NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 159: The west is strong and the east is weak? (6400 word chapter)
The 1999~2000 regular season will officially start on November 11.

There will be a total of 2 games on the 13nd, and the NBA league made an early announcement.

In addition to the regular season, the league is also preparing for the 2000 All-Star Game in Oakland.

After the shortened season, fans will usher in the All-Star Weekend again, and the league naturally hopes that this All-Star Game will be more exciting.

Compared with previous years, Oakland's All-Star Weekend has also undergone some changes. The Rookie Challenge has become a showdown between second-year players and first-year players.

However, fans don't seem to buy it. They have a mediocre response to such a restructuring. Instead, they are looking forward to the slam dunk contest.

Vince Carter, many fans want to see this cute new guy in the dunk contest!

After the preseason ended in late October, Jeff Van Gundy was very satisfied with the team's state.

Although Oakley has experienced some obvious declines, he can still contribute to the team with his rich game experience.

The Knicks were lucky enough to have no injuries in the preseason, but the Lakers were unlucky.

Kobe Bryant, who wanted to perform well, fractured his right palm in a preseason game and will miss six weeks at the start of the new season.

In the new season, the Lakers left the Great Western Forum and moved into the brand-new Staples Center.

It's just that the new arena didn't seem to bring good luck to the Lakers. Kobe, who was in great form, was sidelined due to injury, which also caused many superstitious Los Angeles media to complain:
"Maybe we shouldn't leave the Forum."

The New York media did not pay attention to Kobe's injury. Since the end of October, the Knicks have been preparing for the subsequent award ceremony. They have won two consecutive championships. Everyone is preparing for the award ceremony.

The NBA also takes good care of the Knicks. The first game of the new season happens to be against the Bulls at home.

Sprewell can also play the game after receiving the ring at Madison Square Garden. The humane arrangement also makes New York fans comfortable.

The fans in Chicago secretly scolded the NBA for being unfair and used them as a backdrop!

Before the game even started, No. [-] overall pick Elton Brand was feeling a lot of pressure. Chicago fans had great expectations for him. If he failed to do so, he would most likely be criticized for half a month.
The Bulls actually made a lot of moves during the offseason, but most of them were to save money.

The draft picks general manager Krause traded to the Knicks are protected by the top five picks. The Bulls have already made two preparations before the new season begins.

After graduating from high school, Ivana went to Georgetown University to study, while Krysten Ritter chose to stay in New York to continue her modeling career.

The little follower is now a grown-up girl. After graduation, she moved out from home and happily lived with Li You.

Kristen-Litte can support herself by taking some cover shots every day. The biggest advantage of moving out from home is freedom, and no one will nag her if she doesn't come home at night.

Big Lolita Scarlett also plans to drop out of high school and plan to enter Hollywood in the future. Studying is not as attractive as beauty.

On the morning of November 11st, Scarlett and her twin brothers came to Li You's apartment in Manhattan. They went shopping together and helped the little follower choose clothes.

It was getting colder in Manhattan at this time. Li You wore a jacket every day, while Hunter, a handsome young man, wore a thick black sweater jacket today.

After returning to the apartment, before changing clothes, the two girls began to chatter about which of the clothes they bought today was the best.
"Actually, I really want my sister to continue studying. With her here, I always get free lunch!"

Sitting on the sofa like Li You, Hunter complained in a low voice about his treatment in school.

"You should also try being an actor. In fact, it is also a good job."

The two siblings looked very similar. Li You made fun of the handsome young man Hunter, but he did not expect the other party to seriously say:
"No, I would rather be the president! Well, the governor would be fine, and the mayor would be good too!"

Noticing Li You's gaze, Hunter finally muttered in a low voice:
"Being the borough president of Manhattan would be great, and I can accept it as a prosecutor."

Li You patted Hunter on the shoulder, without mocking the other man's ideals, and said equally seriously:
"This is indeed a good direction!"

Scarlett seemed to hear what her brother said and complained angrily:
"Mr. Future Mayor, help your sister pack her things quickly, otherwise don't expect me to buy you a game console!"

Li You pointed to the cabinet on the other side, indicating that the game console was over there, the Nintendo 64, the favorite of children in this era.
Hunter cheered in a low voice before helping his sister pack her things.

Kristen Ritter's long black hair was also permed into small waves. Although she still had bangs, the single ponytail made her whole person full of energy.

The little follower was comparing the measurements of a black sweater, then suddenly came to Li You and asked with a smile:
"Does it look good? Li! I think black suits me best!"

One white cover up all the ugliness, Li You hugged the little follower and responded casually:
"They are all beautiful anyway, just change them when you have time!"

"."

Players usually have family tickets, but as a superstar of the Knicks, Li You has more privileges. In addition to family tickets, he also has a particularly good front row seat.

This kind of camera often gives the lens position that Li You uses to entertain friends. In addition to Kristen Ritter, several friends from Saturday Night Club have also booked it.

Everyone is only a little famous, so it's really painful to buy a ticket for such a location. Naturally, it's a pleasure to be able to do it for free.

On the night of the 2nd, New York fans came to Madison Square Garden early again.

The price of second-hand tickets has increased again tonight. Some fans who like to join in the fun do not want to miss the award ceremony. At this time, they can only buy second-hand high-priced tickets.

There was still half an hour before the blackjack game officially started, and the atmosphere in the arena was extremely warm, and the girls on the cheerleading team seemed to be dancing with more energy.

James Dolan only felt comfortable. In the past, he had watched his father award rings to everyone, and this time it was finally his turn.

David Stern and the league staff were also very satisfied with the Knicks' reception. The New York fans were indeed enthusiastic, and the noise of more than 22000 people echoed through the arena.

The DJ at the scene briefly introduced the visiting team's player list, and then the scene went dark, and the big screen above the arena began to play what Li You thought was a crude animation.

Madison Square Garden burst into cheers as the Knicks' logo appeared on the big screen.

The first one to introduce was Ewing. Although Gorilla could not play, he also changed into Knicks training uniforms at this time.

Jogging into the field from the tunnel, Ewing happily waved to the fans, and soon the scene erupted in huge cheers.

"Now, the last one, from the University of Connecticut, 6-foot-4!
"The youngest MVP in NBA history, No. 1 of the Knicks, Clay—Lee!"

The shouts of MVP resounded throughout the arena again, and the New York fans present turned into an atmosphere group, cheering loudly for Li You who appeared on the stage.

David Stern also clapped along with the staff in the middle of the field, with a smile on his face and a very good mood.

After McNair retired, some small ball markets were indeed greatly affected, but the New York and Los Angeles markets are still hot.

Li You, who was the last one to appear, smiled and high-fived his teammates one by one, then stood at the front of the team. After standing still, he was ready to receive the ring.

After David Stern took the microphone, he began to express his gratitude:
"Special thanks to New York City Hall for its support of the league over the past two years. Last season, the league did go through some difficult moments, but now everything is over!"

"In the new season, we will continue to provide fans with the most exciting basketball games and win the championship for two consecutive years. The Knicks have the opportunity to create new history."

The camera showed the mayor of New York who was smiling and nodding, and together with several district mayors, the city hall had given them enough face.

The famous players of the Knicks are all standing behind James Dolan, and several of them are smiling, standing together for the team tonight.

David Stern didn't say much and quickly handed the microphone to James Dolan:

"I am very happy to witness this historic moment with New York fans. Tonight, the fourth championship flag will be raised over the Garden at Wonderland."

"I don't like to hear talk about the so-called championship in a shortened season, because I know how much hard work everyone has put in to win this championship."

"Now, we want to award awards to the team's warriors. I believe we can still win the championship in the new season!"

James Dolan waved his hand, and the team staff pushed the championship ring up.

The style of the ring was also simultaneously displayed on the big screen at the scene. The two consecutive championships naturally had some special symbols:

The words "Back to Back" appear on one side of the ring, indicating that it is a two-peat ring, and underneath are two small O'Brien Cups side by side.

The top of the other side is Li You's name, and the bottom is the Knicks' playoff record and trophies.

The front of the ring is also very distinctive. The two side-by-side trophies are made of slightly larger diamonds, and the rest of the front is filled with orange diamonds, forming the Knicks color scheme.

The overall ring is slightly larger than last year and made of more materials. Continuing the past tradition, staff who have worked for the Knicks for many years can also receive a ring.

There was also an interesting scene when James Dolan and David Stern presented rings to everyone.

Sprewell, who was wearing a Bulls jersey, grinned widely, took the ring and put it on his hand. He looked back and hugged everyone in the Knicks team.

Bulls general manager Krause also came to the scene. His eyes twitched slightly when he saw this situation. For a moment, he just felt that Sprewells had become a mole.
For the new season, the Bulls management also has some expectations. Not to mention the championship, reaching the playoffs is their small goal.

Li You, who was the last one to take the stage, first hugged and greeted the two people who presented the rings, put on the rings, took the microphone by the way, and gave a simple speech:
"Thank you all for coming to witness the Knicks' awards ceremony. In the new season, get ready to witness the team's big wins!"

"Wow!"

Amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, everyone on the Knicks team and celebrities witnessed the fourth championship flag being raised over the arena.

There is still a big gap between the number of championships and the wealthy teams, but New York fans believe that the Knicks are already on the right path.

Artest's eyes were filled with envy as he watched Ben Wallace show off his beautiful ring in front of him.

Rashad Lewis also kept kissing the ring in his hand. He also contributed in the finals and has a strong sense of belonging to this ring.

The Knicks will also mail rings to players in the atmosphere team who leave the team. Everyone has a share of this ring.Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff were all laughing at this time. No one paid attention to tonight's opponent. The Bulls had become a rookie.
Before the game started, the atmosphere at the scene became more and more heated. The four championship flags above the arena made many old fans jump and shout happily.

On the bench, Ewing looked at the gorgeous ring on his hand and had mixed feelings for a while.

"Back to Back", the second ring of the Houston Rockets is also a double trophy style.

Ewing was extremely envious when he watched Olajuwon complete two consecutive championships. But now that he has easily achieved this achievement, his mood is a bit complicated.

The Bulls used to be the old enemy of the Knicks, but after McQueen retired, the old rival became a loser.

Before the game started, in the MSG commentary box, Walter Frazier, who was in a good mood, returned to his seat and said with excitement:
"The Bulls will not be our opponent. Elton Brand may disappoint the Chicago fans! He is more suitable for the Knicks!"

The No. [-] pick is also from New York, and many New York fans don't like to see him playing for the Bulls.

Commentator Mike Breen smiled and nodded, and briefly commented on the Bulls' lineup:

"With three defenders and two forwards, I can see that maybe Sprewell can perform well in such a system!"

Randy Brown and veteran Jose Hawkins partnered in the backcourt, and Sprewell played the 3rd position as the forward swingman.

The two insiders are Dick Simpkins and Elton Brand.

On the other side of the court, Bulls coach Tim Floyd was in a bad mood after watching the award ceremony.

Chicago fans always miss Phil Jackson. He failed last season and lost, so the head coach naturally took the blame.
Sprewell was traded during the offseason, but it turned out that the championship guard was bigger than him, and Tim Floyd couldn't command the new player at all.

Considering Sprewell's past chokehold experience, the Bulls coaching staff simply implemented a casual tactic - leaving the game to the players.

After the game started, the Bulls played extremely unrestrainedly. Sprewell, who had unlimited firing rights, took the ball and did it.
In addition to hitting a pull-up jumper in the opening game, Sprewell completely turned into an undercover and started to hit the ground running.

Oakley, who started tonight, ran back and forth quickly for several consecutive rounds, and for a while he almost couldn't keep up with the rhythm of the game.

Watching the basketball bounce out of the frame, before Oakley had time to collect the rebound, Brand took the lead and stabbed the ball in.

The game lasted for more than 3 minutes, and Brand, the No. [-] overall pick, finally scored his first career point.
At 4:10, the Bulls broke the scoring drought and did not attract the attention of the New York fans at the scene. Everyone still cheered loudly for the Knicks' offense.

Randy Brown has often played against Li You in the past few seasons, but after the Bulls fell into decline, they also fell flat and stopped working hard on the defensive end.

With a simple pick-and-roll on the left wing, Oakley easily delayed the chasing Randy Brown.

Brand had no choice but to move and switch to defend in front of Li You. As a new player, he must strictly implement the coach's tactical arrangements.

Facing the big man who came up on defense, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, quickly stepped in and out, pulled the ball back slightly, and while Brand was changing his defensive focus, he suddenly turned sideways and dropped his shoulders to accelerate.

In the blink of an eye, Brand realized that Li You had already squeezed through half of the body, and hurriedly slid to the right and back.

The two quickly came to the left blocking area. Li You did not join the ball, but held the ball with one hand with his left hand. He suddenly took a step, made two clicks, leaned on the opponent's left foot, took off, and then threw the ball toward the backboard with his left hand. !

It seemed that he did not expect Li You to suddenly take action. Brand, who was still sliding, subconsciously jumped to block the shot. As a result, his reaction was a beat too slow and he only hit Li You's left hand.
"squeak!"

"Boom!"

When the buzzer sounded and the ball was scored, Brand clapped his hands in annoyance, feeling like he was being tricked again.

In the commentary box, seeing Li You scoring easily, Walter Fraser made another strong call:
"Unpredictable offensive rhythm, coupled with excellent physical coordination, Lee's breakthroughs in the past two seasons are difficult to guard."

"Big defenders usually don't know when they will take action. Brand should pay attention to the number of fouls."

The Bulls' backcourt is basically in a fishing state. Everyone knows that defending Li You must squeeze through the screen, but this job is too tiring, so they simply give up.

Li Youjia made a free throw, and head coach Tim Floyd on the sidelines was furious.

The players basically listened to the precautions given before the game and didn't take them seriously.

There was no pushing through the screen, no double-team defense, and the game soon entered the rhythm of the Knicks. It lasted for more than 6 minutes. After Kurt Thomas came on the court, the rhythm of the game became faster and faster.

Seeing Alan Houston hit a conversion three-pointer, Li You stole the ball and crossed the half court to assist Larry Johnson to score on the fast break. The Bulls coaching staff finally couldn't stand it any longer and took the initiative to request a timeout.

If the head coach cannot control the team, there will be a situation where the team is beaten blindly. Sprewell's intention is very obvious, just to get better data.

The job of organizing the offense was left to Randy Brown. After some offensive routines with too obvious tactical intentions were seen through, most rounds turned into singles.

It’s no different from the Bulls that failed last season. Sprewell was assimilated after joining the team.
Although the Bulls started to score after the timeout adjustment, the point difference gradually widened. Alan Houston was in good condition. He caught the ball and threw after the screen, which made Brand more and more frustrated.

At 16:28, even if the Knicks made some early rotations, the Bulls were still 12 points behind at the end of the first quarter.

Back on the bench, Brand had some doubts about life:
"What about reviving the Bulls?"

General Manager Klaus in the audience also had an ugly face. At this time, he just felt extremely lucky.

Fortunately, a protection clause was added to the deal with the Knicks. Otherwise, based on the attitude shown by the Bulls, there is a high probability that they will be fishing again in the new season.

The game ran out of suspense early on, and the Bulls, who had no defensive discipline, finally ushered in a big defeat in the new season.

78:106, the Knicks easily defeated their old rivals!
General manager Glenfield, who was also watching the game, secretly exclaimed that it was a pity. If there was no protection clause, maybe the Knicks could get the No. [-] pick!

In the first game of the new season, Li You only played 1 minutes before clocking out.

15中10，三分线外4中2，罚球5中5，27分4篮板8助攻2抢断1失误。

What impressed New York fans the most was Li You chasing Brand. The No. 5 pick picked up his fifth foul in three quarters.

Jeff Van Gundy sat on the bench for most of the game. After the game, he also seemed very confident in an interview:

"Our rotation is equally strong. In the new season, our goal is only to win the championship!"

In the first week of the new season, the Knicks had exactly two back-to-back games.

The three games between the Cavaliers, Pistons and Cavaliers are not very difficult. Like the start of previous years, most teams are in a slow start.

Shawn Kemp of the Cavaliers is also in a state of training through competition. "Rain Man" has put on weight. After getting a big contract, he can be regarded as lying flat.

Compared to Eastern teams, Western teams have felt a deep sense of malice this season.

The Lakers, Spurs, Trail Blazers, SuperSonics, and Suns entered the game very quickly, and everyone was working hard to win the championship.

On the night of the 6th, at 82:97, the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Lakers. Like the Knicks, they started the new season with 4 consecutive victories.

Scottie Pippen has been in very good shape in the past few games, and O'Neal made 11 of 3 free throws tonight. After the game, the Sharks were so depressed that they didn't want to talk.

The first week of competition is coming to an end, and many sports commentators have also seen some trends. On the morning of the 7th, regardless of the abuse of food, the TNT program quickly gave a view:
"I think the pattern of the league has changed. It is now a situation where the west is strong and the east is weak."

"Compared to the Lakers and Spurs, the Knicks seem to have an advantage."

"No disrespect to the other teams in the East, I just think it's good for the Knicks to get to the Finals."

After Hubie Brown, who was invited to the show, gave his opinion, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith both nodded in agreement.

"The external environment is indeed like this, and Maikou's departure still has a huge impact."

"Even though he's back in the league this season, the Wizards currently don't look like they have any hope of winning the championship."

"Perhaps in the next few years, champions will be born from the Western Conference!"

Even though the game sample is small, Kenny Smith still gives his opinion decisively.

Ernie Johnson saw that the two people had completely identical views, so he did not follow suit and simply changed the topic:
"I noticed that in these games, Li's efficiency is very high. Regardless of the defensive intensity given by his opponents, do you think he has entered his peak period?"

Kenny Smith shrugged and quickly gave his answer:

"He's about to turn 22 and I don't think Lee has entered his prime."

"I think this is due to the increase in game experience. You must know that he has played a lot of playoffs in these three seasons!"

"Three consecutive championships are difficult to achieve. Oakley's physical condition has declined. If they want to compete against the Western Conference teams, perhaps the Knicks need a round of targeted reinforcements."

Li You, who had just returned to New York with the team, naturally also watched this program.

The perceptions of football commentators are indeed very keen, and most of the Eastern Conference teams have begun to decline.

After returning to the Tarrytown Training Center in the afternoon, Larry Johnson couldn't help but complain:
"These football commentators always make excuses. Why didn't we talk about the strong west and the weak east in 98? They just want to belittle the value of our championship."

Everyone in the atmosphere group also complained loudly. The words of the sports media were really unpleasant. These people just said that the Knicks' championship was worthy of success.
The first shortened season championship in NBA history has called into question the strength of the Knicks.

The public opinion environment has been affected. Li You feels that if they lose the championship this season, there is a high probability that the Knicks will be ridiculed endlessly.

It just so happens that the small-ball market of Lemon cannot afford to see a local tycoon team win the championship. The new season has just started a week ago, and many people have already started to fan the flames.
Ewing, who is actively doing rehabilitation training, did not participate in these topics. On the contrary, Alan Houston was a little unhappy:
"We can't determine the external environment. These comments are really boring!"

Li You noticed that Jeff Van Gundy had come to the multimedia room, and just smiled and comforted:
"By winning the championship, they will know who is the stronger team."

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(End of this chapter)