At this time, many fans had gathered outside the Great Western Forum Arena. Countless fans were wearing golden No. 31 jerseys. By five o'clock in the afternoon, there was already a sea of people.
"King of the Lakers! King of the Lakers! King of the Lakers..."
At around six o'clock, Lao Wang's car arrived outside the arena and slowly drove to the entrance of the parking lot surrounded by countless fans.
Hearing the cheers of the fans, Lao Wang took the initiative to open the car window and say hello to the fans.
Although he played a wonderful regular season, he has yet to win a championship for the Lakers. These Lakers fans have been calling him the King of the Lakers, which puts a lot of pressure on him.
In the Western Conference Finals, the average price of the Lakers' home tickets was 70% higher than in the second round, reaching as high as 1,930 US dollars, with the minimum ticket being 620 US dollars. However, demand still exceeds supply, especially front row tickets, which cost tens of thousands of dollars each, and are still hard to come by.
In this era, such high ticket prices are already very scary, and represent the strong high consumption power of Los Angeles.
Lao Wang and his family did not sit in the private room today, but sat down below. However, they did not sit in the front row. They sat in the third row, and the front two rows were given to Barkley and Lightning.
On the huge hanging screen, close-ups of Dabao eating popcorn appeared from time to time. Every time it appeared, Dabao smiled and shook his little hand and said hello.
At 7:30, both sides announced the starting lineup.
Trail Blazers: Olajuwon, Duncan, Walter Williams, Yinsey Leder, Damon Stoudemire
Lakers: Wang Tiejun, Danny Fortson, Richmond, Kobe Bryant, Mark Price
The Western Conference Finals will be broadcast live across the United States on ABC TV, and the commentators are Rango Gomez and Morton Yinlanton.
Yin Langton said: "The Western Conference Finals, this is a series that attracts great attention. The Lakers packaged Tim Duncan and Dameng in exchange for Old K, and now Dameng and Duncan led the Trail Blazers to the Lakers. If
The Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals, haha, I wonder what the management will think?"
Gomez smiled and said: "The Lakers will definitely not regret it, even if they lose this time."
"Why?" Yin Langton asked.
Gomez said: "Because Da Meng is old, his condition has declined a bit this season, and it will only decline more next season, so we should only be comparing Old K and Duncan.
We all say that Duncan was at his peak when he debuted, and his rookie season was 20+10, but you have to see who he compares with.
Compared with the old K, if you just compare the statistics, they are far behind. If you compare the performance of the matchup, he is the one who is being crushed this season. If you compare the age, he is only three years younger, or even a little less than three years old.
Moreover, Old K has been playing for six years and has not had any major injury problems. We cannot arbitrarily say that his peak period is almost over.
So I think the Lakers will not regret it. In terms of personal strength, the record of leading the team this season, star influence and the economic benefits he brings to the team, Old K is unique."
"When you say that, I can only agree, haha." Yin Lanton said with a smile.
The two ended this topic and started another topic. Gomez said again: "The Trail Blazers optimized the lineup before the All-Star Game and traded the original main small forward Gary Trent for Walter.
Williams.
Gary Trent does not have three-pointers and cannot open up the defense for the inside. The inside is easily double-teamed. Now Williams has three-pointers. His three-point shooting rate in the regular season has reached 34.4% this season, but the most surprising thing is
Yes, in the first two rounds of the series, he shot 46% from three-point range."
Morton Yinlanton said: "Duncan and Dameng are both people who can attract double teams. They compress the defense in the low post and create open opportunities for the outside. This is the reason for the increase in the shooting rate of outside three-pointers. The open three
It is always more accurate to score than shooting against the defender."
"Morton, which of these two teams do you think has a better chance of reaching the finals?" Gomez asked.
"It's a fifty-fifty split."
Yin Langton said something, and then said: "The strength of the Trail Blazers inside is the balance of offense and defense, and the balance of the fourth and fifth positions. Duncan and Dameng can become the core of the tactics, and can play a strong role in the low post with the starting point and ending point of the attack.
cooperation.
The strength of the Lakers' inside line is that of Old K. The fourth position is a little weaker. It is not as balanced as the Trail Blazers. There is little cooperation with each other. Only Old K unilaterally distributes the ball to the open space at the fourth position.
However, the Trail Blazers also have many weaknesses. The substitute lineup is not as good as the Lakers. The main back line is inefficient and defensive. The Flying Squirrel and Ryder are both injured and their condition has declined. If the back line does not play well, it is likely to be suppressed by the Lakers.
In terms of the inside, with Old K's defense, maybe they will continue to suppress Duncan like they did in the regular season. If the Trail Blazers can't limit Old K on the defensive end and can't take advantage in the inside, it might be difficult for the Trail Blazers.
manage."
Gomez nodded and said: "The little flying squirrel is very threatening when he hits Mark Price. I think the Lakers will let Kobe Bryant guard him.
But Kobe is afraid that he won't be able to keep up. If the little flying squirrel plays well, it will pose a great threat to the Lakers."
Yin Langton looked through the regular season data and said: "Little Flying Squirrel's performance in the four regular season games was average, because the inside lines of both sides were too strong, and he didn't have enough room to break through, so he couldn't take advantage of his speed in many cases.
.
You see, his shots with the Trail Blazers are far inferior to those with the Menglongs, and this is evidence."
Gomez nodded and said: "The Trail Blazers have Duncan and Dream, and his number of shots is severely limited. Now when we play against the Lakers, there is an old K. His breakthrough space is smaller, and his shots may be more restricted."
big."
At this time, the main players of the two teams met in the player tunnel.
"Why are there only four of you?" Lao Wang looked around, and then specifically looked at the corridor where the pioneers came.
Stoudemire, the little flying squirrel standing behind Da Meng, was furious and jumped to his feet: "Old K, you are too arrogant."
Richmond joked: "Yes, Old K, you don't regard the dwarf as a human being."
"rock?"
The little flying squirrel stared at Richmond angrily, and his eyes were about to burst into flames.
"Ha ha……"
Lao Wang and the others laughed, as did Dameng and the others.
Lao Wang raised his hand and patted the little flying squirrel on the head, then pressed down again, almost pushing Stud Michael to the floor, then let go and said with a smile: "In the blink of an eye, the little mouse is already in the third grade.
Meng, we old guys are getting old too, and the future belongs to young people like them."
"Pfft!"
Kobe and a group of others burst into laughter.
"hehe!"
Dameng also shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly.
Little Flying Squirrel said angrily: "Old K, I'm only three months younger than you. You can't even think of relying on your old age in front of me."
Duncan said: "I was born in 1976, three years younger."
"Ouch, I forgot, there is a real young man here."
Lao Wang nodded, touched Duncan's head again, patted it, and then encouraged: "Young man, you are the sun at four or five o'clock in the morning. The future is yours. The future is bright, so work hard!"
Duncan nodded honestly and said: "I won't let you down, old K."
"Ha ha……"
Kobe’s stomach hurt from laughing behind him.
The sun shines at four or five o'clock in the morning. I often get up at that time to put water. Is there any sun at four or five o'clock in the morning? That's called a bleak future. Duncan, you are a fool. You were deceived by old K and became lame.
When the visiting team came out next, they were met with an overwhelming wave of boos. The Lakers fans were not polite at all. Even though they had failed to achieve their dream of being with the Lakers for a year, they were booed so hard that they looked dull and unhappy.
The same goes for Duncan, an idiot. According to the media's comments, he is the Lakers' biggest opponent in the finals, a greater threat than Big Dream, so he gets a lot of boos.
"Dadu, you should go back to your island and go swimming."
"Dumb, you will be vomited blood by Old K."
Many Lakers fans shouted the nickname they gave Duncan and jeered wantonly.
"Where did I stay? My smile is very charming, and my heart is also very rich and connotative." A somewhat sullen Duncan murmured, but he still preferred the nickname "Big Basic Skills".
At this time, the home team came on the scene. As the team's second star, Richmond was the first to appear, followed by Kobe Bryant, Danny Fortson, Mark Price, and finally Wang.
"King of the Lakers! King of the Lakers..."
There was a huge roar in the audience. When Wang came on the stage, Lakers fans stood up from their seats, raised their arms and shouted.
Magic, who was standing on the sidelines to greet the players, was a little jealous. The Lakers' enthusiasm had surpassed what he had been back then.
But there is no way, who can make Lao K’s data better?
Although Lao K's style is not as gorgeous as his, it is even more enjoyable to watch. The strong style of play, the sense of violence and power presented, and the powerful sense of conquest are so exciting to the fans.
.
After scoring 74 wins in the regular season, if he can win the championship this year, he feels that it only takes this one season for Old K to become one of the greatest superstars in the history of the Lakers, or even one of them.
Next to Magic John are the boss Jerry Buss, several of his children, and then Jerry West, as well as some famous Lakers, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kim Baylor, George Mikan,
James Worthy and more.
Behind the Trail Blazers' bench sat the low-key owner Paul Allen. At this time, when Lao Wang came on the stage, he also stood up and applauded.
Chamberlain was staring at the TV in front of him at home. When he saw all the famous Lakers players appearing, he couldn't help but feel so angry that his heart ached.
He should be the only Lakers star who didn't receive an invitation, just because he and Old K didn't get along, and the Lakers management went too far. Anyway, he won a championship for the Lakers, and Old K doesn't have one yet.
At this time, Lao Wang walked out of the player tunnel and high-fived his teammates waiting on both sides, followed by boss Buss, West and other management, as well as a group of famous Lakers players.
It was buzzing, the fans were too loud, everyone kept talking, but no one could hear clearly what the other said.
In Los Angeles in May, the temperature is not high, more than ten degrees at night, but now at the Great Western Forum Arena, the temperature has reached more than 20 degrees. Lao Wang ran around the court, greeted his friends and acquaintances, and shook his head.
There was already a thin layer of sweat on my face.
Next, the league vice president Willinger Hans presented the MVP trophy to Lao Wang.
David Stern has been very busy these past few months and is not in a good mood. The labor negotiations broke down on March 1st and there has been no progress yet. The league may be shut down again. Most of his energy is focused on that and he can't spare it.
Make time to come to Los Angeles to present the awards.
"MVP! MVP! MVP..."
When Lao Wang raised the trophy, a huge roar rang out in the Great Western Forum Arena.
"Congratulations to everyone who loves the NBA, our ratings have exceeded 40 million." When it was almost eight o'clock, Gomez said very excitedly in the ABC live broadcast booth.
Last year's finals had a viewership rating of over 50 million, but 40 million was a rating that was unimaginable before, so he was very excited.
Strong ratings symbolize huge benefits, and also symbolize the strong development trend of the NBA league. Hearing his words, everyone from Stern to all the players and team owners were very happy.
The league's broadcast contract will end after the 2001/02 season. There are still four seasons left. With the current development trend, as long as a new huge broadcast contract is signed, it will be able to ascend to the position of the second largest professional sports league in North America.
.
The Old Buss family is more interested, the league is getting better and better, and the Lakers have Old K, the new signature star of the league, then the Lakers will definitely benefit even more. As long as they have a superstar with huge appeal and box office appeal, they can also play well.
With his record, the regional broadcast contract alone will make him feel full of money.
…
At eight o'clock, the game officially begins.
Lao Wang and Duncan jumped the ball, and the Lakers attacked.
Entering the frontcourt, he first moved to the basket, while Duncan defended from the side. At the same time, Dameng was also eyeing him not far away. If there was any sign of trouble, he would be immediately double-teamed.
He suddenly started swinging, circled Duncan half a circle, stretched out his arms, stuck him behind, and succeeded in gaining a position two meters in front of the left side of the basket.
Among the Trail Blazers' three outside lines, the Flying Squirrel has some stealth ability, but is limited by his height and wingspan, and his defense is average. Shooting guard Laidel's defense is even worse. The defense of the traded small forward Walter Williams is also average, and his defensive efficiency is not as good as that of the Blazers.
Momonga, so the entire perimeter defense is not very good.
The person guarding Mark Price is Little Flying Squirrel. Although Little Flying Squirrel is short enough, Price is only 183 centimeters, not much taller. He has no obvious height advantage and no advantage in terms of tonnage.
But Price had the advantage of experience. When Lao Wang wanted to take the position, he immediately prepared to pass the ball and shook the little flying squirrel with a fake move.
This is also the reason why the little flying squirrel's defense is not good. The reaction is too fast and sensitive, but it is too easy to fake moves.
At this time, Old K happened to succeed in his position, and Price immediately passed the ball in.
When Lao Wang caught the ball, Dameng had already rushed to the left and his big hand had been stretched out.
At this moment, according to the tactical requirements, Fordson, who was let go by Dameng, had followed Dameng into the paint area.
"Bang!"
Lao Wang suddenly hit the ground and passed the ball. The ball passed through the gap between Dameng and Duncan, bounced off the ground, and fell right into Fordson's hands.
"Bang!"
The next moment, Fordson jumped up from the underside of Big Dream and made a fierce two-handed dunk, which made the Great Western Forum Arena burst into thunderous applause.
"Da Meng, if you grow taller, you can block my field of vision." Lao Wang returned to defense while teasing Da Meng.
Dameng was cut from the back by the person he let go, and he said unhappily: "Old K, you don't even hit the first ball, what kind of boss are you?"
"I want to make my teammates better." Lao Wang said expectantly.
With a cry, Dameng almost laughed out loud, thinking to himself, Old K, if you really do that, I'm afraid your opponent will laugh to death.
Trail Blazers offense.
"Rookie, do you want me to introduce you to a female star to be your wife? Tell me which one you like on the spot."
Lao Wang followed Duncan to the low post, and as he went down, he squeezed Duncan out of the paint area, still spouting trash talk.
Duncan couldn't help but glance at the female stars on the sidelines, and he happened to see Liv Tyler, who was his favorite type, and he couldn't help but have a touching smile on his face.
Liv Tyler was looking at the court. Like other Lakers fans, her eyes were focused on Lao Wang, and she happened to see Duncan's smile. Their eyes met, and the silver smile immediately made her hair stand on end.
He stood up and couldn't help but glare at Duncan.
At this moment, the little flying squirrel broke through with the ball.
Mark Price's defense is also mediocre, and even worse now that he is old. He is the weakest link in the Lakers' perimeter defense, so Kobe is assigned to defend the No. 1 position. When the flying squirrel breaks through, Kobe immediately catches up and reacts very quickly.
The little flying squirrel had no chance to take action. After entering the paint area, he immediately pulled to the left wing, then distributed the ball and passed it to Duncan two meters away.
Duncan was distracted at this moment, and the basketball flew out of the baseline in front of him with a whoosh.
"Tim, are you sleepwalking?"
On the sidelines, Dunleavy jumped up anxiously. He was playing against a strong team like the Lakers, and he was facing the current No. 1 player, Old K. Duncan, as a rookie, dared to be distracted. Do you not want to win?
"..."
Duncan almost died of embarrassment. He was a little lucky that no one knew that he was distracted because of looking at the beauty, except the beauty herself.
"Ha ha……"
Lao Wang almost died laughing.
As he ran to the frontcourt, he asked: "Slut, which one do you like? Tell me and I will match you. The success rate is very high."
"I'm not a slut."
Duncan said depressedly that he didn't know how to talk about it, because the beautiful woman just glared at him, obviously not interested in him, and it was useless to talk.
"Ha ha……"
As soon as Lao Wang saw Duncan's look, he knew that this rookie was a slutty slut. He should have fancied someone just now, but he was just embarrassed to say it now.