Bab 262: Chapter 262: Miami Wade Dong
June 11th, cloudy turning to clear.
The first game of the 2012-13 NBA Finals was about to tip off in Phoenix.
Although Phoenix couldn't compare to big cities like Los Angeles, many celebrities were in attendance for the game.
Celebrities from the entertainment industry...
Sports personalities...
Financial elites...
Even Yao Ming, Iverson, and Barkley were present.
Before the game, a reporter caught Barkley for an interview, asking, "What do you think about Wade Dong being named the sexiest athlete in history yesterday?"
"What do I think?"
Barkley glared at the reporter, "You're just looking for trouble by asking me that question."
A well-known media outlet published a list every year, ranking the sexiest athletes globally.
The list was revealed yesterday, and Wade Dong topped it, beating out the likes of Camille and Beckham. He was the only basketball player in the top ten.
The reporter was trying to bait Barkley with this question, likely because of his previous comments about Jordan.
Seeing that the reporter wasn't letting him off the hook, Barkley replied, "I've said it before; everyone is just flattering Jordan. They all say he's handsome, but he's just so rich that he can't help but be handsome. When you have a net worth of $400-500 million, how can you not be good-looking?"
"But you can't say that about Wade Dong."
Barkley smiled, "I know Wade Dong Sports is part of his empire, and his net worth is well over $400-500 million. But Wade Dong is indeed very handsome!"
"He has a face that no woman can resist. "
"If I had a face like that, I'd go into acting instead of playing basketball..."
...
Before the game, James walked over to the Suns' bench during warm-ups.
Since Wade Dong's parents were in the audience, James came over to greet them.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie!"
After the greetings, James said, "I've reserved tickets for three games at American Airlines Arena. I hope you can come and watch the games there too."
Since Wade Dong's parents didn't speak much English, Li Jiajia helped translate.
After Jiajia explained, Wade Dong's father stood up and shook James' hand, saying, "Thank you, James. We will definitely be there."
"LeBron..."
Wade Dong walked over and said, "You won't need tickets for three games. Two will be enough."
"That's not possible!"
James laughed, "I think sweeping the Suns in 4 games might be a bit difficult, but winning the series 4-2 shouldn't be a problem!"
If it went to six games, the sixth game would be in Miami.
"You're so confident!"
Wade Dong patted James on the shoulder and then went to warm up on the court.
...
During the regular season, the Suns and Heat had played twice, with the Suns winning both games.
However, this season's Heat team boasted an impressive lineup with James, Wade, Bosh, Ray Allen, Battier, Haslem, Lewis, and Chalmers.
After the All-Star break, the Heat further strengthened their roster by trading for veteran Kidd from the Knicks.
It could be said that the Heat was the only team with both a strong starting lineup and a deep bench, comparable to the Suns.
Before the game, Spoelstra was thinking that if James could match Wade Dong, the Heat would have a chance against the Suns.
Unconsciously, everyone seemed to have acknowledged that Wade Dong was the league's top player.
...
At 8 p.m., the game began.
The Suns' starting lineup: Wade Dong, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Gortat.
The Heat's starting five: James, Wade, Bosh, Ray Allen, and Kidd.
The Heat's starters combined for almost 50 All-Star appearances, while only Wade Dong had made an All-Star appearance for the Suns.
...
The referee blew the whistle to start the game, and Bosh and Gortat jumped for the tip-off.
Gortat easily tapped the ball to Wade Dong, who dribbled up the court and signaled his teammates to get into position.
Curry positioned himself at the 45-degree angle to draw Wade's defender.
Wade Dong blew past Ray Allen, and Green set a screen for Thompson, who moved to the corner of the three-point line.
"Swish~~~"
Wade Dong flicked his wrist, and the ball landed in Thompson's hands.
"Swoosh!!!"
Thompson released a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net.
"Great shot, brother!"
As Wade Dong retreated on defense, he waited for Thompson and gave him a high-five.
Kidd dribbled up the court, with Curry on defense.
Kidd passed the ball to James, who backed down Green and took three steps for a layup.
"Swoosh!!!"
2-2!!!
From the start, James was clearly more aggressive on offense than Wade Dong.
Then, Curry attempted a layup but was blocked by Bosh.
James grabbed the rebound and dribbled up the court, suddenly stopping and pulling up for a three-pointer as Green was slightly out of position.
"Swoosh!!!"
The three-pointer was good, and James had already scored five points.
...
In the Huaxia live broadcast room.
Yu Jia: "James' three-point shooting percentage this season is 43.7%, the highest of his career!"
Zhang Zhi: "After losing to the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team in the Olympics last summer, James spent the entire off-season working on his three-point shot."
Yu Jia: "Developing a three-point shot makes James even more formidable."
Zhang Zhi: "I'd like to call him Miami Wade Dong!"
Yu Jia: "Hahaha... That's a fitting nickname!"
...
The Suns were down by a few points in the first quarter, but it wasn't a big deal.
Wade Dong calmly organized the offense, letting his teammates get into their rhythm. If the Suns wanted to beat the Heat, they couldn't rely solely on him, but it would be a little challenging.
Five minutes into the first quarter.
Wade drove to the basket for a layup with his signature crossover move.
Then, Ray Allen hit a three-pointer.
13-21!!!
The Suns trailed by eight points, and the Heat's shooting was on fire.
Kerr called a timeout, wanting to cool down the Heat's hot shooting.
Spoelstra felt a sense of satisfaction.
Finally, Kerr had called a timeout before him!
Since forming their Big Three, the Heat had added Ray Allen this year, aiming for the championship. After being swept by the Suns last year, they were determined to reclaim the title, even if they couldn't sweep the Suns this time.
Spoelstra felt that Kerr was getting anxious, but it wasn't the case.
This had always been the Suns' style. Wade Dong would let his teammates play at the beginning, and when they struggled, he would take over.
Curry, Thompson, and Green lacked Finals experience, and Wade and Kidd's defense effectively limited Curry and Thompson. It was understandable that they started slow.
After all, there was only one Wade Dong.
"We need to make some adjustments to our lineup."
Kerr said:
"Nash, McDyess, and Tucker, replace Curry, Thompson, and Green.
Tucker, you need to limit James' three-point shooting. If he drives to the basket, Gortat and Dong should provide help defense in the paint.
Dong, you play the power forward position to limit the Heat's scoring in the paint."
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone