Chapter 467: The Final Showdown
"Okay, I'll wait for you to surprise me." Sloan smiled slightly, ended the topic, and continued chatting and laughing.
Sloan's image in the media has always been known for being strict and old-fashioned. His teams have always revolved around pick-and-rolls. Since the Karl Malone era, his teams have always had a point guard and a power forward as the core.
However, after a night of communication, Yang Mo found that this guy was not so old-fashioned. On the contrary, he was quite humorous and open-minded. When Yang Mo made it clear that she wanted to snatch the victory from him, he still maintained his composure and acted like a great man: If you win, I have nothing to say. I am already at the age of retirement.
The meal went very harmoniously, and when they left, Sloan insisted on paying the bill. Even though he was probably the least wealthy person at the table, he stubbornly maintained his authority as the elder. This was the only time Yang Mo witnessed his stubbornness that evening.
On the way home, Yang Mo asked Karl Malone, who was riding with him, "Why does Coach Sloan look nothing like the legend he's in? I feel like he's too kind, like Santa Claus."
"He wasn't like this before, and he's only become more docile in recent years," Karl Malone said, stretching out in the spacious back seat. "Maybe it's because he wants to retire. The Jazz kids aren't as obedient as we were back then."
"Hmm?" Yang Mo was a little surprised and frowned as he asked, "Do you seem to have some other meaning in this sentence?"
"You know from the news that Deron is not happy with his position on the team," Karl Malone said directly. "He thinks the old coach's style restricts his freedom and forces him to play within a fixed system. He feels this has affected his statistics, and his conservative style has also lost him many fans. He's completely lost in the competition with Chris Paul."
"Oh." Yang Mo nodded and said, "Actually, not everyone is suited to a free tactical environment. Some people actually benefit more from a fixed tactical system."
"That's actually your point, but Williams won't understand it now. He won't understand it until he loses the protection of his old coach." Karl Malone said slowly, with a hint of sadness in his tone.
Yang Mo noticed his gloomy expression in the rearview mirror, so he stopped talking and even turned off the music. Soon, Yang Mo dropped Karl Malone off at the entrance of his rented villa. As he was getting out of the car, Yang Mo suddenly spoke, "If... I mean if, Coach Sloan leaves the Jazz, I hope he can join the Knicks. If he doesn't want to be the head coach, a senior advisor is fine. I believe he can provide me with a lot of valuable experience in the game."
"If that day ever comes, I would certainly be willing to lobby for you!" Karl Malone gave Yang Mo an affirmative answer.
"Okay, good night!" Yang Mo waved to Ma Long, then drove to her residence.
Yang Mo's ambition has always been to build the Knicks into a dynasty, and that's impossible without a renowned coach. Stein is a good coach, his defensive prowess unforgettable. However, he's not a renowned coach, and his NBA experience is practically zero, let alone playoff experience. Sloan, on the other hand, is undoubtedly a great fit. His experience and tactical thinking could be a powerful asset to the Knicks. Furthermore, Yang Mo's tactical skills are still largely unsophisticated, and if he could find guidance from a seasoned veteran, he could definitely reach new heights!
The next morning, Yang Mo arrived at Madison Square Garden early. Tonight was going to be a tough match for him. In some ways, the Jazz were even a stronger team than the Lakers. While the Jazz might not be as strong as the Lakers, they were like a machine, each player having their own role to play. Yang Mo feared these traditional, orderly teams the most, like the Spurs and Celtics.
The reasons for this fear were, firstly, the Knicks' weakness and secondly, their lack of a truly mature system. They relied heavily on Yang Mo for tactics, and Yang Mo, a head coach with no prior academic training, could only rely on his talent and intuition to devise surprising strategies and achieve victory through unconventional tactics. However, facing those traditional, unwavering teams, they were ultimately defeated.
Although the Lakers were a traditional powerhouse, their triangle formation was ultimately a flexible one, leaving each player ample room to maneuver. This freedom was precisely Yang Mo's weakness; once he found a flaw, he could easily disrupt the entire situation.
Unlike usual, Yang Mo used to practice more three-pointers, but today he practiced more post-up moves. There was no other way, unless something unexpected happened, the person defending him tonight would be Kirilenko, the Russian known as the AK47.
Kirilenko is arguably the league's most versatile forward, surpassing even Kevin Garnett and LeBron James. In his youth, he was considered the only active player capable of recording a quadruple-double or even a quintuple-double. However, over time, he has become a dedicated defender, his octopus-like length and tenacity making him an excellent defender with ease.
Facing such a player, Yang Mo, who is less than 195cm tall, can only gain enough shooting space by using the power of back-to-back defense. Otherwise, he will be infinitely suppressed in terms of height!
While Yang Mo was actively training to cheer for the evening's game, gossip fans throughout New York City had already caught wind of the situation and began to use various methods to buy Madison's tickets. In fact, most of the tickets had already been sold on the day they went on sale. Now, all they had to do was expand their share. Among these people, there was a clear division into two camps : Scarlett Johansson's supporters on one side and Jessica Alba's supporters on the other!
To prevent a clash between the two groups, the New York police deployed nearly a thousand officers outside Madison Square Garden, fearing a mass incident. Fortunately, everyone was quite polite, and no actual clashes occurred, but verbal exchanges were inevitable. The police didn't care about their verbal attacks; they had to have a way to vent their anger.
Originally, Scarlett Johansson planned to say hello to her fans before entering the venue, but later omitted this step for safety reasons.
However, Jessica Alba did not skip it. Unlike Scarlett Johansson who entered Madison Square Garden through a secret passage, she walked in through the main entrance.
When she appeared before the waiting crowd, the place erupted in excitement. Her supporters immediately roared at the top of their lungs, "Keep going, Jessica! You're the best! You'll definitely surpass that bitch Scarlett! Super Yang loves you! You two are a match made in heaven!"
Scarlett Johansson's supporters were not to be outdone. They quickly launched a counterattack: Jessica, bitch! Jessica, whore! Jessica, idiot! Jessica, unwanted old woman! Jessica, you don't deserve Super Yang, Scarlett is the one! Jessica, shameless and despicable thief!!!
Amidst voices of support and defection, Jessica and her group quickly passed through the crowd under the protection of the police and squeezed into the stadium.
Shortly after Jessica Alba entered, Knicks security began checking tickets, and the crowd began to flow into Madison Square Garden in a crowded yet orderly manner. There was no doubt that Madison Square Garden would have a different atmosphere tonight.
TNT had sensed this a week earlier and purchased the broadcasting rights in advance. In fact, they had purchased over 70 percent of the Knicks' home games this year, and they had long been closely tied to Super Yang. This close connection had reaped astonishing ratings and lucrative sponsorships, raking in the dough.
"I don't think tonight's game will be the focus, nor will the ten-game winning streak. The focus will be on the audience. I think tonight's ratings will break the highest point of the year, because there are more than 20 or 30 housewives around me who never care about basketball and have said that they will sit in front of the TV on time. They are more concerned about who will win Super Yang tonight, and the showdown between Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson will finally come to a conclusion!" Before the game, TNT host Collins introduced the game like this.
Charles Barkley, a die-hard Yang Mo fan, analyzed it this way: "Scarlett is a stunning beauty, and Jessica is also a stunning beauty. For ordinary people, getting just one is the greatest blessing from God. But Super Yang has been favored by both beauties, and it's sparked nationwide discussion, with everyone participating in the betting. Some bookmakers have even offered odds... I think this is bound to be a difficult decision for Super Yang, as both are so outstanding. To me, it's like the battle between Original Chicken and Golden Crispy Chicken—it's too hard to choose. If I really had to flip a coin in the sky to make a choice, I hope it lands upright. Yes, I hope Super Yang can have both, if the law allows it."
"I just hope there's a result tonight. No matter who ultimately wins the Super Yang, there should be a conclusion. If this continues, it will surely cause countless families to be torn apart and even cause new ethnic divisions." Kenny Smith said with a distressed look on his face, "My daughter and my wife have already argued about this matter 137 times."
