NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 268 Revenge Season? (daily chapter)

  On October 2002, 10, as the preseason ended, New York fans became active again.

  Every year in the preseason, the Knicks usually play against teams in the same division, and the result is naturally a loss.

  On the night of the 25th, at 83:109, after a big victory over the 76ers, Madison Square Garden was boiling again.

  The DJ on the second floor did not forget to play some high-pitched music at the end of the game, and the fans who liked to watch the fun continued to mock Allen Iverson, who did not play.

  As for the big-faced head coach Larry Brown, no one cared at all, but D'Antoni smiled happily.

  In 9 preseason games, the Knicks defeated teams in the same division again.

  What makes D'Antoni feel most outrageous is that the Knicks use the same tactics repeatedly in a game, and the success rate is still very high.

  Recalling the reminder from assistant coach Crawford, Mustache realized it personally:

  "In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are the best team."

  This kind of cruel game, if it were not for the purpose of giving back to the fans who bought the tickets, Li You would most likely have clocked in one quarter and played 32 minutes because the fans bought high-priced tickets.

  The Knicks are not lenient in cutting leeks. After Ewing joined the coaching staff, the Madison Square Garden Arena has added many gorilla elements.

  When fans ascended to the second floor, in addition to beautiful posters of celebrities and Li You, there was also a commemorative photo frame of Ewing himself.

  There are jerseys, trophies, honors Ewing won and some old photos in the photo frame.

  In several home preseason games, Ewing's job before the game was to stand next to the photo frame and wait for fans to take photos.

  If fans purchase Knicks souvenirs on the first floor, they can also receive preferential treatment from Ewing:

  “The smile is even brighter when we take the photo!”

  An ordinary blue hooded sweatshirt, with not many elements other than the Knicks team logo, ended up selling for $69.

  Coupled with the snacks, parking fees and other peripherals purchased while watching the game, the Knicks can make a lot of money in the preseason alone.

  With the high ticket price, Li You has to stay on the court even if he is fishing. Fortunately, he has a strong body. If he plays 60+ games in a season, the fans who bought high-priced tickets to watch the game will rebel.
  Last season, due to the gold club, Ewing almost fell into a scandal. Fortunately, the New York media gave the championship center face and basically did not report much news.

  Ewing originally planned to join Van Gundy's coaching staff, but after hearing that the other party planned to coach in Cleveland, the Gorilla was not interested.

  Of course he knew that Akron had produced a talented high school student, but LeBron James was not a big man. Ewing thought about it and it was better to stay in New York.

  The Knicks have young big men and the city is more prosperous than Cleveland. Ewing ultimately chose to join the coaching staff in a low-key manner and continue to impress the New York fans.

  The lively atmosphere in the arena cannot stop. Many people in the financial industry like to come to watch games. Their work is depressing, and everyone likes to vent their depression through games.

  Li You put on a towel and waved goodbye to the enthusiastic fans who were shouting at the top of their lungs. Ewing, wearing a black formal suit, followed him. When the two entered the tunnel, the gorilla sighed:

  "Sure enough, New York is more suitable for me. Coach Van Gundy plans to go to Cleveland next year to coach that genius. I don't like that city. Staying in New York is the right choice."

  This was the first time that Li You heard the gossip about the bald young coach. He almost came to the locker room before he fully realized what he was saying. He was a little surprised and asked:
  "Cleveland? I thought he would go to Houston. Didn't the Rockets owner extend an invitation to him?"

  Ewing, who was about to enter the locker room, stopped, lowered his head, and whispered:
  "The owner of the Rockets is too stingy and seems to have failed to meet Coach Van Gundy's requirements. On the contrary, everyone in the Cavaliers welcomes him!"

  "When he gets there, Coach Van Gundy will hopefully be the second Pat Riley."

  Hearing such a statement, Li You looked confused. It is not easy to be the second Pat Riley. Being a manager must be ruthless:

  "ESPN is indeed very optimistic about the high school student. Have the Cavaliers also offered a maximum salary contract? It seems that their owner is planning to save Cleveland Sports."

  Ewing nodded and said that the two sides were already in contact. The bald marshal had indeed received the maximum salary, but he did not approve of the "savior" thing. Entering the locker room, he began to joke again:

  "No matter how much the Eastern Conference teams strengthen, they will still be unable to beat the Knicks in the end!"

  In the locker room, the new players are in a good mood. Professional players all like to win. The taste of victory is better than failure.

  Gasol was still gesticulating with Artest to explain individual rounds on the court. After Li You was double-teamed, there would be a brief 4-on-3 period. This season, there has been an increase in relying on big men to handle the ball.

  When D'Antoni returned to the locker room wearing a smart black formal suit, he was followed by two assistant coaches. Seeing that the players were there, he immediately clapped his hands and encouraged:
  "Perfect game, remember, when the opportunity arises, don't hesitate, we have to believe in each other."

  "If you miss the shot, quickly return to defense. Everyone must pay attention to the situation on the court. Don't stand still or wait for the ball."

  "Recall the instructions in the training class, we must make the basketball game simple."

  "."

  The head coach's words are of course meant for the newbies on the bench. Stoudemire is indeed in great shape, but his offensive and defensive choices are poor.

  Fortunately, he doesn't need to do much when he comes off the bench, he just needs to put the ball into the basket.

  On the contrary, the quiet Prince adapted well to the team, and his experience at the University of Kentucky was of great help to him.

  The Knicks are more academic-oriented on the offensive end. After D'Antoni emphasized discipline, the division of labor among players became clearer. This is somewhat similar to the NCAA, and it also favors European basketball.

  After D'Antoni finished his instructions, Stoudemire was a little confused:

  "It's so difficult to get into the starting lineup?!"

  On Sunday, October 10th, the Knicks chose to have a day off, and there was still an opening game on the 27th. Fortunately, it was a home game, and everyone who had trained early was well prepared.

  On Sunday's morning news, New Yorkers saw Mayor Bloomberg announcing that he would lay off 4 city government employees over the next four years to alleviate the public finance crisis.

  Li You also saw the news at home in Manhattan. Thinking of the bad things that happened after taking over, he could only lament his bad luck.

  There was a rare break on Sunday. When Milinda appeared at the dining table sleepily, she also complained twice:

  "On average, 2500 government employees leave their jobs a year. It seems that our new mayor is going to offend people again. Can he be re-elected in the future?"

  While eating salad, Jin looked at the mark near Milinda's neck, quietly rolled his eyes at Li You, and then took up the conversation:
  "People in New York won't have a big reaction to this news, and maybe some will be very supportive."

  "As long as he can create more jobs, re-election shouldn't be a problem."

  Milinda didn't care either. She first came up to Li You and gave her a kiss, then sat down beside him, ate her omelette and asked curiously:

  "Clay, how much money did you make from Enron? Bobby actually plans to cooperate deeply with Skadden Law Firm. Our fees are the most expensive in New York."

  Li You was eating his customized breakfast, looking at the girl beside him who was getting more and more turbulent, and said in a calm tone:
  "We made enough money to buy a football club, but in the end we only had 3/4 left."

  "Enron's president, Kenneth Lay, was very energetic. He had already cashed out most of his shares, and in the end we compensated some of the losses for the Elephant Party."

  In mid-October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against Andersen, accusing it of destroying a large number of audit documents for Enron.

  Arthur Andersen, of course, denied the allegation and even expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Securities Commission's investigation.

  Even if the president signed the new bill, Enron's executives were not afraid at all. The company was indeed bankrupt and the stock was shorted, but most people had already made money, and those who were reaped were the people who entered the market with confidence.

  The Securities and Exchange Commission's accusations have made Akers Capital popular in the circle, and the analysis reports that were revealed in the early days have become reasonable after being re-examined.

  The knock-on effect is that there are more investors in Ax Capital. For many people, they are only interested in the final return. As for the process, no one cares.

  Milinda wrinkled her nose quietly and rolled her big eyes. Seeing that Jin was still watching the news seriously, she suddenly said with a smile:

  "Let's just stay at home on Sunday. It's been a long time since we took a bath together!"

  "."

  Li You has resumed training since September this year. The New York media naturally knows that the new season is about to begin. Several mainstream media have unanimously set the tone for this season:

  "revenge!"

  The whistle in last season's finals was actually quite unfriendly, but that's to be expected.

  Everyone knows that four consecutive championships is the limit. Unless president David Stern has dementia, the league will never see a situation like the Celtics again.
  The referee factor is ignored, and the New York media hopes to have another fight this year!
  What only disappoints the fans is that O'Neal has been inflated to the sky after winning the championship. After the start of the new season, due to injuries, there is a high probability that he will miss another half month.

  As each team's roster is determined, fans are also talking about the team's salary situation.

  In the 02-03 season, the Trail Blazers' salary has been sky-high:
  "1.06 million dollars!"

  No matter how rich the owner Paul Allen is, such a salary is outrageous!

  More importantly, the Trail Blazers seem to have a strong lineup, but their record is very unsatisfactory.

  Spend the most money and get the worst beatings!
  Before the new season even started, the Trail Blazers were ridiculed by the crowd. No one thought they could win the championship.

  Mark Cuban of the Mavericks really likes basketball, and his salary this season has exceeded 7200 million, ranking second.

  Under the leadership of Nelson, the Mavericks basically embarked on the path of playing blindly.

  It is common for a game to play 90 rounds, and Dallas fans like it very much. The defensive battle is really boring, but it is more interesting to watch the goals.

  Ranking third in salary is the Kings, which just exceeded 3 million. Considering that they reached the Western Conference Finals last season, ball commentators feel that this money is well spent.

  The attendance at the Kings home court is also very good. As long as they win a championship and establish the team's winning culture, the Kings will be completely on the right track.

  Although the 76ers are often beaten by the Knicks, the management has indeed tried their best. This season, the 76ers' salary has exceeded 6400 million.

  When seeing such data, most football commentators have only one suggestion:
  "If you want a championship, trade Allen Iverson and rebuild as soon as possible!"

  The Lakers made no big moves during the offseason and added a number of atmosphere groups, but their salary still exceeded 6300 million.

  O'Neal's salary alone is 2357 million. General Manager Kupchak is indeed saving money for the boss. Except for Kobe's annual salary of tens of millions, the salary of most role players is less than 500 million US dollars.

  The salaries of the Grizzlies, Nets, Timberwolves, and Bucks all exceed 5800 million. What makes ball commentators find it most outrageous is that for two consecutive seasons, the Knicks’ salary has not exceeded the luxury tax line:
  "In the 2002-2003 season, the Knicks' salary was $5767 million."

  After the news broke, many people's faces turned green. They dominated the Eastern Conference without exceeding the luxury tax line. If they add another star player, can other teams still play?
  Most of the Knicks' lineup this season has a base salary of $35.

  Big Wright's salary is somewhat premium, and general manager Glenn Field has actually been seeking a deal to get an All-Star player.

  The general managers of each team knew it, but everyone ignored the Knicks.

  Not long ago, Spurs head coach Popovich publicly expressed his attitude after a preseason game:

  "Tim is here to stay in San Antonio and he's happy here!"

  "Not everyone wants to go to New York, and Tim has no interest in playing with Lee."

  The Knicks have indeed inquired about the Spurs. Currently, the most balanced offensive and defensive big man in the league is Tim Duncan, and New York has been coveting it for a long time.

  It’s a pity that this deal is destined not to happen. The league will not agree to the two rising MVP-level stars joining forces.
  In addition to warming up for the three opening games, the NBA also did not forget to promote the 2003 All-Star Game in Atlanta. There is another gimmick in this year’s All-Star Game, and that is McQueen’s last All-Star Game.

  Perhaps because he was disappointed with the Wizards, or perhaps because he was heartbroken by the management, Michael Jordan publicly expressed his attitude in an interview not long ago:

  "This will be my last season. Although I still love basketball, my body can no longer support high-intensity games."

  "I didn't like my performance, that's why I made the choice. For me this season, it's more about enjoying the game."

  After the Wizards made the deal, the new players didn't seem to meet McQueen's expectations.

  In addition to consuming him, no one in the sports media expected him to win the championship.

  Tasting the taste of failure again, Michael Jordan finally chose to leave.

  After this news was announced, the Atlanta All-Star Game has attracted much attention. No matter what choice McQueen makes, he still has a huge influence, and fans want to witness the last moment of his career.

  On the morning of Monday, the 28th, the Knicks held an open training session in the morning to facilitate interviews by the New York media.

  As the training session came to an end, reporters from several mainstream media outlets in New York gathered next to Li You.

  Throughout the training session, Li You mostly directed traffic and called on his teammates to move. The occasional few attacks showed that he was in excellent physical condition.

  During the interview, Li You, who was wearing a blue Knicks training uniform, didn't sweat. Several veteran reporters were already used to this situation:

  "Lee, can the Knicks complete their revenge and defeat their old enemy this season? The boys look in very good shape!"

  When the New York Post reporter asked a question, everyone moved the recording equipment in front of Li You.

  Li You first pointed at the championship flags surrounding the training hall, and then said in a relaxed tone:
  "I don't like rivalries because the Lakers have only won one championship since I came into the league."

  "But I like revenge. This will give everyone extra motivation, but the Lakers have to reach the Finals first."

  "Compared to last season, our rookies have gained valuable game experience. If the opponent is still the Lakers, we are confident that we can win back."

  The New York Times reporter was very happy to hear the answer, but was rude when asking the question:
  "Lee, the Los Angeles sports media considered you a failure last season. How would you evaluate this?"

  This kind of news is very popular during the offseason. Li You naturally saw it and just smiled calmly:
  "For me personally, reaching the finals, failing to win an away game and losing to my opponent is indeed a failure."

  "Some fans may be disappointed. Everyone always wants their favorite stars to win big. I understand this very well, and I also accept such criticism. After all, I need to have higher demands on myself."

  "But from a team perspective, I don't think last season was a failed season."

  "I respect every opponent. To be able to reach the conference finals and the finals, everyone on the team has worked hard for this."

  "It's better to lose on a higher stage than to fall in a conference game. Such a failure will make the team grow, and I think it will be helpful for the rookie players."

  "My career is still very long. Maybe I will continue to reach the finals in the future. Failure is also part of the basketball game, and I am ready for it."

  The ESPN reporter also nodded after listening, and then asked the necessary questions before the game as usual:

  "In the first game of the new season, the Knicks will play against the 76ers at home. Li, what are your expectations for tomorrow night's game?"

  After asking the question, everyone looked at the young reporter with freckles on his face. The New York media reporter had a teasing expression on his face, as if to say, "You are stupid, kid."
  Having just defeated his opponent two days ago, Li You didn't expect that the opponent would ask such a question honestly. He shrugged his shoulders and spoke helplessly:

  "I hope the opponent can score more than 90 points, maybe this way they will lose better!"

  "what!"

  The surrounding New York media immediately burst into laughter, which reminded everyone of the New York fans cheering for their opponents last season.

  On October 10th, the 29-02 season officially started. There were three games in the opening game that day:

  Spurs vs Lakers, 76ers vs Knicks, Cavaliers vs Kings.

  The Lakers will hold a championship award ceremony and award championship rings to players.

  O'Neal has confirmed that he will be sidelined due to injury, and Kobe will lead the team alone in this game.

  In the three games, the Knicks kicked off at 19:30 that night, in the other two games, the Cavaliers and Kings kicked off at 22:22, and the Spurs and Lakers kicked off at 30:[-].
  This kind of broadcast time is not friendly, at least many fans are complaining.

  If the game is played slowly, there is a high probability that it will be close to zero after the game.

  New York fans don't have this problem. Everyone goes straight to the arena after get off work.

  Although there is no championship award ceremony, everyone knows that tonight is destined to be a big victory, and the fun people can't wait to mock the hapless 76ers.

  Before the time reached 19 o'clock, Madison Square Garden was almost full.

  Tuesday's games are usually broadcast by TNT. Mike Fratello has become the Heat's home commentator this season, but he will also come to TNT when there are no games.

  Marv Albert returned to his familiar position, feeling the lively atmosphere of the arena, and said with a smile:

  "Looks like New York fans weren't affected by last season's loss!"

  "I don't like the reports in some sports media during the offseason. Lee has reached the finals for five consecutive years and won four consecutive championships. How can such an achievement be called a failure?"

  "I respect every player, but a lot of times, conference finals are what success is."

  "Lee will continue to lead the team to the finals in the future. No one guarantees that they can always win. It's time for some football commentators to calm down."

  Although Mike Fratello often becomes a loser, he has always been a steadfast Li Youchui:

  "The failure just proves that basketball is for five people. The Knicks had big problems with their interior defense last season!"

  "But in the World Championships, Pau Gasol performed very well. It can be seen that the experience of the finals helped him a lot."

  The two chatted freely in the commentary box, and Iverson, who came to the court to warm up on the other side, made a big face.

  It would have been a good thing to be able to play the opening game, but the 76ers' encounter with the Knicks gave Iverson a bad feeling.

  The team's new players, Van Horn and big man Mike Lodge, were with the Nets last season, and everyone knew how they would fare when they met the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

  Tonight, the 76ers' starting lineup is Allen Iverson and Eli Kersnow in the backcourt, and the three frontcourt players are Aaron McGee, Van Horn, and McCloch.

  Iverson was very dissatisfied with this lineup and had great doubts about the management's operations during the offseason. He always felt that the team did not strengthen around him.

  As the noisy appearance ceremony ended, Madison Square Garden became more and more lively, but this atmosphere did not bring a good mood to the 76ers.

  Larry Brown looked helpless at Iverson, who had been silent. Since the conflict between the two was made public during the offseason, the relationship between the two parties has completely broken down.

  The noise became louder and louder, and Larry Brown had to raise his voice, holding the tactical board and exhorting again:

  "Let the ball move, miss the shot, retreat quickly, we have to play more cautiously, Snow, control the rhythm of the game!"

  Seeing the serious expression on the head coach's face, Eric Snow quickly responded.

  On the other side, Li You was greeting his friends who came to the front row to watch the game. The director frequently pointed the camera at D'Antoni. Mustache just sat on the bench with a smile, showing a confident look.

  Ewing was wearing training clothes and was cheering everyone on, but he didn't mention tactics at all. He just waved his fists and said loudly:
  "Give that kid some color! Pau, Kurt, if this guy breaks into the paint, let him lie on the floor!"

  "You have to change your playing habits. Do you know why you lost last season? It was because your defense lacked deterrence."

  "Li may be too lazy to remind you, but I will do a good job."

  The mellow Ewing was still very stylish in putting on the airs of a Knicks star. Gasol nodded quickly, but based on his playing habits, this matter will ultimately fall on Kurt Thomas.

  There's really nothing Kurt Thomas can do when faced with an invincible, powerful fat man like O'Neal, but helping to defend the smaller man is something he's good at.

  After making complicated gestures for a while, Kurt Thomas patted his chest and showed a confident expression:

  "Leave it to me! They can't get 90 points tonight."

  Before the game started, Iverson, who was wearing a headband and arm guards, held his head slightly high, showing a star look and greeted everyone on the Knicks team.

  In the first few minutes of the game, the little defender felt a strong sense of malice.

  After the opening, in the first round, Li You initiated a pick-and-roll on the right wing, and big man McCloch followed the coach's instructions to cooperate with Snow for a big delay.

  Near the top of the arc, before the two men could complete the encirclement, Li You, who was pulling the defense laterally, jumped up and passed the ball to Gasol who was passing down.

  Before Van Horn had time to shrink, Gasol caught the ball with his left hand and strode straight to the basket.

  Aaron McKibben, who was guarding the right side near the baseline, wanted to help defend the basket, but the height difference was too big. In the end, he watched Gasol easily complete a one-handed dunk!

  "Wow!"

  The dunk ignited the atmosphere at the scene, and then when the 76 team attacked, Iverson caught the ball on the right sideline, rushed to the basket along the baseline, and was blocked by Li You and was forced to stop the ball. The booing became louder and louder.

  The 76ers still follow the same old routine, with Iverson sliding down the baseline and Snow dealing the cards at the top of the arc.

  Forced to stop the ball, Iverson could only return the ball to Van Horn, who was connected at the elbow on the left side of the free throw line, and then ran without the ball again in an attempt to catch the ball again.

  Without Li You's greeting, Kurt Thomas knew what tactics the 76ers wanted to play.

  Just as he expected, after receiving the pass from the left elbow, Iverson immediately lowered his center of gravity and went straight to the basket.

  Kurt Thomas, who had been prepared for a long time, retreated to help defend in advance. At the same time, Gasol, who was near the baseline on the right, also moved to the basket.

  When physical contact occurred, Iverson slowed down slightly, noticed the defensive movement, adjusted his pace, and tried to take action early.

  When he came to the paint area and suddenly jumped, Iverson drifted to the right and back, trying to avoid the defense.

  He sensed something was wrong in mid-air, and Li You jumped up high behind him. As soon as Iverson took action, he received a big shot that covered his head and face.
  After dropping the ball, Iverson lost his center of gravity and fell to the floor. He only felt a burst of cheers in his ears. Then he saw Li You controlling the ball, swinging the ball casually with his right hand, and the basketball flew across the half court. .

  Although Eric Snow was very active in returning to defense, the size gap was too big. Grant Hill, who crossed the half court and easily grabbed the ball, leaned on his opponent, came to the basket and quickly put the basket up!
  The game soon entered Iverson's rhythm, hitting mid-range jumpers, breaking through to the basket and missing, and lying on the floor after breaking through to the basket.
  It was more relaxed than the previous two days of preseason games. There was no need for complicated tactics. With several consecutive counterattacks, the Knicks easily widened the point difference.

  During the positional attack, Li You and Gasol made a simple pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. He held the ball in his right hand and accelerated to the basket. He jumped with both feet in the paint and scored the ball with Van Horn, who was assisting in defense.

  At 2:12, the double-digit lead made the scene excited again.

  "Wow!"

  Amid the cheers of the fans, head coach Larry Brown folded his arms and asked for a timeout. With 1 minutes and 8 seconds left in the first quarter, the 11ers showed no power to fight back.

  His teammates were not in high spirits, and Iverson didn't say anything. He just returned to the bench and threw the towel angrily.
  Li You casually high-fived his teammates to celebrate. Coach D'Antoni also stood up holding the tactical board with a smile on his face. He recalled the words of the assistant coach again:
  "The Knicks have no rival in the East!."

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