svetikya Chapter 459 The Generosity of the Playboy Founder! James pulled...
Chapter 459 The Generosity of the Playboy Founder! James pulled...
This two-person altercation essentially became the highlight of the match. After separating the two individuals, the referee quickly reviewed the match footage and promptly issued his ruling.
Artest and Anthony were both ejected. As they left the court, they were hurling insults and gesturing at each other, looking quite aggressive. Security had to be called in before they were led to their respective player tunnels and back to their locker rooms.
With the departure of these two individuals, the tension between the two sides did not escalate further; instead, it completely subsided.
The score has already widened considerably; now it's just a matter of which coach will make the first move and bring in a benchwarmer lineup to play out garbage time.
With four minutes remaining, Lin Tian casually took a three-pointer from two steps beyond the arc and made it perfectly. This shot brought Lin Tian's score to over 40 points again tonight, and the Pacers' lead also reached 30 points.
After that play, Carlisle took the initiative, making a sweeping decision and bringing on five players in and out of the game. This time, he didn't even bring on the second unit, instead sending on the team's five benchwarmers. Tonight, the Pacers had the entire team on the court, getting a good feel for the game.
Ultimately, the score was 121-99, with the Pacers easily defeating the Knicks by 22 points.
However, to everyone's surprise, just as the team was preparing for interviews, a press conference, and then going out to have some fun, an assistant coach rushed onto the court, shouting, "Oh no! Ron's on the phone calling for backup! He said he's going to kill Anthony!"
After hearing this, everyone lost their mood to play.
No, it was just a few trash words and a couple of arm swings, was it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?
No one was really in the mood for interviews right now. Lin Tian rushed into the players' tunnel first, trying to calm Artest down.
Player conflicts on the field are just that—conflicts on the field. Suspensions are a minor issue.
But if you get involved with gangs, or even if weapons are used and blood is drawn off the court, then not only Lin Tian, but even Stern won't be able to clean up Artest's mess.
On a smaller scale, the Pacers' season could be ruined because of the fight between Artest and Anthony! This kind of thing can't be resolved by suspending one or two people for dozens of games; Stearns will absolutely not tolerate this kind of off-court incident.
Yes, that's still an understatement!
On a larger scale, who knows what kind of public order incident might occur? People could end up in jail, or even be banned from the league for life!
Back when the league was rife with drugs, gambling, and gang connections, Stern wasn't without issuing lifetime bans!
We absolutely cannot let Artest pull this off!
With a bang, Lin Tian pushed open the locker room door and saw Artest, who was on the phone, about to speak. But Lin Tian opened his mouth but didn't say a word. Not only did he not speak, he also waved to his teammates behind him to relax and not be nervous.
Because as soon as he came in, he heard what Artest was saying.
"He really knows you, Uncle Seven! He's one of us! Absolutely one of us, don't worry, we won't hurt him. We're all family, why are you fighting? Just kidding, hahaha... What? He's a distant relative of yours? His mother is the aunt of your uncle's wife's brother's son's nephew? That's your relative, so isn't that my relative too!"
"Don't worry, from now on in the league, I'll follow Carmelo's lead. I'll see who dares to cause him trouble, and I'll kill them."
Because of Lin Tian's signal, everyone on the team heard what Artest said on the phone, and they understood why Lin Tian had suddenly calmed down.
It's unbelievable that we could actually be related, and in such a strange way at that.
But at the very least, a fight is definitely not going to happen tonight.
A fight won't break out?
About an hour later, Lin Tian realized that he had underestimated the intelligence of Artest and Anthony.
Or rather, it was overestimated.
Just an hour later, at the huge party that Dolan had meticulously prepared for Lin Tian, everyone from both teams arrived. Anthony and Artest, those two guys, actually put their arms around each other as soon as they arrived.
Then the two of them stood on the stage in the very center of the venue. Even though they hadn't started drinking yet, they already looked like they were drunk.
Anthony: This is my brother! My own brother! My only brother in the league!
Artest: This is my nephew! My own nephew! From now on, I'll protect him in the league. Anyone who dares to touch him is touching me, and I'll kill them!
Anthony: Bro!
Artest: Nephew!
After exchanging greetings, the two immediately embraced, practically bursting into tears before taking out yellow paper to burn and swear an oath of brotherhood on the spot. As for why one called the other "brother" and the other "nephew"...
Lin Tian didn't understand, and he didn't want to understand.
If others are willing to discuss their own opinions, what can Lin Tian do?
Are you really going to listen to these two recount the grudges and feuds between their ancestors for three generations?
Lin Tian is here today on important business!
"Lin! My dear Lin! Haha." Dolan opened his arms and rushed towards Lin Tian, giving him a big hug before saying, "Do you need me to introduce you?"
Dolan was clearly referring to the 12 top beauties behind him, lined up in two rows, dressed in different colored bunny girl outfits, with curvaceous figures.
"Is it important?" Lin Tian now understood why Dolan called this party the most prestigious in all of New York. These 12 girls were indeed far more beautiful than the ordinary girls in other places.
It's at least two levels higher.
"Of course they're important! They're my treasures!" A seemingly unremarkable old man beside Dolan said with a smile, "Hugh Hefner! Nice to meet you, Lin, but I've always liked you!"
"I don't understand basketball and I don't like basketball, but I really admire your style. I think we can definitely become good friends."
Upon hearing the name, Lin Tian immediately knew who this person was!
The famous founder of Playboy, America's number one playboy and libertine, the man every man in the world dreams of becoming, a true man who spends his life constantly changing girlfriends.
Even at the age of 80, he once lived with seven top beauties and claimed to have maintained intimate relationships with them. However, Hefner later stated that the pressure of seven people was indeed a bit too much. After some reduction and heartache, he eventually only dated three top beauties at the same time.
If Chamberlain's claim of having 2 women is baseless and full of doubts, and it's basically safe to say that Chamberlain was just bragging, then this guy's claim of having dated 2000 women in his lifetime is not only highly believable, but also makes people suspect that he's being modest.
In any case, most people believe that the number is definitely more than that!
There are many successful people in this world, but almost everyone will say: I still have regrets in my life. If I could start over, I would do this or that. Or they will say that although I am very successful, I envy someone else's life and I would like to switch places with him.
Some of these successful people's words come from the heart, while others are meant to maintain a certain image. Regardless of their authenticity, they are certainly full of controversy.
But only Hefner, the guy who said he had no regrets in his life and that he would never trade lives with anyone, was believed by everyone.
In particular, all the men believed: this guy is serious.
And every man in the world, except for homosexuals, would absolutely be willing to shout to Hefner: I'd trade places with you!
He's such an enviable and even jealous old man!
This person said he had long admired Lin Tian and that they would definitely become friends. Lin Tian thought to himself: He really has a good eye for people!
This guy and Lin Tian have absolutely the same hobbies.
They are all vulgar, lowbrow culture enthusiasts, ordinary people full of low tastes.
「这12个姑娘，是2004年1-12月花花公子杂誌的封面女郎！除了一月已经拍过并且开始发售之外，其余11个可是完全神秘并且未知的。」
"And I haven't even had a chance to touch them in September and November yet." Hefner told Lin Tian this without any hesitation, then looked at Lin Tian with a smile: "This is the first time I've brought them out with me, if it weren't for the fact that I owe that damn James a huge favor."
"There's absolutely no way I could bring them out at this time!"
"Come on, Lin, choose a few. Any of them will do, as long as you don't make them cry or feel disappointed. But I have to take the rest back with me. Even James won't be allowed to touch a hair on their heads right now!"
"See, Lin!" Dolan wasn't upset about not getting a share at all; instead, he was incredibly excited. "Only in New York! Only in New York can you enjoy this! Come on, go and have a perfect night!"
"Then let's go for September and November!"
Lin Tian certainly wouldn't let such a benefit pass him by. He wasn't going to be polite, and was even a little impolite, directly revealing the information Hefner had just given him.
"Hahahaha!" Hefner laughed loudly, "I knew it! I knew it was James! No wonder you two became friends, because you're both shameless bastards!"
After saying that, Hefner waved his hand, and the 10 girls left with him, while the remaining two girls stood shyly beside Lin Tian.
"Isn't he going to stay and play with us?" Lin Tian was very curious. This lively scene was exactly what Hefner liked, so why did he just leave?
"He has his ways," Dolan shrugged. "His establishment doesn't allow even one man other than himself, but I think he's definitely remembered you! Maybe you could even be on the cover of Playboy?"
"You should go. Your round figure and excess fat are more to men's liking," Lin Tian chuckled, then casually put his arms around the waists of the two girls and said, "I need to find a place to play cards. Do you have any cards or a table here?"
……
That night, Lin Tian truly experienced the longing and enthusiasm that the people of New York had for him.
At the same time, Lin Tian also developed a sense of respect for Ray Allen.
What kind of person can remain calm and refuse the opponent's demands when facing a four-on-one attack?
That's a real man, a real man.
After finishing two games in New York, Lin Tian and the entire Pacers team returned to Indiana to prepare for the next game.
They'll have a day off and will be facing the San Antonio Spurs!
Since Duncan left the Spurs, the team has never made the playoffs again. To make matters worse, the team over-specified a lot of draft picks in order to trade Richmond and Jalen Rose. After all, no one could have imagined that Duncan, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would run away.
After years of decline and the Knicks' generosity, the Spurs have finally gotten their chance this year! They've got their chance to rise again!
As expected, LeBron James has demonstrated unparalleled ability and dominance since entering the league this season. So far this season, he has averaged 20.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
If James can maintain these stats until the end of the season, he will become the third rookie in the league to average 20+5+5 per game, after Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan.
An absolutely historic newcomer!
最少从数据上来看，詹姆斯的20+5+5比安东尼的21分以及韦德的场均18+5+4要明显好上一个量级。
Of course, Wade and Anthony's stats are steadily improving, especially after Wade was promoted to the starting lineup. It's really hard to say what kind of average stats these three will achieve by the end of the season!
But one thing is certain: these three will become lifelong rivals, and they will likely fight to the death for more than a decade. At least some people have already started calling them the "03 Trio," and some have even said: The new generation of Jordan, Barkley, and Olajuwon has arrived!
As for the Spurs, the team officially became a bottom-feeder after David Robinson retired, but after James joined the team this year, the Spurs' record has improved significantly. They are currently 18 wins and 17 losses, temporarily ranking eighth in the Western Conference, and have a chance to return to the playoffs this year.
If the team wants to make it back to the playoffs, relying on James alone is clearly not enough.
Besides LeBron James, the team's second-leading scorer is Zach Randolph, a power forward who averages 17 points and 8 rebounds per game. He is not only an excellent player in the paint but also very good at mid-range and long-range shots.
In addition, the team also acquired versatile forward Hedo Turkoglu, blue-collar center Rasul Nesterovic, and Bruce Bowen, who a few years ago tried to block Lin Tian but was knocked into the air by Lin Tian and suffered a severe concussion.
After the collision, Bowen spent almost a month in the hospital before passing all the concussion tests and examinations. He was only able to leave the hospital after it was finally confirmed that he was alright. However, he also said goodbye to the season and the Heat.
Riley did not renew his contract, and the guy was unable to find a job in the league again. He could only go to Europe again to look for opportunities. After several wanderings, Bowen finally returned to the league last season and joined the Spurs.
Through a season of honing his skills and his relentless training and tenacious defense, coupled with his increasingly accurate corner three-pointers, Bowen has finally established himself in the league this season!
He is currently averaging 9 points per game with a 39% three-point shooting percentage, including a 48% three-point shooting percentage from the corners. His defense is also recognized by teams and the community, making him a strong contender for this season's All-Defensive Team!
Finally, and most importantly, Bowen is now a representative of clean defense in the league. He plays cleanly, plays simple defense, and never uses dirty tricks or fouls to injure his opponents.
He, along with Battier of the Grizzlies and Christie of the Pacers, also had a nickname: the "Clean Defense Trio".
From this perspective, Lin Tian's actions back then deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.
Allen, Carter, Kobe, Szczerbiak, McGrady, and others should at least pool their money to buy Lin Tian an apartment in Beverly Hills to do him the right thing!
"Lin, long time no see." James grinned, revealing the wrinkles on his forehead, displaying his middle-aged smile, and gave Lin Tian a high five: "It's amazing, it still feels like I was playing basketball in your talent camp yesterday."
"But when I woke up, I found ourselves facing off in an NBA game!"
Just as Lin Tian was about to exchange pleasantries with James, someone from the technical table suddenly called out to James. The guy turned around, glanced at him, quickly apologized to Lin Tian, and then walked over to the technical table.
Then Lin Tian watched as this guy did an incredibly awkward set of preparatory movements, then picked up the coal powder, rubbed it in his hands, and finally "poof"ed it into the sky.
James was surrounded by several photographers who followed him around taking pictures. After glancing at the footage, the photographers nodded but did not disperse. Instead, they followed James back to Lin Tian's side.
"Lin, it's been a long time! It's a dream come true to be able to compete against you on the court." James repeated his opening remarks as if he had lost his memory.
However, after glancing at the camera next to him, Lin Tian understood.
Even greeting seniors and friends had to be filmed...
Lin Tian could only say: They really know how to have fun.
The chosen one is someone who has a lot of prestige.
I'll find a few teams myself sometime and have some fun here!
We'll do 30 takes of the greeting scene and see if those old bastards will break down and get angry.
Then, keep the footage of the part where they got angry!
Yeah, let's play like this! It's fun!
After both sides warmed up for a while, the ten starting players from both sides officially took to the field.
It's worth mentioning that James was not yet 19 years old in his rookie season, and his body was still developing, although his physique was simply monstrous compared to high school students of the same age.
No matter how talented he is, he is still essentially a high school student. It is obviously not a good choice for him to compete against the muscle-bound players at the 3-4 positions in the NBA. Therefore, he played the point guard position in his rookie season, not the 3-4 position he would later play.
After all, he is faster than 90% of point guards in the league, and he is not at a disadvantage in terms of speed and mobility. At the same time, he has a height that far exceeds that of players in the same position. While his current strength may not be very good against those big men at the small forward position, there are very few players stronger than him at the point guard position.
Apart from Lin Tian and Baron Davis from next door, there isn't a single point guard who can go toe-to-toe with James in terms of strength and weight.
Playing point guard would be more conducive to his performance and growth!
"Beep beep!"
With a whistle from the referee, the basketball was tossed into the air, and Miller stretched out his long arms, defeating fellow white floor-bound center Rasu, securing the Pacers' first offensive possession.
James immediately lowered his center of gravity, spread his arms, and entered a defensive stance.
"Come on, Lin! I've been waiting for this day for so long!"
"Unfortunately, I'm not really looking forward to this day. Tonight is just 1 in 82 for me," Lin Tian retorted casually. Instead of attacking himself, he passed the ball to Artest in the low post.
Let Artest bully Turkoglu and a few others first, and then change your strategy once the Spurs have reacted.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!" After three consecutive impacts, Artest's headbutt on Turkoglu left him wobbling as he staggered to the basket, easily sinking a two-pointer before the Spurs could provide help defense.
For the Spurs, James quickly brought the ball up the court, and the Spurs players quickly took their positions. Turkoglu and Bowen stood in the corners on both sides, while Sura stood in the midfield. Then Randolph quickly stepped up and set a screen for James.
After the two players screened the ball, Randolph quickly moved to one side, while James drove straight to the basket with the ball!
Miller quickly stepped forward, blocking James's path to the basket. James, as expected of one of the greatest players in history, quickly found Turkoglu standing in the corner and delivered a long pass. Turkoglu caught the ball, pulled it up, and threw it.
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Turkoglu hit a three-pointer!
Then, when it was the Pacers' turn to attack again, the person guarding Lin Tian changed.
Having suffered a great loss at Lin Tian's hands before, Bo Wen quickly entangled with Lin Tian, starting to guard him from the backcourt.
As for James, he went to defend Christie.
"Weren't you looking forward to facing off against LeBron? And you just ran away?" Lin Tian said, somewhat amused and exasperated. You just made a tough statement, and then you ran away? What kind of move is this?
"This is for a greater victory!" James remained calm, quoting Dumbledore's famous words, before heading off with Christie.
"Bruce, long time no see." Seeing James run away, Lin Tian was too lazy to pay him any more attention. He turned slightly to look at the guy he had almost driven out of the NBA and said, "You haven't had a good few years, have you?"
"It was terrible." Bowen lowered his center of gravity, focusing intently. "But I deserved it! I played the wrong way, and I won't do it again!"
"Basketball is about winning head-on! I will never use dirty tricks to hurt anyone in my life!"
Looking at Bowen's serious expression, Lin Tian felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
Did my Lord Lin's move back then directly bring out this guy's inner personality?
He transformed Bowen from a ruthless, reckless stomper who incurred the wrath of the entire league into a clean-playing, defensively sound, and morally upright "President" Bowen.
That's why I say, you have to go all out for it to work!
Carter, Allen, Szczerbiak, whoever they are, they chased him for ages and didn't manage to knock a single hair off him. Well, that's partly why Bowen didn't have a single hair on his head.
But the point is, you chased after people and beat them, but you didn't actually beat them up.
The reason is simply that they weren't ruthless enough!
Learn from me, Master Lin, I can beat someone into submission in one go!
In the following rounds of matchups, Bowen was the one guarding Lin Tian, and Bowen was indeed as he said, his defense was very clean.
He's a spitting image of Battier!
Has she really changed her personality?
Am I, Lin, destined to win the Nobel Peace Prize?
However, in terms of defensive effectiveness, because Bowen doesn't have Battier's size, his defensive effectiveness is somewhat reduced after he gives up his dirty tricks. At least when facing him, Lin Tian doesn't need to put any effort or thought into guarding against his feet.
Even if you bring your Shadowless Kick, I, Lin Da Guan Gong, am not afraid of you. Now? Of course, you are even less of a threat!
After testing the waters a couple of times, Lin Tian immediately launched an attack, driving straight to the basket once again. Before the defender could catch up, he easily made a floater, scoring another 2 points!
Following the Spurs' offense, James switched to a different player for a pick-and-roll, calling out Nesterovic. After the two executed a pick-and-roll at the high post, James immediately accelerated towards the basket!
Although his weight hasn't reached its peak yet and his body is still growing, James's impact isn't as exaggerated and terrifying as it will be later, but his vision and passing ability are already showing signs of what he will have in the future.
After drawing Miller's help defense, James passed the ball to Nesterovic, allowing the big man to complete a spectacular dunk!
What about the next few rounds?
Bowen's individual defense was completely ineffective against Lin Tian's offense. As for the Spurs' two big men, Nesterovic was too slow to move and Randolph would need at least ten more years to learn how to defend. Expecting them to help defend and stop Lin Tian in time was wishful thinking.
The Spurs' current defensive system lacks a truly qualified rim protector, and apart from Bowen, the defensive abilities of the rest of the players are either mediocre or terrible. Therefore, their current system is not even in its infancy, let alone excellent.
Anyway, Lin Tian played with absolute ease in the first quarter!
He consistently scored or passed the ball, calmly organizing the offense and directing his teammates' movements.
He played 9 minutes in the first quarter, scoring 13 points and dishing out 5 assists. Tonight looked like another perfect night for statistics!
Under his leadership, the Pacers scored 28 points in the first 9 minutes and 33 points in the first quarter, demonstrating impressive offensive firepower.
马刺队那边，詹姆斯第一节虽然就出现了2次失误，但他3次攻筐得手，同时罚球2罚1中拿下7分2篮板3助攻的漂亮数据。
Apart from James, the other Spurs players' stats weren't particularly outstanding, mostly around 2-5 points.
In this quarter, the Spurs also scored 25 points.
In the second quarter, both teams' key players, James and Lin Tian, were on the bench to rest. The Spurs were led by Turkoglu and Randolph against the Pacers' Parker and Artest.
Unexpectedly, when James was off the court, Turkoglu no longer waited in the corner for shooting opportunities, but instead displayed his talent as a point forward. Although not top-notch, his playmaking, passing, and individual offense were all quite impressive, and he organized the Spurs' offense quite well.
Randolph, meanwhile, sank down to the basket, repeatedly taking turns one-on-one and dominating Bonner and Tabak. His size advantage and his touch around the basket were simply too good!
Four minutes into the second quarter, the Pacers' bench players underperformed as usual, allowing the Spurs to go on an 11-4 run, narrowing the gap to just one point in the blink of an eye!
At this point, Carlisle had no choice but to quickly make a substitution.
As Lin Tian said, it's great to show off when you're leading by 20 points, but when your opponent is about to catch up, do you expect Carlisle to keep acting all high and mighty and confident?
He can't fake it.
There's no way around it; the league only has one Phil Jackson.
Only this old man can put on such a show, even in the playoffs or the finals.
Besides him, no one else can really do this job!
With the return of Lin Tian, Haslem, and others, the Pacers are now starting four players, except for Howard who replaced Artest.
On the Spurs' side, Popovich did the same, quickly bringing on James, along with power forward Robert Horry, who joined the team from the Lakers this year!
At this point, the Spurs' lineup on the court consisted of Nesterovic, Horry, Turkoglu, Bowen, and James!
Lin Tian felt a sense of familiarity when he saw the opposing lineup.
Apart from Nesterovic, who is a pure role player, the other three players happen to be the three players with the highest three-point shooting percentage and the greatest confidence on the Spurs.
Lin Tian was too familiar with this lineup, or rather, he was too familiar with this style of play.
One star radiating from four directions!
It's unbelievable that Popovich, in James's first year in the professional league, developed such a tactical approach and supporting lineup that relied so heavily on James's individual abilities.
However, Lin Tian was not afraid of this lineup at all.
What level is your LeBron James at right now?
His lack of physical strength prevents him from even playing the small forward position; he's just a kid who hasn't even grown up yet.
"I'll guard LeBron! Everyone else, just guard your own man. Don't help, don't assist, don't leave anyone open, just guard your own man, understand?"
"clear!"
After quickly communicating with his teammates, Lin Tian rushed to James' side and began to closely guard him!
As usual, the first quarter was for you young guys to get a feel for things and show off your talent. Now that the first quarter is over, it's time to get down to business.
"Bang!"
Upon seeing Lin Tian approach, James quickly turned around, nudged Lin Tian with his buttocks, and said, "So, you're getting serious now? Then come on, Lin! I won't lose to you!"
"Yes, yes, you are the young king, a child from Akron, everyone knows that." Lin Tian impatiently continued to press closer, then reached out to try and snatch him away. (End of Chapter)