NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 519: True and Pure Basketball (Daily Chapter)
On Monday, July 2007, 7, a New York Post columnist broke the news about an FBI investigation into allegations that NBA referees were betting on games and controlling point spreads.

The article pointed the finger at referee Tim Donaghy, who was accused of contacting low-level gang members to develop a gambling plan.

Not only in the 2006-07 season, it was revealed that Tim Donaghy had been betting for many years. What was even more shocking was that there was more than one person involved in the gambling.

Related articles appeared in the newspapers in the morning. Before 10 a.m., the referee union and the NBA Board of Governors spoke out. David Stern was the first to issue a public statement:
"We want to assure fans that the league is doing everything it can to assist with this investigation."

“We will bring to justice those who betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports and take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again.”

Major sports media were in an uproar over this statement, and relevant commentators were also surprised. David Stern did not deny it, and the FBI did provide conclusive evidence.

Suddenly, there is one more reason for the decline of the league. No wonder most of the current stars are not doing well. There is something wrong with the basketball environment!
ESPN's program also followed up the report at the first time. The referee union did not come out to deny it, and the league admitted that someone had placed bets. This scandal is undoubtedly fatal in professional sports.

At noon on the New York radio program WEPN, Stephen A. Smith became the first commentator to speak out, and he also invited a well-known sports broadcaster from neighboring Philadelphia to comment together.

From 12 noon to 2 p.m. on weekdays, New York sports fans will not miss this old entertainment program.

Today's content did not disappoint everyone. At the beginning of the show, Stephen A. Smith made a big move. He did not deny the "referee scandal", but commented meaningfully:
“I was shocked when I saw the New York Post in the morning.”

"Then I saw that Mr. David Stern did not deny it, but I started to think deeply about it, and then I felt extremely fortunate."

"If the referees really fixed the game, then this would never happen to the Knicks!"

Stephen A. Smith paused, suddenly speaking in a more serious tone, and then spoke loudly and passionately:

"The reason is very simple - God Lee! We don't need the referee's care in these years. The Knicks have proven their dominance."

"Think about the playoffs over the years. Obviously, playing a few more games would have brought more benefits, and we were eager to see the awards ceremony at home, but the result was still 16:0."

"The Knicks dominate the Eastern Conference. In the face of their absolute strength, the referees who try to manipulate the game are helpless!"

"A 28-foot three-pointer! Another 29-foot jumper! Near the logo, BANG! Lee hits the shot again, the game is over!"

"."

In the studio, 52-year-old Mike Missanelli watched his partner's passionate speech helplessly. He has been responsible for ESPN's broadcasts in Philadelphia. When he mentioned these three-pointers, he always recalled the painful games.

Missanelli, who was wearing headphones, adjusted his short brown hair, which was a little gray, and touched Stephen A. Smith, who was starting to stray from the topic. The latter stopped bragging with a reluctant look.

"Stephen is right, and although there are some things I don't want to say, the Knicks really don't need to take care of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference in recent years."

"As for handicap and point control, I can't comment on these. The vast majority of the games we saw were fair and just."

"As a fan, I am very angry to see this scandal happen! Among the four major sports leagues, the NBA is going downhill. This is not because Lee won too much, but because there is something wrong with the environment."

"I have great respect for the Lakers, but now I begin to doubt the finals that year. The fans in Sacramento have been complaining. Maybe we will see the truth in the future."

Missanelli pointed the finger at the Western Conference, and Stephen A. Smith also started to be sarcastic, saying what New York fans love to hear most:

"In recent years, some people have been slandering our champions, calling their incompetence pure and passionate."

"And it turns out that only New York basketball is the purest!"

"In a basketball mecca like Madison Square Garden, we can enjoy the performance of Lee, who has the highest basketball skills on the planet!"

"Those losers should thank Lee. They probably don't even know who the fans bought the tickets to see!"

Misanelli's eyes twitched when he heard this. The 76ers' box office has declined, all thanks to Li You. No one is interested in watching Iverson miss shots. Now he just hopes that Joakim Noah, who was drafted by the team this year, can live up to his talent.

After the radio program was broadcast, it once again caused a strong response. That night, a sports reporter in Los Angeles accused Stephen A. Smith of slander.

However, when New York fans saw the reaction from Los Angeles, they were overjoyed. Reddit once again became a cloud battlefield for fans to confront each other online, and follow-up reports from ESPN and Yahoo Sports also added fuel to the fire.

By the next day, New York's basketball critics had stripped the Lakers of their only championship, and the name "thief" was completely established in the eyes of fans.

On Wednesday, July 7, within two days, the scandal broke out.

Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, asked David Stern to meet with him publicly.

At the same time, the black congressman also published an open letter with particularly harsh content, calling the big news "one of the most devastating scandals in American sports history."

The next day, the New York Daily News reported that Tim Donaghy had surrendered to the FBI and pleaded guilty to gambling charges.
The bookmaker involved in the scandal involved two of Donaghy's classmates and a low-level mafia organization. Soon the Associated Press broke the news that the lawyer of one of them had told them that his client would definitely be prosecuted.

Some NBA players were also the first to gloat over the misfortune. Rasheed Wallace took the initiative to accept an interview with a Detroit sports reporter:

"I told you there was something wrong with this guy! He kept trying to interfere with the game!"

"In 03, I did insult him, but I never threatened him. I am a basketball player and I know what I should do on the court."

"I was suspended for seven games. Damn it! This is the heaviest punishment in the league. Many people thought I was fined for drugs and violence, but that was all Donaghy's slander."

After the first round of the refereeing, many players who had suffered losses stood up to speak out, and there was even an academic report showing that referees were biased against players of different races.

As for what is a foreign race? To white judges, all non-white people are foreign.
On Thursday, the situation became more and more serious, and the real reason for the decline of the league seemed to be found. Referee union leader LaMell McMorris had to speak out:
"We have to come together, the league's brand is being damaged."

When news came out that more than half of the league's officials were involved in gambling, Commissioner David Stern was once again questioned.

Every official in the league is a gambler, which makes fans who like to bet fall into despair. Such behavior is simply cutting leeks!
TNT's evening program naturally follows the hot topics. Compared with Stephen A. Smith, who is a "Li You fan", Charles Barkley continues to improve his "star quality theory":
"I believe that people who love basketball will be very disappointed after seeing this news!"

"Superstars get taken care of by referees, no one will deny that, but trying to manipulate the game is something I really can't accept."

"I don't want to discuss the league's work now. The reason for this situation is still the lack of ability of the players. They can't give the fans a wonderful game."

"The facts prove one thing once again. Even with extra help, basketball doesn't lie. Lee's dominance is far beyond our imagination!"

Charles Barkley boasted that Li You often played 5 against 8 and still won.
The NBA sometimes extends the series for ratings, but this has never worked for the Knicks, who have won all of them with overwhelming force. The only question is the handicap, as Lee You clocked out too many times in the third quarter, and that's the only thing the referee can manipulate.

Ernie Johnson is not good at commenting on his old partner's words. The environment is indeed problematic, but their mission at this time is to "ensure the brand":
"In early August, a ruling will be made in the Brooklyn federal court on the betting scandal. Without more information, we should not make blind judgments."

"As for the finals over the years, I think there is no problem with the refereeing. Lee's performance is enough to make the deliberate refereeing ineffective."

"In the four games of the finals this year, his true shooting percentage was 4%. Facing such performance, no team in the league can be a match for the Knicks."

70% two-point shooting percentage, 50% three-point shooting percentage, even if the referee adds drama, most players can't produce such outrageous statistics.
"This incident made me think of many issues. The NBA is the world's largest basketball commercial league."

"I don't want to see news that shouts about purity and passion. Let's all be more professional and do our jobs well!"

"Referees should stop interfering too much in the game, and players should focus on their performance on the court. Lee is indeed a role model for young players, and he represents pure basketball."

After saying this, Kenny Smith sighed helplessly. In a few days, some fans will dig out "evidence of the Knicks playing 5 vs. 8", and he can only "save face" in advance.

The betting scandal exposed the league's manipulation of the series, which was also a disaster for many basketball analysts.

It is obviously a great irony that while Spurs fans were crying and shouting that they represent pure basketball, they received extra care in the finals.

On Friday, July 7, Li You saw off David Gill and his team from Manchester United. The plan to issue bonds will also be formally proposed at the shareholders' meeting at the end of this month.

At 10 a.m., Li You arrived on time at the Barnes & Noble flagship store in Union Square, Manhattan, to complete his first book signing event of the month.

There were quite a few children buying books, many of them were families who came here to join in the fun, and the rest were fanatical fans. Although they didn’t play basketball, they were all die-hard fans of the game.

According to the current sales situation, the new book will most likely be on the bestseller list, which can be considered as earning some money for milk powder.

Drederick Irving and his eldest son were also in line. With the help of Li You, Kyrie Irving eventually came to New York to attend high school and played under head coach Bob Hurley.

There are many high school competitions in the United States, and famous schools can get more attention. Of course, if they are absolute geniuses, they are usually invited by high schools.

At this year's Hook Summit, Derrick Rose from Chicago became the focus. His talent was visible to the naked eye, and he was like a "two-way guard."

"I hope you can take care of yourself, stay out of gangs, stay out of drugs, and become a real professional football player like in the book."

"This is a job, just like when I was working on Wall Street, get the right mindset."

Ever since the scandal broke out in the league, Irving felt that his father had become more and more nagging. Gangs, gambling, these elements did not have a clear feeling for the young man.

Hearing his father's whispered admonition, Owen, who was holding a book, could only respond helplessly:
"I know that not all teams are involved in match-fixing. Even if there is a problem with the team, I can change the environment by myself."

The father and son were talking, and many onlookers recognized them. Head coach Bob Hurley praised Irving's talent, and everyone who follows high school basketball knows this talented young man.

Soon Owen appeared in front of Li You, and while handing him the book, he also asked excitedly:

"Uncle Lee! Is there a training camp this year? I can beat those big guys this time."

"Sorry, little guy, we have big training camps in England and France, and later we will go to Spain. My vacation time is almost up, so I must hold one in New York next time."

After finishing his autograph, Li You, who was wearing a black casual suit, comforted the depressed Irving, then stood up and gave Dredrick a simple hug:
"Coach Hurley told me that Kyrie will be selected at the first pick. Congratulations! Keep it up."

"Thank you so much, Lee! I don't know how to thank you enough"

Drederick Irving was very excited. Famous coaches are indeed different from ordinary coaches. He knew that his son was already halfway successful.

The signing event lasted until noon. Irving and his fans wanted to continue watching, but soon a large number of reporters from the New York Times surrounded them. The scandal was still brewing, and this was a perfect opportunity to watch the show.

"I know what you want to know, but I want to assure the fans that the referees' union has done a fair job in the vast majority of games."

"As for wrongful convictions and missed convictions, don't forget that they are also human beings who are affected by emotions and concentration. Respecting each other is the most important thing."

Most referees are very considerate of the Knicks. This is a guarantee of traffic and is also related to the geographical location. As soon as Li You finished speaking, a young reporter asked again with a hint of meaning:

"Lee, will a referee like Tim Donaghy affect the championship? You know, our opponents sometimes get free throws suddenly."

A large number of wild sports commentators have appeared on YouTube in recent days. These videos analyzing penalties and games have received a lot of attention, and the number of fans has skyrocketed in a few days.

Li You also saw the relevant news, but most of them were praising him for his response. Seeing the look of spectators, he raised his eyebrows slightly and said teasingly:

"I remember that the Knicks won nine championships in the past few years. In the face of absolute strength, external factors are irrelevant."

"."

On Sunday, July 7, the Spurs were stripped of their "pure basketball" title by the New York media, unable to win a game even with the help of referees, and Tim Duncan's reputation dropped again.

As the scandal continued to ferment, Kobe's team also bowed to general manager Kupchak and apologized "sincerely" at a press conference held at Loyola Marymount:
"I'm frustrated and I'm venting! I'm bringing my emotions into my work."

"As a man, I shouldn't have done this, and to Mr. Kupchak, I'm sorry it happened this way."

"."

The Knicks renewed their contract with their championship team members, the Celtics formed a "Big Four", and the Lakers left Kobe alone while giving Luke Walton a big contract.

A six-year contract worth $6 million, with a three-fold salary increase, this is the Lakers' response to Kobe - his powerful helper.

At the end of the press conference, Kobe lowered his head and left with his team members, feeling extremely frustrated. This was completely different from Pelinka's plan:

“I need more honor.”

(End of this chapter)