The kid who took over Min Chongda's plastic sign was named Jimmy, a true Clevelander.
But unlike most children who like the Cavaliers and James, he is the outlier, a supporter of the Clippers and Curry.
Of course, if another team came to Quicken Loans Center to play, Jimmy would definitely support the Cavaliers and James.
But Curry and the Clippers were different. Jimmy put on the Clippers' No. 30 jersey without hesitation and became a "traitor."
No way, the Clippers and Curry have a huge influence among young fans.
James entered the league and came to the Cavaliers in 2003. At that time, Jimmy was too young to watch basketball.
When Curry entered the league in 2009, Jimmy had just started to contact basketball.
In just three seasons, Curry used his unique style of play and rapid progress to set off a whirlwind among the youth community.
James has a body as strong as a god, while Curry "looks" much more ordinary.
James' physical fitness makes people look up to him, and Curry makes many fans feel that "maybe I can do it too."
Therefore, Curry has been very popular among young fans in the past three years. Every time the Clippers play away games, there are many young fans wearing No. 30 Clippers jerseys on the sidelines.
As a child, Jimmy was still very innocent. In his opinion, the Clippers general manager found him and asked him to hold the sign, and it must be to encourage Curry and disturb James at the same time.
After returning to the court, he looked at the two big plastic signs in his hand. One of them read: "Score 60 points and become the second Elgin Baylor."
This was said to James, and it must be to disturb his mentality.
Elgin Baylor once scored 60 points in the Finals, but still failed to win the championship.
For James, becoming a player like Baylor would be a huge disaster.
Another sign read: "Not going to Miami is the worst decision of your life!"
This sentence should also be to stimulate James and mess with his mentality.
But in fact, this was Min Congda's aggressive approach. He hoped to use the championship and Miami to inspire James' fighting spirit.
Indeed, if he loses again in this year's finals, James has entered the finals three times and won the runner-up three times. This is a pace that is close to that of Baylor.
Min Congda understands James' character, and he knows that these two points are James' concerns.
Stab him in his heart, and maybe he can get back on his feet.
Jimmy felt a little uneasy as he held the two plastic signs.
After all, this is the home court of the Cavaliers, and he himself is from Cleveland.
Is it really okay to hold a placard mocking James like this?
Will he be beaten up by the Cavaliers fans around him?
Little Jimmy came to watch the game with his parents.
Jimmy's father, who was wearing James' No. 23 jersey, felt strange when he saw that his son didn't go to the toilet but had two plastic signs in his hand.
He asked little Jimmy where this brand came from. Jimmy didn't lie, but told the truth, "It was given to me by Smart, the general manager of the Clippers."
Min Congda may be the most famous team general manager in the league, bar none.
After all, Min Congda has acted like a monster too many times in the past three years.
Almost every week when fans open NBA-related news webpages or newspapers, they can see news related to Min Congda.
Sometimes he appears more frequently than popular superstars like James and Kobe.
Jimmy's father hurriedly said: "What's written on it, let me see it, let me see the little thing!"
Little Jimmy was not very happy at first. He knew that his father was a fan of James.
The father and son support James and Curry, and they often quarrel at home.
But this does not affect their father-son relationship. After all, basketball is just a fun game.
If it's just for a game, it's definitely not worth it for father and son to turn against each other.
Like some fans who are too involved in the drama, they often engage in hatred with each other, which is really unnecessary.
Little Jimmy persisted for a while, and finally showed the plastic sign to his father.
When Jimmy's father saw the slogan above, he laughed and scolded: "Smart, this bitch, actually wants to use this method to interfere with James? Son, I tell you, even if the Clippers want to win the game, they must do it in an upright way, and It’s not an off-game move, you know? And this is Cleveland, if you hold up a sign like this, we’re definitely going to get into trouble.”
Little Jimmy nodded, he was really a little scared.
Then he handed over the cash Min Congda gave him to his father.
"This damn Smart actually bribed my son with money! Damn it! I won't let him succeed."
Jimmy's father was very angry. He touched his son Jimmy's head to comfort him, and then borrowed an oil-based pen from the fan next door.
He erased the slogans on the plastic board and wrote two new ones.
One is: "Drag into tiebreaker and win the damn championship!"
The second is: "James will always be the pride of Cleveland."
"Okay, I modified this slogan. James will definitely see it in this position in the second half."
"But dad, this is my plastic sign. I want the Clippers to win."
"I know, but this is Cleveland and I want to support the Cavaliers and James!"
Little Jimmy felt that he had been cheated and regretted that he should not have given the plastic sign to his father.
Sure enough, even if they are father and son, the fans still have different positions.
At this time, the second half of the game continued, and players from both sides returned to the court.
The Clippers are half a game away from the championship.
The Cavaliers and James still have two quarters to turn things around.
Min Congda paid close attention to the situation on the court.
He no longer cares about winning or losing.
It's only a few thousand dollars, but he can still afford it now.
What makes him unable to afford it is that if the Clippers win the championship, their market value will inevitably rise further.
And it's rising a lot.
Once the market value increases, the financing credit lines of major financial institutions for the Clippers will increase again.
The Clippers will have more money and they won't be able to spend it all. No matter how they build these institutions, they will still send money to the Clippers.
This is the case in the financial industry. Wherever money is needed, institutions are reluctant to go because they are risk-averse.
On the contrary, in places where the financing needs are not very urgent and the assets are good and the cash flow is abundant, everyone is trying to rush in.
The result is that the worse will get worse, the better will get better, the drought will die of drought, and the flood will die of waterlogging.
If the Clippers win the championship, Min Congda will really die.
Now the Clippers are struggling to break even due to a series of expenditures, leaving Rosser without much cash flow.
The team's books are always in a state of tension, just waiting for the day when the cash flow breaks and the team collapses.
Well now, the team has won the championship, the valuation is higher, and it is harder to collapse!
"It's okay, it's okay. If the valuation is really high, then I will get more money when I complete the task, right?"
Min Congda could only comfort himself in this way.
The mission rewards he can get have changed from 300 million to 400 million, and then they will go straight to 500 million.
Even if the Clippers fail to win the championship and enter the finals, an increase in market value is inevitable.
Min Congda pinned his expectations on the two sentences of Little Jimmy's plastic sign, which is of course a bit whimsical.
He really has no other options. He can't text James in midfield, right?
And with his current status, anything he said was inappropriate and would be considered by James as disturbing him.
Min Congda could only rely on his own understanding of James, hoping that these two slogans would hit James and make him truly awaken.
"There are only two paths for a person to awaken, one is courage, the other is fear. Either one can break through oneself in fearless courage, or complete salvation in extreme fear. LeBron is obviously the latter, he is too close in character For an ordinary good person, what drives him to this day is not his inner bravery, but the fear of poverty, failure, and broken life. Fear can inspire the strongest person, and fear is the source of his strength. Think about LeBron, To be the second Baylor. Or to face the regret of not going to Miami, that's a huge abyss, wake up!"
Min Congda did know James very well, after all, he was his adoptive father.
He clenched his fists and watched the second half begin.
The Clippers succeeded in attacking at the beginning. Gasol and Randolph played a pick-and-roll in the high post.
Then he hit the ground and passed the ball to Curry who was cutting. Curry succeeded in a layup? !
What kind of weird tactic is this? Gasol actually dribbles the ball and picks and rolls with Fatty Lan?
The result of the two-man pick-and-roll was that the Cavaliers were completely empty inside, and Curry easily broke through.
Kyrie Irving's defense is really not good enough, and he loses his opponent in one moment.
The Cavaliers can't even use Danny Green to face Curry to protect Irving.
Because Danny Green has to guard James Harden!
The scary thing about the Clippers is that there are no loopholes on the offensive end.
Like the Thunder, if Perkins is at the center, he will be targeted to death by the Clippers.
The Cavaliers attack, Irving holds the ball, dribbles continuously in the middle and then rushes past Curry.
After getting to the basket, he hit the floater.
Then Harden also hit a mid-range jumper.
The Cavaliers' defense can't do much against the Clippers.
James received the ball for the first time in the second half, 45 degrees from the right side.
"Break through, break through! Don't hesitate, time is life, kill the basket!"
Min Congda urged James in his heart.
He knows that the only way for the Cavaliers to win this game is for James to explode.
An explosion of 27 points in the half was not enough, we needed more points.
Basketball is very complicated, but it is also very simple.
It's just about comparing who scores more points. If you can do 100 points by yourself, you won't have anything to say if you beat your opponent.
This is the finals, the last two games of the season, but James still hesitates holding the ball.
He passed the ball to Danny Green, who ran back to the right corner.
Green made a three-pointer from the bottom corner, but the ball didn't go in.
Gasol got a backcourt rebound.
Curry quickly advanced and passed the ball to George.
George caught the ball and went for a layup, but was interfered by Robin Lopez and missed the layup.
The Cavaliers got the backcourt rebound and had a chance to counterattack.
Irving took the lead and reached the basket with the ball. Facing the Clippers' double team, he dodged in the air and succeeded in a layup!
The ball went in!
As the game entered this stage, the playing styles of both sides became unrestrained.
Generally, by the time a series reaches the sixth or seventh game, any targeted arrangements and tactics are of little use.
It depends on the player's personal ability and the quality of his will on the court.
But James seemed invisible at the beginning of the third quarter.
He kept passing the ball to Irving, to Green, to Jamison, to Battier, but he just didn't shoot.
In the first half, he was obviously like a killer, but in the third quarter, the Cavaliers were still lagging behind but he didn't take many shots.
Min Congda was so anxious off the court. Why are you still pretending to be a general at this time?
Throw it when you need to, without any hesitation, just score, and don't worry about the hit rate.
The score came to 70:62, and the Clippers led the Cavaliers by 8 points.
James made an extremely rare pick-and-roll match with Irving in the high post.
James can play pick-and-roll, but most of the time he is the one holding the ball, not the one setting the screen.
At this time, he stood up to cover Irving, and then passed down. Irving passed the ball to James.
James caught the ball and rushed for a layup, causing a foul on Gasol and going to the free throw line.
Gasol didn't lose his position. He had enough weight and strength, but he still couldn't withstand James' powerful impact.
James took a deep breath as he stood at the free throw line.
At this time, he finally noticed that behind the basket, a young fan wearing Curry's No. 30 jersey was holding a sign.
The sign reads, in large, oily marker pen, "LeBron James will always be the pride of Cleveland."
What a touching slogan, a deep confession from Cavaliers fans to James.
After a few lucks, he took a shot and missed the first free throw.
James rubbed his hands on his clothes and took two steps back and forth helplessly.
This slogan is very common, and James has heard similar words too many times.
It shouldn't have caused any psychological changes.
But at this moment, a feeling of discouragement filled James' heart.
He couldn't explain it himself. It seemed that fear and desire to win had disappeared.
Lose the finals? It's okay to lose, he's still a superstar in Cleveland anyway.
"If I had gone to the Heat, would I have..."
Another thought slipped through me.
James hit the second free throw, and the score difference was 9 points.
James started scoring.
But the Clippers are also scoring.
Curry's high post and Randolph's pick-and-roll.
Pass the ball to Harden on the wing.
After Harden caught the ball and dribbled the ball under his crotch, he took a mid-range shot from the bottom and hit it again!
This kind of ball is difficult for the Cavaliers to defend. Curry picks and rolls, and the defensive attention must be focused on the middle line.
But there is Harden on the wing, and Harden gets the ball. What will the Cavaliers do?
It's like Nash and Stoudemire pick-and-roll in the middle, and then distribute the ball to the wing. With Joe Johnson on the wing, it will be difficult for you to defend.
When Joe Johnson was in the Suns, in the 2004-05 season, the Suns' offense was invincible.
It's a pity that Joe Johnson wanted a bigger contract and went to the Hawks. Later he grew into a top scorer at the 2nd position. This was a big mistake for the Suns.
If the Solars keep Joe Johnson, they won't be unable to find someone to challenge Ginobili in the game against the Spurs.
Now that the Clippers have such a flexible and powerful backcourt, the Cavaliers' defense is showing signs of collapse.
At this time, James faced George at the top of the arc and forced a three-point shot, but missed.
Randolph got a backcourt rebound. After halftime, Curry continued to cooperate with Randolph in the pick-and-roll in the middle to attract the defensive attention. Curry suddenly stopped and shot a mid-range jumper, and hit!
The Cavaliers called a timeout. Their defensive discipline and intensity could no longer sustain it.
Mike Brown knew that the building was about to collapse and could no longer withstand it!
Experienced fans and experts can also feel that a new championship is about to be born.
On the bench, Mike Brown hoped that James could stand up and reunite his teammates.
As a result, James didn't say a word from beginning to end, just sitting there, drinking water and wiping his sweat.
His last bit of struggling heart was not inspired by fear. Instead, he fell into a discouraged feeling of "give up and come back next year."
On the Clippers bench, everyone was "excited" and everyone was encouraging and cheering each other up.
Min Congda was so anxious that he couldn't see clearly the placard behind the Cavaliers' basket while sitting here.
"When the free throw was just taken, I saw that the kid had clearly raised the sign. What's wrong, didn't James see it? It's normal. The game is so tense, how could he pay attention to the placard behind it? Damn it, it looks like there is no chance. You have to be afraid, you have to be afraid, LeBron!"
Min Congda himself is very scared now. He is also the kind of person driven by fear, and he has walked all the way to this day.
It's a pity that it's getting further and further off the track, and it's about to win the championship.
Fortunately, the mental problems caused by fear had appeared before, and he had overcome them.
He keeps comforting himself now: "Don't panic, there's still one and a half verses left? There's still one and a half verses left!"
However, when James became discouraged, the game had actually ended early.
Min Congda didn't know it yet. If Jimmy's father hadn't changed the slogan, James might have been confused for a while.
The fear caused by confusion will also drive him forward, and the knight may still have the possibility to create miracles.
Once the confusion is gone and the fear is gone, all that's left is resignation.
As the game continued, the Clippers were already unstoppable, and they played gorgeous coordination on the offensive end.
Gasol passed the ball to Curry, and Curry came out with the ball, affecting the Cavaliers' defense alone.
Then suddenly with a high throw, Leonard, who cut in from the middle, leaped high and bombed the basket with a one-handed alley-oop!
The Cavaliers' defensive formation is beyond recognition. It has no focus, no strategy, and no pertinence.
Indeed, how do you target it? Everyone needs to be targeted, which is equivalent to not being targeted at all.
At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers were 88:75, leading the Cavaliers by 13 points.
If the Cavaliers want to win the game in the fourth quarter, they can only hope for a miracle.
There is also hope for James.
James scored 6 points in the third quarter, 1 free throw, a mid-range three-pointer.
The efficiency is still very high. He has scored 33 points, which is very good data.
As soon as the fourth quarter started, he drove to the basket and made a layup, adding two more points.
But immediately after, Curry broke into the basket and hit a throw.
Curry has scored 30 points in this game.
On the sidelines, little Jimmy danced happily.
His father could only shake his head, thinking that changing the slogan would not encourage James.
The fourth quarter moved quickly as the Cavaliers' chances of winning continued to dwindle.
Although they have not given up completely, as long as the Clippers leak a flaw, such as failing to score for several rounds in a row, they will still seize the opportunity to attack.
But the Clippers did not make such a mistake. Curry controlled the game on the court and played extremely calmly.
In the past, he often played without the ball and played like a shooting guard. People overlooked that he was actually a very good point guard.
Time passes little by little, and we are getting closer and closer to the first championship trophy in the history of the Clippers.
The players on the Clippers bench could no longer contain their excitement. Everyone stood up and watched the game from the sidelines.
Among all the people, only Min Congda sat as steady as a mountain.
LeBron James hits a three-pointer in a counterattack!
His total score reached 40 points, and it was a very efficient 40 points.
But the Cavaliers are still 11 points behind the Clippers, with three minutes left before the end of the game.
The Clippers called a timeout, and Tyronn Lue reminded everyone to persist until the end and maintain an 11-point lead.
The young people of the Clippers are not careless. Whether it is Curry, Leonard or Gasol, they are all determined and strong people.
Harden was a little confused, but in tonight's game he took the initiative to play a supporting role without stealing the show, and completed the task well.
With two minutes left, the Clippers lead the Cavaliers by 10 points, 104:94.
In the Cavaliers' offensive round, James missed a shot from outside and Leonard got a backcourt rebound.
The Cavaliers pressed hard, and the ball was given to Curry. Curry dribbled away continuously and reached the frontcourt.
The ball was given to Harden, who received the ball and penetrated the Cavaliers' defense with one hit. Randolph, who reached the basket, received the ball and made an easy layup.
Randolph scored his 20th point of the game, and the Clippers led 106:94, leading by 12 points!
After scoring the goal, Randolph raised his right hand high, and the Clippers players on the sidelines were jumping with excitement.
The Cavaliers fans at the scene began to leave early.
Only some die-hard fans remained.
Either expect impossible miracles, or think about going to the end with the Cavaliers.
The game is coming to an end. The Clippers no longer attack, but wait for the final moments of the game to pass.
The Clippers players could no longer hold back and rushed into the court. Curry dribbled the ball with one hand and clenched his fist with the other.
Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr patted each other and are going to win the championship again!
Ada stood up from the chair. She was so excited that she couldn't help herself, and there were tears in her eyes.
After coming to the Clippers for three years, she actually witnessed this team win the championship. This experience made her feel unbelievable.
The person who brought about this miracle was General Manager Smart Min sitting next to him.
Hey, where are others?
As the buzzer sounded at the end of the live game, the 2011-2012 NBA season came to an end!
The Los Angeles Clippers reversed the Cavaliers 4:2 and won the championship this season!
They became the second youngest championship team in NBA history!
Clippers players rushed onto the court cheering, yelling, and hugging each other in celebration.
TV reporters and cameramen entered the venue with cameras and microphones.
Quicken Loans Center is a bit deserted, and winning an away game will ultimately have less atmosphere.
But the joy of the Clippers winning the championship will not be reduced by half.
This young team did not experience too much pain of failure, and it was relatively easy to reach the pinnacle of basketball that many players dream of.
I have to say that this is a miracle, because just three years ago, they were still struggling to compete for the top pick.
Now, they are already a monster with terrible potential, and their energy is far from being fully unleashed.
Adam Silva brought the championship trophy to the center of the field, and on-site staff were setting up the field to prepare for the award ceremony.
At this time, the Clippers players hugging and celebrating each other discovered a big problem.
Where is their beloved general manager?
"Ada! Where is Mr. Smart?"
"I don't know. He disappeared just before the game ended."
"Did you go to the locker room?"
"I just went to the locker room to check and he was not in the locker room."
So, at the wonderful moment when the Clippers won the championship, Min Congda disappeared.
(End of chapter)
