"Perm, have you really thought about it?" Bonnie Laughlin asked on the phone.
"Well, I've thought about it, I'm willing to cooperate with you." Tang Qian said into the mobile phone.
"Well, I welcome you. After all, you are the first All-Star player I signed! Let's work hard together." Tang Qian's concern was not here. He just asked: "Madam, I
I can stand on your side, but I have a condition. I want to be released from the injured list immediately and play."
"Tang, what's the point of you playing now? Anyway, the Lakers have basically..." Before Bonnie Laughlin finished speaking, Tang Qian interrupted: "Ma'am, everything else is easy to talk about.
, but I will not give up victory. Even if the Lakers only have one game left, I want to play and win. Do you understand?"
"You little guy, you have such a deep obsession." Bonnie Laughlin said: "This is a bit like Kobe. But I need to think carefully before giving you an answer." "But madam, now the Lakers have already
The situation is at stake, how can I still..." This time it was the former's turn to interrupt: "Fang, I will seriously consider your opinion, but many things cannot be decided in an instant, do you understand? So wait with peace of mind.
, maybe there will be an answer soon."
On March 27, the Lakers played their eleventh and last game of the season, an away game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers played in a mess in this game. Kobe and Howard almost lost contact and fought independently. This caused Nash to lose his power and was completely reduced to a fixed-point perimeter turret. As for Gasol, he is even more pitiful because Howard
He occupies the low post, so his active area is all concentrated near the free throw line, and this is undoubtedly the "weak zone" for the 7-footer.
After all, not everyone is Dirk Nowitzki. Especially as Gasol gets older, his mobility has declined. His offensive ability near the free throw line has plummeted, and he no longer has any lethality.
Many teams even "let go" of him and let him take a lot of shots from the mid-range.
As a Spanish big man, Gasol certainly has a certain mid-range ability, but if you want him to rely on mid-range, forget it. He cannot be used as a conventional weapon at all. Therefore, the more he plays, the worse his condition becomes, and the more he plays, the worse his condition becomes.
For example, in the last game, D'Antoni was so angry that he replaced him as a substitute.
He thought that this would arouse Gasol's competitiveness and anger, but in fact it often backfired because Gasol was not the kind of person with a strong personality, so he accepted encouragement more than frustration. Seeing that he had lost
In the starting position, Gasol was sleepwalking throughout the game and played extremely poorly.
Fortunately, the Timberwolves had no general due to Kevin Love's injury, so Kobe and Howard relied on their own personal abilities to win the game. Kobe scored 33 points in 43 minutes. 3
2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block and 1 steal. On the defensive end, "Golden Boy" Rubio was completely misfired. He only made 3 of 13 shots and his shooting percentage was only 23.1%. Howard played 37 minutes and scored 25 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The strong statistics, because of the Timberwolves' weak inside configuration, were simply unable to contain the rampage of "Warcraft".
Nikola Pekovic has a good weight, but is too slow and sluggish. When he met Howard who was eager to get a "high-priced contract", his strength was okay, his feet and speed were completely defeated. It seemed that he was looking for the next big job.
The "Warcraft" also worked hard for the contract and showed significantly higher strength than in the middle and second half of the season. As for the former defensive hero A.K.47 Russian Kirilenko, his ability has declined greatly due to injuries and age.
He didn't have the superhuman defense, but because his body was too thin, he started to be beaten by powerful insiders many times, which was very embarrassing.
This is the tragedy of the Russians, because at his peak, he was in a period of traditional basketball that had not yet changed, which made his "no three, no four" forward position very embarrassing. But if you put it now, hehe,
A perfect player, able to both organize and attack independently, with super defensive and offensive-defensive transition capabilities, coupled with excellent passing skills, he is definitely more suitable for the Warriors than the future Draymond.
Unfortunately, by the 2012-2013 season, he was no longer at his peak and could only use his remaining energy as a veteran.
It is true that white European insiders have a very short peak period. After the age of 30, they can still hold on. There are very few in the NBA.
The Lakers have one, but unfortunately due to various reasons, he has been very frustrated this season and has basically never been comfortable.
120-117, against a weak team without core players, the Lakers almost lost, which made the outside world's opinion of the Lakers even worse. 35 wins and 37 losses, the Lakers won a game and lost.
A game that doesn't boost morale much.
72 games have passed, and the league's playoff pattern seems to have been finalized. Therefore, both "T.N.T Team" and ESPN's "First.Take" program have issued final decisions on the Lakers and Kobe Bryant.
"Diagnosis".
In the 2012-2013 season, the Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the biggest laughing stocks in the history of the league.
Seeing these news, these remarks, and these programs outside, Kobe's face turned terrifyingly dark. He began to gradually refuse to participate in the team's post-game press conferences. Even in some daily interviews, he would push back when he could, but not when he couldn't.
He also cherishes words like gold and speaks very little.
This makes people outside think that Kobe is too timid to face his "broken promises", so he is so "low-key" and "uncooperative". But what is the reality? Is this really the case?
After the game against the Timberwolves, Bonnie Laughlin was talking on the phone in a room in Los Angeles:
"Sister, Fang has already expressed his intention, and he is willing to stand with us."
"Well, very good, continue to win over." The voice on the other end of the phone replied simply.
"But he has a personal condition." Bonnie Laughlin said: "He just hopes to be lifted from the injury list as soon as possible and then play again. I don't know what you think, Miss?" The voice on the other end of the phone pondered slightly.
After a few seconds, he said: "Are you sure he just wants to compete? Doesn't he have other thoughts?"
"It should be right." Bonnie Laughlin said: "I can see that he is a player who is very eager to compete and win. This is a bit similar to Bryant." "Really? You mean, he just
A pure basketball player?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked. "It's hard to say, but for now, he just wants to play, that's all." After thinking for a while, Bonnie Laughlin added
Said: "Maybe I'm afraid that if the incentive clause cannot be activated, I will lose a lot of US dollars."
"Oh? That's right. I also looked at his contract. The basic salary is not much, and the incentive clauses and bonuses make up the majority."
"Then why don't we hold him back and let him..."
"No, there's no need." The voice on the phone said: "Our Buss family does not lack this kind of money. Besides, unlike my dear brother, I have always been kind to players and stars. Because it seems that you are
A certain amount of dollars has been sacrificed, but the intangible assets have also been greatly increased. And sometimes these intangible assets cannot be bought with just a few dollars. Bonnie, you have to understand that our Buss family runs the Lakers.
The team is not just playing around, so when dealing with many things, we need to have a longer-term and in-depth perspective. I can choose the latter depending on the immediate interests and long-term interests."
"I understand, little sister, you still have the foresight, I am far inferior." Bonnie Laughlin said.
"It's nothing. If I give you some time, you can eventually get up to speed. Didn't Kupchak also have to hone his skills under Jerry West for more than ten years before he started? I believe in your ability. Hurry!
Just take your time." The voice on the phone said: "Jim may think that if he has a Mitch Kupchak, everything will go smoothly and everything will go as planned. However, he has forgotten that the general manager is only his to run the team.
Stretching can never replace real brain work."
"So, destroying his biggest support is half the battle. Besides, I'll let Jerry give you some advice, so you won't be weaker than Kupchak in terms of confidence." Bonnie Laughlin said
Hearing this, he was stunned and said: "Miss, are you going to ask Jerry West to come out and come back again?" "Don't worry, Bonnie, what I promised you will not be changed easily. Let Jerry help you."
Just being a consultant and working behind the scenes will make you more comfortable at work." As if aware of the details of Bonnie Laughlin's heart, the female voice on the phone said calmly.
"Uh, no, Miss, that's not what I meant..." Seeing that her little thoughts were discovered so quickly, Bonnie Laughlin was a little embarrassed and said. "It's okay, Bonnie, I have thoughts and desires.
I only like people who are interested in you. If you really don’t want or pursue anything, then I will have to think carefully about the candidate.”
"What do you mean about the hot thing?" Bonnie Laughlin returned to the topic and asked.
"To let him play, I will call and talk to Mitch Kupchak. At the same time, I will spread the news on the Internet that Feng is not injured at all, publicize it, distribute it, and make it known to everyone. In this specific aspect, I think
I don’t need to teach you, right?”
"Yes, I understand, I will do it." Bonnie Laughlin nodded and said.
They thought it was just a trivial matter, but it caused "numerous storms" later on.
The current atmosphere within the Lakers team is extremely weird. If an outsider comes in, he will definitely find that this team is almost no longer focused on winning. Teaming up seems to be the top priority for the Lakers players.
.
Kobe or Howard, now or in the future, this is indeed a difficult choice.
In this team atmosphere, even the team's head coach Mike D'Antoni chose to accept his fate. Because again, in NBA games, the people who play the game are always the players and not the coaches. So even if he is the head coach
No matter how high the coaching ability is, no matter how strong the coaching level is, it cannot play a decisive role.
Besides, there are only 10 games left this season, and the Lakers are currently ranked 11th in the Western Conference. This situation also makes Mike D'Antoni feel hopeless. Looking at the probability, unless the Lakers win all the remaining games, it will be a bit of a squeeze.
The possibility of entering the playoffs is gone. But for this "stragglers" to strive for 11 consecutive victories is really a bit fanciful and a bit wishful thinking.
Just before back-to-back challenges with the Milwaukee Bucks, Mitch Kupchak received a phone call:
Immediately arrange for the Chinese player to play. He has passed all physical examinations of Gary Vitti.
Hearing this, Kupchak was a little annoyed and said: "Ma'am, Mr. Jim Buss is in charge now, right? So I think I should listen to his advice." The female voice on the phone said: "It is indeed the case now.
Jim is the boss, but I'm also the vice president of the team, so I think I have the authority to stop some personal grudges and poor management decisions."
"Ms. Bass! Are you alluding to something? Or are you dissatisfied with my personal operations?" Mitch Kupchak didn't give much face and asked directly. After all, Jim Bass now.
Steve is the real helmsman of the Lakers, and he is Jim Buss's man. How could he listen to the orders of a "loser"?
As if he had expected all this, the voice on the phone came out slowly: "Mitch, don't be so angry. I am actually doing it for your own good." "For my own good? Madam, what do you mean?
?" Mitch Kupchak said.
"Looking at the latest news on the Internet, China Perm can't help but make a public statement."
"What did you say?" Kupchak immediately clicked on the computer next to him after hearing this. After searching a few keywords, a series of eye-catching titles instantly caught his eye and said: I just want to play! But some people
I just want to show off on purpose!
This is a separate interview video of the Lakers before the game. The video is not long, only less than one minute, but the information in it makes Mitch Kupchak look shameless. The specific details of these words are all Tang
Qian had discussed with Bonnie Laughlin in advance that he would neither attack the team nor his teammates, but simply "throw dirty water" on Kupchak.
The more Kupchak watched, the more annoyed he became, because this Chinese perm was clearly going against him!
This is really intolerable for the extremely controlling Kupchak!
"Laurie, go immediately and issue a statement refuting the rumors, and then call and warn China. If he says another random word, he will not even want to play next season!" Mitch Kupchak had just finished yelling, and there was a voice on the other end of the phone.
He said loudly: "Mickey, you are not young anymore. Being so angry is very harmful to your body. How about you take a few days' rest first?"
These words touched Kupchak's sensitive nerve, and he couldn't help but said harshly: "Ms. Bass, you don't need to worry about my body, but please figure it out. Now is not the past, you don't
Then the president of operations of the Lakers, now Jim is in charge, and he is the one who can give me orders."
"Okay~ I just made a phone call to care about you. Since you don't appreciate it, I won't force it. It's just Mickey, I really didn't expect that you would choose to switch sides at the last moment and go to Jim's camp.
Sure enough, I underestimated your desire for power before, didn't I?" Kupchak heard a slight blush on his face, but it quickly disappeared and said: "I'm sorry, Ms. Bass, I recognize your ability to work.
Very strong, but you interfere too much in my management, which makes me very uncomfortable, so for my own ideals, I can only choose Jim."
"He is different from you. He entrusted me with full authority and gave me the greatest room for display. The transaction last summer was my return to him."
"I admire your ability to rob. It's probably no worse than Jerry back then. What a shame..." The voice on the phone didn't finish his sentence, but added another sentence: "Besides, I don't care about you at all.
What is it for? I only care about who is the enemy and who is the friend. If you choose Jim, it is a pity that we will never be friends again."
"It doesn't matter, lady, history will always remember the winner." The extended meaning of Mitch Kupchak's words is obviously, you are the loser, you have already lost, and I made the right choice.
"Okay, I will remember your motto, and I hope I can still hear your confident and contented voice in a few years."
"Don't worry, ma'am, you can listen to me not only in a few years, but for a lifetime. As long as you want, I welcome you to call me for consultation at any time." After Kupchak finished speaking, he said: "That's it for today, ma'am, I'm very busy.
, I don’t have time to chat with you for too long, please forgive me.” The other end of the phone was not angry, but replied calmly: “Okay, I originally just came to say hello to an old friend, but since he is no longer here, I
I’m not in the mood to talk anymore, Mickey, goodbye.”
"Goodbye ma'am." Kupchak felt that he had the upper hand, so he spoke very arrogantly.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you something." Before hanging up the phone, the female voice inside said: "You can turn on the TV and watch. Maybe the game tonight will be exciting."
After that, she hung up the phone.
Kupchak originally didn't want to pay attention to this sentence, but after thinking about it, he realized that there was no loss in taking a look anyway, so he turned on the ultra-clear large-screen TV in the general manager's office. After a few seconds, he froze.
He murmured and opened his mouth: "Why, why is he on the court?"
PS: The storm is about to come, the storm is coming, the climax is coming~
Congratulations to "Magic" for finally succeeding in his counterattack. From an "outsider" who can only express his opinions on Twitter, he has completely transformed into a BOSS-level figure who is less than one person and more than ten thousand people in the Lakers. I hope the Lakers can build on him
Under her leadership, let's restore the status of a strong team as soon as possible. After all, it's the NBA that Xiao Zi likes to watch, where a group of heroes compete for the top spot.