NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 642: Second Place is also Excellent! (Daily Chapter)

On Monday, May 2009, 5, LeBron James' traffic surged after he was successfully interviewed on the CBS program "18 Minutes" on Sunday.

The emerging social media is naturally not as good as blockbuster TV programs. Sports Illustrated used "The chosen one" as its title and cover a few years ago, but that was only a matter of the sports circle.

Interestingly, Sports Illustrated used the same headline during Lee Yoo’s rookie season, so James is technically considered a “second generation.”

The CBS program allowed American audiences to get to know James better. He was noticed by many scouts at the age of 12, his games were broadcast live by ESPN during high school, and he signed a big contract with Hooker as soon as he entered the league.

This experience made him a natural "protagonist". Coupled with his mother Gloria James's stories about his difficult life in the past, James, who has the "standard experience of a superstar", has become an inspirational idol.

"60 Minutes" reporter Steve Croft even went to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School with James, and the second half of the interview was all about reminiscing about the good and the bad.

The shot that fans talked about the most was James, wearing a training suit, on the high school basketball court. He casually threw the ball into the basket from the midfield, and the camera crew was excited.

"I have never relaxed my requirements on myself. In the past few seasons, I have spent more time on three-point shooting training."

"You know, following in the footsteps of great players is what young people should do. Although I don't have the talent like Lee, as long as I work hard, my shooting will definitely improve!"

When the two sat down face to face and talked, James took the initiative to talk about his "crazy training", which made Steve Kroft, who was wearing a black striped suit, nod repeatedly in front of the camera.

Steve Kroft made no secret of his love for James, and at the end of the show he deliberately joked:
"When you haven't entered the NBA yet, you don't know the influence of Sports Illustrated and think it's just an ordinary magazine. Now you are on 60 Minutes. How do you feel?"

James smiled happily. He certainly knew how difficult it was to do an interview. Hook also made a lot of efforts:
"I feel a little pressure. When I was a kid, my coach told me that basketball is like a car. It can take me to where I want to go. I didn't understand it in the past, but now I understand the meaning of this sentence."

"At 24, I still have a lot to learn. I want to be as successful as Lee. I know I can't make that kind of huge fortune, but I will keep working hard and grow together with my family and friends."

"."

At the end of the interview, James also explained why he fired his former agent and why he believed in his good brother to form LRMR. Partner Maverick Carter made a low-key statement:
"Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Lee, they are the best role models."

The only thing that people criticize is that James' childhood friend Randy Mims excitedly expressed his hope that the Chosen One can gain a fortune of 10 billion US dollars in the future. Apart from this point, it is perfect.

After leading the team to 24 wins, the 67-year-old James has become the "face of the future", which has also attracted more fans to pay attention to the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps the championship will start this year!
Although Li You looks young, as the 31-year-old "Old Deng", most basketball commentators believe that his career is about to end.

Well-known basketball commentator Bill Simmons not only talked about this incident in his ESPN column, but also made a bold inference on his personal blog:
"If Lee really completes his eighth consecutive championship, he will most likely retire before the age of 8, and that will be his last contract after the new labor agreement comes into effect."

"."

Since Li You was really winning, and was getting closer to his 8th consecutive championship, all the basketball commentators started to speculate on his retirement date.

This is also the reason why the league began to tilt resources towards James. The next traffic leader will be the Chosen One!
He experienced "hardships" in the early stage of his career, constantly honed his skills, stayed in Cleveland, and led the team to break the "championship curse". One man, one city, James' story is full of stories.

David Stern has the script ready, just waiting for LeBron James to make a seamless transition.

Under the huge amount of exposure, the Chosen One couldn't stand it either. He frequently appeared in newspapers and gave interviews this week. He even forgot about the locker room and didn't notice that Dwight Howard was becoming so jealous!
This situation is also closely related to the "thigh-clinging" coach Mike Brown. If it were Van Gundy, James would have been "pulled back" long ago, but Brown added fuel to the fire:

"LeBron will not only win a championship for Cleveland, he will start a new dynasty. His talent is simply a gift from God!"

"."

Before leaving on Monday morning, Mike Brown, who was interviewed by a local sports reporter in Cleveland, gave a lot of praise, which completely ignited the emotions of local fans, and victory seemed to be just around the corner.

The reason why Cavaliers fans are so happy and confident is mainly because James is too young. In another 4 years, he will only be 28 years old. Even if Li You keeps winning, they still have a great chance of winning the championship.

Considering that Dwight Howard is only 23 years old, there is no reason for such a combination to fail. God is helping.

The future is promising and limitless. The huge exposure also made the Cavaliers fans swell and start to loan the future. Some old fans expressed their gratitude to Van Gundy, calling the championship coach the "founder of the dynasty"!
ESPN data expert Hollinger did not miss this hot topic. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he threw out a detailed Excel in the afternoon, ready to give out his own "gift":
"In the 2008-09 season, LeBron James was the best player since Lee!"

"."

He dominates the list with advanced statistics and has high efficiency in basic statistics, with a victory contribution value of 20.3 and an efficiency value of 31.7. Such statistics have only been seen in Li You in the past few years. He deserves the title of the second best player in the league.

The last person to receive this honor was Tracy McGrady, who was also praised by Hollinger. In the end, the "second man" met Li You in the playoffs and was swept.

In order to warm up for Wednesday's game, TNT also began to promote LeBron James' strength in the program. The chosen one who led the team to 67 wins can be said to have reached the peak of his life.

The American sports media were instructed to start promoting LeBron James, while the British sports media continued to report on Li You's news.

In addition to The Sun gossiping about Lee You's family members, mainstream media such as The Guardian, The Times, BBC Sport, and Sky Sports all reported on the weekend party.

Manchester United won the championship, so Li You naturally held a celebratory dinner.

In addition to club executives and board members, Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner, Arsenal major shareholder Stan Kroenke and Liverpool owner Gillette's son all attended the party.

The Guardian was close to the scene and even found out that Boston Red Sox owner John Henry was also there.

Considering the commercial attributes of the team, many fans feel that it won’t be long before another Premier League team is acquired.

Since the Liverpool Football Club was acquired in 07, fans have been frantically boycotting Gillette and Tom Hicks in recent years. The former wanted to sell his shares but was ultimately stopped by his partners.

The relationship between head coach Rafael Benítez and the management of the two owners is becoming increasingly tense, which is why the spectators are paying attention to the news.

Manchester United fans also boycotted at first, but results don’t lie. In comparison, Li You’s red football capital is simply an "angel"!
Not only does he make money with his family, he also invests madly in youth training and infrastructure.

The 17-year-old Neymar has become the focus of Manchester fans. The Brazilian boy will become an adult next year, and the old man Ferguson has taken the initiative to express his intention to let the young man report to the first team.

Last year, the team just signed the Brazilian brothers Rafael and Fabio. Only extreme fans called for more opportunities for local players.
On Monday night, Manchester United's own radio station MUTV broadcast a clip of the dinner and a personal interview with Li You, and fans also got the news they have been paying attention to this season: "C Ronaldo is about to fulfill his dream of becoming the emperor of the country."

The host Mark Jones was humorous. After introducing the guests, he began to praise the management. The Manchester United fans who were invited became even more excited and cheered from time to time.

Li You was still dressed in a "red scarf" and sat at the front table with Ferguson. After the two of them came on stage, apart from expressing their gratitude, they just raised their glasses.

In the middle of the banquet, when people had almost finished drinking, Mark Jones took the initiative to interview. This was also the clip released by MUTV that night. When talking about transactions and investment issues, Li You once again gave some inspirational advice:

"We are on the right track and here I feel like I am back home."

"Trade? Maybe Sir Alex Ferguson is more suitable to talk about this issue. It was he who brought Cristiano Ronaldo here. It was a difficult decision for him."

"Family members should help each other, whether it's the players or everyone here, if everyone has better pursuits, I will only send my blessings, and business will not affect the relationship between us."

When Li You demonstrated his excellent memory and told the management and fans about his three years of "championship experience", the atmosphere became even more heated under the influence of alcohol.

Especially after hearing Lee You's active statement, several fans shouted "Lee" excitedly.
"I will support all the decisions of the club and we will win more championships!"

Although the host Mark Jones also kept clapping, in the past, when Li You said "spend money", no one believed it, but now the situation is different, many people feel "full of awe".

Although Ferguson, with a red face, was also applauding, the old man was not very happy. He could make decisions on football, but the board of directors were all Li You's people.

The youth training department is also full of Li You's "insiders". After years of infiltration, many positions have changed quietly, and the fan representatives have been corrupted by "Pounds".

Manchester United fans in front of the TV were naturally very happy. Compared with the boss of Liverpool, Li You is the real conscience!

On Tuesday, May 5, in addition to previewing the Western Conference Finals that night, ESPN's morning show also reported on Li You's news.

The situation in the UK was "boiling", and red football capital seemed to have become "conscience capital". The news that Li You brought Ivana and five little ones to visit the community was hyped for several days.

However, the attitude of the London financial circle is completely opposite to that of the sports circle. It is just short of naming and scolding several institutions led by Ax Capital.
The host Hannah Storm is an old friend of Li You, and her Indian partner Kevin Negandhi is half a "Li hater". As a staunch Philadelphia fan, he doesn't like New York basketball at all.

"Lee is very popular in Manchester and he seems to be focusing on another team. I am beginning to believe Bill Simmons's view that Lee may say goodbye to basketball in four years."

Kevin Negandhi spoke to the camera, while Hannah Storm connected with Grant Hill to talk about "retirement". The champion forward did not avoid the topic and gave his own opinion:
"I think it depends on the opponent! Lee loves a challenge"

Li You returned to New York on Monday, but the Knicks are quietly preparing for the game. MSG is only reporting injury information that fans are concerned about, and gossip news still has to be read from these sports media.

The Cavaliers team members who finished breakfast at the hotel were also watching Sports Center. When seeing the current content, LeBron James' mood became even better, and he could hardly hold back the smile on his face.

James has already planned to accumulate "traffic" in the next few years and then seize the opportunity to soar to success. The championship is just a matter of time.

Daniel Gibson had just recovered from an injury. As a loyal younger brother, he saw that the boss was in a good mood and immediately flattered him:
"Guys, the LeBron era is coming! We have a great chance to get a road win tomorrow night."

"."

An excited expression appeared on his black face, and Daniel Gibson kept talking as if he saw the Cavaliers win an away game.

Delonte West and Maurice Williams also followed "IF". Speaking of Li You's retirement, the boss will definitely rise.

Ilgauskas noticed that Howard looked unhappy and poked the veteran Joe Smith beside him, but the latter didn't care. He showed a mocking look on his black face and whispered:
"They haven't won a single game yet. These rookies don't know anything about Lee. It's a good thing that no one is covering Dwight. At least he will be more focused."

"I think something is wrong. Last year, not so many people paid attention to us."

As a good brother, Ilgauskas hopes that the two core players can succeed, but this huge amount of exposure seems to have hurt the locker room.

Howard was unhappy with everyone's boasting, so he stood up and said in a muffled voice:

"Hey! Stop reading those boring news. I don't want to be 'second place'. This year is our chance!"

Finally noticing his teammates' emotions, James immediately told everyone to get ready to leave, then stepped forward, patted his partner on the shoulder, and said seriously:
"You're right, Bro, this is our chance, and I promise to put the ball in your hands more often."

"."

James encouraged his teammates and gave them promises. Adding some flattery, Howard immediately felt much better. In this series, he has to prove his strength in the low post!
Before boarding the bus, James was still thinking about the news. Thinking of the comments made by many basketball critics recently, a smile appeared on his face again:
"Time is on my side, and second place doesn't sound bad!"

The Western Conference Finals officially started that night. In the Staples Center, the Lakers fans were not too nervous. They firmly believed that the Nuggets were no match for them.

After the official game started, with Carmelo Anthony's sudden outburst, the fans at the scene realized that something was wrong.

Maybe the discussion about the "second man" these days made Kobe unhappy again. The "forgotten" deadly Mamba was extremely aggressive after the opening, and the stars on both sides competed passionately!
The game lasted until the last moment, which made the Lakers fans at the scene more and more nervous. Fortunately, Kobe made stable free throws at the critical moment and finally scored 6 points in a row to help the team lock in the victory!

101:106, the Lakers defeated their opponents with some difficulty and won the first game of the divisional finals.

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers, Kobe, sweating profusely, clenched his fists in celebration. He made 29 of 13 shots, 4 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 13 of 12 free throws, efficiently scoring a game-high 40 points. His outstanding performance made many fans shout MVP.

Duncan left without accepting the interview. Kobe looked serious when facing the ESPN reporter on the sidelines. After answering a question, he suddenly said:
"I don't know why you always ignore me. I'm not interested in being second. I'm still the best outside scorer in the league!"

"."

(End of this chapter)