You should cross the mountains like a brave man

Chapter 343 What a hero

From the moment of Auerbach's death, various scrolling news continued.

The TV station interrupted the broadcast, and the media headed by the "New York Times" all vacated a place on the eye-catching newspaper pages to inform readers of the cardinal's death, and listed his achievements during his lifetime in short words.

Although the fans are forgetful, the few words of the media can vaguely remind people of the influence of this old man.

His championships, his impact on the course of NBA history, and his lit cigars are considered the earliest trash talk in the NBA.He also used this to create the concept of Victory Cigars.

In 1997, when the NBA ranked the top [-] superstars, the Celtics had eight players selected. In Auerbach's words, they were all bastards brought into the league by him, "I never thought they would have this day."

He brought out eight [-]-star superstars and countless All-Stars, but that's not all he has.

In the early 70s, Bill Sharman under him led Chamberlain, West and other defeated Celtics to a record of 69 wins, enabling the Lakers to win their first championship after moving to Los Angeles.

Don Nelson, who killed the 69 Lakers with a free-throw jumper, has become a mad scientist.

1993年与公牛决战于总决赛的太阳队主教练韦斯特法尔是凯尔特人队出身；1995年身为狼队总经理第5位选中加内特使狼队腾飞的总经理麦克海尔是凯尔特人队80年代功勋；1996-97季带领黄蜂队打出队史最好成绩差点当了年度教练的戴夫·考恩斯是奥尔巴赫钦点来代替拉塞尔的70年代凯尔特人栋梁；4度问鼎总冠军的教练KC琼斯是奥尔巴赫的第一代弟子；拉里·伯德1997-98季首度当主教练便拿下了当年最佳教练头衔。

Auerbach's shadow looms over the league.More than a decade after he left the NBA scene, you can still feel his presence.From coast to coast, his disciples followed him, imitating some Celtic spirit, something stubborn and unchangeable by time, which was passed on silently.

Now, his soul has gone to heaven, and Boston mourns him wildly.

This team, which no longer belonged to him, fell to the lowest point in history after he left.

Wescha wanted to visit Auerbach, but the bishop's home was in Washington, D.C., where he took root, grew up, and eventually died.

Wei Xia couldn't come to visit, his status was inappropriate.

When Auerbach retired from management, he was a kid in slit pants.In his peak years, even Wei Xia's father was not born yet.

As a Lakers player, why should he mourn Auerbach?
There was still a game against the Celtics that night, and Wei Xia decided not to think about it.

In the afternoon, the Lakers had their last practice before the opening game.

During dinner, Wei Xia got a message through the hotel's TV.

Just today, the Celtics announced their plan to establish an exclusive cheerleading team, and they invited young and beautiful girls who are good at dancing.

The Celtics are the only team in the league without a cheerleading squad.

Auerbach said that if you want to build a cheerleading team, you have to step over his dead body.

Now he really turned into a corpse.

The Celtics' management spent half a day mentally battling, and then they made a decision: Folks, we unanimously decided to step over Auerbach's corpse.

In this way, since the Los Angeles Lakers brought the Hollywood set to the NBA in 1984, adding live performances, cheerleading dances and other eye-catching new things, after 22 years, the Celtics finally decided to betray their past self.

This is the Boston Celtics. They have never disappointed Wei Xia in this matter that Wei Xia hates.

Originally, Wei Xia hated Boston, a city full of racial discrimination. Now, he has enough reasons to hate the Celtics of this new era.

That night, the Lakers took the bus to the TD North Shore Garden.

Wei Xia didn't see his grandfather, so he decided not to come to watch the game.Auerbach's death hit him a lot. When he learned that the Celtics had decided to abandon tradition and form a cheerleading team half a day after the bishop's death, he sold his season tickets in a fit of anger.

He's not a Celtics fan anymore.

Wei Xia's grandma was very happy about this. Giving away the season ticket means that Jerry Wayne should not go to the scene to watch the game in the future. This is good or bad for his body.

Before entering the locker room, Wei Xia called his grandfather.

"Philly, you must give me a hard lesson tonight on these traitors!" Wayne said angrily, "Especially that idiot Paul Pierce, he doesn't deserve to wear the Celtics jersey!"

There was only one reason why Wayne didn't like Pierce.

With his strong support for the addition of a cheerleading team, it became two points.

Wei Xia responded positively on the phone. He originally wanted to let go of his hands and feet in the game. Inspired by this, the emotions deep in his heart became more intense.

At 20:00 in the evening, the Lakers came to the North Shore Garden.

Every spectator at the scene wore a commemorative badge.

The big screen in the center is being adjusted. Before the opening, they will play a tribute video about Auerbach.

Moreover, for the Lakers fans who watched the game, those videos were the second injury after decades.

The opponents of the Celtics' dominance history are mainly three teams, the St. Louis Eagles in the early days, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers throughout.

For the Eagles, it was mainly in the mid-to-late 50s, and there was no video.

The matchup with the Lakers ran through the 60s. Auerbach lit his cigar countless times. The second half of the classic 1969 tiebreaker even had a complete video of the game in color.

The 76ers are the third super team in the world after they got Wilt Chamberlain in the mid-60s, and in the early 80s, besides the Lakers composed of two super giants, Dr. J and Moses Malone.They've been battling the Celtics for five years, each winning and losing.

In addition to severely repairing the Celtics, this battle has another meaning for Wei Xia.

The Celtics have recruited many newcomers this season, among them is Allen Ray, the captain of the Wildcats who graduated from Villanova University.

Back then in Villanova, Wei Xia was often taken care of by him, and the two were even more reliable double guns on the field.

"Damn it, I said a long time ago that we would meet in the NBA!" Lei was still the same, "I didn't expect it to be so soon, today I have to show you my progress over the past few years!"

Wei Xia smiled and said: "It just so happens that I also have a reason to blow you up."

"It's really nonsense, why do you have a reason when I come here?" Lei complained, but he didn't get too entangled in this matter.

It doesn't matter how Wei Xia wants to beat the Celtics. Anyway, he probably wants to sit on the bench. Even if he has a chance to play, it is garbage time.

For an older draft pick with little talent and lack of combat power, he was treated like this. Being able to stand out in the preseason training camp and become the team's main pick was considered a fulfillment of his childhood dream.

After greeting each other with Ray, Wei Xia went to Tom Heinsohn who was still sticking to his post.

"Tommy, I heard about the 'red head', please forgive me." Wei Xia said.

At this time, Heinsohn was just himself, not the commentator who was so biased that he repeatedly complained during the commentary game.

"People of our age may be taken back by God at any time. I'm not that sad for Reid, it's just...we made an appointment not long ago to find a time to play cards together. It seems that it's not possible." Heinsohn's reaction was calmer than Wei Xia expected.

They are different from Wei Xia.

They are all old people, and the glory days of working with each other are already three or forty years ago.

For Wei Xia, it was just last night.

What troubled him the most was that he was mourning Auerbach in reality. At night, he would see the bishop in his prime in another time and space greeting the mother of a team member with a voice that seemed to be full of thousand-year-old phlegm.

What kind of feeling and experience was that?

"Wish, you look sadder than me." Heinsohn said with a smile.

"He is a great man." Wei Xia said implicitly.

"Yes," Heinsohn nodded, "very remarkable."

"So," Wei Xia turned around without looking back, "I'm going to fight for him tonight."

At a certain moment during the shooting warm-up before the game, all the lights in the garden were turned off, leaving only the big screen above to shine.

"He is a great person. We are willing to tolerate each other's personalities. Geniuses are like this, hehehe." Bill Russell's magical smile opened the tribute video, and many people laughed at the scene.

He arrogantly called himself and Auerbach a genius, that is Russell.

The only thing you can't get from Russell is false self-effacing.

Then, highlights are inserted into classic black and white game footage.

Then there was the voice of "Voice of the Celtics" Johnny Most: "With less than 1 minute left in the game, it's time for Red Auerbach to light his victory cigar!"

Lighting cigars, enjoying the victory, spraying champagne with the players in the locker room, repeating, that is the Celtics in the 60s.

The last scene came to 1984, when the Celtics went through seven bloody battles and defeated the Lakers in the round that was hailed as the greatest series in history. In the locker room after the game, the gray-haired Auerbach grabbed the gold cup and shouted at the media: "You always say that the Lakers want to establish a dynasty in this era. What is a dynasty? This is a dynasty! It is in my hands! This is a dynasty!"

What a hero, what a ruler.

Wei Xia was fascinated, until the end of the tribute video, he took a deep breath and said to Kobe: "Today, I want to shoot a few more balls."

(End of this chapter)