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

Chapter 71 Regular Season Awards Announced! The Furious Shark! [Daily Updates of 20,000 Words, Please Subscribe]

"I bet Kobe can score 15 points in the next few minutes!" Lin Ze gestured a number: "$500!"

"Impossible!" O'Neal exclaimed. "Ten points at most! I'll take the $500."

"If I score 10-15 points, I win." Jackson leaned closer, revealing his shameless side. His area seemed to be the smallest, but the probability was the highest.

"We don't include old men," Lin Ze said, giving him no chance and immediately turning to Fisher, who was sitting next to him, and asked, "Derek, are you joining us?"

"Then I'll bet 10—" Fisher was halfway through his sentence when Kobe hit a three-pointer over Patterson. Fisher coughed quickly and said, "Over 15 points."

"Another shameless one," Lin Ze laughed and scolded. "Go, you and Phil sit together. Maybe one of you can become a CEO and the other a coach in the future."

The relaxed attitude of Lin Ze and O'Neal off the court reflects the Lakers' current attitude.

Everyone knows Kobe's level and also knows what kind of person Patterson is.

Furthermore, with the SuperSonics' two rim protectors having abilities almost on par with Shaquille O'Neal's, if Kobe can't break out and deliver a spectacular individual performance, then the Lakers should really consider trading Kobe for someone else.

Because Brother Qiang once said: "I gave you a chance, but you didn't know how to use it!"

But clearly, Kobe was effective, at least when facing Patterson.

In the final 5 minutes of the first quarter, Kobe drove inside and shot outside, making 7 of 9 shots to score 17 points, which was a good revenge for his loss in the regular season.

Lin Ze chuckled as he reminded O'Neal not to renege on his debt.

In the second quarter, Jackson rested Kobe, who had played the entire first quarter, and brought in Lin Ze and O'Neal, who had been rested and ready to play. When the two entered the game, the Lakers were leading by 12 points, which wasn't a particularly large number.

The problem is that these 12 points were scored by the SuperSonics after they had made Payton play the entire first quarter and completely exhausted himself.

In the second quarter, it was clear that Payton would not be able to continue playing, and without Payton, the SuperSonics would definitely be a bottom-feeder team capable of competing for the number one draft pick.

Facing off against the physically fit Lin Ze and O'Neal?

They're just going to get smashed to pieces!

Under the onslaught of Lin Ze and O'Neal, the gap between the two sides widened rapidly, quickly reaching 19 points. The SuperSonics then had to bring Payton back into the game to barely stabilize the situation.

But they only managed to stabilize the situation.

Catching up? Narrowing the gap? Maybe it would work with Payton and Kemp from 5 years ago, but the current SuperSonics only have Payton, who can't carry the team alone.

38: 56!

The Lakers finished the first half with an 18-point lead, and Kobe Bryant also scored his first 20+ point half in his playoff career, 25 points!

In the second half, the Lakers continued to focus their attacks on Kobe, while Lin Ze and O'Neal were also on the court!

With those two on the court, the SuperSonics couldn't even target Kobe.

What about Kobe, Lin Ze, and Shaq? Their threat level is definitely no less than Kobe's!

In this situation, Kobe naturally continued to beat Patterson mercilessly, leaving the so-called "Kobe terminator" in a miserable state.

At the end of the third quarter, Kobe scored a career-high 37 points in the playoffs!

The gap between the two sides has reached 24 points!

Then the fourth quarter began, and Lin Ze and O'Neal continued to rest on the bench, watching Kobe pull up on the court and miss a three-pointer.

"I bet he won't score 50 points!" Shaquille O'Neal, wanting to win back the $500 he lost in the first quarter, opened the bet again: "Want to take the bet?"

Lin Ze, as if struck by a sudden thought, laughed and said, "Then you're definitely going to lose, Shaq! I bet Kobe won't get 40 points!"

"What?" O'Neal looked at Lin Ze, suspecting that Lin Ze was deliberately losing money to him to help him get back at him.

But soon, O'Neal realized he had been naive.

He watched helplessly as Lin Ze shamelessly borrowed $200 each from Mendelssohn and Vitti, and then handed it to Jackson.

Jackson adjusted his glasses and said, "Kobe will play for another minute at most before coming off the bench to rest. The game is probably entering garbage time."

"Fuck you!" O'Neal exclaimed, clutching his head. "Are you two even human?!"

"Just kidding, Shaq," Lin Ze laughed. "It's on me tonight!"

"No! It's my treat," O'Neal said. "Don't think you can get away with just one treat!"

"You schemed against me, I'll remember that!"

At this point, O'Neal couldn't help but laugh.

Jackson shamelessly substituted Kobe after Kobe scored a basket, bringing his score to 39 points and widening the gap to 28 points.

Jackson took the money, and he really did the job!

Of course, the most important reason was that Jackson knew the SuperSonics had lost their morale and had no hope or idea of ​​a comeback, so he announced the game was over beforehand.

The Lakers' goal is the NBA championship!

It's not some trivial victory like crushing an opponent by a certain number of points in the first round of the playoffs or a player scoring a career-high score.

To win the championship, Jackson had to take everything into account, especially the risk of injury.

In a game like tonight's, every minute Kobe plays increases the risk of injury.

Getting down and resting as soon as possible is the most important thing.

As for career records, 40+ points in the playoffs, and the like, there will be plenty of close games to break and create records in the future.

Of course, Jackson also had to ask Kobe and consider the child's feelings.

"Want to score a few more points and set a new record during garbage time? If you want, go for it during the next timeout."

"No!" Kobe refused without even thinking.

In response, Lin Ze could only lament once again Jackson's shamelessness.

Given the old man's question, apart from the iron brush, no player would have the audacity to say they still wanted to play.

Ultimately, the SuperSonics failed to close the gap until the final buzzer, losing to the Lakers by 19 points and suffering a painful opening defeat in the playoffs.

This easy victory didn't mean much to the Lakers, nor did it significantly boost their morale; after all, this was the kind of performance they were expected to deliver.

The NBA's all-time leading team in regular season history, facing a team with just over 40 wins barely making the playoffs, should have put up a crushing performance.

The Lakers players also said the same thing at the Lakers' post-game press conference.

He said a lot of things like "everything is for victory," "everything is for advancement," and "stats don't matter at all"—

That's all nonsense.

As for Kobe, who might have said something to the media...

Jackson shut him out of the locker room; he didn't even let him in.

Avoiding unnecessary disputes and verbal sparring after the game is also one way for Jackson to avoid accidents.

The Lakers didn't change much because of this game, but for the SuperSonics, the game itself, and its aftermath, could plunge them into the abyss.

On the night of the match, Payton represented the team at the press conference. After such a crushing defeat, the atmosphere at the press conference was naturally not very pleasant, and Payton impatiently brushed off the reporters' questions throughout.

Payton's attitude finally changed after a reporter asked a crucial question.

"We all know about the feud between Kobe and Ruben, Gary. How do you think Ruben should handle the upcoming games and improve? Should he continue to call himself the Kobe terminator?"

"First of all, he should maintain his aggressiveness. I think he is the Kobe terminator. I think he deserves the title. He can stop Kobe. Tonight, it was just that Kobe had a hot hand and was lucky."

"I believe Ruben will do even better from now on. He will show you his toughness, he will prove you wrong!"

Payton did not hesitate to express his support for his teammate, even though he was dissatisfied with Patterson's weakness at one point during the game.

"So, in the next game, will you switch on defense? For example, will you personally guard Kobe?"

"Absolutely not!" Payton replied without hesitation. "That would be an insult and disrespect to Ruben! We'll keep him guarding Kobe; he can definitely do it!"

"I'll also teach him some tricks over the next couple of days to help him better deal with Kobe. Also, our overall defense had some issues tonight; we didn't support Ruben enough, and that was my fault."

"I will do better in the next game. I will help him more, with more double-teams and more timely help defense."

As a leader, Payton is absolutely qualified; he has done his job.

Even though Patterson was outplayed by Kobe tonight and only scored 5 points on offense, Payton still expressed his 100% support and took the blame upon himself.

But the next day, for the first time, Payton felt incredibly stupid and regretted his remarks from the previous day.

During training, when Payton took the initiative to match up against Patterson and started teaching him some tips to help him better deal with Kobe, Patterson couldn't help but say something.

"Gary, I think you'd be better suited to match up against Kobe in the next game."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Payton stared wide-eyed incredulously. Seeing Patterson hesitate, he raised his voice: "You stupid nigger, what the hell did you just say?"

Although Patterson swallowed hard, intimidated by Payton's gaze, he still said, "This is for the team, Gary. You're the best defender in the league. I think it's more appropriate for you to guard Kobe."

"F*** you!" Payton cursed. "Didn't you watch last night's press conference? Or are you completely illiterate, which is why you couldn't understand the damn Los Angeles Times front page this morning?"

"Gary—"

"Look me in the eyes and answer me, you nigger!"

Payton practically yelled at this.

He was genuinely angry.

You fucking can't defend yourself, but I'll get angry. I can teach you, and even take the blame for you.

But you're scared?

What was I doing in front of the media last night?

To be a clown?

"Fuck you! Do whatever you want!" After waiting a few seconds and seeing that Patterson was just standing there with his head down and not saying a word, not even daring to express his determination, Payton kicked the basketball away and then turned around and walked out of the court.

In fact, many SuperSonics players at the stadium understood Patterson's situation.

They participated in the game and saw Kobe and Patterson face off.

Two simple statistics are enough to explain why Patterson was afraid: 1. Kobe's assist rate was 0% when he scored 39 points.

39 points, all from singles.

2. Kobe had 3 offensive fouls, which shows how aggressive and fierce he played.

Patterson wasn't just beaten to a pulp, he was torn apart.

But for Payton, this was not a reason for Patterson to be afraid.

This should be the opportunity for Patterson to learn from his mistakes, fight back fiercely against Kobe, and see who is more ruthless!

But Patterson, was he fucking scared?

"Gary?" Team head coach Westphal quickly came over, wanting to persuade him.

"Fuck you! Get lost!" Payton's foul mouth is indiscriminate; he doesn't care whether Westphal is a famous coach or not. Cursing, Payton left the arena without looking back.

The good news is that the internal strife within the supersonic team, which can hardly be called an internal conflict, has not been leaked, and their training is conducted in secrecy.

The bad news is that after this incident, all the SuperSonics players know that they're finished.

In the second game of the series, the SuperSonics fared even worse than in the first game, because tonight the Lakers were no longer just having a Kobe Bryant explosion; the entire team was on a crazy offensive.

Especially Lin Ze.

Before tonight's game, Lin Ze lifted the Lakers' first regular season trophy of the year at Staples Center.

Most Improved Player.

He defeated Jalen Rose of the Pacers and his younger brother Dirk Nowitzki to win the award by a large margin, marking Lin Ze's first official individual trophy since entering the NBA.

As for the previous one? He gave it to Malone, and who knows where Malone threw it.

If Malone makes the All-Star team again next year, Lin Ze might ask him for that trophy.

Publicly required!

In this game, Lin Ze, who had just won the trophy, did not disappoint the fans who cheered wildly for him. He made 5 three-pointers tonight and repeatedly dribbled from the top of the arc, easily shaking off Baker and driving to the basket to score.

Lin Ze scored his first 30+ point game in his playoff career tonight, proving that he deserved the award with 33 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists!

Meanwhile, the Lakers once again easily defeated the SuperSonics, taking a 3-1 lead in the series!

2: 0!

If they win just one more game, they will sweep their opponents in the best-of-five first round and advance to the second round.

Although the SuperSonics were utterly defeated by the Lakers in Los Angeles, especially Patterson who was traumatized by Kobe, Westphal made a tactical change when the team returned to Seattle.

He replaced the timid Patterson with Brent Barry, and also assigned Payton to guard Kobe in the defensive matchup, putting the team's strongest defensive force on Kobe.

In this game, Kobe immediately exposed his disadvantages of still being in the development stage and lacking in hard skills. Facing Payton's close defense, Kobe only made 6 of 18 shots, a terrible 33% shooting percentage.

Meanwhile, Payton also had a breakout performance on offense tonight, hitting 6 three-pointers and scoring 36 points with 7 assists. In addition, Baker, Grant and others also had good performances. The SuperSonics won a game at home and avoided being swept by the Lakers.

But that's about all that supersonic technology can do.

Payton, at 32, is strong, but not strong enough to turn the tide for his team.

In the fourth game of the series, although it was still held in Seattle, the Lakers did not give the SuperSonics any more chances. After Lin Ze and Kobe had their breakout games, it was finally O'Neal's turn tonight.

这个晚上的奥尼尔将格兰特打到6犯离场，贝克也吃到了5次犯规，而奥尼尔则是28投15中，罚球19罚12中，爆砍42分19篮板5盖帽！

With O'Neal's dominant performance, the Lakers won another game on the road, ending the series with a score of 109-95!

The Lakers lead the series 3-1! They advance to the second round!

Meanwhile, during the Lakers' two games in Seattle, the league also announced the various regular season awards for the season.

Besides Lin Ze's Most Improved Player award, Phil Jackson led the team to 73 wins, making him the undisputed Coach of the Year.

It's a bit of a shame that Jerry West, who acquired Lin Ze at a low price and added an important piece to the team, only finished third and failed to win this year's Best Executive Award.

Alonzo Mourning successfully defended his Defensive Player of the Year title and was selected to the All-Defensive First Team, alongside Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Gary Payton.

The All-Defensive Second Team was led by O'Neal, and included Pippen, Clifford Robinson, Kidd, and Eddie Jones.

Will Marcus, the nation's number one Lin fan, expressed considerable dissatisfaction with this.

"A bunch of basketball ignoramuses! If you had watched Lin's games instead of just looking at his steals and blocks to vote, you would definitely have voted for Lin! His defense is greatly underestimated!"

Lin Ze expressed his gratitude in a later interview.

"Thank you Will for your support, thank you for speaking up for me, and I'm also sorry to have disappointed him this year," Lin Ze said with a smile. "Next year, I will do it. I hope that by this time next year, Will can say to everyone: 'See, I told you so, Lin can do it!'"

Lin Ze's ambitious statement naturally garnered recognition and praise from many media outlets, and also attracted a large number of fans.

Then, the Rookie of the Year award was shared by Francis and Brand, both of whom indeed delivered outstanding individual performances this year!

Next up is Rodney Rogers, the Phoenix forward who won the Sixth Man of the Year award with an average of 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Finally, there are the most anticipated and prestigious regular season awards, which are also the most anticipated by fans each year.

All-NBA Team and MVP!

With the MVP award already decided and only awaiting official announcement, the All-Star Team of the Year has become the focus of discussion.

After all, there are so many outstanding players this year, whether they are veterans who are still going strong or young talents who have emerged unexpectedly. No matter who is selected or who is not, it is destined to start round after round of discussions and even flame wars among fans and the media!

The league first announced the All-NBA Team.

O'Neal, Duncan, Malone, Kidd, and Payton were all selected to the All-NBA First Team, which can be considered the official recognition of the strongest five-man lineup of the year!

The second unit consisted of Mourning, Garnett, Hill, Kobe, and Iverson.

The third lineup consists of Marbury, Carter, Lin Ze, Webber, and Robinson!

This list naturally sparked countless controversies.

For example, who deserves to be on the first team more, Garnett or Malone?

For example, are Iverson and Kobe really inferior to Kidd and Payton? Between Carter and Hill, who is the more popular player of their generation? Does Lin Ze deserve to be on the All-Star roster?

Are Stackhouse, Raheem, Cassell, Eddie Jones, Mutombo, Pierce, and others really weaker than these selected players? Why weren't they chosen?

All sorts of controversies and discussions are what the league wants. What the league fears most is that once various lists and awards are released, everyone says: "It's reasonable," and then there's no more voice. That would be the worst thing.

But these discussions are irrelevant to the teams still battling in the playoffs.

For them, all that matters right now is advancing!

The day after the Lakers advanced to the second round, the league announced this year's regular season MVP!

Shaquille O'Neal!

Unsurprisingly, this was a result everyone knew before it was announced.

After all, it would be the biggest joke and news if a guy who leads a team to 73 wins, wins the scoring title, and ranks second in rebounds and third in blocks doesn't win the MVP.

He is both the best player in the league and plays for the best team in the league.

If not him, who else could get the MVP?

What everyone is focused on and looking forward to this time is the final voting result!

They wanted to see if O'Neal could get a unanimous MVP vote.

The MVP voting rules are that every eligible journalist can vote for the five players they think are most deserving of the MVP award, in order from first to fifth place.

第一顺位选票值10分，第二顺位值7分，接着是5分、3分、1分。

The final votes will be added together, and the person with the highest score will be the MVP of the year.

If a player can get all 121 first-place votes, which is a perfect score of 1210 points, he can become the "unanimous MVP".

Although there are no other trophies or special award ceremonies for the unanimous MVP, the unanimous MVP means that the player has received unanimous recognition from all the journalists with voting rights in all 50 continents of the United States and Canada!

This proves that this player's strength this year is far ahead of everyone else!

The player who came closest to a unanimous vote was Michael Jordan in 1996, who received 109 out of 113 first-round votes. Four reporters cast their votes for Hardaway, Olajuwon, and Malone.

What about this year?

The league didn't hide anything and quickly announced the results of the vote.

Unfortunately, O'Neal ultimately failed to break the historical record and become the first player in NBA history to receive a unanimous MVP vote.

Although he didn't get a unanimous vote, only one vote was leaked, and Iverson got that one leaked vote. However, unlike four years ago, the MVP voting is much more transparent now.

Four years ago, the league used anonymous voting, so to this day no one knows which geniuses cast their votes for the other three who were clearly inferior to Jordan.

But everyone's eyes were unhesitatingly fixed on the reporters in Orlando, Utah, and Houston.

These guys from these three places are the prime suspects!

Reporters from places like Detroit and Indiana, which have a long history of feuds with Jordan, were also relentlessly questioned and analyzed.

There's nothing we can do; this vote is completely devoid of objectivity and rife with personal grudges.

Unfortunately, due to the anonymous voting, the matter ultimately came to nothing.

But it was precisely because of this incident that the league realized that if it continued to allow reporters to vote in such an subjective and highly self-centered way, it would affect fairness and the league's image.

So, a year later, the league changed from secret ballot to named ballot.

Of course, most of the time, the league will not publish the voting results for everyone, because there is no need to.

That would subject journalists to verbal attacks and unnecessary questioning.

Just as there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes, it's perfectly normal for 121 journalists to have different MVP choices.

However, in situations like this year, where O'Neal has unparalleled advantages and achievements, and his statistics are top-notch in the league, it is clearly unfair, biased, and abnormal to not vote for him in the end. In such cases, the necessity of named voting becomes apparent.

After all, Iverson had no advantage over O'Neal. Not to mention records, rankings, and overall performance, Iverson was even outmatched by O'Neal in his best area: scoring.

Even if you vote for Jordan and say you miss the NBA of the 90s and the kings of the previous era, it's better than voting for Iverson.

The guy who voted for Iverson was quickly identified.

CNWN reporter Fred Hickman.

This well-known Jordan fan from Chicago cast his vote for Iverson.

O'Neal certainly wouldn't tolerate such a vote that was practically a random one. Before fans and other colleagues could launch attacks and question Hickman, O'Neal himself fired the first shot.

"Fred, you stupid idiot Hickman, I'll fuck your whole family! Fuck you! What a stupid bastard, he ruined a great historical moment, he has no idea what he did, the next player with my performance and ability might not appear for another 50 years!"

"He ruined everything! He didn't even give me a single vote! That means he thinks my performance this season isn't even in the top five in the league. What can I say? I respect every serious and hardworking person, and I also respect different people and different thoughts and beliefs."

"But I hate him, and I'm going to fuck his whole family again! I don't need to talk to him or meet with him, and I will never apologize to him because he's an idiot who ruined such a historic moment."

An angry O'Neal made no attempt to hide his displeasure, but even if the league disqualified Hickman from voting, O'Neal would still not be able to become a unanimous MVP.

Even O'Neal himself knew that he had missed his only chance!

The Lakers can never be this good again; they will never have such a perfect season again.

Even if he wins one, two, three, or even seven MVPs in the future, he will hardly have another chance to become a unanimous MVP.

So, filled with rage, O'Neal decided to take revenge on everyone in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the night he would officially receive his award!

And who will be the Lakers' opponent?

Utah Jazz!

In the first round, the Jazz easily swept the Spurs 3-1, who were without Duncan.

Although Robinson averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per game in this series, his field goal percentage was only 35%. "The Admiral" is indeed getting old, and he no longer has the ability to lead the team as the number one star.

David Robinson's glory days are over, and Ewing and Olajuwon's performances this season can at best be described as "acceptable starters".

This also marks the complete end of the era of the four great centers. From now on, it will be the era of Shaquille O'Neal's exclusive dominance in the paint. In addition to the Jazz and Lakers, the Trail Blazers and Suns will also meet in the Western Conference semifinals. Coincidentally, they both advanced by defeating the Kings and Timberwolves in four games.

The results of these four matchups in the West were surprisingly consistent.

There were no upsets, no upsets, it was all 3:1!

The situation in the east is basically the same.

The Raptors, making their first-ever playoff appearance, posed no challenge to the Knicks. Carter's playoff debut was particularly disastrous, and the Knicks swept the series 3-0 to advance.

The Heat also swept their way to the next round, just like the Knicks.

Grant Hill, the Pistons' most popular player in the league, had been plagued by injuries late in the season. He barely managed to play one and a half games in this series before he couldn't continue and had to miss the third game of the series.

With Hill only having one leg, Stackhouse was naturally outnumbered and completely overwhelmed by the Heat's ironclad defense.

3: 0!

The Heat and the Knicks, these old rivals, will meet in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year!

The previous three matches between the two teams were epic clashes, with one game ending in a tiebreaker and two in a tiebreaker ending in a tiebreaker. Each round went down to the wire, making for incredibly exciting matches. The intense action and the brawl-like atmosphere have fueled the anticipation of many fighting fans for a fourth match between the two sides.

Meanwhile, the 76ers followed the trend in the West, with Iverson leading the team to a 3-1 victory over the Hornets, advancing to the second round for the second consecutive year.

The final matchup in the league, the series between the Eastern Conference leaders Pacers and the eighth-ranked Bucks, became the most exciting and intense round of the first round this year!

These two teams delivered the only decisive fifth-final match of the first round!

In this series, the Bucks' three musketeers, led by "The Phenomenon" Cassell, "Big Dog" Robinson, and Ray Allen, showcased their terrifying firepower and overflowing energy.

Allen, in particular, almost completely dominated Reggie Miller in the first four games. He was clearly eager to take over the title of "top scorer in the league" from his senior.

In the first four games, Miller was completely suppressed, and the Pacers only managed to drag the series into a decisive Game 5 thanks to the performances of Rose, Davis, Schmitz, and others.

But when it came to the decisive fifth game, everything was different.

After being completely suppressed in the first four battles, Miller finally sensed the impending doom. The most terrifying killer and the most cold-blooded assassin in history suddenly resurrected.

That night, Miller scored 41 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including 14 points in the fourth quarter alone!

Furthermore, Miller shone brightly on the defensive end tonight, a rare occurrence. He relentlessly attacked Allen throughout the game, holding Allen, who had entered the 180 club in the first four games, to only 6 of 21 shots!

Miller has once again proven with his actions: I'm just old, but not dead! If you want to take over from me, wait another two years.

But Miller's performance did not turn the game into a one-sided massacre; on the contrary, the two sides fought a close battle!

The two sides drew 19 times and changed the lead 13 times throughout the match.

After the Bucks took a 94-93 lead in the final moments, the Pacers missed three consecutive shots, but then miraculously grabbed three offensive rebounds in a row.

With 16 seconds left in the game, Pacers guard Travis Best, who had only made 2 of his first 14 shots that night, took off his Bucks jersey and became Indiana's hero. With Miller double-teamed and unable to receive the ball, this role player hit a redemption three-pointer that directly changed the course of the entire game.

But then things got even more chaotic: Ray Allen missed a close-range floater, and Alvin Jensen grabbed the offensive rebound but only made one of two free throws, failing to tie the game.

Just when Milwaukee was in despair, the Pacers' Jalen Rose missed both free throws with two seconds left, giving the Bucks an opportunity!

To cover for his teammate, Miller once again relentlessly chased Ray Allen and successfully disrupted his shot, forcing Allen to attempt a last-second, super-long 3-0.

He couldn't even touch the rim.

The King of Killers defended his honor, and the Pacers successfully advanced to the second round. They will face another young man who is eager to seize power.

Allen Iverson and his 76ers!

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Los Angeles team faced their second playoff opponent the day after the Pacers' hard-fought advancement.

The Salt Lake City people are despicable; they've eliminated them twice in the past three years and twice trampled them to reach the finals.

The time for revenge has come!

Coincidentally, the Jazz team that eliminated the Lakers for two consecutive years also fell to the Bulls in the end.

However, there are quite a few players from the Bulls in this Lakers team.

"We're old friends, you know," Jackson said with a smile before the game started. "Relax. I have a wealth of experience beating the Jazz. This year, they won't get anything but defeat!"

"Revenge!" O'Neal shouted, raising his arms, his face full of desire to defeat the Jazz.

"Kill them!" Even the usually taciturn Kobe Bryant took the initiative to raise his fist and shout tonight. For him, those four consecutive airballs were the most unbearable experience and past he had ever had. He would never forget the ridicule, sarcasm and boos from the people of Salt Lake City.

"Ron," Jackson said, his expression still relaxed, "I've run into an old rival again."

Even Hubble, who was usually taciturn and on par with Kobe, unusually revealed a bloodthirsty expression. This basketball civil servant, who was always ridiculed for lacking ambition and hunger, clenched his fists tightly: "Don't worry, I'll make Stockton die on the court!"

The Bulls did win both Finals in those two years, but Harper suffered greatly when matched up against Stockton, not because of how many baskets Stockton scored or how many points he made.

Let me put it this way—

After the 97 World Championship Finals, Hubble went to see a urologist. His penis was severely swollen and inflamed, and he almost lost his manhood.

During the 98 Grand Finals, Hubble cleverly wore a vaginal protector, but he still had to carefully care for his little one after each game.

Some people and some actions cannot be stopped by a single piece of protective gear.

"Kobe, you can handle Hornacek, right?" Jackson continued, "You did a good job guarding Patterson in the first round. That guy only averaged 4 points and 2 rebounds per game in the first round, with a shooting percentage of less than 30%. But Hornacek is a player of another level. His experience, skills, and abilities are far superior to Patterson's."

"What I mean is, if you need help, I'll have Glenn help you defensively anytime. After all, Hornacek is probably the best in the league—"

"I'm fine!" Kobe interrupted Jackson, firmly stating, "His fate won't be any better than that bastard Patterson's!"

Jackson breathed a sigh of relief. If Kobe hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have realized for a while how good Hornacek was in the league.

Then, he looked at Lin Ze: "You're under the most pressure! You have to match up against Ma Long, are you confident?"

"Full of confidence!" Lin Ze said confidently, "I've been training hard in boxing for the past few months! I even found a few professional ground fighters to train with, practicing takedowns, submission holds, and some ground techniques. If that bastard Karl dares to throw an elbow at me or any of us..."

"I guarantee he'll be carried off the field!"

"I mean—playing ball." Jackson wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Oh, playing basketball?" Lin Ze immediately lost his earlier arrogance: "You seem a bit lacking in confidence. This guy is the MVP this year."

He's second on the list! His offensive skills are far superior to those of players like Garnett, and he's also adept at drawing fouls by faking collisions.

"Shaq, you'd better help me defend!"

"Of course! With me here, you can rest assured!" O'Neal patted his chest and said, "Who's their center again? What's with Bosh? I can crush him like an ant! After crushing the ant, I'll crush that son of a bitch Karl with you!"

"Now I'm full of confidence too!" Lin Ze chuckled and looked at Jackson.

Jackson shook his head. What could he say?

All he could say was, "If you really have to fight, Lin, kill him! Don't hold back."

"I'll pay the fine for the suspension!"

"I'll go!" O'Neal quickly followed suit.

"If it's against Malone, I'll cover it!" Hubble rarely joined the conversation like this. "If you can also easily take down Stockton, I'll double your fine!"

It's clear that Hubble's feelings for Stockton were quite pure.

Everyone else just wanted to win this series, but Hubble just wanted to send Stockton to hell.

"I will!" Lin Ze said, "A weakling like him, I can make him see his grandma with one punch! Forget it, let's call him grandma."

Lin Ze added, "For someone like him, his grandmother might not even be his grandmother. Who knows who his mother was with when he was born?"

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