socalfunplaces Chapter 127 Barkley, the King of Imagination, should form a team next season!
Chapter 127 Barkley, the King of Imagination, should form a team next season!
Chapter 127 Barkley, the King of Imagination, should form a team next season!
"He's not playing, is he?" Jackson glanced at the court and found that Barkley was sitting obediently on the bench, just as he had guessed. Then he realized that he had been tricked by Lin Tian!
When he wanted to cause trouble for Lin Tian, he found that Lin Tian had already run to the back of the bench and was chatting with two benchwarmers!
In the remainder of the first quarter, both sides seemed a bit uncomfortable playing without a crucial element of their respective tactics.
With only one of their twin towers remaining in the paint, the Rockets' interior advantage is no longer as obvious. Meanwhile, without Lin Tian's drive, the Bulls can only engage in a half-court offense that they don't particularly enjoy.
Under these circumstances, neither side was very efficient in the latter part of the first quarter, and the score was only 21-24 by the end of the quarter.
Thanks to the advantage the Bulls built up before Lin Tian came off the bench, they led the Rockets by 3 points at the end of the first quarter!
In the second quarter, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were both rested for the Rockets, but they still brought on Barkley and Kevin Willis, their two big men, to maintain their advantage in the paint. Eddie Johnson, who was acquired from the Pacers, was also on the court, serving as an important offensive weapon on the perimeter to support the two big men.
Then, the team's backup guards, Brent Price and Mario Elie, partnered up in the backcourt.
On the Bulls' side, Jackson once again showcased his team's depth.
The five-man lineup consisted of Lin Tian, Rodman, Cole, Hubble, and Wennington.
In this lineup, all three players are pure guards. Although Rodman is a power forward, he is only slightly taller than Barkley. The only true center is Wennington!
"Lin, you guard Charles, Beal guards the other one, and Dennis, you defend their weakest, least offensively capable player, and be ready to help defend inside at any time! Whether they continue to play Olajuwon and Barkley or Willis and Barkley, you're responsible for help defense and covering for Lin and Beal!"
"On offense, Lin is the core. He tells you to run, you run; he tells you to shoot, you shoot! Understand?"
"clear!"
With a clear "I understand," the entire Bulls team took to the court, and the second quarter began!
The first attack came from the Bulls.
Lin Tian dribbled the ball, calmly gesturing to direct his teammates' movements.
After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian faced Price's defense but did not rush to attack. Instead, he waved to someone, asking Wennington to come up and screen for him.
After the two players switched positions at the high post, the 35-year-old Willis was indeed unable to defend against him and retreated near the free-throw line, clearly focusing on defending Lin Tian's breakthrough!
Is the strategy of releasing a ball to prevent a breakthrough?
Well, then you'll only be able to guard against loneliness!
Lin Tian dribbled to within one step of the three-point line, then immediately stopped, pulled up the paddle, and threw it!
"Whoosh!"
After another crisp crack, Tomjanovich couldn't help but shake his head.
What's wrong with this kid today?
His mid-range shooting is just so-so, not terrible but not amazing either, so how come he was so accurate against his own team today?
After Lin Tian easily made the shot, he once again encountered Barkley on the defensive end. With this lineup, Barkley was undoubtedly the team's primary offensive point. He resolutely drove into the paint and used his skills to block Lin Tian in the low post to demand the ball.
"I told you, Charles, you're better suited to being a substitute! Look how well you play with the other substitutes! Nobody's fighting you for the ball, nobody's taking your space in the paint, you can play however you want! If you ask me, you should be a substitute, being a substitute suits you!"
"Shut up! I will never be a substitute in my life!" Barkley cursed, then suddenly became fierce and charged at Lin Tian again!
"Bang! Bang!"
This time, Barkley didn't force his way to the basket before shooting. Instead, he dribbled to the edge of the three-second zone, turned around, and then launched a fast-paced floater!
"Whoosh!"
After a sharp crack, Barkley looked at Lin Tian and said, "You think you can defend against me every round? You think you can easily manipulate me? Dream on! No one can stop Charles Barkley!"
"idiot!"
Lin Tian wasn't going to waste time arguing with Barkley at this point. He had already started sprinting towards the frontcourt. Since Olajuwon was absent, no one from the Rockets was going to interfere with the Bulls' baseline play. Wennington, who had excellent chemistry with Lin Tian, knew exactly what his cunning partner was up to and immediately passed the ball to Lin Tian to dribble up the court!
When Lin Tian once again sprinted the ball up the court, Rockets' Elie and Price stood in front of him to prevent him from driving to the basket or shooting again.
Upon seeing that he was being double-teamed, Lin Tian kept his eyes straight ahead, seemingly still aiming at the basket, but the basketball in his hand had already flown towards the 45-degree angle three-point line.
"Shoot! Steve!" Lin Tian shouted, then lowered his head and charged into the Rockets' paint.
"Bang!" Cole caught the ball and threw it without hesitation!
But he was unlucky today; he missed that wide-open three-pointer!
But Lin Tian had already rushed into the paint! Before Willis and Barkley could reach the basket, he grabbed the ball and, instead of attacking himself, went to find Cole again.
"We have a board! Throw it!"
"Whoosh!"
This time, Cole did not disappoint Lin Tian!
The second three-pointer from the same spot goes in perfectly!
The Bulls continue to widen the score gap!
"Hey kid! Don't you have any manners?! Didn't anyone teach you basic manners?" Barkley glared at Lin Tian and said aggressively, "I'm talking to you!"
"When you grabbed Bird's arms and let Irving punch him in the nose, did you ever think about what respect and courtesy meant?" Lin Tian said with a smile. "When you left Philadelphia and Phoenix, did you show any courtesy to the local fans and teammates?"
"Did you get their consent? Did you fulfill the promises you made to them back then? Oh, sorry, I forgot." At this point, Lin Tian suddenly smiled broadly: "The Phillies did agree. You were practically kicked out by them back then! The Phillies prefer handsome backcourt players who can fly, dunk, and are good at it. They'd rather be in the lottery for ten years in a row than have a fat, chubby guy as their leader!"
At this point, Barkley finally realized something—
Arguing? Even though I've played in the NBA for over ten years, I'm no match for this second-year kid!
This guy's mouth is so sharp! And every word he says goes straight to the heart!
What does it mean to hit someone only in the face and curse someone's mother?
Lin Tian is it!
Barkley, who decisively chose to keep quiet, came to the basket again, backed down Lin Tian, and launched a strong attack!
This time, Barkley once again opted for a sudden turn and floater after the confrontation to evade Lin Tian's defense and block, but this time the ball missed and bounced off the rim.
"Snapped!"
Just like before, Lin Tian first took position, blocking Barkley so he couldn't jump. He almost wanted to tear the hem of Barkley's jersey. Then, in a completely safe situation, Lin Tian easily jumped up and caught the rebound!
Who says you need a good jumping ability to grab rebounds?
Third-rate rebounders rely on jumping ability, second-rate rebounders rely on height, first-rate rebounders rely on strength, and top-rate rebounders rely on positioning!
"Fuck you! Who taught you all this dirty stuff?" Barkley angrily shook off Lin Tian's hand; he genuinely hated these petty tricks.
"You learned it from Dennis, go and cause him trouble." Lin Tian didn't hesitate to betray Rodman completely.
"Nonsense! I never taught you such a dirty trick as pulling someone's clothes! I always taught you to pinch someone's butt or waist, or to knee someone in the thigh!" Rodman immediately protested, stating that he never used such dirty tricks.
"You lot! Don't discuss foul tactics in front of me!" Crawford said with a gloomy face, looking at Lin Tian and the others.
What's wrong with these guys?
Discussing this in front of me?
Yes... the league is now encouraging confrontation, so I can turn a blind eye to these minor fouls.
But you can't treat me like I'm blind and deaf at the same time! That's going too far!
Because of Barkley's interference and immediate pressure, the Bulls' fast break didn't happen. Lin Tian wasn't in a hurry and slowly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt.
Then he reached out and called for cover.
This time, Rodman was there to cover for him!
After another crossover, Lin Tian faced off against Barkley!
"Kid, you want to challenge me? Come inside and let's see who's stronger!" Barkley clapped his hands, looking very enthusiastic.
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tiancai ignored him and, after walking to the three-point line, pulled up and shot!
The basketball swished through the net once again!
As I said before, he had the best mid-range shot of all the big men in the 90s, he was just amazing!
"Next time, next time I have the chance, I'll definitely go inside and score against you!" Lin Tian said with a relaxed shrug after scoring, "After I make 10 more mid-range shots."
"Damn it! Charles, charge at him, Charles! Damn it!" Tomjanovich on the sidelines couldn't sit still any longer. What's wrong with Lin Tian today? His strength has surged, and his touch is off the charts? How come we keep running into all sorts of weirdos?
An enraged Tomjanovich vented his anger on Barkley: "You want him to take a few more shots! Move up the court! Stop him! He's already made 100 mid-range shots! Are you all blind? Can't you see he's on fire today?"
"Like a stray dog, getting yelled at again." After Tomjanovich finished venting, Lin Tian laughed and said to Barkley, "After the game, I'll buy you a scapegoat. Take it easy, get used to it, you'll definitely like this feeling of being the scapegoat!"
"By the way, I guess that's what your head coach instructed before the game, right? Let me shoot, not drive? Hmm? You did as he said, and he yelled at you? Charles, I told you, you won't get any respect here!"
"You think winning a championship will earn you respect? The truth is: you won't win a championship, and you won't earn respect! You're just a mercenary!"
"Shut up! That's enough!" Barkley finally snapped, stepping forward and pressing his head against Lin Tian's, yelling at him, "I don't need you to teach me how to play! I don't need you to tell me what to do! I'll play wherever I want! It's none of your business! It's none of your business!"
"Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!" The referee's whistle blared wildly, rushing over and separating the two. Crawford glared angrily at Barkley and yelled, "Charles, are you trying to ruin our Christmas? Are you trying to ruin our Christmas? You idiot!"
Compared to Barkley's furious glare, Lin Tian seemed completely unconcerned. He showed no intention of retaliating and instead smiled as he took two steps back.
There are two reasons why he is so calm.
First of all, his goal tonight is to destroy Barkley, but he has no intention of doing so.
This is the Christmas Day game, and it's being broadcast live across the entire United States!
At this time of All-Star voting, Lin Tian knew how much trouble being suspended for fighting tonight would bring him, and how many fan votes he would lose. American fans don't like guys who start fights on Christmas Day.
On the contrary, if Lin Tian can show fans across the United States how calm and rational he is on this night, it will definitely bring him a lot of All-Star votes!
As Crawford said, fighting would absolutely ruin everyone's Christmas!
As for the second reason, the moment Barkley angrily took action, Lin Tian's system reacted!
"Charles Barkley's emotions fluctuated, and he dropped the permanent skill: Flying Divine Pig LV1 (0/2000)."
"Flying Divine Pig LV1: Strength increased by 10%, rebounding ability increased by 5%, and jumping ability increased by 3%!"
Tsk tsk tsk... Another good stuff!
The supplements are all the weaknesses that Lin Tian is not currently good at, and the skill descriptions are clean, concise, simple and direct, easy to understand at a glance, and the bonuses are reasonable, well-founded and comprehensive!
What makes a good skill? This is the best skill!
After obtaining the Flying Divine Pig, Lin Tian thought for a moment and used up a one-time trial card that he had been saving since the All-Star game last season.
Flying Divine Pig (Section 1): Increases jumping ability by 5%. If the weight exceeds 90 kg, the jumping ability will be increased by an additional 2% for every additional kg!
After being pulled away, Barkley gradually calmed down. Although he was called for a technical foul, at least he wasn't ejected from the game.
And the way this guy was looking at Lin Tian right now... was also a bit strange.
Barkley was a little confused.
This guy can knock out Malone in a second, kill the three thugs of New York in an instant, and chase after and beat up the SuperSonics players. Why didn't he fight back just now?
Afraid of yourself, intimidated by yourself? That's nonsense!
He's not even afraid of Malone, so why would he be afraid of me, Barkley?
Barkley couldn't understand why Lin Tian hadn't made a move earlier. His brain certainly couldn't comprehend why Lin Tian would deliberately hold back for the sake of All-Star starting votes.
After all, being an All-Star starter is something that is dispensable and completely unimportant to a veteran like him who has played for more than ten years.
I heard this kid treats Michael the same way? He's constantly criticizing him, and they almost got into a fight several times during practice?
Could it be that this kid is just like that—the more he respects someone, the more important they are to him, the more he likes to show off in front of them?
He looked down on Malone, Ewing, and Kemp, so he beat them up without batting an eye, but he respected Michael, so he only trash-talked and didn't lay a hand on him.
So he...respects me too?
I've heard that young people who travel far from home without family often have this kind of personality: they crave to be noticed by respected people, to be discovered, and to feel a sense of existence, yet they are also sensitive and fragile. He's so good at fighting; he must have been bullied in school, which is why he practiced martial arts so diligently...
When Kerr, the Bulls' highest free throw percentage player, stepped up to the free throw line, and Lin Tian stood there swaying his neck, he had no idea that Barkley had already imagined a whole story of Lin Tian's inner thoughts, even a complete and unmistakable story about why Lin Tian was so skilled.
If Lin Tian had known that Barkley had such a rich imagination, he would definitely have introduced Barkley to Spike Lee and asked Barkley to be his screenwriter and write scripts.
"Lin, why didn't you fight back just now? Don't tell me you're afraid of me or that I'm Michael's friend. Patrick is Michael's friend too, and you didn't hold back when you beat him up!" After hesitating for a long time, Barkley finally couldn't hold back and asked the question during the gap between the Bulls' free throw and the ball before Cole made it.
Even though he had already imagined a 90-episode urban romance drama, he still needed to verify it himself before he could believe his judgment!
"Because I respect you, Charles! I consider you my mentor and idol! My dream is to play like you! Like a man! I admire you for bravely choosing your own path, regardless of what others think, and for the championship, you took the hardest road! I know that!"
"I know you didn't join a super team at all; you just joined an ordinary team that won 45 games the previous year but was eliminated in the first round. Charles, you've been misunderstood by the world far too much! What's wrong with joining the opponent if you can't beat them? A real man knows when to yield and when to stand firm!"
"So what if you've played for three different teams? Taking your talent to different places is doing good deeds!"
Lin Tian swore that his entire speech was nonsense, mostly sarcastic and ironic. He felt that any normal person could tell that there was not a trace of praise in his words.
But Barkley just didn't understand!
There was even a hint of tears welling up in his big eyes!
"Lin! No one has ever said any of this to me! Really, I'm so tired! Everyone is mocking me, calling me a coward, saying I'm running away again, seeking refuge with someone else, but I didn't! I really didn't! If I wanted refuge with someone else, wouldn't it have been better if I joined the Bulls? Wouldn't it have been better if I joined the SuperSonics or the Jazz?"
"Why would I choose a 45-win team? Just because they won the championship two years ago? Lin, your words, every single one of them, resonated with me. I have indeed chosen the most difficult path!"
Lin Tian was stunned!
Lin Tian was completely dumbfounded!
What is that?
Has Barkley lost his mind?
It's one thing for him not to understand the hidden meaning in my words, but why does he act like I'm his soulmate and best friend?
Could this guy's brain really be as stupid as he looks...?
However, regardless of what Lin Tian thought, he always believed in the principle of not hitting a smiling face.
Seeing Barkley's response, he added, "Charles, what I said earlier was actually out of a sense of injustice for you. I felt heartbroken, and I couldn't bear to see you like this. Think about it, even if you win the championship in Houston, what will you get? Can you imagine what those who don't like you will say about you?"
"Houston won the championship before you came! And what if they hadn't? Since you came, we haven't been able to win another championship!"
"You'll spend the rest of your life under this kind of public scrutiny and doubt! Charles, if you believe me, if you consider me a friend..."
As Lin Tian finished speaking, he disappeared again. Suddenly, he accelerated past Barkley and charged into the Rockets' paint. Kerr, who was inbounding the ball, seized the opportunity and passed it directly into the paint. After receiving the ball, Lin Tian, facing the unresponsive Willis, jumped up and made a powerful reverse layup, scoring another 2 points for the team!
"Charles, where were we? Oh right, if you consider me a friend." Lin Tian's shamelessness is undeniable. He'd just ambushed someone, and in less than three seconds, he'd immediately changed his tune, as if he hadn't been the one who ambushed him.
"After this season, regardless of whether you win the championship or not, you must leave the Rockets immediately!" Lin Tian said sincerely to Barkley. "Go play for a strong team that hasn't won a championship yet! Only then, only by winning a championship with a new team, will people stop talking about you!"
"Only then will people forget that you've been moving around and changing teams all the time, and only then will people see you as a true champion! Think about it, Charles, I'm very serious!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, Barkley indeed fell into deep thought. He stopped talking to Lin Tian. Although he still played hard and seriously on the court and scored points from time to time, he just stopped talking.
Three minutes later, both coaches simultaneously substituted their players, and the starting lineups of both sides returned to the court. Lin Tian was no longer matched up against Barkley, but returned to the perimeter.
With Olajuwon on the court, the Rockets regained control of the boards. Olajuwon's towering 213cm height also effectively contained the Bulls' quick passing and offense after securing the rebounds, causing the Bulls' fast-paced offense, which had just found its rhythm, to disappear once again.
But tonight, both Jordan and Lin Tian had excellent shooting touch. They took turns punishing the Rockets' drop-and-shoot defense in the mid-range, while Tomjanovich watched as his team's mid-range game became the Bulls' playground, yet he refused to change his defensive strategy.
Because he knew that if he didn't change his defensive strategy, he wouldn't be able to stop those two points. But if he did change his defensive strategy, the team would be vulnerable everywhere and get completely destroyed by the Bulls!
Thus, at the end of the first half, the score was temporarily tied at 51:57!
The Bulls have taken a 6-point lead!
In terms of statistics, Lin Tian had a well-rounded performance tonight, scoring 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. His performance in the paint against Barkley on several occasions was particularly impressive!
Jordan scored 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, making him the highest scorer of the game.
另外，皮蓬拿下7分3篮板3助攻，科尔也命中2个3分拿下6分！
For the Rockets, Hakeem Olajuwon scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, Charles Barkley added 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Clyde Drexler contributed 11 points. The Big Three combined for 40 points in the first half, once again demonstrating the core fighting power of this team.
When the halftime whistle blew, Lin Tian originally wanted to leave the field immediately, but unexpectedly Barkley called him back.
"Lin, what you just said to me, did you mean...?" Barkley looked at Lin Tian tentatively, waiting for his answer.
What did I just say? Which sentence?
Lin Tian had absolutely no recollection of the many things he had just rambled on about.
Who can remember such nonsense so clearly?
But who is Master Lin? He's a top-tier acting genius who's won an Oscar!
So, looking at Barkley, the doubt and curiosity in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by determination and trust: "Yes, Charles, it's exactly what you think! Trust me, there's no mistake!"
"So, you really want to team up with me next season and compete for the championship?" Barkley looked at Lin Tian with some emotion and said, "Don't you think I'm a loser and an increasingly old, fat guy, and you want to compete for the championship with me?"
What? The championship? With you?
This time, Lin Tian was genuinely caught off guard.
"I know it's too early to say all this, but Lin, I've decided to believe in you! Whether I succeed with the Rockets this season or not, whether I win the championship or not, I'll wait for your news in the offseason. No matter which team you choose to go to next summer, as long as you still want to team up with me then, I'll go!"
"I'm still on a minimum wage! I don't lack money, I've never lacked money! I just want respect, I just want people to know that I'm no worse than Michael and Hakim!"
At this point, Barkley patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, nodded firmly at him, and then turned and headed towards the player tunnel, leaving Lin Tian completely bewildered.
What?! I just got an All-Star caliber teammate? And one who's only willing to take a minimum salary?
"Lin, what's wrong? What did Charles say to you? That idiot, he's not inviting you to join the Rockets, is he?" Jordan walked over with a suspicious look on his face. He knew better than anyone that the Bulls would definitely lose Lin Tian in the next offseason and would definitely not be able to match the contracts offered to Lin Tian by other teams.
There's nothing we can do; that's just how the rules are. The Bulls don't have Lin Tian's bird rights, after all.
Therefore, Jordan is well aware that this season, any team that has designs on Lin Tian and wants him to join will definitely go to great lengths and seize every opportunity to recruit Lin Tian and get him to join them!
If last year's All-Star recruitment of Lin Tian in front of Jackson and Jordan had some element of humor, then this year, with Lin Tian officially becoming a starter and his abilities clearly improved, their recruitment of Lin Tian will only be more direct and ruthless!
Even though he knew that Lin Tian's departure was an unavoidable and unsolvable problem, Jordan absolutely could not tolerate those old bastards poaching his people right in front of him!
At the very least, no one is allowed to openly poach players before the end of this season!
"No, he didn't want me to go to Houston, and unless I'm crazy, I would never join a team like Houston, a bunch of old men with no future or hope. I'm so young, of course I'll find a young team to continue playing for!"
"Hmm, that's more like it." Jordan nodded, then looked at Lin Tian again and said, "Fuck you! Couldn't you have kept quiet for a bit? Couldn't you have just said you'd never leave the Bulls and would play for this team forever? What about your professionalism, Lin?"
"Unless you follow Patrick Ewing's example next season and sign him to a one-year, $300 million contract to free up salary cap space for me, how am I supposed to stay? Am I really going to sign a one-year minimum contract and play another year like a rookie?"
Lin Tian shrugged. Jordan was a smart man, and there were some things he couldn't be bothered to play games with in front of him: "Both of these things are impossible, so it's only a matter of time before I leave the Bulls. We don't need to discuss that with Michael anymore. Our goal is to win another championship! It's that simple!"
Having said that, Jordan knew that further discussion would be futile. He nodded, patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, and walked into the player tunnel first.
Neither Lin Tian nor Jordan noticed that not far behind them, Phil Jackson was eavesdropping on their conversation.
"These two guys are so honest it makes you want to curse." Jackson shook his head. As someone who shares the same goal as Riley and wants to have full control of a team, he knows the rules of salary cap space very well.
The salary cap for this season is $2400 million. Given the current state of the NBA, the salary cap for next season will most likely be between $2600 million and $2800 million.
Even if the salary cap for next season is $2800 million, the Bulls' $3000 million annual salary contract alone accounts for 120% of the team's salary cap, making it impossible to re-sign Lin Tian.
But what if Jordan really does follow Ewing's example next season and signs a contract with a salary of $300 million or even less? Jackson believes: It's still hopeless! If Lin Tian is only after money, then they still have no chance of signing him!
As of now, the Bulls have six players under contract for next season: Harper, Rodman, and Kukoc, each earning $4.5 million. Add to that Longley's $3.2 million, Pippen's $2.8 million, and Wennington's $1.8 million, and these six players alone will consume more than $21 million of the Bulls' salary cap space next season!
Even if Jordan signs a $100 million-a-year contract and the team fills the roster with minimum-salary players to comply with the rules, the Bulls will only have about $300 million in salary cap space left. With that space, re-signing Lin Tian? Jackson believes that's wishful thinking!
Players can negotiate a "friendly price" with the team, sign a smaller contract to keep the team competitive, but there are limits to that.
You can negotiate if someone who earns 1000 million takes 900 million, but you want someone who can earn 1000 million to take 300 million? Lin Tian is lucky if he doesn't slap you in the face!
Of course, the Bulls could also clear salary cap space for Lin Tian by trading or giving him away, such as sending away players like Harper, Kukoc, or Longley, and then offering him a multi-million dollar contract.
However, this would likely cause the team's competitiveness to plummet, making it even more difficult to win the championship!
Ultimately, it comes down to the rules. The Bird Treaty allows players to re-sign after the cap, but only if the player has played for the team for three full years.
Lin Tian, however, only played for two years, which did not meet the conditions for triggering the Bird Rule.
It would be great if the rules were changed.
Change the rules?
Thinking of this, Jackson's eyes lit up!
This might actually work!
Back then, in order to keep Bird with the Celtics and maintain the popularity and buzz surrounding the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, Stern added the Bird Clause, allowing Bird to re-sign with the Celtics.
So today, let Stern introduce another "Lin Tian Clause" to allow Lin Tian to stay with the Bulls, maintaining the Bulls' strength and buzz. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
With that in mind, Jackson decided that during his free time this season, he would carefully study strategies to see how to get Stern to agree to add such a clause so that Lin Tian could legally stay with the Bulls!
Jackson's plan was quite successful.
But the one thing he didn't expect or anticipate, and the biggest obstacle to the emergence of the new rules, was Stern himself!
Stern is probably the person in the league who least wants Lin Tian to stay with the Bulls!
The reason is simple: he believes that the presence of Jordan and Pippen prevented Lin Tian from maximizing his potential and attracting fans to the greatest extent!
As a crucial step in Stern's globalization plan, Stern dreamed of Lin Tian becoming the leader of a new team, achieving impressive statistics and results, and breaking free from the shadow of Jordan and Pippen! Only in this way could Lin Tian's commercial value and popularity be maximized!
Therefore, there has been ongoing discussion within the league about Lin Tian, and about a second contract for a second-round pick like Lin Tian who has delivered an amazing performance.
The league faces the challenge of balancing the interests of players with those of their respective teams, and finding a new rule to address this issue has been a top priority for the league recently.
Stern already had some basic ideas and plans in mind, but he had already made a decision.
He would absolutely not allow this new rule to be implemented until Lin Tian's new contract was finalized and Lin Tian made the decision to complete the transfer!
He's targeting Lin Tian, he's targeting the Bulls!
He didn't want a super team like the Bulls to continue to exist, and he didn't want a player like Lin Tian to always be the third-best player on the Bulls!
Not to mention that once Lin Tian transfers, Stern could hype up his feud with the Bulls and Jordan, as well as the story of him facing off against his former team, for at least 5 years!
That's all pure silver!
From Stern's perspective, Lin Tian leaving the Bulls is the only way to maximize the league's interests!
So, the Bulls have no choice but to suffer injustice!
The Bulls players were completely unaware of Stern's ulterior motives; their focus was entirely on the game!
The Christmas Day game against the Rockets has officially entered a heated phase!
The two teams are now in the final 5 minutes of the fourth quarter!
The score is currently 89-92, with the Bulls still holding a slight 3-point lead.
However, the bad news for the Bulls is that Rodman just picked up his sixth foul and was forced off the court by Barkley, who was in great form tonight!
Barkley stepped up to the free-throw line and calmly made his first free throw, narrowing the gap between the two sides to 2 points!
Jackson, sitting on the sidelines, kept shaking his leg, and then, before Barkley took his second free throw, Jackson made his choice.
"Steve, get out there! Shoot whenever you have the chance! Then tell Lin, Michael, and Scott that we're going to collapse our defense, play a tight defense, and stop chasing fast breaks. Our primary objective is to protect the boards and the paint, understand?"
"clear!"
Cole nodded and walked straight to the court.
As he entered the field, many fans in the stadium let out a gasp of surprise!
Because the five players on the Bulls' court now are Kukoc, Pippen, Jordan, Lin Tian, and Kerr!
Facing the Rockets, who likely have the best center in the league, the Bulls surprisingly fielded a lineup with five foreign players!
Jackson's audacity was truly extraordinary!
Seeing Jackson make a substitution, Tomjanovich on the other side thought for a moment and then made his move, picking up Osera Harrington!
Another forward, also recently promoted by the team, is 206 cm tall, has explosive physical attributes but rough technique!
Prior to this, Harrington hadn't played a single minute tonight!
After Harrington entered the game, the Rockets' lineup became Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Eddie Jameson, and Harrington.
This lineup is a true five-man lineup! Among the five players, the shortest is Barkley at 198 cm, while the other four are all over 2 meters tall!
Furthermore, the Rockets' roster doesn't have a single true guard on the court; out of five players, there are four forwards and one center.
However, no one will worry about their organization and passing, because when a team has three superstars, many things within the team become much simpler!
In any case, with the game down to its final five minutes, the two coaches began a direct battle of wits!
Jackson's centerless, small-ball lineup is going up against the Rockets' guardless, five-man lineup!
At that moment, Barkley calmly sank his second free throw, narrowing the gap to just one point!
91: 92!
(End of this chapter)