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Chapter 236 What kind of champion are you? (First of two consecutive 10,000-word chapters!)

Since Qin Yue entered the NBA
The annual Lakers-Warriors rivalry has become one of the most anticipated games of the regular season.

Whether it's the personal feud between Qin Yue and Kobe, or the old and new grudges between the Warriors and the Lakers, the games between these two teams will be full of tension.

Staples Center, pre-game warm-up phase.

Qin Yue noticed that Cristiano Ronaldo, who had transferred to Real Madrid, and David Beckham, who played for the Los Angeles Galaxy, were also present that night.

only.
Compared to the latter, who was chatting and laughing with him, the former looked at him with obvious hostility.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo also a die-hard Lakers fan?
At that moment, Qin Yue thought to himself.

It wasn't until Brown reminded Qin Yue that the reason Ronaldo disliked him was likely because of a woman that Qin Yue suddenly realized what was going on.

"Is it because of Irina Shayk?"

"I think so, because there have been news reports lately that he's been pursuing Irina intensely."

Qin Yue never expected that Cristiano Ronaldo, who was known as a playboy, would one day be jealous of someone.

In Qin Yue's view, this was very wrong.

After all, how could a true playboy possibly care about women who only slow down his sword-drawing speed?
And Ronaldo might not believe it if I told him.

Among Qin Yue's many "Qin Girls", Irina is not even considered a marginal figure.

Qin Yue admitted that the other person's long legs had indeed left a very deep impression on him.

But Irina's importance to him was like a piece of chewing gum, something that could be chewed and spat out at any time.

As for Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants to pursue Irina Shayk, is he still holding a grudge against her because he once chewed her up?

What does that have to do with Qin Yue?
On the court, after warm-up, the starting players of both the Lakers and Warriors took their places in the center of the court.

Originally, after Ellis, a die-hard Kobe fan, was traded, Qin Yue thought he would finally have some peace and quiet.

But before the game started
Klay Thompson, who acquired the Lakers' rookie through a trade in the draft, said to Qin Yue: "Your era of running rampant in Los Angeles is over. Remember, in Los Angeles, Kobe was the greatest player ever!"

At that moment, Qin Yue was completely confused.
Why are there so many science fans in the world?
What is it about Kobe that makes him so appealing? How can so many young players idolize him and defend everything he has to their hearts' content?
Looking at Klay, who was still a greenhorn at the moment, Qin Yue, who was furious, immediately held up four fingers: "Before you talk to me, do you know that I have four championship rings and four Finals MVP trophies, little brother?"

Upon seeing this, Clayton was speechless.

"Doesn't it lack the demeanor of a senior to say that?" Brown whispered to Qin Yue from the side.

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue rolled his eyes at Brown: "When have I ever possessed anything like manners?"

demeanor?

If you don't understand, just ask. Can that stuff be eaten as food?
Furthermore, the way Qin Yue mocked Klay just now was the same way Klay would mock Booker in the future.

Therefore, in Qin Yue's view, even if Brown said that he lacked manners, that wasn't referring to him personally.

That's right, Clay was just hit by a boomerang from Qin Yue's memory.

After this brief interlude, the match officially began in the center of the field.

Warriors starting lineup: Brown, Qin Yue, Wallace, Butler, Nash.

Lakers starting lineup: Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul.

Considering that Bell's physical abilities are no longer sufficient to support him in a full game against his old rival Kobe, Warriors head coach Malone has also put Butler into the starting lineup tonight.

In the opening tip-off, Brown won possession for the Warriors.

Nash dribbles the ball across half-court.

Kobe, who was responsible for guarding Qin Yue for the entire court, handed him over to Gasol after Qin Yue crossed the half-court line.

This is the best solution the Lakers' new staff could come up with to limit Qin Yue when facing the Warriors after Odom and Battier left the team.

That is, Kobe will be responsible for guarding Qin Yue for the entire court, and after the opponent falls into his own half, Pau Gasol will take over the defense against Qin Yue.

The advantage of this defense is that Kobe can use his speed and agility to limit Qin Yue's speed of advancement to the greatest extent.

As for whether Pau Gasol can contain Qin Yue in the subsequent defense?
Since Qin Yue is now recognized by the world as an unstoppable player.

As the Warriors' old rival, how could the Lakers be so naive as to think they could stop this "Big Demon King"?

On the opening possession, Qin Yue, who had just established his position and driven into the Lakers' territory, was surrounded by the Gasol brothers when he passed the ball to Brown.

The latter easily scored under the basket, making it 2-0.

Back to the point, the Lakers had possession of the ball.

The positive impact that the Warriors and Qin Yue have brought to the present era was perfectly demonstrated to the world in this round through the Lakers' offense.

Unlike the Phil Jackson era.

That night, the Lakers changed their traditional triangle offense setup.

The positions were changed so that Marc Gasol and Marc Gasol would be positioned in the low and high positions respectively.

On the perimeter, just as Qin Yue noticed that Brown had been forced out of position by Marc Gasol, and was about to help defend Brown, Marc Gasol passed the ball back to Pau Gasol at the top of the arc, who then hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc.

What is the most distinctive feature of the Gasol brothers?
Of course, both brothers possess extremely strong organizational and support capabilities.

Especially after these two brothers, arguably the strongest inside duo in history, both developed three-point shooting abilities.
Faced with this brotherly duo whose "1+1 is definitely greater than 2", even a historically great defensive player like Qin Yue could not manage to take on two opponents at once in defense.

TNT's Barkley said, "It was a real battle of spears. Both the Lakers and the Warriors believed they had an advantage in the paint, and they both scored quickly in the opening minutes by relying on their own inside combinations."

The Gasol brothers have no chance of stopping Qin Yue.

Conversely, Qin Yue and Brown also couldn't defend against the opponent.

Because in the low post, whether facing Pau Gasol or Marc Gasol, Brown's past performance can only be described as being unilaterally dominated by the opponent.

Although Qin Yue's individual offensive firepower was enough to overwhelm the Gasol brothers.

But on the sidelines, after mentally working through a simple math problem, Ma Long secretly felt a sense of foreboding.

Why is it bad?

Because if the Gasol brothers can consistently score 40 points, you can understand that they can indirectly offset the 40 points Qin Yue scores for the Warriors on the court.

And most fatally...
In the next possession, with Marc Gasol hitting a three-pointer, Malone immediately realized that the Lakers were playing a game of "eagle catching chicks" with the Warriors.

Who is the eagle?

It's Qin Yue, of course.

Then who is the chick?

It's naturally the Gasol brothers.

"I understand now. Their goal isn't to score as many points as possible in the paint, but to use the Gasol brothers' shooting range to draw Messiah away from the paint."

For the past two years, the Warriors have consistently been the team with the highest rim protection efficiency per 100 possessions in the entire league.

Admittedly, Brown, as one of the best sweeping centers of the current era, deserves much credit for this.

However, if Qin Yue is transferred away from the inside line for an extended period of time...
How can Brown withstand the relentless attacks from the Lakers players on the court?

On the court, the Lakers' offensive possession.

Taking advantage of the space created by the Gasol brothers and the inside presence they drew, Kobe easily drove to the basket and scored two points.

It is worth mentioning that...
After scoring two points for the Lakers, Kobe turned his gaze to Butler, whom he had just blown past due to inexperience. In a daze, Kobe had the illusion that he was facing off against Jordan.

A shiny bald head.

Wearing jersey number 23.

And that face that Kobe will never forget, no matter how many years pass.

"What's your name, newbie?"

Jimmy Butler.

Kobe remembered the name Jimmy Butler.

Then, as the feeling of reliving those days gradually faded, Kobe said to Butler, "Welcome to the NBA."

Seeing this, Qin Yue stepped forward and said to Butler, "Go and return the ball to him."

Butler asked in surprise, "You mean, next time I'll go one-on-one against Kobe?" Qin Yue nodded and said, "Remember, when I set a screen for you, yell at me, 'Take your damn screen away!'"

Butler asked, puzzled, "What is the purpose of doing this?"

Qin Yue smiled and said, "I don't have any particular purpose."

At Staples Center, it's the Warriors' turn to attack.

After clearing half the court for Butler, Qin Yue handed the basketball to him and then ran towards him.

Seeing this, under Kobe's defensive pressure, Butler suddenly yelled, "Get rid of your damn pick-and-roll! Can't you see I'm one-on-one with Kobe?"

On the court, this sudden scene left Kobe stunned for a moment.

Butler seized the opportunity to drive into the Lakers' basket and complete a powerful two-handed dunk.

At this moment, as yesterday replays itself, as Butler, who bears a striking resemblance to Jordan, seems to be himself again, uttering those classic words he once uttered to Jordan.
Kobe's fighting spirit reached its peak in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the Warriors' bench, Ben Wallace said, "Do you know who in the league today is most worried about Kobe getting old?"

Upon hearing this, Dunleavy said, "It must be those players who idolize him?"

Big Ben shook his head: "No, that person is definitely the Messiah."

Dunleavy didn't understand why Qin Yue was worried about Kobe getting old.

But Da Ben knew that Qin Yue, who had been invincible for too long, felt more and more lonely because of his invincibility, and he longed for those mortals who dared to challenge him to remain forever young.

"He stands atop the mountain of the NBA, looking down upon all living beings," Ben Wallace said. "And Kobe is the only one among many seekers who, no matter how many times he fails, still dares to raise his fist against the gods."

God said that He delights in mortals who dare to challenge Him.

Do you think the trouble the Lakers caused the Warriors at the start of the game would make Qin Yue anxious?

No.
On the contrary, the pressure from the Lakers actually helped Qin Yue, who still needed time to regain his form, quietly enter a state of profound mystery.

Qin Yue can freely enter and exit "The.Zone".

Throughout the first quarter tonight, the game was dominated by "The Zone".

On the court, it's the Warriors' offensive possession.

With a scissor step, Sam Gold left Pau Gasol behind. Facing the seemingly doomed Marc Gasol, Qin Yue, hovering in mid-air, pulled up with one hand and hit the shot.

And then, the whistle blew when the ball went in.

This is an AND-ONE.

In that instant, time seemed to freeze.

Barkley told TNT, "That's why these players play in this era."

In the 1990s, when Michael Jordan stepped over the pile of bones behind him to reach the top, those who had defeated Jordan in the past would certainly feel regret, or even hate Jordan.

But if possible.
If only time would allow Barkley to make a comeback.
Barkley firmly believed that he would stand tall and proud in front of Jordan once again.

Because in basketball, a sport full of courage and passion, isn't defeating the strongest player and the strongest team the most enjoyable part of the game?
Those who choose shortcuts are destined to miss out on the beautiful scenery along the long, painful climb to the summit.

At Staples Center, in the final moments of the first quarter, the Lakers had one last offensive opportunity.

On the perimeter, Paul, who was in charge of the ball, faked out Nash with a very slight change in rhythm and then pulled up for a jump shot.

Unlike Allen Iverson in the past and Kyrie Irving who has already entered the league.

Paul's dribbling motions rarely involve such wide-ranging dribbling movements.

Often, Paul only needs a small change of direction or a slight shift in pace to easily create opportunities for a pull-up jumper.

This is precisely the unstoppable "quick pull-up jumper" that Paul developed after entering his career peak.

If Qin Yue remembers correctly, during this period, Paul's shooting percentages for two-pointers from a distance and long distances were consistently around 50% and 47%, respectively.

Unfortunately, due to his height limitations, Paul's quick pull-up jumper doesn't have the same ability as Qin Yue's long pull-up jumper, which allows him to thrust whenever he wants.

However, for this Lakers team with Kobe...
Paul's quick pull-up jumper can fill the void left by Kobe's output.

The Gasol brothers, who have become increasingly reliable and developed their shooting range, are able to consistently score for the Lakers.

Even with a younger version of Klay Thompson, the Warriors still had to assign someone to guard him.

That night, the Lakers, who completely abandoned the triangle offense, made the defending champions truly feel that their old rival had developed enough offensive firepower to match theirs.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 34-36.

The Warriors, playing away, are down by two points.

The second quarter will be a test of Curry's ability to lead the team, given his staggered travel schedule.

In Qin Yue's previous life, Curry, who suffered an injury in the third season of his career and was sidelined for the rest of the season, completed his transformation with the help of Dell Curry during his recovery period.

Starting from the 12/13 season, Curry's biggest change compared to his previous seasons was his increasingly difficult-to-stop three-point shooting.

Curry's strong cardiovascular endurance ensures that he can make accurate three-point shots from various angles and using various body postures in high-intensity games.

Although in this life, Curry did not suffer the major injury that Qin Yue remembered.

But this summer, Curry, who made three-point shots every day after high-intensity sprints at Old Curry's request, clearly resembled the three-point god in Qin Yue's memory.

Warriors' offensive possession.

After sprinting and circling most of the court, Curry first passed the ball to Barnes, then quickly ran to the left corner and, under pressure from Klay Thompson, who was leading the Lakers' reserves, forced the ball into the basket.

This was a defensive play that nearly broke Klay's defense.

Because Klay just couldn't understand how that damn Warriors number 30 could make such a difficult catch-and-shoot shot while running so hard.

However, with his teammates' screens, Klay Thompson responded with a three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle.

On the sidelines, at this moment, perhaps only Qin Yue knew just how incredible the "Splash Brothers" were going head-to-head on the court.

Especially when Klay was trash-talking Curry.

Only Qin Yue could sense that awkward feeling that made people want to complain.

When "Golden State Water Splash" each serves its own master.

On the court, Lakers' number 11 knocked Warriors' number 30 out of bounds and then angrily rebuked him, saying, "You're flopping!"

Upon hearing this, Curry, who thought to himself, "If you hadn't bumped into me, how could I have fallen out of bounds?" got anxious and said, "You're not playing basketball at all!"

Staples Center.

They only played for half a quarter.
When the Warriors called a timeout to bring Qin Yue back, Curry confirmed that Klay Thompson was definitely the kind of person he hated the most.

On the Lakers' side, Klay Thompson, who was replaced by Kobe, confirmed that the Warriors' number 30, who had been aiding and abetting the enemy, was none other than the devil's henchman he wished he could tear him apart and sleep on his skin.

As a true Los Angeles resident and a loyal Lakers fan.

Clay is like most Los Angeles residents.

It's common knowledge that in Los Angeles, it's always politically correct to hate anything or anyone related to the Warriors and Qin Yue without any reason.

Therefore, in this life, Curry is an accomplice of the evil Satan Qin Yue.

Naklai, of course, would only hate the other party without reason.

Seeing this, before going on the court, Qin Yue gave Curry some advice: "Next time he trash-talks you, just ask him what kind of champion he is."

Curry nodded in agreement with Qin Yue's advice on trash talk.

And before the end of the first half, he found an opportunity to say those words to the other side.

On the court, the Warriors' final attack of the first half.

Attracted by the "Qin Gravity".

Curry, who went straight to the center circle logo area to receive the ball, hit this super long three-pointer for the Warriors, and then yelled at Klay Thompson: "I'm a two-time champion, what about you? What kind of champion are you?"

……

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(End of this chapter)