"What? It's still early for Christmas." Hinrich said with a smile when he heard the good news as soon as he came in.

"I am Aladdin's magic lamp. Today I can fulfill one wish for everyone. Any wish will do." Xu Yong wiped the magic lamp in the air.

"I want a pair of autographed sneakers from the Satan Generation, is that okay?" Anderson asked tentatively.

Since the end of last season, he has been completely obsessed with Xu Yong.

Without saying a word, Xu Yong took off his new sneakers that he had just changed into that morning, then asked Butler to get a pen, signed his name on it and handed it over.

“Not only is it personally signed, but it’s also original.”

Anderson accepted it with delight, but it became out of print several years later.

Now the others knew that Xu Yong was not joking.

"My wish is to use my abilities to help the team in the new season and then get a new championship ring," Butler said seriously.

Xu Yong nodded. Butler still had some ambition.

"I'll take you to choose a car later." Xu Yong said in a domineering tone.

And this is indeed what Butler needs. Last season, he used to ride on Xu Yong's car, but this season he bought a used car and drove it himself.

Then Xu Yong turned his gaze to Kwame Brown.

"I want to join the breakfast club." Brown's wish surprised Xu Yong.

He glanced at Butler, who nodded, apparently telling Brown they had practice in the morning.

"Yi's room belongs to you." Xu Yong nodded simply.

Yi Jianlian went to Dallas, and the room he had lived in before happened to be vacant.

Speaking of which, Brown is only 30 years old this year and he still has room for improvement.

And in fact, you can feel that he is enterprising when he is with Xu Yong.

This is easy to understand. The reason why people fall into depravity is because they are confused and cannot see hope.

Except for the half year in Chicago, he was basically in that state all the time.

Xu Yong finally turned his gaze to Hinrich.

"I have no wish." Hinrich smiled and shook his head.

Xu Yong did not force it. Hinrich is a veteran and has earned a lot of salary in his career. Even if he had money, he would not ask for it at this time.

After leaving the training hall, Xu Yong took Butler to buy a new car, and on the way he made a phone call to a goggles company.

Because of a pupil injury in college, Hinrich has had to wear goggles since last season, so this would be a nice gift.

After helping Butler choose a car, Xu Yong ended his busy day and lay down on the bed to browse housing information.

Did he get so much money that he couldn't help but give it away?

The answer is obviously no.

The real reason is that his role is changing in the new season.

Despite the frequent injuries of Rose and Yao Ming last season, the Bulls were still a team with three core players.

But in the new season, Rose is injured for the entire season, and it is unknown how much Yao Ming can play, which means that the Bulls will be a single-core team for a long time.

In order to avoid the situation of fluctuating performance due to lineup changes like last season, he must transform from a pioneer role to a main general role in commanding the entire army.

To be realistic, even Xu Yong himself feels that it is very difficult to complete the dynasty. What do other people on the team think?

Good times can cover up all problems, but bad times will expose problems.

Once the players' mentality changes and their enthusiasm wanes, the performance of the same lineup will be completely different.

The Lakers are a lesson for us.

This is the case even when they have a complete lineup, not to mention the current Bulls team.

In this regard, Jordan set a good example for Xu Yong in the 1997-1998 season.

In that turbulent season, the Bulls were still able to win 62 games and complete the dynasty because Jordan never fell.

It's not just because of his strength, but also because of his unparalleled status in the team, which allows the Bulls to always unite around him.

Then once he retired, the Bulls fell apart.

In order to achieve that, Jordan actually did a lot, which cannot be summed up by simply training his teammates harshly.

During his second dynasty, Jordan sacrificed the ball and data to do what he was good at.

Including what he did off the court, preparing custom cigars for Pippen for Christmas and then giving him a Ferrari sports car.

These are all successful experiences that can be learned from.

Of course, the current Bulls team is very different from the original Bulls team, and he can only learn from history and then grope forward.

[How to learn to be the boss of a team], this is a new challenge he needs to face in the new season besides improving his skills.

…

The next day, the Bulls' training camp officially opened.

Xu Yong met the rest of the team here.

Because two core players were absent at the beginning of the season, the Bulls' lineup this year looks very different.

First of all, at point guard, not only did Hinrich stay, but West also continued to sign a one-year minimum salary contract.

West's situation is somewhat similar to Anderson's. After getting a new life in Chicago, he also wants to stay and help the team create a dynasty.

And unlike last season, Rose is injured. He will have more playing time in the new season and has a chance to get a long-term contract next summer.

In addition, the Bulls also selected a point guard in this year's draft.

Jeff Teague's brother, Marquis Teague.

Teague is Anthony Davis' teammate. He scored 14 points and 3 assists in the NCAA finals last season. He can hold the ball and break through quickly, and can be considered a Rose type.

Foreman's idea is very clear. Last season, people said that he did not consider a guard holding the ball when forming a team, so he deliberately chose one.

However, Teague's shortcomings are also obvious. Like Rivers' son Rivers Jr., he can break through but cannot finish, and his shooting is also unstable.

So basically he is used as the third defender and is also used for training.

The second is the inside line. Asik was poached by the Hornets. In addition to Brown and Anderson, the team also signed Troy Murphy with a veteran minimum salary.

Murphy was a starting-level player for both the Warriors and the Pacers, and even two seasons ago he still averaged 14.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

However, after joining the Nets, he suffered injuries and his strength declined, and he has been wandering around for the past two years.

The only reason the Bulls value him is because he can shoot three-pointers.

This was obviously signed as a replacement after Yi Jianlian left, giving Thibodeau the option to retain a star.

Then look at the Bulls' lineup:

Point guard: Rose*, Hinrich, West, Teague

Shooting guards: Xu Yong, Tony Allen, Jimmy Butler

Small forward: Artest, Battier

Power forward: Gibson, Martin

Center: Yao Ming*, Brown, Anderson, Murphy

Perhaps after seeing the lineup with two top-paid players, you can better understand why Xu Yong did those things.

"Thank you." Hinrich thanked Xu Yong as soon as he saw him.

He received a whole trunk of glasses of various styles from the goggle company last night.

His veteran heart was immediately stirred.

This is not just a matter of money, but of care, the care from the team's bosses.

Just like the cigar Jordan gave Pippen.

"As long as you like it, that's fine." Xu Yong has great respect for the team's veteran.

As for Hinrich, he is still the team's locker room leader.

"Just before I came here, I saw the schedule for the new season was out." Before Thibodeau arrived, Hinrich started a conversation with Xu Yong.

Xu Yong looked at Hinrich, he hadn't had time to pay attention to this.

"Our opponent in the opening game is Indiana," Hinrich said meaningfully.

Xu Yong smiled and found it quite interesting.

"The league seems to be targeting us a little bit," Hinrich continued.

"You think so?"

"In recent years, we have basically played against LeBron's team every year. Yao was unable to play at the beginning of this season, so a weaker opponent should have been arranged when awarding championship rings," Hinrich analyzed.

Xu Yong shook his head: "I think this is a sign that the league has given up on LeBron."

Hinrich was puzzled.

"LeBron and Dwight are not a pair with complementary skills. It will definitely take time for them to find a comfortable way of playing for each other, just like when LeBron first joined the Heat," Xu Yong analyzed.

"If they lose the opening game, maybe it will be a new cycle?" Hinrich took over.

Xu Yong smiled and nodded, Hinrich was still very smart.

Judging from the arrangements for the opening games in recent years, Stern is marketing him and James together.

Their matchups always attract a large number of fans and raise the heat at the beginning of the season.

But this is already his fourth year since he entered the league, and in the first three years, James lost miserably every time.

If Stern really loves his kids, he definitely won't do this in the fourth year.

But now it's clear that Stern doesn't care about this at all for the sake of popularity.

"But we may not win." Hinrich thought about it and shook his head.

"Don't worry, you can't lose with me here." Xu Yong said calmly.

Hinrich adjusted the new goggles he had picked out that morning and nodded.

Xu Yong is always confident and reassuring.

…

That night, Xu Yong started to conduct special defensive training with Kwame Brown.

In front of Hinrich, he must appear confident.

But without Yao Ming, the Bulls are weaker than the Pacers, especially in the interior.

Although Howard has declined compared to his peak period, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and he can still handle the Bulls' inside lineup.

Then, he quickly discovered that Brown was in poor form.

In the past two years in Boston, he has not only made no progress, but has even regressed.

Xu Yong directly started the one-on-one mode.

"He is the top scholar, and you are also the top scholar."

"You can hook the ball, and he can't even hook the ball properly."

"He plays with his body, and you are no worse than him physically."

"You are 2.11 meters tall, and he is only 2.08 meters tall. If you hold him back and prevent him from jumping, he will be a dwarf in front of you."

…

Xu Yong was playing one-on-one with Brown, and before each attack he would say something to Brown.

Obviously, it's not trash talk.

Jordan's beating model was proven to be ineffective on Brown, but his boasting model in the previous six months was proven to be successful.

Then Xu Yong found that with every compliment he gave, Brown's condition improved a little.

Then after the fight, when Xu Yong nodded in satisfaction, Brown actually squatted down and cried.

Xu Yong was stunned, then he understood.

Others deserve to be criticized, but he really deserves to be praised.

It's understandable if you think about it. Given the atmosphere of the Celtics and the personalities of Garnett and Pierce, Brown's situation in the past two years has probably been even worse than when he was with the Wizards.

He walked over and patted Brown on the shoulder.

"You must remember that for the next three months, you will be the starting center for the defending champion Bulls." Xu Yong said earnestly.

Brown looked up, his eyes red, and nodded vigorously.

"Don't forget the training tomorrow morning." After giving the reminder, Xu Yong left the training hall.

He has to go to bed early tonight because he has to go to see the house in person tomorrow morning.

…

There is more than half a month of preseason before the regular season begins.

In the past, preseason games were optional for the Bulls, but this year they are very important.

Jimmy Butler has been a standout in the preseason.

His defensive attitude remains the same, but his confrontation and skills have improved significantly compared to last season.

Of course, more importantly, he showed a three-point shot that was not outstanding but still pretty good.

This made Thibodeau very happy.

Who would have thought that a first-round rookie could make such great progress in his sophomore year?

It can be said that in such a difficult season, this is real hope.

Of course, in addition to Butler, Xu Yong's leadership also surprised him.

In his understanding, Xu Yong should at least need some time to adapt to the role change, but Xu Yong seemed to have adapted immediately.

In terms of specific performance, he will first help his teammates to get into good shape at the beginning of the game, and only when he finds that the situation is not going well, will he come out to take over.

When teammates have problems, he will take the initiative to communicate, and the key is effective communication.

“Is this really a 23-year-old guy?”

After the preseason, Thibodeau still had a question in his mind.

This surprised him even more than Xu Yong's performance in the finals last season.

But this is definitely a good thing for the Bulls.

In such a special season, Xu Yong's change will undoubtedly play a stabilizing role.

It was during the preseason that Xu Yong purchased his first property in his life, a manor located upstream of the Chicago River, worth 25 million.

The manor has an indoor area of ​​more than 5,000 square meters and an outdoor area of ​​2.9 hectares. It has a total of 9 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a basketball court, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a gym and a cinema.

In addition to the large enough house area and complete supporting facilities, another feature is that the manor also has a private dock facing Lake Michigan.

This means that if necessary, Xu Yong can take a private yacht directly to downtown Chicago.

There are no shortcuts in basketball, but as long as you have money, there can be shortcuts on the road.

Of course, although he bought a house, Xu Yong still lived in the rented house in the city center most of the time.

Because it is convenient for training and competitions there, he only goes back to his house on rest days.

Of course, he doesn't have to worry about safety and hygiene at all, because he has hired security and cleaning staff.

…

It is the end of October, and with the end of the preseason, the new season is getting closer.

It was at this time that ESPN, like in previous years, ranked the strength of each team in the new season.

In this list, the Lakers, Thunder and Heat ranked in the top three.

There is basically no controversy about the rankings of these three teams.

But then came the controversial point in the ranking, because the Pacers were actually ranked fourth, ahead of the Mavericks and the Bulls.

This also makes people sigh, ESPN column editors come and go, but James remains forever.

Even if David Stern was about to give up on James, they still stayed with him.

There is no way. Who asked Nike to spend so much money on James and still treat him as a top star?

As for the Bulls, ESPN compared them to the Lakers in the 2010-2011 season.

The regular season was about to start, and Jordan also came to Chicago at this time.

In addition to coming to witness the Bulls' eighth championship, the more important thing was the sneaker issue he had discussed with Xu Yong before.

Xu Yong invited Jordan to visit his estate, and the two sat on chairs next to the basketball court and talked about this matter.

Xu Yong’s request is actually quite simple. He wants to develop a new sub-brand under AJ, just like AJ and Nike did in the past.

Of course, it is in the form of a bet agreement.

Jordan was still very surprised by Xu Yong's request.

It’s not just because of the proposal Xu Yong made, but also the mentality when he said it.

Jordan could fully sense that if AJ did not agree, Xu Yong would switch to other sneaker manufacturers when his contract expired next year.

His feeling was soon confirmed because Xu Yong did not hide it from him.

If AJ doesn't want to do that, then he will turn to domestic sponsors.

"You have a big appetite." Jordan gave a very intuitive evaluation of Xu Yong's request.

"Michael, you are my idol, but idols are meant to be chased and surpassed." Xu Yong did not hide his ambition at all.

After winning the Olympic championship, his mentality also changed.

Because when he was reborn, all he wanted was to make up for his regrets. Now that all his regrets have been made up, naturally he wants more.

Surpassing Jordan became his new goal.

This is also an important reason why he was able to change his mentality so quickly before the start of training camp.

He has the advantage of being reborn, and can often do things by standing on the shoulders of giants.

So even though he is less talented than Jordan, he still has this opportunity.

To achieve this, he must not always endorse sneakers under the AJ brand named after Jordan.

Jordan just laughed.

It was not a mocking smile, but a knowing smile.

He seemed to see himself in this undisguised ambition and self-confidence when he was negotiating with Nike.

"I'll bring your ideas to you." Jordan nodded with a smile. He was just contacting Xu Yong first. AJ was not really operated by him.

Xu Yong stood up and took a ball from the basket.

"Want a game?" he invited Jordan.

Since the battle in the training hall that year, he has never had a one-on-one match with Jordan again.

If it were in the past, Jordan would probably not agree. After all, with his competitive spirit, a process of recovering his body shape and physical fitness is essential.

But this time, perhaps because he felt Xu Yong's naked ambition, he took off his coat and went straight on the court.

…

United Center.

The venue was packed.

The season opener is also another year's championship ring award ceremony.

Xu Yong received his second championship ring from Launsdorf.

Similar to last year, this championship ring also has a number on it, but it has changed from last year's "7" to this year's "8".

The Bulls' market has not only recovered in the past two years, but has even expanded, which has allowed Lauersdorf to increase his investment in the team significantly.

After all, there is no second chance in life. The team's slump after losing Jordan finally taught him to cherish the people around him.

Butler also got his championship ring.

However, this guy kept kissing, rubbing and kissing there, which made Xu Yong dislike him.

It is worth mentioning that there is a special guest here tonight, Peja Stojakovic.

Although he was cut at the last moment of last season, the Bulls still chose to reissue his championship ring.

The legendary Serbian striker had a happy ending at the last moment of his career.

As for Barkley, he regretted missing out on the championship ring. After all, it was just a joke from fans on social media.

That is, after the ring awarding ceremony, the photographer on the scene playfully gave James a close-up shot.

James' face was filled with envy.

However, when he looked up and saw himself appear on the large LED screen, his expression instantly changed to a serious and cold one.

Life is like a play, it all depends on your acting skills.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Pacers: George Hill, Jason Richardson, James, Antawn Jamison, Howard.

Bulls: Hinrich, Xu Yong, Artest, Gibson, Kwame Brown.

Although James failed to join the Mavericks as he wished, the Mavericks' previous trade still gave them benefits. The Spurs could not keep Hill because they had to match Green's contract, and the Pacers signed him with a 5-year, $40 million contract.

Hill is similar to Hinrich in his prime, with a three-point shooting percentage of nearly 40%. He also has a very good level of defense thanks to his excellent wingspan, and his organizational skills are at the league level. He even has an excellent breakthrough speed as a point guard and can rely on his personal ability to attack with the ball.

In terms of adaptability, he is the most suitable point guard for James among non-All-Star players.

In addition, the Pacers also signed veteran Antawn Jamison with a two-year, $6 million contract (the second year is a team option).

This is also the second collaboration between Jamison and James.

After James left in 2010, Jamison has been putting up stats for the Cavaliers. Last season, he averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game. However, his shooting percentage of 40.3% shows that the 36-year-old no longer has the ability to be an offensive core.

But being able to achieve such data shows that his competitive state is still very good, especially his technical characteristics can open up the offensive space on the court, which is very suitable for James and Howard.

It can be seen from these signings that Pritchard does have some abilities.

Before going on the court, Xu Yong pulled Brown to his side.

"Fuck him!" Xu Yong said with a fierce look in his eyes after punching Brown in the chest.

The starting players of both teams came on the court, and it was at this time that Xu Yong noticed that James did not throw magnesium powder.

"He said he has matured and will no longer throw chalk," Hinrich said at this time.

Xu Yong turned his head to look at Hinrich, and then remembered what Hinrich had said before, "You old man, you pay a lot of attention to James?"

But on second thought, Hinrich was also from the 2003 class, and with the feud between the Bulls and the Heat in the past two years, this seems quite normal.

He then turned his gaze to James.

A mature king? He had heard about it before he was reborn, and tonight was a good opportunity to learn more.

"beep!"

As the whistle sounded on the sidelines, Howard jumped into the air and passed the ball back to the Pacers' half, and the game officially started.

Hill held the ball and organized the game. After the others moved away, Howard took position in the low post and prepared to play one-on-one with the ball.

Xu Yong was facing Richardson on the defensive end at this time. Because Rose and Yao Ming were not there, Thibodeau would not let him put too much energy on the defensive end.

He wasn't surprised when he saw the Pacers' choice, or since he started special training with Brown, he had anticipated what would happen in the matchup between the two teams.

Because the head coach of the Pacers is Frank Vogel.

All encounters in the world are reunions after a long separation, just like "The Dad of the Lakers" Mike Malone is now the chief assistant coach of the Bulls. Vogel, the head coach who led the Lakers to win the park championship in history, has now become James' head coach in advance.

The difference, of course, is that he arrived in Indiana in 2007 and became the head coach in 2010. He came first.

All in all, Vogel is the only head coach among all the coaches James has who is capable and has a good relationship with him.

This guy's coaching style is focused on defense, efficiency and discipline. He has a smooth personality and is very good at dealing with stars. It seems that he has really coaxed James and Howard well.

Howard was quite happy to receive the ball in the low post.

As someone who has defeated James and considers himself the best center in the league, he was very arrogant at this time. He was very happy that he could attack before James at the beginning of the game.

Of course, what makes him doubly happy is that Yao Ming of the Bulls is not playing either. Tonight is destined to be a night for him to wreak havoc in the interior.

After catching the ball, he lowered his center of gravity, stuck his butt out, and pushed Brown hard.

“Bang! Bang!”

There was a muscular confrontation under the basket, and then he soon found that he was completely unable to push Brown.

With a height of 2.11 meters, a wingspan of 2.16 meters, and a weight of about 125 kilograms, Brown is like a rock.

The Chicago fans at the scene have already started whistling.

Brown's physique was the main reason why he was selected as the No. 1 pick that year, and it was also the only reason why he continued to have contracts even though he was almost useless on the offensive end.

Howard finally turned around and made a hook shot, which went straight up and down, and the basketball hit the rim stiffly. Then Brown successfully protected the defensive rebound and lifted it over his head.

This is a habit he developed when he was on the Bulls. It can effectively prevent him from having rebounds stolen due to his small hands, but the disadvantage is that it affects the team's fast break.

The Bulls advanced to the frontcourt and played positional defense.

Xu Yong held the ball with his back to the basket in a high position, holding it with one hand, and then waited for his teammates to run.

Artest was running with the help of Brown's screen at this time, and he was now theoretically the Bulls' second scoring point.

It was at this time that there was a miscommunication between James and Howard on the defensive end, and both of them rushed to attack Artest.

Seeing this, Xu Yong threw the ball directly into the air above the basket.

On the other side, Brown took a big step and jumped up with the ball.

“Bang!”

Who isn’t the No. 1 pick? Brown scores with an alley-oop dunk!

At the beginning of the game, Brown VS Howard, round 1, Brown wins.

After Brown completed the alley-oop, he ran to Xu Yong and happily high-fived him, looking excited.

When he was on the Celtics, Rivers knew that he had butter hands and completely ignored him on the offensive end.

But Xu Yong, only Xu Yong, would throw the ball to him for him to catch, just like he did two years ago.

Looking back, Howard continued to receive the ball in the low post, this time he faced the basket.

Dribble the ball left and right, then dribble one step toward the free throw line and then jump step.

If you can't fight while sitting, then just move and fight. This choice shows his skills.

After all, he had practiced footwork with Olajuwon back then.

However, Brown had just seen his clumsy hook shot and completely ignored his threat near the basket. He went straight to the basket, waited for him to finish his jump step, and then moved forward and pressed his whole body forward.

Then something embarrassing happened.

According to the normal rhythm, Howard should use his strength to knock Brown over after his jump step and perform a violent two-handed dunk.

This was also his forte during his peak period when facing most centers except Yao Ming.

But this time, he couldn't get up.

In the end, his shot that was barely strong was caught by Brown, who blocked it directly.

Brown vs. Howard round 2. Brown wins, and it’s a complete victory.

The United Center was in an uproar.

Kwame I am the Monster Brown!

Brown also roared excitedly after blocking the shot.

Honestly speaking, even though Xu Yong kept praising him and saying that he had some advantages over Howard, which were few in number, he still lacked confidence. After all, he had played against Howard before.

But after these two rounds, he found that Howard was just like American imperialism, a paper tiger!

In fact, let alone Brown, most people at the scene were surprised by the result of this matchup.

A lean camel is bigger than a horse. Even if Howard leaves the Magic, he will not be unable to beat Brown.

Perhaps the only one who was not so surprised was Xu Yong.

As a reborn person, he knew that Howard's decline started from this season, and it was a cliff-like decline.

This can be seen from the previous round of confrontation.

Although Brown is bigger than Howard, Howard himself is a relatively short center. In his prime, he could easily overturn bigger inside players than Brown.

The main reason is still injury.

Howard's back injury started last season. After playing with the injury, not only did it not fully heal, but his waist was also injured.

A man's waist is the key factor in exerting force.

If the waist is not in good condition, I will feel powerless when playing basketball.

Just after the sideline ball was sent out, James started to hold the ball.

Then he called Howard to set a pick-and-roll.

Howard really came up.

This was somewhat beyond Xu Yong's expectations.

But on second thought, James didn't take the ball at the beginning of the game, but was willing to let Howard attack first, most likely because Howard would set a pick-and-roll for him.

Vogel really has a way of handling relationships with star players.

Howard is certainly capable of playing pick-and-roll, and when he is really willing to lower himself to do it, his pick-and-roll effect is top-notch. The starting point of the Magic's offense back then was Turkoglu and his pick-and-roll.

He completely blocked Artest, and James quickly passed Brown and attacked the basket.

Brown was chasing hard behind, and he was very motivated now.

However, James knocked the ball back after breaking through the basket.

Howard also followed suit at this time, and this time he jumped up directly after receiving the ball.

“Bang!”

Two-handed violence ends.

After the dunk, Howard danced around the rim, venting his depressed mood at the beginning of the game.

Xu Yong then walked over to Artest and had a conversation with him, mainly reminding him to pay attention to breaking up the ball against Howard.

There's something special about the cooperation just now.

Although the technical characteristics of James and Howard are not very compatible, it is clear that they can cooperate.

James' ability to create mismatches after his breakthrough and his passing vision, combined with Howard's ability to dribble the ball when he's moving, can produce a spectacular round like the one just now.

Of course, Howard has no external rebound ability, so this kind of cooperation is relatively easy to target.

In the Bulls' turn, Xu Yong continued to hold the ball in the high position.

At this time, influenced by the wonderful cooperation just now, the Pacers' defensive enthusiasm was obviously improved, and the Bulls' off-ball tactics did not create any opportunities.

Seeing this, Xu Yong did not hesitate. He turned directly to the three-point line and dribbled the ball with his left hand straight to the basket.

Richardson didn't react at all.

Because of his knee injury, he is no longer the dunk king of the past. You should know that his so-called big contract with the Magic is actually only six million a year, and he is only 31 years old, which is still a golden age for a swingman, but the Magic treated him as a garbage contract and gave him to the Pacers.

Of course, what’s more important is that Xu Yong used his left hand to score this goal, which Richardson never expected.

Xu Yong has only had a short training time with his left hand, so he is not able to use it for finishing on the offensive end, but he has already mastered a certain foundation in dribbling, and this ball was intended to be a surprise attack.

Howard was a little excited after he had just dunked. When he saw Xu Yong rushing in and shaking off Brown, he flew up to block Xu Yong.

But he was clearly a little too excited.

Xu Yong changed his hands in the air from his left hand to his more familiar right hand, and then turned sideways...

“Bang!”

Slammed the ball into the basket.

Howard was happy to get a golden background board.

The fans at the United Center were completely excited.

Who said the Bulls can't defend their title this season? This is an exciting start!

Jordan felt a dull pain in his ribs.

Yesterday, Xu Yong challenged him in a one-on-one duel without any reservation.

Although his ribs were not really broken like Artest did back then, the impact penetrated the thick fat layer, which was a bit too much for his old bones.

And he realized that he might have really underestimated Xu Yong.

Xu Yong may still not be as comprehensive as him and Kobe, but his ability in a single skill is very close to his peak.

This also explains why Xu Yong was able to enter the white-hot space in G6 last season.

After gaining this new understanding, he felt that he might really need to discuss the issue of the independent sub-brand with the people at AJ.

As long as this guy doesn't get hurt, his future in making money will be limitless.

On the court, James continued to play pick-and-roll with Howard, and this time Artest chose to go around the back.

But at this moment, James decisively chose to pull up for a jump shot, and the ball went in.

This is indeed a bit unexpected.

Xu Yong also realized that after James hit bottom, he began to rebound.

After all, if James can't prove himself after being sent to Indiana, the Cavaliers may not even need him at that time.

If they win the championship, they will go home in glory; but if they achieve nothing, they will be just a rat crossing the street, and Cleveland will not want a wandering monarch.

Moreover, in the past two years, James' shooting percentage is a phenomenal 56%+, and his three-point shooting percentage is over 40%.

Even if there is some brushing element like Jamison, this efficiency shows that his personal condition is also in the best stage of his career.

In this case, the pick-and-roll between these two players is really hard to defend.

It was difficult to defend, so Xu Yong’s choice was to get the points back on the offensive end.

After feeling Richardson's defensive level in the last round, he directly made two hard shots with the ball, which successfully attracted Jamison's double-teaming from behind.

Vogel's defense is not just about individual players, it also emphasizes team efficiency.

But this was what Xu Yong was waiting for. He turned around and passed the ball to Gibson at the baseline.

Gibson received the ball and saw that Brown had Howard firmly behind him this time. He strode into the inside and easily dunked the ball into the basket.

Jordan was even more surprised now.

Because he suddenly had a feeling that it took him eight years to understand how to be a good leader of a team, but Xu Yong seemed to have learned it in just one summer.

Last season, when playing against the Thunder, including Game 6 of the Finals, when Rose and Yao Ming were absent, Xu Yong helped the team win with his crazy scoring.

But that kind of crazy personal performance is accidental and cannot be replicated.

But now, Xu Yong is not only still brave in his personal offense, but also uses his offensive threats to create opportunities for his teammates and mobilize his teammates.

This way, teammates can touch the ball while running on the offensive end, and they will always be motivated on the court.

Mobilizing the enthusiasm of teammates is the key to being a good team leader.

If you keep holding the ball like others do, and your teammates run back and forth after you, then if you don't fight for big contracts for your teammates, they will be the first to disrespect you.

But if they do that, the team will not be sustainable. Even if they succeed once, the team's subsequent competitiveness will plummet.

The fans at the scene became more and more excited. It seems that ESPN did not underestimate the strength of the Pacers this year, but the Bulls were obviously underestimated.

The leadership demonstrated by Xu Yong makes the Bulls very competitive.

They are not the Lakers of the 10-11 season, but more like the Bulls of the 97-98 season!

However, the Pacers' pick-and-roll continued. This time, Howard's strong attack after receiving the ball caused Artest to pull him and he was sent to the free throw line.

Xu Yong looked up at the score, then adjusted his position with Artest and stood on the side of the free throw line.

"Your pick-and-roll is still so brave." Before Howard took the free throw, Xu Yong turned around and communicated with him through the air.

When Howard heard this, he showed his signature sunny smile. It was a very happy thing to be recognized by Xu Yong.

"Ignore him." James was standing opposite Xu Yong at this time and immediately reminded Howard.

From his choices on the court to his reaction at this moment, James has indeed matured a lot as Hinrich said.

But Xu Yong didn't stop talking.

When Howard took the ball and prepared to take the first free throw, Xu Yong continued, "But you have fallen. You actually set a pick-and-roll for your defeated opponent."