Chapter 11

On the evening of the 11th, in the NBA's makeshift broadcast studio, Su Feng and Kobe, as captains of "Team Su Feng" and "Team Kobe" this year, officially began their remote draft.

Several North American television broadcasters aired the highly anticipated "All-Star Draft" live. (Note 1)

Before the selection began, watching the other eight Eastern and Western Conference starters who had entered the draft pool first, Barkley predicted, "Tim and Kevin should be selected by Su and Kobe into their teams in the first round."

According to the first four voting results of the Denver All-Star Weekend, in addition to Su Feng and Kobe, the other eight starters this year were Yao Ming, Duncan, Ray Allen, and Iverson from the East, and Stoudemire, Garnett, Nowitzki, and Nash from the West.

Unfortunately, Carter withdrew from this year's All-Star Game due to spraining his ankle in a game in February.

As for Su Feng, who originally wanted to compete with Carter again in the dunk contest during All-Star Weekend...

He would have to wait until next time.

Because without Carter's participation, Su Feng knew that even if he pulled off a heaven-defying performance in the dunk contest, it would be difficult to create a sensation like in 2000.

And after Carter withdrew from this year's Denver All-Star Weekend, Ray Allen was able to be added to the East's starting lineup.

Also...

This year's Western Conference starting lineup had also undergone considerable changes compared to last year.

Stoudemire, who garnered 710,000 votes in the All-Star voting process, became the envy of O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal, and others.

Because in terms of final vote counts, the lowest of those three still had 200,000 more votes than Stoudemire.

But who told them that in the East...

There was a monster like Yao Ming at the center position?

And because there were a total of two slots for forwards in the NBA's All-Star voting process...

Therefore, "Little Dirk," who led the Mavericks to the top of the Western Conference in February...

Also successfully entered the Western Conference starting lineup this year.

And "Sun King" McGrady became a "soul" under "Warrior King" Nash's sword.

Before the last two rounds of voting began, McGrady, who had been leading all the way and even had a chance to surpass Kobe to become the Western Conference's vote leader...

Because he had repeatedly become a background player this season, he was countered by Nash in the subsequent two rounds of voting.

Furthermore, before the selection began on the evening of the 11th, in order to stab McGrady in the heart...

Kobe and Su Feng also said in interviews that they would not waste valuable slots for selecting substitutes to pick McGrady in the first few rounds.

And now...

It's unknown whether McGrady was feeling bad or not.

Anyway...

Su Feng and Kobe were enjoying it.

At 8 PM, through live television, Su Feng made his selection first in the Miami studio.

According to the rules, before Su Feng and Kobe began selecting players, they would first choose between Davis and Riley, who were selected as All-Star coaches this year.

As a result, just as Riley was staring intently at the TV, thinking that Su Feng would choose him without hesitation as the coach of "Team Su Feng"...

On the TV screen...

Su Feng decisively chose to continue his previous relationship with John Davis at this year's All-Star Weekend.

Smash—!

At Riley's home, after Su Feng made his choice, Riley immediately smashed the remote control in his hand at the TV.

No more love.

Riley had completely lost his love.

For Riley, who wholeheartedly believed that Su Feng's heart would be with him...

At this moment, his mood was roughly the same as that of a minotaur watching his wife get into the arms of a bald man.

Oh, what a terrible analogy.

And because Su Feng selected Davis as the coach of "Team Su Feng," according to the rules, Riley automatically became the coach of "Team Kobe" this year.

Compared to the feedback when the NBA officially announced the All-Star voting results and substitute list in previous years, there was no doubt that this year's draft format not only garnered a wave of attention before All-Star Weekend began...

Moreover, fans had more gossip to enjoy before All-Star Weekend began.

Online, as soon as Su Feng finished selecting his coach, forum users in China and the United States began making up stories.

"In the past two years, Pat Riley thought he could move Su's solid heart with his sincerity.

But little did he know that Su's heart had already been stolen by John Davis."

"If I were Pat Riley, the first thing I would do after All-Star Weekend is to trade Su to another team before the trade deadline."

"Wake up, buddy upstairs. If Pat really did that, then the other 29 NBA teams would definitely thank him for his outstanding contribution to the NBA."

In fact, the reason why Su Feng chose Davis to coach "Team Su Feng" was because he knew it would give people more topics to discuss.

To put it bluntly, the NBA's All-Star Weekend is mainly for entertainment.

Therefore, how could Su Feng, as Stern's favorite partner, not help his little Jewish buddy out?

In New York, at the moment Su Feng finished choosing his coach, Stern felt that Su Feng really understood how to cooperate with him in writing the story of the NBA.

In Stern's view, without Su Feng, the NBA's excitement would be reduced by at least three-quarters.

Back in Miami, the coach selection was over, and Su Feng would continue to select players first.

In the studio, after deliberately coughing twice, imitating the way Martin, the former Sixers' and Raptors' home DJ, introduced players, Su Feng smiled and said, "I will use my first overall pick in the first round to choose the strongest point guard in my mind.

He was once the swift wind protecting the Raptors.

He is also the whirlwind leading the Warriors' revolution this season.

He is all-powerful on the court.

His name is also well-known.

Welcome to join 'Team Su Feng,' my brother...

—Steve Nash!"

In front of the TV, the moment Su Feng completed his selection, in Philadelphia, Iverson made up his mind.

That was, as long as Kobe selected him into "Team Kobe"...

Then he would jump up and smash Su Feng's knees...

Otherwise, he would write his name backward from now on!

Heh...

Su Feng?

Sorry.

I'm not really familiar with this guy.

"Hoo hoo, this is really an unexpected choice!

But this is indeed the choice Su would make.

Because I remember, in a previous interview, Su said that if he were to choose first, he would definitely choose Steve Nash first," Barkley said with a smile on TNT.

And Smith said on the side, "After all, they once teamed up in the Finals and played some amazing collaborations. For Su, Steve Nash is worth a pick."

In Oakland, when Nash, sitting at home, saw that Su Feng had really taken the lead in selecting him into "Team Su Feng"...

At this moment, what else could Nash say?

No bragging, no hating...

If he couldn't feed Su Feng until he threw up during the Denver All-Star Weekend...

Then he might as well retire and become a truck driver!

"Tsk! This tsk tsk is really shocking!"

And in Miami, when asked the same question, Su Feng also expressed a similar view to Kobe.

That was...

The absence of Carter, this "bonus horse," had little impact on this year's draft. (Carter: ???)

In New York, Stern never expected that little Lower Merion could produce two such capable "Wolong and Fengchu." (臥龍與鳳雛 - Hidden Dragon and Young Phoenix, referring to two extremely talented individuals)

Online, after Su Feng and Kobe finished their first-round draft, the fans' enthusiasm was completely mobilized.

Especially Kobe's starting lineup of Duncan, Garnett, Yao Ming, and Stoudemire...

Although according to the draft rules, Kobe could then select guards from the substitute list to pair with these four interior titans and change the lineup according to Riley's instructions during the game...

But...

Because of the rule that starting players must start during All-Star Weekend...

Therefore, this would definitely be the NBA's highest average height starting lineup in All-Star Weekend history.

And on Su Feng's side...

Just thinking about the defensive lineup composed of Nowitzki, Iverson, and Nash...

Translating Kenny Smith's commentary into Chinese would be:

"Team Su Feng" is almost entirely "dream matchups."

And on the TV broadcast, when entering the first-round draft recap segment, the TV broadcasters also carefully posted the names of the fourteen Eastern and Western Conference players who would be entering the "horse pool."

East: O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Parker, Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, Wade, James.

West: McGrady, Hill, Gasol, Marion, Kidd, Brand, Webber.

In fact, the reason why Su Feng was not in a hurry to select interior players in the starting lineup was because there were still many interior role players waiting for him on this year's substitute list.

After Kobe single-handedly selected Duncan and Yao Ming, Su Feng made up his mind to select a lineup at this year's Denver All-Star Weekend that would allow him and his perimeter brothers to have their fill.

As for the outcome of the game?

Tsk...

Entertainment events, only children care about the outcome of All-Star games.

In Su Feng's view, the most important thing is to have fun at All-Star Weekend.

In Los Angeles, according to the rules, Kobe would select first in the substitute selection stage.

"I will use my pick to select Shaquille O'Neal, who was kicked into the Pacific Ocean by me and swam to the Atlantic coast.

Dear 'Big Shark,' the most dominant center in NBA history.

Welcome to join 'Team Kobe'!"

As early as after Christmas Eve, Kobe and O'Neal's relationship had improved due to someone.

Of course, the main reason why Kobe used his priority pick when selecting substitutes to select O'Neal...

Was still because Kobe wanted to smash Su Feng's head at this year's All-Star Weekend.

In Su Feng's previous life, many Kobe haters could even say that Kobe didn't understand basketball in order to hate on Kobe.

But in fact...

Kobe's basketball IQ was definitely at a historical level.

Therefore, as a basketball expert, how could Kobe not know the principle of "whoever controls the interior controls the world"?

Just look at the five interior titans of "Team Kobe"!

Online, in the view of fans...

It's unbelievable that Kobe could put together this lineup!

However, these people might not believe it if they were told...

In Su Feng's previous life, even without the draft mode, these five titans that Kobe selected tonight had also appeared on the same team during All-Star Weekend before the "Shark Eastward Journey."

Because...

This was the hellish survival environment for interior players in the West at the beginning of the 21st century in Su Feng's memory.

A terrifying era where even if you were subdued by Yao Ming, Yao haters would still insist that Yao Ming didn't meet many decent opponents in his era.

And regarding Kobe's naive idea of using interior dominance to crush him...

When it was his turn to draft, Su Feng smiled and said, "I will use my first overall pick in the first round of the substitute selection stage, as well as my second overall pick in the first round, to select Ben Wallace from the Motor City, and my lovely successor, 'Cavaliers Emperor' LeBron James!"

As a player who is good at getting beaten, in Su Feng's view, there was no player more suited for "Team Su Feng" this year than Ben Wallace.

And based on the muscles that Little Zhan Zhan has developed now...

In Su Feng's eyes, if you don't let James take a beating in the interior, then you can't expect Su Feng, such a big brother, to play inside in the All-Star game, right?

Anyway, no matter how much Little Zhan Zhan objected...

Su Feng would have Davis arrange for him to play inside.

Because if young people want to grow, they must take the most poisonous beatings.

And in Detroit, when Ben Wallace learned that Su Feng had taken the lead in selecting him when selecting substitutes, for a moment...

Ben Wallace felt that Su Feng still loved him.

However, after noticing the interior lineup of the opposing "Team Kobe"...

Ben Wallace, who was familiar with Su Feng's routine, quickly knew what Su Feng wanted him to do...

Don't joke around with Barkley and O'Neal's grandmothers!

With this group of interior players on "Team Kobe"...

Wouldn't he be hammered into the Motor City's "Little Alarm Clock" by then?

Meaning, he's already getting beaten up usually, and he has to get beaten up on All-Star Weekend too?

And what's even worse than usual is...

Ben Wallace believed that he would be beaten up even more badly than usual at this year's All-Star Weekend.

Because when asked why he selected Ben first, on the TV broadcast, Su Feng smiled and said, "Kobe is too naive. He thinks that he can win the game by selecting a bunch of interior stars.

But to be honest, in my eyes, Ben can definitely defend all the opposing interior players with his own strength."

Ben Wallace: "..."

Bro!

Can we talk properly!

Don't mention Yao Ming and O'Neal, even Stoudemire and Garnett are not pushovers!

"Su, do you mean that you think you can rest easy after selecting Ben?" The host on the side looked at Su Feng with a curious expression and asked.

Upon hearing this, after smiling, Su Feng said, "Of course, because Ben can completely shut out Shaq and the others in the game."

Ben Wallace: "..."

See, what is it called always thinking about Ben even when they are far apart?

In Su Feng's view, based on the brotherly love between him and Ben, he should feel very happy when he hears him praising his defense like this.

And in Cleveland, Little Zhan Zhan, who didn't know that he would be arranged to play inside by Su Feng at this year's All-Star Weekend, called Wade, who was selected into the Eastern Conference All-Star substitute lineup with him this year, as soon as he learned that Su Feng had selected him into "Team Su Feng."

It's just...

If Little Zhan Zhan knew the position that Su Feng had arranged for him in advance at this year's All-Star Weekend...

It was unknown whether he would still be as happy as he was now.

In Los Angeles, after Su Feng finished selecting players, Kobe selected Kidd and McGrady in his second substitute selection.

The former had formed a deep friendship with Kobe as early as the "Los Angeles Big Three" era.

And after selecting five interior players in a row, Kobe also knew that it was time for him to select perimeter teammates.

As for the latter...

On the TV screen, after using the term best point guard in his mind to describe Kidd, Kobe's face instantly fell and he said, "Although in the eyes of many people, he is only the fifth shooting guard in the NBA right now...

But considering that he once endorsed Adidas with me, I still decided to use my valuable selection slot to select him into my team.

Welcome to join 'Team Kobe,' Tracy McGrady."

In front of the TV, although McGrady had already been stabbed by Su Feng and Kobe before tonight's "draft" began...

But when he noticed the unwilling expression on Kobe's face when he read out his name...

McGrady hated that he didn't have a knife in his hand at the time.

Otherwise, he would immediately fly to Los Angeles and give Kobe a knife first.

Also...

What does it mean to be the fifth shooting guard in the NBA?

Damn it!

Even according to ESPN's evaluation, I'm ten thousand times better than my trashy cousin, okay? (Carter: ???)

And after Kobe's second selection ended, in Miami, Su Feng smiled and said, "There is such a player. I have watched him grow into one of the top wing defenders in the league.

He is a 'hacker' who can modify the programs of other offensive players on the court.

He is also the partner I most want to cooperate with.

Welcome to join 'Team Su Feng,' Shawn Marion!"

"In addition, you all know that as early as when I entered the league, I said in an interview that Grant Hill is my eternal idol.

Therefore...

Are you willing to fight alongside me again?

The absolute leader of the Phoenix Suns, Grant Hill, who can never burn out his energy on the court!"

As a top role player, Marion's athleticism can not only make up for the lack of defensive ability of "Team Su Feng" before.

Moreover, as a teammate who had fought alongside Nash in his memory, Su Feng was also very curious whether Nash and Marion could still spark on the court in this life.

And under the protection of the Suns' miracle doctor, Hill, who has always maintained his health, is not only very suitable for playing run-and-gun...

Su Feng still remembers...

Hill's encouragement to him when he played in his first All-Star game.

Therefore, selecting Hill in this draft was also Su Feng's way of repaying Hill for his kindness back then.

And in Los Angeles, through the remote screen, Kobe, watching Su Feng pick off Marion and Hill, whom he wanted to select, suddenly became unhappy.

Fortunately, however, Kobe still had backup plans in this draft.

Kobe, who was still impressed by Parker's sharp breakthroughs from his previous game against the Celtics, did not hesitate to select Parker and Wade in this draft.

In Kobe's view, none of the interior players that Su Feng selected could withstand Parker and Wade's dribbling on the court.

And in return, Su Feng calmly selected Gasol and Jermaine O'Neal.

The former can facilitate and connect the team's offense in the high post, whether it is in a set offense or a run-and-gun offense.

As for the latter...

Anyway, he is just a role player responsible for taking a beating.

So there's no need to care so much.

And next, after Kobe's last selection selected Pierce and Brand, Webber also joined Team Su Feng as a "bonus horse."

At this point, the draft for the Denver All-Star Weekend officially ended.

According to Su Feng and Kobe's selection, the members of "Team Su Feng" and "Team Kobe" are as follows:

"Team Su Feng" starters: Nowitzki, Su Feng, Ray Allen, Iverson, Nash.

"Team Su Feng" substitutes: Ben Wallace, James, Marion, Hill, Gasol, Jermaine O'Neal, Webber.

"Team Kobe" starters: Yao Ming, Stoudemire, Duncan, Garnett, Kobe.

"Team Kobe" substitutes: O'Neal, Kidd, McGrady, Parker, Wade, Pierce, Brand.

Online, after Su Feng and Kobe's draft ended, some favored "Team Kobe," while others favored "Team Su Feng."

Of course, compared to the "draft" itself, the memes created by Su Feng and Kobe during the selection process on this night were what people talked about most.

Some fans believed that this draft method not only made them full of anticipation for the upcoming All-Star Weekend, but also allowed these combinations, which could usually only live in the minds of fans, to be presented to the world through the wisdom of Su Feng and Kobe.

On "Team Su Feng" side, whether it was the "Su-Nash" or the unresolved love-hate relationship between "Iverson-Feng," the NBA's vast number of CP fans felt that they had become winners on this night.

And on "Team Kobe" side, the reunion of the "Los Angeles Big Three" and the collaboration between Duncan and Garnett, the two most recognized power forwards in the league, also allowed Kobe fans to straighten their backs and have the courage to confront Feng fans these days.

After all...

From the perspective of the lineup structure, most people were more optimistic about "Team Kobe" after the draft ended.

In New York, Stern felt that his assistant, Mark, deserved the first credit for the high level of attention that this year's All-Star Weekend could bring.

And since taking over the league from O'Brien in 1984...

This season...

Was exactly the 20th season of Stern as the NBA president.

Back then, when Stern took over the NBA, how could he have imagined that the NBA could have today's prosperity?

In Stern's view, if Michael Jordan brought the NBA to new heights in the first ten years of his presidency...

Then now...

It was time for him to tell people...

That he was a very sentimental person.

"He really knows how to please the fans too well." On this night, looking at the sky outside the window in New York, Stern, in a very pleasant mood, silently exclaimed.

And in Miami...

Su Feng, who didn't know that his good brother was preparing to push him to the altar, was planning how to do things at All-Star Weekend.

"Allen, do you want to play center?" After returning home, Su Feng called Allen Iverson first.

Upon hearing this, Iverson was immediately happy.

Because even though it would only be him playing center for about two minutes or so in the opening stages...

However...

Just thinking about how he would face off against Yao Ming in the game at that time...

Iverson felt that it would definitely be a picture that would go down in history.