ESPN made different pre-game promotional videos based on these two conference finals.
It does look very good, very visual and appealing. It is the richest sports media and sports enterprise in North America, and it really deserves its reputation. The Spurs and Lakers have been the absolute powerhouses in the Western Conference since the beginning of the 21st century, so
In the entire ten years, the number of encounters is definitely rare in the NBA series.
In the millennium alone, there have been 6 playoff encounters. This is simply an indescribable grievance and hatred. If you include the more ancient times, the number of times is even more difficult to count. The 1983 Western Conference Finals, the 1988 first game
round, the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals, the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals, etc. Therefore, the Lakers and Spurs have always been the major "enemies" in the Western Conference.
Playing a lot of games, stories are inevitable. Duncan single-killed the "O.K. Combination" that year, "Old Fish" Fisher made a 0.4-second buzzer-beater to extend his life, and Van Exel's key three-pointer in 1995 gave the Lakers an overtime lead.
In 2008, Kobe Bryant's super shooting averaged 2.2 free throws per game and destroyed the Holy City. In addition, Tang Qian scored 43 points, 29 rebounds and 9 blocks in the fifth game last year. These are all classics.
A classic. Therefore, compared to the opposite Heat VS Pacers, the gimmick here in the Western Conference is undoubtedly much bigger.
From the current point of view, the Lakers' stars are naturally more powerful, but the Spurs' overall team is better. Both sides have played super destructive power in the playoffs. This also makes both sides very serious and alert.
Kobe and Duncan, as the absolute core and soul of the team, came on the court at the same time to say hello, and within a few words, they started to fight each other.
"Tim, we met again? It's a pity for you this year, because you met us and me." Kobe said.
"Oh, very good, come on, I'm optimistic about you." Duncan replied.
"Our Lakers team is determined to win this year's Larry O'Brien Cup." No. 24 continued.
"Well, what a coincidence, I think so too." No. 21 replied without hesitation.
These two opponents, who have played against each other many times in the playoffs, are looking at each other now. After more than ten years, they have completely lost their youthfulness and become veritable "old ball skins". This simple
The conversation also highlighted the two completely different personality traits, one is assertive and the other is calm and sophisticated.
And they all vaguely felt that this might...be the last time in their careers that they faced each other in the playoffs.
meet.
Therefore, as both historical giants in the top ten in history, Duncan and Kobe strive to completely defeat their opponents in this series without leaving any regrets.
Both of them now have their own trump cards. Kobe is the pinnacle of his personal ability, and Duncan is the Spurs' team attribute that has been maximized for nearly two decades.
A peak competition is about to begin at the top of the Western Conference.
ESPN Live Room.
There has been a lot of discussion. The main guests tonight are also celebrities from both sides. In the playoffs, inviting historical stars from the opposing teams to the scene has gradually become an "eye-catching" method for ESPN. And currently, it seems that the effect is
Very good, the audience also bought into it, and ESPN's subscription decline was temporarily delayed without an avalanche.
The player from the Spurs is one of the four famous centers in the 1990s, "Captain" David Robinson.
What about the Lakers? They have a bigger background, and they are the more famous historical giant, "Sky Hook" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Together with ESPN 1 host Rachel Knicks, the three people formed the live broadcast lineup for tonight's game.
"No more nonsense, I won't ask you two more questions about your stance tonight, it should be clear at a glance." Rachel Nix began to read the opening words familiarly: "Then let's talk about it before the game starts.
What do you think your home team’s strengths and weaknesses are?”
"Which of the two gentlemen comes first? David?" Rachel Nix looked at the Spurs legend David Robinson and said.
"Well, of course I support the Spurs without a doubt." David Robinson laughed: "Even if I sit in front of a player who may be one of the greatest centers in history, I won't change it at all.
"Oh, it looks like David, you are very confident about tonight's game." Rachel Nix said.
"Of course." David Robinson said: "The Spurs have entered a team state this year. Just look at their previous games. They are currently the league's first in points differential per game in the playoffs. This is evidence. A big win.
The Thunder scored 35 points, which is also a strong performance. Besides, Tim Duncan is still on the team. I am optimistic that San Antonio will win another championship this year!" After hearing this, Rachel Knicks asked: "What about Kareem?
What do you think? Do you agree with David’s point of view?”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said with great style: "Of course I don't agree. Although this Lakers team still has many problems and is not as strong as my Lakers team, it is still no problem to beat the Spurs. Kobe's performance against the Spurs, I
I don’t think you have forgotten it, right? Although it is very unlikely that he will reach my historical status, he is still pretty good and can restrain the Spurs’ tactical system.”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is such a person. He never even thought that Jordan should be ranked in front of him. In his career, he has won 6 NBA championships, 6 regular season MVPs, 2 FMVPs, and 15 All-NBA teams, 11
The All-Defensive Team and 19 All-Star Teams are his confidence. He was even the spokesperson of the NBA for a while. He was also the first player to engage in a "public retirement tour", and his energy was considered the biggest giant before Jordan.
One of them. Coupled with the honor bonus of the historical scoring champion, he was basically one of the top three in the league before Jordan was born to dominate the world. This made him quite arrogant and domineering.
It's normal to publicly criticize some people and things. Of course, his confidence comes from his super strength and honor. It's normal for a super strong man to "do whatever he wants".
However, if you analyze it carefully, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also has a big black spot, which is his lack of dominance in the playoffs. Of course, this shortcoming must be put in quotation marks, because the comparison objects are all top ten or even top five in history. 2 FMVPs, this
It's okay to be in the top ten, but to compete in the top five or even the top three in history, it doesn't look good. Moreover, I also want to complain, several of his regular season MVPs are not stable. He actually has the only one in history.
, you see clearly, it is the only "Lottery MVP" trophy that has not entered the playoffs. In the era of media voting, this trophy is a bit incredible no matter how you look at it.
Otherwise, can you imagine winning the regular season MVP trophy without entering the playoffs in this era?
It's impossible to appear at all.
But apart from these, he is undoubtedly one of the top five players in NBA history. Especially in terms of offense, stability and continuity, he can be called one of the strongest players in the history of the 5th position.
an offensive label.
Compared with the United States, this situation in China is much simpler and cruder. Look at the one-sided support rate, and you will know how hard it is for Spurs fans in China this year. After Tang Qian joined the Lakers, coupled with Kobe's super performance this season,
This performance has allowed the Lakers to temporarily replace the Rockets without Yao Ming and become the new "Chinese home team." By comparison, the Spurs are inherently "malnourished."
A lot of cheers started to come out, and messages were posted in the live broadcast room.
Support the Lakers!!! Support Kobe!!! Support Donkey!!! Support Nash!!!
Tonight it's still "Weiping Bryant", oh, no, it's "Weiping Tang Qian" and the meteor shower live broadcast.
Of course, they hosted the live broadcast of China Sports Channel.
"Director Zhang, which side do you think has a greater chance of winning in today's game?"
"It's hard to say, but the Lakers have just completed a sweep and their morale is at a high level. I think the Lakers still have the upper hand!"
As soon as he said this, someone joked in the scrolling message below the TV screen:
Let's just say that the Lakers have Donkey and Kobe. It's simple and clear.
That's right, Weiping Tangji Bryant.
I am a Spurs fan, and other games are fine. As long as it is a game between the Lakers and the Spurs, Zhang Heyi explained, I will choose the silent mode.
Staples Center, because the Lakers have the first record in the Western Conference and the first record in the league, they naturally enjoy the home court advantage in the series. According to previous statements, Jenny Buss began to present the produced
The "sweep badge" is to fulfill the promise of the previous series, and to seek good luck for this series.
In terms of team operations, Buss Jr. is simply not on the same level as Jenny Buss.
It's too far gone.
At the same time, such gadgets also raised the atmosphere of the scene to a higher level.
The starting five of the Lakers are out: Kobe + Nash + Meeks still form the outside, and Gasol + Tang Qian form the inside. After all, the Spurs have changed, and they are all temporarily controlled by Popovich. Today
The night's starters are: Tony Parker + Danny Green + Kawhi Leonard form the outside group, and the two inside members are Tim Duncan and Brazilian Thiago Split.
Compared with the starting lineup of the Lakers, the starlight is a bit "dim", but the Spurs have never been a team with particularly shining stars. Over the years, even the most popular GDP combination, the honor is just like that. But
, they just have a good record and they are strong. Because their core lineup is so stable, they only need fine-tuning every season. This is what Kobe Bryant said publicly that he envied Duncan the most.
Only when you are in the hands of a stable team and a stable head coach will you know the benefits.
Because as time goes by, it is possible for chemical reactions and team understanding to break through and unleash energy that is impossible for ordinary teams to unleash.
To tell a joke, Ginobili said that he and Duncan could sometimes understand each other's psychological and tactical needs with just one look. Parker even more exaggerated, saying that he and Duncan had a telepathic connection, and it almost became instinctive to play by his side.
. This may be just a joke between players to compliment each other, but you cannot deny one thing. The Spurs have not had a super-class or even first-class star for a long time.
You can also understand becoming a super giant or a superstar.
At least that's what it looks like in the data.
Tim Duncan is of course the most powerful forward, and is definitely in the top ten in history. But if you want to say that he still has this kind of personal strength after 2009, it is definitely nonsense. The strength of the players is not 2k games? Even if it is 2k
The game has been digitized, and there are still peaks and secondary peaks, and again, the process of decline. This is the case with Duncan. If you still think he has super strength after 2009-10, that would be ridiculous. Duncan
His decline was actually very early. At least in the regular season, he started playing basketball very early. He gradually started to work hard in the playoffs depending on the situation. And he started to be "lazy" in the regular season. This is actually a sign of declining ability, at least nothing else.
Talk about, your body function, endurance, physical fitness, etc., will not allow you to maintain the same power and output in the regular season and playoffs at the same time.
In the 13-14 season, Duncan may be able to break out and transform in the playoffs, but in the regular season he can only show the strength of a superstar player or even an ordinary star player. The same principle can also be applied to Ginobili and Parker.
.If you open a "God's perspective" and open a "eye of the sky", you will find that the 13-14 season is the last year for the GDP combination to maintain high combat performance. It is also the last tail of the peak. And further back
, even if it was as strong as Duncan, it only lasted for one season. In the second year, it completely deteriorated and was no longer magical.
So how does such a team maintain such a stable fighting ability? It depends on sacrifice, obedience or fine-tuning. Three aspects.
Why do you say this? First of all, the core configuration is extremely stable, so you can make fine adjustments without worrying about the possibility of collapse and elimination. Secondly, the people on the Spurs were all personally selected by Popovich, because this old man is the real godfather of the NBA.
Character. In addition to the head coach, he also holds many positions in the top management of the Spurs and has a great say. In addition, the general manager of the Spurs is also a close friend of him, an "old drunkard", and there is nothing unsatisfactory in terms of selection.
Place. So this is how Popovich slowly transformed the Spurs.
Before 2007, the style of play was mainly superstar basketball and supplemented by tactical basketball. You said Popovich didn't play superstar basketball before? Then you really need to make up for the Spurs games before 2007. In 2007
After that, as the core, mainly Duncan, began to age, a period of transformation began. During this period, the transition was slow, and it took about 2-3 seasons to completely complete the transformation. From the draft to the search for role players, Popovich took great pains to do everything.
They are all people with high obedience and are willing to give up personal data to run the tactical system.
It took Popovich several years to build such a team and run it in. How can an ordinary team have time for you to play like this? For example, the Lakers can't produce results in 1-2 seasons, so I'm sorry.
, please pack up and get out. And looking at the league, no team has such a stable core environment that can adjust so slowly.
The NBA's basic adjustments are simple and crude. If it doesn't work, it will be torn down and rebuilt, and then start again with completely flat ground.
The Spurs are different. In the past few years, Popovich has actually been "rebuilding" the Spurs, but he has made adjustments one by one and replaced them one by one. So quietly, the Spurs have actually taken on a completely new look.
The main tactical style of play has changed from superstar basketball to tactical basketball, and then after running-in, it has regained new vitality. It's just that the process is not obvious and it is easy for people to ignore it.
It is impossible for the Lakers, no, it is impossible for any team in the league to have such patience and opportunities.
Only San Antonio has such a favorable time, place, people and people.
And coincidentally, this year was the year when the Spurs' tactical basketball finally reached its peak. It was also this year that they finally became invincible in the regular season, the playoffs, and the finals with their not-so-glorious lineup. It seemed like a matter of course.
took away everything.
Tang Qian had actually seen a lot of analyzes and reports on this team in his previous life.
It is completely different from last year, because the energy of tactical basketball has reached its peak.
In the field of basketball, one year is actually enough time for a lot of things and changes to happen. The tacit chemical reaction of growth and aging happens all the time. Otherwise, do you think you can dominate the NBA just by opening your eyes? Do you think you are acting in a puppet show?
This team will be promoted by James in the future as the strongest team he has ever seen.
The time when I said this was in the 2017 finals. Of course, it may have the element of attacking the opponent, but you also have to see one thing. Let’s use Data Flow’s favorite “based on data”, except for the 2008-09 season.
When it came to solo playoffs, LeBron James in the 13-14 season playoffs was actually the best LeBron James. In the 2008-09 season, there was actually only one so-called PER that was higher than this season.
And this so-called PER "outdated" very quickly and has many disadvantages. After 2017, even the American media began not to cite it much. It is most direct to look at the data separately. In the 13-14 season, James
His rim shooting percentage is one of the best in his career in the playoffs, his true shooting percentage is the best, his shooting efficiency is one of the best, his field goal percentage in the finals is the highest in his career, and his three-point field goal percentage in the finals is the highest in his career, which is as high as terrifying.
51.9%, and it was based on 5+ shots. Coupled with a free throw shooting rate of nearly 80%, James had already entered the "180 Club" in three categories that year, breaking the 188+ total shooting rate mark. This
The true offensive efficiency can never be compared to James' performance in the finals that year. Nothing even remotely close.
So what James said is not a lie, because that year was indeed his strongest finals state.
In the strongest state, at the golden age, but still lost the game and was successfully avenged. What else can I say besides being helpless?
It can be seen from this that this Spurs team is different from the previous Spurs team. It is useless just to defeat his defense.
Because their offense is at its peak this year, they won't be afraid of any confrontation.
To beat this Spurs team, you need to... attack and defend, and beat them all.
And this is definitely not simple.
Maybe ESPN is not wrong about one thing, or it is just nonsense, and that is that this Spurs team cannot be compared with the Mavericks and Rockets. They are the kings of the original time and space in the 2013-2014 season, and
From the regular season to the finals, they are the invincible team of kings.
The basketball was thrown up. Tang Qian and Thiago Split jumped up at the same time, reaching out and reaching for the orange basketball that started to fall.
The 13-14 season, the Western Conference Finals, has begun.
PS: The Western Conference Finals are about to begin. Let’s save some character for the Lakers and Tang Ji. Are you going to vote? Hahaha~ Xiao Zi will explode as soon as she returns. Please be patient for a few days~
There is a smoker next to Xiao Zi in this chapter. I don’t know what kind of cigarette he smokes. It smells very pungent. After finishing coding, evacuate quickly~ woo woo~