"Old K, how sure are you of the Western Conference Finals against the Mosaic Big Three? Now that your finger is injured, will it affect the Western Conference Finals?" a reporter asked on the sidelines.
"When we encounter three guys who are teaming up, even if we lose, it's still an honor to lose. Besides, they may not be able to beat us. This time, like in 1994, we have to fight them to the end, fight to the tiebreaker, and watch them stick together.
What's the use?" Lao Wang said.
In Houston, Dameng’s home, he made an appointment with Barkley and Drexler to watch the game. When he saw this, he thought of the situation in 1994 and said with great sadness and anger: "Old K is really not a good guy. He would rather let
Even though Jordan won the championship, he was unwilling to let me win it, so how did I offend him?"
Barkley smiled bitterly and said: "If you and Michael switch teams, he will be the one having a headache now, and you will be the one laughing."
"Poor Hakeem, he can't win the championship, but he still has the reputation of being a team player, haha..." In Chicago, after hearing Wang Tiejun's words, Jordan couldn't help laughing.
After the press conference, Lao Wang and the team doctor went to Dr. Carter to check his finger. It was a common knuckle strain. Dr. Carter recommended at least a week of rest.
On the 16th, when I got up in the morning, Lao Wang found that his fingers had become even more swollen, thickened, and the pain had intensified, which made him feel bad.
"System, I use medicated oil every day, why is it so easily injured?"
"Medicated oil only enhances your ability to resist injuries, but cannot protect you from injuries."
"Well, I got injured for the first time in four years, so I'm pretty lucky."
He sprayed some anti-swelling medicine on his finger again, which was given to him by the team doctor, and then applied ice. Until the afternoon, he felt that the redness and swelling began to subside slowly, but the pain still existed and would not get better for a while.
"Does it still hurt?"
Yu Feihong asked, and after seeing him nod, he said: "Then I'll inform my family and I'll be back in a few days. By the way, how many days will it take to sweep across?"
Lao Wang was speechless, Auntie, what do you mean? No matter how powerful the group is, it is impossible for them to sweep us away.
In the morning, the media reported a lot about Wang Tiejun's injury.
"Four years later, old K is finally injured!?"
The Chicago Sports News headline not only added an exclamation point, but also a question mark, indicating that the media had a complicated mood.
"Old K will be injured, proving that he is not an iron man." New York Times.
"Old K fought with injuries and his injuries worsened. Our chance has come." Houston Chronicle.
That night, the Magic and Knicks started a G6 battle in Orlando.
O'Neal tried his best, but unfortunately Ewing didn't want to lose. He exploded at home and scored 38 points and 14 rebounds. He and Hardaway teamed up to defeat O'Neal, led the Magic to win the G6 game, eliminated the Knicks, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
"Oh, comfort him."
Seeing O'Neal's frustrated look, Lao Wang couldn't bear it and made a phone call.
"Shark, you have embarrassed our giant beast. Why should you be the boss? Go and be Jordan's little brother. Or come to the Suns and be my substitute, and I will help you win the championship."
"Shut up! Old K, I know you're injured, and you can't get through the Western Conference finals. You bastard, go to hell, you'd better be swept away by the Big Three."
"I did it out of kindness, to comfort you, but you actually dare to scold me?"
"Hell's comfort, when you are eliminated, I will comfort you like this."
On the morning of the 17th, the Mosaic team got on the plane.
Before Barkley got on the plane, he specifically contacted Lao Wang, saying that he was injured. The three of them wanted to see him and asked him to pick them up at the airport, and Lao Wang agreed.
At one o'clock at noon, after the Mosaic team arrived in Phoenix, Lao Wang called Lightning to pick up the Big Three and went directly to the martial arts gym.
Hot pot and medicinal food were prepared in the martial arts studio, and the five of them gathered around the table to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Dameng nudged Barkley with his elbow and winked at him. The latter would regret it, coughed twice and said: "Old K, look, you are injured now, so...
Stop fighting so hard, it's not worth it. What if the injury gets worse? Let us deal with Jordan, and we promise to kill him and not let him live."
"That's right, old K, we are all our own people, stop fighting among ourselves, let us save our energy to go to the Eastern Conference and go to Jordan." Drexler also echoed.
Lao Wang sneered twice and glanced at Lightning. Then they both looked at Dameng to see what he was going to say.
"Ahem!"
Dameng coughed twice and said: "Old K, Charles and Clyde are right."
"Haha..." Lao Wang and Lightning laughed.
Buckley got angry and said: "Old K, are you really going to fight to the death like in 1994? This time is no better than that year, you won't get any good results."
Lao Wang chuckled and said: "You can't be soft but you can be hard? Look where this is, Charles, do you dare to threaten me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, sixty or seventy brothers stood up at the seven or eight tables next to him, including thirty brothers from the Fighting Hall.
Buckley rolled his eyes, stood up, waved his hands, and shouted to the dozens of brothers: "Brothers, sit down, sit down and eat from you, we will not beat our own people."
"Ha ha……"
Everyone laughed and continued eating and drinking.
"Can you tell me something?" After sitting down, Buckley poked Lao Wang.
Lao Wang helplessly stretched out his right hand, showed his index finger, and said: "There is still a little redness and swelling, and the pain is still there. I didn't feel any pain when I played the game the day before yesterday, and it didn't affect my shooting. It still hurts a little now."
The management doesn't want me to play with an injury. If your luck comes tomorrow, I may not play. However, I don't guarantee that in the next few games, if the injury heals, we can compete."
Dameng and the other three looked at each other and laughed.
One game after another, if you win one on the road first, you will have the advantage. Then when you return to the home court, with the strength of the three of them, there will be no big problem in defeating the Suns.
What Dameng and Barkley are mainly worried about is that Old K will work hard and consume their physical energy like he did in 1994, playing until the last second of the tiebreaker, leaving them unable to continue in the finals, which will be troublesome.
After eating and chatting for a while, Buckley and the other three drove Pharaoh's car back to the hotel.
"Tell me, did that guy K lie to us?"
"It's possible, Lao K is very cunning."
"But his index finger is still a little swollen, and it must be injured."
"Be prepared for him to play, but his condition will definitely not be very good. We must win this game."
…
This afternoon, in Philadelphia, Kobe has received training invitations from many teams, including the Lakers, Clippers, Mavericks, Spurs, Celtics, Suns, etc., nearly twenty teams.
They all sent him invitations.
There are three teams he wants to go to most, one is the Bulls, the other is the Suns, and the third is Philadelphia.
Jordan is his idol, and he wants to go to the Bulls most, but this time the Bulls did not send him a trial invitation, probably because they did not have a lottery pick?
The Suns, that’s because I had the idea after becoming my master with Old K. Going there I can continue to learn next to Old K.
Philadelphia is his hometown team. He has been training at the Digital Team's training base since middle school. He really hopes that the Digital Team can select him this time, but it is almost impossible. He was not given a trial invitation this time.
Generally, people who are not predicted to be high in the draft basically have to visit all the teams that have issued invitations and will not let go of a single opportunity.
But for those who are predicted to have a high pick, that doesn't need to be done. Based on your predicted pick and the team's draft picks, it's enough to focus on a few teams that are most likely to select you.
And there will be an official training camp before the draft, with some strong predicted lottery picks, so you are not afraid of missing out on opportunities.
Kobe received the invitation and was discussing training with his agent.
His agent is Arne Tellem, a friend of his father.
"Kobe, depending on your predicted pick, you may enter the lottery, or you may fall out of the lottery. Your lack of NCAA qualifications is your biggest deduction. So now we have to decide which teams to focus on preparing for.
training," Tellem said.
"Arn, tell me directly, which ones?" Kobe said.
Tellem had already thought about it and said: "The lottery will not be conducted until after the Eastern Conference and Western Conference finals. Now I don't know the ranking of the lottery picks, but there is a principle. We will only go to the teams with lottery picks.
.”
"certainly."
Kobe nodded. He didn't think he would fall out of the lottery.
It has been nearly a year since he started training Lao K's force-relying technique last year, and he has not stopped for a day. Although he has not trained 100,000 times now, he must have trained 20,000 or 30,000 times. He has mastered a certain degree.
This little gain has already improved his back-fighting skills.
The development of his post-up skills has helped him a lot. For example, after a post-up, he can get rid of the defender faster than before and complete the breakthrough.
His first step is not fast enough, which is a big weakness of his and is determined by his talent.
If the first step is not fast enough, the breakthrough will be like a drag, and the defender cannot be thrown away cleanly. Therefore, the hit rate of the emergency stop jump shot after the breakthrough will be affected.
But now that his post-up skills have improved, he will choose to play from behind instead of facing the basket, using his back-up play to shake the defender's center of gravity, and then take the opportunity to complete a breakthrough, whether it is to rush in or rush after the breakthrough.
Stopping jump shots will help a lot.
Therefore, the increase in strength has also made him more confident. He believes that as long as he shows his true strength in the next training, his ranking will definitely be improved.
Tellem calmly analyzed: "Philadelphia, Mavericks, Raptors, Grizzlies, these are the teams with the worst record in the league. They are most likely to get the top three picks. These teams have the possibility of selecting you.
If sex is the smallest, then we should try out other teams."
Kobe said unhappily: "They say Iverson should be the No. 1 pick, but I am no worse than him. I am no worse than him in fast break. I can beat him in low singles."
After hearing this, Tellem asked: "Kobe, the Suns have the Hornets' first-round pick. There is a high probability that they will not get the top three picks, so their pick will be No. 13. Have you contacted Old K?"
Well, since they have sent out invitations for trial training, they should have plans to choose you."
When Kobe heard this, he said in frustration: "Don't mention Old K, I called him master in vain. He said that I lost the draft and then asked the Suns to give me a chance to try out. Isn't he looking down on me too much? I am the best player this year.
The good one, sooner or later I will make him regret it."
"No matter what, the Suns' Hornets pick matches your predicted pick very well, and you will also go to the Suns for a tryout," Tellem said.
Being looked down upon, Kobe didn't want to go, but after thinking about it, he nodded.
"There are also the Lakers. The Lakers are very short of players right now. Their general manager, Mr. West, has personally contacted me. We should pay more attention to their trial training." Tellem said.
"Lakers?"
Kobe nodded. It would be good to go to Los Angeles to play.
Tellem said: "In addition, the Green Team also attaches great importance to you. Their staff has contacted me on the phone and hopes that you will take this trial training seriously."
"Green team?"
Kobe also nodded. It would be a good choice for the Cardinal's team to go there.
Tellem added: "We will go to the West first, and the first team will go to the Lakers. Being able to play there is one of the best choices. We will set off tomorrow. After the Lakers, we will go to the Clippers, then the Spurs, the Suns, and then
Green team going to the east..."
…
On the 18th, the game day of G1 of the Western Conference Finals.
This series is broadcast live nationwide by ESPN, and the commentators are Winston Rolling and Carter Oldman.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, they came to the American West Arena to make preparations.
At this time, the Mosaic team had already begun training in the arena. They were all acquaintances and were ready to go over to chat and get some inside information.
"Carter, you're a reporter from China's CCTV." As soon as Luo Lin entered the venue, he saw Zhang Lili chatting with Barkley on the sidelines.
Oldman nodded and said: "I know that he, Zhang, once worked as a trainer for Lao K, and we have a very good relationship with him."
"Hey, Charles, hey, Zhang."
"Hello, Carter, Winston."
"Hello."
The two of them greeted each other as they passed by.
"Hey, Zhang, is there any news about old K? I heard that he injured his finger. Is he recovered now?" Luo Lin asked.
Zhang Lili smiled and said: "Not yet, the coaching staff has put him on the injured list."
"What?"
"Can't we fight tonight?"
Rollin and Oldman were shocked. This was big news for him. It seemed that Old K was seriously injured.
"It should be impossible to fight." Zhang Li said with a smile.
Barkley also had a smile on his face. Zhang said this. It seemed that Old K didn't lie to him and he would definitely win tonight.
…
At this time, Kobe and his agent had arrived at the Los Angeles Lakers headquarters and started his first trial training.
The Lakers management attaches great importance to this trial training. General manager Jerry West personally hosted this trial training, which made Kobe feel respected and in a good mood.
First, various physical tests were conducted. The dynamic talent is very good, with a vertical jump of 92 cm and a jump assist of 108 cm. Although he does not have explosive beast-level talent, Kobe is not yet 18 and his body is not fully mature. The test results show that
, he already has first-class dynamic talent, and there is still room for growth. He is still far from the ceiling, which shows that there is still potential for cultivation.
In terms of static talent, his wingspan is average, almost the same as his height, only three centimeters longer, and his palms are also average, with a standing reach of 258 centimeters. He is not a top talent, but he is still very good, a first-class static talent.
Next is the shooting test. The three-pointer is average and has a B-level rating, but it can be used.
In this era, the three-point tactic is still not taken seriously. Even if Kobe's three-pointer cannot be used, the Lakers will not give up on him because of this.
Kobe was a little proud because he wanted to join the Suns, so he studied the Suns' lineup and knew that he needed people around him who were good at mid-range and long-range shots. He specially practiced three-pointers, and now he is actually using them.
A mid-range shot is almost the same as a three-point shot. It has an A-level rating and can be used.
However, the COSCO shooting test did not show the potential of a great pitcher.
What he is best at is breakthrough scoring, which is the most efficient way to score from the outside now. So in the next breakthrough test, he performed well and received an A-level evaluation. Whether it was a layup after a breakthrough,
Or the pull-up jump shot after the breakthrough, the performance is very good.
West nodded, his breakthrough ability is good, which shows that Kobe's ball control skills, pace use and man-ball integration skills are all good. As for mid-range shots and three-pointers, they are all skills that can be practiced, and they are not too good now.
It's important, you can practice it slowly in the future.
Finally, I tested low-post singles. In many cases, outsiders also have to be good at low-post singles. In the past, Jordan was the best at low-post singles, which led to the league promulgating the Jordan Rules. This shows the importance of this skill.
West paid special attention to this test because Kobe had learned the old K's relying on playing skills, and he wanted to see if it was true.
Opposing Kobe was a Lakers trainer. He was 203 centimeters taller and stronger than Kobe. He was also an NBA player and a third-round pick in the 1980s, but he was eliminated after only playing two seasons.
"Bang bang bang..."
Kobe held the ball with his back, and while dribbling, he moved his left foot inward. After approaching the defender, he suddenly pushed his feet downwards. The strength of his whole body exploded in an instant. His left shoulder and back hit inward, and there was a bang.
Hit the defender.
The defender weighs 100 kilograms, and Kobe now only weighs 90 kilograms, which is a difference of ten kilograms. This is a huge difference.
But under this collision, the defender's center of gravity was still bumped. Although his feet were not bumped, his upper body leaned back.
Taking this opportunity, Kobe turned around and slid down the floor, holding the ball into the paint area with a step-back tomahawk dunk.
"Bah bang bang..." West clapped happily.
He seemed to see what Old K looked like from Kobe's back hit.
Kobe was also very proud. This was the position he practiced the most. He even imitated the steps of Old K.
At the beginning, he didn't observe any difference in Old K's pace, but after Old K asked him to train at least 100,000 times by beating last time, he repeatedly observed Old K's game videos, and finally discovered that Old K's pace was abnormal.
place.
That is, the feet should be close to the floor and should not be lifted too high during movement, so that force can be exerted faster.
He imitated it repeatedly and got a little good at it, but he always felt that he had not mastered the trick.
Thinking of this, he was a little annoyed. Old K must be hiding his secrets. He only taught him the technique of exerting force but not the use of steps. How abominable!
Then Kobe tested his defense, confrontation and other aspects of his abilities. His defense received an A-level evaluation and his confrontation was A-level.
In terms of his weight, he was originally not strong enough for A-level confrontation, but because of Tieshan's power-generating skills through fighting, although he was still only proficient, he also gained some resistance capabilities.
Kobe's training with the Lakers was very successful. West told him and his agent Arntelem on the spot that if he fell into the Lakers' lottery pick, the Lakers would definitely choose him. If he was selected by another team in advance, the Lakers would
He will also seek a trade, but the Lakers will not give up on him.
After sending Kobe and Kobe away, West compared the trial evaluation with the evaluation of Kobe by the Lakers scouting system.
"I have made progress in confrontation, breakthroughs, emergency stop jump shots, etc., but there is some trouble!"
But he is not happy, because Kobe is not only trying out the Lakers. Once his trial results are better than expected, his draft prediction will be adjusted upward, and it will be more difficult for the Lakers to select him.
Among them, the biggest competitor is the Suns, who hold the 13th pick in the first round. Because the Suns have been lacking excellent shooting guards, they are very likely to select Kobe in this draft.
