NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 405 The power of role models (daily chapter )
On July 2005, 7, as the summer league is about to start, fans who like to watch football can go to Minneapolis to see DPOY!

The Knicks opened training camp last Wednesday, and the New York media has already praised Artest.

Although real basketball fans know that missing high-quality games for a season will lead to a decline in players' competitive status, most people who eat melon have given up rational thinking and simply go to watch the fun if they have time.

Maybe the psychiatrist really played a role, as Artest looked very kind at the Tarrytown Training Center.

Not only is the inflated emotion gone before, but he also has a leadership temperament.

This is the first-hand news recently reported by the New York Times. Perhaps fans of other teams will still question that die-hard Knicks fans have begun loaning out the championship:

"DPOY helps New York complete its fourth consecutive championship!"

"."

The teams began to fly to their destinations, but Li You flew to Los Angeles at this time.

Over the weekend, he had to attend the ESPY Awards and take Scarlett back to Manhattan.

Li You has participated in many award ceremonies and has long lost the novelty. He tried hard to observe everyone's expressions and answered casually:

"My 96-page "Tribute to Clay-Lee" book is about to be released and will be available in major bookstores in the future."

This interview, written by the sports collection publisher Beckett Basketball Editor, is the envy of many players.

On Friday the 17th, just before the ESPY Awards ceremony, Upper deck announced that it had completed its contract extension with Li You.

For the next five years, they will still be given the exclusive right to produce commemorative cards signed by Li You, and will also be the retailers of all souvenirs bearing Li You's name and image.

5 million US dollars in 2500 years. At the same time, Li You also received a signing bonus of 150 million US dollars, which has been received.

Li You confirmed his trump card again. His luck was as good as ever. Seeing that the potential rookie remained silent, he comforted him:
"Respect is earned through performance on the court. If you are better than Kobe, the coach will also improve your tactical status."

Kwame Brown felt excited when he heard this, and his black face showed an excited expression. He followed Li You's words and said excitedly:
"You are right, I need to let basketball speak. The Lakers may soon become my team!"

Mark Bartelstein followed Li You for a ride. In addition to accompanying him to the event, he also had to give Kwame Brown to the Lakers.

There are many people reselling on eBay. Li You gave away many autographs during his rookie season. Some sneakers and basketballs are more expensive, and even have high prices but no market.
The price of the product is actually related to the player's performance on the field. Contrary to Li You, Kobe's cards have been decreasing in price.

Kwame Brown, who has dreadlocks, felt sad after hearing this. He also wanted to go to the ESPY Awards ceremony. This year it will be televised and there will be a performance by Mr. Right.

"There's no need to please others all the time. You know, most players in the league don't like softies."

Mark Bartelstein spoke easily and showed a confident expression on his face, but Kwame Brown was still a little uneasy. He was worried that he would be bullied by the "old guys".

"As long as it is an item related to Lee, collectors will not miss it. Some limited edition products usually cause rush buying."

In the summer league, the rookies of the Cavaliers are led by workaholic Thibodeau, and Howard will also play. This big man with high hopes is polishing his skills and applying technology to make his body stronger!

Looking at the magnificent scenery outside the window, Kwame Brown feels even more comfortable:

"Don't worry about the Lakers' team environment. Don't forget that you are also the first overall pick. It is a rebuilding team and you are fully capable of becoming a starter."

LeBron James, who followed the team to Minneapolis, was in a good mood.

Some signed copies of special materials sell for 150 to 300 US dollars, and the price of signed basketballs ranges from 200 to 400 US dollars.

Upper deck is a winner. Li You's rookie cards are getting more and more expensive. With the support of the champion, they can cut leeks in a fancy way.

Old Mike didn't care about this at all, and he and the staff who got on the plane were also engaged in playing cards.

"This is a win-win deal. You can play with peace of mind in Los Angeles!"

"Dwyane Wade seems to have been nominated as well. Lee, can he win?"

He gathered his entourage and played Texas Hold'em poker together. Kwame Brown, who was dressed in hip-hop, took off the thick chain around his neck and pretended to be a "fanboy" and gossiped:

Among the rookie players, the price of $150 million per year is definitely far ahead, but James desires more.

Failure to enter the playoffs in his rookie season affected the contract amount. For James, the playoffs are not the end, he needs a bigger stage.

"Nominations are made at the end of June. Fans vote during this period. Just watch ESPN's selection and enjoy it. Wade should win the award. He is very popular with fans."

"Although Kobe has a bad reputation, he is extremely devoted to basketball. You should get along well."

After greeting the coaching team, James, who was sitting in the front row, began to enjoy this rookie pecking game.

LeBron James also recently signed a five-year contract with Upper deck.

“Los Angeles must be better than Washington!”

In this year's draft, the Cavaliers selected Jarrett Jack with the 21st overall pick. This was a targeted draft as the management tried to strengthen the backcourt.

Beyoncé is the goddess in his heart, but unfortunately her performance this season has been really poor. Thinking of his poor data, Kwame Brown is worried about the upcoming trade.

"The new souvenirs will be very popular. We all know that in basketball, Lee has surpassed Michael Jordan. He is the greatest basketball player in the new century!"

"Although the Lakers have no hope of reaching the Finals in the next few years, playing in Los Angeles will receive extra attention."

In the end, it was Mark Bartelstein who saw the uneasiness of his players and said good things about the Lakers:

It was a long journey. After boarding the plane, Kwame Brown, who was accompanying him, was a little cautious. While looking at the interior decoration of the plane, he also wanted to work hard to get closer to Li You.

In the afternoon game, the Cavaliers' opponent was the Trail Blazers. When James appeared in the arena, many fans cheered.

If they were not worried about the devaluation of signatures, as card dealers, they would be willing to let go and go all out to produce signature cards.
As soon as this news was announced, ESPN reported it as soon as possible, and even found a "trustee" to continue to brag about Li You:

"If you can beat Kobe in training camp, the Lakers will be your team in the future!"

Although the Knicks were swept by the Knicks in this year's playoffs, James' statistics were pretty good, and serving as a background board can also increase his popularity.

Howard didn't play for long. When he returned to the bench, he immediately made a set of fancy gestures with James, sat down in his seat and happily shared his findings in the summer league:
"Chris Paul of the Hornets is so good. He doesn't look like a rookie. When we play against him, he always makes great passes."

"Jake is not a bad guy either. He is much better than I thought. He rarely makes mistakes in the game. It seems that we can enter the playoffs again in the new season."

Howard grinned and chatted fiercely. He was very satisfied with his performance this year.

In his rookie season, he reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, which is already ahead of most players.

Listening to the news shared by his teammates, James also smiled. Thinking of the news he saw in the morning, he whispered:

"We should at least reach the conference finals in the new season!"

"?"

Howard was a little surprised, and the expression on his face seemed to say, "You're kidding."

The Heat have O'Neal, and Wade was recently nominated for the ESPYs. In Howard's view, the other side is stronger:
"Entering the playoffs every year is enough. When Lee's players get older, we can win the championship."

"You also want to start training at 4 a.m.? We have made so much money, and we should enjoy life more."

After Howard said this, he blew a kiss to the young girls on the sidelines. After receiving feedback, he started screaming again.
LeBron James was a little helpless, but also a little lucky in his heart. At least the guy around him would definitely not be able to compete with him:

"Maybe the team needs to accumulate more talent."

On Sunday, July 7, the ESPY Awards Ceremony will be held at 17:21.

Before 19: in the evening, a large number of media reporters gathered at the Kodak Theater.

Since the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony was held here, the Kodak Theater has become the first choice for many TV drama performances.

Not long ago, the finals of "American Idol" were held here. Perhaps for the broadcasting effect, the theater dressed up before the awards ceremony.

Different signs were hung on the walls, and the stairs leading up from the entrance to the theater were also covered with red carpet.

The awards in the American sports world are naturally still in the field. Reggie Miller has confirmed his retirement and was nominated for the best moment this time.

The "Killing Jordan Award", "Ending Li You's Winning Streak Award", and "8.9 Seconds and 8 Points Award" are all important honors in Reggie Miller's career. However, the main reason why I was nominated this time was because of the "One Person, One City Award"!
As the owner of the NBA's highest honor, fans will not let down the old Miller's dedication, and the award tonight has been determined.

ESPN reporters saw Reggie Miller and rushed forward to surround the respectable veteran.

The old Miller, dressed in a dark blue formal suit, faced reporters with a smile on his face and actively joked:
"I thought you were all waiting to interview Lee, the best in history, seven championships."

"I'm a loser by comparison, and the conference finals is where I end up."

Most sports reporters were very generous and stopped mentioning old Miller's sad story, and asked to change the subject:

"Reggie, do you think Lee has surpassed Michael Jordan? You've played against both of them, who do you think is the most dominant player?"

The offseason was almost over, and football commentators brought up the annual fixed topic. Reggie Miller didn't want to answer the question, and asked immediately:
"Why not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has six championships and is the all-time scoring leader, maybe you should change the question."

The Associated Press reporter on the side obviously does not often interview sports stars, so he immediately followed up with the argument:

"Lee seems to have a chance to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record. Who do you think is better?"

Almost laughing out of anger, Reggie Miller restrained his emotions and simply responded:

"Champions and statistics cannot represent the NBA. This has never been the criterion for judging a player's success."

"As the world's most outstanding basketball event, we should show sportsmanship to fans around the world."

"The championship doesn't mean everything. For many fans, what they want to see more is the process of chasing the championship."

After saying this, Reggie Miller turned around and left. He didn't like these reporters who talked about being champions.

"Damn it, did they agree to it? They always say these boring things!"

An ESPN reporter complained in a low voice that not long ago Kobe also "believed in the process."
The reporter from Yahoo Sports wanted to make some sarcastic remarks, but when he saw Wade wearing a red formal suit, he hurriedly followed the crowd to greet him.

With his wife Theo Vaughan in tow, Wade smiled brightly. This was the first time in his career that he attended such an award ceremony.

He chose a red formal suit because of the title of Flash. After joking with reporters about his outfit, Wade was soon asked the same question.

Wade, who was hugging his wife, did not make peace like Reggie Miller, but simply replied:

"Without a doubt, Lee is the most dominant player in the league since Michael Jordan."

"From a basketball perspective, seven championships, no one is more successful than Lee."

"But growing up in Chicago, Michael Jordan meant so much more to kids like us, he was our anchor, and that went way beyond basketball."

After getting a relatively definite answer, the ESPN reporter was in a good mood, and the people around him stopped making things difficult for Wade and started flattering him:

"Wade, next season will be your second year partnering with Shaq. Can you replicate Kobe's experience and finally win the championship?"

Wade doesn't like that commentators always compare him with Kobe. In the second year of his career, he reached the conference finals. This result is far better than Kobe:

"Of course we will win the championship, but the difference is that I will win it as the leader of the team."

"Like Shaq said, the Heat are my team, he taught me championship experience, and all I have to do is fulfill my talent."

"When I was a kid, I longed to be the next Michael Jordan, but Lee's experience tells me that I will be more successful if I am myself. Maybe I will win eight championships in the future."

Seeing Wade laughing and boasting, all the sports media were delighted. They like such confident rookies!

Federer and Sharapova are also the subjects of sports media attention, and they have a high probability of winning the best tennis player.

Armstrong and Phelps will also receive awards. Sports reporters immediately gathered around the two American heroes after they appeared.

Li You arrived late. After getting off the car, Scarlett, who was wearing a black dress, appeared in front of the theater. Tiger Woods and his wife Nordegren had also just arrived.

Scarlett, who tied up her blond hair, had a slightly red face. Before going out, she insisted on pulling Li You to show off her affection, and kissed her happily in public.
Noticing the two people in front, Scarlett, who was holding Li You's arm, hugged her and whispered:

"There must be something wrong with the eyes of those sports media!"

Scarlett, who is about to turn 21, sometimes still has the same personality as a little girl. Some sports media reported that Nordegren looks similar to her. The chick who read the newspaper was naturally unhappy because the other person was much uglier than her.

Li You wore a decent black formal suit and greeted Woods with a smile:
"Congratulations on taking back the first place!"

After falling into a career low in the past two years, he was surpassed by Vijay Singh in the world golf rankings in September last year. It was not until this month that Woods rebounded strongly to regain the number one position.

Woods smiled happily and said it was a lie if he said he didn't care about rankings. No one likes to hear slander:
"Congratulations on winning your seventh championship. Sometimes we invite Mike to play a few rounds of golf. He definitely wants to have an in-depth communication with you."

Li You hugged Scarlett next to him and laughed softly as he walked towards the theater. Ever since he won 6 championships, the petty Maidan stopped playing with him:

"Maybe he can only beat me at golf. On the way here, I was also invincible at the card table. I haven't played cards with him for a long time."

Woods also laughed. Both of them endorse General Motors. The difference is that the Buick SUV is a big seller;

Li You's Cadillac has made a big splash in China, but its sales have been a bit low, all thanks to the North American market.

Before the media reporters came over, Woods blessed again:
"Hook's lifetime contract, congratulations in advance!"

Also under the Gogo brand, Woods has also made a lot of money here. His contract expires this year and he will soon become the "ultimate spokesperson" of Gogo Golf.

When the two were halfway through their greetings, sports reporters gathered around them.

Ever since a magazine predicted that Woods' income would exceed US$2010 billion by 10, the golf master has become the focus of the public.

ESPN reporters are obviously more concerned about the lifetime contract that Li You is about to sign:
"Lee, can you reveal the details of your next contract? There are reports that you will receive the same treatment as Michael Jordan."

5% of the sub-brand's profits, this is Michael Jordan's stable source of cash flow after selling his shares.

Of course, Li You would not disclose the detailed terms to the media, but just responded with a smile:

"You can go interview my agent. He also deserves some credit for signing this contract."

"Perhaps he is willing to explain the detailed process to you. In short, this contract renewal is a win-win situation!"

Dazzled by money, many sports reporters felt that their eyes were green. Looking at Li You was like seeing a bundle of walking knives.
For a moment, the championship and data were forgotten. Everyone just wanted to know exactly how much money Li You would get from Hook in the future!

He asked questions, but was finally blocked by Li You. When walking into the theater, Scarlett raised her head and whispered:
“Does a contract like this result in a large sum of money being distributed every year?”

Li You, who was looking for a seat with Scarlett in his arms, nodded slightly and kissed the girl who looked excited:

"In short, this contract can solve the children's milk powder expenses!"

"."

At 21 o'clock, Matthew Perry takes the stage. The actor who became famous in Friends will host the 13th ESPY.

The biggest difference from previous years' award ceremonies is that Beyoncé was invited and Olympic awards were also added.

The best moment belongs to Reggie Miller in the last game of the playoffs;
Best championship performance, Li You won 50+ in the finals;

Dwyane Wade got the best breakthrough;
Best NBA Player, Li You won again;
Lauren Jackson, who won the Best WNBA Player Award, hugged Li You excitedly when receiving the award, causing everyone in the audience to boo.

Wade and Reggie Miller, who are sitting below, are both a little sad. They are both NBA players, and their attention is much less than that of Li You.

This year's best male athlete belongs to Lance Armstrong. He has won the Tour de France seven times in a row and is well-deserved the GOAT for doping!

At the end of the award ceremony, Wade looked at Li You and Li You who were surrounded by media reporters, and suddenly felt that his childhood sweetheart seemed not worthy of him.
Siobhan didn't notice the change in Wade's mentality. This was the first time she attended such a grand award ceremony. She hugged her lover beside her and said happily:

"Maybe next year when we come here again, you'll win the best male athlete award!"

"Honey, I'm so proud of you!"

Looking at his childhood sweetheart who had already given birth to two children for him, Wade said nothing, just nodded, and secretly made up his mind:

"I should have stood there!"

(End of this chapter)