The longest river

Chapter 114 "Listening" to Iverson

Of course, Brown wasn't the only one angered; Allen Iverson was also provoked.

Iverson was also nearby at that moment, and he heard Yang Shuai's words clearly.

Although Iverson wasn't stupid, he knew that Yang Shuai's support for him at the draft and the things he said at the Reebok event were all for commercial reasons.

But they are, after all, from the same sneaker camp. For Yang Shuai to publicly say that his defense is bad is a complete insult to him.

Turning back, Iverson also signaled to his teammates for a screen, wanting to create a mismatch against Yang Shuai.

Workman was extremely anxious after seeing this.

If Yang Shuai gets humiliated because of a mismatch isolation play, then considering the fates of Johnson and McGee, he certainly won't have a good time with the Pacers.

However, it is clear that Workman has a deep misunderstanding of Yang Shuai because of that slap.

Yang Shuai always sticks to the facts. The slap he gave to Workman was because Workman badmouthed him behind his back, and the yelling at Workman on the court was because Workman hesitated to pass the ball.

He didn't do anything to Workman in private at other times.

He couldn't possibly get angry just because Workman forced the opponent's key player to switch on defense.

In fact, after seeing Walkman get screened, he had already switched to guard Iverson and signaled to him to follow the screener who was running toward the weak side when Walkman tried to switch back.

The fans started to boo.

They didn't know what was happening on the court, but what they loved most was this kind of head-to-head confrontation, especially between Yang Shuai and Iverson, two Reebok brand ambassadors.

Yang Shuai took a big step back, giving Iverson space to shoot a three-pointer, and his defensive focus was also significantly improved compared to when he defended Stackhouse.

He knew Iverson's abilities very well; even as a rookie, Iverson was much stronger than Stackhouse, and he had also experienced Iverson's speed during previous help defenses.

Iverson initiated a drive with a crossover dribble, then quickly closed the distance to Yang Shuai, before using a crossover dribble to break past Yang Shuai on his right.

Yang Shuai seemed to recognize this combo. The moment he was beaten, he remembered that it was Tim Hardaway's move when they played against the Heat.

However, Iverson's movement speed was even faster than Hardaway's.

A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd.

Before the draft, some media outlets reported that the 76ers wanted to use the number one pick to select Kobe Bryant, given the precedent of Yang Shuai. However, they ultimately selected Allen Iverson.

From what we can see now, this is probably the best decision the 76ers have ever made in draft history.

However, this round did not end there.

Yang Shuai, who had been beaten, was not left behind by Iverson, who chased after him with great strides.

Although Iverson was fast, he was short and took small steps, while Yang Shuai was also quite fast.

The moment Iverson drove to the basket and jumped for a layup, Yang Shuai had already caught up from behind to defend him.

Moreover, although Yang Shuai jumped a little late, his height and wingspan gave him a significant advantage, making it entirely possible for him to deliver a powerful, chase-down block.

However, just like when he faced Jermaine O'Neal before, Iverson showed his flexibility in the air, pulling the ball to the other side with a backhand layup.

Another gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd.

However, it wasn't because of Iverson's layup, but because Yang Shuai's assist hand was blocking Iverson's shot!

With one jump, Yang Shuai attempted to block twice with both hands; he was simply showing off his talent!

At this point, Yang Shuai's back jump actually became an advantage.

Because after Iverson released his shot and landed, he was still in the air.

"boom!"

Just as the cheers from the fans reached their peak, Yang Shuai's assistant swatted Iverson's shot out of bounds!
Yang Shuai defended Iverson one-on-one and successfully stopped him!
After landing, Iverson looked at the blocked ball and his face darkened. He never expected that Yang Shuai, whom he hadn't even been given a second glance at in the training camp and whom he had even forgotten about if Yang Shuai hadn't mentioned him at the draft, would actually defend him one-on-one.

However, what Iverson found even more unacceptable was Yang Shuai's next move.

Amid cheers from the fans, Yang Shuai placed his hands behind his ears, making a "listening" celebration gesture!

"Negative energy from Allen Iverson +748".

Just like during the Three-Point Contest, Yang Shuai was using his own methods to engage (please) the fans in the arena.

It wasn't until he heard the notification sound that suddenly rang in his mind and turned around to see the murderous look in Iverson's eyes that he realized he was facing Iverson.

This move became Iverson's signature celebration.

But there's nothing we can do about it. Iverson joined the league late, so this move belongs to him now. If Iverson uses it in the future, it will be as a tribute to him.

This is the advantage of joining the league early.

Ultimately, the Pacers easily defeated the 76ers 106-88 at home, securing their first win of the season.

Since the game was already decided after three quarters, most of the Pacers' starters only played for three quarters, and Yang Shuai did not return to the court after playing the last two minutes of the third quarter.

Yang Shuai was the team's highest scorer with 20 points, most of which came from the bench players.

On the other side, Iverson also made an appearance in the fourth quarter, ultimately scoring a game-high 23 points. Although he's a rookie, after this game, everyone could see that Iverson has more potential than Stackhouse.

At the post-game press conference, Yang Shuai attended alongside Bird.

"We only used about 50% of our strength, and the children performed quite well."

When asked by reporters how he would rate his first win as a coach, Bird remained remarkably calm.

While the reporters were amazed that he had managed to pull off another impressive feat, they didn't find anything wrong with what he said, after all, the 76ers were just a rebuilding team.

They quickly turned their attention to Yang Shuai, and even Miller was asked to comment on Yang Shuai's performance tonight.

“We already saw what he could do last season, and I’m glad he’s improved a lot since last season.”

Miller is arguably the NBA's least concerned about stats among all its star players. He consistently averaged only around 13 field goal attempts per game during the regular season, which is unheard of for other stars.

In comparison, Jordan averaged 22+ points per game, and even Drexler, who became the Rockets' second option, averaged 14+ points.

Compared to statistics, what he cares about most is the team's wins and losses, and Yang Shuai's growth can clearly bring victory to the team.

Then the reporters started asking Yang Shuai questions.

"How would you rate your performance tonight? Out of 10."

Yang Shuai was initially asked a very standard question.

However, Yang Shuai's answer once again surprised everyone in the audience.

He, who had deliberately chosen to sit at the far side of the press conference seating area, slowly raised his right foot, and then spoke amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd:

How did you know I was wearing my signature sneakers today?

The reporters were stunned.

Someone asked you what sneakers you were wearing?
When they realized that Yang Shuai was advertising his sneakers again, just like before, they laughed and shook their heads.

Although it's already the second season of his career, Yang Shuai's unique temperament, reminiscent of a high school student, hasn't completely disappeared.

Then Yang Shuai launched into a series of forced advertisements.

“My signature shoe is a low-top, which doesn’t restrict my heel like high-tops do. It allows me to run faster on the court. Without these shoes, I would give myself an 8 out of 10 for my performance, but with these shoes, I would give myself a 10 out of 10.”

Although the initial approach was a bit clumsy, the advertising campaign itself wasn't bad.

Because the shoes haven't been mass-produced yet and the advertisements haven't been officially launched, many reporters at the scene only learned that Yang Shuai had already started wearing his signature shoes for the new season after this round of advertising.

Moreover, in an era where high-top shoes are the mainstream, the appearance of a pair of low-top shoes can indeed be quite stunning.

"We noticed that you spoke to Larry Brown on the sidelines during the game. What did you say to him?"

Because there were no recording devices at that time, apart from a few spectators at the sidelines, no one knew what Yang Shuai said to Brown.

"It's nothing. I just sent him my regards. I know he's not doing well right now, and I'm happy for him."

Yang Shuai's answer left all the reporters speechless; they all thought they had misheard.

Bird smiled helplessly.

Yang Shuai's personality is like a scorpion's shit in the league, one of a kind.

The following day, the article "Hanson Young angrily berates Larry Brown on the court, Brown loses face" published in New York Today attracted a lot of attention.

However, this was just a minor incident after the Pacers started their season.

After defeating the 76ers, the Pacers went on to beat the Celtics, Clippers, Bullets, Raptors, and Hawks, achieving a dream start with a six-game winning streak, tying the Bulls for first place in the league.

This is partly due to the schedule, as most of their opponents were not championship contenders, but it is also largely due to the Pacers' own outstanding performance.

Their spatial tactics, in an era dominated by low-post isolation plays, are somewhat like a game-changer.

This was especially evident in the game against the Hawks.

The combination of Laettner and Mutombo was absolutely top-tier in this era, but they were frequently pulled away from the paint by the Pacers' spacing offense, drastically reducing their defensive threat.

If they don't do that and choose to go to the baseline when facing a pick-and-roll, Yang Shuai, Miller, and even Schmitz will punish them from the outside.

Bird began his coaching career in a stunning way.

"I just got some inspiration from the Pacers' games last season, and Hansen was the one who inspired me."

Bird explained the origins of his spacing game after the game against the Hawks.

But the reporters just thought he was showing off again. After all, turning an idea into a whole tactical system is something that no player can do.

Bird: Nobody believes me when I tell the truth, and there's nothing I can do about it.

Riding high on a six-game winning streak, the Pacers boarded a plane to Inglewood, Los Angeles, where they would face the Lakers for the first time this season.

(End of this chapter)