NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 607: The Choice of Adults (No Protagonist Chapter)

2008年12月23号星期二，当天17点30分，Pardon the Interruption节目迎来了本月的收视之最！

Facts have proved that basketball is far less interesting than gossip, and the Christmas game is not as "divisive" as the defending champion. After old Buss joined in the fun and spoke out, the related events became more and more popular:
"I think World Peace is just speaking from the heart. He is a real opinion leader. The door of the Lakers is open to him. We need such fighters!"

"."

In the evening, the Lakers challenged the Hornets away. In the afternoon, old Buss, who was still in Los Angeles, took the initiative to accept an interview and added fuel to the recent hot news, which made the spectators very happy.

Sports reporters in Los Angeles began to update their Twitter constantly, and each one of them sparked discussions among sports fans!
The news does not even need an accurate source, nor does it require taking photos. In short, as long as the individual has some fame, people will believe it when it is released. By the evening, the PTI program was also affected.

Christmas is approaching, and reporters are unable to interview the latest situation in the Knicks locker room. They can only repeatedly discuss the game that ended the Celtics' 18-game winning streak.

At the beginning of the show, the studio was dressed up for its annual Christmas season.

As per convention, Michael Wilbon should open the show with a popular joke, and his partner Anthony Kornheiser should respond "wittily and humorously", which is the reserved effect of the show.

But Kornheiser, who is always good at picking up jokes, was not prepared this time. Michael Wilbon smiled on his fat round face, greeted the audience in front of the TV as usual, and suddenly said:

"You know what, Tony, we finally found a problem after an NBA player received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the first time!"

"Lee isn't black enough! We should make him black so we don't have those annoying problems."

Kornheiser had a question mark on his face, turned his head to look at his partner, and said "What?" in confusion.
Michael Wilbon was so happy. This is a joke that just went viral today. His partner didn’t see the joke:
"Lee should find a black girlfriend, so that the child they have will be black and he will be a good father, at least he won't suddenly disappear after the child is born."

"."

Looking at his grinning partner, Kornheiser covered his forehead with his hands. It was obvious that this joke was mocking extreme sports fans. As a white host, he rarely made these jokes.

Especially when the words "President", "Obama", and "Father" are used together, don't tell these special jokes without the bonus of skin color.

After all, although Obama described his father as a "great man" in the book, it is an indisputable fact that he ran away.

Considering that the President is also a loyal viewer of PTI, white hosts should avoid suspicion.
Soon the theme song of the show, Cut Your Hair, began to play, and the audience in front of the TV became even more excited, as it was obvious that this was a "special program."

As usual, Five Good Minutes is the interview time, and the camera is given to Stephen A. Smith who suddenly appeared next to Michael Wilbon with a serious expression.

Anthony Kornheiser shrugged his shoulders. He was an old friend of theirs. This episode was not recorded for the sake of effect, so the first question went straight to the point:
"Stephen, as a New Yorker, you know the Knicks better. I think sports fans are very concerned about the locker room issues of the defending champions right now?"

Stephen A. Smith was naturally well prepared. As the number one "Lee fan", he responded without hesitation:

"I know everyone is concerned about the 'split'. In fact, this is just some people's imagination, because we all know that Lee has long surpassed Bill Russell."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the 60s and modern basketball are very different. This is about competitiveness!"

"Lee created a miracle, which is unimaginable in modern sports. I think he should have received this medal earlier. He completely changed the sport."

Michael Wilbon nodded slightly, then asked a more pointed question. They didn't intend to miss this hot spot:

"Why would World Peace object to Li accepting this award? This is what everyone is most curious about."

Stephen A. Smith looked angry, his voice became sharper as he glared. He stopped stating and started to accuse loudly:

"Obviously he was influenced by those followers! Listen, during the offseason, the team offered him a 4-year, $3550 million contract. His job is to focus on playing!"

"No one wants to see his childish political performance. He should keep in shape and score in double digits every game."

"He should remember his identity and not participate in those rallies too frequently. If he cares about his compatriots, he should speak up for ordinary people and fight for more rights for them, just like Li did."

"."

Even though many black fans supported Artest, Stephen A. Smith still performed well against the odds, and even openly called him a "brainless idiot" on the show.

Kornheiser really didn't expect that this well-known ESPN analyst's butt would be so crooked that he couldn't help but ask curiously:
"You think Lee is greater than Lord of the Rings Bill Russell?"

Instead of answering immediately, Stephen A. Smith held out his hands, pretending to show the ring in front of the camera, and then said calmly:

"There is no doubt that Lee is the GOAT in basketball. Ten championships are not the limit. He will lead the Knicks to eight consecutive championships. This is his era!"

There is a "traitor" among the black people. Stephen A. Smith answered with such certainty that Michael Wilbon was also surprised. This is simply the best "mouth substitute".
Li You has never said that he is the GOAT, but there are always people waving flags and cheering, this way can make people more convinced.

The director also replayed the scene of Sunday's press conference at this time. At 109:126, the Celtics showed a good offensive state, but their 18-game winning streak was still ended.

The sports reporters at the scene were very excited and tried to get Li You to say "Bill Russell is not as good as me", but they failed in the end:
"Every great player has a period of dominance. It is a pity that I cannot go back to the 60s."

"This is the original intention of my investment in reference.com. The data can restore a player's dominance to a certain extent. Fans who are interested can take a look at these statistics."

The most pointed question from a Yahoo Sports reporter was, "Why did you get the medal before Bill Russell?" The media room in the video became visibly quiet:
"I'm just luckier. If the NBA didn't have this kind of influence, if it wasn't for the fans' support, if it wasn't for your coverage, I certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve this."

"Not everyone was watching the game on TV at home in the past. I just played in a better environment than those guys before me."

"The medal belongs to all of us. This is an achievement we have all made together."

Li You's words sounded nice, which made the post-match press conference more harmonious, but the deeply moved "family members" did not let the "traitor" go, and recently they had a high-intensity confrontation with Artest's supporters.
In the studio, Michael Wilbon shrugged his shoulders. Although it was not the first time he reviewed these scenes, he still sighed:
"I think that's why everyone likes Lee! He never forgets the fans who support him and he runs his social media all by himself."

"Sure, maybe he should consider finding a black girlfriend, I support that!"

"."

The show ended with a prediction session for the hottest games. Kornheiser bet that the Lakers would win the Christmas game and gave his reasons:

"World Peace still hasn't come forward to explain. It's clear that the Knicks' locker room is torn apart."

Michael Wilbon appeared confident, as if he had watched the game in advance, and assured the fans:
"Lee will crush all opponents who dare to provoke him. I just want to feel sad for Kobe. The Christmas game will be his nightmare. The Knicks will beat the Lakers."

"."

At 18:, ESPN's Sports Center was seamlessly connected. PTI's sports talk show was extremely popular, which could bring more viewers to the evening program. The spectators saw dazzling news again:
"Lee's fans got into a fight with some sect members in Queens!"

"Jabbar recruited Metta World Peace on behalf of the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant didn't mind sending Trevor Ariza and a draft pick."

"Magic Johnson thought it was a good thing that Lee received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and he insisted it represented the success of the NBA."

"Jay-Z believes that Lee has only benefited from the black community and never given back, and he supports world peace. He believes that Lee should refuse to accept the award and should not humiliate the great Bill Russell."

"The Hook will launch the latest commemorative colorway of the 3rd generation God-Lee series before the All-Star Game, priced at."

90% of all the news about the NBA is related to Li You. No one knows whether the Knicks are split, but with this "traffic" explosion, some brands have won!

If family members want to support their idols, they must spend a lot of money to show their loyalty:
"It's so hard for pigeons! I will always support pigeons!"

The Celtics, who are back at home, also have a game tonight against the 11ers, who have 16 wins and 76 losses.

Before the game, a large number of reporters crowded into Boston. What made everyone happy was that there was a boycott by fans at the scene. Many "ten-year-old fans" came uninvited, and the ancient fans held up white boards:

“The real GOAT—Bill Russell!”

Before the game, many players on the 76ers were stunned. Rookie Joakim Noah was pressed on the bench in the new season. He was in a depressed mood recently, but when he saw such a scene in the arena, he couldn't help but sigh:

"Are they all crazy? Why are so many people against Lee?"

A game that was not broadcast live across the United States received extra attention. Unfortunately, most people did not care about the opponents, and the vast majority of fans at the scene tried to vent their emotions through such channels.

Iguodala, who was still doing his final pre-game warm-ups, saw some active Philadelphia fans wearing Celtics jerseys and holding white boards, which made his eyes twitch slightly.

This was a collective carnival for the haters. It was hard to find a "black spot" and they had to hold on to it. With the media's instigation, Bill Russell became a "sharp blade." "Don't pay attention to these boring things! If someone asks about it, just praise the two."

Looking at the newbie's curious eyes, Iguodala gave serious instructions.

This wave of public opinion was too outrageous. He also read the news. The number of Twitter users increased dramatically, and the number of readings of the hashtag "#" related to Li You increased sharply.

In order to attract attention, some unknown players have also jumped into the hot news. In the past two days, TNT's program has been constantly connecting with celebrities and started the "historical rankings" again.

In addition, many rappers from the East Coast also participated in this topic, which made the black community, who already love gossip, have a collective climax.
Louis Williams, who successfully squeezed into the rotation, also had an expression of admiration on his face. His "good brother" Iverson is indeed out of date and is not even discussed as much as a role player.

"Pierce laughed happily after losing the game. Maybe he discovered something."

Williams suddenly started gossiping, and soon Marreese Speights and Reggie Evans also came over. Since old captain Brand was sidelined due to injury, they have all gotten more opportunities recently.

A few people started gossiping, and Iguodala sighed helplessly. He had already thought about what questions the reporters would ask after the game.

Although the Celtics' 18-game winning streak was ended, the "Big Four" were in very good shape, continuing their hot hand from the previous game and easily clocking in after three quarters.

91:110, after defeating the 76ers, the Celtics' record reached 26 wins and 3 losses, continuing to maintain first place in the league.

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The Knicks have a friendly schedule. Before Christmas, they had a record of 24 wins and 3 losses, ranking second in the league. This is why the Green Army is still happy after losing. They are still in first place.
"BEAT——God-Lee!!"

The fans sitting in the screaming seats at the back of the arena shouted loudly, which soon resonated with the audience and the noise became louder and louder. This made Iguodala, who was hugging his opponent, feel uncomfortable as he was being ignored again.

What made him even more speechless was that he didn't know when God-Lee replaced Clay-Lee, and young fans seemed to have forgotten Lee You's name.

Marbury, who had a mediocre performance in the last game with 11 of 4 shots and 13 points, was extremely excited at this moment. His eyes revealed determination and he waved his arms along with the fans.

Pierce also looked very happy. When he heard the fans shouting loudly, he clenched his fist to show his support as he walked towards the player tunnel.

In front of his own fans, Garnett once again showed his tough guy temperament, patted his chest, and then raised his hands and clapped his hands repeatedly. The fans on both sides shouted loudly, and he shouted excitedly:
“Come on!”

Sports reporters recorded this grand occasion. The Knicks will play away games in the next two games, and everyone is already looking forward to the Celtics fans launching a counterattack!

Ray Allen looked calm and he failed to empathize with his teammates. In his opinion, as long as they worked harder in the third quarter, there was a great chance that the winning streak would continue in the previous game.

As a result, his teammates all backed down, and even the coaching staff took the initiative to make substitutions to show weakness. This situation made him very dissatisfied, so much so that he didn't look at several people in a good light in the past two days.

The move of bringing up legendary players when they can't compete with current players made Ray Allen speechless. This "magical" behavior even made him suspect that some people had problems with their brains.

"We have to be nervous. I don't want to lose the home advantage again. Let's stop talking about those boring things."

After returning to the locker room, Ray Allen couldn't help but complain while listening to everyone's gossip. Marbury was unhappy when he heard it, and immediately retorted sarcastically:

"Lee had no right to receive the medal before Bill Russell, and he could have refused!"

"Those commentators are speaking for him, but as black players, we all know that Russell is a greater player!"

"He is not as humble as those media say. He always packages himself as a good person. Don't forget how he treated me in the playoffs. The referees are his 'accomplices'."

"."

Seeing Marbury getting more and more excited, Garnett quickly interrupted him. He didn't want to see the team's internal strife, so he immediately glared and said:
"Hey! Stop complaining to your teammates, listen! This is our chance, everyone has to play for each other!"

The lumberjack culture is the cornerstone of the Celtics locker room. After hearing Garnett's advice, Marbury finally controlled his emotions. His hometown fans actually abandoned him, and he could not forgive Li You.

As a native leader, Pierce immediately spoke up. The championship window was just around the corner, and he naturally didn't want to miss it:
"Kevin is right, Lee is a jerk, he's like a super powerful villain who keeps bullying us!"

"No one dared to oppose him in the past, but now everyone has awakened! We must unite together."

To increase his persuasiveness, Pierce also told an Aesop's fable, "The Bundle of Sticks", which translates to "One chopstick breaks easily, but five chopsticks cannot be broken."

The chicken soup cheered up the atmosphere group, and combined with the league's best record, they believed that this season was the best chance to win the championship!

On the other side, in the game that ended earlier, the score was 101:85. Although the Hornets launched a counterattack, the hole they dug in the second quarter was too big, and the Lakers won easily in the end, with a record of 2 wins and 24 losses.

At the press conference after the game, Chris Paul, who was sullen after losing the game, was not able to escape the "Lee Yoo storm". When asked whether he should refuse the medal to express respect, he responded without hesitation:
"Why would you refuse? Lee is better than you think! He single-handedly ended the era of big men."

"Bill Russell is great, but Lee's achievements in basketball have surpassed him. As a guard, for me, 6 consecutive championships and 10 championships are miracles!"

"You know, if a small guy wants to dominate the game, he has to work harder. Lee should have won this medal a long time ago. In my heart, he is the GOAT."

David West on the side also took over the conversation and ended the question by the way, not letting the reporter talk nonsense anymore:
"Everyone has the right to express their opinions. Let's just talk about basketball. I believe everyone in the league will recognize Lee's strength and achievements."

"."

These words were quickly "refuted". Kobe, who was in a good mood, smiled for a rare time and joked with Duncan, joking that his 18-of-7 shooting and 26 points tonight were a bit inefficient.

When asked the same question, Kobe stopped smiling and ignored Phil Jackson's advice, insisting on speaking up for the senior who took care of him:
"Yes, if it were me, I would definitely refuse. No matter what achievements I make, I should show respect to Bill Russell!"

"Champions are not everything. You know, basketball is often a battle of wills. Russell's achievements in that era transcend basketball!"

"."

Duncan glanced at his partner, then casually responded, "I don't know, I haven't won a championship yet, so I'm not qualified to talk about these things," and stopped talking.

The screened reporters got the answers they wanted, and as long as Kobe spoke up, they could continue the hype.

There were 23 games on the 12rd, and the top players of each team were almost asked the same questions, which exacerbated the "division". For example, Carmelo Anthony held an "opposed" attitude.

As the instigator of the "team-taking incident", Artest remained confused the entire day and was carried back home by his "relatives and friends" at night.

We started watching the news in the afternoon, and then everyone started arguing. Some thought that we should come forward to explain, while others thought that we should stick to it and get the attention of the black president.

Nearly 30 people were squeezed into a house. They ordered takeout at night, and some yummy food. With the arrival of some girls, the "suggestions" soon became more and more distorted:

"Why let Mehta explain? He helped Lee solve big problems. Without us, how could the Knicks keep winning!"

"Lee should have let Mehta get a bigger contract! He knew there was a heart problem, but he didn't help with the contract. He wanted to clean up the team, just like he did with Larry Johnson who had a back injury!"

"He has a problem with black people. Obviously, we can get more attention just by forwarding a message or accompanying Mehta to a rally."

"Jay-Z is right, Lee is surrounded by white chicks, he's assimilated, he should have a black kid!"

"."

Amid the rhythmic rap sounds, some followers hugged the girl, got high and started to complain.

The merciless criticism from the commentators on TV these past two days has made Artest increasingly anxious. Hearing all the chattering suggestions, he felt a headache. Soon, a member of the club and sect suddenly said:

"Why do we have to admit our mistakes? This is only the first year of Mehta's contract. We can play in another big city. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar welcomes us."

The room suddenly became quiet. Artest, who was browsing on his phone, also widened his eyes, but the latter's voice continued:
"We are not wrong. We are fighting for our compatriots."

"I have no interest in working with that clown! I'm from Queens."

"There are our compatriots there, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar always welcomes everyone."

Artest responded, and then the heated discussion filled the room again. As an opinion leader, bowing your head is not allowed. The champion forward was completely confused:
"How did it become like this?"

(End of this chapter)