NBA: Goat is actually me

Chapter 170 Online Guidance for Kobe
"Oh! Shit! That dunk was fucking awesome!"

Kobe in the audience screamed continuously. He had seen Meng Jin's wonderful dunks in videos many times, but it was a completely different experience from seeing it in person.

Kobe was so excited that he forgot his father was next to him.

"Kobe, where did you learn these swear words?"

Joe Bryant turned his head and stared at Kobe. He was known for his strict discipline of Kobe, both on the court and in life. This was also the reason why Kobe was so rebellious as an adult. His parents were too harsh on him during his childhood and adolescence.

Kobe immediately explained: "I mean this dunk is incredible, it's like he stopped in mid-air and did a complete windmill move before his body started to fall."

Joe Bryant did not pursue the matter of Kobe's swearing just now. It was a rare opportunity for his son to come to watch the NBA in person. He did not want to ruin his son's viewing experience, nor did he want to destroy his son's enthusiasm for basketball.

After landing, Meng Jin did not return to the half court, but continued to press on the spot with his teammates.

The Bulls' full-court press was specially practiced. Coach Bach used to be an assistant coach in charge of defense. During that period, he trained the Bulls' full-court press. After being promoted to head coach, Bach spent more time letting the players practice full-court press. In Bach's full-court press system, Jordan and John Paxson are responsible for pressing and stealing, while Meng Jin is responsible for intercepting high balls behind them.

The advantage of this pressing system is that you can counterattack directly after stealing the ball. Jordan and Meng Jin's counterattack ability is beyond doubt. If the opponent loses the ball in the backcourt, it is basically giving away points.

The disadvantage of this full-court press is that once the ball is not intercepted, it is easy to leave a large open area behind to the opponent.

Bach did not arrange a full-court pressing tactic. This tactic was made spontaneously by the Bulls players after they were in the right mood. However, Bach did not stop it. As long as his players did not make obvious mistakes, he would not stop it. Giving players freedom to display their talents is Bach's coaching attitude.

Seeing that the Bulls once again used a full-court press, Rick Mahorn was much more cautious when throwing the sideline ball this time. He did not pass the ball directly to the back over Jordan and John Paxson. He saw Meng Jin who was ready to make a move, so to be on the safe side, Rick Mahorn chose to pass the ball to point guard John Dawkins.

John Dawkins quickly turned left after getting the ball because he saw John Paxson on his right when he received the ball.

John Dawkins thought he had thought it through, but he didn't expect to bump into Jordan's arms when he turned around. The next second, Jordan intercepted the ball like a robber.

Jordan was so cunning that he predicted John Dawkins' natural ability to steal the ball.

Meng Jin has been observing Jordan's steals for the past two seasons. The reason why he has won the title of steals king consecutively is not only due to his excellent stealing skills. Jordan's desire for the ball is almost pathological. Whenever there is the slightest opportunity, Jordan will rush to his opponent like crazy and try to steal the ball.

Jordan stole the ball and pushed John Dawkins away, then dunked the ball into the basket with one hand before Rick Mahorn could make up for it. It was very easy.

"pause!"

After losing two backcourt balls in a row, 76ers head coach Jim Linum finally couldn't sit still anymore. The 76ers' opening play was too chaotic and the players were like a group of headless flies.

Jim Linum launched a barrage of criticism at the 76ers' starting lineup, which seems to be a trick that all coaches use, to wake up their players by scolding them when they are sleepwalking.

After the timeout, the 76ers players made some changes, at least they could pass the ball smoothly.

The Bulls continued to press fiercely, and John Dawkins had to pass the ball as soon as he crossed half court. This time, in addition to observing John Paxson in front of him, he also paid attention to Jordan's position. Once bitten, one will be afraid of the rope for ten years. Jordan's sneak attack also left a certain psychological trauma on John Dawkins.

Gominski moved to the top of the arc to assist, and four Bulls players gathered outside the three-point line, trying to steal the ball, but Gominski used his height advantage to lift the ball above his head and stabilize the situation.

If the 76ers lose the ball after being pressured again, the live commentator will not be able to help them make up for it. Most professional teams will not make such mistakes as losing the ball three times in a row, let alone a team like the 76ers that ranks in the upper reaches of the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers drove the ball inside, Rick Mahorn held the ball with his back to the basket, Grant held Rick Mahorn's waist with his hand, and then blocked his baseline with his feet, preventing Rick Mahorn from getting close to the basket.

Rick Mahorn directed the ball to Jose Hawkins, who passed it to Gominski, who faked a shot but actually passed the ball to the bottom corner.

John Dawkins in the corner of the Bulls missed the ball completely, and it was too late for Jordan to rush over to make up for it.

John Dawkins made a three-pointer to help the 76ers stop the bleeding.

The Bulls did not give the 76ers a chance to breathe. After the ball went in, Grant quickly shot the ball from the baseline without waiting for it to hit the ground.

Jordan dribbled the ball forward quickly and then passed it to Meng Jin on the wing.

Meng Jin grabbed the ball with one hand, made a triple-threat move, attracted the attention of the defense, and then passed the ball back to Jordan.

After Jordan passed the ball, he cut to the inside without the ball.

Meng Jin and Jordan's relationship off the court is still bad, but both of them have a professional attitude and will not ignore the pass when the other has an opportunity.

After Jordan received the ball, he jumped and went straight in. Jose Hawkins was thrown away by him, and Jordan talked directly to Rick Mahorn.

The two are old rivals. Rick Mahorn often played tricks on Jordan on the court when he was with the Pistons.

Jordan flicked the ball and shot Rick Mahorn away.

As Rick Mahorn flew into the air, his mind flashed through images of how he had beaten up Jordan with the Pistons.

Jordan shook off Rick Mahorn and jumped. When he was mid-air, Jordan did not complete the shot. He pulled the ball back and fell to the ground with his head covered.

But before Jordan fell to the ground, Rick Mahorn fell first.

Rick Mahorn covered his elbow and wailed, while rolling on the ground.

The referee didn't even bother to pay attention to him and directly called a defensive foul on Rick Mahorn. Even the most amateur referee would immediately make such a penalty. I have only heard of elbows causing head injuries, but never heard of the head causing elbow injuries.

The team doctor immediately came up to ask about Jordan's condition. Jordan had experienced a concussion in the playoffs last season, so the team doctor was extra careful.

The 76ers' team doctor also came up, and Rick Mahorn kept covering his elbow, which didn't look like he was acting.

"It seems that Michael has injured my teammate." Barkley walked up to Meng Jin and said.

"Unless Michael has mastered the iron head skill." Meng Jin rolled his eyes at Barkley.

Meng Jin originally thought that Barkley was joking, but he didn't expect that Rick Mahorn really went to the locker room with the team doctor after a while. Rick Mahorn had been wearing a thick elbow pad tonight, and his elbow didn't look very comfortable. The collision just now seemed to have aggravated his injury, so sometimes the one who does bad things may not necessarily harm the opponent.

After Jordan made two free throws, he was replaced by the coach. Jordan complained and said that he had no problems, but the team doctor decided to observe him for a few minutes.

The 76ers chose to shoot from the outside in the next round of offense. Barkley acted as a fulcrum in the interior. After back-to-back shooting, he immediately passed the ball to Jose Hawkins who was shooting a three-pointer from the top of the arc, but the latter missed the three-pointer.

The Bulls did not retreat and went straight to the transition. John Paxson was afraid that he would slow down the pace, so he passed the ball to Meng Jin before crossing half court.

Meng Jin ignited and accelerated, and after a big change of direction at the top of the three-point arc, he immediately received the ball and started!
Jose Hawkins was sticking to Meng Jin one second, and was completely out of position the next.

There is no solution to Meng Jin's change of direction and starting directly after receiving the ball, unless you block his path before he starts. Otherwise, let alone defending him, you can't even follow him.

Meng Jin took his first step to the top of the arc and his second step into the restricted area.

Barkley ran back to the penalty area and jumped early!
Barkley had already thought it through. He jumped early in this round. Even if he couldn't block Meng Jin, he would pull him down from the air and not give him a chance to dunk.

Under normal circumstances, it would be a more reasonable choice to pass the ball, but Meng Jin never plays by the rules.

Without even giving him a chance to foul, he dunked from the free throw line! He glided into the air over Barkley, then folded in the air, dodged Barkley, and then dunked!

"boom!"

At this moment, not only the basket exploded, but also the heads of 76ers fans.

what happened?
This is the inner monologue of all fans at the moment.

Ramsey was silent for three seconds, then shook his head and said, "He brought the dunk contest to the NBA regular season stage."

Another commentator, Steve Mix, expressed the thoughts of the majority of fans: "Meng Jin, what is the purpose of this guy coming to Earth?"

This sentence later became a famous commentary. When Meng Jin performed inhumanly again, this sentence would always appear in the minds of fans.

From the fans' perspective, Meng Jin's shot was explosive. From the defender Barkley's perspective, it was more than explosive, it was simply terrifying. He felt that the most terrifying thing about this shot was that Meng Jin didn't even give him a chance to foul!
Joe Bryant looked at his son and asked, "Kobe, what did you just see?"

Kobe's eyes were full of excitement: "He jumped so high. I have never seen a person jump so high."

"What else?" Joe Bryant continued to ask.

"He runs very fast and has a great wingspan," Kobe replied.

Joe Bryant shook his head and said, "He is just too physically gifted. So no matter what kind of technical moves he makes, people still marvel at his physical talent. This goal was not only based on his physical talent. First of all, his offensive sense is very sharp. He ran across half the court in the first place. Secondly, his technique is very delicate. The change of direction without slowing down before starting is not something that can be done with physical talent alone."

Old Joe gave his son a live analysis, and Kobe nodded repeatedly after listening.

This dunk dealt a severe blow to the morale of the 76ers. Their attacks in the next few rounds were all fruitless. Meng Jin punished their inefficiency with three mid-range shots. After Jordan came back, the Bulls made another effort and led by 3 points in the first quarter with 36 to 22.

Meng Jin once again became the subject of everyone's discussion. He made 9 of 9 shots in the first quarter, including all 3 free throws, and scored 21 points without missing a single shot.

After the first quarter, the 76ers' morale was half gone. This is why so many head coaches attach so much importance to the start. The start can set the tone for the game, and a good start is equivalent to half the victory.

The 76ers sent out their super sixth man Ron Anderson in the second quarter. The head coach and fans hoped that Ron Anderson could help the team open up the situation. However, it was proved that it was unrealistic to put the burden of the team on the substitute players. Ron Anderson felt the pressure and missed his first four shots. He only made a shot on his fifth shot.

When Meng Jin and Jordan came on, the 76ers fell behind even further. In the second quarter, they were once behind by 23 points. It was only thanks to Barkley's consecutive steals and shots in the last minute that the gap was narrowed to within 20 points before the end of halftime.

Before the game started, everyone thought it would be a evenly matched contest as both teams were in the upper half of the Eastern Conference. However, after halftime, the game became almost one-sided.

In the third quarter, Jordan started playing one-on-one and made two consecutive mid-range shots after shaking off the opponent.

Although Jordan's condition tonight was not as explosive as Meng Jin's, his touch was also very good.

When Meng Jin and Jordan were in full swing, the Bulls' game became much easier. Not only did the two of them exert their strength on the offensive end, they also worked together on the defensive end to limit Barkley.

Barkley only scored 19 points after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Barkley scored 6 points in a row, but it was difficult to hide the decline. Facing the fierce attacks of Meng Jin and Jordan, Barkley felt that his firepower was a bit poor.

The 76ers fans had long been silent. By the middle of the fourth quarter, fans had already started to leave the stadium. Old Joe sat silently on the sidelines, while his son's face was full of excitement, his eyes sparkling.

Kobe was really looking forward to the moment when the game ended, because his father told him that he would take Kobe into the Bulls locker room tonight and Kobe would finally be able to see his idol.

The final whistle blew, the score was 137 to 105. The one-sided process made the game lose its suspense and viewing appeal early on.

Meng Jin made 26 of 21 shots tonight and scored an incredible 49 points.

Ramsey complained wildly after the game, saying that the 76ers were too gentle on Meng Jin, and they should have made an offer to him earlier and fouled him more aggressively.

Ramsey's perspective changed after becoming a commentator. If he were still the head coach, he would never say such words, because Jordan also scored 33 points tonight. If all the points were targeted at Meng Jin, it would be tantamount to releasing Jordan, and the 76ers would still die miserably.

After Meng Jin came out of the shower, he saw Joe Bryant and Kobe appear in his locker room.

Kobe took off his 76ers jersey, revealing his No. 23 Bulls jersey, and asked Jordan for his autograph.

Jordan patted his head and said, "Good boy."

Then, Jordan signed his name on his jersey.

Kobe immediately walked up to Meng Jin again.

Meng Jin spotted Kobe from afar. He was very familiar with his face. Although Kobe was only 11 or 12 years old now, he looked basically the same as when he grew up.

Meng Jin pretended to ask his name, then asked, "Kobe, who is your favorite player?"

"Before that, it was Michael Jordan," Kobe said.

"What about now?" Meng Jin asked.

"It's you," Kobe said.

After watching Meng Jin play live today, Kobe was completely attracted by him.

"Very good, honest boy, I will teach you two practical tricks." Meng Jin, in a good mood, began to guide little Kobe.

"Kobe, what would you do if your opponent kept pulling your jersey and got in front of you to prevent you from catching the ball?" Meng Jin asked.

Kobe thought about it and said, "I will use the reverse run to get rid of him, then shake him off and catch the ball."

Kobe thought his answer was perfect, but Meng Jin raised his voice the next second: "Are you playing a sissy sport? Listen, I'll tell you what to do in this situation, use your elbow, it's a weapon, not a decoration!"

Kobe looked at his walk and muttered quietly, "Use your elbow?"

Meng Jin nodded: "Yes, that's it."

Meng Jin didn't give Kobe too much guidance as reporters soon poured in and Kobe leaned against the door looking reluctant to leave.

"Meng, you made all 9 shots in the first quarter. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't feel anything. I will attack regardless of whether I hit the target or not. I will keep attacking." Meng Jin replied.

"Will it happen even if the first nine shots are missed?" the reporter asked.

"Of course, if I miss 20 shots, I will still take 21. Of course, this is when my teammates don't hit me."

The reporters burst into laughter after hearing this. Kobe, who was far away, didn't hear the complete sentence. He vaguely heard something like "even if he misses 20 shots, he will still take 21 shots." Kobe thought this sentence was very powerful, so he took it as his motto.

(End of this chapter)