I'm teammates with Kobe

Chapter 168 Charlotte's Trouble
On December 12, the Bobcats from Charlotte, North Carolina will challenge the Lakers away.

When it comes to the Bobcats, many people will feel a little strange, but when it comes to the Charlotte Hornets, many people will say, "So it's him?"

That's right, the Charlotte Bobcats, formerly known as the Charlotte Hornets, belong to the Southeast Division of the NBA's Eastern Conference and are the youngest NBA team.

On April 1987, 4, the NBA decided to expand its military. The Charlotte Hornets became new members of the NBA along with the Heat, Magic and Timberwolves.Unlike other teams, the Hornets have built a lineup based on experienced players from the beginning.After experiencing the initial dullness, in 22 and 1991, he was lucky to get two future stars in the draft, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, plus the shortest player in NBA history - only 1992 meters tall. The brave performance of Tiny Boggs and three All-Star players helped the team enter the playoffs in its fifth season in the NBA.

The 12-year, $8400 million contract the Hornets signed with Larry Johnson was the most lucrative contract at the time.

However, the good times did not last long. Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning turned against each other in the competition for the position of the team leader. In exchange for Glenn Rice, and Tiny Boggs also missed most of the season due to injury.In the end, the Hornets only achieved 1995 wins and 96 losses and missed the playoffs. After the 41-41 season, the Hornets also traded Larry Johnson to the New York Knicks.

In the 1996 draft, the Hornets, holding the No. 13 pick, reached a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers on the day before the draft that seemed to be very cost-effective.Traded the draft rights to the Lakers in exchange for European star center Vlade Divac in his prime.

The Lakers didn't tell the Hornets their pick until five minutes before the draft began: 5-year-old Kobe Bryant.Kobe's great success in the world of basketball in the future made this deal the biggest laughing stock in the history of the Hornets.

So, Charlotte frets.

Even more annoying, in 2002, the Hornets left Charlotte and moved to New Orleans, becoming the New Orleans Hornets.Fortunately, the NBA promised that Charlotte will get the right to form a new team to participate in the 2004-05 NBA season.

Several groups at the time bid for ownership of the new team, including one led by former Boston Celtics superstar Larry Bird.

Finally, on December 2002, 12, an investment group led by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson took ownership of the team, becoming the first black owner in league history and major league sports history.

In June 2003, the new team was named the Charlotte Bobcats.

Before June 2006, boss Johnson announced that he was about to sell the team. "Basketball God" Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos became the two main competitors.

On February 2010, 2, Johnson announced his decision to sell the team to Jordan, a minority shareholder of the team and the leader of basketball affairs. imprint.

Although they changed bosses, their troubles continued.

2011-12赛季，山猫队在最后一场比赛中以84-104输给纽约尼克斯队，不但交出了NBA连败史上排行第三的23连败成绩，同时确定以7胜59败、胜率1成，成功取代了1972-73赛季费城76人队的9胜73负、胜率1成，成为NBA史上胜率最低的球队。

The owner of the Bobcats, "God of Basketball" Michael Jordan, once led the Chicago Bulls as a player in the 1995-96 season to a record of 72 wins and 10 losses, the highest single-season winning percentage in league history.As the owner, he actually let his team suffer the lowest winning percentage in league history.

It is estimated that if this is 10 years younger, he will have to come back to save the team again.

In the 2012-13 season, Michael Jordan said in the offseason that he would not interfere with the team's operations, but it is unlikely that the Bobcats will complete the reconstruction in the short term, and the team will still walk in the dark.Now that he has no hope for the record, Jordan wants to buy back the Bobcats team name before the restructuring-the Hornets, but only if the New Orleans Hornets change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Bobcats can get rid of the team that has left Charlotte for 10 years. The team name "Hornets" was brought back.

The starting lineup for this season is Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Byron Mullens, Bismack Biyombo and Michael Gilchrist.

Among them, Michael Gilchrist was Chu Xiao's same-session show, ranking second in the list.

赛季开始的第一场常规赛，山猫队以90比89险胜步行者队，终于结束了2011-12赛季的23连败。

But Michael Gilchrist and other main players were suddenly injured, and the Bobcats played worse and worse.Even if the main players returned from injury, they failed to change the status quo. They currently rank 7th in the Eastern Conference with 16 wins and 14 losses, and their record is only better than that of the 76ers.

So, their troubles continue.

After a wave of four consecutive aways, it feels good to be back at home. The fans welcomed their home team players with the greatest enthusiasm, especially Chu Xiao hit 13 three-pointers and created a new three-pointer record in the league. Afterwards, many people pulled out from their seats, "Chu Xiao, 13 three-pointers in a single game have shocked the past and the present."

Even the big screen on the dome is scrolling the moment of 13 three-pointers.

It can be said that the enthusiasm of the fans has been mobilized before the game starts.

After all the Lakers players entered the court, the fans gave Kobe and Jordan the warmest applause.In order to urge the team, the "God of Basketball" Jordan followed the team to the away game, so he appeared in the Staples spectator seats.After Kobe found out, he immediately ran forward and hugged him. The moment the "old god" and "new god" hugged, the cheers rang out to the highest decibels. This was a historic moment for the fans and for Staples.

But the fans gave Odom the most lasting applause. More than 2 people stood up at the scene. They used 2 minutes of continuous applause to tell the world that after a whole year, this wanderer finally returned home. up!

Odom, once again shed tears.

After warmth comes cruelty. The Bobcats sent center Byron Mullens to fight for the ball with Warcraft. Of course, the latter won again. The ball fell into Chu Xiao's hands. He had just advanced two steps, and Warcraft came over to replace him. He picks and rolls, keeping Kemba Walker behind him.

Chu Xiao took the opportunity to break through to the basket, and the monster quickly cut it. After Chu Xiao broke through to attract the defense, he threw the ball into the air. After that, he still showed a childlike smile like a big child.

"Boss, the monster has changed its nature? It even took the initiative to pick and roll and play quickly. Isn't this the tactic we have asked him to play before but he refused to play?" Chu Xiao couldn't help asking Kobe when he returned to defense, and the latter said with a serious expression , "Who knows, I guess I didn't wake up after drinking too much last night, let's take a look first and then talk."

While speaking, the Bobcats had already launched an attack, and Kemba Walker came towards Chu Xiao.Kemba Walker is also a post-90s generation, born on May 1990, 5 in New York.In college, he led the team to win the NCAA championship, won the Bob Cousy Award, and was elected MOP. In 8, he was selected by the Bobcats with the 2011th overall pick in the first round.

He is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 83 kilograms. He is a short, fast, and scoring-first point guard. With the ball in his hands, he can push the rhythm, is not good at finishing the offense, and his shooting has ups and downs, but he is tireless on the defensive end and can grab rebounds.

上赛季，他可获得12.1分、4.4个助攻和3.5个篮板，这赛季进步为17.7分、5.7个助攻和3.5个篮板。

When Walker faced Chu Xiao, his center teammate Mullens immediately ran up to pick and roll. Now Chu Xiao has gradually learned how to prevent pick and rolls, that is, to use fast footsteps to bypass the screen wall, get back in position, and block Walker again. .

However, the ball in Walker's hand has been handed over to Mullens, and his own movement is just to attract defense.

At this time, Mullens happened to be unguarded. After raising his hands above his head, the 2.13-meter 7-foot center set up an anti-aircraft turret outside the three-point line, then aimed and shot!Also hit!

This was somewhat beyond the expectations of the Lakers players. According to the data provided by the scouts, Byron Mullens was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 2009th pick in the first round in 24, and was then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. .

It must have been a dreadful rookie year for Mullens, as there was hardly any news about him other than changing his name from BJ Mullens to Byron Mullens.He played 13 times, averaged 4 points in 1.1 minutes per game, and became a veritable mascot of the Thunder. Later, he spent most of his days in the NBDL.

On December 2011, 12, the Charlotte Bobcats sent a second-round pick in 20 and traded for Byron Mullens from the Thunder.

The new contract lasts for 2 years, with a total value of 200 million US dollars, an average of 100 million per year.

For such a player, Jordan actually let him start. In this game, he will face Warcraft Howard, who is also a center. The latter's salary this season is 1954 million US dollars, which is more than 19 times his salary.

However, what is somewhat unexpected is that this three-pointer is just the beginning of his debut.

The Lakers missed a shot in the next round, Walker continued to move forward, Mullens did not immediately run to the basket and grab a rebound, but stayed outside the three-point line to make a cover.

Walker immediately passed the ball, the Lakers' defense was not in place, Mullens' long-range anti-aircraft turret was activated again, and he scored a three-pointer!
If the first two goals were just accidents, then hitting the third three-pointer has to attract people's attention.

The Lakers' offense, Chu Xiao cut to the basket again under the cover of Howard, the opponent had prevented the monster from following quickly, so they shrunk the defense at the basket, and the outside line immediately got an offensive opportunity, Chu Xiao passed the ball out, As a result, Kobe missed the shot this time.

Looking back, Mullens pretended to go to the basket and ran out again, and Warcraft immediately followed him, but when Mullens picked and rolled for Walker, the players on both sides completed the defense switch, that is, Chu Xiao defended Mullens, and Warcraft defended Walker, and the ball passed to Mullens.

"I don't believe you can still hit this time!" Chu Xiao asked him to shoot provocatively.

(End of this chapter)