NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 364 Bad Punishment (Daily Chapter)

On Thursday, December 2004, 12, NBA spokesman Tim Frank briefly stated his position in front of the media regarding the incident that occurred at the Palace Arena in Auburn Hills last night:
"The league will have no comment until this incident is reviewed."

There were only three games on the 16th, so the melon-eating crowd began to pay close attention to this incident.

The Knicks and Pistons didn't speak out immediately, but they just watched the excitement and didn't think it was a big deal.

When the Philadelphia sports media interviewed Iverson, the has-been star showed his personality as always:
"You can't blame the players for reacting like this!"

"There is no doubt that Artest was protecting himself and his brother. The white man threw a beer and someone punched him. Of course the players had to fight back."

"If it were me, I would make the same choice!"

Vince Carter, who has been caught up in trade rumors recently, also spoke out in front of the media:

"In my opinion, some fans think they can do anything, which is unfair to the players, the civilized game, and the fans as well."

"No one likes to have beer thrown at them and debris thrown at them. Fans are not allowed to hurt players."

Raptors fans have been very hostile to Carter recently, thinking that he has betrayed Toronto. Carter's interview can be regarded as eye candy for his fans.

Unlike other peers, in the ESPN program, host John Sanders did not talk much about the conflict, but directly addressed the Pistons fans:
"This is not the first time something like this has happened. If I remember correctly, in last year's Eastern Conference finals, Pistons fans started attacking players!"

"They didn't come to watch the game, they came to vent their emotions. Maybe they encountered difficulties in their lives, but this chaos was definitely caused by the fans."

Sanders was the first to comment sharply on this farce on the show last night, even calling Pistons fans "punks."

On the show, Greg Anthony and Tim Legler didn't say much last night, but after watching the video carefully today, they also spoke:

"Without a doubt! If I got punched, I'd hit him back."

"Such behavior is indeed wrong, but the league should investigate carefully."

Legler did not talk too much about the fan who was "KO" and defended Artest:

"There were only a few dozen seconds left in the game, and the outcome was decided. Artest performed very well. He completed 4 steals and restricted Williams."

"Pistons fans are letting off steam! This was a fan-induced chaos and I would like to see the league investigate it."

The NBA has not yet given feedback, but Stephen A. Smith avoided talking about the matter on the show.

He knows that the three people around him just want to speak for the black players, but hitting the fans means that the matter will get bigger. David Stern will be fined for the dress code and inappropriate remarks. This kind of behavior will most likely lead to immediate disgrace.

"I trust the league's investigation, but what I'm curious about now is whether Lee can continue to lead the team to wins."

"They are performing very well so far. In addition to the schedule, it is more about Li's performance!"

Noticing that his partners wanted to continue talking about the previous topic, Stephen A. Smith spoke up again:
"If there are really two main players missing, this may be an opportunity for other teams. Basketball is for 5 people. Li and the coaching staff have to prepare in advance."

"Three consecutive championships, I think no one will refuse to achieve such an achievement again."

"."

On Friday the 17th, everyone in the Knicks team had flown to Philadelphia in the morning. No matter what penalties the league would impose, the game would have to continue in the evening.

The newbie Varejao was dumbfounded last night. He did not expect that such a conflict could occur in an ordinary regular season.

Although Mutombo thinks the league will impose heavy penalties, he believes that even if the league imposes penalties, it will not affect the Knicks' record.

After arriving at the hotel to check in, Varacho remained silent while Mutombo comforted Artest:

"Don't worry Ron, the league will investigate and I don't think the suspension will last long."

"Even if the fans sue you, the union will stand up for you. After all, it was the other party who made the move first."

In Philadelphia in December, the weather was getting colder. Artest was wearing a large black sweatshirt, a red hat, and some baggy jeans. He looked very depressed.

The most direct consequence of throwing a punch is a ban, and a ban will bring economic losses. After a few punches, you will lose a lot of money, which will make anyone feel heartache.

The same goes for Laga Bell and Stoudemire. The losses for the two of them were expected to be less, but afterward they found out that Ben Wallace was the one who started the fight, which immediately made them depressed.
Li You didn't like to mess around, so he still wore formal clothes when playing away games, adding a black coat. At this time, he was chatting with the coaching staff about the league's punishment issues.

Before the game starts in the evening, the NBA will give out the results. Li You believes that Stern will be severely punished because some media have begun to attack safety issues.

Last night, the British Sky Sports joined in the fun. After Manchester United's shareholders' meeting, they still failed to reach an acquisition agreement. This has made Li You the target of fan protests recently.

The opponent questioned why the NBA auditorium is so close to the court:
"U.S. dollars and safety, ultimately the NBA chose profit."

Although D'Antoni is not surfing the Internet, he also knows that the Knicks may be downsizing again:
"It's almost afternoon. It seems we have to be prepared for Ron to miss the regular season."

The fat Ewing was a little annoyed. Although he resented the fans' provocation, he was also dissatisfied with Artest's punch:
"If it was just an ordinary push, Ron would be suspended for a few games at most. He failed to control his emotions. This is the worst choice!"

"I have said before that those brothers only cause trouble. Black people are like this. Does he think he is still the gangster selling leaves?"

"He makes millions of dollars every year. He is a millionaire, but in the past few years he has been hanging out with those niggas. Sooner or later, those people will spend all his money."

Ewing and Oakley have always liked to pretend to be big guys, always insisting that when you have money, you should be a bit more serious, instead of maintaining the appearance of those gangsters.

When mentioning Artest's followers, the gorilla became particularly unhappy, and even brought up old stories about Artest selling leaves when he was a child.
Li You has no interest in commenting on black culture. This phenomenon is very common in the United States. When good brothers are prosperous, they will naturally follow the chickens and dogs to heaven.

"My concern is that after the suspension, the league will prohibit Ron from participating in public training."

"If you can't play for half the season, it's definitely going to be a problem for rising players."

After hearing Li You's words, several people shook their heads and expressed that they had no solution. At this time, they could only rely on the players' self-discipline.

What's even more troublesome is that the New York media will not forget Artest. After being suspended, the public will prefer to see his daily life.

Hill thought of the advice given by the medical team before and suggested in a low voice:
"Perhaps it would be a good idea to let Ron undergo some thorough psychological treatment."

"Seeing a psychiatrist should help him resolve his emotional control issues."

Grant Hill found it difficult to empathize with lower-level black players. He sympathized with Artest's experience as a child, but he also acquiesced in the mental illness of his teammates.

While several people were chatting in low voices, the sports media quickly took notice of Li You.

The reporters in Philadelphia all had a schadenfreude mentality. They noticed that the Knicks staff indicated that they could conduct interviews, and everyone crowded over to Li You's side.

Although everyone would rather interview the person who was taken away, it would be nice to hear Li You’s views:
"Lee, if Artest is suspended until the end of the season, will the Knicks be able to defend their title?"

Yahoo Sports didn't ask about what happened last night, and it was clear on the video. They were more concerned about the ownership of the championship.

"The league has not made a specific decision yet, but I believe in my teammates and the Knicks will achieve three consecutive championships."

The reporters in Philadelphia had smiles on their faces and couldn’t wait to ask Li You:

"With the lack of two main players, will this affect the strength of the Knicks?" He thought that the other party would end the Knicks' winning streak, but Li You didn't expect that the final question would become so euphemistic:
"The lack of two main players will certainly affect our strength."

"We have won 70+ games for two consecutive seasons. This year we may only be able to win 60 games. For this, everyone is prepared to lose."

Everyone was speechless but unable to refute what he said. 60 wins is actually very difficult to achieve.
The NBA didn't keep the Knicks waiting too long. NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a statement in the afternoon:
"The events at last night's game were shocking and inexcusable for the league."

"A disgrace to everyone associated with the NBA!"

"We have been emphasizing that players are not allowed to enter the stands, and no matter what kind of provocative actions the fans watching the game have, this is not allowed."

"The detailed investigation is still in progress. Please trust the NBA."

"Pending the formal conclusion of the investigation, the following actions will take effect:

New York Knicks player Ron Artest and Detroit Pistons player Ben Wallace are suspended indefinitely. The specific suspension time will be announced on Saturday;

New York Knicks players Raja Bell and Amare Stoudemire will be suspended for four games, and Detroit Pistons player Rasheed Wallace will be suspended for six games. "

Many sports reporters were a little surprised to hear that the season was suspended indefinitely.

This means that the NBA will likely impose the heaviest penalty, and Artest will most likely not receive the remainder of this season's salary.

After issuing the statement, David Stern did not accept too many interviews and only said that the league would provide the final investigation results tomorrow.

Pistons CEO Tom Wilson also issued a statement:

"John Green is a multi-year Pistons season ticket holder, but starting today, Green will be banned from the Palace of Auburn Hills."

The Detroit Free Press broke the news in the evening that John Green, who spilled beer, was from the town of West Broome-Field. Local prosecutor David Gorsica also expressed his position in front of the media:
"Green has several criminal convictions and he also has three drink-driving convictions."

"Green received probation on the condition that he stop drinking, and obviously he failed to fulfill his promise."

When asked by the Detroit media whether Artest could claim self-defense, Gorsica denied:

"Even if someone drinks beer, you don't have a license to hit them."

"More importantly, the fan who was knocked down was not the one who threw the drink."

After this news was announced, the melon-eaters burst into laughter:

"Ron Artest hit the wrong person!"

John Green, the person who poured the beer, was also interviewed:
"I wish this whole thing hadn't happened!"

"I'm sure the players involved in this incident regret it as much as I do, and the fans in Detroit also don't want to see such violence."

"I didn't mean it. Now that I think about what happened last night, it's really terrible!"

Before the game against the 76ers, after several pieces of news were published on the Internet, New York fans became angry and began to sneer at people who were gloating about their misfortune.

After seeing these pieces of news, most sports media felt a little speechless. This matter is so funny.
Prince came into the starting lineup that night and the game went on as normal.

Philadelphia fans roared passionately after the game started, cheering loudly for the home team.

Since 96, they have not defeated the Knicks in the regular season. Everyone saw hope tonight!

With 9 wins and 12 losses, the 76ers need a win!
Iverson will partner with Willie Green in the backcourt tonight, and the three frontcourt players are Andre Iguodala, Kenny Thomas and Dalembert.

One senior and four juniors, as the game progressed, Iverson and Kenny Thomas began to make mistakes on their own initiative, helping the Knicks to easily counterattack.

Iguodala, who worked hard on defense, had a low presence on the offensive end. On the contrary, Iverson was as stubborn as ever in attacking. The 76ers did not score in the first few minutes of the game.

In the end, Willie Green's free throws helped the team break the scoring drought.

Trying to mobilize the Knicks' defense with faster ball movement, the 76ers tried to slow down the tempo of the game, but it didn't have much effect.

At 29:14, at the end of the first quarter, Philadelphia fans were extremely disappointed.

"Shh!"

During the break, boos resounded throughout the arena, and a fully armed Iverson sat on the bench without speaking.

Iguodala quietly glanced at his boss. When playing against other teams, Iverson still had a leadership temperament. Only the Knicks were different.
单节4中1，罚球2中1，3分2失误，艾弗森的表现一如既往地稳定。

In the final game, the 76ers were possessed by a blacksmith outside the three-point line and could only hit the basket again and again.

Kenny Thomas always made mistakes when facing the Knicks' zone defense, and the boos became louder and louder.

The score failed to narrow at half-time. In the third quarter, Philadelphia fans broke the defense again, and the score difference returned to the familiar 3 points.
After the garbage time of the fourth quarter, the score reached 4:113, and the Knicks continued their winning streak.

拼尽全力的艾弗森出场40分钟，19中7，三分线外2中0，罚球8中6，拿到20分7篮板6助攻1抢断6失误。

The boos in the arena couldn't stop, and the Philadelphia fans on both sides of the tunnel didn't give Iverson a good look.

After the game, Iguodala watched Willie Green and Li You chatting and laughing, and after hesitation, he chose to follow the boss in the player tunnel:

"Is this still our home court?"

Li You noticed that the security personnel arrived early. Thinking of Artest who had already taken a flight back to Manhattan in advance, he could only shake his head secretly:

"Is the alliance going to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys?"

On the morning of Saturday, December 12, the NBA announced the final penalty results of the Palace of Auburn Hills incident early:

"Knicks player Ron Artest will be suspended for the remainder of the season."

"Prohibited from participating in team training and public events."

Regarding such serious punishment, the Players Association immediately intervened. President Billy Hunter once again expressed his position:
"Such a punishment is unfair. We all believe that a 35-game suspension is more appropriate for Artest."

It's just that according to collective bargaining rules, the league has discretion over penalties for on-field conduct, and all appeals must go through David Stern.
On the night of the 19th, the Knicks, who returned home, easily defeated the Jazz, who were missing Kirilenko.

Although they won the game, the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was still affected.

After the game, in an interview with MSG, Li You did not talk about the penalty issue again. After taking over the microphone, he loudly assured the fans at the scene:
"The Knicks will have a tough season and we will still win the championship!"

"Wow!"

New York fans naturally believed Li You's guarantee. D'Antoni looked at Artest's figure on the bench and couldn't help but shook his head slightly:
"This is really the worst possible outcome."

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(End of this chapter)