Chapter 108: Three reasons for the Lakers to win the championship

The Los Angeles Lakers ushered in a tough high-altitude back-to-back game.

After finishing the Nuggets, the Lakers will rush to Salt Lake City overnight to play another high-altitude battle with the Jazz.

This will be a huge test for the Lakers' physical strength, as playing at high altitude is very physically demanding.

This is why Phil Jackson decided to put Kobe on the bench after letting Fan Xi play; you can't put all your eggs in one basket, you have to have one perimeter core in a state of rest.

Honestly speaking, the Lakers haven't fought such a wealthy battle for many years. Since Fan Xi appeared out of nowhere this season, Kobe's number of rotations has been the highest in the last ten years.

For older superstars, rotation is very, very important. Tim Duncan's efficient output for more than ten years didn't leave coach Popovich's "rogue-style" rotation.

This is one of the reasons why Kobe likes Fan Xi so much; the Black Mamba is finally a bit old, and he needs a young helper to stand up and share part of the pressure for him.

Fan Xi sat at the post-game press conference at the Pepsi Center, with Phil Jackson bringing him.

As the best player in this game, as the culprit who stabbed the Denver Nuggets, he had to accept the inquiries of Denver reporters.

Phil Jackson was worried that this would become a tense scene, so he sat next to Fan Xi specifically to hold the line for Fan Xi.

Who knew that the reporter from the Colorado Times opened his mouth and asked Fan Xi: "Jack, your performance tonight is so outstanding. The Colorado Plateau is so suitable for you; have you considered joining us? We are a completely new team here, and you can become a star faster here. In the Lakers, you are at most a third option, or even a fourth option."

Cough cough.

The Denver reporter's question made Phil Jackson cough uncontrollably. He was very angry, angry that these guys were flirting with his players in front of him.

He was very worried that Fan Xi wouldn't know how to answer this question.

Because once Fan Xi said it badly, it was very likely to make Lakers fans feel sad.

"I actually tried out in Denver."

Fan Xi said calmly. "The Lakers kept me with forward-looking vision and an unprecedented rookie contract. So..."

Fan Xi shrugged and continued: "We have a saying in China: A scholar dies for his confidant. Before the Lakers don't need me, I haven't considered wearing other colors of jerseys."

Fan Xi answered calmly.

He used a firm attitude to refuse the vague ambiguous space.

Since childhood, his parents taught him that when facing major problems, a simple and decisive refusal is far better than a vague ambiguity.

After Fan Xi expressed his refusal in clear language, other reporters didn't ask about this matter, saving a lot of communication costs.

Subsequently, reporters asked him how he viewed the matchup with Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton.

Fan Xi also expressed with a clever attitude: "They are all good players; they are very strong and left a deep impression on me. If I could be as strong as them, I would have a deeper understanding of the game."

"Learn from them."

Fan Xi's modesty didn't look like a winner who had continuously blown up "Ty Lawson" and "Raymond Felton."

Of course, Fan Xi's words also showed off his strength in a low-key way: I am just entering the league, my strength hasn't been practiced yet, and I can blow up you two excellent players. When my strength becomes strong, won't I be able to hang you up and beat you?

To paraphrase this, in ancient Chinese, it is: "I am not strong yet, but when I am strong, there will be changes."

Phil Jackson watched Fan Xi calm and composed under the "siege" of reporters, talking and laughing.

He sighed again that Fan Xi is really a born star.

Just like a firefly in the dark night, the light cannot be hidden.

…

Tony Starks walked out of Lu Yuan's office, his expression half depressed and half excited.

Lu Yuan patted him on the shoulder, didn't send him out of the reception hall door, but said to him: "Tony. You will become the greatest contributor to Pepsi because of this contract. Come on!!"

Tony showed a solemn smile.

He had just taken a very big risk.

He completed the entire negotiation under Lu Yuan's "mental pressure," signing a contract of $30 million plus various other terms.

Because Tony was completely convinced; he believed Fan Xi would become a superstar, he believed Fan Xi would help Pepsi open up the Asian market, and he believed Fan Xi would make Pepsi a popular beverage brand worldwide.

For this, he not only offered Fan Xi an endorsement contract of $5 million per year.

At the same time, he also promised to assist Fan Xi in holding no less than three basketball training camps in Asia every year, and also promised that the separate, additional advertising marketing invested in Fan Xi every year would be no less than $5 million.

This is an unprecedented advertising contract in the beverage industry, and Pepsi has never given such astonishing terms to any sports star in its history.

Tony, acting on his own, put his entire career on Fan Xi.

He bet that Fan Xi would continue to grow and continue to soar.

As long as Fan Xi continues to perform, he will become the most influential professional manager by virtue of this bold move.

And once Fan Xi doesn't become a superstar and falls rapidly.

He will not only lose his job at Pepsi, but will also be called an "idiot" in the industry, making it difficult to find a job in the same industry.

By that time, he will have nothing but Lu Yuan's "friendship."

…

Fan Xi received Lu Yuan's email at the Colorado airport.

He clicked it open; Lu Yuan had handled several commercial activities for him in Los Angeles, using the name of "Miracle Child of the City of Angels" to stand for some companies and attend their banquets, easily earning hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In addition, he also sent the design draft of the Ferrari, and Fan Xi confirmed the design draft. This is a luxury car built exclusively for him, possessing a unique design and a personal exclusive logo.

This was already the third draft, and Fan Xi looked at it and was very satisfied, so he confirmed it.

Then there was the Pepsi endorsement contract.

Fan Xi looked at the terms carefully, and then he asked Kobe beside him, how is this price?

Kobe was stunned when he saw it.

He was an endorser for Coca-Cola, and the amount and sponsorship terms stunned Kobe.

The Sprite that Kobe endorsed could only get about $3 million in salary per year.

Fan Xi was a big chunk higher than him.

He took a deep breath and said: "You have an excellent agent; this is a ceiling-level endorsement contract in the NBA. Seeing you have so much money, I even regret giving you my Ferrari."

Uh...

Fan Xi hesitated for a moment, then clicked on another email and said to Kobe: "Actually, boss, I am really grateful for your gift to me. However, I really can't accept such a valuable gift. And, Ferrari gave me a car with an exclusive design..."

Kobe took it and looked. He was stunned again.

At this moment, he only had one thought: Why am I not Chinese?

…

Before the Lakers boarded the plane, the airport TV broadcast a piece of news.

The news was that Raymond Felton was injured by a star football player from the University of Colorado and sent to the hospital.

The Lakers players looked at this news and remembered not long ago, right here, Raymond Felton knocked over that football player.

It was like reincarnation.

"I said how could a football player be so easily knocked down; it turns out he didn't put on 'anti-injury armor'."

Matt Barnes joked.

The Lakers players laughed very relaxedly.

…

The Utah Jazz was the strongest team in the West in the mid-to-late 1990s, and they twice entered the Finals to face the prime Bulls.

Although what was finally achieved was the illustrious name of Michael Jordan, the God of Basketball, being able to become a footnote to a legend is actually a success.

Since then, the Jazz have been sinking for many years, but coach Jerry Sloan has been sticking to Salt Lake City until the appearance of Deron Williams, supplemented by Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Korver, Carlos Boozer, and other elite soldiers, the Jazz have rapidly become a Western powerhouse in recent years.

However, they have never reached the highest position.

Deron Williams, who was cultivated by coach Sloan, gradually had conflicts with the "feudal thought" old stubborn Sloan after his wings grew full. He couldn't bear coach Sloan's coaching style of twenty years as one day, unchanging pick-and-roll, plain offense, and complicated and heavy training.

These were the reasons for Deron Williams's rampage.

After Williams and coach Sloan fell out and went to the Nets, coach Sloan also felt discouraged and hung up his hat.

It can be said that this discord between the general and the coach shattered the "strong team backbone" of the Jazz, and it is hard to say when they will be able to stand among the strong teams again.

Fan Xi only played 18 minutes in this game because the battle lost suspense in the first half.

Phil Jackson used the second half of the game to conduct large-scale training, and the approach of the playoffs made the coaching staff's vision long-term, and they prepared for the playoffs in advance.

This season, the Lakers' goal is directed at the championship.

Experts have adjusted the Lakers to the number two championship seed in the league, second only to the Miami Heat with the super Big Three.

They have three reasons.

1: The Lakers' basic lineup hasn't changed, the play is stable, and the experience is rich. Kobe Bryant is still in his prime.

2: The emerging Fan Xi makes the point guard position that the Lakers have lacked in the past few seasons unprecedentedly strong.

3: Andrew Bynum has finally grown into a towering tree in the paint, and he has an advantage when facing most inside players.

The three reasons are full of persuasiveness.

And for Lakers fans, the bigger good news is... after the Lakers took two consecutive away victories.

Good news came from Los Angeles, because Andrew Bynum, who was "injured by plane turbulence," has resumed training, and the doctor is full of confidence in his comeback.

He is very likely to return early, before the playoffs arrive.

… ===== CHAPTER 109 =====