Chapter 977 I want to fight for the championship ring!
On December 12, 2014, U.S. time, the Lakers ushered in their 23rd regular season game of the season.
The opponent was the San Antonio Spurs, who had defeated them once before. For this game, the Lakers had made full preparations, but... they were let go by that "old drunkard" Popovich. What do you mean?
?That is to say, Popovich deliberately gave Duncan and Parker a "routine rest" on the grounds that they strained their muscles during training. This excuse is fine, but because the Spurs have become "addicted" to resting over the years,
Therefore, regardless of whether they are really unwell players, people will immediately think of them as "resting". In other words, they are deliberately absent.
The so-called "NBA version of crying wolf" is nothing better than this.
This is not surprising. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Popovich has gradually made "the Spurs rest" a habit. After so many years, everyone has gradually become accustomed to it. Although the league has also issued some regulations to curb
, but can this stump Popovich? As the saying goes, there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. All it takes is the troops to block the water and the earth to cover it up.
If I can't take a healthy rest, then I can always take an injury rest, right? In short, the Spurs have not been affected at all.
Whoever has to take turns will take turns. Anyway, the injury report and injury examination have been handed in. It's trivial.
Due to the lack of Duncan and Parker, this game was relatively close. After all, the Spurs were very capable, but they were still defeated by the Lakers 118-112, 6 points.
10 consecutive victories, but they are still defeated by the "old, weak, sick and disabled".
With 18 wins and 5 losses, the Lakers are already sitting in the third position in the Western Conference, but ESPN's strength rankings do not give them a corresponding position. The latest strength rankings only rank the Lakers 12th in the league!
It’s just a bit shameless!
Tang Qian’s response was concise and powerful:
10 consecutive wins is a real deal! 18 wins and 5 losses is also a real deal! Third place in the Western Conference is also a real deal! I only believe in things that have already happened in front of me. As for things that have not happened and self-righteous speculations made by myself, I am not too lazy at all.
Pay attention!
Our Lakers will not be instigated or influenced by any non-mainstream people!
Non-mainstream people? This is a powerful statement. So far, except for the older generation of stars and the younger generation of players, basically no one dares to speak like this. They all point to doing things well with the authoritative media.
In order to get more publicity, more fame and reputation. But Tang Qian didn't care. Again, his foothold was not in the United States. In the future, he had no intention of settling in the United States. Therefore,
It's all said and done, so what?
AND1 company is also supportive enough. They took the opportunity to continue to promote Tang Qian’s signature shoe slogan of “Going my own way”. That wave of advertising is exactly suitable for the current situation: you are rebellious, uninhibited, alternative, and have genes that are not understood by others.
"I go my own way", waiting for you!
This positioning is really accurate, and it has also allowed Tang Qian to attract many young rebellious fans.
Besides, basketball shoes are originally aimed at younger people. Although they will buy them when they are older, the purchasing base is much smaller than that of young people. Furthermore, rebelliousness and unruliness are also the hallmarks of young people in any country in the world. Look
Just look at Allen Iverson back then. Therefore, AND1 Company has no intention of stopping Tang Qian at all.
After all, the current league focuses on the "Model Card", "Guaiguai Card" and "Mr. Good Man". Players like Xiang Tang Qian are unique. In this way, it means that no one will compete with them to grab the cake in this field.
Young people who like "models", "obedient" and "good gentlemen" all unconsciously fall to the side of Tang Qian and AND1.
Seeing that the sales are getting higher and better, Seth Berger, the founder and president of AND1, is even more happy. Now he is really boasting about his potential personality and true temperament when meeting everyone. He is currently the best in the league.
A kind of person and a kind of spirit that are lacking.
Of course there is truth in this statement, but more importantly, it is probably for the sake of sales and company interests.
However, the sneaker company is so supportive, which makes Tang Qian feel quite useful. Although he knows that it cannot be pure support, as long as it is done by the way, that is enough. The company is not a charity, and cares about profits and
Sales volume is not uncommon. Without this, any company aiming to make a profit will go bankrupt.
The 24th regular season game, this game has a special meaning.
Not because of the opponent, but because of the game itself, something big is going to happen.
This game will award the NBA championship ring for the 13-14 season that has not appeared "for a long time" at the Lakers' home court.
Why they chose this game was not only to match the nickname of Kobe Bryant, the hero of the team, but also because the matter they had been planning for a long time finally settled recently. 4 days ago, the general manager of the Lakers
, Mitch Kupchak ended his career with the Lakers and voluntarily chose to resign. This is also the day that Jenny Buss and the others are waiting for.
Although this is just a small change, it can reflect the Lakers' team culture and the Lakers' respect for meritorious players. This is a big face-saving project for the overall image of the Lakers, because a team's
Culture is not achieved overnight. Things must be done bit by bit in order to form an overall external sense.
When it comes to the Lakers, it means being kind to the heroes, the veterans, and the aging stars. All of this is actually to add weight to the team itself to attract stars and players. The Lakers actually did this for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the beginning.
It's "tour season", and the original time and space also did not treat Kobe badly, and even gave Kobe a huge pension contract. Of course, there are factors of mutual utilization, but again, the business alliance has made it like this, 30 teams in the NBA
The team is really rare.
In addition, only the Green Army gave John Havlicek a half-season tour, and the level and scale were not as good as the Lakers' two tours. Therefore, Jenny Buss also keenly captured this
At one point, it not only reflects the respect and respect for Kobe, but also secretly praises the Lakers themselves again. Look, how good we treat meritorious players? So if you want to have no worries, choose to come to the Los Angeles Lakers, right?
So, why not do it?
As for Jordan, he also retired at the peak of his career with the Bulls. That time in 2003 was more like a farewell party given to him by the entire league.
It doesn't belong to the Wizards team anymore.
Furthermore, the most important point is that Jordan's peak and all championships were not won with the Wizards.
I don't have much affection for the Wizards.
That night, the Staples Center was brightly lit. This was the first time Kobe Bryant came to the Staples Center in person after his surgery.
Seeing the grand welcome ceremony held at the scene, Kobe once again put on the No. 24 jersey and stood among the Los Angeles Lakers. This feeling immediately made everyone at the scene and in front of the TV unable to help but laugh.
Emotional fluctuations. Even Kobe himself was also affected by this. When Bill McDonald announced again at the Staples Center, No. 24, Kobe Bryant from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the entire audience was stunned.
The cheers reached a climax.
It felt like the dome of Staples Center was about to be knocked over.
In terms of the human touch of the league, the Buss family has really done a good job for the Lakers. This also made Kobe, who dedicated his life to the Lakers, feel the greatest respect.
As the small box containing the championship ring was delivered to the hands of the older Lakers players, Tang Qian was also a little excited and excited, because this moment seemed to be the best ending to your bloody battle last season. This little ring
The ring will make you feel, oh, I did not sweat in vain last season, I, we, the Lakers, are all world champions!
This is the ultimate honor in basketball. No matter how you talk about the difference between the bench ring and the boss ring, for the athletes themselves, the pursuit of this life can never be the MVP trophy or various season honors. As athletes in any sport, they
His sports pursuit and sports mission were destined from the beginning.
That is to pursue the championship! Whether it is a championship trophy, a championship ring, or a championship medal, in short, the championship is the highest honor in any competitive sport.
The ring is king, this is also the most popular saying in the NBA.
Whether it is Jordan, Russell, O'Neal, or Kobe Abdul-Jabbar, they are all loyal implementers of this theory. Of course, if you insist on talking about Horry, Fisher, etc., there is nothing you can do. Anyway, people are self-aware in their own hearts, except for fans who use strong words to make sense.
Besides, do these people dare to say this themselves? Even those keyboard warriors who say this nonsense know clearly in their hearts that this is nonsense.
In addition to Kobe, Nash also arrived at the scene, put on last season's Lakers jersey, and stood together with the entire Lakers team. At this time, Kobe shouted loudly for the last time: "LAKERS! GOGOGO!!!"
Then the whole team raised their ringed hand and shouted together: "LAKERS! GOGOGO!!!"
After the ring awarding ceremony, another "legendary" of the Lakers, "Magic" Johnson, came up. He coughed a little, and then said with a bit of comedy: "I hope to see you again next year."
Raise the ring like this at Staples!" After saying that, he quickly got into the main topic and said: "I want to announce something here, that is, my dear Lakers fans, I am back! Starting today
, I will work side by side with the team again as the President of Operations of the Los Angeles Lakers! At the same time, I am also excited to announce that a new general manager candidate for our team has emerged. He is the familiar old friend Luo Luo
Bob Pelinka!!!”
The lights hit Pelinka, and he clapped with a smile on his face. It seemed that he also enjoyed the atmosphere tonight.
Although Jenny Buss did not come forward directly, all fools knew that the situation of the Lakers had completely changed.
It is only a matter of time before an official news announcement is released.
The original helmsman, Jim Buss, was completely replaced, and the team's spokesperson was replaced by Jenny Buss.
Because fans all know that this series of operations last year were all run by Jenny Buss’ team, including the current team’s new king, Tang Qian, who was also signed by Bonnie Laughlin of the Jenny Buss faction.
So, regarding this matter, I heard almost no boos. Everyone’s applause and cheers represented everything.
Jenny Buss has taken away Jim Buss' mark from beginning to end. From now on, the Lakers are under her control.
The Los Angeles palace drama that lasted for several years has finally come to an end for the time being.
Regarding this, Tang Qian also expressed his affirmation, because he is now also nominally a member of the Jenny Buss faction, so he does not object to the latter taking over. Besides, compared to Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss, Bonnie
Laughlin and Jenny Bass obviously have more trust in themselves and give them more say, which is what Tang Qian needs.
Although he is not interested in being like James, who wants absolute control over the management, he definitely does not want to be like Kobe, who has such a weak influence on the management. In order to achieve his goal, he has to "force the palace" to be effective. So the Jenny Buss faction
From a personal point of view, he feels quite satisfied with his position.
After finishing these tidbits, the Lakers officially played against the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves were also miserable in this game. They were originally an absolute underdog in the league. Because of Love's departure, it is now a proper rebuilding period and they have to face
The Lakers, who have high morale tonight, are really unlucky. After 48 minutes, it was almost without a fight. The Lakers defeated their opponents 120-94. From beginning to end, there was no illusion or suspense in this game.
After Tang Qian was elected the best player of the game without any surprise, Kobe came up to shake hands with him and said: "Well done, Tong, I know you can do it, lead Los Angeles to move forward.
The future is yours."
"Isn't that right?" Tang Qian said with a smile: "But regarding the future, I think it's more appropriate to ask the Spurs' No. 21 rookie, right, Mr. Black Mamba?" Kobe replied loudly when he heard this.
Laughing, with 6 championships in hand, he retired at the peak of his career. He has nothing more to ask for on the basketball court and his merits are complete, so his laughter is particularly refreshing.
In the early morning of the next day, the NBA official website announced the latest ranking of the top ten MVP players as scheduled. Tang Qian's ranking rose again, to fifth place, an increase of three places compared to last time. However, this did not make Tang Qian's
Fans and Tang Qian’s supporters are satisfied because they have won 11 consecutive games! 19 wins and 5 losses! Right now, the Western Conference is second only to the Warriors and Rockets. Besides, the Lakers are still a little behind the Warriors, and the Rockets are only half a half ahead of the Lakers.
A win difference.
This means that if possible, if the Rockets do not win and the Lakers win the next game, then the Lakers will be able to rise from third place in the Western Conference to second place in the Western Conference. This is probably before the start of the game, there is not much
People can think of it.
Without Kobe, Gasol and Nash, the Lakers still achieved this result. How many people could think about it before? How dare they think about it?
I'm afraid the Lakers management themselves don't dare to set such a big goal.
Bonnie Laughlin still remembers that the initial goal she set for the Lakers for the new season was to enter the playoffs, which was enough. But the development of the season made her feel a little unreal.
Second in the Western Conference, if this can be stabilized, my own contribution will be huge.
After all, these people were recruited by themselves, who made contracts and transactions, and no one can take away this credit.
This is an absolute bonus item.
At the same time, this season’s All-Star voting channel has also opened, and the first round of voting results is expected to end on December 26.
On December 15th, US time, the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers by 9 points.
I want to mention here that Paul George, the absolute core of the Pacers, accidentally broke his right calf while participating in the national team training. Therefore, he was reimbursed for the season. In addition, the Pacers are also beginning to have internal problems within the team, so several consecutive
The only team in the Eastern Conference that could compete with the Miami Heat this year began to decline and sink.
You have to know that last season they defeated Miami and ranked first in the Eastern Conference. This season, Tang Qian remembers, they couldn't even make it to the playoffs. So this strong team in the Eastern Conference has begun to become a
A weak brigade.
Not to mention, the Lakers' schedule in the recent period has indeed been a bit lucky.
Either the team is weak, the main player is absent, or he is resting... Anyway, even though they have won 12 consecutive games, they still haven't washed away their "good luck" hat. This is really annoying!
Tang Qian was really depressed when he saw those people at ESPN talking nonsense on TV and the Internet.
He is now eager to compete with the league's strong teams! This will help him and the team clear their name!
Otherwise, it would be very unpleasant for such a team to win but not get the respect it deserves!
N.N.D! I long for a strong team! Who can compete with us!!! Come quickly!!!
My big eagle, no, my big hands are already so hungry and thirsty!!!
Tang Qian called out so strongly in his heart.
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