NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 349 Li You Clause (Daily Chapter)
On June 2004, 6, as the Rockets sent away their team leader, Houston fans "celebrated the New Year."

The Magic finally chose to stop the loss in time and gave up the "second man" McGrady.

The Rockets sent Kelvin Cato, Steve Francis, and Cuttino Mobley to the Magic in exchange for Reese Gaines, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Tracy... McGrady.

The Rockets also used some tricks to reach a deal within the salary cap limit.

It's not that Francis isn't good enough, it's that McGrady is more popular!
After the transaction broke out in the morning, most football commentators gave high evaluations.

Although many media broke the news that McGrady is still suffering from waist and back injuries, the "second man" also impressed Rockets fans.
Of course, the Rockets will definitely not lose money. Francis also has some injuries. As a defender who relies heavily on physical fitness to play, this deal is essentially "stop loss in time."

The happiest fans are Rockets fans in China. Ever since CCTV Sports broadcast the playoffs between the Magic and the Knicks, McGrady has left a deep impression on the Chinese fans.

As the "second man" that season, during the playoffs, McGrady's classic "white horse and silver gun" skin was eye-catching.

With his hazy eyes, ecstatic calves, and his beautiful moves of holding the ball with one hand in some rounds, McGrady has really won the love of many Chinese fans!
Although domestic magazines rarely introduce high-level statistics, the name of "Second Man" has spread to the country. Chinese fans are very satisfied with Yao Ming's new partner.

Even Rockets owner Alexander has become a "great benefactor". The new season has not even started yet, and Chinese sports media are already preparing to chant:
"The Houston Rockets are aiming for the championship in the new season!"

"Kristen is not suitable for such a role. Superhero movies are all about special effects!"

"Real superstars shouldn't be timid, they should rise to the challenge and challenge the defending champion!"

"Roger Stone, I always feel that he contacts us intentionally. Judging from the information, his reputation is not very good."

"I will win big in Houston in the new season, and we will reach the finals!"

The Orlando Sentinel did not comment too much on this deal. After all, Magic fans still like McGrady very much.

Houston's very professional attitude won unanimous praise from local Orlando fans.

"I think the Magic still have a chance to compete for the championship. The Knicks' experience tells me that opportunities are reserved for well-prepared teams. I will take on the responsibility of being a leader in the locker room."

Several Yahoo Sports articles on the Internet sparked a war of words among fans. In response, some New York fans gave McGrady a nickname:
"Chicken!"

After a day of fermentation, McGrady, who was traded to Houston, expressed his position to the media:
"I'm the best shooting guard in the league, and I'm grateful to the fans in Orlando and very grateful to the Magic for sending me to the Rockets."

After ESPN interviewed McCready, Bill Simmons did not follow the crowd, but gave his prediction through detailed data analysis:
"It's difficult for McGrady to really support a team's offense. Compared to a true superstar, he is just an ordinary All-Star who can absorb the ball but is very inefficient."

Iverson was severely beaten for 8 years and has yet to run. He lost once in the playoffs. McGrady ran away. After the fermentation of the Internet, the nature of this deal suddenly changed again.
Some of the comments on the internet really rubbed off on McGrady.

"By the way, Grisano is also the co-owner of the Buffalo Sabers (NHL) and Buffalo Bandits (NLL)."

On the night of the 30th, Li You didn't pay attention to the debate among football commentators in the past two days. For him, McGrady, who was troubled by injuries, was already out of date.

As the largest daily newspaper in the area, it is naturally very well-informed. There were many columns in the morning newspaper quoting Houston’s words in an interview:

"Why do both Peter Parker and Harry like Mary Jane? I had this doubt when I was reading the comics. Harry is a billionaire!"

Bill Simmons has always been known as the "Boston Sportsman". He joined ESPN in 2001 and moved to California. He has not given up writing on the Internet. After several years of development, the number of views of his personal column has increased.

"Perhaps Roger Stone thought that you, like Grisano, liked sports and were involved in political activities, so he regarded you as a target customer."

Alan Houston is very likely to be reimbursed for next season due to a knee injury. Trading away the team's high-quality "assets" will usher in the Magic's rebuilding.

Having too much wealth is not necessarily a good thing. Some thoughtful people always want to get a piece of the pie.
Milinda was still introducing the news she had obtained in her ears, and Scarlett, who was wearing a white suspender belt, quickly crowded over to Li You.

Perhaps because the Lakers are about to disintegrate, McGrady, who was traded to the Western Conference, seemed very confident during the interview.

"Business is business, I love the city of Orlando and I will stay here until the end of my career!"

"We hope that wealthy people will use their financial support to call on ordinary people to actively vote. These lobbyists and politicians are essentially liars, trying to make both sides believe that they will protect their own interests."

Through Roger Stone, he can indeed get closer to Don Juan and others, because this powerful lobbyist can also influence some people in the Elephant Party.

The two of them complained about the movie, and it was clear that this superhero commercial blockbuster was not their cup of tea.

Li You felt much better after watching the classic old movie. While the two were chatting about the movie and changing clothes, Milinda handed over a glass of juice in her pajamas.

After the trade occurred, some football commentators began to ridicule McGrady's choice:

"This billionaire is one of the founders of the New York Independence Party. He participated in three New York gubernatorial campaigns and spent more than $9000 million."

"You can evaluate me however you want, but the data doesn't lie. I will prove myself with championships."

Milinda, who had her blond hair tied up, rubbed Li You's shoulders and whispered:
"It's really not good. He has been involved in many political incidents. There is news that maybe Spitzer will announce that he will run for governor at the end of the year. Maybe he wants to plan something in advance."

Coward and weakling are the names given to the "second man" by New York fans.

Today happened to be the release time of "Spider-Man 2". When they returned home to 82nd Street after watching the movie in the evening, Scarlett and Krysten Ritter were still complaining about the bad emotional scenes in the movie.

Li You, who was leaning on the sofa, enjoyed the kneading behind him and whispered:

Maybe McGrady can still perform some wonderful performances in the regular season, but it will be difficult for him to appear on the stage of the finals. Naturally, Li You has no interest in paying attention to the side effects.

"Roger Stone also has a good relationship with Thomas Grisano."

Li You hugged Milinda who came to him. The latter squeezed into his arms with a smile, then leaned into his ear and whispered:

Li You lowered his head and kissed the girl in his arms. He had not yet decided whether to accept help.

Although Facebook is currently only open to college students, this does not prevent young people from expressing their opinions on the homepage, and many memes are also spread to the outside world.

"."

However, everything has two sides. Houston is more likely to fall flat. This season, for the playoffs, his knee injury has been aggravated. He can say with a clear conscience:
"I gave everything for the team!"

But judging from the feedback on site, Sony's movie will be a big success again, and the box office in the first week will definitely not be bad.

"He knew he couldn't beat Lee and ultimately chose to leave the Eastern Conference."

The girl didn't have so many worries. Recently, without her mother's discipline, she felt even more beautiful. She pulled off the thin strap on one shoulder and Scarlett also talked about her worries:

"My back seems to be getting thicker and some of my clothes don't fit anymore!"

Turning around to reveal her white skin, Scarlett asked Milinda to look at her back.

The little attendant who came out of the bedroom tied up his black hair and said angrily:
"Who allowed you to grow up so fast!"

Christen-Litte has witnessed with her own eyes that the girl's white rabbit has grown bigger as she gets older. She doesn't have those worries. She has a slim figure and never looks "strong" when wearing clothes.

Milinda rubbed her hand twice, causing the other party to snort twice, then she stood up with a smile and pulled Scarlett into her arms:
"Just some more roomy clothes, let's go! Let's go to the bathroom and relax for a while!"

The girl's face turned slightly red as she watched Christen-Litte proudly raise the red wine she had prepared.

Li You stood up and hugged the little follower, no longer thinking about the troublesome things, kissed the girl who smiled evilly, and said with a smile:

“Celebrate Milinda’s birthday in advance and have a good drink tonight!”

On July 7, the NBA announced the salary cap for the 1-2004 season:

"$4387."

Compared with last season, the salary cap has only increased slightly, and the luxury tax line has not changed much.

The collective bargaining agreement is about to expire. Michael Corey, the current chairman of the players union, talked about matters related to the new agreement in an interview:

"In order to encourage outstanding young players, we will add a series of special terms."

"After completing the rookie contract and signing the second contract of their career, players who have won MVP can sign a maximum salary contract that accounts for 2% of the team's salary cap."

"Players under the age of 30 who have won MVP for three consecutive years can also sign a maximum salary contract with the team that accounts for 35% of the team's salary cap in their next contract."

"Excellent players no longer have to abide by the age limit. This is a win-win clause for the players and the team."

The newly added special terms are obviously talking about Li You. For ordinary players, to get a starting salary contract that accounts for 35% of the salary cap, they must play in the NBA for more than 10 years.

Winning an MVP during a rookie contract is a bit outrageous. Getting a contract with a starting salary of 30% of the salary cap is not an easy task.
Although Michael Curry was mediocre when he played for the Pistons, he received support from many ordinary players in the association.

The special terms revealed in the interview have basically been finalized and have been recognized by the NBA league and teams.

The sports media named the new special clause (Lee). The purpose of the clause is to allow Lee You to occupy more of the salary cap.

While encouraging players, we are also preventing the emergence of another team like the Knicks, which devours rookie bonuses.
Although the conditions are a bit harsher, for NBA players, they have more motivation to play, especially the newbies, who have been given a powerful shot of chicken blood!

This is a real dollar. The second contract in a career will affect subsequent salaries. In other words, this may affect the player's entire career.

Michael Corey has received unanimous praise from the players again. This is a good chairman who seeks the welfare of everyone.
Li You's mobile phone received a large number of blessing text messages early in the morning. Making a lot of money is a big event worth celebrating!
The match last night was quite intense. Milinda and the little follower had to go out to work. When it was almost 10 o'clock, Li You and Scarlett were left in bed.

The text messages came one after another, and Li You had to pick up the phone to reply one by one.

Although the labor agreement will only take effect next year, Li You can sign a 1+1 first, which is also a decision to maximize interests.

Scarlett, who was naked, was still a little confused. She had exhausted too much energy last night, and she didn't wake up until now.

Seeing Li You sitting on the bedside texting, he turned around and moved into his arms. He drew circles on his chest and began to move his hands erratically.

"Clay, are we going back to Greenwich today? I want to sunbathe."

Li You, who was typing with one hand, rubbed his stiff white lips. When he heard the girl's hoarse whisper, he immediately agreed:
"It's just time to go back and take a look at the yachts. Alyce choose a few, and everyone can take a look at them during the weekend."

She glanced at Li You quietly and saw that Scarlett had known about the yacht for a long time. She and her little follower had been choosing it for a long time. The pier of Peninsula Manor could also be put into use. This summer, she planned to have a good time there. Li You, who was replying to text messages, soon received a call from his agent Mark Bartelstein.

Li You wiped away the small hands that were rubbing his chest, gave Scarlett a look, lifted up his upper body, and then answered the phone.

The confirmation of the special terms made Mark Bartelstein particularly excited. Before Li You could speak, the voice on the phone rang:

"Li, this is definitely a great thing. I'm not talking about the 1+1 contract, but about next year's salary cap!"

"I have received news that the salary cap should increase significantly during the 05-06 season. Under the new labor agreement, your starting salary can even exceed US$1700 million."

"This is definitely the largest contract ever received by a 27-year-old player in NBA history!"

"Now we have some small problems. We have to confirm the contract length with the Knicks. This is very important. This is about the last contract of your career."

Li You couldn't get a word in at all, and Mark Bartelstein spoke very quickly. As an agent who has been in the industry for many years, this was the first time he had personally experienced such special terms for individuals.

Scarlett, who was completely awake, saw Li You smiling while listening to the phone, and knew it must be a good thing, so she simply sat on it.

He bit his shoulder and hummed, feeling Li You hugging his waist tightly to prevent her from twisting, and he chuckled in his ear again.

Li You, who had to concentrate, was also trying to search his memory when he heard the starting salary of US$1700.

In my memory, it seems that the league will experience another lockout in the future, but the salary cap will not change much. When Li You thinks of this, he can only lament his bad luck:
"We will discuss the length of the contract in detail in the afternoon. Judging from the current labor agreement that favors the employer, we may experience another lockout in the future."

"We have to prepare accordingly in advance!"

When I hung up the phone, sweet laughter soon came from the bedroom, and then turned into exclamations and rhythmic playfulness.

At noon today, neither of them planned to have lunch.

In the NBA, salary represents respect. O'Neal believes that he is the number one center in the league and should not compromise on the last big contract of his career.

The same goes for Li You. The Knicks are his home team. Although the big contract is destined to affect the team's lineup structure, he still insists on maximizing interests.

If the salary is calculated according to special terms, it is very likely that Li You's personal salary will account for half of the Knicks' salary cap in the future.

If his career is long enough, Li You's increase in personal salary year by year will cause the Knicks to pay large luxury taxes year after year.

Across the ocean, China is also reporting news about Li You's salary.

Most ordinary fans don't understand what kind of impact the terms will have on the team, but everyone knows that Li You, who makes a lot of money, is indeed "a heifer that never gives birth -".

From the end of June to the beginning of July, the Chinese men's basketball team will conduct the first phase of training in Qingdao in order to prepare for the Athens Olympics.

On July 7, the Chinese men's basketball team will also participate in the Four Nations Invitational Tournament to complete the warm-up. Before the Olympic Games, it will also participate in the Diamond Cup Invitational Tournament in Serbia and Montenegro to continue the warm-up.

The quality of the warm-up matches at this time was pretty good. Tour teams rarely appeared. As the core of the men's basketball team, Yao Ming would naturally participate.

Since McGrady joined the Rockets, Yao Ming has been frequently interviewed in recent days to express his determination to the Chinese media.

Reporters from Sina Sports like to gossip about NBA news. After the training session that day, they asked Yao Ming about the new season:
"Dayao, the Lakers seem to be entering a rebuilding period. With McGrady joining, do you think the Rockets can defeat the Knicks?"

Suddenly skipping the playoffs, thinking about the strong teams in the Western Conference, and then thinking about the Rockets' rotation, Yao Ming was a little bit dumbfounded. He didn't understand why the domestic media were always so confident:

"It's difficult. If you want to win a championship in the NBA, sometimes you need some luck."

"The most important thing is that entering the playoffs will test the depth of the team's lineup. Currently, there should be no team in the league that can match the Knicks."

Li You's existence has given many domestic media confidence.

They are both of yellow race. Li You, who is in his early 1's, can succeed, but there is no reason why Yao Ming, who is 9 meters tall, cannot.

The reporter from Sports Weekly felt that Yao Ming was too modest, so he asked again:

"Yao Ming, have you ever considered MVP? After the Rockets strengthen, as long as they finish first in the Western Conference, you should have a chance to win this award."

After McGrady joined the Rockets, it was still unclear who would be the boss of the team. Yao Ming was a little helpless and could only talk about the scene again:
"Of course I want to win the MVP! But I'm still a rookie, and what I want to consider more is how to break through the first round of the playoffs."

The first stop of Li You's Asia trip was BJ. Although it was a commercial activity, the State Sports General Administration stepped in and gave him the highest treatment.

In May, when Michael Jordan came to China in his own name, he was also received by the General Administration of Sports. The two received the same treatment, which made some sports reporters feel a little unhappy.

There are always some people in the media who don't like Li You, who has the same skin color, and is doing well. This mentality is very strange, but it can be reflected in some reports.

Yao Ming said a lot on the scene. He really didn't want to carry the burden of "if he doesn't win the championship, he will fail."

As Li You won his 6th championship, championship theory is currently prevalent, and Chinese fans are increasingly looking forward to Yao Ming also winning the trophy in the NBA!

At the Athens Olympics, the head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team was Silver Fox Harris, who had served as the head coach of the Lakers, but he coached the "OK" team but did not win the championship.

Harris is a little dissatisfied with the training sessions these days. Chinese news media are always reporting on selection issues, which seems to be questioning his selection.

In the second phase of training, the Chinese men's basketball team will go to the United States for training. During the interview, the silver-haired Harris was not polite and continued to speak the truth in front of everyone:
"In a matter of months, a team makes a real difference."

"In my opinion, many people in the team are not tough enough. Sometimes they are too civilized on the court and they are not fierce enough in the game."

"We have also gained a lot in the past few months. This team has become more mature physically and mentally. We have spent a lot of time in the gym to see the boys' muscles, which will increase their confidence."

The Athens Olympics will lay the foundation for the Beijing Olympics four years later. China's sports media is looking forward to the men's basketball team making a breakthrough in history. It would be even better if they could win a medal.

When a reporter from Sina Sports asked about the possibility of winning a medal in the 08 Olympics, Harris glanced at everyone, shook his head slightly and whispered:

"This Chinese team still has big weaknesses. It is difficult for our backcourt to perform as well as it should when facing tall defenders in the international arena."

"The entire team relies too much on Yao, and our shooters lack the ability to complete shots on the move."

"If you want to win medals, you have to let Clay-Lee lead this team. Superstars can change the game. Although he has never played in international competitions, I believe Lee can lead this team to win medals."

Assistant coach Yunus nodded repeatedly after hearing these words. He agreed with this view that it is simply impossible for Yao Ming to win medals alone.

Everyone felt depressed after hearing this. Isn't this just saying that Yao Ming is not as good as Li You?
Harris sensed something was wrong in the atmosphere and began to talk about the situation. He also wanted to lead the Chinese team to win medals, but his strength did not allow it.

Michael Jordan was in a good mood after completing his trip to China, but as the Knicks won the championship and Li You won his sixth FMVP trophy, Michael Jordan felt a little unhappy.

Michael Jordan, who has resigned as president and shareholder of the Wizards, still hopes to own an NBA team.

On Friday, July 7nd, Michael Jordan returned to Chicago and began preparing for next week's charity golf match.

When he had to appear in front of the media, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune asked a question that made Michael Jordan particularly uncomfortable:
"McKen, have you paid attention to this year's finals?
"Lee won his sixth championship trophy. Does this mean that he has completely surpassed you and become the best player in history?"

Michael Jordan's records are being broken one by one by Li You. Although Jordan, dressed in AJ sportswear, felt unhappy, he still praised when he answered:
"I did pay attention to Lee's game. He averaged a 29-point margin over his opponents. I have to say that the Knicks showed their dominance."

"I have always insisted on a point of view that different stars will be born in every era."

"You know, I don't think I'm the best in history. I just achieved good results in the 90s. It's actually difficult to compare stars from different eras."

Michael Jordan did not directly answer this question, and soon ESPN reporters followed suit:

"McKen, we all know that in 98, Lee led the team to defeat the Bulls and achieve the first championship of his career."

"Lee entered the league in 96, and he can be regarded as a star in the 90s."

"6 is greater than 5. If Lee continues to win the championship in the future, does this mean that he will completely surpass your achievements?"

Michael Jordan, who was wearing a large white T-shirt, was immediately laughed out of anger, but was unable to refute. In the end, he could only simply respond:

"Records are meant to be broken. Lee is outstanding. I believe he will surpass me and achieve higher achievements!"

"."

A lot of words were said during the scene, but no one heard the words "Lee is the best in history" from Michael Jordan.

Everyone knew that Maikou was not convinced and did not admit that Li You was the GOAT.

It can be expected that as the charity golf tournament is held, more and more sports media will ask the same questions about Michael Jordan.

Thinking of the way Maikou reluctantly said some compliments, everyone felt happy:

"Michael Jordan is dead!"

On July 7, Hook once again warmed up Li You’s Asia trip, with Upper Deck, McDonald’s, Pepsi-Cola, and Ray-Ban following the linkage.

Cadillac is also preparing to place more advertisements in the Asian market. American Express has already announced that it has prepared a luxurious private jet Gulfstream G550 for distinguished "black card" user Li You.
The brand began to exert its efforts, and this weekend, Li You also began to prepare for the subsequent trip.

After more than two weeks of his trip to Asia, Li You will have to return to New York to participate in a basketball celebrity game at the end of the month, and he cannot miss this event.

On the morning of Sunday the 4th, Li You, Milinda, and Old Mike appeared at JFK Airport.

Private lawyer, security personnel, Li You didn’t bring a beautiful girl with him, the domestic banking party will have a bad impact
On Hook's side, Matt Parker will participate in this event. Although there will be some changes in the company's management, this will not affect Li You's subsequent lifetime contract.

The interior facilities of the Gulfstream, which can accommodate 19 people, are luxurious, but Li You, who sat by the window, did not pay attention to the environment and was stunned after the plane took off.

Old Mike, who had been with Li You for many years, sat on the other side and gave Milinda a look.

Smelling the familiar scent of perfume, Li You hugged the girl next to him and suddenly laughed:
"Twenty-six years, time flies so fast, I'm back home!"

(End of this chapter)