NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 629: Respect, only go all out! (No protagonist chapter)

2009年4月18号星期六，下午4点30分的时候，从麦迪逊广场花园离开的球迷又开始聚集在一起。

The game went as expected before the game. The team with 60+ wins naturally beat the underdog team. However, New York fans were somewhat dissatisfied with the process. Many of them shouted at the top of their lungs:

"coward!"

"The Jokers of Detroit!"

"Fuck AI!"

The shouting and cursing were not enough. As the crowd grew larger and larger, some onlookers who did not buy expensive tickets also began to join in the fun. No one knew who started the shouting, but soon everyone was shouting excitedly:
“Lee! Lee! Lee!”

A large portion of New York fans who bought tickets to watch the game came just to have fun, and Li You did satisfy everyone's emotions, but after Iverson was knocked to the ground after being dunked in the first quarter, he ended up playing only half the game.

Head coach Michael Curry said in an interview during the intermission that Iverson had a recurrence of his back injury, but New York fans did not buy this reason at all. They just wanted to see the Son of Philadelphia get hit hard.

MSG has added some off-court interviews this season, claiming that the Dolan family is willing to listen to fans' opinions, but in fact it is still to sell high-priced tickets and satisfy emotional value.

Tina Chelvasiou, a special correspondent in New York this season, felt that she was wearing too little when she saw these crazy fans trying to force a smile. Fortunately, there were enough staff around her.

Every time the game is over, many people choose to stroll along Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue. In order to be on TV, a group of people flock to the scene and everyone squeezes in front of the camera.

"Hey guys, this is the first game of the playoffs after the ticket prices increased this year. How does it feel to watch the game live?"

As soon as the question was asked, a young and strong black fan squeezed to the front. Amid the shouts and curses from the crowd behind him, he grinned at the camera and praised quickly:
"It feels great! I think the price is worth it to be able to watch Lee teach Iverson a lesson up close. This is the game I was looking forward to, and it was even more exciting than I expected!"

"Lee dunked his opponent. He knew what we wanted to see. He always stood with us. I bought the latest God-Lee. I like this limited edition colorway."

Before Iverson had finished speaking, a fat black fan came up and mocked him again:
"Allen Iverson is a clown. He is scared by Lee. He only talks big and emphasizes that he is the scoring champion. In fact, he is an honor thief!"

"I don't know if this coward is really injured, but he should be responsible for the fans and he must appear in the next game."

The insane logic made everyone in the back laugh, but no one objected. Instead, a young Latino fan who looked like he had just reached adulthood shouted angrily:
"I didn't buy a ticket to see that Pistons rookie! I don't even know his name. Iverson should play like a man instead of using injuries as an excuse!"

"."

When Rodney Stuckey was mentioned, many New York fans started to yell, "Who is this guy? Who would want to see him play against Lee?" After yelling twice, everyone suddenly changed the subject and shouted in unison:

"We need answers!!"

New York fans want to see the opponent's core play hard, such an abstract scene was recorded by MSG
Tina Chelvasiou finally understood why fans of other teams hate New York fans so much. Since the advent of Reddit and Twitter, things have become more and more abstract.

The Pistons players who were preparing to board the bus naturally had no idea what was happening off the court. Iverson, who had changed his clothes, had a long face and ignored the reporters who wanted to interview him, walking very quickly.

"Allen, are you going to skip the next game?"

"Li said that he will play at least 34 minutes in each game in this round of confrontation. He will continue to guard you in G2. What do you want to say about this?"

"Let's talk about that dunk. Lee praised your defense, Allen. Will you respond in the next game?"

"."

The reporters who were chasing after him started shouting, which made Iverson's face even darker with anger. Without even looking at them, he quickly walked up to the bus when he got close to it. After getting on the bus, he could still vaguely hear the shouting.

As teammates got on the bus one after another, the bus started slowly. The nightmare game ended. The bus was very quiet and no one wanted to talk.

84:116, the score difference is not big, but it cannot fully reflect the content of the game.

Rodney Stuckey, who put on headphones as soon as he sat down and kept silent with his head down, was in no mood to laugh at Big Brother. Without Billups, he was beaten badly compared to last season.

Especially in the third quarter, when the Pistons were forced to adopt a joint defense of the basket and tried to test the opponent's shooting, Stuckey completely became a background board. The opponent's pick-and-roll made his defense completely ineffective.

Head coach Michael Curry, who also played for the Pistons in the past and was also the captain, saw his players either looking down or staring out the window, so he had to stand up and say:

"It was just a game, we did a good job and they just took advantage of those chances!"

"Listen, guys, go back to the hotel, don't look at your phone, don't watch sports news, get some sleep, we have two days to prepare, the coaching staff will come up with a solution."

"."

They tried their best to offer some encouragement, but everyone was still in a bad mood. Wilson Chandler, who was invisible throughout the entire audience, even covered his face with his hands. Even now, he still felt that he could hear those mocking shouts.

Rasheed Wallace, who has been a background figure many times, couldn't help but think of Lynch Hunter's words last year. He didn't agree with it before, but now he understands the veteran's feelings.

Age and injuries have taken away some of his athletic ability. Rasheed Wallace only feels that Li You is getting stronger and stronger. He doesn't want to believe it, but he can't suppress his frustration:

"If I continue to lose this year, I will consider retiring. I'm tired of this kind of game."

The assistant coach in front was still loudly guiding the players in the game, but Rasheed Wallace, who was sitting in the back, suddenly whispered, which startled Hamilton next to him, and he subconsciously asked back:
"why?"

Ignoring the surprised looks of his teammates, Rasheed Wallace took off his hat and for the first time, this tough guy really spoke his mind:
"I'm almost 35 years old. I know my physical condition very well. Now I can't run and jump like I used to, but Lee can ride on me and dunk!"

"Hunter is right. This is a 'game' that I am destined to lose. I don't want to play it anymore. I'm tired."

"Lee ruined everything! Even if I continue to play, I will leave the Eastern Conference"

After saying this, Rasheed Wallace fell silent, staring at the hat in his hand. He always believed that the Pistons had a chance to win the championship, but the championship window was ruined by Li You.

The veterans expressed the same sentiment one after another, and Hamilton didn't know how to comfort them. In fact, Li You was very good to the players from the University of Connecticut, and as long as they opened their mouths, he would almost always respond to their requests.

When Caron Butler had some financial troubles, Li You wrote him a check. When Ben Gordon was unhappy with the Bulls when renewing his contract, his agent Matt Bartelstein also provided help.

The University of Connecticut is currently known as the "cradle of shooters". Every player who comes out of the university is a fan of Li, and it is difficult for everyone to personally experience the feelings of a "pure opponent".

Kwame Brown, who had been "watching the show", almost sighed on the spot. Seeing that the coaching staff had no reaction, he knew that the team management did not intend to renew Rasheed Wallace's contract. The Pistons had decided to rebuild, and thinking about his own future, Kwame Brown suddenly felt that playing in New York seemed to be more suitable for him.

Waving the towel, brushing the data, flattering, and hearing the news about the Knicks from the grapevine, Kwame Brown felt that it was pretty good. Rookie Jason Maxiell showed a curious expression on his dark face and suddenly asked in a low voice:
"You and Lee have the same agent? Man, what are you going to do when your contract ends?"

Kwame Brown can still stay in the Pistons for another year. Naturally, he would not say that he wants to "join if he can't beat them". In order to maintain his status as the No. 1 pick, he responded in a low voice:

"If Wallace leaves, I plan to stay and rebuild the team. This is my chance."

Antonio McDyess, who had been silent all the time, knew that the team was completely finished after hearing a few people whispering. This was exactly the same as last season, and the Pistons collapsed first.

At 17:30 p.m., ESPN began broadcasting the two playoff games that had already ended. The Knicks and the Cavaliers both won big against their opponents, which attracted praises from the commentators!
As a well-known sports talk show, PTI often speaks ruthlessly to please the audience. Michael Wilbon was even more rude this time. As soon as the show started, he mocked the Son of Philadelphia:
"Iverson's fans began calling on their idol to take a break on social media, with some even hoping Lee would 'let Allen go'!"

"I can't understand why someone can say such a thing. No matter what kind of opponent you face, giving it your all is the best respect. Li did it!"

"If Iverson could focus all his energy on basketball instead of participating in parties and indulging in fights, maybe he wouldn't have only scored 8 points in the game."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the NBA, not American Idol. Lee scored 38 points in 45 minutes. This is respect for the fans and opponents."

The director cooperated to show the performance of the two core players in G1, and their partner Kornheiser said "Wow" with a smile on his face.

Playing for 13 minutes, 9 of 3 shots, 2 of 0 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 2 free throws, 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, Iverson was suppressed throughout the game, and seemed to be sleepwalking in the first half of the game;

Playing for 34 minutes, he made 20 of 14 shots, 8 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, 12 of 12 free throws, 45 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. Li You checked in for three quarters, continuing his regular season form and continuing to score efficiently.

In the earlier game, with the score at 88:100, the Cavaliers changed their regular season form and started to play a zone defense. The Bulls were silent from beyond the three-point line, with a hit rate of less than 20%, and ultimately lost the game.

LeBron James and Dwight Howard also performed well, both scoring double-doubles and showing even greater dominance.

The newbie Rose did not get any support. Not only did Ben Wallace not have much presence on the offensive end, but he also had his offensive rebounds snatched away by Howard several times on the defensive end.

After the half-hour program ended, Sports Center began to broadcast the highlights of the two games, and the online fans in front of the TV had a great time.

LeBron James made a strong breakthrough in the middle and sent an aerial relay to Howard. It was as if Howard was back in the dunk contest, "slapping" the ball into the basket in a volleyball-like manner;

JR Smith made an outrageous assist in a fast break, and Li You's body formed a reverse "C" shape, knocking Iverson away in the air, grabbing the ball with his right hand and dunking it, causing the Son of Philadelphia to fall and groan in pain.

After the highlights, Grant Hill, who participated in the evening's hosting, smiled again, facing the camera and carefully interpreted the post-match press conference:
"I know Lee, his desire for victory is far beyond people's imagination!"

"In the NBA, the best respect is to give your all. We can look forward to Allen Iverson's response in the next game."

"He is an unyielding fighter. As fans, all we have to do is enjoy the match between the two. This will become a beautiful memory for everyone."

"."

Except for Iverson's fans who thought Li You was "bullying", all sports media in the United States were talking about respect, as if Li You's letting Iverson win was a humiliation to Iverson.

No one likes "Brother Basketball", whether it is media reporters or ordinary fans, everyone prefers to watch "grudge games".

Iverson didn't even have a chance to suffer an "intelligence injury". The game had just ended and the tide of public opinion had already pushed him up. As for whether those commentators really cared about "respect", only they themselves knew.

That night, before the game between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz started, ESPN reporters interviewed players from both teams.

Brandon Roy led the team into the top half of the team, and with the addition of being selected as an All-Star, he has begun to have the status of a big star. When he heard questions about Iverson, he also started to act cool:

"I think the playoffs are a stage for stars! In such an environment, I will not refuse any challenge! Even if my opponent is Lee!"

"."

The low-key Aldridge did not follow the trend. He believes that health is the most important thing. Although he has never encountered the Knicks in the playoffs, he has naturally heard of Li You's "bad reputation."

Deron Williams, who had been beaten, kept shaking his head when he heard the relevant questions, and then turned into "Li Chui" again and said firmly:
"I don't know why anyone would blame Lee. Every game in the playoffs is very important and no one will underestimate any opponent!"

"Lee was just playing his best, he wasn't hurting anybody, that's the greatest respect."

"Before I entered the league, people would always think of Lee when they mentioned Iverson. I think it's a blessing to have such an opponent!"

"."

After returning to the hotel, Iverson did not communicate with anyone, nor did he eat dinner. He locked himself in the room early.

Although the coaching staff hoped that the players would not watch sports news, Iverson couldn't help it. After watching ESPN programs continuously, he got so angry that he broke down and smashed the TV.

"Shet!!"

Iverson's eyes turned red as he yelled and kicked. These commentators pretended to be ignorant even though they knew the truth and openly supported Li You in "humiliating" him.

The more he thought about it, the angrier Iverson became. He threw everything he saw. The loud noise in the room scared the hotel staff so much that soon all the Pistons gathered outside the room.

"Allen, what happened? Open the door! Let's go in and talk."

Head coach Michael Curry shouted repeatedly, with an anxious look on his dark face. Hamilton also hurriedly dissuaded them loudly. The other teammates looked at each other at first, and then spoke up.

Everyone shouted for a long time, but the door of the room still didn't open. The hotel staff was worried that something might have happened, so they had no choice but to find the key. After opening the door, everyone rushed in.

The TV was smashed and almost all items were thrown to the ground. In the mess, Iverson sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He never looked up, as if he had already cried.

Seeing this scene, no one knew what to say. Rasheed Wallace felt inexplicably sad and sighed again in his heart:

"Basketball can be so painful."

(End of this chapter)