I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 105 Lakers Win the Championship! Yao Ming Withdraws from the Draft and Breaks Jordan's Ribs! [Daily Updates of 20,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

"How much did it go up?" Lin Ze was also caught up in Bond's excited voice and asked with great anticipation.

"Uh—" Bond said, extremely embarrassed, "I don't know."

Bond was excited because that night, countless front-line stores or distributors called the upper-level warehouses, the higher-level distributors, and then the distributors called the even higher-level agents.

Regardless of the level, everyone's needs are simple and consistent: to purchase goods!

Although Bond couldn't provide specific figures on shoe sales in the short term, he was certain that the first signature shoe for Lin Ze, released at the start of the playoffs, sold like hotcakes!

Of course, these shoes already sold quite well. Although they couldn't win the annual sales champion title, they were a sure thing to enter the top ten of the year. In fact, many Adidas insiders believed that these shoes could eventually enter the top five of the year!

Because the unprecedented and insane sales in the Asian region have not slowed down at all since the start of the playoffs, if this sales continue, then Lin Ze's shoes will surely become a milestone in the history of Adidas basketball shoes!

If before today, Bond's decision to sign Lin Ze to a super contract despite opposition was still somewhat controversial within Adidas, with many believing it was not worthwhile or too risky, then after tonight, the controversy will no longer exist.

A single photo of him stepping over a goal can trigger a surge in sales. Who dares to say that signing Lin Ze was a mistake?

His future status within Adidas will inevitably rise due to this signing, which is why Bond was so excited and even called Lin Ze in the early hours of the morning.

This photo will undoubtedly become a viral sensation and a landmark event for Lin Ze.

As for that unlucky guy who lost a viral photo because of this?

Lin Ze said: He will treat Coach Lu to a big meal in the next few days. Of course, he believes that even if Coach Lu had to choose, he would definitely choose a big meal instead of lying on the floor and being stepped over.

For the next two days, almost everyone was discussing and imitating this moment. Countless teenagers across American streetball courts tried to shake off or knock down their opponents and then step over them.

Of course, the number of stadium conflicts that resulted from this also increased dramatically.

Overnight, Lin Ze became even more popular, with more people liking and imitating him. Even within Adidas, some people wanted to change Lin Ze's logo to his leaping over Geiger gesture.

But for the Lakers and 76ers players, none of that matters; the series must go on!

In Game 2 of the series, Jackson changed his tactics.

Although he did not change his starting lineup, he did adjust the weighting of his rotation.

Tyronn Lue received more playing time, playing a full 19 minutes that night.

Do only one thing: keep an eye on Iverson.

In a physical sense, Iverson is being stared at.

When defending, he almost never looked at the court; he just ran after Iverson. Even when on offense, he focused half of his attention on Iverson, preferring not to receive the ball or have a scoring opportunity himself rather than let Iverson get too far away from him.

So that we won't be unable to keep up when we're defending later.

Jackson's tactical change was a success!

艾弗森这个晚上没有了第一场爆砍48分的疯狂，他今晚29投只有10中，3分球10投3

In the middle, perhaps because he expended too much energy trying to get rid of Tyronn Lue, he only made a ridiculous 7 out of 14 free throws, which was even less accurate than O'Neal's!

Mutombo also lost the ferocity he displayed in the previous game with two 20s and two 20s. He was completely contained by O'Neal. Although he scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, he only made 5 of 13 shots. As a role player who relies on easy baskets, this efficiency was really too low.

For the Lakers, O'Neal continued his solid performance, recording a double-double of 28 points and 20 rebounds. Kobe also shook off the gloom of his poor performance in the first game, scoring a game-high 31 points. With Lin Ze's 25 points, the Lakers' Big Three combined for 84 points!

The Lakers won Game 2 of the series by a narrow margin of 9 points tonight!

89: 98!

The third battle that followed was almost a carbon copy of the second battle.

That night, Coach Lu's playing time increased again to 25 minutes. Under his primary defense, Iverson once again achieved a standard Iverson-style shooting percentage of 12 out of 30 shots.

It was after that night that people started calling Tyronn Luis Iverson "the terminator." As for whether Kobe deliberately used and spread this nickname to get revenge on Ruben Patterson back then, that's hard to say.

For the Lakers, O'Neal easily scored 30+10 again, and Lin Ze was another Lakers player to score 30+ points. Kobe reduced his shot attempts tonight, only taking 13 shots, but this was because he devoted a lot of energy to defense.

科比全程单防上一场表现优秀，拿下20分5篮板6助攻的阿隆·麦基，让这个最佳第六人今晚9投1中只拿到5分3篮板2助攻，算是将76人外线唯一可靠的得分手给完全限制。

In this situation, the 76ers were naturally powerless to resist.

Back at home, they lost even more decisively than in the previous two games, after all, they only lost by single digits in the previous two games, but tonight they lost by 14 points.

100: 86!

The Lakers have won three straight games and secured a match point!

3: 0!

For the second year in a row, they took a 3-0 lead in the Finals, completely dominating the Eastern Conference teams for the second year in a row!

Of course, other teams in the Western Conference were also crushed this year.

The Lakers have achieved an incredible 14-game winning streak in the playoffs so far!

At this point in the series, whether the Lakers can win the championship is no longer a question. No one thinks that the 76ers can win four straight games and reverse the series.

The gap in strength between the two sides in the first three matches was simply too great!

As it turned out, the close and intense first game was due to the 76ers' exceptional performance.

Once they return to normal, they will no longer be able to compete with the Lakers.

The fourth game was exactly the same!

The Lakers started with a 9-0 run, and then took an 11-point lead in the first quarter. In the second quarter, they extended the lead to 19 points, which essentially sealed the game and put it into garbage time.

Although the 76ers did not give up in the second half, they launched wave after wave of counterattacks, making multiple attempts to narrow the gap to within 15 points.

But they all failed!

They narrowed the gap to within 15 points with 3 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Bell hit a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to 12 points.

But the game ended with his three-pointer.

108: 96!

The Lakers have won their fourth consecutive game!

They swept the 76ers and won this year's championship!

At the same time, the Lakers became the first and only team in history to win the championship with a 100% winning percentage in the playoffs!

They are the only team in NBA history to win the championship with an undefeated playoff record!

This is yet another team to achieve a back-to-back championships!

在这轮总决赛中，虽然林泽和科比的表现都可圈可点，一个场均25分7篮板2助攻，一个场均24分5篮板5助攻。

Both of them had 30+ point games in the series, making it a close contest.

At least for now, if you ask who performs better between Kobe and Lin Ze, and who is more deserving of the Lakers' second-in-command position, the opinions on both would be split evenly.

Although the debate over who is the second-best player is still uncertain, most people still believe that Shaquille O'Neal is the Lakers' leader, and he has indeed been the best player in this series.

4场比赛，奥尼尔只有一场得分低于30分，系列赛场均轰下33分15篮板3盖帽，命中率高达55%！

Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo was completely outmatched by him and failed to deliver any of the defensive performance expected of a Defensive Player of the Year.

These three players combined for an average of 82 points per game, while the Lakers as a whole only averaged 104 points per game in this series.

It's just a matter of points; the three of them account for nearly 80% of the total score.

Even though no one on the Lakers team, except for those three, averaged more than 5 points per game in the series, they still won the championship with ease!

The Lakers proved with their performance that roster depth, roster balance, and bench strength are all useless in the face of absolute star power!

The Lakers are drastically stronger than any other team this season!

Without any suspense, Stern, amidst the deafening boos from the Philadelphia fans, smiled and announced: "The MVP of this Finals is:"

Shaquille O'Neal!

O'Neal, too, faced a chorus of boos from the crowd, raised the trophy, and stylishly waved to the fans who refused to leave.

As a result, the Philadelphia fans became even angrier. They hadn't left the arena yet because of the pain and frustration of the loss, which is why they stayed to continue hurling insults. Seeing O'Neal's flamboyant performance only fueled their rage, unleashing a torrent of vulgarities. This impotent fury, of course, only made O'Neal and the entire Lakers team happier.

Go ahead and curse!

No amount of cursing will change the fact that you'll be swept aside!

If there's anyone still in the center of the court who isn't as happy as they seem, it's Stern.

Although Stern had a smile on his face, the final round did not continue as he had imagined.

The close, exciting, and intense series he wanted didn't materialize. Apart from the first game, where Iverson's amazing performance created some suspense, the 76ers were completely outmatched in the remaining three games.

The referees did their best in all four matches.

Iverson had more free throw attempts than O'Neal, and the Lakers' starters committed far more fouls than in previous series. O'Neal had 6, 5, 5, and 4 fouls in the four games, while Kobe and Lin Ze also had two games with 5 fouls each.

The referee really did his best; Mutombo speaks for himself.

In these four games, he fouled and pulled O'Neal almost every possession, and his positioning was quite obvious every time he boxed out.

As the series progressed, these subtle maneuvers became increasingly blatant, including push-ups and other small actions.

Even so, he was not ejected once in the four games, and his number of fouls in those four games was less than that of O'Neal, which is obviously quite outrageous.

Of course, from Mutombo's own perspective, this kind of refereeing might not be a good thing.

His old bones were almost completely destroyed by O'Neal; this series was truly a nightmare for him.

The referee did his best, and Stern could only accept the result.

He can't just let the referees blindly make arbitrary calls and completely favor the 76ers, can he?

With this, the season is essentially over. The only thing left is the Lakers' championship parade in a few days. After the celebration, the 2000-2001 season will officially end!

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that Jordan displayed his extraordinary "luck" at the lottery draw a few days prior, securing the number one pick in the 2001 draft for his team.

Because it was Jordan, he successfully stole a lot of attention from the ongoing Finals, and many people were speculating about who Jordan would choose as the cornerstone and hope for the Wizards' resurgence with the first pick.

Pau Gasol, a Spaniard, is exceptionally talented and widely regarded as one of the best big men in this draft class. However, high school stars Eddie Curry and Tyson Chandler are also highly anticipated and considered future All-Stars.

In addition, exceptionally talented players such as Eddie Griffin and the next generation of superstar Jason Richardson are also considered potential candidates for Jordan's draft.

With so many choices, it's clear that this year's draft class doesn't have any super-talented players with exceptional abilities. Many players seem to have similar skill levels and potential. Whether it will end up being a battle of mediocre talents or a year like 99, where a diverse range of players flourished and many young stars emerged, we'll have to wait and see after their professional careers begin.

However, none of this has anything to do with the Lakers.

The Lakers already traded away their draft pick this year when they traded Glen Rice, and given the team's current state, it's almost impossible for them to make any big trades to acquire draft picks and develop young players.

The Lakers don't need rookies or potential players right now; they just need players who can contribute immediately!

Having already won two consecutive championships, the Lakers clearly have only one goal for next season.

Three-peat!

Create a dynasty that belongs to them!

The Lakers' three-peat was also widely anticipated.

It's simply because they've won too easily these past two years. Apart from the Trail Blazers in the 00 Western Conference Finals, no team has posed a real threat to them.

With a regular season record of 73 wins and a playoff winning streak of 15, the Lakers have taken the word "dominance" to its extreme!

Even the Bulls during their two three-peat championship runs never displayed the Lakers' terrifying dominance.

They always encounter troubles, big and small, while the Lakers' troubles, at least on their way to their first two championships, were incredibly few.

They are too strong! And extreme strength brings immense confidence.

This confidence carried over to the victory parade a few days later.

At the end of the parade, players and staff members walked one by one to the podium to share their experiences and give speeches.

On this wonderful day, almost everyone's speeches were positive and uplifting, eliciting cheers from the fans. Shaquille O'Neal and Jerry Buss even shouted to the fans, "One more time!"

At least the Lakers of Showtime back then, from top to bottom, didn't dare to say that after winning their second championship.

That Lakers team was exhausted after winning two consecutive championships. Everyone was extremely tired, and they knew they couldn't win a third championship. The players had reached their limits in terms of ability, age, physical condition, and mentality.

But this new Lakers team is in a completely different state.

They were at the height of their power, at the peak of their careers. They hadn't even had enough time to play, yet they had already won two championships.

Of course they have the confidence and assurance that they can declare their intention to win three consecutive championships and create a true dynasty!

On this wonderful day, when Jerry West, the team's icon and a veteran of the Lakers for 40 years, began his speech, he announced news that shocked everyone.

"I'm leaving. I need to rest because I'm exhausted," West said with a smile. "At my age, I really can't stay focused all the time, and I can't always give my all to the team. I need a break, so goodbye everyone!"

"My career as the Lakers' general manager is over."

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the fans immediately erupted in a frenzied and unified chant.

"Stay! Stay! Stay! Stay!"

"We want Jerry! We want Jerry! We want Jerry!"

Then, another Jerry came on, and team owner Buss stood next to his old partner, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Jerry has been with the Lakers longer than I have. He is the real Jerry of the team. In fact, he had already applied to resign last year, but I refused. I told him to think it over and asked him to help me for another year and help the team for another year."

"The Lakers can do without me, but not without Jerry. Plus, we had a little guy who needed a contract extension last year..."

"Jerry stayed. He spearheaded and oversaw the little guy's contract extension, successfully preserving our complete roster. Without Jerry, the little guy might have left us, and we wouldn't have been able to achieve a back-to-back championship this year."

"So, I want to say that I am more reluctant to let him go than you are, and I want Jerry to stay more than you are, but he has applied to leave for two consecutive years. I am his boss, but I am also his brother and good friend, so even though I am reluctant, I have to agree to his request."

"But I promise that as long as I live, as long as I am the owner of the Lakers, there will always be a seat of honor for Jerry at Staples Center! There will always be a parking space for him in the parking lot! The Lakers will always reserve an honorary advisor position for him, no matter what Jerry plans to do next, or what he wants to do."

"The Lakers are his home! He'll always be welcome back!"

"Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!"

The fans shouted in unison once again, but no one knew which Jerry they were chanting for.

What is certain is that West's departure this time is definitely the most sensational general manager departure in NBA history.

And Bass once again solidified his position as "the league's best owner" with his unique style.

As for West's successor, it is Mitch Kupchak, who has been learning from him for the past few years and can be considered his personal disciple.

He will take over from West and become the new head of the Lakers and the person in charge of basketball operations.

The good news is that West laid a very good foundation for him, and the core trio will remain with the team for at least the next two years.

Kupchak doesn't need to worry about the team's overall structure for the next two years; he only needs to do some basic additions and subtractions.

Then, while the fans were still feeling sad and reluctant to part, Lin Ze walked to the microphone and podium and loudly declared, "So, now we must do it again next year!"

"For Jerry! Let's give him the most wonderful farewell gift!"

"For Jerry!"

"One more time!"

"Three-peat!"

In an instant, the entire stadium was ignited once again, and the fans became excited once more!

"Thank you." West's eyes were red, and he patted Lin Ze on the shoulder.

He didn't want his departure to be too sad, and the atmosphere before him was exactly what he wanted.

"Keep it up." West patted Kupchak, who had been standing in the corner, again.

His Lakers era has come to a complete end.

The Shanghai team's general manager proposed three appropriate measures and one must-have, raising concerns that Yao Ming might withdraw from the draft!

$3000 million in training fees! Shanghai team demands exorbitant compensation!

Rumors circulate that the Chinese Basketball Association has also proposed a compensation plan to Yao Ming, offering him a 30% revenue share!

The Shanghai Sharks refused Yao Ming's participation in the 01 NBA draft, stating that the timing was not right; Yao Ming officially announced his withdrawal from the draft!

Chandler, Curry, Brown, and Diop will all skip the NCAA and go directly to the NBA draft; four of the top five picks in the 2001 draft may be high school players!

Shane Battier's third workout in Memphis: Duke's leader may already be guaranteed a draft spot!

The Grizzlies have put Rasheed Wallace on the trading block; the Jazz, Nuggets, Hawks, and other teams are interested!

The Wizards held Kwame Brown to multiple workouts, and rumors suggest that Michael Jordan spoke highly of Brown after the workouts!

Michael Jordan suspected of considering a second comeback! Bystanders capture footage of Jordan training with Graves!

The Charlotte Hornets are considering moving, and the city may lose its iconic status!

The focus of people's discussions has begun to shift. The Lakers' championship, West's departure, and all sorts of gossip have become the past, and everyone's attention has turned to the 01 NBA Draft.

Despite the various comments and draft ranking predictions, the NBA's popularity has not decreased even after the Finals ended.

Meanwhile, because no truly outstanding genius emerged this year, and Yao Ming, who was previously considered the top favorite for the number one pick, officially withdrew from the draft, the entire 01 draft became a complete mess.

Various parties have taken action, making all sorts of predictions and forecasts.

It's really a wide variety; there aren't a single list where the top 10 picks are the same.

The draft started on time on June 27th!

If we look closely, this year's draft was unremarkable in quality. Only Pau Gasol could be considered a Hall of Fame-caliber player, and many of the highly anticipated rookies fell far short of expectations.

But these days, both the newcomers and the draft are attracting immense attention and anticipation!

It's not just because there are many newcomers and high school players, but also because many teams have released trade rumors and may make some trades on the night of the draft.

Many people were even hoping that Jordan would announce some major news that night.

After all, news about Jordan's preparation for a comeback had been circulating intermittently for several months, and many people had seen or photographed Jordan resuming training.

So, was he just practicing for fun on a whim, or was he preparing for a second comeback?

Every move of this former basketball god is destined to attract countless eyes.

Soon, Stern walked onto the stage and read out the name that would make Jordan a laughingstock for 20 years.

"The Washington Wizards' first overall pick—Kwame Brown!"

There was a considerable amount of booing from the crowd, and nobody knew whether it was a message for Brown, Stern, or Jordan.

But it was clear that Brown was not surprised to be selected in the first round. He calmly and proudly walked towards Stern, shook hands, hugged, and took a photo with him wearing a baseball cap. Everything seemed so mature and composed.

At least at this moment, Brown and countless fans believe that the next Garnett, Kobe, or McGrady has arrived.

Then, before Stern took the stage for the second time, a barrage of messages began to be updated!

The Hawks made the first move, trading their third overall pick in this year's draft, along with Brian Knight and Lorenzen Wright, to Memphis in exchange for All-Star forward Shareef Abdul-Rahim and the 27th overall pick in the first round.

The Hawks then traded their 27th overall pick to Indiana in exchange for a draft pick two years later.

Then the Clippers announced that they had used their second overall pick to select the talented high school player Tyson Chandler, the source of Yao Ming's confidence. Chandler had just put on a Clippers hat and taken a photo with Stern when he received the news that he had been sent to Chicago.

Chicago traded Elton Brand, their number one draft pick in 99, for Chandler. Clearly, the rebuilding Bulls chose to tear things down and start over.

After the seemingly invincible reign of the 90s, Chicagoans are now increasingly impatient and restless.

Then, the Grizzlies acquired Gasol and Battier with the third and sixth picks respectively. At the same time, they quickly traded their 99 second overall pick, Mike Bibby, to Sacramento in exchange for Jason Williams, who is known for his flamboyant style.

Clearly, the Grizzlies, who have never been successful, continued their rebuilding process. They brought in two talented young players and acquired the more popular and fan-attracting White Chocolate, while trading away Mike Bibby, the "White Devils" who had not performed as expected.

Their ambitions are obvious: they want talent, results, and market share!

Then, the Rockets also made their move, sending their 13th, 18th, and 23rd picks to the Nets in exchange for the 7th pick in the first round. They then unhesitatingly selected Eddie Griffin, the talented forward they had always wanted.

In addition, there were many other relatively minor trades that did not significantly impact the league's landscape, which were also continuously updated and reported during the draft.

While the Spurs quietly selected Frenchman Tony Parker with the last pick in the first round, the Nets and Suns pulled off a big move!

Two All-Star caliber players have been swapped!

The Suns traded Jason Kidd, the team's core player for the past few years, to the Nets in exchange for Stephon Marbury!

The Suns then traded Clifford Robinson to Detroit in exchange for two expiring contracts.

If trading Kidd was because the Suns wanted to bolster their backcourt firepower, then giving away Robinson in a trade clearly shows that they've given up on their need for wins and are ready to start from scratch.

This team, which had been performing well for the past few years, was dismantled and rebuilt. Their ambitious backcourt duo of 2000s also failed completely as Hardaway fell one after another.

The Suns chose to trade Kidd instead of Hardaway simply because poor Hardaway had too many injuries and his performance had declined too drastically, making him unsellable.

Thus, this chaotic yet exciting talent show has finally come to an end.

Fans and reporters alike were satisfied that night, with all sorts of trades and draft announcements keeping them excited.

If there's anything that's not perfect tonight...

That is, Jordan did not directly address the rumors about whether he would return next season.

Michael Jordan played a high-intensity pickup game in Chicago, with several NBA players participating!

Kwame Brown calls Michael Jordan his father, saying they are as close as father and son!

"Jordan's Number One Disciple? Brown and Jordan Travel Together!"

Chicago in July is full of warmth and enthusiasm.

With Michael Jordan returning to his old haunts, Chicago's loyal fans went wild, especially since Jordan was much more approachable and friendly this time. In the past, he almost never signed autographs for fans, let alone took photos with them.

But this time, he patiently signed autographs and took photos with fans, and even chatted with them for a bit. Of course, he also introduced Kwame Brown to everyone.

It's clear that, at least for now, the relationship between the two is in a honeymoon phase. Brown sees Jordan as a father figure, and Jordan patiently mentors Brown.

The entire Chicago media swarmed around the city, searching for Jordan; everyone wanted to interview him.

Even a complete novice, if they can interview Jordan and get him to say "Yes, I will come back," will instantly become the hottest reporter in the industry.

Chicagoans were happy and full of anticipation this summer, but unfortunately, their joy didn't last long.

Michael Jordan suffers serious injury on the basketball court! His comeback may be in jeopardy!

Ron Artest is in trouble! He broke Jordan's ribs with a shoulder collision!

"Recovery period may exceed 3 months; has the mystery surrounding Jordan's comeback finally been put to rest?"

You can't really act like a beast! Ron Artest should be fired from the NBA!

This time, not only the media in Chicago, but also the media across the United States and even the world got involved.

Denounce Artest.

How could you do that!

How could you break Jordan's ribs in a practice game?

At this moment, people lost their composure. They didn't care about the truth of the matter, nor whether it was intentional or a regrettable accident.

All everyone knows is that Jordan is seriously injured and might never play basketball again!

It was at this time that, in a small town called Wilmet, north of Chicago, Artest, the instigator of the whole affair, looked utterly distressed.

"Lin, what should I do? I've received dozens of death threats; they say they'll smash my body with baseball bats."

"All the bones, and someone even said that if I showed up at the Union Center, they'd blow my head off."

"They're just making this up, why do you believe it?" Lin Ze sat next to him, focused on eating his twice-cooked pork rice bowl with chopsticks.

"You can't just abandon me, Lin!" Artest was incredibly aggrieved. His favorite Mapo Tofu burger in front of him no longer tasted good; he left it on the table untouched. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have—"

"What are you talking about!" Lin Ze finally raised his head, displeased. "Did I tell you to break that braised egg's ribs?"

"But you told me to be tougher, that if I'm tough enough, Michael will remember me and think I'm a promising player!"

"Yeah, right!" Lin Ze spread his hands. "But what did I say that made you roast him so hard?"

"You even said that you beat him up back then, and then you became good brothers with him!" Artest looked at Lin Ze with a wronged expression.

"But I didn't ask you to beat him to a pulp, did I?" Lin Ze said. "And don't worry, Ron, they won't do anything to you. Michael will definitely remember you. You got what you wanted, isn't that the best ending?"

"But—" Artest said with a bitter face, "Do you remember Williams of the Cavaliers? He committed a flagrant foul on Jordan, and then Jordan scored 69 points over him! And Hardaway said that the Air Jordan was not coming back, and then the following year he was completely destroyed by Jordan and swept out of the playoffs."

"And Miller, the 98 Eastern Conference Finals —"

"Stop talking, Ron. At least I know about this." As a participant in the 98 conference finals, Lin Ze was well aware of the feud between Jordan and Miller. He found it really funny to see Artest looking worried, trembling, and afraid of being retaliated against.

A few days ago, Lin Ze, who returned to Chicago to visit his uncle, was surprised to find that his uncle's restaurant had a new regular customer, Ron Artest of the Chicago Bulls, who liked to eat the Mapo Tofu burger and pineapple braised pork.

Although Lin Ze disliked his uncle for falling headlong into the world of culinary disasters for the sake of business, he was quite interested in Artest.

Lin Ze, a post-00s generation player in his previous life, was not very familiar with some of the star players who were active in the league in the 00s.

However, he was still very familiar with Artest, the brain surgery expert who would later be the mastermind behind the Malice at the Palace incident and help Harden unlock his full potential.

However, in Lin Ze's memory, Artest should be a fierce beast, unpredictable, difficult to communicate with, and short-tempered, a bipolar disorder patient publicly recognized by professional doctors.

But the Artest who appeared in front of him was a rookie who liked to eat strange Chinese food and always exuded a lot of insecurity.

Is that a wild animal?

It is clearly more like poultry.

Then, after tentatively chatting with Lin Ze for a few minutes, Artest finally revealed the problem that was troubling him.

"Michael plays pickup basketball in Chicago and invited me to join him. I want to go; I've been waiting for this day for a long time. But I'm worried I won't play well, and I don't want to leave a bad impression. Lin, you're his teammate, you're his best friend. Can you teach me how to become friends with Michael?"

How to be friends with Michael? I know that like the back of my hand!

Lin Ze immediately got excited.

So he told the truth: "I beat him up back then."

He then said things like going all out, playing tough, and treating the court like a battlefield, and Artest went excitedly.

And then?

Given the current situation, Artest is so scared that he's almost afraid to go out.

Lin Ze declared that he was innocent! He never expected Artest to be so ruthless!

Artest looked deeply worried; he had completely given up hope for his career in Chicago.

Lin Ze was too lazy to persuade him anymore.

His trip back to his hometown to visit relatives has come to an end, and he's going to be very busy from now on!

Schwartz and Adidas arranged a rather busy summer trip for him.

Moreover, it's not just Adidas events; many other companies and brands that collaborate with him also require Lin Ze to participate in events such as GG and poster shoots.

For at least the next two months, Lin Ze will have no free time.

"Lin, what should I do?"

"There's only one best way!" Facing the distracted Artest, Lin Ze threw out his last words: "Next time you meet him, break his other rib, making him symmetrical! That way he'll definitely remember you perfectly."

After saying this, Lin Ze left the table, greeted his uncle, and then left.

He had suggested many times that his uncle open a larger restaurant, or simply close the restaurant to enjoy life, or open a chain of restaurants in a big city or community, but his uncle refused each time.

He doesn't like change; he just likes living in this small town.

His life remained completely unchanged despite Lin Ze becoming a top NBA star.

Lin Ze stopped trying to persuade him. Everyone has their own path, and Lin Ze's path would continue in Europe.

The next day, he boarded a plane to Europe, where he was to conduct several fan events.

After his European trip, he will travel to Africa to conduct NBA and Adidas outreach activities. Finally, he will come to Asia, first to Japan and then South Korea for two stops each, before heading to China for a 24-day trip to 11 cities.

In this era, it was still quite rare for NBA stars to come to China to participate in activities. Before Lin Ze, the Bullets had played a friendly match in China in 1979, Wilkins and Mark Price came in 94, Garnett came in 97, and Kobe went to Hong Kong in 98. Apart from that, no other NBA stars had ever come to China to participate in public activities.