NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 233 The disintegration of the dynasty (daily chapter)
On July 2001, 7, Li You held two parties at his home on No. 15 Street.

Most of the visitors on Saturday were Hollywood stars and directors whom I had met at premieres in recent years, as well as local stars from New York and New Jersey.

Partying means everyone gathers friends together, has fun, and rolls on the sheets when they see each other.
For Li You, this kind of gathering doesn't bring him much help, but it can give him some good reputation.

Nicole Kidman, who had just finished promoting her movie, was very happy. After her divorce, she moved to New York and lives not far away.

There are many pretty girls at this kind of party, but Nicole Kidman, who is still at her peak of beauty, is still everyone's favorite.

Older actresses are not Li You's cup of tea, and he has no interest in being a receiver. His good friend Jimmy Fallon showed his attentiveness all night, making her look dizzy.
Li You prefers 18-year-old young girls, and he can only express his blessings for his choice of friends. If they are at their peak, they may live a happier life.

The Sunday night party belonged to sponsors, celebrities, and New York City officials. Without celebrities, Li You was even more attentive.

After a few years, he has proved that he is not an ordinary NBA star. At least he does not squander the money he earns and does not have many followers around him.

At the University of Connecticut alumni event, many well-known alumni in the judicial system also gave positive comments. In New York, thanks to the care of the mayor, the reputation is also not bad.

Ewing has been around for so many years, but he still behaves like a black man. In many cases, skin color does not matter, but interests are real.

Compared to the relatively lively party last night, the atmosphere created by the party company tonight was also quiet and restrained.

On the second floor, the pianist played melodious music. Kenneth Chenault, who just took over as the current executive officer of American Express this year, and his wife Catherine kept saying hello to familiar people.

For African Americans to be able to achieve this position, they must have put in a lot of hard work.

Li You patted Ivana beside him. The latter noticed Kenneth and quickly smiled and hugged him in greeting. Then he pulled Catherine aside to whisper.

"It's great to be young. If I have a choice, I hope God can let me be 18 years old again. Look at me now, I can only play golf."

For a successful man, at the age of 50, his career has just reached its peak and he maintains a good figure. Only his hairline and hair color show signs of aging.

Noticing that the other party had a look of sadness on his face, Li You could only compliment him:
"Age has never been a problem. If I had a choice, I would rather achieve career success like you."

In 1999, American Express had just launched the Centurion Card, which was not a rarity even for wealthy people. Li You was also one of their customer groups. This card was mostly for girls.

The two parties have had contact before, and this offer of an endorsement fee of US$5 million over five years is only the beginning of further cooperation.

For many middle-class people, Li You is undoubtedly successful and can even be said to be a representative of the "American Dream."

The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair took advantage of this to continue to publicize Li You's life, and the NBA even followed suit.

After becoming famous, there is no promiscuity, no drugs, no extravagance and waste. Instead, he studies, uses the platform to make friends, expands his influence, transcends classes, and becomes a different sports star.
With the joint efforts of both parties, this cooperation was reached after several years of observation and the influence of the championship.

After the two briefly exchanged greetings, Kenneth Chenault got to the point and said seriously:
"Kenneth Lay's energy is much greater than you think. He has held important positions in the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of the Interior."

"The most important thing is that he is also a good friend of the current president. With the size of Enron, it is not a good choice to short them."

The boss behind Enron, Kenneth Lay, is very well-known in the business world, and of course, he is also a member of the financial circle. This man started "counterfeiting and gambling" many years ago.

Most of Li You's funds are in Ax Capital. As an investor, he is only responsible for providing some connections within his ability.

Being able to control more and more funds is actually Bobby Akers' ability. No one can refuse high-yield returns.

Tiger Capital finally collapsed due to shorting the Internet, while Ax Capital reaped the dividends. After becoming famous in the industry, it naturally developed rapidly.

This is not the first time Li You has heard the reminder, but in response to the established facts, he still smiles and does Tai Chi:
"I trust Bobby and he will be responsible to investors, so I only look at the returns and never the process."

"But I will remind him. After all, the company's funds are getting more and more, and we don't like to lose our own money."

Kenneth Chenault took a deep look at Li You, smiled and raised the champagne in his hand. After the two clinked glasses, they stopped talking about this topic:
"Lee, I recommend you to become a member of Westchester Country Club. There are many good golfers there and the environment is very good!"

"It seems that I need to practice golf as soon as possible. I don't want to be at the bottom every time."

As we all know, Li You's golf level is far different from that of basketball.

Kenneth Chenault laughed when he heard this. This is why everyone likes to play golf with Li You.

On the other side, McDonald's CEO Jimkan Talupo and Chicago head of headquarters Charlie Bell also smiled happily.

Noticing that Li You had finished the conversation, the two of them came over, pulled Li You along and whispered to the Vanity Fair reporter:

"Take a picture of us, I love the party tonight."

Although Jim, who was wearing a black formal suit, was bald, he didn't care about his image. Li You hugged their shoulders and smiled brightly, allowing reporters to take pictures.

After simply completing the publicity work, Jim introduced the assistant beside him to Li You, and then whispered:

"Li, we have to use your image more in Asia. Maybe you don't know how much people across the ocean like you!"

McDonald's is indeed going to flood into the Chinese market in large numbers. Of course Li You knows his popularity. After all, his star cards were sold like crazy when he was young.
"I thought we could improve the taste of the product because, you know, New York fans always complained that our new product was terrible."

Hearing Li You's words, Jim smiled awkwardly. For many middle-class families in New York, McDonald's food does taste average.
This leads to many fan activities, and everyone complains about McDonald's carelessness. Even if they give out coupons, no one pays for it.

Some burgers are not even as good as the more expensive fare at Madison Square Garden. To change this impression, the only way to change the product is to improve the product.

Jim quickly bypassed the topic and gossiped to Li You with a smile:

"There will be more talented players emerging in the next two years. Are you paying attention to Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James?"

"They are definitely geniuses, and they may become your biggest opponents in the future."

"Chris Paul came out of your training camp, and this little guy is not bad."

There are always talented players in the McDonald's High School All-Star Game. When Li You heard these familiar names, some memories came to mind:
"The future belongs to young people! I welcome any challenge!"

"."

The sponsor's activities lasted until almost 11 o'clock before officially ending. Milinda, wearing a red dress, sent away her colleagues from Skadden Law Firm with a smile.

Noticing Jin standing on the other side with his arms folded, Milinda went over to hug the other person's waist and joked in a low voice:
"Are your colleagues gossiping about your love life?"

Already accustomed to such physical contact, Jin, who was wearing a white dress, just said worriedly:
"Enron will soon be fighting back, and violations at Akers Capital have been reported to the U.S. Attorney's Office."

Milinda didn't care about the news at all, and even gloated:

"If difficulties arise, we can also cooperate with Skadden Law Firm. Maybe I can get a good business."

When the two returned to the third floor, Ivana had just taken off her dress and suggested to Li You who was standing aside:
"You can consider buying a manor. Although it is far away from Manhattan, it is still very convenient as long as you change the mode of transportation."

"It may cost a lot to take care of the house, but it is definitely a good investment!"

Li You touched his chin and thought to himself that if house prices really dropped, he could indeed invest in real estate again.

Milinda saw the blond white rabbit taking off most of her clothes, and immediately stepped forward and hugged him with a smile:
"Let's take a shower together and don't discuss work at night!"

Soon, the two of them were playfully heading to the bathroom. After all, they were still young people, and most of the time, they still pursued pleasure.

Li You noticed Jin's worried eyes, stepped forward to hug him, kissed his forehead and whispered:

"It would be nice to make more money once the money is gone. What's more, I will definitely make a lot of money this time. With more funds, I won't have to take risks in the future."

With the influence brought by the championship, Li You naturally received a lot of sponsorships:
American Express's five-year sponsorship contract is worth US$5 million. In addition to requiring Li You not to appear in exaggerated negative news, this sponsorship contract also requires Li You to go to various clubs to brush his face.

At the same time, during the offseason, you have to go to the partner airlines to brush your face, and let the public know about the special benefits of the Centurion Card.

Hertz Car Rental, a well-known car rental company in the United States, also handed over a five-year sponsorship contract of US$5 million.

The contract requirements are similar. Like American Express, the other party also prefers Li You's current image, but there will be more advertising shooting activities here. In short, it is a good sponsorship.

McDonald's and McDonald's have been cooperating for several years, and this time they offered a five-year, $5 million sponsorship contract.

Even if New York fans complain that McDonald's tastes bad every day, black and red are also red, and the middle class doesn't like it, but most ordinary people still like high-quality and cheap food.

Ray-Ban sunglasses also offered a five-year sponsorship contract of US$5 million.

In addition to Li You's cooperation in advertising on TV, magazines, and online media, he also needs to attend some charity activities, promotional activities, etc.

Although there are requirements for wearing sunglasses on a daily basis, Li You naturally accepted it because of the generosity of the other party.

What surprised Li You the most was that Purina, a well-known dog food company, also offered a three-year, US$3 million sponsorship contract.

There are not many requirements in the contract. I just hope that Husky Happy can use their dog food. I also hope that Li You can show his dog more face when he goes for a morning run.

On Tuesday, July 7, Li You took Happy the Husky for a morning run early in the morning, and by the way, he cooperated with the Purina staff to shoot some additional advertising shots near Central Park.

Functional dog food has appeared these days, and the current commercials are promoting products that can help dogs improve their immunity and lose weight healthily.

Morning is considered the coolest time in New York. As long as he can go out for a walk, Husky Happy is happy and basically pounces on people he sees.
Li You was wearing Under Armor's custom-made shaping garments. He felt helpless as he watched the staff circle around Happy.

This bitch went crazy, and in the end Li You made a big move, which immediately made Happy's eyes clear:
"Haha, that's what it's like to raise large dogs. You can't talk to them too easily. Women are really not suitable for raising them."

"."

The surrounding staff laughed, and looked at the completely obedient husky and felt that it made sense.

The cover of Time magazine this week is a photo of Li You at home with a bunch of trophies. The cover title is also very interesting:

"Clay-Lee's era: He is the most talented player in the NBA and the most ambitious winner!"

After subscribers saw this issue of the magazine, they quickly discovered that most of the magazine content was about Li You's experience of success and fortune.

The story of a poor kid who grew up in Albuquerque and becomes a billionaire through basketball in New York is truly brilliant.

Time magazine has approximately 400 million subscriptions. As one of the most influential news weekly magazines, it will naturally influence many people.

More young players are beginning to pay attention to Li You. Maybe some people don't like the skin color, but everyone does not reject the beautiful knife.

More importantly, Li You's lifestyle is aspirational, and all fools know it. With the blessing of a large sum of money, the girl is an accessory product. The media does not report it, but the players who know the inside story know it. On the morning of the 18th, the freeze period ended and the NBA free market officially opened.

The Pistons sent Judd Buechler and John Wallace to the Hawks in exchange for Ben Wallace.

The "small budget" data last season was not impressive, coupled with the fact that he was undrafted and a "relative" status, this transaction did not attract much attention.

The biggest trade news of the day was that the Nets sent Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Marks in exchange for Chris Dudley and Jason Kidd from the Suns!

Marbury has led the team fishing for several consecutive years. The New Jersey Nets couldn't wait any longer and simply exchanged for the "triple-double master".

Needless to say, Kidd's popularity goes without saying. After the deal was announced, a Flag was immediately set up during an interview in Phoenix:

"I know what the fans in New Jersey are longing for. Believe me, I will lead the team to the finals!"

"I don't have to prove how good I am because I know I'm a championship-level player."

"In the new season, Nets fans, be mentally prepared, we are going to win big!"

Kidd, who had already shaved his head, seemed to feel that he had become stronger and boasted wildly in front of the sports media.

This is also related to the fact that the sports media in Phoenix are no longer optimistic about him recently. Kidd can't wait to prove himself again.

After Kidd finished bragging, an ESPN reporter suddenly asked maliciously:
"Kidd, after coming to the Eastern Conference, you will play against Lee frequently. During the regular season, you will definitely face each other frequently!"

"What are your expectations for this, and do you think the Nets can break the Knicks' dominance?"

When Kidd heard his brother's name, he secretly glared at the reporter who didn't know what to do. He didn't even let him brag?
“Lee is a good brother of mine and I’m glad he’s gotten to where he is.”

"I like to play against good players. The backcourt in the Western Conference is too weak. I believe I can gain more next season!"

"As for the Knicks, they will definitely not keep winning, and next season, the Nets will be the one to end them."

As an All-Star guard, Kidd is still very capable. Even before he reports to the team, he already considers himself a leader.

Everyone laughed and listened to Kidd's blow, and many people had a hunch that this guy would also be slapped in the face with a boomerang.

Marbury was also welcomed by the Phoenix media. In the eyes of many people, Kidd is a "ball tyrant."

He always has differences with the head coach. On the basketball court, Kidd always puts his own feelings first. Although he can lead the team to play a relatively gorgeous offense, it turns out that it is of no use in the playoffs.

Marbury, who also wanted to prove himself, readily accepted the deal. He was also a rookie in 96 and signed a big contract, but his exposure was pitiful.

This transaction attracted the attention of football commentators, and Marbury also expressed his stance:
"I love Phoenix and I'm going to prove myself here again."

"."

Under the blockbuster trade, no one paid attention to the signing away of Tyronn Lue and Horace Grant, who were given up by the Lakers.

The Wizards signed Tyronn Lue and the Magic took Horace Grant.

Both of them who didn't play much role in the finals were eventually given up. The Lakers seemed to want to find reliable outside defenders, but such players are very needed by every team in the league.

On July 7, the Knicks sent Rashard Lewis and received a 19 first-round pick and a 2002 second-round pick from the SuperSonics;
At the same time, this deal also gave the Knicks a $440 million trade exception.

This transaction is entirely the player's personal wish. The New York media is somewhat dissatisfied with this. Although they obtained the first-round pick, the Sonics are obviously not a weak Bulls team.

The last pick will not help the team much, but Lewis's monotonous attributes make this deal seem reasonable.
General manager Glenfield did not explain to the media that some players no longer wanted to play with Li You. In the interview, he only expressed it euphemistically:

"Rashad is indeed a good player and we are very sorry to lose him, but business is business and we fully respect the player's personal wishes."

"While playing for the Knicks, Rashad made contributions to the team. He is a true champion player!"

By joining the SuperSonics, Lewis is likely to become the team's third scoring point. Glenn Rice is obviously not in the team's plan, and head coach McMillan is also beginning to prepare for reconstruction.

In the afternoon, Lewis invited everyone from the Knicks to his home for a party.

Regarding his choice, Kurt Thomas was ecstatic. If nothing happens, he will get the starting position next season!
Li You, who had received the news long ago, was not surprised. After all, there was only one ball. In the team, Lewis would most likely only be the fourth scoring point.

Ewing, who has recently been interviewed frequently and appeared on sports programs, has gained weight again. Regarding Lewis's choice, Gorilla just joked:

"It's not easy to reach the Finals with the SuperSonics. There are more strong teams in the Western Conference."

"But I think you can definitely put up good data. As long as you hit more three-pointers, 20 points is not a problem."

"At the end of next season, I will definitely get a good contract!"

The apartment Lewis rented in Manhattan was not small, and everyone started laughing and chatting.

Grant Hill has also been frequently invited to sports programs in the past month and a half. Just two days after returning to New York, he noticed that the team had changed drastically.
Noticing that Li You's expression remained unchanged and he was even sharing tips on how to score efficiently, Hill could only blink subconsciously. This scene once again exceeded his expectations.

"If you want to get good data, you must have three-pointers. I'm not worried about Rashad's performance."

"Of course, the SuperSonics are indeed a good choice. Gary Payton is old and Vin Baker's condition is getting worse year by year. If you can perform well, you can even become the boss of the team."

Everyone burst into laughter, Li You waved his hands and continued to say seriously:

"Shooting is very important. It is the basis for getting good data. Three-pointers, free throws, and fast breaks. As long as you are proficient in these three, you will definitely become an All-Star!"

Rashad Lewis was very excited after hearing this and hugged Li You hard. Grant Hill on the side suddenly asked:
"Li, why don't you emphasize back-up skills?"

Li You shrugged, and he had no reservations about this question:

"That is an outdated technology. Next season the league will allow zone defense and post-ups in the low post. I can guarantee that you will be defended even more."

"Everyone is standing near the paint area, attacking in the low post, and helping to defend is easier, so I will not increase the post, but will continue to shoot three-pointers."

"Sometimes the composition of the score is a matter of mathematics. Rashad, all you have to do is stick to your own style of play and there is no need to worry about the comments from the outside world."

"As long as you persist, you will definitely get a big contract. There are too few big men in the league who can shoot three-pointers."

Kurt Thomas finally knows why "Little Ben" wants to leave the team. Li You's offensive structure is destined to affect a series of data such as rebounds.

Rashad Lewis smiled and patted his chest and loudly assured:

"Lee, I believe in you, I will stick to my own way of playing!"

Ewing waited for a while but still didn't see Alan Houston, and couldn't help but sigh in a low voice:
"It seems that Allan likes the hospitality in Orlando. He seems to have been there for more than half a month."

Artest, who was tinkering with the sound system, wished he had fewer competitors, so he turned around and followed the gossip:
"I read the ESPN news report and it seems that the Magic are planning to offer a seven-year contract!"

Li You didn't pay much attention to gossip news, so he was a little surprised when he heard the "7-year contract".

After signing this contract, Alan Houston really doesn't have to worry. He can still get a lot of money in the last year of his career. He is a sure winner in life.

Everyone heard the news and followed the gossip, and Ewing was sour for a while. He only enjoyed the bonuses in the contract at the end of his career.

Looking at Alan Houston again, after signing the contract, making tens of millions of dollars is as easy as drinking water. After thinking about it, Gorilla still feels that he must continue to make money after retiring!
On Saturday, July 7, TNT's regular program replayed the regular season game between the Magic and the Knicks.

The three of them praised McGrady's talent and said he deserved the "Most Beautiful Calf Award".

Perhaps because there are more and more news about McNuckle's comeback, Charles Barkley has been a little confused recently. He boasted so much in the past few days that he felt like he was going to be slapped in the face with a boomerang.

Kenny Smith did not tease his partner, but suddenly gossiped:
"Why are the Knicks players choosing to leave the team? Can't players in contract years get more opportunities with Lee?"

When Charles Barkley heard this topic, he finally became energetic again:
"It's very difficult to play good numbers on the Knicks. Alan Houston and Lee currently control most of the shots. Last season, the Knicks were a two-person team."

"If we go back further, Ewing will also need to take more shots. If Hill recovers his physical condition next season and his playing time increases, he will inevitably have to take away some of the ball."

"Role players can only defend and have few opportunities to attack independently. I have said long ago that Li's success is based on the sacrifice of others."

"But if you want to win the championship, you must make these sacrifices. They succeeded. I am not surprised by the selection of role players."

Ernie Johnson has been gossiping about Alan Houston's selection in recent episodes. Following this topic, he added:
"If Alan Houston chooses to join the Magic, coupled with McGrady's talent, under the leadership of coach Doc Rivers, I believe they can take a step further."

"This is indeed a good deal for the Magic. If they choose to sign and trade, they can get back an All-Star guard at a very small cost."

"Do you think the Knicks are going to offer a bigger contract?"

Kenny Smith immediately shook his head. He wanted to say that Alan Houston was overpriced, but in the end he expressed it euphemistically:
"Li is too young. No one can guarantee the competitive status of players after the age of 34."

"And a big contract will cause the Knicks to lose salary space. If injuries occur again and performance is poor for several consecutive years, Lee may choose to leave."

"The current lineup structure is already very good. Of course, for coach Van Gundy, there will be more tests for the coaching staff next season."

"What kind of tactics are they going to use? Without the excellent offensive space, can Lee still maintain efficient performance?"

"There will be problems on both ends of the offense and defense, and I'm very much looking forward to the answers given by coach Van Gundy."

Charles Barkley touched his chin at this time and joked to himself:

"Maybe this is the best time to join the Knicks. I'm considering it. I can play power forward and teach young players some game experience."

Taking a look at his partner's figure, Kenny Smith naturally didn't take this topic seriously, and joked with a smile:
"Believe me, Lee will directly refuse your joining. He doesn't like working with veterans at all. Look at the current Knicks team, most of them are young people!"

"."

On Sunday, July 7, the Orlando media broke the news that Alan Houston had officially reached a verbal agreement with the Magic. The sports media was abuzz again:

"The dynasty team is completely disintegrated!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)