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Chapter 483 - 212. Eastern Finals Begin! (Seeking votes with a 10,000-word plea)_6

Chapter 483: 212. Eastern Finals Begin! (Seeking votes with a 10,000-word plea)_6

Fans were curious, why did Jeff Van Gundy look clueless while coaching, yet witty and sharp when commentating?

After listening to Jeff Van Gundy’s analysis, the fans were even more excited about the upcoming Eastern Conference games.

The game was quite a spectacle, and the coaching duel was also fascinating, with Saunders outmaneuvering Bickerstaff this time, leaving the players eager to see what adjustments the legendary coach would make.

Among the stars, the most dazzling was Zhang Yang!

With 41 points in a single game, at the age of 18 years and 355 days, he broke Magic’s record set at the age of 20 years and 273 days for the youngest player to score over 40 points in a playoff game!

The time Magic scored over 40 points at 20 was in the 1980 Finals Game 6, when Jabbar was injured. He stepped up as center, exploited mismatches to score 42 points and led his team to the championship, earning the FMVP.

For most fans, Zhang Yang’s 40+ game was astonishing; even the genuine Pistons fans were praising his performance, especially since it was their Bad Boys Legion he defeated...

But some fans were shattered. Their KING hadn’t set a new record, yet Bad Boy Jack did... James, in his sophomore year at 20, didn’t make the playoffs; his first postseason was in his third year at 21.

Originally, "the youngest" was seldom mentioned because, a decade ago, top talents usually spent three to four years in college before entering the NBA, making it unfair for the old generation’s superstar giants.

But this topic certainly excited many fans. James enjoyed quite a few benefits in this respect in his first two years before entering the NBA... until last season, when everything abruptly stopped.

Now, all the benefits have shifted to Zhang Yang, who has, metaphorically, stabbed James in the back.

And there it was, the scene his fans least wanted—fans of high school players like Kobe, Garnett, McGrady... all banded together to ask James’ fans: Has James ever scored 40 points in the playoffs? How old was he?

Back when James set the youngest 50+ record at the age of 20 years and 80 days, his fans were boastful. Whenever he lost a game, they’d say, "James is so young yet already capable of scoring 50+."

Fans of players like Duncan, O’Neal, and Kidd countered with "James was just early to the NBA," to which James’ fans would retort, "Bryant, McGrady, Garnett entered the NBA early too, why can’t they achieve it?"

The main strategy was to indiscriminately stir up animosity.

Now, "retribution" had arrived...

On the 26th, an off-day in the Eastern Conference, the Bobcats’ players rested in the morning and headed to the arena in the afternoon to prepare for battle.

The fans passionately debated various topics; the buzz during the Eastern Conference off-day even surpassed the Western Conference game day...

On the other side, Jordan once again traveled to Indianapolis to meet that person.

Initially, he had given up. He had humbled himself multiple times, yet received no agreement, and he was someone with a temper.

But during the Eastern Conference Game 1, Bickerstaff revealed significant weaknesses.

Hubie Brown analyzed Bickerstaff’s coaching issues after the game: "Bickerstaff is good at leveraging strengths, knows how to maximize advantages, and is very proficient in attacking the opponent’s weaknesses in a ruthless manner, making him suitable for underdog matches or dominant games. However, when the strengths of the teams are equal, Bickerstaff’s coaching style is too extreme; many of his improvisations cannot be taken back once executed..."

After discussing with Bickerstaff last night, Jordan made up his mind, swallowed his pride, and decided to visit one more time.

In the past, there was the story of three visits to the thatched cottage; today, in the world of basketball, the God of Basketball made seven attempts to recruit a head coach.

Carlisle met with Jordan six times previously; three were informal chances encounters, just a few words exchanged. The fourth was during the All-Star weekend, when Bird allowed Jordan to formally speak with him. The fifth was when the Pacers were certain to miss the playoffs, the sixth after the regular season ended... In all those occasions, Carlisle firmly declined Jordan’s invitation.

Last summer, after Carlisle publicly questioned Bird’s decisions, he was mentally prepared to be fired, and sure enough, that detail-oriented person informed him after the season that he didn’t need to come in.

He had already started considering new job opportunities, but working under an owner with Jordan’s personality didn’t appeal to him much; he was worried about too much interference.

Working under a former NBA player as an executive could be troublesome, as these executives tend to give a lot of input.

Bird, who knew how to coach and understood ordinary players, was manageable—even if he interfered, it wouldn’t have too negative an impact.

But Jordan was different.

Carlisle had paid attention during Jordan’s two years of playing with the Wizards and saw how miserable those years were for veteran coach Doug Collins.

Jordan respected Collins, but he loved to make suggestions, often publicly, and Collins, too indulgent of Jordan, was reluctant to contradict him in front of younger players...

The key issue was that Jordan’s suggestions, as Carlisle heard, were outrageous.

Collins wanted to develop Kwame Brown like Garnett or Kobe, letting him play as a substitute during his rookie years while giving him adequate playing time yet not treating him as a full-fledged NBA player, purely for development. But Jordan wanted Brown to play like Olajuwon or Duncan.

Collins aimed to develop Hamilton towards the playing styles of Peja or Reggie Miller, but Jordan insisted Hamilton learn from his own style, which Hamilton resisted. This led to a quarrel between the two, and in a fit of rage, Jordan traded Hamilton to the Pistons for Stackhouse, giving Billups a perfect partner...

But when Jordan approached the seventh time... Carlisle hesitated. He and Jordan had a thorough and simple chat all afternoon.

When Carlisle seriously discussed the team with Jordan, he realized Jordan had changed, no longer just an athlete but truly embracing the mindset of an owner... He was somewhat regretful that the divine had become worldly, yet it also sparked some interest in him to head to Charlotte.

Carlisle: "I’ve decided to give it a try, but I want to watch a game on the spot first, to understand the situation closely. I’ll give you an answer before heading to Detroit..."

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Seeking many votes!