Translation of the article content into English: In the summer of the 96 season, after leading the Bulls to victory, Jordan's contract with the Bulls also came to an end, making him a free agent. At that time, Jordan's team wanted to secure a top-tier contract for him, reportedly seeking an annual salary of $40 million, which was quite challenging for the Bulls. Therefore, Jordan's team prepared to put him on the trading market to see what kind of frenzy various teams would go through to acquire him. Obtaining Jordan could almost guarantee significant financial returns. The most competitive teams were his mother team, the Bulls, and the Knicks. The Knicks offered a blank check to Jordan, allowing him to add his own terms, and the team owner stated that there would be no negotiation. This shocked even the high-level management of the Bulls and the mayor of Chicago. Jordan also announced that he would choose between the Bulls and the Knicks. It was precisely because of the Knicks' pursuit that the Bulls were forced to agree to a top-tier salary of 63.28millionovertwoyears,withthefirstyear′ssalaryreaching63.28 million over two years, with the first year's salary reaching 63.28millionovertwoyears,withthefirstyear′ssalaryreaching30.14 million and the second year at 33.14million.Atthattime,theBulls′entireteam′ssalarycapwasonly33.14 million. At that time, the Bulls' entire team's salary cap was only 33.14million.Atthattime,theBulls′entireteam′ssalarycapwasonly24.36 million, demonstrating the immeasurable value of Jordan. Ultimately, I believe Jordan wouldn't be foolish; he definitely stayed with his mother team, the Bulls, considering the right timing, location, and people. The NBA is business, and Jordan could bring benefits to everyone in the league. Therefore, regarding…

Despite the fact that Kobe Bryant has passed away, his devoted fans remain unwavering in their affection for him, primarily due to the aesthetic appeal of his technical moves and his passionate playing style, which always evokes a sense of excitement and fervor. His five NBA championship titles are a testament to his greatness, but the greatest regret is that he was unable to achieve a second three-peat, which would have allowed him to stand shoulder to shoulder with the "Basketball God" Michael Jordan. So, what were the reasons that prevented Kobe from achieving a second three-peat? Was it a lack of skill or simply fate? Today, let's revisit Kobe's peak years and analyze the reasons behind this. Many fans believe that Kobe's prime was during the championship-winning seasons of 08-09 and 09-10, but this is not the case. Kobe's true prime was actually during the 2007-2008 season. During this season, both his skills and mentality reached a level of perfection, and the arrival of Pau Gasol only added to his prowess, leading the team to a record of 57 wins and 25 losses, securing the top spot in the Western Conference. With an impressive average of 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, he was awarded his first regular-season MVP title. Compared to the more intense playoffs, Kobe's regular-season performance was just an "appetizer." In the first round of the playoffs, against the Denver Nuggets led by Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, Kobe averaged a staggering 33.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and…

The NBA regular season has been underway for over two months, and the league is experiencing severe polarization in both the East and West conferences. In the West, the Thunder have taken an early lead, with a tightly packed group of teams from fourth-placed Mavericks to ninth-placed Spurs, separated by only three games. However, several teams have effectively dropped out of playoff contention, including the rebuilding Kings, tanking Trail Blazers and Jazz, as well as the Pelicans, who are forced to tank. The East is no different, with the Cavaliers starting off strong at 29 wins and 4 losses, leaving the Celtics and Knicks to battle for second place. The remaining Eastern Conference teams, such as the Magic, Bucks, Hawks, and Heat, offer some competition, but most are essentially giving away points to the top teams like the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Knicks. At the bottom of the East, the Wizards have long planned to rebuild, hoping to trade away Kuzma and Poole for some rebuilding assets. The Hornets' LaMelo Ball has been impressive this season, averaging 30 points and 7.4 assists per game, but he has been unable to lead his team to victory and is plagued by injuries, limiting him to being a regular-season stat-padder. Another team that spent hundreds of millions of dollars this summer with the intention of making a playoff push or even contending for a championship has started with a disappointing record of 7 wins and 26 losses, a win rate of just 22%! Even so, in the East, the last-place Wizards are only eight…

On January 2nd, Beijing time, the Rockets played against the Mavericks at home, and the game ended with the Rockets successfully defeating the Mavericks 110-99. Although the Mavericks were missing Doncic in this game, it was still a tough challenge for the Rockets to win, especially when Irving and Klay were able to play. However, in this game, the Rockets not only effectively limited Irving's performance but also had multiple players step up. Moreover, when Klay found his rhythm and tried to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, the Rockets maintained their offensive momentum and continued to exert defensive pressure on the Mavericks, ultimately securing a decisive victory. In this game, the Rockets' offensive capabilities showed significant improvement, which is crucial for them. The reason why the Rockets suffered reversals in previous games was due to their lackluster offensive performance, especially in the fourth quarter when their poor offense gave opponents the opportunity to turn the tide. Therefore, the current Rockets must find their offensive rhythm, and they achieved this in this game. Although VanVleet, the starter, was in a slump, Sengun, Green, and Dillon all had excellent offensive performances, and Whitmore also delivered the expected offensive output. The Rockets maintained their offensive state throughout the game. After the win, although the Rockets remained in third place in the West, they are now only half a game behind the second-place Grizzlies. Sengun's outstanding performance in this game was remarkable. After the game, Sengun was interviewed by reporters and talked about being double-teamed. He said: "Opposing teams have been double-teaming…

I'm the Clippers, and on January 1st, Beijing time, I had to go away to compete against the Spurs. This game really wore me out; playing back-to-back games, my physical strength was really drained. That Wenyamana is just too strong; no one on our team could stop him, watching helplessly as he helped the Spurs take the lead. Powell's offense wasn't effective either, making it difficult for us to catch up. And I kept making mistakes; when the Spurs were scoring from multiple angles, I was beaten to pieces, and by the third quarter, there was no more suspense in the game. In fact, losing this game isn't something the Clippers can't accept. After all, this was a back-to-back game, so it's understandable that the Clippers' offensive state was low. Take Powell, for example; he's been playing great recently, so his occasional dip in form in this game should be forgiven, especially since even Harden has had several slumps this season. Moreover, this game wasn't just about Powell's slump; Zubac and the others didn't play well either. In the end, Powell shot 4 of 12 for 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Zubac shot 2 of 7 for 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. For the Clippers, a crushing defeat isn't actually the most terrifying thing; what really worries them is a major change in Harden. At the beginning of the season, Harden couldn't control his mistakes. Fortunately, as the season progressed, Harden gradually got better at controlling them. But who knew that in recent games, Harden's…

The Clippers defeated the Warriors 102-92, successfully stabilizing the situation and rejecting the Warriors' comeback attempt! The plot of this game was truly unpredictable, making the audience's hearts race, especially with the Clippers' explosive performance in the third quarter, which was breathtaking. If it weren't for the Warriors missing several key opportunities at the end, who knows if the outcome would have been different? The game started with both teams fiercely competing. Zubac's dunk opened the scoring for the Clippers, while the Warriors did not back down, with Davis and Li Keller responding in kind, as the score remained close throughout. However, the Clippers' Dunn, Jones, and Powell suddenly erupted, combining for a 9-0 run that briefly gave them the lead. Despite Kuminga's three-pointer keeping the Warriors in the game, they still trailed 21-19 at the end of the first quarter. Honestly, that 9-0 run caught the Warriors off guard, and if it weren't for Kuminga's timely response from beyond the arc, the game might have been taken away by the Clippers. In the second quarter, the game became even more intense. The Clippers started strong with Dunn's layup, but the Warriors quickly responded with Kuminga's four points to pull ahead. Both teams engaged in an offensive battle, with the Warriors' Li Keller and Hield hitting threes to take the lead again, only for the Clippers' Harden and Coffey to respond with their own threes to regain the advantage. At halftime, the Clippers led 49-43, creating a tense atmosphere where neither team could establish a significant lead. But in the…

On January 2nd, Beijing time, according to NBA reporter Shams, the Suns' total salary for this season exceeds 220million,andtheyalsoneedtopayover220 million, and they also need to pay over 220million,andtheyalsoneedtopayover180 million in luxury tax, totaling a staggering $400 million. Currently, with a record of 15 wins and 17 losses, the Suns are only ranked 11th in the Western Conference, missing out on the playoff play-in tournament. Additionally, they only lead the 12th-ranked Kings in the West by one game. In the past 23 games, the Suns have managed only 7 wins and 16 losses, with this win rate ranking just 25th in the league during the same period. It is clear that the Suns will make changes before the trade deadline, aiming to reduce their payroll and regain their future first-round draft pick. This summer, the Rockets acquired the right to swap first-round picks with the Suns in 2025, as well as unprotected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 from the Nets. The Rockets' goal is very clear: they hope to acquire Suns forward Kevin Durant. Currently, the Rockets are temporarily ranked third in the West. This season, the Rockets have repeatedly faced reversals by opponents in the fourth quarter, which is largely due to the lack of a star player on the team. Although names like Butler and Fox have appeared in the trade market, the Rockets' management and coaching staff have higher expectations for Durant. Moreover, the Rockets' management has maintained sufficient patience in trading for Durant. American media outlet BR has also made predictions, suggesting that the Rockets, Suns,…

NBA regular season continues, the Rockets, who have suffered two consecutive defeats, have dropped to third place in the Western Conference, with teams like the Mavericks, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Spurs, Warriors, and Suns all in hot pursuit. Any misstep could see them exit the playoff race. Fred VanVleet has become one of the most disappointing players for the Rockets this season, earning $42.85 million but averaging only 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of just 37.9% and a three-point percentage of 32.7%. The Rockets management holds his team option for next summer, and it is expected that General Manager Rafael Stone will not continue to execute his final year's max contract. To ensure securing a playoff spot, GM Rafael Stone hopes to strengthen the team through the trade market, aiming to find an All-Star level player to further enhance the overall strength of the Rockets. Recently, Jake Fischer, a reporter for American media outlet "Bleacher Report," suggested that the Rockets should target 76ers' All-Star small forward Paul George as their top priority for recruitment. The 76ers have had a poor record this season, currently ranking 11th in the Eastern Conference, and even if they manage to enter the playoffs, it is unlikely they will make significant progress. George's performance this season has been subpar, and his four-year, $212 million contract has already severely limited the 76ers' salary cap space. The journalist provided a 3-for-1 trade offer to both the Rockets and the 76ers, and if negotiations go smoothly, VanVleet and Tari Eason…

When it comes to NBA's all-around players on the court, the names that undoubtedly come to mind for us fans are Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and LeBron James. All of them play in a ball-dominant style and are equally comprehensive in three technical statistics! Coincidentally, both James and Jokic have played 28 games this season, so let's compare the data they've achieved. Jokic 28 games 867 points 360 rebounds 267 assists 49 steals 16 blocks This season, the Denver Nuggets encountered some significant troubles at the beginning of the season, needing time to mesh their lineup and with many key players underperforming. This shouldn't be blamed on Westbrook, but the team did indeed rely more on Jokic at the time. The latter even averaged a triple-double for quite some time. Currently, the 29-year-old Jokic is still averaging nearly a triple-double and remains firmly at the top of the MVP rankings. In terms of shooting percentage, he has reached 56.3% + 48.9% + 79.4%‌ this season. Additionally, he averages 31.0 points per game, ranking third in the league, with rebounds and assists also ranking third. As a center, his 1.8 steals per game rank sixth in the league, which is truly impressive. James 28 games 657 points 220 rebounds 252 assists 23 steals 17 blocks LeBron James recently celebrated his 40th birthday, officially entering his forties. With age, James has indeed experienced a certain degree of decline in his offensive capabilities, averaging 25.7 points last season, but only 23.5 points this season, which is just above his rookie season.‌ In terms…

The Houston Rockets achieved a significant victory over the Dallas Mavericks, with a final score of 110-99. The Rockets' performance was led by Jalen Green with 22 points and 5 rebounds, and Whitmore with 18 points and 3 rebounds. After the game, Whitmore exchanged jerseys with Lively from the Mavericks, indicating a good personal relationship or mutual admiration between the two players. During the first half, the Rockets led by 9 points with a score of 61-52. Notably, the Rockets' free-throw opportunities outnumbered the Mavericks', with 19 attempts compared to the Mavericks' 3. This advantage helped the Rockets maintain their lead despite struggling with three-point shots in the first quarter. In the second half, the Rockets continued to dominate, with multiple players contributing to the score. By the end of the third quarter, the Rockets had extended their lead to 14 points. Despite the Mavericks' efforts to rally in the fourth quarter, the Rockets remained in control, with Whitmore's efficient scoring playing a key role in securing the win. The Rockets' young players are showing signs of growth and development, suggesting that the team could be a consistent playoff contender in the coming years. However, to become a championship-contending team, they may need to see further improvement from players like Green, Whitmore, and others, or potentially acquire an established superstar through a trade.