Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 172 My Own Brown Footsteps
Stoudemire's trial period has ended.

He and Gooden each hit 10 balls, and the final score was 8 to 2.

The plan is not to use a crane, but the advantages are very significant.

Judging from the reactions of Unseld and the others, they seem quite satisfied.

However, Stoudemire's tryouts did not stop after leaving the Wizards.

He also wants to try out for the Bulls and the Grizzlies.

Eggs cannot be put in one basket.

Even if the Wizards hadn't made any draft promises, things could still change until the final draft.

Only a top pick like Yao Ming is unlikely to be subject to any changes.

Stern has no shame and insists on giving the number one pick to New York. If New York doesn't draft Yao Ming in the end, Stern will be furious.

Tang Sen did not accompany the team during the subsequent tryouts. After the tryouts ended on June 2nd, he flew back to Orlando overnight.

On this same day, the Western Conference Finals came to a close.

No team has ever won a Game 7 on the road in the past 20 years.

But the Lakers did it.

After six rounds of fierce fighting, the two teams, having exhausted all their tactics, returned to the first round, fighting with their cards on the table.

You have a fluid offense, everyone can pass the ball, and everyone can be an attacking threat.

With Shaq and Kobe, no one can stop me.

The two teams were evenly matched, staging a fierce battle of offense and defense.

The decisive moment has arrived once again.

But O'Neal failed to capitalize on the opportunity, and the score remained tied at 100, sending the game into overtime.

A Game 7 overtime game—just thinking about it is thrilling.

In the final moments, Jackson recklessly double-teamed Bibby, and Christie and Webber, after getting the chance, failed to capitalize, missing three-pointers in a row.

Jackson's choice was undeniably bold, and the Kings' wasted opportunity was fatal, effectively ending any suspense in the game.

The Lakers won Game 7 and emerged victorious.

……

Orlando, Maitland Youth Activity Center.

Tang Sen put down his newspaper and complained, "Perry, I always feel like Oliphant's big head is full of water, and I'll never know what he's thinking."

It refers to John Oliphant, the editor-in-chief of the Orlando Sentinel.

Following the Lakers' Game 7 victory yesterday, the Sentinel published a special report on the event today.

Logically, since the Magic have finally met the Lakers in the NBA Finals, the Sentinel should be giving the Magic a good talking-to.

But they refused.

I like to be unconventional and become a terrible teammate.

Their lengthy analysis described the Lakers as incredibly strong and the players as being in superb form.

Even an old guy like Horry was described as having a superhuman heart.

Then I started to worry about whether the Magic could beat this Lakers team.

They even found a reason.

There are concerns that the Magic's Eastern Conference playoff run was too smooth, and they haven't had enough of the tough, high-stakes experience they've had.

They were also worried that if the Magic broke out of the Eastern Conference too early, they might suffer a major setback.

The whole thing sounds like they're saying the Magic have a chance to win the championship, but it feels like they favor the Lakers more.

Or is it a feigned weakness to the enemy, a cunning tactic?
Perry Moss, standing next to him, shrugged and said, "That guy's an idiot."

He was the editor-in-chief when the Sentinel voted to trade Shaquille O'Neal. Without his approval, the Sentinel wouldn't have made such an infuriating move.

As they were talking, Billups on the court made a feint, pretending to pass to the corner, but suddenly stopped, flicked his arm, and sent the ball straight to the basket.

A teammate receives the ball and scores a layup.

With this basket, Billups' Team A was now only one point behind, at 33-34.

Tang Sen suddenly perked up and stood up on the sidelines.

There are 49 seconds left in the 30-minute match.

In other words, both teams will have at least one more chance to attack.

The next step in this defense will be crucial.

Tangsen looked at Billups, waiting to see what he would do.

This is similar to the game's decisive moment, where the coach needs to make choices and arrange appropriate tactics, and you, as the on-field commander, also need to make choices and deploy your teammates according to the actual situation.

This decision is difficult.

Billups clapped his hands, urging several teammates to retreat, and then loudly commanded them to tighten their defensive line.

"David, don't go that way."

Billups yelled, stopping a kid from lunging at an opponent on the perimeter.

He chose to leave someone alone.

This young player is called Jack. If Tang Sen remembers correctly, he seems to be the second-leading scorer of the opposing U12 team, and he is good at long-range shooting.

At a crucial moment, Billups chose to leave him open, which showed considerable courage.

Sure enough, the ball got to Jack, and he pulled it up and threw a three-pointer.

"Rebound!"

Billups yelled, as if he had predicted the shot would miss.

With a clatter, the ball really missed.

Billups controlled the ball immediately, his heart pounding.

It wasn't just because he made the right bet, but because he saw hope of winning.

He never imagined that he would be able to pass this extreme training one day.

Tang Sen understood it too.

I didn't watch the earlier games, but I guess Billups read the game and thought that this kid named Jack wasn't shooting well from three-point range today, so he chose to leave him open in the final moments.

This is somewhat similar to Jackson's choice in the final moments of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Sometimes, you really have to take a gamble.

Billups quickly made a few hand gestures, and he became familiar with the group of kids, even teaching them to communicate tactics using hand gestures.

"start running."

Billups urged his teammates on.

The four children ran quite well, and then one of them emerged from the crowd.

You need to shoot a three-pointer.

Billups decisively passed the ball over.

Empty seat.

He paused briefly, then forcefully pushed the basketball away.

Even Tang Sen was on edge.

The ball... went in.

Billups excitedly picked up the child and exclaimed, "Danny, we're going to win!"

Billups turned the tide, but the opponent still has one more chance to attack.

"start running."

Billups quickly put Danny down and urged them to run.

With a two-point lead, Billups, who should have been guarding against a three-pointer, still opted to tighten his defense.

He's still gambling, betting on his opponent's shooting percentage.

It's a bit daring, but it's a good choice nonetheless.

After all, with one less defender, it's difficult to completely shut down the outside defense.

If the opponent makes an empty cut, the hit rate is too high.

Billups had a very clear understanding of this.

Lady Luck was on Billups' side once again, as his opponent missed a three-pointer.

The advantage of collapsing the defensive line is that it can secure rebounds; once a teammate grabs a rebound, they can immediately hold onto it tightly.

There were still 5 seconds left on the offensive, but it didn't matter anymore.

Team A won.

At that moment, Billups felt a surge of joy that brought him to tears.

It was really tough. After losing so many times, I finally won once.

"I'm treating everyone!"

Billups proudly held up the basketball, letting the children around him erupt in excitement.

Then he walked towards Tang Sen on the sidelines.

Moss clapped and congratulated Billups, then asked if he wanted another round.

There's still time.

"no need."

Billups shook his head.

Although we only won once, one win is enough.

Some things, in fact, I've already practiced them quite a bit.

The reason he persisted was similar to Kidd's – it was his obsession to win once and bring this training to a perfect end.

"Tang, I feel I'm ready."

Billups took a deep breath to calm his excitement and looked at Tang Sen. Tang Sen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, immediately understanding what he meant.

"it is good."

After a long and fruitful preparation for the finals, it's time to see it through to the end.

The sentinel reported that the Magic were taking too long to rest.

To Tang Sen, this was utter nonsense, because the Magic's schedule in the Eastern Conference was indeed much less stressful.

But does this make people slack off?

No!
From top to bottom, everyone is working hard for the finals, silently accumulating strength.

Tang Sen felt that all the magicians were more like swordsmen hiding deep in the mountains, honing their skills, observing their opponents, improving their strength, and preparing for the final battle.

So it wasn't just Billups who was ready; everyone was ready.

……

The first game of the finals is on June 5th.

The Magic and the Lakers have the same record of 57 wins.

However, because they swept the Lakers twice during the season and were the division champions, the Magic had home-court advantage.

However, Rivers would rather give up home-court advantage. With the Finals format being 2-3-2, the Lakers would have three home games in one go. If they lose all three home games, the psychological pressure would be even greater when they return to the Magic's home court, down 2-3.

On June 4th, after a day of rest in Los Angeles, the entire Lakers team rushed to Orlando.

O'Neal even went back to his own home to stay.

They said the hotel bed was terrible and uncomfortable to sleep on.

Although his home was in Orlando, this behavior still made Jackson somewhat unhappy.

"Shaq, don't underestimate them. The Magic are tough to beat. They've been preparing for half a season. They've even trained a defensive specialist specifically to target Kobe."

"Don't they have other secret weapons prepared to deal with you?"

When it was time to get used to the venue, O'Neal was the last to arrive, and Jackson couldn't help but chat with him for a few minutes.

But with little effect, O'Neal said nonchalantly, "I know we lost two games in the regular season, but I still beat that Kwame kid."

"So Phil, you just need to pass the ball to me. That kid is no match for me. I talked to him yesterday, and he's still the same as ever."

Jackson's eyes widened.

Did you talk to him?
“We live in the same community,” O’Neal said with a matter-of-fact expression.

Jackson rolled his eyes, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry, Phil, I know that kid is lying to me. He's definitely secretly improving his skills, but it's okay. He's still no match for me." O'Neal clenched his fist and flexed his muscles.

Jackson sighed and said no more.

The match was held at 7:30 p.m.

But by 5 p.m., a large number of fans had already begun to gather at the Water House Center.

Several streets surrounding the water villa center have been blocked off by police, and traffic restrictions have been imposed.

A large number of fans who couldn't get tickets gathered outside the stadium, waiting for the match result.

Passionate Orlando fans even stopped the Lakers' bus halfway through the journey.

They were organized; some blocked the road, and others blocked the police.

At this moment, a figure proudly stepped out from the crowd.

It's that man again!

Jackson, who got up to check the situation, sighed and facepalmed.

These crazy people in Florida!

O'Neal and others immediately gathered around to watch the spectacle.

"He wouldn't actually do it, would he?" Fox muttered.

"Of course he's going to pull! Look, he's about to take his pants off!" O'Neal was incredibly excited and took out his phone to take a picture.

The others followed silently.

The man was still the same as always: he took off his pants, squatted down, and did it all in one smooth motion.

Tang Sen had once wondered why this guy had such a good stomach.

But this time, he added a fancy trick: after finishing, he stuck out his buttocks and aimed them at the Lakers' bus.

There are words written on its butt.

Lakers on the left, shit on the right.

The Lakers are a pile of shit!
Taunting directly fills it up.

Then, he was taken away by the police again.

He didn't care, raising his arm and shouting "Magic champion!"

Countless fans around us joined in the shouting, creating a deafening roar that shook the bus windows.

"boring."

Jackson scoffed.

If this is considered a dirty trick, then it's really clumsy.

At least poison them, or shut off the water in the locker room or something.

Unlike Silas, Jackson didn't complain about this little incident at the pre-game press conference.

The pre-match press conferences for both sides were surprisingly amicable.

Rivers didn't make any harsh statements, and Jackson didn't belittle the Magic.

But what exactly they said after returning to the locker room remains unknown.

The competition officially started at 7:30 p.m.

"Kwame, you're going to lose." Standing in the center circle, O'Neal said proudly.

Brown looked at him without saying a word.

There's no need to respond. You can say whatever you want after you win the game.

Now, Brown only has the ball in his eyes.

As referee Mr. T tossed the basketball, Brown leaped up and effortlessly snatched it away.

Billups controlled the ball.

The Lakers seemed to have opted for a high-post press, and Fisher rushed over to contest the shot immediately.

But Billups is a completely different player now. He not only has excellent organizational skills, but he is also physically strong enough that Fisher's interference has no effect on him.

The five figures, resembling a machine, begin to take their positions.

For his first possession, Billups wanted to pass the ball to Brown.

He is crucial.

Rivers' initial strategy in this game was not to double-team O'Neal, but to let Brown wear down O'Neal alone, engaging in a back-and-forth offensive battle.

Therefore, it is crucial that Brown possesses such abilities.

If he succeeds, it will be a great boost to everyone's morale.

Brown knew this too, and his confrontation with O'Neal began as soon as they approached the paint.

He turned his back to O'Neal on the right side of the basket and reached out for the ball.

Come here, ball.

In an instant, as if by telepathy, the players from both sides silently pulled apart and stared at each other.

The series has just begun, and it's the first game of the series; both teams are still testing each other.

Jackson involuntarily stood up and stared at Brown from the sidelines.

The matchup between Brown and O'Neal will directly influence the outcome of this series.

O'Neal, unusually serious, exerted his strength to hold off Brown, refusing to give an inch.

In an instant, he felt Brown exert force, and then his center of gravity shifted.

This kid is about to turn to the bottom line.

O'Neal knew that Brown was quick on his feet and had a fast turning speed, and often used this move against him.

But I'm not slow either.

In the paint, Shaquille O'Neal has never been afraid of anyone.

The moment his center of gravity shifted, he felt Brown pull him back.

You can't fool me.

O'Neal scoffed inwardly, anticipating that Brown would cut across the middle, and might even do a bunny hop like Ewing.

Despite having only faced each other twice, O'Neal knew Brown's tricks inside and out.

Even if he didn't understand, Jackson would try his best to make himself understand.

But just as O'Neal adjusted his center of gravity, and even moved his right foot to prepare to follow Brown's cross-cut and block him, Brown changed again.

He feinted again, then turned and headed towards the baseline.

It was really just a feint to the left and right.

But the movements are more realistic and more deceptive.

O'Neal fell for it.

Brown turned to the baseline and left O'Neal behind in one step, then pulled up and slammed the ball into the basket with a fierce one-handed dunk.

A moment of deathly silence followed, then the entire center of the water villa erupted into a frenzy, as if a bomb had been dropped.

Tang Sen, standing on the sidelines, excitedly stood up along with everyone else.

After spending two months in the water, Brown didn't develop the same dream-like footwork as Hakeem Olajuwon, but who can underestimate his progress?

It can be said that this is Brown's unique style.

(End of this chapter)