One Year Left to Play

Chapter 606: Chapter 186: Someone Has to Be the Best

On the All-Defensive First Team, the SuperSonics’ Gary Payton, the Bulls’ Jordan, the Bulls’ Pippen, the Bulls’ Rodman, and the Spurs’ David Robinson have been selected.

When the first team was announced, houses all over America erupted with curses...

Next up is the announcement of the All-NBA Team.

This time, there’s not much introduction. After quickly switching back to David Stern’s live shot, David Stern introduced the early league awards and began the announcement.

Starting with the Third Team.

The Lakers’ Van Exel, the Kings’ Mitch Richmond, the Pacers’ Reggie Miller, the Suns’ Charles Barkley, the SuperSonics’ Shawn Kemp, and the Magic’s O’Neal have been selected for the third team, with Richmond and Reggie Miller tying in votes.

O’Neal surprisingly made the third team for center! Many viewers felt dissatisfied, and certain media near the Disney theme park immediately started drafting articles criticizing O’Neal as undeserving... ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Indeed, O’Neal only played 54 games, missing the entire first and last months of the regular season, altogether missing 28 games, making his third team selection a surprise to many.

Among the other winners, aside from Kemp unexpectedly only making the third team, there were no issues. The Lakers are first in the West, and having one or two players selected for the All-NBA Team made sense. Van Exel was the least controversial choice, not because he played the best, but because he had fewer controversial points.

Next is the Second Team.

Selected for the second team are the SuperSonics’ Payton, the Utah Jazz’s Stockton, the Pistons’ Grant Hill, the Utah Jazz’s Malone, and the Rockets’ Olajuwon.

Everything seems fine here as well. Payton won Best Defensive Player, but the All-NBA Team considers both offense and defense, and there are two other guards who performed better overall.

Grant Hill made the second team in his sophomore year, exciting American media and fans alike.

Malone making the second team seems reasonable too, with the team fourth in the West and two players selected for the second team. It’s quite commendable.

However, Malone, Barkley, Kemp, and Grant Hill, the four players widely acknowledged to be the top five forwards of the season, appear in the second and third teams. Only Pippen remains to be announced, ensuring Pippen’s consecutive third-year appearance in the first team. But who is the other player in the first team?

Many viewers had an answer in their minds they didn’t want to accept...

After announcing the scores for the second team, David Stern appeared again in the live shot.

"I announce the winners of the All-NBA First Team for the 1995-1996 season: Anfernee Hardaway of the Magic, Michael Jordan of the Bulls, Scottie Pippen of the Bulls, Zhang Hao of the Lakers, and David Robinson of the Spurs!"

Unlike the cheering and screams echoing across households when Jordan won MVP... there were cheers and screams in Los Angeles and California, but elsewhere, it was filled with curses!

The camera switched to the voting data—the All-NBA Team voting, just like MVP votes, is position-based: guards, forwards, and center. There’s no separation between point guards and shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards. Except for centers, the other positions each have two first-team votes, two-second-team votes, and two-third-team votes. The center position totals 1582 points, and guards and forwards each total 3164 points.

Pippen led among forwards with 611 points, whereas Zhang Hao, with 469 points, surpassed Malone’s 443 points and Grant Hill’s 399 points, making it to the First Team of the regular season!

...

...

"That’s incredible..." From the sidelines of the training ground, the Magician couldn’t help but marvel at Zhang Hao.

It’s not about Zhang Hao making the First Team in his rookie season, but the state he displayed after doing so... there was absolutely no emotional fluctuation seen on him.

At 12:30 PM, the team gathered in the home team’s lounge room around the TV. When David Stern announced the First Team roster, they saw Zhang Hao’s expression go from a momentary shock, to exuberant joy, then briefly terrified, before returning calm.

In just a few short seconds, Zhang Hao’s emotion seemed to stabilize again.

All gathered around Zhang Hao, who was calmly accepting interviews, didn’t find any problem with the Magician complimenting Zhang Hao—even though the Magician was a rookie Finals MVP, his evaluation of Zhang Hao seemed justified.

Jason Williams joined in: "Before, when he twice had clutch shots against Jordan, he acted as if everything was as it should be..."

The crucial point was that Jason Williams’s latter evaluation, the Magician, Jason Williams, and the presence-lacking Van Exel from the third team... everyone from the Lakers felt Zhang Hao’s most remarkable trait was his calm demeanor regardless of what he accomplished or achieved, as though everything was naturally meant to be.

Initially, as teammates, Zhang Hao’s behavior could’ve been perceived as flaunting, yet after making it to the first team and maintaining his demeanor, they concluded it wasn’t pretentiousness—it was confidence!

Teammates initially believed Zhang Hao would certainly be selected for the All-NBA Team but hadn’t foreseen it would be the first team. Once Zhang Hao achieved it and maintained his placid nature, teammates felt nothing amiss.

Elsewhere, Zhang Hao continued wearing his indifferent expression during the interview.

"Aix, congratulations on making the First Team in your rookie season. Are you satisfied with your performance this season?"

"Thank you, satisfaction doesn’t matter; I feel I couldn’t have done better. This represents all I am now."

"Aix, you’re the first Lakers player to make the First Team in four years. Reports say there are countless fans outside the Great Western Forum cheering for you. What’s your message to them?"

"I appreciate it... honestly, I’m just playing basketball. I focus solely on what I do and am really grateful for the fans’ support."

"Zhang, do you believe you deserve to be on the First Team?"

"65 wins, second in the league, average 27.1 points, second in the league. If I’m unworthy, besides Michael Jordan, who do you think deserves it?"

"Aix, making the First Team as a rookie might provoke dissatisfaction and targeting from many opponents. Are you prepared?"

"Being targeted is good for me. If I get to experience early on, it’s great training. I aspire to become a player all opponents focus on one day."

"Zhang, do you consider yourself the best power forward in the world?" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

"Someone has to be the best, why not me?"