In the NBA at the beginning of the 21st century, the center, which is very important for the impact of the game, still continues the previous high-intensity confrontation in the style of play. But fans know that these short years have gradually weakened the influence of insiders on the game, of course, these are all foregone conclusions.
Today's Pacers lineup is getting closer and closer to the league's small ball style, but the team still needs inside players as a support, and the presence of Miles Turner reminds many old fans of the former "black Yao Ming" - Roy Hibbert!
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > basketball schools to show their strength, completely limiting "Auden the Great"</h1>
Roy Hibbert, born in 1986, is very similar to many athletes' childhood experiences, and has to choose many sports: tennis, baseball, golf and so on. He eventually chose basketballs that required more physical condition because of his growing height, but that didn't mean he started lower than other players.
In high school, he helped the team win the 2004 Interstate Games championship, and from this time, it was already possible to see Hibbert's talent and strength for basketball. As we age, technology matures.
In the same year, he also joined georgetown University, a basketball school, which has trained top interior players such as Mutombo, Ewing and Mourning, as well as legendary defender Iverson, in addition to Clinton, Albright, Robert Gates and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also graduated here. The coach who once coached Hibbert has been sparing no effort to help him, constantly training his skills.
In the 2007 NCAA Final Four, Hibbert showed his strength as an inside player, facing the "great" Auden, who was touted by the US media in college, he had 19 points and 6 rebounds in this game, on the contrary, his defensive ability on the inside successfully limited Auden, only allowing him to score 13 points, this game also allowed the United States to see the new growth of the inner superstar.
These two years have been very important for Roy Hibbert's growth, and the coach's trust in him has given him plenty of playing time and provided the prerequisites for him to play well on the field. Averaging 26.3 minutes per game, he was able to contribute 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.2 blocks, becoming the core player of the team's excellent strength. His ability to attack and defend has made him popular with many teams and has also brought his college years to a successful end.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > was traded when it first entered the league, and became the main force</h1>
In 2008, Hibbert decided to run in the NBA draft, when he was able to prove on the field that he was a qualified starting inside lineman, so many teams were very interested in him. On the night of the announcement of the draft rankings, he was signed by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 17 pick, which is an acceptable condition for both sides.
But he didn't get endorsement from the Raptors coach, and within days he was sent to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal. Hibbert was not discouraged by this treatment when he first entered the NBA, but proved his strength with excellent performances in the second season.
Now it seems that this transaction is not like a trough for Hibbert, but more like a chance to succeed, after all, the team he really grew up in the league is the Indiana Pacers. Contributing 10 double-doubles in the second season, averaging 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game is enough for an interior player in his rookie season!
Hibbert grew into an All-Star at the Pacers and was selected as an All-Star twice in his career as a Pacers. As long as he's there, the Pacers won't lose games because of an inside loss. Because he is 2 meters 18 tall, weighs 122 kilograms, and his body and technical playing style are similar to Yao Ming, he has the reputation of "Black Yao Ming".
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In the following seasons, his scoring stats didn't skyrocket because the team and himself knew that defense was always the number one in his eyes. In 2012, he told the league with his excellent defense and unceremonious blocks that he was one of the strongest of the inside players that fans would discuss later.
Facing the Hornets' weak interior line in February, he naturally would not let go of any opportunity to slash the career high score of 30 points! It was also from that year's playoffs that Hibbert's Pacers met for three consecutive years with the Heat led by James, Wade and Bosh. Although the final result was that the Pacers were eliminated, Hibbert's team forced the "Big Three" into a desperate situation several times, and Hibbert's tough defense on the inside gave the "Little Emperor" and the "Dragon King" a headache.
In the 2012-13 Eastern Conference Finals, Hibbert averaged 22.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1 block per game, shooting 55.7% from the field, making him an absolute contributor to the Pacers' ability to play seven games against the Heat. But the following year, team leader Danny Granger was ruthlessly sent away, and the young Paul George was established as the new nucleus, leaving Hibbert's spirit and ball power devastated.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > off-court scandal broke George, 0 points and 0 boards are incompetent</h1>
What's even more frightening is that Hibbert and George had an argument after a "threesome" with an NBA that year, and eventually broke up. Then there was a media explosion, Hibbert's fiancée and George "played hot" news, which made the two completely break up, whether in training or in the game there is no communication, Hibbert in the interview, but also many times incarnated as a "mouth cannon", many times angrily sprayed the team's senior management and teammates. , let the team relationship down to the freezing point, "NBA Hollywood" is also about to come out...
So that year, the five starters who were given high hopes had already shown different influences on the game, but because of various scandals, the team's state also fluctuated. Although they were first in the East in the regular season, they stumbled all the way to the playoffs, showing no dominance of the Eastern Conference bosses.
The Pacers were forced by the Eighth Eagles in the East to grab seven in the first round of the playoffs, and even gave the Hawks a 3-2 lead. In the second round they were 4-2 again, stumbling to eliminate the Wizards. Entering the Eastern Conference Finals, the opponent is still the "Big Three" Heat, this time, the Pacers held out 6 games, after all, they surrendered their weapons and returned home.
So how did Hibbert perform in this three-round series? He averaged 9.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, shot only 44.9 percent from the field, had a win contribution value (WS) as low as 0.9, and an efficiency value (PER) of just 12.1, creating the worst playoff performance for an All-Star inductee in NBA history. The 0 minutes and 0 board data that appeared twice made him "Black Yao Ming" and replaced it with "Gao Yuanyuan" and "Trash Can".
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > was elbowed by Zhan Huang under the basket, and the league's new rules targeted him</h1>
Hibbert may also have had a grudge, a regular season game in March 2014, when the Pacers played at home against the Heat. At the end of the game, James held the ball and forced a breakthrough to prepare for the layup, and Hibbert did not flinch, but met it with open arms. In the process of dodging, James's right elbow slammed into Hibbert's chin, and the latter fell to the ground in response.
The referee awarded James a first-degree foul, Hibbert tried to stand up, but immediately fainted again, and then returned to the locker room twice for treatment. In the end, the Pacers narrowly won by one point, establishing a competitive advantage in the top spot in the East. James responded after the game: "It was all a coincidence, it was his face touching my elbow. If I could fly in the air and deliberately hit someone with my elbow, I would be a kung fu star. ”
In the end, the league did not suspend or fine James, but soon after introduced new rules, which gave a clearer definition of the behavior of both sides. Under the new rules, defenders are no longer allowed to block attacking players in the air when defending from vertical jumps to the sides or turning around.
According to the previous "cylinder" rule, the defender is not a foul as long as he defends inside his own cylinder and can turn around in the air to defend. But under the new rules, it will be Hibbert who will foul the two in this contact, which is also known as the "Hibbert Rule". Since then, Hibbert, who has long been accustomed to fixed defensive movements, seems to be at a loss in the game, often sending opponents to the free throw line, and his mentality has once again been seriously affected.
< h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > victim of the small ball era, and Kobe Bryant was reprimanded</h1>
That season, Hibbert, who had a great hope of competing for the Best Defensive Player (DPOY), eventually lost to the Bulls' Jokin Noah due to his poor performance at the end of the season, but he still made it to the second team of the Best Defensive Team. Although he received personal honors, clear-eyed people know that The Pacers general manager "Big Bird" Bird, who is bent on supporting "Bubble Pepper", can no longer let Hibbert stay in the team.
Sure enough, in July 2015, the Los Angeles Lakers only used a second-round pick, and they almost "white prostituted" Hibbert. However, the Lakers management still gave him a large contract of more than 15 million, which hibbert saw as a good opportunity to redeem himself and enhance his personal value and strength.
Helplessly, the advent of the small ball era has made him move slowly and bounce weakly, and he has come to the twilight of his career in advance. In that season with the Lakers, he averaged only 5.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and was almost invisible on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. So much so that the team boss Kobe Bryant often reprimanded him for not focusing enough on the game.
Even after a defeat, Hibbert, who tried to comfort Kobe Bryant, was ignored by the "boss" and finally put his hand directly on his chest, only to be slapped away by Kobe... The Lakers, who had too many blue-collar workers and lacked super giants, did not achieve any results that season, but Bryant chose to retire from touring that year.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > postscript</h1>
After a season of "messing up" with the team, Hibbert finally put himself in a situation where there was no team to want. The next two seasons, wandering in the Hornets and Nuggets, allowed him to do less on the court. Maybe it's really that his strength has dropped too fast, or maybe he really can't adapt to the small ball era, in 2018, at the age of 31, he chose to retire.
Today, Roy Hibbert has joined the Philadelphia 76ers as a player development consultant for the team. He also said bluntly in the interview: "I am a product of the big center of the last era, and now the big man must be able to open up the space, move quickly with his feet, be able to defend the three-point shot by the opponent after blocking the demolition, and ensure that players like Curry cannot get the opportunity to empty three points." The young players know that they can't get as many low-back play opportunities as before, they need guys who can pull out space and move fast. ”