Larry Bird accepted an interview with the Miami Daily and said: "I checked the information. In the first four seasons of Iron Fist, the average number of steals per game was 2, 3.3, 3.8, and 4.5 steals respectively. This is already very scary. It's embarrassing. Called the most powerful steals leader in league history.
And if his average steals per game improve further this season, and he shows a stronger desire to attack this season, then I think he should be qualified to replace Michael Jordan and become the most powerful player in the league. "
"The first person in active service"
Because of Larry Bird's remarks and Zhou Quan's extremely high popularity, this topic quickly appeared on many American TV news channels, completely replacing the original news about the Magician's comeback.
That night, the SuperSonics defeated the visiting rookie team the Grizzlies and won six consecutive games.
The next day, the front pages of major newspapers in the United States were full of news about the number one active player.
Some media believe that Zhou Quan's overall strength is indeed stronger than Jordan, otherwise the Bulls would not have lost the last finals.
Many media also believe that Zhou Quan's personal offensive strength is still not as good as Jordan's. Although his scoring in the first few games of this season exceeded Jordan, it is not enough to prove that he can surpass Jordan this season.
After the game against the Grizzlies, there was an away game against Philadelphia. There were two or three days of rest. There was no team training on the 12th. Zhou Quan took Zeng Li to play golf in the morning, and in the afternoon the two went out on a yacht and attended a yacht club. Sea party.
Zeng Li's adaptability is still very strong. After all, he has lived independently since he was a child and has gradually adapted to life in the United States.
On the 13th, Roger Philippe moved to Seattle and set up an office here specifically to serve Zhou Quan.
On the 14th, the SuperSonics defeated Philadelphia away from home, and then began their fourth consecutive back-to-back away game against the Pistons and continued their winning streak.
On the 17th, after defeating the Hornets in an away game, they started their fifth consecutive back-to-back game and challenged the Pacers away on the 18th.
After five consecutive back-to-back games and the fourth consecutive away game in this wave, the Sonics finally couldn't hold on anymore and lost to the Pacers. The winning streak was interrupted and they started with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss.
The Bulls are 7 wins and 1 loss, and the Sonics are still first in the league.
Then on the 21st and 22nd, the Sonics completed their sixth consecutive back-to-back game and started their winning streak again.
With 11 wins and 1 loss, although the record is very strong, the schedule really annoyed the Sonics. Even Zhou Quan complained in an interview that the league didn't use much brain when designing the schedule.
On the 24th, they unexpectedly lost to the Spurs at home, with 11 wins and 2 losses. Then on the 25th, the Bulls arrived in Seattle, and a regular season that attracted national attention was about to begin.
Previously, the Bulls had improved their record to 10 wins and 1 loss, with a winning margin of zero. With two fewer games, the record has actually tied the SuperSonics.
Because the Sonics have a greater point differential, they are still first in the league.
Therefore, the outcome of this game is related to who can truly stand first in the league, and it is more likely to be related to the home and away advantage in the playoffs, which is very critical.
This morning, the league announced the ratings data for each team this season.
In the first 13 games of the SuperSonics, the national live broadcast viewership was 20.2 million, ranking first in the league. The second-place Bulls had 13.6 million, and the gap was very large.
With an average viewership of over 20 million, it shocked the United States.
Once upon a time, that is, in the past few years, including the Magic Bird era, the ratings of the finals were only more than 10 million. Now the SuperSonics' regular season has reached more than 20 million. How popular is this?
"This is the influence of the heavyweight champion of the world. This is the influence of the crossover king." Seattle Daily News.
"Ballmer made one of the most successful investments and the most successful transactions." New York Times.
“The NBA is catching up to Major League Baseball.” Washington Post.
After the ratings came out, the SuperSonics have surpassed the Bulls in popularity and become the only popular team.
Zhou Quan's No. 1 jersey is often sold out, ranking first in the league. Not only does his sales in the United States surpass Jordan's, but his overseas sales are so great that Jordan can't even see the taillights of his car.
In terms of sneakers, the Tekken series is grabbing more shares in the United States. Although it is still not as good as Jordan's MJ brand, it is catching up very fast.
In the world, the sales volume is not comparable to the MJ brand. The sales volume is very good and has completely surpassed the MJ brand.
However, basketball is not very popular around the world, so most of the sales are still in the United States.
"Our contract with Iron Fist ended in the 1997 All-Star Game. There are only 15 months left. Prepare to contact Roger Philippe. We want to renew the contract with Iron Fist in advance. This time, like Nike, we will be bound to Iron Fist for life. .”
Mark Nason, owner and chief designer, said during a development meeting at Skechers headquarters in Los Angeles.
"Boss, what Jordan wants is brand shares and sales dividends, endorsement fees are only a secondary condition." Someone reminded.
"Isn't the Iron Fist worth it?" Mark Nathan asked.
Then no one said anything more, but began to discuss how to contact Phillip.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, after the Bulls arrived at the hotel, they held a press conference at the request of the media.
The game was on ESPN, and the commentators were Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer, who also attended the press conference.
A reporter from the Seattle Daily was the first to ask the question, saying: "Mr. Jordan, in the first 13 games, Iron Fist averaged 39.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks per game.
Whether it is points, steals, or 54.5% field goal percentage, they have all reached career highs. It is obvious that he has entered his peak period.
And you have 30.5 points, 6.54 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.5 blocks, and a shooting percentage of 49.5%. Except for rebounds, other statistics lag behind Tekken in all aspects, and the gap is huge. So do you think the number one person currently active is you or him? "
The reporter's question was too straightforward. Jordan's face didn't look good. He stared at the reporter and said coldly: "You should wait until the season is over before asking me this question. It's only been less than a month. The current data shows that It doesn’t matter, anyone has the possibility of an outbreak.”
The reporter immediately asked: "If your data can be maintained until the end of the regular season, does that mean you admit that the number one player currently is Iron Fist?"
Jordan was forced into a corner and could only say, "We'll talk about it later."
“Please answer directly,” Isiah Thomas shouted.
"Pfft!"
Many media reporters burst into laughter.
Jordan was so angry that he glared at the assassin and said angrily: "If he can really perform like this all season, then I will recognize him as the number one active player."
"Pa bang bang..."
Local reporters and some foreign reporters applauded this statement.
The next question was from a New York Times reporter, asking: "Michael, your shooting percentage is below 50% for the second consecutive season. Does this mean you have entered a downward spiral?"
Jordan said with an ugly face: "I will use my performance and record to prove to you whether I am still in my peak period."
"me……"
"And I."
The press conference was almost over, and Thomas and Laimbeer had not had a chance to ask questions, so they were so angry that they screamed and screamed.
However, the host simply ignored the two of them and announced that the press conference was over.
"Jordan, you are so stingy!" the assassin said angrily.
"Bulls boys, I'm going to buy the Bulls and have you line up to hand me your resignation letter." Laimbeer threatened angrily.
"Take a gun and force Jerry to sell the team to you." Jordan sneered angrily.
"Let's go and ignore these two bastards." Phil Jackson pulled Jordan away.
"Jordan, I heard that you lost millions of dollars in the Tekken Championship Challenge last time. Is it true?" the assassin asked loudly from behind.
"NO."
Jordan turned back and roared.
In fact, it was more than one million. He lost two million, and he lost half of his salary this year.
The assassin just said casually. When he saw Jordan so angry, he knew it might be true. He laughed and said: "So my news is true. Then next year's Iron Fist title defense, you might as well bet heavily next time. Get back the money you lost.”
"Go quickly."
Phil Jackson took action directly.
"snort!"
Jordan snorted angrily, turned around and left quickly.
"It turns out that Jordan lost one million last time, and this guy's gambling addiction is getting bigger and bigger."
"Gambling addiction is the same as addiction to alcohol, drugs and alcohol. You can't get rid of it unless you cut off your hands."
The reporters in the hall started talking.
In the evening, Zhou Quan invited the assassin to dinner and took Zeng Li with him.
"Oh, Zeng, you are a theater actor. That's great. I like Broadway theater performances. Theater is the top form of performance. Will you perform on Broadway?"
Zhou Quan introduced that Zeng Li studied Peking Opera, which is a type of drama. The assassin immediately expressed appreciation. In fact, he never watched dramas and had no such accomplishments. It was just a pure compliment.
"My wife only sings to me." Zhou Quan said proudly.
The next day, the news that Jordan lost $1 million hit the front pages of major media. The scandal about his gambling was once again dug up by the media. He was so criticized that he stopped accepting interviews with the media and fell down. Two mobile phones, even Phil Jackson's mobile phone was smashed.
On the evening of the 26th, Sunday, Seattle Center Arena.
For this game, hundreds of TV stations around the world purchased satellite signals. A large number of reporters rushed to the scene to conduct interviews, and many photographers from sports magazines came to the scene to look for shooting opportunities.
Zeng Li entered the venue holding Zhou Quan's arm. Facing the media reporters filming the two, she behaved very appropriately, smiling and elegant. She was much better than when she first arrived in the United States.
She was born in Tsing Yi, a Peking Opera actress, and her figure and temperament are excellent. She is not a Huadan, and her character is dignified and quiet. Her character is also introverted, so she is very photogenic. Even though she is not from the entertainment industry, during this period, because of Zhou Quan's relationship, she had several For the first time, he appeared on the cover of first-class media and earned a lot of royalties.
As the saying goes, those who are close to vermillion are red, and those who are close to ink are dark. Following Zhou Quan every day, she has also formed a habit of smiling frequently.
After sending Zeng Li to his seat, Zhou Quan went to the locker room to prepare for the game.
At eight o'clock, both sides announced the starting lineup.
Bulls: Kevin Willis, Toni Kukoc, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Ron Harper
SuperSonics: Matt Geiger, Rodman, Schrempf, Jose Hawkins, Zhou Quan
In the ESPN commentary box, Isiah Thomas smiled and said: "Look, that is Iron Fist's girlfriend. This time she is not a Hollywood star, and she is no longer white, otherwise guys like Jordan and Pippen will be jealous to death. "
"Pfft, haha..." Ranbir's face started to smile ferociously.
"This game is very critical. If the SuperSonics can't beat it, I suggest trading the fifth position." Xu Jicheng said.
"The management wants to bring in an All-Star center, but they can't trade it! Whether it's Gilliam or Geiger, they are actually pretty good. They can attack, defend and rebound. They are not first-rate centers, but second-rate or even There are second-rate and above-average capabilities, they are cheap and easy to use,” Zhang Liang said.
Xu Jicheng nodded and said: "Kevin Willis has been selected as an All-Star substitute and the best third team. He should be regarded as a first-class center, stronger than Gilliam and Geiger. It is indeed difficult to find a center of the same level. "
Zhang Lianda said: "After the Bulls' former superstar center Artis Gilmore retired in 1982, the Bulls have not had a decent center for so many years. It took 13 years to find Kevin Willis. It is not easy. , Phil Jackson’s ability as a general manager is pretty good.”
"This is also the first time Jordan has partnered with an All-Star center." Xu Jicheng said.
In the player tunnel, Jordan stared at Zhou Quan and said: "Iron Fist, I will definitely win the championship this season."
"You are not a big dreamer, so you should dream less." Zhou Quan joked.
Jordan snorted coldly and stopped talking to Zhou Quan, just waiting to appear.
Zhou Quan couldn't help but ask: "Fei Ren, how much did you lose last time?"
"none of your business?"
Jordan almost jumped, but then he came on the stage and ran out immediately.
"Next time remember to buy and I will win, you idiot!" Zhou Quan shouted from behind.
"This guy must have lost a lot." Rodman said with a smile.
"The assassin said one million, but I think it should be more than one million." Zhou Quan said thoughtfully.
"Iron Fist, who will you defend your title against next year?" Schrempf asked.
"I don't know. I'll decide after the season is over." Zhou Quan shook his head.
Schrempf smiled and said: "The WBC officials probably don't want you to give up your title, or they take away your title, right?"
Zhou Quan nodded and said: "The WBC has determined that it will not take away my title within nine months. I can still keep my title before July 1st."
"July 1st, if we reach the finals, your physical fitness will be in trouble. The finals have just ended at that time." Rodman said.
"Yes, the WBC is also very confused now. They don't want me to give up the title." Zhou Quan said.
"Then it can only be postponed again. It's not like the WBC has never done something like this before. Among the four major organizations plus the IBO, only the IBF strictly enforces the rules of mandatory challenges. The other major organizations all focus on the interests of the boxing champion." Schrempf laughed.
Zhou Quan smiled and said, "Are you saying that to make me tougher?"
Schrempf nodded and smiled: "Your promoter last time, Bob Arum, was very powerful. He has deep relationships with the four major organizations. He can definitely solve this problem if he comes forward."
Zhou Quan nodded. At this time, the home team started to play, and several people stopped talking about this topic.
(End of chapter)
