The Whip of the God of Basketball

(Recently, I worked overtime continuously on New Year’s Day. Yesterday was too late and too tired, and I didn’t want to turn on the computer. I stopped for another day, sorry.) NBA summer time always flies by quickly. With the dust of the draft, 1999-2000 The smoke of the season has long since dissipated in the waves and breeze.

But this is still a memorable season, especially for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers got their wish and won the double championship of the 2000 Finals and the regular season.

Their super insider Shaquille O'Neal ushered in a grand slam season, the championship, the finals MVP, the regular season MVP, the All-Star game MVP, and even the scoring champion. Leading the Zijin Lakers back to the top of the world.

In contrast, the Boston Celtics, the old rivals on the East Coast, still seem to be submerged in the dark.

In the 2000 draft with little talent, they got a guard who should have appeared in the second round, and a guard who couldn't shoot inconsistently. What's the use? It is said that this is the opinion of their team's new scouts.

Pitino is still squatting in the position of president and head coach. Auerbach has not been in the position for a long time. I don't know if he is giving Pitino the last chance.

Then the Celtics also got the outcast of the league, the source of trouble Dennis Rodman, this conservative, ancient basketball city will welcome such a colorful guy, many media ridicule Rodman's arrival Let Auerbach live 5 years less.

Of course, what also aroused people's interest was the new scout of the Celtics. Although some media reports on him were only mentioned in passing, but soon on July 1, a photo of Rodman and this man named Fox - Photos of Leon's scouts wrestling in a boxing ring at a hotel gym in Sydney began to circulate on the Internet, and were soon printed on paper media.

Some people think this is the key to this scout being able to bring Rodman back to the Celtics. Rodman.

It can be said that the Celtics this summer are quite lively, the interior is a mess, the draft is not satisfactory, two strange guys have come, and everything shows no sign of improvement. It seems that they will continue to be in the dark. slipped down.

But Paul Pierce didn't care about this. After the season ended, he returned to his hometown of Los Angeles, turned a deaf ear to all kinds of news from Boston, and concentrated on his summer training.

The kid who grew up in the Inglewood area has been a die-hard fan of the Los Angeles Lakers since he was a child, but in the 1998 draft, he was selected by the Lakers' arch-rival Celtics with the 10th overall pick. team and a pick he never expected.

At that time, Paul Pierce didn't want to play basketball anymore, but with the love of basketball, the persistence of professionalism in his mind, and the hatred for the teams that didn't choose him in the top nine, Pierce still put on the clothes he once hated. The green jersey started the Celtics career.

Now he has successfully spent two seasons. In the 1999-2000 season, his scoring average climbed to 19.5 points. Ron Moser, who gave him enough playing time and off-court guidance, is grateful to Pitino Pierce. After all, he picked himself in 1998 and cultivated himself carefully in two years.

On the contrary, Pierce did not have much affection for Auerbach. After all, before being selected by the Celtics, what Pierce hated the most was this old man in the Celtics who "did all kinds of evil". After coming to Boston, Auerbach also gradually Fade out of the Celtics management until resignation.

Now in Los Angeles, at UCLA, Pierce is training with his high school friend Kevin Garnett. Since high school, Kevin Garnett will often travel thousands of miles from South Carolina to high schools in Los Angeles, California for fellowship, competitions, and training.

Inglewood High School where Pierce is located is where Garnett often goes. In Garnett's words, they became good brothers on the court after meeting for the first time.

Now they're separate players in the NBA, and in the summer they still practice together, and then after a sweaty practice, drink ice soda and start chatting on the sidelines.

Garnett mentioned Fox-Leon, who recalled going to Leon's room after the draft and being overwhelmed. Garnett didn't feel ashamed at all about this. On the contrary, he described the situation that day in great detail, even exaggerated, because in his words, Leon was as cold and ruthless as Hades Harris, which made people daunting.

"I don't believe a word you say. I have always believed in you, but not now, is your brain frozen by the blizzard in Minnesota?" Pierce said with a look on his face that I don't believe you even if you beat him to death. His voice is not at all like a young man in his early 20s, but hoarse like an old man.

Garnett widened his eyes and explained to Pierce that what he said was not lying at all. Pierce just shook his head and drank the soda, and then continued: "I have also heard some rumors about this guy recently. It's just a scout out of nowhere, it's no big deal, we're not rookies anymore. By the way, I'm going to Boston tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll see you next time, bro."

Hearing what Pierce said, Garnett was no longer obsessed with explaining, he gave Pierce a hug, and said in his ear: "Next time I go to Boston, I will beat you up, and I really want to beat that Fox - Leon slammed his jaw off."

In this way, after saying goodbye to Garnett, Pierce had to say goodbye to Los Angeles. In one summer, he further improved his agility in the UCLA training hall and repeatedly honed his offensive skills. In one-on-one offensive and defensive training, he constantly perfected his footwork, because Garnett has excellent defensive footwork. If his footwork can fool Garnett, he can fool all defenders in the league.

At this time, the time has come to the end of September, and summer has slowly come to its end. With the approach of autumn, the training camps of various teams will also reopen one after another.

After the players have completed their self-improvement and training, they will report to the team and run in with their teammates. This is extremely important for the new season. The joint training in the off-season is to prepare for the new season Saving ammunition, how strong the team's firepower will be in the new season depends on how sufficient and effective the team's joint training is.

Pierce was on a flight at noon. When he arrived at Boston Logan International Airport, it was 7:30 p.m. Eastern time in Boston. There was already someone driving a car waiting for him in the parking lot at the airport. It was his good buddy from the team. Celtics center Tony Batty.

Batty was exchanged by Pitino in a trade with the Lakers in 1998. The person he exchanged with was Chavez Nate, the first center Pitino signed—a white big man , this is a signing that is completely unknown, and Pitino, who finally realized his mistake, traded Nat for Batty. Batty is a good player anyway, and he quickly became a good friend of Paul Pierce. .

After his good friend picked up the wind, Pierce, who was tired from traveling and traveling, took a nap in Batty's apartment to replenish his energy. When he woke up, it was already early in the morning.

At this time, he saw Buddy changed into a new outfit, looking hip-hop and playful, he said to Pierce: "Hey buddy, let's go out to have fun at night, and my brother Derek, anyway, you just woke up and you are not sleepy. Training camp is about to start, and there's no time to go out and play by then."

Pierce knew that Batty wanted to take him to the nightclub. In fact, Pierce didn't like to go there, and he didn't like going to that kind of place to waste energy when he just returned to Boston. However, the young man's temporary novelty still moved him, anyway. He was full of energy after sleeping for four hours, and it would be good to go to that kind of feasting place to vent properly. The more than two months of training in Los Angeles were hard and boring days.

In the end, Pierce was persuaded. He also changed into a suit of clothes, got into Batty's car, and ran towards the bar that Batty often went to.