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

Chapter 165 [165] The new season begins, get your second championship ring!
The two teams that came to China to play preseason games were Lin Fei's Miami Heat and Yao Yao's Houston Rockets.

The Imperial City Station will start on October 10th, and the Magic City Station will start on October 9th. The Heat and Rockets will compete twice.

A huge poster was posted at the Workers' Stadium as early as a week ago, and both online and offline ticket sales modes were launched.

At this stage in 2005, Tianchao Ticketing Online (the predecessor of Damai.com) was still in the early stages of development. In addition, smartphones had not yet become popular and the 3G era had not yet arrived.

Therefore, fans can only purchase tickets online on PC.

Under the huge influence of Lin Fei and Dayao, coupled with the effects of stars such as Wade, O'Neal, and McGrady,

Therefore, the ticket prices for these two Tianchao games are also quite expensive. The ticket prices for the Workers Stadium are divided into 6 tiers. The most expensive one is 888 Tianchao coins for the front row on the sidelines, and the cheapest is 120 Tianchao coins for the three-tiered zenith. currency.

Compared with CBA, this price has increased several times.

However, some speculative scalpers continue to raise ticket prices. Many scalpers in the front row have sold their tickets to more than [-] yuan, but demand still exceeds supply.

"The Heat and Rockets combined have at least five All-Stars and three MVP levels. No matter how expensive the ticket is, it is definitely worth it!"

"The Heat seem to have introduced two new players during the offseason. I don't know how they are doing!"

"I heard that Wade has not fully recovered from knee surgery and may not play in the Tianchao game!"

"As long as I can take a look at it live, I want to see how big Wade's cheeks are. After all, this is just a preseason game, even if it's just a formality!"

"The gap between the strength of the Heat and the Rockets is a bit big. The Rockets have not made any substantial signings this offseason. The Timberwolves, Nuggets and Mavericks in the Western Conference have all significantly strengthened. It will probably be difficult for them to reach the playoffs!"

October 10, Workers' Stadium.

Because this is the first time that the NBA plays a preseason game in China, coupled with the national enthusiasm for basketball driven by Lin Fei’s influence,
Therefore, before the start of this Chinese match, the organizer also held a simple opening ceremony.

As a friend and fan of Lin Fei, Jay Chou also took time out of his busy schedule to attend the opening ceremony of the Tianchao Tournament for free and sang his songs "My Land" and "East Wind Break" live.

This can make fans who bought tickets to the scene feel flattered and feast their eyes.

"Not only can you see so many NBA stars with one ticket, but you can also listen to Jay Chou singing live. Isn't it so worth it?"

"Dr. Jay is Lin Fei's number one fan. Lin Fei helped him star in the MV of his new song in the first half of the year. Two geniuses in different fields really appreciate each other!"

"Look, isn't that McGrady? Why does this guy never look like he's awake?"

"Damn it, it feels like O'Neal has gained weight again. If he doesn't control his weight anymore, I'm afraid his dominance will continue to decline in the new season!"

When Lin Fei came on stage wearing the Heat's No. 22 jersey, the cheers reached its peak.

Countless fans were waving fluorescent sticks and signs, and more than two-thirds of the 1.6-seat auditorium were wearing Lin Fei's jersey.

Both the Imperial City and Magic City games were a complete success, and the fans who came to watch the game also felt the charm of the NBA up close.

After the game, Lin Feida and Dayao also showed their kindness as landlords, taking O'Neal, Wade, Tracy McGrady and other teammates to visit famous attractions such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Bund, and the Bird's Nest Stadium under construction.

This is the first time for O'Neill and others to come to China. At the same time, they also deeply feel the development and prosperity of China. The slander and slander in the US media news are pure nonsense.

With the end of the two Chinese matches, Lin Fei, Dayao, and others also flew back to the United States to prepare in advance for the upcoming new season.

The NBA's 2005-06 regular season will start on October 10. After an entire offseason of transactions and changes,
The strength of the league's 30 teams has also undergone some changes.

In the new season team strength list compiled by ESPN, the defending champion Miami Heat are still ranked No. 1.

The Heat have retained the framework of the three main players of Lin Fei, O'Neal and Wade, and all the heroes such as Jason Williams, Shane Battier, Rudy and Haslem are here.
At the same time, they also sent away Damon Jones, power forward Leanna and center Doliak, and re-signed the team's soul figure Alonzo Mourning with a minimum salary.

Rookies include second-year Tony Allen and first-year Ronny Turiaf.

Although he is 36 years old, Mourning's performance on the court is still strong, especially his momentum can inspire the team.

Throughout the 90s, Mourning made a comeback for the Heat, but still failed to touch the championship trophy.
Now that the Heat are stronger, Mourning also chose to return to his home team in his later years. While returning to his roots, he naturally hopes to realize his dream of a championship.

As the saying goes, investment comes from all directions. Now that the Heat have completed a record-breaking 16-game winning streak in the playoffs and won the championship, many veterans who are famous but have not won a championship are also eager to join, hoping to win a ring.

When Gary Payton was in the Lakers, he hoped to win a championship ring with OK. Now he also wants to come to the Heat, and he has decided to follow O'Neal.

Glenn Robinson also has the idea of ​​joining the Heat for one year with a basic salary.

But Pat Riley ultimately disagreed. He believed that the Heat's lineup is now more reasonable, and the only weak link may be the backup center.

It can be seen from the mainstream views of ESPN and official multimedia channels that the Heat's current strength is obvious to all.
Not only do they have a good chance of successfully defending their title, they even have a great chance of creating the second dynasty team in the 21st century.

After the Heat, No. 2 is still the San Antonio Spurs.

Although the Spurs traded away Manu Ginobili this offseason and dismantled the GDP portfolio,

But no one could foresee Ginobili's rapid growth and talent like Lin Fei. Stackhouse, who was traded, is also a good scorer and is still at his final peak.

The most important thing is Tim Duncan. He has always been the mainstay of the Spurs, and his overall performance in last year's Finals was a classic.

Outside of the Heat and Spurs, No. 3 is the Detroit Pistons, No. 4 is the Phoenix Suns, and No. 5 is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves sent away the Madman in the second half of last season and acquired Gerald Wallace. Now they acquired Ron Artest in the offseason trade and Danny Granger in the draft.
This makes the overall structure of the Timberwolves' lineup younger, coupled with the "Wolf King" Garnett in his peak period, so the team is back in contention for the championship again this season.

Veteran Sam Cassell officially chose to retire this offseason. Old teammates such as Lin Fei and Szebiak all sent their blessings to the aliens.

Compared with the original world, Cassel's career is obviously more successful. Although he retired two years earlier, he won the most important championship ring in his career.

Cassell, who has three rings in his hand, has performed brilliantly in the Rockets, Bucks or Timberwolves.

On the other hand, "Madman", one of the three-headed monsters, was also recognized by the Charlotte Bobcats and signed another two-year, 2 million veteran mid-level contract with the team to continue his career.

After all, Sprewell is only 35 years old. Even if his condition declines, as long as he gets his position right, he is fully capable of playing in the league for a few more years.

Cassel's retirement is inevitable. In addition to his 36-year-old age and accumulated injuries, the injection of occlusion in the 04 Finals did have a serious impact on his body.Outside of the five, the one ranked No. 6 on the team's strength list is the Dallas Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki.

The Mavericks acquired Ginobili this season and also signed Chinese youngster Zhu Fangyu with a minimum salary. However, in the eyes of the US media, these actions are of no significance at all.

Kobe's Lakers are ranked 22nd in the strength list and believe they will miss the playoffs again.

Obviously after the Lakers plummeted last season, the media has seriously questioned Kobe's single-core leadership ability.

Faced with the disparagement and disapproval of public opinion and media experts, the paranoid Kobe naturally became more motivated. Before the Lakers' opening game of the new season, Kobe publicly expressed his stance at a press conference:
"If I can't lead the Lakers to the playoffs this season, I will choose to retire where I am!"

Kobe's determination also caused a widespread sensation. Some fans seemed to have foreseen the Black Mamba's bloodthirsty journey in the new season.

Although the strength of the Lakers has dropped sharply, after all, they are in the Los Angeles metropolis and there is Kobe, Jordan's successor, so the traffic will naturally never be less.

October 10th is the opening day of the new NBA season.

The Heat are sitting at home, and their opponent in the opening game is the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant.

Lin Fei and Kobe, two of the rare double-team shooting guards in the league, will once again stage a wonderful peak showdown.

In addition to the Heat VS Lakers, the league also arranged three focus games on the opening day:
San Antonio Spurs VS Dallas Mavericks,

Phoenix Suns VS Minnesota Timberwolves,

New Jersey Nets VS New York Knicks.

Among the four games, the one that attracted the most attention from fans was naturally the Heat VS Lakers.

As last season's championship, all members of the Heat will receive their championship rings at the American Airlines Arena before the opening game.

As the first championship in the history of the Heat, team owner Mickey Arison naturally attaches great importance to it. The design of the championship ring is also quite novel and unique, and the materials selected are expensive.

The main body of the championship ring is inlaid with rubies, showing the heat of the flames, and a dazzling sapphire is inlaid in the middle, symbolizing the crystal tears and sweat.

The side of the ring is also engraved with two lines of characters, 16-0 and 35-13, in gold.

16-0寓意着热火创历史的季后赛16胜0负夺冠，35-13自然是总决赛G4最后时刻那惊天地泣鬼神的35秒13分。

This championship ring also has a special name: Tears of Fire.

In addition to the passion and fanaticism on the court, basketball also has countless silent efforts and hard work behind it.

AmericanAirlines Arena, [-] p.m.

The Heat fans in the auditorium on all sides were extremely excited and in high spirits.

After more than four long months of waiting, the new NBA season is finally about to begin.

After the warm appearance ceremony, NBA Commissioner David Stern, who was specially invited to the scene, also walked onto the court and personally awarded championship rings to the Heat players one by one.

At this time, the Heat players stood in a row on the court, with Lin Fei, Wade and O'Neal next to each other.

The head coach, assistant coach and general manager Pat Riley, as well as owner Arison, also walked onto the court and stood with the players.

Wade wore a gray suit tonight. Because his knee has recovered shortly after surgery, Wade has not yet fully integrated into the Heat's training, so he will miss the opening game tonight.

According to the predictions of the team doctor, Wade should be able to officially return in about 2 weeks.

In fact, from Wade's own point of view, his body is in great shape now, with no problems at all. He is obviously more powerful after knee surgery than before, which makes him feel happy.

But the regular season has just begun, and the Heat have a strong lineup. Pat Riley naturally hopes that Wade can rest for a while and try to be as foolproof as possible.

"I feel like I should be the most excited, right? You two already have championship rings, but I'm just about to receive the first one!"

After listening to Wade's words, Lin Fei smiled and said: "Dwayne, this feeling of being able to receive the ring with my teammates at home is really great!"

"Although I already have one, last season I had to return to the Timberwolves home court as a player from another team to receive the ring!"

When David Stern awarded the championship rings one by one, the high-definition four-sided screen also displayed the list of all Heat personnel who could win the championship rings.

Among the players, in addition to Laettner, Doleak, and Damon Jones who were traded away in the offseason, Eddie Jones and Rasul Butler, who were traded in the middle of the season, also received incentives from the Heat. Championship ring.

These championship rings will be awarded to these players when they come to the Heat's home games.

Whether players who are traded away in the middle of the season can receive a championship ring has never been determined in the NBA. It depends entirely on the mood of the team management and owner.

Although players, coaching staff, management members, and other key staff all have the opportunity to receive the team’s championship ring,
The design and appearance of this championship ring are exactly the same, but don't think that these rings are really worth the same.

The championship rings given to the Heat's main players, head coaches, chief coaches, general managers and other important personnel are all gold and gemstones with the highest ratio, and are worth more than $40.

The rings given to some minor players, especially staff, may only be worth tens of thousands of dollars, or even less.

Lin Fei received the second championship ring of his career from David Stern, and then smiled and put it on the middle finger of his left hand, flashing with dazzling red and blue light.

The ring on the index finger next to him is the one that won the championship with the Timberwolves.

At this time, the two championship rings complement each other, which seems to indicate the glory and glory of Lin Fei in the first two seasons of his NBA career.

Kobe, who was standing on the Lakers' side of the court, didn't envy Lin Fei for having two rings, and he didn't envy Wade for having only one. What he envied was that Shaquille, that fat guy, already had four championship rings.

But O'Neal is old and he can't play for a few more years.

Gritting his teeth tightly, Kobe swore in his heart that before he retires, the championship ring on his hand must be super fat...

(End of this chapter)