NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 134 Young MVP (Daily Chapter)
The long NBA lockout during the 98-99 season had a huge impact on Philadelphia.

Valentine's Day in 1999 was supposed to be the day when Philadelphia hosted the All-Star Game, and it was originally planned to be a celebrity feast:

Moses Malone, Juliet Irving, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain will all be together.

As a result, the day turned into an ordinary regular season game, and Philadelphia suffered a blood loss!
After Michael Jordan retired, it had an impact on many ball markets, and Philadelphia was one of them.

Dick Ebersole, chairman of NBC Sports Network, made a point after broadcasting McNamara's retirement ceremony:
"We must create a new generation of stars!"

Philadelphia responded positively to this. Although the long shutdown kept fans away from the game for a long time, as long as the stars are there, there will always be fans who buy tickets to support.

The 76ers have good expectations, taking advantage of the NBA star-making movement to launch their core player Allen Iverson!
Unfortunately, old fans seem to have become accustomed to the NBA represented by Michael Jordan, and many people don't like this little player with a distinctive personality.

The young fans in Philadelphia like Iverson's unruly character, his increasingly distinctive hip-hop attire, and they yearn for the beautiful life in which he leads his followers to have fun all night long every day.
Old-school fans are just the opposite. The two sides are naturally opposed to each other, which makes Iverson's evaluation appear at two extremes.

On the night of May 5th, after a day off, the 12ers returned home and lost again.

阿伦-艾弗森出场45分钟，26中13，三分线外6中1，罚球9中8，拿到35分4篮板1助攻1抢断3失误的数据。

At 102:90, the Knicks, with multiple rotations, easily defeated their opponents again.

With a big score of 3:0, the 76ers were eventually swept.

At the First United Center, Philadelphia fans who have been waiting for many years are a little disappointed.

Without the All-Stars, the anticipated playoffs ended early, and all expectations were dashed!

Negative comments eventually prevailed. No matter what data Iverson handed over, most of the press conferences after the game were filled with doubts.

In this series, except for the long rest period in G2, Iverson has tried his best in the remaining two games.

"Allen, can you tell us the reason why the team lost? Is this related to your playing style on the court?"

"Has too much nightlife affected your state?"

"We see that you don't seem to be fully executing on Coach Larry Brown's game plan. Can you explain why?"

"Does paying too much attention to appearance distract from your basketball spirit?"

"Allen, Lee is about to win the MVP this season. What do you think of this?"

"."

The last question caused Iverson, who was wearing a black casual suit and a gold chain, to frown. He said a few hasty remarks and quickly left the press conference.

The Philadelphia media that had touted him in the past were questioning it at this moment, and Iverson found it difficult to accept such a result.

Losing and settling old scores is a traditional skill of media reporters. In the NBA, losers usually have no say.

Compared to Iverson's treatment, Li You is much better.

Among the three games in the first round, except for G3, which played slightly longer, the remaining two games were played in three quarters.

场均31.0分钟，三场比赛下来场均拿到21.3分4.3篮板11.0助攻1.0抢断2.0失误。

The shooting percentage is no different from the regular season, and the overall efficiency is a little higher.

Based on the content of the game, the sports media all know that the Knicks did not exert their strength at all, with 9 players rotating, and the two sides are not teams of the same level at all.
In the morning, the NBA announced the best coach of the season, and head coach Mike Dunleavy of the Trail Blazers successfully won the award.

The personal award will soon be the regular season Most Valuable Player Award, so after Li You came to the press conference, the media in the audience started to flatter him:

"Lee, congratulations on winning this season's MVP!"

As soon as the New York Post reporter finished speaking, Li You, who was wearing a dark blue formal suit, interrupted with a smile:
"Thank you for your blessing, but the award has not been announced yet!"

The New York media who followed him to Philadelphia laughed again. Everyone knew that there was no suspense about this award.

"The Knicks seem to have found the game state. Lee, talk about your expectations for the team!"

The Philadelphia media on the side were furious when they saw New York Times reporters starting to trade business blows on their own territory.
"Of course it's the championship. The Knicks are still the strongest team in the league. We are all confident of winning the championship again!"

Li You also cooperated and started to brag, and the two sides chatted more and more happily. Seeing that the Philadelphia reporter was extremely angry, he secretly blamed the 76ers for not living up to expectations.
At this time, everyone in the Knicks locker room was smiling and winning.

尤因在G2的比赛中13中4，今晚成功反弹，15中7，拿到了20分10篮板的两双数据。

Although the gorilla also smiled at this time, he was somewhat jealous of Li You's achievements.

Ewing felt even more sad when he thought that he had not won the MVP in his career, and it was not too much for a while.
Larry Johnson doesn’t have that many ideas. He is more concerned about his opponents in the next round:

"The Magic are going to lose again, and Anfernee Hardaway shouldn't play with an injury. At present, it seems that it will be difficult for him to return to his peak condition."

Troubled by a back injury, Larry Johnson felt the same way for his second brother Hook. He also said goodbye to the All-Stars because of injuries.

Alan Houston reflected on the regular season matchup with the Hawks, and finally responded confidently:
"Although the opponent has Mutombo inside, in the past two years, we have won more and lost less. In the semifinals, it should not cause too much trouble."

Afterwards, the atmosphere team also began to predict the opponents in the Eastern Conference finals, and soon everyone reached an agreement:
"The Pacers are going to the Eastern Conference Finals!"

Sprewell saw that everyone in the Knicks team was so swollen that they were just short of a loan championship. He twitched his lips and simply remained silent.

On May 5, after the Knicks returned to New York, they returned to their daily training in the afternoon.

Several other groups of games in the Eastern Conference have fallen into a relatively anxious state, which also gave the Knicks a valuable three days of rest.

In several Western Conference games, the Trail Blazers swept the Suns and successfully advanced to the semifinals last night.

The coaching staff began to watch the tapes of the Hawks' recent games. It was only a matter of time before the Magic lost.

Old Charles and the team management brought the Knicks stars to the training center in Tarrytown. The MVP was about to be announced, and everyone had to prepare for the next press conference.

Li You actually kept a low profile during this period. After expressing his attitude towards the May 5 incident, Mark Bartelstein turned down most interview requests for him.

For press conferences, usually only media reporters with good connections will be invited.

On the 11th, the man in the white house publicly apologized, and the demonstrations in New York ended temporarily.

Staying away from politics, Mark Bartelstein hopes that Li You can be like Michael Jordan, not to offend anyone, just make a lot of money with peace of mind.

"The second MVP in team history, Lee, we have prepared the best contract extension conditions for you during the offseason."

"Believe me, the Knicks will never treat their own people badly!"

Old Charles, dressed in formal clothes, smiled and gave his promise, and Grunfield also followed suit. Everyone took this opportunity to see Li You's attitude.

In the new labor agreement, the rookie contract will become a restricted free agent after the completion of the contract, but Li You signed early and is not affected by this provision.

Therefore, winning the MVP in the contract year makes Li You the big fish this offseason.

"The Knicks are of course my first choice. I like life in New York and the team takes good care of me. I want to achieve more here!"

Li You just smiled and talked about the scene. He planned to take this opportunity to take a walk during the offseason, and Mark Bartelstein would help him get the best treatment.

In the training hall, the Knicks atmosphere team all looked at Li You, and Rashard Lewis even showed an envious expression.

The rookies and lower-level players are still fighting for contracts, but Li You is about to get the privileges of a superstar.

Willis Reed, as the first legendary player in the history of the Knicks to win the MVP, did not speak for the boss at this time.

After the collective bargaining agreement, the relationship between players and management was somewhat tense. As a player, you can't tilt your butt.Willis Reed just smiled and patted Li You on the shoulder, and followed He Xini:
"We all believe in the sincerity of the team and New York has the best fans in the league."

"."

On May 5, the NBA announced the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the regular season of the 14-98 season:
Li You of the Knicks successfully won the award!
After the league announced the news, president David Stern also immediately sent his blessing:

"In a difficult season, lead the team to the league's first record!"

"Historic level of efficiency, congratulations to Lee for winning his first career MVP!"

21岁134天，李佑打破68~69赛季子弹队韦斯-昂塞尔德23岁09天创下的纪录，成为NBA历史最年轻的MVP！

The media hall of the Tarrytown Training Center was crowded with reporters early in the morning. When they saw Li You appear, everyone hurriedly handed over the microphone and clicked the cameras in their hands.

Feeling that the reporter beside him wanted to put the microphone into his mouth, Li You hurriedly said:

"We still have a lot of time, there is no need to be in such a hurry to interview!"

"."

After the MVP was announced, O'Neal, who was still playing away games in Houston, was also surrounded by reporters.

Shark was dancing happily before, standing up for himself every day, but it turned out to be useless, and he still failed to win the award in the end.

The illusion was completely shattered, and O'Neal was in a bad mood. Even if the Lakers got the match point, everyone could see his "unhappy" mood during the interview:

"I don't care about the MVP that shortens the season, now I just want to win the championship!"

"FMVP may be more suitable for me. I hope to meet the Knicks in the finals. I will prove myself and you will also see who is the real MVP."

There was no need for reporters to ask questions. O'Neal just responded. However, such loan behavior made people unhappy. The media in Houston did not give the shark a good look:
"The series isn't over yet!"

"I will end Team Rocket tonight!"

In the game that night, O'Neal, who got the anger buff, completely defeated the Rockets.

出战44分钟，22中14，罚球18中9，怒砍37分11篮板3助攻3盖帽2失误。

Such a violent performance turned the Rockets' home court into a library, and the elderly Big Three were beaten again
98:88, a big score of 3:1, the Lakers successfully advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in Houston.

At the end of the game, O'Neal walked to the players' tunnel and shouted twice from time to time:

"I'm the better one!"

Kobe Bryant, who turned into a little transparent next to O'Neal, was not in a good mood either.

Some people have come to interview him in the past few days, but most of the questions are about who he supports to win the award, and no one pays attention to his progress at all.

Kobe praised O'Neal on his lips, but he always thought of the scene of the Rookie Challenge in his heart.

Thinking of Li You's achievements again, looking at O'Neal's back, Kobe Bryant did not feel the joy of winning, but instead made up his mind:
"The tactical core of the team?!"

On the morning of May 5, most of the headlines on the front pages of the New York print media sports section were:
"The future of the Knicks - the youngest MVP in NBA history!"

“New York’s New King—Clay-Lee”

"."

The content of the column is roughly the same. It takes a detailed inventory of the records set by Li You and reviews last year's performance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ewing almost got angry when he read the newspaper early in the morning. He hasn't retired yet.
Li You's cell phone has been ringing since yesterday, and he has to continue to reply to text messages in the morning. Looking at the Nokia 5210 in his hand, he misses the smartphone of the future.

Milinda rarely comes to the villa in Tarrytown. After all, it is a bit far away. Looking at the decoration with obvious personal style, the girl Dabo came to Li You and teased:
"That rich girl is really willing to spend money!"

Happy, the husky, hadn’t seen Li You for half a month. He was running around the two of them now, jumping on them from time to time, and then running away again with a provocation.
"Stop, Happy! We're actually just good friends!"

Li You turned around and hugged Milinda in his arms. He talked sweetly and then said hurriedly:
"Help me think about it, who else in school have I missed? There are only less than two days left."

"."

Before the NBA will hold a press conference, the old Charles will hold a celebration banquet, and Li Youde sent out invitations one by one.

On the evening of the 16th, in the banquet hall of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in midtown Manhattan, Charles Sr. and Li You entertained visiting friends with a smile.

MVP is great, but many people attend banquets and make more superficial friends.

Li You laughed so hard that his cheeks became sore all the time, he seemed to have muddled through this celebration banquet
At 5 a.m. on Monday, May 17th, in the press conference hall of Madison Square Garden, media reporters sat in a dense crowd. No one wanted to miss this historic moment.

My friend Ivan was wearing a black formal suit, pretending to be calm and sitting in the front row, and Milinda next to me was dressed in black trousers and a blue shirt.

"If it weren't for the lack of some funds, I would even suggest that Li bid farewell to basketball!"

Milinda heard Alvin's whisper and just laughed and teased:
"Is this the reason why you were hospitalized for half a year?"

All the stocks he bought rose sharply, and technology stocks went crazy in the past few years. Ivan watched the U.S. dollar rise all the way, and the bank opened wider and wider, and finally rested for more than half a year.

He twitched the corner of his mouth. The experience of being hospitalized was too embarrassing. Ivan quickly coughed and changed the subject:

"Start now!"

Today, the press conference hall was specially replaced with a small podium, and the MVP's bronze man trophy was placed above it.

Jeff Van Gundy and everyone on the Knicks team were sitting on the far right side of the podium. NBA Vice President Lars Greinke came to the stage and immediately smiled and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the NBA's youngest Most Valuable Player winner - Clay-Lee!"

The media reporters and Knicks staff in the audience began to applaud and cheer.

Perhaps if it were another team, the press conference would not be so grand. Li You, wearing a dark gray formal suit, came to the stage with a smile and hugged the vice president.

Li You picked up the trophy with a smile, looked at it and then put it down. Li You straightened the microphone and said in a brisk tone:
"Thank you to the New York fans, thank you to the Knicks, and thank you to the sports media for voting for me!"

"It means a lot to me to receive this award, and it's been a dream experience going from Albuquerque to Hartford to New York."

"You all know that I am not a talented high school student. It was coach Calhoun who brought me to Connecticut. Thank you for his trust back then!"

Coach Calhoun, who was sitting in the front row, nodded with pleasure and accepted the applause from the crowd.

The press conference did not turn into a gathering of reminiscing about hardships and sweet memories. Li You looked very happy throughout the process. Jeff Van Gundy also smiled from ear to ear after hearing his thanks.
"."

"After saying so many thanks, the last thing I want to say is that I am not Michael Jordan, and I will not become the next Michael Jordan."

"Of course, I'm not Wilt Chamberlain. After all, I'm only 6 feet 4 inches!"

The New York media in the audience immediately followed suit. Obviously, Li You was teasing Shark again.
"I pay tribute to those predecessors, but I just want to be myself. I believe everyone can be the protagonist of their own life!"

Li You picked up the little bronze figure and greeted everyone in the audience again with a smile. The New York media followed suit, and the Los Angeles reporters on the side were a little unhappy.

A Finals Most Valuable Player may not be enough to make Li You a superstar, but adding an MVP trophy to the mix will make it completely different!

Agent Mark Bartelstein, who stood up and clapped along with him, was already smiling broadly. Thinking of what happened during the offseason, he even thought proudly:
"The maximum salary contract is not enough! We need more!"

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(End of this chapter)