NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 664: North Carolina's Lucky Man (Daily Chapter)
On Tuesday, June 2009, 6, as the annual draft approached, Manhattan became particularly lively again.

This year, the Knicks postponed the championship parade to before the draft, claiming that it was to promote the team culture and let rookies entering the league feel the unique basketball atmosphere of New York.

To some extent, what the Knicks official said is true. There are many basketball courts in New York and the street basketball atmosphere is also good.

Aside from the occasional shooting, it fits the description of a basketball mecca perfectly.

The parade route also has its own unique culture and history. Since 1886, New York City has been honoring politicians, generals, organizations, veterans, athletes and others through ribbon parades.

The Knicks are really obsessed with winning. The championship parade in June has become a traditional festival. 6 championships have completely changed the ecology of New York sports fans, and celebrating victory has become the norm.

The rookies participating in this year's draft have recently gathered in New York. Tomorrow is the official media day. The lottery picks will officially debut at the press conference prepared by the league, and the agents will also have their busiest time.

As 10 o'clock approached, the fans near Battery Park began to get agitated, many of them holding homemade championship banners, and everyone had loaned out the O'Brien Cup for the next seven years.
The route is still north along Broadway to City Hall, and more people gather in the Canyon of Heroes.

Here you can feel the ribbons all over the sky, and it is the best place to experience the championship parade. The 211th ribbon parade made the whole city boil again.

The most popular newcomer Blake Griffin recently officially signed a contract with Matt Bartelstein. As Li You's agent, he has been developing at an increasingly fast pace in recent years.

The team has undoubtedly become the big winner by signing Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet this year. The two have basically secured the top two spots and will most likely make huge profits in the next few years.

Griffin and Thabeet received extra attention after arriving in New York. Sports Illustrated even published a special issue for the newbies, praising the two to the sky!
Thabeet, who graduated from the University of Connecticut, seems to be full of talent. After the trend of two-way guards has passed, most scouts have returned to their normal ideas and big men have become the mainstream again.

At this time, Thabeet and Griffin, who arrived in front of the City Hall in advance, attracted the attention of the fans around them. The two big guys stood out from the crowd.

Some people even came up to take pictures with them, allowing the two to experience what it was like to be a big star in New York.

When he saw his agent, Griffin, wearing a Knicks championship T-shirt, was grinning from ear to ear. New York fans were so enthusiastic that some girls even made offers.
"Very good, Blake, like I said, be more confident when you are interviewed later!"

Matt Bartelstein, wearing a Knicks hoodie, looked a little younger than in previous years. He looked at the smirking Griffin and gave him another warning.

Seeing that Thabeet was a little reserved, Matt Bartelstein said with some concern:

"Don't pay attention to the comments of the critics, Hashem. You have to have confidence in yourself. Believe me, you will be selected soon the day after tomorrow."

Before the draft began, some commentators had already predicted the decline of big man Thabeet, but since Matt Bartelstein took over, the New York media has taken the lead and continued to give positive reviews.

Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh also spoke out in praise of the team:

"If the Knicks had the first pick, we would select Thabeet without hesitation. He has amazing talent!"

Coupled with the honors of the NCAA Big East Conference's Best Player and Best Defensive Player, after some packaging, Thabeet became popular again and his doubters stopped speaking out.

Compared to Griffin's "school bully face", Thabit's dark face lacked confidence. Hearing his agent's instructions again, he nodded quickly and asked in a low voice:
"Can I take a picture with Lee later? I'm a little nervous. You know, Coach Calhoun has been sharing Lee's story with us."

Calhoun, who was "forced" to continue serving as the head coach of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team, has actually been lying low in recent years, making a fortune just by publishing a championship memoir.

Two years ago, he also published "Talent and Hard Work", which tells how he discovered Li You in New Mexico. This book also made it to the New York Times bestseller list.

Coupled with occasional interviews on TV shows, Calhoun becomes popular every March Madness as long as the University of Connecticut enters the tournament stage.

"Can I attend Lee's training camp? I saw Kevin Durant's tweet, it seems to be a joint training in late July."

Griffin showed eagerness on his face and skipped the summer league directly. He wanted to break into the circle of big stars, which would greatly improve his status.

This year, the Hooker team will launch a training camp, and three star players, Li You, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, will attend together. The relevant news has not been officially announced yet, but the excited Durant was the first to give a preview.

"Of course, after the summer league, as long as you want to participate in the training camp, I will arrange it for you. Now you just have to stay focused."

Someone in the crowd started to cheer for the loan champion to take the lead in shouting, and the scene became a little chaotic. Matt Bartelstein had to raise his voice and signal the two to come to the back.

The New York fans always come up with some unexpected things. If it weren't for the newbie's strong request, the three of them would probably still be in the hotel preparing for tomorrow's press conference.

At this time, a large number of orange and blue ribbons have begun to fall from the sidewalks along Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The tall buildings on both sides are even throwing office waste paper. Everyone is cheering:

“Lee! Lee!”

As the head float passed by, the shouts from the crowds on both sides became louder and louder. Li You, wearing a white champion T-shirt, was standing next to Bloomberg and Governor Paterson holding the golden trophy.

Hearing people calling his name, Li You smiled and waved to both sides. The two old men also smiled, indicating that they were "having fun with the people."

There is a cleanup cost of about 200 million US dollars after each parade. New York City has had some additional expenses in the past 10 years, but the money is spent happily, and no one has suggested canceling the ribbon segment.

A large number of tourists also joined in the fun. JR Smith and others were not on the float, but kept walking around and interacting passionately with fans on both sides.

This resulted in a huge crowd at the scene. People who liked to have fun shouted and charged forward. For a while, there were constant sounds of laughter, shouting, and exclamations. Many people who were participating in the parade for the first time were dumbfounded.

I didn't go forward to squeeze. Stephen Curry's family was there. Agent Jeff Austin saw this scene and smiled bitterly. Noticing Dell Curry's expression, he comforted him again:

"Don't worry, man, playing for the Suns isn't a bad thing!"

"Stephen will have a chance to play in New York in the future. After his rookie season, Lee will soon retire. As long as he is not selected by the Raptors, there is nothing to worry about."

Before the draft began, Nelson had already told them that the Warriors would select Curry with the 7th pick.

This would have been good news, after all, playing in San Francisco is better than in Minnesota, but recently the Warriors seemed to have reached an agreement with the Suns, and the deal involved Stoudemire.

Unfortunately, Curry was also involved. Old Curry always felt that his eldest son would be sent away after being selected because the Warriors had no shortage of guards and Monta Ellis had just become famous.

"God willing, if there is an opportunity, I still hope that Steph can come to New York."

Dell Curry whispered to Jeff Austin beside him, and the latter shook his head helplessly. During college, he became famous throughout the United States for his three-point shots, and many basketball critics believed that Curry was most suitable to play in New York.

But this view is all groundless, mainly because real industry insiders know that Curry, who is now like a "bean sprout", cannot play like Li You.

The two have completely different technical styles. Before the draft, although Curry was repeatedly declared a point guard, some professional basketball commentators still questioned his organizational ability. Once he played at the No. 2 position, Curry's thin body would be questioned. If it weren't for Nelson's guarantee, Jeff Austin really couldn't guarantee the draft pick to his family.

"Dad, you never tell me what it's like to play against God-Lee. I'm going to the NBA, you should tell me!"

Stephen Curry, who was cheering with the crowd, had excitement on his young face. He moved closer to old Curry and brought up the old topic again.

When he was a child, Curry witnessed the elder Curry being "beaten" by Li You on the spot. The time with the Raptors was not a good memory. Dell Curry yearned for the big basketball city of New York, but did not like to embarrass himself in front of his son.

"Dad got beat up. He got beat up when he was with the Bobcats."

Seth Curry was also very happy. Influenced by the atmosphere, he blurted out what was in his mind. This made Dell Curry's face darken. He said stiffly:
"Michael Jordan will lose to Lee! Many players are forgotten after retirement, but Lee still respects me now, that's enough!"

Old Curry was not exaggerating when he said this. A large number of new players wanted to come to the Knicks to experience the winning culture, but only a few were selected. As a second-generation player, Curry did receive some preferential treatment.

“I want to win the championship too.”

The young Curry watched the float go away and couldn't help whispering again. Although it was not the first time he watched the championship parade up close, the colorful ribbons and golden trophies in the sky left a deep impression on him.

Jeff Austin sighed in his heart. He didn't want to disturb the young man, so he whispered to old Curry again:

"When asked about his health during an interview tomorrow, let Stephen answer about gaining muscle."

Old Curry is also aware of the current situation in the league. In order to limit Li You, many teams prefer "muscle men" in the backcourt, and "bean sprouts" are just a gift. During this period, special emphasis is placed on the body.

In the end, Curry Sr. never told his son about his concerns. Modern basketball is changing too fast and he is not sure about the future trends.

Near noon, in front of City Hall, blue ribbons fluttered, 13 golden O'Brien Cups sparkled, and New York fans around held up homemade championship flags, and the scene was completely boiling.

Loaning the championship of the next seven years in one go, this was the first time for New York fans to do this, and the spectators who came from Boston to join in the fun just thought these people were crazy when they saw this scene.
Li You on the stage did not spoil the fun. He watched the fans jumping and dancing with their homemade miniature championship flags. He took the microphone and walked to the front of the stage, counting seriously:

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"."

As Li You's voice spread, the shouting around couldn't stop. Even the calm fans who didn't like loans were infected. When they counted to 12, the noise became louder and louder.

"Eighteen!"

"Oh!!"

When Li You pointed at the homemade championship flag and shouted "18", the area around City Hall was completely boiling, as if they had received some promise. Some excited New York fans cried and shouted, and the scene was completely crazy.

When Li You put his right hand to his ear, everyone started shouting again:
“Lee! Lee! Lee!”

The fanatical atmosphere stunned Griffin and others in the crowd at the back. Harden and DeRozan who came to join in the fun were also dumbfounded. The basketball atmosphere in New York is indeed extraordinary.

"We are destined to surpass the Celtics and become the team with the most championships in NBA history!"

"18, I like this number. I don't want to disappoint everyone's expectations. This will be my goal."

"Fortunately, I am not fighting alone. I have your support, good brothers who are united together, and the best coaching staff in the league."

Li You did not deny the "18 championships". As the Knicks players took the stage one by one, the atmosphere became more and more heated, and many New York fans began to talk about celebrating the arrival of the championship.

James Harden, who doesn't have much beard, was jealous. Some girls were screaming in the crowd, which left a deep impression on him. He subconsciously said to his friend next to him:
“Bro, is there a chance we can play in New York as well?”

DeRozan said nothing, his dark face full of envy. The championship was too far away for a rookie.

The crazy rally is still going on, and the New York fans who are winning the championship on loan have burst into unprecedented enthusiasm. At this moment everyone firmly believes that it is only a matter of time before they surpass the next door!

On Thursday, June 6th, Madison Square Garden Theater once again hosted the annual talent show.

Since the Clippers have already made a bold statement that they will select Blake Griffin and the Grizzlies do not want to miss out on Thabeet from the University of Connecticut, many people have set their sights on the third pick.

In addition to the lottery pick, the Knicks' No. 30 pick has also attracted much attention, not because the late-round pick is so good, but because the sports media calls the player at this pick "the lucky guy."

As the team is about to complete its 8th consecutive championship, many commentators believe that no matter what difficulties Li You encounters next season, he will give his all.

The championship was locked in advance, and the rookie with the 30th pick was just able to catch this championship journey.

At 19:30 in the evening, the newbies and their families were sitting in the audience. The championship parade the day before had left a deep impression on them, and they couldn't help but have a greater yearning for the NBA.

As for the warning given by ESPN commentator Lynch Hunter in a recent show, it has long been forgotten by the newbies. This old guy is just trying to attract attention:

"In the next seven years, the league will still be a game where you can only lose but not win! Lee will not give any chances to young people. Rookies should pray not to go to Eastern Conference teams!"

"."

Before the draft began, ESPN, as the broadcaster, deliberately broadcast Lynch Hunter's latest remarks. The excited newcomers naturally ignored him, but Old Deng had already secretly broken his defense.

When David Stern announced with a smile that the Clippers had selected Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma, Matt Bartelstein on the side breathed a sigh of relief and then clapped his hands.

The Grizzlies didn't hesitate and picked Thabeet, and the well-known agent smiled even happier.

The Thunder selected James Harden, and there were not many surprises in the subsequent draft, as Curry was picked by the Warriors.

When it came to the 30th pick, the media reporters at the scene pricked up their ears, and then heard a somewhat unexpected name:
".The New York Knicks selected Danny Green from the University of North Carolina"

(End of this chapter)