Chapter 490 The first battle, the dream is possessed
The Pacers also held a media meeting day on this day.
Ewing and Reggie Miller are more confident about this season than last season. Reggie Miller expressed to the media on behalf of the team his firm confidence in making it out of the Eastern Conference.
He said very firmly: "Rick Schmitz is back, we will have the Twin Towers, and we will have the confidence to defeat the Bulls... No, it is to defeat the Knicks. Believe us, we will definitely defeat the Bulls, no, it is the Knicks."
The Knicks.”
On the 30th, the Jazz, Trail Blazers, and Celtics also held their own media meeting days.
"What I want to say is that with Sabonis, we will officially launch an impact on the championship." Facing the media, the postman said with full confidence.
"It's time."
When David Robinson faced the media, his answer was quite simple, but very powerful.
"Old K, wait for me, Tim and I will fuck you up." Facing the media, Dameng said with great confidence.
During this period of time, after he and Duncan got to know each other and got to know Duncan's strength, his confidence was already overwhelming. He felt like he had just struck a lucky chord, found a treasure, and was thinking of competing for the championship.
He believes that together with Duncan, he can defeat any inside combination in the league, including Old K and O'Neal.
Like him, the Blazers, from owner Paul Allen to the management, coaching staff and players, are full of confidence.
Duncan told the media expressionlessly: "During the offseason, I seemed to have become a piece of garbage. I was thrown from the Lakers to the Suns, and then from the Suns to the Trail Blazers. This motivated me even more. I will pay tribute to those who look down on me."
People and teams prove that your choice is wrong."
On October 31st, the new NBA 97/98 season officially kicked off.
The alliance must have deliberately arranged it. The six first-tier teams from the Eastern and Western Alliances will fight against each other.
The Lakers play against the Jazz at home, the Knicks play against the Celtics at home, and the Pacers play against the Trail Blazers on the road.
There are 14 games on this night. These three games attract the most attention and are all broadcast live across the United States.
After training this afternoon, Wang Tiejun went home to have dinner. Now that his family is all here, he usually goes home to eat when he has time.
After dinner, the bodyguard provided by the Lakers came to pick him up. This man was Geas Locke, and the two left the villa.
Geas Locke was originally the security captain of the Lakers, responsible for home security. He is 40 years old, white, and a former detective of a Los Angeles police station. He has a very good ability to handle special and emergencies.
When we arrived outside the Great Western Forum Arena, it was already 6:30 in the evening. It was the opening game of the new season. There were so many fans and it was so crowded that it was like a sea of people.
"Old K is here."
"Old K!"
Fans recognized his car and started shouting.
The car trudged forward and slowly approached the arena. It took twenty minutes before it entered the parking lot.
The game started at eight o'clock. Lao Wang was not in a hurry. He got out of the car and walked to the locker room while chatting casually with Locke.
Fei Ge and his parents will also come to watch the game tonight. Because he has Dabao, he will not sit below, but in the private room given to him by the Lakers.
At seven o'clock, he entered the locker room. His teammates and coaching staff had already arrived. He said hello and began to change.
After a while, Bass, West, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also appeared outside the locker room.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also joined the Lakers coaching staff a few days ago and taught Wang the big hook together with his master Bill Potka.
Old Buss always had a smile on his face. Just yesterday, the league announced the number of national live broadcast games for each team in the new season. The Lakers ranked second, only behind the Knicks. The Knicks had 56 games and the Lakers had 53 games.
This means that the Lakers can share a large amount of broadcast rights revenue.
A large number of live broadcasts across the United States will further attract sponsors and increase the Lakers' sponsorship income.
Tonight is the opening game, Lao Wang’s first show with the Lakers, and his opponent is the Jazz, a first-tier team rated as a championship level, so the tickets are extremely expensive, with an average price of 388 US dollars, and they are still sold out.
.
At this time, the Great Western Forum Arena was already full, and the most expensive front row was filled with celebrities and celebrities, the stars were bright and extremely dazzling.
At 7:30, the two teams announced their starting lineups.
Jazz: Sabonis, Karl Malone, Brian Russell, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton
Lakers: Wang Tiejun, Teresa Longhill, Chris Mullin, Richmond, Mark Price
Tonight's game will be broadcast live nationwide by TNT, and the commentators are the network's two ace commentators, Marv Albert and Kevin Harlan.
Albert said: "Six championship-level teams are on the field tonight, and the new season will definitely have a hot start.
Let's take a look at the ratings first. Wow, the game hasn't even started yet and it has already exceeded 25 million. I think tonight's game between the Lakers and Jazz will definitely break through 30 million.
For a regular season game, this is quite high. A few years ago, this was unimaginable, and the finals may not be able to reach this rating.
I remember in the 1992 Finals, when Jordan defended his title, the ratings only reached 36 million, which already broke the historical record. It’s not what it used to be!”
"The NBA has indeed developed rapidly in the past few years. You can tell by looking at the increase in the salary cap."
Harlan nodded quickly and continued: "Especially since the league's two signature stars have changed teams, whether their performance is still strong is very attractive.
Especially Michael Jordan, who will be 35 years old in February next year. Whether he can perform at the peak of last season with the Knicks is worth looking forward to."
Albert smiled and said: "The Jazz introduced Sabonis, the king of Europe and the roof of the world, which not only made up for the height of the basket that the Jazz lacked before, but also increased the low-post offense. At the same time, the ability to launch fast breaks has also been enhanced.
, Sabonis can provide a lot of reinforcements for the Jazz, so now this Jazz should really have the strength to compete for the championship."
Harlan nodded and said: "The Lakers are also quite strong. They have the first active player in the game, Old K. Even if the Lakers are completely
reconstruction, but with Old K’s leadership, his strength, and his versatility, he should be able to bring this Lakers together. Richard and the other stars are also here for the championship. I think they
He should also cooperate with old K."
Albert smiled: "The Lakers are truly rebuilding. There are only three players left last season, and none of them has the strength to enter the main lineup.
I think the Lakers need at least half a season to work together before they can truly integrate everyone's strengths."
"Groom, who do you think will win tonight?" Harlan asked.
"Jazz is more stable. I want to say Jazz, but I'm afraid of being slapped in the face by Old K." Albert laughed.
"Haha..." When the two said this, they burst out laughing in unison.
In the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Lili and Su Qun were also analyzing.
"Old K's first show with the Lakers, I hope the game starts soon!" Su Qun said excitedly.
"Come on, the substitutes are starting to warm up." Zhang Li said with a smile.
"Director Zhang, the top six will compete for hegemony in the new season, with three strong teams from the east and west. The games this season should be quite exciting." Su Qun said with a smile.
"This is what Stern expected."
Zhang Lili said with a smile: "But the difference in popularity among the teams is huge. Big ball markets like the Knicks and Lakers have as many as 50+ live broadcasts across the United States, while bottom ball markets like the Spurs only have two live broadcasts this season."
Live broadcast across the United States."
"The Spurs only played two games?" Su Qun said in surprise.
"Yes, the Admirals ran away, and the team was rebuilt, which was completely unattractive. The average ticket price for the Spurs was only $4.50, and season ticket sales were very bad. If the broadcaster could provide two live broadcasts across the United States, it probably depends on the league's reputation. It cannot be
You won’t give one game, right? The two broadcasters, ESPN and TNT, gave one game each, and the other broadcasters didn’t give one game.” Zhang Li said with a smile.
Su Qun asked at this time: "Coach Zhang, what are the chances of the Lakers winning the championship this season? According to ESPN's predictions, the six strong teams are not much different.
Even Jordan, after having a monster like O'Neal, ESPN, which has always been optimistic about him, only gave him a 19% chance of winning the championship."
Zhang Lili said: "It's almost the same. Everyone has a very strong lineup. Although Jordan has a low-post monster like O'Neal as a teammate, you have to see that the other five strong teams all have strong inside combinations, and they have a real chance of winning.
It’s hard to say.”
Su Qun nodded and said: "The Pacers have Ewing + Rick Schmitz, the Celtics have David Robinson, the Lakers have Old K, the Jazz have Postman + Sabonis, and the Trail Blazers have Big Dream + Duncan. They are indeed all
It's quite strong. It's really not certain whether O'Neal + Oakley can have the upper hand.
But David Robinson and Old K lost a little, the other four teams all have strong inside partners, but they two don't."
"ladies and gentlemen……"
At this time, the starting lineup began to appear, the lights dimmed, and the voice of Lakers host Mones John sounded.
In the player tunnel, the starting lineups of the two teams met.
The relationship between Lao Wang and the postman is not like before. They used to start fighting when they disagreed. Now they nodded to each other and said hello.
"Jeff, how are you doing now?" Lao Wang greeted Hornacek.
"It's okay." Hornacek smiled.
Lao Wang suddenly came closer and said, "How long does your contract last?"
"This season is a contract year." Hornacek was startled and whispered.
"If you don't win the championship, come and help me."
Lao Wang said something, patted Hornacek on the shoulder, and then went to say hello with Sabonis.
Hornacek was startled again and smiled.
The visiting team came out next, and the Great Western Forum Arena did not boo them. They were given some applause for the opening game of the new season.
When it was the home team's turn, the enthusiastic cheers and applause showed the enthusiasm of the Lakers fans.
"Let's welcome the rock... Mickey Richmond."
“…The Left Hand of God…Chris Mullin.”
Following the host's shouts, Te Yinlong Hill and Mark Price also appeared one after another, and finally it was Old K's turn.
"Now, let us welcome the number one active player in the league, the greatest behemoth, the sweeper of the penalty area, and Caesar the conqueror..."
As host Mones John shouted out Pharaoh's nicknames one after another, the Great Western Forum Arena erupted into waves of extremely loud shouts, like waves crashing on the shore, sweeping the hearts of countless people.
.
Wang Tiejun stepped out of the players' tunnel with his head held high, high-fiving the fans on both sides and high-fiving his teammates waiting on both sides in front.
"Dad, dad..."
In the private room, Dabao, who was jumping on Wang Aiguo's lap, pointed his little finger at the huge hanging screen above the stadium and kept shouting.
At eight o'clock, the game officially begins.
"A new beginning."
Standing on the sidelines, Lao Wang took a deep breath and then stepped onto the court.
It was Sabonis who made the jump ball for the Jazz, and his partner Hill was only 206 centimeters tall. He had to make the jump ball himself, and Lao Wang stepped into the center circle.
"Crack!"
As the ball was thrown up, Sabonis couldn't jump at all. He moved the ball to Mark Price's position, and the Lakers attacked.
The postman was very experienced and knew that Sabonis could not run fast and retreat quickly, so he immediately blocked Wang Tiejun so that his partner could retreat in time.
Lao Wang entered the paint area from the free throw line, and Sabonis, who had retreated to the basket, blocked the front. He immediately turned around and took a position one step below the free throw line while observing the situation of the ball carrier.
"No chance."
Seeing that Mark Price was entangled by John Stockton and couldn't get the ball in for a while, he immediately turned around and ran to the low left wing.
On the right wing, Te Yinlong Hill took two steps out of the paint area.
He has no long-range shooting ability. He has a mid-range shot, but his shooting rate for two-pointers is only 38%, and his shooting rate for nearly two-pointers is just 30%. So he has a certain ability to stretch, but it is not high enough, and judging from his shooting rate
It seems that when facing defenders, his shooting percentage is not enough.
So the postman let him go a few steps and stood at the waist, focusing most of his attention on the left wing.
At this time, Mark Price passed the ball to Chris Mullin outside the three-point line on the left wing. Lao Wang, who was in the low post on the left wing, immediately carried Sabonis to get the ball.
"The position is very stable, Sabonis can't hold off Old K. He got the ball!" Su Qun shouted.
"Be careful of the weak side double team!" Zhang Liyi shouted at the same time.
On the right wing, the moment the postman passed the ball, he had already turned towards the left wing, implemented weak-side defense, and double-teamed against the baseline.
Because of the timely defense, the moment Wang received the ball, he was already behind Sabonis, completely blocking the possibility of Wang missing the ball.
But at this moment, Lao Wang made a sway, turned around, and continued to attract double-teams from Sabonis and the postman. Then he suddenly took another sway, turned up, and while dribbling, a fierce
With a sharp step, he entered the paint area from the waist position.
The three steps of plum blossom walking are: swing step, used to deal with the opponent, and lunge step, used to advance quickly.
The swing step is mainly about flexible and sudden changes, and the stance step is like a piercing steel spear, fast and sharp, killing to the end.
The current plum blossom step makes his movement speed not only more flexible and changeable than the previous bear step, but also faster and more fierce.
When he entered the paint, Brian Russell, who came from above, stretched out his hand to steal the ball. He was half a step too slow and could only watch as he rushed in and fell behind.
One step into the paint area, and the next moment, he stepped off the ground and a giant beast weighing 135 kilograms flew towards the basket.
"So fast!"
The postman and Sabonis were stunned and could only watch Old K flying up.
At this moment, the mouths of all the Lakers fans opened wide, and the fingers of all the media reporters behind the baseline began to press the shutters frantically.
"Bang!"
With the violent sound of the basket being smashed, the entire Great Western Forum arena roared with roaring cheers, like an erupting volcano.
"Kacha kacha..." The media cameras behind the bottom line were also flashing crazily.
"Woooooooooooo..."
In the live commentary box on the sidelines, a live commentator roared with excitement, simulating the sound of a bomber.
Another on-site commentator then shouted loudly: "This is a low-altitude Behemoth bomber that belongs to the Lakers. Let's give him a new nickname. He needs a new nickname that belongs to the Lakers. How about calling him the Behemoth bomber?"
"Behemoth bomber! Behemoth bomber..." Lakers fans in the audience shouted.
"No, no, no, Sabonis is too slow. He can't control Old K. He can't control that giant beast. The Jazz can't beat Old K, but they still can't beat Old K..."
In the TNT live broadcast booth, the groom Albert kept roaring excitedly.
His partner Kevin Harlan also said excitedly: "No, no, it's because old K is a little faster, no, it's because old K is more flexible, it's because his pace has improved, and the rhythm under his feet is faster."
"Anyway, he is faster and more flexible, and it seems that his ability to combine man and ball is also better." Albert laughed.
"Yes, this will make him stronger and more dominant in the low post under the basket. Oh, God, I haven't seen you for a few months, and old K has become stronger again. He has already entered his peak period for two years and he can still become stronger.
?" Harlan shouted in surprise.
"Yes, he doesn't want O'Neal to live. Poor big shark, he has been chasing old K, haha..." Albert laughed.
In the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Lili said excitedly: "Judging from this ball, compared with last season, the Tiejun are somewhat different.
Through the movement of the bottom, he attracted the defense of the postman and Sabonis downwards, and then suddenly turned up, which allowed him to completely get rid of the two double-teamers. The rhythm of the movements was too good, and the movements of his feet were not unnecessary and clean.
neat.
He could play like this last season, but his pace was not as good as now, so the offensive rhythm and speed were not as good as this attack, making it easier for defenders to keep up with him.
But this is just one attack. Let's look at Tiejun's next performance. I hope he can play more attacks like this, because this kind of attack can reduce a lot of confrontations, and the wear and tear on the body will be less, and injuries will be reduced.
It will be less."
At this time, Hornacek took advantage of the deflection and shot a three-pointer from a small open position, but missed. Wang carried Sabonis and grabbed the rebound over the postman's head, and the Lakers attacked.
"Mitch, pay attention to the pick-and-roll." Del Harris quickly reminded loudly when he saw Richmond losing track of Hornacek.
The Lakers advanced to the frontcourt, and Mark Price handed the ball to Richmond on the right wing, who held the ball and beat Hornacek in isolation.
Richmond's breakthroughs are not as fast as before. When he came to the Kings, especially after reaching the age of 30, he mainly shot from outside, and his three-pointers were particularly accurate.
When he and Chris Mullin were with the Warriors, under the guidance of Nelson, he became a breakthrough shooter. After becoming the core of the Kings, he became the most terrifying three-point shooter in the league.
Now the Lakers' requirements for him are to hold the ball to attract defenses, open up space for old K, and focus on outside shooting. He does not need to break through. This is also suitable for his current ability and age.
When Richmond got the ball outside the three-point line on the right wing, the Jazz's defensive formation immediately moved to the right wing.
From the low post on the left wing, Sabonis got into the basket, but Wang Tiejun was not in a hurry to get in.
"Whoosh!"
At this time Richmond suddenly passed the ball.
"Old K!"
At this moment, the postman on the low right wing and Sabonis, who had just entered the basket, both reacted. The former turned around and rushed into the paint area, and the latter also rushed toward Lao Wang.
Lao Wang had the ball in his hand, and Sabonis had already reached the front. The action of stealing forced the right hand of the ball to move backward. The next moment, his offense began.
"squeak!"
Then he turned around with a swaying step, followed by a fierce and rapid thrust, and then thrust forward sharply. Sabonis took a step downward and laterally, but he was already too slow, and he jumped in.
The postman had reached the reasonable collision zone and stood in front of him, but he suddenly turned around right next to the postman.
Turning around was a swinging step to deal with the enemy, and then while dribbling, he took another step back and suddenly passed between the postman and Sabonis.
Retreat is the step of retreat, used to get rid of the opponent and change the direction of attack.
When he retreated, he not only got rid of the postman and Sabonis, but also changed the direction of attack, from the left side of the basket to the front of the basket, then stood up, put his feet on the ground, picked up the basket, and easily passed the ball
Put in the basket.
"What?"
The postman and Sabonis couldn't believe their eyes. How could Old K, who was as huge as them, complete such a dexterous move?
"yeah!"
The whole audience burst into cheers, and the commentator's excited roar rang out again.
"Is this possessed by a big dream?"
Su Qun's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
"No, no, no, even Da Meng may not be able to do this. This is an outside attack on the inside. There is no such pace in the inside." Zhang Lili also had a look of disbelief on his face.
In the TNT live broadcast booth, Albert still had a look of shock on his face and said in surprise: "Is this the change of old K?"
"A 135-kilogram heavy beast, with the pace of a big dream, coupled with his original low-post attack of pushing and crushing, how strong will he become?" Harlan said in surprise.
