socalfunplaces Chapter 269 The Eye of the Basketball God! Found in Jinshan
Chapter 269 The Eye of the Basketball God! Found in Jinshan
Chapter 269 The Eye of the Basketball God! Found a pile of broken stones in the gold mine!
The first match was incredibly intense, with every shot landing squarely!
Although Randolph and Boozer are exceptionally talented in terms of skill, in the eyes of the four top NBA stars present, their level is actually just so-so. But since it was a TV show shoot, Spike had already told them what to do beforehand.
Exaggerated, excited, and full of antics!
Of course, Lin Tian, this incredibly experienced guy, had already discussed the character design with the other three guys long ago.
The roles of the four people must be different.
Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley were a hilarious duo, responsible for making people laugh, creating mischief, and bickering, keeping the atmosphere lively.
To maintain the image Jordan has cultivated, he needs to be cool and aloof, speak concisely and to the point, and occasionally crack a dry joke that contrasts sharply with his image. This is guaranteed to be very effective.
As for Lin Tian, he had to play the role of an all-around ACE, taking charge of everything: stirring up trouble when needed, calming down when needed, and telling jokes when needed.
Simply put, I, Lord Lin, am the core!
So whenever a good moment occurred, O'Neal and Barkley, those two clowns, would immediately jump up exaggeratedly, singing and dancing, while Jordan would keep a cold face and at most nod. Lin Tian, on the other hand, would keep the atmosphere lively as needed.
Ultimately, it was Randolph, with his superior physical gifts and greater strength, who defeated Boozer, a player who relied on shooting and relied on technical skills.
After the two teams finished their 10-minute match, they stood in front of the four mentors, panting heavily, waiting for them to speak.
The MC began by saying, "Then, shall we have our six players introduce themselves?"
"I'm Zach Randolph, a basketball player who has been practicing for nine and a half years. I enjoy singing, dancing, rapping, and, most importantly, basketball!"
Randolph's self-introduction almost made Lin Tian spit out his water!
He swore that this was not a pre-arranged event; it could only be said that everything was predetermined.
After the five people introduced themselves, it was the mentor's turn to speak.
"Wow! I absolutely love Zach!" O'Neal exclaimed excitedly. "Zach, I see a reflection of myself in you! You're an absolute genius! I love you!"
"Stop patting yourself on the back. You haven't had Zach's agility and footwork since you were 12." Barkley rolled his eyes and said dismissively, "Zach is like me! His physical attributes, playing style, and those little tricks around the basket are obviously most like mine!"
"Zach, join my team. I know exactly how to train a player like you. We're both short big men, and I'll make sure you improve rapidly! Come with me, and I'll make you the core! We'll win a championship together!"
"Carlos," Jordan, who had been quiet all along, suddenly said, "I love your shooting and skills. I believe you, like me, think the mid-range shot is the most lethal weapon on the court! How about it? Join me!"
As soon as Jordan spoke, the entire stadium erupted in a cacophony of shouts and roars!
It can only be said that Jordan's popularity is extraordinary!
If Randolph still had to hesitate between O'Neal and Barkley, then Boozer, after hearing Jordan's words, almost didn't consider anyone else. Who among them hadn't grown up watching Jordan play?
"That's not fair! Michael should be muted!" O'Neal immediately started joking, "This bastard only needs to open his mouth and the players won't consider us anymore!"
"Great! Why don't we just let Michael gather 10 players himself, and then we'll choose the rest?" Barkley, like O'Neal, also looked indignant, indicating that he had been treated unfairly.
"I play well, I'm popular, I'm a national idol, is that my fault?" Jordan shrugged and made a sarcastic remark, which immediately drew laughter from the fans in the arena.
Lin Tian didn't rush to speak. His task was to be a master of impartiality. While the other three focused on Boozer and Randolph, he offered some opinions and encouragement to the other four players, and then selected one of the small forwards who had played well that night.
Boozer then unsurprisingly chose Jordan. O'Neal, in an effort to attract Randolph, said he would directly recruit him and two of his teammates. So the three of them joined O'Neal's team. As for Barkley, he didn't choose the remaining player, and the poor guy went into the waiting area.
It is also widely recognized as the most shameful and failed area.
"Shaq, with this kind of drafting, you'll quickly fill the roster," Barkley scoffed. "You'll only be able to pick three at most!"
"So what? Having three incredibly talented guys is enough for me to sweep you all," O'Neal said smugly. "Besides, they have amazing chemistry! You know what chemistry is? It's chemistry that makes a real team, not just a bunch of useless talents!"
"You two shut up. One of you won a championship by riding on someone else's coattails, and the other has never won a Finals game. What are you talking about, successful team building experience?" Jordan retorted, then looked at the MC and said, "Next, I want to see a one-on-one match!"
"Oh my god! Our basketball god, our Michael, wants to see a one-on-one match! Anyone want to show off their talent in front of Michael?"
This statement naturally excited the players who had signed up for the 1v1 match, and they all raised their hands to indicate that they wanted to participate in the first duel.
Then, Jordan picked a guy Lin Tian didn't know, and that guy picked another guy Lin Tian didn't know.
Finally...
This match was absolutely awful. I don't know if it was nervousness or just a lack of skill, but these two guys played such a boring game! When the time was up, they only had 2 points in total, making it 1-1.
Finally, Jordan chose the guy he had selected because he was a good defender, aggressive, and fearless. The moment he headbutted the opponent's elbow to draw an offensive foul earned Jordan's approval.
……
The game proceeded at a rapid pace, with all four teams adding players at an astonishing speed. But as Barkley and O'Neal had said, once Jordan made a move to recruit players, he wouldn't need any rhetoric to get them on his team!
Just like Captain America once said, "I don't have any special tricks for getting girls. I just walk up to her, tell her she's beautiful, and ask her to date me, and that's it!"
Jordan was similar. He wanted a player, and there wasn't much of a method. Just one sentence was enough: "I'm Michael Jordan, I like you, join my team."
With just one sentence, Jordan could win over players and get them to join his team!
So when the first round of the preliminary rounds was almost over, Jordan's team was the first to be almost full, quickly reaching 9 people, with one vacancy left. Judging from Jordan's appearance, he obviously wanted to save it for the last time to find the strongest player to join!
But what can I say about the lineup he's assembled now?
strangeness!
Lin Tian felt it was completely unfamiliar!
Aside from Carlos Boozer, Lin Tian didn't recognize any of the other eight! These were 40 exceptional high school students that Lin Tian had handpicked from across the United States! At least 25 of them could become NBA players in the future, and at least 10 of them could become future NBA stars!
But Jordan, with such a huge advantage, still managed to draft Boozer, a future NBA star.
God's vision is truly extraordinary!
You can always find a pile of broken stones in a mountain of gold.
O'Neal is using a team-based recruitment method. He has already recruited six players from two teams: the Randolph team and the Joe Jensen team, which has performed well in 3V3 games.
This guy is taking the elite route. With two absolute core players in hand, his goal is obviously to find another top player in another position and recruit them as well, eventually forming a team with three core players and several role players with excellent chemistry.
Barkley already has six players on his team. His idea is to only recruit elite players, only those who play well and have outstanding performances. As for others, he doesn't even look at them. This guy's idea is to be selective and not accept inferior players when it comes to the starting lineup.
When it comes to the second round of selection, the personnel will be replenished.
His team currently includes Tyson Chandler, David Lee, Jamal Nelson, and others, making it a truly talented group.
As for Lin Tian, his team has the second largest number of players after Jordan, with eight players already. There are a few players on the team that Lin Tian doesn't actually know and who probably didn't make it to the NBA, but who are indeed very talented. But most of them are top-tier players with exceptional talent who will make a name for themselves in the NBA in the future!
For example, the most popular guy on his team is Amar'e Stoudemire, who, despite his young age, has already shown the violent side he will have when he enters the league.
In addition, Lin Tian also selected Kirk Hinrich, an unassuming point guard who played without any outstanding highlights but was very steady, for the point guard position. Although this guy never made an All-Star game in his future career, he had all the advantages that a traditional point guard needs: calmness, fierce defense, accurate shooting, and wide vision.
Then Lin Tian also defeated Gerald Wallace, a player who showcased his incredible talent by hitting the backboard with his head and then blocking shots with his armpits during the game! This real-life "Sakuragi Hanamichi" is currently quite rough around the edges, and hasn't developed any reliable offensive methods other than dunking.
But he can defend, and his fighting spirit is probably the best among the 40 players on the field! He is Lin Tian's secret weapon for the other players!
With the same role as Wallace, another center selected by Lin Tian is Samuel Dalembert, one of the very few talented players from overseas among this year's rookies.
Dalembert is also good at rebounding, defense and blocking. His offensive skills are even more limited than Wallace's. However, because he comes from a poor background, and he is the poorest kid in this training camp, he regards this training camp as his best opportunity to make a name for himself!
Therefore, in terms of risk-taking and effort, he was in no way inferior to Wallace.
With these two workaholics, Lin Tian had almost finished assembling his team. Next, there were actually two more people he really wanted!
Right now on the court, O'Neal and Jordan are fiercely vying for one person.
O'Neal said, "Jason! You're amazing! I genuinely want you on my team, and I'll have you and your buddies come with me! Come on! Let's do something big and win a championship! You can do it with me and your buddies!"
"Jason, you wear number 23, you're good at dunking, and I don't think I need to say anything more." Jordan was as aloof and direct as ever.
The player that O'Neal and Jordan were vying for was none other than Jason Richardson, who would later become one of the NBA's top dunkers, excelling at three-pointers and dunks, and considered one of the earliest shooting guards in the NBA to possess the attributes of "Moreyball"!
Richardson was clearly in a dilemma. He wanted to fight alongside his buddies, but he was also struggling to choose between his idol's invitation and his own.
The MC chuckled and shifted the topic to Lin Tian and Barkley, asking, "So, what are your thoughts, the other two?"
"Do you have freestyle?" Lin Tian couldn't help but ask.
"Huh?" Richardson didn't react and was stunned.
"Oh." Lin Tian scratched the back of his head. It wasn't appropriate to ask that now; he should ask Jordan and O'Neal if they had that dream. So he continued, "What are your dreams?"
"Dream..." Richardson muttered the word, then suddenly looked up and said, "I choose Shaq!"
"Wow!" O'Neal jumped up excitedly, rushed over and gave Richardson a big hug, saying, "We'll be champions!"
Jordan just pursed his lips, looking completely indifferent.
The MC on set was clearly good at creating entertaining moments, and he wasn't going to let Richardson off the hook so easily. He continued, "Jason, now I'm really curious what your dream is. As a Michael fan, isn't your dream to play alongside him?"
"My dream is to become a greater player than Michael! I think the best way to achieve that is to be his rival!"
"Great job!" the MC exclaimed. "We've seen another energetic and driven kid! Let's wish him all the best in the future!"
"At the same time, we also have to thank Lin for the assist to Shaq! I think if it weren't for Lin's mistake, Jason would definitely have chosen Michael!"
After the MC brought up another topic, the show quickly resumed.
Spike Lee backstage was already thinking about the editing. Obviously, not everyone would get a lot of screen time for their first appearance today. Those who played poorly or had a terrible game might only get one selected shot, and their parts of the game would be completely cut out.
Richardson, who has a certain reputation across the United States, is good at dunking basketball with an explosive style, played extremely well in the first game, almost single-handedly defeated the opposing team, and wore number 23, is very suitable to be the protagonist of the first episode!
Okay, that's settled. We'll cut their game into the first episode, and then add some indirect comments and praise from other players about him, along with some player interviews to boost Richardson's value.
It's the kind of question that goes like this: "Who do you think will be the MVP of this training camp!"
"Jason Richardson!"
Finally, the first episode ends with Lin Tian's question!
Lin Tian: "What is your dream?"
Richardson: "My choice is..."
Hehe, episode one is over!
Then, when the preview for the next episode is playing, show some scenes of O'Neal and Jordan celebrating, and find a few shots where their faces are not visible, showing them shaking hands with the players, completely building up the suspense!
Okay, let's do it this way!
In the first episode, or rather the first phase, the main villain will be Randolph, since he's ugly and arrogant. Then, interviews with players in the same position like Stoudemire, Boozer, and David Lee will be interspersed, showing that their goal is to take down Randolph first, creating a hero versus the dragon scenario.
Let's make Richardson the main character! Let him be the most suspenseful guy in the first episode, with the most screen time and scenes. Yes, let's make him the main character!
As for what happens next... hehe, we'll see how they perform!
If he performs well, Richardson could very well be the biggest winner this year; if he doesn't perform well...
The protagonist sacrifices himself to the heavens, gaining boundless magical power! Go be cannon fodder!
Thinking of this, Spike couldn't help but look at Lin Tian, who was still smiling on the monitor.
How does this guy know so many intricacies?
It's not surprising that someone who's a director would be so familiar with these things and grasp them so quickly. But Lin Tian, who plays basketball, is surprisingly knowledgeable about things like suspense, main plot, subplots, atmosphere, camera work, montage, and interspersed interviews.
This guy is absolutely a genius!
If he makes movies, wouldn't he steal our jobs?
Hmm, wait a minute, George Lucas said something like, "This guy is a genius? He directed the most brilliant scene in the entire Star Wars series?"
Hmm... Now that I think about it, this legend seems to be true?
After the battle for Richardson came to an end, another 1V1 duel began!
This match was the one that Lin Tian was most interested in among all the matches he had participated in during his initial appearance!
Dwyane Wade vs. Gilbert Arenas!
A showdown between two future top combo guards.
Although these two guys have vastly different career achievements, if we only consider their peak strength, then even if it's not a 50/50 split, it's at least a 60/40 split!
However, Wade's peak lasted for almost 10 years, while Arenas' peak lasted for only 2-3 years at most, including one year when he missed the playoffs due to injury.
However, that's for their future achievements. Today in the training camp, these two guys are probably evenly matched!
These two are the players Lin Tian wants to recruit into his team to supplement the final roster!
Wade can start at shooting guard, while Arenas can play sixth man and score points!
Or conversely, Arenas could use his shooting range advantage to start, while Wade could rely on his explosiveness to come off the bench.
Hmm, it sounds like the latter is more suitable!
After their usual barrage of harsh words, the two guys started fighting one-on-one.
And then...
The entire audience was a bit stunned.
This skill level... the difference is too big!
Well, how should I put it?
It's all about physique, size, warm-up dynamics, and ball control. These two seem to be top-tier players among this group.
But once the fight started, it wasn't like that at all.
Both players were born in 82 and are not much different in age, but the game was completely one-sided.
Arenas practically pinned Wade down and gave him a sound beating!
3 points, mid-range pull-up jump shot, and strong drives to the basket for points.
Although Wade was incredibly fast, he missed his first two layups, whether due to nervousness or something else. Then Arenas opted to defend his drive and let him shoot, and Wade missed two more mid-range shots in a row.
After four consecutive missed shots, Wade's mentality was on the verge of collapse. After all, he was only 17 years old. With so many people watching, and playing so badly, Wade's performance got worse and worse, and he couldn't score any more points.
Arenas, on the other hand, was a man who wouldn't let his advantage go and kept talking incessantly. When their five-minute one-on-one match ended, their score was an astonishing 18-0!
Arenas completely shut out Wade and scored the biggest point difference of the night!
As for Wade, he was really on the verge of a mental breakdown at this moment. The fact that he didn't shed a tear shows how strong he is.
"What are you waiting for? I'm still missing one last person!" O'Neal laughed heartily. "Come on, Gilbert, this spot is reserved for you! You're our final piece of the puzzle! Come on, I love your range and your trash talk!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Shaq. You've said that to countless people already. Don't you have any new lines to say?" Barkley bluntly exposed O'Neal, scoffing, "Gilbert, come to me! I need a scorer!"
"A top scorer!"
"Speaking of scorers, is there anyone here who understands the meaning of that word better than me?" Jordan said casually. "Gilbert, I have 32 tips to become a scoring champion. If you come, I'll teach you them all!"
"Who's the scoring champion for the new year?" Lin Tian was the last to step forward and say, "If I remember correctly, it's me! Gilbert, don't listen to their nonsense. I can not only teach you how to score, but also how to pass the ball. I can make you a true top player!"
"I even think you could become another player in NBA history to be both the scoring champion and the assist champion! If you have that dream, I don't need to tell you who's here to teach you, right?"
Lin Tian looked at Arenas and added a decisive statement: "If you come to me, I'll make you the number one core player and number one attacker! I don't think those three bastards over there would dare to say that!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he looked at the other three provocatively and said, "Come on, say that, and I'll give him to you! Come on, say it!"
Lin Tian spread his hands, looking arrogant and ready to take action.
"You think I wouldn't dare?" O'Neal's eyes widened, and he was about to speak when Lin Tian interrupted him.
"Jason and Joker are watching you! You won't let them down, Shaq? Hmm? You won't, will you?"
"I protest!" O'Neal immediately declared. "I protest that someone is deliberately undermining our team's unity and attempting to divide us from within!"
O'Neal's protest naturally drew a chorus of boos and cheers, making even a thick-skinned guy like O'Neal blush and choose to shut up.
Lin Tian then looked at Arenas and said, "What are you hesitating for, Gilbert? Come on!"
After saying this, Arenas finally stopped hesitating and walked straight to Lin Tian's side, becoming the ninth member of Lin Tian's team!
After Arenas' decision was finalized, a dejected Wade, who had remained silent the entire time, lowered his head and turned to walk towards the waiting area.
As the person who lost the most miserably and embarrassingly today, he knew he would definitely have to wait in the waiting area, and most likely, he would be the last poor wretch to be selected in the by-election.
If only LeBron and Carmelo were here! I wouldn't be so lonely, not even having a team yet, and I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself in one-on-one matches.
Wade walked off the court thinking about his teammates from last year.
But then he realized something was wrong, because everyone was watching him.
Then, the world, which had just been incredibly quiet, suddenly became noisy again.
Wade saw Lin Tian smiling at him and said, "Dwyane Wade, I'd like to invite you to join my team!"
Lin Tian's words immediately caused the players who hadn't yet entered the game to sigh in despair.
Lin Tian's last spot has been used up just like that? Not participating in the by-election?
Moreover, it was used on a noob who lost so badly and so easily.
There probably isn't any dirty dealings between these two!
Amidst the commotion and skepticism at the scene, Lin Tian said to the stunned Wade, "If I let you fight Gilbert again, would you dare?"
Before Wade could speak, Arenas, standing behind Lin Tian, was the first to stand up: "I dare! Bring it on! I'll take him down even if it takes 10 more tries!"
Lin Tian smiled and punched Arenas to make him sit down, then continued to look at Wade.
"I dare! Me too! No matter how many times we fight, I believe I can beat that guy 100%! As for what happened just now, I won't make excuses for myself. I played terribly! But from now on, I will definitely win! I will get better and better!"
"That's why I chose you," Lin Tian said. "Failure is nothing. We've all failed. Michael lost to me, Shaq lost to me, Charles lost to Michael, and oh right, Michael also lost to Shaq."
In short, everyone has lost before.
"You think you've never lost? Who got knocked out in the semifinals this year?" Jordan couldn't hold back and started cursing. Lin Tian's sweeping generalization was really annoying.
"But none of the three of you have ever beaten me in a series," Lin Tian said. "Try beating me in a series first."
"Back to you, Devin, to be honest, my team is full of successful guys, guys who played really well tonight. Now, I want to bring in a loser, a guy who played terribly, and I hope you can use that as motivation to gradually find your own rhythm and show your abilities!"
"I need your hunger for victory, your fighting spirit and energy to turn things around. I believe that can bring something different to my team. It all depends on whether you have the guts, the guts to climb out of the trough, face your opponents and teammates head-on, and become an indispensable part of the team?"
"I have guts!" Wade's eyes were truly red this time!
Moreover, not only were his eyes red, but Lin Tian's system also gave him new information!
"Device Wade's emotions have fluctuated, resulting in the loss of a permanent skill: Flash LV1 (0/2000)!"
"Flash LV1: Increases host's dribbling speed by 7%, increases host's ability to break double teams by 7%, increases host's breakthrough ability by 7%, and increases the probability of scoring a 2+1 after the host is seriously fouled in mid-air by an additional 6%"
Wow! They're here!
As soon as Lin Tian saw this skill, he knew that this year's Produce Camp was worthwhile!
The training on the first day was so fruitful, I got a permanent skill right away!
If this training camp continues...
Wow... The next month will be filled with happy and fruitful moments every day!
The players on site didn't hold back their applause, giving Wade and Lin Tian a huge cheer and shout. The younger players on Lin Tian's team also hugged and high-fived Wade.
Even Arenas, who had just played against Wade, gave Wade a hug and said, "I believe you can come back from rock bottom, but I will definitely continue to crush you in one-on-one matches!"
Spike Lee, sitting in the audience, was once again taking notes and thinking.
The relationship between Wade and Arenas, especially Wade's storyline, could also be developed as a hidden main plot!
These two people will definitely generate a lot of discussion and buzz.
Next, we can give these two more screen time to portray their rival-friend relationship, how they improve and train together but look down on each other and want to take each other down. If Wade plays well next, that will be Wade's road to a comeback.
If Arenas plays well, he's a guy who's obsessed with winning, but respectful of his opponents and teammates.
Yes, the scene where Wade is called back by Lin Tian as he leaves the court can be used as the ending of the second episode! Yes, just like that, after Arenas finalizes his team, use Wade's desolate back as the last shot of this episode, but let the sound of Lin Tian calling him be played off-screen!
Well, the voice needs to be processed so that no one can guess that it is Lin Tian calling him. Some people might even think that Wade was called because he played too badly and was being made an exception to be the only one eliminated!
Hmm, not bad! That's how he got back into the spotlight in the second week!
Then, Spike Lee started to feel a bit of a headache.
Too much material!
He felt there was so much interesting material! He didn't want to give it up!
The show was originally planned to have twelve episodes, but if Spike is allowed to cut freely now, the process of just the first battle will take at least four episodes.
If the selection process alone takes four phases, how will the subsequent competitions and training sessions be filmed?
Thinking about this, Spike felt a wave of inner conflict, and then he looked at Lin Tian.
Or... should we ask him again?
After the day's recording ended and all the players were in position, Spike approached Lin Tian and asked him the question he wanted to ask.
"It's too easy." Lin Tian said, indicating that he knew this situation very well: "Remember that girl named Jennifer? The one who livestreams her 24-hour life online? We can do the same as her! Register a website with a special domain name, and then put some clips that you like but can't actually be included in the main video on it."
"Charge them $1 for each video viewed. You can even add previews that aren't shown in the main episode, showing exciting parts of the next episode or the one after that. For the final episode, you can even offer early access, allowing viewers who pay extra to see the ending a day or even a week earlier than others!"
"I've even thought of a name for the website: Spike Lee's Director's Cut - Early Access Available Now!"
"Such a long name?" Spike paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs up. "You're a fucking genius! Lin, if you went into business or became a capitalist, you'd definitely be the most vicious, insidious, cunning, and also the most profitable and oppressive black-hearted capitalist among your employees!"
"I'll take that as a compliment." Lin Tian gave him the middle finger, then happily turned and walked towards his hotel room.
For the next two weeks, recording and training proceeded smoothly. The four teams were divided into four groups, each led by a team leader who led their training team and players. Each team was making rapid progress.
Spike was responsible for recording and editing the highlights of each training day and the interactions between the players.
Including but not limited to private bullfights, matches, trash talk, and conflicts, the players went from strangers to good buddies, and their relationship grew better and better.
Because almost all the players are high school students, which is the age when hormones are at their peak and when they are most innocent, and also the age when they can improve their skills the fastest and make the most obvious progress.
Therefore, in Spike Lee's editing, all viewers can clearly see the players' progress and growth, and see the changes in their relationships, from strangers to brothers, from competitors to mutual respect, from mutual hatred to turning enemies into friends, and from disliking each other to disliking each other even more.
Even though the show hasn't aired yet, Spike is full of confidence for this show just by looking at the materials and the storyline he had prepared long ago!
He was once again glad he had taken the job! Although it didn't seem quite right for his status as a great director, and although he wouldn't win an Oscar, Spike felt that this show would still leave a significant mark on the history of television!
More importantly, he's sure to win a lot of awards! Spike is confident of that!
By then, he will be a top-tier director who has successfully crossed over into different fields and has top-notch multi-talented experience!
At the end of the first week of training camp, the four teams drew lots to determine the first climax of the training camp, and the four teams will face off in the first round of matches!
The matches are Lin Tian's team vs. Jordan's team, and O'Neal's team vs. Barkley's team.
As the first real-world appearance of the four teams after their successful formation, these two matches will naturally be closely watched, with ample preparation and maximum hype and anticipation.
The match between Lin Tian and Jordan, in particular, was seen as a continuation of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, and also made up for the regret that the two did not meet again in the Eastern Conference Finals this year.
In short, Lin Tian and Jordan faced off in public once again, the only difference being that this time, they were both coaches!
Since this game is attracting more attention, the first match to start will naturally be between O'Neal and Barkley!
The result of this matchup between the two teams was quite unexpected!
Before the game started, most people actually favored Team O'Neal because his team had three top high school players who were considered to have NBA potential: Richardson, Joe Jensen, and Randolph. In addition, the other role players and the three core players all came from the same team, so they had great chemistry.
Logically speaking, this team should have excellent teamwork!
While Barkley pursued an elite path, the players on his team, whether it was Chandler, David Lee, or Nelson, were indeed somewhat inferior to the players on O'Neal's team in terms of ability and previous performance.
But once the match started, the performance of these two teams was truly astonishing!
Barkley's team dominated O'Neal's team for almost the entire game!
Aside from the initial advantage of O'Neal's team, which capitalized on their incredible talent to score several impressive plays, Barkley's team quickly mounted an offensive surge and began to extend their lead as the game progressed.
Although the individual abilities of the players on Barkley's team are not as good as those on O'Neal's team, their teamwork is surprisingly good, their roles are very clear, and most importantly, the whole team works together as one.
However, on O'Neal's team, not only did Jason and Richardson have completely conflicting positions, but both of them, along with Randolph in the paint, were the type of players who needed to handle the ball to attack. Moreover, the team lacked a point guard who could control the game, resulting in a very chaotic distribution of ball possession.
More importantly, because O'Neal's team consisted of three 3v3 squads, it was inevitable that small groups would band together. They all wanted their senior to win the MVP award and wanted their teammates to play better.
The result is that sometimes even if someone has space and an opportunity, the person with the ball on the field will choose not to pass the ball because that person is not one of their "small team".
With one team displaying excellent teamwork and the other relying solely on natural talent while each member of the team has their own ideas, the outcome of the match is not difficult to predict.
Team Barkley won the game easily!
(End of this chapter)