svetikya Chapter 144 The youngest All-Star MVP in history!
Chapter 144 The youngest All-Star MVP in history!
Chapter 144 The youngest All-Star MVP in history!
Faced with Lin Tian's breakthrough, Stockton gritted his teeth and tried everything he could to keep up with Lin Tian, but that was all he could do. Lin Tian's speed was just too fast! He simply couldn't find an opportunity to steal the ball!
In this situation, touching the ground is 100% a foul!
Just as Stockton was considering whether to foul him early, Lin Tian had already driven all the way to the free throw line area, overcoming his defense.
Just before Sprewell came to help defend, Stockton suddenly felt a tremendous force strike his chest!
Stockton, who was already losing his balance due to the forced acceleration while following Lin Tian, stumbled and fell back two or three steps before landing awkwardly on his backside.
Lin Tian, on the other hand, had already made a quick change of direction, stopped abruptly, and jumped to shoot from the free-throw line!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Lin Tian pulled up for a jump shot and scored 2 points!
135: 138!
The Eastern team has extended their lead to 3 points!
Time is running out, exactly 10 seconds left!
After scoring, Lin Tian didn't do anything too exaggerated in his celebration. He just looked at Stockton, tilted his head, spread his hands, and shrugged.
Arrogant!
Although simple, it was an incredibly arrogant and flamboyant celebration!
Lin Tian's handsome face was filled with mockery. He didn't need to study any advanced micro-expressions or psychology courses; everyone could see what he meant.
"It collapsed already? Don't blame me."
"Oh! Lin has knocked down Stockton! Lin has knocked down Stockton!" Marcus immediately jumped up from his commentary booth, shouting excitedly, "The league's top defender, multiple steals champion, John Stockton, was knocked down by Lin in the final moments of the game!"
"I wonder if Sloan will regret his conservative approach, or if he'll regret not fouling Lin sooner? If he had fouled earlier, at least Stockton wouldn't have embarrassed himself!"
Smith exclaimed, "That was beautiful! Lin's crossover dribble followed by a pull-up jumper was gorgeous! I even think Lin has a lot of Jordan's style in that shot! Looks like Lin practices with Jordan a lot!"
During a live broadcast on China Sports, Su Qun shouted without any regard for his image:
"Brilliant! Perfect! An impeccable play! So exciting! Who would have thought, who would have thought, friends! The NBA All-Star Game ended up with us, the Chinese, dominating the game!"
"In the final three minutes, Lin Tian dominated the game! From passing to scoring to defense, he did everything! 4 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals! This was the surprise Lin Tian brought us in the last three minutes, and his contribution to the team!"
Song Shixiong added, "Furthermore, after this play, Lin Tian's stats tonight reached 20 points, 23 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals! Perfect! What else can we say about these stats but 'perfect'? Remember this night! All Chinese football fans should remember this night!"
"Because, tonight, the NBA belongs to Lin Tian!"
As the commentators finished their commentary, the Western Conference team's final timeout came, and the players from both sides returned to the court!
With a 3-point gap and the Western Conference team having run out of timeouts, this possession is essentially their last chance to attack! They have to go all in on a 3-pointer; trying to score two points at a time won't be enough.
Therefore, with tactics so predictable and easily countered, both coaches changed their lineups on the field, creating highly targeted combinations!
The Eastern Conference team fielded a lineup of one big man and four small men, consisting of Lin Tian, Jordan, Pippen, Hill, and Ewing. This lineup boasts top-tier mobility and defensive capabilities on the perimeter, effectively blocking the Western Conference team's three-point attempts. Ewing is responsible for protecting the boards to prevent the Western Conference team from re-attacking after a missed shot.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference team also fielded their four best shooters at this time: Payton, Stockton, Sprewell, Richmond, and Olajuwon.
Sloan's idea was clearly the same as Riley's.
With four players shooting, Hakeem Olajuwon first sets a screen, then goes inside to grab the rebound, creating a second offensive opportunity for the team!
As the referee blew his whistle, Olajuwon came to the sideline, and despite Ewing's interference, forced the ball to pass to Payton.
Payton quickly drove to the basket after getting the ball, but as soon as he entered the three-point line, he found that apart from Ewing running towards the basket, no one paid any attention to him. All four players from the East team were standing outside the three-point line!
Payton could only dribble the ball out of the three-point line, then quickly set a screen with Richmond, and then quickly passed the ball to this guy who was known as the "second-best shooting guard of the 90s".
When Richmond got the ball, there were less than 5 seconds left in the game. He had no choice but to step back and pull up for a three-pointer against Jordan's defense!
"Bang!" A loud clang of metal being struck rang out!
Ewing and Olajuwon immediately clashed under the basket, their four arms intertwined tightly, just like in the Finals three years ago!
In the end, Hakeem Olajuwon still had the upper hand and held his position. With one hand, he firmly blocked Ewing behind him, and with the other hand, he took the ball and was about to find a teammate on the outside to pass the ball out in the last minute when a dark figure appeared in front of him.
"Snapped!"
With another crisp sound, Lin Tian, who had just arrived to help defend the paint, slapped the basketball that Olajuwon was holding in one hand, sending it flying into the air!
This time, Ewing didn't hold back. He leaped high and snatched the basketball into his arms, almost at the same time the final whistle blew!
The match is over!
The East team narrowly defeated the West team by 3 points, winning this year's All-Star Game!
The entire Quicken Loans Arena erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts in an instant!
They cheered for the Eastern Conference team's victory and for the outstanding performance of all the players tonight!
"Victory! Victory!" Song Shixiong shouted happily. "When Richmond took the three-pointer, I was worried that if it went in, it would be a disaster! But thankfully it didn't go in! And Lin Tian also made another steal with 2 seconds left! This brings his stats to 20 points, 23 assists, 5 rebounds, and 6 steals!"
Su Qun was also in high spirits, happily saying, "According to NBA tradition, the All-Star MVP is awarded to the highest-scoring player on the winning team! The highest scorer for the East team tonight is Glen Rice with 26 points! But I think it would be really unfair to give the MVP to Rice tonight!"
"After all, everyone can see who led the East to victory, who dominated both ends of the court in crucial moments, and whose stats are more impressive and well-rounded. I believe fans from both China and the US can easily see that!"
Song Shixiong added, "Let's see whether the NBA will stubbornly stick to their previous standards or award the prize to someone who truly deserves it!"
As the commentators continued their explanations, the stadium erupted into chaos.
The East team players excitedly hugged and high-fived each other to celebrate this hard-won victory. Several players from the West team who had good relations with the East team also went up to chat with their friends and celebrate.
The most popular person tonight, without a doubt... is still Lin Tian!
Webber, who had the best chemistry with Lin Tian tonight and seemed to have a natural connection with him, was the first to run to Lin Tian's side, hug him tightly, and said, "Lin! It's so much fun playing with you! To be honest, even in Michigan, I've never had this much fun."
"So, you're planning to request a trade and come to Chicago?" Lin Tian asked Webber with a smile, setting a trap for him.
Weber was taken aback. He came to recruit Lin Tian, but before he could finish a sentence, it turned into him requesting a trade to come to Chicago.
Of course, winning a championship in Chicago would be great too...
Pshaw! I'm the team leader in Washington!
Why come to Chicago to be the fourth or fifth in the league and win the championship?
"Ahem, Lin, I really hope you can come to Washington." Webber put his arm around Lin Tian, saying affectionately, "You've never had this much fun with the Bulls, have you? Coming to Washington is definitely the right choice! The two of us together can absolutely build the most dazzling and spectacular team in NBA history!"
"But you guys don't have any salary cap space, right? If I remember correctly, you and Zhu Wang together take up half of the salary cap space." Lin Tian looked at Weber and once again posed this profound question.
"That only takes up half the space, right? There's still the other half! As long as you're willing to come, everything's negotiable!" Weber patted Lin's shoulder heartily, then suddenly lowered his voice and whispered in Lin Tian's ear, "Have you ever tried doing something fun with a girl in the White House? Washington, they offer that service!"
"Of course, it's a fake White House. We don't offer services for the real White House! But come to Washington, and I guarantee you'll experience something completely different!"
Weber flashed his signature mischievous grin, patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, and then went to greet the others.
Lin Tian didn't get any rest at all. Then, Miller and Ewing, who were eager to bring Lin Tian to their teams, came to him one after another.
"Lin, I have some news that will definitely excite you," Miller whispered. "I only found out halfway through the game, but we've found Larry Bird! He'll be the team's general manager and head coach next season! That's Larry Bird!"
"With your infuriating mouth and playing style, I think you and Larry would be a perfect match! You two would have endless things to talk about. Eventually, the three of us would form the league's number one trash-talking trio, leaving the entire league speechless!"
Before Miller could even respond to Lin Tian, Ewing came running over, panting, and grabbed Lin Tian, saying, "Don't listen to Reggie's idiot nonsense! Who wants to go to a godforsaken place like Indiana? Come to New York! I'll show you what the world's number one city is all about!"
"Everything you want, everything you want to do, New York has it all! By the way, I heard that little slut Hilton is still hung up on you! That $1200 million business contract her family offered Michael last year, you might just land it!"
"Moreover, there's a high probability you'll be able to gain both wealth and beauty!"
"Patrick, are you spouting nonsense again, trying to seduce Lin to New York?" Barkley's deep voice came over as he swung his arms and came over from the Western Conference team with Olajuwon. Barkley shoved Ewing aside and the two of them, one on each side, leaned against Lin Tian.
"Lin, I'm not a sociable person, and I've never recruited any players to my team in my entire life, but now I have to say, I really hope you can join Houston this summer!" Hakeem Olajuwon's approach was much simpler and more sincere than those guys from before.
"Houston isn't a huge city, but the fans here are incredibly passionate! And more importantly, Clyde is already considering retirement, and Charles doesn't have many years left in his prime. As for me, if the right person comes along, I'm willing to step down anytime. You know what I mean, Lin?"
"What do you mean, 'understand'? Hakeem, can't you just be direct?" Barkley said impatiently. "Lin, come to Houston, three years at most, and this team is yours. You'll be the team leader! Leading three Hall of Fame-caliber players, this kind of opportunity doesn't come around often!"
"Are you guys ever going to stop?" At this moment, Jordan finally arrived, albeit late. He had been surrounded by several CBS reporters and couldn't get away, but now he finally came over to protect his little chicks!
"Have you all lost your dignity? Can't you have any dignity as future Hall of Famers and top 50 players? You're all lining up to fawn over a 23-year-old second-year rookie?" Jordan looked at the Rockets' veteran duo with disdain, then turned to look at Ewing and Miller, who were not far away.
"If I were you, I'd rather not win the championship! I would never lower my head and beg a second-year rookie to join me! And what's with this 'you be the boss' thing? Hakim, Charles, you two have completely lost face. Should I help you pick it up?"
"Michael, you're amazing!" Barkley immediately retorted sarcastically, "Then don't take a pay cut this summer, or I'll look down on you! If you take a pay cut to keep Lin, you'll be the biggest joke in the entire NBA!"
"You look down on us for recruiting Lin, but you shamelessly want to keep him by cutting your salary. You're the number one player in the league, isn't that all you rely on?" Miller's sarcastic voice immediately came over, it was so annoying!
That one sentence proves that Miller was right.
Lin Tian, Miller, and Bird!
There really isn't any team or combination in this league that can out-criticize them.
To beat these three people in a verbal battle, you'd probably have to find underground rappers, or even top-tier rappers with the best and fastest verbal skills. Ordinary people would be rendered speechless by their insults.
"Don't worry, Michael has been mocking me all year, saying that my decision to take a pay cut to stay with the team was a crazy choice. So Michael, as a person with a fully developed brain, would definitely not choose to take a pay cut to stay with someone." When Ewing saw that Miller had joined the battle, he didn't hesitate any longer and immediately came over to criticize Jordan.
"Actually, I think circumstances are beyond our control. When you get old, you have to admit it! I feel my performance has declined significantly in the last two years, so I'm willing to take a pay cut to bring in new talent to help." The usually mild-mannered Hakeem Olajuwon then delivered the game-winning blow: "Michael, you're the same. When it's time to admit you're getting old, you have to, or people will laugh at you!"
"Yeah, just like Stockton, he refused to admit he was old, and then what? He got completely outplayed by Lin!" Barkley immediately added insult to injury behind Olajuwon.
After Jordan joined, these bigwigs immediately changed their goals, such as recruiting Lin Tian and making plans for the future of the team.
Nothing beats the catharsis of verbally attacking or ganging up on Jordan!
This kind of opportunity might only come once a year!
As for Lin Tian, after seeing several big shots surrounding and humiliating Jordan, he immediately turned around and fled this place of trouble.
He originally wanted to go and say hello to Theron, but he was stopped by O'Neal and Kobe as soon as he reached the sideline.
"Lin! Hey buddy, how about it? Thinking of coming to Los Angeles this summer? It's awesome here! Really awesome!" O'Neal laughed heartily, greeting Lin Tian while flirting with him, "With your charm, if you came to Los Angeles, I think you could sleep with every girl in Hollywood from 18 to 40!"
"These are Hollywood girls! Girls from other places can't compare! Don't believe me? Ask Kobe, he's been dating a girl recently, a very sexy black singer! Brandy! You must have heard her songs, right, Lin!"
"I never dated Brandy, Shaq. I only met her a few times. My father liked her, but I didn't," Kobe explained, frowning. "But Shaq is right about one thing, Lin, with your charm, you can conquer everything in Los Angeles!"
Shaquille O'Neal laughed heartily, putting his arm around his younger brother Kobe. Their relationship was currently in its honeymoon phase: "My little brother's shy, after all, he's not even 19 yet! Lin, think about it. If you come to the Lakers, the three of us can build an unparalleled dynasty and a brand new Showtime era!"
Lin Tian originally wanted to chat with O'Neal and Kobe a little longer, but Riley came over to them first. He greeted Kobe and O'Neal with a smile, then looked at Lin Tian and asked, "What are you talking about with this promising Los Angeles duo?"
"Kobe wants me to play in Los Angeles." Lin Tian shrugged. There was no need for him to hide this. Anyway, Stern had already paid the fines he was supposed to, and had long since turned a blind eye to it.
"It wasn't just me, Shaq did it too!" Kobe couldn't help but say, successfully dragging O'Neal into the mess as well.
Riley shook his head and chuckled, "Los Angeles is great, but honestly, I suggest you come check out Miami. There are absolutely breathtaking views here that you can't even imagine!"
"But don't you already have Tim Hardaway?" Lin Tian looked at the slick old man with his meticulously combed slicked-back hair with curiosity, wondering how he would answer him.
"If you're willing to come, I can get Tim to play center, and everything can be resolved. If you don't like Tim, I can even trade him away. What do you think about sending him to Los Angeles? We can trade Shaq for him to play with Mourning as a twin towers!" Riley didn't hesitate, shrugging his shoulders as he offered his solution.
Well, Lin Tian thought to himself, "Wow, Shaq is doing it too, and now he's trying to bring O'Neal to Miami."
Love is all a cycle, isn't it?
Lin Tian's chat with the three guys didn't last long, because Stockton and Malone, the villainous duo, also came over.
Malone snorted and said, "I thought the famous Riley would be somewhat capable, but it turns out he's also going crazy for a second-year student."
"This league has changed, Karl. Most people now have no backbone," Stockton said grimly, echoing his partner.
"I don't know if you guys have any backbone, but I do know that you two will never win a championship in your lives!" Lin Tian looked at the infamous Utah Jazz duo and said bluntly, "Of course, if you really want a championship, you're welcome to join my team anytime!"
"Two minimum-salary contracts and two backup positions—no matter where I play next season, they'll always be reserved for you!"
"Let's see how long you can be so smug!" Ma Long snorted and walked towards Lin Tian, looking like he was going to knock him down on the spot and teach him a lesson.
"If you dare touch me, I guarantee you'll be carried out of the house tonight, Karl!" With Lin Tian's fighting talent, how could he not see through Malone's thoughts? He raised his head and looked at Malone, saying, "You want to do what happened at last year's All-Star Game again, don't you?"
Ma Long looked at Lin Tian, took two heavy breaths, and his eyes flashed with fierce light. But after hesitating for a few seconds, he actually stepped aside!
Perhaps considering the huge trouble a fight would cause him after the All-Star game, Ma Long didn't directly confront Lin Tian. Instead, he changed direction and left, not forgetting to throw out a harsh threat: "Don't give me a chance, kid, or I guarantee you'll regret being born!"
Lin Tian simply couldn't be bothered to respond to Ma Long's impotent rage and harsh words.
Instead, he looked at Kobe and Riley and continued chatting.
"Lin, you actually managed to make Karl back down and give way! There aren't many people in this league who can do that!" O'Neal looked at Lin Tian in surprise. He still vividly remembered how Lin Tian had dominated Malone last year, but he never expected that Lin Tian's power would be so terrifying!
"You can beat Shaq if you want," Lin Tian shrugged. "If you meet in the playoffs this year, I bet you can win! Crush him!"
"Of course! My little brother Kobe and I will teach the Jazz a lesson!" O'Neal raised his arms, showing off his muscles.
By this time, the temporary award stage set up by the NBA was almost complete, and the voting results for tonight's MVP had already been released. The final answer was now lying quietly in the envelope in Stern's hand.
Stern, along with several league officials, the Cleveland Cavaliers' owner, general manager, and other executives, had already moved to the center of the court and quickly gathered the players from both teams together.
Stern picked up the microphone and said with a smile, "A wonderful night, a night to remember! First of all, let's thank the people of Cleveland for their hospitality and generosity! Without your support, we could never have had such a perfect night. Now, let's have our good friend, Mr. Gordon Gund, the owner of the Cavaliers, speak!"
……
After the Cavaliers' owner and league executives delivered their speeches in a very boring, bland, and yawn-inducing manner, Stern took the microphone again. This time, before he could even speak, the crowd erupted in a deafening chorus of boos!
The fans have been waiting in the stadium all this time, not to watch a few old men line up and give speeches!
They're waiting for tonight's MVP result!
Fortunately, Stern knew exactly what the fans wanted. He didn't keep them in suspense or launch into a long explanation. Instead, he opened the envelope, glanced at it, and said with a smile:
"So, the final suspense of the night, who is the MVP of tonight's All-Star Game...?"
After a brief pause, Stern quickly pronounced the name.
「来自芝加哥公牛队，全场比赛登场28分钟，11投6中，罚球5罚5中，3分球6投3中，全场比赛拿下20分23次助攻5篮板6次抢断的林天！」
"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Welcome to Cleveland! You're always welcome here!
"Join the team this summer, Lin! Our doors are always open for you!"
"Cleveland needs a hero! And that hero is you!"
……
Amidst the fans' wild and enthusiastic applause, Lin Tian stepped out from the crowd and walked to the center of everyone, first hugging Stern.
In that brief moment, Stern whispered, "So? Have you decided where you'll play next season?"
"Mr. President, do you have any good recommendations?"
My advice is, don't come to Cleveland!
Stern wore a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha, but his words were enough to break the hearts of all of Cleveland!
Lin Tian, unsure whether to agree or not, wore a broad smile.
He raised the MVP trophy, which symbolized the highest honor of the night!
"Thank you Cleveland! Thank you to my teammates, thank you to everyone who worked hard to win for the Eastern Conference tonight! This is one of the most wonderful nights of my career, I will always remember tonight, and I will always remember the love from the people of Cleveland!"
After a brief speech, Lin Tian quickly retreated, leaving the stage once again to the old fox, Stern.
"Haha! Lin Tian won tonight's MVP! The first All-Star MVP from Asia, from China, in NBA history! Lin Tian has made so much history tonight!" It wasn't until Lin Tian actually lifted the trophy to celebrate that Song Shixiong finally said what he had been holding back!
"A perfect night! Tonight is absolutely an unforgettable night in the history of Chinese basketball! Lin Tian's perfect performance has captivated fans across America, and it has captivated us too!"
Su Qun followed up, saying, "Now, we only have one last question: when will a player who performs so well and is so strong be able to represent the national team? I've talked about this with Lin Tian many times, including last summer."
"We talked many times in Beijing, and Lin Tian frankly admitted that he had been waiting for the national team's call-up! He was ready to fight for his country at any time! But he still hadn't received the final recruitment notice!"
"I know a little about this," Song Shixiong chimed in, smiling. "Last year, Lin practically appeared out of nowhere, suddenly making us aware of his existence! His arrival was so unexpected and such a pleasant surprise!"
"This led to the national team not even considering Lin Tian's existence when selecting players! By the time we learned that Lin Tian was Chinese and willing to play for the country, the national team had already been assembled and started training in Europe and North America! This was due to considerations such as team chemistry, teamwork, and various other factors."
"In order to ensure greater team stability, we had to give up on recruiting Lin Tian last year! But the final result was good! Our team made it into the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time in history! This is the first time in our country's history!"
"We've proven with our best result that not recruiting Lin Tian wasn't necessarily a mistake!"
"But I think that was last year! Next time, the next time the national team is formed, I think Lin will definitely join the team! Then, maybe at that time, we can perform even better and take our results to the next level!"
Song Shixiong's lengthy speech provided a way out for the national team and the newly established Basketball Management Center. Regardless of what the fans say, Song Shixiong at least gave the national team the best excuse to back down.
But Song Shixiong also knew that this was all he could do! If the rumors were true, and it was indeed someone at the Basketball Management Center trying to exert their authority and create obstacles to give Lin Tian a hard time before allowing him to join the team, then Song Shixiong had no other choice but to say one thing—
That's incredibly shameless!
But no matter what, the fans of China are happy today! They were also happy when the team broke records by reaching the quarterfinals last summer!
The fans have happily accepted Song Shixiong's actions, and at least for the time being, it won't cause any major negative public opinion.
After all, the most important thing for Chinese football fans to do right now is to call their friends and family, go to the market to buy groceries, and make reservations at restaurants!
Such a wonderful day, such a happy day, how could we not celebrate it properly?
In the Lin family villa in the capital, Old Master Lin was dressed neatly, straightened his clothes, and was about to leave with a pile of gifts in his hand.
"Dad, where are you going? Dinner's almost ready! Xiaotian got that VIP thing today, we have to celebrate!" Lin Sen was confused, wondering what his old man was up to this time.
"Go celebrate! What else can we do?" Old Master Lin said impatiently. "But I'm not celebrating with you! I'm going to find my old brigade commander! I just talked to him on the phone, and guess what? He still doesn't know Xiao Tian is my grandson! He was even laughing at me on the phone!"
"What? You're surnamed Lin too? Everyone else is surnamed Lin too, so why can't your family produce a basketball star?!"
"What? What else can your son do besides make a pittance? Look at Lin Tian, that's a true model youth of the new era!"
"Hehe, I have to go teach him a lesson. Are you coming? If you're coming, I'll take you with me!"
Upon hearing that the old man was going to see the former brigade commander, Lin Sen immediately shook his head and remained silent without saying another word.
He had vivid memories of his father, the old brigade commander!
Short-tempered and strong-willed!
After all, this was a general who crawled out of piles of dead bodies on the battlefield and fought his way up with live ammunition, shot by shot!
Therefore, this old brigade commander, despite his advanced age, still possessed the same murderous aura he had on the battlefield back then. When Lin Sen was young, a single glare from this old brigade commander could frighten little Lin Sen into tears on the spot!
The reason Lin Sen chose to go into business instead of following in his father's footsteps and joining the army was at least largely due to the psychological trauma he felt towards this person.
By now, Lin Sen has achieved great success, but he is still as afraid of this old brigade commander as a mouse is of a cat!
I never expected that this old brigade commander would be a basketball fan.
"20 points and 23 assists! Liu, when will you ever get those stats in a game in our league?" Yao Ming and Liu Wei had already arrived at the training facility. Liu Wei had seen Lin Tian's ton of passes and insisted on coming to the training ground to try it out, making Yao Ming keep passing him the ball.
"One day!" Liu Wei wiped his sweat, raised his hand and made another behind-the-back pass, the basketball flying straight into Yao Ming's arms.
"Coach Gong, where are you going?" Outside the Basketball Management Center, a staff member saw national team head coach Gong Luming rushing inside.
"Did you watch the NBA All-Star Game? I came here just for this! Is Director Xin here?" Gong Luming nodded to the person who came and was about to continue walking inside.
Gong Luming was really excited by what Song Shixiong said. He turned off the TV and came straight to the Basketball Management Center to talk to Director Xin about Lin Tian.
After all, the Basketball Management Center has only been established for less than a year, and it is precisely the time when it needs to produce results. In addition, with Song Shixiong's appeal in front of the national audience, Gong Luming felt that no matter what, Lin Tian should be able to join the team this time!
"But Director Xin isn't here!" The official scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Director Xin went to play table tennis with the team next door."
"Today! The NBA All-Star Game, and he, the director of the Basketball Management Center, didn't watch basketball, but went to play table tennis?" Gong Luming's eyes widened, his face full of shock.
If you love playing table tennis so much, why don't you join the table tennis association? What position would you have in the basketball association?
"Director Xin said the quality was just so-so, nothing worth watching, and then he left..."
…………
In Cleveland, after the post-game awards ceremony and other celebrations, the stars from both the East and West returned to their locker rooms to quickly change clothes and take showers.
The fun and leisurely All-Star Game is over. Next, it's time to fight tooth and nail for playoff spots or draft rankings. But of course, no matter how fierce the fighting gets, it's not all for tonight. Everyone is thinking of taking advantage of this rare opportunity to have some fun all night!
Lin Tian, Jordan, Pippen, and Kerr, who won the 3-point championship the night before, did not walk in the same direction as the other stars after showering.
Unlike others who drive or take a car directly to the prepared bar.
Without saying a word, Jordan pulled all three of them onto the bus and headed towards the hotel.
"What's wrong, Michael? You didn't bring any money and need to go back to the hotel to get it?" Lin Tian was a little confused as to why Jordan was in such a hurry to leave the group and return to the hotel.
"Pack your bags, let's go back to Chicago! We're going back tonight, I've already had my assistant book tickets for the four of us." Jordan's face was still very ugly, obviously he had been ganged up on and utterly defeated by a group of people during the post-game banter.
"So eager!" Pippen exclaimed, his eyes wide. "But you just promised Patrick you'd hang out with him!"
"If we don't agree, do you think those bastards will let us get away so easily? What's so fun about this shitty place, Cleveland? Back in Chicago, it's my treat tomorrow night!" Jordan said irritably. "Or do you all want to keep watching those bastards lick Lin's boots, begging him to join their team?"
"Actually, I really want to see it!" Lin Tian raised his hand and said, "Can I go back tomorrow?"
"What do you think?" Jordan glared at Lin Tian, a murderous aura emanating from him!
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 100 experience points!"
Hey!
Lin Tian was stunned. What kind of grievance had Jordan suffered tonight? How could he harbor such a deep resentment?
How about... we do it again?
"If you want to do it, just do it!" That's Lin Tian's consistent style.
"I said of course I can! And even if I can't go to their party, I can at least go see Charlize! I made plans to meet her tonight! I can't just leave without saying goodbye." Lin Tian looked reluctant to leave tonight's party and Charlize. Sure enough, the system sent another good news!
"Michael Jordan's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in a loss of 200 experience points!"
"Have you never seen a woman in your life? Call her and say goodbye! If you really can't bear to part with her, then take her to Chicago! Anyway, tonight, nobody the hell is allowed to stay in Cleveland! I don't want to hear a single word about recruitment, I don't want to hear a single syllable of those bastards' voices!"
"How exactly did they bully you, Michael?" Lin Tian looked at Jordan, increasingly regretting his actions!
Why would I go and chat with Kobe and Shaq?
It must have been so satisfying to listen to Barkley and the others criticize Jordan!
Unfortunately, one wrong step can lead to eternal regret! We didn't even get to see any excitement.
"None of your business!" Jordan cursed. "Knicks, Indiana, Houston! You better watch out! You better not let me run into you in the playoffs, or I'll make sure you all die a death worse than being hanged!"
Seeing that Jordan was truly enraged, and in an extremely furious state, Lin Tian wisely chose not to provoke him.
It's just a matter of getting back to Chicago a night earlier or later.
However, Lin Tian still moved a few steps to the very back of the car, called Theron, and told her that he couldn't accompany her tonight, but if she wanted, she could come back to Chicago with him.
When Charlize Theron received Lin Tian's call, she let out a long sigh, utterly dejected. "I can't make it to Chicago. I'm leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow morning. My agent got me a role in a movie! It's a real big production! I'm working with A-list actor Keanu Reeves!"
"Lin, I really want to stay with you, but..."
The film Charlize Theron is referring to is probably "The Devil's Advocate," the one that made her famous in Hollywood and officially launched her acting career as a well-known actress!
Knowing that this was an opportunity that Theron had been waiting for a long time, Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let him miss it. After chatting with Theron for a few minutes and comforting her, the bus arrived at the players' hotel.
"Pack your things. See you at the hotel entrance in 20 minutes! Our flight is in two hours. Nobody is allowed to be late, understand?" Jordan issued orders to his teammates with a gloomy expression as soon as he got out of the car. Jordan had truly entered tyrant mode!
No rebuttals or objections are permitted!
At least for this night, he is a dictator!
(End of this chapter)