NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 373 Respect depends on strength (7200 words chapter)
On February 2005, 2, the New York Post launched the 27th annual Best and Worst in New York Sports.

On the naive list, the Yankees, Giants, and Knicks all have people on the list.

New York sports media were also unkind in their evaluation of Artest:
"The psychiatrist didn't work, and that right swing might have destroyed our champion!"

Grant Hill is also on the elegant list, but the evaluation is also not very good:
"The blue suit will make Hill look more gentlemanly, but we want to see him show his beast side on the court."

In the favorite list, Li You continues to receive praise, and the New York Post praises him in different ways almost every year:
"Lee turned Stoudemire into a slam dunk master. He made the game of basketball easy."

"If you can't win by averaging 30 points per game, then take more shots. As long as you score enough points, the Knicks can always win."

"Although ticket prices are still rising, fans will feel that it is well worth their money after seeing Lee's performance!"

James Dolan was selected for the first time on the hate list, and the reason is very simple:
"The Dolan family ignored fan sentiment in the fight against Westside Stadium and renovating the arena was the right thing to do, but we need the Jets and Metro Extension too!"

In the list of overachievers, in addition to several NFL athletes, D'Antoni was also selected for this list:

"An incredible achievement, reaching 70 wins for two consecutive seasons, which made fans forget about Jeff Van Gundy!"

"Excellent coaches may always make crazy experiments, but New York fans don't want to see Prince playing the 4 position anymore. The poor kid is about to be torn to pieces by those muscular men."

Among the enviable list is Knicks general manager Glenn Field:

"Just look at his weight and you'll see how easy the job is, and we didn't make any moves at the trade deadline."

"I have to say that this job is enviable. The Knicks' lineup structure can last at least 8 years!"

"What Glenfield needs to do is hire a better medical team for the team and add a psychiatrist position."

There is also a generosity list at the back, and Li You’s name is also there. The New York Police Department and Fire Department receive donations every year;
A summer camp for underprivileged children organized in conjunction with Hook helped some children.

Every year after the All-Star Weekend, the New York Post organizes a live broadcast. Sports fans like to see this kind of content, and some sharp complaints will trigger more discussions.

After all, every fan has different selection criteria. Even if Li You wins so much, he is sometimes criticized for not being "pure" enough.

Not only the New York media, but also mainstream media such as the Washington Post will join in the fun after the list appears. This is the advantage of playing in a big city. If it were the Grizzlies, there would not be so many people discussing it.

At the end of the All-Star Weekend, the Raptors gave up on Mourning. There is a high probability that the Kidney Warrior will return to the Heat and continue their charge towards the championship.
The 76ers and Kings ultimately failed to reach a deal, and Iverson's desire for a reliable inside partner was not met.

The Kings really want to trade Chris Webber, but the other side does not accept the bargaining chip with Iguodala as the main body. The 76ers, who have begun to "believe in the process," are completely ready to accumulate talent.

The Mavericks acquired Keith Van Horn from the Bucks in exchange for two role players;
The Warriors traded Van Exel and atmosphere player Claxton from the Hornets for sick Baron Davis.

More transaction information is that the team gives up players. With only more than 20 games left in the regular season, clarifying the goal earlier is the right choice.

At 27:16 on the 77th, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the th Oscars will start in more than an hour.

The noisy crowd circled around the theater, and screams could be heard from time to time.

The award ceremony officially started at 17:30. The big stars walking on the red carpet all had bright smiles on their faces. Besides posing, they also did not forget to wave to the enthusiastic fans.

Scarlett hosted the Science and Technology Awards Ceremony this year. She was wearing a slim-fitting black off-the-shoulder dress. She twisted twice in front of the camera and quickly waved away.

In order to make herself look more mature, Scarlett tied her long blond hair behind her head tonight, and also chose a pair of taller shoes. Apart from the diamond necklace around her neck, there were no other accessories on her body.

Li You, who was wearing a black formal suit, entered the venue early. After greeting tonight's guest performer, Beyoncé, he briefly exchanged pleasantries with acquaintances.

While waiting for Scarlett, only Marvel President David Messer was left next to Li You.

Since the two met at Mar-a-Lago in 03, the former Disney president, who wanted no salary but stock options, successfully convinced the Marvel board of directors.

Perlmutter, the current CEO of Marvel, is called the stingiest billionaire by Ivana. Messer can convince this "old buckle", and his work ability is naturally exceptionally good.

It's just that Marvel is a bit "poor". Popular characters like Spider-Man have been sold out. The biggest problem if they want to make movies is that they have no money.
Wearing black full-frame glasses, Messer combed his black hair into a 37-part length. Perhaps because he was a little anxious, his tie was a little crooked in his black formal suit.

The two communicated many times by email, and Messer often went to Akers Capital in Greenwich to talk to Bobby about PPT.

Stanley from Merrill Lynch promised to return the favor, and the two companies would advance and retreat together. If one party did not relent, the funds would not be available.

Starting in 2002, due to the poor performance of the stock market, Wall Street began to seek more profit points.

The portfolio theory in the stock market is applied to the film industry, investment returns fluctuate less, and "platter investment" projects also begin to increase.

However, more platter funds are more inclined to Paramount, Disney, Sony, Universal, Fox, and Warner Brothers. Independent films and small studios still cannot get money.

After more than two years of deception, Messer's original plan still failed to come true, and in the end he had to borrow money from a "small factory".

Looking at his watch from time to time, Messer was still talking about plans for a new movie:
"Trust me, Lee! Think about the success of Spider-Man, people were hungry for superheroes after 911/."

"Mr. Allard will serve as producer and I will serve as executive producer. Our accounts will be absolutely transparent. This is a win-win deal."

Avi Arad is the chairman of Marvel and the producer of many superhero movies. In order to increase his persuasion, Messer had to mention this person.

Of course Li You can invest, but he doesn't like the other party's dishonest attitude. When investing in movies, Ax Capital can help investors avoid taxes and absorb more funds.

In a few months, if everything goes well, after acquiring the Manchester United club, it can still absorb players, and finally form a closed loop. After re-listing, it will be a sure profit without losing money.

Li You looked at Messer beside him, ignored the sincere expression on his face, and asked with a smile again:

"Don't tell me how much money your board of directors plans to invest. It's 40%."

"While I have only met Mr. Perlmutter a few times, he has been at Mar-a-Lago for many years and there are people who know him better than I do."

In every email, Messer would shout loudly to the board of directors, but Li You didn't believe it at all. The "old buckle" he met last time left a deep impression on him.

The other party's "empty-handed white wolf" is the normal operation. If they were willing to spend money, Marvel might have restarted the movie long ago.

Bobby had been in the UK, and it was a rare opportunity to talk to Li You about this matter. Messer finally compromised, forced a smile, and whispered:

"35%, well, it could be 30%. In short, we are still very optimistic about superhero movies."

Li You chuckled lightly. He didn't understand Hollywood, but he knew the investment share ratio between the producers and Wall Street private equity funds.

Most producers are around 40%, and the private equity film fund partnered by Paramount and Merrill Lynch is almost at this value.

Merrill Lynch was also not optimistic about this investment, so it gave Li You and others the opportunity to enter. Even Marvel's board of directors was interested in giving it a try. Only Messer was the most positive.

Li You didn't intend to talk to the other party in public. When Scarlett came here, he took the initiative to hold his arms and stood on tiptoes to kiss passionately.

"Tonight is beautiful! Fortunately you are not old enough to drink, otherwise I wouldn't be able to stop those suitors!"

Li You hugged the girl's waist and praised in a low voice, which made Scarlett smile. Seeing the light bulb on the side, he also said hello:

"Hello, Mr. Messer!"

As if thinking of another way, Messer looked at Scarlett and smiled brightly:
"Ms. Johnson, do you like Marvel comics?"

"Sorry, I rarely read comics before."

The girl who acted in the art film didn't like popcorn. Li You patted the embarrassed Messer and promised in a brisk tone:
"David, we will cooperate. I believe in your vision. A win-win situation requires sincerity. If you have time, send Bobby a few more emails, or go to Greenwich to meet a few times next month."

Scarlett held Li You's arm and was a little curious about the cooperation between the two parties. She rarely paid attention to Wall Street. Most of the time in New York, she was only responsible for dressing herself up beautifully and occasionally showing off among her friends.

Seeing Messer take a deep breath and relax, Scarlett blinked and asked in a low voice:

"Clay, invest in movies?"

Li You didn't reveal too much information, but just said jokingly:
“Well, there’s a role that’s perfect for you!”

Fans always complain that the Oscars take too long, and Li You feels this deeply.

Scarlett was not nominated, let alone a trophy, but the Oscar boxed truffles and other ingredients she received as host were of good quality.

After consuming too many calories at the hotel last night, the two of them drank up the bottle of scotch whiskey.

Candy is also the best food to replenish energy. With the help of an enthusiastic girl, Li You almost witnessed Los Angeles at 4 a.m.

On the morning of the 28th, the Los Angeles Times said strangely that Li You disrespected the Lakers.

By the way, photos of Li You and several producers at the Oscar party were also shown.

Some sports media even photographed Li You and Scarlett appearing in front of the hotel, complaining that Li You didn't train at all after arriving in Los Angeles.
46 wins and 10 losses. After the All-Star Weekend, except for losing to the Pistons in the first game, the Knicks quickly regained their form and defeated the 76ers and Pacers one after another.

The Lakers are still struggling for a playoff spot. They lost to the Raptors in their last game and their record came to 28 wins and 26 losses.

Teams competing for the championship are usually stable and abusing rookies, but the Lakers led by Kobe Bryant no longer have such attributes. They themselves are rookies.

Although the Lakers made rumors before the All-Star break, they did not make any trades.

There is a high probability that this season will not be able to compete for the championship, and the management plans to make do with the end.

Kobe is not popular in Denver, but he is still very popular in Los Angeles. However, as the season progresses, many fans also have questions:
"Why does the team win less and lose more in games where Kobe Bryant plays?"

Some Lakers fans have not yet recognized the reality and firmly believe that the team can still compete for the championship.

As the season progresses, disappointment mounts and they desperately need to win against strong teams to regain their confidence.

After the game started at 17:30, the Staples Arena went berserk. Facing their old enemy, the Lakers fans shouted loudly.

The backcourt of Chucky Atkins and Kobe Bryant played the entire first half without stopping for a minute.

At 52:47, at the end of the half, the Knicks only led by 5 points.

The score difference was automatically ignored by the Lakers fans at the scene. Kobe hit the last shot of the half, excitedly pulled up his jersey and yelled as he walked to the tunnel.

Seeing Kobe's image of a tough guy throwing punches continuously, the cheers in the arena were a little louder for a while. This is the game everyone is looking forward to seeing.

10中5，三分线外1中1，罚球5中4，15分1篮板4助攻2失误，科比半场十分高效。

In the commentary box, Paul Sunderland was not as optimistic as Lakers fans. He commented tactfully:
"The Knicks still seem to be trying different lineups, and I agree with the New York media that their defense was terrible with Prince at power forward."

Stu Lantz's face was dark and he didn't blush when he called the home team. He continued to praise Kobe's performance:
"I never worry about Kobe. He has been training hard. He is in very good condition this year. With a 5-point difference, I believe the boys can take the lead soon."

Glancing at his partner unexpectedly, Paul Sunderland, who has thick brown hair, pushed up his rimless glasses and frowned subconsciously. He felt that the game would not develop as expected.
After the start of the second half, the Lakers took the lead in attacking. Atkins, who received the ball from the baseline, made tactical gestures early.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Kobe slipped across the baseline and came to the right block to gain position in advance.

With Laga Bell defending behind him, Li You noticed that the Lakers were all stretched apart. Odom even stood on the left wing and simply ordered his teammates to shrink.

Chris Mihm stood near the baseline on the left, and Caron Butler stopped in the left corner. As Atkins came to the right wing and sent a lob pass, the Knicks gathered in the paint. Shrink defensively. Kobe jumped up to catch the ball. He didn't turn around after landing. He noticed that Li You suddenly shrank in defense and did not choose to attack reluctantly. Instead, he immediately returned the ball to his teammates on the outside.

Sensing that Kobe's pass was too high, Li You, who was sliding backwards, suddenly accelerated. Atkins, who was 180, wanted to jump to catch the ball, but Li You, who was returning to defense, stretched out his left arm and jumped to poke the ball. Walk.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations of the fans, Li You, who completed the steal, accelerated with the ball in his right hand and rushed away, throwing away Atkins who was chasing behind him, and rushed into the paint area in the blink of an eye.

Taking off and gliding one step away from the free throw line, Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand and easily dunked the ball into the basket!

At 54:47, the Lakers made a mistake in the opening game, which put a smile on Li You's face after completing the dunk.

Atkins was a little annoyed. After receiving the ball from the baseline, he slapped the ball hard twice, quickly dribbled across the half court, and immediately gave the ball to Odom on the left wing.

Kurt Thomas did not stick to the defense. He just raised his right arm and contracted it inside the three-point line to interfere.

Chris Mihm tried to complete a cross screen with Butler under the basket, but Stoudemire completed the pursuit in time.

In the low post on the left, seeing his teammate half a body ahead, Odom passed the ball ahead of time and threw the ball directly to the upper left side of the basket.

Unable to understand his teammates' intentions, Chris Mihm was still arching up the line, and it was too late when he noticed the direction of the basketball.

The basketball passed the baseline, and as the fans sighed, the Knicks kicked the ball from the baseline.

Such a low-level mistake made Kobe very angry on the court. While glaring at Odom, he loudly reminded his teammates to retreat quickly.

In the first half of the game, the Knicks frequently used pick-and-rolls. Atkins returned to the half court and turned his head repeatedly to observe the movements behind him.

Without any interference, Li You quickly crossed the half court, noticed that his opponent did not double-team in advance, and after slowing down, started to approach the three-point line.

When the two men on the wings moved towards the bottom corner, at the top of the arc, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, dribbled the ball under his crotch and leaned forward to accelerate.

Atkins hurriedly moved to the right and rear. Li You squeezed out half of his body and suddenly stopped. He blasted the ball with his left hand and quickly retreated.

Returning to the top position of the arc, ignoring the opponent's jumping defense, Li You leaned back slightly from the three-point line and calmly took a jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

57:47, before Lakers fans could react, the point difference had already reached double digits.
"Shh!"

The Staples Arena was filled with boos. Lakers fans felt that something was wrong. Li You, who was fishing in the half, seemed to be about to explode.

Li You, who was pacing and retreating, once again directed his teammates to shrink their defense. Amid the boos of the fans, Atkins was pressed just after halftime.

Li You led the defense in advance. Kobe saw that something was wrong and took the initiative to come to the left wing to respond.

After receiving the ball away from the three-point line, Kobe called on his teammates to pull away, and at the same time motioned for Chris Mihm to step forward to pick and roll.

Laga Bell did not act recklessly. Faced with a high-quality screen, he decisively chose to go around the line to pursue the defense.

Quickly pushing the ball to change direction, Kobe, who switched to his left hand, used the screen of his teammates to get rid of the defense. He observed that Stoudemire also retreated towards the basket and immediately stopped.

Although Laga Bell sent the ball around to defend him, Kobe still leaned back slightly, raised the arc and shot confidently.

The rebound was easily collected by Stoudemire. After receiving the ball, Li You accelerated along the left sideline.

Head coach Frank Hamblen on the sidelines loudly reminded his players of the tactical foul, but Atkins felt that Li You was not fast and decisively chose to speed up and retreat in advance.

At the three-point line on the left wing, Atkins established a defensive position, lowered his center of gravity, and stared at the basketball in Li You's hands.

At this time, everyone in the Knicks team had just crossed the half court. When they saw Li You casually changing the ball to his right hand, Stoudemire at the top of the arc simply stopped.

Before Atkins could react, Li You swayed to the right and then suddenly changed direction.

The basketball disappeared from his eyes in an instant. Atkins made no defensive moves. After Li You squeezed through from the right side of his body, he turned around to pursue the ball.

After losing his position and seeing no one on the inside, Atkins pulled subconsciously, but he was knocked out of the air. He eventually lost his center of gravity and fell to the floor with a plop.
"Oh!"

Li You, holding the ball in his left hand, used all his strength to fly close to the ground. Amid the exclamations of the fans, he jumped high from the lower left side of the basket, glided to the front, stretched his body, grabbed the ball with his right hand and swung his arm for a dunk!

"OMG!"

"A lightning-like breakthrough, Atkins should have fouled in advance!"

In the commentary box, Paul Sunderland sighed repeatedly after screaming, very disappointed with the start of the second half.

On the Knicks bench, Fisher covered his head with a towel and laughed. When he saw Atkins putting on such a defensive posture, he knew he would be passed by in one step.

After all, he has had too many such experiences
At 59:47, watching the point difference widen again, Kobe suddenly became anxious and immediately asked for the ball before halftime passed.

Coming to the right wing, he dribbled the ball under his crotch and changed direction in front of his body. Kobe, holding the ball in his right hand, increased his stride and leaned on Laga Bell to drive straight to the basket.

On the lower right side of the basket, even though Kobe took the shot early, before the basketball reached its highest point, Stoudemire, who came first and came second, suddenly rose up and sent out a volleyball block.

The basketball was slapped directly out of the sideline, and the Staples Arena suddenly became quiet. Such a block would have appeared on O'Neal in the past.

"Overrated! (overrated)"

Stoudemire, who had completed the block, was talking in front of Kobe Bryant, showing a cheerful look.

Kobe was too lazy to pay attention to the rookie, directed his teammates to serve, and then continued to ask for the ball with his back in the right block.

Butler took a sideline kick. After receiving the ball, Kobe shook his shoulders up the line, then suddenly turned around quickly and released the ball with his right hand to penetrate the basket again.

Noticing Stoudemire's help on defense, Kobe gave the ball to Chris Mihm on the lower left side of the basket.

Because the passing position was too low, the latter adjusted slightly after receiving the ball, paused, and then lifted the ball and put it in the basket.

Before the basketball was released, the fans' screams could be heard in Chris Mihm's ears. Li You in the left corner seemed to be prepared, rushing up and hitting another big block behind him.

The basketball was slapped on the backboard, and Chris Mihm was hit and staggered out of the baseline.

Stoudemire had quick eyes and quick hands to control the ball. When he saw Li You start, he threw the ball forward a certain distance.

After Li You completed the acceleration, he picked up the ball with his right hand and went to the right wing. Odom wanted to pull the ball, but the sudden push changed his direction and passed him by one step.

When the Lakers began to retreat, Li You, who had completed the change of direction, had already rushed to the three-point line.

Completely throwing off the defense, 1-on-0 in the frontcourt, Li You, who rushed faster and faster, took off with both feet in the paint area, turned the ball horizontally in the air, stretched his body, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and dunked with his arms!
"boom!"

The rim rang, the Staples Center became quiet again, and then the boos started again.

In the commentary box, Stu Lanz just felt as if Li You pressed the accelerator button, which was ridiculously fast. He didn't say anything for several consecutive rounds. Then he suddenly said:

"It seems like Lee is going to take over the game, and I hope to see Kobe respond in time!"

Lakers fans began to expect Kobe to take over the game, but in the next few rounds, Kobe chose to pass the ball after being double-teamed.

Odom hit two consecutive irons from outside the three-point line. Watching Li You cut from the middle to find Laja Bell in the right corner in the transition attack and then score another three-pointer, Lakers fans were completely numb.
67:47, half of the game was not over. After Li You made a slight effort, the point difference came to 20 points.

Head coach Frank Hamblen finally requested a timeout. Amid the boos from the fans, several members of the Lakers sat back on the bench dejectedly.

The timeout failed to solve the offensive problem. D'Antoni no longer experimented with the lineup. Facing the Knicks' shrinking defense, Kobe finally broke the scoring panic with free throws.

Kobe, who enjoyed the core treatment, did make the right choice on the offensive end, and Atkins also responded from beyond the three-point line.

It's just that on the defensive end, the little guard couldn't stand it anymore. He turned around and was shot in the face by Li You from outside the three-point line.

As the game time passed, the Lakers fans at the scene were frustrated to find that the point difference showed no sign of narrowing.

At the end of the third quarter, with a big lead, Fisher came on the stage early, and Kobe faced Li You.

A simple double screen on the line, Li You accelerated and crossed to the right wing. Kobe, who was gritting his teeth and pursuing the defense, was aggressive. Seeing Li You feinting with the ball, his center of gravity began to tilt forward involuntarily.

Putting the ball with his right hand, Li You broke through and took half of his body to the right blocking area.

Realizing that Kobe was still sliding, Li You suddenly stepped forward and dribbled the ball behind his back, swinging his body to the left and forward, immediately changing Kobe's defensive focus.

Kobe, who was near the paint area, instinctively wanted to block Li You's breakthrough route, but the basketball disappeared from his eyes again. Li You changed hands behind his back and jumped in the opposite direction.

Li You deceived Kobe and reached the lower right side of the basket. Li You held the ball with his right hand and easily picked the basket!
The fancy moves even made the Staples Arena cheer. Seeing Kobe staring directly at him, Li You immediately joked:

"Maybe it's better to put it out in advance!"

Until Li You retreated from the defense and returned to half court, Kobe, who had been teased, completely came to his senses. Burning with anger, he drove to the basket but was interfered by Stoudemire and missed the layup.

Watching Fisher receive a pass from the left wing and score a three-pointer during the transition attack, head coach Frank Hamblen on the sidelines crossed his arms and stopped asking for a timeout.

The third quarter of the game was coming to an end, and the Lakers made their final attack, and the Staples Arena became quieter and quieter.

Kobe, who controlled the time, did not call a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc, but changed from the front to the back to the middle.

Realizing that Raja Bell was not out of position, Kobe stopped at the free throw line and feinted with the ball.

With his hands raised at his side, Laga Bell had given up on defense. The moment Kobe twisted his body and forced a jump shot, Li You, who came up from the right wing to help defend, hit him with another big block.

The arena suddenly became noisy. Seeing Li You regain control of the ball after blocking the shot, and casually throwing away the logo before halftime, Lakers fans had a bad feeling for a while.
The lights above the basket came on, and the basketball still flew in the air, eventually drawing a huge arc and falling into the net amidst the sighs of the fans.

"Incredible! God is on Lee's side!"

Seeing Li You and the Knicks rushing into the field and bumping their chests to celebrate, Paul Sunderland yelled and then began to sigh.

At 90:65, the game lost its suspense, and some Lakers fans who couldn't bear to watch began to leave.

Kobe was still glaring at the Knicks, and Stoudemire, who was wearing a towel, was already smiling.

Approaching Kobe again, Stoudemire laughed loudly:

"Winning earns respect! We didn't even watch the video. We have been playing Texas Hold'em since we came to Los Angeles."

"."

Kobe didn't hold back this time, and immediately rushed to Stoudemire and punched him. Seeing the two sides twisting into a ball, Staples Arena boiled again.

Basketball games are ugly, but tickets to a boxing match are worth it!
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(End of this chapter)