NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

Chapter 109 [109] Return to the target center and receive the championship ring!
dallas.

American Airlines Arena.

The Los Angeles Lakers' away game against the Dallas Mavericks almost ended before and after the Rockets VS Heat game.

Although the Lakers lost O'Neal, the league's No. [-] center in the new season, their strength has shrunk significantly, and they also lost two games in a row at the beginning of the new season.

But tonight, facing the mighty Mavericks led by Nowitzki, Black Mamba Bryant ushered in an explosion after knowing his shame.
全场狂轰48分7篮板5助攻3抢断1封盖，完全打爆了对位的迈克尔·芬利，命中准绝杀2分险胜小牛，拒绝开局三连败。

Odom also scored his first 20+10 after joining the Lakers, and Caron Butler scored 16 points.

In the postgame interview, ESPN beauty reporter Erin Andrews came to Bryant's side:

"Kobe, congratulations on playing another classic game tonight, can you talk to the fans about the reason for your explosion?"

Kobe faced the microphone, full of domineering, confident and stubborn:
"Many fans are not optimistic about the Lakers in the new season, because that person has left, but I just want to prove with actions that without that guy, the Lakers still have a chance to win the championship!"

"Kobe, what do you think of Lin hitting 14 three-pointers in tonight's game against the Heat, breaking your single-game three-point record and scoring 51 points at the same time?"

Hearing what Andrews said, Kobe was stunned immediately, and the cold look on his face disappeared instantly:
"What? Lin made 14 three-pointers tonight?"

"I knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to come so soon. This guy's three-pointers are really crazy!"

……

With Lin Fei's superb performance in the Heat VS Rockets game, Quanmi once again set off a "Linsanity" storm.

Lin Fei's No. 22 jersey for the Heat has seen a steady increase in genuine sales.

14 three-pointers in a single game and the youngest Mr. 50 points, these two labels have virtually made Lin Fei a popular supernova in the NBA.

Coupled with the fact that Lin Fei was the championship winner in his rookie season and the Olympic silver medal, his overall popularity has overwhelmed his teammate Wade, not even losing to LeBron James.

As the big brother of the world's sports brand, Nike signed James with 7 million US dollars in 9000 years, but they were unwilling to give Lin Fei a sneaker contract with an annual salary of more than 800 million US dollars last season, and finally missed out on this huge potential stock.

But Ding Shizhong, the chairman of Anta Group, burst into laughter.

Lin Fei's popularity at home and abroad has skyrocketed, coupled with his high-quality idol image, this has allowed Anta's brand value to continue to rise, and the sales of authentic clothing and sports shoes in various places have risen steadily.

Some active NBA stars and retired celebrities also talked about Lin Fei's 14 three-pointers in a single game and the youngest 50-point feat in public.

Kobe Bryant: "Lin has always been a rookie I admire, and his ceiling will surpass Reggie Miller and Ray Allen!"

Reggie Miller: "From ancient times to the present in the NBA, no player has shot three-pointers like Lin. His success cannot be replicated!"

Steve Nash: "The emergence of Lin has changed the NBA's iron law that the closer to the basket, the easier it is to score. The future league is likely to enter a new era!"

Hakeem Olajuwon: "If the Rockets had a player like Lin in the 90s, the Chicago Bulls would never have won six championships!"

Allen Iverson: "This is a magical game. Lin's 14 three-pointers seem to herald the reform of the league!"

LeBron James: "I regret that the Cavaliers didn't get Lin in the offseason. His team has always been a good contender for the championship!"

In view of Lin Fei's huge influence among domestic fan groups, China TV Channel decided to send a professional interview team to Milan to conduct a high-level exclusive interview with Lin Fei after deliberation.

After the game against the Rockets, Lin Fei and the Heat went on to the away game, took a special plane to Philadelphia on the east coast, and two days later faced the Philadelphia 76ers led by Allen Iverson.

Ten years in Philadelphia, ten years of king, so what's the matter without a crown?

In the original world, Lin Fei liked Iverson's style of play very much. It was his idol in junior high school.

But after winning the MVP in 01 and leading the team to the pinnacle of the finals, the Philadelphia 76ers led by Iverson fell into ups and downs and were unable to break through.
This also more fully exposed the split between Iverson's personal style of play and the team's record. AI is considered a charismatic star, but he is not a qualified team leader.

With the conflict between Iverson and Larry Brown leading to the departure of the head coach, the Philadelphia 76ers have not been able to find a suitable head coach in the last two seasons, which directly affected the team's tacit understanding and record.

The Philadelphia 76ers lineup for the new season is dominated by Allen Iverson, Mark Jackson, Kyle Korver, and rookie Iguodala.

The 2ers, who started the regular season with 1 wins and 76 loss, seem to have a good record, but they have not yet encountered a strong team.

Stan Van Gundy's goal for the Heat generals is naturally to win the 76ers and hit the four-game winning streak.

On the night when Lin Fei and the Heat arrived in Philadelphia, the NBA officially announced the best players in the East and West for the first week of the new season.

Western side.

The players nominated for the Player of the Week are:
Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs, and Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns.

To the surprise of the fans, Nash finally won the Western Conference Player of the Week award by virtue of averaging 17.2 points and 12.6 assists per game and leading the team to three consecutive victories.

The start of the new season of the Phoenix Suns shocked the fans. It was a wave of 3 consecutive victories. At the same time, they averaged more than 115 points per game, ranking first in the league in offensive efficiency.

Except for Lin Fei, a traveler, probably no one would have expected that the magic of the Suns this season has just begun, and the whirlwind of the first generation of the small ball era is sweeping wildly.

In the East, the players nominated for the best of the week are:
Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets, Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons, Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, and Lin Fei of the Miami Heat.

In the end, with the Heat's three-game winning streak in the new season, Lin Fei averaged 34 points per game (second in the league). Especially in the third game, he blasted 14 three-pointers and became the youngest player in the league with 51 points.

Without any suspense, he was elected the best player of the week in the first week of the Eastern Conference in the 04-05 season.

Although Lin Fei has almost no other statistics other than scoring and steals, and his technical bias is always serious, but this does not affect his decisive role on the court.

According to NBA big data, Lin Fei has also become the youngest foreign player to win the best award of the week in NBA history.

At the same time, Lin Fei is also the first foreign player in the NBA to score 50+ points (Olajuwon's late joining of American nationality does not count!).

According to the reward mechanism in the contract signed between Lin Fei and the Heat, this Eastern Conference Player of the Week will also give Lin Fei a bonus of 3 dollars.

There was not much suspense in the game against the 76ers. Wade and O'Neal returned to their normal state in this game. In addition, the 76ers' defense line was empty and their ability to protect the frame in the penalty area was also poor.

This gave both Wade and O'Neal a lot of room to play. Lin Fei returned to the bench as the sixth man. The Heat almost suppressed Philadelphia and finally won a solid victory 112:101.

韦德在这场比赛中和艾弗森互爆，全场轰下31分6篮板9助攻2抢断1封盖，艾弗森则是空砍36分。

养生的奥尼尔也轻松拿下22分11篮板2封盖，林飞则是出战27分钟，三分球8中7，加罚球拿下23分。

After winning the 76ers, the Heat won the first 4 consecutive victories, ended their three-game winning streak, and finally returned to Miami's home court.

Then they played the visiting Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks consecutively at home. These two teams are underdogs in the Eastern Conference. The Heat won easily, and the winning streak came to 6 games.

Lin Fei hit 6 three-pointers and 9 three-pointers in these two games.

At the beginning of the new season, at least 6 three-pointers were scored in six consecutive regular season games, which also created a new history.

With this wave of 6 consecutive victories at the beginning, the Miami Heat's record also directly came to No. [-] in the Eastern Conference.

The Phoenix Suns, No. 6 in the West, also have a record of 0 wins and [-] losses.

Next, the Heat will go to Phoenix to face the Phoenix Suns led by Steve Nash.

The starting five for the Suns this season are:

Point Guard (PG): Steve Nash,

Shooting guard (SG): Quentin Richardson,

Small Forward (SF): Joe Johnson,

Power Forward (PF): Shawn Marion,

Center (C): Amare Stoudemire.

Stoudemire, Marion, and singles Joe are all players averaging around 20+ per game at this time, plus Nash, the organizational brain, and Quentin Richardson, who is active in defense,

Under D'Antoni's running and bombing tactics, the Suns completely turned into a phoenix. The sharp fast breaks and wonderful cooperation made the opponent very uncomfortable.

The same is true for the Heat. O'Neal's heavy tonnage has become a hindrance, and Stoudemire and Marion are also able to run, jump and have unlimited vitality. Coupled with Nash's combing, this gave the Suns the upper hand at the beginning.

Because both D'Antoni and Nash know Lin Fei very well, the Suns have also worked out the most effective way to defend Lin Fei on defense.

The core of this method is to strangle the player and the passing line, and actively switch defenses when encountering pick-and-rolls.

The physical conditions of Marion and Stoudemire are very suitable for playing small ball, and the defensive end is also fully capable of unlimited defense, which makes it difficult for Wang Linfei and the inside screen to produce results and opportunities.

Throughout the game, although Wade also had 8 assists, he also sent 7 turnovers, giving the Suns too many fast break opportunities.

Under the sun's youthful storm of infinite defense changes, Lin Fei only took 7 shots tonight, hit 5 three-pointers, and scored 18 points with free throws.

This is also Lin Fei's first game of the new season with a score below 20+.

Although Wade, who is the first main attack point, also has 28 points, his efficiency is not high.

With Stoudemire and Marion constantly defending and double-teaming, it was difficult for O'Neal to receive the ball comfortably in the penalty area. He only made 11 shots and scored 17 points with free throws.

However, the Suns at home played a hearty game. Led by Nash with 15 assists, Stoudemire, Marion and Joe Johnson all scored 20+ points.

The substitute players also scored 25 points under the leadership of Bashi Lightning Barbosa.

In the end, the Suns beat the Miami Heat 116:102. While ending the Heat's 6-game winning streak, they also won the opening 7-game winning streak.

The loss also gave Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy a clearer picture of some of the issues facing the team.

There is not a qualified point guard in the team, and Wade is often used to organize, but Wade is not a first-class point guard after all, and there is a significant gap between his organizational ability and Steve Nash.

And when facing flexible insiders, the 32-year-old O'Neal will inevitably suffer in fast-paced games. Lin Fei's three-point catch is also difficult to exert its power in front of unlimited defenses.

As the game ended, Lin Fei and Nash also hugged and communicated with each other. Although the game was lost, it was not a bad thing for the Heat.

"Lin, how is the Suns' offensive system now? Does it feel more suitable for your characteristics?"

Nash had a smile on his face, and he still had a slight regret in his heart for not being able to join hands with Lin Fei in the new season.

Lin Fei laughed and said, "Steve, my greatest energy has now shifted from three-pointers to defense!"

"Offense wins box office, but defense wins championships!"

Although Lin Fei "only" hit 5 three-pointers tonight, he performed well on the defensive end, contributing a career-high 4 steals in a single game,
Whether defending Quentin Richardson or switching Nash and Joe Johnson, Lin Fei performed very well and worked hard, which was affirmed by Stan Van Gundy.

With continuous wins and free attribute points, Lin Fei's overall defensive attribute has reached 87 points, and his stealing attribute is 94.

Putting more energy into defense has more or less affected the state of the offensive end, but Lin Fei believes that he will continue to adjust and do better.

Hearing Lin Fei's words "Offense wins the box office, defense wins the championship", Nash also showed a dignified look on his face.

For the current Suns, defense is indeed a big problem, but it is temporarily covered by offense and winning streak during the regular season.

The Timberwolves were able to win the championship last season, thanks to Lin Fei's three-pointer, but the defensive system dominated by Garnett is the mainstay of the team.

Although the Suns beat the Heat at home tonight, in Nash's view, the Heat's overall strength is still stronger than the Suns.

"Lin, you are becoming more and more mature now, let's work hard together!"

Lin Fei also smiled confidently: "Steve, in June next year, I hope we can meet again in the finals!"

Nash's eyes flashed. He didn't expect that Lin Fei's ambitions were really big. He had already thought of next year's finals right after the regular season started.

"Haha, Lin, you are a champion after all, but I only touched the floor of the Western Conference Finals once!"

"But this season is indeed a good opportunity for me and the Suns, so I hope we can meet in the finals!"

The fans of the Suns at home in the American West Arena, seeing the team win the powerful Miami Heat at home, are naturally even more excited, looking forward to the unlimited prospects of the team this season.

"Last season's record was still at the bottom of the Western Conference. This season started with a 7-game winning streak. Steve's ability to lead the team is too strong!"

"Looks like we have to say sorry to Steve, how much we hated him before the start of the season, and how much we love him now!"

"D'Antoni's offensive tactics really have something, the league is about to enter the era of fast-paced offense and defense!"

"With Lin here, this Suns team would be perfect, definitely at the championship level!"

"It is suggested to use Joe Johnson and the first-round pick to replace Lin. I don't know if the Heat management will agree!"

"Pat Riley is not a fool, let alone Joe Johnson, even Stoudemire and Steve, they probably wouldn't change!"

After losing to the Suns, the Heat quickly adjusted and rebounded. After returning home, they won the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets one after another.

Facing the platinum representatives of the 03 generation, Wade and Lin Fei cooperated tacitly, allowing James and Anthony to return home without a feather.

The second-year James did not have a good helper around the Cavaliers at this time. Although Big Z was an All-Star, he was easily hammered by O'Neal.

Coupled with the departure of Boozer, it is still difficult for the Cavaliers to make it to the playoffs this season.

James questioned the management's inaction and looked forward to getting a strong helper as soon as possible.

After all, he is the No. 03 pick of the [-] generation, and Lin Fei has already won the championship in the same year. We must not watch Wade and Lin Fei compete for the championship again.

The Nuggets in this period are already a playoff-level team, with the No. [-] pick in the team, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby supporting the inside, and Anthony's firepower has been further upgraded.

But compared with the Heat, there is a big gap between these two teams in terms of strength.

With a record of 8 wins and 1 loss, Lin Fei and the Heat flew to Minneapolis, where they will challenge their old club, the defending champion Timberwolves, in an away game.

This game back to the Target Center is also of great significance to Lin Fei, because as the main force of the Timberwolves last season,
Lin Fei will officially receive his first championship ring in his career before the start of the game.

As Lin Fei's best friend during his time in the Timberwolves, Czerbiak greeted him at the airport early, and brought Lin Fei, Wade, O'Neal and roughly four people to his villa together.

When Lin Fei revisited his old place, he naturally had a special feeling in his heart.

Not only did I eat the sister-in-law's steak that I was thinking of, but I also revisited the scenery of the pier on the bank of the Mississippi River and the small villa where I lived for a year when I ran in the morning the next day.

Minneapolis in mid-to-late November is already very cold, with an average temperature of around -5 degrees, and the highest temperature at noon is only 4-5 degrees. It is a completely different world from Miami.

After all, Lin Fei lived here for a year. He grew up in the imperial capital. He was already used to the cold winter. Wade and O'Neal couldn't do it. They caught a cold early the next morning, which affected the state of the game to some extent.

"Lin, it's all up to you to play against your old club tonight!"

"Yes, that Kevin guy actually said that the Timberwolves can still win the championship without you, so you have to slap him in the face tonight!"

06:30 p.m., Target Center Arena.

There are huge crowds of people in the auditorium on all sides, and there are no empty seats.

After winning the championship last season, the Timberwolves' fan base has become broader, and the team's value has also been significantly improved.

before the game starts.

Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor stepped onto the court in person to present Lin Fei with the championship ring of last season, and the Timberwolves fans cheered and applauded in the Target Center arena.

Lin Fei couldn't help laughing with tears in his eyes. He shook hands and hugged his boss, Glenn Taylor. At the same time, he took over the royal blue luxury championship ring, put it on the ring finger of his left hand, and then raised it high to the fans at the scene. Waving.

This arena where I stayed for a whole season is the place where my NBA dream started, and there are too many unforgettable memories for Lin Fei.

The difference from last season is that a championship banner has been hung on the roof of the pavilion at this time: the 2003-2004 championship Minnesota Timberwolves.

Standing on the sidelines,

On one side are Lin Fei's old teammates in the Timberwolves: Wolf King, Madman, Alien, Szebiak, Olowokandi, Hassel...

On the other side are Lin Fei's new teammates in the Heat: O'Neal, Wade, Roughly, Eddie Jones, Haslem, Tony Allen...

Seeing Lin Fei wear the first championship ring of his NBA career, the players of the two teams also smiled and sincerely applauded Lin Fei.

The wolf king is full of memories. When he saw Lin Fei, he remembered the passionate time of fighting side by side in the Western Conference finals and finals last season.

O'Neal Wade is full of longing, looking forward to breaking the embarrassing situation of no championship in team history for the Miami Heat this season, like the Timberwolves.

After all, O'Neal already has three championship rings, and Lin Fei now has one too, but apart from these two, none of the Heat's other players, including Wade, has a championship ring.

At this moment, on the high-definition four-sided screen on the roof of the pavilion, the Timberwolves' official top ten personal goals of last season, edited by Lin Fei himself, were also played accordingly.

Wonderful three-pointers, sharp moves, and the figure wearing the No. 22 Timberwolves jersey made countless Timberwolves fans on the scene burst into tears.

"Lin, we love you!"

"Lin, come back, Minneapolis will always be your home!"

"Wooooow, I miss Lin's three-pointer. If he is still in the Timberwolves, how great it would be!"

When the applause and cheers subsided a little, Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor, who was standing beside Lin Fei, also took the initiative to pick up the microphone and smiled at Lin Fei:

"Lin, come back to Target Arena and tell me how you feel right now?"

Lin Fei's eyes were still shining, and he said emotionally into the microphone:

"Minneapolis fans, I'm back! I love this championship ring and every one of you!"

(End of this chapter)