NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 814 "The Final Piece of the Champion's Puzzle" (Daily Chapter)

On Wednesday, November 30, 2011, the annual Rockefeller Center “lights up” event was held as scheduled.

That evening, large numbers of tourists and New Yorkers gathered in the adjacent blocks. Before everyone could even cheer for the event, the president suddenly arrived in Manhattan to hold a fundraising event, successfully creating a traffic storm.
During a season when people should be staying in Washington, O'Hara's arrival immediately caused New Yorkers to curse and swear. Fifth and Sixth Avenues between 48th and 52nd Streets, as well as the east-west blocks in the area, were all closed.

Sources on Twitter gossiped that Obama's first event was a party at a private residence with tickets priced at $10000 per person.
The presidential team will then travel to Gotham Hall, a high-end restaurant on Broadway and 36th Street, for a super exclusive fundraising dinner with tickets priced at $35800.

This would result in the partial closure of 34th Street, as the president cannot be late and the Secret Service prefers to use wide avenues;

Later that evening, there will be a reception commemorating gay rights at the Sheraton Hotel and Tower on 7th Avenue and 53rd Street, which is also not far away, making it certain that the traffic will be extremely congested tonight.

The entire Midtown area became unusually busy. Some onlookers were glad on social media that they hadn't gone to the event, while others who were already there simply started cursing.

Joining the crowd could mean being stuck in traffic for hours; it's all the fault of the president who came on short notice!

As the host, Li You didn't seem to care about the traffic issues; he could simply go "home" with Bloomberg. Recently, the mayor claimed he couldn't hear the "protests," so as a family member, he had to be concerned about the old man's hearing.
The event attracted tens of thousands of people, and no visitor wanted to miss the classic ceremony. The fans gathered in front of the giant spruce tree were not bothered at all, and everyone cheered happily as each celebrity appeared.

The five-mile-long display of lights gave everyone a taste of the festive atmosphere, and everyone is now incredibly excited.

70-year-old Neil Diamond prioritized style over warmth tonight, and was so cold while singing "Cherry Cherry Christmas" with Li You that he kept moving around.
The fans didn't notice anything amiss; instead, they cheered enthusiastically because Li You sang very well. When the old man sang the classic song "Joy to the World," the young people in the choir behind him almost burst out laughing.

The old man's hands were trembling as he sang. Despite his advanced age, he was wearing a black suede suit. His energetic performance was truly remarkable.

On the other side of the stage, Savannah Guthrie, a reporter for Today's Show, was also dressed up, though she had put on a coat.

The White House reporter was quite excited after receiving news of Obama's visit. As the event was about to end, Guthrie, with her blonde hair styled in a bun, didn't forget to smile at Li You and subtly inquire:

"Li, are you planning to attend the fundraising dinner afterwards? I think the President would be very happy to have you there."

As if oblivious to the unspoken meaning, Li You smiled and politely declined, pointing to Bloomberg who was taking care of Aurelius, and replied softly:
“Aurelius is still too young. I have to take care of the little guy after the ceremony. I don’t want to trouble our mayor.”

Seeing the little guy who looks more and more like Li You, Savannah Guthrie was speechless. This family has stopped pretending now. The mayor even brought this family member along to this year's lighting ceremony.

The well-known female reporter had given up on trying to persuade Li You to attend the event, knowing full well that Li You would never participate in any gay rights reception.
The lighting ceremony was a complete success, but as soon as the event ended, the cursing and complaining continued. The streets were blocked off, and many people had to walk home, which might take twice as long.

At 9 p.m., the crowd at Rockefeller Center dispersed, the presidential motorcade blocked traffic, and New York reporters, eager to stir up trouble, began to interview citizens who were in a bad mood.

Meanwhile, Li You and his entourage, enjoying the privileges of mayor, were already in the car. Bloomberg maintained a smile throughout in front of the well-behaved and intelligent Aurelius, but upon seeing the child's father, he reverted to his usual serious demeanor.
"The Albuquerque Daily recently reported on the federal grand jury investigation into the team of former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Are you trying to win a Senate seat?"

New Mexico is quite far from New York. Li You hadn't expected the old man to be interested in such things. Seeing the old man's certain expression, he simply admitted it frankly:
"Yes, Democratic Senator Jeff Bingman chose to retire, which opened up a position in New Mexico. We also have support within our party, so it was indeed a good opportunity."

Compared to previous years, Lee Yu no longer hides his ambitions; if he succeeds in running for senator, he will have a huge voice in New Mexico for the next 10 years or more.

Bloomberg paused for a moment before lowering his voice and warning in a low voice:

"You should try a different approach. An extramarital affair? Discerning people have already noticed this; it's not a one-size-fits-all solution."

"But it is indeed simple and effective."

Li You interrupted Bloomberg's concern, causing the latter's eye to twitch slightly. This "crotch thing" was "always effective," and a similar situation occurred not long ago at the Republican presidential candidate debate.

Thinking of the recent help his eldest daughter Emma received, Bloomberg briefly explained the situation and then avoided serious topics. He added that the Democrats were also vying for the position, and a simple reminder was sufficient.

"Georgina told me you're planning to have another daughter?"

"Twins would be best!"

Seeing Li You smile and express his expectations, the old man almost lost his composure. The thought that Aurelius might have 20 brothers and sisters in the future made Bloomberg lose his composure and curse under his breath.

This was his biggest failure in parenting. If Li You hadn't become increasingly wealthy and even given up his surname, Bloomberg would have wanted to sever the absurd relationship altogether.

"Pay more attention to your life, and don't let me hear Georgina complaining."

Li You readily agreed. In fact, the girls all had their own plans, and all he could do was fulfill their wishes. The 20-person roster wouldn't cause too much trouble.

-

On Thursday, December 1st, several New York media outlets took to the morning to make sarcastic remarks about the president's fundraising event the previous night. The New York Post even quoted a 52-year-old New York resident as saying:
“Every time Obama comes to New York, it’s a nightmare! It takes twice as long to get home from Midtown to the Upper West Side! He’s made a mess of our lives.”

While the president's announcement attracted attention, basketball fans were more concerned about the resumption of the season, and the NBA did not disappoint, quietly announcing the latest developments:
"The team's training camp will resume on the 5th, and the free agency market will officially open on the 9th."

At the end of last month, labor negotiations finally made a breakthrough. With David Stern's insistence, both sides eventually compromised and reached an agreement on a 50/50 basis.

The specific terms and conditions have been approved by the Board of Governors and the Players Association. The NBA will release some important terms to the media in the middle of the month. Some fans have already leaked information about these terms.
"Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant will be the biggest beneficiaries of this new agreement."

Clearly, the revised clauses have lowered the requirements. The previous "Li You Clause" was too difficult, and over the years, no other player has benefited from it.

ESPN's morning program also featured a special report on this topic, introducing outstanding free agents and casually gossiping about the latest trade news.

"The Magic are making a strong pursuit of Dwight Howard, to which the Cavaliers declined to comment. Gilbert seems very confident in keeping this great big man."

Dwight Howard, who will soon become a free agent, will be a big fish in next year's free agency market. However, most commentators believe that Howard will remain "loyal" and re-signing with Deron Williams is the best option.

In addition, Durant and James's recruitment of Shane Battier is equally noteworthy. Both sides are going all out to get this powerful helper!
The more attention-grabbing trade concerns Chris Paul. An unnamed source revealed that the Celtics have launched a strong pursuit and are even willing to give up a championship guard for him!

Of course, Paul Pierce is also on the trading block. Danny Ainge is no longer pretending and plans to completely clean out the team, with Paul becoming the latest target.

Paul's former teammate David West is also a free agent and has received offers from multiple teams. Last month, the outspoken Paul George actively recruited him, and has been updating his Twitter frequently recently.

Many teams are preparing to lay off players. The schedule has been set, with the season not resuming until Christmas. The dense schedule is beneficial to young teams, while those that do not intend to pursue the championship will naturally continue to accumulate talent.

On Sunday the 4th, LeBron James and several others welcomed their new teammates on Twitter. Regarding contract details, Battier ultimately chose Miami. As a Finals team, the Heat's biggest change, besides cutting some veterans, was establishing a new tactical approach.

Miami-based sports media have been reporting that head coach Spoelstra has decided that the "Chosen One" will play power forward in the new season, the Heat will make small lineups the norm, and the coaching staff has already created a new system!

Dwyane Wade, who has recently lost weight, also teased the new system on social media, suggesting that the Flash, as the team's original leader, seems to have great confidence in it.
"A perfect combination of speed and power, the Heat will exact their revenge in the Christmas Day game!"

In the schedule released on Friday, the Heat will travel to the Mavericks for their first game of the new season, and also witness the Mavericks' awards ceremony.
The game is still a while away, but it has already attracted a lot of attention. Mark Cuban has kept the same lineup as last season, and the outspoken owner is promoting the team's goal of pursuing a fourth consecutive championship!

Therefore, the Christmas Day game can be considered a "continuation" of the Finals, and the young Heat players are already eager to get started.

Another game that garnered extra attention was the crosstown rivalry between the Nets and the Knicks, a New York derby where fans were eager to see if Anthony and Garnett could demonstrate their "dominance" when they teamed up.
The Nets are actively working on their relocation, while the Knicks have yet to update their news.

With most of the players playing overseas and head coach D'Antoni not calling them up, the mustachioed coach, who just returned to New York, seems to be on vacation, and his coaching staff doesn't even plan to start training on Monday.

However, during the MSG program, D'Antoni remained as confident as ever. The championship-winning coach seemed to have reached another level, and when discussing the relatively dense schedule, he cheerfully stated:
"The team has many young players. Our only goal for the new season is the championship. As for the regular season record, that is not what the team is pursuing."

"Making sure the veterans stay healthy is the top priority. I look forward to seeing more games played by the younger players."

Walter Frazier also inquired about the free agent market, to which D'Antoni did not show any interest, but instead gave a pointed introduction:
"We have already accumulated enough talent, and the team currently has a lot of players. The Knicks probably won't make any major signings in the next few years."

"."

There was no training camp that started immediately, no major signings, and New York fans didn't react much after watching the show. Winning was the goal, and as for everything else, they just maintained their "trust".

-

On Wednesday, December 7th, the free agency market will open, and Garnett, who was "swept away" by the Celtics, has moved to Brooklyn.

Before arriving in Manhattan, Harden still harbored illusions, hoping that Nets fans would welcome him. Unfortunately, the scene he envisioned did not materialize at all; there were no Nets fans, only New York hooligans.
Garnett arrived discreetly at a coffee shop, looking dejected. He was wearing a black beanie and a heavy black coat, completely concealing his identity, but he was still recognized once inside.

Garnett, expecting fans to approach for photos and autographs, maintained a smile on his dark face. However, a large, dark-skinned man nearby started shouting:

"Look who this is?"

"."

Soon, a commotion broke out in the store. Although no one directly mocked them, everyone had a teasing look on their faces when they talked about this year's Christmas battle.

Brooklyn has limited fan support, and with the Knicks' championship win, most people only see the new team as a place to watch games.

This left Garnett somewhat disappointed as he explored the basketball environment. The home court had become the away court, and nobody wanted to play in such an environment, causing him some distress.

"JR Smith scored 28 points against Kobe's defense! I knew that guy's defensive All-NBA selection was overrated. Some coaches just voted randomly."

"Man, I watched the highlights, and most of his points came in the second half. Kobe scored 30 points in three quarters. Honestly, Smith is just a role player, which is why I support Ray Allen."

"The oldest backcourt in the league, we should sign Smith back!"

"Danny Green's training attitude is much better than his; at least he won't leave for money while we're looking for a championship."

The discussion quickly turned into an argument. Every New York fan had their own standards, and no one could convince the other. In frustration, they resorted to their usual "fucks."

"Why dwell on these things? Even with a rookie partner, Lee can still win! The GOAT isn't some 'bust' MVP."

"."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the coffee shop changed drastically, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by victory was palpable. Everyone involuntarily started taking out loans from the champion and began to mock the "good-for-nothing" Boston team next door.

Garnett couldn't take it anymore after listening for a while. He stood up and walked away quickly, vaguely hearing the jeers behind him. He couldn't help but mutter angrily:
"Damn New York!"

The thought of playing in this environment in just a few days made Garnett feel hopeless about the future, and even his desire for a championship diminished. This was not the new team he had been looking forward to.

-

On Friday the 9th, the free agency market officially opened, and several teams quickly announced their signings. Shane Battier successfully joined the Miami Heat.

As a former teammate, McGrady welcomed Battier on behalf of the Heat, and even greeted him outside American Airlines Arena. The two hugged and greeted each other in front of a group of reporters, and smiled at the camera.

Unlike the terrible weather in New York, Miami remained warm, and Battier was very satisfied with the environment.

In a brief interview with local reporters, Battier remained very humble, explaining with a smile when discussing his choice:
"As a veteran, I know my body very well, and joining a Finals-level team is very important to me."

"I believe I will play an important role on the court after joining the Heat. In the last few years of my career, I want to pursue more championships and try not to have too many regrets in my heart."

Battier remained silent about the changes he brought to the Heat's roster, while the confident McGrady didn't hold back, glaring and boasting:
"We're stronger than last season! Shawn's arrival can help the team on both ends of the court; he's the final piece of the championship puzzle!"

"No one is in better shape than us. After adjustments, the Heat have transformed, and we will not let the Finals repeat itself."

"."

Watching the washed-up Trish boast so enthusiastically, Battier could only maintain a polite smile. Before making a choice, he had been paying close attention to the situation in the Eastern Conference.

Thinking of the unhurried Knicks, Battier glanced subconsciously at his former teammate who was bragging, and suddenly felt that the Heat were "all bark and no bite," muttering to himself:
"Can they really make it back to the finals?"

"."

(End of this chapter)