NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 86 The beauty brought by data
On May 1997, 5, after the end of G30 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the media in New York entered a state of self-comfort.
At the post-match press conference, Li You was wearing a light gray formal suit, sitting on the top and watching the media below the stage asking friendly questions.

Ewing, who was wearing a black formal suit, seemed to have not recovered from the defeat, and his face still had a gloomy expression.

"Lee, how would you rate your first season, you played perfectly!"

Everyone in the audience tacitly refrained from mentioning the Bulls, and laughed and asked questions that had nothing to do with tonight's game.

"In my opinion, Magic Johnson really had a perfect first year."

"As for my performance, I am quite satisfactory. I think I am at least worthy of the status of an All-Star player."

Li You was also happy to cooperate, but when he thought of Michael Jordan's proud black face, he couldn't help cursing inwardly:
"Damn Black Jesus!"

The gorilla's expression froze. He also knew the experience of Magic Johnson winning the FMVP. He felt that there was something in Li You's words.
Ewing also received a lot of praise. Regardless of the outcome, the gorilla was hardworking on the court, and every time he played low, he was visibly head-to-head. The media and fans knew this well.

"Pat, do you think we have a chance to win a championship next season? 64 wins, the Knicks seem to be back to their prime."

The reporter of the New York Times still asked the question that everyone is most concerned about, the ownership of the champion.

"We will win the championship. We only have one goal every year. The team is on the right track. Next season, our state will be even better."

"This is only the first year of our team, and we won the division championship. Next season, the team will go one step further."

Ewing continued to make big cakes for the New York media in the audience. Although the cakes were not delicious, most people were very satisfied with such answers.

Li You looked at this scene, and felt a little funny in his heart. No one mentioned the matter of beating the Bulls. The entire Eastern Conference, the defeated teams were thinking about the future:
"Wait for the Bulls to disintegrate themselves!"

"."

On May 5st, in several New York newspapers, most of the articles in the sports section had the same meaning, "the future can be expected", and the losses were selectively forgotten.

Since the Knicks have won 64 games this season, they only got the 26th pick in the recent lottery.

There is no need to expect this pick to become an immediate force. The future of the Knicks can be expected to refer to the team's current lineup.

The New York media, who like to watch fun, did not forget to tease the Celtics at this time, frantically playing poorly, and ended up taking the 3rd and 6th picks.

Since the Grizzlies and Raptors did not qualify for the No. 76 pick that season, the Celtics, like the 36.3ers last season, had a [-]% chance of winning the No. [-] pick.

This is the highest probability in the league, and the probability of the Spurs winning the No. 21.6 lottery is [-]%. As a result, on the day of the lottery in New Jersey, Spurs owner Peter Holt became the biggest winner and successfully counterattacked.

Perhaps it is a metaphysical addition, Peter Holt deliberately wore the Spurs' exclusive tie and horseshoe-shaped collar pin, and won the No. [-] lottery and introduced it to the media proudly:

"These Spurs exclusive accessories bring us good luck!"

Everyone knows who the Spurs will pick, no one will miss Tim Duncan, and the Cardinals have not given up, they still have a chance, if they are not selected, they can still trade.
There are not a few people who like to see the Celtics hapless, and Lemony loves to watch the fun.

Every weekend, Kristen Ritter comes to New York to take part-time photo shoots.

The little follower plans to become a professional model in the future, and his family is also very supportive. After all, it is a good thing to make money early.

It just so happened that today is Saturday. Although there is no work this week, the bustling Manhattan is too attractive, so I come to Li You to eat and drink as always.

"Are we going to Chicago? I haven't been there yet?"

The little follower showed anticipation. The third largest city in the United States, young people always like bustling cities.

Li You, who was leaning on the sofa and reading the newspaper, saw the fatter Christen Ritter blinking his big eyes, looking at him expectantly, and responded casually:

"I have some contracts to go to Chicago to deal with, and watch a football game by the way, so as to give you some exposure opportunities."

"Don't dress up deliberately, don't forget your age."

Young people always like to make themselves look more mature, but in order to cater to Li You's preferences, Christen Ritter has never deliberately dressed up.

The black ponytail is combed, and the bangs are also cut in the same style as Hepburn. The little follower has restored the image that a girl should have.

Leaning close to Li You, he also read the above news. Soon, Christen Ritter curled his lips in boredom, and then whispered a suggestion in his ear:
"Lee, let's go to the movies! "Jurassic Park 2" is said to be super good!"

Trying to show off his little bean buns, the little follower folded his arms and began to act like a baby. Li You rubbed the center of his brows helplessly. As soon as he heard the name of the movie, he was already spoiled:

"The movie may not be as good as you think!"

"Yeah!"

The little attendant happily kissed Li You, and began to put on his coat with great interest. Spielberg's masterpiece, how can it not look good?

On the night of June 6, Li You and his agent Mark Bartelstein appeared in the front row of the Chicago United Center arena.

Christen Lite next to him is the same as Li You, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and Converse All Star 70s retro sneakers.

The little follower looked around, sitting in the front row for the first time, and felt that he had also become the focus.

In fact, the three of them really attracted attention, and instead of being opponents on the court, Chicago fans liked the gorgeous Li You very much.

The front row tickets are given away for free by Michael Jordan, which is regarded as the player's family area. If you are not an opponent, Michael Jordan is not bad, at least he takes good care of his friends.

Li You seldom made friends with men of the same age, and Ray Allen was older than him. In the Knicks, he could also get along well with old guys.

Winning the ball was grinning, and Mai Kou didn’t forget to pretend to be X when he gave the tickets:

"The finals will not go back to Chicago, tickets for two games are enough!"

"."

Wearing a black formal suit, Mark Bartelstein was in a good mood. With his performance in the playoffs, Li You didn't have to worry about his sneaker contract.

It's easier for guards to sell shoes. This is a consensus. If you work well in the off-season, you will get a lot of money!
"It's a pity. If the Knicks can reach the Finals, plus NBC's broadcast, it will add more popularity to you."

Li You didn't care when he heard Mark Bartelstein's words. ESPN promoted him every day, and killing Michael Jordan was his best advertisement:

"It is indeed a pity, but the Bulls have declined, and there is still a chance next year."

The director will also point the camera to this side. Apart from the stars watching the game, Li You can be regarded as a walking hotspot.

Li You's records continued throughout the season. He scored 24 points in a single quarter in the playoffs and completed the lore in the Eastern Conference finals, which once again refreshed everyone's impression of him.

Li You greeted the three people in the NBC commentary booth before the game. At this time, Isiah Thomas recalled the Eastern Conference Finals with a smile:

"G2 was a turning point in the series. The Knicks had a chance to win the game, but Michael Jordan did respond, a few free throws, and it affected the trend of the series."

"Alan Houston is inexperienced in the game. Every fourth quarter, Michael Jordan can always find an opportunity, but in the finals, the Jazz will not make such a mistake."

Bob Costas on the side always felt that his partner was relying on the whistle in a strange way, so he immediately changed the subject and said:
"Isaiah, how would you evaluate Lee's performance in the playoffs? Although he is only a rookie, he really handed over an incredible stat this year!"

Isaiah Thomas didn't care about being transferred, and continued to say with a smile:

"Some talents come into the league and shine. There is no doubt that Lee is such a player. Basketball has no color, but I think his shooting talent is better than a lot of young black players."

"He still has room for improvement in terms of physical explosiveness and confrontation. Facing the defense of flexible and tall strikers, his efficiency will also drop. I know how difficult it is for a small man to play in the league, but Lee proved himself in the playoffs!"

"."

The two people in the commentary chatted nonsense, and Isiah Thomas didn't forget to tease Karl Malone. The MVP's data shrank in the playoffs.

The Bulls fans at the scene were very involved in the game, the scores of the two sides rose alternately, and the Bulls have not been able to widen the point difference.

Although he only had one day off, Michael Jordan was in very good condition, and his inhuman physical fitness once again played a huge role.

Li You, who watched the game from the front row, would sometimes applaud the Jazz's beautiful cooperation, and would also applaud the Bulls' wonderful offense.

There is no difference in the pace of the game from the Eastern Conference finals. The Bulls still slowed down, which made the two sides fight until the last moment.

"Oh!!"

With the last 9 seconds left in the game, the score was 82:82. Karl Malone stepped to the free throw line, and the noise on the scene became louder and louder.

Not long ago, G1 in the Eastern Conference Finals was just killed, and some fans began to cover their faces.

Soon, Li You witnessed a classic moment, Pippen said a word to Malone at the free throw line, and then, the MVP missed both free throws
The backcourt rebound was protected by Michael Jordan, and the United Center Arena erupted into loud cheers.

Li You smiled and clapped his hands, the feeling of witnessing history is very interesting:

"The postman doesn't work on weekends!"

At the last moment, on the left flank, Maikou simply changed direction in front of his body, passed Brian Russell, made a mid-range emergency stop jumper, and killed the game!
"Wow!!"

The little followers also cheered beside Li You. Everyone likes to watch superstars dominate the game and kill their opponents.

Michael Jordan made two free throws and almost took the blame, but at the last moment, after completing the lore, everyone instantly forgot the free throw performance
Mark Bartelstein shrugged and said to Li You beside him:
"This is Michael Jordan, and I've seen it many times in Chicago."

Looking at Maikou who was throwing his fist and pretending to be X, Li You didn't speak, but the memory in his mind became clearer and clearer:
"History is repeating itself!"

The trend of the finals was exactly the same as Li You remembered. Pippen, who was troubled by back and knee injuries, experienced ups and downs, and Michael also suffered from diarrhea in the away game.
However, the above situation did not affect the Bulls' victory, it was just that Michael's bragging was overblown this time, and the finals finally returned to Chicago.

In the 2-3-2 schedule, the Jazz had a chance to get the match point in one go, but unfortunately, the Utah Shuangsha failed to seize the opportunity and lost G5.

On June 6th, the Bulls returned to the home court again, they did not give their opponents any chance, 13:86, successfully won the championship!
After coming back and winning two consecutive championships again, Michael Jordan was blown to the sky, but the championship also brought contradictions. At the press conference after the game, Michael Jordan made it clear:
"I will only play for Phil. Next season, the Bulls will continue to attack the championship."

The conflict between general manager Klaus and Phil Jackson has long been made public, and Pippen, who is frequently involved in trade rumors, seems to be sent away.

Hitting the sixth crown?Trade Pippen to rebuild?

The new season hasn't started yet, and the sports media can't wait to start eating melons.

The headquarters of Priority Sport is located on L.S. Street in Chicago, not far from the old Chicago Exchange building. This area is also the financial district of Chicago.

In addition to reading newspapers and training these days, Li You also attended many gatherings.

With the end of the finals, ESPN announced the 96-97 season and playoff data rankings on the program while the heat has not dissipated.

The moment of understanding the ball that fans love to see came again, and then, the New York fans were happy.

96~97赛季，李佑一共出战了14场季后赛，场均出场37.9分钟，场均拿到20.9分3.4篮板8.7助攻1.1抢断2.1失误；

He averaged 15.7 shots per game, shooting 47.1% from the field, 7.0 shots from beyond the three-point line, 41.9% from three-pointers, 4.2 free throws per game, and 84.5% from free throws.

This data officially declares that Li You has become the league's top point guard!
In 14 games, scored a total of 292 points, ranked 8th in the playoff scoring list, and ranked 13th in points per game;

122 assists, ranked second in the playoff assists list, and ranked third in assists per game;

40 three-pointers, ranked second in the three-pointer list, averaging 2 three-pointers per game, also ranked second in the three-pointer list;

In the three-point shooting percentage list, although Li You played a lot of games in the playoffs, he still ranked 9th;

60.3% true shooting percentage, ranking 17th;

The PER of 22.8 even surpassed Stockton and Karl Malone, ranking seventh!

Compared with the regular season, with the increase of playing time, Li You's efficiency has also increased a little bit.

In this regard, the New York media does not need to compare peaks. These data can be compared in one word:

"win!"

The voice of "No. [-] point guard" is getting louder and louder, and the losing New York media has found a topic again, and it's over!
Excel has a great influence. How to compare the strengths of players? Fans and football critics like to look at statistics, and Li You's statistics are as beautiful as superstars.

The beautiful data and super popularity also brought rich rewards to Li You.

I just met with Under Armour's founder Kevin Plank two days ago.

The brand was just established in 96. The founder had no money, but hoped that his sports underwear could develop in the basketball field. Therefore, the cooperation between the two parties finally became Li You's share.

10% is not too much, not too little, if it can be listed in the IPO in the future, it will be diluted several times, and it will eventually become single digits.

Mark Bartelstein has been busy with Li You's news these days, and if he wants these football critics to speak well, some public relations are naturally indispensable.

"I don't think Under Armor can develop. Athletes are not suitable for entrepreneurship. Li, you know what I mean. Not every athlete likes to read and think."

Mark Bartelstein in the office couldn't help shaking his head and complaining when he thought of the boastful talk and desperately trying to paint Plank.

Mark Bartelstein, who worked at Morgan Investment Bank before, has seen too many founders who like to paint cakes.

Li You, who is still reading the newspaper, is still willing to accept this kind of beautiful knife delivered to his door:

"Don't worry about these details. In fact, many people expect professional sports equipment. It's the same for football and basketball. I think this can be done."

Mark Bartelstein sighed helplessly, then looked at the itinerary, and reminded aloud:

"We have to go to a reception in the afternoon. Mark Parker, the vice president of Nike, appreciates you very much!"

"You know, adidas moves a lot, and after giving that high school guard a six-year, $6 million deal, they recently signed a high school kid."

"This is an opportunity to make a lot of money, definitely more than your rookie contract!"

Hearing the news about Mei Dao, Li You on the sofa raised his eyebrows and asked teasingly:

"How much? I don't think the other party will give a large contract. Anfernee Hardaway is 10 million in 4000 years. This is Jordan's successor."

Mark Bartelstein is naturally aware of the false contract of Jordan's successor, but with the blessing of Excel, he is confident that he will get a good contract:

"5 million dollars in five years? Lee, you're going to be a millionaire in no time!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)