NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 565: What's the point of fighting for a middle-class contract! (Daily Chapter)
On Sunday, May 2008, 5, early in the morning, ESPN programs began gossiping about last night's Western Conference Finals. The war of words between O'Neal and Kobe seemed to be escalating!
The score was 3:0, and the old Shark was destined to be eliminated, so he was sarcastic to his old partner after the game, but was refuted by Kobe:

"Without me, he wouldn't have won the championship!"

Unlike O'Neal who spoke at length, Kobe showed his winning spirit in the post-match press conference. A simple sentence once again broke O'Neal's defense.

Some sports reporters even found it funny. The two were just like children quarreling. O'Neal emphasized his MVP and FMVP, while Kobe emphasized that the Lakers could not win the championship without him.

As the war of words between the two sides escalated, O'Neal simply publicly mocked his old teammate on his Twitter:
"I used to think of him as my little brother, but he betrayed me and even caused me a family crisis!"

As an old-school player, Kobe has not registered on any social media except for his personal blog so far, which has led to ESPN's morning program being dominated by O'Neal's remarks.

On the ESPN show that year, Kobe publicly stated that "Shaq did it too." Some young fans didn't know about this and it has now been dug up again.

Coupled with the instigation of the sports media, the feud between the two was magnified again, and the relationship that had been somewhat eased in the past few years returned to a state of "mutual hatred" again.

Sports Center has been on fire since 7 a.m., proving that the general public likes to have fun. The show's ratings this year have increased significantly compared to the same period last year.

It wasn't just the spectators who were watching TV. As there was an important game tonight, Marbury got up early after returning to Boston. The coaching staff asked him to warm up as soon as possible and adjust his physical condition.

From Atlanta to Boston, Marbury's income dropped significantly, but fortunately he made a lot of money in the early stage of his career and his quality of life did not decline.

After moving to the Needham area, the family chose a quiet neighborhood close to parks and schools and not far from the Rivers family.

When his wife Tasha saw her husband's miserable appearance, she felt resentful. Her income was cut in half, and apart from gaining some good reputation, her life had not changed at all.

There are more black people in Atlanta, and the living experience there is actually better than in Boston. After the Christmas game, Boston fans didn't respect Marbury that much, and she was very dissatisfied with this:
"From TV shows to newspapers, everyone is praising Kevin Garnett! Why do you want to make yourself like this? Your salary is less than 300 million!"

"And your sneaker brand loses money every year, and no one appreciates you doing that."

"Those little guys only like Jordan and Lee's sneakers. They would rather spend all their savings than buy ours! Now you've lost money on stocks again. If you stay in Atlanta, you can still play in the playoffs."

After becoming a mother of three children, Tasha has shown a tendency to turn into a black aunt. Not only has her figure grown sideways, but her temper has also become worse and worse.

The two little ones were silent at the table. They had seen this situation too many times. Marbury smiled at his daughters and then interrupted helplessly:

"Don't talk about these things in front of the kids! Basketball is all about respect, and I need to make everyone respect me again."

"What are you worried about?! As long as I win the championship in Boston, I will definitely get a big contract, the last big contract of my career!"

"The money lost will be doubled back, and I can take them to the championship parade"

The eldest daughter, Stephanie, is the fruit of love with her high school girlfriend. She is 13 years old this year and seems to be entering a rebellious period. She showed a nonchalant look on her face and complained in a low voice when she heard these words:

"Everyone is laughing at you. No one believes Boston can win the championship. We can go to New York to participate in the parade. It's not far away anyway."

"."

Marbury's smile froze. No matter where he played, he would return to New York every offseason. When his daughter grew up, he would bring the little one to join in the championship parade.

Time eventually changes everything. When the New York Championship Parade became an annual fixture and New York's sports fan base grew in size, Stephanie tended to be "assimilated."

Realizing that they had said something wrong, the two little ones looked at each other and fell silent again. Only Tasha kept nagging from time to time.

Marbury did lose money before, but he made a lot of money. This season he won more, but his income plummeted.

"The Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 will start at 20:30 tonight. Lee has a chance to continue to expand his Finals record!"

"The Knicks have led the team to the finals for 11 consecutive years. It is said that the Knicks have begun producing a documentary about it."

The host of Sports Center on TV was still talking about the Knicks. Marbury became even more silent after hearing the voice. He had wanted to play in New York since he was a child, but now this dream was shattered:

"Will win!"

The Celtics were warming up at the TD Garden this morning, and the atmosphere was a bit dull. After two games, everyone on the team had the same feeling:
“The gap is too big.”

The Knicks have a more ferocious defense, more skilled coordination, stronger ball response ability and deeper lineup depth than them.

The Celtics have been away from the playoffs for many years, and we didn't have any personal experience before. Videos are just videos after all. This is the first year of the "Big Four" together, and they are currently lagging behind in all aspects.

Danny Ainge also appeared in the stadium. Not only the general manager, but also the team legends were present. The old guys of the Celtics will come to cheer tonight.

There were cameras and sports reporters on the sidelines. Head coach Rivers remained confident in front of everyone, and gave passionate commands from time to time, breaking the dull atmosphere.

After the assistant coaches took over the work, Rivers came to Danny Ainge, his smile gone, his voice getting deeper, and he whispered depressedly with his hands on his waist:
"How the hell did they do it? Why didn't the League stop them?"

Danny Ainge is aware of Rivers' doubts. The Knicks were able to maintain a 9-man rotation in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the first two games, Li You's personal playing time was less than 35 minutes and his statistics were "mediocre."

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks had multiple players scoring in double digits, and even first-year rookie Thaddeus Young had playing time.
This means that the opponent did not exert their strength, and it also means that the Celtics' tactics were completely ineffective.

"The draft, we all know it, is the draft, Chicago gave them some big gifts! I've said it before, don't make any deals with New York!"

When talking about the stupid operations of the Bulls, the expression on Danny Ainge's face became a little distorted. In his opinion, it was a great shame that the agent could ride on the head of the management.

"If we lose again in tonight's game, we must be prepared in advance and everyone needs to make sacrifices, otherwise it will be difficult for the team to make too many moves in the free market."

Rivers looked at Danny Ainge's serious expression, resisted the urge to refute, and finally nodded helplessly, responded casually, saying that he knew, and then couldn't help asking:
"How long do I have? I know management is losing patience."

Forming the "Big Four" means failure if they don't win the championship. Both of them know this, but Danny Ainge still smiled and painted a big pie for the other party:
"Doug, you are the soul of this team! We all know your coaching ability, and no one in the league is more suitable for this position than you!" "."

Rivers forced a smile on his dark face and cursed in his heart. He had a premonition that if he continued to lose, he would have to prepare for his next job in less than two years.

In a dull atmosphere, the Celtics finished their warm-up at 11:30. No one accepted much interviews. After returning to the locker room, Garnett encouraged his teammates again:
"I don't want to say we still have a chance after losing the game. Even a rookie knows the result of losing tonight!"

“Everyone has to fight.”

The familiar encouragement made Pierce raise his head and subconsciously look at Marbury who was still applying ice to his ribs. They fought in the last game and ended up getting beaten badly.

Marbury did not refute his old partner's words. Instead, he was the first to respond, saying that he would try his best tonight and continue to pester Li You.

Perkins, who had been invisible in the first two games, also agreed. There was not much he could do except screen and rebound. He had an angry expression on his black face and said loudly:
"If we win two home games, we can turn this series around in one fell swoop! Kevin is right, we have to unite!"

Although Ray Allen did not believe his teammates' words, he did not say anything sarcastic in the locker room. Instead, he responded quickly and offered his own suggestions:

"We have to seize those three-point shooting opportunities! We can't win with 17 of 4. Once the hit rate drops, I hope everyone can attack the basket more. We need to practice more free throws in the afternoon."

"."

Tony Allen, Glen Davis and other new players also spoke up. Veteran Cassell noticed that Pierce had not expressed his opinion, so he turned around and asked him:
"Pau, what support do you need? We will provide you with the greatest help. You know, in some rounds, someone has to stand up and take responsibility."

This scene made Pierce feel familiar. Before the last game, Garnett was also mobilizing, but it was Marbury who was "beaten" in the game.

The latter was almost elbowed to the point of doubting his life, but Garnett did not suffer any "injury" because he was facing the gentle Gasol.

In the Eastern Conference, if we talk about which players know Artest best, Pierce would definitely be in the top 5. The two had a conflict when competing for the All-Star position and they fight every year.

Although he didn't want to admit Artest's defensive ability, but now that he was behind by a large margin, Pierce didn't pretend anymore. He lowered his head slightly and said in a muffled voice:
"I may need more screens. During the game, I may be slow to warm up and may need more shots!"

"."

Pierce explained a lot of details of the game, which should have been the job of the coaching staff. Unfortunately, Rivers has been busy making chicken soup recently. He only arranged tactical strategies but did not give specific implementation methods.

Cassell nodded. He would not laugh at his teammates. As a veteran, his job was to solve the team's problems:
"Ray, Stephen, you can also participate in the screen. The opponent likes to switch defense, which can allow Pau to receive the ball in more back-to-the-basket situations. He has a weight advantage and will definitely get more free throws tonight."

In a mismatched one-on-one game, a foul required a free throw. Cassell showed no emotion when talking about the penalty. It was with this home-court advantage that they eliminated the Cavaliers.

Eddie House, who was DNPed, also got excited. While clapping his hands in encouragement, he also loudly suggested to Pierce:
"Let Li get a foul early. That rookie on the bench will definitely be scared by our home court!"

"."

Garnett glared, Ray Allen smiled and encouraged, Marbury punched excitedly, Pierce saw his teammates' performance and quickly responded with a smile, but he was still a little nervous:
“Will the game go so smoothly?”

Since Boston is not far from New York, Li You has completely gotten rid of the "fatigue" state after arriving at the away game. The intense exercise on the plane really consumed a lot of his energy.

During the team's warm-up in the afternoon, the basket screws were loose, which delayed a lot of time. D'Antoni was so angry that he complained to the sports reporters on the sidelines before the training was over:
"Did you guys record it? Damn it! I guarantee there was nothing wrong with the basket a few hours ago!"

"."

Most of the reporters who were eager to watch the fun responded with a smile. They also received news that the Celtics planned to set off more indoor fireworks before the game started tonight.

The reason given by Boston was also very legitimate. After a long absence, they entered the Eastern Conference Finals again, and they had to celebrate. As for the indoor air problem, it was not important.

What the mustache guy is dissatisfied with is the attitude of the league. He firmly believes that the Celtics are not their opponents, but he does not want to lose players in the divisional finals, which will affect the subsequent finals.

In the end, the Knicks' warm-up ended hastily in one half, and the staff kept repairing the basketball rack under the pretext of ensuring the game.

After returning to the locker room, the atmosphere group started cursing, saying that the wealthy teams were so low-class that they resorted to such boring little tricks.

The last time Li You came to Boston for the playoffs was in early 00. After the series ended, he lost his two superficial brothers, and Antoine Walker has not contacted him until now.

Chicken soup is not popular with the Knicks. It is already the end of May, and the free market will open in another month. Most of the players have already gone fishing, and their agents have also started to take action.

Returning to his seat, Li You noticed that Raja Bell was cursing happily with the atmosphere group. When they had a drink of water, he casually said:

"Matt told me that the team will definitely offer a big contract. Raja, don't listen to those boring commentators who write about the 'middle-class trap'. 500 million is a rookie's salary!"

"We will play together in the next few years. As for what will happen after that, I don't know. In a few years, I may retire."

"God won't always take care of me. One injury may cause me to decline, so I won't promise anything that will happen in five years."

As a player in the contract year, Raja Bell's statistics this season are not good. JR Smith has reduced his playing time. Hearing Li You's disguised promise, he was immediately delighted:
"Lee, God will always take care of you! We will all pray to God!"

"."

Flattery came out of his mouth, and the atmosphere in the locker room became more and more heated. It seemed that everyone wanted to get some promises. Artest even laughed at his opponent:
"Stephen Marbury is an idiot! He took a pay cut and got a middle-class contract, but he's still being laughed at!"

The laughter in the locker room made Rajon Rondo feel a little uncomfortable. In fact, he admired Marbury for playing hard, and he didn't feel anything about the contract. Looking at the sycophants, he couldn't help but secretly curl his lips:

"The media should really record this scene!"

(End of this chapter)