met free Chapter 744 Bird and Jordan regretted it so much during the preseason!
Chapter 744 Bird and Jordan regretted it so much during the preseason!
With Lin Tian repeatedly bullying Anthony and Stoudemire in one-on-one matches, the atmosphere within the Knicks team has become increasingly better. Originally, these kids were already completely in awe of Lin Tian, but now that they've discovered how terrifying he still is, they've become even more obedient.
They trained even harder, putting in extra hours on their own. The closer they got to the start of the season, the more energetic they became, training with increasing vigor and relentless effort.
Old Nelson said that all of this was exactly what he expected. With Lin Tian on the team, he wasn't worried about any problems with the team's chemistry.
Even disregarding Lin Tian's prestige and status within the team, from the perspective of these individuals alone, they certainly won't cause any trouble this season; they will definitely train diligently and perform well.
After all, the Knicks are destined to be in the spotlight this season, and every game will attract a lot of attention. These young guys won't miss this opportunity to make a name for themselves!
It's not just players like Smith and Wallace who are eager to prove themselves; they all hope to take advantage of the team's incredible exposure this season to showcase their talents and land big contracts.
Even players like Anthony and Stoudemire, who have already proven themselves and earned max contracts, hope to deliver their best performance this season.
It's not just about the money, but also about their own status in the league and their teams.
To put it another way, Lin Tian will retire after this season. At that time, who will be the leader of the Knicks?
Stoudemire or Anthony?
In terms of seniority, Stoudemire entered the league a year earlier, but in terms of popularity, Carmelo Anthony, a New York native, has the advantage.
Anyway, these two will definitely have to compete fiercely to try and impress Nelson and Dolan.
This season presents the best opportunity for both of them!
Both Nelson and Lin Tian had observed the competition between the two of them.
In order not to affect the team's chemistry, Lin Tian and Old Nelson each spoke with the two men separately.
"Messi and Ronaldo, do you want to be a leader? You know, a leader doesn't just score points, he has to do a lot more! Passing, organizing, defending, motivating teammates, encouraging them at all times, keeping them motivated, giving them easy scoring opportunities, and giving them stats."
"What a leader has to do is tackle the toughest challenges! After all, you're the boss, right?"
"Amaree, do you want to be a leader? You know, being a leader isn't just about scoring points; it's about doing a lot more..."
Lin Tian repeated the same two sentences to the two people 20 minutes apart.
And that's it!
It's that simple!
Lin Tian believed that these two would definitely become more selfless than ever this season!
Of course, the reason why his few basic and simple words were so effective was mainly due to his status in the underworld.
What was that saying again?
If you had 3 million, 4 million, or 5 million, you'd be incredibly handsome even if you looked like Michael Jordan.
That's how Lin Tian is now.
If you have 8, 9, or 10 championships, then even your farts are considered profound truths!
The healthy competition between Anthony and Stoudemire will undoubtedly help the team go further and more easily.
The Knicks' entire training camp can be summed up as energetic, full of fighting spirit, all-out effort, and focused on three goals!
With the training camp over, all the teams are naturally eager to get back into action and have begun their respective preseason games.
Stern knew this was Lin Tian's last year, and he knew better than anyone how to take advantage of Lin Tian's status and popularity.
This year, Stern sent the Knicks to two different locations.
They're going to play two preseason games against the Hornets in China, creating a Chinese national derby.
Then they have to fly to Europe to play one more game each against the Mavericks and Grizzlies in Berlin and Barcelona.
Throughout the preseason, the Knicks had to travel across three continents and play against three different teams, a journey that was absolutely unprecedented in NBA history.
Of course, Stern wasn't some devil. He knew all too well how much money and attention the Knicks would bring him this season, and he was very worried about wearing the team down, especially Lin Tian. If Lin Tian got injured, it would be a loss for the entire league!
Therefore, Stern, after careful consideration, only scheduled four preseason games for the Knicks.
In just over half a month, they only played four games. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Knicks were on vacation.
All I can say is that Stern, that old fox, has a truly masterful grasp of human nature!
If he dared to let the Knicks play all eight preseason games and travel around, Dolan and Don Nelson would probably be cursing and protesting.
You're kidding me!
But now, everyone is happy and joyful, traveling everywhere and checking in with their faces, promoting the NBA's charm and brand while happily playing games.
The main goal is to achieve the best of both worlds!
During the preseason, Lin Tian's greatest joy was not playing games, nor was it wandering around aimlessly.
His greatest pleasure was calling Jordan and Bird.
"Larry, did you watch the Lakers' game? Durant's preseason debut was great! 9-for-15 shooting for 24 points and 5 rebounds! By the way, how's Oden? How's he doing in practice lately?"
"What? Injured? That's such a shame! Oh well, it's okay, he'll definitely be back soon, it's probably just a minor injury. I think he could be Rookie of the Year this year! What? Out for the season? What a pity! Such a talented person!"
"If you had listened to me back then and chosen Du..."
Bird hung up the phone.
"Larry, don't be too sad. I think Durant didn't play well today! He only made 3 of 10 shots, he must have been a bust! He's so big but so skinny, his career probably won't last long. But he played 35 minutes today, I think the team is giving him a chance."
"Give him a chance, but he's useless! He only made 3 shots! What's the point of playing? What good will it do to keep playing? He can play but he can't play well, what's the point!"
"If I were him, playing this badly, I'd rather not play at all! Just like Obama..."
The call ended again.
These past few days, Lin Tian has been having a blast calling Bird!
Generally, Lin Tian would call Jordan immediately after hanging up with Bird.
"Michael, long time no see! How did Tyrus play today? What? 5 points and 7 rebounds? It's a new system, that's normal. We need to give young players some opportunities and patience, let them develop slowly."
"Don't overthink it! This kid isn't playing well just because he's not used to it. It's definitely not because your Felton is inferior to Paul, absolutely not because of that. Don't think in that direction at all. It has nothing to do with that, even though Paul almost made it to the playoffs last year."
"But we almost missed out, didn't we? We almost won the lottery, didn't we? We're just as excited as you guys during the countdown!"
"By the way, did you know LaMarcus played in the Summer League? His stats seemed pretty good! He averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds in just 27 minutes per game! But I don't think those stats are very representative."
"After all, my grandma averaged 18+11 in the Summer League, what kind of intensity could those games possibly have?"
"What? He scored 23 points and 7 rebounds in two preseason games, and 22 points and 9 rebounds respectively? Preseason games aren't very indicative; he'll be exposed in the regular season! I heard you guys gave up two draft picks to acquire Thomas? No problem, this trade is definitely a steal! I'm rooting for you!"
"Okay, okay, let's not talk about Aldridge. If you don't want to talk about this, then we won't."
"Let's talk about something cheerful. I watched today's top 10 plays, and your rookie, Brewer, that windmill dunk was amazing!"
"What? 1 for 8? Only one in one game? Oh, that's only 1 for 13 in two games. It's okay! Fluctuations are normal! We have our off days too, let alone the young guys!"
"The important thing is to have great moments, making it into the top ten plays is more important than anything else! Speaking of which, he's probably going to get a scolding from Brown for his risky steals that disrupt the team's defensive system. You'd better give him some psychological counseling, so the young man doesn't start to doubt himself and lose confidence."
……
During his time in Europe and Asia, Lin Tian followed the Warriors and Bobcats games every day and called Jordan daily to provoke him.
After provoking Jordan, Lin Tian called Bird to inquire about Oden's injury recovery, showing his concern for both the newcomer and his former team.
Lord Lin, you're so thoughtful! So considerate!
As for Jordan and Bird's actions of wanting to kill Lin Tian after hanging up the phone and smashing his office several times, those are insignificant and completely unworthy of mention.
Lin, the official, didn't care.
Anyway, these two old men can't beat him, and they wouldn't dare to actually fight him, right?
Come on then, if you dare.
Comfortable!
This preseason trip was so enjoyable!
With this enjoyable preseason trip coming to an end, the Knicks returned to New York with a 4-0 preseason record.
Next, they need to prepare for their regular season opener!
For the second consecutive year, the Knicks will raise their championship banner at home!
For the first time in team history, they successfully defended their title.
In addition, Lin Tian made his final season debut.
With all these factors combined, the level of attention this match received was naturally at its peak.
Equally high were the ticket prices for this match and the caliber of the fans in attendance.
The average ticket price for this game soared to over $220, and the front row seats were completely sold out.
Rumors circulate that the seats next to Spike Lee are all priced at over $35000!
These figures all slightly broke an NBA regular season ticket price record. Before this game, no regular season game had ever sold tickets at this price.
It can only be said that with Lin Tian's current appeal and the attraction of the mega metropolis of New York, the Knicks are destined to be at the center of the entire NBA and even the entire basketball world this year!
It's also worth mentioning that the live streaming schedule for this season has already been announced.
The Knicks have a total of 54 nationally televised regular season games this season!
At least one of their games against the other 29 teams in the league will be broadcast nationally!
This influence, this number, and the attention the Knicks bring to their opponents are unprecedented!
As the saying goes, this is the final dance of a retiring superstar, the last battle of a top team in the league in their pursuit of a three-peat, the most popular offensive team in the league, and the most valuable super team in the league.
All these factors combined will undoubtedly make every game of the Knicks this season exciting and entertaining!
On October 30, the Knicks will host their first opponent of the season.
Golden State Warriors!
It's worth mentioning that the NBA has only scheduled this one game tonight!
And on April 14th, which is the last day of the regular season, there will only be one game!
The Knicks are back, and their opponent is the New Orleans Hornets!
In the opening and closing games, everyone gave way to Lin Tian and the Knicks!
The opponents that the league has assigned to the Knicks and Lin Tian are quite interesting.
The leaders of both teams are among the hottest rising stars in the league today, and they are both point guards!
Deron Williams and Paul!
Stern's intentions were all too obvious; he made no attempt to hide them.
It's all about things like inheritance, succession, handover, and torch relay.
Lin Tian's attitude towards Stern's open and haphazard plans was quite straightforward.
No problem receiving the torch.
Come and grab it yourself!
But expecting me to give them to you is impossible!
On opening day, the Knicks players arrived at Madison Square Garden early, just like the fans, eager to get started!
They want to get their championship rings as soon as possible, and they also want to see the championship banner raised as soon as possible.
As soon as everyone entered the stadium, they felt waves of dizziness.
Madison Square Garden was a sea of blue that night!
Everyone wore the Knicks' signature blue T-shirts, but this time the jerseys didn't have the Knicks' name on them.
This time, the slogans were written neatly.
"One more time!"
Nobody knows whether the slogan means Lin Tian should sign another contract or the Knicks should win another championship.
But obviously that's not important.
Because the fans have gone crazy.
They went crazy when they saw their hero walk onto the field!
The frenzy was a cacophony of screams and hysterical cheers that swept in from all directions. In the first game of the new season, the Knicks fans displayed their unparalleled passion!
That evening, the front row of Madison Square Garden was unsurprisingly filled with big names.
From the star players of the New York Yankees and Mets to all sorts of celebrities, rappers, actors, politicians, and tycoons in New York, the caliber of Madison Square Garden tonight is no less than that of Staples Center!
Of course, there was also Spike Lee, an old friend of the Knicks. This crazy fan had long been a die-hard fan of Lin Tian. He was in his old seat in the front row, shouting the craziest, the most arrogant, and the loudest!
Sitting next to Spike Lee were retired Knicks legends.
Ewing, Starks, Oakley, Monroe, Frazier, Reed, and others were all present to support their juniors and to share in their glory!
Of course, Houston and Ward, who had just retired during the offseason, also joined the group of retired legends, sitting next to several other big names, and were all smiles.
Seated directly opposite this group of players is Charlize Theron, who has regained his peak appearance and successfully lost weight. Theron is undoubtedly the focus of the entire arena tonight.
When the camera focused on her, the entire stadium erupted in a unified roar.
"Mrs. Lin!"
"Mrs. Lin!"
Having a child with Lin Tian, she undoubtedly became a good friend of the Knicks!
Even many girls at the scene said: Losing to her is okay, I can accept it.
But Theron's appearance meant that Hilton, who is usually at Madison, and the Olsen twins, who appear from time to time, were not there.
Even we sisters have our pride.
Since Mr. Lin has officially announced that he has a child, at the very least, we can't be so shameless as to appear in the same frame as the person in question, right?
To be honest, when Lin Tian walked into the stadium and saw only Theron sitting there with her explosive aura, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He was genuinely worried about a chaotic situation arising from this.
If Hilton and the Olsen sisters were to team up, that would be truly frightening.
After all, of these four, one is rich, two have excellent chemistry, and the remaining one is young and dares to say all sorts of nonsense. If all five of them were to meet...
Ugh, just thinking about it makes me tremble, I can't do it!
Maybe we shouldn't let Theron come in the future.
Otherwise it would be too scary.
However, there's a saying that goes something like this...
In New York, whatever you fear, that's what will happen!
Lin Tiansong hadn't even finished exhaling when he saw four well-dressed, proud, and beautiful girls walk into Madison Square Garden.
Then, the four of them walked straight ahead without turning any corners and sat down around Theron, completely surrounding her.
Judging from this, they're truly sisters of one mind; their strength can break gold!
If it were a girl with less courage and less assertiveness, being surrounded like this would probably have scared her to death on the spot.
That is, Theron, still holding his head high, as if he didn't see the four people at all.
Not only was she arrogant, but Theron even took the initiative to attack!
"Darling, our daughter, angelic Claire just recorded a video to cheer you on. Would you like to watch it?"
How do you provoke four women with just one sentence and leave them speechless?
How can you make four women want to kill you but be unable to do so with just one sentence?
Charlize Theron did it. As for Claire, who has been sleeping for almost 20 hours a day for less than 3 months and can't do anything except cry and laugh, how did she record the cheering video...?
Anyway, judging from Theron's expression, one sentence is enough to explain: "My daughter can record, so what's it to you four flashy bitches?" (End of Chapter)