"So if we lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in this game, and lost by a huge margin."
"Then how could we Celtics still show our faces in this league?"
"We'd be laughed at by all the fans, by those reporters, and especially by those so-called experts."
"Not just us—even your relatives and friends, even your children at school, would be laughed at. Is that what you want to see?"
The Celtics players all shook their heads. That was not something they wanted to see; they did not even want to imagine it, especially after Stevenson mentioned their children.
For every player, no matter how much of a bastard he might be, he still cared deeply about his own children. No one wanted to see their child mocked at school or bullied there.
A fire gradually rose in the players' eyes.
Head coach Stevenson struck while the iron was hot.
"So, for the sake of keeping your children from being laughed at, for the sake of keeping your wives from being laughed at, for the sake of keeping your parents from being laughed at, I demand that you raise your defensive intensity from here on out—to Playoffs level, even Champion level."
"Make sure none of them have an easy time against us."
All the players raised their fists and roared in unison.
Meanwhile, in the visiting locker room, the Los Angeles Lakers had no idea.
The Celtics had already decided to raise the Game Intensity to Finals level.
On the contrary, the locker room was filled with cheer and celebration.
Ever since the team had been assembled in the preseason, everyone had been eager to show the world.
To let them see.
The strength of an all-China lineup.
Yet in the preseason, they had gone 1-5 and been ridiculed by