met free Chapter 164 The League's Most Disliked and Most Popular Players!
Chapter 164 The League's Most Disliked and Most Popular Players!
Chapter 164 The League's Most Disliked and Most Popular Players!
After watching this game, more than two-thirds of the teams in the league began to seriously consider how to bring Lin Tian to their cities in the summer.
Before this match, many teams still had some doubts about Lin Tian's true ability and market value.
Yes, he won Player of the Month in January, averaging 27 points and 10 assists per game and leading his team to an undefeated record in Jordan's absence, but after all, the teams he defeated were all weak teams in the league.
Yes, he dominated two well-known guards in the league, Muggsy Bogues and Strickland, in the previous two rounds of the series, but neither of them had ever been an All-Star. Although they were excellent, they were not top-tier.
For many teams, if they really had to choose among top young point guards like Lin Tian, Kidd, Stoudemire, and Anfernee Hardaway, Lin Tian might not necessarily be their first choice.
But after that night, and after leading the depleted Bulls to victory against the Heat, who were touted as the league's best defensive team, everyone had a completely new perspective on Lin Tian's abilities.
At the very least, more and more people are no longer limiting Lin Tian's role to that of a point guard. They no longer view Lin Tian as a point guard in the league or as the future best point guard in the league.
They've started comparing Lin Tian to the league's truly top players, and they're not limiting themselves to his position!
They stopped calculating Lin Tian's ranking among guards in the league and started calculating and discussing whether Lin Tian was in the top 15. In fact, many people began to include Lin Tian in the top 10 of the league!
He is a true cornerstone and core player for a championship-contending team, not just an average All-Star second or third option.
This summer, the battle for Lin Tian is destined to become the hottest topic in the entire league!
Of course, these are still not things that the Bulls or even Lin Tian himself need to consider right now.
After the excited Bulls finished celebrating in the locker room, they followed Jackson to the door of the private room he had booked in advance at the nightclub. As soon as the door opened, everyone saw Jordan and Pippen setting out fruit platters.
Upon seeing everyone enter, the two big shots actually seemed a little embarrassed.
Jordan picked up a bottle of beer first and said, "It's my fault. I sincerely apologize to everyone. I couldn't control myself and drank too much before the game, which delayed the game. I apologize to everyone. Cheers..."
"Ahem!"
Having successfully established his authority, Jackson coughed, and Jordan immediately placed the glass of wine on the table, saying, "I promised the coach I wouldn't drink a drop of alcohol until the end of the season! Tonight, consider it an apology from Scott and me. You can all have fun and drink as you please, but neither of us will touch a drop!"
"Teetotal!" Scott declared, holding up a bottle of Coke. "Tonight, I'm sworn enemies with alcohol, gambling, and drugs!"
"Wait a minute!" Just as everyone was excitedly shouting and preparing to go inside and celebrate, Lin Tian suddenly reached out, signaling everyone to stop: "Is Michael treating tonight?"
"I'll treat everyone! I'll apologize to everyone!" Jordan shrugged, indicating that he really knew he was wrong.
"No way." Lin Tian grabbed Jackson's shoulder and grinned mischievously. "The coach said he's treating tonight! He said if we win tonight, he'll pay for everything!"
"I didn't say that," Jackson shamelessly shrugged. "I just said that if we win tonight, you guys can have some fun!"
"You shameless! Stingy! Scrooge!" Lin Tian didn't give Jackson any face at all. This guy really is cunning!
"Fine, fine, I'm shameless, I'm stingy, I'm Scrooge." Jackson helplessly raised his hands and said, "I surrender. Now, can everyone go in and have some fun?"
"Of course! I just want to find an opportunity to curse you out a bit. I must say, it feels so good!" Lin Tian laughed and turned to run into the private room. Jordan is a real big spender, a tycoon who earns 3000 million a year just from his salary. Today, he must drink him out of house and home!
……
Two days later, in the fourth game at American Airlines Arena, Jordan and Pippen were both fully recovered and started the game. Together with the other Bulls players who had completely gained momentum and confidence in the previous game, the Bulls had truly reached the most perfect and peak state of their entire season!
Compared to the Bulls, who were full of fighting spirit and eager for a battle, the Heat were clearly at a disadvantage.
Although Hardaway and Mourning, the two absolute core players, still gave their all and did not give up, they delivered outstanding performances. Mourning, in particular, redeemed himself in this match, dominating Longley and paying the price for his poor performance in the previous game.
But relying solely on the efforts and hard work of these two people is clearly not enough.
The rest of the Heat players, whether it was Mashburn, Leonard, Brown, or Mallley on the bench, all seemed somewhat distracted. Compared to their all-out effort in the previous game, the Heat really seemed to have given up on the game this time.
That night, Jordan and Pippen were on fire from the very first quarter, both putting on unparalleled performances. Jordan scored 14 points in the quarter, while Pippen racked up an all-around stat line of 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals!
Led by these two, the Bulls outscored the Heat 29-21 in the first quarter, taking an 8-point lead!
In the second quarter, Jordan and Pippen continued their efforts, putting up full intensity on both offense and defense to help the team extend their lead!
The course of this game was different from the previous close-quarters battle and the two games in Chicago.
In the first two games, the Bulls were unstoppable, eliminating any suspense in the game early on and crushing the Heat.
The third match was a close contest, with both sides trading blows and refusing to give an inch until the very last second when a winner was decided.
That night was more like being slowly boiled like a frog in lukewarm water.
The Bulls didn't unleash any offensive frenzies like 10-0 or 15-0, but they were able to maintain control of the game and steadily suppress the Heat.
They won the first quarter by 8 points, and in the second quarter they won by another 6 points against the Heat.
54:40! At the end of the first half, the Bulls had unknowingly taken a 14-point lead over the Heat.
Even many fans who were completely absorbed in the game and didn't pay much attention to the score difference were surprised when they saw the score difference at halftime!
Because they felt that although the Bulls had the upper hand, they didn't feel that the Bulls played a very dominant game or had any offensive surges. But they just didn't know when they extended their lead to 14 points!
At the start of the third quarter, the Heat launched another counterattack, with their two stars combining for an attack! First, Hardaway hit two consecutive three-pointers from the top of the arc, and then Mourning blocked Pippen's shot at the basket and immediately scored a tough 2+1 in the low post!
A 9-0 run saw the Heat cut the deficit to just 5 points in the blink of an eye!
But those 5 points were also the Heat's last chance to win this season. This comeback became their last crazy moment of the game!
Because then, the Bulls pulled out their trump card.
The tight defense that blew the bullets and the Hornets to smithereens!
With Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman—three of the league's top defensive players—along with Lin Tian, who has recently improved his defensive abilities and possesses excellent court vision and steals, and Longley, an outstanding blue-collar defensive player, few teams could match the intensity of the Bulls' defense when they wanted to go all out.
The Heat, of course, are no exception!
When Hardaway had to be wary of Jordan and Lin Tian double-teaming him every time he pushed the ball up the court, when Mourning was quickly double-teamed by Longley and Rodman as soon as he got the ball, and when the rest of the Heat were completely unable to keep up with the intensity of the Bulls' game and seemed somewhat at a loss and helpless, the Heat lost the possibility of continuing to close the gap.
The Bulls, relying on targeted double-teaming, quick rotations, and a united defensive intensity, suddenly increased their intensity starting with 10 minutes and 20 seconds left in the third quarter after the Heat closed the gap to 5 points, and continued until 6 minutes and 15 seconds remained in the third quarter.
In those 4 minutes and 05 seconds, the Bulls went on a terrifying 17-0 run!
For a full four minutes, the Heat suddenly seemed unable to play basketball. During this period, they not only missed all seven of their shots, but also committed two 24-second violations and three turnovers!
In those four minutes, the Heat finally witnessed just how powerful the Bulls were when they went all out and played with a do-or-die spirit, and they finally saw the true strength of this Bulls team!
They had absolutely no room or strength to resist, and the Heat players were completely powerless except to watch the score gap widen.
When Riley called the third timeout of the session, all the Heat players sat on the bench, their faces filled with confusion and disbelief.
They were completely stunned!
In fact, it wasn't just the players; even the renowned "Mastermind" Pat Riley was stunned. As a super coach who has led two of the league's top teams, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, he has seen countless big moments, but he has never been so at a loss as he was today.
He tried every lineup and strategy he could think of, and he brought on every player who could potentially contribute during that period, but it was all in vain!
All his efforts were in vain!
Riley suddenly felt that, in the face of the mighty Bulls, he and his team were like wild dogs howling at a lion—so ridiculous and so insignificant.
"Their fans are starting to leave."
Lin Tian sat on the bench, drinking water and watching the bustling fans moving out of the stadium. In just this one timeout, Lin Tian felt that at least one-fifth of the fans had chosen to stand up and leave early.
Those who remained seated clearly didn't feel there was much suspense left in the competition; they were simply too lazy to get up and squeeze out with the crowd.
Sit a little longer and wait until there are fewer people before leaving to avoid traffic jams.
This is probably the thought of most Heat fans in American Airlines Arena right now. Miami truly deserves the title of the league's number one early exit king!
Jackson was now completely seated in his chair, too lazy to continue giving instructions.
A loss? A Heat comeback?
If the Heat wanted to fight back and turn the tide, they would have done so long ago, instead of waiting until now.
In Jackson's eyes, the Heat team now is so weak that it can't even produce a wisp of smoke, let alone a spark; it has long been completely extinguished!
The subsequent games... completely validated Jackson's idea.
After the timeout, neither side made any major substitutions, and both teams basically kept their key players on the court. Even so, the Heat were completely unable to find a way to narrow the score or stop the Bulls' offense.
Aside from Mashburn and Leonard finally getting their first baskets, scoring two goals each, the Heat's performance in the remainder of the third quarter was lackluster.
Finally, when the third quarter ended, the score difference between the two sides reached 27 points!
The outcome of the fourth quarter was completely decided!
As usual, Jackson substituted his entire starting lineup early and sent in a benchwarmer lineup to play in the fourth quarter.
On the Heat's side, Hardaway and Mourning continued to play.
They were able to close the gap on the Bulls' role players, but their pace was far too slow to keep up with the passage of time.
With eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the score difference between the two teams remained at 21 points.
At this point, Riley knew there was no point in forcing the game any longer. With a wave of his hand, he substituted all five key players off the court, replacing them with bench players just like the Bulls, thus declaring the game over.
Meanwhile, at the American Airlines Center, about half of the fans had already left. Those who remained were either die-hard fans or lazybones who disliked crowds and wanted to enjoy the air conditioning in the arena while waiting for the traffic to clear.
Finally, when the final whistle blew, fewer than 2000 fans remained in the stadium.
90% of the audience chose to leave early.
The final score was 103-80.
The Bulls once again dominated tonight, winning by 23 points and securing the final victory in this series, sweeping the Heat out of the playoffs!
Throughout the game, Jordan, returning from injury, only played 30 minutes but still managed to rack up 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Pippen, also returning from injury, put up a well-rounded stat line of 30 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals! The two core players delivered perfect performances, bringing this series to a perfect close!
Apart from Jordan and Pippen, no other Bulls player scored in double figures. Lin Tian had 9 points and 14 assists, Kukoc had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Kerr and Longley only scored 5 points each.
The scoring trio that led the team to victory in the previous game collectively stepped down in this game, handing the stage over to Jordan and Pippen.
On the Heat's side, Mourning put up a top-tier center stat line of 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 blocks, redeeming himself from the previous game's humiliation, but it wasn't enough to bring the team a victory.
Hardaway recorded a double-double with 25 points and 11 assists in this game, but like Mourning, the two of them were unable to support the collapsing team and were almost completely outmatched by the Bulls!
After this game, the Heat's season officially came to an end.
For the Heat, it all depends on what magic Riley can conjure up in the offseason and what improvements he can make to the team.
As for Riley, his offseason work had already begun. He first shook hands with Jackson, and then the two old foxes exchanged a few words of polite conversation that they themselves found disgusting to encourage each other. Then Riley went to find Jordan and Pippen, shook hands with them, and then suddenly turned around and found Lin Tian, and put his arm around him.
"How have you been in Miami these past few days? Do you like the city? If you're staying tonight, I can have Alonzo show you the authentic East Coast nightlife! He's a top-notch party animal, he's been to a lot of places!"
"Could you have Tim come with me? I prefer talking to people my own height." Lin Tian knew exactly what Riley was up to, and with a mischievous grin, he tried to sow discord between Riley and Hardaway: "Tim's watching us, how about we say hello to him?"
"Come on, Lin, we're both smart people and we know what the other wants. I'll be frank: I've already calculated that if you come to the Heat, I can free up about $950 million in salary cap space for you at most."
"I can sign you while retaining the core roster of Alonzo, PJ, and Jamal, keeping us highly competitive! How about that? Think about it, if you come to Miami, you'll be taking over the foundation of a 60-win team!"
"Instead of making an extra 1-200 million a year playing with mediocre players and possibly not even reaching the Finals for 5-6 years, in Miami, we can be the top favorite to win the championship next year!"
"Tim's watching you." Lin Tian nudged Riley and gestured with his lip towards the front. This time, Lin Tian wasn't lying; Hardaway was indeed staring intently at the two of them.
Hardaway's eyes were filled with hostility towards Lin Tian, the kind of anger that little green hair had only shown after being attacked by the minotaur!
"Don't worry about him," Riley shrugged. "If you come, Tim's mood doesn't matter. If you don't come, I have a hundred ways to make Tim happy, to give his all next season, and even to give him extra motivation when he faces you next season."
Listen to this! Listen to this! What kind of scumbag's remarks are these?
What a scumbag!
What a scumbag!
But I, Lord Lin, just love this old fox style!
Lin Tian was certain that there were no more than three people in this alliance who were smarter than Riley!
"Let's talk about it in the summer. I still have a month left on my contract with the Bulls. I'll win this championship first, and then we'll talk about other things!"
You're a scumbag, but I, Lin Da Guan Ren, am no less!
My ex-girlfriend and I hadn't broken up yet, but I didn't want to end our relationship!
When two scumbags clash, sparks fly and the air is thick with the scent of evil.
At the press conference following the end of the series, Jordan and Pippen once again demonstrated a very good attitude of admitting their mistakes. They took the initiative to tell the media that they went out to play on their own after the team had issued a curfew order, which caused them to be late for practice and thus were suspended.
Both of them accepted Jackson's punishment wholeheartedly and expressed their relief and happiness that the team could win without them! From now on, the team has only one goal.
champion!
Yes, the Bulls only have one series left to play this season!
The day after Jordan and Pippen's very official and boring statement, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the pivotal Game 5, kicked off on time!
In the first four games, the Jazz and the Rockets each defended their home court, resulting in a 2-2 tie. Next, the two teams will essentially have to go to a best-of-three series!
In this crucial Game 5, Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets continued his unstoppable performance, scoring his fourth 30+ point game of the series. Unfortunately, neither Drexler nor Barkley could help him much in the game.
Drexler has been ravaged by age and injuries, and is no longer the player he once was. In the regular season, he can still get some points by playing against weak teams and stealing wins, but in the playoffs, where the teams are highly targeted and the opponents are very strong, his role has visibly declined.
As for Barkley, his form is actually quite good, but the overlap in offense between him and Olajuwon's twin towers combination is too high! Both of them rely heavily on the paint, and when one of them plays well, it's difficult for the other to play comfortably.
For example, in this game, Barkley had a total of 6 shot attempts, which is simply unimaginable given his current status and ability.
But for the Rockets, this was a choice they had no other option.
After all, one of them, Hakeem Olajuwon, is bound to have to sacrifice. It would be good enough if the two of them could achieve a performance of 1+1=2. How could they possibly create any chemistry?
At the very least, throughout the entire regular season of 82 games plus two and a half rounds of playoffs, these two players, due to their highly overlapping playing styles, were never able to find a way to coexist.
The Rockets have spent the entire season trying to find a suitable tactical system, while the Jazz on the other side are a mature team whose main players have been playing together for many years!
In particular, head coach Sloan, power forward Malone, and point guard Stockton have been working together for a full nine years!
If we only consider the golden duo of Stockton and Malone, these two have firmly occupied the two starting positions on the Jazz team since the 85-86 season!
At the same time, this Jazz team made the playoffs for 14 consecutive seasons from the 1983-84 season to the 1996-97 season! They are undoubtedly the most stable and undeniable force in the league over the past decade!
Since entering the league, Malone and Stockton have never missed the playoffs. Although they have never made it to the Finals, in the 11 seasons that Malone and Stockton played together, they not only made the playoffs every year, but also reached the conference finals three times and the conference semifinals three times.
This year marks their 12th season working together!
This was also the closest they ever came to the finals and the championship!
Therefore, even though Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets was almost impossible to defend, the Jazz still united as one and played wonderful team basketball!
Aside from Malone's 29 points and 14 rebounds, which almost matched Olajuwon's performance, although no one on the Jazz scored more than 20 points, five other players besides Malone scored in double figures, and each of them had a field goal percentage of over 50%. Stockton, in particular, went 6-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, achieving a true shooting percentage of 97%!
Ultimately, the Jazz held on to their home court and secured a crucial victory in Game 5. They will now travel to Houston for Game 6 of the series.
This game was almost a carbon copy of the last one, with the score between the two teams neck and neck, and the game was very close throughout! The difference between the two sides in each quarter was less than 5 points, and everyone played their best.
On the Rockets' side, Barkley publicly complained after the last game that if he only got 6 shot attempts, the team would not be able to win.
Therefore, head coach Tomjanovich made tactical adjustments for this game, having Olajuwon leave the paint more often and launch attacks from the waist area, giving Barkley more space in the paint.
Perhaps because he was playing a position he wasn't very familiar with, Hakeem Olajuwon's performance tonight wasn't particularly good.
Although he had a 66% field goal percentage in the game, he only got 12 shot attempts and scored only 16 points!
Barkley, who was highly anticipated by Houston fans and whose coach even adjusted tactics specifically for him, still performed poorly. Although he scored 20 points, he only made 5 of 13 shots, and in the crucial fourth quarter, he only made 1 of 4 shots!
In this game, the Rockets gave Barkley opportunities and chances to shoot, but he couldn't capitalize on them. Instead, he was unable to defend against Malone's offense or break through Malone's defense, and was once again outplayed by Malone!
如果不是今天晚上德雷克斯勒大爆发，3分线外7投5中，全场比赛15投10中轰下33分，火箭队也许连和爵士队纠缠到最后的资格都没有。
Unlike the Rockets, the Jazz once again displayed perfect teamwork and delivered an incredibly exciting team performance!
Stockton had 25 points and 13 assists, Malone had 24 points and 11 assists, Hornacek had 18 points, Ostertag had 16 points, and Russell had 15 points!
All five starters scored in double figures. The balanced lineup, team offense, and excellent teamwork allowed the Jazz to finally emerge victorious!
103: 100!
The Jazz narrowly won Game 6 against the Rockets by 3 points!
After a hard-fought six-game series, the Jazz became another opponent for the Bulls in the Finals, and also the fifth different opponent the Bulls have faced in the Finals!
Throughout the 90s, apart from the Rockets who made it to the NBA Finals in 94 and 95, no other Western Conference team was able to reach the Finals twice during that period!
Lakers, Trail Blazers, Suns, Rockets, SuperSonics, Jazz...
The Bulls are a constant, but the Western Conference champions come and go!
After this round of games, the Jazz players, who had made it to the Finals for the first time, were in high spirits. Sloan also brought Malone and Stockton to the post-Finals press conference.
However, the first problem the Jazz's trio, who were in high spirits, encountered made their mood sour.
"First of all, congratulations to the Jazz on reaching the Finals! A fantastic achievement!" A reporter stood up and said, "I'd like to ask you, Karl, almost everyone says Michael Jordan deserved the regular season MVP award more than you. What are your thoughts on that?"
"I am the MVP, I am the real MVP, there is no such thing as deserving or not deserving. We are the first in the West, we made it to the Finals, we won 65 games in the regular season, it's that simple! I am the MVP!" Malone's smile disappeared, and he looked at the reporter who was obviously stirring up trouble with a face full of displeasure.
"But in terms of scoring, you're second, Jordan is first. In terms of team record, the Bulls are first in the league, the Jazz are second. In terms of the journey to the Finals, the Bulls swept their opponents in three consecutive rounds, while you only swept your opponents in the first round. Do you really think your dominance and strength are stronger than the Bulls?"
"We'll see once we play." Sloan held Malone down, took the microphone, and said, "Tonight is supposed to be a fun night, and I hope the reporters' questions will also be fun, rather than just pointless comparisons. If you ask any more boring questions about MVP, regular season record, or anything like that, I will refuse to answer."
"So, Mr. Stockton," another reporter stood up and asked Stockton, "do you think you're better than Lin Tian? Do you think you're more deserving of a spot on the All-NBA Team?"
"Of course, I definitely deserve it more. I firmly believe one thing: I'm better than Lin! In the playoffs, in the real playoffs where everything is going to be tough, only a more pragmatic, simple, and effective playing style is the most useful and reliable! Not fancy one-handed passes or behind-the-back passes!"
"But Lin only averaged 3.1 turnovers per game during the playoffs, while you averaged 3.6! What are your thoughts on this statistic?"
"In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Lin recorded a phenomenal triple-double with 38 points, 25 assists, and 10 rebounds. Do you think you could pull off a similar performance?"
"One game doesn't prove anything. Didn't he fail to score even 10 points in Game 4 of the series? Do I need to tell you my stats from the Western Conference Finals? I averaged 20 points and 10 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 53%, 46%, and 93%! Do you think those stats don't deserve me a spot on the All-NBA Team?"
Stockton's temper was flaring up, and the smile had vanished from his face. He looked at the provocative reporters below the stage, showing no intention of backing down.
His and Ma Long's direct confrontation with reporters is actually one of the reasons why reporters are so impolite on such a good day.
These two guys have never given the media any face and always do things their own way. When they encounter something they don't like, they either start cursing or give you a hard time. Apart from the local Salt Lake City reporters, nobody likes them!
It's fair to say that the Jazz are an unpleasant team led by an unlikable star player!
They were dirty, rude, and their games were not entertaining.
They are simple, brutal, and unreasonable, almost a carbon copy of the Pistons team from the late 80s.
If the Bulls, Jordan, and Lin Tian are the most popular players in the league, then the Jazz are the most disliked.
Finding even a few Jazz fans outside of Salt Lake City is an absolute nightmare!
The reporters below the stage watched as both stars entered a state of non-violent non-cooperation, exchanging glances. Finally, a middle-aged reporter stood up and said, "Well then, how about we each say a few words to the Bulls to make this Finals series more interesting?"
"I'm the MVP, I'll be the Finals MVP soon!" Malone looked at the reporter fiercely and said, "We'll beat that damn Bulls, we'll show them that all that fancy stuff is useless against us!"
"I deserve the All-NBA Team award more than Lin! I'm better than him, it's just that my playing style isn't as appealing," Stockton added. "See you in the Finals! I'll show Lin what I'm made of!"
With both men making harsh statements, the press conference, which was originally intended to celebrate the Jazz's advancement to the NBA Finals, came to an end.
Then, early the next morning, major media outlets rushed to process and reconstruct the brief press conference, turning it into front-page headlines that appeared in the hands of fans across the United States.
Karl Malone declares himself the Finals MVP! He claims to be the best in the entire league!
"Fancy tricks are useless? Stockton claims he'll defeat Lin Tian with a simple and practical style!"
Simple and practical, averaging 3.6 turnovers per game; flashy and overly aggressive, averaging 3.1 turnovers per game! Who is the best point guard?
《系列赛场均20+10和单场38+20+10，谁才是本届总决赛上最好的后卫？》
Will Malone continue to be the perennial runner-up? Can he avenge his loss to Jordan?
Who truly deserves the MVP award? Malone says, "Even though my stats aren't as good as Jordan's, I'm still the MVP!"
……
In the Bulls' training facility, the Bulls, who had been back in Chicago for three days, had already begun targeted training against the Jazz's personnel and tactics.
Their goal, of course, is to continue their crushing victory in the series and become the first team in NBA history to win the championship with a perfect playoff record!
"Michael, do you want to take a look at this?" Lin Tian tossed a copy of the *Chicago Sports Daily* at Jordan and said, "Malone's calling you out! He says he's the MVP! He's even got a Finals MVP lined up!"
"He can even reserve his own burial plot after he dies." Jordan scoffed, making no move to take the newspaper. "If yelling a few harsh words at the reporters would work..."
"Then I'd already be the greatest player in league history!" Lin Tian declared confidently. "When it comes to trash talk, no one can beat me!"
"You're right, when it comes to being annoying, you're definitely top-tier in the league!" Jordan said, a rare hint of mischief in his eyes. "But you're about to meet two guys even more annoying than you!"
"That's not a good way to put it, Michael," Pippen said with a grin as he walked over to the two men. "It's hard to say who's more annoying, Lin, Carl, or John! Lin may have a mouth that's asking for a beating, he's also cunning, thick-skinned, and very disliked, and he's also..."
"Alright, Scott, shut up." Lin Tian rolled his eyes and said, "Are you sure you're speaking up for me?"
"Of course I'm speaking up for you, because even though you're annoying, I actually quite like you," Pippen said with a grin, sitting down next to Lin Tian. "But those two bastards on the Jazz, I genuinely hate them! I really want to break their legs!"
"If I could, I'd love to just smash Malone's elbow in," Jordan said. "Playing a whole series against them! That's more disgusting than keeping me locked up in a closed house with 20 gay men for a month!"
"In that case, I'd be happy to break these two guys' elbows and ankles in the upcoming series, making sure they can't play," Lin Tian shrugged. "So, you two don't need to be afraid or worried. With me here, I won't let you suffer!"
"Then I'm relieved..." Jordan said, then suddenly looked up at Lin Tian and said, "What do you mean? You mean I need you to protect me?"
"Can you beat Karl Malone? Neither of you thinks you can defeat Malone?" Lin Tian spread his hands, looking at the two men, then continued without waiting for their answer, "I can beat him! I could even pin him to the ground and beat him to a pulp! If you're not scared, you can come over and kick him a couple more times!"
"I will." After thinking for a moment, Jordan surprisingly nodded. "I'm suddenly looking forward to this series!"
"But I heard that Karl has been practicing fighting techniques lately! Or rather, he's been practicing this ever since you beat him up at last year's All-Star Game! He seems to be practicing some new fighting style called mixed martial arts, which has a lot of ground fighting techniques!"
"I think Malone is targeting you, Lin! He wants to get revenge with ground moves, just like you locked him to the ground last time. He'll definitely defeat you in the same way before he'll be satisfied!" Pippen looked at Lin Tian, and although he spoke words of concern and care, Lin Tian could only see expectation and encouragement on his face.
"Then he's finished." Lin Tian said casually, "Of all my techniques, my weakest is ground fighting. The result of his hard work in practicing that is that he won't even have a chance to get close enough to grapple with me before I knock him out!"
(End of this chapter)