One Thousand Nine Hundred and Seventy. Postscript-Kobe Bryant Chapter

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The longer you play, the better!

Kobe, who had just reached a one-year, $3.29 million contract with the Lakers to fill the Lakers' salary cap, watched his team spend their salary space on Dieng and Morris this summer. Dieng's starting salary was 18 million, and his total salary was 18 million. 48 million in three years gradually decreased. Morris paid 16 million in two years and 4.39 million US dollars in one year. He reached an agreement with Channing Frye, a shooting center, and also selected Hart, a rookie with first-class 3D potential, and Zuba. This second-round pick looks pretty good...

Looking at the current lineup of his team, Leonard, James, Tarik Blake, Lou Williams, Corey Brewer, Lopez, Rondo, Tony Snell, Zu Butts, Nene Hilario, Dieng, Morris, Channing Frye, Josh Hart.

Gian, Lopez, Morris, Frye, Nene, Zubac, Tarik Blake, seven insiders, each with their own characteristics, although they are not as good as the three-year 35 million contract extension of Lopez Griffin + Lopez are still the strongest inside combination in the league today, but at least they will not be defeated by Derrick Favors, who averaged 16+9 per game like in the past two years. Explode.

The second round of last year's playoffs was so miserable! As long as there is a strong inside team, it will be difficult for the Lakers to play in the playoffs, because except for Lopez and Nene, the other two inside players cannot even hold back, and Nene and Lopez Not to mention that Petz is both a center, the two of them combined do not have enough physical strength to play for 48 minutes. This is the worst thing.

Finally, their Lakers team has real strength to compete for the championship! No longer a regular season team.

Just when Kobe was excited about his team's signings this summer, he saw the Clippers trade back three for one for Klay Thompson.

Regarding this, Kobe feels that it is okay. Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Curry, and Jokic do not have the full starting lineup of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Paul George, Aldridge, and Gobert in the 15-16 season. When healthy and physically strong, the Grizzlies' starting lineup in the 15-16 season can be considered the strongest in history.

But with the addition of Durant, it's completely different. Either Sun Ce or Durant can play power forward, and this lineup will explode!

In other words, any championship-level team, with Durant, will be so strong that it will explode!

Kobe also believed that once the Clippers signed Sun Ce, they would have no room to renew Durant's contract and Durant would leave.

But Durant actually renewed his contract! Or take a salary cut of more than 6 million and renew the contract!

Who would have thought of such a thing?

Kobe has been playing for 21 years, and he really didn't expect that something like this would happen... That's why he lamented that the longer you play, the better, and you can experience all kinds of craziness.

The situation of the Clippers is different from that of the Grizzlies! When the Grizzlies formed that lineup, not many people had any objections because among the four of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Gobert, Sun Ce was traded in his rookie year, which was almost like self-selection, and the other three were traded. They are all rookies chosen by themselves.

Aldridge was acquired in exchange for Whiteside. The Grizzlies are currently suffering a loss. Whiteside is in the second team and second defense. Whiteside is not wanted by other teams, so the Grizzlies signed him back. Cultivated by myself.

In other words, the Grizzlies have trained their own players, forming the strongest starting lineup in history, with two seasons of 75 wins and 72 wins.

But for the Clippers, except for Jokic, the other four starters were joined by other teams. Curry and Klay Thompson were okay, but after the trade, the Clippers were robbed by the Warriors.

But the Clippers' bargaining chips can theoretically only bring back Curry and Klay Thompson, as well as Sun Ce and Durant. The Clippers directly brought them back without any cost, including Durant. Normally, Rand should receive more than 30 million like Sun Ce, but he received about 40% less salary.

It’s almost as good as David West jumping out of his contract to join the Grizzlies with a minimum salary...

Durant is really not short of money. He signed a 10-year sneaker contract worth US$3.2 billion. His sneaker endorsement fee is second only to Sun Ce and James.

Kobe really didn't expect that the world could be so crazy - that guy Durant, in order to no longer be a rival with Sun Ce, actually waited for the Clippers to sign a signing and after the transaction was completed, he would sign a contract as big as there was room left. Really, I don’t care about face at all. If I can’t beat them, I’ll stick together.

But for this situation, Kobe thinks... it’s none of my business?

Love it!

This kind of thing should be a headache for James and Leonard. Kobe thought it would be good if he had the opportunity to win a championship with him, but this situation is just like the dominance of Magic and Bird in the 1980s, and it is Sun Ce is the top two, not counting the end of the 1980s. From 1980 to 1988, only the 76ers won one championship during this period. The other eight championships were won by Magic and Bird.

There are currently three years left in this decade. Do the Lakers have a chance to win another championship?

It's really not that easy...

However, Kobe, who has already caught up with Jordan for the number of championships, no longer cares so much whether he can win the seventh championship. He will naturally be happy if he can win it, but if he can't win it... there is nothing he can do! When they won three consecutive championships at the beginning of this century, didn't their opponents also collapse?

For Kobe, he is now very fortunate that he promised James last year to play for a few more years before he had the opportunity to experience such a scene. He is very fortunate and feels that it is really good to play for a long time! The next thing he wants to do is to try his best to help the team, as much as he can, and his personal goal... just get 800 points every year. With 390,023 points now, he is not far away from 40,000 points!

…

However, Kobe didn't expect that he couldn't stop playing. He became more and more solid in open shots. Kobe played an important contribution in the Lakers' road to the championship.

In the 17-18 season, as Kobe expected, the Clippers, which had just formed the ultimate five-man team of Sun Ce + Curry + Klay Thompson + Durant + Jokic, had a regular season record of just An average of 61 wins. Although they won the regular season championship, they were not far behind the 60 wins of the Nets, which ranked first in the Eastern Conference, and the 60 wins of the Suns, which ranked second in the Western Conference.

But in the playoffs, the Clippers were too strong. After a season of running-in, in addition to losing one game in the first round, they swept two consecutive rounds in the second round. Among them, the Lakers relied on Leonardo in Game 6 With Germany's mid-range shot, he narrowly defeated the Suns led by Paul and Antetokounmpo 4-2 and reached the Western Conference Finals. However, he lost to the Clippers by at least 15 points in each game for four consecutive games and was easily swept by the Clippers.

When it came to the finals, it was not the Nets or the 76ers who had successfully rebuilt and won 55 games in the regular season, but the Celtics who got Jimmy Butler!

In the finals, the Clippers encountered some troubles. Jimmy Butler had two 40+ triple-doubles in 6 games. One of them was after Sun Ce scored a go-ahead goal. Jimmy Butler scored three times at the buzzer. The score beat the Clippers and turned a 1-3 deficit into a 2-3 deficit.

However, in the sixth game, the Clippers relied on Sun Ce's super triple-double of 15 points, 17 rebounds, 16 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. When he was flanked personally, they relied on Jokic's cooperation to connect the team's pitchers. The Celtics were shot to death alive.

In the 18-19 season, the Lakers' chances were much better. Curry and Klay Thompson of the Clippers were often absent during the regular season. They were only ranked third in the Western Conference during the regular season with 59 wins. In the playoffs, there were also players Occasionally absent, but the overall impact is not big.

The opportunity for the Lakers this year is that Leonard has entered his peak season. With James maintaining good condition, the second-place Lakers in the Western Conference met the Clippers in the second round. The Lakers have home court advantage. Fight with the Grizzlies to the tiebreaker! And after losing the Tianwangshan battle, the away game dragged the series to a tiebreaker.

However, the Lakers returned to their home court and still failed to win. The Clippers performed strongly in the tiebreaker, scoring 23 three-pointers. In addition to Sun Ce's strong defensive end with 16 rebounds, 6 blocks and 3 steals, The Clippers won the tiebreaker 129-113, and the Lakers fell to Sun Ce again...

The team that entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conference and eliminated the Suns led by Paul and Antetokounmpo was the Grizzlies, with Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Ibaka, Sabonis...the core combination of the Grizzlies performed surprisingly well! The substitute lineup includes Harrison Barnes, Yi Jianlian, and Hield, which are also quite good.

In the summer of 2017, the Grizzlies used Gobert and the traded Redick as bargaining chips to clean up the lineup and traded back Ibaka and second-year Sabonis. After a year of running-in, they went from 17-18 Ranked eighth in the Western Conference this season, he has rushed to fourth place in the Western Conference. In the second round, he relied on the performance of Hield and Jaylen Brown, as well as Paul George, who averaged 216 points, 68 rebounds, 9 assists and 22 steals in the playoffs. With his leadership and excellent inside strength, the Grizzlies defeated the Suns in the second round and reached the Western Conference Finals!

In Kobe's view, the Grizzlies were also lucky. Paul was inexplicably defeated in the second round. This was the first year of Paul's four-year, $16.9 billion contract extension with the Suns in the summer of 2017. Currently, the Grizzlies are After this season, Paul will be 36 years old...

In the Western Conference Finals, the Grizzlies faced the Clippers, who were in their best form after the tiebreaker with the Lakers, and were eliminated 1-4... The scene that impressed Kobe very deeply about this Western Conference Finals was the Clippers. When we went to Memphis to play an away game, the fans immediately turned against them.

In the finals, the Clippers easily defeated the Nets, which had a better record, 4-1. Although the Nets formed a championship team, they were just a championship team. They failed to get Durant and failed to improve the lineup. The qualitatively changed Nets only have the strength to defeat ordinary championship teams...

Sun Ce wins 5 consecutive championships! Although no team can complete more than 3 consecutive championships like the Celtics, Sun Ce completed 5 consecutive championships himself!

Seeing that the Clippers seemed to be establishing a dynasty again, something very sudden happened.

During Kobe's playing career, Sun Ce's number of consecutive championships was fixed at 5, and Sun Ce's number of championships was fixed at 7. On June 20, 2019, Sun Ce, who had completed 7 championships in 8 years, won the seventh title in his career on the night of winning the championship. After winning the FVP trophy, he announced his retirement...

5 vp, 7 championships, 7 finals vp, 5 consecutive championships + fvp, two best defensive players, 9 first team, 6 first defense, 5 scoring champions, 2 rebounding champions, 6 Second block leader, two steal leader...

Sun Ce, holding the title of the strongest player in history, announced his retirement at the age of 29 and a half after playing for 10 seasons!

In Kobe's view, he was targeted! This guy just wants to retire after winning one more championship than him!

The impact that Sun Ce's retirement will bring to the Clippers' strength is no less than the impact that Durant took a salary cut to join the Clippers in the summer of 2017! Not only that, but even more intense!

Ever since, in the summer of 2019, the Nets gave away Gallinari's expired contract, Larry Sanders' contract expired, Porzingis's last year's rookie contract ended and has not been renewed, and the Nets When the Nets only had two big contracts with salary space of 39 million for Evans and Love, Durant joined the Nets in a sign-and-trade with a four-year maximum salary contract of US$15.6 billion!

I'll join you after I beat you. Durant's operation this time was criticized wildly by the fans... Two years ago, he couldn't beat us just to play with each other, but now it's like I beat you and then I'll save you...

Sun Ce's retirement is a huge loss to the entire NBA. He will make countless billions less every year, but for other stars, the sky has finally dawned!

In the past two years, other stars really felt that the NBA was about to end, but they did not expect that Sun Ce chose to retire at his peak stage. For a while, the league entered the stage of mass competition.

And Kobe, coaxed by James, renewed his contract for another year, with a base salary of $2.79 million...

There is no way, with Kobe's ability, even though he is 41 years old, he can score 10 points in every game just by catching and shooting. He averages 10 points per game for $2.79 million, and there are so many catch-and-shooters. With his experience, whenever Kobe had the slightest idea of ​​retiring, James would make a keen judgment and go to Kobe's house to eat, drink and use the wifi. Kobe could only choose to continue playing.

Originally, Kobe was ready to retire after the 18-19 season. His total score had reached 40,582 points, but he couldn't bear James' grind, so he chose to play for another year.

The 19-20 season was an eventful year for the entire NBA... Stu Jackson took over the position of NBA president. He was indeed a mediocre president. He did not let David Stern withdraw from the board of directors. He had serious heart problems. David Stern almost entered the ICU because of Sun Ce's retirement. He had to help this mediocre successor and wait for the next outstanding president candidate to appear. The old man was really exhausted both physically and mentally.

By the beginning of 2020, one of the most terrifying epidemics in modern society broke out, and the whole world fell into panic...except for the President of the United States.

The NBA was suspended for half a year. During this year, many veterans retired. In August, the NBA resumed operations. Kobe trained with James and Leonard during the suspension, and his condition was not bad. After the season The game played a role.

Finally, this year, the yellow-green war reappears!

The Lakers, led by James and Leonard, met the Celtics, led by Jimmy Butler and Hayward, in the Finals!

In the first six games, the two teams were inseparable, and the Lakers were once overwhelmed. Fortunately, at the critical moment of the sixth game, Kobe was ordered to go up and hit two key mid-range shots, helping the Lakers win. In the sixth game, the finals were dragged into a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, the two teams played super defense. In the end, Leonard won the only game with 20+ points in the game, with 24 points and 8 rebounds. With 6 assists and 4 steals, as well as James' 17 points, 19 rebounds and 3 assists, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Celtics 92-87 and won the tiebreaker!

James finally won the second championship in his career. Although the fvp was awarded to Leonard in the end... it doesn't matter. After going through the lord era and two years of Thanos snapping his fingers, players from other teams can get it. The championship already makes me feel extremely happy!

The sky is really bright!

The one who laughed the most was undoubtedly Kobe. His championships surpassed Jordan and tied Sun Ce!

Originally they were just playing for another year to gain points, but they didn't expect that they would actually win the championship without Durant! The Nets, with Durant, were more depressed in the first year. Love was not so suitable for Durant and was forced to lose weight. The running-in was not good enough. Maybe it will be much better in the future, but the Celtics are just It is the current hegemon in the Eastern Conference and has reached the finals twice in three years.

However, the dominance of the Celtics is not stable. The Nets will definitely become stronger again. They already have a foundation that surpasses the strength of ordinary championship teams. On the basis of Evans, Love, and Porzingis With Durant, there is the potential to become the next Clippers and the next Grizzlies.

As for the Bulls, they once reached a tiebreaker with the Celtics in the second round. After two years of dormancy, the Bulls are expected to rise again.

But to Kobe, it doesn't matter at all.

After winning his seventh championship, Kobe, who was already 42 years old, announced his retirement after playing for 24 seasons!

…

After retiring, Kobe was a little idle and spent half a year leisurely.

In the past six months, the NBA has been begging Sun Ce to come back. Kobe Bryant is looking forward to Sun Ce not coming back... Then Sun Ce will not win more championships than him.

The 2020-2021 season only started in late January 2021. It can be restarted because the epidemic has finally been brought under control. The people on the other side of the ocean have been controlling the epidemic for more than a year, and the United States has only brought the situation under control.

The regular season has been shortened to 50 games, and the playoffs have been delayed until June, but it is good to be able to restart smoothly.

Now that it's March, Sun Ce still doesn't agree to come back, and Kobe feels a little relieved.

But on April 1st, April Fool's Day, Kobe was at home preparing to tease his five daughters... In the past six months after retiring, Kobe could only spend time at home entertaining his daughters. Vanessa gave birth to his fifth daughter. daughter.

Just when Kobe was busy, the doorbell rang, and Kobe asked using the fool-like voice control system: "Who are you?"

Since he had not received any notice of the visit, Kobe was not happy to be interrupted while spending time with his daughter, and his tone was not very good.

The voice from the intercom on the other side of the gate entered the loudspeaker in the living room of the villa: "I am Noah."

"Are you Noah? I'm still Ark... Damn! It's really your voice!"

Kobe opened the door and ran into the yard... After the outbreak, his house also built a wall.

Arriving at the courtyard, Kobe saw a large family, a group of security guards, a group of doctors... headed by Sun Ce!

In 2019, Sun Ce moved his family back to the imperial capital of China. He has hardly been to the United States for more than a year. He came occasionally in the second half of 2019, but not since 2020. The epidemic broke out. In fact, in Last August, when the NBA 2019-2020 season resumed, the NBA had been begging Sun Ce to come back for a long time, but Sun Ce did not agree to play in a closed venue.

Looking at Sun Ce, there are also Sun Ce's two girls, the daughter of a former Clippers assistant coach who is the press spokesperson, and seven sons and one daughter...the youngest son is less than one year old!

Thinking that I can only tease my daughter, the guy opposite has so many sons that they can almost form the main rotation of an NBA team. Kobe is so angry!

At this time, the group of doctors sprayed Kobe with spray. Kobe knew it was disinfectant spray as soon as he smelled it, and he became even more angry! This group of people came to his house without prior notice, but they were actually worried that he had a virus! He even took the initiative to quarantine for 28 days before returning home after playing the finals last year!

As for why others have to quarantine for 14 days, but someone has to quarantine for 28 days?

The reason... He is not weaker than anyone else in his life! Isolation is more tyrannical than others.

However, Kobe did not refuse to disinfect. After all, he has a family of 8 children, and the eldest child is only 8 years old.

"What are you doing here?" Kobe's tone became even worse.

Kobe felt a strong threat. If this guy comes back, something bad will happen! It is very likely that the 7-time champion will be surpassed immediately!

"You know what I'm here to do." Sun Ce responded.

"..."

"I need a player with excellent skills, outstanding strength in his playing days, and a great career that I can admire to be my trainer. I have thought about it for a long time, and you are the only one. How about you, an unemployed old man, be my trainer?" Become a trainer! I will pay you a salary..."

…

Like a ghost, Kobe suddenly felt that Sun Ce was very pleasing to his eyes and his words were nice, so he agreed.

In fact, when Sun Ce's family left, Kobe regretted it.

But if you can do what you promised, you must do it.

Moreover, after Kobe and Vanessa discussed it, they felt that this was nothing. Sun Ce was now 31 years old and could play for six or seven years at most before retiring.

Currently, someone in his department is 43 years old. At this age, business is not easy to do due to the epidemic, and he is usually idle at home. He might as well find a job, something related to basketball, even better.

Therefore, Kobe prepared very carefully. Jordan had coached Sun Ce in training. Kobe did not want to lose to Jordan. He vowed to teach him better than Jordan!

However, when Kobe Bryant agreed to be Sun Ce's trainer throughout his career, more than ten years passed in a blink of an eye...

18 years later…

On August 23, 2039, Kobe's 61st birthday, Kobe, whose beard was completely white, grabbed Sun Ce's sleeve with trembling hands after drinking a few drinks and asked: "Brother, when can I retire!"

"Next year, my 7th son will also enter the NBA this year. I will play for another year and see who among the sons can beat me...Okay, okay, even if they can't beat me, I will retire. I have played for too long. , you can retire soon..."

Kobe burst into tears when he heard this...it's been 18 years! Originally I only thought of working for six or seven years, but one of them retired when he was in his 50s, but ended up working for 18 years!

In the past 18 years, he has watched Sun Ce win 7 more championships, and watched Sun Ce's sons enter major sports one by one. Among them, three sons have already shown talents in the NBA. In the draft in June this year In the conference, Sun Ce’s 7th son was also the 4th son to choose to play basketball. He also entered the NBA, and was the second number one pick among Sun Ce’s sons...

After 18 years, Kobe's hair has completely stopped growing and he has become a complete old man.

But even though he is 61 years old, he still wants to save face. Since he agreed to be Sun Ce's trainer throughout his career, in the last year...his second daughter is about to retire from WNBA...but He still has to keep working!