Chapter 346 What a hero
From the moment Auerbach's death, all kinds of rolling news continued.
The TV station intervened, and media led by the New York Times set aside a spot on the eye-catching newspaper page to inform readers of the Cardinal's death, and listed his achievements during his lifetime in brief words.
Although the fans are forgetful, the media's words can vaguely remind people of the influence of this old man.
His champions, his influence on the course of the NBA history, and his ignited cigars are considered the earliest trash talk on the NBA arena. He also created the concept of victory cigars.
In 1997, when the NBA ranked 50th superstar, eight Celtics were selected. In Auerbach's words, they were all bastards who brought into the league. "I never thought they would have this day even if I died."
He brought out eight top fifty superstars, countless all-stars, but that was not all of him.
His subordinate Bill Sharman led Chamberlain and West, the Celtics losers in the early 1970s, and scored 69 wins, making the Lakers the first championship since moving to Los Angeles - it sounds a bit ironic, and the person who led the Lakers to win the championship was actually someone who defeated them many times.
Don Nelson, who killed the 69th Lakers with a free throw jump shot, has become a mad scientist.
Westfall, the head coach of the Suns who fought against the Bulls in the finals in 1993, was from the Celtics; McHale, the general manager of the Wolves, who was the fifth general manager of the Wolves to choose Garnett to fly the Wolves in 1995, was a meritorious service for the Celtics in the 1980s; Dave Coins, who led the Hornets to play the best team history in 1996-97, almost became the coach of the year, was the pillar of the Celtics in the 1970s who chose Auerbach to replace Russell; KC Jones, who won the first prize in the championship in 4 years, was Auerbach's first-generation disciple; Larry Bird won the title of Best Coach of the Year for the first time in 1997-98.
Auerbach's shadow is full of the league. More than ten years after he withdrew from the NBA stage, you can still feel his existence. From the East Coast to the West Coast, his disciples imitate him, imitate some Celtic spirits, and some stubborn things that have not been changed by time are circulating silently.
Now that his soul has returned to heaven, Boston has begun to mourn him frantically.
This team that no longer belongs to him has fallen into the lowest trough in history after he left.
Weisha originally wanted to visit Auerbach, but the bishop's home was in Washington, DC. He was rooted in this place, grew up here, and eventually buried there.
Wei Xia couldn't visit her, and his identity was not suitable.
When Auerbach retired from management, he was still a child wearing open-crotch pants. Even Wei Xia's father had not yet been born in his peak years.
What reason does he, a Lakers player, mourn Auerbach?
There was a game against the Celtics that night, and Wei Xia decided not to think about that anymore.
In the afternoon of the same day, the Lakers held their last practice before the opening game.
At dinner, Weisha got a news through the hotel's TV.
Just today, the Celtics announced plans to build an exclusive cheerleading team, and they invited the young, beautiful and good at dancing girls.
The Celtics are the only team in the league that does not have a cheerleading team.
Auerbach said that if you want to build a cheerleader, you will not step on his body.
Now he really became a corpse.
The Celtic management spent half a day doing psychological struggle? And then? They made the decision: guys, we unanimously decided to step on Auerbach's body.
That's it?
Is this the Boston Celtics? They never disappointed Wei Xia in the matter that Wei Xia hated.
Originally, Wei Xia hated the city of Boston, which was filled with racial discrimination, but now he has enough reason to hate this new era Celtics.
That night? The Lakers took a bus to TD North Shore Garden.
Wei Xia didn't see his grandfather? He decided not to come to watch the game on site. Auerbach's death hit him a lot. When he learned that the Celtics decided to abandon the tradition and form a cheerleading team half a day after the bishop passed away, he sold his season ticket in anger.
He is no longer a Celtic fan.
Wei Xia's grandmother was very happy about this. Giving the season tickets meant that Jerry Wayne would not come to watch the game on site again in the future? This is good or bad for his body.
Before entering the locker room? Wei Xia called her grandfather.
"Philly, you must teach me a lesson in these traitors tonight!" Wayne said angrily? "Especially that idiot Paul Pierce, he doesn't deserve to wear the Celtics jersey!"
There was only one reason why Wayne didn't like Pierce.
As he strongly supports the team in adding cheerleading teams? It has become two points.
Wei Xia actively said on the phone? He was originally trying to let go of his hands and feet in the game? He was inspired by this and his emotions became even more intense.
At 20:00 pm, the Lakers arrived at North Shore Garden.
Every audience member on the scene wore a commemorative badge.
The large screen in the center is being debugged. Before the opening, they will play a tribute video about Auerbach.
Moreover, those videos are considered to be a secondary damage for Lakers fans who are watching this game for decades.
The Celtics' dominant opponents are mainly three teams, the early St. Louis Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers throughout.
The Eagles were mainly in the mid-to-late 1950s, and there was no video.
The showdown with the Lakers ran across the 1960s, and Auerbach lit cigars countless times, which has become a classic second half of the tiebreak final in 1969, even had complete color game videos.
The 76ers are after they got Chamberlain in the mid-1960s, and in the early 1980s, the third super team in the world consisting of two super giants, Dr. J and Moses Malone. They fought with the Celtics for five years and each had their own victory or defeat.
In addition to having to repair the Celtics hard, this battle has another meaning for Wei Xia.
The Celtics have collected a lot of newcomers this season, including Allen Ray, the captain of the Wildcats of Villanova University.
Thinking about the fact that in Villanova, Wei Xia was taken care of by him a lot, and the two of them had reliable double guns on the field.
"Bad, I've long said we'll meet in NBA!" Lei was still the same, "I didn't expect it to be so fast. Today I have to show you my progress over the past few years!"
Wei Xia smiled and said, "It just so happens that I have a reason to beat you up."
"It's really a mess, why do you have a reason as soon as I come?" Lei complained, but he was not overly confused about this matter.
It doesn't matter how Wei Xia wants to beat the Celtics. Anyway, he probably has to sit on the bench, and even if he has the chance to play, it will be garbage time.
The old-age undraft who has no talent and is not strong enough in combat is just like this. Being able to stand out in the preseason training camp and become the team's main choice is considered to have fulfilled his childhood dream.
After greeting each other with Lei, Wei Xia went to Tom Heinthorne, who still adhered to her post.
"Tommy, I heard about the 'Red Head', please feel sorry for me," said Wei Xia.
At this time, Heinthorne was just himself, not the commentator who was so biased that he repeatedly complained during the commentary.
"A person of our age may be taken back by God at any time. I am not so sad for Red, but... we made an appointment not long ago to find time to play cards together... It seems that it is not possible." Heinthorne's reaction was calmer than Weisha expected.
They are different from Wei Xia.
They are all old people, and the glorious years of working with each other have happened thirty or forty years ago.
For Wei Xia, that was just last night.
What made him feel most uncomfortable was that he mourned Auerbach in reality. When he waited in the evening, he would see the prime minister in another time and space pulling his voice, which seemed to be filled with thousands of years of old phlegm and verbally greeting a team member's mother.
What kind of feeling and experience is that?
"Wish, you look sadder than me." Heinthorne said with a smile.
"He is an amazing person." Wei Xia said implicitly.
"Yes," Heinthorne nodded, "very remarkable."
"So," Wei Xia turned around without looking back, "I'm going to fight for him tonight."
At a certain moment when the shooting warm-up before the game was carried out, the lights in the garden were completely gone, leaving only the large screen above to emit light.
"He is a great person, we are willing to tolerate each other's character, genius is like this, hehehe." Bill Russell's magical smile opened the opening of the tribute video, and many people laughed at the scene.
He arrogantly called himself and Auerbach a genius, that is Russell.
The only thing you can't get from Russell is hypocritical self-mood.
Then, a collection of highlights is inserted into the classic black and white competition screen.
Then the voice of "Voice of the Celtics" Johnny Most appeared: "There is less than a minute left in the game, and the time for Red Auerbach to ignite the victory cigar is here!"
Light cigars, enjoy victory, spray champagne with players in the locker room, and repeat, that is, the Celtics in the 1960s.
The final scene came to 1984 when the Celtics went through seven bloody battles and defeated the Lakers in that round of the game known as the greatest series in history. In the locker room after the game, the white-haired Auerbach grabbed the Golden Cup and shouted at the media: "You always say that the Lakers want to establish a dynasty in this era. What is a dynasty? This is a dynasty! It is in my hands! This is a dynasty!"
What a hero, what a ruler.
Wei Xia was fascinated until the end of the tribute video. He took a deep breath and said to Kobe: "Today, I want to shoot a few more balls."
Chapter completed!