Min Congda watched James take off his jersey and leave the court, and his inner emotions were very complicated.
Since the beginning of this season, James has had no contact with Min Congda and has not made a single phone call.
The two met at the All-Star Game, and James just nodded politely and didn't even say hello.
It can be seen that the relationship between the two has dropped to a freezing point. James no longer trusts Min Congda as he did before and regards him as his spiritual "dad".
Of course, Min Congda doesn't want to be a father. In his opinion, James is a very good person. Although he has a lot of controversy in public opinion, there is still a difference between his public image and his private image.
Min Congda feels guilty towards James. After all, he made up so many words in order to mislead James and stop him from joining the Heat and the Clippers.
If James had gone to the Heat, maybe James could have defeated the Clippers in the 2012 Finals, and then the fate of Min Congda and the Clippers might have changed accordingly.
It's a pity that there was no if. Min Congda later tried his best to make up for it, helping the Cavaliers to rebuild, choosing good players and good coaches for them, and inspiring James mentally, hoping that he would become a man who can be defeated but cannot be destroyed.
But everything was in vain. They fell in the Eastern Conference finals for two consecutive years. This was the fourth time that James died at the hands of a "group" team. You can imagine his inner resentment.
At this time, the Barclays Center was already in jubilation. Silver ribbons fell from the sky. Nets players hugged each other and celebrated wildly. They put on their peaked caps symbolizing the division championship. Under the cheers of the fans, they held up silver division championship trophy.
For a team whose history is not glorious and whose best result is entering the finals, winning the division championship is already a success.
The performance of the aging Big Four in the playoffs has exceeded many people's expectations. The Russian boss and the Nets management's generous efforts have been rewarded with great value.
Kobe stood in the center of the players, smiling and raising the Eastern Conference Championship trophy in his hand. Unlike the murderous atmosphere in 2009 and 2010 when he had to win the championship, Kobe's expression was much calmer.
People will have different mentality after experiencing different stages and different things.
The 24-year-old Kobe, the 30-year-old Kobe, and the 34-year-old Kobe already have different attitudes towards championships and victory.
The 24-year-old Kobe is the purest. He wants fame, fortune, and victory. All young people are like this.
The 30-year-old Kobe is the angriest and wants to get back what he has lost and prove himself. This is the stage when a man wants to realize his self-worth.
The 34-year-old Kobe has become peaceful. He hopes to seek breakthroughs in basketball and touch situations he has never been to before. This is the mentality after experiencing thousands of sails.
For Kobe, his decision to leave the Lakers last summer was undoubtedly a very important one, a departure that changed his basketball career and even future historical evaluation.
This is an old man's rise from the bottom. This year he has made many changes, accepted many opinions, and used brand-new playing methods to win and solve problems.
Kobe knew that if he stayed with the Lakers, it would be difficult to make changes. Even if he wanted to change, his teammates would not be used to it, the fans would not be used to it, the management would not be used to it, and he himself would not be used to it.
Only when he went to a new team, with new teammates, a new coach, and a new tactical system, could he have enough motivation to change and become the new Kobe Bryant.
"Thank you, thank you Brooklyn fans, let's meet again in the finals. I think I can bring a championship trophy to the Nets and Brooklyn! Thank you!"
Kobe finally took the microphone and promised all the fans that he would bring a championship trophy to Brooklyn. The fans cheered for Kobe and everyone was full of hope.
Of course, rational people know in their hearts that facing the Clippers in the Finals is too difficult. Just like the Nets faced the Lakers in the 2002 Finals, the strength gap was too obvious.
So everyone worked hard to celebrate when they won the Eastern Conference championship. They were happy every day. Entering the finals has already exceeded the task. The championship and other things can only be left to chance.
At this time, Min Congda and Stern left the VIP box together. Stern did not want media reporters to see him and Min Congda together, and left the Barclays Center first under the escort of private bodyguards.
When leaving, Stern said to Min Congda: "I advise you to think carefully about the Lakers. I don't want to threaten you Smart, but I think a turbulent Los Angeles Lakers is good for the Clippers."
Min Congda said: "What good will the turbulent Los Angeles Lakers do to the NBA?"
Stern said: "The NBA needs the Lakers brand without breaking it, but it's time to sort it out and start over, just like it did in 1980. Their turbulent period coincides with your glorious period, and you can take advantage of it." A larger market share will attract more young fans."
"David, you always have a long-term perspective."
"This is also your advantage, isn't it? Think about it carefully. I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer this summer."
After speaking, Stern left, and Min Congda went to the press conference room and waited at the door for the Cavaliers' interview to end.
James had finished changing his clothes and was sitting in front of the microphone with a blank look on his face. When asked by reporters what happened in the final stage of the game, James said: "My thigh was strained. I felt that I couldn't continue the game. That's it."
"Why not try again? This is life and death."
"I've been trying for many, many years and I think I need to think about it for the future as well."
"Would you consider leaving the Cavaliers this summer?"
"No, this is not what I want to think about now. I just need to have a good rest."
James did not respond directly to reporters' questions, but judging from his performance on the court and his behavior of taking off his jersey when leaving the court, the possibility of him staying in Cleveland this summer is no longer high.
He has wasted 10 years in Cleveland. He has failed in three finals. He has basically won all the personal honors he can win. He is only missing one damn championship.
He will turn 30 this winter. For an NBA star, this is the time when his condition is at its peak, but James seems to be running out of patience.
After answering a few questions from reporters, James walked off the news desk, walked toward the locker room, and then met Min Congda at the door.
"Smart?" James was stunned. He didn't expect to meet Min Congda here. The two hadn't contacted or seen each other for a long time.
"LeBron, I want to talk to you." Min Congda wanted to say something to James, and he felt a little guilty for James.
James quickly waved his hand and said: "We have nothing to say between us. I wish you good luck in the finals, Mr. Smart."
Min Congda said: "Why did you give up so easily today? You..."
James said angrily: "I'm injured! I said I'm injured! Don't use your rhetoric to confuse me again. You think I don't know that you encouraged Kobe to go to the Nets. I lose year after year. Give those super teams that are formed together, and then you tell me, let me stay in Cleveland, let me bear those failures, and the most important thing is, those failures are all brought to me by you!"
Min Congda said: "I just... I just hope you can fight like a man and become a real hero."
"I don't need you to teach me how to be a man, you are nothing. You have everything you want now, of course you can say anything."
After saying that, James left without looking back. Some reporters in the distance took pictures of the two of them. This was big news.
The Clippers general manager actually went to the player tunnel to meet with James after the game. The two even had an argument. I don’t know what the specific content of the argument was.
A reporter came up to ask Min Congda. Min Congda rudely refused the interview and warned anyone who asked again that his teeth would be knocked out.
Reporters were silent. Reporters in Brooklyn and New York all knew a rumor that a female assistant of the Clippers was molested during a game and was beaten half to death in the bathroom with the offender. People knew that there was something behind the Clippers. Simple.
Min Congda was indeed in a bad mood. The break with James made him feel uncomfortable. After all, he regarded James as a friend.
The two have had in-depth exchanges. Basketball aside, James is more like an ordinary person. His personality, behavior, and habits are closer to the general public.
He is competitive, but not that perverted. He can be vain and timid. He often makes promises but fails to fulfill them in the end. From an idol's perspective, these are all black spots.
But from the perspective of friends around us, these are ordinary specialties for ordinary people. Who is not vain and who is not timid when faced with trouble?
I'm so excited to do something big tonight. I can't get up early tomorrow. It's too cold. Just stay in bed.
James is self-disciplined, calm, and the talent he shows on the court is much better than most people.
It's a pity that the person he is targeting is the best in history, Michael Jordan, who is a bit abnormal from character to behavior.
There are few people who are willing to be friends with the real Jordan. He is so strong and competitive and wants to overwhelm you at every turn.
Including Kobe, although Min Congda and Kobe had a special friendship in the summer, and Kobe also inspired Min Congda's passion for basketball, but to be honest, getting along with Kobe outside the court is a kind of torture.
James is different. He and Min Congda have a very similar upbringing background. They both experienced poverty, so Min Congda can understand James and can penetrate the things that James hides deep in his heart.
Therefore, breaking up with James made Min Congda feel that he had lost a very good friend and gained an enemy who wanted to take revenge on him.
Min Congda was sad to lose a friend, but it didn't matter to him that he had an enemy. Who could defeat the Los Angeles Clippers?
Can the Nets do it? Can the knight do it? No, from the book strength point of view, both teams have great flaws and cannot compete with the Clippers, who are like hexagonal warriors.
In fact, this is the case. A few days later, on June 5, the 2013-2014 NBA season came to an end, and the final series began.
This series has attracted much attention. The Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Brooklyn Nets are considered to be a symbolic matchup for the NBA entering a new era.
Not only because the two teams brought together old and new superstars from two eras, but also because Los Angeles and New York, the two largest cities on the east and west coasts, met again in the finals after 40 years.
It's just that the Lakers and Knicks collided 40 years ago. Now both cities have new representatives, the Clippers and the Nets, ringing the bell of a changing era.
In pre-match predictions, all experts unanimously believed that the Clippers would win the championship. The strength gap between the two sides was indeed a bit large.
Of course, many fans hope that the Nets will win the championship and hope that the drama of the veteran's immortality in 2011 will be repeated again.
After Kobe returned to Los Angeles, he was warmly welcomed by a large number of fans. He fulfilled his promise last summer and really led the team back to Los Angeles to play in the Finals.
It's just that the opponent is the Clippers. The Lakers were eliminated early in the first round, and the future of next season is still uncertain.
In the first game, the Nets tried to use defense to compete with the Clippers, dragging the game into a superstar singles to determine the outcome.
But the Clippers easily gained a 15-point lead in the second quarter, forcing the Nets and Clippers to play against each other. The Nets could not compare with the Clippers in terms of offensive efficiency.
In the fourth quarter of the game, the Clippers ran at a constant pace again, 110:97, with a 13-point advantage, and easily outran the Nets at home.
From the beginning of the Western Conference Finals, people were surprised to find that the Clippers had won all the way without really exerting their strength at all.
Tyronn Lue was basically watching the game on the sidelines, clocking in and out of get off work every game. He was confused when he started, and when he won, he was confused.
This guy also won the best head coach this year, and all kinds of awards were won by the Clippers.
The second and third games were exactly the same. The boss of the Nets did their best, but everyone on the Clippers was tall. They were young and strong, defended well, shot accurately and broke through, were tall inside and versatile on the outside, and had a coach to encourage them. chicken soup.
3:0, the Clippers are only one step away from winning three consecutive championships.
They beat their opponents by an average of 8.3 points per game, and the Nets had no power to fight back.
However, in the fourth game of the championship point, the Clippers unexpectedly lost to the Nets 98:99, a 1-point disadvantage, delaying the last game of the series to the fifth game.
This year's NBA Finals has undergone reforms, canceling the previously implemented 2-3-2 game system and changing it back to a more reasonable 2-2-1-1-1 game system.
In this way, the Clippers can return to their home court in Los Angeles in Game 5. The Clippers obviously lost Game 4 on purpose and then wanted to return to Los Angeles to win the championship.
Because the Clippers' previous two championships were won on the road, it would be a pity if they still win the championship on the road this year.
The Lakers and Bulls both won championships at home. Clippers players have never experienced that feeling.
So just give up one game, sell one more ticket, and then achieve the great feat of three consecutive championships at home, and everyone will celebrate, and the influence will undoubtedly be greater.
Of course, the Nets will not give up. Kobe also said after the fourth game, "The Clippers are playing with fire, and they will pay the price for their arrogance."
However, after Min Congda saw Kobe's remarks, he snorted and said: "The Clippers still have many shortcomings, but arrogance has never been one."
(End of chapter)
