078: George who became a star
Even sitting in the luxury box, Bird could feel the vibrations coming from under his feet. He's been president of the Pacers for three years, and the first two years have been spent almost exclusively in depression and never-ending failure. But by the third year, everything had changed.
The Pacers crushed the Spurs, slaughtered the Nuggets, and now, they've staged another earth-shattering stunner! Moreover, with an unexpected newcomer.
"It's Paul. George, I thought he would choose Granger. Pritchard wiped the sweat from his forehead, not because the air conditioner in the private room was too hot, but because the situation just now was so tense!
"You say, Paul. George's stunner, was it Henson's intentional arrangement, or was it forced to do so after the tactics could not be executed? Pritchard was a little confused, because this lore shot was not at all logical.
Bird looked at his assistant, and then at Henson, who was messing up his suit on the pitch because he was running wildly. "Then you say, I choose Henson. Joe, is that guy intentionally arranged or forced to do so? ”
Pritchard shook his head and didn't ask any more, he already had the answer.
On the pitch, the revelry continues. One by one, the Hornets walked into the tunnel with their heads down, but no one cared about them, as Henson believed, competitive sports are based on victory. When you fail, even if you're a talented "queen bee" or an All-Star forward West, you'll become unpopular.
Henson's run continued until the players held him in his arms. Henson is still young, he is only 31 years old, and his mental age is younger than he really is. Therefore, to experience this kind of killer moment, Henson is inevitably excited.
When your tactics and the performance of your players lead your team to victory at crucial moments, this sense of accomplishment can make you forget who you are and fall into the ultimate madness.
When Henson was on the run, he was no longer the head coach, but just like the rest of the Pacers fans, he was simply enjoying the win.
After the was over, Paul. George, a rookie who was once predicted to be selected with the 22nd pick in the first round, but was picked by the Pacers with the 10th pick, caused a lot of controversy, finally showed his value in front of everyone today. He became the darling of all journalists, and before the camera, young Paul Brown. George looked so young.
For the first time, the world became acquainted with Paul. George, but Henson was well aware that this was just the first step for that kid from George to become a star.
Seeing that the spotlight was all on George, Henson felt extremely relieved. In the future, George will make more and more key shots. He will be the leader of the team and lead the team to the next level. And then...... Then they may work together to attack the highest honor in the NBA league!
Back in the dressing room, the atmosphere was very relaxed. Paul. George's stunner brought the Pacers out of the haze of four consecutive defeats. And this also played a morale-boosting role in the next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the game, Henson took Granger and George to a press conference. There is no doubt that the theme of the launch revolves around that incredible lore.
"Of course it was Coach Henson's arrangement, and it was George from the beginning, and I just used him as a cover."
When asked whether Henson was the Granger or George shot in the final attack, Daniel. Granger replied with a smile.
Granger is a player with a good character, and last season, he was a bridge between new and veteran players. This season, he has played the role of the team's "big brother".
He's the star of the game for the Pacers, but he doesn't have any fights and gets along really well with the young guys on the team. Especially George, a lot of what George has now mastered was actually taught to him by Granger.
So for George's decision to carry out the last attack, Granger, as the star of the game today, has no objections. He doesn't care if his brother steals the limelight, the only thing he wants to see is a team win.
Henson is very grateful to Granger, and if it weren't for the support of such a leading star, the Pacers would not have been able to go so smoothly this season.
Just imagine, if Granger's personality was like the paranoid Kobe Bryant or James who directly grabbed the tactical board at a critical moment, today's stunner would not have happened.
On the other side, Paul. George also said he was surprised by Henson's arrangement. But he's happy that he can repay the manager's trust with his actions.
When everyone finally turned their attention to Henson, the "director behind the scenes", the reporters were surprised to find that Henson, the cunning coach's smile, had never been so sincere.
"How would you rate the team's performance today?"
The reporters asked Henson a tepid question, and they were ready to listen to Henson's bunch of nonsense.
Henson never answered reporters' questions properly, but that's exactly why his opponents couldn't figure him out.
"How do you see it? Look with your eyes! ”
"To be honest, I don't know what just happened, I was distracted."
"The team wasn't good enough, but the Hornets were terrible."
The reporters had already summed up several possible Henson's answers in their heads, and this guy's answer to the interview was always so incoherent.
But today, Henson didn't continue to play haha. If the manager doesn't recognise their ability after the team has come together to complete the stunner, there will be a problem.
"I'm proud of Paul. George, for the sacrificial Granger, and proud of all the Pacers players! It was a victory for theirs, and I was just lucky to be the lucky one to direct it. ”
Henson leaned closer to the microphone and spoke, but there was silence below. It's as strange as Rodman saying "I'm going to train on time every day this season."
In the astonished gaze of the reporters, Henson stood up and hugged Paul like his two little brothers. George and Granger. The three of them walked out of the media reception room with a smile and a smile, and they were intimate.
One theory is that since today's game, Granger took the initiative to find Henson, and the two chatted privately.
What did you talk about? Granger told Henson that Paul. That guy George has the potential to be a leader. He didn't mind and handed over the greater responsibility to George.
'He's a good guy and if he can really grow up, the team will definitely go to the next level.' Granger was full of praise for George, and Henson wasn't surprised. When he saw that tall lanky guy at Fresno University last year, Henson knew he was going to be a great player.
When the Pacers players came out of the Conseco arena, a crowd of young female fans holding pictures of George and hoping for their idols to sign autographs gathered at the entrance of the arena!
The girls, who were young and full of youthful energy, shouted at George, who only giggled embarrassedly.
"George, you have a female fan!" Holiday stabbed George with his elbow, and after tonight, the guy was the new hero of Indianapolis.
George has never dealt with female fans, let alone such passionate female fans. Far away, the group of girls waved at him, and they saw that he was screaming.
"Go for George, you can't let your fans down." Henson was not in the least worried about George reaching out to female fans, because he knew that George was a child who knew how to be temperate.
If Stephenson had been favored by female fans today, Henson would certainly not have let him get a step closer to female fans.
With a green smile, George signed the fans and took a group photo. After this fight, the much-questioned rookie really became famous, and Henson knew that such scenes would be around George in the future. Of course, you have to push two hands from time to time in the back. After all, not everyone is born to be the boss like Kobe and James.
He had 23 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, plus an earth-shattering kill. This game isn't the end for you, it's just the beginning, Paul. George.