chsdbacks Chapter 507 The Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust! Lin Tian Becomes a Sensation Across Southeast Asi
Chapter 507 The Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust! Lin Tian Becomes a Sensation Across Southeast Asi
In this preseason game, the Knicks only won by about 10 points. Of course, this was also because the Knicks' key players didn't play much in the second half; they just went on for a few more minutes and then went to rest.
The Nets on the other side were in a similar situation; their starters didn't play for very long either.
It's just a preseason game, a warm-up game.
But just this one game, or rather the Knicks' all-out offensive performance in the first quarter, was enough to shock the entire league.
This kind of firepower, this reckless style of play, this extreme and unstoppable offensive is indeed somewhat out of place in this era of defense-oriented warfare.
But the more defensively-oriented and slow-paced the entire league is, the more the Knicks' fast-paced style and insane offense can sweep through the league with overwhelming force!
The entire league and fans all over the world quickly became fascinated with the Knicks!
It's not that no teams used to play this fast. More recently, for example, the Pacers led by Lin Tian a few years ago, or the Warriors under Don Nelson in the early 90s, both teams focused on speed!
Although the Pacers used to be aggressive offensively, they had defensive players like Ben Wallace, Smitzer, and Christie. Although they were fast and often had fast breaks, they were essentially a team that relied on half-court offense.
But this Knicks team really doesn't play half-court sets. They play transition offense whenever they can, and they play fast break whenever they can. As soon as an opportunity arises, the whole team takes the shot immediately!
The starting lineup lacked a traditional center; Stoudemire was a face-up scorer, and Okur was a tall three-point shooter.
With this roster, no matter how far they go in the future, they will definitely give other teams in the league a good thrashing!
What team can defend against Stoudemire's cut inside and also stop Okur's three-pointer?
But regardless of whether their lineup and offensive firepower can be maintained tonight, one thing will never change.
That's popularity!
If they play like this, this team's popularity will never be low, and their market and popularity will never be bad. Their level of discussion and attention will definitely be the highest in the league!
Not to mention, this team is called the New York Knicks!
Anyway, after one preseason game, Dolan was already smugly calculating how much the Knicks' market value would increase after his actions, how he would beat the Lakers, kick the Bulls, and rub the Celtics on the floor!
All of you come at me at once! I, Dolan, have nothing to fear!
More championships than me? More Hall of Fame inductees than me? More honors than me?
No use, I have more money than you!
Dolan is really riding high right now.
In the following 10 days, the Knicks played four more preseason games. Due to Don Nelson's hands-off rotation and coaching style, they had both wins and losses in these games.
But of course, nobody cares about the wins and losses in the preseason.
Playing well and giving fans hope for the new season is enough!
The Knicks are clearly the most entertaining team in the entire league! Without a doubt.
Under Lin Tian's leadership, their popularity and attention skyrocketed!
The Knicks' preseason games have even garnered higher viewership than some playoff games.
The fans are truly filled with hope and curiosity for this team. They want to see the team get better and see how they play.
After five preseason games, the Knicks, carrying the expectations of their fans and the title of the most popular team in the United States, boarded a plane to Tokyo.
Well, we're going to play in the Asian Games again. However, since Lin Tian is already very popular in China, the NBA's base in China has long been established, and Stern has also reached a lot of cooperation agreements with them, Stern doesn't plan to continue using Lin Tian, this world-class superstar, in China.
After all, no matter how many tickets a stadium sells, it can only sell 2 tickets at most. If Lin Tian goes, it's really an overabundance and a waste.
Therefore, Stern arranged for Lin Tian to continue to expand his market share and viewership in other Asian countries this year, while China was left to Yao Ming's Nets and Sacramento Kings.
In order to boost their influence and avoid being completely overwhelmed by the Nets' popularity during the game, the Kings specially signed Liu Wei, Yao Ming's teammate, and had Liu Wei train with the team in training camp for a month.
It's said that Liu Wei has performed quite well, and he might even stay in Sacramento and get a formal regular season contract!
However, this is obviously just a gimmick for the fans, hoping that Chinese fans will buy into it and come to watch the game.
Lin Tian was well aware of Liu Wei's level. He knew that Liu Wei might dominate in the CBA, but in the NBA, his strengths would become weaknesses, and his weaknesses would be magnified.
This is a purely commercial contract; after the China League One, Liu Wei's NBA career will be over.
As for the Knicks' opponent in Tokyo, Japan, it's similar to the Kings', both from California and both from the Pacific Division.
Golden State Warriors.
However, the biggest difference is that although the Kings have lost their former glory, they can still be considered a strong team now, with a certain number of fans worldwide.
But the Warriors, since being swept in the first round of the 1993-1994 season, have not made the playoffs for a full 11 years!
This is a team that has been rotten for a long time and is terminally ill. They have been at the bottom for many years, made wrong choices in the lottery, and then spent their days rebuilding, drafting, rebuilding and drafting again.
The Warriors' current star players are Arenas and Richardson. These two perimeter offensive players combined for more than 45 points last season, and both of them can put up impressive stats and play dazzling games.
The problem is that neither of these two players is particularly good at leading the team to victory, and the Warriors are still mired in the lottery abyss with no signs of improvement whatsoever.
Stern arranged for the Warriors and Knicks to play together in the Asian Games because they had low popularity and poor performance.
He needed to test just how much influence Lin Tian had, and he needed to know how much attention and benefit Lin Tian could bring to the alliance outside of China.
Or perhaps, the old man wanted to show the alliance bosses just how much power Lin Tian wielded.
Otherwise, if Dolan acquires Lin Tian this year but doesn't pay the agreed-upon luxury tax, the bosses will definitely complain!
Why would the bosses allow you to make exceptions and implement such completely rule-breaking "God-like" clauses? Why would they support you in creating such illogical terms? To make money!
But if you, Stern, don't make money for the bosses, they'll not only retaliate immediately, but they'll also cause you all sorts of trouble, giving you a real headache.
Therefore, he needed to let Lin Tian prove his appeal!
The first stop is the Asian Games.
And it's not just in Tokyo; after playing a game in Japan, the two teams will fly to Bangkok, Thailand, for another preseason game.
If Tokyo is considered an international metropolis and playing a game there is a normal business activity, then playing a game in Bangkok would be a groundbreaking first. After all, Thailand's basketball atmosphere isn't particularly strong, and it can't be called a top overseas market for the NBA. At least in terms of the love for basketball, Thailand is far behind its neighbor, the Philippines.
But Stern said: What I want is for you guys not to like basketball, what I want is to open up new markets!
After all, Lin Tian's current appeal is undeniable. In those traditional overseas markets of the NBA, there are plenty of fans of Lin Tian and NBA fans. If Lin Tian goes there, it will be an overflow.
A star player of Lin Tian's caliber has to open up new markets for the NBA and act as a pioneer to carve out a path to success.
Stern's plan is very ambitious!
For example, this year in Europe, he sent the Pacers and Mavericks to France and Germany for two preseason games because they have Parker and Nowitzki.
The delivery should be fixed at designated locations, and the expansion should be carried out to expand the territory, with the main goal of making the most of resources and avoiding any waste.
The Knicks and Warriors cooperated quite well after arriving in Tokyo. During the day, the two teams traveled from Mount Fuji to Senso-ji Temple, and then from Senso-ji Temple to Shinjuku, making a great loop around Tokyo.
Then Lin Tian himself took a few hours to Kamakura to take some photos and ride a bicycle around the beach. Unfortunately, he just couldn't learn to sleep while riding a bicycle, otherwise he could have done a proper cosplay.
After resting in Kamakura for one night, Lin Tian returned to Tokyo to reunite with his teammates. They spent another day sightseeing and participating in some activities before the evening's match.
This match was quite exciting!
It was lively from beginning to end, very lively.
Both teams are offensively oriented, making for a thrilling and exciting game. Arenas and Richardson's three-pointers and dunks, along with the Knicks' all-out offensive style, drew cheers and shouts from the fans in the arena.
Of course, neither side played much defense, and the game was quite exciting, but the quality and intensity of the match were negligible.
Regardless of the intensity, everyone from the fans to the players to the coaches was quite happy after the game.
What's even more exciting is that after the game, Don Nelson immediately ordered the entire team to disband, to go out and have fun, or to go back to the hotel if they wanted.
I have a day off, and I'll fly to Bangkok tomorrow morning.
Upon hearing the news of the team's disbandment, the entire Knicks team cheered excitedly.
"Bomb Tokyo!" Lin Tian raised his arm and was the first to cheer.
Then the group took showers and changed clothes, and happily set off on their own.
"Lin." At this moment, Anthony displayed a level of court vision and analytical ability far exceeding what he showed on the court, walking directly to Lin Tian's side and saying, "Where are you headed? Want me to come along?"
Anthony's thoughts couldn't be simpler: Lin, my own brother! He's a nightclub king in Chicago and Indiana, and he's only been in New York for less than three months. He knows more fun places than I, a native New Yorker, do.
Now that I'm in Tokyo, a place I know no one, am I supposed to just follow this bunch of stupid black guys around aimlessly without looking for my brother? How am I supposed to have any fun then?!
Clinging to Lin Tian's coattails is the real priority!
"Me too!" Little S also demonstrated his talent and observation skills at this moment.
His instincts told him that following these two was the right thing to do!
"Let's go then!" Lin Tian's principle has always been that sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone. If we're interested, let's have some fun together!
The three of them happily changed their clothes and walked out of the dressing room side by side.
However, Lin Tian did not expect that as soon as the three of them stepped out of the locker room, a person from the Japanese organizers stopped Lin Tian.
"Lin-san, we heard that you went to Kamakura, so we guessed that you must be a fan of Slam Dunk. That's why we specially invited Inoue-sensei. Unfortunately, Inoue-sensei was on vacation in Hawaii and couldn't make it to the competition."
"But now that he's arrived, consider this a gift from us to you, and we hope you like it!"
After the organizer finished speaking, a middle-aged man wearing a beanie stepped forward: "Lin-san, I heard you really like my comics. I'm so happy because I've always been a fan of yours. It's such an honor!"
"Inoue-sensei," Lin Tian said, his manner very familiar, putting his arm around Inoue Takehiko's shoulder. "I heard you're quite popular in Tokyo?"
"It's...it's alright." Inoue Takehiko was genuinely a little uncomfortable and surprised by this sudden display of affection.
"You must know exactly which place in Ginza is the most fun, which bathhouse in Kabukicho has the best service, and which has the most gentle and cute girls, right?"
"It's...it's alright." Inoue Takehiko gradually understood why Lin Tian wanted to see him.
"Let's go! Let's experience the night of an international metropolis together! Let's feel the unique charm of Tokyo!" Lin Tian waved his hand, called to Xiao Si and Anthony behind him, and pulled Inoue Takehiko away, not giving his buddies any chance to speak.
"It's my treat tonight, bro. Go find some fun places, don't worry about the price, just don't worry about missing out on the beauty of Tokyo!"
As Lin Tian walked, he continued to pat Inoue Takehiko on the shoulder and said something.
Several tens of minutes later, in one of the liveliest spots in Ginza, Lin Tian, Xiao Si, and Anthony were completely having a blast.
"Lin, you are my brother, Amare forever!"
"Tokyo is so wonderful!"
"I love Tokyo!"
"Tonight's expenses are all on me, Young Master Lin!"
.........
The three, having had a blast in Tokyo all night, happily headed to Bangkok with the team the next morning.
The itinerary in Bangkok was quite similar to that in Tokyo.
During the day, everyone wandered around, took photos, and explored various famous Bangkok attractions, including temples, the Grand Palace, the Chao Phraya River, museums, and Chinatown.
Then, at night...
As everyone knows, Bangkok is known as a paradise for men, a great place for... well, you know.
That night, he, along with Sisi and Anthony, set off again to explore Bangkok's hidden secrets, determined to uncover all of Bangkok's mysteries tonight.
Then?
"Lin, you are my brother, Amare forever!"
"Bangkok is so wonderful!"
"I love Bangkok!"
"Tonight's expenses are all on me, Young Master Lin!"
……
It was another happy night. After a group of people had a great time, they didn't go out to play the next day. Instead, they stayed at the hotel to experience the most authentic massage and Thai spa, followed by the competition that evening.
As for the content of the competition, it is similar to the competition in Japan. It is lively, but not intense. The main focus is on being exciting and entertaining, which is sure to make the fans very happy.
Then came another night of nightlife.
"Lin, you are my brother, Amare forever!"
……
The next day, the satisfied group finally boarded the plane back to the United States.
My enjoyable trip to Asia has come to an end.
Anyway, Lin Tian felt that the Asian tournament was definitely more fun than the China tournament, at least 10 times more fun!
In China, he would feel guilty and uncomfortable taking these guys out to have fun.
But elsewhere, Lin Da Guanren has no such burden or psychological pressure, and his main focus is on letting loose!
From now on, Mr. Lin will have to compete in the Asian or World Championships every year!
Well...except for Africa, the nightlife there doesn't seem very fun.
It might even be outdoors...
However, neither Lin Tian nor Anthony Stoudemire expected that they would have new nicknames on their way back to the United States.
They've been having a blast these past few days and haven't thought about anything negative or privacy issues.
After all, once you're abroad, it's inevitable to relax.
Unexpectedly, this relaxation led to their photos spreading throughout the world in every place that follows the NBA within days.
"The Three Heroes of the Night Explore Tokyo! Spending Money Like Crazy in Ginza's Luxurious Nightclubs!"
"Bombing Tokyo! Lin Tian and his teammates celebrate wildly in Tokyo!"
There's a second show! After leaving Ginza, the three headed straight for Kabukicho!
Is this the best Japanese bubble bath shop? Exploring the price range of the bubble bath shop visited by Lin Tian and his companions!
"He was there too! Lin Tian and his two companions went to an entertainment venue with a top cartoonist!"
Even artists have to be assimilated by Lin! Lin Tian shows the Japanese what a true king of nightclubs is!
Moving on to a third location! Can the energetic trio of Lin Tian clear Tokyo in one night?
The Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, having traveled far and wide, reluctantly leave Tokyo!
That pretty much concludes the Tokyo report, but the Bangkok episode is even more exciting.
After all, everyone knows what Bangkok is.
Everyone knows that the "Dark Fantasy" game here is famous... no... ptooey!
Infamous!
Therefore, after everyone learned about Lin Tian and his group's activities in Tokyo, a huge number of reporters rushed to Bangkok as quickly as possible.
They wanted to take photos of Lin Tian and the others.
When they arrived in Bangkok, they were fully prepared, including where to stake out, where to ambush, and where to take photos. Many reporters even went to great lengths to obtain VIP cards for well-known venues, ready to risk their lives and rush into the lion's den if necessary.
Many reporters were frantically researching and meticulously planning Bangkok's tourist attractions before Lin Tian and his group arrived, so they could predict their routes and choices that evening.
Our main focus is on dedication!
The purpose is to provide firsthand reporting.
But clearly, all of this preparation was in vain!
They don't need to do any of this preparation or homework.
Lin Tian and his group didn't hide from the reporters at all; in fact, Xiao Si even greeted the reporters with cameras in a very flamboyant manner!
Anthony went even further, running over to the reporters and asking if they had made any plans, what to do that night, and where to go. He even said that Lin Tian had instructed him to do it.
Then, Anthony smugly snatched a "Bangkok Travel Guide" from a reporter, and the three of them sat down on the stone benches by the roadside and began to study the route. Arrogant and unrestrained, they really were good friends with the reporters!
In short, that very night, a massive amount of photos and articles were circulated.
As for the content, photos, and titles, they are similar to those in Japan. Basically, you just change the place names and you can mix and match them.
If we had to say something else, it would be that with more reporters, there are more people who know how to stir up trouble. For example, a few outrageous reporters took some photos of Lin Tian and others standing with the staff when they boarded the plane and published some rather absurd news stories.
Lin fell in love in Southeast Asia, and after a one-night trip, returned home with his girlfriend!
Lin, now a Thai son-in-law, returns to New York with a sweet girl!
These so-called news reports are outrageous, utterly outrageous!
But ironically, the more outrageous it is, the more people believe it.
For example, when Lin Tian got off the plane and was about to go back to his apartment in New York to rest, he found that Hilton had come to pick him up. As soon as the woman came to Lin Tian's side, she looked him up and down, as if she wanted to find a young girl that Lin Tian was keeping as a mistress.
This left Lin Tian completely baffled.
It wasn't until Hilton tossed the newspaper to Lin Tian that Lin Tian finally couldn't help but say, "You actually believe this stuff?"
"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it at all, but if it's you, you bastard, I completely believe you. What wouldn't you do?"
Hilton rolled her eyes at Lin Tian, then turned and left. Lin Tian ignored her and said goodbye to Little Stanton and the others in a leisurely manner. Then Lin Tian slowly walked out of the airport, found Hilton's Rolls-Royce, opened the door and got in.
Having enjoyed Southeast Asian seafood these past few days, it's time to rediscover the taste of North American steak. Let's keep the fun going!
The Knicks were not scheduled to play any more games in the following days.
After all, it was a long journey, and Stern wasn't a devil, so he let the Knicks rest for several days.
But at this point, the huge boost brought by the Knicks and the New York brand becomes apparent.
Massive business opportunities!
Although Lin Tian had already signed a contract with the Knicks, he didn't stay in New York that summer; instead, he went to play in the Olympics.
After the Olympics, he needed to rest. After resting, the training camp started, followed by another month of hard training. Before, Lin Tian really didn't have time, but now he has finally entered a season vacuum period, and Lin Tian has a lot of time.
Even if he wanted to slack off, his partners and Pelinka wouldn't let him!
In just a few days, Lin Tian, who finally had some free time, was cornered by Pelinka, while Pelinka was cornered by merchants who were eager to cooperate with Lin Tian, waving their checkbooks.
After this series of blockades, Lin Tian had no time to rest in the last few days before the start of the season. He worked on collaborations with Hilton Hotels, Coca-Cola's GG and AND1's new generation of sneakers, as well as many New York local brands and some short-term collaborations such as Burger King.
Lin Tian has been working non-stop these past few days, to the point that he's almost dizzy. These past few days have really taken a toll on him, and Lin Tian even feels that he would rather go and play in the Asian competition again!
The Asian tournament was so much fun!
All I can say is: New York is definitely different! No wonder so many players are desperate to play in New York.
For example, besides the team's absolute core and main players like Lin Tian, Stoudemire, and Anthony, even bench players and absolute water boy players like Brewer and Swettney have quite a few business dealings!
Anyway, Lin Tian had seen quite a few of these guys' promotional posters and GG ads on the street.
But in Indiana, even with a team winning 6 championships in 7 years, fringe players like Tabak and Best have almost no extra income off the court, let alone seeing them dead on the street.
New York is truly a place where gold is everywhere!
These past few days, Lin Tian has focused all his energy on making money and hasn't paid attention to the news on the court.
After all, it's the preseason, and there's not much for Lin Tian to pay attention to.
In some ways, the preseason games aren't even as exciting as the Summer League.
Because the Summer League is a path to advancement for those on the fringes of the league, they will truly fight tooth and nail to stay on the team.
But in the preseason, the team's key players will play, they need to gel and find their rhythm, but they won't actually play for too long or put on a life-or-death attitude.
This resulted in a significant drop in the excitement and content of the preseason games, with many finding them quite boring.
But "boring" is only relative.
Even industry insiders and die-hard fans can see something interesting in the preseason games!
They would only focus on the short time the key players played to study the game, and they would analyze the team's cohesion based on that short period of ten minutes or so.
For popular teams, the preseason games are just as popular as the regular season!
Especially when the names New York, Lin Tian, and Don Nelson are combined, it's impossible not to pay attention to and study this team.
Everyone is so curious about them!
These few preseason games have been the subject of much research and analysis from various parties, who are trying to figure out how the Knicks will play this season and how far they can go.
Then, after a series of elaborate analyses, comparisons, research, and data transformations...
Almost everyone came to the same conclusion.
That is, in these few preseason games, when the Knicks had all their starters and played relatively seriously in the first quarter, their offensive firepower was historic!
Or rather, they are one of the top two or three teams in history.
If you only look at the first 9 minutes of the first quarter, which is when Lin Tian and other starting core players went to the bench to rest, the number is even more exaggerated!
把这几场比赛的每个第一节的前9分钟按照比例换算为12分钟和48分钟数据的话，那幺尼克斯每节比赛能够轰下43分，每48分钟比赛能轰下172分！
Of course, it must be mentioned that their opponents also averaged around 150 points per game during this period.
Although the data and results from the preseason games shouldn't be taken too seriously, and the teams weren't really playing their best, it's quite illogical to force a ten-minute game into the whole match.
At the same time, this starting lineup is unlikely to play the full 48 minutes. As the game progresses, their scoring and efficiency will decline, and an average of 172 points per game is an exaggerated figure that is not worth considering.
But one thing is beyond doubt.
That's the kind of team that will definitely bring fans a crazy offensive feast in the new season!
The only suspense is just how crazy this team can be, and how big the impact of their offensive storm will be!
Based on the analysis of these few preseason games, the Knicks' odds of winning the championship this season have greatly increased, and more and more people are optimistic that they will win the championship in their first year as a team!
At least at this point in the season, according to popular predictions, the only teams more likely to win the championship than the Knicks are the Lakers, Pistons, Celtics, and Timberwolves.
Even the Nets, a traditional powerhouse in the East, were ranked below the Knicks.
There's nothing they can do; they have Lin Tian. (End of Chapter)