dmims Chapter 431 I'm going to give this MVP trophy to Michael! What?!
Chapter 431 I'm going to give this MVP trophy to Michael! What?!
Chapter 431 I'm going to give this MVP trophy to Michael! What? There are two MVP trophies?
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan and Lin Tian stood side by side, waiting for Stern to finish reading the long citation for the award.
After being booed by the fans for three minutes, the old man finally said the sentence that all the fans wanted to hear tonight.
"Tonight's MVP is... Lin Tian!"
"And Michael Jordan!"
Two MVPs!
This year, Wo Luen Shing is destined to have two leaders.
Lin Tian and Jordan accepted the MVP trophy together, then raised it high in the sky, enjoying the cheers and shouts of the fans.
"I'm so envious, Jason. Do you think I have a chance to become MVP?" Yao Ming looked at Lin Tian and Jordan and said, "Then we can raise the trophy together."
"I don't want to." Kidd shook his head without even thinking. "I don't want to be like an idiot, desperately raising my hands and barely reaching the MVP trophy base."
"Next year, next year it will definitely be our turn." Carter looked at Lin Tian, his heart filled with mixed emotions!
Honestly, he had a pretty good year after leaving the Pacers. His stats reached the best level of his career, and he finally became the team's leading outside scorer. At the same time, he basically didn't have to take the blame. Kidd was always the one to shoulder the responsibility.
The two inside players give him complete peace of mind when he takes a shot, because he believes they can grab the offensive rebounds.
With Harrington, his longtime basketball buddy, around every day, Carter couldn't have had a better year.
Low pressure, high pay, excellent data, large city, many activities, and good results.
For Carter, there was no place more comfortable or more suitable.
But right now, Carter felt a little strange. How should I put it?
After breaking up with his girlfriend, the poor young man worked hard and persevered until he became a big shot in his own right. When he went back to his ex-girlfriend, he found that she was doing much better than him.
That's incredibly heartbreaking.
"For the first time in NBA history, and possibly the last time, there will be two MVPs! This is the regular season MVP, not the All-Star MVP or anything like that! I don't think I need to repeat how small the probability of two people tying for first place is."
Barkley shouted excitedly into the microphone in the studio, "So, no matter what, let's remember this moment, remember this historic moment!"
"Lin won the MVP again after a year's absence, while Michael won it again at the age of 40 after his second comeback! He also became the oldest MVP in NBA history! I think this record is impossible for anyone, including Lin, to break!"
"At 40 years old, to maintain such high efficiency and terrifying energy; at 40 years old, to become the league's scoring champion and MVP—unprecedented and likely to remain so!"
"This year has truly been a magical year, a truly dramatic year, and a year that is unforgettable and leaves a lasting impression!"
Kenny said, "This year has truly been filled with so many memorable events, and so many unpredictable and unimaginable things! Now, let's see which team, the Nets or the Pacers, will have the last laugh and which will emerge victorious from the East!"
On the court, Stern smiled and handed the microphone to Jordan, who was closest to him, so that he could share his thoughts on winning the MVP award.
"I'm very happy." This MVP might mean more to Jordan than any of his other MVPs! Because it's the MVP he won after being mocked, abandoned, and kicked out of the club, and after successfully proving himself again!
This was clearly more exciting for him than winning the MVP award at the peak of his career.
"I'm not old yet! I'm still at my peak. As long as I want, and as long as there's a need, I can continue to deliver unparalleled performances!"
"I am still Michael Jordan!"
"I am..." Jordan paused for a rare moment, then put his arm around Lin Tian's shoulder: "We are the kings of the world! The basketball world belongs to the two of us!"
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"Michael! Lin!"
"Together forever!"
"Locked together! Never to be apart!"
"Give me a kiss!"
???
As the cheers and shouts from the scene grew increasingly off-track and strange, a huge question mark appeared in Lin Tian's mind.
These football fans, they can eat anything, damn it?
"Where's Lin?" Stern smiled and handed the microphone to Lin Tian, indicating that he could also say a few words.
"I've decided to give this year's MVP to Michael!" Lin Tian immediately revealed his true colors, speaking before Jordan could realize anything was amiss. "This is definitely Michael's last one, while I'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Also, I have a three-time MVP trophy, but Michael doesn't."
"As his brother, I felt I had to give Michael something he had that I didn't: a double MVP trophy! Three-time MVPs are rare, but there are always a few! But a double MVP trophy, there's only one in NBA history!"
"This MVP trophy is for Michael! A one-of-a-kind, one-of-a-kind MVP trophy!"
Lin Tian's words undoubtedly caused a burst of laughter from the fans in the audience. Barkley, who was broadcasting live in the TNT studio, disappeared from his seat again, laughing so hard he fell off his chair.
What kind of person, how shameless, could possibly do this tonight, at this time, in this kind of setting, and still not let Jordan off the hook, making fun of him like this!
In the whole world, there's probably only one bastard like Lin Tian who could be this shameless!
"Where's Michael? How are you? Do you want to say something?" Stern knew all too well how to create a good show, and he knew exactly what fans around the world wanted to see. He immediately steered the conversation back to Jordan.
"Fuck! I'm not buying his act! I don't need his pity. I have plenty of MVPs out there. Besides, I don't know this bastard, and I don't want to know this bastard! I hope he dies right now."
"Michael, think about it. If the giant screen on the ceiling suddenly falls down in five seconds, and your last words to me are that you wish I were dead right now," Lin Tian said with a grin. "Would you regret it?"
"No way!" Jordan declared, not buying it. He gripped the MVP trophy tightly with both hands and pulled it away from Lin Tian.
Hmm... He says one thing but does another; even the God of Basketball has gone bad.
Do you still remember that innocent version of Jordan who threw the MVP trophy to Lin Tian to show off, but could only watch Lin Tian leave clutching the trophy?
Now look at Jordan, who complains about it but still protects the MVP trophy.
Alas, things have changed! The world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be!
"Well, I'm very happy that Lin is so generous, and I also thank Michael for his contributions, but I have something to say." Stern scratched his forehead, then pointed to another little golden statue that was lying there very pitifully, completely ignored by the two of them.
"MVP trophy, aren't there two of them?"
"I know, that's why I gave that to Michael!"
"Fuck you! Go to hell!"
Jordan cursed and kicked Lin Tian, causing the entire audience to burst into laughter once again!
It's rare to see two MVPs putting on a hilarious show right there on stage!
After Lin Tian and Jordan put on this comedic performance, this unique and historic double MVP award ceremony came to an end.
Next up is tonight's main event—the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals!
In some ways, this match garnered far more attention than the first game of a typical regional final.
As for the reason, it's quite simple.
Previously, Pacers games were only watched by Pacers, Lin Tian, and Jordan fans, but the haters definitely wouldn't bother watching them. They were only interested in games where the Pacers lost or Lin Tian had a poor performance.
Given Lin Tian's current state, it would be extremely difficult to see him falter!
If they can get away with one win out of ten games and make things easier for them, that would be considered good.
But tonight, many people, including Lin Tian's die-hard fans, believe that Lin Tian will most likely underperform tonight.
That's an ultra-long-distance flight of nearly 2 kilometers and requires two round trips due to time differences!
Normal people would probably experience endocrine disorders and physiological dysfunction at this time, and might not be able to poop for three days.
Playing basketball? Or high-intensity games like the NBA?
That's impossible!
At the very least, according to common sense, it's impossible!
What kind of physical and mental fortitude does it take to not falter under such circumstances against an opponent of the Nets' caliber?
Most people felt that if Lin Tian could deliver a passable performance tonight, that would be considered very good!
So, on this night, many of Lin Tian's haters, people who disliked Lin Tian and Jordan, those who hated Indiana, and those who were eager to see them make a fool of themselves, all turned on their TVs and sat in front of their televisions.
Many people even pre-ordered pizzas, champagne, fried chicken, hamburgers, cola, and other items to celebrate the moment when Lin Tian performed poorly and was brutally kicked in the butt by the Nets.
Such opportunities are rare!
We must seize this opportunity!
Countless people have already started planning how to scold Lin Tian after his poor performance in this match!
If Lin Tian is in poor form and the team loses, it means Lin Tian is dragging the whole team down, he's trash!
If Lin Tian is in poor form and the team wins, it means this is Jordan's team, and Lin Tian is just a second-best player on a team that relies on him!
If the team loses when Lin Tian is in good form, it's because the whole team was trying to help him find his rhythm, which caused everyone else to lose their rhythm. Selfish!
If Lin Tian is in good form, the team will win. Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
This situation is absolutely impossible!
Therefore, with all these factors combined, the viewership ratings for the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals exploded!
More than 1200 million people were watching before the match even started!
As the start time of the match drew closer, the number of participants continued to increase rapidly.
This means that those who hated Lin Tian and weren't interested in him lifting the MVP trophy turned on the TV!
1700 million!
1900 million!
2100 million!
Stern sat in the VIP box, listening to the staff report the viewership numbers time and time again, and he felt a surge of excitement!
What he's most looking forward to right now is that Lin Tian can make one more trip before the finals begin!
The viewership for the finals would explode!
What a pity! Why was it a few days too early?
Why can't this damn Laureus Awards be presented in early June?
These people are really incompetent!
They don't know how to ride the wave of trends, they don't know how to generate traffic! No wonder you're just a worthless award that nobody cares about or pays attention to! You deserve it!
While Stern was still fantasizing about how to get Lin Tian to go to Africa again before the finals started, the competition had already begun!
The Pacers have changed their starting lineup!
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers changed their starting lineup.
Lin Tian, Arenas, Jordan, Webber, and Ben Wallace!
Carlisle replaced Christie, whose offensive performance had declined significantly and who now only had defensive attributes, with the more unpredictable and offensively potent Arenas.
Carlisle's purpose in changing his tactics couldn't be clearer.
We'll shoot you from the outside and crush your net with our offense!
At the same time, he will definitely use pick-and-roll mismatches to constantly attack the Nets' two big men!
This is also Carlyle's consistent approach to problems.
If the opponent's strengths can be addressed by our side, then the opponent has no strengths.
If the opponent's strengths cannot be addressed with the existing personnel, then there's no need to address them. Instead, leverage your own strengths to make the opponent's strengths less significant than yours. The result will be the same: the opponent will still have no strengths!
This starting lineup was used for a while at the beginning of the season when Carlisle was unsure about Jordan's form. However, after discovering that Jordan's offensive firepower was comparable to Lin Tian's, and that he had returned to his peak, he quickly changed his starting lineup again.
Now is the time to bring out this lineup again!
As for the Nets, their starting lineup still features the four superstars: Kidd, Carter, Yao Ming, and Gasol, plus small forward, the defensive specialist nicknamed "Mosquito" Kittles.
This lineup is also well-rounded in both offense and defense, capable of both speed and shooting. Especially after Carter joined the team this season, it has made up for the Nets' fatal weakness of insufficient outside shooting ability!
In addition, the league's perimeter players this year are too abnormal. There are double scoring champions like Jordan and Lin Tian, and Kobe and McGrady who average 30 points per game and have top-notch team records. Among such a bunch of monsters, Carter's good performance this year immediately seems unremarkable.
Even if something is ordinary, it depends on who you compare it to.
他本赛季场均可是能够贡献24.5分4.3篮板3.1助攻的全能数据，同时命中率高达47%，39%和81%！
This year, he has only just begun to reach his peak and has only just begun to become one of the league's top perimeter scorers.
After all, Lin Tian, Miller and others shone too brightly on the Pacers, but he really came to the Nets with the identity of a savior and countless expectations!
At the very least, New Jerseyans believe: this is the final piece of the puzzle for the team!
As the ten players walked onto the court, Carter, Yao Ming, Kidd, and others went up to hug Lin Tian and Jordan, congratulating them and saying they would definitely beat them today.
Well, Yao Ming's focus is different from the others.
"Brother Lin, did Director Xin really say the Earth is flat?"
"Otherwise what? Can a video really lie?"
"This is outrageous, so outrageous that I think the video has been edited." Yao shook his head and said, "I still can't believe it! Do you think it's possible that Director Xin has been brainwashed, or that his family has been kidnapped, or that someone deliberately tricked him by adding this sentence to his speech?"
"I think what you're saying is even more outrageous than the idea that the Earth is flat."
"Who would kidnap someone's family just so they could say the earth is flat?" Lin Tian rolled his eyes, indicating that his little brother was overthinking things.
"Really, you didn't set him up? Based on my experience and understanding of the two of you, he was bound to offend you during this trip to Europe. That guy is just that annoying! But I haven't heard of you using any other methods to get back at him, so the only possibility is that 'the earth is flat' is your way of getting revenge!"
"Do you think I have mind magic, or that I can brainwash people, or that I can use some kind of witchcraft or soul-shifting technique?" Lin Tian firmly denied it.
"You don't know these things," Yao Ming shook his head and said, "but I think it's definitely because of you."
"Hurry up and jump the ball." Lin Tian impatiently kicked Yao Ming in the butt to stop him from talking nonsense. If he kept talking nonsense, this guy might actually come up with something close to the truth.
"Lin! Watch your behavior! No bullying! No hitting anyone! Otherwise, I'll send you off!" Referee Crawford immediately threatened Lin Tian, saying, "You better watch out today!"
Lin Tian shrugged, too lazy to pay him any attention. He had long since stopped listening to the referees' monotonous threats and nonsense before the match.
Dude, I'm a veteran!
After the usual threats, Crawford signaled for everyone to get onto the pitch and into their proper positions.
Then, the game began!
"Beep beep!"
He tossed the basketball into the air, and Yao Ming, who is 226 cm tall, and Ben Wallace, who is only 208 cm tall including his hair, jumped at the same time.
"Snapped!"
Kidd grabbed the basketball, then quickly turned around, raised one hand, and shouted:
"No rush! Stay calm! Let's play to our strengths!"
"What's Jason's advantage?" Lin Tian knew Kidd's abilities very well; he knew that this guy was good at everything except scoring! Especially his passing, which was unpredictable.
Therefore, we must not relax our defense against him just because he misses a shot, giving him too many opportunities to handle the ball easily.
We must always be vigilant, watching out for him finding open spaces and creating opportunities for his teammates to shoot.
"Our advantage is definitely in the paint! Do either of your inside players exceed 2 meters?" Kidd wasn't in a hurry to attack. He turned his body to protect the ball and began to advance the ball at a leisurely pace.
"Yeah, Ben! Our Ben is 210 centimeters tall!" Lin Tian blurted out, eyes wide and mouth agape, "I think he's even taller than your Bao!"
"You son of a bitch, have some shame!" Kidd kept talking nonsense to Lin Tian, but his eyes never stopped. He quickly threw the ball out to Kittles, who had slipped out from the baseline. Kittles faced Arenas' defense, raised his hand to fake a move, and then accelerated towards the basket.
After dribbling once, Kittles was already under the basket, and then he pulled up and shot, easily making a layup!
He truly deserves to be called the representative of the slender small forward position in the league. Perhaps his skills are not delicate or beautiful, but his main approach is simple, practical, efficient and concise!
"I know what you're up to, Lin! You want to improve your offense, right?" Kidd said smugly after securing an assist, "But you're just asking for trouble! We'll completely crush you!"
"I'm really looking forward to it!" Lin Tian smiled after receiving the ball from the baseline, then suddenly bent down and accelerated, launching a direct attack towards the frontcourt!
"Whoosh!"
Kidd only felt a gust of wind pass by his ear, and he even felt his non-existent hair being fluttered by Lin Tian's sudden movement!
Because he never expected Lin Tian to accelerate and force his way through so directly, Kidd, having lost the initiative, had no time or possibility to catch up with Lin Tian.
Although he sprinted as fast as he could, trying to get back to his defensive position, it was clearly too late!
When he was parallel to Lin Tian again, Lin Tian suddenly stopped and pulled back, then turned and dribbled to completely blow past Kidd, and drove to the basket for a layup!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian attacked the paint and scored 2 points!
Lin Tian's attack was seamless, with almost no pauses or wasted time. When he successfully scored two points with a layup, Yao Ming and Pau Gasol of the Nets had only just stepped into their three-point lines.
Catching up? Defending? Protecting the rim?
Let's talk about it next time!
"You bastard, you didn't actually go to Europe, did you?" Kidd couldn't help but ask, looking at Lin Tian's still ghostly speed and seemingly unaffected movements. "Otherwise, how come you weren't affected at all?"
"Jason was affected, so of course I was affected too," Lin Tian said. "But you just can't feel it."
"If you don't understand, let me give you an example. I used to be able to run 9 meters in 5 seconds, but now, because of travel fatigue and jet lag, I can only run it in 10 seconds. Doesn't that count as an impact?"
"But whether it's 9.5 seconds or 10 seconds, you, who runs 100 meters in over 12 seconds, what difference could you possibly make! A single acceleration can leave you so far behind you won't even catch a whiff of their exhaust!"
"Do you know now?"
"Shut up!" Kidd rolled his eyes. To be honest, as a top NBA star, and someone who grew up being praised and adored by countless people around him, Kidd was also incredibly narcissistic and confident!
Or to put it another way, out of the more than 400 players in the entire NBA, at least 350 are extremely narcissistic and confident guys.
But honestly, Lin Tian is a guy who can exude an aura of arrogance and confidence at any time and in any place. He's truly one of a kind!
If the NBA were to award a "Most Narcissistic and Secretly Flirtatious Award in History," Jason Kidd would definitely vote for Jeremy Lin and would mobilize all his connections to persuade others to vote for Lin as well.
Well... of course, it's probably unnecessary.
Because most other people probably think the same way!
They must think the same way Kidd does.
In the Nets' second offensive possession, the ball finally reached Carter's hands. After receiving the ball, Carter quickly lowered his center of gravity and faced off against his senior from North Carolina and his greatest idol in life.
"I've imagined facing you in the playoffs countless times!" Carter, who rarely trash-talks, unusually spoke up. "Now my dream has come true."
"So in your fantasy, you always get crushed, is that it?" Jordan sneered. "Otherwise, how can it be called a dream come true?"
"You're 40!" Carter said very honestly. "If you were 30, maybe I wouldn't be a match for you, but at 40, I'm not afraid!"
"Whatever. What I wanted to say was, by the way, what's your name again? Sorry, I can't remember the names of small fry." That's Jordan's trash-talking style: relentlessly belittling all his opponents, his calm demeanor brimming with mockery and disdain.
"Snapped!"
After hearing this, Carter didn't say anything more. He knew the time had come. The basketball slammed heavily on the floor, and he unleashed his signature long stride to break through!
This move utilizes his explosive power, his super-long first step, and top-notch frequency to break through the opponent with instantaneous explosive force. In addition, his strength is better than most opponents in the same position, allowing him to use his shoulder to push the opponent aside and create a comfortable space for him to strike.
Therefore, this trick has been proven effective time and time again!
But tonight he's facing Jordan!
Or rather, he encountered Jordan in the 98 season!
It's much better than he imagined!
"Bang!"
Carter's first step, which he relied on for survival, failed to get past Jordan. Jordan even predicted his driving route and blocked him firmly on the perimeter, preventing him from making a cut inside!
Carter then had to quickly turn to the other side and continue accelerating to try to break through, but Jordan's lateral movement was incredibly fast! He always kept himself in front of Carter.
After failing to find a comfortable offensive opportunity through several changes of tactics, Carter stopped hesitating and suddenly gathered the ball and passed it across to Kittles on the other side.
Before Kittles could even receive the ball, Arenas, who had been silently waiting behind him, rushed out and slapped the ball away. Then, he added a touch to the ball towards the three-point line, and the basketball immediately flew towards the top of the arc!
Lin Tian aimed at the basketball and, without even bothering to box out Kidd, simply stretched out his arm and slapped the ball towards the empty frontcourt behind him!
"Is this going to be a turnover? There isn't a single Pacers player in the direction Lin dribbled! Did he think Michael was already cutting to the basket? Too bad, Michael is still around the waist! He's not cutting to the basket at all!" Barkley said with some concern, after all, this play looked like a turnover no matter how you looked at it!
But how could Lin Tian let this shot go wrong?
After dribbling the basketball, he quickly circled around Kidd, positioning himself to face the frontcourt and the basketball, while simultaneously blocking Kidd completely behind him.
Next up is the ultimate speed demonstration!
"Whoosh!"
Kidd once again felt his hair, which was in a parallel world, being lifted up by Lin Tian. He could only watch helplessly as Lin Tian easily shook him off and then charged to the frontcourt for a powerful dunk!
The difference in speed is too great!
This time, Kidd wasn't in a hurry.
Lin Tian's two lightning-fast attacks made Kidd realize that if it came down to individual ability, especially the individual ability of perimeter players, the Nets would definitely lose badly!
In this round of competition, the slower the better! The more team-oriented the better! The more stable the better!
Only in this way can the Nets have a chance to win!
This time, Kidd didn't look for Carter who was actively asking for the ball. Instead, he raised his hand and gestured a few times, indicating that he was going to execute a play.
Then Gasol quickly set a screen for him. After the screen was set, Kidd found with some helplessness that neither Lin Tian nor Webber cared about his three-point shot. Instead, they both ran to the free-throw line with Gasol.
This ball was really awkward.
Go ahead and vote, Kidd really doesn't want to.
If I don't vote, there's such a big open space.
Fortunately, Kidd is Kidd, one of the best point guards in the league. Although he was embarrassed, he did not stop or hesitate at all.
He jumped up quickly, seemingly to shoot, but just as he reached his highest point, he slammed the basketball into the paint!
"Whoosh!"
Now it was the Pacers players' turn to feel the wind!
Yao Ming, the center, easily received the cannonball-like pass, then quickly turned and hooked the ball with a sideways jump shot, sending it effortlessly into the basket!
Ben Wallace was truly helpless against Yao Ming's style of play, which involved not only refusing to dribble but also completely avoiding placing the ball below the neck.
He really couldn't reach it!
Not to mention, Yao Ming used a hook shot that was practically a bug for his height.
A 226cm giant even used a side hook to complete his attack.
Defense? Block?
Stop talking nonsense!
All Big Ben could do was hold his ground, push outwards with all his might, and then pray.
Let's hope Yao Ming doesn't have a good shooting night and misses this shot.
Besides that, what else can Ben do? He can't do anything!
Fortunately, although he couldn't defend against Yao Ming's deep-positioned one-on-one play, he still remembered what he was supposed to do and Carlisle's pre-match instructions.
He quickly picked up the ball, went outside the boundary, found Lin Tian, and immediately passed the ball to him.
After receiving the ball, Lin Tian once again charged forward recklessly, determined to set the pace of the game!
This time, however, the Nets' retreat defense was truly in place. Not only did defensive experts Kidd and Kittles contain Lin Tian immediately, but even Gasol retreated in advance when Yao Ming attempted a hook shot, returning to his defensive position immediately.
(End of this chapter)