The longest river

Chapter 178 O'Neal Wants to Make Up
On the day of the game, when the Lakers held their open practice, the Western Forum Arena was packed with reporters.

In addition to the issues mentioned earlier, the Western Conference All-Star voting is also in full swing.

Just yesterday, the results of the first round of All-Star voting were released.

Jordan unsurprisingly led the Eastern Conference All-Star voting.

Surprisingly, Yang Shuai outperformed Jordan in the All-Star voting.

This means that if voting ends today, Yang Shuai will become the All-Star vote leader.

This has once again led to fans questioning the league's voting mechanism.

Even newspapers like the Chicago Union are saying that this system will completely ruin the All-Star Game.

So after the Lakers finished practice, the players interviewed by reporters were all asked about this topic.

The first person asked was Kobe.

"Do you think a player who beat Michael doesn't deserve so many votes?"

Kobe's answer highlighted his distinct personality.

Reporters didn't really take Kobe's answer seriously, after all, Kobe was the one who said "Shaq did something stupid" last year.

The reporters focused their interviews on O'Neal.

Everyone knows about the feud between O'Neal and Yang Shuai, so this is the perfect opportunity for O'Neal to denounce Yang Shuai.

“I don’t think there’s a problem with that, because that’s how the rules are.”

However, O'Neal's answer surprised all the reporters.

No, you guys planned this all in advance, didn't you?

Don't you think it's wrong to let overseas fans decide the NBA All-Star starters?

A reporter tried to correct O'Neal.

"No, I don't think so. Haven't you looked at the statistics? Didn't more than 100 million Chinese fans watch the Game 7 between the Bulls and the Pacers last season? People who spend time voting will naturally spend time watching the game, that's a fact."

O'Neal's answer was once again unexpected.

"We all know about your feud with Hansen. Will you teach him a lesson in tonight's match?"

The reporter from Fox News went straight to the point with more pointed questions.

"We have no problems off the court, but on the court, you know, I will lead the team to beat every team that comes to Los Angeles."

Okay, this time the reporters finally understood: O'Neal has changed his ways!

The afternoon was the Trail Blazers' time to familiarize themselves with the venue.

As soon as the training session ended, the reporters couldn't wait to surround Yang Shuai.

One of them presented him with O'Neal's answer.

This completely baffled Yang Shuai.

What trick is O'Neal up to?
The Thirty-Six Stratagems: The Stratagem of Prideful Soldiers?
Deliberately feigning weakness, then launching a surprise attack?
Speaking of which, "The Art of War" is a bestseller in the United States. Many NBA players have picked it up and read it, as if they can really understand it.

Yang Shuai didn't understand, but he didn't care to understand, and simply gestured for the reporter to ask the next question.

After the interview, Yang Shuai returned to the locker room and chatted with Sabonis.

Since Carlisle started giving Yang Shuai and Sabonis more tactical options, the two have been communicating more frequently.

It was after that that they discovered they actually had more to talk about.

The two of them most liked to talk about history. Sabonis' earliest national team came from a country that has disappeared, and that country had many connections with China.

Of course, they weren't talking about that right now, but rather about O'Neal's sudden change in attitude.

“I think he’s trying to make a good impression on you,” Sabonis said, suggesting a possibility that Yang Shuai had never considered.

"You mean, the guy who used to racially discriminate against me is now trying to be nice to me?"

Listen to this; his words contradict themselves when read together.

Yang Shuai thought Sabonis was joking.

"When I first entered the league, which was also when you first entered the league, I played against Shaq on the court. He looked down on me and even trash-talked me," Sabonis recalled.

Yang Shuai nodded in agreement. This sounded like something Shaquille O'Neal would do; he'd see someone easy to bully and then try to take advantage of them.

"But I responded to him fiercely in that game. You know, I played against David Robinson in the 1988 Olympics, so I'm no stranger to the style of play of American centers."

"And then he made advances towards you?" Yang Shuai understood somewhat.

Sabonis nodded.

"He discriminates against the weak, but makes friends with the strong. I think that's his style," Sabonis summarized about O'Neal.

Yang Shuai finally understood. This was the so-called "admiration for the strong" mentality?
When Shaquille O'Neal discriminated against Yang Shuai, Yang Shuai had not yet made a name for himself. But now, he is not only the youngest Finals MVP, but he is also in hot form after his comeback and has a chance to become the new All-Star vote leader.

According to Americans, misunderstandings often occur when people are not yet familiar with each other, but the story must be turned over, and enemies can become friends. This is a classic plot that is often seen in Hollywood movies.

As the saying goes: "Brothers who have survived all the tribulations remain, and a smile at our reunion can erase all enmity."

You son of a bitch!

As Yang Shuai was thinking, he suddenly felt a chill.

His use of O'Neal's wife as an example wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was a genuine feeling he had. In his eyes, racism and sleeping with someone else's wife were no different.

O'Neal's current behavior, in his view, is tantamount to NTR (Netorare, a sexual relationship between humans and animals), making him extremely uncomfortable.

However, after rubbing the hairs standing on end on his arms, he suddenly had a new idea.

O'Neal's overtures aren't entirely a bad thing.

He then got up, left the locker room, and went to the head coach's office.

That evening, the Great Western Forum stadium was packed to capacity.

Besides a large number of KT boards supporting O'Neal, there were also quite a few Kobe boards at the event.

Although Kobe is still playing as a substitute this season, his talent can no longer be hidden.

The most direct evidence of this is the newly released voting results.

This year, the Lakers fielded Kobe Bryant at the forward position, and he ranked second in the first round of Western Conference voting, behind only Karl Malone.

During the pre-game warm-up, the big screen in the arena showed cutscenes of Kobe and Yang Shuai.

The Lakers' strong performance this season, coupled with the similarities between Kobe and Young, has fueled high expectations for the season.

Of course, before the game, the Lakers gave the most screen time to O'Neal.

O'Neal is averaging nearly 30 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 blocks per game this season. After losing weight this summer, he is putting up the same peak numbers he had during his time with the Magic.

If the Lakers finish first in the league this season, O'Neal will win his first MVP award.

He is now considered the next ruler of the league after Jordan.

During the opening ceremony, Yang Shuai was booed by some Los Angeles fans.

If he were to become the All-Star vote leader, I believe there would be even more boos.

"Yang Shuai's success with the Pacers was due to the Pacers' system, and he has yet to prove himself with the Trail Blazers." This is not only the opinion of the Trail Blazers players at the time, but also the opinion of many fans.

Even though Yang Shuai's current average points per game are already fourth in the league, Jordan was never short of criticism before leading the Bulls to the championship.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

Trail Blazers: Kenny Anderson, Yang Shuai, Walter Williams, Wallace, Sabonis

Lakers: Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Rick Fox, Robert Horry, Shaquille O'Neal
O'Neal tipped the ball back to half-court, and the game officially began.

The Lakers started the game by employing O'Neal's low-post tactics.

It was at this moment that Yang Shuai understood why Sabonis could get O'Neal to be on good terms with him. It wasn't so obvious when playing against other teams, but against O'Neal, he could really hold his own.

Carlisle was well-prepared for O'Neal's defense; when Sabonis was holding off the defender, Wallace quickly provided help defense.

A tanky physical defender paired with a mobile power forward who can provide help defense is the best setup for guarding Shaquille O'Neal.

However, O'Neal simply flicked the ball to the far end.

Horry received the ball under Fox's screen and hit a three-pointer.

In the Ceballos trade, the Lakers brought back Horry, the starting power forward during the Rockets' two-peat championship run.

In terms of roster configuration alone, this season's Lakers team is more well-balanced than the one during Shaq's Magic era.

In the transition between offense and defense, the Trail Blazers used spacing tactics, but the Lakers' defense kept up with them.

Horry is a flexible power forward, and Jones and Fox are both excellent wing defenders, especially Jones, who is a second-team defensive player and can keep up with Yang's movements.

The Trail Blazers eventually allowed Wallace to back down Horry in the low post.

Horry showcased his defensive prowess in this possession, forcing Wallace to turn and shoot from a negative angle towards the baseline.

The basketball bounced off the edge of the rim and was caught by the hunched O'Neal.

The Lakers advanced to the frontcourt, and O'Neal continued to call for the ball in the low post.

This time, the Trail Blazers dared not help defend easily. O'Neal's hook shot after facing Sabonis missed the rim, but he squeezed past Sabonis to get the offensive rebound, and then jumped again to dunk with both hands for the score.

Sabonis's only disadvantage against O'Neal was his speed. His knees, which were diagnosed by the Trail Blazers' team doctor when he first entered the league as being good enough to be parked in a disabled parking space, made him a beat slower in his second reaction.

The Staples Center was ignited by O'Neal's dunk, and fans holding O'Neal KT boards waved wildly.

Great white sharks have appeared, and the scene is bloody and brutal!
After the Trail Blazers advanced to the frontcourt, Yang Shuai reached out for the ball on the strong side three-point line.

He then signaled to pull away and had Sabonis set a screen.

Jones is very good at bypassing cover; he immediately bypassed the cover and rushed out.

Seeing this, Yang Shuai quickly moved to the free-throw line side and broke into the mid-range position.

At this moment, O'Neal was mismatched and chose to retreat to the basket, and Yang Shuai immediately raised his hand and took a mid-range shot.

"Shh!"

The basketball hit the net.

And right after making the shot, Yang Shuai smiled at O'Neal.

Just as O'Neal smiled, thinking that Yang Shuai understood his good intentions, a harsh remark hit him right on the head.

"Are you fucking trash?"

(End of this chapter)