NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 484: The Star Players’ Style (Daily Chapter)
On Thursday, January 2007, 1, TNT announced the results of the Las Vegas All-Star Game voting:
Li You finally received 3166188 votes and was once again elected as the top vote-getter in this All-Star Game.

At the same time, Li You also became the first player in the league's history to receive more than 300 million All-Star votes, and 317 million votes also became the highest vote record in All-Star Game history!
Reddit and Facebook helped a lot in the voting. While many stars were still maintaining their status, Li You had already started "bombing" the social media.

The starting five for the Eastern Conference All-Stars are:

You Li with 316 million votes, Grant Hill with 202 million votes;

LeBron James received 239 million votes, Pau Gasol received 178 million votes, and Dwight Howard received 163 million votes.

The five starting Western Conference All-Stars are:

Kobe Bryant with 201 million votes, Tracy McGrady with 182 million votes;
Kevin Garnett received 162 million votes, Tim Duncan received 144 million votes, and Yao Ming received 245 million votes.

Allen Iverson only received 136 million votes. His popularity dropped sharply after the suspension. Wade was overtaken in the final stage. 198 million votes are enough to illustrate the popularity of this newcomer.

After the voting results were announced, the trio on the show joked about this year's voting results, with the out-of-date Iverson becoming the focus of attention.

"Do you think Iverson can be selected as a reserve in this year's All-Star Game?"

"Just looking at the voting results, fans' love for him is declining year by year. No matter what you say, it's Lee who caused this result!"

"Let's not talk about the playoffs. The 0-42 record has made Iverson lose the temperament of a star player. If I were him, I would lead the team to the finals to wash away this shame."

Charles Barkley, who loves to watch the fun, added fuel to the fire with a smile. He was indeed right. 0-42 has become the most famous label of Iverson.

The rebellious young man who once dazzled Michael Jordan has long since lost the aura of a star player. Now he is just an inefficient brush and an overrated cancer.
In the studio, Kenny Smith really didn't want to add insult to injury. In his opinion, Iverson was too miserable. At this time, he just said euphemistically:
"Defeating your opponent is indeed the best way to prove yourself!"

"But the Nuggets have no chance in the regular season. The compatibility issue between Iverson and Anthony has not been resolved. But I will vote for him as a substitute."

"I love seeing Allen Iverson's individual performance in the All-Star Game."

Ernie Johnson didn't like talking about outdated stars, so he took the initiative to change the subject and talked about the news he just got from the Houston Chronicle yesterday:

"Due to injury, Yao Ming has confirmed that he will miss this year's All-Star Game."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Dirk Nowitzki will start off the bench, which he deserves, and the Mavericks are still leading the Western Conference."

Yao Ming's injury will most likely last until the end of February. McGrady has scored 2+ in several consecutive games recently, once again gaining recognition from the fans and overtaking in the final stage.

There is nothing much to talk about the Western Conference All-Star starters. Even if the Timberwolves have a poor record, Garnett always appears in the fans' field of vision.

"I'm thinking about the trade that didn't happen in the offseason. If Ray Allen had really joined the Knicks, maybe he would be an All-Star starter now."

"O'Neal should be upset. He received 160 million votes but still lost to Howard. Times have really changed. Young people prefer the older boy."

When talking about Howard, Charles Barkley inadvertently revealed a trace of contempt. He looked down on Howard from the bottom of his heart because he thought the jumping man was selected as an All-Star.

The three people who knew O'Neal's character knew that this matter was not over yet, and the petty guys would definitely ridicule him publicly. Kenny Smith was looking forward to tomorrow's news, and laughed and joked:
"No matter what the players think, this is the choice made by the fans. The league has begun to change, and O'Neal is no longer the best big man in the league."

"."

The unexpected voting results caused Reddit to explode that night. As the largest online fan gathering place, Cavaliers fans and O'Neal fans directly formed a group.

At the same time, Wade's fans were also dissatisfied, believing that Grant Hill cheated and that the voting results were inflated!

In fact, in the past month or so, in addition to hanging the voting channel for New York players, "memories" posts have continued to appear on the forum.

Hill always manages to arouse the "IF" of fans, and through this means, he surpassed his opponent before the voting deadline on Line 21.

Votes cannot be recounted, and even if fans are unhappy, the starting lineup will not change as long as the players remain healthy.

At home on 82nd Street in Manhattan, Li You looked at the voting results and then started tonight's extra training. It was not until after midnight that the room became quiet, with only some panting sounds left.

This election was actually an experiment. Online advertising was effective, and the American people were still very "simple" at that time. The final result was even better than expected.

Naked Jin hid himself in the quilt, his face flushed, and he adjusted himself to a comfortable position, nestling in Li You's arms, whispering his concerns:
“Maybe someone will target Reddit. Although it hasn’t opened up to political news, everyone has seen its potential after this.”

Melinda on the other side blushed even more, and her distorted whiteness made her voice sound a little coquettish. She also nestled in Li You's arms, but gave a different answer:
"There's no need to worry about this. The United States is huge, and people in some areas don't care about these new things at all. Church gatherings are more effective than online advertising."

"This is just a pastime for young people. In New York, paper voting accounts for the majority of All-Star voting, and it's the same in other regions."

Li You ended the in-depth communication with Scarlett who had a dazed look in her eyes. The succubus raised her body and tried to start overtime again, which made Jin's face redder.

When the huge softness rose and fell again, Li You took a breath, then kissed Jin who was a little worried beside him, and said in a deep voice:
"Big people don't care about these little things, just like Bloomberg's mailing ads. They have to take care of their own face and won't pursue exposure like celebrities without scruples."

Melinda chuckled, looking at the little succubus whose breathing was becoming more and more rapid. She also pressed her soft body against Li You's chest and whispered in his ear:
"I remember you came back very late when the Christmas tree was lit. What's the difference between a girl who practices horse riding and a girl who practices horse riding?"

Li You did not answer, but threw himself into the fierce confrontation again. The succubus who let herself go soon screamed after being attacked multiple times.

A new round of overtime officially began, and Li You, who was full of energy, was destined to win the game.

The Heat have been unlucky recently. Not only did their core players suffer injuries, but Pat Riley also had surgery.

Fortunately, the team finally got through the difficult period. After flying to Manhattan yesterday, the coaching staff confirmed that Wade and O'Neal will play together.

O'Neal, who watched the TNT live broadcast last night, was furious about the voting results. When he came to Madison Square Garden to warm up in the afternoon, his face was dark, and he immediately found a reporter to scold his opponent:

"I don't know why the fans would choose that big guy who only knows how to smile!"

"Looking at his crappy low-post offense, I don't know why so many people voted for him."

"I respect Coach Van Gundy, but he shouldn't call Howard the 'No. 1 center.'"

O'Neal, who suffered a knee injury, does not think he is out of date. Even though he had difficulty scoring 20 points in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, he still firmly believes that he is the best big man in the league.

In order to maintain his status as a star player, O'Neal did not even actively canvass for votes, but Howard stole the ball and broke his defense.
The ESPN reporter waited until O'Neal finished his output, then asked another question with a smile:
"Shaq, are you going to miss the All-Star Game this year? You'll have a chance to make the bench."

O'Neal angrily interrupted the question halfway through. Thinking that he would be a substitute for a rookie, the fat man said loudly in a bad mood: "I don't get the respect I deserve! Now I just want to focus on my physical recovery."

"As for the All-Star Game, I can only express my regret."

Taking this opportunity, O'Neal directly announced that he would not play in this year's All-Star Game. Some sports reporters were laughing as they watched the fat man turn around and leave.

Wade also had a grim expression on his face, but he didn't act like a big shot, and he didn't dare to directly announce that he would not play the game.

At the league's call, Wade has agreed to participate in the All-Star Skills Challenge. As for the main competition, he had no choice but to compromise. When talking about voting, he couldn't help but make a few sarcastic remarks:

“Maybe the league should put in place some rules to ensure the authenticity of the vote.”

"My shoulder is recovering well and I don't want to disappoint the fans who voted for me. I am looking forward to the game in Las Vegas."

Gary Payton is possessed by a jealous ego. After seeing the voting results last night, the veteran has been feeling extremely sour.

This season may be the last year of his career. Gary Payton certainly wants to leave in glory, but the fans have long forgotten him.

It has been a long time since we entered the finals. The impression that Payton left on young fans was that of an old man who was beaten up by Li You.
Antoine Walker was naturally aware of his teammates' dissatisfaction. Looking at Payton's sullen face, he took the ball and went to his side, whispering to comfort him:
"Never mind all this crap, maybe this will be the year we succeed."

Looking at the listless Antoine Walker, Payton showed a "don't lie to me" expression on his face, and said in a sarcastic and self-deprecating voice:

"Success? Hey, Bro! I'm just old, not stupid enough. We all know what Shaq is like."

"The coach doesn't even talk about a championship anymore, you think we're going to succeed?"

"Shit! I just want to see those bastards lose. They've made the league a mess. Look at the young guys nowadays. No one respects the veterans at all."

Jason Williams and Haslem looked indifferent and neither of them interrupted. They had the same idea. As long as they saw the Knicks lose, they would feel comfortable.

On Monday, January 1, after the Lakers finished their morning training session, Kobe read the newspaper and fell silent early.

The New York Times can't stop praising it, and the eye-catching headlines in the sports section remind Kobe of the state of his opponent tomorrow night.

"Tyson Chandler - New York's second DPOY!"

在和热火队的比赛中，钱德勒砍下12分12篮板1助攻5盖帽2失误的两双数据，帮助球队81:116大胜热火队。

Wade only played for 23 minutes and left the game due to shoulder discomfort. O'Neal also only played for 15 minutes and sat on the bench early.

On Sunday, the Knicks challenged the Bucks away. Facing the backcourt combination of Earl Boykins and Maurice Williams, Li You broke out again.

出场33分钟，21中16，三分线外11中7，罚球8中8，李佑三节爆砍48分3篮板6助攻4抢断3盖帽。

126:78, the Knicks defeated the Bucks, and the inside combination of Chandler and Gasol also crushed Andrew Bogut and Brian Skinner.

This is not the first time the two sides have met, but Li You's recent scoring spree is completely different from before, as if November was just a warm-up.
Kobe didn't believe that Li You was using competition as training at the beginning of the season. As his "old enemy", he had been paying attention to his old rival's physical condition.

Every year Li You can see obvious muscle lines, which are completely different from those lazy guys who are just wrapped in fat. Kobe believes in his eyes and firmly believes that his opponents must be training frantically.

The atmosphere in the training ground was not very good. During lunch time, the atmosphere group gathered in their own small circle, and only Fisher would chat with Kobe.

Li You's good form did not stimulate those opponents in the Eastern Conference who had already laid flat, but it stimulated Kobe Bryant enough. After all, he is now labeled as the "league's top scorer"
Fisher also read the newspaper, but he had been in New York for two years and was already accustomed to the media's hype. Looking at Kobe sitting on the sidelines, he whispered to comfort him:
"We just need to keep our own rhythm. You need to communicate with everyone. If the trade doesn't happen, this lineup will most likely last until the playoffs."

Kobe glanced at his old teammates, expressionless, staring at the traitors, and said harshly:

"Communication? I told them how to play a long time ago."

"They can't be championship pieces, Derek, you know that, and I don't want to do anything that doesn't make sense."

After saying this, Kobe continued to look at the basket expressionlessly. Li You's score increased, and he was so angry that he almost lost sleep. The fact that the commentators abandoned him and praised Nowitzki made him even more angry.

Even the Germans are better than him!
Old Fish remained silent. In the game between the Lakers and the Spurs on Sunday, the Lakers fought hard for an overtime and finally lost to their opponents 96:94.

Kobe, who has been out of defense recently, couldn't even control his emotions and gave Ginobili an elbow during the game. The fierce elbow was eventually punished by the league and he was suspended for one game. Kobe will not be able to play in tomorrow's game.

After returning to the Lakers, Fisher discovered the differences between the same championship teams.

As the team leader, Li You only made demands on the training ground, never added extra practice, and never spoke badly to others.

The Knicks are in an atmosphere of "if you don't do it, there are plenty of people who can do it", and excellent lineup depth is the guarantee. The coaching staff sometimes even worries about the playing time of the rotation lineup.

The Lakers are completely different. Kobe seems to be possessed by Michael Jordan. He always strictly demands of his teammates, and trash talk is the norm, constantly challenging everyone's limits.

In addition, Phil Jackson also likes to motivate his players. Under the high-pressure environment, Kwame Brown and others couldn't hold on, and sometimes their performance got worse and worse.

The two teams were completely different in terms of tactics and locker room atmosphere. Fisher thought about this and continued to read the newspaper. His championship experience was useless here.
"44 wins and 2 losses, how did the Knicks lose to the Nets before?"

"Didn't you watch Sports Center? The Black Mamba exploded! Carter took 34 shots, and Kidd was also in good shape after getting rid of the shadow of domestic violence."

"Oh! So he was forced to blow a kiss before every free throw. He was actually controlled by a woman! The Black Mamba does sound cooler than the Flying Man!"

The laughing discussions of Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar in front of him made Kobe's face even darker. He had an illusion that the title of Black Mamba should not belong to Carter.

On January 1th, the Staples Center had a good attendance that night. Although Kobe was unable to play, Lee Woo-jae's scoring spree was worth the price of admission.

Fans who wanted to see a scoring show were not disappointed. Facing the starting backcourt combination of Fisher and Sasha Vujacic, Li You exploded again.

During the half-time break, cheers and boos were heard simultaneously in the stadium. Li You was in a good mood as he walked towards the player tunnel. He smiled and waved to the fans on both sides.

62:39, the game has lost its suspense.

Kobe Bryant watched the half-time game at home and broke down again. He ignored the surprised looks from his wife and daughter and angrily smashed the remote control to pieces:
"Damn New York!"

(End of this chapter)