Leon was very relaxed on both days, and the rain in June made the Boston air very fresh and pleasant, and he would take a walk after dinner, play golf with Carlisle, or go fishing in the harbor. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 The imminent arrival of the Info Finals has plunged Leon into a sense of tranquility and calm, and with the experience of last season, Leon already knows how to deal with such a big scene.

Yes, no one is born a big winner, and they all go through all sorts of setbacks and reflections, and of course, the Los Angeles Lakers guy seems to be an exception, and he hasn't missed a Finals game as a coach. But Leon is not worried about this, there is no one in this world who is completely undefeated in the true sense of the word, and Jackson's success is only in the Finals, and in those seasons that do not reach the Finals, he can never be called successful.

After a disappointing, disappointing trip to the Finals, Leon clearly understood what the city needed and what the team needed.

Luck aside, the ratio of strength and will that plays a role in a championship team often leads to arguments. The history of the NBA is full of superteams that have been so strong that they can easily beat everyone to win the championship. There are also dark horses with superior willpower, with extraordinary fighting spirit and desire, all the way through the test to win the crown.

After reaching the Finals for the second time, the debate about who will win the championship between the Celtics and the Lakers has been turned upside down in the media, with some arguing that the Celtics are stronger, others believing that the Lakers are more experienced, some arguing that the Celtics' sweep in the Eastern Conference playoffs shows everything, and some believe that the Lakers' purgatory-style promotion process is a better tempering for the team.

In short, no matter which side has a reason to support their favorite team, not to mention that these are the biggest enemies in NBA history, the two greatest giants, and countless basketball heroes play in these two places. With their different styles and long history, their rivalry is always remarkable.

During these few days of walking, Leon can feel the attention from all sides, and he will be recognized at any time in the neighborhood, on the golf course, on the street, in the parking lot, in the shops. Some will cheer on the Celtics, others will express their concerns, and some will just ask for an autograph.

Leon knows that this series will not be a simple battle for the title, but a war, a war about basketball, history, cities and honor. Whether in terms of tactics, team strength or experience in past games, Leon is extremely sure that he will shave the Los Angeles Lakers' head in four games. Especially after he carefully watched the video of the Lakers' Western Conference playoffs, he was even more sure, because judging from the performance on the court, this Lakers team will not be the opponent of the Celtics at all.

Even if they have Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton, this so-called Galaxy Battleship is nothing more than a chicken and a dog in Leon's eyes, their triangle offense has never really been successfully run-in, and their defense is even more dependent on the sky, and all the teams in the West are dying on the Lakers' superior offensive talent and rich game experience. But Leon is convinced that the Celtics won't and the Lakers won't have a chance.

However, as the game approached day by day, Leon was a little worried, and the debate about strength and willpower, and the strange and incredible history of the NBA, made him feel that the Finals were so unpredictable. Just like last year, he felt that the Celtics had a chance to drag the game to Game 7, but they completely collapsed in Game 6.

As a coach, you can have a very strong will, but you can't pass on your strength to the players. This feeling of helplessness was one of the biggest problems Leon faced after becoming an NBA coach. In the final analysis, it is the players who decide the outcome of the basketball game, and no matter how great a coach is, the player can't throw the damn ball into the basket, and he can't help it.

With this mentality, on June 5, the day before the start of the game, Leon gathered all the players of the team and conducted a high-intensity practice at the training hall in Waltham, with the whole team simulating confrontation and a full set of tactical training. Halfway through practice, Rick Carlisle reminded, "Fox, don't forget the 1989 Los Angeles Lakers. ”

In 1989, the Los Angeles Lakers, they also swept all the way to the West before the Finals, but Pat Riley insisted on letting the team train with a large amount of exercise, which directly led to the injury reimbursement of many key players, and they were shaved by the Pistons 0:4 in the Finals. Now, Carlisle senses that today's training volume may be a bit dangerous.

Leon also realized this, and then he canceled the full set of tactical exercises and replaced them with 40 minutes of shooting practice, after which he said that the training was over without saying anything, and everyone went home to rest and prepare for tomorrow's game.

"You look a little nervous." Before leaving, Carlisle said to Leon in the parking lot. Leon shook his head and said, "No, I'm worried that I'm too nervous. ”

Instead of going home after training, Leon drove to an apartment near Faneuil Hall, where Auerbach lived when he was still working in Boston. Since the start of the playoffs, Auerbach has moved from Washington to Boston. Starting with the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cardinals will not pull down any game of the Celtics in the North Shore Garden.

As if he had expected Leon to come, he knocked lightly on the door a few times, and Auerbach opened the door and stood in the hallway.

"Come in, boy, you'd better bring me something to eat." Auerbach still had a cigar in his mouth, and from the strong smell of cigars on his body, he must have just been enjoying the aroma of cigar smoke with the door closed in his study.

"The barbecued pork brought to you from Chinatown, and a little bit of rice wine." Leon went to Chinatown before he arrived and bought some of Auerbach's favorite Chinese food. This apparently made Auerbach very happy, and the two began to talk while eating barbecued pork and drinking rice wine.

Inevitably, the two will talk about tomorrow's Finals, and Leon told Auerbach a little confusion in his mind, saying: "I was very confident that I would beat the Lakers, they would not be our opponents; But as the game got closer, I became worried, basketball, nothing is 100 percent certain, like a shot that didn't hit 100 percent. ”

After Auerbach finished eating the barbecued pork in his mouth, he said, "So you just sit here and eat barbecued pork with me and do nothing?" ”

"What can I do? Today I wanted to train with the whole team, but it seems that the practice is a little fierce......" Leon smiled bitterly and took a sip of rice wine, such an expression was rare on his face.

"Of course there's something to do, why not do something and do something to the Lakers' locker room, set off firecrackers in front of their hotel, and go a little too far to give them something that isn't too tasty, hahaha." Auerbach listed all these things that he once mastered and deceived all kinds of opponents.

Hearing Auerbach's words, Leon shook his head and said, "This alliance has changed, and these things don't always work, do they, Arnold......"

Leon hadn't finished speaking, but he didn't expect Auerbach to suddenly become angry, he suddenly got up from his chair, pointed at Leon's nose and scolded: "The alliance has changed, the times have changed, and I am old, but I tell you, the Celtics' pursuit of victory and the spirit of unscrupulous means will not change!" You said the same thing to me last year, so I didn't do anything, I didn't say anything in the finals, and then what? The point of doing these things is not just to interfere with the opponent, but to show them that this team, this city, can do anything for the championship! What do you want to hear here? Let me tell you to relax, calm down, and experience the love of this world like a Zen master...... Death to all of Jackson's shit! If he wants to be a monk, don't go to the NBA to compete for the championship! I'm telling you Fox, don't come back and tell me what you're confused about, that's not what a Celtics coach should be doing at this time. At this time, you have to give everything for the championship! That's the Celtics, that's Boston, that's our basketball. ”

Auerbach's face was red when he scolded Leon, he hadn't been so excited for a long time, he calmed down after a burst of coughing, and said in a slightly soft tone: "Russell used to have stomach cramps and vomit because of nervousness before the game, but later, if he didn't vomit before the game one day, I would tell him to vomit quickly, and then come back to play well." If you want to vomit, just hurry up and vomit, tomorrow, there will be no chance. ”

Leon nodded and said, "Well, I'll go check right away and find out which hotel the Lakers are staying in tonight." (To be continued.) )