The 2015-2016 season still started as scheduled at the end of October.
The opening game is played by the Golden State Warriors on the road against the defending champion Los Angeles Clippers, who have won four consecutive championships.
The first game of the new season is the battle between the two Western Conference heroes, which will attract the attention of the league in the new season.
Throughout the summer, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors made reinforcements as much as possible while ensuring the original player structure.
Especially the Golden State Warriors. They not only retained Durant and LeBron James, but also signed player David West with a one-year veteran's minimum salary.
West became famous in the Hornets when he partnered with Paul. He was dominant in the Western Conference for a while, and then moved to the Pacers. Unfortunately, the Pacers lacked talent and were never able to break out of the Eastern Conference.
In the summer, at the age of 35, he lowered his worth for the championship. Between the Clippers and the Warriors, he chose the Warriors - because for him, it was too easy to win the championship with the Clippers.
With West, the Warriors' strength has further expanded, but before the start of the new season, the Warriors received bad news: Kevin Durant suffered a knee injury in training camp. If the surgery is performed, he may be reimbursed for the season.
This is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the warriors who are determined to revenge and win the championship.
In comparison, the Clippers lost Jimmy Butler. Although they lost a general, they did not lose their vitality.
To make up for it, Clippers general manager Olshey signed French forward Aminu to make up for the team's lack of the third position. In addition, Paul George returned from injury and Gasol and Leonard successfully renewed their contracts. The Clippers have retained most of their strength.
Moreover, the overall age structure of the Clippers is still very young, and the average age is at its peak. Coupled with the shocking four consecutive championships, the Clippers stand at the top of the NBA.
Before the game started, the Clippers held a championship ring award ceremony, and the fourth championship flag was hung from the ceiling of the Huawei Center, becoming another witness to the legend.
However, to the regret of the Clippers players and fans, Min Congda did not appear in the opening game. As the league's vice president and responsible for referee affairs, he will not attend the game to avoid suspicion.
The Referees Association put in so much effort to ban Min Congda, but finally discovered that as long as they obeyed him and promoted him to the position of vice president, he would not come to watch the game - he would instead supervise the game at the replay center in New Jersey.
The game was extremely fierce as expected, and the two sides continued the battle in last year's Western Conference Finals into this season.
Even without Kevin Durant, the Warriors with James, Lillard, and Thompson still have strong firepower.
But the Clippers have reached a certain level regardless of offense or defense. They have always led the Warriors by about 5 points from the first quarter.
The battle continued until the last quarter, when James suddenly broke out and hit consecutive mid-range jumpers. He also tried his best on defense and blocked Leonard's key shots.
Then, for the last ball, Thompson assisted Thompson and hit a three-pointer that was sure to win, 108:107, leaving only 3 seconds for the Clippers.
As Curry's final mid-range shot timed out, the Warriors, without Durant, defeated the Clippers and got a good start to the season.
However, after the game, the Warriors quickly announced that Kevin Durant had decided to undergo knee surgery, which would cause him to miss all games in 2015 and games from January to February 2016.
Durant will not have a timetable for his comeback until March, after the All-Star Game. This will be a huge test for the Warriors and James.
Not only that, James also came under attack from many sides after the start of the new season - especially after the game against the Lakers on November 2.
Lakers guard Chris Paul had an altercation with James during the game. The two each received a technical foul. In the post-game interview, Paul claimed that James was a "traitor" and a "coward."
And all of this goes back to the salary cap negotiations between the players union and the league office in September. When the two sides were in a stalemate, James stood up and spoke out, saying that as the league's top star, he should consider more middle-level and bottom-level players. We can't just consider these stars who already have enough food and clothing.
James' remarks caused a split within the players' union. In the end, they had to compromise during the negotiations and chose not to increase the salary cap all at once, but to increase it year by year and use part of the money as a fund to help marginal players and retired and bankrupt players.
Because of this incident, James won the respect of some ordinary players and low-level players, but at the same time he also offended stars like Chris Paul and a large number of star agents.
Many agents were preparing to flex their muscles in the summer of 2016 and carve up this 24 million super pie, but they didn't know that they were ruined by James.
Other problems are often superficial. Even if you are competing for the championship on the court and your stupidity comes out, it will be over when the game is over, and everyone can still call each other brothers.
But the issue of interests is an issue that goes deep into the soul and is difficult to compromise. James' actions made him more controversial and began to be slandered more.
However, in basketball, performance on the court will ultimately speak for itself, and the 2015-2016 season is destined to belong to LeBron James.
Although Kevin Durant is missing in the regular season, the Warriors' lineup is already ridiculously strong. Thompson, Green, and Lillard are all very strong young talents.
Under the leadership of veteran James, the Warriors continued to make great progress in the regular season, and finally won a record of 65 wins and 17 losses, ranking first in the league.
On March 8, the Warriors welcomed Kevin Durant back from injury. The combined Warriors lost several games during the running-in period, otherwise their record would be stronger.
65 wins and 17 losses is enough for them to get all the home court advantage - for comparison, the Clippers' record is 59 wins and 23 losses, which is the first time in recent years that the Clippers' performance has dropped below 60 wins.
For other teams, 59 wins is good enough, but for the Clippers' prosperous lineup, it is actually a little worse.
Even so, perhaps due to the media's fatigue with James or other reasons, James did not win the MVP again (this MVP should have been given to him), but was given to another James with outstanding statistics, James Harden.
The Clippers are still fulfilling their promise to take turns as MVP internally, but Min Congda is no longer here.
Min Congda's departure is a spiritual damage to the Clippers. The real backbone has left. The team's culture cannot be said to have disappeared, but it has also damaged the foundation.
No matter how neglectful Olshey and Rosser are, they cannot replace Min Congda's role in the team.
During the course of the season, some employees even voluntarily resigned, which was rare in the past few years.
In fact, the Clippers' salary has not been reduced. These employees said that "it is purely because Mr. Smart is no longer here and they find work boring."
It is enough to show Min Congda's personality charm. Wherever he is, everyone finds work much more interesting.
After Min Congda became the vice president, in order to avoid suspicion, he also kept a distance from the Clippers and rarely returned to Los Angeles to watch games.
He is most often seen attending press conferences after controversial games to comment and criticize referees' decisions.
Under his advocacy, the league canceled the "zero tolerance" policy and took back the referee's power to call technical fouls at will.
But this does not mean that players can be arrogant on the court. On the contrary, Min Congda is extremely tough and severe when facing players' fouls and violations.
After research, some players will be suspended for as few as 2 to 5 games and as many as 10 to 20 games once they have excessive behavior.
This is much more serious than the previous fines of US$20,000 and US$50,000 - and the fine is not less.
The consequences of suspensions not only cause players to lose wages, but also affect the team's record. Once a player makes an aggressive mistake on the court and is suspended, he has to bear the blame of fans, management and teammates. This psychological pressure is much higher than in the past. Much more serious.
Players are naturally dissatisfied with this, but Min Congda still responds to every controversy with a tough but fair attitude. As a result, the workload of the referee affairs department has increased by 50%. However, as the season progresses, a stable on-field penalty environment will It brought a good experience to fans and players.
As long as you abide by the rules and play the game well, everyone will gain something. Otherwise, you will regret it.
The referee also restrained himself a lot because of the pressure from Min Congda. This guy has been watching every game in the replay center, which is equivalent to supervising the referees' enforcement at almost every scene at the same time.
You can imagine how much pressure the referees are under, which is equivalent to having a popcorn bucket hanging over everyone's head.
By the time the playoffs approached in April, controversial whistle blows and post-game scoldings had become rare, and everyone was relatively satisfied with the whistle.
After the playoffs began, Min Congda did not break his promise, and the law enforcement subsidies for the veteran referees did increase significantly - this money was evenly distributed from the signing bonus with ByteDance.
The first two rounds of the playoffs went smoothly, and there were basically no controversial games until this year's Western Conference Finals.
The Clippers and Warriors once again entered the Western Conference Finals and fought hard for the Finals. The first four games between the two sides ended in a 2:2 tie.
In the crucial fifth game of the Tianwangshan battle, the Clippers led by 17 points in the third quarter against Oracle players, and were about to throw the Warriors and James into hell again.
As a result, the situation suddenly changed in the fourth quarter. The Warriors increased their defensive efforts and made more and more defensive moves, but the referee's whistle did not sound much.
The Clippers were obviously not used to the sudden change in defensive intensity. They were not prepared and their rhythm was completely disrupted.
The Warriors launched a 31:10 super offensive shock wave in the fourth quarter, changing their fate against the odds, and James hit a key three-pointer at the last moment!
James seemed to be using this three-pointer to complete his redemption in last season's tiebreaker. In the end, the Warriors defeated the Clippers 113:110 with a 3-point advantage and won the Tianwangshan victory.
This game caused great controversy. Both fans and the Clippers said that the referee's whistle was unfair-the main whistle of this game was none other than Foster.
After the game, Min Congda intervened and set up a specially established investigation team to analyze the fourth quarter frame by frame and concluded that in the game between the Clippers and the Warriors, the referee did make misjudgments and omissions, which interfered with the game between the two sides. .
Referee Foster was suspended for one season and will no longer serve as a playoff referee in the 2015-2016 season.
This punishment is not a heavy one. Generally speaking, referees will not impose any suspensions due to work errors, let alone a suspension for an entire season?
Such a severe punishment instantly silenced those who were talking about it, and lamented that Smart's cruel methods were even scarier than Stern's.
After receiving this result, Foster did not raise any objection, saying that he was willing to be punished. It was indeed his negligence at work.
Media public opinion was also in an uproar. ESPN and other media exclaimed, "Smart's control of the Referee Association has reached its peak", "This may be the most dominant vice president over referees" and so on.
In short, the result was impossible to change, and the Clippers returned to Los Angeles with a 2:3 deficit.
Last season, the Warriors led 3:1 and were eventually overturned. This time they did not miss the opportunity again. James and Durant scored 31 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and 45 points in a single game.
The two used super-powerful offense to destroy the Clippers' impregnable defense. At 129:110, they defeated the Clippers at the Huawei Center and won the Western Conference championship.
At the moment the game ended, James and Durant hugged tightly, and the two of them finally joined forces to overturn the mountain that was weighing on their heads!
Four years, four whole years, how did you and us live? Do you know how other NBA teams are doing?
It’s not just the Warriors who are cheering, it’s not just the audience watching the game on the big screen in Oracle Arena, there are also fans in many other cities.
The Los Angeles Clippers' reign of terror is finally over.
After entering the finals, the Golden State Warriors faced the Toronto Raptors, whose star power was much dimmed. Of course, they signed Kevin Love in the summer and formed a beggar version of the Big Three with Lowry and DeRozan. They dominated the weak Eastern Conference and reached the finals.
But in the finals, the Raptors were a noob in front of the Warriors, and were defeated 0:4.
The NBA seems to have returned to the early 21st century, and the Western Conference champion is the championship.
LeBron James finally got his championship trophy and won the Finals MVP.
At the end of the fourth game, James, who won the championship, knelt down and cried bitterly. He had been waiting for this moment for too long.
He finally waited for his own summer, and the golden O'Brien Cup illuminated the haze he had accumulated for more than ten years.
However, the Clippers' dominance is obviously not that easy to end. The Clippers made a comeback in 2017. Without major changes in the lineup structure, they made changes in tactics:
Their defense began to become extremely aggressive. Starting from the regular season in 2017, the Clippers used a defense as dense and sticky as a spider web, causing most teams to hit the wall and return.
All this seems to be attributed to their new assistant coach: Fan Chen. It is said that he invented a new defensive system and established a defensive structure with Leonard Davis as the core.
Their defensive efficiency and scores against opponents have both ranked first in the league, and Leonard also performed at the best defensive player level.
In the regular season, the Clippers posted a super record of 66 wins and 16 losses. Leonard also won the regular season MVP and best defensive player with his excellent regular season performance and high attendance rate, becoming the successor to Hakimi. After Olajuwon, he is the second player to win these two heavyweight awards in the same season.
In the playoffs and the Western Conference finals, the Warriors faced the Clippers again. The sharpest spear faced the toughest shield. The two sides fought for another seven games.
This time the Clippers had the last laugh, returning to the Finals after a year and easily defeating their opponents to win the championship: This is the ninth time since 2008 that the championship has fallen to the Western Conference.
This is already more serious than the imbalance between the East and the West at the beginning of the 21st century. The ratings of the finals have been greatly affected. The Eastern teams have been studying with the prince for 9 consecutive years, and the Eastern championship has become useless.
Adam Silva's authority and management have been challenged, and Silva is also very worried because the entire league is now learning from the Clippers - they reduce transactions and do not give up the draft easily, resulting in a shrinking free market.
In summer, everything starts to change.
In the 2017-2018 season, Kobe, who was about to enter the 22nd season of his career, decided to retire after playing. He left the Nets, where he had played for three years, and returned to the Lakers.
The Lakers also sent away Chris Paul and let him go to the Rockets.
The Clippers selected Chinese player Lu Yuan in the draft to further open up the Chinese market.
After James lost the 2017 Western Conference Finals and his contract expired, he decided to bring his talent back to Cleveland.
The entire league was shaken for a while, and at the same time it seemed that some balance had returned between the East and the West - it is said that James' return was fueled by people from the league office.
But this season, the Clippers are still extremely powerful. Curry and Harden are still in good shape, and inside players Jokic and Davis have completely grown up. The Clippers seem to be embarking on a period of dominance that will be even more terrifying than that of 2012-2015.
In the regular season, the Clippers once again posted a top-notch record of 64 wins and 18 losses, and Davis became the regular season MVP. The media seemed to be controlled and took turns selecting Clippers players as MVPs.
Kobe started his retirement tour, and the entire Lakers accompanied Kobe to show off and compete. By the way, the owner of the Lakers at this time has changed from Buss to Ballmer. The Buss family only retains a small part of the shares and no longer There is control of the Lakers.
The regular season ends, Mamba-out.
The Spurs and Rockets are two Texas teams that are gradually rising.
The Golden State Warriors, led by Kevin Durant, are still a powerhouse in the Western Conference.
However, in the playoffs, the Warriors lost to the Spurs in the semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals became a battlefield between the Clippers and the Spurs.
Three years later, Jimmy Butler faced his old club at the "Shelly Sterling" Center. He was filled with emotions. He hugged his former teammates and recalled the wonderful memories of four consecutive championships: and then was happily shaved 0:4. Bald.
In the finals, it's Cleveland-Cavaliers versus the Clippers again, and it's another struggle of fate. James wants to bring a championship to Cleveland: when Irving is here, it will be difficult for them to even enter the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Clippers, with their obvious lineup advantage, did not give James and the Cavaliers a chance. They defeated the Cavaliers 4:2 and won the championship, two consecutive championships!
With six championships in seven years, the Clippers' dominance in the NBA is frightening and makes people feel desperate. Fans from all sides have criticized Silva for allowing such a monster to grow.
The existence of the dynasty has greatly reduced the desire of fans in other cities to watch games, especially the ratings of the NBA Finals. This year has improved because of James, but what about next year?
There is no one in the East, will it still be James vs. the Clippers next year? Or another Jandu Rebellion?
People were increasingly criticizing Silva, and in the summer of 2018, a betting scandal suddenly broke out in the league.
The NBA-Batman account broke the news that James’ business manager Carter was involved in gambling and may be involved with multiple referees and players.
The incident immediately expanded, and the FBI quickly intervened in the investigation. Carter was arrested and James was summoned. At the same time, the commercial negotiations between the NBA and MGM Gaming had to be put on hold - this was originally an important step forward in legalizing gambling in the NBA, but it was Then he was suddenly interrupted.
There's a big discussion happening around the league about legalizing professional sports betting.
Subsequently, in the 2019 regular season, the Clippers had 61 wins and 21 losses, once again ranking first in the league.
Finally, a superstar other than James emerged in the East. The Bucks' Antetokounmpo became a Greek monster and successfully won the regular season MVP.
However, the finals once again became the stage for the Clippers vs. Cavaliers, and Antetokounmpo is not yet able to challenge James.
However, the Clippers often made strange moves in the finals - their head coach has been changed from Tyronn Lue to Fan Chen, Min Congda's designated successor.
The Clippers defeated the Cavaliers 4:2 with almost no suspense.
The Clippers' power has gone from fearful to infuriating.
Adam Silva has once again become the target of public criticism - although whether the Clippers win the championship or not has nothing to do with him.
He has been criticized by public opinion. The media believes that under his rule, the NBA is losing its competitiveness and is not as good as it used to be.
In October 2019, Rockets general manager Morey made inappropriate remarks about China, which once again triggered a wave of public opinion.
After years of hard work by ByteDance, the NBA's influence has become greater than that of the Stern era, and the Clippers have become the new Chinese home team.
As a former Chinese fan of the home team, Rockets general manager Morey saw that he had no value after receiving a large amount of dividends from China. He simply used inappropriate remarks to gain recognition from American society. This is the most despicable example of the Rockets' China complex. use.
But Morey's calculation was wrong, and he hit the muzzle of the gun - Min Congda would not allow this to happen.
Or maybe he has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
Min Congda immediately stood up and expressed solemn protest against Morey's behavior and demanded that Morey be expelled from the NBA and not allowed to engage in related work in the NBA.
Min Congda used his many years of accumulated public opinion connections, his prestige in the Chinese-American community for many years, and the fierce public opinion of netizens in the Chinese base camp to launch the most violent public opinion attack on Morey and the NBA President's Office.
The attack lasted for a week, and with the heavyweight Min Congda taking the lead, this wave of "anti-interference" as its slogan set off waves across the United States.
In the end, the league office decided to expel Daryl Morey and not allow him to engage in NBA-related work again.
Two weeks later, before the start of the new NBA season, the league released another blockbuster news: NBA President Adam Silver announced his resignation, and Vice President Tatum served as interim president.
A new president will be elected by the board of directors mid-season.
On February 1, 2020, the NBA officially announced that Tatum would step down as interim president, and Smart Min would be elected as the new president of the league.
…………
On February 2, 2020, employees in the Olympia Building in New York City all wore masks.
This is the first instruction the new president gives to his employees after taking office.
In the CEO's office, Min Congda sat on a small office chair and in front of an equally small desk, looking out the window at the gray New York in a daze.
All the photos that Silva had left on the table had been cleared away, leaving only one photo of him with his wife and daughter.
Five years, and another five years later, he took another step up, and was finally pushed to the position of NBA president.
For today's step, he gave up a lot, gave up the Clippers, gave up his nationality, gave up time with his family, gave up the fun of basketball.
He often asks himself, is it all worth it? Should he really have said yes to Stern in the first place? Now that we have reached this point, what should we do next?
At this time, he also wore a mask on his face, and distant and familiar memories were attacking him. Did he lose too many things along the way?
He looked at his face reflected in the glass window. It was blurry, so blurry that he couldn't even see clearly.
At this moment, a line of words suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, a line of long-lost words, words that had once pulled him into a world that did not belong to him:
[The system prompts that you have triggered a side task, please accept and complete the task:
Mission 4: The difficulty soars! You are the destroyer of the NBA!
Mission goal: Completely destroy the NBA league.
Mission content: You have become the NBA president, use your destructive power to destroy the NBA.
Mission reward: 70 billion US dollars. The NBA's current market capitalization is $70 billion. Once the NBA is destroyed, you will receive a reward of 70 billion US dollars! Come on! 】
(Complete book)
(End of chapter)
