The game has entered the fourth quarter in a blink of an eye, with only two minutes left.
At this time, the score was 101 to 104, with the Heat leading.
Wade's breakthrough was fouled by Gibson and he fell to the ground, earning him two free throws.
However, he did not get up from the ground immediately. Even when his teammates came to pull him up, he told them not to worry.
After a while, he was pulled up from the ground by his teammates.
It was obvious that he had consumed too much energy and had to use these little tricks to restore his strength.
Of course, he was not the only one who was physically exhausted at this time. Xu Yong also took this opportunity to support his knees with his hands and gasp for breath.
He rejected the moves that Grover taught him because they were too similar to his daily life. He still used the original moves. After all, he wouldn't get hurt.
But his physical exertion tonight was unprecedented.
The main reason is that Wade is such a good runner.
He recalled the story he had heard before about Hamilton running himself to the point of vomiting, and Kobe saying that he was almost knocked down by Hamilton running.
Although Wade does not play without the ball like Hamilton, Xu Yong now feels that his nickname "Flash" should be more than just about running fast.
Of course, hard work pays off.
The defensive pressure that Xu Yong brings is indeed much greater than that of Butler. In order to get rid of him, Wade must expend more physical energy, while on the other hand, he consumes less energy when playing against Wade because of his size advantage.
In this back and forth, Wade consumed more energy than Xu Yong.
The result of consuming Wade was that the Heat's offense was suppressed.
Judging from the final result, this is obviously more beneficial to the Bulls.
Wade adjusted his breathing and made the first free throw.
When he made the second free throw, you could see the effect of his physical strength on him; the ball hit the edge of the basket and was obviously off target.
But he was lucky with this ball. It bounced on the rim a few times and finally rolled in.
101 to 106, the Heat have a clear lead.
The Bulls now had less than two minutes left.
Xu Yong went to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Hinrich at the three-point line. At this time, they needed three points.
"when!"
But unfortunately, Hinrich failed to seize this opportunity, and the basketball hit the front and bounced out.
At this point in the game, due to the intense physical exhaustion, it was difficult to maintain a stable shooting accuracy from outside.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Yao Ming grabbed the frontcourt rebound and passed the ball to Hinrich.
But this time when Hinrich received the ball, Ray Allen had already quickly gotten close to him.
The reason why the Heat can achieve such a record this season is not just because of their strength on paper, but also because of their team and execution.
Hinrich controlled the ball and waited for Xu Yong to come out before handing the ball back to him.
Xu Yong held the ball, looked at the time, and called Yao Ming to move directly to the three-point line for a pick-and-roll.
After Yao Ming successfully blocked Wade, he did not take a three-pointer directly, but made a fake shot, and waited for Hibbert to rush up and caused a three-point foul on the opponent.
At this time, he also cannot guarantee his outside shooting accuracy, especially since he has taken fewer three-pointers this season, and committing fouls is obviously a better choice.
The price was that he was knocked to the ground by Hibbert.
There was no malicious intent in this shot, it was simply that a man of Hibbert's size couldn't stop.
Like Wade, Xu Yong lay on the ground for a long time to recover his strength.
But his action scared his teammates, and even the team doctor ran onto the court.
Finally, Xu Yong signaled that he was fine and was pulled up by Hinrich and Butler.
Three-point foul, three crucial free throws.
Before going to the free throw line, Xu Yong pulled up his collar and put it in his mouth and took a sip.
He was simply curious about whether Kobe's method of replenishing his energy was reliable.
At this stage, any method is worth trying.
He couldn't help but frown when he tasted a salty and sour taste in his mouth.
I didn’t regain my physical strength, but the taste was indeed refreshing.
Release your mouth, adjust your breathing, take the ball from the referee and adjust yourself.
The first free throw was made despite the interference.
He wiped the sweat off his face with his jersey and adjusted his breathing.
The second free throw was also successful.
During the last penalty, the noise of interference from the audience reached its peak, and the audience in the front row also waved the air sticks in their hands vigorously.
“Swish!”
But Xu Yong still made the free throw steadily.
When you are exhausted, free throws are more about mental quality and muscle memory.
Xu Yong is qualified in both aspects.
By making these three free throws, Xu Yong was equivalent to making a key three-pointer.
104 to 106.
The score difference was only one goal.
There were only 40 seconds left in the game.
The next round is very crucial. If the Bulls want to have a chance, they must defend it, and as long as the Heat score, they will basically secure the victory.
After the Heat advanced to the frontcourt, Wade made an offensive gesture, Bosh asked for the ball in the high position, and he then passed the ball in.
Giving the ball to Bosh for a one-on-one at a critical moment is something that would never have happened during the Big Three era.
But now it's happening.
Because Wade knew that he had over-exerted himself, while Bosh still had some energy left.
Bosh chose to attack facing the basket. He made a fake shot, then used Gibson as the axis, collected the ball, turned around and dribbled to the basket. After seeing Yao Ming's help defense, he chose a high arc floater that hit the backboard.
After this whole set of movements, he is definitely an example of a technical power forward.
"Bang!"
The basketball bounced off the backboard and went straight into the net.
Bosh scored!
After scoring the goal, Bosh pounded his chest and then let out his signature Dragon King roar.
The scene was instantly filled with deafening whistles and cheers.
Thanks to James' quick delivery, Wade and Bosh's skills and abilities are still there.
If they come for another year or two, even if Granger and Hibbert come, they won't be able to go back.
Thibodeau called a timeout.
At this time, Xu Yong looked up at the large LED screen.
104 to 108, with 22 seconds left.
Bosh's goal just now was fatal. With a 4-point difference, the Bulls' only chance was to fight for a three-pointer and try to send the game into overtime.
But this is very difficult.
Especially now that both sides have almost exhausted their physical energy.
And just now the Heat were fouled by him. With the execution ability of this Heat team, it would be difficult for them to make the same mistake a second time.
After the timeout, the Bulls quickly advanced the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt, and then the ball came into Xu Yong's hands.
The Heat's defense at this time was all expanded outwards.
Xu Yong did not find a good opportunity, and when he and Yao Ming were doing screen-and-roll, Ray Allen on the other side also came over to help defend.
Spoelstra had clearly planned not to give him any chance during the previous timeout.
Xu Yong chose to pass the ball. He jumped up to tie down the defense and then threw the ball to Butler in the air.
Butler had an open opportunity, and he knew his junior, so he was more confident at the critical moment, even though Butler was only a sophomore.
The ball was successfully passed to Butler.
Because Thibodeau replaced Gibson with Battier during the previous timeout, Bosh in the corner was unable to rotate for a while.
Butler immediately took a three-pointer after observing the defense.
His calmness can be seen from his small movements in the details. Although it was not the end point of the tactics arranged by the coach, he did not show any nervousness or panic when receiving the ball.
The basketball flew in the air towards the basket, attracting the attention of everyone present.
At this time, Hibbert learned his lesson and trapped Yao Ming behind him, and other Heat players also trapped their own defenders one after another.
This means that if Butler misses this three-pointer, it basically means the end of the game.
“Swish!”
A crisp sound was heard.
Butler hit this three-pointer!
Bulls, there is still a chance!
After scoring the goal, Butler pouted, turned around and made a timeout gesture to the Heat's bench.jpg.
Spoelstra called a timeout.
There were 5.8 seconds left in the game and the Heat still had a 1-point lead.
Xu Yong was delighted to see this, and walked over with a smile on his face and high-fived Butler.
Butler has his father's style.
Next are two world-class challenges.
Sideline balls, and life-or-death free throws.
If the sideline ball was intercepted and the Bulls had one last timeout, the Heat might face a buzzer-beater.
If a free throw is missed, there is also the risk of losing to the buzzer beater or being dragged into overtime.
The opposite is true for the Bulls, so the next 5.8 seconds will be a test for both teams.
The audience was so nervous that they dared not make a sound.
Originally, they had a 5-point lead in two minutes and a 4-point lead in 40 seconds, which were both huge advantages.
But who could have thought that Xu Yong and Butler from the Bulls made consecutive three-pointers.
The Bulls demonstrated tonight that a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if they are half-crippled, it is not easy to defeat them.
After the timeout, the Heat successfully sent a sideline ball. Wade ran two steps with the ball and was fouled by Xu Yong and sent to the free throw line.
There were 4.4 seconds left in the game.
The scene was silent.
Wade did not attack in the last round, and his strength has recovered a little due to the timeout.
At this time, he adjusted his breathing, relaxed his mind, and made the first free throw.
"when!"
An accident happened, Wade's first free throw missed the basket! !
There was an uproar at the scene.
Spoelstra also widened his eyes.
Wade is the most psychologically stable player on the Heat, which is why he chose Wade.
It can only be said that his judgment was a little bit off. He should have noticed Wade's physical problems from the previous free throws.
Wade adjusted his breathing and made the second free throw.
The Bulls called their final timeout.
Butler's three-pointer, plus Wade's missed free throw, gave them not only the chance to tie the score and enter overtime, but also the chance to score the winning goal.
"Tom, I'll end the game." Xu Yong said to Thibodeau as soon as he came off the court.
In the first half, he said he was going to defend Wade, but the effect was average.
Although this is normal, he is not really God and his words cannot be enforced.
But the lost face must be regained.
And Butler has done what he should do, and now he, as the boss, has to take the blame.
After the timeout, the Bulls served the ball in the frontcourt.
They did not adjust the lineup, it still has Yao Ming, Battier, Butler and Hinrich, plus Xu Yong.
Hinrich is serving the ball from the sideline.
Butler and Battier opened up in the two corners, and Yao Ming set a screen for Xu Yong on the serving side.
The Bulls play an open card.
But the Heat didn't dare to let go at this time. Butler had just made a three-pointer. As for Battier, his three-pointer from the corner was a super sweet spot.
The ball was finally successfully passed to Xu Yong, but Wade reacted quickly this time and quickly bypassed Yao Ming and rushed towards Xu Yong.
On the other side, Yao Ming could only settle for the next best thing and block Hibbert, not giving him the opportunity to double-team Xu Yong.
Xu Yong had no choice but to dribble the ball towards the top of the arc.
Time was passing, and after protecting the ball to the top of the arc against Wade's defense, he received the ball, jumped up, rode a horse and shot an arrow, and then flicked his wrist to shoot a three-pointer.gif.
Wade's eyes were wide open at this moment, as if some long-forgotten memories were suddenly awakened.
The basketball flew over Wade's head and headed towards the basket.
All the fans at the scene held their breath instantly.
Everyone on the Bulls' bench stood up with their eyes wide open.
Will there be a decisive blow?
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the backboard.
"beep!"
The red lights on the sidelines also lit up.
“Swish!”
Then, the ball bounced and shot into the basket!
"He did it! The buzzer-beater with the three-pointer! Xu killed the Heat! God!" On the commentary stand, Barkley excitedly slammed the table and shouted.
O'Neal had a complicated expression at this time. For a moment he didn't know whether he should celebrate for the Bulls or feel sorry for the Heat.
After all, he has won championships with both teams, and unlike last season, with James leaving, this Heat team has become Wade's team again, and he feels more involved.
"Why do I feel a little familiar?" O'Neal spoke with such complicated emotions.
At this time, the Bulls players on the field were celebrating, and the large LED screen on the scene was replaying the buzzer-beater.
Then, there was an uproar at the scene.
Yes, the image of Xu Yong riding a horse and shooting arrows is too similar to the shot when Kobe Bryant defeated Wade and Wade said he would overturn the Lakers locker room.
It was even Wade's missed free throw that gave the opponent the chance to score the winning goal. The only difference was that the person who completed the final shot was Xu Yong instead of Kobe.
The Bulls players have already started celebrating.
At this time, Xu Yong was carried by Butler and Hinrich, each holding one arm.
Although he is very tired, as tired as he was after Game 6 of the Finals last season, he is in a very good mood now.
Being able to win the opening game in the Eastern Conference Finals means a lot. It means that they have grabbed the home-court advantage and that they have built up sufficient self-confidence.
As he told Butler a long time ago, it's not like they don't have a chance to complete the dynasty.
This is a perfect start.
During the handshake after the game, Wade and Xu Yong subconsciously used force when shaking hands.
He would really be grateful if he was defeated by two shooting guards in the same way from the same position.
After the handshake ceremony, Xu Yong took Butler to attend the post-match press conference.
Xu Yong scored 41 points tonight, as well as 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He got his third 40+ in the playoffs this season and was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence tonight.
In comparison, Wade, who played well tonight, only scored 31 points and 7 assists.
Although Butler only scored 14 points tonight, his final three-pointer was very crucial.
At the beginning of the press conference, the reporter asked Butler the question about the three-pointer.
"You may not believe this, but after I received the pass from Xu, I felt that my three-point shooting percentage improved, just like when my teammates in 2K have ten cents, yes, that skill."
Butler's words surprised the reporters in the audience. You know, his previous comments on the Pacers in front of the media made people think that he was straightforward. Unexpectedly, he was quite good at praising his teammates.
Of course Xu Yong was not surprised. Butler was able to reach the finals but attributed all the credit to his teammates, and said that he only wanted the championship and anyone could win the FMVP.
To put it bluntly, Butler and Jordan are quite similar in character. They are generous with their words to people they admire, but they will never be hypocritical to people they don't admire.
"Xu, we noticed that your buzzer-beater was very similar to the one Kobe Bryant used to beat the Heat on December 5, 2009. Is there any connection between the two?" the reporter asked Xu Yong.
"It's just a coincidence." Xu Yong said frankly that there was no need for him to force everything to be related to Kobe, he just needed to be realistic.
"But if you want to talk about the connection, I can only explain it from a technical perspective, because DW is one of the best shot-blocking guards in NBA history. If you don't keep your distance when facing him, you will easily be blocked and greatly interfered with. So horseback archery is the safest way to shoot. Maybe Kobe thought so at the time."
Xu Yong's words convinced the reporters in the audience, and also made Butler stare at what he said.
Originally, he thought he had a high emotional intelligence, but it was still far behind Xu Yong's level of praising people.
Because of one sentence, Xu Yong praised two people, and what he said was not only the facts, but also very professional, without any trace at all.
…
Winning G1 is important, but winning G1 does not mean everything.
In terms of strength, the Bulls are still the weaker side and they still need to try their best in every game.
This was Xu Yong’s reminder to the players after the press conference.
There was light in Butler's eyes when he looked at Xu Yong again.
Because what Xu Yong did this time was the same as what they had communicated in the car last time.
After a victory, whether to celebrate or remind others depends on the timing.
He now feels like Kobe and Jordan are playing on the same team.
After two days of rest, the Bulls and Heat continued to pull apart in G2 in Miami.
The biggest feature of this game is that Wade no longer plays one-on-one with Xu Yong.
Xu Yong was defended by Granger for a small part of the time, and was double-teamed on the weak side most of the time.
The biggest change this brings is that Xu Yong's physical energy consumption on the offensive end has increased, which has resulted in him being unable to invest too much on the defensive end.
At this time, the biggest problem of the Bulls, or this Bulls team, was also exposed.
Yao Ming's ability has declined now, and he can no longer give Xu Yong enough support like in last season's finals, and the other players on the Bulls are unable to dilute the ball. It's a bit too much to expect the Bulls to rely on Xu Yong alone to carry the offense and also take into account the defense against this Heat team.
What's more, as shown in G1, Xu Yong's defensive effect on Wade was actually not very good.
In this case, even if you trade for Jordan in his prime, the result will be the same.
In the end, Xu Yong still scored 35 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 1 block, but the Bulls still lost 102-116.
In Game 3, he returned to the Chicago Bulls and took the initiative to seek change, replacing Gibson with Artest as the starter.
This adjustment is very targeted and you can tell at a glance that it is the work of Mike Malone.
The first purpose of using Artest is of course to dilute the ball possession. He is one of the only two players in the Bulls lineup who can do this.
Moreover, Yao Ming returned at this time, and the Bulls' dependence on space was not so strong. At least Xu Yong and Yao Ming's pick-and-roll and direct shooting set had proven to be effective in the previous two games.
The second purpose was to replace Gibson instead of Butler, in order to set up a lineup of one big and four small players, and to provide assist defense through quick rotation to limit Wade's performance after his breakthrough.
Tactically, this is fine.
But there were two big deviations in the actual game.
Artest's offensive threat has deteriorated significantly. Without offensive organization, he is just like Draymond Green without three-pointers. He is just a 30 million burden. He cannot reduce Xu Yong/Curry's scoring consumption on the offensive end.
Another thing is that Bosh is no longer the same as before. He now has a strong desire and confidence in offense. Wade is also willing to let him launch offense with the ball. The Bulls had difficulty limiting him with Gibson before, not to mention Artest.
So in G3, the Bulls made adjustments, but they still lost the game.
At this time, the overall score of the series has reached 1 to 2.
G4 can be said to be a life-and-death battle for the Bulls. If they take a step back and lose two home games in a row, they will have no chance at all.
In this game, the Bulls replicated their regular season game against the Thunder, putting Battier in the starting lineup, letting Xu Yong handle the offense and the others handle the defense.
Xu Yong scored 52 points in this game, breaking his single-game scoring record in the playoffs set in last year's finals, and also helping the Bulls to narrowly pull back a game.
But at this point in the series, the ending is actually in sight.
It is impossible for Xu Yong to score 50+ in every game, and the Bulls cannot make more adjustments.
The gap in lineup and the maturity of the opponent's strength made the final score of Game 6 fixed at 104 to 112, and they lost the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of 2 to 4, thus closing the door to a three-peat.
After the game, Chicago fans applauded and cheered for their players.
Although they failed to complete the dynasty as they had hoped, this Bulls team has done their best with one of its core players missing the season and an aging roster. Everyone on the team deserves applause.
Xu Yong also stood up from the bench at this time.
His mood was rather complicated at this time.
Frustration, for sure.
Because he always felt that the Bulls had a chance to defend their title, and he had been working hard in that direction.
The feeling of failure when one fails to achieve one's goals will make anyone depressed.
But at this moment, besides feeling frustrated, he also felt somewhat relieved.
No one can be successful all the time. Failure is an inevitable part of life. Learning to accept failure rather than being defeated by it is a very important lesson.
He recalled the scene when he visited Kobe before.
Just like Kobe said, as long as you have done your best, you will have no regrets.
"Senior, we will win back, right?" At this moment, Butler next to him clenched his fists and asked with unwillingness in his eyes.
Xu Yong turned his head and glanced at Butler, and in a trance, he seemed to see himself losing to the Celtics four years ago, and nodded.
"Yes, we will."
…
The Eastern Conference Finals ended with a bang, and the Heat made it to the finals again since 2006.
In the Western Conference Finals, the series between the Thunder and the Mavericks was decided a day later.
The Thunder defeated the Mavericks 120-106 on the road, eliminating the Mavericks with a score of 4-2, completing their revenge two years ago and reaching the finals for the first time in team history.
In this series, Durant played invincible, averaging 37 points per game and directly blew away the second-year Leonard.
It turns out that Leonard still needs to grow, while Durant has reached his peak.
Then, Xu Yong suddenly became interested in the finals.
In history, the Heat and Thunder have met in the finals before, that was in the 2011-2012 season.
The final result was that the Heat swept the Thunder 4-1.
But the situation now is completely different from that time.
Because both the Heat and the Thunder are stronger than they were back then.
Especially the Thunder. The biggest problem of the Thunder in the finals that year was Harden. Harden played bravely against the Spurs in the divisional finals, but was quite poor in the finals. Some people said that he was addicted to nightclubs or that he was beaten by Wade, but in short, he was very bad.
But now, Xu Yong has reason to believe that he will perform better.
And in this round of finals, no matter who wins in the end it will be very meaningful.
There is no need to say much about the Heat. As he said before, if Riley becomes a god, Wade's historical status will also be greatly improved.
As for the Thunder, Durant needs this championship to prove himself. After all, if he doesn't have a championship, how can he talk about the ten-year topic with Xu Yong?
And for the Thunder, after so many years of draft accumulation, it is time to reap the fruits of their labor.
However, Xu Yong has no plans to watch the game in person. First, it is not appropriate. Second, he is currently discussing sub-brand matters with AJ. Third, although he is free this summer, he still has plans for improvement. In addition to continuing to improve his left-handed technique, he also has plans for the drag step.
There are two main reasons for learning the shuffle step.
The first and most intuitive one is naturally the impact that Deron brought to him in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That was much more intuitive than when he wanted to learn this step in the NCAA.
Moreover, there is no conflict between dragging steps and changing direction without slowing down.
To put it in a very vivid way, changing direction without slowing down is more of a skill to deal with defenders while moving, while the drag step is to get rid of them on the spot.
The second is the physical fitness issue which is also related to the Eastern Conference Finals.
It sounds like there is no connection between the two, but in fact, his physical training has reached a bottleneck. No matter how much he trains, he can't become an all-round attacker for 48 minutes. That's not a human being, but a monster.
If you want to save energy, you must reduce consumption, and streamlining offensive means becomes a necessary measure.
The drag step consumes much less energy, whether it is a breakthrough or a jump shot, than a breakthrough relying solely on explosiveness or a post-up play.
However, because he is not very familiar with Deron and does not get along with Durant, he can only undergo basic training under the guidance of Grover, and then communicate with them when there is a suitable opportunity.
On the day of the game, Xu Yong asked Butler to watch the opening game of the finals together.
"Jimmy, what have you been doing these days?" After sitting down, Xu Yong took out a cigar and asked with concern.
Since the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler has disappeared all of a sudden. He was busy with sneakers and only realized this now.
"Senior, I've been studying your game videos recently."
"My video?" Xu Yong looked at Butler in surprise after hearing it.
"Yes, I don't have much talent, but I have one thing in common with my senior, which is that I can keep practicing, so I think the path my senior has taken is my path of experience," Butler explained with a smile.
Xu Yong was stunned when he heard this.
You know what, even though he knew Butler was as tough as himself, he had never really thought about it in that regard.
He put down his cigar, thought about it carefully, and shook his head: "My path is different from yours."
Yes, it is different, very different.
He started out as a dunker, then developed the three-point shot, followed by pull-up jump shots and mid-range shots. In the meantime, he trained in defense because of Thibodeau's arrival, and then moved on to small tricks and organizing offenses.
As for Butler, he starts with defense and then develops three-pointers. This is the starting point of a 3D forward-guard swingman, which is completely different from him.
"Yes, my starting point is different from that of my senior, so I plan to improve my breakthrough and mid-range shooting abilities to increase my offensive threat." Butler nodded.
Xu Yong smiled and nodded, then picked up the cigar and continued to light it.
Butler not only has high emotional intelligence, but also high basketball IQ. He knows exactly what he needs to do at each stage.
Take the 3D issue for example. Yi Jianlian made the switch at his suggestion, but Butler made the decision on his own.
But this is actually normal. If you don’t have basketball IQ, how can you play as a point forward?
Even Xu Yong felt that if Butler could really improve these in the summer, that is, improve his personal offensive threat, he might be able to evolve into an organizing forward earlier than in history.
In that case, the Bulls' biggest problem of diluting ball possession will be solved.
After Xu Yong and Butler smoked their cigars and lay down on the sofa, the curtain of the finals had already begun.
The game was very intense, from the beginning to the end.
Both teams showed the strength of the strongest teams this season.
And just as Xu Yong expected, it is really hard to say which of them has a better chance of winning the championship.
The game lasted until the decisive moment, with both sides competing entirely on game details and tactical execution.
It was during this process that Wade, as the only core player with championship experience in the two teams, helped the Heat win G1 through a successful breakthrough and foul.
This is not a scam, because judging from the game, the referee's whistle was actually more biased towards the Thunder.
After all, from Stern's perspective, he obviously hopes that Durant will win the championship.
Wade's judgment is purely based on his grasp of the scale of penalties.
Of course, it is difficult to make a judgment based on this game alone. Let’s not talk about the others. Who knows if the referee will continue to blow the whistle if he encounters the same situation in the next game?
All in all, this round of finals has plenty to watch.
…
The finals were in progress, and the negotiations between Xu Yong and AJ were also proceeding in an orderly manner.
Although he failed to lead the Bulls to three consecutive championships, which is what fans consider a dynasty, this does not affect his personal value.
You have to know that with two consecutive MVPs, plus his average of 36 points per game in this year's playoffs, his position as the number one player is unshakable.
So AJ finally agreed to Xu Yong's request, but this would require a process, which was basically similar to the process between Jordan and Nike.
So, it's time to take a brief look back at the past between Jordan and Nike.
First of all, there is the five-year, $2.5 million bet contract that Jordan signed with Nike before he entered the league (at that time, the highest salary for NBA star endorsements was only $100,000 a year).
The reason why it is said that he is betting is that Jordan needs to meet conditions such as winning the best rookie, entering the All-Star team within three years, averaging 20 points per game within three years, and selling no less than 4 million sneakers.
We all know the result. Jordan scored 28.2 points in his first year in the league and 37.1 points in his third year. AJ1 sold like hot cakes, and Nike went from a second- or third-rate brand to a first-rate brand.
After that, Nike couldn't wait for the five-year contract to end, and directly finalized a lifetime endorsement contract with Jordan before the end of the fourth year, and also gave Jordan 4.5% of the shares.
Then after Jordan retired, Nike and Jordan reached an equity transfer agreement and took back his shares (4.5% of the shares in Nike were enough to influence major decisions). At the same time, the AJ brand became independent, and Jordan owned 66.6% of AJ's lifetime dividends.
Now let’s look back at Xu Yong’s endorsement with AJ. The first four-year contract he signed with AJ actually had similar betting clauses. He fulfilled all of them and exceeded them just like Jordan.
He even achieved higher achievements than Jordan, becoming MVP and FMVP, and winning two championships.
And, most importantly, he is also a great shoe seller.
Therefore, Xu Yong will also sign a lifetime endorsement contract with AJ, giving Xu Yong 5% of AJ's equity, and his sneaker series will be named "Satan.Xu", preparing for the brand's independence after Xu Yong retires.
Don’t think that giving equity is impossible in the 21st century. Businessmen only care about interests and profitability, and any conditions can be negotiated.
While negotiating the AJ contract, Xu Yong also began to learn the shuffle step under Grover's guidance.
Through Grover's explanation, Xu Yong gained a deeper understanding of footsteps.
First of all, there is a conceptual distinction. Dribbling can be divided into horizontal and vertical. The horizontal direction is what we often call changing direction, while the vertical direction is breaking through.
In other words, changing direction and breaking through are actually two steps.
The Rose method that Xu Yong learned before, which was to change direction without slowing down, actually skipped the lateral change of direction while moving and completed the process during the vertical breakthrough, making it difficult for the defender to react.
The shuffling step is a more normal step.
Before talking about the shuffle step, we must talk about the hesitation step, the representative figure of which is Iverson who once "didn't shake off God".
The biggest feature of the hesitation step is that it floats in the air, freezes the defender, and then connects to the opposite side to break through the defender.
The drag step and the hesitation step are in the same vein, and it also requires a suspended stop of the ball to change direction. The difference is that its stop time is shorter and the frequency is faster, which gives it the name of having a feeling of dragging the feet on the ground.
There is another difference between the drag step and the hesitation step. Its purpose is not to immobilize the defender, but to make the defender's center of gravity swing with itself, and then seize the moment when the opponent's center of gravity is unstable to break through the defender.
Because the ways of passing are different, it is divided into longitudinal dragging step and lateral dragging step.
The vertical drag step is actually a drag step breakthrough, while the horizontal drag step is a drag step change of direction.
Which one to choose should be determined according to the defensive situation.
However, in order for this step to be effective, it requires other sufficient finishing means.
This is also the reason why Rivers Jr. and Marquis Teague, who was selected by the Bulls last season, failed to play well. They only have extraordinary means but no stable finishing.
The timing is just right for Xu Yong to train this step now.
The vertical drag step is connected with the breakthrough, and he is confident in ending the breakthrough with a violent dunk or a small floater; and the horizontal drag step is usually connected with a quick stop jump shot, which is his killer move.
Therefore, this step can not only reduce the difficulty of his offense, but also greatly increase his offensive threat with the ball.
Of course, nothing is completely unsolvable. The biggest problem with the drag step is that the ball is exposed to the defender, so there needs to be an "arm's length" of breakthrough space to protect the ball, which means that it is not very useful when facing tight defense.
But the application of technology is never fixed and rigid. When encountering tight defense, there are naturally ways to break the pressure. When the opponent dares not to press you, the drag step can still come in handy.
And just like the pull-up jump shot, he is not afraid of the knee damage caused by the drag step. Once he fully masters it, this step will become a powerful weapon in his arsenal.
Xu Yong's training continues and will last throughout the summer.
It was at this time that the finals were gradually coming to an end.
Just as he predicted, the battle between the two sides was fierce.
After 6 big battles, both sides went straight to the seventh game.
Miami's home court, a decisive seventh game, the outcome will be decided in one battle.
Xu Yong went to watch the game live.
If nothing else, it would definitely be more exciting to watch such a wonderful game live.
His presence made Harden excited.
At the beginning of the game, Harden beat Chalmers and the Thunder took advantage of the situation to establish a leading advantage.
At the end of the first half, the Thunder maintained their lead, leading 58-50.
However, in the second half, the situation changed and the Heat suddenly increased the intensity of their defense. Spoelstra replaced Hibbert with Brewer to play a small lineup and used his best defensive rotation.
At this time, Durant exposed a big problem, his passing ability was too weak.
Once he is double-teamed, there are only two possibilities: either he is forced to stop the ball and have it intercepted, or he has to force a shot. He often chooses the latter.
If he chose the latter, his hit rate could not be guaranteed, the Thunder's offensive efficiency dropped, and they were frequently counterattacked by the Heat.
The Heat quickly took the lead and withstood the Thunder's counterattack in the final quarter, winning the game 114-108.
The Heat won the championship trophy again seven years after 2006.
At the end of the game, Wade shed tears on the court, and after winning the FMVP again, he fed champagne to his knees.jpg.
Bosh was even more exaggerated. He knelt down and cried. The feeling that he had proved that he was not incapable made him completely out of control.
Xu Yong was also very moved when he saw this scene. For Wade and Bosh, this championship not only enhanced their historical status, but more importantly, all the pressure they carried was released at this moment.
Of course, the most exaggerated thing was not them, but the words full of personal grudges that Haslem said in an interview after the championship award ceremony.
"They said I almost ruined the team a year ago by saying 'we were champions before you came'. I don't think so, and now I want to say: 'after you left, we are champions again!'"