NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 354 The Simple World of Basketball (Daily Chapter)
On September 2004, 9, as the U.S. men’s basketball team won the bronze medal, the sports media came to life again. The New York Times took the lead in ridiculing:
“Multi-millionaires may not be interested in gold medal prizes!”

Winning an Olympic gold medal can earn you almost $5, which is indeed a lot of money, but for NBA stars, it may only be a few nightclub purchases.
Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson took the blame. No one expected that Duncan would not be able to dominate the paint.

Iverson, who punched hard in some games, still had a weak overall performance, and received less criticism than Duncan.

Because he is also an inefficient brusher in the NBA, and his performance in the Olympics only confirmed this.

Iverson's active participation in the game is commendable. Although his strength is indeed not good, fans know that he tried his best.

After several years of screening, the fans who still like Iverson are basically the spiritual party who "believe in the process";
Winners and Excel fans have long stopped paying attention to the outdated Iverson. They complained twice and continued to hold meetings with Duncan.

Although Grant Hill's injury had a slight impact on the US men's basketball team, its semifinal loss to Argentina made the commentators shout outrageous!
Even coaches like Larry Brown were questioned, and the Washington Post blamed the reason for the failure on the coaching staff:

"After Hill's injury, why didn't you use the young players on the bench too much?"

Jefferson took up Hill's playing time, but his performance was mediocre. As for LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, they were not reused.

Only Wade played more time, and the three rookies also took the blame for this defeat.

Various things will always happen to a team, and every player has different demands. What the coach has to do is to unite the team. Only by working together can we win the championship.

"Super stars are hard to find, but there are many two-legged tools."

What many sports media are talking about is a short story:

There are many passages of this kind of praise, which are obviously mocking Kobe's strength in a weird way.

The US men's basketball team played too hard, so Li You had nothing nice to say during the commentary of most games, but the facts proved that what he said was very correct.

"I just wanted to write a story about building a team around a star team to compete for a championship."

"There is no doubt that Lee, like Michael Jordan, did not have a reasonable tactical system that made them successful, but they made the tactical system outstanding."

The contents of Phil Jackson's new book are enjoyable to read. In addition to the internal gossip of the Lakers, he also praised Li You many times in the book:

Larry Brown did not pass the blame. After the men's basketball game ended, he took the responsibility for the loss:

When you devote yourself wholeheartedly to your basketball career, you will naturally encounter problems like Phil Jackson.

In international competitions, shooting is more important, and it can even be said that the three-pointer changed the game.

The old KFC man also has the habit of keeping a diary. In the book, he also wrote that he recorded the contents of the phone call made by Lakers coach Buss:

The old KFC man may have wanted to motivate Kobe at that time, so he spoke his "heartfelt words" in front of the Los Angeles media:
"The difference between Kobe and Lee lies in his understanding of basketball. He seems to still maintain the playing habits he had in high school."

"In the 00-01 season, the Lakers failed again, which intensified the conflict between Kobe and O'Neal."

NBC broadcast the entire event. After half a month, Li You left a deep impression on the fans as a guest commentator:
“Lee sure knows the ball!”

"."

When talking about Phil Jackson's new book, Li You didn't make much comment. He had no interest in delaying the KFC veteran's fortune:

The 2nd happened to be Thursday. On the TNT program, Charles Barkley first angrily criticized the bronze medal, and then expressed the view he has always insisted on:
"Today's stars make a lot of money, but their strength continues to decline!"

Although Phil Jackson repeatedly emphasized in the book that his departure was a mutual decision between him and the Lakers management, and that he was "very calm" about it, a lot of the content was strange.

In terms of game experience, new players are indeed not trustworthy, but there is also a problem with Larry Brown's employment!
In the case of shooting and stretching, more emphasis should be placed on defense, controlling mistakes, and relying on switching offenses to win the game. However, the game went in the opposite direction.

At the same time, the old KFC man also emphasized in the book that he and Kobe had always had a tense relationship.

"Kobe no longer trusts his teammates. He has stricter requirements on O'Neal. It is difficult for the two to reach a consensus on the training field."

The title of this book seems very interesting. Last season, a team was looking for its soul.
In the preface to the book, Phil Jackson introduces:
"I didn't want this book to be about the little gossip that makes up the NBA world, after all, many reporters have fulfilled people's expectations in this regard."

"He won't listen to anyone. Kobe is just an ordinary player who can't be coached!"

The content of "Searching for the Soul" is basically an introduction to the team's reaction after Kobe Bryant was accused of trespassing in Colorado, and part of it is why the team lost the championship this season.

Phil Jackson also introduced the conflict with the Lakers management. He even shouted a showdown to Lakers general manager Kupchak:
"If Kobe was still here, I wouldn't be coaching this team next year."

However, Li You rarely gets involved in the messy things in the team. For him, basketball is just a job, and he will not fully dedicate himself to this sport.

"For me, the world of basketball is not that complicated. It feels good to understand basketball from a coach's perspective. I like this new book!"

Amid criticism, Phil Jackson, who has resigned from the Lakers, seized the opportunity to launch his new book:
"The Last Seasons: A Team in Search of Its Soul"

"This is a heartbreaking defeat, the boys did a great job and I will take responsibility for it!"

There are a lot of players who want to play for the Knicks, and Grunfield has long figured out Li You’s character:

"In the NBA, it's hard to ruin the game to win, and that's why we lose."

Many contents throughout the book imply that Kobe is the reason for the Lakers' F4 failure, and Kobe is labeled "uncoachable" many times.

Picky New York fans want to enjoy the most exciting basketball games, and the Knicks' internal conflicts are simple to handle:
"Send away players who create conflicts"

This short essay is about an interview in 2001. Phil Jackson praised Li You for scoring 5 points in G55 of the Finals and helping the Knicks get the match point.

"We're just going in a different direction, and choosing Kobe was the right decision."

Hindsight can't change the results. Larry Brown has lost all face. The commentators have changed their positions one after another. In the end, everyone reached a consensus:
"Basketball is improving, but Larry Brown can't keep up with the development of modern basketball!"

"I hope I can encourage Kobe in a special way, but unfortunately, this seems to intensify the conflict between me and him."

"Perhaps I shouldn't have publicly acknowledged Lee's excellence in front of the media. It made our relationship very fragile."

On Friday the 3rd, after Li You ended his work at NBC, he also accepted interviews with the media.

"Superstars are their ability to break away from the system and respond to any defense."

On Sunday, September 9th, Li You, who had been practicing low-key in Manhattan recently, followed Ivana to the French restaurant they had arranged for.

After graduation, Ivana and her brother took over SoHo-related projects. They have been busy until now and have gained a foothold in the group.

Roger Stone had been in charge of Don Juan's casino business before. He also had a conflict with the governor of New York over the gaming business, and the relationship between the two parties is still relatively close.

Bayrock Group, a real estate company, was also introduced by Roger Stone. The two parties reached a cooperation, and the hotel and apartment project is currently underway.

At the dinner table, Roger Stone, who is very old and has most of his hair gray, is at the peak of his powers for this lobbyist at 52 years old.

Different from the thin image when he was young, after gaining weight, Roger Stone obviously strengthened his exercise and his skin color completely turned into a copper color.

The old guy was not polite to little Don Juan. While cutting the food, he suggested in a low voice:

"You have to know your position. What you have to do is to understand the work, not to execute a specific business."

"You are the one who raises questions, not the good old guy who wipes your subordinates' butts. If you still want to take over the group's loan and financial business, don't be so easy to talk to now."

Little Don Juan could only nod. Life has not been good since he took over the family business in the past two years. He has an extremely strong father who always gets scolded.

The same goes for Ivana recently. She has to participate in the project from the beginning. This is the first time that the brother and sister have taken on the business. It would be a joke if the crotch ends up being stretched.
Ivana, who is wearing a blue professional skirt, has recently lost two pounds. She is still a little tired after running outside for more than two months.

Seeing that her brother had turned into a head bug, Ivana was a little dissatisfied, and quietly stepped on Li You under the table:
"How is Mr. Bruno's health lately? Because of the party meeting, I haven't bothered him in the past six months."

Li You took the initiative to change the topic and helped little Tang Gaide to escape the siege.

Joseph Bruno, an Elephant Party member, is currently the President Pro Tempore of the New York State Senate and also serves as the leader of multiple parties.

When shorting Enron, this guy helped out a little and then claimed a large sum in return.
Roger Stone, who is still serving as Bruno's senior adviser, tilted his head and said meaningfully:

"Although he is 75 years old, his physical condition is like that of a young man. Lee, congratulations on being selected for the Fox 400."

"No matter how times change, we should pay tribute to billionaires!"

Looking at Roger Stone raising his glass, Li You also smiled and raised the red wine in his hand.

The way to pay respect to billionaires is to "collect money." After being listed on Forbes' list, Li You and Ken Griffin made the same choice and donated another US dollar.

Perhaps on instructions, Roger Stone introduced Spitzer's recent situation to Li You in a brisk tone, and vowed to ensure that there would be no more heavy fines on Wall Street.

Li You looked like he was listening attentively, but in his heart he was complaining about Bruno, an old guy who would be caught sooner or later.

If the other party is one day convicted of federal corruption, he won't have any surprises!

After giving the guarantee, Roger Stone brought the topic back to Donald:
"Going to Las Vegas to expand your business is definitely a good choice, Li. The real estate industry can sometimes bring you additional income."

“As long as the banks trust you, they can even take the initiative to get you through the crisis.”

Tang Jiade, a big-mouthed man, has recently begun to brag about sex again. He will drag his old friends with him to Las Vegas, and Li You's name appears on the list of "old friends."
In fact, due to multiple projects being launched at the same time, Las Vegas was nowhere in sight. The less money he had, the harder Don Juan de boasted.

Of course, this is also related to the variety show "The Apprentice". After the ratings exploded, people across the United States knew that Don Quixote was extremely rich. At this time, no matter how much he boasted, everyone believed it.
The guests and hosts enjoyed the dinner. Before leaving, Roger Stone handed Li You a personal business card. The old guy smiled and said quite proudly:
"Li, believe me, we will continue to cooperate in the future!"

"."

Little Donald said hello and went to the bar to have fun. When he returned to Ivana's home, Li You was speechless about his good brother.

In the past two years, I have resorted to drinking more and more to relieve my sorrows. I am not a good boss, but I insist on studying bartending.
On this rare weekend, Ivana also completely relaxed, lying in the jacuzzi and humming comfortably.

Li You rubbed his shoulders behind him and played with the plump white cream from time to time:

"The second season of The Apprentice has been confirmed. Don't you plan to participate in the show?"

It took a while for Ivana, who had completely collapsed in her arms, to come back to her senses, and after taking the initiative to kiss, she whispered:

"I don't know yet, but I don't want to participate in this kind of reality show. I can even guess what kind of coverage there will be after participating in the show."

There is nothing shameful about "relying on daddy", but people who eat melons will inevitably use bad words to criticize them. If they are judged by the outside world, public figures will sometimes break their guard.
Ivana, who is still "glass-hearted" at the moment, doesn't want to be pointed out, and it's rare to take a break. At this time, she just wants to relax.

Realizing that the fair body in his arms was starting to heat up, Li You chuckled and whispered into his ear.

Soon, Ivana, whose face became increasingly rosy, held onto the edge and arched her body. Her waist became much slender, and her waistline appeared again.

Li You, who has received the blessing of attack speed, makes the water waves start to ripple. He will continue to practice tonight!

Phil Jackson's new book has sparked a heated discussion among football critics recently. After Kobe spent a lot of money, the illegal invasion incident finally came to an end.

However, Kobe did not respond to the weird accusations made by the old KFC man in the book. As usual, he just threw himself in the training hall.

Ever since Li You made his "self-discipline" declaration, Kobe has worked harder!

Although Vanessa thinks Tim Grover has been lying, Kobe has a firm belief that he must be ready. In the new season, he has to prove that he can enter the Finals without O'Neal.

The champion coach's new book has also attracted many NBA players.

Ray Allen, who is still training in Seattle, is in a particularly good mood recently. Although he did not get a maximum salary contract, the Lakers disintegrated and his opportunity came!

In an interview with the Seattle Times, Ray Allen also talked about the recently discussed new book:

"I think coach Phil Jackson is right. Kobe cares more about his performance. We can all see that he wants to prove himself."

"But without O'Neal, Kobe will not achieve anything. After the start of the new season, under his leadership, there is a high possibility that the Lakers will not even enter the playoffs."

"Like the book says, Kobe always loved to disrupt the game."

"The Sonics are different, we are more united, and we will make the playoffs again!"

On the morning of the 14th, ESPN reported Ray Allen's remarks. Recently, they have seized on hot topics to criticize Kobe Bryant. It is rare for players to stand up and speak out, so they naturally want to join in the fun.

In the studio, John Sanders became the new host, and the other three are still big mouths Stephen A. Smith, Tim Legler, and Greg Anthony.

Since becoming "Li Youchui", Stephen A. Smith no longer pretends. He strongly agrees with Ray Allen's point of view:
"Ray is right. If the Lakers can play more united in the finals, they shouldn't lose an average of 29 points per game!"

"The Lakers can't defeat the Knicks, and it will be difficult for Kobe to lead this team to the Finals."

"It is a pity that in the next few years, the Lakers should bid farewell to the finals stage!"

"There is no doubt that Phil Jackson is right. Lee is the GOAT. Regardless of whether you like him or not, Lee is the best in history!"

After saying these words in a cadence, Stephen A. Smith looked at the two people on the other side.

Legler was wearing a dark gray formal suit. He couldn't stand Li You anymore. He ignored the provocation from the other side and analyzed it seriously:
"If Phil Jackson is right, who will be the new head coach of the Lakers?"

"Compared to O'Neal, I am more optimistic about Kobe, not only because he is younger, but the most important thing is his basketball attitude!"

"It's 4 o'clock in the morning in Los Angeles. Throughout the offseason, Kobe spent time in the training gym. I wouldn't be surprised if he breaks out in the new season."

Greg Anthony, who considers himself a Knicks legend, heard the "spiritual theory" again and immediately frowned and retorted:
"I don't believe the damn reports, Tim, we've all been in this league and you know it's impossible."

"No one can train like this every day. It will seriously consume the body. Kobe is very good, but he is not an MVP-level player."

"I agree with some of the views in Phil Jackson's book. Kobe has a stubborn personality. He is indeed uncoachable. The new coach should compromise with him."

As a black host, Sanders did not want to say bad things about his compatriots. Before the three of them could argue, he immediately changed the subject and said:
"There has been very little news related to Lee for several offseasons."

"He did a good job on NBC this year, but Phil Jackson thought too highly of him."

"Lee, who is gradually entering his peak period, is indeed very dominant, but after the age of 30, he will most likely start to decline."

"In comparison, Kobe's body shape has more advantages. As he gets older, I think he has a chance to surpass Lee."

Sanders' implication is that Li You didn't train during the offseason and will decline sooner or later. Kobe is more self-disciplined and will succeed in the future.

Stephen A. Smith kept shaking his head and laughing as he heard this, as if this was a big joke:

"Put away those useless fantasies!"

"Kobe can't surpass Lee, this time will be forever!"

"Six championship trophies, six FMVP trophies, don't forget how difficult it is to win the championship, Li created a miracle."

"I believe what Phil Jackson said in the book. Kobe is not a superstar, he is just an ordinary star."

Seeing someone wanting to refute, Stephen A. Smith paused and then reminded loudly:
"Beyond Lee? How many MVP trophies has Kobe Bryant won so far?"

"If you train hard, you can get praise and recognition. Many role players should also receive more encouragement!"

"The Lakers offered Kobe a 100 million yuan contract, not to let fans see how hard he worked on the training field."

"."

No matter what ESPN and the outside sports media said, Kobe never responded. He was disgusted with these boring reports and he just wanted to use basketball to prove himself.

After the Lakers training camp started on the 15th, Kobe accepted an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Regarding the contents of Phil Jackson's book, Kobe did not respond one by one, but expressed his views calmly:
"There are indeed many reasons for the loss last season, but I will not regret those shots!"

"I dedicated myself to basketball and I will always believe in my next shot."

"As the best shooting guard in the league, no one can take away my right to score."

"Maybe this is our disagreement about basketball, but I will prove that I am right. I will get the MVP in the new season. Basketball doesn't lie!"

"."

The Knicks will start training camp next Monday, and Li You returned to the Tarrytown Training Center early, mainly to visit Hill.

About to turn 32, Hill suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee and was directly reimbursed for the new season.

Even if he returns from injury, his athletic ability will plummet. For Grant Hill, his next contract is destined to be underpriced.

Considering the competitive environment within the Knicks, many people must be secretly happy after Hill was injured.

Starting the first game means better data. In order to compete for this position, everyone has to continue to roll!
After several years of continuous improvement, the Tarrytown Training Center has more complete facilities and is also equipped with a professional injury recovery center.

Although the surgery was successful, Hill still showed signs of pain after being examined by the medical team.

Li You and Grunfield did not disturb the work of the medical team. They just thought of the chain reaction caused by the injury problem, and both of them were a little silent.

Seemingly thinking about Hill's playing time in the Olympics, Grunfield complained in a low voice:

"Larry Brown shouldn't use Grant like this. He's played more games in recent years!"

"By participating in the Olympics, Grant is just expressing his support for the national team."

"He shouldn't have been made the head coach in the first place, damn it! A serious injury, but in the end he got a bronze medal!"

Li You looked at the fat man next to him who kept complaining, shook his head slightly, and then whispered:

"This is indeed related to our tactical play. We rank first in the league in the number of rounds every season. Although we don't have much playing time in many games, more sprints do bring a lot of wear and tear to the body."

"We have to prepare for the wave of injuries in advance. I will communicate with coach D'Antoni and appropriately reduce some daily training."

Watching the Lakers disintegrate and the Knicks suffering injuries, although many teams in the league say they are sorry, in fact they are working harder to prepare for the game.

The big man Wright was sold for two seasons and could not find a replacement, which is enough to illustrate the attitude of most team managements.
In the new season, Li You signed a 1+1 contract and will only sign a big contract after the league implements the new terms next year.

Considering Gasol's salary, Grunfield also has some headaches, and the consequences of the dynasty team are coming faster than he expected.

"It seems that we have no chance to win 70 games again in the new season."

Grunfield pretended to say this easily, and Li You also smiled. The task of the new season is to achieve three consecutive championships again. In the regular season, just ensuring the home court advantage is enough.

"Ron, how are they doing during the offseason? He texted me and told me he's been training."

Hearing Li You's words, Grenfield looked a little strange. After thinking about it, he said truthfully:
"He really worked hard and gained a lot of muscle!"

Obviously Artest did not focus too much on polishing his skills, but chose to exercise by rolling iron.

Compared with Li You who practices discipline every day, Artest, who won the championship again, had an extremely exciting offseason.

Although the salary is not high, with the support of the championship, Artest, known as the best defender on the perimeter, has become famous!

The mainstream sports media are all hyping up Artest's defense, and in this case, the inflation is natural.

Famous black stars usually have a group of followers around them.

In the past, Artest had restrained himself, but this offseason he couldn't stand it any longer. He recruited his younger brothers like crazy and put on the air of a big star.

During the summer league, Artest took the followers introduced by his seven aunts and eight aunts to watch the Knicks' atmosphere group games.

The fans at the scene also gave face, and Artest received enthusiastic cheers from the fans every time he watched the game.

On Friday the 17th, Artest came to Rucker Park again and showed off his skills. With the cooperation of his opponents, he avenged his shame and completely conquered all the street ball players.

Everyone was flattering, and happily, Artest accepted two more younger brothers!
After the weekend, the Knicks also started training camp. In October, the team will fly to China to start an overseas preseason tour.

The Tarrytown Training Center opened to the media in advance. At 10 a.m., when Chinese sports reporters came here, they saw Artest wearing gloves and pounding sandbags.
After beating the sandbag and performing a series of professional footwork training, Artest showed off his boxing skills.

Sports reporter Wang Meng is not tall. He did not expect to see such a scene in the Knicks' training facility and was stunned for a while.

"You howl!"

Artest, who was wearing a vest and sweating profusely, spoke a non-standard Chinese sentence to the crowd.

Looking at the muscular black man in front of him, Wang Meng smiled awkwardly and hurriedly asked in English:

"This is the first time I have seen such a special training! Can you introduce this special training method to Chinese fans?"

Artest showed a friendly smile, beat his chest, and said proudly:
"Boxing training can make our bodies more flexible. We are not just big guys who can only lift irons in the gym!"

"?"

Wang Meng didn't understand what this training had to do with basketball, but after observing the training facilities, he could only secretly complain:
"Is this the Knicks' secret to winning?"

"."

(End of this chapter)