met free Chapter 238 Human Bomber Combination! UFO's First Takeoff!
Chapter 238 Human Bomber Combination! UFO's First Takeoff!
Chapter 238 Human Bomber Combination! UFO's First Takeoff!
On the first day of training camp, when Fratello was full of enthusiasm and eager to share his brilliant tactics with others, and to get along well with the two core players of the team, he was completely dumbfounded!
Fratello stared wide-eyed at Kemp and Webber, who were arm in arm like best buddies. If he weren't so strong, he probably would have dislocated his jaw on the spot.
No, who are you two?
I don't know you!
What are you doing here at my team's training facility? Don't you know that unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the training hall?
Are security guards in Cleveland really this bad and irresponsible now?
Fratello stared at the two men in disbelief, then rubbed his eyes several times. He even went to the bathroom to wash his face thoroughly, and then muttered to himself in front of the mirror.
"It's fake! It's all fake! It's all an illusion! When I go out in a bit, I'll see the slender Webber showing off his passing skills, and the muscular Kemp slamming dunks under the basket! The first thing I'll do is tell Kemp not to dunk like that, it's bad for his knees, and I'll also tell Webber to be careful about his turnover rate when passing the ball."
"Finally, the three of us will easily become good buddies! Yes, that's it!"
Fratello slapped his cheek hard, then walked back into the training gym.
then……
Well, there is some good news, such as the fact that he doesn't have to worry about Kemp and Webber not getting along.
These two guys are as close as brothers! They were arm in arm the whole time, talking non-stop!
This kind of relationship means there will absolutely be no competition for leadership or team status; it's just a genuine brotherhood where everyone has fun together!
but……
What's the point of this?!
What Fratello wanted was a talented all-around forward and a powerful dunker who was unstoppable on the rim.
This isn't a pair of chubby chubby people who are happy together!
How did Fratello feel on the first day of training camp?
He wants to quit; he wants to quit immediately and never work there again!
It's a pity that the era didn't have things like official versions, pirated versions, Pinduoduo versions, or buyer's show and seller's show. Otherwise, Fratello would have been able to perfectly express the frustration he felt, instead of being like this now, not even knowing how to curse or describe it!
The dramatic weight gain of Kemp and Webber has alarmed not only Fratello, but also Cleveland fans and fans throughout the league!
Everyone was shocked by the insane size of these two guys during the preseason.
This pair of overweight players is practically a living example and the best negative case of the negative impact of the lockout. For example, Lakers head coach Harris would comfort himself: O'Neal only gained less than 10KG. Compared to these two guys who each gained at least 20KG, O'Neal is simply a god of self-discipline! What more could I ask for than coaching such a dedicated O'Neal?
People, know how to be content!
Yes, the head coaches and players of other teams in the league have roughly the same idea.
Be content!
The Cavaliers' $2500 million-a-year frontcourt duo is in this condition and weight, so our team's poor condition and weight gain are really not worth mentioning!
It's absolutely not worth mentioning!
October 1999, 2!
The highly anticipated new NBA season has finally officially begun!
On the first day of the season, the league has scheduled 12 matchups, with 24 teams taking the court.
It's worth mentioning that on the second day of the season, there were 7 more matchups, with 14 teams taking the stage.
This means that nine teams will have to play back-to-back games on the first and second days of the season!
On the third day of the season, there were another 9 games, and another 6 teams had to play back-to-back games!
Just by looking at the schedule and matchups in the first three days of the season, you can tell how tight the schedule will be and how tired the players on each team will be!
They are destined to start the season amidst immense busyness!
However, on the first day of the season, the league did not schedule the newly formed super team New York Knicks or the Lakers, the most luxurious team in the West, to play. The league thoughtfully focused all the spotlight on Indiana on the first day!
Here, you can see two fat, greasy men...
Yes, we'll see the Indiana Pacers raise their championship banner and put on their championship rings for the first time in their history!
The City Square Arena was packed to capacity that day, with enthusiastic fans filling the stadium early in the morning. Retired Barkley, Danny Ainge (who played for the Celtics), and Kevin Dumars (who played for the Pistons) were all present to receive cheers from the fans!
In addition, at least 15000 fans spontaneously gathered in the huge plaza outside the arena. They hadn't bought tickets, but they still hoped to see the team raise the championship banner up close!
It's worth noting that starting this season, the NBA will no longer be exclusively broadcast by CBS; in other words, CBS has lost the right to continue broadcasting NBA games nationwide in the new season.
The task of broadcasting the entire US in the new season will be transferred to TNT and NBC.
NBC poached CBS's star duo, Smith and Marcus. If fans want to see the familiar flavor and commentary this season, then look to NBC!
TNT, on the other hand, decided to go the player commentary route. They hired NBA stars Kenny Smith, who had just retired two years ago, and Charles Barkley. However, Barkley was attending the championship award ceremony today, so he did not appear in the studio. TNT paired Kenny with another temporary partner.
Another recently retired NBA legend, Kevin Jensen from the Phoenix Suns!
Before the match even started, Smith showcased his talent, smiling as he said, "Hello everyone, I'm your old friend Kenny! It's a great honor to meet you all as a commentator for the first time, but to be honest, I originally thought it would be no later than October."
"I didn't expect it to drag on until February."
"Is that why you're so good at greeting the audience? You practiced your self-introduction at home for four whole months?" Kevin Jason, nicknamed "The Lightning" during his playing days, laughed. "You must be very nervous right now, like when you first asked a girl out?"
"Kevin, I was so nervous!" Kenny responded quickly to Jason's teasing, "More nervous than when I won the championship! Oh, right, I almost forgot, you have no idea what it feels like to win a championship! Want me to tell you all about it?"
"So what if you won a championship? My grandma and Hakeem together won a championship! You didn't even have a Finals MVP! I don't know what you have to be proud of! Look at Lin." Jason quickly shifted the topic back to the game: "I think Lin has a chance to become the greatest point guard in NBA history!"
"You'd better not let 'The Magician' hear that," Kenny said with a smile.
"I believe 'The Magician' would agree with me," Jason shrugged. "Because intelligent people always share the same opinion!"
"Okay, but anyway," Kenny said, "Lin has really done some unbelievable things! What's even more unbelievable is that he's only 25 years old! His career has just begun."
"He's already won three championships, one All-NBA Third Team selection, one All-NBA First Team selection, one All-Defensive First Team selection, one All-Star MVP, one Finals MVP, and one Sixth Man of the Year award! You simply can't imagine how many more great things he can achieve in the next 8-10 years!"
"Yes! I truly believe Lin can become another guy who can be included in the top ten of all-time greats!" Jason added, "Look! Lin's already on the court! The Indiana fans' frenzy shows us just how popular he is!"
At this moment, the City Square Stadium was filled with cheers and shouts, with fans screaming and yelling Lin Tian's name!
Even though the championship flag-raising ceremony and ring presentation ceremony haven't started yet, the fans can't wait!
Lin Tian smiled and waved to the fans, then walked to the sidelines and shook hands and hugged Dumars, Ainge, and Barkley, who were sitting side by side with him, to thank them for coming to the stadium.
Dumars said, "I just started working for the Pistons and skipped our team's first game to attend our ceremony."
"When the old man found out I was taking the first day of the new season, he was so angry he almost smashed the TV," Angie said with a laugh. "But I told him Larry insisted I attend, so I think the old man hates Larry even more now!"
"Me too. I just found a job at TNT, a job where I don't have to get up early, work overtime, fly around, or control my weight," Barkley said with a laugh. "Then I took the day off on my first day, and I don't know who they'll find to replace me."
"Isaiah wants to come too, but he can't skip work," Dumars added. "He's the Raptors' head coach and general manager now. It doesn't seem right for the head coach to run away on the first day of the season, does it?"
"Charles, can you move your butt a little? You're sitting in two seats by yourself! Damn it, did you buy two tickets?" Barkley's old nemesis Miller arrived late, and the moment he appeared, he immediately started attacking Barkley.
Barkley completely ignored Miller and instead yelled at Carter, who was standing not far away, "Kid, you better play well in March! You'd better get Reggie off the bench by March and make that old slacker retire early! I support you!"
After chatting casually for a while, Lin Tian sensed someone approaching from behind. He turned around and saw two fleshy spheres.
Two fleshy blobs that are just as impressive as Barkley.
"Chris, where's your neck?"
Lin Tian reached out to give Webber a high five, but the guy said, "I'm Sean, this is Chris."
Lin Tian looked to the left, then to the right, and then swore.
He genuinely didn't recognize them. Who would have thought that these two guys, who looked completely different when they were thin, would look so alike after gaining weight!
Obesity is indeed a man's number one enemy! You know, when Webber was thin, he was known as one of the NBA's top handsome men, but after he gained weight, he actually looked exactly like Kemp.
"Whoever it is, congratulations Lin! Congratulations on winning the championship!" Webber didn't mind Lin Tian mistaking him for someone else, but hugged Lin Tian and whispered in his ear, "Remember our promise! We'll raise more flags over this arena!"
Kemp, who was standing next to him, obviously no longer disliked Lin Tian because of Webber. He walked up and hugged Lin Tian to congratulate them on winning the championship, and then staggered back to his own territory.
"Do you think he can still dunk?" Lin Tian asked, watching the two figures disappear into the distance.
"Chris still has a chance. He's young, not even 30 yet, and his career has been relatively disciplined. He has a chance to lose weight," Miller said bluntly. "But Sean? Forget it, his career is over!"
"His contract is destined to be the worst contract in NBA history! Cleveland is destined to be ripped off."
Miller patted Lin Tian's stomach as he spoke, saying, "You're not much better off, you gained a few pounds during the offseason?"
"A little bit, it won't affect the season," Lin Tian said confidently. "But in terms of self-discipline, I'm no match for you. I heard that even with such a long offseason, you still shoot 500 three-pointers a day and train four times a week?"
"I have to keep my touch."
"Come on, what 'maintaining your touch' nonsense." Barkley interrupted Miller before he could finish, mocking, "He just can't find any joy in life, so he mistakes self-torture for pleasure! Reggie, face reality, you're a boring and pathetic loser nobody likes!"
Several old friends reunited after a long separation, and everyone was very happy to get together again. They joked with each other and chatted about the past season. As they talked more and more happily, the lights in the arena slowly went out.
The DJ at the scene shouted, "Five minutes left! In five minutes, tonight's championship flag-raising ceremony will officially begin!"
Upon hearing this sound, the fans in the stadium quickly suppressed their agitation and remained quiet. Lin Tian and the others stood together with the entire Pacers team, waiting for this historic moment.
Then the lights in the entire stadium slowly dimmed, and then the big screen lit up first, showing Isaiah Thomas. He couldn't be there in person, but he recorded a short video to express his excitement!
Then, following Thomas, came well wishes from several Pacers legends who were unable to attend.
The Pacers' predecessor, the Indiana Old Men in the ABA, included legends like Myle Daniels and his teammate Roger Brown, as well as a few others like George McGuinness, who played for both the Old Men and the Pacers.
These Pacers legends all sent their best wishes to the team!
Then, after the large screen in the middle of the stadium went dark, a series of explosive and stunning sound and light effects suddenly began in the stadium, including flames, smoke, and exciting background music. Then the large screen lit up again, and exciting scenes from the team's championship journey last year began to play one by one.
Next, the team's 15 official players from last season, along with the coaching staff, team doctor, scouts, and other department staff, appeared one by one, and a team group photo was displayed on the large screen in the center.
After the family photo was frozen on the big screen for several seconds, the screen went black again. But this time, it didn't keep the audience waiting long. When the screen lit up again, there was only one sentence left on it.
"1997-1998 NBA Champions: Indiana Pacers!"
At this point, all the spectators could no longer suppress their excitement and wild enthusiasm!
The fans erupted in cheers and shouts, giving all their passion to the players and to Indiana at this moment! The more than 10,000 fans gathered outside the arena were equally enthusiastic and determined, creating a near-earthquake-like commotion in the plaza outside the arena!
Then, a huge flag finally began to rise from the floor, drifting towards the ceiling before settling next to the retired jerseys.
Team owner Simon walked to the center of the court at this moment, with a cheerleader girl behind him holding a tray full of boxes.
Needless to say, that's something every NBA player dreams of.
Championship ring!
Next, the coaching staff, staff, Barkley, Dumars, and Ainge who came to watch the ceremony, and finally the Pacers players came forward one by one.
The last to appear was undoubtedly Lin Tian, the team's number one contributor to the championship victory!
He took the ring box and microphone from Simon.
Looking at all the fans in the stadium, he shouted, "This isn't the only one!"
"We'll have more!"
Lin Tian's concise and powerful speech once again stirred up a storm in the City Square Stadium. The fans once again showed their passion, with cheers, shouts, and applause lasting for a long time. After a full five minutes of cheering, the fans still felt it wasn't enough, and they began to chant Lin Tian's name in unison!
"Lin! MVP! Lin! MVP! Lin! MVP!"
Fans have set goals for Lin Tian this season!
MVP!
Yes, they all believe that it's time, it's time for Lin Tian to become the ultimate MVP this season, and it's clear that it's not just the fans who think so!
Before the start of this season, in the first round of MVP odds released by Las Vegas, Lin Tian stood out from the crowd, ranking first in the league!
As for the rest, whether it was Jordan, Malone, Kidd, O'Neal, or Mourning, they were all pinned down by Lin Tian!
He is widely recognized as the player with the best chance of winning the MVP award this season!
Of course, odds are odds, and being favored is being favored.
Whether Lin Tian can ultimately win an award remains to be seen; he still needs a long season to prove himself!
But now, with the ceremony over, the Pacers are about to face their first test of the season!
Our opponent in the first round of last year's playoffs: the Cleveland Cavaliers!
With everyone united and having made some big moves during the offseason, the Cavaliers are now incredibly hungry for a win!
Especially Kemp and Webber!
These two guys were each holding a piece of fried chicken they'd found somewhere, and they were excitedly munching on it!
I'm absolutely starving and thirsty!
In terms of roster, the Cavaliers haven't changed much compared to last season. The assets they traded for Webber weren't high either. They acquired Webber, an excellent power forward whom the Wizards considered a troublemaker, by adding veteran Danny Ferry, Bob Sura, and two future first-round draft picks.
Ferry and Sura were not the Cavaliers' absolute starters last season, so their starting lineup was basically the same as last season, with Webber replacing "Big Z" Ilgauskas.
Besides Kemp and Webber, the Cavaliers' other three starters are all old friends of the Pacers: Wesley Posen, Cedric Henderson, and Blevin Knight.
As for the Pacers, their starting lineup has only changed one position compared to last season: power forward.
Rick Schmitz continues to play center, while Dale Davis fills the void left by Barkley's departure, in addition to the team's most important perimeter trio: Christie, Miller, and Lin Tian!
The Pacers' main focus this season is on stability and developing young talent! While allowing new players to grow quickly, they aim to maintain the team's competitiveness and continue their pursuit of the championship!
Schmitz and Weber walked side by side onto the center circle, and then at the referee's signal, they both jumped at the same time!
Then, Schmitz easily won possession of the ball for the team on the first offensive possession and passed it to Lin Tian!
Facing the Cavaliers' slow lineup, Lin Tian didn't hesitate at all. His legs seemed to have W12 engines installed, and he accelerated wildly, rushing to the Cavaliers' basket in the blink of an eye.
Then pull up, glide, and exert force!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Lin Tian seized the opportunity when Webber and Kemp were too busy to get back to the paint and slammed home a tomahawk dunk with one arm! He opened the scoring for the team in the new season!
"FUXX!" Fratello, standing on the sidelines, cursed.
He was heartbroken!
The team's frontcourt duo should be the two most mobile and athletic players in the entire league.
But how come, after half a year, these two have become some of the slowest-moving inside players in the league?
Fortunately, although his performance declined due to weight gain, at least Webber, a player who uses his brain, always has a high basketball IQ!
Webber received the ball near the free-throw line, and then, taking advantage of Schmitz's steal attempt and Christie's momentary block, delivered a one-handed bounce pass behind the back, the ball immediately piercing the Pacers' defense and landing in the hands of the cutting Posen.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Persson easily made a layup, tying the score!
Both sides easily won their first attack of the game!
This makes it seem like both teams were in very good form tonight.
But soon, the fans realized they were wrong, because for the next two minutes, both sides worked together perfectly and didn't score a single point!
The entire stadium was filled with the clanging sound of metal being struck!
Both sides have been away from the field for too long, have been out of action for a while, and are facing a decline in form.
Miller finally received a pass from Lin Tian with 8 minutes and 30 seconds left in the first quarter and took his third three-point attempt of the night!
"Whoosh!"
The scoring drought for both sides has finally been broken!
Then Kemp of the Cavaliers got a chance and made a mid-range shot to close the gap!
In the following match, both sides continued to exchange blows, making for a very exciting game!
Various clanging sounds were incessant!
The good news is that the score is very close, with both sides trading blows and refusing to give an inch!
The bad news is that the two teams only managed to score a total of 9 field goals by the end of the first quarter, with the score at the end of the first quarter being 16-19.
The Pacers are currently leading by 3 points!
Tonight, everyone's performance was absolutely terrible!
Both teams were really struggling in their first game of the new season.
Both sides had been out of action for a long time and had not practiced together in the training camp. This was reflected on the court by more mistakes, more missed shots, and poor performance.
This situation is clearly not limited to these two teams; almost all teams in the league are facing this problem. As for when these teams will regain their form and feel for the game, only heaven knows.
However, it is undeniable and undeniable that all teams will reach new lows in shooting percentage this season, while turnovers will certainly reach new highs.
Most of the games this season will likely be very ugly!
In the first half of the game between the Pacers and the Cavaliers, both teams played back and forth, like two weak teams pecking at each other. Although the Pacers were able to score a lot of points and gain an advantage in the game through fast breaks, their extremely low shooting percentage in half-court sets prevented them from really widening the score gap.
33: 40.
The Pacers took a 7-point lead in the first half.
However, their team's field goal percentage was only 38%, and their three-point shooting percentage was an even worse 20%!
Even though the team boasts several top shooters in the league, such as Miller, Mullin, and Lin Tian, they just couldn't make a shot tonight. It's going to be a shooting frenzy!
This 7-point advantage was entirely due to the Pacers' fast breaks.
Even with fast breaks, the Pacers' success rate wasn't very high in the first half, with Lin Tian himself committing three turnovers.
These mistakes were all due to Lin Tian and his teammates not playing together for too long. In addition, changes in weight and speed caused the teamwork between Lin Tian and his teammates to become less effective than last season, which naturally led to a rapid increase in the number of mistakes.
The game went on until the end of the third quarter, and the score was still incredibly low, 49-55.
Although the Pacers were leading, scoring only 55 points in three quarters was really not their style.
Even four minutes into the fourth quarter, when Lin Tian and Miller returned to the court, the score was still 53-60.
At the same time, Fratello also brought on Kemp and Webber, and with eight minutes left in the game, the two sides began their final battle!
In the first offensive possession after both sides returned to the court, Lin Tian, who only made 7 of 20 shots tonight, 0 of 3 three-pointers, and made all 6 free throws, dribbled the ball up the court. At this point in the game, Lin Tian's performance outside the three-second zone was extremely poor.
Perhaps it was the significant increase in strength before the start of the season that caused Lin Tian to experience another period of inconsistent shooting.
But for Lin Tian, if he missed, he wouldn't shoot! Anyway, Knight couldn't stop his breakthroughs at all!
On his first offensive possession after coming on, Lin Tian dribbled the basketball continuously, then suddenly executed a lightning-fast one-handed crossover dribble and drove straight into the paint!
Although Weber's speed had decreased significantly due to his weight, his sense of smell was still there! He took a slight sideways step, then stretched out his arms and stood still.
"puff!"
With a muffled thud, Lin Tian and Weber collided.
Lin Tian felt as if he were stuck in a puddle of mud. It was very soft to the touch and didn't hurt at all, but he just couldn't get out of it!
Then, Lin Tian was actually bounced back by Weber's enormous weight!
Fortunately, Lin Tian reacted quickly. Before losing his balance, he tossed the basketball high with one hand. After bouncing several times on the rim, the basketball finally reluctantly fell into the basket!
As for Lin Tian, he was unusually disheveled and took three or four steps back before plopping down on the floor.
"Fuck you! Chris, how many pounds did you gain this summer?!"
"23KG!" Weber chuckled, looking rather simple-minded, showing none of the shrewdness and cunning of the former King of Michigan!
Even though he's not entirely useless, he's not all that fat!
Lin Tian muttered to himself, "At least I scored that goal."
But if you were to go head-to-head with this kind of meatball tank, you really wouldn't be able to withstand it!
Turning back to the Cavaliers' offense, Webber, as usual, positioned himself at the high post, and several Cavaliers players screened and moved around, continuously creating space for their teammates.
It has to be said that although Webber and Kemp have become as big as balls, their intimidation and talent on the court are still there!
After a series of runs and screens, Lin Tian positioned himself in the low post behind Kemp, creating a mismatch. Webber then delivered a quick pass, and Kemp, after receiving the ball, charged towards Lin Tian behind him.
Lin Tian felt a tremendous force coming towards him, but it didn't hurt, and there was no muffled sound. Lin Tian felt as if he had fallen into Camp's body again, and then the fat on Camp's body seemed to generate a rebounding force, which bounced Lin Tian away again!
This kind of feeling is really rare to see on the NBA court! There are really not many big guys in the NBA who are all fat!
Lin Tian finally understood why Barkley's career was so successful and why so many people couldn't do anything about him. He figured that's pretty much what it felt like to face Barkley!
Lin Tian watched helplessly as Kemp bounced him away with his fat.
Then, with his feet barely off the ground, he flipped over and hooked the ball into the basket.
"Hehe, Lin, you can't stop me!"
That's why people say that men who are a little chubby are more likely to be liked.
If Kemp had dared to trash talk to Lin Tian during last year's playoffs, Lin Tian would have beaten him to a pulp and shown him who the boss really was!
But now, Kemp's trash talk made Lin Tian feel...
Dull and harmless, Lin Tian even wanted to rub his fat head.
But even though he's honest and simple-minded, he still has to keep playing!
Lin Tian once again chose to break through on his own, getting past Knight in one step and entering the three-second zone. This time, Kemp and Webber stood in front of Lin Tian at the same time!
These two guys were originally strong offensively but weak defensively, not good at defense and not good at protecting the rim. But after each of them gained more than 20 kilograms of weight, their air defense capabilities actually increased significantly!
Yes, it mainly relies on fat to bounce off opponents.
This time, Lin Tian didn't rush over to confront the two directly. Instead, he made a preemptive move and, after landing, quickly turned around, blocking Kemp and Webber's path.
Before the two could react, Lin Tian leaped up and put the ball into the basket with one hand!
There was no way around it; these two guys had gained so much weight, so their speed and reaction time were bound to drop significantly! They simply didn't have time to turn around and box out for the rebound.
That's why Lin Tian easily grabbed the rebound and scored!
Kemp then got an open shot in the mid-range, and he pulled up and shot, but his signature mid-range jump shot missed the rim and bounced out.
"Dell, get out of the way!" Lin Tian roared, rushed into the paint, grabbed the rebound, and then quickly launched a counterattack!
In the blink of an eye, the Cavaliers' two muscular players' slow movement was exposed. When Lin Tian made a behind-the-back pass to Christie, who was following up, and assisted Christie to dunk, the Pacers extended their lead to 11 points!
Seeing that the Pacers were on the verge of launching an offensive surge, Fratello quickly called a timeout; he needed to adjust his defensive tactics.
"Sean, Chris, if we can't keep up with the Pacers' fast break speed, then we won't! Go for the rebounds, all of you go for the offensive rebounds, make it so they can't grab the rebounds so easily. Even if they do get the rebounds, we'll counter-attack and disrupt them, preventing them from making fast breaks and getting the first pass."
"clear!"
On the Pacers' side, Bird said, "They'll definitely increase their offensive rebounding pressure. Lin, you need to collapse the paint more. Knight can't shoot, so you can safely collapse the paint! Vince, you replace Rick, go for it! Drive forward and use your speed and youth to your advantage! Reggie and Doug, you two too, go!"
After the timeout, the Cavaliers made no substitutions, while the Pacers replaced their center Schmitz with Carter, switching to a lineup with one big man and four small men.
"Bird's player selection is always surprising. As a rookie coach in his second year, Bird had countless classic player selection moments in the past year. In the new season, he continued his bold player selection." Kenny did not show any caution when commenting on rookies, but instead spoke eloquently.
Jason added, "That's right. With the Cavaliers clearly dominating the paint, Bird actually fielded a small-ball lineup! It's completely contrary to the current mainstream trend in the league, but upon closer analysis, it becomes clear that using speed to overwhelm the Cavaliers' big men duo is obviously a very good choice!"
On the court, Knight once again passed the ball to Webber as soon as he got to the frontcourt. Because of Webber's playmaking ability and outstanding talent, Knight, who almost averaged a double-double last season but whose individual offensive ability was not very good, had his tactical role greatly reduced. Today, he only scored 5 points and 5 assists.
Webber received the ball at the free-throw line and faced off against Carter, who had been assigned by Bird to guard him. The big guy chuckled and said, "Rookie, Larry sent you here so you could lick King Chris's ass?"
Carter grinned widely and said, "Your trash talk is completely harmless, and I'm not afraid of you at all! Chris, you're just a fat, greasy pig!"
"You're asking for it!" Webber's eyes changed, and he turned to face Carter and charged at him!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Three impacts in a row, each one sending Carter staggering back one or two steps. The difference in strength and weight between the two was simply too great; Carter was no match for Webber!
Just as Webber was triumphantly preparing to drive into the paint and dunk... layup! Just as he was about to finish the attack with a layup, Carter suddenly retreated!
He used a chair to defend Webber, and in that instant Webber lost his footing. He couldn't connect with Webber's momentum. If it were the old Webber, he could easily control his body at this moment and then make a light step change to score!
But Webber was clearly not normal. He lost his balance and fell to the floor in a very awkward manner. Carter saw the opportunity quickly and slapped the basketball to Lin Tian, who was not far away. Lin Tian dribbled the basketball and launched a fast counterattack towards the frontcourt!
Knight and Persson couldn't stop Lin Tian at all, and couldn't slow him down. They could only barely block Lin Tian and maintain their defensive positions.
After Lin Tian sprinted all the way to the basket, just when everyone thought he was going to force a dunk over two defenders, Lin Tian suddenly slammed the basketball against the backboard!
The basketball bounced back immediately and flew behind the three people.
Then, the entire audience gasped in surprise!
Because Vince Carter took off!
Carter caught the basketball in mid-air, then swung his arms in a wide arc, a perfect one-armed windmill slam, and smashed it toward the basket!
"boom!"
With a crisp sound, Carter's alley-oop windmill dunk slammed the ball into the basket!
"Vince! Vince! Vince! Vince!"
"Air raid warning! Beware of air raid!"
"Takeoff! Our Superman is taking off!"
As early as the two preseason games, fans witnessed Carter's takeoff height and terrifying aerial maneuvering ability!
This shot perfectly showcased Carter's posture, height, and body control in the air!
Lin Tian, who was closest to the player, truly experienced the explosive power of the NBA's number one high jumper in the early 21st century!
It really exploded!
After Carter landed, Lin Tian and Carter simultaneously raised their fists and made a twisting motion as if turning a motorcycle handlebar in front of them.
Two Harley motorcycles, let's go!
Carter's dunk greatly boosted the Pacers' morale, and they increased their intensity and defensive effort in the next defensive play.
After all, it's not just fans who want to see Carter dunk!
"Snapped!"
Lin Tian once again slapped away the ball Knight was trying to pass out, then slammed it towards the frontcourt with one hand. The basketball streaked across the sky like lightning and rushed towards the frontcourt.
Carter had already arrived, grabbed the basketball, and once again took a one-handed leap.
After a graceful 360-degree spin in mid-air, Carter slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!
Freehand! Relaxed! Effortless!
Carter's two consecutive dunks not only widened the gap to 15 points, but also completely ignited the entire arena!
Although a dunk is worth 2 points just like a layup, it is definitely the most exciting way to get people's nerves and adrenaline pumping!
Not to mention, it was Carter who dunked!
Although Carter's on-court achievements, statistics, and abilities were among the worst of the four great shooting guards of the early 21st century, if we only consider dunking...
Carter: All three of you come at me at once, what do I, Carter, have to fear!
In the entire history of the NBA, the number of people who can dunk against Vince Carter can be counted on one hand.
(End of this chapter)