One Guard

Chapter 427: Kidd's decision

Kidd, it shouldn't be like this. He has only won one championship so far in his career, and he won it at the end of his career.

For most of my career, I have been tossing and turning, guiding a bunch of people around me to attack, how to cut without the ball, how to open singles, how to defend, and how to persist until the end of the game.

But to be honest, before meeting Yiyang, he never had a real "disciple". The person who is enough to bring the team to victory at the critical moment in the way he did back then.

A 9-time All-Star who played for 19 years and who can finally teach the league's point guards how to be a man, seeing Yiyang's success, he seems to have no regrets at this time.

"Grade 2 thigh strain, recovery will take 4-8 weeks..." Carlisle stood in front of Kidd's hospital bed with arms crossed, 4-8 weeks, when the Mavericks were still in the playoffs. unknown. Because a month later, it was time to play the finals.

"4-8 weeks?" Kidd didn't feel too distressed when he heard the news. Instead, he looked out the window and smiled. This old guy is already relieved.

"How do you plan to arrange the playoffs?" Kidd knew that after he was injured, the team's rotation at the point guard position would start to be stretched again. "Don't let that guy be overwhelmed for the whole game. You don't want to see him get injured like me when he gets older, do you?"

"The only thing we can do is let Jeter play the No. 1 position. Against the Thunder, we can only put all our eggs in one basket. This summer...you won't renew your contract." Carlisle looked at Kidd with dissatisfaction on his face. Abandon.

"You have also seen my physical condition this season. Playing and stopping, this kind of life is really tortured. The identity of a professional player is no longer suitable for me, but I may become a coach like you. So, I'm sure, it's time." Kidd refers to "it's time", which naturally means retirement.

"You see it very openly, does that boy know that you are going to retire?"

"Haven't told him yet, no one knows about my retirement except you and Mark. I don't want to ... distract them in the playoffs."

While the two were talking, the door of the ward was knocked open. Yiyang and a group of teammates who had just finished training walked in and surrounded Kidd.

"Damn, you just said that you are entering old age, and now you are giving yourself a vacation?" Although Terry was not serious, he was actually very regretful.

"How long did the doctor say he will rest?" Nowitzki's words were still reliable, and he grasped the point at once.

"4-8 weeks, if the recovery is not satisfactory, this season will be reimbursed." Carlisle spread his hands, and most players were silent after hearing the news.

4-8 weeks, even if Kidd returns as quickly as possible, the Mavericks may not be in the playoffs by then. Kidd and this season can basically say goodbye.

"Also, remember to allocate your physical energy reasonably during the game. You are not a superman, and it is impossible to be full of endless power every minute and every second on the court. Against Westbrook, don't confront him head-on, be smart, Do you understand?" Although lying on the hospital bed, Kidd still did not forget to guide Yiyang.

Yiyang nodded lightly, then silently put the flowers on the bedside table.

Carlisle on the side smiled, maybe Kidd really has the potential to be a coach...

After staying in the ward for a while, the players went home to rest. Right now, during the playoffs, no one has time to spend in the hospital all the time. Rest is part of the job for the Mavericks players at this time.

Back home at night, Yiyang tossed and turned. His mind is full of the Thunder, Westbrook and Kidd who is recuperating at this time.

Losing Kidd at such a critical moment, Yiyang felt that he was really unlucky. He thought of Kidd guiding him every day when he first entered the league. Most of his own abilities were taught by Kidd himself.

It's a pity that such days can only be revisited next season.

Speaking of next season... Does Kidd really have another season? Yiyang is not stupid, he knows very well that Kidd can no longer adapt to the high-density and high-intensity game rhythm. Kidd's performance on the court this season is not as good as last season. Now that he has experienced injuries again, no one knows what level Kidd will be next season. Maybe even Kidd himself doesn't know if he can still play.

The more Yiyang thought about it, the more he felt out of sorts. He simply called Kidd directly, but Kidd's answer did not make Yiyang feel any better.

"I didn't intend to tell you now, but... yes, after this season, I plan to retire." Kidd's voice on the phone was so calm, but this calm voice gave Yiyang's mind brought a shock to Kidd.

"Retired!?" The word is still too far away for Yiyang at this time, although he has already guessed the ending. But when Kidd said it himself, Yiyang was still stunned.

"Yes, retirement. When I was injured frequently during the season, I thought about it very seriously. I don't think my body will be able to recover completely. If this continues, I will play a few games like this in the future. The game, a few more injuries. It will not help the team, and I don’t want to be a... trash who sits in the stands and gets paid.” Kidd confided his heart to Yiyang, and Yiyang was reluctant to leave Kidd. Could it be that Kidd Are you willing to do it yourself? But in a man's world, some things have to be let go even if they are not willing to give up.

"Besides, the rapid progress of your kid has also made me determined to retire. At least after losing me, the Mavericks still have a stronger "successor", hahahaha! So I decided that after the end of this season, I will not play with the ball. The team has renewed their contract. I will go to study coaching courses, and I plan to be a coach after I retire. This is a plan I have had for a long time..."

"It's not time to say goodbye, Jason." Yi Yang finally spoke, but his voice was not as hearty as Kidd's.

"No, it's time, too. I'm 40 years old, and the length of my career is even about the same age as you are now! It's hard for you to experience the pain of watching a team in crisis while feeling powerless. When you get to my age, you'll understand. Of course, that may be many years later, hahaha." Kidd laughed again, as if he didn't care about retiring at all.

In fact, Kidd had already started to struggle with himself a long time ago. Otherwise, he would not be so calm now.

"And the most important point, also. You, always have to learn to walk alone. I can't be with you forever, Jeter can't be with you forever, and Dirk can't be with you forever. We, destined I will leave the world of basketball earlier than you. You are destined to go on your own for a long time. In the future, you will be the leader of Dallas. It is you who will lead others forward.” De actually wanted to say this to Yiyang a long time ago, this is the last lesson he prepared for Yiyang. It's just that he hasn't been able to find a chance.

Unexpectedly, this extremely important conversation, Kidd actually told Yiyang on the phone.

Yiyang didn't chew for a long time, maybe he was digesting Kidd's instructions, maybe he was alone in a daze. Kidd didn't rush at all, and the two of them were silent for a while over the phone.

"Well...I see, Jason." Finally, Yi Yang responded. This kid is still the same as when he first joined the team, and he always speaks a few simple words.

"The next era belongs to you, too." Kidd looked at the date on the phone, from 1994 to 2012 now. Time, it turns out that so long has passed.

It's time too, it's time to leave this stage to others...

※※※

May 12, 2012, for many Chinese today, May 12 is an unforgettable day in their lifetime. On American soil, today is also the day when the Western Conference semifinals officially start.

The day after Kidd had a long talk with Yiyang, he announced that he was about to retire. As soon as this news came out, it undoubtedly stimulated the nerves of countless Mavericks fans. Because many people didn't expect that the fourth game between the Clippers and the Mavericks was actually the swan song of Kidd's professional player career.

And Kidd's injury is good news for the Thunder, who are eager for revenge. The two teams met in the Western Conference Finals last year. As a result, the Mavericks won 4-1, entered the finals, and finally won the championship. A year later, the two teams met again, and the Thunder aimed for revenge.

"This year the Thunder team is unprecedentedly strong. During the regular season, they reached the second place in the Western Conference in one fell swoop, and easily eliminated the Denver Nuggets in the first round. This season, the Mavericks want to pass the Thunder again. It's not an easy task." Before the game started, even Barkley, Yiyang's supporter, was a little worried about the prospects of the Mavericks.

Compared with the Clippers, the Thunder's strength is even better. Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Ibaka, Perkins... The Thunder's lineup is quite luxurious in the entire league. And in the middle of this year's season, the Thunder also traded for the experienced Fisher. At critical moments, Fisher will definitely play his role to help the young Thunder stabilize the situation.

Nowitzki is the eternal pain of the Thunder. In the five games of the Western Conference Finals last year, Nowitzki averaged 11.8 points in the fourth quarter, and he got a total of 61 free throw opportunities and made 59 free throws. How to limit Nowitzki is the biggest problem for the Thunder.

From the very beginning, the Thunder's defense was very targeted. The skillful double-teaming of Perkins and Ibaka made Nowitzki have a bad start. He made only 1 of 6 shots in the first quarter and only scored 3 points. However, Yiyang's performance continued to go up. In the first quarter, he made 4 of 4 shots and scored 9 points. He hopes to use a victory as a farewell gift to Kidd!

In the second quarter, Harden, the Thunder's super sixth man, started to exert his strength. He hit a three-pointer as soon as he came up. He scored 5 points in a row, and the Thunder surpassed the score. However, Yiyang quickly returned a three-pointer, and the Mavericks regained the advantage. Nowitzki gradually entered the attack mode. With 32.8 seconds left in this section, he made a backward shot and caused a foul. He scored 3 points with penalty shots and the Mavericks led 51-45. It's a pity that Ibaka also made a three-pointer at the end of this section, and the Thunder only trailed 48 to 51.

In the first half of the game, the two sides played very anxiously, but the impact of Kidd's injury was still revealed in the second half.

Yiyang, who had been fighting against Westbrook for a long time, began to consume a lot of physical energy, and his stability on the offensive end was also greatly affected. Dirk Nowitzki and Terry struggled to keep the point difference from being widened, but the rhythm of the game was completely controlled by the Thunder. The Mavericks can only catch up hard.

It wasn't until 53.9 seconds before the end of the game that Ibaka dunked a pass from Durant with both hands, and the Thunder took a crucial one-point lead 97 to 96. The resilience of the Mavericks was unexpectedly strong. Even though Yiyang had made three consecutive shots without scoring, the Mavericks persisted to the end under the leadership of Nowitzki.

At this point, Carlisle called a timeout. At the beginning of this series, it was much more difficult than against the Clippers. After fighting for so long, Carlisle naturally didn't want to waste all his efforts.

"In the first round of the series, the Mavericks passed easily, and it seemed that the fans in Dallas did not feel a sense of crisis. Today, the Mavericks who are playing away from home finally realized the danger of the playoffs! There is less than a minute left in the game. It will be over, and the Mavericks are 1 point behind! Is it the Thunder's revenge, or the Mavericks' continuous winning streak? I am looking forward to the performance of both sides after the timeout!" On the commentary stage, Barkley has devoted himself to the game.

On the sidelines of the court, Carlisle frowned tightly, staring at the panting Yiyang.

"How do you feel? Can you persevere?" Carlisle knew that Yiyang's performance at the critical moment would determine the outcome of the game. If Yiyang really doesn't have the strength, then he can focus on Nowitzki or Terry.

Although Carlisle deliberately controlled Yiyang's playing time today, he still played 43 minutes. On average, Yiyang only rests for one minute in each game. No way, this is already the biggest concession Carlisle can make. Regardless of Kidd's tepid performance this season, his absence still has a huge impact on the team.

"I can, no problem!" Yiyang wiped his sweat and calmed down his breathing. Kidd is looking at himself, he must not let him down!

"Hmm..." Carlisle nodded, then opened his hand, and slowly clenched it into a fist. "Next, we're going to close the game!"

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