Chapter 126: The Christmas War
"Oh my God, yesterday's Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Allen Iverson and Jordan were up against each other! Jordan scored 31 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists on 12-of-29 shooting, and Iverson scored 32 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 11-of-23 shooting! Aaron is even better! "Inside the Lakers' training gym, Fisher, a newspaper collector, is amazed.
"Amazing, worthy of being a player who can be compared to our Kobe Bryant with the 96 twin stars." Eddie Jones is a good guy on the team and has a very good relationship with the rookies.
Although the final quarter was overturned, the Bulls narrowly won 111-105, Jordan even though he didn't feel good for the whole game, but in the end, the main defense Iverson, blocked him, and then hit two consecutive shots to kill the game.
"Ginger is still old and spicy, and Michael Jordan at the critical moment is too ruthless." O'Neal joined the chat, and the Lakers' victory over the Bulls seemed like yesterday, and he often reminisced about that performance.
"Guys, what's going to happen to Christmas?" After the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves in Minnesota on December 21, they returned to Los Angeles and did not play on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. But on Christmas Day, you need to travel to Phoenix against the Suns.
The 96 American professional basketball Christmas game is far less than that of later generations, and the basic strong teams will play all over again. There were only two Christmas Wars scheduled until Stern noticed that the ratings of the Christmas Wars were increasing year by year, and in 2002 they changed to three and in 2009 to five.
This year's Christmas game is of course inseparable from the league's current protagonist, Michael Jordan, and his Bulls, who will sit at home against the Detroit Pistons, who have risen from the ashes, and Grant Hill currently leads the Pistons to a 20-5 record, just one more defeat than the 22-4 Bulls.
The American media has treated Hill as a superstar, and the popular player who was elected All-Star voter just after entering the league is the darling of the media. The style of play is very mature in all aspects, and the player who has a perfect blend of individual rhythm and team rhythm is a great candidate for idol.
Both the league and the media believe that it would be a very good thing to let Grant Hill, a mild-mannered small forward, become the face of the league in the post-Jordan era, and it will be very helpful for the league to create a positive image.
So Stern, this year's Christmas War! Bulls vs. Pistons! The king of the future against the god of the present!
In the other game, the Los Angeles Lakers played against the Phoenix Suns who were playing at home. Before the start of the season, Stern never thought that the Phoenix Suns, who were a playoff powerhouse last season, almost collapsed at the beginning of the season due to the departure of Charles Barkley and the injury of Kevin Johnson, but fortunately, the change of coach and two trades saved the team.
The Suns now have the most top-tier two-team engine, Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd. At the same time, Ceballos' form began to recover as the season progressed.
Kevin Willis and Danny Manning, who were traded, formed an interior double gun, two with comprehensive skills, a projected interior line with two point guards, and the offensive deterrence brought by it was simply terrifying!
The Suns started with a wave of 0-8, and after the change of coach and trade, they adapted while running-in, and slowly recovered their record, and they won 7 of the last 10 games, and the overall record came to 11-15. I believe that if this goes smoothly, they will finally have a chance to make the playoffs under the leadership of Danny Anji.
"Christmas! After the victory over Phoenix, I'm going to invite everyone to drink! O'Neal waved his hand, and his recent performance made the media think that the next interior ruler had appeared, and his performance after leading the team to victory over the Bulls was blown up by the media. All of December, only at the beginning of the month, on December 4, lost one game, that game to the Utah Jazz. If the remaining three games, against the Phoenix Suns on the 25th, the Boston Celtics on the 27th, and the Philadelphia 76ers on the 29th, can win, then there is no doubt that O'Neal will win the Player of the Month award.
Only one player can be elected in a month, and the gold content of this award can be imagined.
"Wait, there's a little guy here who is under the legal drinking age." Campbell patted Kobe Bryant on the back, which made Kobe, who had always been calm, a little embarrassed, and he shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands.
Everyone was in a good mood, not to mention that they all forgot that the player on the field was still three years away from the legal drinking age of 21 in the United States.
The Lakers players finished today's workout with great interest, and after watching the video, Harris announced his disbandment, and then the team will give them a two-day Christmas holiday, so that they can spend time with their families after missing the family dinner because of the Christmas game. Christmas is a very important holiday for people in the West, similar to the Chinese New Year, and it is a great pity if the family cannot sit together and reunite.
So Kobe Bryant has arranged for Pelinka to book a ticket that will go to Philadelphia for this two-day vacation, and then depart directly from Philadelphia to Phoenix. The peak airfare for the Christmas holiday is very expensive, and two first-class trips cost Kobe Bryant nearly 10,000 US dollars. Why buy first class instead of economy class? One is that tickets are very difficult to buy during Christmas, and the other is that Kobe Bryant can't stretch his body at all in the small space of economy class and business class, and being too tired on the plane will affect his competitive state, so the gains outweigh the losses.
After the training, Kobe Bryant left for Philadelphia, and after landing, he bought a large number of gifts at the Philadelphia Airport Duty Free Shop, and the Lakers' salary and eBay's signing money arrived immediately, so Kobe Bryant didn't have to save money at all.
Kobe Bryant pushed open the door, he did not tell his family that he would be back in the next two days, and the family thought that Kobe Bryant would stay with the team to prepare for the Christmas game.
"Kobe!" Kobe's sister Sarah was the first to find out that her little brother had returned home, and hurriedly stepped forward to give him a hug. Kobe Bryant grew up with two older sisters in his childhood, and their relationship was very deep.
"Sarah, Sharia. It's a Christmas gift for you! "Bryant usually brings out bags of gifts from the taxi, including cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, etc.
"Hmph." Old Joe is not satisfied, doesn't this rabbit cub know how to buy something for his father?
"Old Joe, this is for you." Kobe Bryant handed Old Joe a basketball.
"Basketball? I have hundreds of basketballs at school! Old Joe huffed.
"This is Michael Jordan's basketball!" Bryant lifted his chin.
Old Joe was stunned and hurriedly put the ball away. The commemorative value of this ball is incredible, and it is a great honor. Although Old Joe didn't say it, he was really proud of his son.
A family of five spent two days in the hustle and bustle, days like Kobe Bryant's love, and he felt that the fatigue he had accumulated during the season had been swept away, and this was the warmth of home.
Next stop, Phoenix!
Kevin Garnett has been cleaned up by me, Danny Angie, and you're next!