My days of working at the NBA

Chapter 14 Drink this bowl of chicken soup

The substitutes who had been laughing so happily suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

Anderson's barrage of criticism continued: "We're only halfway through the game, and you already think you've got the win figured out?"

"Ha, how arrogant and self-important. In this kind of one-round-determined competition, anything can happen before the final whistle blows."

"If you continue with this careless and undisciplined attitude, I'm telling you, you will definitely be kicked out of the game early on, without any surprises."

The old man grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and the situation became increasingly serious.

As everyone listened, a sudden chill ran through them.

Because they were right.

They felt that with such a performance, Missouri's 14-point lead meant the balance of power was beginning to tilt in their favor.

It could even be said that it was a sure thing.

They've got their hands on Cornell University, this is nothing.

That's right.

They really did start to relax subconsciously.

Otherwise, those substitute players wouldn't be laughing so happily.

After hearing these words, everyone silently lowered their heads.

of course.

The substitute players lowered their heads even further.

But in fact, the old man wasn't targeting them specifically. Instead, he used a strategy of making an example of them, criticizing them by name to deter others.

After all, as substitutes, their playing time is extremely limited; they only play for a few minutes occasionally, which has no impact on the course of the game.

His goal was to unite the entire team and keep everyone on high alert.

Anderson coldly surveyed the room: "What's wrong? Why are you all so quiet? Weren't you talking so enthusiastically just now?"

The atmosphere became even more oppressive at this moment.

The entire locker room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Anderson, seeing that it was about time, turned his gaze to Du Ze: "Du..."

Du Ze stood up: "Yes, sir."

Anderson nodded in satisfaction: "Du, you are now the key to our victory. Keep it up, continue to protect the paint. This is very important, even a matter of life and death."

Du Ze felt an immense responsibility weighing on his shoulders, causing his body to tremble slightly: "Don't worry, sir, as long as I'm in the penalty area, no one can score easily."

He finished the bowl of chicken soup.

It was indeed delicious and nourishing, instantly wiping away his fatigue and leaving him radiating vitality.

The old man then looked at Carroll: "Demaré, you are the team's leader, our pillar. Where the team ultimately goes depends on you. What you are, that's what the team is. Where you want to lead the team, that's where we'll go. I hope you understand this."

Carroll stood up abruptly, his rough voice carrying a hint of determination: "Sir, I promise I will do my best, and I will lead the team to the top."

The old man nodded slightly: "Remember your determination, remember how you feel right now. I'll be waiting for your season speech after the tournament."

then.

Anderson named a few more people, this time without being harsh or stern.

Instead, they showed more patience and encouragement.

Du Ze slowly began to appreciate the flavor, secretly marveling at how well the master of inspirational stories had served him. Before he knew it, he had already drunk several bowls.

This old man really knows his stuff.

When you criticize, you are criticizing the entire team.

When you offer encouragement, you can precisely strike a chord in everyone's heart, filling your inner energy with vitality.

Gee...

That's really impressive.

Most people simply couldn't achieve such smoothness and such effortless control.

The master of inspirational quotes truly lives up to his reputation.

During halftime, Anderson didn't discuss any tactics, but only emphasized one thing: to keep pressing.

……

……

The second half began soon.

As they walked onto the field, everyone returned to the same united spirit they had before the match.

Du Ze followed behind Lawrence, clearing his throat lightly: "Ahem..."

Lawrence seemed not to hear at all, and just kept walking forward with his head down.

Du Ze coughed lightly twice more: "Cough cough..."

Lawrence finally noticed and turned around to look at him: "Did you choke on your phlegm?"

Du Ze almost fainted.

leave……

They have absolutely no chemistry, yet they claim to be good brothers.

He was a little hurt inside.

but……

The game has begun.

Lawrence then unleashed his power, applying full-court press and increasing intensity. Dale couldn't keep up and was stripped of the ball.

Lawrence drove forward aggressively, and although he had a chance to go for a layup, he glanced back at the basket.

Du Ze ran very fast.

Naturally, a backstab was delivered.

Du Ze received the ball, took off from his spot, soared into the air, and slammed the ball into the net with the force of a mountain crashing down.

The atmosphere was ignited once again.

Everyone was cheering.

Clearly, after the first half, everyone remembered Du Ze, and Du Ze surprised everyone again by delivering a spectacular dunk.

After landing, Duze yelled at Lawrence, "Are you possessed by the magician? That pass was amazing!"

Good brothers are good brothers, but the emotional support that should be provided is still necessary.

After all, no one dislikes hearing nice things.

Even your closest parents and siblings need encouragement and praise. Yes, speaking well is definitely an art.

He had already learned this lesson from the old man.

Learn it and apply it immediately.

Sure enough, Lawrence, looking excited, gave a gorilla-like performance of pounding his chest and stamping his feet: "Without a doubt, your judgment is accurate."

Remote attack and defense.

Cornell couldn't immediately adapt to the intensity of the competition, taking a full thirty seconds before hastily firing a shot that missed.

come back.

Lawrence waved and executed a pick-and-roll with Duze.

However, Duze's screen and pick were not up to par, which almost caused Lawrence, who was being blocked from the front and chased from the back, to make a mistake.

However, he still managed to pass the ball to Du Ze, albeit unsteadily.

The moment Du Ze received the ball, a picture flashed in his mind. The positions of the nine people in the image were clearly shown. Their positions and actions were all clearly displayed, including their height, build, and even appearance. They had all become miniature versions of the people.

He was stunned for a moment before realizing that the [Mind Control] skill had been triggered.

In the footage, only Whitman was filling in for the basket, with Ford chasing back behind him; the others barely moved.

As soon as the graphic appeared, he immediately saw an opportunity to attack.

First, Whitman's help defense under the basket meant someone was left open, and that person was Lyons.

Secondly, Whitman's presence under the basket meant that the area around the rim was essentially empty, presenting a rare offensive opportunity.

Without hesitation, he quickly made his choice, grabbed the ball, and rushed over.

He drove to the free-throw line, dribbled only one step, and then went straight in.

He charged straight at Whitman, who was covering for him.

With his superior physical strength and the momentum of his takeoff, he forcefully shoved Whitman aside and completed the dunk.

However, the dunk was a bit of a stretch.

My fingers had just touched the rim of the basket when I lost my grip and landed hastily...

Upon landing, he wasn't particularly excited because he gained a deeper understanding of his own shortcomings.

His dribbling skills were definitely not good enough, which caused him to be in the wrong position when he caught the ball and not be fully prepared for the attack...

Of course, the most important thing was that momentary lapse in concentration, which caused him to miss the best opportunity to attack.