Champions Creed

Chapter 347 Chapter 346: He can never be that God, he is Satan who is hostile to the world (ask for monthly tickets!)

Charles Barkley once said, "Whenever Kobe Bryant plays a game, 90% of the fans want him to lose."

The Eagle County incident dealt a devastating blow to Kobe's social image. He was regarded as a demon in the hearts of fans, and most brands cancelled their cooperation with him.

The brand's reaction was not excessive, after all, Mike Tyson's previous experience was not too far away. Once there is solid evidence, it is impossible to solve this kind of problem with money.

Although the possibility of Kobe Bryant being sent to prison is very small based on the current progress of the case, Kobe's image has still been greatly affected under the guidance of the media.

Kobe is now being hated by everyone and few people want to see him win.

Most people would have been overwhelmed by such pressure.

But Kobe Bryant still led the Lakers here.

No one knows how he adjusts his mentality, no one knows how he can switch back and forth between the court and the field.

All people know is that Kobe Bryant is more dangerous than ever.

Roger felt this danger in the first round of the match.

After Roger broke through in the first round, he faced a combined attack from George Lynch and Karl Malone, and intended to pass the ball to Stoudemire who was left open.

But at the moment Roger passed the ball, Kobe appeared beside Stoudemire unknowingly, snatched the ball away, and caused Roger to make a pass error!

Kobe's influence is by no means limited to the offensive end. Even though he is now the top player of the Lakers and needs to focus more on the offensive end, he has not completely abandoned defense.

After completing the steal, Kobe wanted to counterattack, but Prince stuck to him immediately and prevented Kobe from rushing forward.

The Lakers' offense was forced into a defensive position, and Kobe passed the ball to Steve Nash. Nash saw that Roger was defending him, so he waved his hand and called Karl Malone to come forward to cover.

This is the Lakers' latest killer move this season. The pick-and-roll between Nash and Karl Malone is as powerful as Stockton + Malone.

Nash certainly knew that Roger was very good at going around screens and had the advantage of height and wingspan.

But being able to consume Roger when he is defending is also one of Nash's responsibilities.

After the pick-and-roll, Marcus Camby helped Roger block Nash. No matter how fast Roger was around the screen, it was impossible for him to leave no space at all for the Canadian.

Although Roger had bypassed the screen and chased Nash as quickly as possible, and although Marcus Camby had moved as fast as he could, he still gave Karl Malone a chance to cut inside.

The gap for the pass is very small, but this is exactly what Steve Nash is good at.

After the break, Nash immediately made a ground pass and put the ball into the hands of Karl Malone.

At this time, Theo Ratliff had helped Karl Malone block Stoudemire, and Karl Malone only needed to dunk as hard as Stephen Curry.

Ma Long held the ball with both hands and jumped up decisively to dunk with his still strong legs.

When Malone slammed the ball down in the air, Marcus Camby arrived in time and set up a large net in the air, so that Malone's dunk hit his raised hands.

Canby successfully captured the mailman!

Karl Malone, one of the best fast-break players in NBA history, must be surprised by this defense.

In the past, when he successfully cut in or broke through, basically no one could catch up with him.

But now, Marcus Camby does it easily.

He's aging, while Marcus Camby is moving forward.

"Didn't I tell you? You are not qualified to talk to the king yet. Defeat his knights first!"

Marcus Camby roared passionately, and his first round of defense after being switched to the four position was effective.

In the stands, the fans cheered for him. On the bench, his teammates went crazy for him. Dikembe Mutombo gave him a thumbs up and smiled with satisfaction.

All of this makes Camby full of energy.

This saved his career.

He will respond with even crazier defense than when he was in New York!

Karl Malone did not respond, but retreated immediately. Normally, Karl Malone would only retaliate against his opponent with actual actions.

The Warriors were on offense, and Roger saw Stoudemire get an opportunity by going to the mid-range on the right side, so he passed the ball immediately.

But the moment Stoudemire received the ball, Karl Malone pressed him closely and continued to use his strong body and tough confrontation to disrupt Stoudemire's rhythm.

Seeing this, Stoudemire lowered his center of gravity, dribbled through, and then went straight to the basket.

But Theo Ratliff fearlessly stepped forward to block the shot, forcing Stoudemire to miss his layup in a tough confrontation!
The Lakers' interior defense this season is very effective against Stoudemire. Karl Malone can use tough confrontation and pressure to limit Stoudemire's mid-range jump shots, and he is not afraid of being broken through because Theo Ratliff can curb Stoudemire's attack on the basket.

In fact, Stoudemire had a chance to pass the ball to a completely lethal Camby on the break.

However, this is the biggest shortcoming of Stoudemire on the offensive end. His ability to assist and pass awareness are far inferior to Duncan and other MVP-level power forwards. On the offensive end, Stoudemire cannot be the axis and can only be used as a pure scoring point.

There was still no goal in the game. In the opening few rounds, both the Lakers and the Warriors increased their defensive intensity to the maximum.

And this scene is still going on.

One round later, Steve Nash's mid-range shot after the pick-and-roll missed despite Roger's best efforts to interfere.

Alan Houston's catch-and-shoot shot was also blocked by Kobe.

The secret to a team becoming strong lies on the defensive end, this is an eternal truth.

The 1975 Golden State Warriors were the last team in NBA history to win the championship purely by offense. Since then, the modern defensive system has gradually emerged, and defense has begun to determine victory.

The Lakers and Warriors were actually almost as strong offensively last season as they are this year, but neither of them was able to go very far.

And this summer, they all solved the same problem: defense.

This has completely taken both teams to a new level this season.

Excellent defense is like planting densely packed towering trees in your own half of the court. If the opponent rushes in recklessly, you will inevitably be beaten to pieces.

After several rounds, the game was still 0-0. Kobe and Roger both realized that under such defensive intensity, they had to take over the offense in advance.

Because now, even star players like Nash, Malone, Houston and Stoudemire find it difficult to score.

So, Kobe took the lead.

Facing Tayshaun Prince, Kobe Bryant turned his back to the basket and then reached out to Steve Nash for the ball.

After a shoulder shake, Kobe did not turn around and jump shot, but turned his back and broke through!
Tayshaun Prince reacted quickly enough, but was knocked out of position by Kobe.

It is difficult to find a perfect player in this world. Tayshaun Prince has a very good height and wingspan, and he can still maintain mobility under such circumstances. But the price he paid for this is that his confrontation is not top-notch.

Kobe was at the peak of his weight, becoming a true scoring guard. Just him and Karl Malone standing together was enough to intimidate players from many teams.

Before this, because of the Shark, Kobe could still maintain his relatively elegant style of play.

But after being independent, Kobe inevitably had to charge forward with the ball. So like Jordan and Roger, he chose to gain weight to increase his finishing ability.

Roger's weight gain was gradual. It took him several years to reach his current perfect weight and avoid the risk of injury.

Kobe is more terrifying. He almost grew a lot bigger in just one summer. This guy is like a machine in execution when it comes to training.

This weight allowed him to easily crush Prince, and he still made a layup after competing with Stoudemire!

"Get away, stupid dog!" Kobe was angry at Prince because before the game many media believed that the second-year Prince would make Kobe play an ugly series.

Prince's defense was indeed strong during the regular season, but Kobe proved that this guy was not qualified enough to defend him.

The game continued, Kobe had already scored, and Roger had no reason to continue passing the ball.

George Lynch, a member of the same generation as Roger, has entered the end of his career.

At 34, he is well aware that his chances of getting a ring are dwindling.

Therefore, he cherishes the time playing on a championship team.

George Lynch's defense is still excellent this season. He is almost the opposite of Tayshaun Prince. He is also tall and has long arms, but he has a thick body.

The disadvantage is also the negative side, which is that his mobility is not as strong as Tayshaun Prince.

Roger tried to get past George Lynch with a large arc crossover. He moved sideways as fast as he could, but just when he was about to stop Roger, Roger made a back-end move and passed through George Lynch flexibly.

This gave Roger an extremely wide shooting space, and his mid-range shot hit the target steadily! George Lynch's defense has always been talked about, but Roger's easy escape made him look like Ben Simmons who was inexplicably knocked down by Kuzma's fake breakthrough 20 years later.

This is not George Lynch's fault, just like Kobe's previous shot was not Tayshaun Prince's fault.

In front of the top players, defensive players will appear powerless.

And the two best shooting guards this season are here!
This is a nightmare for defensive players on both sides!
2 to 2, Kobe and Roger began to control the offense early.

These two goals were like opening Pandora's box, and things were out of control.

In the subsequent games, Kobe and Roger started to compete with each other, presenting one incredible goal after another to the fans on the scene.

Kobe scored with a pull-up shot after Camby and Stoudemire's double rim protection, and Roger immediately returned with a smooth and elegant turnaround jump shot.

Kobe backed up Tayshaun Prince and leaned back as far as he could under the cover of his long arms.

Roger made an extreme layup in the crowd, and the ball just passed over Theo Ratliff's fingers and fell into the net as if he was measuring his shot with a ruler.

In the first quarter, Roger scored 14 points and Kobe Bryant scored 15 points.

The fans felt extremely excited because it is rare for a scoring battle between two stars to start directly from the first quarter!

Of course, taking over the offense from the first quarter is very physically demanding.

Hubie Brown and Jackson both tried to develop a second offensive point on the court.

But their efforts were in vain at the beginning of the second quarter.

Karl Malone's jump shot after moving without the ball was blocked by Marcus Camby again. Today, Marcus Camby was like a ghost hanging around Malone.

Steve Nash's touch wasn't very good in the intense melee, and his ability to break through the Warriors' defense was not enough.

As for Stoudemire, although he got several free throws through tough drives to the basket, his performance still did not meet expectations.

Alan Houston was blocked by Kobe, who was stronger and faster than him, and he couldn't even catch the ball.

Carmelo Anthony watched the game on TV and swallowed.

He realized that the Warriors team that swept him in the first round did not even play 70% of their strength on the defensive end.

In the end, it was Kobe who broke the scoring drought.

He successfully broke through with a front-body change of direction, pushed Prince away and passed him, attacking the basket again. Prince had no choice but to reach out and grab Kobe's jersey. Kobe lost his balance in the air, but the basketball still hit the backboard and went into the net!

The referee blew the whistle and Kobe got the chance to shoot a three-pointer!
However, not long after Kobe scored the goal, Roger retaliated with a signature somersault and shot the ball off the backboard.

In the ugly muscular defense, Kobe and Roger were like two artists dancing in the ruins, bringing the only scenery and viewing pleasure.

"Assist in defense, why is there no one assisting in defense!"

"Don't panic, we are still close to the score!"

No. 8 and No. 14 were yelling at the same time on the court. These sounds were heard through television across the east and west coasts, and across the East and West, allowing countless fans to feel the intensity of the game.

Michael Jordan watched the game for a while during his card game and then decided to turn off the TV.

Kobe's competition with Roger is just like his competition with Roger in the 90s, which also means that this league has nothing to do with him at all.

Someone has taken his place to compete with Roger.

Because their playing time was not as much as in the first quarter, Roger and Kobe did not score as many points as in the first quarter.

But at the end of the first half, Roger still scored 24 points and Kobe scored 26 points!
"An immortal scoring performance! The No. 1 and No. 2 scoring leaders had a fierce battle in the Oakland Arena! No one else could score, the defense of both teams was too strong! The outcome of the game was completely controlled by Kobe and Roger!"

In the third quarter, the game didn't change much.

Stoudemire scored a few tough finishers by attacking the rim, but couldn't sustain the production.

Steve Nash made several mid-range shots against Roger, but these sporadic goals could not change the game.

Alan Houston hasn't received the ball for a long time because of Kobe's defense.

Karl Malone is the most depressed. He has only scored 4 points so far today, and Marcus Camby seems to be growing on him.

Roger and Kobe are still the main scoring sources for both teams.

In fact, the Lakers' game was not much different from the previous round.

Others destroyed the Kings with defense, while Kobe was responsible for the harvest.

No one on the Kings could step up to tackle the Lakers' defense. Not Webber, not Peja, not even Mike Bibby.

But when it came to the matchup with the Warriors, Roger stood up and competed with Kobe.

At the end of the third quarter, Roger and Kobe both had 36 points, and the Warriors entered the fourth quarter with a 4-point lead.

This almost confirms one thing, that is, there will be two 40+ level confrontations today!
Mike Breen couldn't help but sigh: "Kobe Bryant is the most troublesome challenger Roger has encountered in recent years!"

Indeed, no individual has posed such a great threat to Roger in recent years.

Kobe, who had been planning to make a difference in the league since 1996, finally had the strength to challenge Roger in 2004.

But for the Lakers, they still have a problem.

During the intermission, when Kobe left the court, the boos around the Lakers bench never stopped.

"You're destined to be a loser, you fucking able-bodied criminal!"

"In front of Roger, you can only walk out on your knees!"

"Your destination may not be in prison, but it is definitely here!"

The Lakers players are all very annoyed by such noises. This is another trouble for the Lakers. This is the debuff of Kobe as the biggest villain.

His mentality was under severe test.

The Zen Master also hates Kobe because his daughter had suffered a similar assault and he could not forgive what Kobe had done.

But the Zen Master does not hate victory. He knows clearly that if he still cannot win the championship this season, he will most likely have to retire again.

Moreover, from 1995 to 2004, Zen Master and Roger met countless times in the playoffs, but neither of them won once, which made him eager to win this year.

If the Lakers want to win, they need Kobe to continue fighting without being affected.

He glanced at Kobe, but found that Kobe's face was full of murderous intent, not irritability.

These voices couldn't affect him at all. At the very beginning, Kobe Bryant wanted to be a God like Roger.

But now he understood that he could never be that God.

He is Satan who is against the world!

In that case, what does all this abuse mean? He wants to reach the top amidst the abuse!

Seeing that Kobe's mentality was not affected, the Zen Master immediately tapped the tactical board: "Kobe, in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter, I need you to defend Roger. Allocate your energy well!"

Kobe shook his head and held up five fingers: "No, start from five minutes."

No Sharks, no Pierce, not so many messed up people.

It's Kobe vs. Roger, this is the head-to-head confrontation Kobe has been looking forward to for a long time!

On the other side, Hubie Brown gave almost the same order.

Roger also waved his hand: "It doesn't have to be the last three minutes. I'll start whenever Kobe starts."

"Hehe, I think Kobe must be happy to hear you say that. I really hope perverts like you start hurting each other sooner!" Alan Houston, who was made autistic by Kobe, complained helplessly.

His complaints were recognized by most people, such as Tayshaun Prince, who was also tortured by Kobe.

This is not a war they can influence.

This is a war between God and Satan.

(End of this chapter)