Chapter 88 Aldridge: Playing against Wang Yan has benefited me a lot!

Under the leadership of Wang Yan, the Cavaliers defeated the Trail Blazers without any suspense.

All of Ade's bold words before the game came to nothing.

Wang Yan still clocked in for three quarters and scored 53 points again, becoming the highest scoring player in all NBA games today.

After the game, Aldridge naturally accepted interviews from many media reporters.

The NBA is a mature commercial league, and what fans pay to watch is a reality show.

Since you boasted and made big promises before the game, fans will naturally want to see you get slapped in the face after the game.

Aldridge was obviously embarrassed when facing reporters' questions.

A reporter asked: "Ade, in today's game, you only scored 11 points, which is quite different from your previous average score. Why?"

You know, Aldridge has performed very stably this season, averaging 22 points per game.

In today's game, he played for nearly 40 minutes, but only scored 11 points.

What's even more embarrassing is that he took more shots today than usual.

What does it say?
The hit rate is too low!

23-of-4 from the field.

Aldridge wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

"Oh... I didn't play well today. I should take the main responsibility for the Trail Blazers' loss today."

Ade is a real man. He didn't shirk responsibility or make excuses for himself.

The reporter had no intention of letting him go and continued to ask questions.

"In the interview before the game, you said that you had a way to limit Wang Yan, but today Wang Yan scored... 53 points. Why did this happen?"

What is coming will come, and you can’t avoid it.

"I have to take back what I said before the game."

Aldridge coughed twice and replied, "For a talented player like Wang Yan, it is difficult for us to restrict him."

"And from this game, I learned a lot of offensive and defensive skills from him. Playing against him has benefited me a lot!"

Benefited a lot!

The reporters were a little surprised.

This is definitely the highest level of respect for your opponent on the basketball court.

This shows that he was really defeated.

And I was convinced wholeheartedly.

Different from some arrogant players, Ade praised Wang Yan rationally and expressed his deep recognition of Wang Yan from the perspective of basketball skills.

We are all competitors, and Ade is quite broad-minded as he can so frankly acknowledge the strengths of his opponent.

The reporter then asked, "If you were asked to pick the strongest No. 4 player in the league, who would you choose?"

This reporter is really bad.

Everyone knows that Wang Yan will face Duncan of the Spurs in the next game.

The debate over who is the best power forward in the league today, between Wang Yan and Duncan, has never stopped.

Many veteran fans support Duncan.

And those relatively younger fans admire Wang Yan even more.

Of course, there are also many old fans who are rational and believe that Wang Yan has surpassed his peak Duncan, but Wang Yan still needs time to accumulate honors.

Aldridge scratched his head, knowing that if his answer was inappropriate, it would definitely offend a certain fan group.

Although Duncan's commercial value is not high, his strength is there and he has a lot of fans.

Not to mention Wang Yan, he has become the league's star.

His fans are by far the most active group.

If this offends Wang Yan's fans, Aldridge will definitely be criticized to death.

Aldridge is an honest man, but that doesn't mean he is stupid.

He thought for a moment and said, "Both of them are the strongest players in the league. Their specific performance will depend on their condition on the day. I think it's possible for either of them to win or lose."

Too smooth.

The journalists failed to achieve their goal of instigating sowing discord.

On the Cavaliers side, Wang Yan also accepted interviews from the media.

"Mr. Wang Yan, you haven't scored 50+ points in many games. Why are you in such good shape today?"

Wang Yan smiled and shook his head, then asked, "Is 50+ very high?"

“I didn’t exert much strength.”

The reporters all laughed knowingly.

Everyone knew that 53 points was nothing in Wang Yan’s high-scoring games.

However, because Wang Yan has played too many games in the third quarter recently and has not encountered any decent opponents, his score has dropped.

However, these 53 points are already a high score that is difficult for other stars to achieve.

"You have achieved 33 consecutive victories. Do you have anything to say?" the reporter asked again.

Wang Yan put away his smile and replied calmly: "There's nothing much to say, it's just a regular season game! Will the NBA give us a winning streak trophy? We have already started preparing for the next game."

The reporters were all shocked. Is this really a rookie player?
It's so calm!
The reporter asked again: "The next game is an away game against the Spurs. Are the Cavaliers ready?"

Wang Yan shrugged and replied calmly: "Of course, we in the Cavaliers respect every opponent. Before every game, we will do targeted training. The Spurs are a strong opponent. They have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard and other outstanding players. Whether we win or lose, we will learn a lot from the Spurs!"

Wang Yan’s answer was absolutely perfect, he was so clear-headed.

He did not take his opponents lightly just because he had been winning streak.

Instead, he praised his opponent, and his words were well-reasoned and he explained the current situation of the Spurs very clearly.

This just proves the old saying of China: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat!
The media is even more confused about the rookie Wang Yan.

This Cavaliers team not only plays with great vigor and attracts countless fans, but its core players are also so calm.

No one knows where their ceiling is!
In the history of NBA, there are also players who reached their peak as soon as they debuted, such as Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Spurs legend Duncan.

But at least when these two people first entered the league, they had a star player to lead the way.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Lakers and Admiral Robinson of the Spurs.

But do the Cavaliers have any star players?

not a single one.

If there is any player who can be considered a star, it is only Jamison.

But Jamison is already 34 years old, and his best season was just two All-Star games and one Best Sixth Man. This is far from the status of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robinson.

Therefore, the reason why the Cavaliers have achieved their current record is entirely due to Wang Yan alone!
. . . .

After tying the Lakers' winning streak, major media outlets naturally would not miss the opportunity to make a claim.

Sports Illustrated: "The Cavaliers broke the Lakers' winning streak, and new history was born!"

ESPN: "Wang Yan scored high points again, leading the Cavaliers to defeat the Trail Blazers, and the 33-game winning streak record was tied!"

Fox: "No one can stop the Cavaliers' winning streak. Has the strongest team in the league been born?"

Yahoo Sports: "What is a superstar? Wang Yan gave us the answer with his performance!"

……

The Chinese media in particular gave a comprehensive account of Wang Yan's performance during this period.

"Wang Yan is the pride of our Chinese players. He has led the Cavaliers to tie the Lakers' winning streak. He is creating a new miracle!"

"In this game, Wang Yan repeatedly trained Aldridge, letting the opponent know what a real superstar is!"

"The Cavaliers are on the move and are about to challenge the veteran powerhouse Spurs. Let's wait and see this fierce match!"

……

Before the game against the Spurs, TNT will not miss this good opportunity with high traffic.

Tonight's TNT symposium, they not only invited O'Neal, but also several famous players.

Magic Johnson and Admiral Robinson both came to the live broadcast room.

Both of them have entered the team's management and rarely appear on such talk shows.

But today, they all accepted the invitation because they were deeply moved by Wang Yan's performance.

Barkley and Smith welcomed three heavyweight guests.

"Shaq is a frequent visitor to our site, but Alvin and David are rare guests to us. Welcome them warmly!" Smith's opening remarks were enthusiastic.

Magic has a strong ability to express himself, and he can always come up with witty remarks every time he participates in an interview or a basketball-related program.

Old fans should remember that when Jordan retired for the first time, all fans missed him very much.

Magic Johnson followed public opinion and actually knelt in front of the camera, begging Jordan to return to the game!

Johnson was not an unknown person at that time. His achievements were no worse than Jordan's at that time. However, he was able to humble himself and kneel down to a junior, which shows that he is not only humble and has a broad mind, but also very entertaining!
Admiral Robinson is not as abstract as Johnson, but he also has many famous scenes.

The fact that he was knocked unconscious by Karl Malone's elbow shows how fierce the competition in the interior was back then.

Johnson said with a smile: "I have to come today. As a Lakers player, our record has been tied. It's unimaginable! I thought I would never see the winning streak being tied in my lifetime!"

Robinson also said: "My mood today is very complicated. The next game is between the Cavaliers and the Spurs. I hope the Cavaliers can make history, but I don't want my old team, the Spurs, to become a background again."

Everyone laughed.

It can be said that Robinson's remarks represent the thoughts of many Spurs fans.

Barkley shook his bald head and got to the point: "Dear guests, today's game was really shocking. When I was watching the live broadcast, I saw the helplessness of the Trail Blazers players!"

O'Neal used to argue with Barkley, but today he had nothing to say.

"What Charles said is right. I saw the look in Aldridge's eyes. He was already dazed, especially in the third quarter. He was suppressed by Wang Yan and had no temper at all!"

David Robinson, one of the four great centers back then, was deeply impressed by Wang Yan's strength and nodded, saying, "In recent years, the inside players in the NBA have become weaker and weaker. Of course, this has something to do with the change in the rules, but it is also true that there are fewer and fewer talented inside players. But Wang Yan's sudden appearance made me feel that the future of the NBA will definitely be dominated by inside players!"

Although his prediction may not be accurate, it also represents his recognition of Wang Yan.

Smith brought the topic back to the topic. After all, the upcoming 34-game winning streak is the topic with the highest traffic.

"What are your predictions for the Cavaliers' 34-game winning streak?"

Smith asked.

All the distinguished guests were silent for a moment, thinking about how to answer.

Magic Johnson was more entertaining. He smiled and replied, "Based on my impression of the Spurs, I will probably be a background player again this time. Haha! I hope the Spurs fans won't criticize me!"

If someone else said this, they would definitely be criticized.

But Johnson is so likable that fans won't criticize him.

O'Neal smiled and said, "Although the Spurs have been the background many times, I know the strength of the Spurs. I am sure that this game will be very exciting. Duncan will never let the Cavaliers win easily!"

After all, he was the star player of the Lakers' three consecutive championships, and O'Neal knew how powerful Duncan was.

There was once a classic scene when O'Neal came to the stadium to watch a game after retiring.

At that time, several league stars came over to greet O'Neal.

The Big Shark was very cool. He just sat there, shaking hands and chatting with the stars.

Only when Duncan came over did O'Neal immediately stand up and greet Duncan respectfully.

This also shows Duncan's position in the league.

As a Spurs legend, Robinson must speak for the Spurs.

"After Tim Duncan's serious injury, his athletic ability has declined a lot, and he is also old. But the Spurs' current combination of young and old players is too reasonable. I don't think the Cavaliers will beat the Spurs. In addition, the Spurs have been unbeaten in 14 home games, which is very strong!"

The team is unbeaten in 14 home games, which is also the longest unbeaten streak in the league this season, except for the Cavaliers.

This shows that both teams are in their strongest form, so it would not be surprising for either team to win.

Barkley nodded and said, "David is right. I like this Spurs team very much. They have almost no weaknesses. They have the strongest players in every position, and the tacit understanding between them is unmatched by other teams."

Magic also added: "I like the young player Kawhi Leonard very much. He has long arms and big hands. He is really talented. His defense is so strong!"

As expected of a historical star, Leonard’s potential can be seen at a glance.

O'Neal added: "Three-pointers are becoming more and more important now. The Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich has also made changes. The Spurs didn't like to shoot three-pointers before, but now this Spurs team has a lot of three-point shooters. Manu, Hill, Green, and Neil all have good three-pointers. It's scary!"

Smith nodded and said, "Yes, although Wang Yan has rich skills and strong defense, he also has shortcomings, that is, he can't shoot three points, which is a big disadvantage in modern basketball."

Barkley laughed and said, "Hey, Smith, don't say that. Wang Yan is a kid with a very strong learning ability. He can beat Nowitzki with one leg standing. What if he hears what you said and blows up the Spurs with a three-pointer in the next game? That would be fun!"

Everyone laughed.

Indeed, Wang Yan’s arsenal is too rich.

He comes up with new moves almost every two games, which is simply unstoppable.

Robinson also admitted this: "As a devil muscle man, Wang Yan can practice such a smooth mid-range shot. This is something I didn't expect. It shows that he has put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. This young man has a promising future!"

"In short, this will be a game even more intense than Game 7 of the Finals!"

Barkley sighed.

"The Cavaliers must want to make history, and the Spurs definitely don't want to be the first background board in history!"

"But I still believe the Cavaliers will win."

"Because you know, when you're about to reach a milestone and the opponent is the Spurs, there will be a buff!"

(End of this chapter)