Paul and Kobe Bryant are essentially the same kind of people, both of them are extremely competitive megalomaniacs.

It's just that in comparison, Kobe Bryant is more explicit, whether it is in the world or playing style, Kobe Bryant is more self-contained and flamboyant.

Paul, because of his upbringing and position on the court, seems to be more restrained and more united.

But in fact, this 183 little man is an out-and-out control personality on and off the court, which is understandable, after all, he is a point guard.

If the team can win and win the championship all the time, then there will be no problem with each other.

In the first season of their partnership, the two got along very well because the Lakers had very good momentum.

They have been winning in the regular season, most importantly against the rising Los Angeles Clippers, who have been pressed by the Lakers in the regular season.

Every time it is a backcourt double star play, Kobe Bryant and Paul, using super personal ability to break up the young Clippers, reflecting the superstar strength of the two.

At that time, the Lakers had the flavor of the kings of Los Angeles, and Paul and Kobe Bryant were also superstars in Los Angeles.

But when it came to the playoffs and the Western Conference Finals, things changed significantly as the series progressed.

The Lakers showed signs of age, especially in the crucial Battle of Kings Mountain, where they were routed by the Clippers at the Stamp Center.

The Lakers couldn't even drag the game to the final decisive moment, with a crisp loss that tipped the scales of the entire series in favor of the Clippers.

After the game, there were some arguments between Paul and Kobe, but they were quickly suppressed by the Lakers.

The reason for the dispute is simple, Paul believes that Kobe Bryant no longer has the ability to make a decisive decision in the crucial moment, but he still dominates the ball in the final stage.

And Kobe Bryant thinks that the reason why he is like this is really because Paul can't support the team's scoring at critical moments, so he can only force himself, why do you blame me in turn?

The contradiction has been planted at this moment, and the back is just waiting, slowly fermenting and growing.

Game 6 was still at the Staples Center, and the Lakers were completely unable to parry in the face of the Clippers' stormy offense.

The most sad thing for the Lakers players is that the last time the two teams met in the playoffs, the Los Angeles derby, at the Stamp Center, almost all of them were fans who supported the Lakers.

At that time, the Lakers led 3-0 and were dragged to Game 6 by the Clippers, and since then, the Clippers fans have grown.

It's just that the Lakers are the champions in 10 years, they are still the kings of Los Angeles, and although the changes have come, they are very subtle and no one really notices.

Just a few years later, young fans in Los Angeles are almost all leaning towards the Clippers, and the red and blue completely overshadowed the purple and gold in Game 6, and the Clippers defeated the desperately resisting Lakers in Game 6.

For the first time, Lakers players, especially Kobe Bryant, felt that the Stamp Center was no longer their home and that the Los Angeles were ditching them.

In the summer, the Lakers experienced a lot of turmoil, Bynum was traded, Iguodala arrived, and many veterans who came to admire left one after another.

The 2011-2012 season was a big dream for Lakers players and fans, and it was full of old guys who were hungry for championships.

Phil Jackson managed to put them together, and there was a lot of unity within the team, everyone had a common language and worked for a common goal.

Many fans are also looking forward to the 2012 season for the Lakers, just like the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, where the old boys collectively dream of a dream come true.

But it's a pity that dreams are dreams after all, and under the wave of the new era, they were shattered, and the Lakers fell apart.

Without a championship, everything is a void.

This season's Lakers have taken a more pragmatic route and brought in D'Antoni to build an offensive system.

Iguodala was ushered in at the No. 3 position, and McGee and Jordan Hill were added on the inside, and the overall strength of the Lakers did not decline much.

Conversely, in some ways, this year's Lakers are more modern and more up-to-date with the league than last year.

It's a pity that such a Laker is not Kobe's Laker, not a Laker with 5 championships in 10 years.

Pragmatic, tough, trendy — these words have never been associated with the Lakers as a team.

What they want is gorgeous, what they want is flashy feeling, what they want is overflowing talent, and what they want is to take each other's heads in drunken dreams and death.

Therefore, this season's Lakers feel awkward, from coaches to players to fans, it doesn't feel right.

Until Jerry Buss died this year, a long era of glitz and glitz that belonged to the Lakers came to an end.

Kobe Bryant could feel that this league, this team, and even Los Angeles were becoming more and more unfamiliar.

Everybody's talking about the Clippers, they're talking about the role of the three-point shot, they're talking about Curry and Harden, they're all talking about pick-and-roll, they're all talking about the Clippers' 25,000-seat super-arena.

Times have changed, in fact, change has already begun, and when they reach their peak, it often means that they begin to slide.

It's just that the process is always very long, so long that it always gives people the illusion that they are still climbing upwards.

By the time you feel the weightlessness of the fall, it's too late.

The conflict between Kobe Bryant and Paul that was planted in last year's Western Conference finals has gradually grown in this oppressive atmosphere this season.

The death of Jerry Bass left an elder who could soothe Kobe's heart, and the conflict between the two gradually began to intensify.

Near the end of the playoffs, the Clippers slaughtered the Lakers at the Staples Center, which became a fuse for the conflict between the two to become public.

Paul made no secret of his disappointment at the press conference, although he did not name Kobe Bryant's performance that caused the team to lose so badly.

But looking at the data, you can see that Paul played normally tonight, with 22 points, 11 assists and 4 steals, standard star statistics.

And Kobe Bryant shot 10 of 37 tonight, scored 27 points with a poor shooting percentage, wasted a lot of shooting opportunities, and forced a shot.

He tried to turn the tide in the third quarter, trying to close the gap with his scoring performance and encourage his teammates to keep chasing points.

But it's a pity that he is not the same person in 05 and 06, and the so-called continuous scoring finally turned into a continuous iron performance.

And gave the Clippers a chance to fight back again and again, how could the Clippers waste it.

George and Leonard took turns to perform dunk performances, completely shattering the Lakers' confidence.

Paul didn't want to hide his displeasure off the court, and he didn't make eye contact with Kobe during the timeout, nor did he high-five Kobe.

Kobe Bryant did not participate in the post-game press conference, and when Paul returned after the interview, Kobe Bryant had already taken a shower and left the arena, not wanting to have more contact with Paul.

Both of them are very tough people, Kobe Bryant needless to say, Paul don't look small, he has a lot of temper at 183, and he never lets people touch his head.

If anyone touches his head, he will be in a hurry with whom, and it can be seen from this that he is definitely a person with a very strong personality.

Once two people with strong personalities don't deal with each other, the temper will definitely come up and no one will obey the other.

Both of them are justified, Kobe Bryant entered the league with the Lakers, it has been almost 20 years, 5 championships, honors, and historical superstars.

Even if O'Neal and Kobe had a conflict, it was O'Neal who left in the end, not Kobe, what is an outsider like Paul?

But Paul has his advantage, that is, youth, which is also an important reason why Kobe Bryant was able to squeeze out O'Neal in the first place.

Just imagine, if Kobe Bryant was 32 years old and O'Neal was 25 years old at the time, who would the Lakers keep?

Now that the situation is reversed, Kobe Bryant is 34 years old, and the decline in form is visible to the naked eye.

It is estimated that in another two to three years, there will be a cliff-like landslide.

Paul is only 27 years old, and he's still on the rise for a point guard.

For at least five years, Paul will remain one of the best stars in the league.

So, Paul has the capital to be true to Cole, and he can make the Lakers his own team.

After this game, the contradictions between the two sides gradually became public.

Although later, the two quickly issued a statement to the outside world under the mediation of the team owner, saying that their relationship is very solid.

But neither Jenny Bass nor Jim Bass had the ability to subdue either side.

The so-called persuasion is definitely not just a lip service, everyone understands the truth, and you can use it?

The key is to see who speaks, whether there is prestige, and whether there is the ability to suppress both sides.

Only by persuading such people can they have strength and effect.

In the past, the Lakers had such figures, and there were quite a few.

Owner Jerry Buss, Head Coach Phil Jackson, General Manager Jerry West.

Both personal prestige and ability to regulate are first-class.

As a result, the elder Bass is dead, Jackson was liquidated for coveting the Bass family's equity, and Jerry West was also purged and is now retired in the Clippers.

There is not a single person who can speak.

Therefore, the so-called peace between the two sides is just a face-saving affair for everyone to see.

Whether the two sides are really reconciled or not, just look at the Lakers' record.

After losing to the Clippers, the Lakers have five games left in the regular season.

In these five games, the Lakers won 2-3, resulting in their regular season record finally being surpassed by the Nuggets and coming to the fifth place in the West.

Although there is not much difference between the fourth and fifth, anyway, it is still to play the Nuggets and the Clippers in the second round, but after all, there is one less home court advantage.

And this year, the Nuggets are quite strong, and the Lakers are really going to overturn in the first round.

At this time, the playoff spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences have been decided.

With a 62-20 record, the Clippers successfully won the first place in the West and the first place in the league.

In second place is the Oklahoma City Thunder at 59-23 and in third place is the Spurs at 56-26.

Fourth through sixth, respectively, are the Nuggets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Warriors and Jazz.

Among them, the Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, and Grizzlies have a very small difference in winning.

The Grizzlies are in sixth place, but they are 54-28 and third in the East.

Because in the East, there are only two really strong teams, the 58-24 Heat, and the 56-26 Cavaliers.

Although the Knicks have a 53-29 regular season record, the Knicks are out for the season, resulting in the Knicks missing a corner on the lineup.

Anthony alone can't compete with the Heat's Galactic Battleship and the Cleveland Binary.

After the end of the regular season, Min Congda looked at the regular season record and the playoff matchup, and sighed deeply.

In the past two days, the Lakers have lost one after another, and the conflict between Kobe and Paul has caused a stir in Los Angeles, and Min Congda is a little bitter in his heart.

He didn't understand, he just played a little trick on the Lakers, and they had a falling out internally.

Once eliminated in this playoffs, Kobe Bryant and Paul may have to go one.

At that time, the Buss family's life with the Lakers will definitely not be easy.

Looking at the messy scene of the Lakers, how could Min Congda not be envious.

He is "full of wisdom" for the Clippers, and he doesn't know how many bad ideas he has come up with after racking his brains.

It's been four years, there has been no movement in the team, and there is no contradiction among the players.

Before Mike Malone put Harden on the bench as the sixth man, Min Congda thought to himself, why should he make some noise?

As a result, Harden was so happy to play off the bench!

He is happy with his role as the sixth man.

Look at this guy, this little bit of interest!

Not to mention Curry, he has no competitiveness off the court, and it doesn't matter if he is the boss or not.

After training all day, there is no shape, how can there be a little bit of team leader?

The other young players, like George, Leonard, Davis, etc., were not motivated.

Don't you want to be the boss of the team? Don't want to be the number one person on the team? Whatever the coach tells you to do, you can do it.

What about the vigor and vindictiveness of the young players?

One by one, when they are young, they have no motivation to strive for the first.

I just want to play well, and I don't want to fight for honor and status for myself.

Don't want the data? MVP doesn't want to take it? All-Stars don't want to get in? One time, two formations, not heavy?

Why are they willing to play well for the championship?

With Min Congda's middle-to-low intelligence, he naturally couldn't understand that he himself was the initiator of everything.

And he's the real boss of this team, which is nothing like any other team.

Besides, these young people are basically on the Clippers when they first enter the league, and they grow up together and have a deep relationship.

Some of the bad habits of many players are actually cultivated by some old players or bad team atmosphere after entering the league.

Think about the young people who are in their early 20s or even less than that, they have a lot of money all of a sudden, and they are with many people who are about the same age, but they are not very easily affected by the environment.

At this point, under the absolute authority of Min Congda, the Clippers can be called clean and upright, everyone plays and plays, and will not bring crooked tendencies to the team.

During the transition from the regular season to the playoffs, the Clippers took a final break and then decided on a 12-man roster for the playoffs.

Curry, Harden, Randolph, Gasol Jr., George, Leonard, Butler, Dragic, Milicic, Bonner, Livingston plus Anthony Davis.

PJ Tucker, Ricky Davis and Bazemore are not on the squad.

It's not that they didn't play well enough in the regular season, it's just that the Clippers can play too many people.

(End of chapter)