Twelve hours after the game between the Bobcats and Lakers, NBA commissioner David Stern watched a video of Kobe Bryant elbowing Billups at the hotel.

Now that Stern is in Los Angeles, he has a lot of work to do and wants to watch the fourth game of the Bobcats vs Lakers. Now the first thing to deal with is Kobe's elbow to Billups. The elbow was not awarded any foul in the game, but it has already caused controversy at home.

NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson asked, "Mr. President, what are we going to do about this?" Bryant's elbow to the opponent caused too much damage. Now the video has been circulating online. Most of the fans believe that he is suspected of intentionally hurting the other party, will he be punished with an additional suspension? ”

"This matter does not need to be pursued." Stern said lightly.

"But in the past, Kobe Bryant's elbow on Ginobili and Jaric were lighter than this foul, and they were all punished." Referee Stow Jackson asked again.

"You're right, but Mr. Jackson, let me ask you, if Kobe Bryant is suspended, how much do you think the ratings for Game 4 of the Finals will be reduced? People want to see if Kobe Bryant can fight back in the face of adversity and turn the tide. While it's nearly impossible for the Lakers to come back from 3-0 down, home fans are hoping that their teams can get at least one win. And if the Bobcats win the championship, fans around the world will definitely want to see them sweep the Lakers in the strongest form. Kobe's ban is very impactful, and the Finals will not be perfect. Stern took a sip of water and sighed: "The Bobcats won the last game very interestingly, although the method is not very glamorous, but there are also new gimmicks." People will always remember this grand final. ”

"I understand, I won't pursue this matter, let's treat it as an accident." Jackson smiled: "But Mr. President, there may be rumors of favoritism on the Internet if you do this." ”

"Most fans say that Kobe Bryant is my godson, and I've read the comments. Isn't there anyone who bans Kobe Bryant and says I'm biased in favor of the Bobcats? Bryant made 20 free throws in the last game, and the Bobcats only had 28 in total. Some say that the referee is controlled. They certainly didn't watch the game, Kobe Bryant had a good hand, and the Bobcats fouled mostly to interrupt his rhythm. It doesn't matter what you say, as long as the ratings are high, fans say Kobe Bryant is my godfather and I don't care. I can't control my mouth when it grows on someone else's body. Stern laughed.

Vice President Jackson is looking at the problem from the perspective of fairness, and Stern is from the perspective of monetary interests, and the two have different starting points, so they have different judgments. Most people want to see the Bobcats sweep the Lakers to win the championship and create the strongest record in history! Stern, however, was a little disappointed that the Lakers were down 3-0. What he would most like to see is seven games between the two teams. It is best to play two overtime in the decisive battle, and finally there will be a star lore, a battle of the century, and it is the most perfect thing to make a lot of money.

The current situation is that the Bobcats are missing the main point guard, and Hayes is playing point guard to handle the Lakers. Stern thinks the next game is likely to be decided between the two sides, and the Bobcats are already strong against the sky. Playing only four games in the Finals will make a lot less money, but the Bobcats swept the Lakers and won the championship with an unprecedented playoff record. Losing just six games in a season is a feat that will go down in history.

The next day, the league's disciplinary committee announced the decision to study Kobe Bryant's elbow to Billups in Game 3 of the Finals. The committee believes that Kobe Bryant is an unconscious action after shooting and does not impose any penalty.

In fact, the league has already set its sights on Kobe. Stern's instructions were: "Pay special attention to Kobe's games next season, and if Kobe Bryant makes a similar mistake again, the league will turn over the old scores, punish him severely, and he will face more game bans." ”

In the hospital, Billups was happy for his teammates to beat the Lakers on the road. At the same time, he was frustrated that he would not be able to play in the next games. The reporter interviewed Billups at the hospital and asked him to share his thoughts on the injury.

Billups didn't think Bryant meant to hit him. "Kobe Bryant is not a dirty player, maybe he has small moves when he defends, but I don't think he's the kind of person who will hurt people on purpose. The finals were more intense than usual, and I can only say that I was unlucky when something like this happened. Thankfully, my teammates were able to fill my gap. ”

Billups didn't blame Kobe. However, there is no shortage of opponents in the league for Kobe's behavior, and Timberwolves head coach McHale said that Kobe should be suspended. "You can't hit the opponent in the face, it's a bad foul, you should be banned, hitting the opponent in the face is a dangerous move, if it hits the temple, it's fatal, the consequences of hitting the eye are serious, I know Kobe Bryant may be trying to win, but a player of that caliber shouldn't do such a dangerous move. As to the Committee's view that he did not mean it, I have nothing to say. But in my opinion, this action is very similar to the action he used to elbow Jaric and Ginobili back then. If you don't punish it, I'm afraid it will happen again in the future. ”

Hornets head coach Scott agrees with McHale. "I watched the Lakers vs. Bobcats game, and Kobe Bryant should be banned for that move. In the Lakers' previous games against our team, Kobe Bryant has elbowed our players, and I don't think a player of his caliber should use that tactic, he is more than capable of avoiding the opponent's defense in other ways. ”

Fans are also skeptical. Because everyone knows that the Bobcats only have two point guards, Billups and Rondo, and Billups was the best man in the first two games.

"If Billups hadn't been injured, I don't think the Lakers and Bobcats would have been able to play until the last second, or even three quarters, and the Lakers would have surrendered, like they did in the first game. I feel like it's more of a conspiracy than an accident. Bobcats assistant manager Bernie Bickstaff said in an interview.

Regardless of personal opinions, it's a foregone conclusion that Kobe Bryant will play Game 4. Of course, the situation is still very bad for the Lakers.

The Lakers lost, and Bryant didn't force himself to practice shooting anymore, he locked himself in the house.

Lost again. He lost when he scored 30 points, and now he broke the playoff scoring record and still lost. Why is that? How can he make his teammates play well? Attacking the Front? Didn't he lose the game when he passed the ball to his teammates? Bryant didn't dare to think about what was going to happen next. The next game is his last chance, or he will be targeted at the shame post forever, just like LeBron James broke into the Finals and was swept by the Rockets without Hayes.

Kobe Bryant is not someone who hasn't experienced failure. He was also ruthlessly swept by Jazz in 1998, when he was still young and already in pain. The Jazz roster has aged, and the Lakers quickly overpowered the Jazz to successfully get revenge. But the Bobcats are different, they are still strong in the coming seasons, and it is the Lakers who are aging. If he doesn't win, the Lakers will experience one of the darkest Finals, and he may not be able to turn over for the rest of his life.

Even if it was like playing the Pistons and losing the championship 4-1. Bryant thought to himself, and he didn't think the Lakers could turn the tables around.

It wasn't until lunch time that Kobe Bryant walked out of the room in a daze.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself, you've worked hard, you've worked harder than anyone else on the Lakers. Only those who waste their talents and do not focus on their work are the losers. Vanessa put her arm around Kobe Bryant and said.

"Honey, I'm fine."

Some stars will anger their families after losing, but Kobe Bryant never did. He loves his wife very much, and Kobe Bryant listens to what she says.

The story of Kobe, who has been pampered since childhood, and Vanessa, a high school student who was only 16 years old at the time, fell in love at first sight, and many years later seemed to most people to be more like a modern version of Cinderella. After love at first sight, the prince used a luxury car to transport Cinderella to and from school every day, and even hired a private tutor to teach her at home, until finally the prince married Cinderella against all odds. There were too many people at the time who thought it was a joke, and no one believed that they could go all the way and be so affectionate.

Vanessa is a woman who is good at reading words, and he can see how depressed Kobe Bryant is right now. But she didn't say "the game isn't over yet, you still have a chance." ”

If there is too much encouragement, if the Lakers lose again in the next game, it will become a greater stimulus for Kobe Bryant, and it will also increase the pressure on him before the game.

Not only Kobe, but the other Lakers players are also a little discouraged. No player wants to be swept out. The more I think about it, the more I have to bear a huge amount of psychological pressure.

Pau Gasol is the most depressed person. He was the Grizzlies boss for several years, taking the team to the playoffs many times, but was swept every year. Now that it's the Lakers, there is still the possibility of being swept. Can he not be depressed? Could it be that he was born to be swept away?

In the game, he was pushed by Hayes and couldn't get into the inside, and his outside shooting was inaccurate. Many people have criticized him as the culprit of the Lakers' third loss, and if he can rely on his height to shoot a few more shots, the game will not have to be played to the end.

Did Hayes defend the basket and say go in and get in? Even O'Neill was resisted by Hayes. Gasol averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds per game in this series, ranking first in rebounds and shooting percentage, but fans don't think so. The one who wins the ball is the "God Tower", and the one who loses the ball is a soft egg.

Gasol felt he was on the wrong side. He learned some insider information from his agent, and the Bobcats offered the Grizzlies to trade him, but the Grizzlies had some agreements with the Lakers and sent him to Los Angeles. If Gasol had to choose, he would definitely choose the Bobcat. He had so many reasons to love it, the Bobcats had Hayes, and his brother Marc Gasol. Now his younger brother Mark is averaging six minutes per game in the playoffs, and the championship is on the horizon. It made him a little jealous.

The two core players have already deserted their minds, not to mention the rest of the Lakers.

There are a few players who don't care about winning the game anymore and just want to think about their future. For example, Chris Anderson, the "birdman" who played the data. He signed a base salary contract with the Lakers, and he can jump out of the contract and enter the free market after the season, and with his performance this season, even if he can't get the middle class, there will definitely be teams willing to give him a long-term contract.

Ariza was a little unhappy with her salary and playing time, and she was determined to leave after the season. Durant's performance in defending Durant in the Finals will be a powerful bargaining chip for him to get a big contract.

And then there's Odom, whose contract expires at the end of the season and becomes a full free agent. The Lakers can't win a championship, and the salary is not very sufficient, so it will be difficult to keep Odom.

Under internal and external troubles, the Lakers are already dying, and it is even more difficult to win the fourth game!

(To be continued)