Basketball miracles

Chapter 120 [The Yakitori Sage]

Bird has the right to remain silent, but the title of "King of Trash Talk" is becoming increasingly undeserved.

Since the incident of verbally abusing his deceased mother, Bird's reputation has steadily declined, with countless fans deeming him a morally reprehensible figure. Bird lost to Xiao Tu in his area of ​​expertise, and it was a complete defeat.

There used to be an unwritten rule in the NBA: never talk trash to Bird! Because he could not only beat you, but also humiliate you.

Now, Xiao Tu's post-game trash talk has humiliated Bird, especially since he's on a winning streak while he himself is unscathed. His trash talk doesn't contain any profanity, yet it puts Bird in a very difficult position.

Xiao Tu always felt incredibly happy after each game against Bird.

I'm not pretending anymore, please call me the Yakitori Master.

Bird remained silent after all three of their matchups, refusing to utter a single sarcastic remark afterward.

Bird's fans were disappointed and felt cheated.

For the past few seasons, the media has been brainwashing Bird by claiming he knew how to use verbal tactics to enhance his psychological advantage. He constantly undermined his opponents' confidence while simultaneously building his own unparalleled self-confidence.

Many Bird fans have always believed that Bird criticized everyone in the league and fulfilled all his boasts. He relied on his strength to leave all his opponents helpless, making him invincible.

In reality, Bird never led a team to consecutive championships. He won his first title in 81, but the Finals saw him relinquish control by eight points in Games 3 and 4. His only outstanding performance in the Finals was in the last one, which was also related to the Lakers' weak power forward position.

Bird seemed to lack confidence when facing Xiao Tu, and didn't even dare to say a few words to Xiao Tu after the game to vent his frustration.

What kind of trash-talking king are you? Where's your verbal artistry? Where's your provocation?

After the Celtics' losing streak, the truth came out: Bird only talks trash when they're winning. When they're losing, anything he says only makes him look like a clown. He couldn't lead his team to victory against the Lakers, so he had no choice but to listen to what they said.

Many people have noticed that Bird, who had only been the league's best player for one season, is about to fall from grace.

Xiao Tu knew better than anyone that the Lakers would dominate the Celtics for a long time to come, and that he could handle Bird one-on-one, even with home-court advantage for Bird.

Xiao Tu's calls were stronger; he was always willing to use dirty tricks on defense and rarely got called for fouls, or at least not ejected. The referees seemed to be on a mission today, but they were calling the calls on other players, and Bird didn't get many free throws.

If the league were to only choose one white player to promote, that person would definitely be Shawn Yue. It's only a matter of time before he completely replaces Bird, perhaps even in this year's Finals.

Now, Xiao Tu is receiving higher praise on the defensive end.

His ability to stop Bird once was a fluke, but his ability to turn Bird into a blacksmith twice has proven that he possesses top-notch defensive skills.

Experts predict that Xiao Tu will definitely be selected for the All-Defensive Team. His defensive ability can be seen from the statistics; as the season draws to a close, he is still averaging 16 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

If Xiao Tu weren't so young, he would have had a real chance to be named Defensive Player of the Year this season. His defensive range is much wider and more comprehensive than that of Jazz center Mark Eaton.

Mark Eaton could only rely on his height and wingspan to defend the paint, and he was slow to move, but he set an NBA record for blocks.

That evening, Xiao Tu traveled with the team by bus to New Jersey instead of flying. The two places are very close; if there's no traffic, it takes less than four hours to reach the hotel.

After sweeping the Celtics in the regular season, the Lakers players were very excited. No one was resting in the car; they were all talking about today's game.

The Lakers have a back-to-back game against the Nets tomorrow, and the players being too energetic isn't a good thing. Even after checking into the hotel, many of them won't be able to fall asleep immediately.

Pat Riley, sitting behind Xiao Tu and Magic Johnson, reminded them, "You two better get some rest and go to sleep as soon as you get to the hotel. The Nets aren't particularly strong overall, but they have a physical advantage. Kareem will be resting tomorrow, so you two are key to winning."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar consistently struggles in back-to-back games for the Lakers. His biggest weakness is his slow recovery, which leads to fatigue during tight schedules.

Against the Celtics, Kareem played 40 minutes and exhausted himself, so the team doctor advised him to rest for the game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had also rested twice in previous games, both times without injury.

Older players, once physically exhausted, cannot recover well in the short term; it's not something that can be solved by self-discipline alone. A 38-year-old who can still play like a young person either has some kind of superhuman ability or is taking performance-enhancing drugs; there are no other possibilities.

Even if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar returns to home court, his playing time will be reduced; it's time to prepare for the playoffs. At this point, Riley wasn't a "slave owner" coach; as long as the team could win, he would allow the veterans to manage their energy reasonably. Later, after Abdul-Jabbar retired, the Lakers' roster showed obvious flaws, and Riley became obsessed with implementing grueling training regimens.

Riley believes that if a player's individual ability is lacking, they should train more, regardless of whether excessive fatigue will affect their career. If someone with average talent doesn't work hard, how can they achieve results?

That's indeed the case, which is why Xiao Tu never disliked Riley.

No role player has ever questioned Riley since. If coaches don't push players to train hard, many won't even have a brief peak period and will be eliminated at any time.

Today, Xiao Tu felt his opportunity had arrived and immediately suggested, "Coach, let's arrange the offensive tactics around me for this game. As long as I take more shots, we can definitely easily defeat the Nets."

Riley designed plays for Xiao Tu, not just pick-and-rolls and catch-and-shoot jumpers. After setting a screen for Magic Johnson, Xiao Tu could also run to the low post on either side. If Johnson couldn't drive, he could lob the ball to Xiao Tu for a one-on-one opportunity.

In the first half of the season, Xiao Tu almost never used low-post back-to-the-basket moves, lacking the necessary skills. After practicing his fadeaway jump shot for a month, he was able to take on more offensive responsibilities for the team.

If Xiao Tu hadn't suggested this approach, Riley wouldn't have made this arrangement. Since Xiao Tu spoke up, Riley was naturally willing to give it a try, because Xiao Tu is now the team's third-in-command and their top prospect.

If Xiao Tu performs well against the Nets, Riley will likely have him play more post-up moves with the ball in the future.

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was resting, the Lakers lacked someone who could dominate in the low post. Xiao Tu can't just practice with the team; it's time to use him in games.

According to the Lakers' management, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can only play until he is 40 years old at most, after which his ability to play will decline significantly.

Riley said, "Your opponent is two-time All-Star Buck Williams, who is not easy to deal with."

Xiao Tu laughed, "Could he be better than Bird? Give me unlimited shots tomorrow, I'm confident I can score over 50 points. I haven't really let loose with my shots yet, how about giving me a chance to try?"

Johnson, looking surprised, patted Xiao Tu on the shoulder. "Well, so you said at the press conference that you could win the scoring title if you took more than 20 shots? Can't control your urge to shoot, huh?"

Xiao Tu nodded. "I want to see how far I can go when I go all out. Williams is only 203cm tall, shorter and lighter than me, not to mention his jumping ability. If the Nets assign a center to guard me, he's probably too slow to keep up. Wouldn't it be easy for me to beat both of them one-on-one?"

Xiao Tu boldly voiced his thoughts; it was time to showcase his true skills.

I don't really want to be a team player; I also want to win games with my individualistic, heroic style of play.

If I can't even throw up my shots when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is resting, how am I supposed to compete for the scoring title next season?!
"Okay, I'll have you as the main scorer tomorrow. Erwin, you heard me? Pass the ball to him a lot." Riley agreed readily; the team's inside game needed someone to step up and score.

Bob McAdu is only good at stretching the floor, and Rambis and Kupchak don't have much scoring ability, so it's time for Shaw to step up.

Riley knew that Xiao Tu was the most physically fit person on the team, and that after a night's rest, he would definitely be able to keep up the pace tomorrow.

Others can't learn it, and there's no use in envying them; Xiao Tu is exceptionally gifted.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, sitting in the back row, heard their conversation but didn't object, closing his eyes to rest. He hated back-to-back games, and the team's decision to give him a rest was for his own good.

Not only him, but Johnson also rested for two games when playing against weak teams.

Xiao Tu then said to Johnson, "I'll try to shoot as soon as I receive the ball, and try to help you break your single-game assist record. What's your highest single-game assist record before?"

"Twenty-two isn't many. We agreed that you shouldn't dribble more than twice before shooting." Johnson had no objection to Xiao Tu taking more shots.

He played for 48 minutes today, longer than Xiao Tu, which must have taken a toll on his stamina.

Johnson was willing to fight hard against the Celtics, but he never thought of continuing to fight hard against the Nets; he would slack off whenever possible.

"I mean what I say. Apart from counterattacks, I will try my best to score with shots."

Xiao Tu repeatedly emphasized shooting, not because it was easier, but because he had finally accumulated 100 missed shots and was about to become a god in the next game.

(End of this chapter)