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Dragon Emperor in Pokemon World.
The return of Itachi
I am Sasuke. Why should I defect from Konoha.
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***
On June 9, 2003, Richard Sandmire, a columnist for The New York Times, launched an indiscriminate attack with a single word as the headline:
"CLOWN!"
"The San Antonio Spurs are a joke. They've shown all fans the true bottom line, and they've ruined the Finals."
"ABC's broadcasters are as stupid as the San Antonio Spurs. Brad Nessler is completely unsuitable for sports commentary!"
"Nessler lacked rhythm, enthusiasm, and rarely interacted with his partner during the game, ignoring the score and even Clay Lee's brilliant performance!"
"The entire broadcast team ignored that intentional foot-stepping after the game. Bruce Bowen didn't want to hurt anyone? It's not April Fool's Day yet!"
"The truth is that God has always favored Lee. God loves New York, and those who defy God's will will not come to a good end."
"."
The first half of the article analyzed how Lee broke the San Antonio Spurs' zone Defense and how the New York Knicks created opportunities using mismatch offenses.
But in the latter part of the article, the style changed abruptly, and it started to continuously output criticism.
The New York Post, seeking attention, brought up more conspiracy theories:
"A Murderer!"
The article quoted Head Coach Popovich's words during the game and then, with sound reasoning, recounted how the San Antonio Spurs had plotted for four years to harm the New York Knicks.
Several mainstream New York newspapers, by coincidence, began to put a bigger label on this foul.
The Los Angeles Times, which had recently been focused on the internal conflicts of the Lakers, also became energized at this point.
The Lakers' beat reporter had confidently stated after last night's game:
"Bruce Bowen is the dirtiest defender!"
"The San Antonio Spurs use this kind of Defense to intimidate our players. We didn't lose to our opponents. We lost to the referees' indulgence."
"The Lakers should have made it to the Finals. We should have defended our title!"
Their zone-breaking was poor, and the Lakers' outside shooting was off.
In just one night, everyone found another "decent excuse."
The "self-deceiving" Lakers fans all felt that the Los Angeles Times was right.
How could the OK Combo lose to the San Antonio Spurs?
The Finals were all about crushing weak teams.
The New York Knicks won by large margins in every game.
The Lakers would never lose to such an opponent!
The Los Angeles sports media, as if suffering from collective amnesia the next day, followed suit, scrambling to find excuses for the Lakers, and incidentally, "kicking the San Antonio Spurs hard."
After last night's game, the most exciting part was not the game itself, but Head Coach Popovich's change of face in his post-game statement.
During the game, when Duncan fell, Head Coach Popovich was red-faced and furious, cursing Kurt Thomas.
However, when interviewed after the game, he seemed to have amnesia:
"Unfortunately, that was just an accident. Bruce is an excellent defender. He doesn't want to hurt anyone!"
"We re-watched that play. Clay jumped too high, and there was physical contact between three people. Bruce bumped into two people, and that's how this tragedy happened."
"Bruce is almost 32 years old. He's also a veteran. He couldn't retract his foot in time. He was just a bit clumsy."
"This year, he was just selected to the All-Defense Second Team. San Antonio Spurs fans love him. Off the court, he always serves the community. Bruce is a kind person!"
"."
Whenever asked about his on-court performance, Head Coach Popovich would answer by talking about Bruce Bowen's other side in life.
As a unified team, Head Coach Popovich and Duncan, as the team leaders, naturally understood Bowen's Defense.
The entire team benefited, so naturally, everyone had to stick together at this time and firmly deny that it was intentional.
Tim Duncan was unable to be interviewed due to injury.
The other San Antonio Spurs players all stood by their teammate, with everyone sharing the same view:
"That was just an accident! Bruce is a good guy!"
With the Finals' suspense gone, the New York Media's shouting quickly made the incident go viral.
Although the Nets were eliminated, the New Jersey Devils made it to the Finals this year.
The evening of the 9th happened to be Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (NHL).
Before the New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Mighty Ducks game began, players from both teams started urging more people to watch the game.
ESPN and ABC also broadcasted this hockey game.
Chief commentator Gary Thorne, when talking about last night's NBA Finals, also mocked:
"I thank Nessler for promoting tonight's game, but I still want to say that this year's NBA Finals are too boring."
"If it weren't for Clay Lee's records, I wouldn't even pay attention to this series."
"When a series is remembered for a core player getting injured, it is undoubtedly a failure. Competitive sports shouldn't be like this!"
There were more than two days of rest between Finals Game 3 and Game 4.
Although sports reporters wanted to dig out more gossip, the San Antonio Spurs were a united team, and they kept their mouths shut.
On the morning of the 10th, the San Antonio Spurs officially announced Tim Duncan's injury:
"Left ankle sprain, Grade 2."
This kind of injury requires at least a week of rest.
The San Antonio Spurs have confirmed that Tim Duncan will miss Finals Game 4.
Without their true leader, the series completely lost its suspense, and even the battle for honor was gone.
NBA Commissioner David Stern and league staff also flew to San Antonio.
The New York Knicks were scheduled to be awarded tomorrow night, so everyone had to rehearse in advance.
This was ABC's first award ceremony for the Finals, and both sides took it very seriously.
David Stern's face was grim during the interview.
NBC's reason for not renewing their contract with the NBA was:
"The NBA is on the decline, and we are losing money year by year!"
This year's Finals viewership declined.
Although ABC and ESPN promoted it vigorously, the effect would still not be great.
The result of Game 4 was known without even playing it, so a portion of fans were bound to give up watching.
These two days, the league had been promoting Lee's 12th 40+ point game in the Finals.
Besides these records, this year's Finals had very few selling points.
When asked about Tim Duncan's injury, David Stern merely stated before the media:
"The league does not want to see any player injured. Injuries have always been the players' natural enemy."
"Clay Lee's suggestion is excellent. During the offseason, we will discuss adding some rules to protect our players. The league hopes fans can enjoy the most exciting basketball games!"
"."
Although TNT was unable to broadcast the Finals, they had been frantically latching onto hot topics these past two days.
Yesterday, they were still discussing whether Tim Duncan could make a "heroic return" and whether the San Antonio Spurs could turn the series around.
After getting confirmed news, the trio on the show also started to follow suit and discuss the impact of Bruce Bowen.
Charles Barkley somewhat disdained such petty moves and, when the topic came up, said with a curled lip:
"We've been in the league for many years, and many teams have some special tricks."
"But I don't like these. If I wanted to increase my defensive deterrence, facing a smaller player like Clay Lee, I would just knock him straight to the floor."
"Or provoke him into a man-to-man fight and both get ejected. That's simple, isn't it?"
"The San Antonio Spurs can deceive themselves with excuses, but we all know what's going on!"
The three in the studio were all wearing suits.
Kenny Smith suddenly pulled out his chair, pulled his partner down, gestured with his hand to compare heights, and then teased:
"I think Lee is as tall as you! He's not a small guy. In fact, smaller guards can't defend him at all, and it's the same for forwards against Lee!"
"Hey! I'm talking about his playing style. Lee doesn't compete with big guys in the low post like I do. Height isn't important."
Charles Barkley didn't like his old partner teasing him about his height.
Many people had said that if he were 10 centimeters taller, he might have won a championship.
Ernie Johnson watched the two return to their seats with a smile.
He didn't mind talking about this sensitive topic:
"Head Coach Popovich believes this foot-stepping was just an accident, and he thinks Bruce Bowen has never intentionally harmed any player. What are your thoughts on this?"
Kenny Smith raised an eyebrow from the side and quickly gave an example:
"In fact, Bowen is a thug. He gets contracts in the league by playing that kind of Defense."
"I don't want to comment on that way of survival, but he has already injured many players."
"If I'm not mistaken, in the 2000 regular season, when the Heat and the Toronto Raptors played, Bowen stepped on Vince Carter's foot, and that injury sidelined Carter for a week."
"As for him drop-kicking Brent Barry of the Seattle SuperSonics and tripping Szczerbiak of the Timberwolves, some fans might have forgotten."
"That wasn't a normal landing, we all know what he was trying to do."
Charles Barkley started bringing up old scores after hearing the question:
"This kind of thing is common in the NBA. Chuck Daly was a great Head Coach, but when he coached the Detroit Pistons, he was indeed an asshole!"
"The San Antonio Spurs should frankly admit to this team culture, it's no big deal."
Ernie Johnson glanced at the big mouth beside him.
With these words out, they were sure to be complained about by San Antonio Spurs fans again.
On June 11, at 8:30 PM that night, the SBC Center would host Game 4 of the Finals.
The Heat of Bruce Bowen's clumsy accidental injury had fermented for three days and now surpassed the game itself.
Everyone had seen situations where a player injured an opponent's star, but many were experiencing tripping their own leader for the first time.
To protect the players, Head Coach Popovich had avoided letting Bruce Bowen give interviews until the afternoon warm-up, when Bruce Bowen, at the center of public opinion, finally made a statement:
"I have never intentionally harmed any player, nor do I want to harm anyone."
"I feel worse than anyone about Tim's injury!"
Repeatedly reiterating "I am a good person," Bruce Bowen, just like he always spread his hands to the referee to show innocence after every trip, sincerely expressed his guilt to the sports media interviewing him.
As the victim, Tim Duncan also appeared at the SBC Center.
Although he was wearing a San Antonio Spurs training uniform, he sat on the sidelines throughout the warm-up.
As the team's leader, Tim Duncan was naturally not a pure white lotus.
Perhaps this was not his intention, but the San Antonio Spurs were the beneficiaries of the "trip."
If a small step could bring the championship, then Tim Duncan, who won the FMVP, would only be praised for defeating a 73-win team!
In competitive sports, only champions are worth remembering.
Losers only deserve "IF."
A large number of media reporters surrounded Tim Duncan, everyone wanted to hear what he would say.
These past two days, the San Antonio sports media continued to call for Head Coach Popovich's dismissal.
Being swept out of the Finals, David Robinson's championship dream shattered, everyone attributed all the reasons to the Head Coach, and Head Coach Popovich once again became the scapegoat!
Tim Duncan briefly introduced his injury.
When asked about Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan maintained the same view as Head Coach Popovich:
"That was just an accident! There were four players under the basket at the time, and I just accidentally stepped on a teammate's foot."
"Bruce is a good person, off the court, he has always helped our community."
"Everyone likes him, I don't think he wants to hurt any player. Now we just want to focus on tonight's game, the series is not over yet!"
Looking at the calm Tim Duncan, a New York Times reporter suddenly asked with a chuckle:
"Tim Duncan, how many points do you think the San Antonio Spurs will lose by tonight?"
"."
Watching Tim Duncan, who had been silent for a moment, restart with diplomatic words, some New York reporters began to chuckle.
Tonight, everyone was here to witness the awards ceremony and, incidentally, enjoy the San Antonio Spurs' collapse.
Starting yesterday, NBA staff and ABC broadcasters began rehearsing the awards ceremony.
Seeing such a scene, the San Antonio Spurs players automatically entered a state of "post-game silence."
James Dolan fired a broadside after Game 3:
"I know Texas, just like human trafficking cases appear here, they always like to challenge the rules!"
The curly-haired owner's words stirred up a hornet's nest.
Not long ago, a heinous human smuggling case had just occurred in this city, but San Antonio's geographical location made it a transit point, and the city was just a scapegoat.
Such arrogant words also made San Antonio Spurs fans particularly angry.
Before the game, in the visiting team's locker room, a large number of sports media surrounded Clay Lee again.
At this point, there was no need to lend out the championship.
Everyone knew that Lee would officially enter the discussion of the greatest players in history this year.
An ESPN reporter was eager to push Lee to the "altar":
"Clay, data expert Hollinger believes your performance this year has surpassed all players in NBA history. He believes you are already the greatest in history."
"After winning your fifth championship, do you agree with this view?"
Reporters gathered in a large circle quickly moved their recording equipment in front of Lee.
Lee was well-prepared for such a cliché topic and answered calmly:
"Different eras have different rules, and different rules produce different stars."
"Now the NBA has a restricted area, defensive three seconds, and allows zone Defense. The changes brought by these rules are visible to the naked eye!"
"The background of each era is different. I prefer to call myself the best player of this era."
Although Lee's answer also implied that he would win his fifth championship tonight, everyone had no objection.
This was a natural outcome.
"16 wins and 0 losses, the best playoff record in history, Clay, congratulations on setting another new record!"
"Can you talk about the New York Knicks' performance this year? It's truly incredible."
Lee also smiled when he heard this question.
He had fulfilled his promise and didn't want to be hit by a boomerang:
"Coach D'Antoni has added new tactical ideas for us, and the coaching staff has done a lot of preparation work for every game!"
"We have experienced a lot this season. Training sessions are actually very boring, and there are Rookie players on the team. Everyone has united and put in tremendous effort."
"As for the new record set in the playoffs, I think this is the reward everyone deserves!"
"Look at our bench, Knight can control the team's offensive rhythm, and everyone has seen how excellent Stephen Jackson is."
"Although Tayshaun Prince looks thin in his first year as a Rookie, he is a tough guy. Trying to guard him with a guard will definitely be punished!"
"Amar'e Stoudemire is simply a beast. He won Rookie of the Year, and he can destroy all Defense in the paint."
"Wright's stats cannot reflect his role. He is the defensive core of the rotation's interior and an underrated rim protector."
"An excellent rotation allowed us to get through the regular season healthy. This season is a team victory. After a Finals loss, I hope fans who support the New York Knicks will like this gift!"
Lee began to summarize the series, and the surrounding sports media didn't feel anything was wrong.
Anyway, the game was definitely won tonight, and getting some information in advance was also good.
Everyone in the New York Knicks locker room was interviewed, all smiling.
The front office had prepared the championship arrival, and champagne was ready!
The Rookie players experiencing such a scene for the first time were naturally very excited.
Even if they would leave the team in less than two years, many atmosphere players were still enjoying the process.
For many, a championship is an unattainable goal, and they might never experience such a moment in their entire careers.
Mike specifically got a haircut, and the exquisite side part paired with a black pinstripe suit made Head coach Mike D'Antoni look a few years younger.
The coaching staff were all dressed in black formal wear with red ties.
A 73-win championship was worth remembering.
This was definitely a historic moment that might be repeatedly mentioned even 20 years later!
In the entire locker room, the coaching staff no longer discussed tactical arrangements.
At this time, everyone was happily chatting with the staff, and everyone was dressed up, just waiting for the game to end to take photos.
Unlike Mike D'Antoni, who hugged everyone and strolled around, the round Ewing, though also dressed impeccably, didn't forget to remind the New York Knicks players:
"Let's show them tonight! Now that French little guy should be the San Antonio Spurs' main scorer, teach him a lesson!"
Ewing chuckled with a hint of mischievousness.
Ron Artest seemed to recall the game where he bullied Allen Iverson and also chuckled:
"I wonder how many rounds this French little guy can last!"
Kurt Thomas also laughed.
Without Tim Duncan, it was their turn to strike hard tonight!
Before the game began, at the ABC commentary desk, Nessler, with his slicked-back hair, was depressed.
He hadn't expected the New York Media to even criticize him.
He had indeed never commentated on sports games before, and his on-the-spot reactions were a bit slow.
Compared to Marv Albert's commentary on Clay Lee's games, he knew his own ability to boast was insufficient, but during the commentary, he was truly trying to stir up emotions.
Despite all his efforts, Nessler still got flamed.
He felt he was caught in the crossfire.
After introducing the San Antonio Spurs' starting lineup before the game, he secretly muttered to himself:
"Bruce Bowen ruined the series!"
Tonight, the San Antonio Spurs' interior combination was Malik Rose and David Robinson.
Due to injuries, the Admiral would not play too many minutes, and backup center Kevin Willis would get more playing time.
In the San Antonio Spurs' starting lineup, both Parker and Manu Ginobili were Rookies, and the three frontcourt players were either old or weak, so the pre-game predictions were naturally one-sided.
At the commentary table, Bill Walton did not discuss the outcome of this game but instead talked about Lee's performance in this series:
"This year's NBA Finals should be the easiest series Clay Lee has encountered!"
"In the past few years against the Lakers, although Derek Fisher couldn't limit Clay Lee, he definitely provided enough physical confrontation on Defense."
"Tony Parker didn't do either of those things. He is very fast, but his physicality is too poor, and it doesn't affect Lee's performance at all."
Tolbert also felt that the excitement of this year's NBA Finals had decreased, and at this point, he sighed about the Lakers:
"Compared to Bruce Bowen, Kobe Bryant performed better when defending Clay Lee!"
"Although neither of them could limit Lee's scoring, Kobe could still keep up with Lee's offensive rhythm."
"The San Antonio Spurs might be able to limit the Lakers with zone Defense, but they have no answer for the New York Knicks' three-pointers."
"From this perspective, the Lakers' loss was also expected. After entering the playoffs, their outside shooting was really terrible!"
The two commentators chatted aimlessly.
Nessler waited until his partner had said enough before speaking:
"The New York Knicks' coaching staff seems to be prepared. Tonight, the team's staff all seem to be dressed up."
"For San Antonio Spurs fans, this is definitely a difficult moment. They will witness their opponent's another championship in the new home arena!"
Talking about this topic, Nessler couldn't stop, bringing up sensitive subjects, and was destined to be complained about by San Antonio fans after the game.
"Go San Antonio Spurs go!"
When players from both sides came to the center of the court, the San Antonio Spurs fans in the arena were still shouting loudly.
It was a battle for honor, and everyone just wanted to see the home team win.
After the game officially began, the New York Knicks ran a "V-cut" offense on the first possession.
Lee used Pau Gasol's screen to easily break through David Robinson for a layup, and the cheers suddenly quieted down by more than half.
When the San Antonio Spurs attacked, facing the New York Knicks' aggressive perimeter Defense, Parker was momentarily flustered.
With David Robinson's screen, Parker did not choose a pull-up jumper but instead drove to the basket and continued to circle.
After an ineffective perimeter pass, the basketball eventually returned to Parker's hands.
Under Lee's Defense, Parker couldn't shake off the pursuit.
Finally, he pulled up near the free-throw line, faked, and shot over the block!
"Bang!"
Almost a 24-second violation, and it was still a brick.
On the San Antonio Spurs' bench, Tim Duncan stared wide-eyed, watching the situation on the court.
Head Coach Gregg Popovich on the sidelines was the most agitated, seemingly dissatisfied with Parker's defensive choice, and was still shouting loudly on the sidelines:
"Stay with him on Defense, don't give up on Defense!"
Less than three minutes into the first quarter, the New York Knicks systematically executed their plays, and the San Antonio Spurs found themselves in a scoring drought.
Grant Hill missed a three-pointer from the right corner, and the rebound was collected by Manu Ginobili, who immediately accelerated and drove after receiving the ball.
Accelerating down the middle, noticing Ron Artest's delay, Manu Ginobili in the middle immediately passed the ball to Parker, who was closer to the right sideline.
After receiving the ball, he immediately put the ball down with his right hand.
Facing Lee's tight Defense, Parker originally wanted to complete an "outside pass" with his speed, but the physical confrontation from his side made him feel a bit overwhelmed.
Squeezed closer and closer to the sideline, Parker still couldn't shake off Lee's pursuit.
After barely dribbling past half-court, he was quickly double-teamed.
Blocked on the right sideline, covered by Lee and Ron Artest, Parker felt like arms were everywhere.
He ultimately failed to complete the pass, and the basketball in his arms was snatched by Ron Artest.
Although Parker struggled to regain it, he still lost control of the ball.
Ron Artest, who completed the steal, charged forward with the ball.
Noticing that the San Antonio Spurs players had not retreated on Defense, he rushed into the paint and delivered a windmill dunk!
"Boo!"
San Antonio Spurs fans booed loudly, and Ron Artest, who completed the dunk, thumped his chest and roared.
8:0. After a few possessions, the New York Knicks easily launched an offensive surge.
As the game progressed, Gregg Popovich's shouts became fewer and fewer.
Towards the end of the first quarter, on the San Antonio Spurs' bench, everyone on the atmosphere squad hung their heads, and no one spoke.
Tim Duncan stared intently at everyone on the court.
This was completely different from the NBA Finals he had anticipated.
David Robinson, who had been substituted, patted Tim Duncan on the shoulder and encouraged him:
"It's okay, Tim! You are still young, and you have plenty of time to pursue a championship."
"..."
Still silent, Tim Duncan was immune to such talk of future championships, having heard it too many times.
The New York Knicks made lineup rotations very early, and Tony Parker finally enjoyed core treatment.
He drove to the basket for a floater, falling to the floor.
He drove along the baseline, was bumped out of bounds under the basket, and fell again.
He encountered a double-team, failed to pass the ball out in time from the right wing, and delivered a low-quality cross-court pass, which was stolen by Clay Lee and knocked him down.
Although the referee blew the whistle, the New York Knicks had many rotation players, and everyone took turns dealing with the San Antonio Spurs' new core tonight.
Bruce Bowen couldn't help at this time, and his clumsy ball-handling and drives also prevented him from assisting the team.
In the final moments of the first quarter, Tony Parker's layup attempt from the lower right of the basket was blocked by Kurt Thomas.
The ferocious block landed squarely on his arm, and Parker lost his balance, falling directly into the baseline camera.
"Boo!"
Boos echoed throughout the SBC Center.
Having fallen 5 times in one quarter, Parker, lying on the floor, showed a pained expression.
Pulled up by his teammates, he saw a few New York Knicks players smiling maliciously at him.
Allen Iverson had previously shown a tough-guy attitude, constantly attacking the basket with injuries, and stubbornly persevered for three quarters.
Tony Parker grimaced and took a deep breath.
Standing at the free-throw line, he felt a little intimidated.
30:16. At the end of the first quarter, Parker made both free throws, helping the San Antonio Spurs narrow the deficit.
"Boo!"
In the SBC Center, San Antonio Spurs fans were still booing helplessly.
Back on the bench, several New York Knicks players were gloating:
"This kid is tough. I bet he can also last three quarters!"
Kurt Thomas sat in his seat, extending five fingers, making a wager.
On the other side, Stephen Jackson shook his head dismissively, seemingly looking down on the French guard:
"He won't dare to drive to the basket in the second quarter. I bet this guy will choose to pass the ball for the rest of the game!"
Lee, who had been substituted early, leaned back in his seat, listening to everyone laughing and discussing in low voices.
Ewing noticed that Mike D'Antoni had started leaning back strategically again and couldn't help but whisper:
"This should be the easiest championship we've experienced! Perhaps some people will question the gold content of this year's championship in the future."
"Pat! A championship is a championship! When faced with doubts, we can raise our hands in the future."
Lee smiled and raised his right hand to gesture, and Gorilla also smiled proudly.
Five rings, enough to fill his hand!
On the San Antonio Spurs' bench, everyone was silent, only Gregg Popovich roared repeatedly, still cheering on tonight's core, Tony Parker:
"We still have a lot of time, Tony. Think of the San Antonio fans. We need a win!"
Sitting in his seat, Parker rubbed his aching left knee, widening his eyes and feigning a listening posture, but he felt nothing for his Head Coach's motivational talk:
"I'm French. Why should I fight so hard for a game that's destined to be lost?"
"..."
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)