there are very few people who can stand up on the bench.

Also out of shape tonight.

Meng Lang seized the third opportunity to catch and shoot and completed the iconic "top shot" from beyond the three-point line.

"What!"

The moment the ball entered the frame, he cursed secretly.

Very dissatisfied with my performance tonight.

The Spurs' outside height is even worse than that of the Trail Blazers in the last game. Chris Whitney is 1 meters tall, and Vinny Denagro at the second position is 83 meters tall. They have no height and wingspan, and they are not outstanding either. As a defender, Meng Lang's failure to make the first two shots was entirely his own problem.

The point difference narrowed to just 4 points before the Spurs' starters returned to the court.

Seeing that Meng Lang hadn't been substituted yet, Rodman suggested to John Lucas that he wanted to play with the rookie.

After all, this guy called him "Madonna's duck in the bathtub" in public, which is outright humiliating. It was too uncomfortable to hold this breath inside, and he wanted to let it out.

Lucas glanced at him and said lightly: "Don't forget what you promised Greg!"

Gregg Popovich, the current general manager of the Spurs, made a promise when he signed Rodman:

As long as you perform well and obey the team, you will get what you want!
  What Rodman wants is a big contract, but other teams are wary of his off-court factors and have been reluctant to give him a big contract. Popovich is willing to make a commitment, and he is very happy.

Thinking of this, he could only glance at Meng Lang with a lack of interest, and then continued to devote himself to the defense inside.

The combination of him and David Robinson is indeed "both offensive and defensive", and Shaquille O'Neal and Jeff Turner are both at a disadvantage.

Even though Hardaway continued to exert strength on the outside, Meng Lang regained some form and made 5 of 2 shots from the next.

But in this era of insiders, when rebounds and points inside are not guaranteed, even the "god" has to lose.

The point difference widened to 7 points.

In Chuck Daly's view, Rodman is the focus that needs to be addressed.

As long as his defensive focus shifts to the outside, Robinson will no longer be able to focus so much on the offensive end.

As for how to attract Rodman's attention to the outside...

He looked at Meng Lang and Hardaway.

He believes that the Magic's "Youth Storm" backcourt will give him a perfect answer.

"Dream, are you ready for a big fight?"

At this time, Hardaway is always very excited, completely forgetting what he once told Meng Lang that stars have no love.

Meng Lang answered him with practical actions. When he returned to the first ball on the court, Meng Lang directly crossed with Hardaway on the outside. Then, using the natural pick-and-roll formed by Hardaway's movement, he received the ball from outside the three-point line and raised his hand. Throw.

The ball hit the frame and hit the mark!

And this was just the beginning. Next, Meng Lang continued to cross positions with Hardaway.

What makes Hardaway better than Scott Skiles is his height:
  2 meters 01!

Compared with the screen formed by the 1-meter Scales, the delay range is larger, and Meng Lang can take action more calmly.

Another three-pointer!
  Less than 1 minute after the game restarted, the Magic quickly closed the score difference to 1 point.

Meng Lang and Hardaway easily completed the tasks assigned by Chuck Daly.

The game was stopped and sarcasm appeared on Rodman's face.

He was not allowed to face Meng Lang just now, but now...

You can't stop it, right?
  Lucas saw all his ridicule, but he could only pretend not to see it and drank in a bad tone:
  "Dennis, as you wish, you'd better restrain him."

　First update today.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)