the rest, only noise

Chapter 1225 Media Day

As a preseason activity initiated by the Knicks and then popularized throughout the league, the media day was fully utilized by the Lakers.

Jerry Buss wants the Lakers to be the best show in the world.

The show should spread from the field to the field.

The media day is the first show before the start of the season.

The players wore jerseys, the coaches wore suits and leather shoes, and the influential media across the country gathered here to ask the members of the Lakers one question after another.

"Coach Lu, what do you think is the upper limit of this young Lakers team?"

Shemar Moore, a reporter for The Washington Post, asked a seemingly mundane question.

This question will no longer be commonplace because of Louie's answer.

"We reached the Western Conference finals last season. After getting Charles Barkley, our immediate combat power has been greatly enhanced. Moreover, the young people selected this year are also very good, so I think we have reached the point where we will be able to return to the general team. When the champion starts the sprint."

Moore froze for a moment.

He suspected that he had heard it wrong.

However, Louis made it clear that it is to compete for the championship.

"Coach Lu, do you really think the Lakers have reached the championship level?"

This summer, the Lakers lost such strong players as Christian Laettner and Michael Finley. Although Barkley and Dumars have joined, at most they have improved their strength and should not be able to compete for the championship.

Because the Knicks, Trail Blazers and Heat have raised the bar for title contention.

If you want to compete for the championship, you must have at least 3-4 All-Stars who can play, plus 5-6 strong role players.

The Lakers are obviously worse.

On the other hand, the interviewed Lakers players also have very different styles.

Wilson was asked how he felt about the Knicks winning the title.

Obviously, the reporter was here to pick things up.

Since Wilson left New York, he and Ewing have been secretly competing.

Whoever gets along better after leaving the other party means who contributed more when they were together.

Now that Ewing took the lead to win the championship, Wilson's natural reputation was damaged.

Ultimately, though, Benj is a player who knows when to wear a mask.

"I'm happy for Patrick and I'm happy for New York, the most successful team of the '90s and one of the best teams ever."

No matter what you think in your heart, don't talk about it, but the scene on your mouth must be beautiful.

Barkley is even more heavyweight. When a reporter asked him whether he joined the Lakers because he wanted to use the successful experience of Louie and Wilson to bring himself closer to the championship, his answer was textbook nonsense: "How could it be? It’s good to have something, but it’s okay if you don’t have it? My purpose of coming to Los Angeles is very simple, because I like the warm city, and the donuts here are the best in America!”

The speechless "USA Today" reporter had to ask something else: "What do you think of the high school players on the team?"

"Kevin is a very good young man, I see in him the shadow of my youth."

Obviously, this is not what the reporter wanted to hear.

"What about Kobe, how is he?"

"He..." Barkley rolled his eyes, "it's fine."

If Barkley was just tactfully expressing his disapproval of Kobe, then Ellis made it clear.

"I don't like the current draft. Young people don't have the patience to refine their skills. Once they find themselves eligible to be selected, they will participate in the draft early. What's more, some people don't even go to college. If it weren't for us There is an age limit for personnel, and I am afraid that even junior high school students will participate in the draft.”

"Do you mean Kobe?"

"I didn't say that, this is your own understanding."

Unlike the old-fashioned and resentful veterans, the performance of the first and second graders of the Lakers is positive and sunny.

"Hi everyone, I'm Kevin Garnett, a sophomore at Lakers University."

Garnett made a fuss in front of the ESPN camera and pushed the concept of "Lakers University" to the audience.

"KG, what advantages do you think Lakers University has over other universities?" ESPN reporter asked.

"That's so much, I get to play with the best players in the world, play for the best coaches ever, enjoy the perennial climate of Los Angeles, get in touch with cultures from all over the world, and most importantly, I can There is a salary."

The reporter asked again: "Do you have anything to say to the freshman Kobe Bryant of the Lakers University?"

"Man, mark my words, Bean is a great player, and he will prove himself soon." Garnett supported Kobe.

Nash is very humble and restrained.

As a rookie who has played in college for four years, he has no concept of Lakers University in his eyes.

He expressed excitement and excitement about playing for the Lakers.

For his prospects in the NBA, he has full confidence.

Regarding Kobe, Nash said: "In many ways, he is as immature as a high school student, but he can do things that many NBA players can't do in their lifetime. I think this is enough to prove his potential."

Ben Wallace's self-introduction to the camera is like this: "Hi everyone, I am Ben, I am six feet nine inches tall and can play any position."

Kobe, who has attracted much attention, not only put on the Lakers jersey, but also wore all kinds of protective gear, just like those players on the field who don’t play very well, but have a luxurious equipment brother, wishing that everyone would stare at him.

"My teammates are very good to me, I hope they don't spoil me too much."

Which teammate do you like best?

"It must be Big Ben, he and I have the best understanding."

Who do you respect the most?
"Coach Lu, he is a bright light."

Goals for the new season?

"Let the world know that the Lakers not only have Benjamin, Charles, KG, but also a player named Kobe."

What do you hate the most?
"Being called a child."

How high can my future self reach?
Kobe's answer can be called the limit of fart; "For many talented players, the sky is their limit. But for me, the sky is not my limit, my limit is higher than the sky."

Player interviews are just one part of the media day.

Afterwards, there will be group interviews, game sessions, individual photo sessions and group photos of the whole team.

In addition to the players, all the heavyweights in the team were present.

Old Bath and the Second Generation, West and Kupchak, they chose their places carefully.

Louie is rightfully in the center.

Afterwards, everyone uttered the American version of "Cheese" (Cheese), and the cameraman took a group photo of the Lakers in the 1996-97 season.

The next day, "Sports Illustrated" ranked the Lakers fifth in its latest weekly NBA season preview.

They are not as good as the Heat, Knicks, Trail Blazers, and Warriors.

When veteran Illustrated writer Jack McCallum wrote about the Lakers' outlook, he left this passage: "For many people, this Lakers team belongs to the millennium team. Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant Bryant, Steve Nash and their potential will not be realized until at least the new century. For now, they still rely on the performance of the Conqueror and Sir Charles. In such a fiercely competitive alliance, the Two superstars can't win the championship, but Leader Lu doesn't think so. He thinks that the Lakers' championship window has opened, and many people disagree, but when this sentence is said by the most outstanding coach in the history of professional basketball You'd better keep it firmly in your heart when you're at it."

(End of this chapter)