The feud between the Heat and the Knicks is a story for another time.

On the 14th, after watching the WWE performance of the Heat and the Knicks, when the Lakers made their appearance...

Looking at that murderous gaze, the well-proportioned figure, and that one-in-a-million shooting form...

If Su Feng's and Kobe's idol, Jordan, is 'Air Jordan'...

Then on this night, Kobe was the most outstanding spokesperson for the 'Air' spirit!

Although it differed slightly from Su Feng's memory, in Game 5 against the Jazz, because O'Neal fouled out, the entire Lakers team was so nervous that no one dared to shoot...

So, with 11 seconds left, Harris, after racking his brains, gazed affectionately at the 18-year-old Kobe and said:

"Kobe, you take this shot!"

The young Mamba licked his lips and nodded.

At that moment, the image of Su Feng shooting down Jordan flashed in his mind.

Su... you better watch closely!

Even though you're already ahead of me, I'll be chasing after you!

Take a deep breath to relax.

Chew on the jersey to make himself look more menacing.

The 18-year-old Kobe revealed his fangs. Wearing the Lakers' number 8, he stepped onto the stage with the last hope of Los Angeles.

And then...

Acceleration, sudden stop, he shook off Russell!

On the Lakers' bench, O'Neal, still annoyed at having received his sixth foul, had already stood up.

In that instant, "Silver Fox" Harris saw the light of dawn, the chance to bring this series back to Los Angeles!

On the Jazz's bench, Sloan's heart was about to give out...

Fortunately, Kobe, who hadn't quite managed to keep his balance, let the fans in Salt Lake City breathe a sigh of relief with an airball.

Oh, good thing he's not that high school classmate of his.

Kobe missed the game-winner, and the game went into overtime.

Kobe, chewing on his jersey, dejectedly returned to the bench.

Somewhat annoyed, he sat on the bench without saying a word. Suddenly, a large hand patted him on the back.

"Good job, you showboating kid!"

O'Neal said to Kobe with a smile.

"Don't worry about missing that shot, because you already shook off your opponent. Just seize the opportunity next time!

Don't give up, Kobe!"

O'Neal's encouragement made Kobe feel a little better.

But in overtime, right from the start, Kobe threw up another airball.

At that moment, although the surrounding sounds were chaotic, Kobe seemed to be able to hear people mocking him...

Look, that's the difference between Kobe, one of the Lower Merion twins, and Su Feng.

The Lakers made the wrong choice!

The 76ers chose Su Feng, who was at his peak from the start, with the 13th pick in the first round, but the Lakers actually used their 8th pick to select a kid who specializes in throwing airballs at crucial moments.

Jerry West, it turns out, also has times when he misjudges.

In front of the TV, Su Feng had already put away his smile.

Because he knew Kobe very well, he knew that Kobe must be feeling very uncomfortable right now.

On the court, the game continued...

After the Jazz scored the first point in overtime, 89 to 91.

Then, Eddie Jones missed a shot, the Jazz countered, and Stockton made another layup.

89 to 93.

The cruel and cold reality was already in front of the Lakers fans of this era.

In this season of the Western Conference's three powerhouses vying for supremacy...

Who else could they count on besides O'Neal?

O'Neal, who had fouled out, looked up at the roof of the Delta Center, silent.

If you were to write O'Neal's story into a novel, Shaq would probably be driven to depression by the readers in the early part of his career.

Because this man of immense strength and unparalleled spirit had experienced more than just the beatings of society.

He was swept around by his seniors and even forced into the sea by the Magic's management.

It is said that a shark that goes to sea is invincible, but in the early part of his career, all he left behind was a "Rage of the Incompetent".Avi.

O'Neal had made up his mind that after this game, he would take the initiative to take responsibility for the loss in the post-game interview.

If you understand this series, understand OK (O'Neal & Kobe), then you know that O'Neal never blamed Kobe on this night.

Before these two began their love-hate relationship, how could O'Neal not know that he needed Kobe to stand up and help him?

Therefore, even in the 99/00 season Finals, when Kobe averaged 18 shots with only 36.7% accuracy, O'Neal was willing to carry him out of the arena.

Because Kobe...

Was the key to helping O'Neal break free from his shackles.

However...

History was destined to change.

The "Delta Center."

Just as Kobe received a pass from his teammate again, he didn't repeat what Su Feng remembered, which was to make another airball after continuous swaying.

Because just as Kobe was about to shoot, the scene of Su Feng shooting down Jordan appeared in his mind again.

And then...

"Your talent is wasted if you only use it to score.

Seriously, in my opinion, even Earvin Johnson can't compare to your passing!"

In that instant, Kobe's thoughts were pulled back to his senior year of high school.

That year, Kobe and Su Feng were only 17 years old.

During the rainy season of that 17th year, in the era when Lower Merion swept Pennsylvania, Kobe had never felt so happy and powerful...

He could easily dominate the court.

He was the brightest kid on the court.

So the question is, in Su Feng's previous life, Kobe's stubbornness was well known.

But...

What different kind of chemical reaction would occur if someone had successfully instilled the "sewer mentality" in Kobe when he was stubborn?

Kobe was a man of ideas.

Therefore, in Su Feng's previous life, when everyone thought he was being unreasonable, he insisted on conquering his opponents with this unreasonable offense.

However, when the whole team, led by O'Neal, persuaded him for a season to take more shots, because of the pressure brought about by losing, Kobe felt...

Su Feng was right!

Almost within a few seconds, Kobe completed a wave of self-correction.

And in front of the TV, Su Feng's jaw almost dropped...

19 years old, youth really is over!

In the Delta Center, after Kobe used continuous crossovers to shake off Russell again, on the wing, he found Eddie Jones with a brilliant pass!

The latter never expected that the ball would appear in his hands at this juncture.

Bang, swish, 91 to 93!

"Defense————!"

At this moment, wasn't the Lakers' number 8 the same as Lower Merion's number 33?

After successfully defending the Jazz's attack, the Lakers countered, and Kobe immediately took the ball from Van Exel.

Russell, who was responsible for guarding Kobe, panicked a little.

Dong!

After using a Crossover to shake off Russell, Kobe casually charged into the paint, and then...

Kobe found Robert Horry on the perimeter with a no-look pass!

In Su Feng's previous life, Horry, who would receive a salary of 6 million next season, proved with his actual actions that, in terms of clutch shots, he was worth three Pips (Scottie Pippen)!

Swish——!

94 to 93!

In front of the TV... Jerry West showed a gratified smile.

How could his Logo Man's choice be wrong?

Kobe, in his eyes, was the best player in the 1996 draft, without exception!

Even the seasoned Jazz couldn't guarantee that they could make every shot in this kind of overtime.

After Malone missed a mid-range shot, Horry, after grabbing the rebound, directly jumped over Van Exel and passed the ball to Kobe.

Just as Philadelphia believed that the high school student could lead them to victory, Horry believed that this 18-year-old high school student could lead the Lakers back to Los Angeles on this night!

"This is a fake Kobe! This is a Kobe whose body has been taken over by someone else!" In Atlanta... Su Feng, feeling that history had completely gone astray, muttered to himself.

Gone astray?

Not possible.

Because Su Feng...

Never knew how much Kobe cared about him!

The young Mamba snake finally flicked out his tongue after assisting his teammates twice in a row.

He forced his way into the paint, drawing O'sterTAG's sixth foul!

"I won't be the next Michael Jordan, nor will I be the next Su, I am who I am, Kobe Bryant!"

Kobe, walking to the free-throw line, made both free throws.

96 to 93!

The Lakers fans, who had been desperate, were finally willing to believe what the Logo Man had said when he chose Kobe.

The seasoned Sloan sighed deeply.

In Sloan's opinion, there wasn't much time left for this Jazz team.

Cough, not this game.

But...

There's Philadelphia in the East and Los Angeles in the West.

Although this statement may be somewhat subjective, the small town of Lower Merion may have really cultivated two monsters who could take over the league.

103 to 99, the Lakers...

Became another team affected by Su Feng's butterfly effect in this playoffs.

With the series tied at 2 to 3, they brought the game back to Los Angeles.

After the game, Kobe, who had 17 points and 5 assists, was excitedly carried on O'Neal's back.

"See that? This is my special little brother!" O'Neal said excitedly, pointing to Kobe on his back.

The photographers who captured this scene knew that O'Neal... was mocking Penny Hardaway.

What "Penny"?

I have Kobe!

Look, on this night, O'Neal's triumphant and smug expression was like you after breaking up with your ex-girlfriend and finding a beautiful new girl?

"In this life... if OK (O'Neal & Kobe) don't have emotional problems, won't the Lakers of the future soar to the heavens?"

For Su Feng, who was familiar with history...

In a trance, the loneliness he had felt before completely disappeared.

What replaced it was a sense of pressure and urgency!

Time waits for no one, and Duncan is about to enter the league... plus, in this life, Jordan might play for another year or two. The future NBA...

Is a little exciting!

Just like that, Su Feng turned off his phone and went to sleep after watching this Lakers game...

…

On the 15th, at the Omni Coliseum, Su Feng also led his team to a classic battle.

In Game 5 against the Hawks, after missing his first seven shots, he resolutely pressed the shooting button on his eighth shot!

Su Feng, with his iron will, just like his high school classmate, had his own firm beliefs!

What if it's the Four Iron Principles (a self-deprecating term for shooting poorly)?

My tactic is only Iso!

No-look pass?

Sorry, I only have can't-see pass here.

And I won't even bother to shoot if it's not a fadeaway!

There's no way... the 76ers only have Su Feng and Stackhouse as their scoring threats right now. If Su Feng isn't decisive, then what's the point of the 76ers playing?

As for Iso, this is the only way to ensure a reduced error rate under the Hawks' high-post pressure defense.

Also, passing and fadeaways...

Wake up, it's not that Su Feng doesn't want to pass, it's just that vision, you can ask Nash about it, this thing is also a talent!

In addition, with the Hawks' defense, how could Su Feng have a chance to shoot if it wasn't difficult?

Who knows how the barrage of the future twenty years later could bear to "blacken" this kind of Su Feng...

It was clearly him carrying this team forward!

96 to 87, the 76ers also successfully retained the suspense of their series with the Hawks!

Similar to winning Game 3, the Hawks were shot to death by Su Feng and Stackhouse in this game.

In the entire game, Su Feng made 11 of 26 shots, including 1 of 5 three-pointers, and 5 of 5 free throws, scoring 28 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist.

Stackhouse made 12 of 23 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers, and 3 of 4 free throws, scoring 29 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.

The Hawks were in average form this game, lacking explosiveness, and their all-out effort failed to reach the state of Game 5.

Of course, the main reason was that the 76ers, after getting past the Bulls, had a team-wide confidence buff.

But...

Both the 76ers' and Lakers' playoff journeys had to come to an end.

Because on the 16th, the Jazz gave the Lakers no more chances.

Although Harris once again sent out the surprise weapon, Kobe, on the Jazz's side, Malone had a big outbreak, scoring 33 points and 14 rebounds.

O'Neal still had to wait for a while to be freed. Kobe, after being targeted this game, made only 4 of 13 shots, scoring 12 points and 4 assists.

104 to 95, the Jazz conquered Los Angeles and advanced to the next round with a score of 4 to 2.

And on the 17th, after successfully bringing the game back to Philadelphia, the 76ers also ushered in their final battle.

In this game, Laettner and Blaylock both erupted, with the former scoring 20 points and the latter making 5 of 7 three-pointers, scoring 21 points.

The 76ers couldn't escape their fate of having their roster countered. Once Su Feng and Stackhouse's shooting percentages declined, they couldn't break through the Hawks' wall.

88 to 75, the Hawks also advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of 4 to 2.

At the Zhongzhou Gymnasium, the exhausted Su Feng fell to the floor.

Seeing this scene, the 76ers fans were all in tears.

'Su! Keep going!'

"It's a pity, we must first congratulate the Hawks, they have successfully advanced to the next round. And the 76ers don't need to be discouraged, because in this year's playoffs, we have already seen the bloodiness they have shown!" Su Junyang summarized on CCTV.

"If Iverson hadn't been injured, it would have been hard to say. What a pity!" Zhang Zhidao added.

Unfortunately, this is reality. Miracles can happen at any time, but failure cannot be avoided.

But to be fair, looking at Su Feng's rookie season, it can be said that...

It was unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

In 10 playoff games, Su Feng averaged 47.5 minutes per game, averaging 24.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks.

His field goal percentage was 41.5%, his three-point percentage was 37.2%, and his free throw percentage was 80%.

In terms of the intensity of the playoffs at this time...

Su Feng's data undoubtedly further solidified his position as the "Eastern Conference's First Small Forward."

First, he created the myth of the Black Eight Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, and then, with Iverson missing the subsequent playoffs, he fought the Hawks for six games in a row...

Even the always harsh American media made extremely high evaluations of Su Feng's rookie season this time.

Of course, being eliminated is always so unpleasant.

And what made Su Feng even more unhappy was... fighting the Hawks for six games only yielded 97.5 million bricklaying points!

Cough cough, well, not everyone has the same clout as Michael Jordan.

At the Zhongzhou Gymnasium, Su Feng lay on the floor for a while before getting up to thank the fans who came to the game with his teammates.

How happy you are when you win, you must remember that feeling when you lose.

And work hard for it, striving to leave that feeling to others.

"Hey, kid, that was truly a wonderful series." At the end of the fourth quarter of Game 6, Mutombo felt a sense of relief.

Only by playing against the 76ers did you know how difficult this team was to play against.

In Uncle Mu's view, it was fortunate that they didn't have Iverson, otherwise, with their confidence after beating the Bulls, it would be hard to say that the Hawks would definitely be able to beat the 76ers.

Mutombo still admired Su Feng very much, because Su Feng had helped Mutombo swindle a lot of money from Pippen during the All-Star Weekend before.

Therefore, Mutombo had been waiting for Su Feng to stand up from the floor after the game.

He wanted to exchange jerseys with Su Feng as a souvenir.

"Congratulations, Dikembe."

As the saying goes, you must have a correct attitude even when you lose. Su Feng knew that it was just that his current "strength was not enough." Injuries were unavoidable factors in basketball games.

So, Su Feng didn't wallow in self-pity, but had already planned his next special training program in his mind.

Resting was impossible.

He could only rely on pushing himself hard to catch up with these monsters, and these monsters in the NBA were all foul-mouthed and had very high bricklaying values. Su Feng loved it here.

"Haha, we were just lucky.

Su, keep going, the future is definitely yours!" Mutombo said, touching Su Feng's buzz cut.

Su Feng: "???"

Wait...

Uncle Mu, I treat you as an international friend, and you're actually praising me like this?

What happened to the "African Mountain"?

"Strange? Did I say something wrong?"

Looking at Su Feng, who seemed a little unhappy, Mutombo scratched his head, feeling a little inexplicable.

Never mind, the kid is probably just unhappy after losing the game, right?

In Mutombo's mind, when Su Feng came to Atlanta next time, he would take Su Feng to see some good things...

…

Su Feng's first playoff journey came to an end for the time being.

And some were happy and some were sad...

After the Jazz and Hawks advanced to the conference finals respectively, the Heat and Knicks, and the Rockets and Sonics, all had to play Game 7.

The Hawks, who successfully advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, had almost locked in a spot in the Finals in advance.

Because the Heat and Knicks...

Had changed from their previous fiery PK to a battle of scrubs.

Rookie John Wallace, from the '96 draft, shone brightly in Game 6, and Van Gundy was a little surprised. So it turned out that there was such a figure on the Knicks' bench?

The truly tragic one...

Was the series between the Rockets and the Sonics.

Because the trajectory of history had already changed completely.

The Jazz, who had been dragged on by the Lakers for an extra game, now hoped that the Game 7 between the Rockets and the Sonics would be as brutal as possible.

In New York, after the 76ers were eliminated, Stern had already decided to vigorously rectify the league next season.

Now, what Stern missed the most was undoubtedly the terrifying ratings that the Bulls and 76ers created in the first-round series.

Of course, no matter how much he missed the past, Stern had a very important thing to do right now...

That was, as the NBA playoffs intensified, the lottery for the 1997 draft was about to begin.

This was truly a...

Difficult choice to make.

Who should be allowed to get Duncan?

Anyway, it definitely wouldn't be the Celtics...

…

Fa Biao De Wo Niu