The first punch that shocked the basketball world

In the locker room, Harris gave a summary.

First, I want to praise the whole team for playing tough and not collapsing when they were behind.

Finally, I'll talk to Lin Fei separately.

"Best of the night, Lin," he said. "You led the team to a comeback victory."

As he spoke, he took out a small, palm-sized, bronze medal from his bag and handed it over.

The medal was poorly made, and it was engraved with the name of the best player of the match.

"I made these rules myself," Harris said with a laugh. "If you play well in a tough game, you get a dollar. At the end of the season, a dollar is worth a thousand dollars, which I pay out of my own pocket."

Lin Fei accepted the medal; it felt heavy.

It may not be much money, but the sentiment is great.

His liking for Harris increased even more.

This coach truly respects his players.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

Lin Fei took it out and glanced at the screen.

A text message from an unknown number.

"I am Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni. Please call back if you see this."

Lin Fei's breath hitched for a second.

coming.

finally come.

As he stared blankly at the screen, Harris walked up behind him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Get ready."

Harris said calmly, "The home team will make room for you soon."

Lin Fei turned around, somewhat surprised.

It turns out the coach already knew.

That makes sense; D'Antoni must have consulted with Harris before sending the text message.

Suddenly I felt a little reluctant to part with it.

My time with the Defenders was short, but quite comfortable.

"Thank you, Coach Harris," Lin Fei said earnestly.

"Why thank me?" Harris waved his hand. "You earned it all yourself. If you really want to thank me, go to the Lakers and play well. Let everyone see that there are no weaklings from the G League."

"Don't worry," Lin Fei smiled. "I will."

Harris smiled and ruffled his hair.

"I'm so happy for you," he sighed, half-jokingly, "but I'm also sad for myself. I finally found a treasure, and before I could even enjoy it, someone else snatched it away."

...

Orlando.

Temporary office space in the hotel.

There are six hours left until the Lakers' away game against the Magic.

D'Antoni sat at the table, rubbing his temples.

The table was covered with a tactics board, player reports, and a pile of pre-match preparation materials.

He was very tired.

When he was fired from the Knicks last year, he originally planned to take a year off.

Who knew that on the Lakers' side, Mike Brown was fired, and Bickerstaff temporarily filled in but it still didn't work out.

He only agreed to take on this mess after the management approached him repeatedly and his disciple Nash persuaded him repeatedly.

I thought the Super F4 would easily win the game.

The result was a disastrous start.

The tactics aren't working, and the locker room is constantly in an argument.

Kobe wants to win, Howard wants to enjoy basketball.

The two of them couldn't urinate in the same pot.

D'Antoni has never been good at handling locker room relationships.

I'm overwhelmed every day.

He considered resigning several times.

But when he thought about how Nash was still struggling and how the management was treating him fairly well, he suppressed the idea.

Today's ESPN report is on the table.

The headline reads: Kobe and Howard praise each other, Lakers' internal strife temporarily comes to an end.

D'Antoni glanced at it and scoffed.

It's good enough to fool the fans.

What reconciliation is? It's just that each side temporarily takes a step back.

Winning a game can suppress any conflict.

The team immediately erupted in anger after losing the game.

The key word is "temporarily".

He turned on his computer and pulled out the Lin Fei highlights video that West had sent him.

He watched it on the plane yesterday.

He's not exactly an expert at defense, but you can tell this kid's really going all out on defense.

He lunged for the loose ball, and his teammates immediately covered for him when they missed, interfering like blocking a shot.

That kind of drive is so rare on this Lakers team right now.

He just finished watching the Defenders vs. Red Claws live stream.

There were also surprises on the offensive end.

He has precise off-ball movement, a consistent three-point shot, and can also defend the paint against mismatches.

My mind is clear.

D'Antoni was increasingly satisfied with what he saw.

He picked up his phone and sent Lin Fei a text message.

Not long after, the phone rang.

"Hello, Coach. I just got back to the hotel, hope I didn't bother you?"

Lin Fei's voice was steady, and there wasn't much excitement in it.

No. I've been waiting for your call.

The two chatted about everyday things for a while.

Ask about the food in the development league and the accommodations at away games.

Lin Fei replied with a smile that he was well-fed and the accommodations were alright, except that the walls weren't very soundproof.

His tone was neither hurried nor slow.

D'Antoni nodded secretly.

"Okay, let's get serious," D'Antoni cut to the chase. "If you joined the Lakers, what do you think you could bring?"

Standards issue.

Lin Fei remained silent for two seconds.

"Defensive toughness," he said. "Offensively, I don't hog the ball and can fit into any lineup."

D'Antoni nodded.

That was exactly the answer he wanted.

Before he could speak, Lin Fei chuckled on the other end of the phone, with a hint of teasing.

"Moreover, I can also bring mysterious Eastern power."

D'Antoni paused for a moment.

"The Lakers signed a Chinese player who wore number 9 back then, and they won the championship that season," Lin Fei said with a smile. "I also wore number 9."

Sun Yue.

D'Antoni realized what was happening and burst into laughter.

"Okay, okay," he said, panting. "That's a very pleasant answer."

After laughing, his tone became serious.

"Let me be frank with you. The team will sign you, but they'll need to free up a roster spot, which will take a few days. You might have to stay in the G League for a while longer."

"I understand," Lin Fei said calmly.

"I know other teams have definitely approached you," D'Antoni said. "You can compare, but I have to say, Los Angeles is a big market. Your commercial value can be maximized here."

We chatted for a couple more minutes before hanging up.

D'Antoni leaned back in his chair, feeling much better.

This kid is interesting.

...

That night, the Lakers played the Magic on the road.

Dwight Howard returns to Orlando.

In a pre-match interview, a reporter asked him how he felt.

Howard's tone was indifferent.

"It's all in the past, I'm only looking forward."

He was unhappy.

When he was introduced, the entire Magic fan crowd booed him loudly.

The traitor's shouts were deafening.

He was a superman here back then, leading the team to the finals single-handedly.

This is the treatment we get now.

Howard's face darkened throughout the entire game.

Fight with all your might.

Vucevic, a second-year center, has already secured a starting position this season and is averaging a double-double.

He was no match for Dwight Howard, who was nearing the end of his prime.

It can't withstand the pressure, and it can't be defended.

Howard finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

They completely destroyed the old employer's internal network.

Kobe also scored 34 points.

If both players have a breakout game, it won't be difficult for the Lakers to win.

113:102.

Win the victory.

On nights when Kobe and Howard both perform well, the Lakers actually have a very high winning percentage.

Unfortunately, nights like these are too few and far between.

Over the next three days, the Lakers defeated the 76ers and the Raptors in succession.

A three-game winning streak.

The momentum is strong.

Bad news followed.

In the game against the Raptors, Howard's tear in his right shoulder labrum worsened.

I am expected to be absent for at least a week.

The paint was suddenly empty.

The gaps in their perimeter defense are becoming increasingly apparent.

D'Antoni watches Lin Fei's game tapes every day.

Lin Fei's performance remained consistently strong.

Both offense and defense are online.

He wanted to sign the people as soon as possible.

...

The evening of July 2.

D'Antoni dialed the number of General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

"Mickey, how's the spot-clearing thing going?"

Kupchak chuckled on the other end of the phone.

"I was just about to call you," he said. "I've made up my mind. Cut Jordan Hill. He's out for the season with hip surgery in January, there's no point in keeping him. Make room for that G League wing player, give him a ten-day contract."

"Okay, I'll wait for your message."

Kupchak chuckled twice and said nothing more.

After hanging up on D'Antoni, he first dialed Mark Harris.

Inform him to prepare Lin Fei's information and proceed with the signing process.

Harris was not surprised at all when she received the call.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

After hanging up Harris's call, Kupchak found Lin Fei's contact information.

My finger paused on the screen for a moment, then I pressed the dial button.