Jamal Wilkes had a good looking era. 198 cm tall, delicate skin, brown eyes. At the age of 27, he was called "Babyface Wilkes," or "Cupid Doll, by Los Angelesians." There are men and women who stare at him, and he also knows that the eyes of many male fans not only contain appreciation for their skills.
"That's what this line is. We were all men of good shape, running around in shorts, and people watched us sweat — sometimes it felt like it was erotic. ”
Maybe he was a little sensitive, maybe because his dad, Linde Wilkes, was a church pastor in Ventura, California, and he grew up listening to his dad read the rules and precepts, and he was particularly sensitive to the attention of the people. He was introverted, playing basketball at the age of eight, and practiced shooting sideways to avoid the caps of tall opponents. He was too clever to be right since he was a child, and the other children only knew that when they played mighty, single-handed, and forced baskets, he could already get stuck and cover. Similar conversations occur from time to time:
"What's that?"
"I'm blocking."
"Huh?! So, what's that?! ”
In his dad's words:
"In Jamal's family atmosphere, we always encourage him to meditate." As a result, "we have a lot of values in the street courts there, but each one of them appreciates Jamal – he fits in with any team." ”
At the age of 17, Wilkes brought this contemplative hobby to UCLA University under the tutelage of the great John Wooden coach. As you know, children from UCLA are always trained by Coach Wooden's magic to be good children with a team, a show, a smart, and an orthodox worldview.
In college, Wilkes experienced UCLA's immortal 88-game winning streak, watching UCLA win three consecutive titles in 1971-73. In his senior year, he became a member of the National First Team and then graduated into the Golden State Warriors.
He was born to win, and he was magical in his 1974–75 rookie season. In his rookie season, he became the team's second-leading scorer — behind the great, well-rounded, arrogant, foul-tempered Rick Barry.
The funny thing is that at 198 centimeters and 85 kilograms, he was actually used as a big forward. He became a rookie of the year, following the Warriors to the Finals, and in a 1985 interview, he described that year's Finals this way: "Believe it or not, because I was used as a big forward, the Finals was actually sent to defend the 206 cm, 108 kg Elvin Hayes!" ”
- However, his mission was not badly accomplished. The Warriors swept the bullets 4-0 to win the championship, Barry finally got a ring at the age of 30, and Wilkes tasted the championship for the fourth time in five years — a lucky star blessed by God.
But within a few years, this aura of good fortune faded. In the 1975-76 season, he became an All-Star in his second year, but the Warriors failed to defend the title. In 1977, he switched to the Lakers, and then spent two years without pain or itch. In the summer of 1979, the Lakers welcomed the Magician. Many years later, the world saw this as the beginning of a dynasty — as you know, from this year on, the Lakers won five championships in the next nine years, and the Combination of Magicians + Skyhook, plus Pat Riley, who took office in 1981, will create the most gorgeous and passionate "performance moment" in the history of sports.
But few people noticed the significance of Wilkes in this team.
In the 1979-80 season, the arrival of the Magician made the Lakers' fast attack bloom like a peach blossom, and Wilkes quietly and silently melted in this snowy sky, averaging 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game, shooting 54%.
He runs smartly, has a beautiful step and a delicate feel. He can grab rebounds, run with the Magician, and then let the Lakers' fast attack blossom. But the world's eyeballs are always easily attracted by Jabbar's beautiful hook or the magician's clever hand, forgetting his moment.
Lakers coach Paul Westedt had it this way:
"Jamal always does this: he plunges the knife into your body, expresses his affection, pulls out the knife, disappears into the night, and goes to the next city. He went back and forth like this, over and over again, and there was never a single shot that was awkward. So, one day our team Michael Cooper comes up with a beautiful score, and the scouts will say: Aaaah, try to block the sky hook, and be careful Cooper! Then, after thinking about it, they will add: By the way, Wilkes shot well! ”
In the traditional sense, his "also very good" shots are not very beautiful. He threw his toes barely off the ground, just symbolically tiptoes; his arms formed a large slingshot, the ball ended to his right ear, and then his hands pushed the ball out; if it weren't for the gentle silky shape of his hands, the posture would have been like a big trebuchet.
But for Coach Wested, the lover's eyes are out of the west:
His shots fell slowly on bamboo leaves like light snow. One minute, the snow was still there; the next minute, the snow melted. Unfortunately, people don't like falling snow. ”
To be sure, Wilkes' opponents disliked it very much.
Wilkes doesn't just shoot. He was like light snow, fluttering at any time. Around 1980, the Lakers' fast-attack prologue was always a sky hook or Jim Cornes' backcourt rebound, handed over to The Magician or Noam Nixon, and then the two commanders — one brisk and agile, one wielding — began to catalyze the melody, and Wilkes appeared on the fast-attack line at the other end, like a violin tightly stitched up on the pitch. "If the guy I'm defending likes to rush forward for rebounds, I'll snap, but sometimes I'll sprint straight and leave him behind. For me, basketball is about keeping up with the broken time — and I'm going to be sad not to grasp the broken time. ”
So even if it's not a fast attack, he's always moving. He shuttled back and forth on the inside, giving the magician a wake-up call every time he walked: "You can pass here." "He kept blocking his teammates and then cut them himself out to find a shooting chance.
His bottom corner shot was so gentle and so precise that Grandpa Herne, the great commentator "Voice of the Lakers," was suddenly inspired: "Wilkes' shot is a layup from 20 feet away!" He did it all so gently and delicately, and with his baby face, the people of Los Angeles generally didn't have the literary style to coach Westerd, who could feel the realm of "light snow falling on bamboo leaves", but they would say: "Ah, this guy is as smooth as silk!" ”
The funny thing is that because of the previous habits, the Lakers, like the Warriors, always let him, who was born a small forward, go to the big forward position until 1981.
Many years later, the world's memories of the Lakers of the 80s always belong to three people: the Optimus Prime; the magician strategizes; and The Worthy Rush.
But in fact, Vassie sat firmly in the Tiger Skin Chair of the Lakers' three-in-command, and it had to be the 1984-85 season.
It can be said that of the Five Lakers championships, in 1980 and 1982, the three bosses were Wilkes; in 1985, 1987, and 1988, the three bosses were Worthy.
It's actually quite similar to Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman — the former achieved the Bulls' first three consecutive titles, the latter complemented the Bulls' last three consecutive titles, but the latter is far more famous than the former.
Wilkes' fame was nowhere near that of Varcy, and his nostalgia was always confined to the interior of Los Angeles, some wonderful moments. For example, in 1980 against defending champion Seattle Supersonics, in the second half of the third game he suddenly threatened, 8 of 10 shots, the knife was fatal, shooting Seattle to the blood; for example, Jerry Bass had just taken over the team, announced that he would keep Wilkes, and let him no longer work as a big forward, focusing on playing small forwards, "He was in the big forward position, it was almost too hard to die; so I persuaded him that we should let him play full-time small forwards." ”
For example, the 1980 Grand Finals.
In the 1980 Finals, before the Lakers battled the 76ers, there was a sea of garbage talk. The Philadelphia player was asked "Which is better, the Lakers' Magician or the Celtics' Bird?" "Of course it's Bird!" The Lakers were asked, "Have you recently heard that 'Chocolate Lightning' Daryl Dawkins is doing well?" "Who?" Chocolate stupidity? ”
And Lakers fans publicly preached: Hmm, Wilkes and your Dr. J — almost good! And Wilkes' own opinion is:
"Dr. J can't even compare to [Lakers superstar] Elgin Baylor."
He just called out, and he went to duel like this. The Lakers and the 76ers played five games, Tiangou averaged 33 points per game, scored 14 points in the fifth injury final quarter, and scored 40 points in the whole game, and the Lakers led 3-2, but after the game, Tiangou was declared unable to play. Later legends are known all over the world:
In the sixth game, the magician temporarily replaced the tiangou to play the center, wantonly, played an immortal 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists in his personal performance, led the Lakers to win the championship, and became the youngest and only rookie season finals MVP in history as a 20-year-old and rookie...
But again, Wilkes was always ignored.
That night, Wilkes was equally great: 37 points and 10 rebounds, and defended dawkins with 14 points and 4 rebounds. By his own admission:
"Before the game, I felt like our winning hope was 10 to 15 percent. But it's amazing to be able to show in front of a national audience how strong we are – even if not the hook! ”
He holds four rings (1975, 1980, 1982, 1985). He is the three-time leader of three championship teams. He was invincible in college. He can win wherever he goes. He plunged the knife into your body, expressed his affection, pulled out the knife, disappeared into the night, and went to the next city, and the cycle began. He's a silky player.
In the 1980 Finals, he and Dr. J played against an entire series, with a crucial sixth game of 37 points and 10 rebounds to help the team win the championship. But he is always in the second or third role just right, so that you don't have time to feel his giant star shadow.
In game 6 of the 1980 Finals, in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia came back to the point, and with 5 minutes and 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers only led 103-101. Coach Wested called a timeout and called the Magician and Wilkes — the former a rookie and the latter the only person on the team besides skywalkers to win a championship. The magician admitted, "I was exhausted, but we managed to run anyway." ”
"Running successfully" refers to his quick-attack follow-up score, and Wilkes' breakthrough score, make a free throw, make additional free throws, and score three points, and the Lakers lead by 7 points. Big picture locked. Tiangou, who was recuperating from his wounds at the time, later admitted:
"Seeing Jamal's three-pointer, I jumped out of my yard and yelled! Then I ran back and bit down on the pillow. ”
Until I saw the Lakers win the championship.
Moments like this, only old Lakers fans, magicians, Sky hooks, Dr. J and other parties will remember.
This is Jamal Wilkes. Silky smooth, as light as falling snow, falling on top of bamboo leaves.