Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 153 A Heartwarming Young Man

Kidd's so-called "correct choice of lineup and tactics" has been the subject of much discussion in the media, with several neutral ESPN reporters writing articles analyzing the intentions behind his remarks.

Some with inside information also revealed that there was discord between Kidd and Jaffaroni.

The media focused on the "right choice," because the phrase itself carries a strong connotation, implying that the current choice was "wrong."

Marc Jafaroni was restless in his office.

Kidd's remarks put him in a very difficult position.

He tried to contact Kidd for a frank discussion, but Kidd's response was very official: "Mark, my comments were just a summary of the series and I didn't mean anything against anyone. You know, the media likes to over-interpret."

Jaffaroni was furious at Kidd's statement. He might not have thought Kidd was targeting him before, but now, Kidd's words and actions seemed like he was performing his traditional trick of taking care of coaches.

Fortunately, Xu Ling remained silent throughout.

Within the Grizzlies, besides the owner, only Xu Ling's ideas could play a crucial role in this matter.

Jerry West was equally annoyed by the incident.

He was furious at Kidd's unprofessional behavior. As a veteran, Kidd couldn't possibly be unaware that such remarks would be over-interpreted by the media, yet he still said them. What does this mean? Did he really want to get rid of his coach less than half a season after joining his new team?
It's easy to kick Jaffaroni out, but who will take over? Who can contribute more value in that position? That's the real question.

Although the season is over, the atmosphere within the Grizzlies has become delicate. Some role players have begun to privately discuss the possibility of major changes to the team during the offseason, leaving their futures uncertain.

Should they side with the coach, or lean closer to Kidd, who controls the ball on the court?

Soon, even Xu Ling could sense this subtle atmosphere.

As the team's underdog, Kyle Lowry took the initiative to visit Xu Ling's home. He didn't say anything, but simply asked Xu Ling about his offseason plans.

Xu Ling said, "I might go to California in a few days. I want to find a training team for special training."

"So soon?" Lowry asked in surprise. "Aren't you going to rest for a few days?"

Xu Ling smiled and looked at him without saying a word.

Lowry instantly realized that this was California, not Memphis.

After training during the day, you can play however you want in the evening.

"Can I go?" Lowry asked with a sense of urgency. "Eli, I'm so eager to improve."

Oh, poor little Lori, you won't even call Eli "Lord".

However, Lowry's feelings are understandable.

This is his second season, and he still hasn't achieved anything significant.

At the beginning of the season, because the Grizzlies did not have a reliable point guard, Lowry successfully took over as the starter, but unfortunately the effect was not good. As the controller of the SSOL system, he could not control the system at all, which caused him to lose the trust of Jaffaroni at the beginning of the season. So after Kidd arrived, he became an undisputed substitute, and sometimes his playing time was even behind Jarius Jackson.

If a second-year, late-round draft pick hasn't yet demonstrated sufficient immediate impact, their NBA prospects are in jeopardy.

Lowry's approach to Xu Ling was less about seeking divine favor and more about hoping to bask in the Lord's light and have the team continue to be patient with him out of God's sake.

Xu Ling was obviously unaware of Lowry's true intentions, but he didn't dislike Lowry. After all, they were good colleagues who had gone through hardships together at the beginning of the season. Moreover, he knew Lowry's potential and that Lowry needed a long time to develop.

Therefore, he would never mind giving Lowry some extra care when he was still a nobody.

Therefore, Xu Ling agreed to Lowry's application to join, and said, "Kyle, you know, I've always had high hopes for you."

Lowry believed it was just the Lord being polite, but he still pretended to listen attentively.

Xu Ling said, "What you need is confidence in yourself. Maybe one day you will be better than Jason."

That's impossible, of course.
Lowry said helplessly, "Eli, you don't understand, what I lack is not confidence."

"What is that?" Xu Ling asked.

“Trust,” Lowry said. “Nobody in the NBA has ever trusted me.”

Oh, poor little Lori, what a sad story.

Xu Ling really wanted to say: That's true.

But he was a good person, so he kindly said, "I trust you."

That's just not enough for you to replace Jason Kidd.

Xu Ling's appearance changed Lowry's development path to some extent.

Lowry, a sophomore, could have dominated the tanking Grizzlies, playing his favorite chaotic style of play, and Yafaroni's SSOL was destined to fail. However, after drafting Xu Ling, they suddenly had a need for results, and Lowry was also constrained.

After Kidd arrived, Lowry lost the opportunity to showcase his talent. As a result, his stats in his second season were similar to his rookie season, making him look like a loser who might be eliminated from the NBA.

And that's how this whole thing happened.

Lowry wants to tie herself to Xu Ling's chariot.

Xu Ling seemed to be cooperating.

This convinced Lowry that he was a good person and that the outside world had misunderstood him too much.

That evening, Lowry tweeted: "Guys, how are you planning your summer? I'm heading to California with the great Eli Xu for some grueling training!"

This post delighted Grizzlies fans.

At a time of turmoil for the team, the fact that two young players have managed to remain untainted shows that the Bears have a bright future. However, Xu Ling's decision to stay out of the fray will likely attract malicious speculation from some media outlets.

For example, Chris Sheridan, who is known for his simple hatred of Xu, said: "If you want me to believe that Jason Kidd's coup was not approved by Eli Xu, then you might as well believe that Marc Iafaroni's tactics board actually had tactics other than 'give the ball to Eli' drawn up."

Xu Ling and Lowry arrived at a seemingly ordinary training facility in Los Angeles, led by Craig.

But here, a training team carefully selected by Xu Ling is waiting.

Xu Ling spent several months studying Dr. Ross's concept of "learning to use your buttocks to generate power," but he still felt he couldn't fully grasp it. This made him realize that he needed a training team with advanced theoretical knowledge.

Then he thought of the "accelerated training" team that would later change Curry's career.

Before helping Curry create the Golden State miracle, the "Accelerated Training" team was just an unknown training organization. Team leader Brandon Payne warmly welcomed Xu Ling.

“Eli, welcome to ‘Accelerated Training’.” Payne shook hands with Xu Ling. “Our goal is not to turn you into someone else, but to catalyze and amplify your existing talents to the extreme through the most scientific and efficient methods.”

Every training team says this.

Xu Ling smiled politely and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

Then Payne began to introduce his unique training system, followed by a string of high-sounding terms such as neuromuscular efficiency, dynamic stability, and shooting economy. In short, it was enough to keep the rough-around-the-edges basketball players incomprehensible, mysterious enough to create a sense of excitement like, "Wow, this is so advanced! I want to learn it!"

Then, the special training began.

Xu Ling and Luo Rui are about to embark on a special period.

In the NBA, after the internal turmoil caused by the Grizzlies was handled softly by the management and relevant personnel refused to make further public statements, the media's attention gradually returned to the playoffs.

So far, the playoffs in the East and West have largely revolved around two highly hyped young stars.

In the West, Xu Ling's Grizzlies made franchise history by breaking through the first round, exceeding even outside expectations, as they defeated a team with the regular season MVP.

The defeat in the semi-finals was expected.

The Grizzlies' ceiling is now set.

In the East, James led his team to the Finals last season, so expectations for him are naturally higher now.

The Celtics, who were invincible in the regular season, became erratic in the playoffs. In the first round, they went to a Game 7 against the eighth-seeded Hawks in the East, proving they couldn't win away from home. In the semifinals, they faced the Cavaliers, again going to a Game 7, and once again, they couldn't win away from home.

It seems unsurprising that James was eliminated by a team with far greater talent and depth than himself.

"My goal has always been to lead the Cavaliers to a championship!" James said. "That's a belief that will never change."

Alright, the king's beliefs will have to wait until later.

The ensuing East vs. West final matchup was completely unsurprising.

Mavericks vs. Spurs, Celtics vs. Pistons.

The Mavericks swept the Spurs with ease, while the Celtics seemed to have finally learned how to win on the road, taking six games to defeat the Pistons.

The season has come to a close.

The Mavericks, having reached the finals twice in three years, have every reason to not lose.

Nowitzki plus Kobe. This is a team made up of two of the NBA's top four players, and nothing can satisfy their appetite except a championship.

That's exactly how the competition was conducted.

The Mavericks' unstoppable offense led them to conquer the Celtics' home court in Game 1 of the Finals, a court they had never lost in the playoffs.

The rest of the game was played entirely according to the Mavericks' rhythm.

The Mavericks' problem is a lack of depth and toughness, but they possess a revolutionary offense. The Celtics are characterized by their formidable defense, but their offense is prone to errors. The young Rondo is not yet the arrogant man who dared to claim that the Big Three could win a championship on his own; he still huddles in the shadow of the superstars.

This means the Celtics' firepower will not be maximized.

This situation is destined to prevent the Celtics from unleashing their strongest offensive firepower. The only one who can turn things around is Coach Rivers, but if he can truly understand the root of the problem, the Celtics wouldn't have had to go through 20 grueling games to narrowly secure their spot in the Finals.

The Mavericks did have nights where their offense faltered, and when that happened, defeat was almost inevitable—this happened twice in the Finals. But ultimately, this was a series where offensive talent completely overwhelmed the defensive system.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated their opponents 4-2 to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Wearing a navy blue away jersey, Kobe won his first Finals MVP award.

Was he satisfied?
"Not yet," he said calmly in his acceptance speech. "We still need to win a few more."

A deafening roar of boos erupted from the crowd.

Xu Ling, who indirectly contributed to this outcome, was filming an advertisement in sunny California at the time.

On the night the Mavericks won the championship, Xu Ling returned to his hotel and opened Twitter on his computer, only to find that the latest updates had already been swallowed up by the rage of Celtics fans:

"It's all your fault, you jinx! If you hadn't injured Bynum, the Lakers would never have traded Kobe! If Kobe were still with the Lakers, who could have stopped the Celtics from winning the championship? You ruined it all! I hope you're reincarnated as a moldy basketball in your next life—no! You don't even deserve to be a basketball, you should rot in hell like a maggot!"

Since his transmigration, Xu Ling has endured countless unwarranted hostility and borne numerous baseless accusations.

But this time, he didn't feel wronged at all.

“I understand how you feel,” Xu Ling replied casually to one of the messages, “but please don’t give up hope. The Celtics will remain strong contenders for the championship for the next few years, and as long as they stay healthy, the opportunity will always be there.”

It's so heartwarming.

(End of this chapter)