On the night of June 10, 1998, Jazz fans finally witnessed the Knicks' awards ceremony at their home court.
In last year's finals, the Bulls received the award at the United Center. Jazz fans couldn't see the award ceremony, so they were left feeling unhappy.
But this year at the Delta Center Arena, Jazz fans couldn't hold back when they saw Ewing roaring, seeing Jeff Van Gundy constantly pumping his fists in celebration, and seeing Li You calmly pretending to be X in front of media reporters.
Many people left the venue disappointed, but there were still some die-hard fans who stayed at the venue and continued to show their support.
Karl Malone may have had a mental breakdown. After the game, he simply shook hands with everyone on the Knicks team and walked to the tunnel without looking back.
After missing key free throws for two consecutive years, the powerful power forward felt uncomfortable and was also heartbroken by the Salt Lake City media.
As everyone in the Knicks returned to the visiting team's locker room, Charles Sr. and the team management cordially expressed condolences to the players:
"Good job!"
"We finally won the championship, enjoy this championship moment!"
Charles Sr., who still retains control of the team, smiled and patted Ewing, who has served the team for many years.
No matter what the past results are, there is no need to think about those experiences of losing to the Bulls. Winning championships in his career has already surpassed most players.
The visiting team's locker room was particularly noisy at this time. Ewing was still very excited. After hearing the words of encouragement, he kept hugging everyone.
At this time, James Dolan began to share the cigars he had prepared, and invited Li You and Oakley to smoke together.
It's just that this move was quickly glared at by Old Charles, and there was an award ceremony afterwards. This big boy didn't take Mr. President seriously.
"It doesn't matter, I've got the champagne and cigars ready, and we'll fly straight to Las Vegas."
James Dolan, who has not yet taken control of the team, always wants to find his own sense of existence, and added in a low voice.
After winning the championship, Charles Sr. will hold a private party at the hotel, inviting city staff from Salt Lake City and New York City.
Family and friends of the Knicks will be in attendance, and as for Las Vegas, that's James Dolan's personal preference.
"Cool! Lee, you will become the youngest Finals MVP in NBA history!"
"You broke Magic Johnson's record again!"
Ben Davis from the atmosphere team came over and started shouting. From the moment they defeated the Jazz, everyone was in a state of self-euphoria.
Ben Wallace was also cheering on the side, and soon everyone who had changed into championship T-shirts surrounded Li You and shouted:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The white T-shirt has the Knicks logo and a championship trophy on the chest. Although the print is a bit crude, it does not affect everyone's emotions.
"The award belongs to all of us! It's time for us to receive it!"
Li You smiled and complimented, and then greeted everyone back to the arena. Only then did Ewing, who was almost overwhelmed with joy, remember what he had lost.
Gorilla looked at Li You who was surrounded by most of the team's players. General Manager Glenfield was also chatting and laughing beside him, and felt a lemon in his heart.
It's useless to be bitter. Everyone knows that Li You made a great contribution to winning the championship.
Whether it was the buzzer-beater in the Eastern Conference Finals or his 40 points in G4 of the Finals, they all showed Li You's strength.
Oakley seemed to see the sadness in Ewing's heart, and said in a low voice without caring:
"Pat, this is the best ending, with a big contract and a championship!"
Seeing everyone cheering and walking out of the locker room, Ewing finally whispered:
"The championship is indeed the best ending!"
Gorilla is currently a sure winner in life. He caught up with the previous salary increase and signed a big contract with the Knicks at the end of his career. He suffered a serious injury to his right wrist, but ended up winning a championship.
Oakley wanted this kind of experience at the end of his career. After playing in New York for so many years, he didn't want to leave the city.
In the center of the field, the Jazz team logo was displayed, the podium had been set up, and it was surrounded by major sports media.
Although there were constant boos in the arena, the Knicks were in a good mood and didn't care about it.
NBC host Bob Costas saw that everyone had arrived. After saying hello to old Charles, he immediately took the microphone and said loudly:
"I am very happy to witness this historical moment with the fans, and let us ask NBA Commissioner Mr. David Stern to present the award to the championship team."
Although the labor negotiations broke down again and the NBA league was about to be suspended, David Stern had a smile on his face at this time. He first hugged Charles Sr. and then said in a brisk tone:
"Thank you to the Municipal Government of Salt Lake City and the Municipal Government of New York for their strong support of the league, and also thank you to the staff of the Delta Center Arena and the passionate fans of the Jazz!"
"Shhh!!"
The Jazz fans who were still in the arena immediately booed when they heard this. David Stern continued to say with a smile as if he didn't hear the noise at the scene:
"Salt Lake City is the best host. Thank you for creating a warm and fair atmosphere for the finals."
"Thank you to the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks. They are both excellent teams and gave a wonderful finals to fans around the world!"
The Jazz fans who stayed at the scene always felt that this was a mockery of them, and booed and booed. Only a small number of New York fans cheered and shouted.
Looking around at the Knicks team again, David Stern raised his voice and said loudly:
"It's an honor to witness such a historical moment. In the 1997-1998 season, the team that won the NBA championship was the New York Knicks!"
"The third championship in team history, let us congratulate them together!"
With a smile, David Stern handed the golden O'Brien Cup to Charles Sr., who was clapping his hands aside.
After the two hugged each other, David Stern applauded while Charles Sr. smiled and raised the trophy.
"Wow!!"
The Knicks fans behind him began to cheer loudly, and their dream came true. When Charles Sr. smiled and handed the trophy to Jeff Van Gundy on the side, the bald young coach's eyes were red with excitement.
The head coach once again won the cup, and everyone continued to cheer. Li You motioned for a few veterans to touch the cup first, and then the bald young coach realized that he almost did something wrong.
Ewing kept grinning as he held the O'Brien Trophy, while Oakley and Starks kept cheering.
Soon, host Bob Costas was interviewing Charles Sr. with a smile:
"The third championship in team history. We all know that the Knicks also experienced some changes last year. We all want to hear your thoughts on winning this championship!"
With the addition of metaphysics, old Charles also felt that he was lucky. The trusteeship management had very good results:
"For this championship, I just want to express my gratitude and thank you to the New York fans who have been with the team all these years."
"Maybe we lost a lot of games before, but in the end, we succeeded! Of course, I also want to thank everyone on the Knicks. The championship is inseparable from everyone's hard work."
"Coach Van Gundy has successfully activated this team, and Glenfield has brought us an important championship cornerstone!"
"Almost forgot, I also want to thank the teams that didn't draft Lee, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, etc."
"With the 18th pick, maybe this is God's will. We got the best player in that year's draft!"
Old Charles' words immediately made a small number of New York fans at the scene happily shout:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The Knicks also cheered loudly, ignoring the boos at the scene. Li You held up the hat on his head and applauded with a smile on his face.
When Bob Costas saw Jeff Van Gundy who was about to cry, he immediately greeted with a smile:
"Come on! Jeff, this is your team too, a 36-year-old championship coach. This is definitely an amazing achievement!"
In 1982, 37-year-old Pat Riley led the Lakers to win the championship. In 1998, 36-year-old Jeff Van Gundy broke this record and became the youngest championship coach in NBA history!
For Jeff Van Gundy, the experience of the past two years was like a dream. When he took the microphone, he still shed tears and said excitedly:
"I want to thank our players, they have always supported me!"
"Lee is a talented player. He can always control the rhythm of the game and lead the team to win games continuously."
"Pat, Oakley, and John have shaped our locker room culture. Thank you to everyone on the Knicks for allowing me to achieve this achievement."
"."
The bald young marshal began to reminisce about the bitterness and sweetness. After a loud blow, the Jazz fans turned away in anger.
When David Stern took the microphone with a smile again, everyone in the Knicks team began to cheer loudly and pushed Li You forward.
"20 years and 161 days old, I am very happy to witness this historical moment tonight. Congratulations to Clay-Lee! Finals Most Valuable Player Award. This is also a perfect season for you!"
Unlike the future Finals FMVP, this award has not been renamed at this time, and the trophy is not a shrunken O'Brien Cup, but a golden spherical trophy about the same size as the O'Brien Cup.
When David Stern handed the trophy to Li You with a smile, the Knicks atmosphere team also shouted along with the small number of New York fans at the scene:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
David Stern patted Li You on the shoulder, smiled and sent his blessing:
"I hope I can see you win this award again in the finals in the future!"
"This is the direction I work hard for! Thank you for your blessing!"
After everyone in the Knicks took turns to toast, Alan Houston smiled and handed the O'Brien Cup to Li You.
One in each hand, Li You came to the stage with a confident smile on his face and raised the two golden trophies in his hands.
"Wow!!"
A small number of Knicks fans began to cheer loudly, and the surrounding media reporters began to click their cameras wildly, making click-click noises.
Breaking Magic Johnson's record, as long as he stays healthy, they will witness the rise of a superstar again.
Host Bob Costas has narrated many of Li You's games, and this year's playoffs left a deep impression on him:
"Congratulations, Lee! Unparalleled achievement! It's unbelievable that you are not yet 21 years old."
"This is the first time in my career that I have achieved such an achievement in the finals. Let me talk about the secret of your success. I believe that young players in the future will regard you as a role model!"
Li You casually handed the trophy to Ben Wallace of the atmosphere team. Looking at the golden FMVP gold cup, everyone cheered again and took photos.
"The secret to success is to train hard and keep polishing your basketball skills!"
"This is what Coach Calhoun taught me when I was in college, and I have always followed this teaching."
"To be able to win the championship, we must also thank our opponents. They make the Knicks better!"
"Thank you to the fans who have always supported us, to my friends and teammates, to our coaching staff and everyone on the team. This award belongs to everyone."
"Finally, I would also like to thank Uncle Varga who has been helping me in Albuquerque. Without their help, I wouldn't be where I am now."
"."
The Knicks defeated the Jazz 4:1, and Li You started in all five finals games.
Averaged 37.8 minutes per game, 24.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.3 turnovers per game;
He averaged 17.4 shots per game, shooting 47.0% from the field, 8.4 shots from outside the three-point line, 50.1% from three-point range, 5.6 free throws per game, and 84.3% from the field.
During Li You's interview, NBC also displayed this data.
Many fans in front of the TV were shocked when they saw the 50% three-point shooting rate. This was a statistic that was achieved while stretching the hips from beyond the three-point line in Game 5.
Li You did not reminisce about the bitterness and sweetness like the bald young coach, and several Knicks veterans also got more interview time.
Unlike a bachelor like Li You, most of the family members of his teammates were present tonight. Ewing was equally excited and shed tears during the interview, as if he wanted to vent all the depression he had been feeling over the years.
During the interview, Alan Houston and Larry Johnson were simply happy. They had never experienced the hard history of the Knicks.
Oakley and Starks boasted wildly about X, and by the way helped the Knicks get a loan to win next year's championship.
The equipment manager, Old Mike, was very low-key. He just smiled and took Li You to take a photo with the trophy:
"Like I said, Lee, you're a big star!"
The carnival belonging to the winner completely broke the defense of the Jazz fans present. By the time the Knicks took a group photo, most of the Jazz fans in the Delta Center Arena had already left.
Li You was smiling and holding the FMVP trophy, and Ewing was grinning and holding the O'Brien Cup. The two were in the center, and everyone gathered around to complete this group photo.
The photo will definitely appear in the Madison Square Garden Arena in the future. After Frazier and Reed, the third championship in team history is of great significance to the Knicks.
The Jazz staff didn't like seeing the Knicks throwing champagne in the locker room at all.
They reached the finals for the second time in team history, only to watch their opponents celebrate wildly at their home court.
Jeff Van Gundy didn't care that everyone was drooling over him, and continued to yell unconsciously along with the atmosphere team.
After spraying the champagne, Li You and Oakley lit up their cigars and started puffing away.
James Dolan seemed to like this lively atmosphere very much. He smoked and shouted at the same time:
"I like the championship! I like this feeling!"
"."
At the post-game press conference, Karl Malone had a bitter look on his face, as if he had not yet been able to adjust from the defeat:
"I understand my body, I will continue to maintain this state, and the Jazz will win the championship."
The Utah duo continued to state that they would continue to chase the championship next year, but the media in the audience did not buy it because they were too old.
For everyone on the Knicks team, which won the third championship in team history, the press conference was a blast:
"The league's number one point guard", "the league's strongest backcourt", "the league's number one center", "the strongest interior combination".
All kinds of names were thrown at the Knicks.
The media are relatively calm. No one mentioned next season. The collective bargaining agreement negotiations have broken down. No one knows whether the league will start normally next season.
After returning to the hotel in the evening, it was already very late, but everyone present was in high spirits.
This kind of private party is mainly for bonding and exchanging information.
At the party with the theme of Champagne Champion, everyone had a smile on their face. In the luxurious banquet hall, everyone chatted with each other and laughed from time to time.
The service staff of the hotel are all young and beautiful girls, and they do their best to serve sweet and delicious champagne to everyone present.
Most of the Knicks were sharing their joy with their families, and Li You, who had changed into a black formal suit, was no longer transparent.
Peter Bowles, who had served as the deputy mayor of New York, and Joseph Ruto, who succeeded him, also came to be familiar with him.
City Council President Peter Valenti, considered a powerful elected official in New York City, also gave Li You a smile at this time.
The mayors of the five major boroughs of New York City were also here, plus city officials from Salt Lake City, so Charles Sr.'s private party almost turned into a political gathering.
Ruth Messinger, who previously served as Manhattan Borough President, clinked glasses of champagne with Li You:
"Lee, you will adapt to this kind of life. You can try to become an opinion leader, just like Bradley!"
After losing to New York Mayor Giuliani in 1997, this white Jewish old lady seemed not to have given up on the struggle, and gave Li You some life advice with a smile.
Li You shrugged his shoulders and responded with the same smile:
"Thanks for the advice, but I'm not old enough to drink yet!"
"Oh! Interesting boy!"
After winning the championship, James Dolan took everyone straight to Las Vegas.
After two days of gambling and spending money like crazy, Steve Kaplan, a loyal Knicks fan, invited everyone to the Gold Club for a celebration party.
In two days, there were several high-intensity competitions, which almost made everyone happy.
Li You also learned more knowledge:
Suspension type, windmill type, side impact type, rowing type, push table type
After this confrontation, Li You didn't have time to get the reward of the finals. When he returned to his apartment in New York on the 16th, he could only fall asleep deeply to relieve his overdrawn waist.
After receiving news of the official suspension, the Knicks had to hold a championship parade in advance.
On the morning of June 18, Charles Sr. invited New York city officials to participate in the celebration.
The same route as the 1970 championship parade begins on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan and continues along Broadway to Madison Square Garden in Midtown.
The whole of Manhattan was completely boiling that morning, and MSG broadcast the entire event live.
On the open bus at the front, Li You, who had regained his energy, was wearing a championship T-shirt and kept waving to the fans around him.
"God! How many people are there? All of New York seems to be following the trend to celebrate."
Alan Houston on the side yelled excitedly, there were too many fans around.
Singing "We are champions", the happy New York fans followed the bus slowly towards Madison Square Garden.
After the lively parade, the activities continued, continuing the past tradition, the Knicks held a grand celebration ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
Everyone in the Knicks team was sitting in the center of the arena. Most of the audience were old fans, many of them wearing old Knicks jerseys and cheering along.
Mike Breen and Frazier acted as temporary hosts, the trophy was placed in front of everyone, and the cheers in the arena became louder and louder.
Ewing, Oakley, and Starks enjoyed this moment very much. They stood up and waved to the fans around them to make the noise louder.
"Wow!!"
Mike Brin held the microphone with a smile, waved his hand at Li You, and then said loudly:
"Let us welcome the youngest FMVP in the history of the finals!"
Although he felt that the parade was held in a hurry, after feeling the enthusiasm of the New York fans, Li You also started to enjoy himself.
After taking the microphone, he stood in the center of the field and first put his right hand to his ear to signal for louder cheers.
When the noise finally stopped, Li You took the microphone and said loudly with a smile:
"I know what everyone wants!"
"A championship is just the beginning. Believe me, the future belongs to the Knicks!"
"We will win more championships, not one, two, three, but four, five, six, seven."
When Li You said seven, the New York fans present all shouted happily:
"Wow!!"
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(End of chapter)
