Chapter 519: Cozy Weekend
Damion Lillard was Anjie's hand-picked helper back then, and he was an older rookie under great pressure, and he was not favored by too many people at the beginning. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info but it turns out that An Jie did not look away.
Lillard has averaged 18.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game so far this season, which is a statistic that you can't believe was taken by an older rookie.
It can be said that without Lillard, the Trail Blazers' fantastic results would probably not have occurred at all.
Of course, Lillard has made AnJie and the Trail Blazers what he is now. The Trailblazer and Anjie naturally made Lillard what he is now. Playing next to Angel, Lillard has received even more attention than champion Anthony Davis. As a rookie, he broke team records and NBA records one after another. The start of Lillard's career was absolutely fantastic.
So now, in pre-rookie training interviews, Lillard is even more popular than Irving and Anthony Davis.
"Ann is a natural leader, when we fall behind, he will stand up and yell at us, encourage us, tell us not to give up, and then, he will always be the first to act. Playing next to him, I was always very relaxed. Because I know that there is nothing that cannot be done, we have An!" Wu Hua stood in front of this young defender full of aura, and the questions he asked were naturally inseparable from An Jie.
"It seems that you look up to An Jie very much?" a CCTV reporter interjected. What foreigners think of Chinese is a matter that Chinese people are very curious about in recent years. What Lillard will say about Anjie, domestic fans are naturally very concerned.
"Looking up? No, it doesn't feel like looking up. I am...... How so...... I'm willing to stay with him and play, and I'll take me wherever he takes me. He told me to pass the ball and I would never shoot. I was just...... I'm willing to work hard by Ann's side, yes, that's it. Lillard said, smiling at the camera. This guy doesn't know that he has now become an extremely popular figure in a large country with a population of 1.3 billion.
is willing to work hard by Anjie's side, this is probably what Lillard and most players of the Trail Blazers really think in their hearts.
An Jie can bring them victory and honor, so they are also willing to assist An Jie. This virtuous cycle has continued within the Trail Blazers for most of the season, and the result has been a staggering 25-game winning streak and a six-loss streak in 52 games.
People found that even if it is a rookie game that has nothing to do with An Jie, the center of the topic will involuntarily revolve around An Jie. This phenomenon is like Kobe Bryant back then, just like James a few years ago.
Does this mean that An Jie has also stepped into the ranks of the same level as this group of guys?
Regardless, this year's rookie game was still very exciting. This group of young people not only gave the audience a real battle, but also brought them exquisite performances.
Anthony Davis' wry three-point shot drew laughter from the audience, and the back-to-back of Lillard and Irving got fans hooked. Leonard's performance amazed the crowd, and Rubio's smart pass was a delight to watch.
Anjie and Catherine finally watched a game as spectators in the stands, especially Anjie, how many years has he not enjoyed the fun of watching the game?
In the end, the Barkley team was 163-135 to beat O'Neal's team. The victory in this game will definitely become a major pain point for Barkley to ridicule O'Neal later.
And the Spurs rookie with both offense and defense, small forward Kawhi Leonard, was "accidentally" the MVP of the rookie game. This low-key guy, with his undoubted strength, announced that he has officially become one of the best players in this league.
After a day of appetizers, the Masters began the next day. The two most high-profile players in this year's Masters are naturally the arrival of "African Mountain" Mutombo and the legendary Drexler of the Trail Blazers.
"You kid are trying to force me out of the top 50 stars!" Before the game, Drexler, who was warming up on the court, joked with An Jie. In the past, when it came to the glory of the Trail Blazers, the first thing people always thought of was Drexler. But now, the first person people think of is An Jie.
"No, you're always ahead of me. For the big man of the Trail Blazers, An Jie also has great respect. He's not like Sam Smith, who will casually denigrate the elders who single-handedly created NBA myths.
Drexler felt very comfortable hearing this, he knew that An Jie was likely to be closer to the championship than himself, but An Jie did not have the slightest self-righteousness.
"If you get the ring, don't forget to show it to me. In my life, I don't know what their championship rings for the Trail Blazers look like. But I know that you won't be as miserable as I am. Drexler's words can be regarded as a blessing from the predecessors to the rising stars. It's not like this guy hasn't won a ring, but when it comes to the ring he got with the Rockets, people talk more about Olajuwon than about him. But Anjie is different, he has the opportunity to create his own legend.
"Don't worry, Clyde, I'll put a championship pennant next to your jersey. Angel gave Drexler a thumbs up, unbeknownst to Catherine, the joking conversation had become an engagement between the two men.
After that, the Masters officially began. An Jie didn't take it very seriously, because he wasn't very familiar with those celebrities. It's only when Drexler and Mutombo are on the pitch that AnJie finds the game interesting.
In the last three minutes of the game, Josh Hutcherson, the star of the movie "The Hunger Games", broke through with the ball, and just as he was about to go to the basket, Mutombo unceremoniously rewarded the little fresh meat with a big risk.
After the seal, Mutombo shook his finger at the stands. This move, naturally, also won a burst of cheers from the Toyota Center.
The eventful years that belonged to the big man back then no longer exist. Now the only one in the league who is close to the four centers, Anjie, does not belong to the Rockets who have the tradition of center.
Uncle Mu's finger shaking is now only seen in the Masters, but An Jie's own center myth will continue to be written in the league.
After the Masters, the individual events finally began. Lillard signed up for this skills challenge, so Anjie also watched it very seriously.
Although the elements of the East-West confrontation are added, the players are still more amiable. After all, the All-Star Game is, of course, mainly entertainment-oriented.
Lillard seized his chance and shined in the trick game. This young guy is still eager to show himself in front of everyone.
Anjie was thinking that maybe when he got old, if Lillard was still around, he would definitely become the new leader of the Trail Blazers.
Seeing that the guy he personally selected performed so well, An Jie also felt an inexplicable sense of pride in his heart.
Finally, a night of crazy joy came to an end. But this is not the end, tomorrow, the most high-profile All-Star Game will begin. An Jie, who has watched the drama for a few days, is finally going to participate in the event in person.
The next day, An Jie came to the court early to warm up. Although the All-Star Game is just a performance, An Jie still prepares very seriously.
Bryant, Durant and Westbrook and Anjie were talking and laughing in the locker room, without any sense of disobedience, as if the three of them were playing on the same team. Especially the Thunder Sanshao, who reunited in the same locker room, has endless words.
But Paul, Howard and Griffin were silent in the locker room. Anjie also knows that in the game later, he doesn't have to expect Paul to pass the ball to him, and Griffin will help him make up for it. As for Howard, he's not angry with anyone, but he's simply thinking about life.
After the start of the game, Kobe, Durant and Anjie played a wonderful cooperation again and again, which naturally made Paul and Griffin, who were also starters, look ugly.
In order to avoid this embarrassment, Western Stars coach Popovich also temporarily replaced Paul and Griffin. After Westbrook debuted, the reunited Thunder three won everyone's applause.
The young trio who were not afraid of heaven and earth once again appeared in front of the public. Who would have thought that those three young rookies would reunite at the All-Star Game?
The performance of these three people completely ignited the whole court, and the players in the East were also very humane, and when the three of them were dazzling together, they did not interfere much.
After that, Popovich replaced Kobe Bryant and the Thunder three to bring Paul and Griffin back on the field. It's only now that Paul and Griffin have a chance to perform.
Who said that the head coach of the All-Star team is a beautiful difference, Popovich has done a lot of homework on the rotation in order to balance the forces on the court.
After that, the East was replaced by Noah, Tyson and Lopez, respectively. And An Jie also staged a good show of breaking the star centers in the east one by one. Although I don't know if these people are real or fake in that paragraph, but the fans have enjoyed watching it, and the purpose of the All-Star Game has been achieved.
In the decisive battle in the fourth quarter, the two sides finally showed some real skills. But the east, which is weak on the inside, really can't withstand the impact of An Jie. Under Wade and Rondo's embarrassing shots, Anjie quickly pulled away and established the advantage.
In the end, the Western Stars won the game 143-138.
Last year's All-Star Game MVP was won by Anjie and Durant. But this year, the NBA will certainly not be able to play the warm card anymore. After all, football fans want to see something different every year.
In the end, it was decided that Paul, who had never touched this honor and had 20 points and 15 assists today, took over the All-Star Game MVP Crystal Cup.
Paul smiled happily when he won the award, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that this guy was smiling very reluctantly. Because An Jie, who was standing behind him, made Paul feel a little pimple in his heart.
With 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, An Jie's performance today was not bad. Although he didn't win the award, Anjie felt very good to be able to get together with old friends in such a relaxed competition.
Saying goodbye to Kobe Bryant and his two teammates when he was with the Thunder, Anjie and Catherine and Lillard rushed to the airport non-stop.
A relaxing weekend, the moment the game is over. Tomorrow, the regular season will enter the sprint for a ticket to the playoffs. The intensity of its battles will only get worse.
Unfortunately, Angel and Lillard have a game tomorrow, so they have to rush overnight to join the team.
The comfortable days are over, and the chat with old friends such as Olajuwon and Kobe Bryant has also come to an end for the time being.
Tomorrow, An Jie will change from a kind An Jie to a butcher again.
After a pause for several days, the winning streak is already on the move.