With the SuperSonics' advance too easy, they had to wait for the outcome of the Mavericks-Hornets matchup.

During this time, the Lakers' Jermaine O'Neal was injured again, this time with a shoulder problem, and after surgery, his recovery period is expected to be 2-3 months.

It also means that he is reimbursed for the season.

That deprived the Lakers of their only reliable No. 4 spot.

Although the twin towers of Xiaojia and Bynum are good, they are easy to be broken by the opponent's small ball, and they have no choice but to play when they encounter a team with a rhythm like supersonic speed.

As the SuperSonics' biggest rival in the West, the Lakers have been hit by serious injuries just like the Celtics.

Meanwhile, the Celtics battled Rose's Bulls in the first round with the most intense first-round game ever.

This has long been a counterattack to the current trend of infinitely belittling the basketball of the old era, elevating the basketball of the new era, and thus helping someone ascend to the throne.

Simmons and Yu Fei's feud dates back to the latter's rookie season.

In the infighting between Yu Fei and Jordan, Simmons decisively stood on the side of No. 23.

At the beginning of the article, he defines the case of the "star champion", which is the so-called best team that loses the championship due to injury or other accidents, causing other teams to win the championship. If none of these things happened, the best team would have won the championship.

When he threw out a long article about the gold content of the 09 supersonic speed when the series was about to enter the semifinals, the reaction from the outside world was huge.

Simmons is one of the most influential sports writers of our time, his way of writing has influenced countless people, and he has a huge readership in a world that is about to enter the age of social media.

He cited Garnett and Junior O's reimbursement as an example, pointing out that the SuperSonics broke the 96-Bulls record in a league that was declining in competitiveness, and if they did win the championship, it would be because the Hukai and Kai teams suffered injuries that left them without any difficulties. If they don't win the championship, they will be the biggest losers in NBA history.

That's what we fans are. We make excuses for failure; When we win, we ignore the same problems. The 74 Celtics defeated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks in a tough Finals in part because Milwaukee guard Lucius Allen tore his knee when he stepped on a discarded warm-up jacket. A slowly aging '76-year-old Celtics ended up winning another title, largely because the best team of the season set themselves on fire. My father taught me two things to forget. But what was the year when Havlicek could only play with his left hand in 1973? We should have won. ”

If Garnett stays healthy, they have a chance to get revenge.

That's why the sports terms he coined, such as Ewing's Law, Tyson's Field, and Danny Manning's face, became the nouns of the sports world.

That doesn't stop Simmons from writing an article called "Star Champions" after every first-round series.

At the end of the article, Simmons exposes his intentions.

He heard Simmons' violent arguments.

Do you think Simmons just wanted to tell a piece of history? No, it's just his vinegar-wrapped dumplings for the back plate.

The remarks of the so-called asterisk champion on the other side reminded Yu Fei of the Zhan Hei in his previous life and glanced down at the champion in the park. How to define that championship as a championship for KING and others of the same era actually affects not James' historical status, but whether his status as the greatest star of the 2000-2020 period is confirmed.

This was the beginning of their feud.

The Dan blowers stood up in response, Celtics fans and Lakers fans agreed, and for a while, conservatives and modern fans united.

The first-round game between the Celtics and the Bulls convinced Simmons that this year's Celtics are stronger than last year's.

But now, everything is only left with the "if".

The media of the Chosen Country quickly published articles in response, and the intensity of public opinion was as full of gunpowder as a national war.

Even Yu Fei, who was preparing for the semifinals, was shocked.

Simmons begins the article by writing: "My father still refuses to recognize the 1973 NBA championship (Knicks). It's been almost 40 years, and he hasn't changed. Because Boston's hero, the great John Havlicek, could only play with his left hand in the final games of the Eastern Conference Finals, we lost, but the Celtics were the best team that year.

That hatred changed when Yu Fei interrupted the Celtics' revival in the Finals last year.

1 refers to the defending champion Warriors in '76. Rick Barry, the team's supergiant, fought with his opponent during the game, and when he watched the video at halftime and found that no teammates gave him a head, he refused to shoot in the second half and lost the series.

It's the same now, people with a discerning eye know that if Yu Fei wins the sixth championship, Jordan will not be able to suppress it from the honor, so before this possible thing happens, first reduce the gold content of the championship, then they have something to do.

"Bill Simmons said that his father still doesn't recognize the 1973 championship, and I think that actually reflects why the Celtics haven't been able to win championships since 1986. They have neither acknowledged the better pattern of others, nor have they the wisdom to learn from history. You can see what he said, and he thinks the injury-affected Lakers and Celtics have made it easier for us to win the title. If we win the championship for this, then this championship should be marked with an asterisk. Yu Fei laughed as he spoke, "Don't you realize that he indirectly despises the team that is also striving for the top?" I want him to wash his face and see the world clearly. ”

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The risk of pulling the flag is that others can pull the flag too.

Although Simmons used the article to briefly unite Lake's fans, he indirectly alienated the rest of the fan base.

Yu Fei pointed out this fact, although it will not win the support of fans of other teams, they will definitely stand up to refute Simmons's so-called "Hukai has encountered injury problems, so even if the SuperSonics win the championship, there is no gold content".

Then, SuperSonics welcomed their opponents in the semifinals.

They met the New Orleans Hornets in the semifinals for the second year in a row.

This season, the interior of the Hornets can be described as a mess.

Paul's supernova aura retreated, and his teammates found him too controlling, causing Tyson Chandler to be a little unbearable.

The Hornets wanted to trade Chandler during the season, but the latter failed to pass the trade due to a medical failure.

The Hornets, who failed to rebuild their chemistry through a trade, had to struggle to move forward.

They defeated the Mavericks in the first round and then met the biggest boss of the season in the semifinals.

They were unfortunate because Paul and Yu Fei did not have as good a relationship as Anthony, and Simmons' article made Yu Fei very unhappy.

Yu Fei wanted to make the media smell blood.

In the first game of the series, Paul was stared at by Yu Fei in singles.

Although the Hornets were not able to defend against this strong enemy, they were still unable to defend against this strong enemy.

In the first game of the semifinals, Yu Fei scored 44 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.

"Fry, do you think the Hornets have improved from last year?"

"I can't say no." Yu Fei said, "But I don't know how much they have improved? ”

"Chris Paul says their number one goal is to win."

Hearing this, Yu Fei smiled slightly.

"Goals without a plan are just wishes." Elvis Presley of basketball added lightly, "Goals that are not based on one's own strength are dreams." ”

The other party asked in surprise, "You don't like Chris's words?" ”

"No, I like it." He laughed, "In this day and age, it's good to dare to dream. ”

It is difficult for reporters to disagree with Yu Fei's words.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Hornets are not much better than the Nuggets, the opponents of the SuperSonics in the first round, but Paul still dreams of winning.

Then, the reporter couldn't help but think again.

Once upon a time, there was a person in the world they lived in who still dreamed of competing with Yu Fei, and they were called the two heroes for a while.

What now?

Where are the younger champions?

※※※

Cleveland

After successfully passing the first round, the Cavaliers will once again meet the Bucks in the semifinals.

They have lost to the Bucks in the playoffs for three years in a row.

Last year, Yu Fei was no longer there.

But the remnants of his legacy are still strong.

Danny Granger is the most underrated star player in the East.

He made it his duty to defend the glory of the bucks, and he saw himself as the successor of the chosen son.

As a successor, he can not win the championship, but he must not lose to the Cavaliers.

But this year, the Cavaliers are full of confidence.

Because James ushered in a big explosion after the new rules.

Some media outlets close to Nike said, "LeBron looks like 2006's Frye." ”

However, behind the strength of the Cavaliers is the reality that James has lost to Yu Fei for six consecutive years.

On top of that, the Cavaliers have a nightmare.

That's this offseason.

In the first four games of the semifinals, the Cavaliers and the Bucks drew 2-2.

Team owner Dan Gilbert gave an interview to the scene with an ugly expression.

The media asked Gilbert if he thought LeBron would stay after the season.

"I don't know." Gilbert said, "I think he will." ”

Compared to 2007, it's another world.

James is no longer the center of the basketball world.

People all over the world are discussing "44vs23", "09 Supersonic if they win the championship, should they add an asterisk", "How much basketball has evolved in the last decade", "Can Jordan succeed in the era of joint defense".James? His only topic of conversation was not leaving Cleveland.

The topic is so boring, and it's nowhere near the time to hype it.

But that's exactly what the Cavaliers are all about.

With the Cavaliers' record reaching 54 wins this season, Mike Brown was the second-place head coach of the year in the poll, and if it weren't for George Carr's 73-win record, Coach Bread would have been the coach of the year.

Just a day before the Cavaliers' battle with the Bucks, an ESPN reporter asked Brown and James how their relationship was.

The manager, who has coached James for several years and has a small success, humbly replied: "LeBron allowed me to coach him." ”

While the Cavaliers were in high spirits preparing for the Celestial Kings Race, a little-known sports gossip website published an article claiming that LeBron James' teammate Delonte West was having an affair with his mother, Gloria James.

Overnight, LeBron James was surpassed by this malicious world in a special way in public opinion, allowing the basketball world to briefly escape the "44vs23" narrative that lasted for a whole year.