The New Season is Coming, and the Era of Competition is Here!
"Mom, I want to play basketball!"
"Coach, let me go to China for further study, I want to become as strong as Lin!"
"Forget the Super Bowl; from now on, I'm focusing solely on the NBA!"
"It's an incredible score, amazing!"
United States, Salt Lake City, Summer League final arena.
As the game ended, the atmosphere reached its peak!
Lin Tianhui, who scored 85 points in the game, led the team in the third quarter, establishing a lead of over 20 points and turning the game into garbage time early!
In the end, the Suns won this peak match with a lopsided score of 109:73.
Lin Tianhui and Kidd also secured their first championship for the Suns!
Although the significance of this summer league championship can be debated, it is undoubtedly a good omen!
It's said that starting is the hardest part. Lin Tianhui, who just joined the NBA, has already won a championship for the Suns. Fans believe that in future games, he will surely turn the tide and create more glory for the team!
"Lin, you are a natural super scorer, congratulations on leading the team to victory!"
"Lin, can I have your autograph? You look so handsome on the court!"
"Lin, do you have a girlfriend? What do you think of me? Or we could grab a meal; I can do anything you want!"
"Lin, this is my child; let him play in China, just go to the school you attended, please tell me the address too!"
"Lin..."
As Lin Tianhui was about to leave the arena, a group of fans rushed up like crazy.
Their remarks left Lin Tianhui a bit stunned. He couldn't imagine that fans could be so enthusiastic!
Especially the crazy remarks from the female fans amazed him.
Now he finally understood why Zhang Dashuai had so many women. If things continued like this, he could have as many women as he wanted!
However, apart from the crazy remarks from the female fans, a basketball fan's comment also amused him.
"Man, are you sure you want to send your child to China to learn basketball?"
The fan nodded excitedly when Lin Tianhui took the initiative to communicate with him.
"I don't think I can solve this problem for you, but what I can tell you is that you have good insight. Maybe in the future, China will become a new basketball holy land!
Brother, do we play basketball together?
The one that doesn't serve the sideline!
Maybe one day, this will fill every street and alley!
"You mean, Lin actually scored 85 points in this game?"
Los Angeles, Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant, still training hard, looked at his father in shock.
If this had come from someone else, he might have doubted it.
But coming from his own father, it had to be true!
"Son, you have a long way to go. Don't worry too much about temporary gains and losses. Train hard, and maybe one day, you can score more than 80 points, and it will be in the NBA!"
Joe Bryant told Kobe about Lin Tianhui's score to motivate him to practice better.
He knew Kobe's talent, though strong, was not the top-notch.
And to gain a foothold in the NBA among strong players, Kobe must work harder than others.
Dedicated training all the time, humbly learning from each predecessor.
Only in this way could Kobe's achievements be higher!
"I will work hard; sooner or later, I will defeat Lin once!"
Kobe is proud, but not arrogant.
He dares to admit his current shortcomings and is willing to change them!
Joe Bryant nodded with satisfaction. If Kobe could always grow with such a mentality, he would definitely have a bright future!
After Lin Tianhui played 80+ performances in two consecutive Summer League games, the media began to report the incident widely.
"Lin is the chosen son of the champion, but it's a pity that the stupid 76ers missed him!"
The "New York Times" directly denied the 76ers' selection in this year's draft.
I don't know how such remarks will feel in Iverson's eyes.
"Lin will definitely grow into a superstar like Michael Jordan. Many people only see his offense, but don't forget, his defensive dominance is just as amazing!"
"Los Angeles Sports News" did not involve others but directly lifted Lin Tianhui to the same height as Michael Jordan. To be honest, few have enjoyed this treatment so far!
"It's time for the league's structure to change. This year's Western Conference is about to change!"
The "Seattle Evening News" implicitly mentioned Lin Tianhui's influence, believing that his joining had completely broken the league's original balance.
In addition, many newspapers also gave high praise to the rookie Lin Tianhui.
Clearly, after the Summer League's influence, people are looking forward to Lin Tianhui's performance after joining the NBA!
However, just a day later, such reports were replaced by more significant news.
First, there was the topic of Michael Jordan's whereabouts, which finally had a result.
I don't know if James Dolan's blank check impressed Jordan, but it made the Chicago Bulls sweat.
With the Bird rights, they quickly took countermeasures.
After a unanimous management vote, they matched the offer given to Jordan by the Knicks and offered a super contract with an annual salary of over 30 million.
Michael Jordan himself had no intention of leaving the Bulls, so he happily accepted the contract in the end!
Thus, the Jordan saga came to an end, and James Dolan and his Knicks became the runners-up again.
Unwilling, Dolan had no choice but to go with the alternative and acquired Allan Houston, the mid-range textbook!
Just when everyone was still immersed in the topic of Jordan's stay, another big news quietly arrived.
After much deliberation, Shaquille O'Neal turned down Orlando's insulting contract offer and joined the Los Angeles Lakers!
The Purple and Gold Dynasty went from a draft loser to a super winner in the league overnight!
Welcoming O'Neal, they will definitely become a dark horse in the Western Conference that cannot be ignored!
"Orlando is really stupid, letting go of Shaquille O'Neal who led them to the finals. I really don't know what the management is thinking. Don't they desire a championship?"
"Orlando's enthusiasm for O'Neal is not very high; they prefer Penny Hardaway. Although O'Neal and Hardaway led the team to beat Jordan and reached the finals, don't forget, in the finals, O'Neal was dominated by Olajuwon. It's a constant pain for Magic fans. The series score was really close!"
"It can only be said that the people in Los Angeles understand O'Neal better. The Magic fans are fine, but their management definitely has issues!"
On the day O'Neal was traded, remarks between him and the Magic began to spread.
Although such an operation confused many people, this is what happened in reality—the Shark really went west!
Lin Tianhui, back in Phoenix, also heard the news but didn't stir much since these stories had been stored in his mind for a long time, now just replaying again!
Jason Kidd approached Lin Tianhui after completing his team training.
"Hey bro, did you hear that Shaquille O'Neal went to the Lakers, and the Magic actually let him go?"
"I heard; they are really willing!"
Listening to Lin Tianhui's answer, Kidd also nodded.
Then his face became more serious.
"But bro, if you were the Magic management and had to choose between Hardaway and O'Neal, who would you choose?"
If this issue is considered from the perspective of future generations, Lin Tianhui would choose O'Neal without hesitation.
After all, his later dominance was evident to all!
But in the current environment, it's an extremely difficult decision.
Penny Hardaway is the most Michael Jordan-like player in the league today.
Even young Hardaway is more stable than Jordan when he was young. If he can grow steadily, there's hope to catch up with Jordan!
A player comparable to God—no management would let him go!
And Shaquille O'Neal is also a historic center.
It took him only four years since he joined the league in 1992 to become the most terrifying prehistoric beast on the inside!
Even in his third year, he led the team in the Eastern Conference finals, defeating the Bulls, where Michael Jordan returned in the last 17 games of the regular season!
Even if he unfortunately lost the finals, his average of 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists per game made him at least as good as Olajuwon, the league's first center at the time.
If not for lack of experience, and getting educated by Olajuwon at critical moments, O'Neal would have been consecrated!
Even if Orlando holds on to this mistake, it doesn't deny O'Neal's dominance in the slightest!
Choosing between such historic players is truly tormenting.
"I think if it were me, I wouldn't let any of them go. After all, the Orlando management has such an opportunity!"
After much hesitation, Lin Tianhui still couldn't choose and gave a different answer.
Kidd smiled and nodded; this question indeed has no clear response!
But Orlando Magic didn't seem to agree at all, and it's unclear what they were thinking!
However, regardless of who wins or loses in this trade, it will gradually fade from people's attention as time passes!
On September 28, US time, the new NBA season's training camp officially opened.
This summer, whether training with the team or vacationing, everyone returned, ready to welcome the new season!
The major media also mobilized to report on the new season and seize the opportunity!
Among many teams, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers are the most noticeable.
Jordan's stay and the Bulls' overall roster retention keep them competitive and favorites to win the new season!
O'Neal's move to Los Angeles brings renewed attention to the historically significant Purple and Gold Dynasty.
Even if they can't become the most formidable team in the new season, they will surely give any team in the league a headache!
While the media scrambled to cover Jordan's declaration for the new season, Phoenix's arena also unveiled their new lineup.
The new lineup, led by Charles Barkley, officially presented!
However, the media seemed less interested in Barkley and more in Lin Tianhui, the newcomer.
"Lin, you've won two consecutive championships in the NCAA League and the Rocky Mountain Summer League. The next step is the NBA journey. Are you ready for your first NBA championship?"
"Of course, I came here to win the championship. Phoenix should have a championship of its own!"
Faced with the reporters' questions, Lin Tianhui responded dominantly.
A new journey, new challenges, and new courage!
The strong deserve respect, and the hero dares to be the first!
At this moment, the attitude must be clear!
"Lin, I admire your courage, but the league is still dominated by Michael Jordan. Are you confident that you have the strength to defeat Jordan?"
The reporter's question was more acute, trying to gain attention.
"This question, I think after I have played against Jordan, the answer will naturally be revealed!"
Lin Tianhui's high emotional intelligence shone through!
He resolved the seemingly difficult question with a simple answer.
Subsequently, the media asked many questions, but all were subtly addressed by Lin Tianhui's methodical responses.
In the end, everyone knew one thing!
What do you want to know? See you on the field in the new season!