30.9+10.4+3! Looking back on Brand s 2007 Black Eight Crazy Storm, decrypting the peak code of the first captain

On April 17, 2007, there were only two games left in the regular season, and the Warriors led the Clippers by one win, and between the front line of life and death, the last Western Conference playoff spot was determined. If the final record is the same, the Clippers will win back a game with the advantage of the civil war in the competition area. At that time, the Warriors had to challenge the Mavericks, the first in the league, while the Clippers welcomed the second in the league, with a huge difference in schedule. Surprisingly, the Mavericks sent all substitutes in the last game and lost 29 points, as if they were deliberately "releasing" the Warriors; obviously, they were more afraid of facing the Clippers. The Clippers fought against the Suns in the second round of the playoffs that year for seven games, averaging 30.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.1 blocks per game. Elton Brand, known as the "Captain". As early as 1997, Brand averaged 17.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in Duke's sophomore season, leading the team to the NCAA Finals and won the Player of the Year, First Team of the United States and the Naismith Award. His solid basic skills and over-age maturity remind people of Tim Duncan, and he was nicknamed "Little Duncan". In the summer of the same year, he joined the Bulls as the No. 1 pick and tied for the best rookie with Francis. Although he averaged 20 points per game for two consecutive years, the Bulls were still in the reconstruction period.

In 2001, Wizards General Manager Klaus exchanged the Clippers for the No. 1 pick, Tyson Chandler, and then introduced Eddie Curry with the No. 4 pick, and was called the three high school masters together with Kwame Brown. In the following two seasons, Brand averaged 18+11 data per game in Los Angeles, and replaced the injured O'Neal in 2002 as an All-Star, competing with giants such as Duncan, Garnett, and Webber. In the summer of 2003, Brand became a restricted free agent. Faced with the Heat's six-year offer of $82 million, the Clippers' management unexpectedly matched him in full, allowing him to stay in the team. General Manager Elgin Baylor admitted: "What we need is the only captain, keeping you to go further." However, although Brand can output 20+ stably in a few years, he can only struggle in the weak Western Conference team, and it will not usher in his first playoffs until the sixth year of his career. In the 2005-06 season, Brand ushered in a personal peak after receiving weight loss and mid-range shooting training: 24.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game; the All-Star lineup and the league's best second team won at one time, helping the Clippers achieve a record of 47 wins and 35 losses, and ranked sixth in the Western Conference. In the first round, they easily defeated their opponent 4-1, but were swept by the Nuggets in the second round. This highlight moment surprised Nash, as if he was announcing that he would engrave his name on the MVP trophy.

Unfortunately, in 2007, Brand missed the playoffs due to injury, and his left Achilles tendon ruptured during summer training; in 2008, he jumped out of the contract for the fourth year, helping the team recruit Baron Davis, but he switched to 76ers due to dissatisfaction with the offer and signed a five-year, $82 million contract. From then on, he was unable to restore his peak state and gradually became a supporting role from an absolute core. After joining Philadelphia, he played side by side with Holiday, Luway, Sadies Young and others, but he did not pass the first round in several playoffs. In the summer of 2012, seventy-six people pardoned him, and then went to Dallas, the Clippers and Atlanta, returning to Philadelphia in 2016, and officially announced his retirement on December 21.

is 203 to 206 cm tall and has an arm span of 227 cm. Brand's vertical jump is usually explosive, and he gains a foothold in the inside with the combination of strength and flexibility. On the offensive end, he scored 66.2% at the basket in the first six years, averaging 4.2 frontcourt boards per game. From 2005 to 2007, his shooting percentage soared to 51.2%, and later turned around and jump shots and a small hook became his deadly weapons. On the defensive end, he was able to take into account both confrontation and movement, covering positions 3 to 5, and could only stay in the penalty area after injury, and was often passive when facing the mobile inside.

Looking back on Brand's career, although his highlights were concentrated in the 2005-06 season, fans who have mentioned the title of "Captain" and have all remembered Elton Brand in their hearts when they talked about the title of "Captain" from the 2000s to the 2010s.