Thibodeau did not treat James differently, and he gave James playing time second only to Xu Yong.

James also seized the opportunity to get some data.

But when the game came to the last quarter and the two sides resumed high-intensity confrontation, James was forced to disappear again.

To paraphrase what fans are saying on social media right now: When you don’t have the skills, you can’t even play an All-Star Game.

The intensity of the game in the last quarter was very high, jumping directly from the playoff level to the finals level.

The strength of both sides is evenly matched, and at this time, tacit understanding becomes the key to the outcome of the game.

The tacit understanding between the Bulls trio in the East is obviously better than that in the West.

However, in the final moments of the game, Kobe showed his competitiveness, hitting three consecutive goals and launching a counterattack with a strong personal touch, narrowing the gap to 2 points in one round with 30 seconds left.

Thibodeau called a timeout.

After the timeout, the opening scene was repeated, with Xu Yong facing Kobe in the high post with his back to the basket.

At this time, Durant from the Western team wanted to come up to assist in defense, but was signaled by Kobe to go back.

At this time, the player with the most points on the Western team was Kobe, who made 14 of 26 shots and scored a game-high 37 points.

If the Western team wins, then Kobe will undoubtedly be the MVP, and he will have the most All-Star Game MVPs among active players, with 4.

So his choice will be respected by everyone else on the Western team.

Xu Yong got the chance to play one-on-one against Kobe.

This ball was very crucial. If he hadn't scored, with Kobe's current condition, he would have been able to tie the score in the next round and drag the game into overtime, and the Eastern team would have ruined the good situation of the whole night.

The scene was filled with the ups and downs of fans cheering on each other.

Jordan sat up straight.

Thirteen years ago, the young Kobe challenged him in the All-Star Game, which was talked about by fans.

But few people paid attention to the result that night. He scored 23 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists on 10 of 18 shots, leading the Eastern team to easily defeat the Western team.

Kobe Bryant only made 7 of 16 shots and scored 18 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist.

There are not so many fairy tales in reality, but what is happening before his eyes is very fairy-tale-like.

Xu Yong started to post up, and he cleverly used his weight to force Kobe to lower his center of gravity.

Kobe didn't dare to cut the ball easily at this time, but just maintained his defensive position, like a black mamba ready to strike, waiting for an opportunity.

At this moment, Xu Yong suddenly turned over and leaned back.

This choice was very sudden. Although Kobe reacted, his movement of standing up and jumping was obviously slow because his center of gravity was pressed.

Xu Yong faced Kobe in the air and completed the shot steadily.

“Swish!”

At the critical moment, he showed no mercy and just raised his knife and struck.

The audience was agitated.

They didn't expect that the final winning goal would look so "simple".

The camera turned to Jordan in the audience again, and Jordan was smiling and applauding Xu Yong's just shot.

With this ball, Xu Yong realized the true meaning of turning and leaning back: the simplest way is the best.

Although complex and fancy pre-swings are more entertaining, they not only consume your physical energy but also give your opponent the opportunity to disrupt your attack.

On the contrary, the simpler and faster the move, the more likely it is to be a killer move.

Of course, the premise of all this is talent. Xu Yong's size, physical fitness, and excellent shooting speed can achieve such an effect.

Kobe's expression at this time was quite helpless.

The final result of tonight's confrontation is that the waves behind push the waves in front, and each wave is higher than the last.

The Western team's final three-pointer failed to hit, and the final score on the field was 148 to 144.

The East team defeated the West team by 4 points and won this wonderful All-Star Game.

In terms of statistics, Kobe Bryant of the Western team scored a team-high 37 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Durant scored the second-highest point with 34 points, and Gasol had 17 points and 7 rebounds.

On the Eastern Conference side, Xu Yong scored the highest 34 points in the Eastern Conference, plus 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. James had a near triple-double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Rose got a double-double with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. Wade had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Yao Ming had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Shortly after the game ended, the All-Star Game MVP award was presented.

"Satan! Satan!"

There were shouts before Stern announced the result.

By the time Stern actually handed the trophy to Xu Yong, the cheers from the audience were overwhelming.

Just as there are differences between MVPs and MVPs, there are also differences between All-Star Game MVPs.

Xu Yong won the All-Star Game MVP tonight. He competed with Kobe from the beginning to the end, and he deserved the title.

In other words, compared to what is hyped up by the media, what is actually recognized by the fans is what is truly valuable.

After receiving the trophy, Xu Yong gave a very humorous acceptance speech.

"My agent told me before the game that the trophy was worth $1 million. I was excited when I heard it. It was a full million dollars."

The first words he said caused laughter from the audience.

Because of the off-field commercial value, one million dollars is actually not that much for Xu Yong now.

"I have to thank all my teammates on the Eastern Conference team. Without their support, we wouldn't have won tonight's game. Of course, without their support, I wouldn't have had so many shots."

Xu Yong's second sentence won laughter and applause.

True humor is often the most truthful words spoken in a humorous way.

"Of course I have to thank Coach Thibodeau, my coach. You don't know how happy it is to play under your head coach in the All-Star Game."

This time, the whistles at the scene could not be stopped.

Too real, but too funny.

But outside the camera at this moment, James' face was burning and his fists were as hard as they could be.

His experiences before and after the All-Star Game made him a living comedian.

If he had known this, he might as well have become invisible.

Windhorst had once again done a great job.

"Of course I have to thank our opponent tonight, Kobe..."

When Xu Yong mentioned Kobe's name, the scene was filled with cheers from fans.

Kobe's performance tonight was absolutely perfect. If the Western team hadn't lost the game in the end, Kobe would have been the well-deserved MVP.

Kobe felt the cheers from the fans and responded with a smile and his hand.

Although he is very competitive, the All-Star Game is ultimately just an entertainment event. Winning or losing is not that important. What matters is that the process is exciting.

"Kobe is the best opponent. If I could choose, I would share this honor with him," Xu Yong continued.

His words also drew another round of cheers from the audience.

Sharing the MVP award is not uncommon in the All-Star Game, as it has happened five times before.

It’s just that there has never been a situation where we shared it with our opponents before.

"You can choose this." At this moment, Stern on the side spoke to Xu Yong.

When O'Neal shared the All-Star Game MVP with Kobe in 2009 despite scoring only 17 points, you knew that this honor was more of an entertainment purpose.

Or in other words, make it as topical as possible.

After all, few people would actually include the All-Star Game MVP when competing for honors.

Hearing Stern's answer, Xu Yong was surprised and hurriedly called Kobe over.

In the end, the two of them raised the MVP trophy together amid the standing applause of the fans.

This scene was frozen in time, making this year's All-Star Game a hot topic.

Even at the same time when the two men raised their glasses, some fans had listed a series of numbers on social media: 2 times 3 equals 6, and 2 plus 4 also equals 6. This is the best inheritance.

James: I am number 6 too!

James really wanted to kill Xu Yong at this moment.

You didn't even choose me to share with!

When we meet in the playoffs, don't blame him for being ruthless.

After the award ceremony, Swift went straight to the stadium to find Xu Yong.

Moreover, she was not shy at all at this time and behaved very intimately with Xu Yong.

This is basically equivalent to officially announcing the relationship between the two.

…

The All-Star Game has come to an end, but topics about the All-Star Game continue to arise.

Xu Yong is undoubtedly the biggest winner.

Not only did he win the Shooting Star championship as the top vote-getter and the All-Star Game MVP, he also became a national trending topic because of Swift.

To use some people's words, Xu Yong hooked up with the most popular female singer in the United States when he was only a sophomore. Coupled with his achievements in competitions, isn't this a true portrayal of the peak of his life, with promotion, salary increase, and marrying a beautiful, rich and beautiful woman?

Of course, fans are paying attention to more than just the news about the All-Star Game at this time, because this year's trading deadline market is unprecedentedly lively.

This excitement, like the previous offseason, is still related to the three big guys on the Heat.

Because after the Big Three of the Heat announced their team-up, many teams had already given up.

After all, this kind of lineup has never been seen in history. It's just like encountering a cheater in the game. Most people's first reaction is to let you win this round and we will play badly and wait for the next round.

But when the season really started, they found that the Heat's Big Three seemed to be just so-so.

Even the record in November, not to mention being a benefit for the Eastern Conference itself, even the Western Conference teams are eager to play a game with them right away to highlight the achievement of [defeating the Heat Big Three].

Or to put it another way, when you encounter a tiger and are so scared that you dare not move, the tiger suddenly shows a chicken foot, and you will naturally not be afraid anymore.

So many teams, especially those in the Eastern Conference, are looking to strengthen their roster.

Among them, the Knicks and Nets, who pursued the Big Three last summer, are the most active.

Especially the Knicks, they are only one official announcement away from getting Anthony.

Of course, it's not just these mid-level teams in the Eastern Conference. Several teams at the top are also trying to strengthen their teams.

The Heat are trying to improve their point guard strength, and as the season progresses, Arroyo is gradually losing his starting position in the Heat.

The Bulls were also not idle. After Thibodeau adjusted the starting lineup, the team only had O'Neal Jr. and Gibson at power forward, and this configuration was obviously a bit thin.

Especially after O'Neal Jr. started to start, some injury risks have begun to appear, and reinforcement is imperative.

The Bulls' first training session after the All-Star Game was full of enthusiasm.

The All-Star Weekend is a watershed moment. The Bulls have basically set the tone for their championship run. Who wouldn’t be motivated when they are on a championship-contending team?

Even O'Neal trained very diligently. Of course, only Xu Yong knew that this guy was not only training for the fifth championship, but also for the delicious food in his home.

However, there was one person in the group who looked noticeably depressed.

Tony Allen.

Allen originally came to Chicago because of Thibodeau and the promise of starting, but as the season progressed, he not only lost his starting position, he even fell out of the rotation, and his playing time was pitifully small.

This is the cruelty of the NBA. Those so-called promises are only temporary. Only if your own hard power is strong enough can you succeed.

And there is another thing, it doesn't mean that Xu Yongkai can see a player performing well and that he will definitely play well if he changes the environment.

The performance of players is affected by multiple factors such as the team's playing style and intra-team competition.

And at this stage of his career, it's difficult for Allen to redevelop his offense.

So now along with the rumors of the Bulls' reinforcement, Allen has frequently become the Bulls' trading bargaining chip.

This is not to the point where Allen must be traded, but the salary structure of the Bulls is such that there are not many players in the roster who can be used as bargaining chips.

As for Allen, with an annual salary of 3 million, he has great trading value.

Xu Yong and Allen had a good relationship, and after seeing the pressure the other party was under, he went over to chat with him for a while.

To be honest, the current situation may not be a bad thing for Allen.

After all, he signed a three-year guaranteed contract. Only if he changes to another team and has more stable playing time will he have a chance to get the next better contract.

Just look at Noah's situation. Noah is now a starter in the Western Conference All-Star Game and is scheduled to receive a maximum salary in his next contract. For the player personally, this result is definitely better than staying with the Bulls.

"Besides, you may not leave." Xu Yong finally comforted with a smile.

Thibodeau still likes defensive players, especially Allen. Although he has shortcomings, he still has a lot of room to play in the playoffs.

Of course, Xu Yong's consolation only made Allen relax temporarily. Before the deadline actually arrives, his pressure will not disappear.

Time flies, and the trading deadline is here in a blink of an eye.

This year's deadline really lived up to the saying: trades are flying everywhere.

First, the Knicks, Nuggets and Timberwolves made a three-way deal, with the Knicks and Nuggets as the main players. The Knicks paid a large number of players including Felton, Gallinari, Chandler, Mozkov, Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph, plus the first round in 2014, in exchange for Anthony, Billups, Williams, Carter, Bachman and Corey Brewer.

Just as Xu Yong knew, Anthony still came to the Knicks and became teammates with Stoudemire, and the Eastern Conference had another competitive team.

The Nets then made a move, sending Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round picks and cash to the Jazz in exchange for Deron Williams.

The Celtics then sent Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Soon after, the Heat and the Bulls also took action.

The Heat sent Jamaal Magloire and a future first-round pick to the Cavaliers in exchange for Jeff Ayers.

When Xu Yong saw this news, he was a little confused.

Although he can understand the original intention of the Heat's deal, because in addition to the point guard problem, Haslem has also been plagued by injuries this season, and the Heat lacks someone at the power forward position.

And Ayers has played well after getting a chance with the Cavaliers this season.

But why Ayers again?

This is like escaping from the tiger's mouth and falling into the wolf's den!

But before he could recover, the Bulls' subsequent deal also surprised him.

The Bulls, Rockets and Grizzlies reached a three-way deal. The details of the deal are as follows:

The Rockets sent Shane Battier and Ish Smith to the Grizzlies in exchange for Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick.

The Grizzlies sent Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, and a first-round pick to the LA Clippers for Kyle Korver, James Johnson, and Ish Smith.

The Bulls sent Kyle Korver and James Johnson to the Chicago Bulls for Shane Battier.