The Godfather of Basketball

"This is my third year coaching the Rockets. I can make it clear to you that my team has no permanent position. On my team, only those who do their best have playing time. My team, I'd rather die standing up than live lying down!"

"Coach..." Pietrus was about to speak.

"Shut up!" Tang Tian scolded directly.

The faces of the team members were full of surprise.

"Anthony Morrow will be the starting shooting guard for the next game, Weaver will replace Pietrus in the rotation, and Dragic will be in the 12-man roster. I also feel ashamed, so respond to me with your performance on the field instead of rebutting here, understand?" Tang Tian said loudly.

The faces of the team members were full of shock, but no one dared to speak.

Tang Tian really lost his temper.

"There are many teams in NBA history that have won two consecutive championships, but there are only three teams that can truly be called dynasties? Do you know why?"

"Because three consecutive championships is the minimum standard for a dynasty team, and the third championship is the most difficult to achieve. The teams in the entire league are strengthening, and our tactics have been thoroughly studied by them. You think the new season Will the game become easier? Wrong! This year is the hardest!"

"I don't know where this team will go in the end, but this will be a team with three consecutive championships, because three consecutive championships will become the dynasty team in everyone's mouth, and it will make everyone Remember each of you!"

"Yao Ming, T-Mac, Chauncey, Sean, Lewis, Michael, Mark, Sun Yue...all of you will be remembered in history."

"But this requires you to do it yourself! Tell me now, can you bring the third championship trophy for yourself, for me, and for this city, and then be remembered by this league forever? Become the eternal pride of Houston Can you? Tell me!"

"Yes!" The team members shouted one after another.

The team members were scolded and provoked by Tang Tian for a while, and their blood surged a little.

Everyone wants to save face.

"I can't hear it, can you?" Tang Tian turned up the volume.

"able!"

The players yelled out this time.

NBA 2008~2009 regular season season is about to kick off, major sports media and commentators have become active again after a quiet offseason.

ESPN conducted a ranking of the strength of each team during the offseason.

The Celtics, who added Nicolas Batum, were first.

The Lakers, which ushered in the comeback of "Little Shark" Bynum, came in second.

The Cavaliers, who traded for Mo Williams, are third.

With the addition of Baron Davis, the Nuggets, who formed the "New Three Musketeers," finished fourth.

The defending champion Rockets only ranked fifth.

The official comment given by ESPN is: the Rockets' internal conflicts have escalated and morale is poor. With Millsap's departure, the team's power forward position has become weak. The existence of Tianhe Big Three is still one of the favorite teams to win the championship in the new season.

ESPN's comments were relatively tactful. FOX Sports, which had always disliked Tang Tian and the Rockets, removed the Rockets from the championship team, and their comments were full of contempt.

"No championship team will have such an embarrassing record in the preseason. Although it looks good on paper, the Rockets are in a sluggish state. The core T-mac seems to have lost their motivation to play. Reinforcement, the Rockets' road to the championship has been sealed."

The core lineup is aging, internal conflicts are prominent, the team's desire for championships has decreased, the tactical system has been thoroughly studied, and the lineup has changed. These factors that limited the two consecutive championship teams in the past all appeared on this Rockets team.

Can the Rockets become the fourth dynasty team?

Not only the media, but also the fans became restless.

"The era of the purple and gold dynasty has come!" extremist Lakers fans shouted on social media.

"The new season will be a collision between the Green Army and the Purple and Gold Army. The entanglement of the last century will continue into the new season!" Some fans directly voiced this.

Accompanied by the underestimation of the media and the doubts of the fans, the Rockets ushered in the opening game of the new season.

It is said that it is also arranged in the dark. The Rockets' opponent in the opener is the newly strengthened Denver Nuggets.

In the memory of previous lives, the Nuggets traded Billups this season, but now they have signed free agent Baron Davis.

Although it has changed like a butterfly effect, its strength is still significantly stronger than last season.

Before the game, the Rockets held an award ceremony for the championship ring.

The management and coaching staff, as well as the members who won the championship last season, have all received their rings.

The players who got the ring couldn't put it down, and those who didn't got the ring looked envious. Tang Tian could feel that the players' desire for the game had basically returned.

This is the best news.

After the awards ceremony, the Rockets' fourth championship banner was slowly raised at the scene.

The fans at the scene looked at the raised flag and temporarily put aside their doubts.

The raising of this flag also marks that the Rockets have become the team with the fourth most championships after the Celtics (16), the Lakers (15) and the Bulls (6).

The flag rose to the top of the arena, and the cheers on the scene also resounded over the arena.

This is a moment of glory for Houston.

After the awards ceremony, the players from both sides warmed up briefly, and then entered the opening ceremony.

Both starters were introduced.

For the Nuggets, the outside line is a combination of Baron Davis and Iverson, the front line is Anthony and Nene, and the center is "Birdman" Anderson.

"Shooting guard, No. 24, Anthony Morrow!"

When it was time for the home team to start the game, the first name on the field surprised everyone.

It's not Maddie!

Maddie hurt?

Looking at the Rockets' bench McGrady wearing training clothes, there is no such thing!

If it is an injury, it is impossible that there will be no rumors before the game.

But even if McGrady doesn't play, Pietrus should be the starter, and it's impossible for Morrow, an undrafted rookie!

Amidst the doubts of the fans, other starters of the Rockets were introduced one after another.

Fortunately, apart from Morrow, the other starters have not changed. The main point guard is Billups, the forwards are Battier and Scola, and the center is Yao Ming.

"What happened?" Brin in the commentary was full of doubts.

"We didn't receive any news before the game. This should be an internal decision of the Rockets. It seems that the problem of the defending champion is more serious than we expected." Miller on the side said worriedly.