NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 608 "They are finished!" (Daily Chapter)

The Knicks' visit to the Lakers on Christmas is one of the biggest highlights of the new season, and the NBA has scheduled five games on Christmas Day.

That's the most since 1979, when there were also five games, but this year's television schedule will be even busier.

Recently on ABC's show, NBA Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of NBA Entertainment Danny Messales once again gave a preview:

"The NBA has always taken Christmas very seriously and we know exactly what our fans want!"

"The most dominant team in history is coming to Los Angeles, and I think this is the favorite Christmas present for the fans."

Danny Meseles has short black hair and almost all of his white teeth when he smiles. He was the one who pushed for the Knicks to leave New York on Christmas, and it was not an easy task.

After all, every December, the Dolan family's Radio City Music Hall and the championship team will bring in huge revenues, and the performances will also be linked. Letting the Knicks leave means giving up part of the profits.

New York fans who are used to watching the game live have protested against this. Although everyone feels that there are not many surprises in winning every year, when the team suddenly goes to the away game, many people have begun to call for it to come back next year.
New York fans are already accustomed to going to the crowded Madison Square Garden to watch a game in the cold weather and having a Christmas dinner in the evening.

Now that it is impossible to watch the game live on Christmas Day, some young people have started to protest. Young people seem to have a lot of free time during the Christmas holidays, and many people start gathering early in the morning.

On Christmas Eve, at Pennsylvania Station, located at the intersection of 34th Street and Eighth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, a group of people wearing Knicks jerseys were shouting on the platform outside the entrance:
"We want an audience with the Joker in Los Angeles!"

"FK Kobe!"

This place is very close to the stadium, and since 00, fans have liked to gather here.

The mosaic murals below the platform have been replaced with Li You and a golden trophy. Although the artistic style is a bit abstract, it is also a way for New Yorkers to express their love.

Every year, New York has a large number of visitors during Christmas. The city’s festive atmosphere is particularly strong. The cold night does not cause any trouble, but instead attracts more and more people, gradually entering a state of frenzy.

Maybe it was not enough to criticize Kobe, so suddenly someone started to criticize Artest. The voices became a little quieter at first, and then everyone burst into 12 points of enthusiasm!
It has been a long time since everyone scolded their own players. Now that they were scolding their own players, they felt particularly satisfied. For a while, the scene was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Many black fans who were excited began to shout at the top of their lungs:

"Traitor!!"

Shouting was not enough. As someone objected, a group of people began to push each other, and then it turned into a conflict. More and more people started to watch, until the police were attracted and took away several leading troublemakers.

Such an abstract scene made the tourists and onlookers who came to the city very happy. It turned out that the news in the past few days was true:
"New York fans are protesting against the home team players."

"."

As long as it can bring traffic and sell more newspapers, the New York Times will take the lead in "holding a meeting". If the stock price falls, they are not interested in pretending to be rational. If the fans like it, they will report it.

The city began to show its "cruel" side. In the field of basketball, no one could oppose God-Lee, and anyone who said bad things would be "liquidated."

On Christmas Day, a group of sports media began to hype up Kobe again. The supporting role had very low traffic and no one had discussed it recently. In order to increase the role, they had to force it to be played.

Li Youdu has become a favorite of major sports media, and his traffic has skyrocketed since he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The most obvious thing is the number of Facebook followers, which increased from 390 million to 490 million. The "social president" Obama has been investing heavily in advertising, and his number of fans has exceeded 300 million, while Li You's fans are all "self-generated fans."

While some big stars are still putting on airs and trying to maintain their status, Li You's family has already expressed their support with practical actions. The sales of sneakers and peripherals in the second half of the year are enough to prove how hard the fans work!

What is even more outrageous to traditional media people is that Li You’s traffic is still skyrocketing, and the speed seems to be even faster. His personal wealth has stimulated a part of the spectators.

Before the game started at 2 p.m., ABC began to provide exclusive interviews to the viewers in front of the TV. This year's "protagonist" was Kobe, who enjoyed the treatment of a superstar for the first time in a long time.

Chris Bodaken, the Lakers' video services director, blew the camera. He has worked for the team for many years and showed an unbelievable look when talking about Kobe's transformation:

"Kobe is without a doubt the biggest video 'demon' we have ever encountered!"

"I don't know if he has the potential to be greater than Magic, but I think he has a chance to do it. I've never seen a guy on the Lakers who works as hard as he does."

"After losing the finals, Kobe has been watching a lot of game tapes. He watches them at home, on the way to the home court, and even before the game, he watches the specials of the opposing players."

“His love for basketball is beyond people’s imagination!”

The Lakers staff who were interviewed did not hesitate to praise Kobe, praising him to the hilt. Matt Barnes, a former Knicks player, also praised the boss's basketball attitude in front of the camera:

"Every time I come to the gym, Kobe has already completed a round of training!"

"We who witnessed this were always amazed no matter how many times we saw it, he worked so hard."

In the pre-match promotional video, there are some shots of Kobe watching videos in the car. ABC obviously prepared it carefully and captured Kobe's focused look, which made fans feel "heartbroken" at the first sight!
At the same time, Duncan's publicity was also very effective. His wife Amy brought their two children and the family shared their feelings about spending Christmas in Los Angeles.

Although Amy "complained" that her husband sacrificed a lot of time with his family for training, she finally expressed her support with red eyes:

"I will always support my husband. His family is his strongest support. I hope to be able to tell my children in the future that their father brought a championship to this city."

In addition to the elements of hard work and family, there is also the experience of bottom-level players making a comeback. DJ Mbenga will play at the No. 5 position in some games, and Trevor Ariza will be able to start.

Although the two were a little reserved when facing the camera, there was a consensus that Kobe should be praised for his hard work. The Lakers are very united and there is no traitor!
In contrast, the style suddenly changed when introducing the Knicks. The most eye-catching person was not Artest, but Rajon Rondo, who had expanded two times.

When asked, "Los Angeles fans think the Knicks are an arrogant and overconfident team," the third-year freshman spread his hands in front of the camera, showing an indifferent expression:

"The Knicks don't need to be liked for them. We gave up a lot for the championship. Some people who haven't experienced this can't understand it at all."

"I know a lot of players are secretly criticizing us, but who cares? Half of the players who are criticizing us can't even be named."

"I'm not interested in showing off my efforts because the championship has spoken for me!"

This interview was just released before the game. Naturally, the Los Angeles fans watching in front of the TV were furious. For a rookie to say such words, it is obvious that the Knicks have no respect for them!
Before the game even started, some young Lakers fans started to explode on social media, expressing their dissatisfaction:
"This is all Lee's fault! He should have controlled the locker room!"

New York fans who were unable to watch the game in person also began to attack online. "The clowns in Los Angeles don't deserve respect" and "How many times have you won?" began to appear in related topics again.

ABC did not deliberately promote Li You, because they could not "create something out of nothing" by interviewing him. They prefer to use their own minds to figure out the inner world of the players and then interpret it.

As for whether the authenticity of this news will be affected, it doesn’t matter. Li You has gained a steady stream of popularity and they have also received extra attention. This is a win-win situation!
On Christmas Eve, Li You appeared in public with his twins for the first time. The 2-year-old kids looked exactly the same and many people shared photos on Facebook that day.

The Los Angeles Times also reported the news this morning. Li You brought his four little ones here to celebrate Christmas, and they were hosted by Musk and his girlfriend, who became very popular in the second half of the year.

"The kids love rockets! They're the best Christmas present ever."

Li You updated a group photo of the two families on his personal Facebook, which went viral on social media. Everyone knew the news without the media having to report it deliberately.

The Wall Street Journal also followed suit and reported that Li You personally and Ax Capital invested in Tesla and Space X, and the news that Musk is expected to receive the first batch of federal government bailout funds also attracted considerable attention.

Careful onlookers found another young girl's coat on the chair next to the dining table in the photo, and then someone pointed out that it was a piece of clothing from the Olsen sisters' brand.

"Detectives" began to tweet that the person taking the photo was Elizabeth Olsen. Unfortunately, young girls don't use social media, and many people are disappointed.
I don’t know since when, “spying” on Li You’s life started to become more interesting than basketball. Perhaps this is also a side effect of being numb to winning, making the spectators no longer focus on the simple victory or defeat.

On Christmas Day, the earliest game started at 12 o'clock, the Hornets played against the Wizards. What made the NBA league feel headache was that there were not many fans paying attention to this matchup!
The reason is very simple. Arenas is absent. The Wizards have 4 wins and 23 losses in the new season, ranking second from the bottom. The only team competing with them is the Thunder. Durant has only won three games so far.
There were unexpected events in the schedule that was planned in advance during the offseason, and neither the broadcaster nor the league could do anything about it.

Fortunately, the Knicks and the Lakers have received a lot of attention, and everyone is looking forward to creating a new record in ratings for the Christmas game!
On the other side of the ocean, this Christmas battle will be held at 2 am the next day. Chinese players will also participate this year. Sun Yue, who had been relegated to the Development League, was recently recalled and is expected to play tonight!

Before the game, many Chinese reporters crowded into the Lakers' locker room. Due to the outdated version, no one reported on the competition between Li You and Bill Russell, but instead continued to report on Sun Yue's news.

"We even had extra practice yesterday! Kobe didn't let up on himself on Christmas Eve."

"Yeah, it's incredible, he works harder than reported, sometimes just warming up makes me tired, that's the Lakers training."

"."

Sun Yue was very happy to share his news. He was really surprised by Kobe's training attitude. As the players arrived one after another, the interview ended quickly. Phil Jackson strictly prohibited big-mouthed behavior this year.

After being pointed at by the camera, Kobe, who was dressed up, still had a smile on his face. The "fun" of the Knicks team made him in a good mood. For the first time, he felt that what the old man from KFC said made sense.

During the pre-game warm-up, sports reporters captured Kobe Bryant, wearing training clothes, chatting and laughing with his teammates. Many people were surprised, but Phil Jackson on the sidelines just smiled and said nothing.

The more mysterious the old man from KFC was, the more anxious the reporters became. Finally, Phil Jackson, with white hair and beard, said slowly and calmly in front of everyone:
"Everyone has to learn from history, and I'm glad I've gone through it!"

"."

The Riddler came online, and some young reporters started to complain when they saw the pretentious Phil Jackson slowly walking away. Then someone shared some science:
"Phil was talking about the '98 Bulls. He was talking about the opponent having a problem and not being able to solve it."

Most sports journalists have been "deceiving themselves" recently. Instead of deliberately questioning the Knicks players, they write news based on their imagination and the reactions of fans.

In 98, there was no personal social software and people relied more on traditional media. When Phil Jackson saw the "overwhelming" coverage, he felt that his opponent was finished. He knew that the players could not withstand the pressure from the media.

Phil Jackson showed his style as a famous coach by constantly nodding and smiling and greeting the staff. He firmly believed that he would win tonight.

When the Knicks were warming up in advance, since it was not their home court and with the connivance of the Lakers, sports reporters almost gathered in a circle, shooting with their cameras and simultaneously updating Twitter with their phones.

Although most mainstream sports media are reporting on the "split", the situation within the team has not changed much. The only chain reaction is that the newbies are more inward-looking.

Perhaps seeing the hope of his big brother giving up his position, Thaddeus Young not only actively served as a sandbag, but also learned from Chalmers and mastered the advanced tea-making technique.
The weather in New York is cold, so a cup of hot tea is fine. But when I came to Los Angeles, I was confused. Can this oriental tea be iced?
In desperation, Thaddeus Young could only increase his bag-carrying efforts on the road, trying to win more playing time with his positive performance. In Chalmers' words:
"Seize the opportunity, starting won't be a problem!"

Many reporters' cameras were following Artest. Among all the people, only he was in poor condition and looked very tired.

Li You was feeding the ball to Gasol, who was with the team. Outside the three-point line, David Lee, who was responsible for picking up the ball, occasionally interjected a few words. The atmosphere of talking and laughing was quickly interpreted by reporters:

"Artest has been isolated by his teammates"

D'Antoni was smiling happily on the sidelines. In fact, he really likes the weather in Los Angeles. New York is too cold. There is no pressure to perform well. The team is in excellent shape. Before returning to the locker room, the mustache guy was in the mood to joke:

"I think coming to Los Angeles for Christmas is the right choice! It will be an exciting Christmas battle!"

"." Chandler, who returned to the locker room first, noticed Artest's listless look and was speechless for a moment. While tidying up his clothes, he complained in a low voice:

"Lee didn't pay any attention to this, Bro. We are all adults, but we also make mistakes. Let those reporters report on it for a few more days, and they will soon forget what you said."

"You can say sorry to Li. After all, you have caused trouble for everyone. I don't want to see you lose your rotation position to a rookie."

When he was on the Bulls, Chandler complained to the media about his starting position, and his agent even put pressure on him. As a result, he became a substitute in the playoffs and became a "fake player."

Having personally experienced the influence of the media on himself, Chandler hopes that Artest can apologize as soon as possible and put this mess behind him.

"."

Artest opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment.

His relatives and friends suggested that he "defect". As a meritorious member, perhaps Li You would compromise with him for the sake of team atmosphere.

As an opinion leader, he will be more convincing at that time. The black fighter Bill Russell is also very powerful. The World Peace Club can take this opportunity to usher in great development.

Artest didn't get a chance to respond, and Chalmers jumped into the locker room, inadvertently interrupting their conversation, and gossiped:

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"Guys, guess what I saw, Kobe is at home studying tape of Boss!"

"He still hasn't realized the problem. God, he thinks he can limit the Boss by defense. This joke is so funny!"

Chandler also laughed. His attention was diverted by the newbie. Thinking about the news in the past few days, he laughed with gloating pleasure:

"I really want to see what they look like after they lose! These wimps are only good at hype."

By the time Gazuric and the atmosphere group returned to the locker room, Artest no longer had the opportunity to talk. He laughed with everyone from time to time, but his mood became more and more irritable.

When Raja Bell returned to his seat, he also shared the gossip he had received. He had a good relationship with Barnes and could get some inside information about the Lakers from time to time:
"Don't tell anyone. Matt told me that Kobe has been practicing until late at night recently. This guy is crazy! We can stimulate him a few more times during the game."

When Dio heard the news, he whispered "God". He thought the news in the newspapers were all fake. He didn't expect that there really was a superstar practicing like crazy. This made the increasingly lazy Frenchman admire him:

"I have some respect for him!"

"But basketball is a sport that makes people feel desperate. I hope God can bless them."

Everyone burst into laughter, even Rondo, who was pretending to be a big star, grinned. This was an inside joke. In the training match, whichever side Li You was assigned to, the other team would lose their fighting spirit.

When Li You came back for the last time, the atmosphere in the locker room was very lively. For the old players, the Christmas game was actually nothing new, and everyone wanted to go home for the holiday.

But for new players and players who haven't made a name for themselves yet, this is a great opportunity to show themselves. Everyone is looking forward to getting some playing time, and preferably playing a key role.

On Christmas, Li You, who made a lot of money, also gave a gift to the Knicks team, a custom-made thick gold ring!
The staff also received a share, and the rings were made of pure gold, symbolizing unity. Everyone likes gold, so they were naturally happy to receive the gifts, and the issue of asking for leave was forgotten.

At this time, Li You clapped his hands, and everyone fell silent. The atmosphere group looked expectantly, wanting to know how the competition was arranged:
“It’s my first time to spend Christmas in Los Angeles. I feel pretty good. Although we have encountered some minor troubles recently, we have to end 2008 with victory!”

"."

Artest noticed Li You's inquiring gaze, and found that everyone was looking at him, and finally just smiled awkwardly.

Li You didn't take it to heart when he didn't get a response. He looked around at everyone again and said in a relaxed tone:

"I believe everyone will get a chance to play. We are in good shape. It's time to let them know that the old basketball is no longer suitable for this era."

"JR, don't show shit performance on the road. I looked at the statistics. Don't tell me you sneaked out last night!"

JR Smith immediately smiled awkwardly. He has a tendency to start high and end low. As the season progresses, his state becomes more and more unstable. However, he is very "loyal" and immediately made a loud promise:
"I swear, I'm going to beat the shit out of that wimp on the other side tonight!"

Inadvertently showing off his new tattoo near his wrist, Chalmers took a glance and found that JR Smith actually had a tattoo of "God Lee with flying dragons and phoenixes".
The names of his family members were tattooed on his left wrist. The newbie's eyes twitched slightly when he saw it. He really didn't expect that there was a master in the team! When he heard JR Smith's X, he was even more outrageous!

"I believe Boss can bring me good luck! This tattoo will always bless me!"

Prince, who usually doesn't talk much, almost couldn't hold it in. He found that his teammates were behaving more and more strangely, and the locker room felt like it was "collapsing."

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the Staples Center was packed and the Lakers fans were in high spirits. The excellent record and the "division" of the opponents made everyone feel that the championship was not far away.

Odom returned to the starting lineup, and the Lakers opened fire in the first quarter. When Duncan was tightly guarded and the team found it difficult to play effective cooperation, Kobe stepped forward and made consecutive response shots!

ABC also frequently focused on Phil Jackson. The Lakers' defense after the opening was very tacit, switching seamlessly between double-teaming and assisting defense.

Duncan didn't find many opportunities in the low post on offense, and his mid-range jump shots also missed, but he was very present on defense, even blocking Chandler's dunk.

Fisher received a pass from Duncan on the right wing and made a long-range three-pointer, which ignited the arena!
Fish once again took on the defensive responsibility tonight, relieving Kobe's burden. He made a shot and was patted by Li You with a smile, and he immediately grinned.
Fisher had just become the hero who scored a goal, but when he turned around and faced Li You who was holding the ball in his right hand at the top of the arc, he did not call for help. Instead, he slightly lowered his center of gravity and made an extremely quick change of direction between his hips, which made him lose half of his body position.

Lao Yu just turned and slid, but Li You easily stopped suddenly, took a cross step and pulled back. Without any pause, he passed the ball at the top of the arc and made another jump shot!
“Shh!”

The basketball went into the net, and boos echoed throughout the stadium. The goal was too easy for Li You, who was retreating, to spread his hands slightly. In the commentary booth, Mike Breen couldn't help but sigh:
“Lee is in very good form, but he has been working hard to lead his teammates. Both teams need more players to step up.”

"."

In the first quarter, the score was fixed at 25:23. Although the Lakers were behind, the fans at the scene were in high spirits because most of the opponent's points were concentrated in the hands of Li You.

Li You made 8 of 6 shots, 6 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and did not take any free throws in the first quarter, but easily scored 16 points. For the Lakers, Kobe made 8 of 5 shots, also without any free throws, and scored 10 points efficiently.

The game went particularly smoothly. Before the start of the second quarter, the visiting team's head coach was interviewed and D'Antoni seemed particularly satisfied with the progress of the game.

Facing Doris Burke, the female reporter who commented on the Knicks game, the mustache smiled and joked:
"The boys are a little nervous, but I'm sure everyone will be able to get back into the game soon. As for Lee, I never worry!"

"Our opponents didn't seem to be using their best defensive players, which in my opinion was a dangerous defensive strategy, and they allowed Lee to get going too early."

During the rotation phase, as Artest came on the court, the Lakers fans at the scene also started to make some fun, and immediately shouted with joy after the miss:

"Lee wants to trade you!"

When Artest made one of two free throws, cheers resounded throughout the arena, and then the Lakers fans shouted joyfully again:
"New York is going to fire you!"

Perhaps these shouts really worked. Artest was first passed by Luke Walton on the defensive end, and then he suddenly broke through and lost the ball in the offensive round, allowing Sasha Vujacic to launch a counterattack.

When Rondo chased and defended with all his strength and directly knocked his opponent to the ground, he did not look at Vujacic, but turned his head and yelled at Artest, then clapped his hands repeatedly and reminded him loudly:
"Hey! Stay focused, Bro!"

This action made a large number of sports reporters at the scene climax. In the past, no rookie dared to yell at Artest. That was a right that only belonged to Li You and the big brothers.

The broadcaster immediately turned the camera to Artest, who had just made a mistake. The latter had a grim look on his face and seemed to curse under his breath.

The Lakers fans at the scene were shouting with joy, and the shouts seemed to burst through the arena. Van Gundy in the commentary booth naturally noticed this scene, but he did not over-interpret it:

"There's nothing wrong with what Rondo did. I see some of Lee's influence in him."

"During his rookie season, Lee dared to speak up within the team. It was from that time that the Knicks underwent a transformation!"

At the free throw line, Vujacic did not ask Rondo for an explanation, but patted the ball and grumbled, looking in a good mood:

"You're done! I knew no one could win all the time! Go back to New York and cry."

Unlike the angry Artest, Dio in the paint area squinted at the nagging Vujacic with a look of idiocy. Gazuric was also grinning, leaning on his knees and turning his head to joke:
"Who are you, man? What's your name?"

"Don't bother with that unnamed idiot!"

Rondo outside the three-point line didn't like his teammate's non-nervous attitude and shouted loudly almost at the same time. The actions of the two immediately made Vujacic furious.

After completing the free throw, while Rondo was catching the ball, Vujacic immediately rushed forward, and the Lakers fans shouted excitedly, while reporters on the sidelines were paying attention to the movements of Artest who had already rushed across half court.

When they found out that Artest, who always liked to be at the front, did not participate in the conflict, the sports reporters in the arena were delighted, and the fans seemed even happier.

Watching the referee separate the two, Mark Jackson checked the score, 29:32, the Knicks were only three points behind, and the atmosphere in the arena made him laugh and cry:
"Coach D'Antoni obviously intends to make a large-scale rotation. It can be seen that the Knicks players who came on the court worked very hard and they were enjoying the game!"

"Lee is a true leader who loves to lead his teammates in big games like this. Maybe the defending champions are more united than everyone thinks!"

“As a player, I love working with a leader like Lee.”

Kobe replaced Barnes and returned to the court. He patted his little brother Vujacic with a firm look in his eyes. After a simple hug, he whispered encouragement:

"Good job!"

The Knicks continued their rotation according to plan and did not replace Artest, who was in mediocre form. D'Antoni was not concerned about the problems in the locker room.

Every player has ups and downs, veteran players get preferential treatment, and he only cares about individual performance.

The atmosphere in Staples Center became more and more heated. After Li You returned in the second half of the second quarter, Lakers fans remained as enthusiastic as ever. Even though their old rivals continued to perform efficiently, everyone was still happy.

Especially when Artest was substituted off the court, there was a lot of shouting and some people even cheered for him. At this moment, the Lakers fans also experienced the fun of New York's fun people.

Li You on the court could not empathize with the Lakers fans. He still underestimated the Los Angeles sports reporters. These imaginary freaks have been updating intensively these days.
By the end of the first half, the game was tied at 51:51, but the Lakers fans acted like they had won a great victory.

Kobe Bryant bared his teeth in front of the camera as he walked toward the player tunnel. He repeatedly pumped his fists amid the cheers of fans on both sides. He did not feel Li You's fighting spirit, and at this moment he was also thinking about it in his mind, while loudly swearing:
"They're done! I'm going to end the game in the second half!"

"."

(End of this chapter)