NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 517: Group × Chasing Dreams√ (Daily Chapter)
After the 78th All-Star Baseball Game, the annual ESPY was held as scheduled the next day.

On the evening of July 2007, 7, sports stars gathered in Los Angeles and media reporters also flocked to the Microsoft Theater. All major sporting events were over and this was the last chance to watch the action.

Jimmy Kimmel Live has been a huge hit in recent years. Jimmy Kimmel will be the host of this year's awards ceremony, and his partner will be LeBron James.

Although The Chosen One lost decisively in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, their reputation has improved after watching the finals!
Tim Duncan, who was at his peak, set the record for the largest net score in the history of the Finals. It was understandable that James, who was less than 23 years old, lost so much, after all, he was still "young James."

It is well known that Jimmy Kimmel, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, is a supporter of the Knicks.

During the 03-04 season finale, Kimmel's late-night talk show had just exploded in popularity;

He originally recorded a program during the finals, but it was eventually removed by ABC because of "too sharp words". Afterwards, Kimmel also apologized to the fans in Los Angeles.

As for what he actually said, New York reporters had already revealed that "the Lakers can't win the game, they always play the role of the clown."

This was a favorite joke among New York fans at the time, but it caused great harm to the Lakers. Even if it was not broadcast, the New York media would brag about it from time to time afterwards.
It’s no wonder that Lakers fans hate the Knicks. No one can stand being ridiculed after making it to the finals.

San Antonio broke through the defense this year, and after the finals, all news about the Spurs disappeared from the newspapers.

Even the grand wedding of Parker and Eva Parker in France a few days ago was not reported by anyone. Angry fans would call when they saw news about the Spurs. No one wanted to be embarrassed.

Compared to the old guys who lost in the finals, LeBron James was treated much better and the New York media rarely ridiculed him.

As long as they don't appear on the stage of the finals and as long as they don't put up exaggerated statistics in Madison Square Garden, most columnists are very friendly.

LeBron James appeared on the red carpet that afternoon in a black suit with a bright smile. His influence is gradually increasing, and he is very proud of the birth of his second son.

This year's Best Upset Award will undoubtedly go to the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated the 68-win MVP team, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

After a simple red carpet ceremony, James noticed the Warriors players, most notably Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

With their beautiful girls, Jackson and Barnes received many blessings from reporters. When the former talked about the awards tonight, he laughed and said loudly:

"Matt and I both have championships! Don't compare me to those wimps."

Jackson held his head high and spoke rudely, fearing that others could not hear him. It turned out that as long as he played well, fans would forgive his off-court bad deeds.

In mid-June, Jackson was prosecuted for shooting in a strip club. Although a settlement was reached with the efforts of his lawyer, he was still sentenced to one year of community service after paying the money.

However, Warriors fans don't care about these, and head coach Nelson and the team didn't say much. Everyone is still immersed in the joy of eliminating MVP.
Gloria, with her nice figure and exposed breasts, snuggled in her boyfriend's arms. She couldn't enjoy such attention in New York.

Feeling his girlfriend's good mood, Matt Barnes did not object to his teammates' words. Facing the reporter, he shrugged his shoulders and joked with a smile:
"Stephen is right, we know how to win and how to build a true winning culture!"

"Don't underestimate the championship experience. In crucial games, we are better than most players in the league."

The sports reporter obviously also likes to watch the fun. When he heard the two people bragging, he did not refute them. Instead, he took advantage of this topic to join in the fun:

"Matt, have you contacted Nowitzki?"

"How does it feel to help Coach Nelson get revenge? Let's talk a little more."

Stephen Jackson likes the feeling of being noticed. He was more and more proud of hugging the girl, and continued to tease amid the booing:
"I don't like Nowitzki. He shouldn't have stolen Lee's trophy. Now I just hope that the trophy can be returned to Lee next season. As for the league's plan, which player would care about that!"

"."

When Jackson and his companions left, many sports reporters were delighted and took the opportunity to criticize David Stern's "star-making movement."

The Knicks ticket prices have risen in recent years, and MSG has been winning more and more, but one team cannot stop the decline of the league.

Every time the ratings of the finals drop, there will be basketball analysts who stand up and criticize David Stern.

The gap between big and small markets is too big, the referees' star calls are too obvious, the award selection is unfair, the league lacks fresh blood, etc. are all reasons given by cloud critics.

This year's MVP was eliminated in the first round. No one complained about the Knicks' dominance, and no one complained about Li You winning too much.

Relevant practitioners have reached a consensus that Li You is very strong, but the quality of the stars in recent years is indeed too poor, and the ratings have dropped. Those "fake stars" should reflect on themselves.
James, who was planning to wait out the old age, suddenly thought of the recent hot news in the NBA circle after seeing the high-spirited Warriors players leave.

He was surprised that an All-Star in his 30s could still play on the same team, and the changes in the league surprised him.

Jimmy Kimmel, wearing a black suit, a red striped tie and a slicked-back hair, stepped forward to pat his partner for the night and comforted him again:
"Hey! LeBron, don't be nervous, leave everything to me. This is not a live broadcast, it doesn't matter if you say something wrong!"

James came back to his senses and forced a smile. The decline in the reputation of Nowitzki and Tim Duncan was a good thing for him. When the old man became out of fashion, more people would pay attention to him.

"Yee! I've been preparing for a long time. Actually, I want to go to your show more."

The two of them briefly praised each other in front of the media and took photos together. Then James focused all his attention on the show as he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

On the other side, Kevin Durant, wearing a light blue suit, walked across the red carpet stiffly. He looked around from time to time, but did not see Li Youhe and the goddess, feeling a little regretful.

Mother Wanda dressed up today. Her son signed a big contract with Hook and was selected with the second pick. They have survived the hard times and can enjoy life to the fullest in the future.

Wanda, who has short black hair, noticed that her son was distracted. A serious look immediately appeared on her fat face, and she whispered:

"You're going to receive your award, so think about what you're going to say on stage! I don't want to see you make a fool of yourself!"

"I know, I know, Mom."

Durant responded casually, "Best Male College Athlete Award," and he didn't have much feeling about the award.

In addition to the athletes, there were also many big stars and beautiful models present. More and more reporters gathered around the red carpet in front of the Microsoft Theater, and the appearance of Tiger Woods triggered even louder cheers.

At 21: p.m., ESPY officially begins. As usual, the host will talk about the major sports events of the year, tell jokes, and tease some athletes.

Although LeBron James prepared for a long time, Jimmy Kimmel did not follow the routine after he got excited. Instead, he suddenly talked about the recent news:

"As a New York sports fan, I have never concealed my love for the Knicks. I am a supporter of Lee. There is no doubt that he is the greatest star in NBA history!"

"I was just watching ESPN last night and look at Bill Simmons, this guy is yelling for Boston again."

There was also laughter at the scene. This sports expert has always been a die-hard fan of Boston, but in recent years he could only praise Li You and became a "two-faced person" for the sake of traffic and popularity.

Jimmy Kimmel spoke very quickly, and after the laughter stopped, he joked about his past:
"I would like to kindly remind Simmons that the last Lakers team that assembled a luxurious lineup has become the biggest joke, and he opened the champagne too early."

"Most importantly, I don't like his article. Don't call weakness chasing dreams!"

Durant, who was sitting in the audience, was also smiling happily. Although he was the one who sent Ray Allen away, he did not have much respect for the veteran's choice. The newbie simply looked down upon this kind of group behavior!
There were not many highlights in the award ceremony afterwards. Li You won the Best NBA Player Award again, but the person who received the award was his agent Mark Bartelstein.

The Golden State Warriors won the Best Upset Award as they wished, and Durant also successfully won the Best Male College Athlete Award.
As the award ceremony ended, the subsequent athlete party continued. Due to Kimmel's "rude remarks", James also encountered an embarrassing problem at this time:
"LeBron, what would you say about your partner's comments tonight? Will ESPN broadcast this?"

After asking the question, the Yahoo Sports reporter also deliberately reminded the ages of the "Big Four", fearing that James would forget it.

Kevin Garnett is currently 31 years old, Ray Allen will be turning 32 in a few days, Stephon Marbury is already 30 years old, and Paul Pierce will not be 10 until October.

"I can understand the veterans' feelings. Time is not on their side."

"But as a basketball player, I don't like this decision, look at Lee and Michael Jordan, they have been playing for the same team."

"."

LeBron James did not give a direct answer, but only emphasized his "loyalty". Although he planned "brother basketball", it was only an alternative plan.

On Thursday, July 7, at the Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the summer league was still going on.

On Tuesday, the Knicks played a game against the Chinese team. Although Yi Jianlian and Sun Yue were selected to play, the final score was fixed at 60:98.

This year, the combo guard Petri Koponen, who was selected by Donnie Walsh at the 30th pick, did not play for the Knicks. After getting to know the team, the rookie chose to play another year in the Finnish league.

What impressed people in this game were the three-pointers from Gary Neal, the 60th pick, Barea and Novak.

The former plays very hard and fights for every ball. Although his defense is poor, he is extremely active. Although the latter two rarely appear in the regular season, they stand out in the summer league.

Training with the main players is still effective. At least many of Barea's small techniques can be seen in the shadow of Li You.

Tonight's opponent is the Kings. Prince and Chandler, who had flown to Las Vegas a long time ago, were also present. They had been attending the national team's mini-training camp these days. Kobe also came to the training camp early. Thinking of the attitude shown by Mr. 81 points these days, Prince, who was watching the game, suddenly sighed:
"I can understand that a player like Gary Neal who was almost undrafted is training hard, but I find it unbelievable that Kobe actually starts playing at 4:."

Gary Neal, who was fighting for the out-of-bounds ball on the court, fell out of bounds. After he stood up, he gasped in pain. The audience quickly gave him applause and cheers:

"Oh!!"

Chandler had a smile on his face and followed the chatter. He didn't care about what his teammates said, but instead joked:

"You want to be teammates with Kobe? I'm not interested in waking up early with him every day, and what right does he have to give us the cold shoulder?"

"I invited him to play Texas Hold'em, but he lectured me instead! Li doesn't have such an air. We can still win by playing cards every day."

When the star players get together, there are limited entertainment activities. Chandler, who won the championship, organized a card game, and Kidd and others agreed. Only Kobe did not participate in such a "degenerate" activity.

Li You didn't go to the ESPY because he was taking his children with him, and Kobe missed the award ceremony because he didn't win any awards.

When people chat, they will naturally gossip, and Kidd always makes fun of himself. This "Captain recognized by Li You" has indeed lived up to the trust and is as good at livening up the atmosphere as James and Howard.

Prince doesn't like to comment on players behind their backs, so he could only raise an eyebrow at Chandler's words. He also felt that Kobe was a little unsociable for not giving him face.

Thaddeus Young, the 11th pick, didn't have many outstanding performances. Even in the summer league, the Knicks still had a core point guard driving the offensive rhythm, which made the newbie feel a little uncomfortable.
The game was still overwhelming. In the end, the Knicks suppressed their opponents throughout the game and won another game with a score of 84:100.

"Oh!"

The arena began to get noisy. Chandler on the sidelines hugged Barea and Novak, and seeing the somewhat reserved Thaddeus Young on the other side, he invited him again:
"Come over to my place tonight and play a few games! Relax, I won't let you lose too much, I'll treat you later"

Baria patted his good brother, and seeing the hesitant newbie, he smiled and invited him again:

"Come on, man! If you can, if you can make the active list, you have to play cards when you fly away. If you can beat Lee, maybe he will take care of you."

Thaddeus Young, who tugged at his jersey and shaved his calipers to show his determination, glared subconsciously when he heard this, but Novak curled his lips and exposed his teammate's bad taste:
"Lee may be at a professional level, but no one has ever beaten him. This is just a good joke."

"I knew it. Okay, Bro! We'll definitely go tonight!"

Thaddeus Young agreed immediately and gave Prince a flattering smile. In the new season, he will be the bag-carrying little brother and must act according to the mood of the big brother.

The head coach of the summer league is still Mike Malone. Although most of the players on the team are unknown, New York reporters are still paying attention to them:
"Yang has great talent, but he still needs to work hard to get into the rotation."

"Starting with adapting to the tactics, I believe he will get a chance in the regular season."

Mike Malone, who won the game, was actually a little inflated. He had fully understood the "core guard system" created by D'Antoni.

As long as there is a suitable opportunity, he doesn't mind going out as a head coach and building his own career.

Gary Neal helped the staff pack up their equipment. Seeing that the high-ranking rookie had already integrated into the team, he felt even more sad. He wanted to improve so much that he could only encourage himself secretly:

"Hold on a little longer, I can stay here"

On Friday, July 7, a blockbuster deal was officially approved. Although it was a little later than expected, Danny Ainge did what he promised to the fans.

The Celtics sent Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and two 2009 first-round picks (including the Wizards' draft pick);

By trading 7 for 1, they finally got the MVP - Kevin Garnett.

After the news was broken by major sports media this morning, many Timberwolves fans expressed their dissatisfaction with General Manager McHale on Reddit.

Al Jefferson is McHale's favorite player, and Theo Ratliff's final year of contract can help the Timberwolves complete the reconstruction as soon as possible. The management has only blessings for this deal.

At the same time, the Celtics signed Stephen Marbury with a full mid-level contract.

The two-year contract was a big loss for the outdated All-Star, but for the sake of his dream, Marbury gladly accepted it.

At this time, Li You was attending the opening party of Dior Cafe in the small town of Tarrytown. The Frenchman attended the grand wedding of his old teammate Parker last weekend and could not stay in New York for a few days.

The European Championship will start in Spain in early September. Gasol returned home early, and even his younger brother who was selected by the Lakers did not stay in the United States. The two brothers hurriedly enjoyed their few holidays.

The cafe is not large and in addition to selling coffee, it also mainly sells authentic French pastries and bread.

Kristen Ritter just gave birth to a son not long ago, and Happy Cafe in the financial district is currently having a promotion.

Although the store's chief pastry chef, Gaya Oliveira, is busy, he heard that the French brought the most authentic bread from their hometown, so he came here today to exchange experiences.

Dior saw many familiar faces coming to the Financial District restaurant today, and couldn't help but thank them again:
"Thanks, Bro! This will save me a lot of advertising money. Don't hesitate to come here next time."

Dior rolled up his white shirt sleeves and wore a blue apron. He smiled happily when he saw the lively scene in the store. He really put a lot of effort into opening the store this time.
There are rows of small round tables in the cafe, covered with checkered tablecloths, and in the middle is a small vase of fresh lavender.

Li You, who was near the bar, took the coffee handed to him by Dior, looked at the decoration and praised it:

“Oliveira is right, your bread is indeed delicious!”

"Don't underestimate her. Daniel is trying to poach her. You know his French restaurant. My shop depends entirely on Oliveira's craftsmanship."

The little follower is still in the hospital, and many restaurant owners and staff have come to visit her.

Compared with Scarlett's group of "plastic sisters", Christen Ritter, who has been engaged in physical business for many years and focuses on coffee shops, has made better friends.
"Lee, aren't you going to talk to the reporters? I just got back and heard the big news. This is a really big deal."

Dior looked at the New York Times reporter and whispered a reminder, but Li You waved his hand, put his coat aside, and concentrated on tasting his coffee:

"I don't have to respond, they know how to write it, and these guys know better than me what New York fans want to see."

"Ray hasn't replied to my text yet. He probably feels embarrassed that he was kicked off the team by a rookie. I have no interest in caring about other people."

"Instead of paying attention to them, I'd rather pray that you don't get injured. The coach has gone to Spain."

The reason why D'Antoni is so confident is mainly because the Knicks have too many players, and after the Celtics' "Big Four", the rest can only get the minimum salary.

This gap is visible to the naked eye. The commentators are only responsible for hyping up blockbuster transactions for the fans to watch. As for the follow-up, the fans can just imagine it themselves.
As if thinking that Finley was in good shape, the veterans could only wave the towel with him, Dio spread his hands and stopped talking about basketball:
"Boss, you're right!"

Li You just smiled while drinking coffee. Although there were no leeks for him to harvest this year, the talent panel locked his physical condition, which took a season of experience to finally confirm.

Li You, who has been fighting with the Valkyrie Catherine every day recently, is more worried about being defeated by this strong opponent.

At 7:9 on Monday, July 18, a large number of media reporters gathered at Will McDonald's media studio at the Garden. When the "Big Four" appeared on the stage, the atmosphere was extremely warm.

When Pierce, dressed in a suit and smiling brightly, Garnett, with a determined look, Ray Allen, with an expressionless face, and Marbury, with an excited look, raised their green jerseys together, the sound of clicking could be heard continuously.

After the four of them sat down, the Celtics' press officer also couldn't stop smiling. As the original leader, Pierce humbly told everyone that the other three were the protagonists.

Ray Allen was in a calm mood. He was still somewhat dissatisfied with the SuperSonics. Without waiting for questions, he spoke for himself immediately:
"There is nothing wrong with my ankle. The surgery was a success and I feel like my ankle is back to when I was 18."

Hearing this, Garnett on the side looked more resolute. He took the lead in high-fiving, looked at Marbury on the far right, and simply reminded "Stephen".

Marbury was extremely excited to be the focus of everyone's attention again. He held the microphone and said emotionally:

"I don't like the coverage in some media. I know that this Celtics team scares a lot of players."

"After entering the league, I was not appreciated. In fact, all I pursued was winning. I have been winning since I was a child. You may have forgotten that I was winning in the early days of the league."

"I have seven kids in my family, my parents are great, we all went to college, it wasn't easy!"

"My three older brothers have always dreamed of playing in the NBA. I play with their dreams in mind. I want to win the championship!"

"Now we are gathered together just to pursue our dreams, no matter how you judge us."

"Remember, basketball doesn't lie!"

"."

(End of this chapter)