NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 255 You know, Li is mine. ([-])
2002年5月5号，上午9:30，塔里敦训练中心又挤满了体育媒体。

The lottery ceremony is approaching. Today, everyone gathered in Manhattan. In addition to attending Li You's press conference, they also wanted to interview the head coach and general manager.

General manager Glenn Field is already a well-known figure in the industry. If he leaves the Knicks one day, all teams in the league will welcome him to join.

With a bulging belly, wearing a smart gray formal suit, and a carefully trimmed beard, the curly-haired Grunfield has gained some weight compared to the past few years.

The New York media gave him the title of "Legendary Manager". After the "Legendary Coach" left, Grunfield's limelight has overshadowed the current coaching staff.

Everyone knows that if you want to have a deeper understanding of the Knicks' trends, it is useless to interview Thibodeau. The draft matters belong to the general manager.

Before the press conference began, a large number of reporters gathered in front of Grenfield:
"Ernie, can you reveal which players the Knicks plan to invite?"

"Will the Knicks continue to select big men in this year's draft?"

After hearing everyone's inquiries, Grunfield smiled slightly and answered the questions patiently:
"We still have to look at the final lottery. Our goal is to add suitable talents to Li!"

"The Knicks have a long-term plan. We will not just look at the present. Lee is only 24 years old. He still has a long peak period. What the team has to do is to protect his health."

The ESPN reporter seemed to have heard some gossip and suddenly asked about the coaching staff:

"The Knicks have won 61 games this season. Will Coach Thibodeau continue to coach next season?"

Realizing that everyone was more concerned about this issue, Grunfield just tilted his head and teased without giving a real answer:

"Tom is a nice guy, everyone likes him, and of course he has the opportunity to continue coaching!"

"."

The press conference is about to begin. In addition to everyone from the Knicks, Li You also invited several old friends who came to New York this year.

"Dolly Bag" Walter McCarty has gotten some playing time with the Celtics in recent seasons. When he received Li You's invitation, his eyes were red with excitement.

McCarty thought that Li You, who had become a big star, had forgotten about him. After receiving the invitation, even the Celtics teammates did not expect that this atmosphere group was also the MVP's friend.

Not only the "doorsteps", Tony Delk and Antoine Walker also received invitations. These two were rivals in college. After entering the league, everyone became superficial brothers.

Paul Pierce joined in the fun. When he was sitting in the audience, he noticed that there were celebrities in New York in front of him. He felt a lemon and teased his teammates next to him:
"I almost forgot, your rookie season was in New York, and Lee was on the bench at that time."

The "doormat" who was wearing a formal suit thought of the days of suffering in New York, and felt aggrieved, but he started to say "X":

"You know, Lee was my good brother back then! We fought together on the bench. Those are the days I miss the most."

Antoine Walker curled his lips quietly without revealing his background. He knew that Li You and the old guy from the Knicks could play together, and the "doorstep" was just a bag at the time.
The players' families and friends were sitting in the audience. On the far right side of the podium, some newcomers had never experienced such a scene and were looking at the scene curiously.

When the time came to 10 o'clock, NBA Vice President Lars Granik appeared at the front. He first placed the trophy on the podium, and then smiled and simply said:
"I would like to invite Clay-Lee, the MVP of the 01-02 season, four-time NBA championship winner, and the league's superstar!"

When Li You appeared on the podium wearing a smart dark gray formal suit and hugged the vice president in greeting, everyone in the room burst into laughter.

The MVP trophy was indeed more exquisite and beautiful. Li You pretended to touch it, then quickly raised his head and said:
"Everyone seems to dislike my offensive choices this year. I am really grateful for everyone's vote!"

"It's great to play in New York, and even though Madison Square Garden was voted the least favorite road trip this season, I like the outcome."

"Thank you to the New York fans who have always supported me. Although you have made me more unpopular on the road, I feel that as long as I win a few more championships, this problem will be solved!"

The New York media in the audience laughed and applauded. It was okay to play away games in the Western Conference this season, but when playing at home games of several old rivals, Li You would be booed throughout the game.
When the cheering stopped, Li You continued with a smile:

"Thank you to Coach Van Gundy. Although he has left, we did not have a smooth start to this season. I am able to accompany the team through the difficult schedule. Thank you for his efforts!"

"61 wins, I also want to thank my teammates. There are many new faces on the team this year. I like these guys who play hard."

"And thanks to Tamia, every time you show up at Madison Square Garden, Hill's performance will be better!"

Seeing his singer wife waving proudly, Grant Hill could only clap his hands and laugh. He lay too hard last year and was really embarrassed.
"Fifty percent shooting is not an easy thing, and there are four players in the Knicks' starting lineup who maintain this efficiency."

"Hill, Kurt, Paul, they all performed unparalleled this season. Of course, I will not forget Ron. He is the hardest defensive player on the team and he will become DPOY."

"Forget those doubts and stick to your own style of play. Ron will become a big star. This is only his third season!"

"The award belongs to all of us. Our bench has never been a concern throughout the season. We are the best tactical team in the league."

"Thank you again to those friends who have always supported me. Your support is my biggest motivation. Coach Thibodeau, don't worry, we will reach the finals this year!" "."

Thibodeau, who was sitting in front of the Knicks, also laughed. Although coaching superstars is not an easy task, leading a team to the finals is indeed an achievement that many coaches cannot achieve in their lifetime.

A rookie coach entered the finals in his first season after taking over the team. Thibodeau put all his worries behind him, and it was his turn to enjoy the treatment of a famous coach.

The atmosphere was warm. Li You thanked everyone in a relaxed tone. The "doormats" sitting in the audience kept applauding. Paul Pierce felt sour in his heart. The heat caused by the Magic's counterattack had dissipated:
"MVP? I should also work hard next season."

Li You won the MVP for two consecutive seasons, and naturally offended some lemon spirits invisibly.

Tim Duncan would never express his dissatisfaction to the sports media in person, but Popovich has always taken the initiative to speak out for his beloved disciple in order to better hug his thigh.

After the morning press conference, Popovich, who was still preparing to play against the Lakers in the afternoon, began to complain during an interview:
"The league always pays more attention to players in big markets. This is unfair to Tim!"

"We won 58 games. Tim could do anything. He sacrificed numbers for the team in order to win."

"Tim deserves an MVP because you can't ask him to do more. He is a true leader. I hope the commentators will pay more attention to San Antonio!"

The media in Los Angeles don't like Li You either, but O'Neal has been troubled by injuries this season, and his attendance rate and data have dropped a bit. Excel is indeed not good.

Everyone was unhappy, but fortunately O'Neal was also a big mouth. Under the influence of Phil Jackson, the Sharks regained their confidence.

Most of the Lakers who flew to San Antonio in advance were not in the mood to be interviewed. Only O'Neal confidently expressed his stance when he was blocked by sports reporters at the hotel:
"I don't care about MVP, for me, getting a trophy is enough!"

"I have proven myself in the regular season, and now I am focusing on the finals. No matter who my opponent is, I will win the championship this year."

After hearing O'Neal's "trophy overflow theory", some sports reporters subconsciously raised their eyebrows. Aren't the more trophies the better?

Kobe, who entered the playoffs and began to add drama to himself, also wanted to gain attention. Unfortunately, most reporters would only interview the team boss.

Kobe, who suddenly became a little transparent again, looked at O'Neal with his mouth wide open during the interview, and felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. Fortunately, Phil Jackson immediately sent him chicken soup:

"Champions require sacrifices. Kobe, you are our outside core. As long as you win the championship, you will gain more!"

Perhaps thinking of something, Kobe nodded fiercely without saying a word. He didn't like O'Neal's attitude of recovering from minor injuries this season.

On the night of the 5th, Madison Square Garden became lively again.

For many New York fans, awards night is a party.

After the two teams took the field, president David Stern came to the center of the field, held up the microphone, first patted Li You next to him, and then said loudly:
“No. [-] in total points, No. [-] in steals, No. [-] in true shooting percentage, and a new record for three-pointers made!”

"After entering the league, he has been accompanied by records. He is the youngest Mr. Wanfen, the youngest Finals FMVP, and regular season MVP! He has ushered in a new era!"

"Thank you to the fans who came here tonight, and to New York City Hall for supporting the league. The 2001~2002 regular season MVP winner is Clay-Lee!"

Amid the cheers, David Stern raised the bronze man trophy in front of him and handed it to Li You. At the same time, he hugged him again and said:
"Lee, I'm glad to see you achieve such an achievement. The league needs players like you!"

Li You, who had taken off his training clothes and was wearing a white home jersey of the Knicks, was "fully armed" and smiled in greeting. Then he raised the trophy and accepted photos from the surrounding sports media.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The fans kept shouting happily, and there were Chinese reporters behind the basketball stand. Watching Li You win the cup again, his thoughts were racing for a while.

There is also the World Championships this year. If you want to achieve better results, adding a superstar is the best choice.

It's a pity that the more I get to know Li You, the more I understand that these are all extravagant hopes. The players on both sides are people from two different worlds.

In the NBC commentary box, Marv Albert, a die-hard Knicks fan, felt comfortable watching Li You win the cup. New York can still maintain its competitiveness for at least 10 years:
"Tonight is another milestone night for Lee. During the regular season, the Knicks have the advantage!"

“The Celtics continued their previous starting lineup, with the backcourt combination of Kenny Anderson and Paul Pierce, and the frontcourt trio of Eric Williams, Antoine Walker, and Tony Barty. .”

Partner Mike Fratello declined TNT's invitation just to explain this series. In his opinion, the Celtics are very likely to become a dark horse:
"The lineup structures of the two teams are very similar. Both sides have a lot of forward players. The Celtics have better shooting ability!"

"After the baptism of the last round of games, head coach Jim O'Brien seems to have found the key to victory. Perhaps this year the Celtics will become the Knicks' strongest opponent in the Eastern Conference!"

"."

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