Bernard King, this name, I believe that many fans who are familiar with the history of the NBA should be familiar with it. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

King was born in 1956 in Brooklyn, New York, a haven for black basketball and one of the birthplaces of wild ball streetball.

Having been exposed to it since childhood, Bernard and his younger brother Albert were already nationally famous football stars in high school. At that time, his younger brother Albert was still more famous than Bernard, and is still considered by many to be one of the best players in the history of American high school basketball.

In endless bullfights and exercises with his younger brother, Kim's strength has grown rapidly. After entering the University of Tennessee, King's spirituality on the court was fully revealed, and he gradually surpassed his younger brother to become one of America's premier college talents.

In 1977, at the age of 21, King entered the draft, was selected by the Nets with the seventh pick in the first round and began his career. In his first year as a professional footballer, Kim shook the world with his vast arsenal. Averaging 24.2 points per game on 47.9% shooting, King was already in the top 10 scoring lists in the league in his rookie season.

Originally, this was a story of Bole and Maxima, and it seemed that there would be a perfect ending. But fate has never favored anyone for no reason.

During his two years with the Nets, Kim's biggest flaw was exposed:

Binge drinking.

"He's going crazy drinking! Sometimes at halftime of the game, he would go a little bit and then take advantage of the wine to play the second half. ”

So recalls the staff of the Nets back then.

The alcoholic Kim gradually became a slave to alcohol, and the next year, his average points per game did not advance but regressed, although he still contributed more than 21 points, but he was far from the savior in the eyes of the Nets.

Coupled with the Nets, there is also a scoring master like John Williamson, and after two unhappy seasons, King was traded to the Utah Jazz.

When I came to Salt Lake City, the dullness here, the "boring" here, the rigidity and depression here made it unacceptable for Kim, who was once the king of New York. The only thing that comforted him was alcohol.

As a result, Kim began to drink like crazy and fell into the vortex of alcohol. Substance abuse, disobedience, self-esteem, ignoring tactics and focusing on single-handedness...... Kim's down-and-out appearance makes it hard to believe that he can make a comeback.

For the next few years, Kim wandered around and was constantly traded by the team like a piece of trash. The talent of his youth allowed him to maintain a good scoring ability, but compared with other scoring masters of the same period - English, Dantley, George Gervin and others, King's influence on the court continued to decline, and he became a "lonely single" outside the team system.

It wasn't until 1982 that Kim, who was full of alcohol, returned to New York, where his dream began.

After signing in New York, King began to reflect on his career, taking advantage of his age, quitting alcohol, drug abuse, and serious training, King gradually regained his form, and his average points per game continued to rise over several seasons.

At the peak of King's peak in the 1984-1985 season, King averaged 32.9 points per game and topped the league's scoring charts. Facing his old club Nets in the Christmas game, King used his amazing jump shots and footsteps to move in a strange position, and scored 60 points in a single game, breaking the Knicks all-time record.

Soon after, facing the Nets again, Kim was still unstoppable, and scored 55 points, crushing the dignity of his old club with his own hands.

His expression was so terrifying, as if he was going to break my head in the next second. I was keeping an eye on him all the time, but he just kept scoring, scoring constantly. ”

Mitchell Ray Richardson, who is in the prime of his career, described the scene that night. In this regard, Kim's reply to reporters was:

"Every night, when I step on the pitch floor, I make my expression a little more serious and murderous, which deters the defenders."

After that game, Kim's name as the "King of New York" resounded all over the world.

All-Star, All-Of-the-Year Team, Old Boss, King of New York......

Kim's life finally got lost when he was 28 years old, and the fairytale-like beginning seemed to be about to usher in a fairytale-like ending.

Then, on March 23 of the same year, in the final stage of the regular season, Kim suddenly fell to the ground during a breakthrough on the field, hugged his knee in pain, and was carried off the court by the team doctor.

Half an hour later, the news came:

Bernard King, King of New York, suffered a torn ligament in his knee and was out for the season.

At this point, the story takes a sharp turn, and the hero, accompanied by the stars, is lonely and bleak.

Top scorer? Kim, who played only 55 games, failed to meet the minimum requirements for the scoring champion to play and was stripped of this honor.

The scoring champion of the year finally belonged to Larry Bird, who averaged 28.7 points per game, which was more than 4 points lower than Kim's data.

The man who averaged the second-highest points per game was named Michael Jordan, and that was the first year of his career.

For the next year, Kim struggled with injuries and was reimbursed for the entire season. After that, Kim continued to fight against fate, changed his style of play, and the average points per game rebounded year by year, and in 1991, he broke through the 28-point mark again, and twice hit 50+ in a single game.

In front of him are the junior imps on the field that year, one named Jordan and the other named Carl Malone.

The veteran has rejuvenated and set sail again, and Kim's career seems to have new hope.

However, that offseason, he underwent cartilage removal surgery, and Kim was reimbursed for the season. Soon after, he was cut by the Washington Bullets and never returned to the top.

This is the story of the King of New York, who was one of the most feared scorers in the NBA in the 80s, and his talent and aura are unquestionable. But vices and fate are constantly making jokes about him, and throughout his life, he has not been able to touch the championship trophy.

Throughout his career, Kim scored a total of 19,655 points, just one step away from the "20,000 points" mark that marks a great scorer.

In the year of his retirement, in the face of the few media present, when faced with the reporter's question of "what are your life plans next", Jin said with a smile:

"Do you know what I'm going to do? Before winter comes, I'll find time to go to the basketball court in my backyard and shoot 350 points, so I can score 20,000 points and accomplish my dream. ”

The ups and downs of his career have made Kim's character shy and introverted, shaping his elegance and courtesy, and also wearing out his outright arrogance.

Incidentally, King's career-high 60 points against the Nets came at New York's home court, at Madison Square Garden. Once, this record was Maddison's personal highest score in a single game.

It wasn't until more than twenty years later that this record was broken by another gifted scoring maniac.

That person's name was Kobe Bryant.

And the serious injury that decided the fate of his career, the opponent in the game, was in Kansas City. One season later, the team moved to a new city and took on a new name, the Sacramento Kings.

"Dang!" 、“DAMN……！ ”

Sacramento Kings, team center training ground.

"Whew...... Call...... Call...... Whew......"

finally invited a great god like Bernard King, Westphal's purpose was of course not just to open a small stove for Gu Yu.

In fact, almost all the players in the team came to the training ground to show off their offensive skills in front of Bernard King.

The same goes for the interior players, because after a serious knee injury, Bernard King changed his usual style of play and developed a set of practical back inside foot. Late in his career, the Kings of New York relied on this ability to score inside and try to climb to the top again.

"Let's take another look at the bottom left corner."

Standing on the sidelines, Bernard King's eyes revealed a trace of helplessness.

“…… Be! ”

Antoine Wright tried his best to steady his breath and went to the bottom left corner to hold the ball and prepare for a face-to-face single.

"Bang bang bang!"

The defender in front of him is the trainer of the team, and the defensive intensity is not big at all from the professional arena.

The trainer holds a giant sponge board in his hand and simulates the constant physical contact of defenders all the way, interfering with Wright's dribbling and shooting.

However, Wright's ball is not bad, the basic skills of dribbling are relatively solid, and he has successfully passed this level, turning around and stepping down to the basket, raising the ball with his right hand, stretching out from under the sponge board, and making a layup with a low hand.

“…… While! ”

The basketball smashed on the bottom edge of the basket again.

"Hmmm......"

Westphall couldn't help but shake his head, there was already a faint anger between his eyebrows, and he could see that Wright's alcoholism had somewhat affected Westphal's opinion of him.

Bernard King, on the other hand, frowned, reached out and touched his chin, and muttered for a long time before he spoke: "Thank you, Antoine, next." ”

"Multi-...... Thank you for the advice......"

…… Depend on!

When he returned to the sidelines, Wright was full of fire and had nowhere to vent.

With this kind of intensity training, I do it every day, and it is impossible to really shoot and not score.

But I don't know how it was today, maybe because of nervousness, or maybe because Bernard King just pointed out that he was drunk, so he didn't dare to face the king of New York. Wright's last-minute shots were always a little shorter, and he didn't dare to open too much.

Or perhaps, because last night, Wright, who couldn't get half of the playing time for the whole game, had nowhere to vent his anger, so he went out on the pretext of talking on the phone with his family, found a bar, and drank until the early hours of the morning......

In such a simple demonstration exercise, there were many mistakes and failed to score, and Wright himself was very disappointed.

"Little ghost, up!"

Westphaal gave Wright a deep look, sighed, and waved his hand back.

"Here we go!"

Gu Yusheng stood up from the bench vigorously, moved his muscles and bones, and after picking up the ball on the court, he did not directly start the offensive action, but looked back at Bernard King, blinked his eyes and asked, "Bernard, do you have to break through?" ”

"Huh......?"

Bernard King was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes lit up, when he looked at Gu Yu, it was like looking at the most shining treasure he had ever seen in his life!