The longest river

Chapter 200 The Youngest MVP
The only consolation for Lakers fans is that they weren't the only team to be swept in the second round.

In fact, the day after Game 4 between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers ended, the second round of games had already concluded, and without exception, all of them were sweeps.

The Wizards swept the Heat, the Pacers swept the 76ers, and the Spurs swept the Jazz.

This is the first time such a situation has occurred in NBA history, and it can be described as an "NBA cleanup".

The two Eastern Conference teams were not surprising. The Pacers were much stronger than the 76ers and had a history of rivalry. The Wizards entered the second round with a vengeance, while the Heat were simply unlucky.

What's surprising is the Spurs and the Jazz. The Jazz had a full roster and a similar record to the Spurs, but they didn't win a single game in the end.

While everyone's attention was focused on the Wizards and Trail Blazers, and even the Pacers and Jazz, the Spurs were automatically overlooked.

However, this result made everyone realize that this Spurs team was also very strong.

Just before the conference finals were about to begin, the league announced the winner of the season's most important award, the MVP.

After that "MVP battle," Yang Shuai was considered the most popular MVP candidate.

But nobody knows what the real outcome will be.

Because in terms of final records, the Wizards and the Trail Blazers are actually the same.

Ultimately, Yang Shuai received 30.9% of the vote, defeating Jordan (29.2%) and Duncan (16%), and was successfully elected as the MVP of the 1998-1999 season.

This also means that Yang Shuai, at the age of 21 years and 336 days, has become the youngest MVP in NBA history!

The results immediately sparked heated discussions from the outside world.

It wasn't just the Portland media that were cheering; the Chicago Union newspaper even wrote an article titled "Unprecedented and Unparalleled" to report on Yang Shuai receiving this honor.

Yes, it has the exact same title as the inscription on the base of Jordan's statue.

The MVP is different from the FMVP, because, like Yang Shuai's previous FMVP, there is a certain element of chance involved, but the MVP is a truly well-deserved award.

At 21 years old, most players of that age are either in college or just entering the league.

It's practically impossible for Yang Shuai's record to be broken in the future.

Of course, some media outlets have written articles questioning this, with DC Media being the most dissatisfied. In their view, the Wizards and Trail Blazers have the same record, and Jordan is still the league's scoring champion, so the MVP should rightfully belong to Jordan.

"This is the darkest MVP election of the 20th century. They just didn't want to vote for the great basketball god."

Hey, you know what, DC Media might actually be right this time.

The feud between Jordan and the media is one of the most talked-about topics.

Because Jordan's playing style, image, and even the story of his career were so much in line with the American dream, his popularity exploded after he won his first championship.

Wherever Jordan appears, traffic jams erupt, and fans swarm him like madmen.

Moreover, at that time, the media's reporting on him was basically the same as that of domestic paparazzi stalking celebrities, using every possible means.

Jordan had virtually no privacy.

How exaggerated did it eventually become?

Even Magic Johnson had to warn the media that if they continued to relentlessly pursue Jordan, it might force Jordan to retire.

Jordan's approach was simple and brutal: he directly antagonized the media.

During the 1992-1993 season, before his first retirement, he was already at odds with the media.

It's not an exaggeration to say that Jordan's decision to retire in 1993 was related to the media.

Even after his comeback, Jordan showed no intention of mending his relationship with the media.

In contrast, Yang Shuai gets along much better with the media.

From wearing Reebok slippers at press conferences at the beginning, to making various pretentious remarks in his second season after Bird arrived, and then becoming more at ease in Portland, occasionally making a few humorous remarks in front of the media.

It's fair to say that his image in the media is not only positive, but also interesting.

If the two candidates perform similarly, why wouldn't I vote for the one I prefer?

Those seemingly insignificant parts become very important at times like these.

You think the reason why LeBron James is called the "GOAT in media voting" is essentially because he has a good relationship with the media.

Of course, one advantage Yang Shuai has over James is that his current performance is entirely worthy of his popularity, and he no longer needs to spend money on media voting.

It wasn't just DC media that had objections to the MVP selection results; Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich also expressed his protest during a training day interview.

"The definition of MVP is the person who contributes the most to the victory. TD took a 20-win team to 56 wins, and this season he has taken them to second place in the division. The Trail Blazers have four max-contract players. Yang Shuai is just on a better team."

There's a common practice in NBA award selection that many awards are given to the team that improves its record the most.

For example, the "Best Coach" is also known as the "Most Improved Coach".

A significant improvement in performance would be a lifesaver for the team.

Of course, don't ask why they'd be in such dire straits. Someone as smart as Popovich would never bring up the idea of ​​tanking to draft Duncan.

There are two ways to receive the MVP award. One is to go directly to the New York headquarters to receive it. This is generally applicable to MVPs who have been eliminated in the Western Conference Finals and is a segment that fans enjoy every year.

For example, the story of Dirk Nowitzki winning the MVP award, getting upset in the first round, and then going to the crematorium to receive the award is a familiar one even to Yang Shuai, who was born in the 00s.

Another way, and one that is more relevant to the context, is to receive the award before the competition.

Yang Shuai also chose to receive her award before the competition.

Because the Trail Blazers are the top team in the league and have home-court advantage in all series this year, NBA Commissioner David Stern personally presented Yang Shuai with an award ceremony before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Stern was beaming, clearly in a very good mood.

The NBA China Games had been delayed for various reasons, but he has finally decided to hold the games in 1999.

The Trail Blazers will definitely be one of those teams.

With Yang Shuai's status as an Asian player and the added bonus of being an MVP, it would be difficult for him not to succeed in the China Games.

Of course, even putting aside the China Games, Yang Shuai winning the MVP award is still a very meaningful thing for him.

Even if Jordan is great, he is already 36 years old. He can only play for two more years at most before he can no longer play. The league must find a successor before him.

Otherwise, when Jordan retires for the second time, the league will experience the same impact as when Jordan retired for the first time, with ratings and attendance plummeting.

And as it turns out, this isn't something you can just do by randomly picking someone to promote and hype things up. Both Anfernee Hardaway and Grant Hill, whom he previously chose, proved to be unfit for the task.

Or rather, Yang Shuai, who was selected as a high school student, became the youngest FMVP, and was already the All-Star vote leader last season, is the only candidate.

This is why he did not interfere after the election results were announced.

Just like Schrödinger's ping-pong ball in the NBA draft, if he really wanted to, the MVP selection result in such a close contest could also change.

"The record has been broken again after 40 years. Let's congratulate Yang Shuai, who is the youngest MVP in NBA history."

After Stern finished speaking, he handed the MVP trophy to Yang Shuai.

Unlike the FMVP trophy, the MVP trophy has a more refined design.

It is called the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, named after the first president of the NBA, and its image is that of a bronze figure dribbling a ball with his left hand.

Like the NBA logo, it is actually a silhouette of Jerry West.

After Yang Shuai accepted the trophy, he raised it high, and the Portland fans erupted in a deafening cheer.

The camera also focused on Bill Walton in the commentary booth, in addition to Yang Shuai.

Wharton had a stutter in his early years, but through his own efforts, he not only overcame the problem but also successfully made it to the commentary booth.

Walton, in the commentary booth, joined other Portland fans in applauding Yang Shuai.

Walton is a symbol of the Trail Blazers' previous era and the only player before him to have won an MVP award.

Yang Shuai then delivered his acceptance speech.

Compared to his initial confrontational style when he first joined the league, Yang Shuai is now much more mature, and his remarks focused primarily on the team.

Of course, his personality remained unchanged; he directly made fun of Popovich's previous remarks.

"I was able to win this MVP because I was on a better team."

This immediately drew cheers and whistles from the fans in the stadium.

Even the cameras immediately focused on Popovich on the sidelines.

This disciple of Larry Brown, who also serves as the general manager and head coach of the Spurs, showed no emotional change on his face.

Popovich worked as a spy after graduating from college, so he's quite skilled at managing his facial expressions.

Yang Shuai's remarks were not long, and he summarized them in one sentence at the end.

Let's get started!

As Yang Shuai raised his fist in final moments, the Rose Garden Arena erupted in cheers.

Although the Trail Blazers only have one championship, and that was more than 20 years ago, they also reached the NBA Finals twice during the Drexler era, about seven or eight years ago.

However, those two losses, one to the Pistons and the other to the Bulls, both ended in disappointment.

Now, if they can overcome the Spurs, they will have a chance to make it back to the Finals and make up for their past regrets.

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

Spurs: Avery Johnson, Mario Elie, Shawn Elliott, Tim Duncan, David Robinson

Trail Blazers: Billups, Young, Pippen, Wallace, Sabonis

Amid cheers from the Portland fans, Sabonis tipped the ball back to half-court, giving the Trail Blazers the first possession.

As soon as Yang Shuai made his run in the frontcourt, the Spurs immediately double-teamed him.

Moreover, they directly mobilized defensive resources on the weak side, leaving Pippen wide open.

Popovich had made thorough preparations before the game, and the Spurs executed those preparations well.

However, the Trail Blazers had developed excellent teamwork from the regular season to the first two rounds of the playoffs, and the ball was immediately in Pippen's hands.

Pippen took a three-pointer before the Spurs' defensive rotation returned.

Unfortunately, the shot didn't go in, and Duncan secured the defensive rebound.

The Spurs pushed for a fast break, but the Trail Blazers retreated quickly, and both teams settled into half-court offense.

The Spurs spread out on the wing, and Duncan established position in the low post on the strong side. Elliott passed the ball to Duncan.

The Spurs' style of play is the iconic low-post isolation offense of this era. The only difference is that after drafting Duncan, they formed a twin-tower lineup that can attack both the strong and weak sides.

Pippen immediately provided help defense, and Duncan caught the ball with one hand without stopping. As Pippen rushed towards him, he tipped the ball back to Elliott on the outside.

As Pippen braked and turned, Elliott launched a three-pointer from the outside and sank it down.

The difference between Duncan and O'Neal became apparent at this moment.

Both O'Neal and Duncan passed the ball after being double-teamed, but O'Neal's passing speed was slow and the angle was poor, making it difficult for his teammates to have a direct attack opportunity. Duncan, on the other hand, not only passed the ball quickly but also at a closer angle to his chest, allowing his teammates to shoot quickly after receiving the ball.

This one subtle difference makes O'Neal more afraid of double teams, while Duncan can use double teams to facilitate the offense.

Turning back, the Spurs continued to double-team Yang Shuai, and when Yang Shuai tried to break free of the double-team, three players immediately came to help defend him.

After receiving the ball, Pippen seized the opportunity to quickly break through to the basket, and after drawing Duncan's help defense, he immediately passed the ball to Wallace.

Wallace takes a mid-range shot after receiving the ball.

However, just as he made his move, Duncan managed to pounce and disrupt the shot.

At this time, Duncan was not yet suffering from plantar fasciitis, and his mobility was seriously underestimated. In addition, with his height of 2.11 meters and wingspan of 2.30 meters, his defensive coverage area was very large.

Wallace's shot bounced off the rim, and Robinson then retrieved the defensive rebound under the basket.

The Spurs' twin towers complement each other perfectly, making them a much better fit than the Rockets' Sampson and Olajuwon duo back in the day.

The Spurs launched a fast break, with Duncan receiving a pass from Johnson in the middle and slamming the ball into the basket with a one-handed dunk over Wallace.

Everyone says Duncan is great, but no one can pinpoint exactly why.

However, this was already quite evident after the first two rounds.

Duncan possesses top-tier static physical attributes for a power forward (height, wingspan, shoulder width, and hand size), coupled with impressive dynamic attributes, and most importantly, unseen strength.

In this era, every center was a muscle-bound powerhouse, even David Robinson, who partnered with Duncan, because that was the only way they could gain an advantage in physical confrontations.

But you don't see that in Duncan. He looks ordinary, but he can hold his own against players of similar build, and even held his own against Malone in a previous game against the Jazz.

Six minutes into the game, the score was 8-14, with the Trail Blazers trailing.

And at that very moment, after receiving a pass from Robinson, Elie hit a three-pointer and started trash-talking Yang Shuai: "You're the worst MVP ever!"

Yang Shuai frowned immediately. "Who are you?"
Carlisle reached out and called a pause.

The crowd was in an uproar; they never expected the Trail Blazers to be suppressed by the Spurs at the start of the game.

The Trail Blazers players were equally surprised; they didn't expect the Spurs to become so strong in the playoffs.

It's worth noting that they did play against the Spurs during the regular season.

Clearly, the Spurs, like the Trail Blazers, are growing, as evidenced by their eight-game winning streak at the end of the season.

"Do you think anyone can win the championship smoothly? Give up that fantasy! Every champion has to overcome countless difficulties and obstacles. Now is the time to test us."

Carlisle encouraged his players before picking up the tactical board.

Since that time he asked the team members about their championship aspirations, he has been able to activate that ability.

Moreover, he experienced the Pacers' championship journey firsthand, and he knows how difficult the road to victory is, which is a heartfelt expression of gratitude.

After sitting down, Yang Shuai remembered something: this year is 1999. This Spurs team has a tradition of winning the championship in odd-numbered years. Although he couldn't be completely sure, the Spurs should be the champion team this year.

Give me the ball.

Realizing this, Yang Shuai spoke to Carlisle, who was about to pick up the tactics board.

He played relatively easily in the first two rounds, and it can be said that he only exerted his strength in the first half of Game 3 of the previous round.

But now, facing this year's champion team, he certainly can't continue like that.

Yang Shuai's sudden words startled Carlisle.

However, after sensing the undeniable tone in Yang Shuai's words, Carlisle nodded.

Lu looked at Yang Shuai with a slightly strange expression.

How can a person be so shameless?

Saying something like that when the team is in a bad situation is truly the ultimate fantasy for any player.

The commentators tonight are Ernie Johnson and Bill Walton.

During the timeout, Johnson and Walton discussed the game situation.

"Bill, what adjustments do you think the Trail Blazers need to make right now?"

"The Spurs are now targeting Hansen on defense. Wallace and Pippen need to step up on offense. On defense, the Spurs can be given some opportunities on the perimeter. The core of the Spurs is still their twin towers in the paint."

Walton is quite capable; his analysis of the situation is very detailed.

After the timeout, the Trail Blazers made substitutions, with Wallace and Pippen both being taken out.

Walton paused for a moment when he saw this.

While it's true that this is roughly the time for the Trail Blazers to rotate their squad, the current situation is unfavorable, and sticking to such a rigid rotation could easily lead to a collapse.

When Popovich saw this, a smile couldn't help but appear on his usually calm face.

Carlisle, the so-called "coach of the best," is clearly just riding on the Trail Blazers' good record; his in-game adjustments are really terrible.

Billups dribbled the ball up the court, and Yang Shuai didn't make any tactical runs this time. Instead, he directly asked for the ball outside the three-point line on the strong side.

The rest of the Trail Blazers also quickly spread out.

At this moment, there was a small detail on the court: Walter Williams replaced Pippen. With Williams having a top-three three-point shooting percentage in the league this season, the Spurs could no longer abandon their weak-side help defense as they had before.

They can only defend through inside help.

But Yang Shuai did not give them that opportunity.

By the time his teammates pulled away, he had already launched an attack against Eli.

Elie was not an unknown player. His most famous moment was when he hit the game-winning three-pointer in the final moments of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals between the Rockets and the Suns, and then sent the "kiss of death" to the Suns' bench.

Although he's 35 this season, he's getting better with age, developing himself into a 3D player.

However, his "D" wasn't enough for Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai used an explosive breakthrough to shake off Eli's hand that was on him, forcing Eli to take a big step back. He then pulled back and immediately launched a three-pointer.

Duncan's defensive coverage is extensive, and with Robinson added to the mix, the Spurs' twin towers' interior defense is impenetrable.

However, even with a significant advantage in interior defense, it's still only in the paint, and Yang Shuai started his career as a three-point shooter.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Yang Shuai's three-pointer came down.

This was like a timely rain after a long drought, instantly igniting the Rose Garden Arena.

After landing, Yang Shuai stared at Eli, thinking, "That's it?"
"Defend! Defend!"

Shouts of defense rang out from the crowd.

The Trail Blazers' defensive rotation speed has noticeably improved.

Duncan's passing was still quick, but Billups blocked Elliott's shot, and Elliott quickly passed the ball to Johnson.

But before the ball reached Johnson, Yang Shuai had already made his defensive move and made a steal!

After the timeout, Yang Shuai was completely focused.

After making the steal, Yang Shuai surged ahead, leaping into the air amidst cheers from the fans and as Ellie, who was chasing him, watched him go.

"Oh!"

A powerful tomahawk strike, the body fully drawn like a bow!
The cheers from the crowd reached their peak once again with the resounding thud of that powerful dunk.

With Yang Shuai scoring 5 points in a row, the suppressed emotions on the scene were released all at once in a short period of time!

Popovich frowned, realizing that something was amiss.

Since Pippen and Wallace were not on the court at the moment, if the Trail Blazers were to take the lead, the Spurs would be in a tough spot during the bench transition.

He stood up and waved at Duncan.

Duncan positioned himself even deeper in the frontcourt than before, and after receiving the ball, he quickly turned and banked the ball off the backboard to score.

"Hot Stick" Williams tried to box out but failed.

Because they didn't have a lot of muscle, Duncan was significantly more agile than Robinson and his teammates.

Or rather, it is this combination of strength and agility that makes up Duncan's "fundamentals".

Even the most basic offensive moves allow him to quickly and effectively create scoring opportunities in one-on-one confrontations with opponents.

Duncan's crucial two points helped the Spurs stabilize the situation.

Yang Shuai received the ball again in the attacking third.

Moreover, this attack was even more decisive than the previous one. After a fake drive, he immediately pulled up for a three-pointer!

The three-pointer just now was a test of his touch; once he gets into a good rhythm, he should naturally capitalize on it.

Elie reacted quickly to the ball, but after jumping, he realized that he had no chance of interfering with Yang Shuai.

"A change of direction is a sign of respect, so what can you do if I pull up for a jump shot?" - Yang Shuai's version.

As Eli looked up, Yang Shuai's three-pointer spun overhead and hurtled toward the basket.

"Shh!"

The basketball went in again.

After Eli finished trash-talking, Yang Shuai had already scored 8 points in a row against his defense.

There might be a bust in the top draft pick, but there's no bust in the MVP award!
This time, Yang Shuai didn't do anything to Eli, but instead turned to Popovich on the sidelines and shrugged and spread his hands in celebration.

This is not only a direct response to Popovich's defensive strategy, but also a more direct response to Popovich's pre-game comments.

Popovich's face showed no change in emotion, but his clenched hands revealed his true feelings.

Like his mentor Larry Brown, Popovich also has an extreme aversion to three-pointers.

But Yang Shuai has now used the three-pointer he hates to break through all his defensive arrangements.

16 square meters!
The Trail Blazers have tied the score.

Turning back, Duncan delivered another outstanding performance in the low post.

When he received the ball and was met with help defense, he turned sideways and made a strange shooting motion. The ball, which didn't look like it would go in at all, actually slid smoothly into the net.

Many NBA players were dual-sport athletes in their early years, with American football being the most common. However, Duncan was quite special because he was a swimmer.

If it weren't for his body growing so fast, he would most likely still be able to represent the United States in swimming competitions.

Swimming gave him a flexibility that shouldn't be there for his size, which is why he could throw the ball, and even score, even with his body tilted to the side.

The Spurs have regained the lead.

As the game progressed, it suddenly turned into a contest between Yang Shuai and Duncan.

Yang Shuai continues to receive the ball in the attacking third.

For someone who has played as a ball-dominant, dominant player, this is simply a shift back to a playing style from a certain phase in the past.

This time, Popovich couldn't sit still. Knowing that Elie couldn't stop Yang Shuai, he directly signaled Robinson to let Sabonis go up for a double-team.

In the past, Yang Shuai would most likely have used a handoff tactic with Sabonis for this ball, but this time he chose a more aggressive attacking approach.

Upon seeing Robinson's movement, he immediately dribbled between his legs to close the distance with Eli, and then, amidst Eli's despairing gaze, used a crossover dribble to get past him.

When Robinson rushed out, he suddenly realized that the double team had turned into him mismatching Yang Shuai.

Before he could make any other move, Yang Shuai had already used a crossover to get past him and drive towards the basket.

However, Duncan had already decisively abandoned "Hot Stick" Williams and retreated to the basket.

Yang Shuai jumped up to face Duncan, and Duncan also jumped up and stretched out his long arms.

That 2.30-meter wingspan was like an insurmountable wall standing in front of Yang Shuai.

At that moment, Yang Shuai did a 360° turn in mid-air, using Duncan as the pivot.

During last year's playoffs against the Jazz, Yang Shuai attempted this shot in the final moments of a do-or-die game, but Malone pulled it down before he could react.

Duncan didn't do that. He played much more civilly than Malone, and he was also much more agile.

He actually twisted his body in mid-air, trying to use his hand to chase after Yang Shuai's attack.

The fans in the stadium held their breath instantly; Duncan's defensive ability was simply too incredible.

However, Yang Shuai's shot was faster than Duncan expected, and Duncan's block hit Yang Shuai's wrist instead.

The basketball was flicked from Yang Shuai's fingertips, passed Duncan's block, and flew in an arc towards the basket.

"Shh!"

The basketball fell into the net the instant Yang Shuai landed.

The referee's whistle blew.

The silent stadium was instantly filled with cheers from the fans.

Because Yang Shuai and Duncan play different positions, their previous matchups were misaligned.

But in the last possession, after getting past two players, Yang Shuai scored a 2+1 in a head-on confrontation with Duncan!

Upon landing, Duncan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh, just a little bit short."

Yang Shuai looked at Duncan and felt sorry for him.

Duncan scratched his head, then smiled.

Yang Shuai naturally didn't hear any system notification sounds.

However, when Yang Shuai stepped to the free throw line, a unified chant of "MVP" rang out from the crowd.

The direct confrontation between the two just now illustrates one thing: Duncan is good enough to deserve the MVP this season, but Yang Shuai is the MVP!

Yang Shuai played the entire quarter. He barely took any shots in the first half, but he unleashed his full potential in the second half, scoring 13 points.

Thanks to his outstanding performance, the Trail Blazers successfully took the lead 21-18 at the end of the first quarter.

Moreover, Yang Shuai's outstanding performance in this period bought Pippen and Wallace more rest time, and the two did not return to the court until the beginning of the second quarter.

Yang Shuai was resting on the sidelines at this time. To his surprise, Duncan, who had also played the entire first quarter with him, was back on the court at the start of the second quarter!

Although theoretically, Duncan's low-post style of play is less physically demanding than Yang Shuai's ball-handling style, Duncan is, after all, a big man, and running around on the court with a body weighing 113 kilograms is not much less physically demanding.

Judging from Duncan's posture of supporting himself on his knees with both hands when the ball is dead, playing like this takes a lot of strain on his body.

After all, he also went toe-to-toe with Yang Shuai for most of the second half of the first quarter.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but turn his head and look at the other half of the court, where Popovich was standing on the sidelines.

In the era before his time travel, Popovich had a very sophisticated nickname: Zhuge Weich.

In his previous life, he started watching basketball during the era of the Cavaliers-Warriors rivalry, so he didn't really know much about Popovich.

However, judging from the post-playoff matchups, that nickname was truly undeserved.

The Spurs' offense revolves around low-post offense, and their defense is nothing special.

Its strength lies in its twin towers, especially Duncan.

If there's one thing Popovich can be seen in this Spurs team, it's probably what he's doing right now: relentlessly pushing Duncan.

Duncan has suffered from plantar fasciitis throughout his career, an injury that is essentially caused by overwork.

Given Duncan's solid fundamentals and unpretentious playing style, the fact that he suffered such injuries is truly a testament to Popovich's influence.

However, it must be said that Duncan's presence on the court had an immediate effect. Despite the combined energy of Pippen and Wallace, the Spurs were unable to gain any advantage over them.

There is a topic that has been discussed by countless fans: if you put God, Demon, Emperor, Buddha, and Shark together, who would you pick as the number one draft pick?

That question has been discussed countless times, but the answer has always been remarkably consistent: Duncan. This is because Duncan's floor is simply too high.

The idea that "even a pig could make the playoffs if it coached Duncan" is a more realistic assumption than "my grandma could win a championship with Jordan."

(End of this chapter)