LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Chapter 100 Who`s your daddy

Xiao Hua's image was reflected in Stern's thick glasses.

"You must use your ability to control the game carefully, especially in a single match."

Adam Silver disagreed with this conclusion: "President, do you want to go back to the dark defense of the 04 Pistons?"

"The Spurs and Pistons' ratings reflect the audience's demand."

"This Cavaliers team's defense is more terrifying than the Pistons'."

"James and Paul, as the top two MVPs, did not average more than 20 points in either of their two playoff games."

Seeing that Stern did not refute, Silver's voice gradually hardened: "Nash's smooth and fluid 7-second offense is clearly more popular with fans."

"But the Lakers and Celtics disrupted the small-ball trend with their twin towers and tough defense."

"LeBron James's Heat's big man and small man lineup perfectly match the fast-paced offensive basketball that fans want to see."

"Are we just going to watch the Knights' Twin Towers disrupt the process of mini-ball development again?"

"President, we don't need positional warfare, much less the outdated defensive twin towers."

Stern was silent for a moment.

Ratings are simple: superstars, compelling stories, and exciting basketball.

It's hard to say which type of basketball is more entertaining, but a defensive battle between the Spurs and Pistons is definitely not entertaining, and the ratings speak for themselves.

Ratings determine broadcast contracts and sponsorship contracts.

Miniaturization has always been a goal that Stern has been pushing for.

Allowing zone defense to limit the destructive power of giants like O'Neal in the paint, and the three-second rule limiting the defensive deterrent of big centers guarding the paint.

Implementing the no-hand-check rule frees up guards from the restrictions on face-up drives and shots.

Then Nash was awarded two consecutive MVPs.

While Nash's story is compelling, his 15+11 stat line for his first MVP award is underwhelming, and his defense was a weak link for the team.

In 09, the league also clarified that players who receive a pass while moving, or after dribbling and breaking through, are allowed to take two steps before stopping, passing, or shooting.

Even in that year's playoffs, the league took care of the Magic, who had one star and four shooters.

But unexpectedly, these coaches always managed to make the twin towers and defense work in a unique way, preventing the small-ball style from being successfully implemented.

First came the Lakers and Celtics, who dominated the league for three years, and now the Cavaliers have emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

Stern personally liked Chen Shuo's performance as general manager.

With his storytelling skills and ability to generate buzz, Chen Shuo has garnered unprecedented attention for Eastern Conference games. Furthermore, his nationality provides an added advantage, allowing him to maintain his presence in the Chinese market after Yao Ming's retirement.

It's just that I don't know what this guy was thinking.

I just love holding onto the Twin Towers and never letting go.

How could such a smart person not see the situation?

Popovich led the core trio of GDP (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili) who are nearly 100 years old combined, and they played at the fastest pace in the league.

Riley's Heat also featured a big man and four small men, and their fast break dunks were more likely to get fans' adrenaline pumping.

Perhaps it's time to find an opportunity to remind Chen Shuo.

Stern adjusted his glasses, having made up his mind.

Small ball is the path the league must take.

Giants basketball doesn't resonate with ordinary people, which determines the future trend of the league.

However, there are more sophisticated ways to promote a smaller-ball style of play than letting the whistle decide the game.

"Adam, those who wield power must be cautious and meticulous."

"Every time the referees are used to change the course of a game, it is an overdraft on the league's credibility."

Seeing Stern's attitude, Xiao Hua anxiously interjected, "But—"

Stern looked up at Xiao Hua sitting at the table and said earnestly and unequivocally, "You should try to learn to drive development with rules, instead of letting the whistle decide the direction."

Xiao Hua glanced at Stern and blurted out instinctively, "What about James?"

"He has been the face of the league for many years."

Stern's eyes flashed with a light, but he quickly composed himself and said, "I gave him a chance."

Seeing Stern's serious tone, Xiao Hua swallowed back the words he was about to say.

June 1, Miami.

All eyes were on the American Airlines Center, where one could see the clear blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Public opinion quickly escalated after the G2 match.

There were many news commentaries criticizing the referee's calls, but there were also quite a few fans who believed the game had been turned around.

Public opinion quickly shifted, and media writers who had initially predicted a Cavaliers victory after Game 1 switched sides and began supporting the Heat.

The Cavaliers, having lost a home game, are likely to suffer two consecutive losses in Miami, putting them in a very dangerous situation.

Victory can cover up everything.

No one paid attention to the clipboard Spoelstra slammed on the ground after James couldn't beat Paul, nor did anyone notice how Chandler quickly accumulated five fouls, and Wade's highly controversial out-of-bounds drive wasn't even the most important thing.

Years later, people will only remember the ultimate winner.

At the American Airlines Center, reporters' and media's flashbulbs bounced as cameras focused on Chen Shuo, who was sitting on the Cavaliers' bench.

-

In the vast majority of matches, Chen Shuo simply sat on the sidelines and watched the game with the fans.

These subtle changes gave the reporter a whiff of something fishy.

The match officially began with the referee's whistle.

The two teams had already figured out each other's tactics by the time they finished the first two games.

The Cavaliers did not use a zone defense right away.

Zone defense demands a high level of concentration from players and is a mentally and physically demanding defensive method.

Moreover, long-term use of zone defense can easily make the opponent get used to the zone defense pattern. In Nurse's view, zone defense should be suddenly activated at a certain time to change the rhythm and trend of the game.

Seeing this, James decisively passed the ball to JR Smith.

However, JR's shooting touch wasn't explosive this time. He only made one three-pointer in three possessions against Garnett.

Chen Shuo remained silent on the bench, neither participating in the coaching staff's discussions nor celebrating with the substitute players.

He just stared silently at the whistle coming from referee Foster's mouth.

At halftime, the Cavaliers led the Heat by 13 points on the road.

The Cavaliers may have been a little complacent in Game 2, but in this game, everyone is burning with anger and will fight for every ball, determined to win the game in Miami.

Almost identical plot points appear in the third section.

Chandler was called for a screen foul in the first possession of the Cavaliers' offense.

It's started again.

Chen Shuo glanced at the statistics and called out to Tucker at the end of the bench.

When Tyronn Lue saw Tucker get up and glanced at Chen Shuo sitting down, he quickly found a dead ball opportunity to substitute Chandler.

The Cavaliers instantly transformed into a lineup with Garnett as the center and four smaller players.

Spo breathed a sigh of relief, but then sensed something was amiss.

Chandler only had 3 fouls, so substituting him out so early was overly cautious.

Given the Cavaliers' three-layer defensive system against James, the experienced and positionally skilled Battier is clearly more suitable as the second line of defense.

While Tucker is physically strong, passionate, and energetic, he needs considerable experience to determine when and where he can appear at the free-throw line to slow down James's drives.

Spoelstra quickly realized something was wrong.

Tucker didn't come on as a second line of defense; instead, he went straight to face James as the spearhead of the outermost defensive line.

Kawhi Leonard, who was originally in charge of James, has now set his sights on J.R. Smith.

James was delighted to see Tucker in front of him, and his eyes darted around, trying to mislead the defender.

Tucker stared at him with wide, bull-like eyes.

Although Tucker didn't seem like a tough opponent, James felt it was a rare opportunity.

Tucker is no harder to deal with than Leonard.

So James used his shoulder to clear space and was about to drive into the paint when he felt a dizzying sensation as his back made intimate contact with the oak floor.

Tucker, who was behind James, tackled him to the ground around the waist.

The referee's whistle blew.

Tucker continued to harass James.

"Useless trash, you're not getting past here."

James sprang to his feet and immediately rushed to Tucker.

Tucker stepped forward, shoving James aside with his chest, and glared at him: "Coward, act like a man."

James understood that the other party was trying to provoke him. He suppressed his anger, adjusted his emotions, and spread his hands behind his back to indicate that he would not make a move.

In every subsequent possession, Tucker provoked James in various ways.

"You coward, try touching me."

"A pathetic wretch like you who only knows how to run away should go to a group of women."

"You walk like a crab; I actually thought you knew something else."

However, in terms of actual results, Tucker quickly accumulated four fouls, and James went to the free-throw line twice.

The Heat are closing the gap in the score.

"Beep—"

The referee blew his whistle, and James fell to the ground again, but this time Tucker didn't even have time to exert any force.

Tucker was taken aback when he saw James rolling around on the ground, then he stepped over James.

James, who was on the ground, was furious. He suddenly got up and grabbed Tucker's jersey, but still did not make a move.

Chen Shuo couldn't help but give James a thumbs up.

I can bear it.

The players from both sides quickly surrounded them.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

'

The referee's whistle blew sharply.

Tucker was grabbed by the jersey, slapped James' hand away, and yelled at James:

"Who's your daddy?"

James hadn't reacted yet.

Then Tucker's expression suddenly turned into a teasing smile, and he repeated it in an extremely serious tone:

"Who's your daddy?"

Even if James was slow to react, he immediately realized the other party's malice and pushed Tucker away.

Unexpectedly, Tucker was prepared. He stepped on the ground with his back foot and used his waist to generate power, throwing a backhand punch straight at James' eye socket.

The war is about to start.

JR Smith suddenly lunged forward, only to be shoved aside by Garnett next to him.

The players from both sides were locked in combat almost instantly.