17

Chapter 17 Let Time Prove It! Rivers' Sarcasm

There was a brief silence.

The reporters looked at each other, unable to hide their surprise.

The interview with Jiang Chen just now completely refreshed their understanding of the word "pretentious".

Even if Larry Bird, the "king of forcing", came, he would not be a match for Jiang Chen!

As the league's "king of pretense" in the 1980s, Larry Bird left behind countless pretentious moments that were relived and talked about by fans time and time again.

In just a few minutes of the interview, reporters sensed that Jiang Chen has the potential to become the new generation of the King of Force.

But the difference is that Larry Bird's greatness lies in the fact that he has achieved all the things he has pretended to be.

This is strength!

What about Jiang Chen?

Will he continue to perform explosively in the future as he said, or will he be like a meteor passing by, bursting out in this game and then being forgotten by the crowd, and continue to be a marginal role in the joint venture?

Only time can tell.

But at the moment, most reporters are not optimistic about Jiang Chen's career.

There are too many such short-lived performances in the NBA.

There are too many players who rise like rockets and fall like meteors.

Perhaps tonight's incredible performance of 35 points, 10 three-pointers and a buzzer-beater in a single quarter is the most glorious moment of Jiang Chen's entire career.

"Phil, under your command, the team completed a big comeback. What do you think was the most correct decision you made in this game?"

The reporters changed their interview targets.

"Without a doubt, let Jiang Chen play!"

"If I had gotten him out there earlier, maybe we wouldn't have been down 33 points."

Phil said with a slight smile.

"So what do you think of what Jiang Chen said just now? Do you think he will become Pippen next to Kobe?"

A reporter asked, very curious.

"Well... some of Jiang Chen's words are indeed unbelievable, but the young man's attitude is still worthy of praise. Let's see what happens in the future."

"As for whether he can become the Pippen next to Kobe, I dare not say. After all, Pippen did not have the magical performance of 35 points and 10 three-pointers in a single quarter! Maybe he will become another Kobe?"

Phil shrugged and praised Jiang Chen generously.

The reporters were shocked again.

Becoming another Kobe?

The water cooler player?

Could it be that Phil was shocked by Jiang Chen's performance in this game? Did he lose his judgment?

Jiang Chen's performance is indeed worthy of praise, but it is a bit too much to praise him as another Kobe.

Kobe Bryant, as the face of the NBA, is an epoch-making superstar with influence all over the world!!

How can this Chinese player become another Kobe?

Apart from Yao Ming, there has not been an NBA superstar in China.

"Kobe, do you think so too?"

Reporters focused their attention on Kobe.

"Yes, Jiang Chen is an amazing player, and his future achievements in the NBA are immeasurable."

Kobe said calmly, giving his own affirmation.

What will happen in the future.

He doesn't care.

What he cares most about is the present and the seventh game the day after tomorrow.

If the current praise can inspire Jiang Chen's confidence and allow him to continue to perform well in the seventh game.

So why not praise it?

Jiang Chen listened to Kobe's words, turned his head and smiled, "Kobe, I have to say, you really have good vision!"

"..."

Kobe was stunned.

This little teammate is really not modest!

The reporters were also stunned.

This Chinese rookie never misses any opportunity to show off.

After all that, let's see how you perform in Game 7!!

After the interview, many media reporters flocked to the Celtics' interview room.

Compared to the crowded interview room of the Lakers, the interview room of the Celtics seemed a bit deserted, with only less than a hundred media outlets.

"Rivers, how do you view this loss? Do you think this game will be a turning point for the entire series?"

A reporter asked.

"I didn't expect the team to lose. When we were leading by 33 points, we were ready to celebrate our victory. But who would have thought that a water cooler player on the Lakers scored 35 points in a single quarter and helped the team turn the game around, but we were still defeated!"

"This is such a terrible feeling! We already had the championship trophy in our arms, but that Chinese rookie ruined everything."

"I don't think this is a turning point! Since we can lead the Lakers by 33 points in today's game, I believe we can do the same in the seventh game. After all, a water dispenser player can't always explode! The Lakers can't expect to rely on a water dispenser player to win the championship!"

Rivers shook his head, his face full of sarcasm, both to himself and to the Lakers.

He ridiculed himself for making a wrong judgment and giving Jiang Chen too many shooting opportunities in the early stage, which led to his hot shooting in the later stage.

It was ironic that the Lakers turned the game around by relying on a water cooler player whose base salary was only a few hundred thousand US dollars.

But the most helpless thing is that the water dispenser player is also a member of the Lakers!

That's very frustrating.

"In the tiebreaker, will you make targeted defense against Jiang Chen?"

A reporter asked.

"NO! It's totally unnecessary!"

"I know the Lakers will definitely increase Jiang Chen's playing time in Game 7, but his biggest skill is just shooting three-pointers."

"10 of 13 shots? I don't believe he will still have such a horrible shooting percentage in the next game!"

Rivers said this calmly, but he was complaining madly in his heart.

Is this even a question?

We must do targeted defense!

Even if the Chinese rookie's hit rate drops, it is unacceptable to make three or four three-pointers!

How can you say such a thing?

We must not show weakness to the Lakers.

Sports competition is not only a physical and technical contest, but also a psychological contest is equally important.

...

The reporters nodded as they listened, agreeing with Rivers' statement.

"Garnett, can you tell us about the last defensive situation in this game? Why did you foul? Why did you let Jiang Chen score 2+1?"

A reporter who came over from the Lakers interview room couldn't wait to ask.

"Our defense was perfect. We forced Jiang Chen into the restricted area, and then I fouled him and made him shoot free throws!"

"But I didn't expect that this Chinese rookie could still score the ball even after committing a full-strength foul!"

"One detail is that when I committed a foul, this Chinese rookie showed a hint of a smile on his face, which made me suspect that he was waiting for me to commit a foul on purpose!"

"He saw through our tactics and made that 2+1!"