Any sport has its own leaders in a specific era.
In terms of basketball, it was Jordan in the 1990s, and it became Kobe after 2005.
Especially after Kobe played such a crazy season last season, his popularity and influence reached a peak, catching up with Jordan back then.
To use a very vivid word, it is hard to get a ticket for Kobe Bryant's game, and the ratings for Lakers games on cable TV networks remain high.
At the beginning of the game, Kobe showed everyone his unparalleled scoring skills.
Or catch the ball and make a step-back jump shot, or post-up and fade away, or triple threat break through the basket and pull up the lever for a layup.
This is a shooting guard with the most comprehensive skills of this era, or in the eyes of fans, he is the "most handsome player".
Under his leadership, the Lakers even suppressed the Mavericks in the opening game.
Durant and Lin Ying couldn't take their eyes off this.
To be honest, in terms of viewing pleasure, the NCAA games they are playing now are like elementary school students playing house compared to this one.
"When did Kobe change to No. 24?"
Lin Ying suddenly asked.
He knew that Kobe had two numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, and both jersey numbers were retired by the Lakers.
But he wasn't sure when Kobe changed his jersey number.
"I just changed it this season. I was still very surprised at the time. It is rare to change your number during your peak period."
Durant replied with his eyes fixed on the TV.
Indeed, there are not many number changes in NBA history, let alone changing at the peak.
The most representative one is Jordan.
When I came back for the first time, I briefly changed from No. 23 to No. 45, but I quickly changed it back.
Because No. 23 and Jordan are completely bound together in a sense, the fans don't adapt, and Jordan himself doesn't adapt either.
The same goes for No. 8 and Kobe Bryant.
Lin Ying said "hmm" without saying anything.
Regarding this, he also saw some analysis when he was staying at home:
The reasons are varied:
Kobe himself said that "there are 24 hours a day, one offense for 24 seconds" that rises to the level of "Mamba Mentality";
There is a rumor among fans that because No. 24 is one more number than No. 23, Kobe wants to surpass Jordan;
There is also a theory that sales of No. 8 Kobe Bryant jerseys are low.
Before last season, Kobe's No. 8 jersey ranked 80th in the NBA in sales. Even after a crazy season like last season, No. 8 jerseys only ranked fifth in the NBA.
This is not Versailles. Compared with the history of Curry's jersey sales leading the league for several seasons, it can only be considered low;
Some even said that Kobe Bryant on the 8th had too much negative news and wanted to replace him with a new one.
But perhaps the most reliable thing, and what many people don’t know, is that Kobe once wore the number 24 in high school.
This is also what many players do in the NBA.
"Will you continue to wear No. 1 in the NBA?"
Durant then asked.
"Maybe."
Lin Ying's answer was uncertain. He didn't even know his NBA horoscope, so how could he think about this?
The current number 1 is also the number I picked randomly after entering the University of Texas.
It was also when he was selecting numbers that he learned that the NCAA had regulations on numbers, and he could only choose from numbers 0~5/10~15/20~25/30~35/40~45/50~55.
And the reason is a bit funny, because the referee can't make numbers exceeding 5 with one hand.
At that time, he instinctively made a 6 with one hand.
Of course this is a digression, his focus is now on the game.
The Lakers are still in a stalemate with the Mavericks!
Kobe was like a tireless scoring machine, gritting his teeth against the Mavericks.
The two teams were in a stalemate until the beginning of the fourth quarter.
After Kobe Bryant took a break after the third quarter, the Mavericks began to open up the score under the leadership of Jerry Stackhouse, the former "Jordan successor" and now the team's sixth man.
The live broadcast footage showed Kobe sitting off the court applying ice to his legs, with a serious expression on his face.
If you were to give this scene a picture at this time, the most appropriate sentence would definitely be:
You really need me so much!
Kobe only had three minutes of rest before he had to come back.
After he returned, the Lakers quickly returned to normal and continued to be in a stalemate with the Mavericks.
It's just that an NBA-level game lasts 48 minutes. Even if you are in a stalemate with your opponent for 45 minutes, the three minutes you lose are enough to lose the game.
Everyone likes a good comeback, but it is almost impossible to happen when the leading side is stronger.
After experiencing the "three black minutes", the Lakers finally lost to the Mavericks 103-110.
Kobe Bryant scored 43 points, Odom scored 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, Bynum had 10 points and 12 rebounds, and no one else scored in double figures.
For the Mavericks, Nowitzki scored 24 points and 11 rebounds, and five players on the team scored in double figures.
After watching the game, Durant complained that other Lakers players did not give Kobe enough help.
"They couldn't even get three minutes."
This sentence is very heartbreaking.
"I want to beat Kobe."
And then Durant said with firm eyes.
If you want to be the person standing at the top, you must defeat the person standing there.
Although the gap between him and Kobe is still huge, the goal is already there.
"you will."
Lin Ying nodded, but he was thinking about other things at the moment.
As a data analyst, when watching a game, he not only looks at the game, but also some information that can form data.
What attracted him the most was the Lakers' tactics.
The famous "Triangle Offense" is a specialty of Lakers head coach "Zen Master" Phil Jackson.
The reason why Kobe was able to score so many points had a lot to do with this tactic.
The "three minutes" Durant mentioned highlight the characteristics of this tactic.
As the super giant Kobe is present, the team's offense is very layered, and the role players can also play their due role on the court.
But once Kobe was no longer on the court, the Lakers were at a loss, feeling like they didn't know who to take action.
Combining these basic analyses, a basic conclusion he can now draw is:
The Lakers' triangle offense is a tactic that relies heavily on superstars and can maximize their abilities.
After analyzing and coming to this conclusion, Lin Ying was stunned for a moment, then turned to stare at Durant for a long time.
When Durant cast a doubtful look at him, Lin Ying made a request: He wanted to watch the game again.
Durant didn't know what Lin Ying was thinking, but he knew that Lin Ying must have thought of something.
Ever since, the two grown men watched the replay of the game again.
Durant fell asleep unknowingly while watching it, but Lin Ying confirmed his previous thoughts after watching it for the second time.
And this time he also paid attention to the performance of another person.
Andrew Bynum.
Bynum is a standard genius, with a height of 2.13 meters, a wingspan of 2.29 meters, a pair of naturally broad shoulders, and even a soft touch that is rare among big men.
This is also an important reason why he is called "Baby Shark" by fans.
And there is another thing that many people don't know. Bynum was only 17 years, 8 months and 2 days old when he was drafted by the NBA, making him the youngest player to be drafted in NBA history.
Because high school students no longer participated in the draft after the draft reform, this record has never been broken.
Moreover, he was the tenth pick in the lottery.
The word "genius" may not be enough to describe him.
He also ended up on the team of another "genius" Kobe Bryant.
Having similar experiences, and even facing similar doubts when he was drafted, Kobe had a "same kind" feeling towards Bynum.
So in the past year, Kobe not only gave Bynum a little extra care, but also made the training very strict and even harsh.
It is under this kind of high-intensity training that second-year Bynum has shown outstanding inside strength.
This is another important reason why the Lakers were able to maintain a stalemate with the Mavericks for three quarters.
The triangle offense relies heavily on the super giant, but it requires at least two sufficiently threatening points to be effective.
After watching the game, Lin Ying found Durant leaning on the chair and falling asleep. He got up and took the remote control, then played some old games.
He was watching some of the Finals performances of Jordan's Bulls team.
After he finished reading, Durant also woke up.
As soon as Durant woke up, he saw Lin Ying smiling, and couldn't help but look puzzled.
What did he miss?
"I'm going to find Springman."
Before he could ask, Lin Ying had already spoken.
The doubt in Durant's eyes became even stronger. It was rare for Lin Ying to take such initiative.
"He should be eating right now, right?"
Durant took out his phone and checked the time.
Lin Ying was stunned for a moment, and then realized that he was a little too excited.
Springman was eating, so it was naturally impossible for them to run over, and it was already time for them to eat.
High-intensity training and energy supply are also very important.
During the meal, Durant chatted with Lin Ying and probably understood the reason for Lin Ying's excitement.
"The triangle offense, can we play that?"
Everyone has different personalities and of course their preferences will be different.
Durant has never been very interested in tactics.
He will play how the coach arranges it.
But when Lin Ying said they could play the triangle offense, he was still a little confused.
This is also a very normal reaction.
Phil Jackson won 9 championships by relying on the triangle offense. Can they be the only ones to win?
Lin Ying didn't explain much, just said to give it a try.
After eating, the two took a nap for a while, then waited for a while before starting the second training session.
Just like in the morning, Springman came over with Wright in the middle of training.
After the training was over, Lin Ying took the initiative to find Springman and expressed his thoughts.
Different from Durant's reaction, Springman thought for a while after hearing this, and then gave Lin Ying this reply:
"We don't have a super center."
He knows more about triangle tactics than Lin Ying.
This tactic was made famous by Phil Jackson, but the person who actually invented this tactic was Tex Winter of the NCAA.
This tactic helped Winter become famous in the NCAA. Later, he took this tactic to the Bulls to follow Phil Jackson, and this is how the subsequent series of stories began.
However, this tactic has a special feature, which requires an inside lineman who is sufficiently dominant inside.
O'Neal in the "OK period" is the most typical example.
As soon as he sits inside, the ball is lobbed inside, and when the wings are opened, the opponent will fall into the ultimate difficulty of choice.
Shrink the defense, O'Neal returns the ball to the outside, and Kobe can get an easy one-on-one opportunity.
But if you don't shrink, O'Neal will let you know why he is called "The Shark."
"I think the triangle offense during the Bulls period has reference significance for us."
Lin Ying did not refute Springman's words, but put forward his own ideas.
"We can think of Kevin as Michael."
After seeing Springman's gesture for him to continue speaking, he immediately put forward his core idea.
Springman is right, a team with a super center can indeed unleash the maximum power of the triangle offense.
Just like the Lakers can compete with the Mavericks for three quarters with Bynum.
But Lin Ying is a data analyst, and what he does is data compilation. This is also the main reason why he watches the Bulls games during the Jordan era.
Because that Bulls team didn't have any so-called super center, but they were still able to use the triangle tactic.
Jordan's strength is certainly one aspect, but as he said, the current University of Texas has Durant and can learn from the Bulls' style of play.
After listening to Lin Ying's words, Springman pondered again.
There is indeed nothing wrong with what Lin Ying said. The triangle tactic has its operating rules, but the overall strategy is relatively flexible and is not a single tactic.
So you can sometimes see a very classic scene in Bulls games: Kukoc is outside the three-point line on the wing, and Jordan is sinking to the basket.
This is completely opposite to the normal triangle offensive idea of ​​"center down low", but it is an unconventional tactic that has been proven to be feasible.
The reason is Jordan's destructive power in the low post. If he is facing the opponent's defender, his destructive power is no worse than that of a top center.
This is also the origin of Lin Ying's saying "You can think of Durant as Jordan".
Durant's height and wingspan, as well as his improved confrontation, can also play the role of Jordan in the Bulls at the NCAA level.
After he figured this out, a smile gradually appeared on Springman's face.
He felt that he had given the tactical manual to Lin Ying to the right person.
The triangle offense has a chance to be the answer to the University of Texas!
After finishing the conversation with Lin Ying, Springman had a new question on his mind after leaving the training hall.
Lin Ying had figured out the tactics for him, but the triangle tactic was also a system. Although Old Winter had written a book on the triangle attack, there was still a difference between the theory and learning and mastering of this thing.
The so-called teaching skills and solving doubts, without a teacher to guide them, it is difficult to say that they have learned this tactic within one season.
But this teacher is not easy to find.
The only person who can play the triangle offense well is Phil Jackson, the current head coach of the Lakers.
The NBA and NCAA are not in the same system, so it is not that easy to meet Jackson.
Excluding Phil Jackson, the only thing left... is old Winter.
Chapter completed!