Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 868 Let's make a bet that spans many years! The stakes are...

"I really don't understand you." Before the Rookie Challenge began, Miller switched back into chat mode, smiling as he asked Lin Tian, ​​"Why did you suddenly come back to commentate?"

"Because I want to." Lin Tian shrugged, completely relaxed.

"Why don't you continue making movies? To be honest, Lin, I'm already a fan of yours. I love this movie." Van Gundy asked, his bald head gleaming.

"Because I don't want to," Lin Tian said.

"But you can make 3 million US dollars from one movie!" Miller shook his head, expressing disbelief.

"I'm not short of money." Lin Tian's expression was more relaxed this time: "I do everything because I love it. It's the same with making movies, playing basketball, running and boxing, and commentating."

"I think the most important thing in life is feeling and experiencing. I have already experienced things I haven't experienced before, and I have already achieved success, so I want to try something else and continue to find what I love."

"Right now, what I love most is commentary, so I'm back."

Miller and Van Gundy both grimaced at Lin Tian's somewhat irritating remarks, but they couldn't really find any words to protest.

What can they do?

After making 3 million yuan from the movie, Lin Tian quit making movies and came to work as a narrator, doing a job that doesn't pay much in a month.

People say it's out of love, how can the two of them refute that?

Go make your damn movies, don't try to steal our jobs!

Those people in the film industry would probably be more suited to say this.

Go talk about your damn ball, and stop stealing our jobs!

"You're really enviable," Miller said sincerely this time. "You can do anything with such ease. Sometimes I really want to grab you and dissect you to see what's inside your brain."

"You might not know what's inside my brain, but I'm pretty sure what's inside yours," Lin Tian said mercilessly, "It's all shit!"

"Alright, gentlemen, let's take a look at the lineups for this year's Rookie Challenge!" Van Gundy interrupted the two men's bickering, smiling as he said, "The freshman team has already made its appearance."

"Reggie, Lin, which of these rookie players do you think has the most potential?"

"I have high hopes for many players, but I think Evans will be the best in this draft class! He plays point guard, but his physicality and strength are comparable to many small forwards. He has a mature physique, and more importantly, he's very good at using his body!"

Miller began his predictions first.

"He's not afraid of contact, he enjoys contact, which is especially valuable among rookies! I believe he can definitely become an MVP-caliber player, and he will become another superstar to put up 20+5+5 in his rookie season!"

"But I think Evans actually has a big problem," Lin Tian continued. "He's very good at driving to the basket and making layups, and his ability to pass after a drive is also exceptional, but Evans' problem is that he can't find his own role! He needs to find the playing style that suits him best as soon as possible."

"He's fast, tall, and good at physical contact, but he hasn't reached the top level in any of those areas. He needs to find his strengths, or he'll go from being an all-rounder to being an all-in-one!"

"There are actually many players like this in the league. Some people can be faster than him but not as tall, and taller than him but not as fast. But there are also some people who are not as fast as him but are taller, and not as tall as him but are faster."

"This isn't just a catchphrase; it's a common problem among many players who think they're all-rounders but haven't found their niche! Including next year's top rookie, Evan Turner, he faces the same issue, and I really hope he can sort these things out in college."

"In addition, I've noticed that the Kings have had him try out many positions this year. He has to settle down. He has to find his place and make up for his weaknesses before he becomes incompetent."

"Otherwise, when his opponents understand him well enough and can find his weaknesses, this year's highlights could very well become the most brilliant phase of his career."

"I sincerely hope that Evans can hear these words. I love his talent, so I can't bear to see him fall into ruin."

"Whether what you say is accurate or not, and whether it will become a reality in the future, I now believe that you returned to the competition because of your passion! If you hadn't watched enough matches, you would never have been able to understand these newcomers so well." Van Gundy nodded at Lin Tian and then continued to ask questions.

"So, since you don't think highly of Evans, who among the 09 class do you favor? Don't tell me there isn't a single person here you like!"

"Of course there is," Lin Tian said. "Stephen Curry is very good! I've known him since he was about 8 years old. He completely inherited his father's touch and has even better talent than his father! It's amazing, I've played against his father before, so I've watched him grow up."

"Now, I'm going to watch him become an NBA player."

"But Steve's ankles and physicality are problematic," Miller added. "His health is a concern, and a point guard whose selling point is a pure shooter—there's no such player in NBA history! Compared to Stephen, I actually favor the point guard talents from his draft class more."

"Brandon Jennings! Although he's also skinny, Jennings is faster, stronger, and has a greater scoring explosiveness. He's already scored 55 points once this year! Lin, what do you think of him?"

"Brandon is great! A classic American guard, but he's too classic. The NBA has no shortage of scoring guards like him. I know combo guards are popular in the league now, but like I said, he has to find something that sets him apart so he doesn't just blend into the crowd."

"And Stephen already has something that sets him apart: his three-point shot! His three-point shot will become a nuclear weapon-level scoring method; I believe he can change the entire ecosystem of the league!"

"To put it another way, if I were Stephen's coach, I would let him take 10 three-pointers in a game! If he wanted, he could take 20."

"I believe he can change this league!"

"Didn't you say before that you thought Chris Paul would be your successor?" Miller said. "Now it seems you think Stephen is more likely to succeed you?"

"When I was optimistic about Chris, Stephen hadn't even entered the league yet, right? And didn't you guys notice that I was deliberately bullying him back then?" Lin Tian laughed loudly, "Because Chris provoked me during the game, which made me very angry."

"I was so angry that I beat him up myself and it still didn't satisfy me, so I told everyone that I thought Chris could become the best point guard. And I remember, he was targeted by all the point guards in the league and got beaten up on the court many times!"

"Chris, I apologize! If you can see this, I sincerely apologize, but you are really great, you really have the potential to be the best guard."

"Hey Chris, over here!" Van Gundy suddenly waved his arms and shouted at Paul, who was walking by and hadn't sat down yet, "Did you hear Lin apologize to you?"

"Let him die!" More than ten meters away, Paul couldn't say anything more vulgar because the cameras were all pointed at him. He could only send his blessings to Lin Tian from afar with a helpless expression.

Go to hell, you bastard!

Paul's blessing naturally drew laughter from the three of them. Just then, the second-year team finished entering the field, and Van Gundy immediately said, "Alright, you two, let's talk about it again. How's the second-year team?"

"Should you go first or me?" Lin Tian asked Miller. "So you don't accuse me of targeting you later."

"You go first," Miller waved his hand and said, "I'll wait until you finish speaking before I target you!"

"Whatever." Lin Tian shook his head and said, "Derrick shouldn't be here. He should be playing in the All-Star Game! What? He's already been selected? Great! It proves that the league's coaches are still knowledgeable."

"Derrick is really great! But some other guys shouldn't be overlooked either, like Russell. I know Russell isn't very efficient, and I know his playing style is a bit too obsessive, but his never-give-up attitude is really captivating!"

"He's the old-school player. I see the ruthlessness of players from the 8s and 90s in him, not the friendly, party-your-friends mentality that's popular now. Basketball doesn't need that many friends. Michael didn't have many friends. Winning was the most important thing!"

"Of course, he's still a rough diamond that needs polishing, but his personality and physical attributes will definitely allow him to grow into an MVP-caliber star! I predict Russell will become MVP in some future year, and I believe he can maintain MVP-level performance for 7-8 consecutive years!"

"What he needs to do is the same as Derrick: they both need to protect their bodies and avoid being too aggressive or reckless. Physical fitness is their capital for survival in the league!"

"Then Marc Gasol and Kevin Love will definitely become top-tier interior players in the league. They both have the talent, and they can both get even better!"

"I disagree with you!" Miller said immediately after Lin Tian finished speaking. "Michael Beasley is the real old-school player! He's proud and incredibly capable. His one-on-one skills remind me of Wilkins and Sprewell. They were both top-tier one-on-one wing players."

"Michael could be an MVP contender in at least some years because he's competitive, confident, and full of energy. A player like that can't possibly fail!"

"But excess energy, to the point of overflowing, is not a good thing either," Lin Tian said. "If he has too much energy, to the point that he is interfered with by external factors and a lot of extra troubles, then his energy will only do more harm than good."

"By the way, I also noticed that Oden was on the court. This is his third season in the league. He was injured in his first season, played about 40 games in his second season, and has only played 25 out of 51 games this year."

"He really needs to change doctors. He may have the potential to become a top center, but if he doesn't change doctors soon, his potential may just remain potential."

「但格雷格最近打的很好！他1月下旬到全明星赛前的最近10场比赛，场均能够贡献15分11篮板和3次盖帽呢！以他的年纪和天赋来说，他完全有机会让这个数据变成他的场均数据。」

"Then next year, I will further improve and become a top-tier center with 20+10 stats." Miller genuinely wanted to protect the Pacers players. As soon as Lin Tianyi said Oden was bad, this guy immediately started to refute.

"But don't you think Oden's walking posture is a bit strange? I think Oden should at least measure the length of his two legs. I can see that his left leg seems to be a little longer than his right leg."

"Of course I know this is not a congenital disease. It is most likely that his multiple injuries have led to uneven muscle development in his two legs, coupled with psychological factors, which makes him afraid to put too much weight on the other leg when walking."

"But he has to recognize and face this problem. Reggie, you can talk to Larry and ask him to take a good look at Greg and not let him continue to make do like this! Larry has definitely picked out the potential of a top center."

"But if he's not used well, Greg might become the most regrettable 'what if' in NBA history."

This time, Miller didn't continue to refute Lin Tian. Instead, he nodded and kept Lin Tian's words in mind. He decided that after the explanation, he would immediately call Bird and tell him what Lin Tian had said.

After the three of them analyzed a large number of newcomers from the past two years, the Rookie Challenge officially began tonight.

It has to be said that the quality of the rookies in the past two years has been quite good and very high. Both sides have players with the potential to become MVPs or have the talent to be All-Stars for many years. When the players from both sides start playing, it is very exciting and the fans cheer wildly for their favorite players.

The score remained neck and neck between the two sides.

As the game drew to a close, it became almost a real-life manifestation of what Lin Tian and Miller had just predicted and analyzed.

First, Curry from the first-year team grabbed a rebound, dribbled to the frontcourt, and pulled up for a long-range three-pointer, but missed.

Then Beasley grabbed the rebound and drove the length of the court, forcing his way to the basket for a layup, extending the lead to 4 points.

Then, the top freshman, Evans, made a layup and scored a 2+1, narrowing the score to 1 point.

Then it was Westbrook's turn to have a one-on-one opportunity, but his mid-range jump shot also bounced off the rim and missed.

Then, Jennings, a freshman, dribbled the ball up the court, suddenly accelerated past Rose beyond the three-point line, and made a powerful layup, giving the freshman team the lead!

Both sides played incredibly fast, with almost no passing, leaving the fans stunned.

Miller was overjoyed: "Look, Lin, several of the players you favored made terrible choices or made choices that caused the team to lose the initiative, while the players I favored have been performing better and better."

"So what? If I remember correctly, we were talking about the players' entire career performance, not how they'll perform tonight," Lin Tian said unmoved. "If you're really not convinced, or if you have the guts..."

"We can have Jeff act as the referee and remember the judgment we just made."

"Then in 10 years, no! In 5-6 years we'll know the answer! Then we'll bring out everything we said tonight and see who's right and who's wrong, how about that?"

"Fine, let's do it!" Miller wasn't backing down at all this time, and asked directly, "What are we betting on?"

"We're not betting on anything," Lin Tian shrugged. "Whoever's wrong will be the one who loses face! Jeff, let's set it for six years from now! Let's set it for the All-Star Game six years from now, and how about the three of us do the commentary together?"

"Then, on that day, we'll see who's more embarrassed, how many of our favorites will make it to the All-Star Game, and who won't even be able to play."

"It's a deal!"

Miller and his two companions have now officially reached an agreement and made a bet six years from now.

Lin Tian was absolutely confident about this bet; he was certain he would win!

Now, regarding this bet, what Lin Tian needs to do is start thinking six years in advance about how to trash talk and mock Miller.

On the field, the game was now in its final minute, and the second-year team, with their extra year of experience and physical development, had regained the lead.

The final minute of the game became Rose's show. The only player on both sides to be selected for the All-Star Game drove into the paint twice in the last minute to complete layups, widening the score gap again!

The freshman team clearly lacked a leader like Rose; the guys all wanted to be the big brother, which resulted in everyone fighting their own battles in a chaotic manner.

In the end, the second-year team successfully defended the dignity of their seniors, narrowly securing a victory and continuing their crushing winning streak against the first-year team!

For the fans, tonight's performance was definitely worth the ticket price.

They watched the game with the largest live audience in basketball history, enjoyed the exciting Rising Stars Challenge, and witnessed the bet between Lin Tian and Miller.

What could be more fun than this All-Star game?

But for the fans, the less-than-ideal and perfect thing was that when they happily turned on the TV again the next day, wanting to see Lin Tian and Miller bickering, they found that Lin Tian was gone, and only Miller and Van Gundy were left in the commentary booth again.

"Sorry, Lin said his daughter misses him and he has to go back to Los Angeles immediately to take care of her. So, Jeff and I will continue to provide commentary for the next two days of the games!"

Miller's voice sounded so infuriating at that moment.

Lin Tian, ​​that irresponsible guy who's always running around and not doing his job, is just as infuriating!

Who knows when we'll hear Lin Tian's commentary again after this run?

I wonder if we'll still be able to hear Lin Tian commentating during the regular season this season?

Lin Tian: That's definitely possible! (End of Chapter)