Chapter 585 [Opening Battle, the Strongest]

? On November 1st, Josh Powell successfully completed his physical examination and reported to the Suns. When he met his teammates for the first time, he had to participate in joint training to prepare for the home opener in the evening against the Mavericks.

Powell was very excited and felt like a dream. The Suns did not sign famous veterans or big-name free agents in the summer, but he easily joined the Suns without playing a preseason game.

After arriving at the arena, Powell, who usually loves to laugh, was very serious, as serious as a soldier about to go to war.

He thought carefully that it would be most appropriate to meet his teammates with such an attitude, because the Suns are suffering from injuries. Although the preseason record is very good, their strength has declined after all, and Guo Xu may be in a bad mood.

He has to work hard and be serious, and he has to please the boss. It would be stupid to be laid off because of his playful smile. He has been dreaming of becoming an NBA player every day since 2003, and now that his dream has finally come true, he has nothing to lose.

The atmosphere in the Suns locker room was very different from what Powell expected. He did not see any pessimism among his teammates. Guo Xu took the lead in chatting and laughing in the locker room, talking about a recent video game, not basketball.

Assistant coach Larry Drew brought Powell to meet everyone and asked him to introduce himself.

Guo Xu stepped forward and shook his hand vigorously: "Josh, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to join the Sun."

"Hello, nice to meet you too, Jason." Powell was very nervous and kept a serious look.

Guo Xu smiled and said: "You don't need to be so serious, and don't be nervous. I guarantee that you will complete this season without worrying about being laid off. And you will have a lot of playing time to prove yourself."

"Thank you." Powell, who was most afraid of being fired for poor performance, breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're welcome, because the situation is very special now. We have injured two inside generals. We need you to go all out when you go out, try your best to defend, and when attacking, make fast breaks and shoot open balls." Guo Xu took the shot. Pat Powell on the back. "Ask more advice from me and my teammates during training, so you can integrate into the team faster."

Powell was flattered. Guo Xu was the MVP for three consecutive years. He held four championship rings but had no airs. He was willing to help him integrate into the team. This was the team atmosphere he dreamed of.

With just a few words, Guo Xu gave Powell the idea that "a scholar will die for his confidant". He wanted to become a part of the sun and enjoy the glory of victory.

The team conducted low-intensity training in the morning, and the players arrived at the arena on time in the evening.

Before playing, Guo Xu called everyone in the locker room to gather.

He stood on the court and said loudly: "Because the Suns were invincible last season and the championship was too easy to win, I didn't say anything to encourage morale. This year I injured two teammates, so I decided to say a few words."

No one interrupted him, everyone listened carefully.

Guo Xu smiled and said: "First of all, the two injuries are not the end of the world for the Suns. The media thinks that we can't win. They are stupid. They don't understand the ball and what running and gun tactics are. Yes, ours Our strength is weaker than last season, but compared to other teams we are still the strongest!”

"That's right, the Suns will win!" Haslem shouted, leading the applause.

With this die-hard brother here, Guo Xu will never be silent when talking.

Powell swallowed. He usually learned about Guo Xu through the news. The media and fans thought he was extremely confident and an arrogant person. Now Powell felt that Guo Xu was more arrogant than most people imagined.

In Powell's view, the Suns need to find him, an undrafted rookie, to reinforce the lineup. The lineup is obviously "very weak", but Guo Xu's confidence in the team's title defense is not just pretending. He really dares to shout slogans.

Guo Xu paused and then said: "I firmly believe that the Suns will establish a dynasty next year. I hope everyone can be so confident and play boldly. You don't have to be afraid. If you perform well, you will get a high salary. If you don't play well, I won't say it after the game." I've never said that kind of nonsense like 'My teammates don't support enough' and I won't say it in the future. If you are in good condition, I will be a fan on the court. If you are not in good condition, just pass the ball to me and I will make the ball. It is my responsibility."

Kukoc and Payton began to take the lead in applauding. The two veterans had seen a lot and thought this was what a super core should be like.

A true superstar will not give up in times of adversity. He will use words to boost the morale of the team off the court. He can turn things around with his personal abilities on the court. He will also dare to take responsibility when he loses. A truly strong person will never lose confidence. Only a fake core and a true softie will lead the team to fail as soon as they see that the lineup is not good. When they cannot win, they will blame their teammates for their incompetence.

Guo Xu's words gave the young players reassurance that they just need to work hard and don't have to worry about taking the blame for the defeat.

Teammates who have participated in two consecutive championships all believe in Guo Xu's ability and believe that he can lead the team to win, because last season he seemed to have enough energy left, he didn't take many shots and mainly passed the ball.

Guo Xu did have some strength in the regular season last season. When playing against weak teams, he often took the lead on the defensive end. His teammates can all see that with such a boss, they are particularly confident.

It will be broadcast live on ESPN in the United States and CCTV5 in China. The Suns players came out first, and there was a championship ring awarding ceremony before the game started.

When awarding the ring, Zhang Lili said: "The Suns are not playing well this season, but there is still an opportunity. If Guo Xu can still lead the team to win the championship, the gold content will be very high. He will be super this season. Last season he was just Consecrate the gods.”

Xu Jicheng said: "Almost everyone is not optimistic about the Suns defending their title. They are very unlucky this season. They lost a star, did not sign any players in the summer, and only signed an undrafted rookie. However, the Suns' preseason performance is eye-catching. .”

Zhang Liji said: "With Guo Xu here, there is hope. Look at his relaxed look and his expression as if he is already a champion."

The players from last season received their championship rings one by one. Everyone was smiling and not worried about the upcoming game. Only Stoudemire and Nene were depressed. They were seriously injured and could not attend the game today, so they could only watch the game live at home.

Guo Xu finally received the ring and spoke on behalf of the players.

"We were a little unlucky in October this year and lost two big players in succession. I believe the fans are aware of this. However, judging from the ticket sales, everyone is still willing to come to the home court to watch the game and support us. I am very happy. Thank you everyone."

The fans applauded vigorously. Guo Xu waited for the applause to stop and then said: "It will definitely be difficult to successfully defend the title this season, but I am confident that I can lead the team to continue to win the championship. If we do not win the championship, it will be a failure for us. I I hope that at this time next year, we can gather here and raise the Sun’s third championship flag together. Please support the Sun and bless us.”

North American fans who watched the live broadcast on TV were surprised, and many people immediately posted online to discuss it.

"Jason Guo is too domineering. Three stars are missing. Before the opening game, he even issued a championship declaration."

"Is this a formal challenge to Michael Jordan? Pippen said Jordan would only be able to lead the Suns to the second round at most."

"The Mavericks have been abused by Jason's team for several consecutive years. Today, the opponent's lineup is not complete. If the Mavericks still can't win, I don't think they can win in 10 years."

"I have a hunch that Jason will win both the scoring and assist titles this season, but I don't know if he can win the regular season MVP for four consecutive years."

Reporters from the online media quickly broke the news. Before the game even started, Guo Xu attracted countless eyeballs.

He leads the team with a single core, and the Suns' goal is still to win the championship...