LeBron James was the guest for the eighth episode of "Zack's Sports Talk."
Initially, when Zack invited him, LeBron wanted to decline, claiming he was too busy leading his team through the playoffs. However, the immense popularity of "Zack's Sports Talk" and the newly announced NBA awards made LeBron realize that this show, hosted by his "surface brother," was the perfect platform for him to vent his frustrations.
"Bron, what do you think about Kobe winning the Regular Season MVP by such a slim margin?"
"Oh..." After feigning a few seconds of deep thought, LeBron replied, "Maybe the voters thought the Lakers had a better record, but you know, the East has been unprecedentedly competitive in recent years. This might be the most competitive era the Eastern Conference has ever seen."
The East had indeed been fierce in recent years. However, Zack didn't quite agree with LeBron's claim that the East was in its most competitive era. But since "Zack's Sports Talk" was a show where guests could express themselves freely, even if LeBron's sole purpose for saying that was to prove he deserved the MVP more than Kobe, Zack simply chuckled. After all, Kobe refused to be a guest on "Zack's Sports Talk," so fair's fair, right?
"Bron, Mike Brown was once again named Coach of the Year this year. How do you think working with such a great coach has helped your career?"
"He's the kind of coach who won't let you play if you don't defend. He made us one of the best defensive teams in the league," LeBron answered. "That gives us a chance to win every night. Sometimes our offense might not be great, but our defense always keeps us in the game."
Just like LeBron, Zack thought to himself. On the surface, LeBron seemed to be showering Mike Brown with praise. But Zack knew better than anyone that LeBron was subtly telling people that his inclusion in the All-Defensive First Team this year was absolutely well-deserved.
"Bron, next round you'll be facing the Orlando Magic, who have the Defensive Player of the Year. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Dwight Howard is undoubtedly in his prime," LeBron said. "The Magic are an incredibly mature team. In comparison, I think we still have a lot of room for improvement."
LeBron's incredibly high emotional intelligence answers deeply impressed Zack during the recording of this episode. Zack knew that in this answer, LeBron not only showed the world his usual humble side, but he also indirectly sent a signal to fans. If the Cavaliers ultimately lost to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals... it wouldn't be because he didn't play well enough, but because a prime Howard, leading a fully formed Magic team, "shamelessly ambushed" him, a young king who still needed to level up, and a Cavaliers team that still needed time to grow.
After the episode aired, the eighth installment of "Zack's Sports Talk" still garnered astonishing views on YouTube. This also made LeBron, who chose to participate in the recording, once again feel Zack's omnipresent influence and the importance of the internet for their generation of stars.
Moreover, as Zack confidently discussed the results of the various NBA awards, LeBron noticed that Zack had even broken the traditional sports news interview model, where players had to express their views through major media outlets. In LeBron's opinion, this would undoubtedly be a "privilege" belonging to their generation of players.
"New York fans think the explosive Russell Westbrook deserves the Rookie of the Year trophy more than Derrick Rose?"
In the latter half of the show, Zack answered a fan's question: "You know, New York is one of my favorite cities, but I still have to speak fairly for Derrick. Since he and the Bulls made it to the playoffs, the Rookie of the Year trophy should rightly go to Derrick."
After a pause, Zack turned to LeBron and said, "Bron, you agree, right?"
LeBron: "..."
At that moment, LeBron found it incredibly difficult to answer Zack's question. Because if he said yes, he wouldn't be able to explain his own competition with Carmelo Anthony back in the day.
Fortunately, Zack didn't put LeBron on the spot. Instead, he moved on to the next question about Mo Williams winning Most Improved Player: "Bron, what do you think of your little brother here?"
"He's excellent, always fearless on the court," LeBron praised. "He's one of the best guards I've ever played with."
Hearing this, Zack said, "You all heard that, right? Bron says Mo Williams is a superstar guard on par with Allen Iverson."
"..."
"Celtics fans think Jason Terry stole the Sixth Man of the Year award that rightfully belonged to Manu Ginobili. Bron, as the player who had the MVP trophy stolen by Kobe, what are your thoughts on this?"
"..."
"You all saw that, right? Silence is the best answer to the league's award results."
"..."
Undoubtedly, even though participating in "Zack's Sports Talk" had given LeBron a deep appreciation for the internet's charm... this would definitely be his last time on the show.
Aside from the awards discussed by Zack on the show, the 2008-09 NBA All-NBA and All-Defensive Team selections were as follows:
All-NBA First Team: Howard, Nowitzki, James, Kobe, Paul.
All-NBA Second Team: Yao Ming, Duncan, Anthony, Wade, Deron.
All-NBA Third Team: Pau Gasol, Garnett, Pierce, Roy, Parker.
All-Defensive First Team: Howard, Garnett, James, Kobe, Paul.
All-Defensive Second Team: Chandler, Duncan, Battier, Wade, Rondo.
Honestly, if LeBron hadn't provided so much material for discussion, Zack truly would have dedicated an entire episode to roast his good buddy Chris Paul. Because in Zack's opinion, if Paul was a first-team guard on both sides of the ball... then Chauncey Billups, who led the Nuggets to a 4-2 upset over the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs, was a "cosmic-level" guard.
---
After a satisfying recording session, Zack, whose recovery was progressing smoothly, continued his journey back to the top with Grover's guidance. As May rolled around, the 2008-09 NBA playoffs entered the conference semifinals.
Out West, the Sonics, who had eliminated their first-round opponents, were set for a tough showdown with the Mavericks. The Lakers, led by newly crowned Regular Season MVP Kobe, would face the relatively "softer" Nuggets in the West.
As for the East... Besides the Magic and Cavaliers battling for an Eastern Conference Finals spot, the other Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup would be between the Celtics and the Hawks.
This year, the old GOAT, who had personally attended games to cheer on the Bobcats, again met with misfortune. In the first round of the playoffs, after tying the series 2-2 with the Hawks, the Bobcats lost the pivotal Game 5. So, the old GOAT immediately decided he had to personally go to practice and "guide" the Bobcats players.
And then...
"I know Ron didn't do it on purpose; it was just a normal defensive play," Jordan said afterwards, having accidentally fractured three ribs in practice after colliding with Artest. "Ron is a good player, and I've always admired his defensive performance."
If Zack remembered correctly, this was the third time Artest had accidentally broken Jordan's ribs during his career. While Zack found it hard to describe the inexplicable connection between Artest and Jordan's ribs in specific terms, it must be stated that Artest absolutely did not intend to break Jordan's ribs. In Zack's eyes, it could only be explained by sheer coincidence, or perhaps, some kind of Slam Dunk-esque basketball destiny, like Sakuragi and his penchant for unexpected mishaps!
And what's even funnier... even though Jordan's ribs had been broken by Artest for two consecutive years, the old GOAT was still willing to offer Artest, whose contract was expiring this summer, a high-paying long-term deal worth nearly ten million dollars annually.
And Artest? Since he already had two championship rings in this life, compared to other teams, he was more eager to re-sign with the Bobcats.
"Michael is my idol. I want to dedicate the rest of my life to the God of Basketball," Artest said sincerely in an interview. "I hope with my help, the Bobcats can truly become a championship-contending team."
---
The competition in this year's Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals was fierce, even brutal. But for Zack, who was even restricted by Grover from playing basketball during his recovery, he was clearly more interested in knowing when he could fully immerse himself in training rather than caring about his old rivals.
Grover consistently suppressed Zack's desire to play basketball. "It's not time yet," Grover told Zack. "When your body is ready, I'll definitely let you play to your heart's content."
Zack didn't like being restrained. But to ensure a 100% recovery, he had no choice but to force himself to rein in his impatient heart and obey Grover's every word.
However, Zack didn't know that every time Grover dissuaded him, Grover would feel a chill down his spine and break into a cold sweat. "The injury was a prison for him, and I was like the warden, deliberately delaying his release," Grover recalled later. "I knew very well that for every extra day he was kept in that prison, the entire basketball world would face a demon king who wanted to completely destroy the basketball world."
---
Late May.
As Zack's recovery gradually met Grover's requirements, Grover accordingly increased Zack's daily training intensity. Meanwhile... Stephen Curry, who had been praying at home since his tryout, vaguely felt God's favor.
The draft lottery results were out. Elgin Baylor personally drew the first overall pick for the Clippers. The Grizzlies surprisingly got the second overall pick. And the New York Knicks, whom Curry had been dreaming of, received the third overall pick. As for the Warriors? They only had a first-round pick at ninth overall.
Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks' head coach, stated after the lottery results were announced that even though Curry only wanted to try out for the Warriors, he was still very optimistic about the young guard known for his shooting ability. "I believe he and Russell can coexist," D'Antoni said in an internal Knicks meeting. "Stephen Curry would be a better fit for us than James Harden."
Just as Zack remembered, the top three projected picks for this year's draft were:
Blake Griffin, who would undoubtedly be the first pick regardless of who was picking.
Hasheem Thabeet, who was already quite developed at Connecticut and hailed as the next Mutombo.
And James Harden, the star shooting guard from Arizona State.
In this life, Donnie Walsh, the Knicks general manager, who had tanked more thoroughly and successfully, originally wanted the Knicks to pick according to the draft projections. After all, the Knicks' past poor experiences had already told Walsh that as long as the Knicks' front office didn't suddenly get wild ideas and try to be "inspired," the Knicks could completely follow his tanking plan and become a better team.
But the advice from the "run-and-gun" master D'Antoni inevitably left Walsh and his colleagues in a dilemma. Would the Knicks use this third overall pick to select Stephen Curry, whose actual projected draft range was somewhere between the fifth and tenth overall picks in the first round? Curry didn't know, but he was eagerly anticipating that moment. Because that would mean he could escape Zack's clutches and play for the great D'Antoni.
The ever-pious Curry had already felt God's love. But what he didn't know was... that as soon as the draft lottery results were announced, the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns had already secretly reached a three-team trade agreement.
To ensure the Knicks wouldn't make a foolish mistake and use their valuable third overall pick on Curry, Warriors President Larry Riley didn't hesitate to send a trade request to the Grizzlies, who held the second overall pick. However, the Grizzlies' new general manager, Chris Wallace, wasn't interested in Richardson, whom the Warriors intended to offer.
Nevertheless... after Riley learned through inside information that the Grizzlies were very high on Serge Ibaka, whom they drafted in 2008 and who was set to officially join the NBA next season... knowing that the Grizzlies' interest in Thabeet had significantly decreased, Riley proposed a trade that the Grizzlies would find hard to refuse, by bringing in the Suns as the "fall guys."
In this three-team trade, the assets sent by the Suns, Warriors, and Grizzlies were as follows:
Suns: Corey Maggette, Raja Bell, Robin Lopez.
Warriors: Jason Richardson, 2009 first-round pick, 2010 second-round pick.
Grizzlies: 2009 second overall pick, Randy Foye.
After the trade was completed, Jason Richardson, whom Suns GM Steve Kerr had been yearning for, along with Foye, who was no longer valued by the Grizzlies' front office after they focused on developing O.J. Mayo this season, would report to Phoenix. The Suns would also receive the 2010 second-round pick from the Warriors. Maggette and Lopez, along with the Warriors' 2009 first-round pick, would belong to the Grizzlies, who made a killing in this trade.
As for the Warriors? They would receive the Grizzlies' 2009 second overall pick and Raja Bell from the Suns.
How should this trade be evaluated? If Zack were to grade it, he'd give the Grizzlies and Warriors an "S" rating and describe Kerr's operation as "brain-dead."
This Grizzlies team already had Conley and Mayo in the backcourt. On the wings, they had Rudy Gay, whom they had patiently developed for years. Now, with the Suns sending Maggette, a long-underrated foul-drawing expert, and Robin Lopez, who had the potential to become an excellent defensive center, to Memphis... and including Ibaka, who would join the NBA next season, this Grizzlies team, having perfectly avoided the "wrong answer" that was Thabeet, could only be described as having immense potential in Zack's eyes.
And the Warriors? Aside from their practically worthless second-round pick... the Warriors essentially traded Richardson for a second overall pick and their own first-round pick for the veteran Bell, who clearly still had gas in the tank and could perfectly replace Richardson.
Only the Suns. Steve Kerr's actions as general manager were as "brain-dead" as ever. Although on the surface, the Suns only traded an underutilized young player, an aging veteran on the decline, and the always understated Maggette for Richardson, who had the potential to be a star, and Foye, who still had untapped potential... Kerr, who always relished in dismantling teams, had now completely dismantled this Suns team, which originally still had hopes of making the playoffs.
Richardson's ability to drive to the basket certainly couldn't compare to Maggette, who was famous for drawing fouls in his prime. And Foye couldn't provide the Suns with the perimeter defense they needed. Once they failed to re-sign Stoudemire next season, this Suns team would completely fall into the abyss under Kerr's leadership.
Of course, no matter how "brain-dead" Kerr's operations were, Zack just wanted to say that Steve Kerr was absolutely the greatest NBA general manager he had ever seen.
The Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns would officially execute this trade on draft night. Although some within the Warriors' front office still felt that Stephen Curry wasn't worth a second overall pick, considering the Knicks were highly likely to make a foolish move, Riley pushed back, "As long as you can guarantee the Knicks won't pick Stephen with the third overall pick, I can get the young player the Messiah specifically asked for in another way."
Hearing this, no one in the Warriors' front office dared to make such a guarantee to Riley. Because the Knicks' incredibly "brilliant" past had already fully proven that... you can never expect the Knicks to be a team that won't do something silly.
The Warriors were prepared to do whatever it took to bring Curry to Oakland.
And in late May, as the conference semifinals and conference finals concluded, this year's NBA Finals matchup arrived: the breathtaking Lakers vs. Celtics clash.
The Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the conference semifinals and then met the Mavericks, who had eliminated the Sonics, in the Western Conference Finals. The Sonics' unfortunate elimination this year was partly due to Yao Ming's unexpected injury in the conference semifinals. Due to a recurrence of an old shoulder injury, and to prevent his condition from worsening, Carlisle decisively decided to have Yao Ming rest and recover properly.
Carlisle's decision was strongly supported by team owner Howard Schultz. "None of us can bear the consequences of 'Big Yao' playing injured," Schultz said in an interview. "We can't risk being infamous for one gamble."
Thus, after eliminating the Mavericks 4-3, Kobe, for the first time since the "OK" breakup, led the Lakers back to the Finals stage.
"This is our season," Kobe said emotionally. "We've been working hard to get back to the Finals, and now we've done it. I believe we're ready to win the championship again."
Meanwhile, the Celtics' path to the Finals was also not easy. During the playoffs, Duncan, who had frequent conflicts with Rivers (much like Sakuragi's struggles with Coach Anzai's sometimes cryptic guidance), didn't openly criticize the "Pig Head Coach." But under Rivers' "Hawk's Hand"-like commanding, the Celtics first battled the Hawks for seven games. Then, they fought a brutal seven-game series against the Magic, who had eliminated the Cavaliers 4-2. Only after paying the heavy price of Ginobili and Perkins missing the rest of the season due to injury did they finally tough it out into this year's Finals.
Zack didn't know who would win this year's championship. However, with the Lakers-Celtics rivalry set to rekindle in the Finals, Zack, who always judged by person rather than circumstance, hoped his senior (Duncan) could lead his team to crush Kobe's Lakers revival dream.
"Kobe's already so arrogant without a championship after leaving O'Neal," Zack thought indignantly. "If he wins the championship leading the Lakers, won't he be jumping all over me next season?"
Of course, even if Kobe managed to lead the Lakers to revival, Zack had already prepared his comeback for their next encounter. "So what if you stole a championship while I was out for the season? What's there to brag about with a championship like that?"
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