Chapter 145: LeBron Promised He Would Never Leave Cleveland!

These words were full of gunpowder, and the reporters, like great white sharks smelling blood, asked:

"How do you rate Stephen Curry?"

Monta Ellis pondered for a moment, and said:

"He is a very good player with a strong scoring ability and has helped the Warriors win many games... But it is a pity that I and his characteristics are relatively similar and cannot coexist. I hope he can continue to improve."

"???"

The reporters are stunned, we are waiting for you to issue a declaration of battle, and this is the result?

Shouldn't you show contempt for Curry and say that you are the core of the Warriors' team building? Why do you still encourage the younger generation as a senior?

"Are there any questions? If not, I'll go first."

Seeing that the reporters did not continue to ask questions, Monta Ellis thought they had finished asking, and got up and left on his own, leaving the reporters looking at each other in blank dismay.

What they don't know is that Monta Ellis is a straightforward and quiet person. He may be dissatisfied because the Warriors traded him away, but he will not take this anger on Curry.

In Zhang Yu's previous life, after the Warriors selected Curry, Monta Ellis publicly stated to the media that he did not like Curry and did not want to play with Curry, because he believed that Curry and his characteristics conflicted, and the two were not suitable partners. back-court.

But then Curry tried hard to adapt to the characteristics of Monta Ellis, reduced the possession of the ball, played more off the ball, and showed his favor to him many times. Monta Ellis also changed his view of Curry, and the relationship between the two became very good.

With Monta Ellis' character, it is completely wishful thinking for reporters to get any gimmicky remarks from him.

Unwilling, the reporters approached Zhang Yu, wanting to dig out something valuable from him.

Zhang Yu does not allow Warriors players to accept pre-match interviews. Before each game, he is the one who deals with various reporters.

This is one of the "news control" policies he implemented in the Warriors, the purpose of which is to reduce the interference of public opinion and the media on players.

In his previous life, he had seen too many players who were disturbed by the media and public opinion, including many stars.

Public opinion can't kill people, but it can kill people's hearts, which will have an impact on players' mentality and on-court performance.

Zhang Yu didn't want to see this kind of thing happen, so he could only cut off the players' contact with the media as much as possible.

His philosophy is-players are only responsible for playing well, and don't make too many things off the court.

The reporter also knew Zhang Yu's character, so he just showed it when he came up:

"Coach Z, the current record of the Cavaliers is 9 wins and 1 loss, Monta Ellis averaged 22 points per game, while Big Z and Varejao are mediocre, do you think the trade with the Cavaliers during the offseason was a loss? "

Zhang Yu said lightly:

"No loss, I am very satisfied with the performance of Big Z and Varejao, and don't forget, we also got three draft picks."

"But with LeBron, those picks are worthless at all." "Cleveland Candide" reporter shouted.

This is the largest local newspaper in Cleveland and a loyal supporter of the Cavaliers and James.

Zhang Yu chuckled lightly:

"Are you so sure that James will stay in Cleveland?"

The reporter froze for a moment, then said firmly:

"Of course! LeBron is the son of Akron, the son of Cleveland, and he will only play for the Cavaliers!"

"Really? Let's wait and see." Zhang Yu smiled again, got up and left.

The Cleveland Candide reporter wouldn't let up:

"LeBron promised he would never leave Cleveland, you are slandering his loyalty to this city!"

Zhang Yu stopped in her tracks, turned her head and smiled:

"There is no absolute, I hope you will still be as sure as you are today in a year's time."

After speaking, he stopped staying and left the scene.

Except for the local reporters in Cleveland, everyone immediately took out their computers, tapped on the keyboard, and sent the news.

Zhang Yu revealed a huge amount of information in just a few words. He actually thought that James would leave the Cavaliers after this season!

Some people have raised this point of view, but they are based on the fact that James did not renew his contract with the Cavaliers in advance, and few people believe it.

But Zhang Yu is the head coach of the Warriors, and he holds three draft picks for the Cavaliers in the next five years, so what he said carries a lot of weight.

Although these reporters don't think James will leave the Cavaliers, but Zhang Yu's remarks are enough to cause huge controversy, and that's enough.

If there is controversy, there will be traffic. After they go back, they will greatly exaggerate the possibility of "James leaving the Cavaliers", which will cause opposition from the fans. They have long been familiar with this.

The reporters were typing on their keyboards and thinking, Coach Z would be better, and never say those unnutritious nonsense.

When you go back, you must grab the positions of the Warriors and team reporters. As long as Coach Z is around, you will never worry about news!

...

In the United States in 2009, the Internet was already very developed, and Zhang Yu's remarks spread quickly.

After James learned the news from his agent Rich Paul, it was already afternoon, and there were only three hours before the start of the game.

He frowned, and communicated with Rich Paul through his mobile phone:

"Rich, do I need to respond?"

He was concentrating on preparing for the competition, when he suddenly heard the news, he was at a loss for a while.

Rich Paul said in a deep voice:

"LeBron, before the game, there will definitely be reporters asking you this question. You must firmly deny it. Remember, you must be firm. Don't be influenced by Coach Z's words, the game is the most important thing."

James took a deep breath and said slowly:

"I know, as long as he wins this game, his words will be self-defeating."

After a few more conversations with Rich Paul, James hung up the phone, but his heart was still turbulent.

People don't know that James has always had the idea of leaving the Cavaliers deep in his heart.

After being selected by the Cavaliers, James was excited to play for his hometown team, but also had a vague regret in his heart.

He has a kind of pride hidden in his heart, thinking that only the Lakers and Celtics are worthy of his talent.

Before entering the NBA, James was a diehard Cavaliers fan, but as a player, things to consider are much more complicated.

But at that time, everyone thought he was the favorite of Cleveland, and Nike also promoted James with the label of "urban hero". Even the Cavaliers' winning the No. [-] pick seemed so coincidental.

Under the impetus of a powerful joint force, James came to the Cavaliers as the No. [-] pick logically, and he could only bury his thoughts deep in his heart.

But as he continued to grow, and the Cavaliers were still unable to win the championship, James' idea of leaving Cleveland became stronger and stronger.

If I were in a big city, would I have already won the championship?

During this offseason, he did not renew his contract with the team in advance, and the idea in his mind was to leave the Cavaliers after the season.

If the Cavaliers win the championship, then he has fulfilled his promise and helped the Cavaliers break the record of no championship in team history. Even if he joins other teams, others can't say anything.

And if the Cavaliers overdraw their future this year and still fail to compete for the championship, then he will have to leave, and if he stays in Cleveland, he may really have no championship for life.

But why is Coach Z so sure that he will leave the Cavaliers?

James recalled the offseason trade between the Warriors and the Cavaliers, and felt Zhang Yu's unfathomable.

Could it be that he had expected this a long time ago and asked the Cavaliers for 3 draft picks?

The more James thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he simply stopped thinking about it, but made up his mind to go all out tonight, win the game, and fight back with victory!

...

At eight o'clock in the evening, the Quicken Loans Center was brightly lit, making it the brightest building in downtown Cleveland.

And only on Cavaliers game days can it add a buzz and buzz to Cleveland's dark and gloomy nights, making the city look less like a ghost town.

The game between the Warriors and the Cavaliers was broadcast live across the United States, and CCTV also broadcast the game, with Yang Yi and Zhang Weiping as commentators.

Before the start of the season, no one paid attention to this game. What's so interesting about the massacre of the Eastern powerhouses against the Western Conference.

But after the start of the season, the Warriors have sprung up and are currently ranked third in the Western Conference with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses. In these 9 games, Curry averaged 27.9 points, 9.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, ranking first in the league in scoring 4. Ranked third in assists, shocking the league.

This is the data of a superstar. No rookie has been able to play such a crazy performance for many years. The Warriors instantly attracted the attention of the entire league. This game has also become a "super rookie VS superstar" contest.

If this trend continues, Curry is very likely to lead the team into the playoffs in his rookie season and make it to the first team. This is an achievement that James has not even achieved.

But many critics have maintained their sanity. They pointed out that Curry can have such luxurious statistics because the teams have not paid attention to Curry and let his three-pointers go.

The Bucks have begun to guard against Curry. They would rather let the rest of the Warriors score than give Curry an easy shot, allowing him to score only 24 points.

This is also an important reason for the Bucks to win. Otherwise, even if Jennings scored 55 points, as long as Curry's scoring output remains above 30 points, the Bucks will undoubtedly lose.

Now the entire league knows that Curry must be strictly guarded against the Warriors. If the Warriors can withstand this pressure and remain in the ranks of the playoff teams, this shows that they have really become stronger, not just a flash in the pan.

At the beginning of each season, there are too many "dark polo teams" rushing to the forefront of the league rankings, but these teams often return to the lottery zone after a month. The Warriors need to pass the test of time before they can be recognized by people.

Under the eyes of everyone, all pre-match preparations were completed in an orderly manner, the two sides finally stood on the field, and the game was about to begin.

Zhang Yu came to the technical stage and shook hands with Mike Brown.

Looking at Bread's surprised face, Zhang Yu smiled and said:

"Mike, I hope you can show mercy."

Mike Brown looked at Zhang Yu with surprised eyes, and said:

"You are really amazing..."

Just as the two shook hands, a heated argument broke out in the CCTV commentary booth in distant China.

Zhang Weiping shook his head and said:

"This lineup is very unreasonable! Zhang Yu actually removed Varejao and sent Matthews, so the Warriors only have one insider, and Biedrins is still skinny. How can they defend against James? This lineup... ...This lineup is unreasonable!"

Ten minutes before the start of the game, Zhang Yu temporarily changed the starting lineup and submitted a new starting lineup to the league. Varejao was replaced by Matthews because of back tension.

This move instantly attracted everyone's attention, and people were very puzzled by Zhang Yu's operation.

Varejao's back strain was simply ignored, and everyone now knows that every player on the Warriors has a "back strain" whenever the need arises.

After Matthews came on the court, the Warriors players were very calm. This was a premeditated substitution.

As we all know, defending against James needs to block the inside line. This is an open-book exam. The Spurs' perfect answer sheet is there, and Zhang Yu doesn't copy it?

Zhang Yu really didn't copy it.

After Zhang Weiping expressed doubts about Zhang Yu, Yang Yi retorted:

"I don't agree with Director Zhang's words. Zhang Yu must have his own ideas. This is... to fight against the Cavaliers. Yes, it is to fight against the Cavaliers! The Warriors have one big and four small, which is very suitable for running and bombing. As for defense , I don't believe that Biedrins and Varejao can restrain James, so I simply remove Varejao, put Matthews, and add an outside shooter."

The more Yang Yi said, the more certain he became, as if he was Zhang Yu himself, and he personally arranged this tactic.

At the beginning, he refuted Zhang Weiping, just because he catered to the hearts of domestic fans.

After the Warriors won consecutive battles and ranked third in the Western Conference, many fans who paid attention to the Warriors only because of Zhang Yu became real supporters of the Warriors.

Yang Yi knew that they wanted to listen to the commentary to praise Zhang Yu, just like they wanted to see the commentary to praise Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, so he subconsciously refuted.

But the more he said, the more he felt that he had guessed the Warriors' tactics correctly, and his tone became more and more determined.

"This lineup doesn't leave any backs, and it's impossible to defend against James. If the Warriors don't attack, it will be completely over. Zhang Yu is still young. With such a lineup, I think the Warriors will hang up in this game. ." Zhang Weiping was still not optimistic about the Warriors lineup, shaking his head and sighing.

Yang Yi was not in a hurry, and showed his signature smirk:

"Director Zhang, don't worry. This is where we are going. When the game starts, let's see how it works together. Anyway, in my opinion, this lineup is worth playing. Think about it, if you play normally, the Warriors will definitely If we can't win, this change of formation might give it a fresh start, let's wait and see."

While the two were arguing, the game officially began, and Biedrins beat the aging Sharks on a jump ball and turned the basketball to Curry.

Curry advanced quickly with the ball, and the Warriors flooded into the Cavaliers' half like a tide.

The Cavaliers intended to retreat, but O'Neal's old cold legs obviously couldn't move. By the time he took a step, the Warriors had already had a brief opportunity for 4v5.

Curry dribbled the ball at a 45-degree angle to the left of the three-point line, attracting the defensive attention of the Cavaliers. Suddenly, he flicked his right hand and passed the ball to Biedrins who followed up in the middle.

Biedrins was unguarded in front of him. After receiving the ball, he rushed inside and dunked with both hands.

2: 0.

Yang Yi shouted loudly:

"Good shot! Curry's pass was really just right. O'Neal returned to the defense slowly and gave Biedrins a chance to dunk. The Warriors really want to play fast!"