Chapter 6 The Return Trip

In June, after the Digitals were eliminated by the Celtics with a score of 4-2, Xiao Yao, having concluded his 07/08 season, officially embarked on his journey back to China.

Oh!

Look!

Isn't this my invincible Ming-di?

That day, looking at Xiao Yao, who practically had the word "disappointed" written all over his face, Su Feng, who personally went to the airport to pick him up, regretted not having a pair of pointy leather shoes.

Otherwise, he would definitely kick Xiao Yao in the butt!

Because Su Feng, who was originally thinking about how to comfort Xiao Yao, was greeted with the following sentence as soon as they met:

Eh?

Isn't this my Feng-ge who returned home early after the Western Conference Semifinals?

Alright.

The truth is...

People like Xiao Yao don't need comfort at all.

Because since the Yao haters' almost anti-intellectual remarks couldn't defeat Xiao Yao...

How could a mere loss in the Eastern Conference Finals make this little giant depressed?

In Su Feng's original timeline, a small group of people didn't even understand Xiao Yao's position at the time or the mess he inherited, yet they started claiming that Xiao Yao was the culprit leading Chinese basketball to its demise.

But in the face of these people's accusations, did Xiao Yao shirk responsibility like his predecessors?

Right and wrong, let future generations judge.

In terms of mental fortitude, Xiao Yao definitely possessed a steely heart no less than Su Feng's. (Kobe: Good lord, you're no less than Su Feng either?)

And not long after Xiao Yao returned to China...

The West.

Carter and Pierce, who had both activated their "King's Return" cheat codes in Game 4, joined forces to send the Mavericks fans into despair.

In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks, returning to Dallas, managed to overcome difficulties and win the pivotal Game 5. In Game 6, they once again missed a golden opportunity to end the series.

At the Rose Garden, they were leading the Trail Blazers by 15 points in the first half, and it seemed they had already stepped into the Finals.

But who would have thought that Carter and Pierce would borrow the "divine intervention" switch from McGrady and Su Feng in the second half?

To be fair.

There's really nothing to say about the second half of this game.

Because when you encounter this kind of "forced" comeback...

If it weren't for Dirk Nowitzki being strong enough...

If it were Durant...

Then you might find Durant wearing a Trail Blazers jersey the moment the game ended. (Durant: ?)

On the court, with Carter and Pierce scoring 20 and 21 points respectively for the Trail Blazers in the second half, the Mavericks, who lost their good position, failed to maintain the advantage they had built up in the first half.

That's just the NBA.

If it weren't for these stars having produced too many "forced comeback" games in history...

How could this land of miracles be called a "league of stars"?

You know...

Anime needs logic.

Reality doesn't.

However, despite being turned over again by the Trail Blazers in Game 6, the Mavericks, in theory, were still the team with a higher probability of advancing in this series.

After all, according to the schedule, Game 7 would return to Dallas.

Therefore, as long as the Mavericks, with the advantage of favorable timing, location, and popular support, could fully seize their advantage, they would still be in the lead in this series.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks failed to seize this advantage in the final Game 7.

Due to being forced to win two games by someone earlier, and with the difficulty of advancing being far higher than the Trail Blazers'...

In fact, by this point in the series, the Mavericks were already at the end of their rope.

And so it was.

Relying on the outstanding performance of "Cardi" and "Pi Feng" in this series, Kevin Garnett, having endured hardship, finally touched the Finals floor at the age of 32.

After eliminating the Mavericks with a score of 4-3, the Trail Blazers successfully met the Celtics in the Finals.

And it's worth mentioning that...

The "former Celtics Big Three" who were supposed to win the championship together in Su Feng's memory, would also engage in a final showdown in this life.

Online, after the Trail Blazers successfully advanced to the Finals, Carter, who had been on the verge of being kicked out of the "Four Great Shooting Guards" in recent years, received countless praises.

In response, Carter said in an interview: "I have always believed that I am the strongest among the 'Four Great Shooting Guards'."

It must be said that in terms of confidence, Carter was indeed still the boy he used to be.

But when Iverson, McGrady, and Kobe learned that Carter said in an interview that they were not even as good as Carter...

Don't ask.

Because in the eyes of these three...

This is simply more tragic than tragic.

According to the schedule, the 07/08 season's NBA Finals would begin on June 7th.

After the Mavericks were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals, Zhu Fangyu also returned to China.

In the NBA, even though Zhu Fangyu didn't get much playing time in the three seasons combined...

On the first day that Little Zhu returned to training with the team, Hu Weidong, who had become an assistant coach for the Chinese men's basketball team, said with emotion: "The gap between our other players and Little Zhu is too big."

In Su Feng's previous life, even without this NBA experience, Zhu Fangyu was still the best small forward in Asia at the time.

Strong and sturdy, he was not only one of the few players in Asian basketball who could compete with European forwards in terms of physique, but his ability to quickly draw and shoot after receiving the ball was by no means comparable to the Korean shooters who were ineffective outside of Asia.

And in this life, after three years of training in the NBA, in addition to being stronger physically...

Given the intense competition for positions in the Mavericks, Zhu Fangyu had undoubtedly benefited greatly.

In addition, after spending two years in Madrid, Chen Jianghua, who had played against Rubio on the court, now knew how outrageous a certain portal media was during this period.

In Su Feng's original timeline, relying on his old skills, Rubio, if not particularly outstanding in the NBA, was at least a qualified starting point guard.

But what about Chen Jianghua?

When Rubio was still speeding on the NBA court, Chen Jianghua had already faded from people's sight.

And in this life, in the Spanish league, which produced many point guards...

Besides realizing that he couldn't just rely on speed to play, Chen Jianghua found that in many basic basketball skills...

What he lacked was never talent or feel for the game.

Rather, it was the control of details.

Through the query function of the Dǎtiě (Blacksmithing) System, Su Feng knew that even if Chen Jianghua was on the right path, it would be difficult for him to dominate the NBA as that portal media had fantasized.

But after being ravaged by the group of European "strong brothers" for two whole years, Su Feng was confident that Chen Jianghua could definitely make more contributions to this national team.

…

On the 7th, Game 1 of the 07/08 season's NBA Finals began at the FleetCenter.

As a result, in this game that fans called a "festival of bricks"...

Su Feng's old opponent and old nemesis, Duncan, became the only person on the court who was out of sync with everyone else.

Throughout the game, Duncan scored a total of 24 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks for the Celtics, shooting 8 of 15 from the field plus free throws.

And with Duncan's steady performance in the first game, the Celtics also successfully took the lead at home with a 10-point advantage.

The final score of this game was 80 to 90.

On the 9th.

Game 2 continued at the FleetCenter.

Pierce played well in the first quarter, scoring 11 points for the Trail Blazers in a single quarter.

However, it was Ray Allen who determined the final outcome of this game.

In Su Feng's previous life, Ray Allen, who was more accurate at critical moments, had played in the Finals a total of three times.

His career Finals three-point percentage was not only as high as 43.3%, but in the three Finals, Ray Allen also made a total of 55 three-pointers.

And if it weren't for encountering Kobe, who had always been cunning, in the 09/10 "Dark Battle"...

Then even, Ray Allen's Finals three-point percentage could have been even higher.

However, because Carter was guarding Ray Allen on the court for the Trail Blazers...

So after finding his feel in Game 1, Ray Allen's performance in this game could only be described as "single-handedly blowing up the Trail Blazers."

In the last three quarters, Ray Allen made 9 of his 12 three-point attempts from beyond the arc.

And under Ray Allen's influence, the Trail Blazers' vaunted steel defense frequently showed flaws on the court.

In the end, after ending the game with a score of 103 to 115, the Trail Blazers ushered in a hellish start to the Finals.

Although they were down 0-2, according to the 2-3-2 format, they would have three consecutive home games...

But in NBA history, only the Bucks in 1969 and the Trail Blazers in 1977 had ever completed a comeback in the Finals after being down 0-2.

Eh...

Wait!

Since the Trail Blazers' only championship in team history 31 years ago was won after being down 0-2 in the Finals...

Does this mean that...

31 years later, Garnett and his Jordans will replicate the past glory of their predecessors?

On the 12th, having just returned to Portland, the Trail Blazers successfully took the first step in replicating the glory of their predecessors.

In this game, the entire Trail Blazers team erupted, and even Garnett had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Unfortunately, on the 14th, just as the Trail Blazers were preparing to take the second step in replicating the glory of their predecessors...

On the court, in a scramble, Chris Paul successfully triggered his "injury at crucial moments" attribute.

Amazing!

Really amazing!

Just like you can always trust Su Feng and Duncan at critical moments.

As an opponent, in the NBA...

You can also always believe that Paul will encounter a sudden injury at some point in the playoffs.

To be honest...

"My Pao's" injury attribute is really outrageous.

Because if he were a "glass man," that would be one thing...

But as a veteran who could still dominate the NBA before Su Feng's time travel, in this league, how many "183" players dare to say that they are more durable than Paul?

But...

As long as it gets to a critical moment...

Paul seems to have offended God.

In short...

Maybe this is the NBA version of "When heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it always first frustrates his spirit and exhausts his body."

Rose Garden, Portland.

That night, the people of Portland did not wait for Paul's "King's Return."

Because as early as halftime, Trail Blazers coach Adelman learned from the team doctor that Paul would miss the remainder of the Trail Blazers' season due to a knee sprain.

Without my Pao...

How could the Trail Blazers possibly control Tony Parker, who was at the peak of his career?

Unlike ordinary Frenchmen.

Because Parker was born in Bruges, Belgium, and did not study German under the Eiffel Tower, he naturally did not understand what it meant to surrender in advance.

On the court, with the Trail Blazers leading by 12 points in the first half, that night, the object of being "forced to turn over" became themselves.

In the second half, Parker, as if in a no-man's land, scored 27 of his 33 points for the game with a combination of drives and shots.

And as news of the Celtics' 105-98 victory over Portland spread back to Boston...

For a time, countless Celtics legends shed tears of excitement.

Because having already led the Trail Blazers 3-1 in the Finals, they now only needed one game...

To bring the championship trophy to Auerbach's grave.

However, perhaps because they were too eager to win...

In Game 5, the Celtics not only failed to seize the opportunity, but were also pulled back a game by the Trail Blazers.

However...

After the two teams' sixth game returned to Boston, the Trail Blazers did not have the same good luck as in Game 5.

Because that night in Boston...

In that green wave, besides the championship banners waving in the wind above the arena...

Inside the arena, all the Celtics players and fans had only one thought.

That was...

Under the witness of Auerbach's spirit in heaven...

Tonight.

Win the 07/08 season's NBA championship!

On the court, the outstanding performances of Parker and Ray Allen made the game lose its suspense early on.

After the first three quarters, the Celtics' lead had already reached 40 points.

In the final quarter, Adelman took off all the team's main players in advance.

At this time, the FleetCenter turned into a sea of ​​joy.

On the sidelines, the expressionless Duncan quietly squatted in front of the two chairs that he would bring to Auerbach every night.

At this moment, he had a lot to say to the old man who liked to make him carrot cake.

But after a slight smile, Duncan knew...

If Auerbach were still here, he would definitely say to himself: "Hey, Tim, have you seen my damn cigar?"

Thank you, teacher!

On the Celtics bench, after personally receiving Auerbach's favorite cigar from Bird, Duncan lit it and placed it on an ashtray next to Auerbach's chair.

On the court, the former Celtics legends also looked up at the No. 2 jersey hanging above the FleetCenter at this moment.

The final quarter.

As the timer ticked down to zero.

The final score of Game 6 of the Trail Blazers-Celtics Finals was fixed at 95 to 130.

TNT, with respect for Auerbach, Barkley cleared his throat and announced to all of North America: "Let us congratulate the Celtics on becoming the 07/08 season's NBA champions!

Ladies and gentlemen, at this great moment, I am honored to be able to witness it with you!"

In front of the TV, watching Duncan lift the NBA championship trophy for the second time in his career, Su Feng was suddenly filled with emotions.

Because in this runaway timeline...

This was actually only Duncan's second championship in his career, can you believe it?

But interestingly...

In the subsequent FMVP award ceremony...

Because the judges unanimously believed that Parker, who had performed better in the later games, deserved this year's Finals MVP more...

Therefore, when Parker learned that he had been elected Finals FMVP...

This French sports car almost thought he had heard it wrong.

At this time...

TNT, Smith also said with emotion: "No wonder the Raptors back then could win the championship with Charles Barkley...

Because if I remember correctly, Tony seemed to be playing as the sixth man on that Raptors team?"

Look, what is luxury!

Even if you are the future NBA FMVP...

On that Raptors team back then, you were only worthy of being a younger brother!

And as the 07/08 season officially came to an end.

That day...

Su Feng also vaguely felt the difficulty of the Lakers winning the championship next season.

Whether it was the Mavericks, who would definitely become stronger through refinement after failing again.

Or the Trail Blazers, who would inevitably become more united after failing miserably.

To be honest...

Just from the difficulty of breaking through...

Su Feng could fully foresee...

Next season would be destined to be the most difficult year of his career.

However...

As long as he thought of Kobe being a dribbling and passing tool on the court...

Su Feng found...

No matter whether the road ahead was an abyss or full of thorns...

It seemed that he was not so afraid anymore.

The Lower Merion twins were about to reconnect.

And recently, Stephen Curry, who had been uneasy, went to New York at the end of June...

Preparing to walk towards the crossroads that would determine his fate...

…

ps: The late but arrived update is here! Because this chapter is late, the update for the evening of the 24th will be a double update directly without following the procedure!