Chapter 528 is not over yet
Phil Jackson had trouble speaking when faced with questions from reporters.
When the California media asked him why the most critical offenses were not assigned to Kobe, he could not say that the Sonics adopted a "we chose to let James catch the ball" strategy.
"I know this is hard to understand. Please believe that we also want to give the ball to Kobe, but the situation is far more complicated than we imagined." Jackson said, "In the game, you can't do whatever you want. Anything, and letting LeBron catch the ball was not a bad decision for us.”
But what about the result?
James' performance nearly burned the Staples Center to ashes.
"It's just." Jackson said helplessly, "LeBron is not skilled enough in the low post."
This is already a very euphemistic way of saying it.
Not to mention that when James hit Roy with a misplaced back, it was actually a big one beating a small one. Let's just say that Roy had not played for half a year before. All he had left was the game instinct he had grown up with since he was a child and the remaining muscle memory. This kind of person has no defense. At all.
James could have used the clumsiest way, crushing him to the end like a bulldozer, or even giving up playing behind the back. Turning around to face the basket and attacking hard was also an option, but he chose to use the clumsy way to hit a few times, and then turn over and shoot.
In James' arsenal, this is one of his least sure ways to score.
Facing the opponent's defensive holes, the offensive choices he made almost buried the Lakers' season.
This is not something Jackson can wash away with just "not skilled enough".
Moreover, James' inability to beat anyone in the low post was only a prominent problem exposed by the Lakers in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain. The more serious problem was that their inside line was blown out.
The SuperSonics proved with one game that as long as the inside line headed by Marc Gasol is called infinitely, the Lakers will not be able to find a solution to the problem.
Now, the Lakers' morale has been shattered, James lost a game that cannot be lost, and their morale has hit rock bottom.
Game 6 back in Seattle had almost no chance of winning.
For the Evil Empire, tonight is the final verdict.
Game Six was but the day of execution.
"It's not over yet." Jackson said, "In the history of the conference finals, there have been many stories of being behind 1-3 but completing the comeback. There is no reason why we can't bounce back from the 2-3 situation."
No reason? No, it will be soon.
"It's not over yet." In the face of this disaster, James showed his strength on the outside but his ability on the inside. "We will do whatever it takes to bring the game back to Los Angeles. The next game will be a battle of dignity!"
Then, the reporter asked him: "In order to defend your dignity, will you continue to try to hit Brandon Roy on the back?"
James said coldly: "Next question."
"What did Frye say to you after the final attack?"
"Next question!"
"If those key attacks were handed over to Kobe, would the results be different?"
"Next question!"
The malicious world came to James in this way.
To the media, they were just telling the truth, and James couldn't face these things.
If he wants to face it, he has to accept that he led the Lakers to failure.
Kobe also had to undergo embarrassing cross-examination.
The incident goes back to the press conference after the G4 game.
When Yu Fei attracted the attention of the outside world by saying "I want to score 50 points in three consecutive games", Kobe Bryant reacted fiercely and said that if Yu Fei could do it, he would retire.
Tonight, Yu Fei not only did it, but also completed all the indicators magnificently.
He scored 50 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. This was the first 50-point triple-double in playoff history.
"Kobe, will you fulfill your promise?" the media asked politely.
"No." Kobe must break his promise, his career cannot end in this way. "That was an angry remark."
"Are you disappointed in LeBron?"
Shouldn't he be disappointed in LeBron?
Before LeBron took the team to the abyss, the game was still a stalemate. Then, he missed Roy after consecutive back-ups, and Yu Fei grabbed the defensive rebounds and shot two fatal chasing three-pointers.
It's not that James' post-up should be successful, but in that case, as the core of the team, he should have achieved success against the opponent's defensive holes, but he had disastrous consequences.
Kobe pursed his lips and said: "I am disappointed in everyone."
This was followed by speeches from the role players.
"I don't want to say that the responsibility lies with LeBron, but it's a fact and I have to tell the truth." Ron Artest said bluntly, "If I don't tell the truth, more people will tell the truth."< br>
"It's mainly my responsibility, I messed up the game." Marc Gasol said, "I take full responsibility."
Richard Hamilton subtly hinted: "We all played poorly, but the chaos at the end really hurt us. I think that may determine the direction of the series."
"I was 4-for-8 from the field tonight," Antawn Jamison said. "I mean, I'm the only player in the starting lineup who shot 50 percent from the field. I might be responsible, but you can't say that. The result was brought about by me.”
Mike Bibby explained the current situation of the Lakers in one sentence: "Desire is a bottle of poison. We have held too much, and now its toxicity has taken effect."
The story of the Lakers clearly illustrates how quickly a team can fall from its peak.
All it takes is one bad loss, and all it takes is for the guy who was supposed to be leading the team to steer the ship against an iceberg instead.
The Evil Empire was born out of an insatiable desire for a championship.
They sold the prospect of championships to those who had the strength but no championships, and their desire for glory brought them on board.
But now, the man who guided them onto the ship committed suicide.
Naturally, those who come to satisfy their desires must find out what the other person is really thinking.
But James said it's not over yet, they are going to fight for dignity.
It was a lofty enough slogan, but his teammates wanted to know why such a powerful empire as the Evil Empire would be reduced to fighting for dignity.
Who dragged them into this damn desperate situation?
"Our work is not done yet, why celebrate? I won't do that, there is still a game." Coach Lu imitated Kobe in a high-profile manner, "We are going to send them home at home!"
Reporters asked how they felt when they saw Roy guarding James in the low post at the last moment.
"Mood?" Lu joked, "Maybe a little excited. This is the counterpoint we want to see."
"Did you know from the beginning that LeBron couldn't beat Brandon alone?"
"No, no, it's not." Lu mentioned an interesting behind-the-scenes incident. "Brandon felt that Frye played like Michael Jordan tonight. In order for us to win, he has to become Frye's Scottie." ·Pippen. At the critical moment, the opponent chooses to attack our Pippen alone. What do you think I have to worry about? ”
The reporter immediately brought Scottie Pippen's words to Roy.
"There is such a thing." Roy asked proudly, "Don't you think my defense at the last moment was like Scottie Pippen? No, can Pippen guard LeBron in the low post?"
This is a difficult question to answer.
It seems that Roy really believes that he is as good a defensive master as Pippen.
However, his teammates gave completely different answers.
"Our strategy is to let LeBron play Brandon. Even if we put him against our worst defender, we have confidence in LeBron!"
This is what Kwame Brown said.
So of course reporters will ask: "Why do you have confidence in LeBron?"
Brown acted matter-of-factly: "Didn't you see how he played in the last moments?"
"If it were me, Brandon would never walk off the court standing..."
"You haven't started in the last two games. Does this shake your judgment of yourself? Do you still think you are the No. 1 center in the league?"
In the past, Brown would have defended himself emotionally and said he would return to the starting lineup as soon as possible.
But this time, he thought for a moment before saying: "Shaquille O'Neal stopped being the number one center many years ago. This day will come to everyone. Maybe my time is over..."
The most strange thing about the whole interview was that when Brown said "my era", the reporters didn't feel any sense of violation.
Over the years, Brown's big mouth has become well known, and from his perspective, he has constructed a narrative logic in his own way.
Those superstars who were defeated by Yu Fei in the playoffs were also defeated by him. The feats Yu Fei accomplished in front of them seemed to have been accomplished by him.
So according to this logic, if Yu Fei is the best player in the league, then he is the best insider, because he did defeat those people on behalf of the team.
Kwame Brown's arrogance is a product that will be remembered by the times, as deeply rooted in the hearts of the people as James' 28-game losing streak before joining the Lakers.
But tonight, many people have something to say.
Jermaine O'Neal recalled last summer when Kobe convinced him to accept the Lakers' minimum salary to compete for the championship.
"Looking at what they are like now, I'm glad I didn't stay." Xiao Ou said, "I feel sorry for Kobe. He worked hard and there are some things that are beyond his control."
Chris Bosh pushed back on his critics, telling them to look at his numbers.
"If you look at my numbers tonight, you're going to scoff at anyone who says I can't play center."
Kevin Durant talked to ESPN reporters about how the Sonics won with a more team-based approach to the game. He also met with Nike executive Lynn Memet.
"Child, are you satisfied with the result?"
Memet asked.
This may be the most dreamy way Durant can think of to end the game. Although Yu Fei's feat of scoring 50 points in three consecutive games will become the main topic of discussion in the media, he scored 22 points after Yu Fei 6 With 4 rebounds and 4 assists, he ranks third on the team. If Bosh hadn't been too dominant in the paint, he would have been second on the team in scoring.
But that doesn't matter. What's important is that he performed better than the opposite James in this game.
He scored when he should score, and he also made full use of his talents when he should defend.
"I couldn't be more satisfied, Uncle Memet." Durant said with absolute confidence, "The Lakers are finished, we will achieve three consecutive championships!"
Memet did not pour cold water on Durant or dampen his enthusiasm. He said nothing in the end.
Maybe it's a victory for Durant, but it's definitely not a victory for Nike.
But in Nike's plan, no matter who wins the Western Conference finals, Nike should be the winner, because three of the four superstars in this series are from Nike.
Now, Yu Fei alone has surpassed Cojan, and his star power of scoring 50 points in three consecutive games is enough to cover up Durant's contribution.
One of the most intuitive data is that after tonight's game, Reebok's stock price soared by 4% in a short period of time.
Nike did not gain any benefit from Durant's victory. Instead, its stock price fell due to James' disastrous performance.
This is a final result. Not only Yu Fei won, but Reebok also won.
Of course, Durant also won.
But Nike lost completely.
Yu Fei came to the media interview room, which was filled with media from all over the world.
They have countless problems.
The pre-game highlights about Yu Fei and Kobe were mentioned first.
The media asked Yu Fei if he thought Kobe would abide by his agreement and choose to retire.
"This is Kobe's thing." Yu Fei said, "Personally, I still hope to play against him."
Then, another media asked Yu Fei if he would strive to score 50 points in four consecutive games in the playoffs.
Yu Fei smiled and shook his head: "I don't think the Lakers can cause us such big trouble in the next game. I don't need to score another 50 points."
As a result, the Seattle media relayed James' words about fighting for dignity to Yu Fei.
Yu Fei smiled sarcastically: "Listening to him talking about fighting for dignity is like hearing a playboy fight to maintain the sanctity of chastity. Isn't this ridiculous? What dignity does he have?"
< br>
This is just a gentle touch from Yu Fei. Compared with the media, Yu Fei is already much gentler.
In the two days after Game 5, GIFs of James hitting Roy on the back began to flood the Internet.
All kinds of "when you need a player to score with a back to save your life, but LeBron steps up" jokes are shattering all images of James.
Before G5, James may have been despised and ridiculed for his "decision", but he was basically considered a super human. He had the most powerful body and was the perfect template for the ultimate warrior.
But now, his reputation is beginning to go astray.
When fans talk about him, they think he is a coward just like Yu Fei called him a softie to his face.
Media outlets like Bill Simmons began saying James didn't have a "killer instinct."
The recency effect is so strong that the James camp has no room to argue, and it is difficult to even lie flat and accept ridicule.
The Lakers' internal strife continues.
Artest's remarks undoubtedly caused lasting harm to James.
It's impossible for a team to find peace when they consciously place the blame for failure on one individual.
The Lakers entered Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals under intense external pressure and ultra-low internal pressure.
May 29, Key Arena
Someone who claims to fight for dignity looks like a person without dignity.
He showed no bloodshed, no fighting spirit, and no desire to win. He was on the court, but he was just a walking corpse.
He will attack with the ball, but that is basically to maintain data.
In the first quarter, he scored 9 points on 3 of 8 shots, while Kobe scored 10 points on 4 of 7 shots. It seemed to be a good performance, but the Lakers' defense was completely defeated.
The inside was called out, and the outside defense was not active. James watched the score with various eyes, allowing the Sonics to score 34 points in a single quarter at home.
After the first quarter, the Lakers were already 13 points behind.
Fans who dreamed the Lakers would bounce back tonight were disappointed.
Kobe did try to rebound, but he couldn't do it alone.
When the inside line is targeted and unable to play, Cojan needs to have full firepower to compete with the Sonics on the court.
But after James scored 9 points in the first quarter, the power went out in the second quarter.
He can't seem to find the energy to play.
This kind of James is not unusual for Fei. When he was still with the Cavaliers last year, he caused a controversy during the series with the Bucks. Didn't he also play like this?
It's just that last year's fan scandal turned out to be unfounded rumors, and now, he seems to have not recovered from the failure of G5.
No one knew what he had gone through, and no one knew what he was thinking. He just stood on the field, like a man whose destiny had been reached, and passed away naturally.
He scored 9 points in the first quarter and then went scoreless.
He doesn't attack or defend. He occasionally grabs rebounds. After dribbling the ball across half court, he just passes the ball to Kobe and then stays on the outside.
Kobe took full responsibility, but unfortunately, he couldn't excel against the Sonics' tight defense.
In the end, Kobe shot 15 of 34 from the field and scored 36 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists inefficiently. The Lakers lost by 22 points on the road.
This is the end of the Western Conference Finals.
It is the conclusion of the Imperial War that the outside world has been waiting for for a year.
It is good that triumphs over evil.
It is a sign that Reebok will soon replace Nike in ruling the sports world.
James finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
His performance, his data, and the high-spiritedness when he made the decision, and the heroic spirit when the Lakers held the first press conference, more than one, more than two, more than three?
Cojan equals five championships.
This is what the outside world expects of them.
Now, all dreams will come true, and all obsessions will become realistic bullets.
4 to 2
The Seattle SuperSonics knocked out the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Actually, I hope this game can be more intense." On the night of victory, Yu Fei did not further insult his opponent. "I thought they were going to play better, and I knew Kobe was doing his best, but what about the other guy? I thought I knew him, but it turns out he's not who I thought he was. Maybe we never really were. Get to know him, but that’s okay, enjoy life, maybe for him it’s just a game.”
What the Chosen Ones will never understand is that it's hard to enjoy your real life when it feels like a living joke.
But it’s easy to pretend you enjoy it.
That's what LeBron James does.
He said: "Anyone who wants me to fail, ultimately they will wake up tomorrow and live the same life as they did before they woke up today. Whatever personal problems they have today, it will be the same tomorrow. I will continue to live my life the same way."
After the game
"My phone is on silent mode, no ringtone, and I'm considering renaming it LeBron mode." - Bill Simmons
"Hey, LeBron, maybe when you stop playing like a coward, you'll be like Frye Yu." - Skip Bayless
"LeBron's right. I'm still living my life today as I was yesterday. I'm still glad he lost." - Dan Gilbert.
"Frye, you defended the purity of competition. Go fight for your seventh championship. You are the real GOAT!" - Dan Gilbert (two consecutive posts)
"LeBron, you're right, I was still living the same life this morning and you and I still have the same number of rings! Wow! #NBAFinals" - Marc Stein
In Cleveland, the city that James abandoned, fans jeered him in sports bars, reports Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports.
"No one here hates LeBron, they laugh at him," Wetzel wrote.
CNN affiliate WOIO-TV wrote a one-word caption under a photo of James holding up a Lakers jersey on its sports page: "Loser!" The site's story began: "LeBron James still doesn't have a ring. ”
On Monday morning, ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd started a contest on Twitter: "LeBron hit a roadblock. We're trying to come up with a word to describe it...weird, scared, gone and LeBron Brown. Any suggestions?"
Kwame Brown ended the topic with a typical James joke: "Don't we already have the answer?"
"CowardBrown!"
The Regicide Conference is in full swing, but Yu Fei strongly agrees with James' words.
Yes, when he wakes up tomorrow, his life will still be the same as yesterday.
He still has to prepare for the finals, still strive for victory, and still shoulders the mission of saving the Sonics.
It's not over yet.
(End of chapter)