On Thursday, May 8, 2008, the NBA announced this season's All-Defensive Teams.
Bruce Bowen, who was selected to the Second Team, also announced his retirement.
Bowen didn't dwell much on this "consolation prize."
The exclusive interview published in the San Antonio Express-News once again broke the hearts of San Antonio Spurs fans:
"Love and Loyalty."
Besides reviewing Bowen's contributions to the San Antonio Spurs, more content focused on community and family.
However, the article's evaluation of Duncan's departure surprised many fans:
"I understand Tim's choice. He just wanted to pursue a championship. He was defeated by external evaluations."
"In San Antonio, I felt the warmth of a family. Basketball isn't just about winning. This is my choice, and I will continue to live in this city after retirement."
This was the first time Bruce Bowen commented on his former teammate's choice.
San Antonio fans were deeply moved, and some even initiated another "jersey burning" event, calling Duncan a hypocritical liar!
The column article in the newspaper quickly sparked more discussion among basketball commentators.
If viewed from the results, Duncan's choice was excellent, as the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Utah Jazz in the first quarter of G2.
Leading the semifinals 2-0, and considering the other two teams in the bracket, the Los Angeles Lakers' return to the NBA Finals was almost a certainty.
In the semifinals that night, LeBron James encountered targeted Defense, shooting 4-for-19 from the field and scoring 12 points mostly from free throws.
Dwight Howard also failed to carry the offense, and the Cavaliers lost on the road.
81:89, the Boston Celtics won a game back, tying the series 1-1, and the Cavaliers had already taken the initiative.
In the other series, the Charlotte Hornets lost on the road, and the Phoenix Suns held their home court.
Although they were trailing significantly, at the end of the game, Shaquille O'Neal proactively spoke out and guaranteed the Phoenix fans:
"I have a reason not to lose. We will defeat our opponents and enter the Western Conference Finals!"
In front of the camera, Shaq was drenched in sweat.
If not for the opponent's off-night with pick-and-roll jump shots, the Phoenix Suns would have been ready to go fishing.
As he aged, O'Neal still couldn't solve this problem, which was a fatal flaw.
Therefore, many basketball commentators were not optimistic about them, and no one believed Steve Nash could consistently perform at a high level.
As for Amare Stoudemire, since joining the Phoenix Suns, his Defense efficiency has declined year by year.
"Double Leak Combo" is the evaluation given by basketball commentators to the Phoenix Suns' inside combination.
After the game, in the TNT studio, the director once again showed the All-Defensive Teams of this year to the fans watching on TV:
The five players on the First All-Defensive Team were:
Clay Lee, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tyson Chandler.
The five players on the Second All-Defensive Team were:
Chris Paul, Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier, Marcus Camby, Dwight Howard.
Regarding the selection of the All-Defensive Teams, there was actually some controversy.
Raja Bell of the New York Knicks had better defensive statistics, but the coach this time chose to prioritize personal connections.
The trio didn't comment much on tonight's game; instead, they discussed Bowen's remarks after retirement.
Kenny Smith noticed his old partner was somewhat silent and proactively offered his own view:
"I don't like the title of this article. Tim Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals four times. He has done his best!"
"He left his prime to this city. San Antonio should not question his loyalty."
Ernie Johnson glanced at the silent Barkley again, and finally, with a smile, took over the conversation, and also provided fans with a new piece of gossip:
"I agree with Kenny's point. Tim Duncan won the MVP in San Antonio, and this award also belongs to this city!"
"There are reports that Head Coach Popovich plans to leave the coach's bench due to health reasons, and assistant coach Mike Budenholzer is expected to take over the position."
"The Tim Duncan era of the San Antonio Spurs might become a thing of the past."
Ever since collapsing in New York, Popovich's health had been deteriorating.
With Duncan's departure, Bynum's injury, veterans retiring, and declining performance, the old man finally couldn't bear the difficulties.
Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Avery Johnson has confirmed his departure.
Including Popovich, two Head Coaches in the Western Conference have resigned.
Another championship team came to an end.
Charles Barkley shook his head upon hearing this news, seemingly reminded of his own career, and finally said with regret:
"Bruce Bowen is absolutely right. I respect him, but he is not an MVP, nor does he understand the pressure this award brings to players."
"MVP means you are the best player in the regular season, and everyone expects you to lead the team to a championship. But the reality is not like that. Basketball is a five-person game."
"We all want to end our careers with one team, but it's very difficult to do. Tim Duncan's loyalty is not cheap. San Antonio should thank this big man!"
"Without Tim Duncan, they wouldn't have reached the NBA Finals four times."
The director also timely switched to Duncan's performance in the semifinals.
In the first quarter of G2, 18:35, Duncan perfectly integrated into the Triangle Offense, constantly dishing out assists.
The Los Angeles Lakers' form was getting better and better, and Tim Duncan was also hitting his stride.
Kenny Smith had always insisted that Los Angeles would return to the NBA Finals, and at this point, he fanned the flames again:
"Billups can't play in G3, so the New York Knicks are very likely to easily enter the Eastern Conference Finals. If Tim Duncan meets Clay Lee again this year, I believe he will perform even better."
"Chuck, if Tim Duncan succeeds with the Los Angeles Lakers, do you think he will choose to return to San Antonio in the future?"
Charles Barkley glared at his partner, clearly annoyed.
He actually didn't want to see "superteam formation" succeed, so he only gave a vague answer to the question:
"I don't know, but I think the San Antonio Spurs would welcome Tim Duncan home, after all, they had a wonderful experience."
The thought of Duncan succeeding with the Los Angeles Lakers and returning to the San Antonio Spurs at the end of his career made Charles Barkley sour again.
Seeing a superteam succeed was more painful than losing money at a casino.
On May 9th, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had flown to Salt Lake City early, began preparing for tonight's game.
After seeing the newspaper early in the morning, Duncan was not in a good mood.
His old teammate retired and fired shots at him, and Popovich retired without telling him.
Their many years of friendship seemed to have a rift.
The TNT show guessed correctly.
Duncan indeed had plans to return to his hometown, as he had too many memories with the San Antonio Spurs.
Lamar Odom was in a great mood.
Not long ago, at the party welcoming Duncan, he met the Kardashian sisters, who had become very popular in the past two years.
Both his career and "love" were progressing.
Los Angeles was his lucky place.
"Lamar, we need you to play as a substitute tonight!"
Breakfast had just finished when Phil Jackson stopped Odom, looked at him, and stated his decision, then also greeted Duncan, simply saying:
"The Defense strategy needs to be adjusted. Last game, we let Deron Williams play too easily. Tim, the team needs you to participate in more help Defense."
Odom casually tilted his head and agreed, and Duncan also silently nodded.
The Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man was very satisfied with this.
The team atmosphere was very good now.
After the assistant coach explained the tactical adjustments, Phil Jackson called everyone over, clapped his hands continuously to get their attention, and with a smile on his face, slowly said:
"Playing on the road in Salt Lake City is not easy, but we need to end this series as quickly as possible. I think you all know the team's goal!"
"Now close your eyes, we need to meditate briefly, recall the tactical adjustments, and you can complete the duel with your opponents in your mind."
Ever since Duncan joined the team, Phil Jackson had started his "mystical" antics again.
Not only did he resume the bizarre practice of smudging the locker room with sage smoke, but meditation was also included in training.
The Champion Coach's impressive operations earned Duncan's respect.
As for the effect, it seemed pretty good so far.
Even Kobe, in meditation, no longer had his usual irritable mood.
Recently, Nike announced that Lee's third signature shoe would soon have an NBA Finals colorway, which infuriated him again.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers had a good record, Nike didn't give him many resources.
Rookie Durant even had a tendency to overshadow him internally, and his signature shoe had never received the attention it deserved.
When the meditation ended, the Rookies and staff began distributing equipment.
Fisher quietly approached Kobe and asked for his boss's opinion:
"I'm planning to recruit Matt Barnes. He's always wanted to play in Los Angeles. That guy is definitely a tough player, Bro, what do you think?"
After fishing, the Warriors also showed signs of breaking up.
With over a month until the free agency period opens, many players have already started to make moves.
Old Fish intended to help out an old teammate and fulfill his promise.
"I know him. If he doesn't mind coming off the bench, he can play for us."
"Ariza is in great form. If nothing unexpected happens, he can hold down a starting spot for a long time. I don't want to see any arguments; you must understand what I mean."
Kobe punched his old teammate's arm and agreed with a smile.
Fisher also showed a satisfied smile, feeling he had fulfilled his promise.
The feeling of completely controlling the team was somewhat captivating to Kobe.
Duncan didn't compete with him for the leadership position, and if he could win the FMVP trophy, this season would be absolutely perfect.
"Iverson was betrayed? It seems the Denver Nuggets don't intend to offer him a contract."
"Player option. He can still earn over $20 million next season. He earns too much!"
Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar were still gossiping about recent news.
Iverson's agent had blasted the Denver Nuggets management, and the outdated "Son of Philadelphia" was also sarcastically criticizing players who "teamed up."
Thinking that his former good brother no longer contacted him, Kobe's good mood disappeared.
As he boarded the bus, seeing Duncan's calm face, he secretly encouraged himself again:
"I will succeed!"
That night, over 19,000 Salt Lake City fans poured into EnergySolutions Arena.
Back on their home court, the Utah Jazz didn't start slowly, entering the game in full swing early on.
In the first half, they successfully suppressed their opponents by capitalizing on turnovers.
46:52. In the first half, the Lakers had 11 turnovers, while the Utah Jazz only had 5.
Although the Lakers narrowed the score in the third quarter and Andrei Kirilenko fouled out in the fourth quarter, the Utah Jazz still had the last laugh, holding off the pressure and successfully defending their home court.
101:106. The win made EnergySolutions Arena erupt.
Fans on both sides of the player tunnel were spewing vulgarities, loudly mocking:
"Go home, loyal dog Tim Duncan, go back to your new home in Los Angeles..."
Duncan looked calm and quickly left.
Kobe, behind him, was enraged by some of the "filthy language" and only managed to enter the player tunnel with the help of security personnel.
Phil Jackson hadn't expected Duncan and Kobe to combine for 10 turnovers.
The opponents were tougher than he imagined.
The Lakers couldn't complete the sweep, which left him somewhat regretful.
In a concurrent game, at Auburn Hills Palace, most of the Detroit Pistons fans had already left.
Future core Rodney Stuckey had once again delivered an "ugly" performance for the fans.
Fouled out with six fouls in less than three quarters, 1-for-9 from the field, 0-for-4 from three-point range, 3-for-4 from the free-throw line, scoring a pathetic 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers.
Every time the Rookie guard faced Lee, his stats would plummet, but to plummet like Rodney Stuckey did was simply unacceptable to Detroit Pistons fans.
114:84. Some fans were still booing.
The opponent's extensive rotation was humiliating them!
Hamilton, who scored a team-high 28 points, felt a mix of emotions during his courtside interview.
He was sure he was in the team's plans, but many teammates would be leaving next season.
"The series isn't over yet. Thank you very much to the fans who came to support us tonight. I'm sorry to lose in this manner."
"We missed some easy scoring opportunities. That's my responsibility. Head Coach Saunders has been emphasizing this. We didn't do well enough with the game's details."
Hamilton, with his mask off, still looked a bit dejected as he spoke these words.
The ABC reporter had clearly done his homework and seized the opportunity to fan the flames:
"I've noticed Rodney Stuckey's performance has been very poor in these two games. General Manager Joe Dumars seems to favor him more. Does this indicate that he might actually be overrated?"
The situation of "If you say you can do it, you can do it" always happens in the NBA.
Head Coach has his trusted players, and the General Manager also has his favored talents.
Hamilton was an honest man, and he didn't want to get involved in the team's "competition."
He simply shrugged, answering helplessly:
"Rodney was matched up against Clay Lee. We can't expect too much from a Rookie."
"The team won't pin its hopes of winning on Rookies. As veterans, we must take on more responsibility."
The booing arena put Rasheed Wallace in a bad mood.
Upon entering the locker room, he immediately started cursing, which made it difficult for the formally dressed Billups to comfort him:
"We expected this outcome long ago, Bro. No one blames you."
Wallace, who had intended to kick over the ice bucket, finally sat down fuming.
Recalling his experiences over the past few years and seeing his old teammate's laid-back demeanor, he finally grumbled:
"Damn it! How did they do it! The draft? I don't believe that nonsense!"
If it were the starting lineup, losing after a tough battle would still be somewhat acceptable, but being blown out by the bench unit in front of their home fans, Rasheed Wallace felt only anger.
This was simply another form of humiliation!
Having spent a year with the New York Knicks, Billups knew some inside information.
When his old teammate looked at him, he simply whispered some gossip:
"When the General Manager was still Greenfield, Lee could decide who to pick at the end of the first round. In short, all the players he picked perfectly fit that system."
"?"
Rasheed Wallace looked incredulous.
He didn't believe Lee still paid attention to Rookies, nor did he believe in any kind of vision.
Every team had a large group of scouts, and these people were more professional than the players.
Billups didn't explain.
Who would have thought that there would be "gold" at the end of the first round and in the second round?
Prince and Raja Bell, in his opinion, were both Defense-level players.
No team had such a luxurious configuration.
Veteran Lindsey Hunter also got a chance to play tonight, but he was completely outmatched in the matchup.
During the rotation, he allowed Rajon Rondo to lead the team on a run, which effectively ended the suspense by halftime.
Thinking of the beatings he had taken over the years, Lindsey Hunter suddenly spoke in the locker room:
"Guys, I'm going to retire. I'm not interested in playing basketball games with Clay Lee anymore. After all these years, I've had enough. It's time to end it!"
Lindsey Hunter entered the league two years before Clay Lee, but from '96 onwards, he had been consistently "beaten down."
Commentators mocked Iverson, but in reality, he didn't win many games either.
He tried to ride the coattails of the Lakers back then but still failed.
From then on, his career began to decline.
This year, after another devastating loss, Lindsey Hunter simply gave up.
Everyone in the locker room looked at the veteran.
Rasheed Wallace opened his mouth, intending to say something to make him stay, but found he didn't know what to say.
Antonio McDyess, who entered the league in '95, also showed a surprised expression on his dark face.
Thinking of his own struggles after returning to the Eastern Conference, he finally said dejectedly:
"Maybe after my contract ends next year, I'll also choose to retire."
When Head Coach Saunders returned to the locker room, he found all the players silent.
He wasn't in the mood to give a pep talk either.
After a simple encouragement, he prepared to go home to "heal his wounds":
"Maybe I should go back to college basketball."
As dejected as their opponents were, the New York Knicks players were as joyful.
On the bus back to the hotel, everyone was singing and shouting.
With a 3-0 lead in the series, they would once again advance to the Conference Finals.
Tyson Chandler, who was selected to the All-Defense First Team, was yelling and cheering.
With the Chicago Bulls, he was considered a bust, but now he had transformed into a defensive anchor!
Rajon Rondo, who usually disliked horseplay, was now chanting along with JR Smith.
For the Rookie, experiencing major games for two consecutive years meant an experience that even surpassed many veterans.
The joyful atmosphere on the bus also brought a smile to Lee, who had been slacking off.
Noticing Ron Artest's low spirits beside him, he immediately turned and comforted him:
"Ron, I guarantee you'll get a big contract. If you want, you can keep playing in New York."
"..."
Ron Artest nodded, not immediately responding.
Thinking of his glorious experiences over the years, he finally smiled:
"Thanks, Bro. I'll discuss it with Mark. You know, I'm a Queens kid..."
.....
By the way, don't forget to throw power stones and leave a review to motivate me :)