NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 355 Grand Preseason Game (Daily Chapter)
The 2004~2005 season, affected by the Olympic Games, will officially start on November 11.

Different from the past, this season is also the first year of NBA division adjustment.

The league will be divided into 6 regions, with 5 teams in each region, and the New Orleans Hornets will move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference.

The Knicks are still in the Atlantic Division, and the four teams in the same division are:
Celtics, 76ers, Nets, Raptors.

Compared with the past, the changes are not big. After all, the division of regions still needs to take into account geographical location.

The much-watched Cavaliers are in the Central Division, while the Heat are in the Southeast Division.

The division champion will lock in the top three. This result has advantages and disadvantages. Compared with the Eastern Conference, the teams in the Western Conference are a little depressed.

In the Southwest Division, the Spurs, Mavericks, and Rockets are still divided together.

However, after so many years, the three teams have become accustomed to such results. If they want to achieve a higher ranking in the playoffs, the best way is to win the division championship.

On October 10st, the media opening day, the teams did not discuss the divisions much, and the ball commentators did not continue to talk about the free market. Everyone looked to the future and believed that this season was the best opportunity to win the championship.

Unlike last year, he contributed more in this year's finals. In the international arena, Gasol also went all out. Although he took a month's rest, the sequelae of too many games still showed up.

"Ron, your body looks great! You will definitely be the DPOY in the new season."

In the past few days, his team of followers has expanded a bit, and gold chains have also been arranged.
The New York media also gave their hometown players a lot of face, and followed suit during interviews:

When Li You heard the mustached chicken thief's plan, he didn't object. This was also a good thing for him. He really liked running and gunning blind chickens more.
When Artest saw the media reporters, he stepped forward to hug and greet them cordially.

"We can add rotations and change the lineup on the road. As long as we don't lose at Madison Square Garden, the fans will definitely not care about it."

The training team did not assign many tasks to Gasol, but his physical condition has reached a low point recently.

The sports media surrounding Hill knew that this was just a joke. Considering his age, his physical function would definitely decline after such a serious injury.

The Knicks are going to participate in this year's China Games, and there are a total of 4 games scheduled for this year's preseason.

After two years in this city, D'Antoni also recognized the attributes of the fans, but he did not intend to give up his experiment, but whispered:

Fisher did not lie. After all, they are old rivals. The Lakers' video classes have been dismantling the Knicks' tactics for many years. As the starting point guard, he naturally knows it very well!
Fisher didn't care about his substitute status. The coaching staff had given him reassurance that due to Hill's injury, Li You would play the No. 2 position at a specific time.

After the two games in China, the opponents in the next two games are the Nets and the 76ers.

He didn’t feel awkward wearing the Knicks jersey either. He smiled brightly during the interview:
"After these days of training, I have fully adapted to the team. To be honest, I understand the Knicks' tactics very well."

O'Neal has rarely given interviews since joining the Heat. The local newspaper in Miami broke the news that Shaq was losing weight.
Although Pat Riley is not the team's head coach, the Heat are his horse and everyone has to listen to him, including O'Neal.

The 1st was also the day for the Knicks to take photos. Since the team's lineup had not changed much, the New York media focused more on interviewing Fisher, who had "turned over to the enemy."
When he was with the Lakers, Fisher chose jersey number 2. After coming to the Knicks, he chose jersey number 4.

"There are only 11 games in November and the schedule is not bad. We can make appropriate adjustments before Christmas."

Although D'Antoni will take over once he enters the playoffs, he can always come up with some new tricks during the regular season.

The Knicks had very little luxury tax last year, and while they have made a lot of money in recent years, the Tarrytown training center has also continued to improve.

The meaning of these words is to let Stoudemire play the 5th position, let Prince play the 4th position, speed up with all your strength, don't defend, and poke each other the whole time!
Li You patted D'Antoni on the shoulder, smiled and joked:
"Experiment like crazy, maybe the team will lose consecutive games, and then the New York sports media will not be merciful."

The old facilities that symbolize history have been eliminated, and the shiny training hall looks a bit technological.

After playing in the Olympics after the finals, Gasol was visibly tired.

Artest, who had worked hard to train his muscles, suddenly smiled when he heard the praises from several people, and continued to blow loudly:
"I will win two more DPOY trophies. I can guard the position from No. 1 to No. 5!"

This kind of rotation will increase Fisher's playing time. Playing 25 minutes in a game should be the norm this season.

The two naturally had to express their opinions confidently when being interviewed. They competed for the same position. Everyone needs data in the new season.

Both Li You and D'Antoni were wearing blue and orange training uniforms, standing behind the basket and watching everyone being interviewed.

Players in the contract year naturally have to take a positive stance. After undergoing minimally invasive knee surgery, Stoudemire did not relax his demands on himself, and his muscles expanded after a summer of training.
Kurt Thomas has gained weight as he has grown older, but this guy is also ready. For a big contract, he has managed his body very well, and there is not a trace of fat on his body.

The most eye-catching thing is a bunch of championship banners. The division champions are all hanging in the training hall. This is also the most proud thing for the New York media.

"If everything goes well, maybe I can make it to the playoffs, but of course it depends on the diagnosis of the medical team."

"Maybe the fans in Los Angeles don't like this team, but I know that I am suitable to play here and I have the ability to contribute to the team."

After half a month of observation, Li You was able to confirm that Gasol was indeed tired.

After the morning training session, the two talked about their plans for the new season:

Grant Hill was being interviewed on the sidelines while leaning on crutches. When asked about the new season, he could only smile and shake his head:

No matter how much the Los Angeles sports media ridiculed him, Fisher was happy in Manhattan.

Although he didn’t start practicing hard at 4 a.m., Ragnarok Bale still increased the amount of daily shooting training, and this is where the big contract came into play.
There are dynamic players on the team and there are also players who are in average physical condition.

On the other side of the basketball court, everyone in the atmosphere team was still training hard. Laga Bell felt that he had been favored by God, and pie fell from the sky!
In the contract year, if you enter the starting lineup, as long as you produce good data, you can get a million-dollar annual salary.

D'Antoni didn't expect that Hill would be injured in the Olympics. Hearing Li You's suggestion, he couldn't help but whisper:
"We can increase the playing time of the rotation, lower the height of the lineup, and play faster."

New York fans are used to seeing 70+ wins, used to beating opponents at home, and suddenly losing. New York fans don't buy it.

"It's definitely a bad thing to play with fatigue. Pau really deserves some rest."

New floors and new basketball facilities were installed, the walls were no longer the original white walls, and the ceilings were also repaired.

Since mid-September, Li You has been busy taking new makeup photos for sponsors.

"I want to get back on the court as soon as possible. The knee injury will not affect my physical condition."

The two are still in the honeymoon period. Pat Riley's colorful pie temporarily fooled O'Neal. Of course, it's more that the Shark wants to prove himself again. He doesn't want to see the Lakers rise again in the new season.

Since the Knicks need to start early, Li You will not see the American League Championship Game this year.

On the evening of October 10th, Li You took the girls to the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to watch this year's league divisional game.

The New York Yankees, who finished first in the regular season, faced off against the Minnesota Twins.

The environment of the old arena was a bit worse, but there were many fans bringing their families to watch the game. More than 55000 people crowded into the stadium early.

Before 19 o'clock, the scene started to become agitated.

Since it was Tuesday, it was Scarlett and Kristen Ritter who accompanied Li You in the box to watch the game.

The three of them all wore navy blue Yankees hats. The result of the game was not important. Anyway, they came here to watch the game to kill time.

Scarlett, who will turn 20 in a month, seems to still be in her rebellious phase. She recently had a big fight with her mother because she refused a movie.

Although he dyed his hair back to blonde, he has not been home recently and simply lives here with Li You.

The rhythm of the baseball game was not fast. Li You's eyes twitched slightly when he saw the girl who was eating M-beans so much that he had to interrupt the opponent's "eating", which made Kristen Ritter smile sweetly:
"Clay, she's been eating it for half a month. It's not a big deal if she eats it for another day. The meat is all on her chest anyway!"

Scarlett, who was wearing a large T-shirt, deliberately puffed out her chest, then walked over to Li You, raised her head and said:

"Honey, let's travel around the world! I've wanted to do that since I was a kid."

Li You has indeed had a great influence on the girls around him, but at present, the other girl obviously wants to escape family conflicts:

“Once our yacht is delivered, we will be able to go to sea every year.”

After hearing Li You's words, the girl knew that there was something serious about this, and immediately kissed her generously. The little follower on the side shook her head slightly. She found that Scarlett preferred to show off her skills in public.
"Clay, we have spent a lot of money this year. Just repairing the manor will cost a lot of money."

Li You patted the girl in his arms, turned his head and responded nonchalantly:
"It doesn't matter. Maybe it won't take a few months. We still have some funds arriving. Peninsula Manor is a high-quality asset."

Scarlett spends a lot of money a year. Before she was underage, her mother managed her salary. However, after she met Li You for a few years, it eventually became a credit card life.

The two of them noticed that Li You didn't care and knew that these expenses were still planned.

Li You watched the baseball game and occasionally interacted with the two, but his mind flew to other places. There was a high probability that the crude oil market would rise, but there was no corresponding special memory in his mind.

Scarlett noticed that Li You was distracted, and immediately leaned into her ear and said provocatively:

“I want to burn more calories tonight!”

Hearing the girl's invitation, Li You came back to his senses, felt the energetic body in his arms, and immediately put other thoughts behind:

"You still have to enjoy life, as long as you earn something!"

The preseason is about to begin, and each team is signing free agents again, which can be regarded as the final reinforcement before the start of the game.

The Knicks do not have these problems. The current 15-man roster has been confirmed, and the team has applied for an injury exception from the league.

After the application is successful, you can sign a suitable free agent once you meet him.

The Knicks' salary currently reaches $6979 million, and the team's salary structure is still very healthy.

The Mavericks' salary has been determined to exceed 9000 million, and the Trail Blazers' salary will also exceed 8000 million after acquiring the outdated Anfernee Hardaway;
The salaries of the 76ers and Timberwolves will most likely reach $7000 million.

The top teams in terms of salary have been in a state of spending money and being beaten in recent years. Although the Knicks will see a skyrocketing salary next season, in general, they still win!

Compared to the Knicks, the Spurs are the most outrageous.

In the new season, Spurs owner Pete Holt has fulfilled his promise and filled the salary cap again!
According to sports media reports, the Spurs’ salary for the new season should be as high as $4700 million.
Ginobili signed a multi-year contract with the team, and his salary this season has reached 660 million.

Just thinking about Ginobili's devastating performance in the Olympics, everyone knows that the Spurs' signing is definitely a bloody profit.

No matter how the outside world ridicules, the Spurs management is stable, the Lakers are disintegrated, and they will be the team most likely to reach the finals in the new season.

Recently, Popovich has been cheering for Duncan again. Although the Olympic defeat has been criticized, as long as he holds on tightly, he can secure his position as head coach!

After being criticized by the sports media for a month, Duncan was naturally in a bad mood. Popovich seized this opportunity and took the initiative to express his position to the outside world:
"Believe me, Tim will show his dominance in the new season!"

"The Spurs will reach the finals again under his leadership. Tim deserves an MVP." New York sports media also commented on Popovich's words:

"Honor thief!"

Although Li You did not give many interviews during the offseason, the sports media will not forget him. The debate about the best player in history has been quarreling for more than two months.

Both Li You and Michael Jordan are very low-key, but their fans are very high-profile. Incited by football commentators, debates often break out on the Internet.

Of course, in addition to fans of the two, there are also fans who suddenly fell in love with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and also participated in the discussion.

The historical scoring leader was almost forgotten by fans for a while, but unexpectedly he suddenly gained a large number of fans during this offseason.
On Monday, October 10, everyone from the Knicks flew to Shanghai. They will play two preseason games in China this week.

At the same time, the Rockets have officially set off, and McGrady will make his debut in Shanghai.

The preseason games have been preparing to land in China for many years. The league took this opportunity to vigorously promote the games, and the NBA became the first American sports professional league to hold games in China.

Chinese sports media began to promote these two games very early. Needless to say, Yao Ming's status in the hearts of fans, Li You and McGrady are also stars that many fans love.

Although McGrady no longer has the "white horse and silver gun" skin, his hazy sleepy eyes and ecstatic calves are still there. Everyone can't wait to experience McGrady's style of holding the ball with one hand.
Li You's Asia trip in the summer only had a BJ stop in China. This time it made up for the previous activities. The tickets were sold out long ago and the fans were eagerly awaiting it.

The Shanghai Sports Management Center wanted to host an "authentic" NBA game, so it naturally made a lot of preparations.

Although it is a pre-season game, for highly commercialized and highly paid players, every game they participate in will cost the organizer a lot of money.

Fortunately, in order to further expand the Chinese market, the NBA took the initiative to bear the basic expenses. Coupled with Li You's cooperation, this game between the Rockets and the Knicks was held.

The NBA management team set off earlier than the Knicks. David Stern attached great importance to these two preseason games and led the staff to complete preparations early.

The floor is provided by the NBA, the basket frame must be able to withstand impact, and the basket must be able to withstand hundreds of kilograms of suspension.

The NBA hoped to use designated international brands, but in the end it compromised with the organizers. Domestic brands with excellent quality can also meet these requirements.

In terms of player treatment, although Li You did not make any demands, the Knicks were not polite and did not miss any details from towels to bathrooms.

The team did not compromise in this regard, and James Dolan simply moved the brand that the Knicks cooperated with.
The details can be solved easily, but the stadium seats and boxes are a big issue that require approval from multiple departments.

For NBA games, the best spectator seats should be set up in the back rows of the coaches and players’ seats of the two teams close to the court.

In addition to these front row seats, dozens of small booths must be installed.

This seating arrangement had never appeared in sports competitions in Shanghai at that time.

Finally, after negotiation with the public security and fire departments, an exception was granted, which also caused the price of front-row tickets to soar to 3000 yuan, and the price of private rooms to as high as 1 yuan.

Compared with the ticket price for the fan event held by Hook for Li You, the price has increased several times, which is a good deal!

It's just that the high ticket prices couldn't stop the enthusiastic fans. After reports from the sports media, fans lined up to buy tickets, and they were eventually sold out early.

On the plane, everyone in the Knicks team also discussed it when they saw the relevant reports.

During the offseason, everyone saw Li You's terrifying popularity in China. Artest looked at the hat and couldn't help but curiously asked:

"Li, in China, do many people like the Knicks?"

Li You felt that Chinese fans would enjoy more winning games, but when he heard his teammates’ questions, he still gave a positive answer:

"Of course, Chinese fans also like championship teams. We have won 6 championships and have a deep fan base here."

"In short, in this preseason, the team will be more popular than you think!"

Artest grinned when he heard this, and felt a little regretful at the same time. He should have taken his followers with him on the trip. This was a good time to pretend.

In this year's Olympics, Spain defeated the Chinese team, and Gasol also played against Yao Ming again. Thinking of his current physical condition, he couldn't help but whisper:
"It seems we have to play faster, I don't want to continue to face Yao!"

When encountering a super center, playing the 5th position is naturally a chore. Gasol's words made everyone applaud. In the exhibition game, everyone wanted to appear on the stage and pretend to be X.

Not only the players and management followed the two teams, but also the cheerleading girls.

Girls on the cheerleading team don't make much, but the Knicks have been able to reach the Finals in recent years, and their salaries are the highest in the league compared to other teams.

Sweeping their opponents every year allows the Knicks cheerleaders to receive $2000 per game during the playoffs, and they are also rewarded when the team wins.

Although skin color has to be taken into consideration, there have been more blond girls on the cheerleading team in recent years. This is James Dolan's personal preference.

The curly boss, who flew to Shanghai in advance, also listened to Grunfield’s “report” recently. He didn’t think carefully about the salary issue:
"Why can't the team have three maximum salaries? We don't have to worry about the luxury tax at all."

After staying in the hotel for a few days, Grunfield did not put down his work. He had already noticed that something was wrong:
"Of course we can offer three maximum contracts, but that means the salary cap will be occupied by three players."

"There will be no problems with the team in a short period of time, but as the age of the players increases, the risk of injuries increases, and the competitiveness of such a lineup is also declining."

"Once a player is injured, it will be difficult for us to make effective reinforcements. If we fail to trade in time, the big contract will eat up the salary cap after the contract expires."

"There is a high possibility that we will encounter the same problem as the Bulls in advance. When Lee is over 30 years old, one person may occupy half of the salary."

James Dolan still didn't care about this. He looked at the hard-working general manager and casually drew a pie:
"It doesn't matter. As long as Li is here, nothing will be a problem. Moreover, I also believe in your ability. We will always appear in the finals!"

"."

The curly boss was dressed casually, wearing a blue Knicks T-shirt, and went out with his arms around the plump blond girl. Grunfield shook his head secretly, and finally sent a text message to his girl.

After failing to sell Wright for two consecutive seasons, Grunfield thought he might as well relax.

Seeing the energetic appearance of the young girl who entered the door, Grunfield patted his thigh and put his worries behind:

"Li doesn't care about this anyway, it's time for me to enjoy it too!"

On October 10th, the China Game was held as scheduled at the Shanghai Stadium.

David Stern did not expect that this game would be so popular. According to the agreement before the game, he and the league staff would sit on one side of the podium, but now the seats are gone.
The main leaders of SH City came to watch the game, and the number of people exceeded expectations. All the seats on the podium were filled before the game started.

In the past few days, Li You once again entered a state of smiling face. He met with all the major leaders, taking photos and signing autographs.

McGrady didn't expect that he would be so popular in China. He was smiling from ear to ear for a few days. His skills really conquered the world.

The China game completely restored the feeling of an NBA scene, and the Knicks’ DJ also followed.

In order to highlight the strong character of the basketball holy land, he is the only DJ in the league who plays live sound effects to boost the atmosphere.
The cheers of tens of thousands of fans resounded throughout the Shanghai Stadium. Sitting in the temporary work seat, David Stern smiled. The atmosphere was better than he expected.

This is considered the home court of the Rockets. McGrady, who had not yet appeared on the court, saw Li You waving, and the scene was boiling, and he couldn't help but feel sour in his heart.

Although he has only been the "second man" for one season, McGrady feels that he is no worse than Li You. His previous teammates have dragged him down.
The girls on the cheerleading team started dancing. D'Antoni on the sidelines did not lay out any tactics. Although he was holding a tactical board in front of everyone, what he said was Chicken Soup for the Soul:

"You know what to do, show the fans here what a championship team looks like!"

On the other side of the Rockets bench, Mike Brown has great expectations for the current team.

The core of the team has been determined. Although the backcourt has been stretched a bit, the overall strength of the team has been greatly improved.

Tyronn Lue is tonight's starting guard. When Li You stepped over Kobe, he was just a mediocre person. Naturally, no one remembers the small role.

In the past few years, Tyronn Lue has been wandering around the league. Although he has assisted many stars, he wants a stable contract.

Even though it is preseason, he will not relax his demands on himself and still try his best to express himself!
As Yao Ming successfully jumped the ball, the game officially began, and cheers instantly echoed throughout the arena.

Laga Bell, who got the starting position, was a little nervous, but when he saw Li You clapping his hands to direct the defense, he quickly calmed down.

Artest, who wants to express himself, will naturally not let go at this time.

Tyronn Lue dribbled across half court and just handed the ball to McGrady. Artest immediately defended him.

McGrady kept interfering with his hands, chipped the ball continuously, and protected the ball on the right side of his body. McGrady, who maintained a triple threat posture, did not let go of the ball easily.

After observing the defensive position, he released the ball with his right hand. When protecting the ball sideways, McGrady called Tyronn Lue to fake a screen.

Instead of giving the ball to Yao Ming, McGrady, who wanted to show off his skills, moved laterally. After seeing the screen, Li You directly switched defense and immediately became energetic.

Waving his hand, Jim Jackson on the right wing moved to the bottom corner to open up the offensive space. McGrady lowered his center of gravity and began to dribble continuously under his hips.

The first round was a confrontation between the core players. When they saw McGrady's beautiful dribbling, the fans were so excited that they cheered!

Continuously dribbling the ball under the crotch, trying to mobilize Li You's defensive focus. The moment he switched to his left hand, McGrady swayed to the left and then dribbled the ball under the crotch again.

Trying to get rid of the defense with the explosive power of the first step, McGrady, holding the ball in his right hand, accelerated with his shoulders down and took the initiative to fight.

Li You easily predicted the opponent's offensive trends. Although he only touched the ball recently, his physical condition is very good.

After the collision, the breakthrough route was blocked. Taking advantage of the moment when McGrady waved the ball protector and leaned back slightly, Li You suddenly exerted force on his feet, jumped forward suddenly, and cut the ball with his left hand.

The moment he reacted, Macready lost control of the ball and was savagely squeezed by Li You.
Before he could pull, Li You led the ball forward and got rid of McGrady behind him in the blink of an eye.

"Wow!"

In the cheers of the fans, Li You rushed faster and faster. The fans in the front row under the basket stood up and watched Li You jump into the air with both feet in the paint area.

After a short period of time in the air, he completed the hand change with his crotch and grabbed the ball with his left hand. After stretching his body, Li You easily smashed the ball into the basket!

"Hold the grass!"

"Oh!"

His head was flat and he then dunked with his hands, causing the fans in the front row to scream, and then the cheers broke through the arena, and they couldn't stop for a while.

After landing, Li You smiled at the fans in the row, patted his chest, shook his head, and laughed loudly:
"Don't dribble in front of me"

McGrady, who was chasing from behind, looked a little ugly when he heard the laughter of the fans in the front row. Looking at Li You's back, he immediately cursed in his heart:
"Damn it! This is an exhibition match!"

(End of this chapter)