Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 278 The Definition of Greatness

The NBA All-Star Weekend is always a challenge that every NBA player, especially the top players, cannot avoid.

Every team boss wants to get in, but it is impossible for everyone to get in. You need to have a record, a background, power, representative works, and be a person that the fans are familiar with and call out.

But for real fans, what does it matter if you are selected as an All-Star?

To be honest, even in North America, many people don’t care about the All-Star Game, let alone in China.

As attention continued to decline, the 2018 All-Star Game made rule adjustments, canceling the fixed Eastern and Western Conference players' confrontation and changing it to a superstar selection of players, similar to the streetball format.

This seems to have increased the topic and expectations for confrontation, but in fact it did not achieve the original intention of reversing the situation.

Strictly speaking, the NBA's All-Star Game's weakening schedule is closely related to Kobe's serious injury and retirement periods. You can think of Kobe as a catfish. His attitude and harshness towards the game make the All-Star Game extremely anticipated, especially when the scores of both sides are close in the fourth quarter.

No matter how fanatical a fan of James or other superstars you are, you have to admit the fact that you are looking forward to the All-Star Game with Kobe.

As for what you can expect from the All-Stars now that he’s gone?
It's all show!

So, to get to the bottom of it, Kobe made the All-Star Game feel real. When did this feeling appear? It was probably the last All-Star Game before Jordan retired for the third time. Everyone was paying respect to Jordan, but Kobe used all-out defense to express his love for the God of Basketball.

Perhaps in Kobe's view, respecting basketball means respecting Jordan.

This is the difference between Kobe and all other superstars.

Maybe you have this or that kind of self-discipline in basketball, such hard training, and an immense desire for honor, but Kobe also has these.

But Kobe has one thing you don't have.

No matter what the competition is, even if it is just for fun, he is obsessed with winning or losing. Everyone has a competitive spirit, but there is always a limit in terms of reason and emotional intelligence.

But sorry, Kobe doesn’t have that. You can play basketball for fun, but he doesn’t play. He has to win, and only when he wins will he smile.

Countless fans are saying that Kobe is the person closest to God. In fact, in terms of technology and physical condition, these are not important. The core is still what I said above. Jordan did it more absolutely.

Jordan favors Kobe and loves him, probably because Kobe is the only player similar to him in the NBA world.

Back to the topic of the All-Star Game, almost all fans are missing the All-Star Game of the past. The reason is actually very simple.

The two sides were really fighting, purely for face. This was just like South Street and North Lane couldn't stand each other and they couldn't wait to ride on your head every day to be happy.

But as they get older, league rules change, and commercialism overwhelms the competitive essence, all of this becomes difficult to inherit and reproduce.

Fans don't like to see you all getting along. They would rather you become sworn enemies and have a big fight with a group of stars we are all familiar with. It would be most interesting if there was blood and corpses everywhere.

What brothers or not? I'm here to watch basketball, not variety shows.

Your operations make it impossible for us to know what is true and what is false.

If a competitive game loses its sense of reality, it is only natural that it will be ignored by fans.

Chen Fang was well aware that the All-Star Game was getting worse and worse and that no matter how the league changed the rules, it would be of no avail. So when Lindsay asked him to go to the game in person to increase his exposure, he simply refused.

Lindsay mistakenly thought that he didn't understand, and told him that riding on each other's popularity was the fastest and most convenient way to increase the public's perception of your star.

Chen Fang just smiled and said that it was a rare vacation and he needed to spend time with his family.

If you say you are spending time with your family in China, your friends will still invite you to drink and soak your feet, but if you mention your family abroad, the plan will be terminated.

Lindsay was speechless. For the first time, she experienced the difficulty of dealing with a weird star.

But Chen Fang did not lie. He and Wu Zi had just experienced the most important step in their lives. As the saying goes, a short separation is better than a new marriage. They are inseparable and cannot be separated.

The weather in California in February is very good, not too cold, and suitable for traveling.

But Chen Fang felt that it was not enough, so on the day of the All-Star Game, he chartered a private plane and the two of them went to the Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.

Here, there are beautiful white sand beaches and the world's largest coral reefs, diving and snorkeling game experiences, and at dusk, strolling on the beach of Grace Bay, which is known as the most beautiful beach in the world.

It was so enjoyable and memorable that the two of them played there for three days in a row and only returned to Los Angeles on the 22nd.

So Rivers was shocked when he saw Chen Fang, who looked tired and even had dark circles under his eyes.

"Okay, I can understand that this is your first All-Star Weekend in your life, and it seems that you had a good time." Rivers smiled sensibly and did not blame the indulgent Chen Fang.

"Oops." Chen Fang also knew that he was not like a professional player now. He urgently needed the team's supporting rehabilitation equipment to adjust his physical condition.

"Go ahead, haha." Rivers let him go immediately.

He now has no hope of winning tomorrow's away game against the Warriors in San Francisco.

But he was happy because this did not conflict with the management's ideas. So when Chen Fang returned to the court, he was called into the conference room by Rivers.

The two started their first communication in recent times.

"We still have 25 games left, and now our record is 35 wins and 22 losses, ranking fourth in the Western Conference." After Rivers finished his opening remarks, he continued: "I want to tell you the management's thoughts and attitudes."

Chen Fang nodded and listened attentively.

"First, let me ask a question." Rivers looked directly at Chen Fang: "Do you think the Clippers can win the championship this year?"

Chen Fang shook his head: "This is unrealistic."

"Can we make it to the Western Conference Finals?"

Chen Fang hesitated and pursed his lips: "It's not realistic either."

"What about getting through the first round?"

"I think so." Chen Fang finally felt a little confident.

Rivers shook his head: "You have never played in the playoffs. Your answer is based on blind confidence."

"Problems in the regular season will be infinitely magnified, and ignored details will appear in every round. The team, players, coaches, and every aspect of the flaws and weaknesses will be targeted by the opponent."

"Add home and away games, referee factors, sponsors, etc., and you will realize how difficult it will be to play five or six games against a strong team in half a month."

Rivers sighed: "We can only try our best to make up for our own shortcomings, find more hidden weaknesses of the opponent, and ensure the team's combat effectiveness and physical fitness."

"So, generally after the All-Star Game, we start to rest the team and prepare for the playoffs."

Chen Fang didn't interrupt. The coach was obviously giving him some knowledge so that this playoff rookie could understand more about the subject.

"We should play the games that need to be played, and we should try our best to win the games that have an impact on the rankings, so as to gain the home advantage."

The home advantage can be said to be the only deciding factor for teams of equal strength.

拥有主场优势的球队会在系列赛的第1场、第2场、第5场（如果需要）和第7场（如果需要）在自己的主场作战。而对手则会在第3场、第4场和第6场（如果需要）在自己的主场作战。

If you look at the series as a round-based system, you'll find that home court has advantages.

Hit your opponent twice first. If both of them hit, then your opponent will bear the psychological pressure of 0-2. Sometimes pressure can crush people's hearts.

If we want to make a comeback, we have to make it back in games 3 and 4. Even if we win all the games, if we lose the fifth game, we will face huge psychological pressure of taking a step back into the abyss.

A team without a home-court advantage can only compete with its opponent on an equal footing in the seventh game, and only at this time will the opponent's psychological pressure be equal to its own.

To sum it up in one sentence, the playoffs are a tough game.

The hardness here not only refers to confrontation and intensity, but more importantly, it refers to psychological will.

Only with a tough and ruthless player can this team go far in the playoffs and offset the home advantage.

Only a group of ruthless people can enter the Western Conference Finals and step onto the floor of the Finals.

"We, the Clippers, don't have that ability right now. The regular season record and the wins and losses against our opponents this season cannot be used as a basis for optimism."

"Essentially, we as a whole lack experienced players to face the playoffs, and secondly, we lack a group of strong-willed people to withstand the pressure."

"These are all things that must be experienced many times, and self-improvement and transformation." Speaking of this, Rivers laughed at himself: "Although I have been in the league for a long time and have experienced many playoffs, I am also afraid to face it."

"Every time, it is a mental torment."

There was silence, and the conference room fell into dead silence. Chen Fang thought a lot, so he asked: "The coach would not tell me this for no reason. I want to know, what are the plans now?"

Finally, we get to the point. Rivers: "We should give up the dialogue with strong teams appropriately. According to the current ranking, we should avoid the Rockets and Warriors. The Spurs and Jazz are the secondary choices to avoid. The Thunder and Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Timberwolves are the first-rounders we can face."

"In our evaluation, we can accept the sixth place facing the third place, and the fifth place facing the fourth place, but we will lose the home-court advantage. In fact, we don't have many choices. If we want to fight for the third place, we have to fight for every game. To be the third place in the Western Conference, we are expected to win 50-52 games, which means we have to win 25 of the next 17 games."

"In our remaining schedule, we have one game against the Nuggets, Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder in the West, and two games against the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, and Rockets."

"In the East, there are the Cavaliers, Bucks, Pacers, and Raptors."

"Our schedule after the All-Star break is the second most difficult in the league."

"If we lose more than 10 games, we will lose the third place in the Western Conference. If we lose 12 games, we will lose the fourth place in the Western Conference. If we lose 15 games, we will fall out of the playoffs."

"We also need to ensure undefeated teams in other weaker teams and try to win a few games against strong teams. According to what I said before, you should understand the difficulty of making choices."

"The team's health is also approaching the injury warning line. We have to fight for the next 25 games. The price may be to achieve the goal of the playoffs, but lose the ability to win in the playoffs, which means that the home advantage will also lose its meaning."

Rivers' words made Chen Fang feel pressured, and he was confused for a moment. He fell silent again. Seeing that Chen Fang, who always had his own opinions, was silent, Rivers said, "If you can't make up your mind, let me make the decision."

Chen Fang looked up at the head coach in a daze, and the latter's voice was clearly heard in his eardrums.

"Given our assessment of the current situation, we will strive to secure sixth place in the playoffs and avoid the Rockets and Warriors. We will update our strategy for each game at any time, stay healthy, identify our opponents, and practice our tactics."

“Then experience the playoffs, try to play six games, and extend the experience.”

"No matter what the result is, I will bear it alone."

Seeing Rivers' smile after he finished speaking, Chen Fang finally understood why he was the most popular head coach in the league.

You have to accept the initiative of taking the blame and owe him a favor.

"There's still almost a month and a half left, so there's no need to look so sad."

"But..." Chen Fang suddenly felt very sorry. He was so distracted by the game that he was completely unaware of the team's dire situation. He wasted several days and made a mistake that a professional player could not forgive.

Given my current physical condition, and the fact that we have to play the Warriors in six hours, I feel hopeless.

"Don't play today, take a good rest." Rivers' next words made Chen Fang even more ashamed.

"You don't have to think too much, our goal is to beat the Suns and Nuggets."

After leaving the meeting room, Chen Fang had a gloomy face. He fell out of his blind optimism and self-confidence and saw his weak side.

He was ashamed of Rivers' responsibility. He should have faced it together with the coach, but unexpectedly, he became the one taking shelter under Rivers' umbrella.

The feeling of frustration and self-blame are like countless ants biting at my heart.

Eight hours later, Chen Fang witnessed the entire process of the Clippers being slaughtered by the Warriors. The cheers of the Warriors fans at the Chase Center were so harsh.

He forced himself to remember everything, telling himself that since he was a professional player, he should act like a professional.

In the final stage of the game, the various scenes on the bench were also shown to the fans through the camera, and Chen Fang's gloomy expression was even captured in a close-up for five seconds.

After the game, Chen Fang did not accept any interviews, but trouble still found him.

Matthew Morrissey, a columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News and a resident reporter for the Clippers' official media, wrote: We are getting used to the Clippers' winning and losing streaks. It is undeniable that Chen Fang is a very good player and his role in the Clippers is core. Because of this, whenever the Clippers fall into a losing streak, it means that Chen Fang is in a slump or is resting.

Let's discuss whether the Clippers need to find a better helper for Chen Fang.

Griffin, of course, was good, but his fragile legs were unwilling to help.

Kuzma is a very good rookie, but it may take seven or eight years to hear the prologue of his growth story.

Looking at the Clippers' roster, we don't see any expectations or surprises.

Many people are discussing the Clippers' playoffs, but judging from the current situation, the Clippers' playoffs may still be in vain, and their energy should be focused on off-season signings and the draft.

Trade it, rebuild it from the ground up.

There is no need to hesitate for the short-lived beauty in front of us. We should find reliable helpers for Chen Fang and make the Clippers a real championship team in two or three years.

Take action, Clippers!

The Los Angeles Times is the largest print media in California and also represents orthodoxy.

As a veteran Clippers reporter, Matthew Morrissey's attitude means a lot.

So when the Clippers were still on their way to Felix, the discussion about trading Griffin quickly became a hot topic at the Clippers fans' dinner table.

The fans were divided into two camps, some were strongly opposed to the trade, and some who became new Clippers fans because of Chen Fang loudly agreed with it.

Between them, there are more neutral fans who are torn.

In the questionnaire survey launched on February 2, 25 fans participated in the voting, 37% were in favor of trading Griffin, 41% were against, and the remaining 22% abstained.

However, when Chen Fang returned again and led the Clippers to consecutive wins over the Suns and Nuggets, the proportions reached 43%, 32%, and 25%.

In the last few days of February, Griffin is the protagonist.

On March 3, the Clippers faced the Rockets at home. Chen Fang was rested again and the Rockets won a big victory, continuing to consolidate their position as the first in the regular season.

The topic of Chen Fang's frequent rest breaks has also begun to be widely raised and criticized.

On March 3, Chen Fang received a call from Griffin.

"Do you want me to leave?" Griffin asked straight to the point.

"I don't hope so." Chen Fang said without any hesitation.

"I talked to Lawrence, and he assured me again and again that management never had this idea." Griffin's voice sounded a little tired.

"This is good news."

"I'm still recovering, but I can't help you in the playoffs. I'm sorry for the advice you gave me last time. I have to do a lot of rehab this offseason."

"Healing your wounds is the most important thing." What else could Chen Fang say about this?

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fang let out a long sigh. He was indeed very conflicted. He didn't know where the future would go.

As Matthew Morrissey said, the Clippers are not clean and have too many hindrances, which has affected their speed and even their direction has begun to shift.

During this off-season, I must focus on improving my physical fitness and strength. No matter how fast a sports car is, without a good chassis, it is just a vase.

Instead of pursuing extreme agility and speed, a muscular sports car might be a solution.

Gaining muscle has become a necessary choice.

If you don't play all 65 regular season games, it will be difficult to help the team establish a playoff advantage.

As for the team's operations next year, Chen Fang also changed his attitude slightly, hoping to make himself better so that the team can become better.

But at the same time, better teammates can also help you become better.

And Chen Fang knew very well that his troubles were still to come.

As he acquiesced to the coaching staff's strategy, it also meant that he would shamefully start traveling during off-peak hours.

He didn't play against any strong teams in order to use more energy to prepare for the playoffs. However, he was very confused as he didn't know whether this behavior was too contrary to the spirit of competition.

So he called Kobe.

Except before the game, Chen Fang would call, but in fact he hadn't taken the initiative for a long time. They were both in Los Angeles, but they hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Just as I was feeling anxious, the phone call came through.

The moment he got through, Chen Fang closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He didn't want to beat around the bush and told the whole story directly.

Kobe listened quietly until he was sure Chen Fang would stop talking. Then he slowly said, "Actually, who we play against in the playoffs is important, but it's also not important."

"Smart golfers will choose easier targets, just like lions on the grassland, instead of fighting cheetahs, they will look for antelopes, zebras, or even hares."

"Sometimes, a few hyenas and foxes can be considered a great achievement."

"Yes, this will not affect the survival of the lion, but the lion king on the grassland is not obtained by killing many antelopes."

"For a player, no matter how great his historical scores are, they are not as great as the championship ring. Every additional ring means that you have killed many powerful peers, such as rhinos, hippos, cheetahs, lions, wolves, crocodiles, and even elephants."

“When a lion dies, no one on the grassland knows about it. When a lion king falls, the whole grassland cheers and feels regret.”

"What kind of player you want to be depends on what your definition of greatness is."

"You called me to find out my definition of greatness, and this is the answer."

"There are no shortcuts to greatness. Don't be lost in the short-term. I have taken the wrong path and experienced many dark moments. When I retired, I looked back on it and realized that I had taken many detours and delayed my peak period."

"But I'm not sad at all. Instead, I'm thinking, if I hadn't walked this path like that, would I still have the peace of mind I have now?"

"You still don't understand what true honor is. Even if I tell you now, you won't be able to appreciate and comprehend it."

"One day, when you understand, you will know what you did right and what you did wrong."

"Everyone has a different definition of right and wrong. Chen Fang, you need to face the challenges head-on, follow your heart, and don't forget your original intention."

"Okay, I've been talking too much. If there's nothing else, I'll just hang up now."

Kobe hung up the phone without even waiting for Chen Fang to say thank you. It was obvious that he was expressing his dissatisfaction with Chen Fang at the moment. Although he understood it, it did not prevent him from naturally hating it.

After staying in the living room alone for a long time, Chen Fang suddenly laughed. His laughter gradually became louder. If Wu Zi was not at home, she would have been scared at this moment.

"Damn it, being recognized by you is really not a good job, but it is my greatest luck." Chen Fang cursed with a smile, and his eyes gradually became clear.

"Maybe I'm taking a detour at the moment, but I promise, I'll be back soon."

(End of this chapter)