The "Messiah Storm" that Zack had stirred up since entering the NBA finally showed signs of dying down in mid-January of the New Year.
The Warriors had fallen into a cycle of alternating wins and losses, or winning two and losing two.
The Messiah, who previously averaged a triple-double every four or five games, hadn't achieved one in eight consecutive games.
The impact of Baron Davis's injury seemed to be starting to show.
Without a doubt, all these factors finally gave those who had always thought the media was hyping up Zack too much the chance they'd been waiting for to step into the spotlight.
Now, they finally had the opportunity to hammer away at their keyboards, turning their words into swords, to show people a more "authentic" Zack.
Generally, when a rookie doesn't perform well in their first season, people often immediately think of the "rookie wall."
Since Zack was also a rookie, he, too, would naturally hit this wall.
At least, that's what those attempting to present the "real Zack" to the world believed.
However, they were quickly disappointed.
Because despite Zack's recent stats becoming increasingly "average"…
As of the moment Los Angeles Times reporter Jovan Buha submitted his article, Buha discovered that in January 2006, Zack was still averaging 19.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals for the Warriors (this only includes January data).
Even this veteran NBA "hater" – who had publicly criticized Kobe Bryant's shot selection and called Shaquille O'Neal a lazy, fat, greedy parasite – couldn't help but gasp.
Yes, if Zack, who was still averaging "19+11+6+3+1" for the Warriors at this point, could only be described as "average," then what about Tim Duncan, Zack's senior from his college days? What about Kevin Garnett, who was now drowning in the Western Conference with the Timberwolves? What about all those historically famous inside players fans knew so well?
So, as a rigorous and reasonable hater, Buha decided to find a new angle to give people a more "authentic" Zack.
Because just by looking at Zack's main statistical panel, in Buha's eyes, the so-called rookie wall theory and the increasingly average theory simply didn't hold water.
After all, in the NBA, every star has moments of fatigue and poor performance.
In the face of Zack's still "phenomenal" stat line, Buha needed more evidence and sufficient reasons to prove that this Bay Area Messiah was nowhere near as strong as the world was hyping him up to be.
But then, the more he compared Zack's January performance with the previous two months, the more perplexed Buha became.
Especially when Buha looked at the so-called advanced statistics.
Clearly, with Zack on the court and off the court, the Warriors were practically two different teams.
And this situation didn't improve even after they traded for Ron Artest.
Data showed that when Zack was on the court, the Warriors were the second most efficient offensive team in the league this season, only trailing the Suns.
But when Zack was off the court, the Warriors could only be compared to the Houston Rockets offensively.
Furthermore, when the Messiah was on the court, the Warriors averaged 48 rebounds, but when he was off the court, that number immediately dropped to around 40.
And even more frightening was that despite the Warriors, who championed offensive basketball this season, not having ideal average points allowed, when Buha magnified this data to per 100 possessions…
Buha found that when Zack was on the court, the Warriors' defensive efficiency per 100 possessions could actually rank in the top five in the league!
But once he was off the court, the Warriors' defensive efficiency per 100 possessions could only "commiserate" with the Supersonics.
Since the NBA introduced various advanced metrics, Buha had never seen a player like Zack who could have such a huge impact on a team on both offense and defense.
What's more, this player... was just a rookie!?
So, to investigate why Zack possessed such terrifying on-court influence, Buha decided to analyze every Warriors game video from this season, frame by frame.
After all, he was always a hater who had his facts straight.
Then, Buha discovered Zack's effective screens that couldn't be counted in statistics, as well as the seemingly simple but extremely damaging hand-off passes he made to teammates on the court, utilizing his unique characteristics.
Next, Buha also noticed that although Zack had gradually reduced his help defense frequency and increased the number of times he "watched the show" from beyond the three-point line on offense since last December…
When he was on the court, he still provided the team with indescribable help on both ends.
Because of the threat of his shooting range and the inability to predict if he would create an opportunity for a teammate with a screen the next second, opponents of the Warriors in games simply didn't dare to relax their vigilance against him.
As for defense, the Warriors even gradually built their defensive system around him.
"I see! After Ron Artest joined the team, they now have a 'DPOY'-level defensive player on the perimeter. So he doesn't have to be ready to help defend his perimeter teammates at all times like before. Instead, he can expand his defensive zone only when necessary, through more careful observation, to disrupt the opponent's offense. He used his keen observation and defensive reading ability to replace tasks that would otherwise consume a lot of energy."
On the night Buha uncovered the truth, this famous Los Angeles Times hater fell completely silent.
"The Warriors' recent decline in performance is related to them reducing Zack's playing time. In November, Zack's average playing time was around 42 minutes. But in December, his playing time was reduced to 40 minutes per game. And in January... the Warriors even cut his playing time by another 5 minutes. The Warriors are preparing for the playoffs three months from now, because they need their Messiah to perform at full capacity in the playoffs... and even to 'overclock' himself to create that one unique possibility!"
It's well-known that when people can't hold back, they often don't.
Therefore, when Buha, through the series of evidence he found, revealed the "real Zack" to people in the Los Angeles Times…
Never mind how those who disliked Zack commented. Anyway, Buha successfully "broke the defenses" of countless people that day.
"I think people can end the discussion of who the best player in the 05/06 NBA season is right now, because in my opinion, no matter how many high points Kobe Bryant scores on the court, he can't compare to the Warriors' Messiah. As for Steve Nash? Perhaps he has more influence on the offensive end than the Messiah, but in today's league, who doesn't know that Mr. Steve Nash is a liability and a negative asset on defense? Tim Duncan was indeed the best power forward in the league in my mind, but now he isn't, because in my eyes, his junior is far superior to him. And Shaquille O'Neal, who is still upset about not making the MVP top five discussion? Don't be ridiculous, that lazy, stupid, fat pig who always fantasizes about still being the league's best center, how can he compare to the Messiah? Undoubtedly, the Messiah is the hope of our era, he is my choice for the 05/06 NBA season's best player!"
On the day Buha's article was published, although not everyone cared about Buha's sole opinion, the article still sparked huge controversy online.
Because in Buha's article, to prove how excellent Zack was, he basically stepped all over every player listed on this year's NBA regular season MVP rankings. For example, Zack's college senior and Nash, who was currently leading the Suns to sweep the league with one offensive showcase after another.
Fortunately, as seasoned veterans, Duncan and Nash both knew very well that while Zack was indeed strong, he was nowhere near as exaggerated as Buha described him in this article.
After all, Buha completely ignored the tactical resources the Warriors poured into Zack in this article.
In the NBA, because the incomparable playing styles and positions of each star player determine that the resources they consume on the court are different, no matter when, even the most advanced statistics can only serve as a reference.
Because advanced data can often only prove how much you contributed to your team on the court.
In fact, as a league always full of various discussions and controversies, only by combining these so-called advanced data with the "trophy room" theory can you most intuitively feel which player is truly stronger.
For example, Michael Jordan, who also had advanced data to support him and collected a large number of "trophies" from stars of his era. In the NBA, no one ever said you couldn't get revenge by defeating Jordan after losing to him. It's just that compared to Jordan's unique trophy room, the trophy rooms of other NBA stars of his era were slightly embarrassing.
So, Jordan finally used trophies like "Magic's Regret," "Clyde's Pain," "Barkley's Despair," "Malone's Remains," and "Stockton's Champion's Heart" to ultimately forge that potion called GOAT.
No matter how later generations discuss his almost scumbag-like character, no matter how much data you customize to pretend you're strong, if you don't defeat all the stars of an entire era and bring them all into your trophy room, how can you call yourself king in the NBA? How can you deserve to be king?
Of course, although Buha's article was biased, it did, in some ways, confirm how excellent Zack was in his rookie season.
However, in January of this year, even Zack found it difficult to steal Kobe Bryant's thunder with Buha's article.
On January 22nd, Kobe's grandmother, Cox, arrived in Los Angeles. She was there to witness her grandson play for the first time, up close and personal. Years later, people would learn that this day also happened to be the birthday of Kobe's grandfather, who had passed away nearly five years prior.
The day before the game, Kobe devoured a large pepperoni pizza with a bottle of grape soda. Before the game started, he quickly scarfed down some hamburgers and fries. Throughout, the pain in his knee was a constant, sharp, and biting presence that never faded.
"Why did you bring Macaroni?"
"I thought he'd want to see how his father plays."
According to "Mrs. Bryant," Vanessa, this was the only conversation she had with Kobe before the game.
Then, after giving Macaroni-Bryant a loving look, facing the visiting Toronto Raptors and seeing Jalen Rose, who had hurt him in the 2000 NBA Finals…
Kobe Bryant, the league's finest shooting guard, simply flipped the switch that transformed him into a "God of Basketball."
Although Kobe only had 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting at halftime, his scoring quickly surged to 55 points by the end of the third quarter, showing no signs of slowing down. This began to spread panic on the Raptors' bench.
At the Staples Center, throughout the entire fourth quarter, the scoreboard on the big screen constantly flashed "MVP, MVP."
With 4 minutes and 28 seconds left in the final quarter, reporters on the sidelines were no longer focusing on Kobe Bryant; instead, their eyes were fixed on "Zen Master" Phil Jackson. The reporters' brows were furrowed. Lakers' lead was already 17 points, and they worried Jackson might pull Kobe early, just like he did against the Mavericks when Kobe had scored 65 points by the end of the third.
But the "Zen Master" didn't spoil the night. He decided to keep Kobe on the court.
So, on the scoreboard…
Kobe's points finally stopped at 84 points.
After the game, Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw excitedly told reporters, "I had discussed with Kobe after the Mavericks game if he could get 80 points if the 'Zen Master' kept him in the fourth quarter. After Kobe confirmed it, I knew then that he could do it all!"
On January 22nd of this year, as Kobe scored an earth-shattering 84 points on "Dragon-Slaying Night," the entire basketball world went absolutely wild.
Former Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, upon hearing the news of Kobe's 84 points from a friend at 3 AM, tossed and turned all night, immediately wondering how he would respond to such a Kobe if it were him.
"I think in some ways, Kobe Bryant has already done better than Michael Jordan," Pippen said in an interview.
As for Pippen's teammate, Michael Jordan, he did not immediately comment on Kobe's 84-point game.
"That was the greatest scoring performance I've ever seen in my life," "T-Mac," who was still asleep afterward, said in an interview. Even in a video game, he wouldn't know how to control a player to score so many points.
Overnight, Kobe snatched all the attention in the basketball world.
However, not all media outlets gave Kobe positive reviews after "Dragon-Slaying Night."
For example, the San Diego Union-Tribune stated that the game was meaningless. And Chicago Sun-Times reporter George Kochi commented in his article, "Kobe is nothing close to a hero."
Furthermore, Kobe received polarized reviews within the league.
For instance, Vince Carter said that Kobe set a wrong example.
And Kobe's former teammate, Shaquille O'Neal, said, "Give me 50 shots, and I can get that many points too."
Meanwhile, O'Neal's teammate Antoine Walker backed him up, saying, "If someone scores 84 points on me, I'll punch him in the face next time we meet."
It must be said that in January of this year, the "Game Winner" and "Game Loser" from the previous "Good Night, Los Angeles" moment seemed to have conspired.
The former was first praised by Los Angeles Times reporter Jovan Buha as the greatest rookie in NBA history.
The latter, in late January, completely washed away the negative impact of the Eagle County incident with an 84-point scoring feast, and sparked a discussion in the basketball world about whether he could score 100 points in a single NBA game.
But whether these two intended it or not, they quietly teamed up to poke countless holes in Shaquille O'Neal's already tiny heart.
Earlier, in an interview, O'Neal had said, "When will Jovan Buha shut up? I already teamed up with D-Wade to beat the Warriors before. That kid the Warriors drafted isn't as good as he says!"
However, to O'Neal's surprise, since Buha had always hated O'Neal, in that article specifically praising Zack, he even added a sentence:
"Believe me, that lazy, stupid, big fat pig will surely say in the future that he and 'D-Wade' once teamed up to beat the Warriors... so here, I must tell everyone, in that game, 'D-Wade' scored a total of 37 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. And our Shaq? Ho ho, let's see, he only scored 14 points and 8 rebounds on 4-for-14 free throws. Is this the so-called best center in the league?"
As the protagonist of that article, even Zack himself probably didn't expect that Buha would inadvertently bring him so much animosity from O'Neal.
In fact, if O'Neal hadn't gotten into trouble for a racist comment (which he claimed was a joke) when Yao Ming entered the league, he would have probably rushed to Oakland to challenge Zack to a duel after seeing Buha's article.
Because O'Neal, who had always been petty, would never tolerate Buha using a mere rookie to disparage him. Even though Zack was also a player, and even though O'Neal now knew the consequences of offending the market, he still couldn't tolerate a rookie who hadn't even touched the Finals floor having a better image in the eyes of the world than himself.
As for Kobe's 84 points on January 22nd? That was clearly a "Palm of the God of Basketball" strike from Kobe in Los Angeles, directed at Miami, which completely shattered O'Neal!
"That was undoubtedly a great night, and... I guess you now know how difficult it was for me to lead the Warriors to defeat the Lakers with a buzzer-beater at the Staples Center before, right? I don't agree with the idea that the game was meaningless, nor do I agree with the idea that anyone can score the same points if given 50 shots. Because if it was meaningless, then what was that game-winner I made in Los Angeles before? If everyone can score the same points with 50 shots, then why don't they go do it right now? What, can't they?" On the 23rd, Zack said this in an interview after leading the Warriors to an easy home victory over the Supersonics.
Hearing this, a reporter asked, "There have been rumors that your relationship with Kobe Bryant isn't very good, but today you surprisingly gave him a very high evaluation."
Seeing this, Zack spread his hands and said, "Even at this moment, I'll still tell you, I don't like him. But just because I don't like him doesn't mean I can't appreciate his scoring on the court."
"Shaquille O'Neal said in an interview yesterday that you don't deserve Jovan Buha's praise, and he thinks you've been overrated by Jovan Buha. What's your take on that?"
Zack smiled and said, "Jovan Buha can evaluate me, and Shaquille O'Neal can certainly evaluate me, just like I can say... without Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal wouldn't have won a single championship."
The reporter was surprised and asked, "Are you declaring war on Shaquille O'Neal?"
Zack shook his head and said, "I never considered Shaquille O'Neal my opponent, because I'm a power forward. Also, Jovan Buha was right about one thing: compared to that so-called best center in the league, we truly had no answer for 'D-Wade' when we played against the Heat before."
If it were prime O'Neal, Zack might have been wary of him. But this current O'Neal, who just wants to boast about his past achievements and try to prove he's still the league's best center by showing off his Excel spreadsheets? No thanks. In Zack's eyes, who always treated everyone equally, this period's O'Neal was fair game for criticism.
When Shaquille O'Neal complained that Kobe didn't speak up for him, leading to him being kicked out of the Lakers... did he ever remember how he attacked Kobe in front of the media after leaving the Lakers?
Zack had no fondness for O'Neal, who always had flexible moral standards; in fact, he disliked his future criticisms of up-and-coming players after retirement. Because those overly extreme criticisms, solely aimed at attracting traffic, not only labeled those rising stars as "idiots" but also severely affected their future careers.
Furthermore, Zack remembered that after O'Neal teamed up with Wade to win the championship this season, he would repeatedly gloat to the Lakers and Kobe through the media.
That's Shaquille O'Neal for you. Because Yao Ming stole his All-Star starting spot back then, he even directly used racist terms to insult Yao Ming in front of the media. But after feeling public pressure and seeing the prospects of the market, he immediately changed his tune and became good friends with Yao Ming in the NBA. He even personally draped Yao Ming's jacket over him when Yao Ming was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Zack couldn't describe O'Neal with a single accurate word. After all, everyone in this world is an incredibly complex individual. But as a player destined to reach the pinnacle in the future, if O'Neal truly wanted to start a war, Zack wouldn't mind using a "seasoned dried fish" as an ingredient for his future GOAT potion.
Two days later, O'Neal responded to Zack's sharp comment in Miami, "Without Kobe, he wouldn't have won a single championship": "He (Zack) is just an inexperienced kid; I won't stoop to his level."
Compared to the usual arrogant O'Neal, this time, noticing the media's deliberate attempt to provoke a conflict between him and Zack, O'Neal decisively chose to proactively quell this public dispute.
Because after much thought, a calm O'Neal realized that Zack actually didn't have a deep hatred for him. He was only angry at Zack because of Buha's article.
Moreover, compared to Yao Ming, who used to downplay big issues and always presented himself as humble and low-key, Zack, ever since entering the league, had been anything but low-key; he could even be described as extremely arrogant.
In Los Angeles, he dared to say "Good night, Los Angeles" after defeating the Lakers with a buzzer-beater, keeping the City of Angels awake all night. In Cleveland, even facing LeBron James, the "Chosen One," he showed no camaraderie, directly nailing Cleveland to the pillar of shame with "The Dunk."
In fact, more and more people are now starting to call him "Little Larry Bird." Yes, even though Zack's current playing style has nothing to do with Bird, people firmly believe that his personality proves he's Bird reincarnated. (Bird: "Huh?")
In short, because he no longer possessed his former arrogance, O'Neal, after calming down, didn't want to add another enemy when he was already agitated by Kobe's 84-point game.
However, what O'Neal didn't know was that Zack had a very significant characteristic.
That is, once he holds a grudge, his revenge will never wait ten years.
What do you mean, "I don't deserve Jovan Buha's praise"? In Zack's eyes, the only minor flaw in Buha's article was that he hadn't praised him enough!
You have to remember, those stats were earned through his relentless effort night after night. To lead the Warriors out of their slump, he had been operating at full capacity, even "overclocking" himself since his career debut!
But in the latter part of the article, because he was busy disparaging other players, Buha didn't elaborate on this. This greatly disappointed Zack.
Considering that English is far less elegant than , Zack reluctantly forgave Buha in the end.
But what Zack didn't expect was that now, even an outdated star who clung to Wade's leg and only dared to talk about his past Excel spreadsheets dared to say he didn't deserve that praise.
Initially, Zack wasn't that angry about O'Neal's comment. But the more he thought about it afterward, the angrier he got, and his gaze quietly turned to the calendar:
—February 8th.
On that day, the Warriors would host the Miami Heat. It would also be the second encounter between the two teams this season.
To prepare for this "slaughter" that would officially bring the "seasoned dried fish" into his trophy room, Zack had been eagerly awaiting that day almost every night since the beginning of February!
"The Heat are second in the East right now. Are you sure we can beat them at home?" Brown asked that day, wanting to calm Zack down after learning about his "Shaq-slaying plan."
Hearing this, Zack said, "What about being second in the East? They only have one more win than us right now."
"This Miami Heat team is full of stars. Besides Shaquille O'Neal and D-Wade, they also have Antoine Walker, James Posey, and 'White Chocolate'..."
To this, Zack puzzled, "Don't we also have Ron, Jason, and you?"
Seeing Zack getting riled up, Brown said, "But they're a team aiming for a championship, and we..."
Zack was surprised by Brown's hint. "Are we not a team aiming for a championship?"
Now it was Brown's turn to be shocked. "Our... goal this season is a championship?"
Zack took a deep breath and said, "I'm very disappointed in you today, Kwame."
Brown: "..."
After a pause, Zack continued, "I originally thought you were like me, striving for a championship every day, but I guess I was mistaken."
Brown: "..."
Then, Zack said, "Do you really not know what Baron, Jason, Troy, Mike, and the others are hoping for every day?"
The next second, Brown no longer remained silent and said, "Do all of you really believe that our goal this season is a championship?"
Zack nodded and patted Brown's shoulder, saying, "In the NBA, never underestimate a champion's heart."
Seeing this, Brown, who was instantly filled with respect, said, "Okay, in that case, the Heat are indeed an opponent we must defeat."
Zack knew better than anyone that even though these Warriors were nowhere near championship contention level, what did that matter? In the NBA, weren't others allowed to aim for a championship?
And precisely because of this, after the New Year, Zack accepted the advice from "Executive Vice General Manager" and "Executive Associate Head Coach" Mike Dunleavy Jr.
"I know this sounds exaggerated, but if we want to make a statement in the playoffs this year, we absolutely cannot overexert your stamina like this," Dunleavy Jr. told Zack after returning from Charlotte.
Beside them, Artest also echoed, "You are our only ace, our only capital to contend against those traditional Western Conference powerhouses, so I personally agree with Mike's proposal."
To prepare for the playoffs, the Warriors had to strictly control Zack's playing time and reduce the wear and tear he experienced during the regular season.
Perhaps this would cause Zack to miss out on more impressive statistics.
But compared to the stats achieved through "overclocking"...
Zack knew very well that with the ambition of this Golden State "Band of Thieves" fully awakened by him…
Why wouldn't he want to see how much chaos they could stir up in the Western Conference this year on the playoff stage with his teammates?
Of course, on certain nights, facing opponents who didn't acknowledge him, both Dunleavy Jr. and Artest believed that Zack absolutely needed to demonstrate at full power whether the Warriors' Messiah was worthy of those evaluations!
On February 8th, the Miami Heat officially arrived in Oakland.
And that night…
Zack, who had been waiting for a long time, also revealed a fierce look!
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