Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 449 I've never heard of such a request in my entire life!

"What? You want me to beat him up a few times?" On the first day of training camp, Lin Tian had just driven his car into the Panderers' training facility when Bird blocked his way. The reason Bird blocked Lin Tian's way also surprised Lin Tian.

Brother, I'm a basketball player!

Do you think I'm a professional assassin? We haven't seen each other all summer, and the first thing you ask me to do is kill someone?

Ah... no, I mean, go beat someone up?

You're insane!

"He asked for it himself." Bird shrugged and repeated to Lin Tian what Artest had told him earlier: "I guarantee this time there's no exaggeration or embellishment whatsoever, it's all his exact words!"

"I've never heard of such a request in my entire life." Lin Tian scratched his head and couldn't help but say, "Are you sure this idiot didn't provoke or offend you, and you're just looking for an opportunity to retaliate?"

"Of course not!" Bird said, looking utterly wronged. "How can you slander someone without my knowledge?"

Let's talk about it when we meet.

At the same time, Lin Tian was also thinking that he shouldn't bring anyone like Jermaine O'Neal, Jackson, or Harrington to the team again, otherwise it would be a bit dangerous when they played against the Pistons.

But probably not this time.

With Ben Wallace gone to the Pistons, how can these two teams even compete if he's still there?

Well, the reason the Malice at the Palace incident is so famous isn't actually because of a fight between players...

But I always feel it's very dangerous.

Lin Tian chatted with Bird as he walked toward the arena. Since it was the first day of training camp, Lin Tian arrived very early.

But of course, some players on the team arrived earlier than him.

Those rookies, undrafted players, and those who fought their way out of the Summer League teams all arrived at the stadium early. For them, being able to stay on the team at this time without being cut meant they were already incredibly close to their dreams!

Only one hurdle remains: making their contracts guaranteed before they can become NBA players!

So, this group of about 7-8 players are now fully focused, training hard, and sweating profusely.

Since everyone has come to practice early, they must let the coach and the team leaders see their diligence and humility, their aggressiveness and special skills. Only in this way will their chances of staying on the team be higher.

Looking at this group of people, Lin Tian was reminded of when he first entered the league. The Bulls' rookies were in a similar situation.

But I don't miss it at all.

Back then, we were desperately poor and had to be mindful of others' feelings. We were never as happy as we are now!

Among this group of players, Lin Tian also saw a few familiar faces, such as the team's rookies Howard and Bonner, who were selected this year, and Chris Jeffries, the team's first-round pick last year who did not make it into the rotation. They were all working hard to train here.

In addition, Lin Tian saw a guy whose appearance, muscles, and overall physique were exactly the same type as Ben Affleck's.

Both were short and stout like tree stumps, both were jet black and muscular, and both had foolish yet clear eyes.

It took Lin Tian a while to remember who this guy was.

He was the guy Lin Tian asked Bird to bring to the training camp during the draft.

Udonis Haslem.

Although this guy can't compare to Ben Wallace in terms of strength and ability, and might even be shorter than him, Haslem is definitely tough, ruthless, and willing to fight to the death!

In these aspects, he is absolutely no worse than Ben Affleck!

In addition, his scoring ability and ability to shoot directly after receiving the ball are definitely no weaker than Ben Wallace's. His mid-range jump shot after receiving the ball after a pick-and-roll is also a unique skill in the league!

With Haslem's addition, although he can't match Ben Wallace's impenetrable defense around the rim, the Pacers' interior defense has at least received the best reinforcement they could get!

If Haslem could somewhat fill the void left by Ben Wallace's departure, and even Arenas' departure could be filled by the firepower of Howard, Artest, and others, then the firepower gap left by Jordan's departure is a void that cannot be filled by just one or two players.

That would require all the Pacers players to work together and fight tooth and nail to have any chance of matching Jordan's firepower!

However, training camp has only just begun, and the Pacers and Carlisle have plenty of time to adjust the team's roster, rotations, tactics, and all the details.

This year, the Pacers' goals remain unchanged.

champion!

However, this year's championship is destined to be somewhat challenging and difficult.

Just as Lin Tian had greeted a group of newcomers and was sitting in the locker room preparing to change clothes and warm up, he suddenly felt a blackout.

Looking up, I saw Artest, so thick that his neck was completely invisible.

Artest was wearing standard American shorts and a tank top, and he was covered in sweat. It was clear that he had been training on his own for a while. He had probably heard that Lin Tian was here and came over to pay his respects.

"Hey Ron, long time no see." Lin Tian smiled and extended his hand, wanting to bump fists with Artest as a welcome.

Unexpectedly, this guy didn't even bother to bump fists with Lin Tian, ​​but instead said directly, "I think Larry told you why I came here, Lin."

"I don't like wasting time. Luckily, we have a boxing ring in our gym. Let's go, let's train! Beat me until I submit, beat me until I'm broken, beat me until I'm completely convinced of your superiority!"

"I'll give you five minutes to change. If you're late, you'll be responsible for the consequences!" After saying that, Artest turned around and left, heading straight for the boxing ring in the Pacers' training facility.

But Artest's attitude... how should I put it?

it's wired!

Is he being humble?

This guy's tone, attitude, and swaggering posture were incredibly arrogant.

Could you call him arrogant?

They immediately started saying, "You have to subdue me, you have to cripple me, you have to subdue me so much that I won't dare to resist..."

Cowardly yet arrogant, tough yet self-aware?

tangled.

However, amidst his confusion and uncertainty, Lin Tian also felt that this guy was quite an interesting fellow.

The last time I encountered someone with a similar temper was Rodman!

By the way, speaking of Rodman, where did he go? After he retired, it was like he just disappeared; nobody could find him.

Who knows where he's off having fun? Anyway, there's nowhere in this world this guy wouldn't dare to go, and no competition he wouldn't dare to participate in.

The main focus is on courage!

Lin Tian was lost in thought as he quickly changed his clothes and shoes, while more and more players were arriving in the locker room.

Almost everyone has arrived.

"You want to go up to the ring and have a go at that idiot Ron?" Webber, still wearing his headphones, eagerly leaned in and asked, "A real fight?"

"I'm serious! He begged me to beat him so badly he couldn't even get up." Lin Tian quickly put on a vest, then stood up, looked at the dozen or so players on the field, and waved his hand, saying, "Since everyone's here, let's all go. This kind of excitement is a rare sight."

After Lin Tian finished speaking, he took the lead and walked towards the boxing ring, followed by a large group of about 20 Pacers players, including those with formal contracts and those without.

Before Lin Tian even arrived, the coaching staff led by Carlisle, along with the team doctor they had hurriedly found, and even Bird, all showed up.

"Don't go too far, just scare him." Bird was still worried, afraid that Lin Tian might hurt Artest.

"How about we try another approach?" Carlisle was aware of Artest's situation.

He was a little worried; he was worried that Lin Tian would beat Atai to death.

"Place your bets now! Place your bets now!" Since Jordan retired, Reggie Miller, who had also retired from the coaching staff and was now just doing odds on the team, showed his true colors as a scoundrel, immediately opening the betting odds: "Lin 10 to 1, Ron 10 to 1!"

"I'll bet 1000 million and win it all myself," Lin Tian said, turning to Miller.

"Fuck!" Miller waved his hand dismissively, then, seeing that everyone around him looked ready to buy Lin Tian, ​​he spread his hands in exasperation and said, "Forget it, I don't think anyone will buy Ron."

Yeah, nobody's going to buy Artest.

Although the guy who broke Jordan's ribs was also notorious, known as one of the most ruthless guys in the entire NBA, coupled with his height of over 2 meters and weight of over 100 kilograms, he had an overwhelming advantage in terms of physique!

In addition, this guy came from the streets of New York and had a lot of street fights since he was a child. He got into all sorts of fights, from bare-handed to armed brawls. Artest has been in no small amount of it.

Moreover, this guy has several professional boxing coaches in his family, so he has been exposed to and practiced fighting skills since he was a child. He is definitely one of the most capable and intimidating guys in the entire NBA.

Well… that is, ranked after Malone, Mourning, O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal, Dampier, Jackson…

That's a bit too many. Anyway, they're ranked right after these guys.

You'll definitely notice that Lin Tian isn't in this ranking!

This is because Lin Tian is not a thug; he is a pacifist! Wherever he plays, he will always bring peace to the court! Where he is, there may be conflicts, but there will absolutely be no fights!

His deterrent power is equivalent to that of nuclear weapons.

The rest of the NBA players are at best like machetes, pipes, chains, watermelon knives, and folding chairs.

They're not in the same league, so of course they can't be compared!

Far away.

In short, this is the Artest we know, the one who's been fighting since he was a kid and received formal combat training since childhood, and nobody had any faith in him.

The most optimistic person would think that after today's game, the tough-skinned Artest wouldn't miss a single training session.

Yes, that's the most optimistic view!

The rest of the people felt that Artest had provoked Lin Tian so much that Lin Tian was being very magnanimous by not taking a month off.

After all, no matter how "beastly" or fierce you are, Artest, how do you compare to Malone? How do you compare to the entire Jazz team? How do you compare to Tyson?

"Chris, Doug, Reggie, and Brad, the four of you are ready to break up this fight at any time. When I tell you to separate them, go immediately!"

"We can't afford to injure Ron on the first day of training camp! We still have a whole regular season to play!" Carlisle was the most worried person. After arriving near the boxing ring, he immediately instructed several of the team's most senior, strongest, and closest to Lin Tian.

Make them fully alert and ready to intervene and break up the fight at any time.

Or rather, be ready to step in and protect Artest at any time.

Lin Tian leaped onto the boxing ring, then casually took off his sneakers, stretched, and asked, "How's it going? What are the rules? How do we fight?"

"Fight what you're best at!" Artest had changed into his full gear by now, but his face was still cold and he looked arrogant and overbearing.

"Okay, let me know if you can't take it anymore, and we'll switch." Lin Tian said, taking a pair of boxing gloves from the ring. Then he looked at Artest and said, "What are you doing? You don't need to wear them, you can go empty-handed."

"If you put on boxing gloves, you probably won't even be able to tickle me. Let's just play like this, so I can hold back and not hurt you."

"FUXX!" What kind of temper does Artest have? Being humiliated by Lin Tian pointing his finger at him like that, he immediately roared, then covered his head with both hands, swaying from side to side like a pendulum, and charged towards Lin Tian!

I must say, those few steps were actually pretty good! He definitely has the makings of a professional boxer.

But against Lin Tian, ​​having a shadow isn't enough.

"Whoosh!"

Artest's first punch completely missed its mark, hitting nothing but air!

At the same time, Lin Tian had already lowered himself down and then leaped forward, and in the blink of an eye, his hands were already wrapped around Artest's waist.

Then Lin Tian suddenly spun behind Artest, grabbed Artest's waist tightly from behind, and then suddenly exerted force in his waist, let out a roar, and leaned his upper body backward, actually lifting Artest up by the waist and pressing him down to the ground upside down!

Falling while crossing the bridge!

Those standing in the stands were stunned as Lin Tian slowly stood up from his backbend position and then rapidly retreated to create distance.

No one even cheered.

That's too fast.

I couldn't even last a second!

Moreover, several knowledgeable people immediately realized that Lin Tian had shown mercy!

If Lin Tian hadn't chosen the visually stunning and incredibly cool bridge throw, but instead opted for a submission hold, Artest would have already lost.

Lin Tian: I didn't mean to hold back, it's just that this move is really cool, and I couldn't resist trying it out.

"Get up, it can't be just this, can it?" Lin Tian said, creating some distance between them, not forgetting to mock Artest who was lying on the floor.

Sure enough, Artest's resilience was not to be underestimated. He shook his head, got up from the floor, and roared, "Again!"

This time, he moved forward much more cautiously, almost inching closer to Lin Tian. His punches were also much slower and more deliberate, as if he were merely testing the waters.

This guy got scared of being thrown around so easily.

But it probably won't work on Lin Tian either!

Just as Artest tentatively extended a punch, Lin Tian suddenly moved again!

He grabbed Artest's arms with both hands, then suddenly stepped forward and used force, wedging one foot behind Artest's foot, and then shoved Artest with his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

Finally, as he fell to the ground, Lin Tian spun around rapidly. In that instant, no one could see how Lin Tian moved or spun. All that could be seen was that after Lin Tian stopped, his hands were gripping Artest's wrists, and his feet were wedged into Artest's arms.

A perfect armbar is formed in the blink of an eye.

"I'm letting go now, this is the second time!" After holding onto Artest's arm for two seconds, Lin Tian didn't wait for him to slap the floor in surrender before quickly letting go and creating distance once again.

"Want some more?"

"Come!"

Artest got up again and charged at Lin Tian once more.

Over the next five minutes, Lin Tian explained to everyone on the Pacers team what a submission hold is and what a ground game is, demonstrating a wide variety of throws and submission holds.

Lin Tian even had time to explain to the audience below what techniques he used, what precautions to take, and when it would be most appropriate to use this move.

Everyone nodded in agreement, feeling as if they had attended a high-end private lesson in wrestling and grappling techniques.

Regardless of how much knowledge everyone can remember from this lesson, or how many of the techniques they can use in a fight later, everyone is certain of one thing: if this lesson were to be charged, it would definitely be very expensive!

Artest's medical expenses alone will cost a lot of money!

After being repeatedly thrown around like a sandbag by Lin Tian for several minutes, when he stood up again, he was clearly dazed and unsteady on his feet, looking like he might fall over at any moment.

As for the harm he caused to Lin Tian during this period?

Lin Tian's hair wasn't messed up much; he just sweated a little.

"Let's call it a day." Seeing that Artest would definitely get a concussion if they continued playing, Lin Tian took the initiative to withdraw from the trap: "It's time to train, we'll play again next time."

"Tomorrow!" Artest's voice remained grim. "I'll be here waiting for you before practice starts tomorrow. Come and beat me up!"

After saying that, the guy tore his sweat-soaked vest to shreds and slammed it hard onto the floor.

He looked resentful and unwilling to accept defeat, but what he said...

What do you mean you're going to come and beat me up again tomorrow?

Seeing Artest like this, Lin Tian was genuinely a little uneasy. This guy, could he really have some kind of unusual fetish...?

Otherwise, how could someone be so arrogant as to say such cowardly things?

However, now that the excitement over here is over, it's hard to say whether Artest was convinced or not, but the Pacers players were definitely convinced.

too strong!

A dimensional reduction attack!

"I can't win this easily even when I'm boxing with my 6-year-old son."

Miller couldn't help but say, "He always manages to land a couple of punches on me, but Ron just didn't even touch a hair on Lin's body."

"Five minutes! A full five minutes!" Weber shook his head and said, "Five minutes, even if you were swinging your arms blindly, you should have been able to swing a few times, but Lin actually dodged them all without getting hit once."

"That's incredible!"

The entire Pacers team, including players and coaches, shared a sense of shared emotion.

Then, the group of people looked at each other and made a decision in their hearts.

I'll come again tomorrow!

Too beautiful!

As for Carlisle and Bird, they were relieved at this moment.

If we keep fighting like this, nothing will happen!

Lin Tian was letting Artest win. Artest couldn't even force Lin Tian to use too much force and lose control, so what was there to be afraid of?

Can an adult hit a child and injure the child?

……

The next day, at the same time and place, Artest arrived at the boxing ring early. He was dressed in a very flamboyant way, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up on his head and a large headset on his head.

This guy just stood there with his back to the boxing ring, his head resting on a pillar, muttering to himself.

Judging from his physique, demeanor, style, and aura, he's definitely a master!

It's that kind of aura you get from the villain's top henchman in action movies, where the protagonist beats the villain's henchmen to a pulp, leaving them helpless, while still sitting there quietly eating, listening to music, drinking, or doing other things!

Well, if the Pacers players hadn't seen yesterday's matchup where Lin Tian threw a sack, they might actually have had some expectations for Artest.

But after yesterday...

They just wanted to see how Lin Tian would beat up Artest today.

They never expected that someone could beat someone up so well!

Yesterday, Lin Tian even performed a high-jump spinning kick followed by a low sweeping leg combo.

Aside from movies, who can actually see this in real life?

Of course, Lin Tian was holding back yesterday; he was just doing it for the sake of looking cool.

If he hadn't held back and had landed both blows on Artest, he would have at least suffered a facial fracture and a comminuted fracture of his ankle.

"How are we going to fight today?" Lin Tian jumped onto the boxing ring and put on another pair of gloves.

But Artest ignored him and kept listening to music.

FUXX!

How dare you try to show off in front of me?

No, it's not a basketball court.

The boxing ring is not a place for you to show off.

Lin Tian strode over, yanked off Artest's headphones, and yelled at him, "How are you going to fight?!"

"FUXX!" Artest was so startled by the sudden attack from behind that he jumped up and almost fell off the boxing ring.

"When did you arrive?"

"How do I fight him?" Lin Tian was too lazy to talk to this guy who always acted like a master. He got straight to the point: beat him to a pulp in 3 minutes, then go train.

Waste of time!

"What I'm best at is boxing rules!" Artest, quite consciously, wasn't wearing gloves. He reached out and touched hands with Lin Tian, ​​indicating that they could begin!

Then, just as Lin Tian took a step, this guy covered his head with both hands and took three or four steps back.

"What are you doing? Come on, attack!" Lin Tian waved at Tyson, then instead of raising his hands in a fighting stance, he simply let them hang naturally at his sides and jumped around in place: "Come on, what are you waiting for?"

Lin Tian's attitude and arrogant demeanor really angered Artest. The guy shouted and charged at Lin Tian.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

A series of whooshing sounds rang out as Artest unleashed a barrage of punches, but he couldn't hit anything but air!

Lin Tian is too fast!

Artest wasn't even attacking him anymore; he was just following him!

Artest didn't know how many punches he threw; maybe 20, maybe 30, maybe 50.

All he could feel was that he hadn't touched anything and that a lot of his strength had been wasted from his body.

Then, after missing another punch, Artest quickly took two steps back to create distance.

He needed to catch his breath.

Unexpectedly, Lin Tian didn't even give chase. He just kept jumping around in the same spot. If Artest hadn't felt weak all over, was panting heavily, and had no strength left, he probably would have thought that everything just now was an illusion and that nothing had happened!

"You've almost recovered, right?" Lin Tian asked, then said, "Then I'm coming!"

After Lin Tian finished speaking, he suddenly moved forward sideways with a gait-like step, and then raised his fist and smashed it into Artest's waist.

Just as Artest was about to retaliate, Lin Tian jumped to the other side and threw another punch at Artest's shoulder!

Then Lin Tian continued to move, circling Artest almost without stopping, constantly attacking Artest in this way!

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

A series of popping sounds, like popping beans, came continuously, leaving the Pacers players in the audience completely stunned!

So this is how boxing is done?

It's like circling around someone endlessly, throwing out a pair of iron fists, and every punch hits the target and inflicts damage on the opponent?

Even playing video games isn't this exaggerated!

Lin Tian's series of punches landed on Artest for at least a full minute. After throwing nearly a hundred punches, Artest finally ran out of breath and quickly retreated to create distance. He needed to catch his breath.

However, after retreating, Lin Tian realized that his habitual action of retreating to maintain a safe distance was unnecessary, completely unnecessary!

Because Artest specifically mentioned that he had thrown a punch to attack and pursue, he hadn't recovered yet!

He's still covering his head and defending himself!

Little brother, you've been knocked senseless again!

"Ron! Ron! It's over! It's over!" Lin Tian could only shout helplessly twice, hoping that Artest would quickly look up and see what had happened to him lying on the ground.

After Lin Tian called out several more times, Artest finally looked up, then looked at Lin Tian and his surroundings, looking as if he had just woken up.

"How much force did you use just now?" Artest looked at Lin Tian and suddenly asked in a neurotic manner.

"I didn't exert any force." Lin Tian shrugged. It wasn't bragging; he really had barely exerted any force. Otherwise, if he had put even a little more power into his punches, Artest wouldn't be able to chat with him right now and would only be lying on the ground chatting with the team doctor.

"Give me a real punch." Artest stretched his arms, got into a fighting stance again, and said, "A full-on punch, I need to know fear and dread!"

"Go all out?" Lin Tian repeated the sentence, then couldn't help but glance at Bird and Carlisle.

Their choices were completely different.

Bird nodded slightly, indicating that it was up to him to handle it. Carlisle, on the other hand, shook his head like a fan, almost opening his mouth to stop him. Artest was not in his right mind and was not clear-headed. Why did you, Lin, have nothing better to do than meddle in this mess?

Is it that fun?

Lin Tian: It is indeed quite interesting. In all my years, I have never seen anyone like Artest.

So Lin Tian swung his arm and said, "Get ready, I'm coming!"

As soon as Lin Tian finished speaking, he took a sudden step forward and rushed towards Artest.

At the same time, he continuously charged up his right fist until he reached a very comfortable distance, then his fist suddenly exploded and smashed towards Artest's head!

Of course, Lin Tian was still careful. He didn't actually aim for the gap in Artest's head guard. If he did, he would most likely break through the guard and actually hit Artest's head.

In that case, this guy might not have to participate in the entire training camp and could just go home and lie down to treat his concussion!

Therefore, Lin Tian's punch was actually aimed at Artest's left arm, and he smashed it with all his might!

With that punch, Artest would only feel excruciating pain, but wouldn't suffer any other injuries.

It's a minor injury; it should heal in 3-5 days.

However, Lin Tian still underestimated just how terrifying his current power was.

His punch did land on Artest's arm, which was protecting his head, but the force was so great that Artest couldn't block it at all!

His arm instinctively swung towards his head, and his fist landed squarely on his eye socket.

"puff!"

Lin Tian, ​​who was closest, could hear a muffled thud, and then saw Artest scream as he was sent flying and landed on the floor.

"Oh no! Doctor!! Doctor!!" Carlisle screamed, wishing he could immediately get the team medical staff to come up to him.

The other players were also stunned.

If yesterday's focus was on technique, then today Lin Tian is showcasing power and speed.

The series of punches in the first half and that final, devastating blow were truly terrifying.

That's Ron Artest, who weighs over 100 kilograms!

He was just punched so hard he was thrown off the ground and ended up lying on the floor? That's outrageous!

Moreover, Artest hasn't moved at all in the past half day; could he have been injured...?

"I'm fine!"

The team doctor had just arrived on the ring and was about to squat down to examine Artest when Artest suddenly sat up, startling him so much that he almost fell on his backside to the floor.

This sudden rise really does have a bit of a zombie vibe.

"We'll only know if he's alright after we examine him." The team doctor quickly regained his composure and then, without further ado, went to examine Artest to see if he was alright.

Although Artest was reckless, he wasn't stupid after all. Right now, while they were inspecting him, he sat there steadily and didn't move an inch.

"It's alright, the initial screening didn't show any signs of concussion or anything like that, but I suggest he still go to the hospital for a check-up to make sure he's really okay before making any decisions, and..." His teammate paused, pointing to Artest's eyes, and added, "I think he'll need to wear sunglasses from now on." (End of Chapter)