After not playing in the NBA for more than a year, is Xu Yong still the Satan that his opponents fear?

By choosing to return in the late season, will Xu Yong repeat the mistakes of Jordan?

If the alliance is the alliance of Durant, Leonard and Curry, can Xu Yong defeat them?

"I don't think this is the best time to come back. I think this summer would be more appropriate. Xu needs better teammates. Durant's success is inseparable from Harden and Westbrook. Jokic is still growing, and DeRozan is obviously not in that league."

In the latest episode of TNT, when O'Neal and Smith were celebrating the news announced by the Mavericks, Barkley analyzed it very calmly.

However, despite these voices, after the Mavericks announced the news, it (Xu Yong's comeback) still brought an explosive and lasting impact.

First of all, the Dow Jones Index surged upward when the U.S. stock market opened that day, and AJ's stock began to soar like a rocket, including the share prices of brands endorsed by Xu Yong, which began to rise rapidly.

This is the second time this year. The last time was when Xu Yong announced his return to the NBA, but this time, their rise is obviously more crazy.

In addition, the message released by the Mavericks also announced Xu Yong's jersey number. He will not change his number like Jordan, nor will he change his number back to No. 23 in college. He will continue to wear No. 6 jersey.

So when this news was released, the No. 6 jersey on the Mavericks' official website was sold out almost instantly, and soon this jersey became a hot-selling item in the scalper market.

As a result, sales of the STX series of sneakers, which had been declining slightly in the past two years, began to experience explosive growth.

The Mavericks' season tickets were sold out as early as when Xu Yong returned to the NBA, and now, because Xu Yong's comeback is on the road, all tickets for the Lakers' game have been sold out.

You have to know that the Lakers' ticket sales this season are very poor. Not to mention that people like Nicholson who have not come since Kobe retired, many season ticket holders rarely come to watch games in person.

After all, although the Lakers have James this season, not only is the game lacking in entertainment value, but it is also basically difficult for the team to make the playoffs this season.

In addition, there is another interesting thing. After learning the news, the Lakers' second star, Jahlil Okafor, who has been cultivated by the Lakers and averaged 20+10 per game this season, couldn't help but complain in front of reporters: "My XXX, why did you choose us?"

Later, ESPN, which hosted the NBA's regular season this season, quickly announced a higher broadcast plan, and the number of Mavericks' broadcast games increased significantly.

The mayor of Dallas also gave a personal speech afterwards. One sentence in his speech has become a classic: "Dallas will become the most attractive tourist city in the world."

This sounds like a dark humor. You have to know that Dallas has a bad reputation in the United States, not to mention the world, because of racial discrimination. But now, he has the confidence to say such things. The key is that no one thinks there is anything wrong with him saying such things.

Accompanied by many doubts and a lot of madness, the Mavericks will play against the Lakers away after the All-Star Game. This game is believed to not only have high ratings for the season, but may even be the most watched regular season game in NBA history. It is about to kick off at the Staples Center.

"Boss, how well have you recovered?" On the plane to Los Angeles, Jokic covered his mouth with his hand, leaned over and asked Xu Yong in a low voice.

"Seven to eight." Xu Yong told the truth. Even though he had increased the frequency of training, it had been so long since he had a formal competition or even systematic training. It was still difficult to get back to normal all at once.

"But beating them is enough." Xu Yong continued lightly.

He originally wanted to play against the Warriors so that he could get into a high-intensity game state as quickly as possible. Although he failed to do so against the Lakers, the game will be easier.

"LeBron is having fun playing now," Jokic said with a smile.

Xu Yong looked at Jokic in confusion.

"When he played against us, he only defended Deron (Wright), because he didn't attack much and didn't grab defensive rebounds, but he was faster than Bolt in fast breaks. We called that [smart basketball]."

Listening to Jokic's description, Xu Yong couldn't help laughing. Smart basketball? This is more catchy than Smart basketball.

"Isn't he always like that?" Xu Yong asked back.

Jokic was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing.

Yeah, they all forgot when James started playing like this.

On February 23, the Staples Center was packed with people.

The front row of the audience was filled with Hollywood stars. Even Nicholson, who had not appeared for a long time, came to the scene. The main reason for his coming was because Kobe was also there tonight.

Although the Lakers are now much stronger than they used to be, in terms of influence, they are still a standard traffic team.

Of course, the moment Xu Yong appeared in the player tunnel wearing the No. 6 jersey, all the spotlights were on him, and the scene instantly erupted in overwhelming cheers.

Xu Yong waved and greeted the fans with a smile, then hugged Kobe who was walking towards him with a smile.

"I said, only you can be that hero." After the hug, Kobe said to Xu Yong.

Xu Yong smiled and punched Kobe in the chest, and then both of them laughed.

After saying hello to everyone else, Xu Yong looked at the familiar scene around him that he had not seen for a long time, and felt his blood boiling uncontrollably.

Although I haven't stepped onto this court for more than a year, my body doesn't lie.

After being apart for more than a year, he is now in high spirits, just like a reunion.

Then, an unprecedented scene appeared on the scene.

When Xu Yong stepped onto the field, the camera was focused on him, not leaving for a second.

Whether it is Dallas or Los Angeles, there is only one protagonist tonight.

Outside the camera at this moment, James stood with his hands on his hips and looked at the familiar figure above his head.

The distance between him and Xu Yong was only half a court, but now the distance between him and Xu Yong was like he could only look up at the big LED screen, which was out of reach.

After the pre-match warm-up, the opening ceremony began.

Xu Yong was the last player to appear on the court for the Mavericks.

Because it was an away game, there was no background music, but the host chose the longest introduction.

"Now! 7-time NBA All-Star vote leader, 4-time NBA scoring champion, 3-time AMVP, 4-time MVP, 5-time Finals MVP, 5-time championship winner, 6 feet 9 inches, from Arizona State University, number 6, Satan~Xu~Yong!"

When the host's call ended, Xu Yong stood up and high-fived his teammates one by one, and the Staples Center fell into a state of excitement and carnival.

He’s back, Xu Yong is back, their NBA is back!

The starting lineups of the two teams: Mavericks: Wright, DeRozan, Xu Yong, Powell, Jokic;

Lakers: Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, James, Kyle Kuzma, Okafor.

Jokic passed the ball back to the Mavericks' half, and the game officially began.

Xu Yongyi did not attack with the ball at the beginning, but tried to find his feeling on the court first.

But as Xu Yong and Jokic said, the Lakers are not strong.

Don't just look at the 20+10 center in the interior, there is also one of the top five superstars in the league, and the second pick + 3D on the outside. The lineup is well configured and has potential.

But the defensive problems of this lineup are extremely serious. Apart from Pope, you can't even find another player whose defensive level is above the league average (James is, but he has no intention of defending, which is equivalent to having no defense).

Jokic came on and easily scored a goal over Okafor with the ball in the low post.

Okafor has made progress on the defensive end in recent years, and it can be seen that he is trying hard to confront Jokic, but Jokic has gradually adapted to the new scale of confrontation, and in terms of flexibility, he is much more flexible than Okafor.

When the Lakers were attacking, James reached the frontcourt and found that Xu Yong was defending him.

James consciously stood aside with his hands on his hips, signaling Ball to organize the attack.

Xu Yong was not surprised by his reaction. It was not just because of the smart basketball that Jokic talked about, but if James had any ambition left, he would not choose to come to a rebuilding team like the Lakers.

Ball passed the ball to Okafor under the basket, and Okafor faced Jokic one-on-one, turned around and made a hook shot with beautiful steps.

Compared with defense, Okafor's greater progress comes from the offensive end. After the [vertical jump rule] was cancelled, and more importantly, next to James, he was able to score 20+10, which is impossible for an inside player without some ability.

Looking back, Jokic was double-teamed when he received the ball in the low post. The Lakers' defense was not very good, but head coach Walton still had requirements for defense.

At this time, Xu Yong and DeRozan used a screen tactic. After DeRozan broke the ball, he cut into the basket and took away the defender. Xu Yong took the opportunity to receive the ball and shoot.

Jokic has a strong passing ability and Xu Yong had a good chance to receive the ball.

Catching the ball, bending his knees, jumping up, flicking his wrist, Xu Yong's pull-up rhythm is exactly the same as before he retired.

That kind of training that has been going on day after day for more than ten years is engraved in muscle memory and even in DNA.

The fans' cheers were heard in advance at the scene. Many people can do a pull-up shot, but they haven't seen this graceful move for almost two years.

But unfortunately, Xu Yong's shot did not hit the target.

After seeing the basketball paying tribute to Kobe who was present tonight, there were not many ripples on Xu Yong's face.

This is somewhat expected, but we still need to get the hang of it.

Speaking of which, when Jordan returned, it caused quite a stir. His 55-point performance in Game 5 was praised by fans, but not many people remember his debut that the media selectively gave up reporting: 7 of 28 shots, 19 points.

Xu Yong’s preparations were actually not very sufficient, so he was mentally prepared.

After a few minutes of the game, the field turned into an offensive battle between Okafor and Jokic. DeRozan and Xu Yong were not in good shape, and the Mavericks were unable to widen the score.

"I said this is not a good time to come back." On the commentary stand, Barkley reiterated his previous statement.

At this moment, there was a detail change on the court. James reached out for the ball and gestured to move away for a one-on-one play.

Tonight's game is definitely the focus of everyone's attention. The official ratings have already broken the historical high during the opening ceremony.

In this kind of game, if possible, he would like to be the focus of the whole game.

But after so many past experiences, he started out very cautiously, because if he was not careful he would become a golden background board.

However, at this point in the game, even he was sure that Xu Yong's hasty return and his poor form meant that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

Of course, there is another point. The boss of the Lakers can only be James. In such a highly anticipated game, Okafor has somewhat stolen his limelight.

When Xu Yong saw James holding the ball, his eyes lit up.

Positional warfare depends on the player's touch and condition, but the defensive end is relatively less important.

Moreover, he has been playing under Thibodeau since his debut with the Bulls, and defensive counterattacks are what he is best at.

After his teammates pulled away, James dribbled the ball on the spot, then changed direction and broke through from the right.

Xu Yong slid to block his route and cut the ball directly.

The cut was fast and accurate, and the key was that James completely misjudged Xu Yong's defensive ability.

“Bang!”

With a crisp sound, Xu Yong turned sideways again, controlled the cut ball and headed straight for a fast break.

On the Lakers side, Pope was being restrained by DeRozan. Before the others could realize and react, Xu Yong had already left the three-point line.

James spread his hands and looked at his teammates, and his expression clearly showed that he was blaming his teammates for not being proactive in providing backup defense.

Xu Yong was running on the field, and he could hear the cheers of the fans.

When the fast break reached the front court, he slowed down slightly, then pushed off the ground with his right foot and flew into the air, turning directly in the air.

His best skill is the 360-degree turnaround dunk.

At this moment, his pores opened up, and the feeling of the wind whizzing past gave his body a feeling that was all too familiar.

“Bang!”

The basketball slammed into the basket like a blockbuster bomb, and the huge muffled sound acted as a fuse, directly igniting the Staples Center.

The large LED screen will provide live playback immediately.

During the broadcast, this shot was repeatedly slowed down.

This was the first goal scored by Xu Yong after his comeback, and also his most iconic goal.

Of course, it was also the Nth time that Xu Yong stole the ball from James and dunked on a fast break!

"Satan is back!" Barkley in the commentary booth stood up and shouted excitedly, even his eyes turned red.

In the absence of Xu Yong, his traffic as the number one Xu Chui plummeted, and his position as the top player in TNT was almost taken away by O'Neal.

But he knew that Xu Yong would come back eventually, like a true king.

What he didn't expect was that this scene would happen so quickly.

After retreating to the defensive end, Xu Yong looked at James with a smile, and his restless heart returned along with his feelings.

"Thank you, brother." He looked at James to express his gratitude.

James was puzzled at first, but soon realized what Xu Yong meant.

His face suddenly turned pale. After not seeing him for more than a year, Xu Yong was still so foul-mouthed!

However, a real man can bend and stretch. After being intercepted once, he gave up attacking Xu Yong.

If I don't hit you, can you still continue to steal the ball from me?

James's move of cutting off the opponent's supply of funds was very accurate. When James was not holding the ball or even catching the ball, it was really impossible for Xu Yong to steal the ball from him again.

However, stealing the ball was not Xu Yong's original intention, and he was not thanking James for the steal.

Because after defending against a wave of attacks by the Lakers, Xu Yong waited for both sides to get into position, took a look at Kuzma in front of him, and then reached out for the ball.

The fans began to cheer at the scene.

What's the point of an away game turning into a home game? All the fans tonight have only one identity, that is, Xu Yong's fans.

Kuzma is a little panicked now.

He is originally a player who is strong in offense but weak in defense. If it weren't for Walton's arrangement, he would not want to face off against Xu Yong in this kind of game.

He instinctively turned his head to look at the position of the assistant defender behind him, but at that moment, he felt something flying past his face.

Looking closely, Xu Yong had already broken into the three-second zone and made a light low-hand layup to send the ball into the basket.

From breaking through to scoring, Xu Yong's entire process was extremely smooth and coherent, and you couldn't tell at all that he was a man who had just returned to play after a year and a half of rest.

There were whistles and cheers from the audience.

Xu Yong's missed shot at the beginning of the game made fans think that he would repeat Jordan's mistake, but it turned out that their worries were unnecessary.

Okafor continued to play one-on-one under the basket, but the Mavericks tightened their defense this time, and Okafor failed to pass the ball in time, so he made a forced shot against two people and missed.

Xu Yong had already started running tactics when he arrived at the frontcourt.

When Malone was the head coach, his offensive tactical system was much richer than Thibodeau's.

Especially with Jokic, a passing master who can serve as a coordinating axis on the three-point line, his tactical system can be maximized.

Of course, the premise is that the Mavericks have a second offensive point that poses sufficient offensive threat.

DeRozan was not in good shape before and couldn't play this role well, but now Xu Yong is here.

Xu Yong took advantage of the screen to make a beautiful cut back to the basket, received Jokic's precise feed and attacked the basket directly.

His target selection in both attacks was very accurate, which was to attack the basket.

Although his body has regained its feel, his touch has not fully recovered. In this case, attacking the basket is a better option.

But this time Okafor retreated to the basket.

Jokic is not Adams. Not only his defensive ability, but also the defensive details like blocking are much worse than Adams.

Moreover, with such a small space under the basket, Xu Yong's pass was easily disturbed. Finally, Xu Yong chose to jump up, glided sideways past Okafor in the air, and then threw the ball from the other side to the basket with a pull-up rod.

This was a difficult shot, but the ball drew a high-speed rotating parabola in the air and fell accurately into the net!

The Staples Center was in complete chaos.

Even Kobe showed an exaggerated "Wow" expression.

Since that dunk, Xu Yong has scored 6 points in a row.

Xu Yong not only came back, but it was as if he had never left!

Xu Yong lost his balance a little in the air, but he stood firmly the moment he landed.

At this moment, he was facing James who was standing on the weak side with his hands on his hips, and he continued to smile:

"You know, I came to the West because of you. Good brother, we should always be together."