Chapter 130: City of Angels
Money, honor, fame, victory. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info California, Los Angeles, City of Angels, which is the biggest stage where you can accomplish all of the above.
The glamorous Avenue of Fame, the high-rise city center, the intricate viaducts, and the crazy nightlife......
Hollywood stars, Beverly Hills luxury, and drunken downtown are all part of California's largest city. And the professional NBA team in Los Angeles also has a pivotal position in the league.
The home jerseys of all teams in the league are white, but the Los Angeles Lakers have designed their home jerseys in gold, which seems to reflect the difference between this "aristocracy" and other teams.
The Los Angeles team and the fans are equally arrogant, and they all think they are the best in the league. But it's not really the Los Angeles people's arrogance, with a 41-9 record, a record that can only be matched by the Celtics, a traditional giant team with a long history. In the West, where there are many strong teams, the Lakers are still dominant, they have dominated the league for a long, long time, and now they are just waiting for the playoffs to start and then go straight to the O'Brien Cup, which represents the highest honor.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have won four in a row, have nothing to worry about, they're just a bunch of hillbillies from small places. The last time we played the Clippers at Staples Center, weren't those hillbillies already scared?
There's always darkness behind the glamour, and Los Angeles is also a turbulent place. You know, in the Thunder team, which is called "Hillbilly" by Los Angeles fans, there is a pure Angeleno, Russell Westbrook.
Before being accepted into UCLA, Westbrook lived in the black neighborhood of Long Beach. Poison ping, selling yin, gang fighting, illegal drag racing, this is Westbrook's impression of Los Angeles.
"You don't see how glamorous the city is on the surface, I don't dare go out at night until I get out of the black quarter. Because I was afraid of being robbed, and I didn't have a countermeasure myself, which often happened in the neighborhood where I used to live. Do you know why my father let me play? Because it's safe to have only a basketball court in Long Beach. Looking at An Jie's yearning eyes on the plane, Westbrook turned his head and said to his good buddy.
Seeing Westbrook's expression becoming more and more complicated, An Jie did not open his mouth to respond, so as not to interrupt Westbrook's thoughts.
At this time, Westbrook touched the wristband on his hand again, this sports bracelet was ordinary and featureless. But the wristband, which bears the word "KB3", means a lot to Westerbrook.
It was in this familiar land, in this place where basketball talent was piled up, that Westbrook, who was short in high school, was nothing at all. The reason why UCLA picked Westbrook away in the first place is inseparable from this "KB3".
Casey Barr III, Westbrook's high school teammate and best friend, this guy is top in terms of physical condition and basketball skills, Durant was still the second in the country that year, he was called the second high school student in the United States by the media, and this Casey Barr III was the first at that time.
Westbrook was heartbroken when the promising Barr died of an unplanned heart expansion before the start of a race, but he didn't give up on himself, and after losing his best friend, he began to live a life of two. In life, he took care of Casey Barr's favorite grandmother, and he also played for Kathy Barr on the pitch.
Eventually, UCLA was supposed to be on Casey Barr, but ended up falling in love with Westbrook by accident. Back in Los Angeles again, Westbrook's heart was flooded with thousands of emotions. The mighty Los Angeles Lakers? On this land, Westbrook will never give up.
Westbrook has been a fan of his hometown team since he was a child, and Anjie is also a fan of this giant. Against their favorite team, these two youngsters will not show mercy, on the contrary, they may be several times more powerful than before.
However, the powerful Los Angeles Lakers did not see this threat. Last season, they finished at the bottom of the league and this season they finished 10th in the West, and the team's leading players are three rookies who have not dried up. Such an opponent really can't make the Angelenos more vigilant.
The Celtics Big Three, LeBron James, and San Antonio's GDP are the opponents that can be recognized by Los Angeles fans. Even though the team's starting center, known as "Little Shark," Bynum, is out due to injury, Lakers fans still don't think the "Hillbilly" from Oklahoma City poses any threat to them.
"Oh! damn it! hahahaha......" In the live broadcast room of tn.t, Kenny Smith couldn't help but laugh when he saw Charles Barkley walk in.
"Hey, I know this jersey is ugly, don't laugh, I've got three more pieces ready, I'll change one for one quarter. Barkley walked into the studio in a Thunder jersey after the Thunder beat the Kings as agreed.
Barkley has never been a shy man, and he's wearing Durant's jersey at this time. Charles Barkley, who has long since retired from football, has long since lost his muscular muscles, and his bloated figure is exposed when he wears the jersey.
Sitting alongside Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller in suits, Charles Barkley's unique outfit is even more conspicuous and more likely to make people laugh.
"Three jerseys? The general manager of the Thunder team will thank you very much when he finds out, and you have successfully expanded their jersey sales. Kenny Smith brought up three other pieces of clothing that Barkley had thrown on the stage.
In addition to the No. 35 jersey already worn, Barkley also brought the No. 0 Westbrook and No. 16 Anjie jerseys respectively. As for the fourth shirt, it does not have a number on it, but it has the name of Jeff Van Gundy written on the back.
"Are you sure you're going to wear them all today?" Reggie Miller didn't expect Barkley to be so generous.
"Since I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it thoroughly, lest the Thunder kids say I'm not true to my word. Barkley didn't care at all, and replied with a grin.
However, the Thunder don't know if Barkley has fulfilled his promise, and they don't care about it now. When the Thunder warmed up at the Staples Center, the boos never stopped.
It's not that the Los Angeles fans are deliberately targeting the Thunder, everyone except the Lakers is treated the same here.
"Hey, Ann, are you scared?" Westbrook suddenly elbowed Anjie, who was about to grab a rebound.
"What are you afraid of?" An Jie didn't stop, he steadily grabbed the basketball that the trainer deliberately missed, and answered Westbrook's question while talking.
"We're facing the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook and Angel both turned their heads to look at the other half, at the group of guys who were talking and laughing and warming up easily.
Lamar Odom, Derek Fischer, Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson and, of course, the man with a smile on his face right now and certainly the most dangerous man in the future, Kobe Bryant.
A sparkling squad, controversial but effective tactics, a scheming manager, and the deadly black mamba.
"I do like them, but ......"
"But they're certainly not going to have a good time. Before An Jie finished speaking, Durant took over. This guy doesn't usually talk much, so the communication between Anjie and Westbrook is more frequent. But today, Durant was also in high spirits before the game.
With Bynum unable to play, the man who is now fighting for the ball with Anjie has become Spanish superstar Pau Gasol.
The referee threw the ball and the cheers at the Staples Center reached its climax. The competition between the Thunder and the Kings of the West has officially begun! )