NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 690 "Touring" and "High-level Awards" (Daily Chapter)

On Tuesday, December 2009, 12, the Phoenix Suns visited New York. Although the ticket prices for the game at 1:19 that evening had increased again, many fans still chose to watch the game in person.

It’s not that this game is so important. The main reason for the price increase is that O’Neal publicly stated that this is his last season.

The two teams can only meet at home once a season. Although the Suns have a mediocre record in the new season, with only 9 wins and 8 losses, many fans even come from other cities just to have fun.

In the afternoon, before boarding the bus, facing the MSG camera, the old Shark showed a "nostalgic" look and talked about his past achievements again:

"I defeated God here! You heard it right, thanks to my hard work, I won the championship. It is a moment I will never forget in my life!"

"."

The Suns' medical team did take good care of O'Neal. The old shark has maintained a good figure in the new season. After sighing, he did not forget to show off his thick biceps in front of the camera:
"I love New York. No one can refuse to play here. This is the best stage in the world. I will give my all tonight."

A group of media reporters like players like O'Neal who are good at expressing themselves, and everyone encouraged the old shark's statement.

Everyone knows that at this age, O'Neal has no interest in basketball, is a mess in defending pick-and-rolls, and often has to watch layups go by. But as an outdated superstar, the old Shark can still sell tickets, and the Suns have acquiesced to this.

Stoudemire, who was following behind, was also smiling. Facing the jokes of familiar reporters, he even jokingly said:
"Rebuilding? I really don't know if the Suns are going to rebuild. If I'm traded, I'm willing to go back to New York to play. I'm a championship forward and this is my second home."

From the time Li You joined the Knicks to now, the Suns have only won one game. Fortunately, the two teams have played against each other less frequently, otherwise they would most likely be rated as the "Philadelphia Suns."

Ever since Steve Nash publicly stated that his career would not be "only about pursuing championships", he has been taking a break in the new season.

The old Shaq was on tour, Nate Robinson was bragging on the bench, many people on the team were not focusing on basketball, and with the rumors of reconstruction, Nash felt he "couldn't carry the team" after only one month of playing.

After getting on the bus, the low-key Nash sat next to head coach Gentry, who was returning to the team for the second time. This "master of imitation" changed his career. Despite the bad reputation from the outside world, Nash has always been grateful.

"I don't know if it's a mistake to stay here, coach. You saw the situation in the locker room. It's not a tactical problem."

In the back, Nate Robinson was blasting music and chanting with O'Neal and the atmosphere team. The atmosphere in the car was extremely joyful, but Nash couldn't fit in. This was not the team he expected.

General Manager Steve Kerr brought back old friends during the offseason and promised to send O'Neal away and build a championship-contending roster;
As a result, after the old Shark talked with the management, the transaction was shelved, and the "retirement tour" and selling tickets at a higher price became the new goal.

Steve Nash, 35, is also a veteran. Coach Gentry knows his apprentice's thoughts, but he can't influence the development of the team. The "tour" must continue:
"I know what you're going to say, Steve. This is the NBA. Touring is also a way of competing. We haven't lost our competitiveness yet."

"."

Gentry explained in a serious manner, but his words were not convincing. Nash still wanted to work hard, but reality tried to make him lie down, which made the old guard more and more annoyed.

Instead of trading O'Neal, they sent Quentin Richardson away, and the small lineup was completely gone. The Suns followed in the footsteps of the Knicks and focused on the "Twin Towers."

No one paid attention to the two's whispered conversation. Nash's feeling was right. Most of the Suns players planned to entertain the old shark. As for the championship, there was no need to think about it. With the Lakers there, the Western Conference would remain the same.

After finishing the November schedule, the Lakers' record reached 11 wins and 10 losses. After a series of winning streaks, Los Angeles fans were smiling and the shouts of "Lakers championship" increased.

The Nuggets, who reached the Western Conference Finals last year, also had some problems. After being beaten 135 points by the Knicks at home, their record dropped to 10 wins and 7 losses.

Coupled with the mediocre performances of the Jazz and Rockets, the competitiveness of the Western Conference has declined significantly. The Spurs, without Duncan, are even more likely to dive for the No. 1 pick.

"Shaq! The Knicks have won 50 straight playoff games. It's incredible that you were able to win the game that year!"

Nate Robinson deliberately praised the old Shark and dug up the news from last season. O'Neal was very proud. Although he was considered an opponent, it did not affect the dissemination of the "Knicks' championship experience":
“This is indeed an incredible record, but in my opinion, the winning streak is also inseparable from the cooperation of my little brothers!”

"I've said it more than once, Kobe wouldn't have gotten that ring without me."

"If you have a chance, you can experience it for yourself in the finals. Kobe was beaten, and he always ignores it."

"But I don't blame him. No one can resist God. My little brother just wanted to prove himself. Let him talk. I have forgiven him."

Hearing O'Neal's statement, everyone laughed, and Nate Robinson even shouted:

"Shaq is great! Kobe is a wimp!"

"."

If we talk about who in the league disrespects Mamba, O'Neal must be ranked first. He forgave the other party on the surface, but in daily life, he took the opportunity to ridicule Kobe.

The smiling old shark is in a better mood. When he retires, he plans to use his younger brother to gain attention.

O'Neal has no psychological burden on this. Kobe always expresses his contribution to the championship, which is undoubtedly "humiliating" him. As the Lakers' thigh, the old shark does not allow anyone to share his supreme honor.

At 19 p.m. that evening, Madison Square Garden was already full, and tonight was also the time for Li You to receive the November Player of the Month award.

As long as Li You does not slack off, this award will be given to the Knicks in November every year. The reason is very simple. The Knicks always have a very high winning rate at the beginning of the season.

With nearly 2 fans as witness, in the center of the venue, Adam Silver, who was previously in charge of NBA entertainment and recently promoted to vice president, handed the crystal trophy to Li You with a smile on his face.

As a New Yorker, Adam Silver is also a die-hard fan of the Knicks. After presenting the trophy, he did not forget to praise:
"I see a lot of discussion about age, but I never worry about it. Lee is about to turn 32 and is still in his prime!"

"Averaging 32.4 points per game, the statistics cannot fully reflect Lee's influence on the game. Let us congratulate Lee again!"

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Before the game started, the New York fans at the scene were cheering loudly in advance. Li You, holding up the crystal trophy with one hand, patted his chest, turned around and expressed his gratitude to the fans at the scene.

At the end of last month, in the games against the Nuggets and the Magic, Gary Neal had outstanding performances from beyond the three-point line. During the final warm-up before the game, the camera was always focused on this "old rookie".

Walter Frazier ignored Steve Nash as usual in the MSG commentary booth. Since the Suns "copied" the Knicks, the famous player has criticized them more than once in public. "I like the attitude of the young people this season! Pursuing a championship is never an easy thing. Internal competition can inspire the players to be in good shape."

Hearing the meaningful praise from the veteran, Mike Breen on the side didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Just yesterday, Wesley Matthews showed his fighting spirit during an interview on the MSG program:
“For the injury, I wish my brother the best, but I also see this as an opportunity!”

"I've started to adapt to playing next to Lee and my task is not difficult."

Every season, MSG will launch a corresponding insider program. The reason why some basketball critics complain about the "New York basketball reality show" is that the Knicks really have no secrets.

When encountering "active" players, a lot of gossip can arise. New York fans like this way of integrating into the team's life, which is also one of the reasons why the Knicks' market value has increased.

What the newbie said sounded fine, but soon an insider revealed that Matthews had turned into a "dog bootlicker", and this was the source of his confidence.

JR Smith's fans called Matthews a "shoe shiner" on social media, which made fans who like hard work very dissatisfied. There was also a quarrel between the two sides on social media.
"I hope to see better performances from the boys. Many teams are starting to double-team Lee again. As the schedule progresses, this will happen more and more!"

"JR Smith will still start tonight. I hope his wrist injury will not affect his condition."

Mike Breen sent his blessings. In recent years, as the number of fans who won the game increased, he sometimes felt that he could not keep up with the trend, and the abstract situations seemed to become more and more.

After the game started, Ben Wallace on the Knicks bench quickly became active and never stopped talking.

In the defensive round, Steve Nash was easily broken through by Li You and scored. In the offensive round, the veteran had just crossed half court when Ben Wallace loudly mocked:

"A fake will always be a fake! Give up the game!"

"."

Nash was already annoyed because the old Shark always wanted to show off and kept asking for the ball. When he heard the ridicule from several people on the Knicks bench, he couldn't hold it in for a moment. In a rage, he did a pick-and-roll and broke through with the ball.

Due to the "crowding" under the basket, Stoudemire moved to the left elbow area after being separated. After several seasons of polishing, his jump shot became more and more reliable.

However, he didn't get the pass this time. Stoudemire watched Nash accelerate for the second time and tried to create a time difference, change the rhythm, and slow down the pace at the bottom right side of the basket.

Nash tilted his body and shot with his right hand, but was blocked by Li You who came up to defend him!
For a moment, Marion and several others on the Knicks bench leaned back, then stood up and cheered loudly with the fans. Walter Frazier, who was in a good mood, "loaned" again:
"The critics should vote for Lee! Not only the MVP, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old Lee should also win the Best Defensive Player trophy!"

"No one in the league is better at defense than Lee. Just look at Kobe's performance in the finals, with a 30% shooting rate. That's the best proof."

"."

In the new season, some old ways of award selection have been changed. ESPN has taken the lead in resisting basic data, and the NBA has also announced the introduction of some relatively complete advanced data.

In this case, Li You's defensive performance in last month's game was much more "eye-catching" than in the past. This kind of chase-down block was not the first time he appeared, and he had appeared on the Sports Center several times before.

While serving the baseline ball, O'Neal was not polite and reminded Steve Nash:

“This is my game, man!”

The old Shark looked serious, but Nash felt extremely aggrieved. He had clearly entered the 180 club for consecutive years, but not only did no one respect him, but some commentators even made sarcastic comments about him imitating Li You to brush up his stats.

Dudley and Jason Richardson were worried that the two would get into an argument, so they spoke out to try to stop them. In the end, in this offensive round, O'Neal successfully received the ball in the low post on the left side, made his signature lean-in shot, turned toward the baseline, and shot with his left hand, but missed.

"Oh!!"

Although O'Neal performed poorly after the opening, the fans at the scene did not hesitate to cheer. No matter whether he missed a shot or fought for a rebound, as long as the old shark tried hard to show himself, someone would shout loudly.

With the encouragement of enthusiastic fans, O'Neal quickly led the Knicks to launch a series of counterattacks, and finally the old shark did not turn back.

While Li You was rewarding himself, the old shark missed the three-pointer and received the pass from his teammate without retreating, and successfully dunked!

He pulled the basket hard and the cheers from the audience got louder. O'Neal looked very proud after the dunk and pointed at Li You with a smile to express his gratitude. This scene made head coaches Nash and Gentry frown.

The game seemed to have turned into an exhibition match, the defensive intensity dropped sharply, and JR Smith even cooperated well with Li You when cutting into the baseline, folding in the air and performing fancy slam dunks!

When D'Antoni called on Marion, Dio and Ibaka to play, the Knicks, who had lowered their altitude, played faster and faster, while the Suns frequently fell into positional offense and watched O'Neal's personal show.

At 27:41, at the end of the first quarter, Nash, who had not rested for a minute, pursed his lips and walked quickly to the bench, while O'Neal patted his chest towards the fans. He did not expect that New York fans would "respect" him so much.

The score difference was 14 points, so Chalmers naturally did not feel too much pressure when he came on the court. From entering the league to now, the newbie has rarely experienced situations where the game is against the wind.

Sitting in his seat, Nash watched Nate Robinson start to "play recklessly" again, and his mood became even worse. Ewing also "toured" that year, but Li You was not affected.

All the plans made before the game were thrown out of the window. The performance of the old Shark allowed the Suns to gain a regular season record of 1 win and 24 losses, leading the 76ers by one win.
At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 99:136. In front of the camera, O'Neal took the jersey he had prepared earlier and exchanged it with Li You with a bright smile.

"I will pass the jersey to my son! Sharif will be proud of me! His father won a championship with Lee!"

O'Neal held up the No. 1 jersey and cheered loudly. Seeing that the old shark was a little excited, Li You also smiled and started the commercial mutual praise mode:
"Although there is only one championship trophy, Shaq is the best center I have ever encountered in my career!"

"He was incredibly strong in those years, the East Coast vs. West Coast showdowns, I'm sure fans in the future will not forget that."

Old Shark received the "Li You Recognition Award" and became even more emotional. He hugged and saluted again, his eyes reddened, and he choked up and said:

"Thanks to Lee for being such a great opponent! He made my career even greater"

"."

(End of this chapter)