Chapter 751: 502 Chapter 751: 502 Trailing 0-2, Game 3 is often considered the decisive battle.

So when the Timberwolves dug themselves into a 0-3 hole at home, practically no one expected them to stir up any trouble.

In the ensuing first round Game 4, the Supersonics didn’t give the Timberwolves a chance to breathe.

“They were like skilled plantation workers, cleaning up the Timberwolves’ remains out of the playoffs.”

Sports Illustrated, after the Supersonics swept the Timberwolves in an away game, chose Yu Fei as the cover figure for the Nth time.

The sentence above was the cover’s headline.

Lakers likewise quickly disposed of their first-round opponents like the Timberwolves did.

The Lakers, facing the ulterior-minded Denver Nuggets in the first round, brutally scored an average of 126 points per game, setting a new NBA record for average points in the first round.

James had a triple-double average in the series; Kobe averaged 32 points; Antawn Jamison averaged 18 points; Richard Hamilton and Marc Gasol also averaged double figures.

The gorgeous starting lineup led people to name the Lakers’ starters as the “Lakers Star Five.” This nickname naturally reminded people of the Fab Five from 19 years ago.

The Fab Five, like a hurricane, injected vitality into NCAA basketball in the 90s, profoundly influencing pop culture, and now the Lakers Star Five’s momentum is no less than that of the Fab Five, especially since Kobe and LeBron are superstars second only to Yu Fei.

Now joined together, flanked by three formidable helpers, the Lakers’ momentum and the attention they’re receiving well position them as the next dynasty of the NBA.

“Dynasty is not our goal,”
Kobe wanted people to remember what a fierce competitor he was.

“Frye has set a new standard for success over the past seven years,” Kobe said confidently, “LeBron didn’t choose the Lakers for three championships; like he said, ‘Not one, not two, and definitely not three… we’re going to build an empire!’
Kobe’s words were inspiring, but they also made it clear that inside the Lakers, seemingly with two leaders, Kobe was still the most revered.

Come to think of it, it’s only natural.

When James joined the Lakers, unlike when he went to Miami in another timeline, Kobe was far more dominant than Wade, held a higher league status, and certainly, did not seem to have the empathy of Wade.

Wade realized after the enigmatic 2011 finals that, for The Big Three to succeed, James had to take the lead. Now, the fusion of Kobe and LeBron signals an all-or-nothing ambition.

Imagine Durant joining the Warriors and then getting defeated by James in the finals; whether it’s Curry or Durant, once that happened, debates over their historical status would end, and simultaneously, the birth of a clownish hall of shame loser would be sealed.

Moreover, two would be born at once.

“I’m looking forward to the Western finals,” LeBron said with as much confidence as Kobe.

If defeating Yu Fei is like dismantling the biggest obstacle for Kobe, then for James, it’s like a neurotic patient haunted by a vengeful spirit finally succeeding in exorcism.

“I hope he makes it to the conference finals,” James said with a smile, “Of course, I have to give respect to San Antonio, although I think we will meet in the conference finals, it’s possible they might not get past San Antonio.”

So, how are the Spurs doing now?

The third-seeded Spurs faced the sixth-seeded Rockets in the first round.

They could have swept their opponents like the Lakers and the Supersonics, but the Spurs were bitten back in Game 4, suffering a surprising loss to the Rockets.

Yao Ming showed all the qualities of a modern center in this series.

Leading playoff efficiency in rim protection, and with the Spurs lacking a sizable guard due to military service, they could only rely on Duncan for defensive pressure.

But Yao had already discarded the spirit of the traditional big C, constantly stepping out to flash three-pointers.

Yao shot 40% from three-point range in the first four games of the round, efficiency-wise, he was already at the level of a top shooter, causing quite a headache for the Spurs’ defense. If it weren’t for Harden’s immaturity, the suspense in the series would have been even greater.

In Game 5 of the series, Yao fought for 35 minutes, inside and out, scoring 33 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, but due to the team’s overall strength, the loss was inevitable.

He had lost count of how many times he had been stopped in the first round.

Once upon a time, Americans looked at him as if he were Alien E.T., he brought infinite longing in his rookie season, but now, the fantasy has crashed to earth; he is just a star center, better than Rik Smits, but only modestly so, and now, forget dominating the game, just adapting to the small-ball era brought by Yu Fei was exhausting.

This summer, Yao will become a free agent, and with his current successful transformation, there will be plenty of strong teams wanting him.

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But for him, the Rockets have always come first, as Chinese inherently believe in the concept of enduring loyalty. Even if it’s a job if the conditions are similar, there’s no need to change teams.

However, as a competitor, staying with the Rockets really offers no hope.

“Congratulations on the first-round exit, best of luck in the World Championship.”

Yao received this text message from Yu Fei after the game.

The happy days are always remarkably short-lived; Yao didn’t get called up to play in the Asian Championship last summer, mainly because the people back home were conceited, each thinking they were Olympic quarterfinalists, as if winning an Asian Championship without Yao Big Dummy was a walk in the park. As a result, they had a massive upset on home ground, losing the championship to Iran.