On June 20, 1998, New York fans were still immersed in the joy of winning the championship.
Ten days have passed since the Finals, but the news about the Knicks is still on the front page of the New York newspaper sports section.
The third championship in team history. After the start of next season, New York fans will witness the raising of the third championship flag at Madison Square Garden Arena.
Although there are rumors that the NBA will officially enter a lockout at the end of the month, fans in New York don't care.
Everyone knows that the Knicks make money, and the lockout has nothing to do with the big ball market. Their lineup structure is perfect, Li You is still on a child labor contract, and the window to win the championship is still there!
Charles Sr. promised New York fans that the team would retain its championship roster and that the Knicks would not care about spending money.
On the 18th, at Madison Square Garden Arena, James Dolan, the future team leader, gave New York fans a pie with passion:
"Our lineup structure is perfect. Pat is the best center in the league and Lee is the best point guard in the league!"
"We will continue to attack the championship. The Knicks' time has come!"
Different from Charles Sr.'s low-key promise, this man wanted to let the whole world know that he was a rich man.
As the voice of the Knicks, MSG covers fans around New York State. The Dolan family made promises during the championship parade and its own program, which completely reassured the fans.
Oakley's plan was successful. The old guy entered the best defensive second team this season. With the blessing of the championship, the team will offer him a big contract!
Even if general manager Glenfield doesn't like this choice, but the big boss has given a promise and the Knicks don't care about spending money, then he will naturally not be a villain.
Losing the finals again, the Utah duo also created an embarrassing record. The two became the players who played the most games in the playoffs but did not win a championship.
Although Karl Malone performed well in the finals overall, as long as ESPN is still broadcasting his two missed free throws and Li You's fatal block, Jazz fans can only follow the anger.
"The youngest FMVP in the NBA Finals!"
"The league's No. 1 point guard!"
"The rise of a superstar, the future Mr. Billionaire!"
"."
After winning the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, Li You has become the target of consumption by major sports media these days.
The NBA is a big show. After Li You's performance, the commentators will naturally start their own performances.
On the second day after the finals, ESPN announced the playoff rankings for the 1997-98 season. This was also one of the sources of joy for New York fans. Li You played an incredible performance.
In the 1997-98 season, the Knicks experienced a total of 17 playoff games, and Li You started in all of them.
Averaged 36.2 minutes per game, 24.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.0 turnovers per game;
Averaged 17.5 shots per game, shooting 48.4% from the field, 7.4 shots from outside the three-point line, and 49.4% shooting from three-point range;
He averaged 5.4 free throws per game and made 87.7% of his free throws.
In 17 playoff games, Li You scored a total of 424 points, ranking third in this year's playoff scoring list and sixth in points per game.
The top two are Michael Jordan with 530 points and Karl Malone with 501 points.
Although McDuck was eliminated this year, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the total playoff scoring list and became the first scorer in the history of the NBA playoffs.
In the playoff assists list, Li You ranked first with 157 assists and ranked second in assists per game;
On the playoff hit list, Li You averaged 8.4 goals per game, ranking 7th, and had a total of 142 goals, ranking 4th;
On the playoff three-point list, Li You hit 61 three-pointers, leading the way;
Reggie Miller, ranked second, hit 38 three-pointers;
Averaging 3.5 three-pointers per game, Li You also ranked first, and his 49.4% three-point field goal percentage ranked fourth.
At the same time, Li You's 61 three-pointers in the playoffs also broke the record of 56 three-pointers by Denis Scott of the Magic in the 1994-95 season.
Became the player with the most three-pointers in a single season in NBA playoff history!
In the playoffs, Li You made 91 free throws in total, ranking third in the league, averaging 4.6 free throws per game, ranking 14th in the league, and ranking 8th in free throw percentage.
On the true shooting rate list, Li You ranks 7th with a true shooting rate of 63.3%;
In the high-end data PER efficiency value list, Li You ranked second with a value of 27.9, just surpassing Michael Jordan's 27.3;
The first place is Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers, with a PER of 31.0. The Sharks killed everyone in the playoffs, but it's a pity that they caught fish early.
Whether it is from the performance on the field or from Excel, Li You truly deserves this year's FMVP. He received all the votes, which truly reflects this situation.
However, as professional football commentators, everyone is also aware of the flaws reflected in Li You's data.
TNT will have NBA Inside Stuff every Saturday at 11 a.m., which is a program jointly produced by NBC and TNT to introduce NBA insiders and highlights.
After it was broadcast in 1990, it became very popular because the content of the program was not as professional as previous TNT programs, but more of providing fans with interesting facts about the lives, training and games of NBA players.
Of course, the most interesting part of this program is that after showing regular game clips of top stars, there will be some interactive sessions.
Audiences can ask the host questions or express their opinions by phone.
The last two programs have exploded in effectiveness, and the interactive session at noon today started again with "Fake! Lee!" "Fake New York!" "Fake Ewing!" "Fake Jiaodan!"
During last week's show, the phone lines were ringing off the hook with fans from Salt Lake City and Chicago, coupled with the counterattack from fans in New York, questions ended in curses at the end.
At this time, vase hosts were not popular yet. Although Amanda Bell was a beautiful blonde girl, she was a famous reporter for NBC.
"Wow! That's crazy, maybe we should get Lee on the show, I'm having a hard time answering some of the questions!"
Wearing a blue formal suit, Amanda Bell showed a tangled expression in front of the camera.
The black partner Ahmed Rashad beside him did not care about this, but said with a smile:
"It seems that Lee has become very popular recently. We have all heard the opinions of professional football analysts. Amanda, you often interview Lee. Do you think he will maintain this performance next season?"
"Of course, I don't know why everyone is discussing his finishing problem at the basket. In my opinion, sending the ball into the basket is enough."
"Moreover, Lee is stronger than most fans think, and he has a good figure!"
"We've filmed Knicks training sessions before, and what I'm telling you is the truth."
Amanda Bell answered the question seriously, but Ahmed Sharad suddenly gossiped:
"I heard you had dinner together many times?"
"Hey! That's a private topic!"
"."
Li You also watched this program in his apartment in Manhattan, and he didn't care about his finishing under the basket that commentators have been criticizing over and over again in the past few days.
At this time, he was still immersed in the joy of the harvest
During the playoffs, his two-point shooting percentage was 46.9%, and in the finals, it dropped to 43.7%.
Since entering the playoffs, the two-point shooting rate has gradually declined, and most finishes at the basket are dominated by hits.
Too weak in body, insufficient confrontation, and difficulty in hanging meat are Li You's shortcomings. However, after winning the championship, this problem has been improved:
[Karl Malone’s extraordinary physique]
Although Li You still doesn't know whether this talent can make his muscles grow a few laps, but in terms of endurance, it should be guaranteed.
In this regard, Li You also set a small goal for himself:
"Strive to win the historical scoring title in your career!"
On the TV, Amanda Bell was still introducing little gossip about Li You, while the agent Mark Bartelstein in the apartment kept walking around.
Ray Allen on the side looked at Li You still lying on Ge You, then looked at the frowning agent, and said helplessly:
"The shutdown won't last too long. Didn't the union go on strike before? In the end, everyone will compromise!"
Mark Bartelstein is not so optimistic. He does not like the shutdown at this time. Without player transactions, it will affect his income:
"It's different. The alliance and management won't compromise easily this time!"
"In BRI (basketball-related income), players' salaries account for 57%, far exceeding the 48% in the agreement. Players will not compromise on salary cuts, and neither will the management."
"Hell, if the season stops early, free agency will be gone!"
Without the free market, it will have a great impact on brokers.
With a premature shutdown, the team will not be able to hold training or team meetings, which will also affect the physical condition of many players!
It is doomed to be unreliable to expect players to train with self-discipline.
In an offseason, if you don't maintain your physical condition and eat and drink a lot, you can become a ball.
There is no free market revenue reduction, but Mark Bartelstein is still getting revenue from the commercial contracts for Li You and Ray Allen, which can be regarded as making up for some losses.
"Li, no matter what program you participate in, you must answer questions about salary carefully!"
"You know, no matter how the collective bargaining agreement changes, talented young players will not be affected too much."
"Don't rush to express your position, you are destined to get a big contract!"
Of course Li You knows his situation. Kevin Garnett can't find anyone at this time. This guy gets a big contract and makes a fortune quietly.
The Knicks will also offer him a 100 million yuan contract. After the labor agreement, once compromised, there will be restrictions on player wages.
At this time, the 100 million yuan contract is making people jealous!
Li You cannot represent ordinary players, because no matter how the rules change, it will not prevent him from making big money:
"Don't worry, I understand the situation. Maybe the president will announce the results of the negotiations in two days."
Li You sat up and saw that Ray Allen didn't take the labor agreement to heart at all, so he immediately reminded him pointedly:
"Ray, after attending my graduation ceremony, maybe you need to re-plan your offseason training schedule!"
Ray Allen, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder, always likes to make step-by-step plans and then execute them meticulously.
But at this time, Ray Allen could not have imagined that this lockout would last for more than half a year:
"Don't worry, I have already made plans for the next three months. At most, some pre-season games will be canceled, and next season will be held as usual."
Mark Bartelstein stopped pacing at this time and reminded the two of them again:
"After the alliance announces the results, we must remain cautious. Believe me, the management is serious this time!"
"."
On June 22, 1998, while the major sports media were still discussing Li You's data, the NBA announced the termination of labor-management negotiations and the lockout had officially begun!
If negotiations fail to make progress, the team will be prohibited from conducting player transactions, training, and team meetings after the free market opens.
After this news was announced in the morning, it immediately caused quite a shock. Ewing has been busy with this matter since he participated in the championship parade.
Soon, Gorilla also took a strong stance, expressing the position of the players union:
"We do not accept salary cuts, nor do we accept salary restrictions. The players union welcomes fair and equitable negotiations and cooperation between both parties."
Seeing that the 1998 draft is approaching, all the newbies in this class are confused when they encounter this situation.
The official shutdown has also had a slight impact on the Knicks. The new training base that was originally planned to be officially opened in the offseason has also been postponed.
On the afternoon of the 22nd, Li You, dressed in a black formal suit, drove to Tarrytown Town.
The new training center is located in West Chester County, New York, about a 40-minute drive from midtown Manhattan.
In terms of distance, this is the same as the previous SUNY-Purchase training facility.
After the move, there will be no need to cooperate with the State University of New York, and the Knicks' training facility will be completely independent.
This also makes the Knicks the first team in the league to have a completely independent training facility.
As one of the earliest planned communities in the United States, most of Tarrytown's buildings are European-style villas. There are not many people in the town, and the commercial area is also very complete.
Compared with the previous training hall, the Knicks' new training center covers an area of 16 acres and has more modern facilities.
Featuring two full-size basketball courts, a weight room, a physical therapy recovery room, a media reception room and a team meeting room.
Since the Gorillas are still busy fighting with the league, the trend has become more and more serious after the news of the suspension was announced in the morning, so Li You became the first Knicks player to visit the new training facility.
The players are on vacation, and the team's staff are still busy with the draft.
General manager Glenfield and equipment manager Mike Lao smiled and introduced the jerseys hanging in the basketball hall to Li You:
"Li, your No. 1 jersey will also be hung in the new training hall. Everyone agrees with this!"
As soon as equipment manager Old Mike finished speaking, General Manager Glenfield on the side also said cheerfully:
"Like Pat, you haven't retired yet, so you can only express the team's feelings in this way!"
In addition to the championship flags and division championship flags around the arena, the rest are the retired jerseys of several famous Knicks players.
Li You is very satisfied with this. He also likes the new training hall very much. Although the distance is a bit far, the problem can be solved by buying a house here:
"Thank you everyone for recognizing me. To be honest, I'm a little excited. I'm just a second-year rookie player."
Grenfield smiled and patted Li You on the shoulder, and then said with some regret:
"What a pity. We originally planned to hold team activities in the new training facility during the offseason, but after the league was suspended, some plans had to be cancelled."
"Lee, what suggestions do you have for the team's lineup?"
Hearing Grunfield's casual question, Li You didn't show much emotion, and just answered with a relaxed expression:
"I don't want to be involved in the running of the team."
As soon as he was halfway through speaking, Grunfield interrupted with a smile. He seemed to be very satisfied with Li You's attitude, and suggested with a smile:
"Just tell us the type of player you like to partner with, Li. As the core of the team, we will respect your opinion!"
Always feeling that the other party was digging a hole for himself, Li You pondered for a moment and finally replied casually:
"A player like Charles would be great!"
Grunfield immediately smiled and nodded. Li You's answer did not reveal much intention, and was even He Xini's answer:
"Is there a shooting big man? Great, we will select such a player in this year's draft!"
Li You was speechless. This general manager was very controlling. Not only did he not refer to Jeff Van Gundy's opinions, he also didn't care what the core players thought:
"If you want to be Manager Li, you have a long way to go."
Thank you book friends for your subscription support (﹃)
There will be an update in the evening. The two chapters together are still 10,000 words~
(End of chapter)
