NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 236 The Collapsed Tall Building (Daily Chapter)

On Monday, September 2001, 9, most football commentators were still having fun. Every time the documentary was broadcast, it would trigger a new round of spats.

General manager Glenn Field quietly sent away Billups, and the Knicks' little transparency finally exchanged a 2003 second-round draft pick from the Hawks.

The Eagles did not commit to starting, and the other team was interested in Billups' expiring contract.

Billups is open-minded. After all, in the Knicks, there is no hope of starting. Li You will play 36 minutes in every game, leaving too little time for him to perform.

New York fans didn't even pay attention to this deal. In everyone's opinion, Billups is still a parallel import. He may have made some progress, but he has long been labeled as a "big hugger."

The Knicks try their best to hoard draft picks, but sometimes the market doesn't circle around them, and Luke Longley, a high-paid center, gets them.

No one was willing to take over the deal unless it was tied to his own draft pick. After taking over, he would have to deal with another junk contract. After two months of questioning, Grunfield accepted the reality and the deal was a loss.
The Lakers, who have been paying attention to the Knicks' movements, are also relieved. Without Alan Houston, their strength has been weakened, they can't find anyone in the free market, and they haven't been able to effectively strengthen them.

The dynasty disintegrated, and the Lakers saw hope!
General manager Kupchak is under a lot of pressure, and Los Angeles fans are very disappointed with the team's actions in the offseason.

Even if Lynch Hunter, a scorer, is signed, most fans still don't buy it!
Magic Johnson, who has a tendency to have a loud mouth, expressed his views on an ESPN show:

"I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers fall in the Western Conference playoffs. I even see fear in the eyes of some players!"

"."

This sentence was mainly a criticism of Derek Fisher. After the fourth episode of New York Dynasty was broadcast on NBC, "Little Fish" was forced to give an interview:
"I couldn't contain Lee! Yes, I had to defend him in other ways during the game."

"Lee is so strong and so fast that I can't predict his attack at all."

"He is also very smart on the court. He always likes to find weaknesses on the court and never forces his shots. He prefers to reach his sweet spot before completing the shot."

"I haven't played against Michael Jordan frequently, but in my opinion, Lee is more difficult to deal with than McDuck. I even think he can shoot anywhere on the court. No one in the league can restrict him."

Fisher, who worked hard during the offseason, made Los Angeles fans furious with his words.

Many people even clamored to trade him, and the title of "softie" was once again attached to the "little fish".
The Los Angeles Times has been fanning the flames recently, not only to keep the Lakers hot, but also to hope that the team can make some blockbuster trades.

At the beginning of the month, Li You was invited by Tim Grover to train with McQueen in Chicago.

Maybe beating up the kid made Maikou inflated, and he was confident in a one-on-one challenge, and was finally won by Li You easily.
Even though he hasn't touched a ball for more than two months and just runs and exercises every day, Li You still maintains a good physical condition.

The chain reaction was that Maikou, who had planned to announce his comeback at the beginning of the month, had some doubts about his life and spent a week in isolation.

On the morning of the 11th, Li You looked at Jin who was about to leave for work, hugged him and whispered:

"Don't forget about lunch time, I have a reservation at Jean Georges restaurant."

Not noticing anything was wrong, Jin smiled and kissed Li You, then held up his document bag and joked:

"I don't have much work in the morning, I can get off work early!"

Jin was in a particularly good mood and went out with small steps. Li You couldn't help rubbing his eyebrows and noticed that the time was 7:05. He should be able to sit in the office in less than half an hour. Thinking of this, he let out a sigh of relief. .

Milinda had just come downstairs. Her blond hair was messy. When she saw Li You, she immediately jumped into her arms in a daze. While kissing her, she whispered:

"You little bastard! Don't do this next time!"

The two played some tricks last night. Milinda's eyes were still watery and her body was weak. Li You picked up Dabo girl and said softly:
"I've asked for leave for you this morning. Have a good sleep at home!"

"."

Busy Manhattan seemed to be no different from usual, until around 9 o'clock, almost everyone heard a loud noise.

Milinda, who had just prepared to have breakfast, subconsciously walked to the window on the third floor. When she saw the smoking building in the distance, she immediately exclaimed:
"OMG!"

Li You also opened his mouth, but soon his phone rang. After answering, Bobby's unusually urgent voice came immediately:
"Something may have happened to my partner, Li. Now I see an opportunity and I need some financial support."

"You are crazy!"

“There’s no time to explain, if you can, help me take care of Laura!”

Li You listened to the "beep" sound on the phone and directly opened the phone in half. This private phone was only used once and then went into the trash can.
In the past year or so, most of Li You's funds have been shorting U.S. stocks and oil futures. No matter how the market increases confidence, U.S. stocks as a whole still show a downward trend.

This kind of operation can only be said to be a small profit but not a loss. After all, the stock market is volatile, rising while falling, while oil futures are tepid.

A portion of the funds were also given to Akers Capital, and Bobby's hedge fund income was much higher.

After Li You confirmed Jin's safety, it was exactly 10 o'clock when he appeared in St. Vincent's Hospital. When everyone saw the collapse of the high-rise building, they subconsciously covered their mouths.

She tried desperately to call but no one answered. Seeing the building collapse, Laura subconsciously wanted to run out of the hospital. After being pulled back by Li You, the colleagues around her also hurriedly shouted to dissuade her:
“Don’t be impulsive Laura, your brother will be fine!”

"."

Perhaps she realized something. In the end, the blonde girl just hugged Li You and cried sadly. The building collapsed and the firefighters were in trouble.

Manhattan had long been in chaos. Li You did his best to come to the hospital and patted the girl in his arms to express comfort. Similar situations continued to occur throughout the hospital.

At night, all entertainment programs were shut down, and almost every channel on the television was denouncing the attack.

The impact of the collapse of the high-rise building was huge. Many people working in the financial industry were taken away in that building. When Manhattan is no longer safe, companies will naturally choose to leave here.

When people's confidence in national security declines, they will panic sell their stocks, and U.S. stocks will fall again.

Late at night, at home on Street 82, Jin and Milinda were both lying in Li You's arms, and the three of them just cuddled each other.

Milinda noticed that Li You had been holding her tightly, raised her head slightly, and said in a coaxing tone:
"Clay, are we moving? I can quit my job and we can go to a safe city."

Jin Ye kissed Li You, hugged him twice more, and whispered:

"It's good to leave Manhattan. No one knows whether we will encounter such an attack again."

"I was also horrified. Everyone in the office couldn't believe that this was happening."

Li You didn't think much about it. The reason for his uneasiness was more because of the message Bobby sent him:

"The revenue may exceed $7 million."

Airlines, hotels, shipping companies and other industries were hit, and Bobby became a big winner despite losing his partners.
Li You hugged the two girls next to him again, smelling the perfume emanating from their bodies, and finally just whispered:

"We'll stay in Manhattan. It's safe here. Go to sleep, my dear, and life will get better and better!"

"."

On September 9, Li You wore a black formal suit and attended the funeral of Laura's relatives.

The strong blonde girl kept crying in Bobby's arms and seemed to feel guilty for not being able to be by his girlfriend's side right away. Bobby's eyes were full of apologies.

Green Screen Cemetery is located in Brooklyn, not far from Manhattan. Li You and Bobby watched several waves of families of the victims shed tears and were silent for a while.

Having already attended the funeral of a company partner, Ax Capital did not collapse because of this incident, but instead became stronger.

"I will support the families of the victims, and I will ensure that the children will be able to attend prestigious schools in the future. This is my responsibility."

Bobby was also wearing a black formal suit. After saying these words, he seemed to feel much better.

After glancing at Li You, Bobby finally lit a cigarette. After taking a puff, he choked and coughed:
"Do you want to be my partner? Don't worry about the follow-up issues. This is my personal decision and it is also my responsibility."

After all, Li You doesn't have an American heart. He cares about his friends around him, but he doesn't care about Bobby's so-called "national crisis." He nodded, looked at the cemetery, and whispered:
"You just saw some opportunities. If you have any psychological burden, you can talk to me."

Shaking his head and brushing his messy short blond hair, Bobby said nothing.

Manhattan is still in a haze, but time may heal the pain.

As a star player in New York, Li You donated 200 million US dollars to the New York Fire Department FDNY and SOC after the high-rise building collapsed. He also donated 200 million US dollars to needy families.

This amount of money is his after-tax salary for next season. For this, Mayor Giuliani and the staff of the city hall expressed their gratitude to Li You.

Giuliani performed very well in this incident and gained a particularly high reputation. He was called the "Mayor of the United States" and reversed some previous negative information in one fell swoop.

Of course, in times of turmoil, Giuliani will extend his time in office and continue to coordinate New York.

The NBA league headquarters is also in New York, and David Stern has also begun to organize star players to carry out charity activities. Li You is naturally the "big brother".

If there was a prestige level in the New York area, Li You would have probably reached the respected level at this time.
The Knicks training camp also failed to start as scheduled. Jeff Van Gundy also participated in charity activities. In the new season, the team will most likely use games as training.

On September 9, Michael Jordan officially announced his comeback, which was a shot in the arm for the depressed people.Mykko was also very generous, donating US$25 million, which was his entire salary. This money will also be used for the families who have lost their loved ones.

This comeback received a mediocre response in the New York area. Li You also donated a year's salary, but Li You was much more generous. Even those with a serious hatred of rich people no longer complained about Li You's excessive endorsement fees.

The preseason games of the NBA have also been affected. Many players refuse to fly and are not interested in playing abroad. It is not only ordinary people who have lost their sense of security, but also the players do not want to encounter terrible things.

At this time, Ivana no longer persuaded Li You to buy a house in Manhattan. Instead, she kept urging Li You to leave New York and live in Florida for a while.

Big Lolita Scarlett was still running for promotion at this time. After hearing the news, she also persuaded Li You to leave Manhattan and take his stubborn brother with him.
On September 9, the Knicks training camp officially opened at the Tarrytown Training Center.

In half a month, as the White House launched a heavy blow to change the image of the "weak" government, and the international community strongly condemned it, America suddenly became unprecedentedly united.
Although many people are still worried about safety issues, as nothing happened in the past half month, most people's lives have settled down again.

Jeff Van Gundy looked at the crowd in the arena and then at the roster in his hand, frowning inwardly. The lineup did not meet his expectations.

Backcourt: Li You, Brevin Knight;

Frontcourt: Grant Hill, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Glenzen Wright, Kurt Thomas, Stephen Jackson;
Atmosphere group: Trenton Hassell, Antonis Fortsis, Luke Longley, Jaylon Collins.

In theory, this lineup has great talent. Grenzen Wright was the seventh overall pick in the 96 draft. He is 7 meters tall. There is no problem in playing as a blue-collar substitute.

In the main lineup, most of the draft picks are in the first round. After the replacement, the Knicks have completely got rid of the Ewing era.

Without a "little book", Artest didn't have to carry a bag, and he felt very good for a while.

He came to the training camp early and got to know Stephen Jackson early. The two had a good chat and both liked boxing. After completing the physical test, Artest kept a smile on his face and thought happily in his heart:
"This is the Knicks I'm looking forward to!"

On the other side, Li You patted the ball casually and noticed that Gasol was a little nervous. He immediately smiled and comforted:
"Everyone thinks you performed very well in the summer league, but actually the regular season is no different."

"Like you do in the Spanish league, not much changes in the United States."

With short hair and not much beard on his face, Gasol still looks young.

Hearing Li You's words, he nodded immediately. The team's lineup changed drastically, which was more beneficial to him. Gasol was just worried about the New York media:

"I'm just worried about the decline in record and the dissatisfaction of the New York fans. Kukchi told me that people here like to win."

Li Youneng noticed that Gasol's English had become much fluent, and after hearing the other party's worries, he just smiled and shook his head:

"The Knicks belong to the Eastern Conference. Actually, you don't have to worry about the record or the playoffs."

"?"

Gasol was a little confused. Grant Hill on the other side heard Li You's straightforward remarks and could only explain in a low voice:
"What Li means is that the teams in the Eastern Conference are not strong. Even if our record declines, there is a high probability that we can still be in the top half, or even be first in the Eastern Conference."

"To reach the finals, we only need to break out of the Eastern Conference. We will only play Western Conference teams twice a season. The opponent's results really don't have much impact on us."

Compared with Li You's busy offseason, Grant Hill settled down to recuperate after appearing on some sports programs.

Most of the time is spent on rehabilitation and examination. For the new season, Grant Hill has no intention of fishing. Without Alan Houston, he will be the team's second choice for offense.

With a carefully groomed mustache and a slimmer figure, Grant Hill followed the doctor's advice during the offseason and re-polished his body.

The three of them were chatting on one side. On the other side, the little Bravin Knight was extremely reserved. He was the shortest in the entire training hall.
The new players were a little reserved. Throughout the offseason, they were bombarded by news about Li You, coupled with the gap in income and tactical status, they did not dare to say anything for a while, for fear of accidentally offending the boss.

Stephen Jackson was quite relaxed, chatting and laughing with Artest and whispering in a low voice.

After the physical test, only Longley failed to meet the standard, and the big center seemed to be ready to start.
Jeff Van Gundy put on the posture of a championship coach and began to serve delicious chicken soup to everyone:

"First of all, on behalf of the coaching staff and the team, I would like to welcome everyone to the Knicks."

"It's dangerous! No matter how you played in the past, when you come here, the first thing you have to do is trust your teammates."

"Although our lineup is young, I will not lower my requirements. In the new season, the Knicks will continue to compete for the championship. The championship is our only pursuit!"

"."

The bald young marshal said a lot, with only one purpose, and that was to tell everyone that if they want to get the starting position, they must listen to his hard training.

The new players only think that the champion coach is so nice to talk to and his requirements are so strict, but no one objects to these requirements, and they even think that the champion coach is right!

With the blessing of four consecutive championships, Jeff Van Gundy's reputation in the coaching circle has reached its peak, and most of the new players show reverence in their eyes.
Stephen Jackson, who knew part of the inside story, did not completely believe what the head coach said. After "drinking chicken soup", he took the initiative to say hello to Li You:

"Lee, I'm very happy to come and play for the Knicks. It seems that I can also get a championship ring!"

Artest seemed to think Jackson was a nice person and took the initiative to help:

"Stephen also likes to practice boxing. It's a pity that Larry is no longer here, otherwise we can form a team to compete."

Li Youxian fist bumped with Jackson. Seeing Artest's cheerful look, he joked:
"Ron, how are you doing with your three-point shooting? Don't tell me you've been busy practicing boxing and playing with girls during the offseason."

He is more diligent in lifting irons than shooting. Artest could only laugh dryly, a little lack of confidence, but in order not to lose face in front of his friends, he still boasted and said:

"This season my three-point shooting percentage will definitely exceed 35%! Next year it will be close to [-]%!"

Noticing Li You's suspicious look, Artest quickly changed the subject and said:

"It's time for another men's battle during lunch time. Stephen, don't underestimate Li's strength. In an arm wrestling match, even some big men can't compare to Li!"

Li You patted Artest on the shoulder. Sure enough, we couldn't expect this shooter to suddenly become stronger.
Everyone was chatting and laughing as they prepared lunch. Li You was quite satisfied with his physical condition.

Strength: 82; Stamina: 98.

These two attributes slowly increased without any training, and another talent also experienced some changes.

[Michael Jordan's extraordinary core strength] also turned purple after being silent for a while.

While Li You was observing his new teammates, he felt slightly proud:

"When people sit at home, their skills will naturally improve!"

"."

Although Jeff Van Gundy showed confidence in front of the coaching staff and players, he was very dissatisfied with the offseason operations.

During lunch time, I simply walked to the office of general manager Glenfield, who was busy selecting players. After noticing the bald young coach, he said calmly:
"Jeff, don't worry about the backcourt, we still have time to make reinforcements."

"The biggest problem now is that there are no favorite players on the free market. Look at the Lakers, they also gave up on Brian Shaw."

"Older players are no longer suitable for the championship team. I will not choose veterans."

The Knicks have been busy with charity activities recently, so Jeff Van Gundy has not paid attention to the free market. After hearing these words, he could only complain in a low voice:
"We still need a backcourt player with better defense. Once an injury occurs, we can't let Li play 40 minutes in the regular season."

Grunfield touched his chin, seeming to sense the bald young commander's little thoughts, and suddenly said with meaning:

"Jeff, no need to beat around the bush, we've been together for many years, tell me what you think!"

Jeff Van Gundy was not embarrassed when he was caught with his tricks. He is a championship coach:

"How about we sign Charlie Ward? Charlie has a lot of experience and works very hard on the defensive end!"

"And he is familiar with the Knicks' style of play, and he can effectively supplement the lineup."

As he spoke, Jeff Van Gundy sounded more and more confident. He just wanted his beloved to return to the team.
General Manager Glenfield showed a half-smiling expression after hearing these words, and then said seriously:
"Are you sure Charlie understands how the Knicks are playing right now?"

"He didn't even find a job in another team, a minimum salary contract? Then let him come to the team as a useless sparring partner?"

Jeff Van Gundy frowned after hearing these words. He seemed dissatisfied with the other party's reaction and wanted to continue to say a few words. Grunfield said with a smile:
"Lee doesn't like Charlie, so he can't even think about returning to the Knicks. Jeff, you should know this!"

"."

The bald young marshal was immediately discouraged, and his beloved general begged him. As a coach who had won four consecutive championships, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

As a result, the ruthless reality hit him in the face again. Jeff Van Gundy suddenly looked ugly. General Manager Glenfield changed the subject with a smile, which was regarded as giving him a step up.

When the bald young marshal left the office, Grunfield smiled disdainfully while sorting out the documents at hand. Thinking of the curly boss's request, he gloated in his heart:
"Behave! Jeff, there are some things you'll never get!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)