Chapter 73 The aftermath of the conflict is far more than just a conflict!
What Lin Tian and everyone did not expect was that his conflict with the Jazz was far more than just a conflict on the court.
Because just the day after the conflict, Stockton was the first to reveal the bad news.
The iron man on this court needs to rest for 2-4 weeks before he can return to the game due to a fractured rib.
Judging from the current time, Stockton will definitely miss the All-Star Game in San Antonio in early February!
In the All-Star game, players will often express their impatience and boredom, saying that they would rather not be selected than be too lazy to play. However, if they are injured and absent due to injuries, especially the malicious intentions of their opponents, then everyone will be extremely unhappy!
For example, Malone now feels very unhappy because his good partner will be absent for at least half a month!
This dissatisfaction continued into the Jazz's home game against the Lakers! The Lakers this season are still not competitive for the championship, but they are a team from the entertainment capital Los Angeles that never lacks topics! Therefore, even if the team currently lacks star power and has no hope of winning the championship, they still have other things that can attract the attention of the entire league! The magician's comeback!
Yes, Magic, who had no choice but to retire due to HIV infection in the 1991 season, finally felt that his body was okay after fighting the virus for five years!He returned to his beloved basketball court again! Some players were very happy and welcomed Magic's comeback. Although some players were scared and unhappy, they did not dare to openly express their dissatisfaction due to their reputation and Magic's status.
For example, Jordan and Rodman, these two guys are one of the few active superstars who most welcome Magic's comeback. Jordan played alongside Magic in 1992 and had a very good relationship, so he is willing to support his good friends.
As for Rodman...
Lin Tian felt that Rodman was worried that he would one day be infected with AIDS, so he supported Johnson in advance, so that if Rodman himself got the disease in a few years, others would definitely welcome him back to the league! This big flower insect has a living brain! Of course, there are some people who will directly express their concerns, dissatisfaction and objections!
Such as Malone!
When the signal that Malone wanted to come back from Magic just came out in the league, he expressed his clear opposition. He said that he was 100% opposed and 100% unwilling to compete with a patient. He had no chance of surviving. Enough, he didn't want to get terminally ill, let alone be infected with an incurable disease because of such stupid behavior.
From beginning to end, Malone has been the biggest obstacle to Magic's comeback and the biggest brand among all opponents! However, no matter how much Malone objected, Magic finally passed the inspections and votes of the league and the players union and returned to the league!
And on February 2nd, it was the Lakers' away game against the Jazz! Before the game, Malone, who had a bad attitude towards the media and a bad temper, encountered Stockton's injury and having to deal with Magic in the game. Therefore, Malone was even more nervous when being interviewed. Angry and arrogant! "I won't compete with a patient, and I won't put my life in danger just for a game! That's stupid! I don't care what other people think, maybe they are all idiots who are not afraid of death, but I won’t accompany them to be stupid!”
"I will never compete with Johnson in this game! When he comes on, I will go down, and when he goes off, I will go on the court! And I have required the highest standards of disinfection measures and continuous disinfection on the court! "
"Seriously, if it wasn't for the fans in Salt Lake City and not disappointing them, I would never have played tonight! I played for the fans, not because I agreed with Johnson's return to the league! My position is, I will never in my life agree to his return to the league! Absolutely not!"
After saying these words, Malone did not compete with Magic in the long as Magic comes on the bench, he will immediately come off the court to rest.
As soon as the magician goes to rest, he will appear again immediately!
Even until the last 3 minutes, when the Jazz only led by 3 points, Malone immediately fouled the player when he saw Magic coming on the court and asked for a rest.
Malone only played 23 minutes in the entire game and only scored 17 points and 9 rebounds. The Jazz was reversed by the Lakers because the two leaders were absent in the last 3 minutes, and suffered a two-game losing streak.
After the game, Magic, who scored 15 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists, faced the interview and smiled and said: "Unfortunately, I can only play 26 minutes. My physical strength is very bad now. It would be great if I could play 48 minutes. That would be great." Karl doesn’t need to change clothes and just sit and rest. I will work hard and solve my physical weaknesses.”
Malone's words may be exactly what many players are thinking, but in the end, he was the only one who said what was in his heart!
Therefore, more people began to question Malone in this game!
Miller, Barkley, Olajuwon, Rodman, Jordan, Payton...
Dozens of players above the All-Star level came forward to express their disappointment with Malone's remarks, and also expressed their support for Magic and all AIDS patients.
Several of these stars, who have good teams, even took advantage of the situation to launch charity activities to aid AIDS patients, and suddenly attracted a large number of fans.
Malone became the biggest loser in the Magician incident!
In addition, if anyone looks at the schedule, they will find that on February 2, three days before the start of the All-Star Game, it will be the Los Angeles Lakers' turn to challenge the Bulls away from home. As Magic's good friend, Jordan Even before Magic made his official comeback, he supported him in every possible way and even had a one-on-one duel with Magic at Staples.
This time against the Lakers at home, it is Jordan's opportunity to express his support for his good friends and show off his style!
As for Lin Tian, although his unlimited firing rights only lasted for half a game because Jordan came on the scene in the next game without taking a break, Phil Jackson's adjustment to the lineup has been almost completely finalized.
And his method of using Lin Tian has also changed significantly! From February 2st to 1th, the Bulls played a total of 8 games in a week. Except for the first game because Rodman was suspended and there were some changes in the starting lineup, in the remaining 4 games, the Bulls' starting lineup It's exactly the same!
(End of this chapter)