I just play ball

Chapter 284 Add fuel to the fire
It was like witnessing the blooming irises for the first time, and found that the shape and color were very ordinary, not as noble and elegant as in romance novels. Li Yue strode into the arena with a slightly disappointed and sad mood.

He suddenly found that the inside of the arena was also old, even slightly dilapidated. After being shocked, he quickly realized that Madison Square Garden, as a building that officially opened for business in 1968, has been a full 46 years since it was maintained. It can't resist the erosion of time, otherwise there won't be so many classic scenes born.

Entering the locker room, he took off the specially prepared outerwear, changed the training uniform and sneakers, and chatted with Chen Xi about this "Ye Gong is a good dragon"-style anecdote through WeChat voice, complaining to himself that he was seriously stupid this time.

Chenxi’s reply was a burst of laughter at first, and then he said that he had been misled by the media, for example, the media likes to brag about how rich Dubai is, luxury cars can be seen all over the street, and you can live a good life wherever you pick up trash , In fact, the local luxury car haunt rate in Dubai is not as high as that of Beishangguanggao. If you really go to pick up garbage, you will probably starve to death.

Chen Xi also said that Times Square, the Internet celebrity landmark that often appears in movies and TV dramas, is also a small dilapidated place with a dirty environment. As far as the scenery is concerned, it is far inferior to Wanda Plazas in many cities, all thanks to the large area on the street. screen famous.

All the teammates went to the stadium together, and Li Yue told everyone about the incident again. Nick Yang also laughed out loud after hearing it, but then said seriously that the scene he expected might really appear after the game started.

I thought I was taking the opportunity to make fun of myself, but the moment Li Yue walked out of the player tunnel, he seemed to feel different.

The first thing that comes into sight is the iconic oversized circular ceiling of Madison Official Gardens. There are eight super-large speakers below it. The central large screen is not turned on, but it is much larger than the central large screens in many arenas in terms of area. .

At this time, the audience has not yet opened the stadium, and even the media has not arrived. There are only dozens of staff members scattered in the stadium.

Li Yue picked up his mood, started to shoot and warm up, and by the way, recalled the relevant information collected before the game.

The Knicks stopped in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. The owner Dolan was very excited and wanted to do a big job, so after the free market opened in the summer, he did not hesitate to re-sign JR Smith and Prigioni, and put veteran Marcus Kan Than sent to the Raptors, in exchange for the No. [-] pick center Bargnani, can be said to be gearing up and smug.

I thought, after the first win of the season, the Knicks suffered a wave of three-game losing streak, finally recovered, and ushered in another wave of nine-game losing streak, and just before they defeated the Bobcats the night before, the team was suffering a five-game losing streak , the current overall record is 16 wins and 27 losses, ranking ninth in the Eastern Conference. The championship has become an unattainable goal, and even the playoffs are a luxury.

Such a tragic situation is related to Stoudemire's cliff-like decline, Mike Woodson's lack of offensive tactics, and the extremely bad atmosphere in the team, but the biggest reason is the Knicks' chaotic management. Four star players occupy a total of 6900 million US dollars The salary, but the role played can only be offset by LeBron of the Heat.

The high salary of the star leads to the replacement except JR Smith. The highest salary of others is 170 million US dollars, but JR is a pure singles player. The Knicks sent the second team ten times and nine times to let other teams play offensive climaxes. At the climax of the attack, it was probably because of the terrible hand feeling.

All in all, the defensive efficiency of the Knicks this season is not bad, thanks to the personal abilities of Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert. As for the offensive efficiency, it is the bottom of the league, especially with only 20 assists per game. Among the [-] teams in the league, it ranks second to last, and the first is the Sacramento Kings, a big player.

The offensive focus emphasized by the coaching staff is very clear, which is to run, pass more, cover more, disrupt the Knicks' fragile defensive formation, and try to score in an easy way. Anyway, the Knicks have a lot of individual singles, just pay attention to changing defenses when encountering screens.

Li Yue thought about it and practiced, and found that many media entered the arena one after another.

The game between the Lakers and the Knicks was broadcast live on TNT across the United States. Reggie Miller and Isaiah Thomas sat down on the sidelines early and chatted wildly in front of the camera. The voice was still so loud that the specific conversation could be heard from far away.

"Reggie, we all know that about 20 years ago, you created the miracle moment of scoring 8.9 points in 8 seconds here, and Carmelo Anthony scored a career-high 62 points here the night before, and even more coincidentally, he Tonight's opponent Li Yue created a super double-double the night before, will the two of them stage a legendary matchup here tonight?"

"To be honest, MSG has always been a place that produces miracles, because it is the largest city in the world, and it has the richest cultural diversity. People from all over the world make this place unique. I think Cameron and Li Yue Will put on a great show for the fans and bring the finale to the Twitter hotspot between the two. By the way, which team do you prefer."

"I am more optimistic about the Knicks. After experiencing a losing streak, they have found the right direction again. Facing the Bobcats, who are at the forefront of the league's defense, they can play super high offensive efficiency, and the Lakers are just in the last game of the Eastern Conference's seven-game losing streak. Physical and mental fatigue It is very high, plus the new player Livingston needs to run in, and it is difficult to deal with Chandler after losing Jordan Hill inside, and the Knicks have many advantages."

"I am more optimistic about the Lakers. I have noticed those factors you mentioned, but I believe in Li Yue, because he is another way of writing the word 'miracle'. We have seen him a lot when the Lakers lineup is incomplete. An amazing performance."

"OK, I got it, and have you heard? The average ticket price for this game has increased by more than 1000 US dollars, and even the farthest seat is sold for as high as 600 US dollars on the second-hand market, and the seats on the sidelines are even hotter. Ten thousand dollars."

"Aha, no wonder Stephen A. Smith is worried he won't be able to get tickets, he should join us."

"Let's interview ex-Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni..."

"Hey Mike, what do you think of Anthony scoring a career-high 62 points?"

"Wow, that's exciting..."

Hearing D'Antoni's slowly perfunctory voice, Li Yue couldn't help laughing out loud. This was obviously forced by the scene to answer in an official way. He might have scolded him many times. After all, when he was kicked out of New York, the scene was very noisy. ugly.

...

The time soon came to [-] pm, one hour before the start of the game, and Li Yue returned to the locker room after shooting practice.

Taylor sent a text message, hoping that Li Yue will score with all his strength tonight, and it is best to take the initiative to find Anthony to match up.

Because there has been a heated discussion on the social network about what kind of performance the two can play tonight. The data released by ESPN predicts that more than 4 people have participated in the discussion as of [-] pm.

In addition to ordinary fans, female stars such as Beyoncé, Scarlett Johansson, and Anne Hathaway said that they will watch the game in person. This is a good opportunity to increase their influence across circles. I specially designed the outerwear before wearing it, took photos with those female stars, and attracted some people who don't watch basketball games to become fans.

In addition to the female stars, Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and founder of Bloomberg LP, was in attendance, accompanied by action movie actors, New York-born Stallone and Vin Diesel.

Well-known figures in other sports fields, such as Tiger Woods and Methaway, also intend to attend the event.

In short, due to coincidence or to join in the fun, many big names gathered in this ordinary regular season. The popularity of this event has become comparable to that of the annual finals, with participation from all walks of life in film, music, sports, and politics.

Li Yue didn't think too much and agreed to the request to score with all his strength, but regarding the matter of attracting female fans across circles, he subconsciously looked in the mirror and thought he was just ordinary, so he refused on the spot.

After taking a shower and changing his uniform, he sat on the floor and began to wrap his ankles when Artest suddenly pushed the door open and entered.

"Hi, my little brother, long time no see, I finally waited for you to come to New York to play a game. I will treat you tonight and show you the most powerful nightclub in the local area. It is much more fun than Los Angeles."

Li Yue raised his hands and clapped his hands, gave Artest a big hug, pressed his shoulders and asked with a smile, "How are you doing recently?"

Artest was pardoned by the Lakers during the free market in July, and then signed a two-year contract worth about $7 million with the Knicks. However, when Li Yue collected the Knicks data, he found that Artest had not appeared for a long time. .

"Very good, very good, but there is a little problem with my knee." Artest was full of regret, "I can't limit your scoring tonight, otherwise I will definitely block you from the three-point line and let you know how good my defense is. sharp."

"That's a pity." Li Yue laughed, "Kobito, I send my greetings to you."

"Oh, he's too miserable." Artest shook his head again and again, "He suffered a serious injury not long after he came back, or don't come back this season, if he gets injured again, he won't be able to play later. Bow to Old Man Time."

"You know his character." Li Yue changed the subject, "I'll take you to find Luke and Paul."

"Okay, I haven't seen them both for a long time."

Gasol was already ready to return to the court, while Walton stayed inside. Li Yuefei quickly wrapped his ankles and took Artest out of the locker room.

...

The time came to seven o'clock in the evening, and with the shouting of the live DJ, the lights of the Madison Arena were dimmed.

Amidst a chorus of cheers, Knicks starting point guard Pablo Prigioni ran out of the tunnel, followed by starting small forward Iman Shumpert, starting shooting guard Raymond Fell Dayton, starting center Tyson Chandler, and finally starting power forward Carmelo Anthony, the cheers reached their peak when they played, and the entire arena seemed to be shaken.

Li Yue stood on the sidelines and looked around, seeing pride and pride in the eyes of Knicks fans, just like Los Angeles fans looking at themselves, thinking that this man under the spotlight can save this terrible team.

The performance of the national anthem began quickly, and the Broadway singing troupe was responsible for leading the singing. Many audience members roared along, but the high-pitched part took the initiative to shut up. When the Broadway singers sang accurately, bursts of cheers erupted in the arena.

This is human nature. I can’t help but feel shocked when I hear high notes. It has nothing to do with music taste or the general environment of the music market. It is purely a physiological reaction, no matter what is sung, otherwise Pavarotti Singing opera is widely acclaimed, how can so many people really understand the cultural connotation.

The last note fell, the audience was flooded with lights, the DJ shouted loudly, and there was another round of cheers.

Li Yue got up and turned his head to look at the seats on the sidelines, and found that all the important people mentioned in Taylor's text messages seemed to be present, and there were not enough seats on the sidelines, even the former mayor of New York could only sit in the second row.

He was about to walk into the court to take a position, but he heard someone calling his name in a crappy voice. He subconsciously turned around to look for it, and saw Stephen A. Smith standing in the fourth row behind the Lakers bench and waving his hands with emotion, like a fan seeing a star So excited.

"I have to explain that I didn't mean not to reply to your private message. I just thought it was a scammer imitating your account. I didn't expect you to take the initiative to send tickets. I have set your message as a special reminder. Let's pay attention to each other. !"

Li Yue nodded to express that he heard that the two had never met before, and it was normal for Stephen to think that they were liars.

Just as he was about to turn around, Stephen waved his hand hurriedly: "Don't worry, I still have a sentence to say."

Li Yue stopped with a smile, and raised his hand to signal please speak.

Stephen stood up straight and straightened his suit, glanced left and right, and the audience sitting next to him stood up one after another.

With such a formation, Li Yue was stunned suddenly, what is this for?
Stephen suddenly read a sentence in Chinese with an extremely strange pronunciation: "Li Yue, come to the New York Knicks this summer."

After the voice fell, the person next to Stephen shouted loudly in English, causing the audience to stare in horror, but Stephen was still shouting: "As long as you come, you are the most popular person in this city, and we will help you!" Offers everything...”

Li Yue was completely dumbfounded.

It is true that I can become a free agent in the summer, but Stephen's recruitment method is too naked and straightforward, just like the Cavaliers fan at home last year who wore "We miss you, come back in 2014!" '' T-shirt rushing towards LeBron, it can be said that he likes it from the bottom of his heart, and the latter sentence is as crazy as Dolan asked Michael Jordan to fill in the salary amount on the blank check at will, which can be called the emperor's treatment. What.

But it's normal to think about it. As a loyal New York fan, Stephen last saw the home team win the championship when he was five years old. It has been 36 years.
The point is, this is the Knicks' home court, and the team boss Anthony is watching!
It's just a slap in the face in public!
However, when Anthony first arrived in New York, Stephen once bluntly stated that Anthony is not a superstar. The reason is that Anthony has never led a team to prove himself.

Li Yue wanted to see how Anthony would react, but after a second thought, he held back, lest the reporter make a fuss about taking photos.

Stephen wanted to say more, but was forcibly taken away by the security guards who came for questioning.

The short whistle sounded, and Li Yue saw Anthony standing calmly in the Knicks half, but the anger in his eyes was about to flood the sky like a tsunami.

(End of this chapter)