Chapter 1 Oracle Arena's Ballad

Throughout the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena, the Warriors fans' inner monologue went something like this:

↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓.

Stephen Curry played with MVP-caliber flair in this game.

He shot 15 for 25 from the field, including 9 for 14 from beyond the arc, adding free throws to score a total of 45 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists for the Warriors.

Especially after Su Feng led the Lakers' reserves on a 10-0 run at the end of the second quarter, it was Curry's clutch shots that kept the suspense alive in this Western Conference Finals Game 1.

But what left Warriors fans in despair was that every time the Warriors managed to cut the lead to around 5 points, someone on the Lakers would step up.

On TNT, Stackhouse stated, "The Lakers' performance tonight proves why they are the most championship-caliber team this season."

As someone who's been there, Su Feng never believed in "fate" or "destiny."

But in this Western Conference Finals Game 1 against the Warriors, Su Feng felt like his teammates were playing with cheats enabled.

Not giving him a chance to get his full build and carry the game!

Actually...

How can there be so many "cheats" in this world?

Like Su Feng's past life, when Real Madrid achieved their Champions League three-peat...

No matter how many times you rewatch the final against Liverpool, you can't believe that Karius would make such incredibly amateurish mistakes twice in that game.

If the Lakers players' mindset during the regular season was just casually playing...

Then now, driven by the motivation to build the Lakers' second dynasty...

You can fully understand that this is the dominance that this Lakers team should possess!

Whether it's Kobe, willing to play a supporting role for his teammates to win...

Or Gasol, who doesn't mind enduring hardship and getting beat up to win another championship before leaving the Lakers...

Indeed.

The Warriors players also wanted to win badly.

But on this night...

What Yao, James, Curry, and the others had to face...

Was an unprecedented team.

They had the same high morale as the Philadelphia Sixers of the past.

They had a super-fast transition offense like the Toronto Raptors of that year.

And they had the same teamwork as the Miami Heat of that era.

This is the Los Angeles Lakers.

A dynasty team that is experienced and full of vigor.

On the court, the final score of this Western Conference Finals Game 1 was 127-121.

Su Feng, who was obviously feeling hot but was forcibly held back by his teammates, scored a total of 35 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks (both on Curry).

And in the game, besides being triggered by Su Feng to spam the pass button for a few minutes, Kobe, who was mostly focused on assisting his teammates, had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Looking solely at the "23+24" stats, Su Feng and Kobe only performed at their normal level.

However, just considering the process of this game...

This was the best game the Lakers had played so far this season.

And they still had room for improvement.

Because quietly...

The young players led by Middleton, Jokic, and Bledsoe...

Had already begun to take over the reins from "23+24".

...

On the 23rd, after a day of rest, the Lakers and Warriors continued their Western Conference Finals Game 2 at Oracle Arena.

In this game, James adjusted his strategy.

From the start, James charged into the defense guarded by Su Feng like a battering ram.

In addition, Yao also repeatedly scored in the paint, disrupting the Lakers' interior defensive arrangements.

Throughout the first half, because the Lakers' defense was completely flattened, the Warriors' perimeter players had plenty of opportunities to shoot from beyond the arc.

However, despite repeatedly getting open looks...

It was incomprehensible that Curry and Klay both went cold in this game.

As a result, after the third quarter...

The Lakers, who were gradually finding their rhythm, entered the final quarter with a narrow 3-point lead.

Fortunately, in the final quarter, the Splash Brothers successively found the sights they had previously abandoned in the restroom.

The offensive environment that James and Yao had created for the Warriors' perimeter players through their relentless fighting in the paint was not wasted.

The Lakers couldn't stop the Warriors' fourth-quarter surge.

However, it must be pointed out that...

Su Feng and Kobe must take full responsibility for the Lakers' loss in this game.

Because fans buy tickets to watch basketball games, not to listen to these two brothers hold a "concert"!

"What do you mean?" After the game, looking at the final score of 114-124, Su Feng said to Kobe.

"What do I mean?" Kobe, who shot 1 for 5 in the final quarter, looked puzzled.

"I admit, I'm 1% responsible for this loss.

But shouldn't you take 99% of the blame?" Su Feng said to Kobe.

Kobe: "......"

Seriously!

The pot calling the kettle black, Su, how dare you?

...

On the 24th and 25th, after returning to Los Angeles, to avoid slipping up in the following games, Su Feng decisively bought Britney a ticket to Beijing.

Of course, blaming the wife for a bad game is pure nonsense.

Because in fact, Britney missed her daughter and son.

However...

After seeing little Tianliang again after several months, Britney was dumbfounded.

Because judging by little Tianliang's growth rate...

Who would believe that he's only 10 years old?

Through the family function born after the latest update of the Smithing System, Su Feng had actually given up on little Tianliang taking over his mantle as early as last year.

Because according to the Smithing System's predictions...

Su Tianliang's future height will reach an astonishing 224 centimeters.

In other words...

Even if little Tianliang could make it big in the future...

He'd be following in his Uncle Yao's footsteps.

In Su Feng's opinion, in terms of height alone, Su Hao, that unlucky kid, was the most suitable to take over his mantle.

But...

Unfortunately, Su Hao still hasn't given up on the impossible dream of saving Chinese football.

And compared to the two silly kids in the Su family, as Su Baobao grows up day by day, Su Feng has become increasingly anxious recently.

This is a feeling that you can only have after having a daughter.

That is...

Whenever you hear that your daughter has made new friends at school, as long as you hear that the friend is male, you can't help but want to grab a kitchen knife and chop something.

"Why are we having sweet and sour pork ribs again today...

And why did you chop the ribs into such small pieces?" That day, after returning from an extra shooting practice with Su Feng, Kobe looked at Su Feng with confusion.

Obviously, Kobe, who was about to have his fourth "shooting" practice with Vanessa, simply couldn't understand Su Feng's feelings of only having one daughter.

But then again...

Just thinking about how Kobe will have five daughters in this life without any accidents...

Su Feng immediately felt much better!

...

According to the schedule, Game 3 of the Lakers-Warriors Western Conference Finals will be played on the 26th.

In the East, the Bulls and Celtics are tied 1-1 in their first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After being heavily criticized in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Harden recently stated with a cold and ruthless expression that his relationship with Khloe Kardashian was over in an interview.

But what's puzzling is...

Khloe hasn't even commented on Harden's cold-heartedness!

However, Odom, the ex-husband, became depressed because he couldn't stand seeing the woman he once loved being dumped like trash.

On the 26th, Odom successfully stole the news headlines that should have belonged to the Lakers and Warriors.

After taking drugs and partying wildly at a brothel in Nevada for three days and three nights, Odom, who wanted to show the world that he was a real man, was sent to a local hospital for rescue on the 26th.

Regarding this, Su Feng, who had repeatedly advised Odom not to mess around out of respect for their time together, felt that this unlucky kid was completely hopeless.

Because while being rescued, Odom had three organs besides his kidneys that were almost failing, so even the doctor in charge of his rescue stated in an interview that Odom only had a 50% chance of surviving.

But facts have proven...

NBA players' physical fitness is truly amazing.

Because if Su Feng remembered correctly, after surviving this brush with death, Odom would start jumping around again in less than two years.

However, it would be impossible for Odom to play in the NBA again in the future.

It has to be said.

The word "tragic" alone cannot describe Odom in this life.

Because in addition to personal and team honors being far inferior to the Odom in his memory, Odom's total career salary in this life was also less than the Odom in his memory by millions because he played for the Heat for a long time.

Fortunately...

Because he had followed Su Feng in several investments in the past, Odom wouldn't have to rely on zero-dollar shopping to survive in the future.

"Why is Lamar doing this to himself?" In Los Angeles, because Kobe and Odom had formed a deep friendship together at the ABCD camp, Kobe's mood was clearly affected after learning that Odom was in critical condition.

In fact, Su Feng had already extended an invitation to Odom when he advised him earlier.

As long as he didn't court death, the Lakers would offer him a two-year veteran minimum contract this summer.

However...

Odom still couldn't stand the "humiliation" his ex-wife had subjected him to in an interview.

There was no way.

Everyone has their own ambitions.

As a colleague who had known each other for a while, Su Feng couldn't change everyone's destiny, nor could he change everyone's fate.

On the evening of the 26th, Staples Center.

Before the start of the Lakers-Warriors game, many fans were spontaneously praying for Odom on the scene.

And interestingly...

After Odom was sent to the hospital for rescue, Khloe Kardashian actually stated in an interview that she was willing to remarry Odom.

Of course, this marriage was definitely impossible to be restored.

Because if Su Feng remembered correctly, Khloe would be缠上 (chan shang - pestering) Tristan Thompson by next year.

However, Khloe still had the audacity to use the name of remarriage to make her presence known.

And it wasn't small.

u1s1 (short for 讲一句说一句 - speaking honestly), compared to Odom, Harden was indeed a smart man.

Because at least, after being criticized by Chicago fans, Harden quickly realized what was most important to him.

Although in Su Feng's memory, Harden was almost inseparable from nightclubs.

But after Khloe Kardashian, Harden has obviously restrained himself a lot off the court.

On the court, after warming up, the big screen gave the starting lineups for the Lakers and Warriors.

Warriors: Yao Ming, James, Klay, Butler, Curry.

Lakers: Gasol, Su Feng, Middleton, Kobe, Rondo.

In the center of the court, when Gasol and Yao Ming jumped for the ball, the Lakers players even instinctively chose to retreat on defense after the jump.

The Warriors attacked first in the Lakers' half.

In the last game, Yao Ming, who scored 22 points in 29 minutes for the Warriors, immediately posted up in the low post.

From a game strategy perspective, Van Gundy continued the tactic that won the Lakers in Game 2.

That is, to flatten the Lakers' defense through interior attacks first.

Then, to look for opportunities to shoot threes from the perimeter.

This was an almost unsolvable scheme.

Because the Warriors' offensive space was extremely wide...

So the only way the Lakers could respond was to do everything possible to block the attacks of Yao and James.

It was time to test Marc Gasol.

Bang, bang!

Low post, Gasol defended well on this play. After hard-boxing out Yao, Gasol forced Yao Ming to turn around and hook from a certain distance away from the basket.

Clang--!

In the paint, Su Feng turned around and grabbed the defensive rebound.

And after the hook went wide, Yao also worked hard to retreat to his own half.

Running.

Running silently.

Perhaps, time does take things away from people.

But what remains unchanged is...

Yao Ming's unwavering gaze.

A height of 226 centimeters, a weight of over 135 kilograms.

Some people say that Yao Ming was only able to play in the NBA because he was 226 centimeters tall.

But they never knew that in the history of the NBA, there has never been only Yao Ming, a player taller than 220 centimeters.

Looking back on the past.

In Philadelphia, Allen Iverson once said that Yao Ming was the real "Answer" to the Philadelphia Sixers.

Soldiering in the Bay Area, fighting for several years, Yao is still the most feared low post threat for the Lakers.

9395 kilometers away, that is Yao Ming's hometown where he grew up.

In this life, Yao isn't alone.

Because Su Feng had already paved a path for him to go forward without hesitation.

On the court, the Lakers' transition offense stopped.

Because Yao Ming had already returned to the Warriors' paint.

Even Su Feng couldn't recklessly advance with the ball at this moment.

Because the player standing in the Warriors' paint at this moment...

Was the last center in the current NBA.

On TNT, the comedy quartet, who had personally witnessed how glorious the center era was, couldn't help but choke up at this moment.

In fact.

Whether it was Embiid or Jokic in the future.

They have all broken away from the concept of traditional centers.

Because as the NBA game version continues to update...

It has become increasingly difficult for big men to make a living in this cruel and ruthless league.

As Riley said.

The NBA had already entered the era of forwards.

High post, after sighing deeply, Su Feng knew.

Now, it was time to tell the world...

The era of centers has become a thing of the past.

Farewell, last center of the NBA.

My lovely and rebellious Ming!

On the court, accompanied by Marc Gasol moving up to the high post, Yao was forced to leave the paint.

Swish!

Outside the three-point line, after a pick-and-pop, Gasol received a pass from Su Feng, hitting the shot and scoring the first points for the Lakers!

Unlike the first two games.

In this game, the Lakers will resolutely execute the strategy of constantly pulling Yao out with pick-and-rolls.

On the sideline, looking at that giant from the East who had crumbled the Lakers' paint in Game 2, Tyronn Lue admitted that he had underestimated the 35-year-old Yao Ming before the start of this series.

So, to pay the highest respect to this last center in the NBA.

Before the start of Game 3, Lue officially adopted the strategy that Su Feng had used to sweep the Lakers three times when he led the Raptors.

Consume.

And consume again.

This was the only way to deal with super centers throughout history.

On the court, after the first 6 minutes of the first quarter, when Yao Ming was subbed out, Van Gundy secretly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes on the Warriors' bench when no one was paying attention.

Unlike Adelman.

Even if Yao could hold on, Van Gundy wouldn't choose to over-utilize him.

Although this season was the final stop of Yao's career.

But...

Van Gundy didn't want to see Yao sitting in a wheelchair in the future.

Staples Center, Yao temporarily left the court to rest.

And at this moment, on the court, the 37-year-old Su Feng also showed his sword to James, who had been wandering around with him.

After Yao Ming went down, the Lakers brought on Jokic.

And as the triangle between Jokic, Kobe, and Su Feng formed...

Su Feng also began to dance a "Dream Waltz" in the Warriors' half.

James was dizzy.

Bang, swish!

"This is the most troublesome thing about Su Feng.

You never want to freeze him two games in a row." On CCTV, Zhang指导 (Zhang Zhidao - commentator) said with a smile, carefully examining Su Feng's offensive slow motion just now.

In Game 2, because he was too superstitious about his touch...

Su Feng was a little out of his mind.

Coming back, it was the Warriors' turn to attack.

Looking at Su Feng, who was even more energetic than himself, James always felt that Su Feng was the younger one.

Seriously, big brother!

It's the third game, don't you feel tired at all?

"Crown Prince" (referring to James) felt bitter in his heart.

"Crown Prince" didn't want to say.

Regarding his successor, Su Feng knew very well that even he couldn't completely lock down James.

Therefore, the best way to beat Little Zhan Zhan was to exchange physical energy with him.

Anyway, after rushing a few more times, Little Zhan Zhan, this human-shaped tank, would definitely fall first.

So after Game 2, instead of trying to block James in the paint...

Su Feng felt that...

As long as James wanted to rush, the Lakers could completely let him rush.

On this night, the Lakers' defense was obviously wider than in Game 2.

The purpose was to hinder the Warriors' perimeter players from shooting.

In the playoffs, the greatest pleasure of a series is precisely the adjustments made by both sides in the next game based on the opponent's tactics.

There has never been an invincible tactic in this world.

There is only change based on the changes of the opponent.

In the second half of the first quarter, watching James, who was tormented by Su Feng like Jordan in his prime, Van Gundy decisively changed to using Butler to take the beating for James.

Then...

Some "Black Mamba" felt that people seemed to have misunderstood him.

Clang, clang, swish, clang.

At the end of the first quarter, although Kobe's four missed shots successfully helped the Warriors close the gap to 3 points.

But James's not-so-rich physical energy was even worse after the first quarter.

"Why don't we let LeBron defend Chris (Middleton) next?" On the Warriors' bench, Van Gundy's assistant suggested to Van Gundy at the end of the first quarter.

"It's useless...

It's already the third game, man, don't you understand that the Lakers just want to fight us in a war of attrition?" Van Gundy said, shaking his head.

Van Gundy felt that the Warriors were able to win Game 2 mainly because the Warriors' inside and outside lines successfully linked up.

Of course, it also had something to do with Su Feng and Kobe sending shots everywhere. (Su Feng, Kobe:?)

Van Gundy knew very well that even if he let James defend Middleton, the Lakers would definitely use Middleton to exhaust James.

Moreover, as a player who is very good at playing off-ball...

James's physical energy might only be consumed faster at that time.

As for why Van Gundy didn't use James to defend Rondo?

Wake up!

If the easiest-to-defend player, Rondo, was handed over to James, wouldn't Curry be directly exposed in front of the Lakers' three fadeaway monsters?

"In this series, there's no point in defending.

We can only have a chance of winning if we find a way to play good offense." Before the start of the second quarter, Van Gundy said to his assistant.

However, not long after Van Gundy finished speaking...

After seeing the Lakers' starting lineup for the second quarter...

Van Gundy almost didn't hold back!

On the court, only Su Feng was still on the court.

And while reminiscing with Pierce, who came on for James in the second quarter, Su Feng did not forget to pat his successor on the back and say, "Keep it up, Paul, the future is yours!"

Pierce: "......"

Fu... Future, my ass!

I'm turning 38 in a few months, okay?

"Do we... want to call?" Van Gundy's assistant asked from the sideline.

"Let's see first." Van Gundy said after calming down.

Facts have proven.

Regardless of whether Su Feng is 37 or 27 years old at the moment.

Tiring out Su Feng to death is the most unoriginal and cliche tactic in this league.

...

ps: 5.8k... rounding down is roughly equivalent to a 10,000-word chapter! So shamelessly asking for subscriptions! (Reader: Are you stupid? Which reader who's read this far hasn't subscribed?)