NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 671: Tough Guy "Goes Home" (Daily Chapter)

On Wednesday, July 2009, 7, the ESPY Awards ceremony was held as scheduled at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.

The voting channel closed on the 11th. Crowds who wanted to catch a glimpse of their idol had already arrived in Los Angeles early, and local media reporters also broke the news on Twitter.

After the BJ Olympics, this year's Best Male Athlete Award was no longer a suspense, and Michael Phelps secured the award early on.

But what’s interesting is the shortlist. Among the four candidates, there are two NBA players, Li You and LeBron James, who once again dominated the voting.

Another candidate is racing driver Jimmy Kenneth Johnson. The "host" Kobe Bryant was once again not nominated. The Mamba still performed poorly in the award selection.

ESPN's Sports Center program in the morning will naturally give a preview of the evening's awards ceremony, and the relevant content will be officially released on Sunday, the 19th.

Michael Phelps was the biggest winner in the Olympic year, but the media will not forget Li You. Next season he will have the opportunity to witness his eighth consecutive championship, which is hailed as a miracle by many.

Whenever we talk about championships, we inevitably talk about opponents. The Lakers' reputation plummeted after losing consecutive games, so much so that Lynch Hunter, who was connected on the show, once again humiliated Los Angeles:

"Kobe and Duncan's cowardly performance turned the game into a championship game!"

"I didn't see the Lakers showing any desire for the championship during the offseason. They didn't seem to want to do anything. Lee will keep winning. Mentally, he has already defeated his opponent."

Ever since this retired veteran began to give sharp comments on basketball, his popularity has skyrocketed. After the end of this year's finals, Lynch Hunter's "Championship Game Theory" has become popular again.
The chain reaction brought about was that a large number of football commentators began to imagine the future and discuss "when the game will end."

Although the Lakers have successfully renewed Lamar Odom's contract, the former All-Star seems to have no interest in basketball and is hanging out with the Kardashian family. There are even rumors that Odom is going to film Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Like Tony Parker of the Spurs, Odom also started to follow the "wife route", with both his acting career and sports career flourishing. As for the championship, that is not important.

Not long ago, after Khloe Kardashian attended a party and officially announced their relationship, the progress of both parties has been rapid.

There was no more discussion about Kobe on the Lakers side. The public was now discussing the possibility of a flash marriage between the Big Butt Girl and Odom. With the sisters adding fuel to the fire, gossip news directly surpassed basketball content.

In comparison, the Knicks' side was much more normal. Apart from a little too much flattery, everyone was discussing whether the new players could help the team.

Although the hype was strong, New York fans were still a little nervous. If they failed to complete the 8th consecutive championship, the boomerang would hit them in the face, and no one wanted to see this happen.

At 17 p.m., a large number of invited athletes had begun to gather at the Nokia Theater. In more than an hour, the red carpet would begin, and fans also arrived early in an attempt to see their idols earlier.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who were nominated for the Best NBA Player award, also got together in advance. Both of their agents belong to CAA Sports, so everyone took this opportunity to communicate with each other.

In the hotel, Wade, who had changed into formal clothes, noticed that his friend was in a good mood. He felt sour for a moment. They both had a short-term contract, but James was able to make the management compromise, but he did not get the attention of the oily-headed guy.

"Who else are you going to sign? Jarrett Jack? I saw the news on Twitter and it seems that all free agents have received your offers!"

Wade has been keeping an eye on the Cavaliers' movements. Cleveland has been hot since the free market opened. The Knicks only renewed contracts, while the Cavaliers continued to attack.

Noticing the "sourness" on his good friend's face, James just laughed and denied the news, and revealed the inside story:
"Indiana does not intend to match his contract, but the Raptors have offered him a four-year contract, so he may go to Toronto to play."

"You know, the Cavaliers prefer to sign free agents with two-year contracts. I had a good chat with Channing Frye, but Jarrett Jack is not hungry for a championship."

Wade was secretly relieved when he heard that the deal was not reached. The Heat still hasn't found a qualified starting point guard. He gave feedback to the management more than once, but never got a response:
"You want to win the championship next season?"

"Why not? Just like Lee beat Michael Jordan in '98, young players are having their moment in history."

James saw his good friend put on an attitude of "whatever you say, I just don't believe it", and couldn't help but smile again, and then said some of his true feelings:

"At least this is an opportunity. Even if we can only win a few games, we can get more attention and recognition."

"This is the reality. As long as we win the Eastern Conference Finals, we can win the championship. No one cares about the Lakers and the Western Conference anymore."

More than one basketball commentator has expressed this view, and the vast majority of sports fans agree that, judging only by the intensity of the game, this year's Eastern Conference Finals was more intense, with near buzzer beaters and comebacks making the most impressive appearances.

"Circus basketball? Come on, that's Kobe, he won a championship."

Wade saw the indifferent look on his good brother's face and started to tease the recent news about New York basketball commentators making fun of their opponents. James laughed when he heard the word "circus" and did not admit that he thought so:
"That's what you said, Bro! I think there's a great chance. I already feel the victory. I'm only one second away from winning."

The Cavaliers' lineup looks more reasonable, with one inside and one outside, emphasizing physical strength and three-pointers, and with the help of championship shooters, many basketball commentators believe that Cleveland will still win 60 games in the new season.

Everything is moving in a good direction, but James still hasn't given a definite answer about his next contract. The Chosen One still wants to wait and see the "championship game."

Henry Thomas knows Wade and the competition between the two, so he has always been pessimistic about the alternative plan and recommends his subordinate Chris Bosh.

"You guys embarrassed Pat Riley a little bit! That's not good news."

Leon Ross laughed and joked about the two's predicament, but Henry Thomas didn't care. He seemed to think of the recent news and smiled, and whispered:
"The championship game is about to end? Li never said these words, these are all other people's imagination."

"The Knicks are willing to pay those luxury taxes. If they were to move to another team, they simply couldn't maintain that kind of roster. Wade just gave up on his boring fantasy."

"."

Leon Rose was speechless and shook his head subconsciously. At first, both of them wanted to bring together brothers in basketball, but as the Cavaliers strengthened their team, he had new ideas. One person, one city is really too important.

James also noticed the communication between the two agents. As early as during the World Championships, he discussed the future with his friends, but he still had some resistance to cooperation.

"Congratulations in advance, Bro! This year's trophy is yours, and next year Lee will sweep many awards again."

Talking about tonight's award ceremony, Wade made another sarcastic remark. James, who came to his senses, just shrugged his shoulders. The Best NBA Player Award was no longer what he was pursuing.

Li You, who started the multiplayer competition right after flying to Los Angeles, did not take the award ceremony seriously. This year, the Knicks are likely to win the best team and best coach and manager awards, and next year will be the "big year for awards." The New York media has already borrowed many awards for next year in advance, and some basketball critics call this ESPY a "warm-up."

This year's host is Samuel L. Jackson, the well-known actor who just starred in Iron Man 2 and signed a 9-year contract with Marvel.

Scarlett, who was working with this black actor for the first time, was still not optimistic about the popcorn movie. When the succubus who was putting makeup on Li You talked about the content of the movie, Elizabeth Olsen, who was watching the movie, kept laughing:
"They are all special effects. You have to imagine them in an empty space. Fortunately, the audience probably won't care about the details."

"Jackson will get a lot of money just for posing, and he must hope that the movie will not fail at the box office."

The succubus who helped Li You shave his beard bent down to kiss him again. When she noticed that Scarlett, who was riding on him in only a thin nightgown, was held in his arms, Elizabeth Olsen was still a little embarrassed.

In private, this sister always lets herself go, and her pair of fair skin begins to change shape again:
“If the movie doesn’t perform well at the box office, will it affect the stock price?”

Sitting on the big bed, the young girl wearing only a loose gray printed T-shirt began to worry about the stocks in Li You's hands. Her two sisters said that if Disney acquired them in the future, 4500 million might double.

Close to 1 million US dollars, this is already a very huge number. Seeing Elizabeth Olsen's curious eyes, Li You had to get rid of the succubus's entanglement and said firmly:
"The movie will definitely be a success. Young people love superheroes. Do you want to play a role? Like Black Widow?"

Perhaps because of the success of art films in the past, Scarlett, who was experiencing this kind of popcorn role again, felt a little embarrassed to talk about this topic. After being picked up from the sofa by Li You, she turned around and suggested:

"We can't make much money, so we might as well invest more in some scripts. We can try our luck at the Tribeca Film Festival."

Li You shrugged and silently said to the young girl, "As long as you are happy." Elizabeth Olsen immediately smiled and nodded, then stood up and helped the succubus change clothes.

While helping Li You to adjust his shirt, Scarlett looked at the sweet girl on the other side, noticing her swollen whiteness, and immediately thought of an "evil" idea:

"How about we have a superhero theme for the evening?"

"."

The young girl's arousal quickly rose as she heard the succubus' hoarse whisper in her ears. She subconsciously touched Li You's thick chest muscles and nodded slightly.

Seeing the two of them whispering and then touching each other, Li You had to get rid of their arms, raised his wrist to check the time, and then patted the girls and reminded them again:

"Remember to prepare a dinner for me. We will fly to New Mexico tomorrow."

Thinking of her older son, the succubus came back to her senses, responded with a smile, and then looked at the sweet girl next to her. She planned to unlock more knowledge tonight.

At 9 o'clock in the evening, the Nokia Theater was packed. Before the award ceremony began, it was natural to review the wonderful events that took place this year.

In the highlights, Michael Phelps and the swimming team had many Olympic moments, the Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team also made it onto the screen, and Danny Green of the North Carolina men's basketball team could be seen pumping his fist in celebration.

The editor may be a Knicks fan. When reviewing the NBA Finals, Li You and the Knicks were toasting on one side, while Kobe and Tim Duncan were sitting on the bench on the other side.

It is not easy for the runner-up to get a long shot, but Kobe, who came to the scene, had a dark face. If he had not been selected for the NBA Best Player Award, he would not have attended such a boring award ceremony.

After the 6-minute highlight reel ended, everyone stood up and applauded. Next to Li You in the front row were D'Antoni and several members of the team's management.

The Knicks players have already entered vacation mode. The rookies went to Las Vegas to play in the summer league, and some of the veteran players flew directly to France, some to Spain, and some to Italy.

Little Mustache also came back from Italy recently. He has won so many ESPY awards that no one is interested in joining in the fun. After all, next year is the critical day.

James and Wade sat in the middle, some distance away from Kobe. Instead, Derrick Rose sat closest. The rookie was selected for the Best Breakthrough Athlete Award, but he was very low-key after arriving in Los Angeles.

After everyone was seated again, Samuel L. Jackson, wearing glasses and a black suit, came to the front of the stage. After expressing his gratitude, he began to praise the outstanding athletes present.

The Lakers jokes are mentioned at almost every awards ceremony, and this year is no exception. Samuel L. Jackson turned his head to look in the direction of Li You and deliberately asked loudly:

"We all want to know one question, God-Lee, when will the championship game end?"

When the director pointed the camera at Li You, who had become young again, there was immediate cheering at the scene. At the same time, many people looked at Kobe with a smile, and his Mamba face was stretched out.

Li You, who was also dressed in a black suit, spread his hands slightly in front of the camera and said that he didn't know the answer either. Samuel L. Jackson immediately shook his head and smiled, giving his own understanding:
"Lee told me he plans to keep winning until 2016! God, I'm starting to worry about LA, hearing this, Kobe, are you okay?"

"."

The continuous teasing of Mamba made James and Wade laugh. When Samuel L. Jackson congratulated the US men's basketball team on regaining the gold medal and joked with everyone, he did not forget to continue teasing:

"It is said that there are 12 leaders in the US team. Maybe this is the secret to our victory! Congratulations again boys, you performed great"

The leader issue made the scene even more joyful. James and Wade didn't care about the teasing and continued to grin. At this moment, both of them forgot about the real leader Kobe.

Media reporters at the scene updated the news via Twitter, and the Internet-savvy crowd responded positively to the annual "Kobe joke."

At this time, a Philadelphia team reporter suddenly broke the news of a deal that the 76ers planned to send Joakim Noah away in exchange for draft picks and Ben Wallace from the Bulls.

There is nothing special about the transaction information. After all, Noah has been sitting on the bench for almost a year, so it is expected that he will be sent away.

The news that the 76ers plan to give up Ben Wallace has sparked more discussion. As a championship center, although he has run out of energy, many old New York fans would like to see Ben Wallace "go home."

At nearly 22 p.m., Li You suddenly updated his Twitter with a very simple message:
"Ben, welcome back to the Knicks."

"."

(End of this chapter)