On July 18, 1996, the Lakers officially signed Shaquille O'Neal.
The Lakers have been clearing salary space before, and the media knew that the team was making big moves, but when they actually signed the Sharks, the public was still stunned.
Seven years and US$120 million, with the help of US dollars and Jerry West, Shark finally left the Magic.
The combination of Anfernee Hardaway and O'Neal failed completely. The two reached the Finals in 1995.
But with the return of Michael Jordan and the Bulls' rise again, the pair who had high hopes still broke up...
Of course, O'Neal's choice to leave was also related to the choice of the Magic management. After Mourning signed a seven-year, US$105 million contract with the Heat, the Sharks felt that their worth could not be lower than that of the other side.
But the Magic management did not pay attention to O'Neal's ideas and believed that Anfernee Hardaway was the real core of the team.
Coupled with the fact that the local media and fans fanned the flames, they brought up old stories again and mocked O'Neal for always being swept out. As a result, the Sharks traveled west and no longer played in the East.
This deal has caused a lot of repercussions. The topic on ESPN and TNT in recent days has been what kind of results the Lakers can achieve next season.
In addition, most of the media sang praises for Jerry West's operation, but the New York media just happened to be lemons at this time, and then, as usual, they started to dig up old scores...
"Maybe we should make changes. Patrick Ewing is the reason why the team's performance cannot go further!"
New York media Cha Lemon is also related to the previous Michael Jordan trade rumors.
There were rumors that the Knicks were actively recruiting Michael Jordan and offered a huge contract. However, on the 13th, Michael Jordan issued a brief statement:
"I am very happy to continue playing for the Chicago Bulls and I hope to help the team win another championship!"
At $30.14 million a year, Mike Jordan received the highest one-year contract in the sports world at this time. Of course, this is indeed the compensation he deserves.
The Knicks may just be a tool for Michael Jordan's team to raise the price, and the other party has no intention of coming to New York.
After living in Manhattan for almost a month, Li You finally realized the energy of the New York media...
As the largest media market in the United States, many local TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers in New York will pay attention to the dynamics and performance of the Knicks.
MSG is a cable network dedicated to broadcasting the Knicks and other New York sports events. MSG holds the exclusive rights to the Knicks and provides New York fans with pre-game, in-game and post-game programming.
Shows such as "Knicks Game Night" and "Knicks Overtime" are beloved by New York fans.
In addition to MSG, WNBC, an NBC TV affiliate in New York City, will also report some news about the Knicks. During the playoffs, some celebrities will be invited to comment.
Programs such as "NBC 4 Sports" and "Sunday Sports Final" also have very good ratings.
WFAN, a radio station located in New York City, is the first radio station in the United States to broadcast sports programs around the clock. As the official broadcast partner of the Knicks, it has been busy entering the offseason...
In addition to television and radio stations, there are also a large number of print media:
The New York Times is a national newspaper with great influence in the United States. Its professional sports section will always leave some space for the Knicks.
"New York Post" is an urban newspaper. The content of the newspaper is light and humorous. Most of it is headline-grabbing. The Knicks are also indispensable in the sports section.
The "Daily News" and "Newsday" also comment on the team in different ways every day, and the weekly "Village Voice" and "Sports Illustrated" will also report special news about the Knicks.
The Lakers signed Shaquille O'Neal, and the New York media began to crusade Patrick Ewing!
It’s no wonder that Ewing has a bad relationship with the New York media. Whoever is repeatedly belittled by media consumption would not have a good look...
On the morning of the 20th, after breakfast, Li You was looking at the New York Post in his hand with relish:
"Knicks' Pretty Boy: Clay-Lee's Charm!"
The reporters in New York were indeed professional and took photos of Li You and Milinda visiting Central Park together.
The whole article is basically a mockery of Li Youzhong, even though he hasn't played a single game yet. The New York media, which has recently taken advantage of others, doesn't even let the newcomers go, and they spray him indiscriminately...
And what he said in an interview at the draft: "College basketball is no different from the NBA" has also been mentioned again in the past, and has been ridiculed repeatedly in the past few days!
Looking at these newspapers and programs, Li You finally regained some familiar feelings, and those headline-grabbing articles made him feel even more intimate!
"These articles are still not interesting enough. They should make a bet and eat something. This would be more effective. I'm starting to like the New York media!"
Unable to surf the Internet, Li You's source of happiness is reading newspapers and magazines of this era.
Mark Bartelstein shook his head helplessly after hearing Li You's words.
At first, I was worried that Li You would not adapt to life in New York, but after a few days of observation, I realized that my worries were unnecessary:
"Just adapt to life in New York. The media in Chicago is similar to that in New York. Don't care what they say. As long as you perform well, you can shut up these guys."
Li You just smiled. He really liked reading these made-up news reports:
"There is something wrong with the trainer. Some of the people who accepted the invitation are more focused on strength training, which is not what I want!"
How to train scientifically and how to adjust the diet structure is indeed a technical task, but in the unique environment of this era, most trainers currently fail to meet Li You's requirements.
Mark Bartelstein doesn't have a good solution for this. The most famous personal trainer at present is Tim Grover. As Michael Jordan's personal trainer, he is the most famous in the industry.
"Perhaps you need a follower-type trainer. In a few days, I will help you find some suitable candidates!"
"Li, don't go to the amateur field to play ball. I've got you a membership in the New York Athletic Club."
Mark Bartelstein was afraid that Li You would get bored and go to places like Rucker Park to exercise...
Li You readily agreed. He had no interest in showing off in the so-called holy land of street basketball.
Raf Alston, who has become famous recently, is about to become the king of streetball, but this title is useless.
In the NBA, none of those fancy moves are needed, and the offense must obediently give the ball to the big man in the low post first as required.
At the end of July, Li You received good news about big man Travis Knight.
The Bulls had no intention of signing Knight after selecting him with the 29th overall pick, and he was quickly released.
After struggling for more than half a month, the Lakers finally picked up the big white man.
"I almost thought I was going to have no ball to play. It was such a nightmare experience! I still don't understand why the Bulls drafted me and then gave up!"
On the phone, Knight seemed a little excited. Li You comforted his old teammate:
"Everything is over. Los Angeles is a great place. When we play away games, it all depends on you!"
After ending the call, Li You looked at the newly purchased rainbow-colored Motorola StarTac in his hand, and once again expressed his nostalgic mood:
"A classic flip phone that weighs less than 100 grams. This $1,000 is well spent!"
