Wild Cornfields Chapter 86: Heaven has reincarnation
After the new players made a brief self-introduction, the first training day of the Pacers' preseason training camp officially began.
The first week of the training camp was basically spent on recovery training to help the players who had been out of action for a long time recover their condition and figure.
But not everyone is like Wayne, who was still torturing himself until yesterday.
Most people, after a summer vacation, have lost a lot of body shape.
"Martial Saint" Stephen Jackson has gained a lot of weight, and Artest's muscles are not as toned as before.
Of course, the Pacers are a good group of people.
Over on the South Coast, I wonder what big surprise Shaq will bring to the Miami folks.
After a few rounds of simple shuttle run training, Wayne immediately received praise from his teammates.
Because he is the fastest big man on the Pacers.
In everyone’s inherent impression, Asian players should all be slow and technical, like Yao Ming.
Wayne's speed was far beyond people's expectations.
In fact, the thin version of Chairman Yao doesn’t run slowly, it’s just that his physical fitness is a bit poor, and he can’t run after playing for a long time.
In order to save energy, he jogs most of the time.
Although Wayne's speed is not as fast as O'Neal's before he gained weight, it is already very good.
After that, everyone basically used equipment to recover, except Wayne who went straight into training with the ball.
So, in the Pacers' training hall, the melodious sound of the nets rolling never stopped.
"See, I told you, there is no problem with his shooting at the three position." Mike Brown stood next to Carlisle, looking so proud as if Wayne was trained by him.
In fact, he only played a few summer league games with Wayne. Moreover, the offensive tactics were just one: "Give the damn ball to Wade!"
"Well, his shooting ability is unquestionable. We can take a good look at his quality during the preseason." Carlisle nodded.
"No need to wait for the preseason, I can help you test his quality later."
"Yeah, that's fine... Wait, Ron, when did you come over here!?" Carlisle turned his head and found Artest standing calmly beside him, joining the conversation unnoticeably.
It was as if he was also a member of the coaching staff.
"You know my physique, I can get it back in minutes with training. If I really want to get back to my form, I'll have to rely on actual combat!" Artest rubbed his hands excitedly.
"Don't make a fuss. I have arranged practical training. Just follow the plan. By the way, if you are late again tomorrow, you will have to do the 500-set shuttle run by yourself."
Rejected by Carlisle, Artest shrugged, left disappointed, and training returned to normal.
Of course, he did not give up testing Wayne.
By noon, the first round of training was over and everyone was in good shape.
Wayne was also very tired. The training intensity at the NBA level is indeed different from that of the NCAA.
Take the layup training in confrontation for example, the trainer is really awesome.
Although he was holding a cushion, he pushed very hard.
In this era, not only the players, but even the trainers are so tough.
After the training, everyone sat in the training hall to rest and wait for lunch.
The players sat together in groups of three or five, some discussing interesting things during the holidays, and some discussing where to go for fun tonight.
O'Neal Jr. walked up to Wayne and asked about his training status.
When Wayne first saw O'Neal walking towards him, he was already prepared to buy drinks for everyone, but it turned out that O'Neal came to show concern for him.
In order to be a good leader, the usually taciturn Xiao Ao also works very hard.
After chatting with O'Neal for a few words, the "epoch-making superstar" Artest also approached the two of them.
"Hey, Wayne, buy us some drinks." Artest spoke loudly, deliberately attracting the attention of others.
Everyone saw that Artest was about to play a trick on the rookie, so they all sat back and waited to watch the fun with smiles on their faces.
It is normal for rookie players to be teased when they join the team, and it is basically a regular feature of every season.
There is no one here who has not been teased during his rookie season.
But at this moment, O'Neal's originally gentle face turned ferocious.
He grabbed Wayne's shoulders and prevented him from getting up.
"Can't you see I'm talking to him?"
These were the first words spoken between O'Neal and Artest after the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
The first sentence was a warm greeting to Artest's family.
He is indeed a good teammate.
The conflict between Artest and O'Neal reached its peak last season.
Firstly, the two men have incompatible personalities, both are prickly, neither of them submits to the other, and both think they are the boss.
Secondly, Artest always likes to blame O'Neal when he misses a shot.
The third and most important point is that Artest's many brainless behaviors made O'Neal extremely unhappy.
For example, in the last game of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, although the Pacers missed consecutive shots at critical moments, they actually still had a glimmer of hope.
But in the end, Artest seemed to be out of his mind and sent the opponent to the free throw line with a completely unnecessary foul, which directly ruined the possibility of a reversal.
Artest has no idea how many times this kind of thing will happen in a season.
In the eyes of O'Neal, who was only trying to carry the team forward, this was a selfish act. All the efforts of everyone were ruined because of that idiot's hot-headedness.
This is also the main reason why O'Neal has never spoken to Artest.
He felt that Artest had let the entire team down.
"It's okay. I'll go buy it for you." Artest did not directly argue with O'Neal, but responded with a smile.
Although O'Neal and Artest have many conflicts, they have never completely exploded. On the court, they will cooperate with each other as always.
This is because both of them are deliberately trying to avoid escalating the situation.
Just like this time, Artest stopped when he saw that he was ahead. As soon as he smiled, O'Neal's anger level stopped rising.
"Okay, then go quickly , Wei and I have something to talk about."
"Hey, you can go, but the prerequisite is that this guy has to beat me in a one-on-one match. You may not know Jermaine, but he and I have already agreed that we should test each other before the start of the season.
Hey, my relationship with Wei may be better than you think, Jermaine! "
"This..." Why does Wayne feel that O'Neal and Artest are jealous of each other...
When they heard that there would be a one-on-one duel, everyone was happy and brought up their small stools to watch from the front row.
It is actually very common for NBA teams to play bullfighting during training.
Before Xiao Ao could react, others were already placing their bets.
"Ron will definitely win. Don't even think about it. He was the best defensive player last season!"
"Not necessarily. After all, with this big mismatch, I bet on Wei to win."
Everyone was talking about it, and Wayne also stood up on his own initiative.
"Okay, let's play 21 points, 3 points count as 2 points, 2 points count as 1 point, and if you miss a shot, just trade the ball. How about that?"
It doesn’t matter whether you buy drinks or not, the key is... if you score a goal in front of the best defensive player, your growth value will definitely be very high!
If I can get so much in a one-on-one fight with Tony, I'm sure I'll get even more in a one-on-one fight with Gangtai!
"Hahaha, I like this kid." Miller led the applause. The temperament of No. 99 is really in line with the Pacers!
"Wade." O'Neal Jr. seemed very worried.
"It's okay Jermaine, Ron and I did discuss this a long time ago. Besides, it's just for fun."
"Good boy, I was right about you." Artest, who wanted to have fun, got what he wanted.
The two stood on the basketball court, surrounded by their teammates. Artest threw the ball to Wayne: "You attack first."
Wayne shot as soon as he caught the ball, without being polite to Artest.
Artest just raised his arms, without diving or jumping. As a result, the basketball went into the net, and Wayne got the first 2 points.
"It's a goal. Wayne's three-pointer is really accurate. Otherwise, you can compete with him in three-point shooting later, Reggie." People on the sidelines exclaimed in admiration.
As soon as the ball went in, Wayne smiled.
Damn, making a three-pointer over Artest's head can actually give you +2000 growth points!
Twice as much as last year when he faced off against Rashid.
He is worthy of being the best defensive player!
Worthy of being called tool number two!
Tony, don’t blame me for being fickle, it’s mainly because the growth points given by Gangtai are really great!
"Tsk tsk tsk, alright, alright. Your three-point shot is almost equal to mine." Artest laughed as he helped Wayne pick up the ball.
After hearing what Artest said, O'Neal Jr. on the sidelines covered his forehead with his hands.
Damn, don’t do it!
How can you compare with others with your three-point shooting percentage of just over 30% last season?
Wayne's goal meant he continued to have the attacking ball.
But the second time he was about to attack, Gang-tae wouldn't let go.
He stuck close to Wayne and exerted the true strength of the best defensive player.
Well, to be exact, it should be only 70 to 80 percent of his strength. After all, Artest's physical condition has not fully recovered yet.
But even so, Wayne was still defended very hard.
Under Artest's pressure, Wayne was unable to shoot directly, so he made a fake shot and prepared to break through.
As a result, the ball was out of control as soon as he took the first step.
Artest stretched out his left hand and completed the steal accurately!
To be honest, Artest's strength at that time was really strong. The fact that an outside player won DPOY was enough to show his weight.
Kobe once said of Artest: "His hands are like mouse traps. He only needs one finger to touch the basketball and he can take the ball away. You don't know how it happened."
Now, Wayne understands this deeply .
"Hey, it's my turn now." After stealing the ball, Artest just stepped out of the three-point line and started a rugby-style breakthrough.
Wayne moved sideways to block it, but was bounced away.
Artest's impact is something Wayne has never experienced before!
Of course, Artest was also bounced back a little, as Wayne's toughness was beyond his expectations.
But he didn't stop and continued to rush to the basket.
"It's over. Maybe Ron can go on a 21-0 run and take the game away." On the sidelines, Pacers point guard Anthony Johnson was in a good mood.
Who made him bet on Artest to win?
Artest drove straight to the basket and jumped up to dunk.
But Wayne chased back to the penalty area at incredible speed, and using his height and long arms to press the ball in Artest's hands onto the backboard!
"Bang!" The glass of the backboard made a dull sound, and all the players in the training hall got goose bumps.
Artest's dunk was actually blocked!
"So... so fast, did you see that? How fast he rushed back to the penalty area."
"Damn, it's too high. His arms are so enviable."
"This can still be salvaged. Oh my god, Ron has run into a tough guy today."
The players were talking about it, and Reggie Miller's eyes widened.
This shot reminded him of the shot that was blocked by Tayshaun Prince in the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
This is fucking horrible!
Artest was also surprised. He really didn't expect that his dunk would be ruined by Wayne like swatting a fly.
This rookie is really interesting!
With him around, maybe we can really have a chance to defeat the Pistons this year.
"Not bad, not bad. You deserve praise. I'll let you win this time. After all, the game ended too early and it's no fun."
Although Artest praised Wayne in his heart, he would never express it on the surface.
He still had an expression that said, "I can beat you up just by playing around."
Face?
What is that? Will it work for Artest?
Wayne regained the ball, but his subsequent attack was also blocked by Artest.
It is really difficult to beat the best defensive player in a 1-on-1 match. Although scoring a goal counts for more points, it is estimated that only a few goals can be scored in a game.
It seems that at this stage, the fastest way to gain points is to play games.
In this ball, Wayne broke through and made a layup, but the basketball bounced out of the frame due to Gangtai's interference.
The ball was exchanged, and this time Artest started to back down Wayne from outside the three-point line.
After a few steps, Artest suddenly turned around and broke through. In the process of turning around, he also gave Wayne a hidden elbow and successfully broke through and scored a layup.
1 to 2, Artest finally scored.
"Fuck, is this a dirty trick?" Wayne rubbed his ribs, but Artest didn't think there was anything wrong.
Because in his opinion, this is how basketball is played.
Since he was a child, his father never treated him as a child when he took him to play basketball on the street court in Queensbridge.
Artest was subjected to tough confrontations and elbow strikes, which often left him with bruises and a swollen face.
The best way for Artest to respond is to be tougher than his father.
This teaching method can be said to be quite hardcore.
The father and son elbowed each other, and in the blink of an eye, Artest grew up. Until he was 15 years old, his father found that he could no longer elbow Artest.
So Artest went to high school and college to elbow others.
It can be said that a good father will have a good son.
Artest's current playing habits, in addition to his personality, can be said to have been instilled by his father since childhood.
This style of play has been ingrained in Artest.
Looking at Wayne covering his chest, Artest proudly prepared to continue the attack.
But Wayne was not afraid, instead he planned to fight back!
When dealing with a guy like Artest, the softer you are, the more he will bully you. If you are tougher, you can actually win respect.
Anyway, I'm not going to hurt anyone, just let him feel the pain.
Just do it!
So, this time when Artest broke through, Wayne rushed up rudely to stop him, and intentionally or unintentionally raised his elbow.
"Hey, let me give you a taste... Wait, am I equipped with some kind of Karl Malone elbow?
Gangtai, don’t bump into me, Gangtai…”
"Bang!" The loud noise made the entire training hall quiet.
It was too late, Artest's chest hit Wayne's elbow.
At that moment, the ball fell, and Artest's expression changed from smug to confused, and he stood there in a daze.
"Huh? What happened?" Everyone looked at the two people who suddenly stood there, and no one knew what had happened.
Why did you stop?
A-Tai slowly raised one hand to cover his chest and frowned slightly: "Well, I suddenly don't want to play anymore. Well, I'll go buy drinks for everyone."
After saying that, Artest walked out of the training hall quickly.
Then, in an empty corner of the player's tunnel, he finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "It hurts so much! That bastard was so cruel!"
The excruciating pain almost caused Artest to die on the spot!
If he hadn't been concerned about his reputation, he would have shouted it out on the spot.
Wayne looked harmless, but I didn't expect that his elbow was actually something special!
Artest instantly felt like he was back in his rookie year, when, under Jordan's taunting, he broke two of Jordan's ribs with an elbow during training.
Well, now it's his turn to be taught a lesson by another rookie.
The difference is that when Jordan's ribs were broken, he insisted on finishing the game before leaving the court.
Although Artest's ribs were not broken, the pain was so severe that he couldn't go on.
There is retribution in the world, and no one can escape it.
Artest realized that he had underestimated Wayne!
He is definitely not a good person, and he is definitely not a good kid.
Damn, this is such a ruthless move!
Although Wayne made him look very embarrassed, Artest couldn't help laughing.
This newcomer is to my liking!
If this elbow hits the guy with the afro in Detroit, I wonder if he can still act resilient!
If I don't dare to hit someone, I'll let someone else hit him. There's nothing wrong with that.
But don't challenge Wayne to a one-on-one match in the future, lest you repeat Jordan's old mistakes...
It didn't break this time, but it might break next time...
"Yeah, I can't challenge him one-on-one anymore." Artest nodded to himself.
Ten minutes later, Artest, who had recovered, bought drinks for everyone and never mentioned the one-on-one duel again.
O'Neal patted Wayne on the shoulder happily: "Well done, rookie."
"Uh..." Wayne didn't know what to say. After just playing a few balls, Gangtai slipped away?
This is probably called conquering others with one's elbow.
The Pacers are indeed a tough team, and they all make friends by using elbows.
When Carlisle and Mike Brown returned to the training ground, they saw Artest training obediently and had no idea what had happened.
Well, maybe it’s Artest this season, he has really matured.
