"Sweeping his opponents, Lee set a new record in the three-point contest!"
"Domination of the three-point contest, historic 25 points!"
"Historical rookie, the future of New York!"
"."
On the morning of February 8, the New York paper media finally stopped following the trend and gossiped about Michael Jordan. Instead, they all replaced it with news about Li You breaking the record in the three-point shooting contest.
The photos captured by the photographer were very interesting. Li You was wearing the Knicks' daily white training uniform and lifting the spherical trophy of the three-point shooting competition in the center of the court with a smile.
The other seven players participating in the game were each wearing their own team uniforms and had long faces.
The New York Times posted the photo and didn’t forget to take the opportunity to mock Reggie Miller’s 12 points:
"Miller's magic is gone. Every time he meets Lee, he performs badly."
"Miller lacks real talent and the Pacers will never win a championship with the Knicks!"
Although the Knicks have always been Reggie Miller's background in the past, most New York media are still obsessed with confidence and will step on him if they have the opportunity.
Li You's 25 points just broke the 24-point Three-Point Contest record set by Mark Price in 1994!
As if one championship was not enough, many New York media outlets helped Li You loan out the championship in the next three years at the end of the article.
Winning the championship for four consecutive years is just enough to break the three-point contest record set by Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.
In short, if you give it a little sunshine, it will be bright, and the New York media with a wall-to-wall attitude has once again promoted Li You to the sky!
Li You didn't have time to read the newspaper at this time. He arrived at Chelsea Piers Golf Club early in the morning. After coming here to have breakfast, he followed Ewing and Oakley to play indoor golf with McNugget.
Li You, who was wearing a white polo shirt and beige trousers, watched boredly as several people fucked.
"Oh! Compared with your card skills, your golf skills are really terrible!"
"Lee, you need to practice more!"
Swinging happily and dressed like a professional golfer, Michael Jordan was in a good mood. He shook his head and teased Li You, who had poor golf skills.
Li You rubbed his eyebrows. He won less than 20,000 US dollars last night playing cards, but now he will lose it all.
This indoor golf club, which just opened in 1995, is very happy for everyone's arrival. Mykop has met some photo requests, and free memberships are included.
It was still a few degrees below zero in Manhattan at this time, and Mike, who was addicted to golf, couldn't play outdoor golf and enjoyed playing on the indoor simulation course.
"Energy old guy! He must be on drugs!"
Li You, who was smiling, was secretly complaining. On the other side, Ewing, who was unable to swing, was complaining:
"We have to hold labor negotiations in March. These guys are crazy about making money! It's impossible for us to reduce our wages!"
Gorilla was dressed in a formal suit and expressed his position loudly in the dugout. As the chairman of the players union, he had to show his position.
Oakley and Pippen kept nodding. Players should make more money. If they want them to cut their salaries, they are all enemies.
Everyone in the Knicks, who serves as the atmosphere team, also supports Ewing. The salary he currently earns is not enough. A salary cut? no way!
Larsa, who had just married Pippen, was also present. She was also dressed as a golfer, but this one deliberately highlighted her figure.
Beside Pippen, he didn't care about everyone's eyes and said in a coquettish voice:
"We need a big contract, who doesn't want a better life?"
Regarding his wife's words, Pippen also agrees that he has decided on the big contract, even if he is the most conscientious second-in-command in the league!
Larsa stood up and went to Li You and Maikou, twisting her waist and saying hello in a friendly manner:
"Li, remember to come to my party when you have time. Many little sisters want to get to know you!"
Seeing Larsa blinking at him, Li You nodded helplessly and responded casually:
"No problem, anytime in New York!"
The age difference between the two is not big, but Li You has no interest in getting involved in each other's circle. After all, he doesn't want to eat dumplings, and pure flesh and blood has no appeal to him.
When Maikou heard that everyone was still discussing the salary issue, he simply expressed his position:
"It is impossible to cut wages. It is the players who decide the game, and it is the players who the fans buy tickets to watch. Pat is right, we should really stand firm."
The superstar spoke, and the gorilla felt that the matter was stable. No matter how hard the management squeezed them, they would not be allowed to cut their salary:
"Mike is right, we must unite. Taking advantage of this All-Star weekend, I will contact everyone. The league should not try to threaten us with a lockout!"
When Li You saw Ewing's passionate speech, he immediately thought of the long layoff after the end of the season:
"Workers really shouldn't have their wages reduced. I also need a big contract!"
On the evening of February 8th, the All-Star Game officially begins.
NBC, the broadcaster, also made great efforts and proactively interviewed every player before the game.
Jim Gray, the famous NBC reporter, still had thick hair at this time. Except for his bald forehead, he looked very handsome.
As the host All-Star starting player, and last year he also set the youngest appearance record, Li You received the most interviews at this time:
"This is your second All-Star Game in your career, Li. How does it feel different from last year?"
Before entering the locker room, Li You, who was dressed in formal attire, was blocked by NBC's Jim Gray.
"The biggest difference is that I got the starting position. Thank you to the fans who voted for me. I will definitely give my best in tonight's game!"
Li You answered the question with a smile, then waved his hand to the camera, and then walked to the dressing room.
"You are so young. You have just turned 20 and become the core of the Knicks. It is unbelievable!"
The accompanying staff all sighed in low voices. Many of them were coming into contact with Li You for the first time.
Jim Gray didn't care. He had interviewed the games live across the United States many times. At this time, he turned to the staff and said:
"Hurry up and let's interview Kobe Bryant of the Lakers. He became an All-Star starter from the bench. I like this story!"
Kobe Bryant is no longer the youngest All-Star in NBA history, and his popularity has dropped by more than half.
More people want to watch the fun. Van Exel and Eddie Jones, who are starting in the team, are both substitutes. If the Lakers have internal strife, everyone will applaud.
In the Eastern All-Star locker room, Michael Jordan, who had changed into training clothes, was pretending to be X again:
"I have to teach the little guy across from me a lesson. I will take the initiative tonight!"
Everyone in the locker room followed suit. Seeing Michael Jordan's proud smile, Li You cursed in his heart:
"Pretending that X is not as good as yours will only bring you consequences!"
When Jeff Van Gundy came to the locker room, McQueen didn't look at the All-Star coach.
"Play freely, we can go for more fast breaks and dunks! Lee will send the pass in time, so everyone can run more actively on the court!"
The bald young coach is in a good mood. The All-Star head coach always hangs up, and he happens to be very good at this skill.
Mutombo took the initiative to clap his hands, and Sean Kemp and Grant Hill also responded.
There are many starters in the Eastern Conference who are good at flying and dunking. It is not difficult to run and switch offenses and play alley-oops.
Michael Jordan didn't say anything. The vindictive Michael Dun didn't give Jeff Van Gundy any face, and quickly turned around and walked out of the locker room.
Jeff Van Gundy was very angry by such a move, but he was no longer the little follower he used to be. Finally, he patted Li You on the shoulder and said with a smile:
"Don't worry, Li! You have enough playing time tonight!"
Li You smiled and nodded. This is his biggest guarantee for this year's All-Star Game. The bald young coach is one of his own. When it comes to improving statistics, he will not lose to anyone!
In Li You's opinion, the appearance ceremony of the All-Star Game was not cool enough. It was just that the players whose names were read appeared from the sidelines.
Although there are decorations like gates on both sides, they look simple no matter how you look at them.
But for fans, this way of appearing is already cool, and the noise at the scene is getting louder and louder.
Li You was the fourth player from the last to appear. He was wearing a Knicks training uniform. His voice instantly doubled as soon as he came on the stage.
Of course, Michael Jordan, who appeared in the finale, is still the most popular. Many fans bought tickets to witness Michael Jordan's last All-Star appearance.
"oh!!"
Huge cheers resounded throughout the arena, and rumors of retirement made McQueen's popularity explode.
When the players from both sides were warming up, the on-site director also pointed the camera at the audience. There were many Broadway stars tonight.
During the intermission, the show was also very New York-style, with small performances by Broadway all-stars.
The camera also focused on the mayor and a certain real estate tycoon. The two were talking and laughing, and they got together in 1998.
Gary Payton had a friendly exchange with Li You during the warm-up:
"Rookie turned Eastern Conference All-Star starter? You should really thank the shitty New York media!"
Li You looked at Gary Payton who was crazy about lemons, patted the ball and said cheerfully:
"The rookie's points per game are almost surpassing yours, and the number of assists seems to be far ahead. If you can start in the West, I can start in the East!"
Since Li You joined the Knicks, he has yet to win against the Sonics, but this season, when the two played against each other, Gary Payton shot 3 of 13 and scored 9 points.
Although the Sonics won the game, they were wildly ridiculed by the New York media after the game. After that, Gary Payton held a grudge.
A large part of the reason why the Knicks have so many rivals is due to these media who like to watch.
Kobe Bryant has become a little transparent on the court. Fortunately, his Lakers teammates are still there and they will not be isolated.
Michael Jordan smiled and hugged everyone in the Western Conference All-Stars, and patted Kobe on the shoulder. This performance immediately made Kobe excited.
When the two sides came to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball, the cheers began to sound in Madison Square Garden.
Mutombo jumped to the ball easily. After Li You received the ball, the five players from the Western Conference's new team retreated quickly.
Every year in the All-Star Game, everyone will relax their defense, but they will also compete with real guns.
In the first offensive round, Michael Jordan asked for the ball with his back in the left block, and dunked in an aggressive position, firmly blocking Kobe behind him.
As soon as Maikun stretched out his hand, left wing Li You sent a pass. After catching the ball, he happened to release the ball. Maikun made two quick hits, and then immediately turned towards the baseline.
Get rid of the defense, dunk on the left side near the baseline and shoot a fadeaway jumper!
"Whoa!" A solid hit from mid-range!
After scoring the goal, Michael Jordan didn't forget to pretend to be X. He glanced at the camera under the basket, shook his head and quickly retreated.
The iconic fadeaway jumper made the fans in attendance shout excitedly, and he took a baseline kick. Gary Payton dribbled across the half court and quickly handed the ball to O'Neal, who was looking for the ball in the low post on the left.
The latter received the pass and hit the basket twice. He also turned towards the baseline. O'Neal pushed Mutombo away and switched to his left hand to shoot.
The head coach of the Western Conference All-Stars is George Karl of the SuperSonics. At this time, like Jeff Van Gundy, he stood on the sidelines and applauded.
The same quick throw from the ground ball, after Li You passed half court, he saw Gary Payton's lower center on the left wing outside the three-point line, and he dribbled the ball under his hip with his left hand and stopped suddenly.
Li You took advantage of Gary Payton's move and quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his right hand. He paused slightly while grabbing the ball with his left hand, and then immediately swung the ball with one hand.
The extremely penetrating pass immediately made the fans at the scene scream.
Shawn Kemp, who had just moved to the lower left side of the basket, caught the ball, turned around, and hit Kyle Malone, who was chasing him, with a one-handed dunk!
"Wow!!"
A powerful dunk, the fans immediately cheered loudly.
"Wonderful assist! Kemp's movement was also timely. This tactic was used by Ewing in the past. It can be seen that Kemp knows the Knicks very well."
In the NBC commentary box, Isiah Thomas explained the round with a smile.
Bill Walton on the side saw Malone's response and added with a smile:
"The players know each other very well, and I believe every team will study the Knicks. They are number one in the league and are indeed worthy of attention."
After Mutombo grabbed the rebound, he gave the ball to Li You. On the other side, Grant Hill was already accelerating along the left sideline.
Garnett, who was facing off, was inadvertently thrown away completely. He looked up and saw the basketball flying to the upper left side of the basket, and gave up his defense helplessly.
Before halftime, Li You, who was accelerating along the right sideline, suddenly sent a long pass.
Grant Hill, who rushed to the paint area, jumped high, grabbed the ball in the air without any defense, and then directly made a two-handed dunk!
"Boom!" Alley-oop dunk succeeded!
Under the huge inertia, Grant Hill grabbed the basket and took off his strength, swinging around the basket before landing steadily.
Showing his thumb, Grant Hill quickly returned to defense and signaled Li You to pass the ball beautifully.
The game soon fell into Li You's rhythm. The Eastern All-Star team transitioned quickly, and Grant Hill and Sean Kemp performed actively.
When attacking in position, Michael Jordan will post up near the blocking area.
For the Western Conference All-Stars, Garnett performed very well. After the opening game, he hit two consecutive jump shots, and O'Neal also scored in a strong attack under the basket.
Continuously sent out assists, this time taking advantage of Gary Payton to hit the iron, Li You, who happened to collect the rebound, took the ball and rushed forward.
Seeing another defensive counterattack by the Eastern Conference All-Stars, Gary Payton retreated extremely quickly.
At the top of the arc, Li You was forced to slow down. Without waiting for Mutombo to pick and roll, he quickly lowered his center of gravity, held the ball in his right hand, and suddenly in and out slightly.
Swinging left and right, taking advantage of the opponent's slippage, Li You quickly changed direction with his hips. Gary Payton didn't relax and immediately pounced on Li You's left hand.
Quickly completing a large circle around the ball, Li You dodged the opponent's chip and retrieved the ball with his right hand. Seeing the opponent sliding backward again, he took advantage of the situation to complete the dribble behind his back and quickly retreated with his feet.
Due to a defensive misjudgment, Gary Payton was pushed near the free throw line. Li You from outside the three-point line quickly combined the ball and made a quick three-point jumper from the top of the arc!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
"Wow!!"
Shaking away the opponent one-on-one to complete the attack, the beautiful shaking made the fans cheer again.
Gary Payton felt that he had lost face and did the trick.
Forced a breakthrough at the top of the arc, Gary Payton rushed into the paint area, dodged Mutombo's block, pulled the lever and picked up the basket with his right hand!
In the next round, Mutombo picked and rolled on the left wing. Li You made an emergency stop and started. After blasting the ball, he held the ball in his left hand and accelerated from the three-point line.
Attracting O'Neal's defensive attention, Li You threw the ball high.
Mutombo went straight to the basket to catch the ball in the air, and then completed a slam dunk with both hands!
"Oh! What a beautiful pass. It can be seen that Li is very adaptable to the All-Star Game. In less than half a quarter, he has already sent out 3 assists."
In the NBC commentary box, Bob Costas watched happily and dunked a lot, making the atmosphere even more heated.
"Lee made the right choice. My dunk should be less about post-ups and more about cuts without the ball. I think the fans want to see his dunks more!"
Isiah Thomas, who was smiling, did not forget to dunk in a weird way at this time.
Michael Jordan once again succeeded in posting up against Kobe Bryant, with a relaxed smile on his face again.
At 12:17, the Eastern All-Stars led by 5 points, with 6 minutes and 58 seconds left in the first quarter.
Kobe Bryant finally received a pass from Gary Payton at this time.
The Eastern All-Star team's shooting percentage was too high and there were very few transition attacks, which made Kobe a little anxious after not being able to catch the ball for a long time.
After catching the ball this time, he accelerated the breakthrough on the right wing. Kobe took two big steps, quickly changed direction in front of his body, and then completed a drift jump shot!
"state!"
After Grant Hill got the rebound, he immediately took the ball and accelerated across half court. Gary Payton didn't care about Li You who was following up from the right wing outside the three-point line.
Stepping on the three-point line to defend, the next second Gary Payton saw Li You in front of him receiving a cross pass and throwing the ball!
"Whoa!" Another three-pointer!
"Long-range three-pointer! This is Lee's range! Beautiful transition attack!"
Commentator Bob Costas also raised his voice and shouted.
After completing the goal, Li You smiled and shook his head, quickly pacing back to defend. As a result, such a performance also made Gary Payton excited.
As if they were back in the regular season, the two did not skimp on their energy in the first quarter and began to constantly lead each other.
Of course, in order to ensure the viewing pleasure, if you lose your defensive position, you will not foul. After all, the fans are not here to watch free throws.
Michael Jordan continued his love education, playing post-up singles in several rounds, leaving Kobe with nothing to do
With 3 minutes and 46 seconds left in the first quarter, O'Neal was delayed in preventing the pick-and-roll and followed from the left wing to the right baseline.
The fans at the scene were booing loudly. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand and accelerating along the baseline, was naturally aware of the defensive pressure behind him.
While O'Neal was still grabbing the ball, his left hand suddenly blasted the ball on the spot. Then Li You quickly turned around and scooped the ball with his right hand. He then squeezed under the basket from O'Neal's side and easily picked up the basket!
"oh!!"
Seeing the shark being shaken to the spot, the fun-loving audience cheered loudly.
In the next round, Mutombo suffered a disaster. Unexpectedly, O'Neal suddenly strengthened his back-up force and was fouled under the basket.
The two sides took the opportunity to rotate the lineup. Li You walked to the bench, and the New York fans began to applaud and cheer for his performance.
Unlike the Western All-Stars who play too many singles, led by Li You, the Eastern All-Stars have more transition attacks and more dunks.
"Good job!"
Jeff Van Gundy patted Li You on the shoulder with satisfaction. He scored 3 of 3, 8 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists. The bald young coach knew what he was doing, and the two planned to work together to score points.
Of course Michael Jordan also wanted to win the MVP. He played extremely hard in the first quarter, and he also did not forget to teach Kobe Bryant love and complete the pretense at the same time.
In the All-Star Game, each player will not have too much playing time, about 26 minutes.
But in the subsequent games, Jeff Van Gundy increased Li You's playing time openly and deliberately missed the dunk.
This makes the situation on the field very interesting.
In the third quarter of the game, when all the main lineup returned, Michael Jordan played a post-up single, then broke through Kobe Bryant's defense and put the basket under the basket successfully!
Maidun also made a mid-range pull-up jump shot.
What happened next was a sudden change in style. During the transition, Li You accelerated with the ball in his right hand and approached the paint area with three big strides.
Attracting the attention of Kobe and Malone, Li You quickly retreated and grabbed the ball with his right hand. Li You paused slightly in the air, and then swung the ball behind his head.
Sean Kemp, who caught the semi-transition attack and cut horizontally, received the ball and went under the basket to complete another two-handed dunk!
Beautiful goal, and the fans cheered loudly,
Gary Payton followed suit, and Li You received a pass from Sean Kemp and continued to accelerate along the middle.
Grant Hill, who was unable to follow up, was positioned close to the free throw line. Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, immediately pretended to pass the ball behind his back.
Maidun, who had just followed up to the left wing, subconsciously made a motion to catch the ball, only to find that the basketball flew straight to the right sideline.
"God! How did Lee pass the ball!"
Commentator Bill Walton then exclaimed, everyone was fooled.
The right wing was close to the sideline. After receiving the ball, Grant Hill was a little confused. Fortunately, there was no one in front of him to defend him. He took a look for a while and then took a jump shot!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
"oh!!"
Some fans in the front row could see clearly that Li You, who was marching, used his left elbow to change the direction of the basketball. Such a beautiful cooperation made everyone shout excitedly.
Li You didn't care at all whether Grant Hill could send the ball into the basket. After completing the pass, Li You ran towards the baseline, raised his hands and slipped around before retreating quickly.
"X has been faked by you!"
Grant Hill, who made a three-pointer, shook his head helplessly. If he hadn't made the three-pointer, he would have been sprayed to death by the New York fans after the game!
The Eastern Conference All-Stars were crushing all the way, and Michael Jordan was in a good mood. It was not until the fourth quarter of the game that the cheers on the scene became louder and louder, and he realized that something was wrong.
The fans seemed to prefer watching Li You play. Maidun, who had not calculated the data at all, realized that his scoring was not as efficient as the opponent's.
With 2 minutes and 58 seconds left in the game, the main lineups of both sides sat on the bench, and the game lost suspense in the last quarter.
Jeff Van Gundy looked at Michael Jordan happily, feeling very happy~
The rotation lineup was still playing hard on the court, and Tim Duncan, who entered the All-Star Game for the first time, finally hit a sports goal.
Michael Jordan suppressed the smile on his face. He found that he had been tricked by the bald man.
At the end of the game, the score was fixed at 116:134, and the Eastern All-Stars defeated their opponents!
After changing into his training clothes, Li You smiled and greeted everyone with hugs. The New York fans cheered louder and louder.
When the league staff rolled out the All-Star Game MVP crystal trophy, David Stern took the microphone with a smile:
"Thank you to the New York City government for its strong support, and also to the enthusiastic New York fans who attended!"
"It's great to see new faces at this year's All-Star Game. It's a perfect All-Star weekend!"
"I hereby announce that the MVP winner of the 1998 All-Star Game is Clay-Lee!"
Michael Jordan looked at Li You with a smile on his face as he took the trophy, and hugged the president in greeting.
Jeff Van Gundy also smiled and clapped on the sidelines. He played 32 minutes and made 10 of 14 shots, 4 of 7 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, 26 points, 5 rebounds and 13 assists.
Taking advantage of Maikou's love education to Kobe, the bald young coach quietly let Li You get the highest score in the game.
Li You didn't look at the faces of the people behind him, and raised the trophy with a smile. When he heard the huge cheers from Madison Square Garden again, he was in a good mood:
"This is how a host should be treated!"
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(End of chapter)
