At the post-match press conference, Yang Jian expressed a few thoughts in a low-key manner, and spent most of the time praising his teammate Sean Kemp.
Kemp is indeed the key to winning the game. Against David Robinson, who mainly shoots jump shots, he performed much more domineeringly.
Kemp's scoring and rebounding statistics this season have reached career highs. After playing in 2013, it is certain that he will occupy a starting position in the Western Conference All-Stars. He also did a good job on the defensive end today, blocking Robinson's post-up play alone.
"As soon as I entered the league, I felt very lucky to be paired with a super inside star like Sean. No matter who the opponent was, we were able to play a wonderful combination of inside and outside. It was so cool."
Yang Jian knew that Kemp couldn't stay, so letting go of the bragging would help Kemp get more opportunities to make money. As long as Kemp's mood is stabilized and he plays well in these two seasons, it will be beneficial to everyone.
He won't think that he is invincible just because he got off to a smooth start. He knows very well that without him, the Sonics achieved the best record in the Western Conference with 64 wins this season. The winning streak is the result of team efforts.
There is no harm in bragging about his teammates at all. The media cannot take all the credit to him. People have to be content. Anyway, unless everyone is crazy, there is no way he will become the regular season MVP in his rookie season.
A reporter asked about the next game. "On the 26th, you will face the Bulls at home, and you will challenge Michael Jordan. What do you think of this focus battle?"
Yang Jian thought for a while and smiled: "This will be a wonderful game. I am looking forward to playing against the best star in the NBA."
The reporter asked: "Do you think the Sonics can continue their winning streak?"
"Of course it would be best to win the game. But the opponent is the Bulls led by Jordan. There are also stars such as Pippen, Rodman, Harper, Kukoc and others on the team. No one dares to say that they will beat the Bulls. I predict this game
The winning rate of the game is 50-50, and we are not bad either." Yang Jian answered the question head-on.
A reporter asked: "Rodman will definitely miss the game. He also did not play in the Bulls' game against the Jazz today. Do you think this is good news for the SuperSonics?"
Yang Jian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "This is of course good news. Rodman is a super defensive player at the 4th position, and the Bulls' strength will definitely decline."
In a parallel world, those who have watched the Jordan documentary "The Last Dance" will definitely be deeply impressed by Rodman's words. At the beginning of the third episode, Rodman said: "We have a great Jordan on our team, a great Jordan."
Pippen, the great Phil Jackson, but can this team win a championship without me? I don’t think so."
Facts have proved that Rodman is really important. Before the 1995-96 season, Rodman was sold to the Bulls by the Spurs at a low price, and the Spurs' interior defensive efficiency immediately declined.
Spurs general manager Popovich can't control Rodman, and top star David Robinson can't do anything about Rodman. Because Robinson has an elegant and easy-going personality, he can't deal with a pervert like Rodman. Rodman also publicly stated
I don't like Robinson, I think he is too soft.
In the 1995 playoffs, seeing Robinson being beaten by Olajuwon, Rodman was so angry that he took off his shoes on the sidelines and didn't want to play.
After arriving at the Bulls, Rodman became obedient and stopped causing trouble. Bulls head coach "Zen Master" Jackson was very good at building a good relationship with the stars and could perfectly control problematic stars like Rodman.
In addition, Bulls star Jordan is not like Robinson who only gives in blindly. He simply tamed the prickly Rodman, making Rodman willing to attack him on the court!
After Rodman joined, the Bulls posted an unprecedented record of 72 wins and 10 losses. Rodman was selected to the All-Defensive Team and won the rebounding title. The playoffs made the problem even more clear. Rodman defended excellently against the Magic.
He even guarded O'Neal. In Game 6 of the Finals, he grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.
If Rodman is not available, the Bulls' interior defense has obvious weaknesses, and Kemp will 100% explode. Yang Jian's performance is relatively low-key. In fact, he already feels that the 14th consecutive victory is guaranteed. No matter how good Jordan's offense is, he cannot stabilize the defense in the penalty area.
As both sides attack, the Sonics have a greater chance of winning because they score more points.
In another game on the same day, the Bulls defeated the Jazz 90-85 away from home.
Rodman did not play, but the Bulls still fought hard defensively against the Jazz and won. Luke Longley scored a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The best performers were of course Jordan and Pippen, with Jordan scoring 34 points.
8 rebounds and 6 assists.
After the game, some reporters asked Jordan to comment on Yang Jian.
The Bulls currently have 10 wins and 1 loss, and their record is second only to the SuperSonics. Both teams have formed a crushing trend in the East and West.
Jordan said: "He is an amazing young man who has risen in an incredible way. He was underestimated by everyone during the draft, and he proved people wrong with his actions. He is a great player and no one can deny it."
The reporter asked: "Are you confident that you can guard him in the next game and lead the team to victory?"
"I will definitely go all out." Jordan did not say that he would definitely win. SuperSonics' strong offensive power this season made him feel pressure, and he knew that defending Yang Jian was not an easy task.
There is no other player in the NBA with Yang Jian's style of play. Some players said that guarding him is like participating in a race, which is both a sprint and a long-distance run. It is impossible for people with poor physical strength to guard Yang Jian. Even if they have good physical strength, they must also have speed.
and agility, otherwise you won't be able to keep up with him.
Jordan's physical fitness is the best in history, and he has both. He is a super defensive player. He won the Best Defensive Player Award in the 1987-88 season and was selected to the All-Defensive Team ten times. Jordan's game experience is not comparable to that of Yang Jian.
of.
But Jordan also has shortcomings. He is 13 years older than Yang Jian. If the two faced each other and let him follow Yang Jian throughout the game, he would definitely feel uncomfortable. Jordan is confident of reaching the finals this season.
The Sonics are the only ones who don't want to meet an opponent.
Facing other high-ranking rookies, Jordan didn't lecture them before the game because he felt it was unnecessary and looked down on those people. Facing Yang Jian, Jordan chose to keep a low profile because he felt unsure.
Jordan couldn't understand the situation where Yang Jian, an undrafted player, suddenly rose up and became the core of a playoff team. It was too wild.
What he knows is that the Sonics are very strong, and Yang Jian is even more powerful. He feels that this Chinese is a bit evil, and his physical fitness is ridiculously strong. Some media have analyzed that there may not be another Yang Jian with such qualities in Asia.
of yellow race.
Jordan also knew something that others didn't.
Today, the top management of Nike called him and asked him to say something nice if a reporter asked him about Yang Jian. In addition, he should be friendly with Yang Jian in the next game and it would be okay to score high points.
, please don’t get into an explosive situation where you talk trash to each other.
Because after the next game, Nike will hold a press conference for Yang Jian to announce the news of signing a contract with him. From now on, Yang Jian will be the second spokesperson for the Nike brand after Jordan.
When the Bulls played against the Magic before, Nike didn't pay so much attention to Anfernee Hardaway. Jordan can understand it, because Yang Jian has better scoring ability, and this kind of player attracts the most fans.
Looking at it from another angle, Nike believes that Hardaway cannot threaten Jordan's status, even if the Magic eliminated the Bulls last season. Yang Jian may defeat Jordan to win the championship this season, and is a challenger rather than a successor.
Jordan faced greater pressure than Yang Jian. Yang Jian was just a rookie. It didn't matter if he lost to Jordan. No one would think he was a parallel import. Jordan would be embarrassed if he lost to a rookie. This is very likely to happen because the Bulls lack
Without Rodman, it was not the strongest lineup.
Jordan didn't care about anyone else, and now he regarded Yang Jian and the SuperSonics as the biggest threat this season. The SuperSonics are likely to defeat the Bulls and win the championship, and Yang Jian is the next super scorer in the league.
Jordan will only keep these things in his heart and will not say them in interviews...
