NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 102 I thought the MJ the coach was talking about was Meng!

After winning the Slam Dunk Contest and Player of the Week, the system rewarded Meng Jin with 5 potential points. Meng Jin first increased the potential value of [Physical Fitness] to 90.

Meng Jin originally wanted to increase his [Physical Fitness] to 93 in one go, but after the potential value reaches 90, higher-level potential points are required. Currently, the system has not rewarded Meng Jin with such potential points.

Maybe it can only be won by having an outstanding performance in the playoffs or the finals?
Meng Jin didn't know that he added the remaining 3 potential points to [Mid-range Shot].

The Bulls are making great progress and Meng Jin is in hot form.

General Manager Krause couldn't stand the loneliness anymore, so after the team won four consecutive games, he decided to come out and motivate the team.

In an interview with the media, Krause said that the youth storm in Chicago is now sweeping the entire league!

Klaus also specifically emphasized that Meng Jin's arrival changed the team. Meng Jin was selected by him personally, and bragging about Meng Jin is equivalent to bragging about himself.

This is Krause's consistent style. He refuses popular picks in every draft and instead chooses players that people are not optimistic about or have never heard of.

Krause's logic is that I selected the popular players, and if they perform well, everyone will think it is their ability and has nothing to do with me.

But if he chooses an unpopular player, and if this player becomes successful in the future, people will praise Klaus for his good eye for talent.

This is how the fat guy seeks a sense of existence.

During the interview, he happily talked about the process of selecting Meng Jin last year. Krause said that he took a liking to Meng Jin at first sight at the Portsmouth Invitational, and then he couldn't wait to show Collins Meng Jin's video, and finally he chose Meng Jin against all odds.

After listening to this, the reporter smiled and asked: "What do you think of Meng now?"

Krause blurted out: "He's just an extended version of Michael Jordan."

The reporter opened his mouth in surprise. Is this something he can say?
The reporter expected Klaus to use all the words of praise, but he didn't expect the fat man to dare to say so.

Klaus immediately changed his words: "No, no, I mean he is a stretched sports car. He has a super long body and a powerful engine. Everything seems incredible. There is no such player in history. Maybe he can invent a new position."

No matter how Krause tried to make amends, it was useless, and this news soon reached Jordan's ears.

Jordan was furious: "This damn crumb was definitely intentional! This fat guy, who does he think he is? Does he want to irritate me? Okay, very good, then I'll show him how angry I am!"

Jordan was cursing loudly in the room, and several of his close friends didn't dare to say a word. They could see that Jordan was really furious this time.

Jordan knew very well that although Krause seemed to have made a slip of the tongue, he was actually trying to disgust Danzi.

The two have long disliked each other, and the struggle between them has become apparent.

On February 2, in the game against the Bucks, Jordan took 27 shots and scored 37 points!
Jordan responded to his dissatisfaction with Krause by scoring, but the one who suffered the most that night was former best defensive player Moncrief, who was completely humiliated by Jordan in all aspects.

The only thing Moncrief could be thankful for tonight was that they won.

Although Jordan's efficiency was not low, he made 37 of 23 shots, but his large number of shots disrupted the Bulls' own game rhythm.

In the first quarter, Meng Jin was in good shape, scoring two goals in three minutes. Then in the next five minutes, he touched the ball only a few times, let alone shot it. With three minutes left in the first quarter, Meng Jin took his third shot of the game, but missed. Not touching the ball for a long time had cooled down his condition.

The same thing happened to the other Bulls players tonight. Jordan's ball-dominant style of play made it difficult for his teammates to find their form, and even if they did, it was difficult for them to maintain it.

In this game, apart from Jordan, only two Bulls players scored in double digits, Meng Jin 16 points and Oakley 10 points.

In the end, the Bulls lost the game at home by 4 points.

After the game, Moncrief saw Meng Jin's expression and smiled in his heart. It seems that I am not the only one who has been tortured tonight. There are people who are worse off than me.

After returning to the locker room, Meng Jin felt something was wrong, very wrong.

He didn't know who had offended Jordan at first until the reporter asked him.

"Meng, do you agree with what Jerry Krause said?"

"What?" Meng Jin looked confused.

"He said you were an extended version of Michael Jordan."

Meng Jin now understood that it was all the fat guy's fault.

At this moment, what Meng Jin wanted to do most was to tear the fat man's mouth apart. I just won the Player of the Week award and am making a fortune quietly, and you are so impatient to come out and cheat me?

Meng Jin suddenly felt that this fat guy didn’t have a grudge against Jordan, but against himself.

Meng Jin originally thought that Jordan would regain his sanity after leaving the court, but he ended up taking 76 crazy shots in the game against the 30ers.

乔丹全场30投16中，罚球13罚9中，拿下41分5篮板3助攻。

The Bulls lost the game again. Once point guard Jordan started to play alone, he was much more toxic than scorer Jordan. Sometimes his teammates couldn't touch the ball for several minutes and could only follow him in doing back-and-forth running exercises.

This was the second time Jordan lost to Barkley this season. He went into the player tunnel immediately after the game. This time he would not give the fat man a chance to mock him!
Barkley didn't find Jordan, so he walked over to Meng Jin with a smile and said, "How about it? Do you want to join me in the 76ers? We can share the shooting rights equally."

"You better get lost right now before I kick your ass."

After losing two games in a row, Meng Jin was in a bad mood. Seeing Barkley's playful look, he felt that the fat man was mocking him.

Barkley put away his smile and whispered, "I'm serious, Meng, we can do a lot together."

Meng Jin glanced at him and said, "What's the matter? Fight Lambir together?"

Barkley said: "It's all about convenience. I choke him and you hit him in the face, or you choke me and I hit him in the face!"

Barkley became more and more excited as he spoke, and he even started dancing and gesticulating, trying to show Meng Jin his 18 moves to subdue Lambiel in a more vivid way.

Meng Jin was a little confused. How much does this guy hate Bill Laimbeer?
Barkley quickly realized that he had strayed from the topic. After clearing his throat, Barkley started again: "If we join forces, we can definitely win the damn championship!"

Hearing this, Meng Jin laughed: "What bargaining chips can the 76ers use to trade for me? Although Jerry Krause looks like he weighs 200 pounds, he is smarter than a monkey. Unless the 76ers put you on the trading list, he won't even talk about it."

Barkley shuddered after hearing this: "I don't want to play with Michael. He's too controlling."

Barkley knew Jordan very well. The two could be friends, but they would definitely fall out if they were teammates.

Entering March, Jordan continued to do his own thing. The team had 3 wins and 2 losses in the first four games of March. After losing to the Knicks away, the team has lost four of the last six games. The morale of the Bulls has fallen to the bottom.

This is how NBA games are. Many times, the deciding factor in winning is not on the court.

The relationship between teammates, the relationship between players and management, the family situation of players and even those intrigues can affect the final outcome of the game.

This is a real competition arena, not a 2K game where you can win the game by just putting a few powerful people together. If that were the case, the Big Three team in the previous life would have won three, four, five or six championships.

After losing to the Knicks, Meng Jin decided to relax.

Madonna will be performing in the Broadway play "Speed ​​The Plow" tonight, and Meng Jin rushed over without stopping after the competition.

Meng Jin felt sleepy after watching for more than ten minutes, and fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, the opera had ended and the audience was leaving in an orderly manner.

Meng Jin smiled bitterly, realizing that he really had no artistic talent. However, he did not come here to appreciate art tonight.

After the show, Meng Jin stood up and walked backstage, but two dark and tough security guards stopped him.

"Hey! Let him in!"

Madonna's manager, Osiri, waved to the security guards.

Osiri led Meng Jin to Madonna's dressing room, and the two chatted for a while on the way.

"Big guy, what kind of magic do you have? This is the first time I see Mai being so fascinated by a man." said Osseri.

Meng Jin smiled: "I can make her happy."

Osiri stopped, looked Meng Jin up and down, then stared at Meng Jin's crotch for three seconds: "That doesn't sound like a lie."

When Meng entered the dressing room, Madonna gave him a big hug.

"You look so beautiful today." Meng Jin said to Madonna.

"You were asleep, don't think I didn't see it."

Meng Jin stroked Madonna's hair and said, "I haven't slept well these past few days. Only your voice can help me sleep."

Madonna was in a bad mood today because her opera was not successful and the attendance was very low. However, after hearing Meng Jin's words, Madonna's mood improved immediately.

Madonna took Meng Jin's hand and started jogging: "Follow me!"

"Where are you going?" Meng Jin asked.

Madonna didn't respond and walked to the center of the stage in front of Meng Jin. The venue was empty at this time.

Then Madonna did something crazy: She took off her dress: "I'm so excited now. I'm imagining we're performing for an audience."

As she spoke, Madonna immediately moved in front of Meng Jin.

Meng Jin thought this scene was very weird, but he liked it. Meng Jin's joy in life has always been to experience things he has never experienced before.

Soon, the hall was filled with Oh! Yes! Oh! baby!

The agent was so scared that he immediately evacuated the staff. Madonna is really crazy!

On March 3, the Bulls returned home to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before the game, Collins specifically found Jordan. Collins hoped that Jordan would return to his form a week after the All-Star Game, take fewer shots, take on the team's organizational responsibilities, and play more reasonably.

Facing a player of Jordan's level, the usually arrogant Collins could only speak to him in a gentle tone. Collins had wanted to put Jordan on the bench more than once, but in the end reason overcame impulse. He knew very well that if he forced him to the bench, the situation would only get worse.

In the past few seasons, Jordan would not give a shit about beating Collins like this because he knew it was the only way for the Bulls to win. He relied on Jordan and needed Jordan's help in digesting the team's shots.

But the situation is different now, they now have Meng Jin.

Collins is not an idiot. He can't do something that requires a single-core processor when there is a dual-core processor.

Jordan knew in his heart that he couldn't continue playing like this, but he was a face-saving person. Before, he was angry with Krause, and now he was angry with the media.

Recently, the media have been bombarding Jordan, saying that his playing style is out of touch with the team, that he cannot make his teammates better, and that he cannot help the team win. The more the outside world says this, the more Jordan wants to prove himself.

Jordan left after saying "I'll deal with them my own way."

Collins was confused at first, then angry.

He felt that this guy no longer respected him as the head coach.

Jordan kept his promise. He started playing one-on-one from the first minute and the Bulls led 29-27 after the first quarter.

Jordan was very efficient in the first quarter, scoring 9 points on 7 of 16 shots and two free throws.

The Lakers are not panicking at all. Jordan has been playing like this since he entered the league. His high scores do not mean that the team can win the game. Sometimes the opponents even intentionally let Jordan go 1v1. The more he shoots, the fewer opportunities the other Bulls players have. When they are needed to contribute, these players' hands are often cold.

Just as the Lakers were about to make a move in the second quarter, an unexpected situation occurred. Magic Johnson strained his thigh during a fast break.

Finally, with the help of the team doctor, "Magic" Johnson limped back to the locker room and did not return until the end of the game.

The Lakers' core player was injured, which seemed to be a good opportunity for the Bulls in the eyes of outsiders, but they had a more difficult time instead.

Milt Wagner, who replaced Magic Johnson, played well and scored 14 points and 6 assists.

The sudden injury of "Magic" Johnson gave him the opportunity. You should know that before that, Milt Wagner averaged only 4.5 points per game. Although this guy didn't play basketball very well, he was very lucky. He won the high school league championship and the college league championship. This year he has a chance to win the NBA championship. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the ancient Greek god of luck.

Another Lakers substitute, Mychal Thompson, also played well, scoring 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Michael Thompson was the No. 1978 pick in . He was also the first foreign No. pick in the NBA, but these are not his most famous titles. In the future, his most famous title will be Klay Thompson's father.

Meng Jin observed this guy closely and found that he was actually a pure black man. It seemed that Clay's mother had stronger genes.

Thompson's best time was in the 1981-82 season with the Trail Blazers, when he averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game, which are All-Star stats. However, he has never been selected to the All-Star team, which has something to do with his personality and playing style.

In addition to the outstanding performance of the substitutes, the Lakers' main players also did not let down. James Worthy had 21 points and 4 assists, Byron Scott had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, AC Green had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 13 points.

With 38 seconds left in the game, the Bulls led by one point, 111 to 112, and Jordan had the ball firmly in his hands.

With 10 seconds left in the offensive round, Jordan started and made a long jump shot despite Byron Scott's block!

111:114.

With 23 seconds left in the game, the Lakers called a timeout.

Pat Riley's pen was flying on the tactical board, and on the other side Collins only emphasized one point, that is, don't let go of three-pointers.

Collins felt that it was impossible for the Lakers to score two points at this time, but Pat Riley had a reverse thinking and arranged a tactic of quick two points.

Michael Thompson passed the ball from the sideline, and James Worthy took the ball and went straight to the basket.

All the Bulls' defensive attention was on the outside, leaving the inside almost undefended, and James Worthy easily scored two points.

113:114.

After getting two points, the Lakers began to press the entire court, and the Bulls almost didn't get the ball out. Jordan was being closely watched, and although he kept running to get rid of it, Oakley didn't dare to take risks at this time.

Fortunately, they still have Meng Jin.

Meng Jin pointed to the sky and said, "Charles, throw it up!"

Oakley didn't think about anything and threw the ball high. Meng Jin pressed Michael Thompson and got the ball successfully.

"Beep!"

As soon as Meng Jin landed, Michael Thompson immediately pushed him back.

The foul strategy allowed Meng Jin to go to the free throw line.

Collins' back was all wet at this time, and Meng Jin's free throws have always been unstable.

Missing one free throw may result in the team being tied, while missing two free throws may result in the team being defeated.

Jordan glanced at Meng Jin and said nothing.

Under normal circumstances, Jordan would definitely put some pressure on Meng Jin, but at this critical moment, Jordan did not dare to play with fire and kept his mouth shut.

The whole court was silent, and Meng Jin took the free throw under pressure.

The basketball bounced off the inside frame and into the net.

"No problem, the first free throw was made," said live commentator Johnny Cole.

Johnny Cole held his breath immediately after he said this, as he was waiting for Meng Jin to take his second free throw.

"Shh!"

113:116.

The moment the basketball went through the net, Johnny Cole said with relief: "Meng's free throw shooting percentage this season is 65.7%. This shooting percentage is not high, but he withstood the pressure at the last moment. He is a player with a big heart!"

Meng Jin had a big heart to begin with, and with the help of his skill [Heart of Steel], he appeared unusually calm at critical moments.

"YES! YES!" After making both free throws, Collins clenched his fist to celebrate.

These two free throws meant that the Lakers' quick two-point tactics had failed, and 7 or 8 seconds of time were wasted. The Lakers then became passive.

Pat Riley called the last timeout of the game. This time he honestly drew up a three-point tactic. There was not much point in arranging a quick two-pointer at this time. First, there was not much time left, and second, Collins would not be fooled twice in a row.

After the timeout, Collins was indeed cautious. He moved the defense line slightly inward to prevent the Lakers from stealing two points again.

Michael Thompson sent the ball from the sideline, AC Green at the top of the arc received the ball and passed it to Byron Scott.

Jordan is pressing very hard!
Byron Scott even had difficulty turning around, he felt like he couldn't breathe, and before his pivot foot moved, he passed the ball in front of him.

Pat Riley's original plan was for James Worthy to take the final shot.

But this tactic did not work, and Byron Scott passed the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the high post in a panic.

After getting the ball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looked around at his teammates. Everyone was under close scrutiny and there was no chance to pass the ball.

The next second, Jabbar did something that shocked everyone.

He dribbled one step to the right rear, then took a hook shot at a 60-degree angle outside the three-point line!

Oakley on the side rushed over without hesitation and knocked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar down directly!
Although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fell, he shot the basketball smoothly.

"impossible."

All the Bulls fans shook their heads. It was outrageous just to see the shot, and it was simply a fantasy to think that the ball could go in!

"boom!"

"Shh!"

116:116.

The basketball hit the backboard and fell accurately into the basket.

A three-pointer is made and there is a free throw!
The entire Chicago Stadium was dead silent, with only the cheers from the Lakers bench being heard.

"Captain! This ball is fucking awesome!"

"This is the sky hook!"

"This is the greatest buzzer beater I've ever seen!"

All the Lakers players on the court rushed to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Jabbar calmly patted his clothes and said, "The work is not over yet."

After saying that, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stepped to the free throw line and made the extra free throw.

117:116.

At the last minute, the Lakers overtook the opponent with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's magical shot. All the Bulls players on the court looked at Collins, and he should have called a timeout at this time.

Collins was a little confused by this sudden goal and forgot to call a timeout.

"Doug, Doug! Call a timeout, we still have time."

Doug Collins came to his senses only after being reminded by assistant coach Bach.

"TIME-OUT!"

After the players gathered, Collins immediately picked up the tactical board and said, "Michael, John (Paxson), you two will run without the ball in the left and right directions. Whoever has the chance will shoot. Don't push the time to the last second. If you miss, Duff and Meng will go in and grab the rebound."

Jordan was unhappy when he heard this and snatched the tactical board.

"Give me the damn ball!"

After three seconds of awkwardness, Collins took a breath and said, "Give the ball to MJ!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the referee's whistle blew and the timeout ended.

The five players sent by the Bulls at the last moment were Paxson, Jordan, Meng Jin, Grant and Dave Korsin.

Oakley had already fouled out after the last foul, and Grant replaced him.

Bulls sideline ball.

The referee blew the whistle and Grant held up the basketball and watched his teammates move.

Paxson used Meng Jin's screen to get around, but Grant didn't pass the ball.

Jordan pushed Byron Scott and broke out from the center line. Grant stared at Jordan.

Jordan reached out for the ball and yelled, "Pass it, idiot!"

Jordan's expression reminded Grant of the scene in the morning training.

Jordan missed the morning training due to ankle discomfort, so Grant felt extremely relaxed throughout the morning.

This was the most relaxing morning for him since he joined the Bulls. In the one-on-one match after the training, Grant was like a god. He made every shot and won nearly 500 US dollars from his teammates.

At this time Jordan walked in.

"Giggle!"

Jordan made a dove sound.

Grant felt his scalp tingling after hearing this. Jordan usually made this kind of sound before a one-on-one match, meaning that he wanted his teammates to obediently enter the cage he designed like pigeons.

"7 balls, one hand of stud, if you lose, all your money belongs to me."

Jordan didn't give Grant a chance to refuse and threw the ball directly into his hands.

Grant wanted to cry. Wasn't this obviously bullying?

So, the 500 US dollars he worked so hard to earn was snatched away by the robber Jordan.

Before leaving, Jordan said, "Idiot, your one-on-one skills are shit."

Thinking of this, Grant's roar, which had been suppressed for most of the season, finally broke out!
I'll pass it on to you!
I want revenge!
The way Grant exploded was simple: he just didn't pass the ball to Jordan.

He turned to look at Meng Jin, then passed the ball.

This move not only shocked the Bulls, but even Pat Riley.

Pat Riley emphasized the need to keep a close eye on Jordan during the timeout. He felt that Meng Jin's shooting ability was average and the ball would definitely not be given to him.

He never expected that Collins would take such a risky move!

Grant's pass was so sudden that Meng Jin didn't have time to react.

During the timeout, he received the tactical deployment to rush for the rebound, and he was thinking about from which angle and at what time to rush in.

Fortunately, Meng Jin was quick to adjust. He didn't waste time after getting the ball and started attacking immediately!
There are only 7 seconds left in the game!

The audience shouted countdown to Meng Jin in unison, which made him feel at ease.

Meng Jin was fully focused. He retreated first to advance, dribbling the ball and taking a step back.

James Worthy did not stick close to him. He is a veteran with rich experience and knows how to deal with players like Meng Jin who have no shooting range.

If he sticks close to the opponent at this time, it will be easy for him to get past him in one step. If Meng Jin throws a long shot one step outside the three-point line, he will accept it.

What James Worthy didn't expect was that even without getting close to Meng Jin, he was still one step past him.

Meng Jin used the space to push off the ground to accelerate.

Dribbling with his left hand, he changed direction one meter away from James Worthy!

James Worthy could see Meng Jin's movements clearly. Apart from changing direction, Meng Jin didn't have many fake moves, so it was not difficult to see his movements clearly.

But the difficulty lies in keeping up!

Meng Jin's steps are really too big!

James Worthy was half a beat slow when he turned around and caught up.

Meng Jin stepped on the accelerator, facing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the penalty area, and lifted the ball over his head!

Pull the ball past the opponent!

After dodging Jabbar, Meng Jin jumped on one foot!
Jabbar did not give up on defense and jumped from the side to interfere with Meng Jin!

The two collided violently in the air!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's defensive moves were very big. He knew that at times like this, the referee would generally not steal the show, and the outcome of the game was left to the players to decide.

After the aerial confrontation, Meng Jin tightened his core and shot the ball with his left hand!

"The basketball hit the rim!"

When the radio commentator shouted this sentence, the hearts of countless Chicago fans were already dead.

"The basketball bounced twice and bounced into the net again!"

At this moment, the hearts of Chicago fans were revived!

The commentator's words have the effect of CPR!
The moment the basketball enters the net, the timer resets to zero!
The entire Chicago Arena was filled with shouts, cheers, and screams!
"This is at least a magnitude 3 earthquake," assistant coach Bach said to Collins with a smile.

Collins wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "I think it's magnitude 3.5."

Meng Jin returned to the locker room surrounded by all his teammates. Tonight he scored the first buzzer-beater in his career!

The whole locker room was filled with joy, except for one person who didn't fit in with the atmosphere.

After returning to the locker room, Jordan directly questioned Grant in front of everyone.

“Why didn’t you pass it to me?”

The entire locker room suddenly fell silent, and everyone felt suffocated, as if whatever Grant said would be fatal.

Grant looked at Jordan innocently, and the next second he said a shocking quote: "I thought the MJ the coach was talking about was Meng!"

(End of this chapter)