Toni Kukoc, who was born in the former Yugoslavia and is now a Croatian national, has a natural affection for Wang Dazhi, who was born in China.

This is one of the rare times when Wang Dazhi is fighting in the NBA and feels warmth from his opponents.

On the Lakers side, when Wang Dazhi and Kobe Bryant were being interviewed, they were already lagging behind the interview site in Chicago for a long time.

TNT reporter: "Wang, Dennis Rodman just told our reporter in Chicago that he doesn't know who you are?

What do you think about this matter?"

It seems that the reporters accompanying the Lakers want to make a big news out of Wang Dazhi.

Wang Dazhi: "Dennis Rodman is a big star in the United States!

I like to listen to Madonna's songs, and I'm willing to watch Carmen's movies. You know, Rodman is a name that I can't avoid in my life!"

Wang Dazhi's explosive answer made the TNT reporter very satisfied.

Among the players of the 1996 class, Wang Dazhi is definitely the best rookie in terms of pornographic news, but when compared with his grandfather Rodman, Wang Dazhi can't even be considered his younger brother.

But Dennis Rodman looked down on him, and Wang Dazhi couldn't greet him with a smile.

TNT reporter: "You two are both players who have a close relationship with Playboy. Dennis Rodman also made some friendly suggestions to you.

He thinks your hair style is very good, but it would be even better if you could dye your hair green!"

Regarding this matter, the TNT reporter conveyed it truthfully.

Wang Dazhi: "If Dennis Rodman loves green, I think it would be better for him to start with himself. After all, red is the home color of the Bulls, and red and green are also classic colors recognized around the world."

Wang Dazhi has his own way, so red and green are a perfect match.

TNT reporter: "I think Dennis will seriously consider this matter. I think the red uniforms of the Bulls really match the green hair.

Dani Kukoc spoke highly of you when he mentioned you, what do you think of the best sixth man last season?"

Wang Dazhi had already experienced the kindness of Dani Kukoc. During the period when he was not playing well, Dani Kukoc even called Wang Dazhi.

When he received the call from the other party, Wang Dazhi was very shocked. After all, the two had no real interaction with each other. However, Wang Dazhi also had a natural liking for him from the people of the former Yugoslavia, and their many commonalities soon made the two of them feel sympathetic towards each other.

Affection.

Wang Dazhi: "Danny is my role model, I want to be as good as him, I want to win the championship like him!

It is a great honor to be compared with Dani Kukoc!"

For Dani Kukoc, Wang Dazhi will never spare any words of praise.

Compared with the questions Wang Dazhi received, the TNT reporter asked Kobe Bryant more pointed questions.

TNT reporter: "Hello, Kobe, Michael thinks that as far as you are concerned, Shaq is his better successor.

What do you think of this statement?"

Facing such questions day after day is undoubtedly a torture for Kobe.

Kobe Bryant: "I will use my performance to change other people's opinions, and Michael Jordan is no exception."

The young Kobe was fearless and dared to challenge anyone.

Every word the players said was magnified and interpreted repeatedly by the media. Before the game started, this duel had become the focus of the entire league.

The four-day rest period made the Los Angeles Lakers team full of energy. During the training session after arriving in Chicago, everyone also showed a very good competitive state.

During the training session, coach Delma Harris also made advance arrangements for the game.

Delmar Harris: "The Chicago Bulls' Luke Longley is still unable to play. Not surprisingly, their backup center Bill Wennington will start.

So we must put the ball in Shaq's hands. Facing such a defender, Shaq will definitely be able to attack efficiently.

How to hand the ball over to Shaq comfortably will be the biggest challenge we face. Everyone knows that Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen are the most outstanding defensive perimeter combination in history, and they will definitely focus on defense.

Our pass from outside to inside.

In this way, Nick, you have to play a more important role, because your opponent may be Ron Harper, Randy Brown, or Steve Kerr. No matter who these three people are, you have to play a more important role.

Stay aggressive.

You have to remember that only if your offense can threaten your opponent can you better pass the ball to Shaq.

In today's game, we must not let Shaq fight alone in the paint. The Chicago Bulls are a team with outstanding individual abilities but also a holistic team. Only by flourishing internally and externally can we have a chance to win a victory in Chicago.

.

On offense, we mainly focus on Shaq on the inside and Nick on the outside. On defense, we must integrate the five people present into a whole. Defending the Bulls is definitely not a matter of one or two people!

Kobe, today you are the shadow of Michael. No matter where he is on the court, you have to stick to him. You have to focus most of your energy on mid-range defense against Michael Jordan. You can shoot three-pointers and break through.

Just try to delay it as much as possible, our insiders are not vegetarians!

Others must provide help defense for Kobe at any time. Shaq, you must show the same defensive attitude as when you played the Orlando Magic. You must defend our three-second zone!

Our defensive strategy is that we can let Scottie Pippen score 40 points, but we can never let Michael Jordan score 30 points!

Wang, you will get the same playing time as Toni Kukoc. There are not many people in this league who can play against him, and I believe you are one of them.

This game is attracting a lot of attention, but everyone should be calm. After all, this is just one of the 82 regular season games. We must believe in our own strength and play round by round. The final victory will belong to us.

!”

This is all Delmar Harris can say and do. As for how well they can perform on the field, it depends on the performance of the players themselves.

On December 17, 1996, Christmas was approaching, and the windy city of Chicago was filled with a festive atmosphere. A family watched a Bulls game at the United Center, which became the first choice for leisure for wealthy families in Chicago.

The game between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers was a packed house. Most Chicagoans hoped that the Los Angeles Lakers could perform better. After all, there were not many teams that could cause trouble for the Bulls on this court.
Chapter completed!