NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 522 "The Best Leader" (7000 words chapter)
In late August 2007, as the America's Cup got underway, basketball fans were turning their attention away from the betting scandal.

After more than half a month of fermentation, the American media unanimously agreed that this scandal will become a major stain on David Stern, and the league's handling of the matter made many people laugh.

After getting a hint from the judge, Tim Donaghy's lawyer revealed a list of about 20 people, including not only referees but also league officials.

What relieved the worried president was that ESPN/ABC and TNT's confidence in the NBA remained unwavering.

John Skipper, ESPN's executive vice president of content, has been making frequent appearances recently and has made public statements more than once:
"We do not anticipate this to have a significant impact on broadcast agreements."

Turner Sports spokesman Sal Petrucci looked relaxed, even taking the initiative to joke in the face of endless questions from reporters:

"Anyone who questions the fairness of NBA games should watch the Knicks' games in recent years."

"We don't think the referees can affect Lee. If I remember correctly, Lee's true shooting percentage in this year's playoffs was 79%."

"That almost means he'll score every time he shoots, so let's get back to basketball and continue to enjoy Lee's performance, don't forget he's 30 years old this year, and cherish his playing time."

For New York fans, the betting scandal is a thing of the past. Recently, the Knicks and the French national team had a quarrel over the insurance issue of Dio.

When preparing for the European Championships, Dio developed back strain. The team trainer reported the problem immediately, and the Knicks then asked the French national team to buy insurance.

A New York Times columnist estimated that the policy would cost more than $10. The French national team did not want to spend money and insisted on buying insurance, so the Knicks had to pay for it themselves.
During the offseason, Dio just signed a five-year, $5 million contract with the team, with the last year being a player option.

The Suns were the team that raised the price the most aggressively before this, offering Dio a $4500 million contract. The new general manager Steve Kerr seemed to like the New York player.

In the end, James Dolan cut the Gordian knot, spent money directly and finalized the deal.

General Manager Donnie Walsh's troubles have just begun. He gave Dio a premium contract, and JR Smith, who is in his contract year in the new season, will also ask for a high price.

There is no turning back after this start. Unless you keep paying, you are doomed to be poached.

At the end of July, the Knicks paid a luxury tax of more than 7 million US dollars to the league, which is unique. The Mavericks, who ranked behind them, only paid more than 3000 million.

Although the other party paid a lot of salary, he successfully avoided taxes. James Dolan even teased him at the owner's meeting in Orlando. The former "good friends" turned into enemies.
New York fans don't care about these things. They know how much money the Knicks make.

The ticket price is almost over 11 yuan. Many people can't even afford to park their car to watch a game, and most young people can only drive No. .

Every year, there are tourists from all over the world who come to New York to travel. When they come here, they must go to the basketball mecca to watch a game, which allows the team to make a lot of money in the surrounding areas every year.

Even if the luxury tax exceeds 5000 million in the future, most New York fans will not have any sympathy. After making so much money, they should give back, right?

On Thursday, August 8, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets praised LeBron James' performance in the America's Cup:

"James, who lost himself in the Eastern Conference Finals, has completed his transformation and is producing 'Lee-style numbers' in the national team."

So far in the America's Cup, LeBron James has made 59 of 47 shots, with a hit rate of 79.7%, and 20 of 14 three-pointers, with a hit rate of 70%, which is also far ahead of all players in the tournament.

In yesterday's game against Uruguay, James played only 14 minutes, made 11 of 11 shots, including 4 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 26 points in the first half.

Such performance also makes James a leader in the eyes of basketball critics. After all, basketball still relies on strength, and no one can match this Excel.

As for the other leader of the team, Kobe Bryant, he was ignored by a group of sports reporters. That morning, everyone interviewed the leader James, who did not get cocky, but just said calmly:
"I have the best teammates now, and it's not something to be proud of to hand over such data."

"I learned a lot from playing with the championship team, and although I am still frustrated about the loss in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, I also grew after the loss."

"Now I know clearly how to lead a team."

Sports reporters in Los Angeles have been paying attention to Kobe. In August, the Celtics made continuous moves, signing free agents Eddie House and James Posey.

In the Eastern Conference, with the resurgence of this old powerhouse, the Heat was the first to fall behind. The current lineup was dismantled, and O'Neal's old teammate Anfernee Hardaway was signed.

You know, Hardaway originally wanted to go to New York to get a ring, but his agent threw all his eyebrows to the blind man. New York had no response, and even Boston politely refused.

Under such circumstances, the fact that this outdated All-Star can still join the Heat is enough to show that the other team has a high probability of giving up the championship. It has become a consensus that old men cannot win the basketball championship.

The Lakers did not make any moves in August, and there was no big deal that the commentators expected. Kobe talked to old Buss once and he didn't ask for a transfer again.

All these phenomena indicate that the Lakers seem to be focusing on selling tickets in the new season. As for Kobe's dream of winning the championship, it seems impossible now.
Coach Krzyzewski has been speaking well of Kobe, and fearing misunderstandings, he took the initiative to talk about past topics in front of reporters:
"In 04, I had the opportunity to coach the Lakers, and Kobe left a deep impression on me at that time."

"After meeting him in the national team, I think he is better than I thought. He never considers the statistics and always requires defending the opponent's key players on the perimeter in every game."

"This spirit has always inspired the team. Kobe makes the team better and better. He is an outstanding leader."

Kobe, who was called a leader by the head coach, was in a bad mood. Argentina successfully avoided the United States in the semi-finals. He wanted to focus all his attention on the final, but reporters did not see it that way.

"Kobe, will you attend the Lakers' training camp in Hawaii this year? What do you think of the team's offseason operations?"

"Bynum believes that he is the future of the team. Is there still any conflict between you?"

"O'Neal thinks Dr. Buss made the wrong choice, and now he claims Wade has surpassed you."

Kobe's face turned even uglier when he heard the last question, but his management team had already warned him, so he just glared at the other party and answered expressionlessly:

"We haven't won the championship yet, now I want to focus on the next game"

"Kobe, do you need this medal to prove yourself?"

In response to the ESPN reporter's question, Kobe just turned his head and raised a finger to show that he has the championship.

However, such an arrogant answer made many reporters dissatisfied. Kobe took only two steps when he heard someone whispering in a sarcastic tone:

"Lee never showed off his nine rings to us, let alone his nine Finals MVP trophies."

"He's not even the best player in Laker history!"

When Kobe turned around, the sound disappeared. It was obvious that someone was deliberately making things difficult for him.

Since the public trade, Kobe has found that many reporters lack respect for him, and many people even treat him as a joke, as Buss and the Los Angeles media have teamed up to flatter him.

Kidd scored zero points in several games, and Kobe helped a lot. When he saw his teammates in trouble, he immediately went to rescue them:

"You can wait until the media day at the end of September to ask questions about the new season. We can't lose the championship again."

Kobe, who was dragged away by Kidra, still looked angry. He didn't understand why he always encountered such problems and no one respected his championship.

On the evening of Monday, September 9, the European Basketball Championship officially kicked off in Spain.

Li You, who was in France not long ago to attend the Hook event, has already flown here. Matt Parker, who has become the CEO of Hook, is also here. The two are on vacation recently.

In a few days, Madison Square Garden will hold its annual wheelchair charity race, and Li You will have to return to Manhattan then.

Also coming to Seville were Scarlett and Catherine. The former had recently participated in Marvel's promotional activities in San Diego, and the latter had been helping to look after the house at Peninsula Manor.

In the game that just ended, Latvia narrowly defeated Croatia, and only 5000 people poured into the San Pablo Municipal Conference Arena at that time.

By 21 p.m., with the host Spain taking the stage, this stadium that can accommodate more than 1 people was finally filled with spectators.

Facing Portugal, the Spanish men's basketball team naturally had a huge advantage, so the atmosphere before the game was very cheerful. The organizers even invited Li You to give a speech before the game to satisfy the curiosity of the spectators.

Since arriving here, it was the Real Madrid Club that hosted Li You and his party. The president Raymond Calderon was very enthusiastic, and related news could always be seen in major newspapers.

Li You's fluent Spanish surprised many fans, but this is Gasol's home court, so he simply greeted him and stopped trying to steal the spotlight.

Back in the front row, Matt Parker, wearing a striped shirt, had a "that's how it should be" look on his face. During the final warm-up before the game, he said with a smile:
"The Spanish side is the right approach. Gasol should be the busiest player. It's an insurance policy that satisfies both sides."

"D'Antoni will definitely have a headache in Alicante. The French national team is too stingy!"

Since the Knicks proposed that insurance must be purchased for players, Spain has responded positively, but the French team remains the same, claiming that it depends on the "personal wishes of the players."

The mustache guy was enjoying a wonderful vacation in Spain, but after hearing the news that Dior had back strain, he was forced to get involved in the dispute between his own team and the national team.

Li You was powerless to do anything about this situation. The Knicks did not want Gasol to participate in international competitions every year, especially when they were aiming for the championship. Too many competitions would greatly increase the risk of injuries.

But most European players will not refuse the call-up. After all, those who can play in the NBA will be the absolute core of the national team when they return to the national team.

"I'm not interested in participating in this debate. You want to support James? I thought you would choose Kobe in the end."

Li You returned to his seat, took the drink handed to him by Scarlett, and started chatting casually about gossip. Such an attitude surprised Matt Parker a little. He thought that the suggestion of not participating in the Olympics would make Li You dissatisfied.

"We did a survey and found that more people hate Kobe than like him. Don't forget the feminists who will always protest."

"I don't want to see the ads being shot and then re-shot. The most important thing is that James is too young."

Matt Parker casually mentioned the sponsor's plan without paying attention to the female companion next to him. The feminist protest against illegal invasion has not been resolved.

In this regard, Hook is too lazy to invest more resources in Kobe, such as the public relations for the new season MVP. It is likely to become Li You VS LeBron James. Kobe has no chance of winning the award.

The third generation of sneakers no longer continues the "skin-changing technology". After two years of precipitation, the new technology has also received feedback. This year, Li You's real signature shoes will return with the MVP.

According to Hook's plan, the new sneakers will be on the market before the All-Star Weekend, and Li You, James, and Durant will receive more resources. Kobe will eventually be abandoned because of the decline in sneaker sales.

Li You shrugged his shoulders and didn't comment on the matter. At the end of his career, Hook hoped that he could continue to create records, complete consecutive championships and achieve MVP re-election. The relevant plan was officially put on the agenda after Nowitzki, the MVP, was eliminated in the first round. With the poor quality of the league's stars, public relations will be more handy.

The game officially started at 21:30, the first quarter was 13:23, and at the end of the first half, the score was fixed at 21:46. The host dominated the game.

Li You, who was watching the game at ease, would whisper to his female companion from time to time. During the halftime break, he participated in a shooting activity. As the three-pointers continued to hit, the cheers soon became unified:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Li You made a one-handed throw from the sidelines, and the crowd cheered excitedly. This shooting feeling was even more outrageous when seen live.
In the end, the host's first game completely turned into a warm-up match. Gasol easily scored 19 points and Gasol Jr. also contributed a game-high 7 rebounds.

56:82, the game ended earlier than expected.

After the game, players from both teams crowded to the sidelines to greet Li You, and some young players even asked for his autograph. There was no communication barrier between the two sides, and the flattery was also very smooth.

Gasol Jr. has often appeared in New York in recent years. As a second-round pick, he naturally will not attend this year's draft. The "rough brother" is still a little "fat".

"If there weren't a competition later, you should really stay at my house for a few days! Li, thank you for your care."

Gasol played for a few days under Coach Hurley in high school. Although he was described by the famous coach as having "average talent" compared to his brother, Gasol is still very grateful for the experience.

Hearing the other party's gruff thanks, Li You could only smile and pat his brother who still had to continue losing weight, then turned to Gasol and teased:
"Kobe will definitely push him to lose weight. You know, he's going crazy now."

Gasol, who was wearing a training suit, shook his head helplessly, looked at his brother, and said with some regret:

"Mark didn't want to play as a substitute and didn't like the environment of the Lakers. He decided to stay in Spain for another year. He needed playing time to prepare for the Olympics."

When the two brothers mentioned the Lakers locker room environment, they both subconsciously expressed their disdain. How could a fishing team have so many problems?
When Li You and his group were about to leave, Matt Parker hugged his female companion and said meaningfully:

"This is why we didn't choose Kobe. He shouldn't humiliate Kupchak. This makes his reputation worse. Even the Spanish rookies look down on him. James is obviously a better choice."

"Unless he wins another championship, do you think he has a chance?"

The careers of the two completely overlapped. Li You hugged Catherine and laughed softly, thinking of the recent reports about who would win the championship, and teased:
"Unless he's 23, too, you know, time is not on his side."

"."

It was already late at night when they returned to the Alfonso Hotel suite. Shopping and strolling had kept them awake. Scarlett, wearing a black suspender dress, untied her red hair while gossiping about the behind-the-scenes work of the movie:
"What if it doesn't do well at the box office? Honey, the ending of the movie sucks, and they're going to reshoot that part."

Just like what the script reviews said, the movie did turn into a fight between tin cans, and Scarlett Johansson complained to the director about this many times in San Diego.

The result was that the comic exhibition had good publicity, but Merrill Lynch and Ax Capital both expressed their dissatisfaction to Marvel, and the two sides were unhappy again.
Li You, who had just taken a shower and was wrapped in a towel, rested his head on the big bed with his arms resting on his head and quietly watched the succubus's performance. The succubus noticed that Li You didn't seem to care about it, so she immediately rode on him and said seriously:

"If the first movie loses money, the stock price will definitely fall. That's tens of millions."

Perhaps it was because she played too many daily games, Scarlett, who had become a mother, had a more hoarse voice. After saying this, she began to calculate how much she would lose in the end on this investment.

"Don't worry, it's not coming out this year. Investing in a movie is just an experiment. Have you ever seen an investment that never loses money?"

When Catherine came out of the bathroom while drying her hair, she heard Scarlett still complaining about the board's selection of people. She remembered that Li You was planning to let the other party "bring in funds" and immediately teased:
"Commercial movies are all like this. How do you like my underwear?"

Seeing the other person's beautiful figure, the succubus shifted her attention. Li You also stood up and praised her. Soon the three of them started tonight's competition.

The succubus who couldn't stand the teasing finally put all her worries behind her. When her huge white eyes began to deform, she could only remind him with a trembling voice:
"K! The DV is at the end of the bed."

On Saturday, September 9, Kobe's victory in the America's Cup once again helped him reverse some of his reputation. In the match against Argentina, he had an extremely outstanding performance, scoring 8 points!
The Los Angeles Times praised Kobe, calling him the "best leader" of the American team, but sports reporters in Cleveland did not buy it and believed that James was the best player on the team.

The two sides started fighting in the air, and even Reddit became lively, with a 23VS24 posture.

New York fans don't care about these things because Artest and JR Smith recently did something big. The two gathered their followers and had a great time, but eventually they had a car accident in the middle of the night.

JR Smith's friends died almost immediately, Artest suffered a leg injury, and several of his followers were also seriously injured.

The main reason why this incident attracted so much attention was because of old Smith. When he heard that his son had a car accident, he was so scared that he cried out to God when he arrived at the hospital.

Upon learning that his son had injured his shoulder and leg, and according to the doctor, he almost fainted, he was later assured that it would not affect his basketball career, and old Smith cried with joy.
Smith Sr.'s behavior of showing no concern for his son's deceased friend caused a lot of trouble.

You have to know that followers are all "family members". Now that something has happened to your family, you behaved like this. Your friend's mother almost scratched you on the spot.

After the news media exaggerated the report, it was revealed that the cause of the car accident was "too many flying leaves."

As an agent, Matt Bartelstein had to clean up the mess. The gossip has been going on for almost a week, and the two's experience has become the target of criticism from many basketball commentators.

On Sunday the 9th, Li You was attending a charity wheelchair basketball game at Madison Square Garden that night when he saw two teammates in wheelchairs.
Many well-known sports stars are invited to attend the annual charity game. Marbury, who was not invited in previous times, returned to his "original dream place" this time.

The main members of the Celtics were all there. Before the game started, many reporters surrounded the "Big Four". Doug Rivers, who also attended the event, also enjoyed the spotlight.

As the host, Li You kept greeting the celebrities present, and he especially treated the father and daughter Brembo and Georgina with great hospitality.

Many people came to the town hall, and when they had to leave with their father, Georgina playfully touched her belly and left with a low smile.
He was startled at first, but after he reacted, Li You let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the arrival of his friend prevented the onlookers from noticing this, and many reporters followed Ray Allen over here.

"How's it like being in Boston? I remember when you always wanted to play there."

After the two of them bumped fists, Li You covered his mouth and whispered. Ray Allen, dressed in sportswear, first punched his friend, then smiled bitterly:

"This feels terrible! Coach made me a three-point shooter!"

As more and more people filled the stadium, the atmosphere became more and more lively. Perkins, who was participating in the event for the first time, showed a happy look on his face. When a reporter interviewed him, he took the opportunity to say:
"I can't wait to start the new season. We have been practicing together all summer and it feels great!"

"I want to say a few words for Ray. Seattle shouldn't let that rookie go. Talented players may not necessarily adapt to the NBA. Durant is not a monster like Oden."

"Rookies should learn to respect veterans. I know he has made a request to the team. When the regular season starts, we will help Ray complete his revenge."

The league is full of big brothers, and Perkins can only pick on the weak and scold Durant to make himself feel important.

Marbury's parents and brothers were also present. It is an "honor" to be invited to such a large-scale charity event.

Perhaps it was the first time that Marbury enjoyed the "protagonist" treatment. The emotional Marbury had already forgotten the prepared remarks. After a few provocations from the New York reporter, he quickly spoke his true feelings:
"I have always loved this city and I dream of returning here. No matter where I am, I am a New York kid."

"Stephen, if you support New York, you can choose to join the Knicks! Become Lee's helper, with a mid-level contract, the Dolan family will not be stingy."

The New York Post reporter showed his chicken feet and once again pointed the finger at the "Son of New York" who betrayed him. When Marbury heard this question, he was speechless for a while. After holding it in for a long time, he only said:

"I don't think I'm worse than Li. I just lack a coach who appreciates me and a bigger stage."

One is a "bad team brush", and the other is the real GOAT. Hearing this answer, many New York reporters in the back were laughing.

"Brush" is not worthy of being a "Son of New York". Marbury may not know that he has long been expelled from the "New York Citizenship" by New York fans.
Unlike Marbury, who was tough except for his words, former MVP Garnett was very low-key. He just frowned and said when he saw Ray Allen leaving several people behind early to chat with his opponent:

"It's dangerous! Pau, make it clear to him later. If you want to win, you should have less dealings with Li."

"We will retire in a few years, and he will have plenty of time by then. This guy must act with us in the future!"

Paul Pierce was not dissatisfied with Garnett's assignment. Instead, he felt that his brother's words made a lot of sense. He was also a little proud of being the focus of the league. At this time, he said arrogantly:

"Look at those two guys in wheelchairs, and the Knicks are offering a $4800 million contract to a backup who plays garbage time."

"Our chance is here, and it won't take long for Ray to realize it. 60 wins, I think we can easily achieve our goal."

Head coach Doc Rivers expanded his assistant coaching team during the offseason, opened a mini training camp in advance, and revealed the goals for the new season to the players:

“60 wins, champion!”

If the “Big Four” don’t win a championship, it will be a failure. In a few years, their peak period will have passed and the championship window will be directly closed.

This time, Pierce was no longer disgusted by the coach's thick chicken soup, but "drank" it with relish. When the exhibition game started, the four of them sat together, and Ray Allen was quickly reminded:

"Ray, you know our only opponent is the Knicks, you shouldn't talk so much with Lee!"

“Sometimes friendship makes you weak”

"??"

Ray Allen, who was originally happily watching the game, was suddenly confused after hearing what he heard.

Looking at Pierce's smug face, and then at the two unlucky Knicks players in wheelchairs in front of the technical desk, Ray Allen finally pulled a face, covered his mouth, turned his head and whispered:

"Listen, basketball is just a job, and I don't like other people messing with my life!"

"Lee will be my son's godfather, take back your words."

Coach Rivers didn't know what was going on in the team. At halftime, he was smiling like a flower, and even had the mood to "declare war" in front of the New York reporters:
"The only one who can defeat the Knicks is ourselves. Lee is right. It seems that God is on our side!"

"Kevin is the best leader, his energy will infect his teammates! Yes, we are ready!"

"."

(End of this chapter)