Chapter 160 Media

The announcement of the All-Star reserves and individual event rosters stirred up a wave of discussion.

Tang Tian also paid attention to the list and was slightly taken aback when he saw Durant participating.

He knew about the "burner account incident" and also understood that Durant was very unhappy with him due to internal Nike competition.

Participating in the three-point contest together this time made the competition more significant.

Judging from Durant's performance in the "burner account incident," if he won this competition, it wouldn't just be simple elation; his tail would probably be up in the sky.

In other words, this became a competition that Tang Tian couldn't afford to lose.

Tang Tian was confident in his three-point shooting, but he still started preparing for the three-point contest with Procopio's help.

Taking 25 three-pointers in one minute was the most difficult part of the three-point contest. If the shots were slow or the rhythm wasn't good, it was easy to get a low score.

Training was necessary, but for him, it was also something he adapted to quickly.

The All-Star Game was on February 25th, about 10 days away from the official start.

The Spurs had 5 games in between, averaging one game every two days, which was quite intense.

Although the intensity was high, the Spurs' performance was very stable after Ginobili's return increased the bench depth, with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in the previous 4 games.

With this stable performance, the Spurs continued to hold off the Thunder to dominate the top spot in the West.

Because Milwaukee and Minneapolis weren't far apart, the Spurs chartered a plane to Minneapolis that night after finishing their game against the Bucks.

They would play their last game before the All-Star Game against the Timberwolves there.

The Timberwolves' performance this season wasn't much different from the previous few seasons.

After Garnett left, the team seemed to be cursed. No matter what the lineup was, it seemed to have nothing to do with the playoffs.

But fortunately, the fourth overall pick they selected this year, Derrick Williams, was performing well.

After entering February, he lost weight and switched to the small forward position, successfully entering the team's starting lineup.

So far, he averaged 12.5 points and 4 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of over 47%, showing great momentum to compete for the Rookie of the Month award.

The next morning, Popovich arranged the team's daily training.

The All-Star Game would last a weekend, which meant about 4 days of rest, which was definitely good news for the Spurs.

The players interacted a lot during training, accompanied by smiles from time to time, looking like they were in a good mood.

But not everyone. Jefferson's expression was very serious from the start of training, and he sat on the sidelines to rest early before the training was over.

After the training, the players went back to the locker room to shower one after another, but Jefferson was still sitting there in a daze.

At this time, a local reporter from Minneapolis noticed him and walked over directly.

"Hey, Richard, you don't seem to be in a good mood?" the reporter asked after approaching.

"No, why? The team's record is good, we're currently first in the West," Jefferson said, forcing a smile.

"But you don't look very happy," the reporter said with a smile.

"Okay." Jefferson glanced at the reporter and then said with a wry smile.

"Is it about playing time? If I remember correctly, you only played 15 minutes in the last game?" the reporter asked.

Reporters in this industry who want to excel are definitely well-prepared.

Jefferson gave a wry smile. It wasn't 15 minutes; to be precise, it was 13 minutes and 24 seconds, his season low, and he only had 3 shooting opportunities in total.

He had complained to Popovich about playing time after Ginobili's return, but it didn't have any effect.

Instead, he was scolded by Popovich and his playing time was further reduced.

The resentment in his heart had been accumulating for a long time.

After being reprimanded last time, he didn't even have the space to complain to his teammates. Now that it was just him and the reporter, he finally couldn't hold back.

"Yes, I don't know what happened. I'm in good shape and my physical condition is also good," Jefferson said.

The reporter was instantly excited inside.

The Spurs were harmonious within the team, and there were few news stories to dig up, but this one seemed to be a big one.

"You're the fourth highest-paid player on the team, behind only Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, but your playing time is the least in the rotation."

The reporter continued.

Jefferson nodded with a wry smile.

"What happened? Even Tang and Leonard, these rookies, have more time than you," the reporter's questions went deeper and deeper.

"I don't know, that's the coach's decision. I don't know what happened."

Jefferson spread his hands helplessly.

What the reporter said just now really resonated with him. If it were the GDP, or even Green, he felt he could accept it.

But now his time was being divided more by Tang Tian and Leonard.

"Maybe the team wants to train new players. You know the core players on the team aren't young anymore," the reporter continued.

"Maybe," Jefferson said with a helpless smile.

"But that's not fair. The people being sacrificed, like you, you're still in your prime."

Jefferson nodded, glanced at the reporter, and couldn't help but want to hug her. What she said was really too considerate.

The reporter had already gotten what he wanted, and said with a smile, "Be patient, I believe your efforts will earn you playing time."

"Maybe," Jefferson nodded with a wry smile.

After the interview, Jefferson felt better after finding someone to confide in, and then got up and left the training hall.

That night, in the visiting team's locker room, the Spurs' players were changing their clothes, preparing for the game that was about to begin.

Ginobili was saying some trash talk, Parker was reminding the players, and everything looked no different than usual.

"Bang!"

Just then, the locker room door was pushed open forcefully, and Popovich walked in with a gloomy face.

The players looked at Popovich in surprise. This was probably the first time they had seen the old man with such an ugly expression this season.

Even when the team lost, he wasn't like this.

They didn't know what had happened.

Budenholzer followed in, cleared his throat twice, and then announced the coaching staff's decision.

"Richard Jefferson will not play tonight. Tang will replace him as the starting small forward."

Tang Tian was well-liked on the team. It was something to celebrate that he was entering the starting lineup, but looking at Popovich's face, no one could really celebrate.

"Why?"

Jefferson had already changed his clothes and stood up abruptly. Popovich was really going too far.

"Do I need to repeat what you said in front of the reporter here?"

Popovich was furious when he saw the news, and didn't give Jefferson any face at this time.