Liu Mang received a text message from Levia, saying that she had returned to the hotel, and Dinah was eating chocolate and watching TV......

The tone of the text message was very flat, but Liu Mang felt that the clear sky outside the car window seemed to contain murderous intentions......

The café is not far from the hotel, but the three men pressing the road seem a little awkward, so they take a taxi.

Magpie Cafe, a coffee shop in Philadelphia that has been ranked among the top 10 in the United States since the 90s.

After arriving, Bryant, a Philadelphia, ordered a cup of Blue Mountain, a Jamaican coffee bean produced at least 1,800 meters above sea level, which claims to be one of the three largest coffee beans in the world.

Liu Mang is relatively fond of mocha with cream, milk, chocolate, etc., which is not so bitter to drink.

Mcgrady...... Asked for a glass of freshly squeezed juice......

"Uh...... I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep after drinking coffee. Maddie said it very sincerely.

Looking at Maddie's deep dark circles and the expression of never waking up, Liu Mang and Kobe nodded, and for the first time the two had the same opinion.

Let's let this guy get a good night's sleep! It looks like it's like you've never slept in your life.

In addition to coffee, Liu Mang asked for a sandwich, Maddie asked for a cream cake, Kobe Bryant...... I asked for a vegetable salad with no sugar and only skim milk and a boiled chicken with only salt...... It's really thanks to the fact that the three of them are celebrities, otherwise people wouldn't have made such food at all.

"Eating sweets and fried foods is not good for body fat." Kobe Bryant said it seriously.

“……”

This time, Liu Mang and Maddie had the same idea.

This guy is ridiculously paranoid! It's so cruel to yourself to take a vacation.

……

Looking at Kobe Bryant, who chewed grass like a sheep, Liu Mang and Maddie felt that it was a big deal to train for a while longer.

Maddie felt that the atmosphere was a little awkward, and the food that Kobe ordered was too bad for the atmosphere, so he found a topic: "Ace, do you want to participate in tomorrow's rookie game?" Some media said that you may be selected for the main tournament like Duncan, and you will not play in the rookie game. ”

"Of course we have to fight! I'm going to win the MVP of the rookie game...... I told you what it was, you didn't understand it, you didn't take it, did you? Tomorrow buddy is going to take it! Liu Mang is so proud, Maddie's rookie year is not too dazzling, and Kobe Bryant was robbed of MVP by Iverson, and only he has a chance to get it.

"Isn't it just a rookie MVP, what's there to be proud of." Bryant muttered.

"Yo, what MVP have you won? It seems that you haven't won any MVP, it's all O'Neal's. Liu Mang fought back decisively.

"......" Kobe Bryant was choked enough, as if it really was, he has been in the NBA for five or six years, rookie games, All-Star games, regular seasons, and Finals...... Haven't won a single MVP.

"We'll get everything in the future!" It's going to be quarreling again, and Maddie hurries to be a peacemaker.

"Then let's go to the rookie game tomorrow! Bryant. Maddie suggested.

"No, no." Bryant refused decisively.

"Of course, somebody is afraid to see me win the MVP before him." Liu Mang continued to attack.

Just this weirdo who likes to ask others what Los Angeles looks like at four o'clock in the morning, the public enemy of the West, nine times out of ten, it is this person who smashes the West to deal with himself together, and wants to know what Los Angeles looks like at four o'clock in the morning? Just ask the sanitation worker! Stupid or not!

How Kobe Bryant could stand the excitement! Immediately countered: "It's just that you can get it, not that you have already got it, I scored 31 points in my rookie game!" Here's the historical record! ”

"Alright, the record will be mine right away!"

"Will others listen to you in the rookie race? You can't score without the ball! ”

"Then we'll see!"

Maddie looked at the two people who were staring, and covered her forehead helplessly, these two people are really, too fond of competition!

……

……

Maddie's cousin-style reunion, what is Maddie's cousin-style reunion, it's this pair of cousins, habitually forgetting to pay after eating, all NBA players are not bad for this money and pay directly, go to the playground and forget to buy tickets, others buy well, take my sister away in the nightclub and forget to pay the table fee, others pay......

Fortunately, today's big family is Kobe, and he is very used to Maddie's habit and paid directly.

Maddie and Kobe Bryant two adults have to go to play with other familiar NBA players, before the two go to play, remember to ask Liu Mang out for a cup of coffee, it is already very righteous, I don't want those evil teammates, they come to Philadelphia as a group, leaving Liu Mang alone with two beauties and a Lori to act alone.

Liu Mang returned to the hotel alone, it was already past seven o'clock, and when he returned to the living room of the suite, two big beauties were eating.

The food is so familiar...... There is also a poor little Lori next to her.

When Dina saw Liu Mang coming back, she ran to Liu Mang with a sad face and begged for a hug.

"Uncle, Dinah's chocolates were snatched away by mom and teacher!" Dinah said pitifully.

"Didn't you tell you to hide it and eat it in your room?" Liu Mangdan said painfully, he seemed to feel the precursor of a possible beating.

"The TV signal in Dinah's room is broken, and the beautiful neighbor has just started, so Dinah is in the living room to take a look...... "Dinah is still pitiful."

"I just said that children can't watch soap operas, watch it, it's bad luck to watch soap operas!" Liu Mang strongly denounced watching soap operas, a good little Lori, learning more and more eccentric.

"How can you not look at it! There are more and more beautiful aunts that the uncle knows, the teacher is stupid, and the mother is fierce, so he can only rely on Dinah to attract the uncle! Dinah spoke eloquently.

“……”

The atmosphere in the room was so awkward for a while, and Levia wanted to murder Liu Mang to tease this disobedient tenant who bought sweets for his daughter, but she didn't expect her daughter to come to such a paragraph.

"Ace, why didn't you play in a nightclub with Kobe Bryant and Maddie? Came back so early. Levia changed the subject.

Alexia was also a little embarrassed, and then said: "Levia, you forgot, Ace is only 19 years old, and he is still a child, so he can't go into a nightclub." ”

"That's right, Ace is still a child, come and feed you jelly beans ...... sister"

"......" Liu Mang is so sad!

Who are these people!

……

……

On February 15, 2002, the annual NBA All-Star Weekend officially began!

Early in the morning, Liu Mang left the hotel, and the staff of 76ers drove to the Hilton Hotel to pick up Liu Mang and take him to the Wachovia Center.

The most famous rookie photo in NBA history is probably the group photo of the 96 golden generation, which originally did not have that thing, and since 1996, there has been such a tradition.

The enthusiasm of the rookie players was already high, and fans from teams with rookies and sophomores were waiting outside the Wachovia Center early, including many Eagles fans.

There is no doubt that Liu Mang, who may be the strongest rookie in the past two years, is the player most likely to win the MVP of the rookie game in this rookie game, this is the first time in the history of the Eagles that they have the opportunity to win this award, which may not be so important, but it is already very exciting for Hawks fans who have not won any awards in the past ten years!

This is the first time Liu Mang has seen this kind of crowded scene and a lot of it is coming at himself, and when he entered the stadium in the car, the whole person became excited.

All-Star!

Liu Mang felt the fiery feeling of an all-star!

"Hello, Ace, good morning!"

As soon as Liu Mang got out of the car, he heard a somewhat familiar greeting, and when he turned around, he saw that it was Gasol, who also got off the bus at about the same time, and there was Sean Battier, a man who entered the NBA and was nicknamed president by fans.

"Hey, Paul, you're early, this is Mr. President, right, we've had a counterpoint." Liu Mang also responded enthusiastically, and said hello to Battier who met privately for the first time.

It's teammates today! So, the relationship must be played well, among the first-year rookies, the strongest is probably Liu Mang and the Grizzlies, although Battier is low-key, but in terms of data, it is indeed a rookie who is the pinnacle, from scoring, to rebounding, to assists, Battier is the highest rookie year, averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

These two are good gentlemen who are relatively easy to talk to, Battier was a little flattered to see Liu Mang so enthusiastic, Gasol and Liu Mang have a good relationship, Battier doesn't think anything, the only two players in this rookie year can be seen to have at least All-Star level future players, especially Liu Mang, who is already an All-Star, but although he holds the third-highest average points per game among rookies, he has never been famous, I didn't expect Liu Mang to remember him.

According to the rumors that Battier heard, this is a rookie in the same class who does not deal with all the All-Stars in the West and has contradictions.

"Hello, I'm Sean Battier." Battier is a little cramped, he's a rookie, and he's not the leader of the championship team on and off the court.

After saying hello, the three of them went to the locker room of the sophomore rookie under the leadership of the staff to change their jerseys, although the jersey shape is still the jersey shape of each player's own club, but it is an all-star custom version, and it is all placed in the locker room.

……

The three of them arrived in the locker room, and it seemed that the three of them were the last to arrive, and the other six had already arrived.

Jason Richardson of the Warriors, Jamal Tinsley of the Pacers, Brandon Haywood of the Wizards, Tony Parker of the Spurs, Joe Johnson of the Suns, Andrei Kirilenko of the Jazz.

It's all young people, it's all rookies, and maybe maybe it's the only time that everyone, at least for now, the future is still in a state of confusion, and many people think that they can stay in the All-Star Weekend, and they should be in the All-Star Game once or twice, and everyone is very enthusiastic about what is being discussed.

However, when Liu Mang and Gasol, who stood out in this rookie, entered the locker room, the atmosphere cooled down suddenly.

Gasol is okay, just a favorite for the best rookie, and Liu Mang has already entered the All-Star Game.

This is not the main thing, the main thing is that these people, except for Heywood, who plays center, everyone else seems to have been sprayed in the game by Liu Mang's poisonous mouth!

Liu Mang also felt this, especially the Pacers' Tinsley, who seemed to be the one who was sprayed the most......

It's embarrassing!

Especially when it seems that this group of people is still waiting for them to speak before they are willing to say hello, it is even more embarrassing.

Liu Mang decided to break this embarrassment, and relied on these temporary teammates to win the MVP of the rookie game! The cow pen has been blown down, and there is also the task of five stars to shine on Philadelphia.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ace, I think everyone must be very impressed with me......" Liu Mang laughed at himself first.

Sure enough, this sentence made these nervous predominantly black rookie companions couldn't help but laugh.

You still know that you are hated!

"Ahem, don't laugh, don't laugh, buddy is very serious!" After Liu Mang said this, the most bold Jason Richardson laughed directly.

"Ahem, we can get together today because we have met thousands of miles away...... I don't understand, right? If you don't understand, you'll be right! This is a Chinese idiom, which is the same as your proverb......"

Liu Mang's relaxed and funny opening remarks eased the atmosphere at once, including Gasol and Battier were a little surprised, Liu Mang was actually like this in private, which was so different from what he imagined!

……

"Ace, I thought you were a difficult person to get along with, but I didn't expect you to be no different from us...... That's right! I heard that you are not too old to go to nightclubs? What a pathetic! "Jamal Tinsley, a streetball god, has a very similar personality to Emmanuor, who is also a streetball master of the Eagles, and after finding out that Liu Mang is easy to speak, he immediately became familiar with each other.

As for the feud between Liu Mang and Tinsley's boss Reggie Miller...... That's the All-Star guys, it's time for first-year players, and it doesn't matter that much.

Hearing the topic of minors, Liu Mang was like a cat with its tail stepped on: "Damn! Jamal, who is this out of? ”

"Yesterday when we were at the hotel, we were discussing what to do when we met you today, Paul said you are a very nice person, we didn't believe it at the time, he said you went to ...... with milk last time" Tinsley immediately sold Gasol.

Gasol, who was changing his pants, almost fell to the ground.

Don't sauce! Who doesn't know that this Ace-Liu is cautious, isn't this pushing the buddy into the fire pit! Gasol hurriedly put on his pants and left, saying that he didn't say anything.

My sister-in-law is really a long-tongued woman!

Liu Mang is so sad, even the rookie team knows about it, what about the All-Star team with Maddie's big mouth and Kobe Bryant, who hates himself so much?

Depend on!

They went to a nightclub together last night!

……

A group photo of the rookie team!

Unlike before '98, when fifteen or sixteen rookies took a group photo together, now there are only nine left, because they are a team, and the rookie game is two quarters of 20 minutes each, and there is no way to give as many as 12 players time to perform, so they can only be eight or nine people in a team, and the number of rookies can only be reduced.

It's also important to note that we haven't been able to pick a full team of 12 players in the past two years.

After the group photo, it was time for the reporter to interview.

Similar to the round table the day after tomorrow, hundreds of journalists and media from all over the world poured into the training ground for group photos.

There are two training grounds at the Wajovia Center, one for the 76ers at home, one for the away team, and the rookie team for the home field.

There is not much difference between the two training grounds, except that the home training ground has a fan zone, which is occasionally open to fans and the media, and the away team does not need it.

The rookies in 2000 and the rookies in 2001 are both draft years, but compared with the rookies in 2000, the class of 2001 still has Gasol and Liu Mang, two rookies who have the potential to become superstars, so the number of reporters in the two places is not at the same level at all!

On the sophomore side, there are basically only reporters from the cities where their respective teams are located, and the most famous rookie in 2000 so far is Kenyon Martin, who averages 14+5 per game, and it is not for nothing that he is called the smallest draft year.

……

was interviewed by the media as the protagonist, except for a month or two before the draft conference that changed the life of every player a few months ago, for Liu Mang's rookies, after successfully entering the NBA, it is difficult for many people to have such an opportunity again, and they are so excited one by one.

Everyone has a group of reporters around them, and the main thing is that there is really no crowding around one of the most popular rookies right now.

Liu Mang looked at a group of reporters who were pressed by the black pressure, this formation scared him, how can Atlanta have this formation, there have been a lot of thirty-five reporters attending the press conference at the home of the Hawks before, and there are only 100 people playing live broadcast in the United States, and this huge training ground is occupied by reporters half of the area.

"Ace, will you choose to play in this rookie game? Or do you choose to leave the opportunity to others like Duncan? ”

"Of course I'm going to play, I want to be the MVP."

"Who do you think among your teammates would be your contender?"

'It's hard to say, but we're a team and the first thing we want is to win.'

"Who do you think is the rookie in the class of 2000 who will be the biggest obstacle to your victory?"

"Uh...... Who are the rookies in the class of 2000? ”

“……”

“……”

is so confident, Liu Mang made it clear in an interview that he wanted to win the MVP of the rookie game, and let out all the words first.

Since he was almost the best rookie in the class of 2001, of course he had to show his self-confidence, otherwise how could he overpower the group of people in the locker room?

The interview went on for a long time, and it was a nice game, but there was no one to stir things up, mainly because most of the reporters interviewed were not actually American reporters, and it was an all-star weekend for basketball fans all over the world, with more than 150 countries around the world broadcasting live simultaneously.

Reporters from many countries watch the game, but they don't really know what these rookies are like, and they ask very basic and simple questions.

More than half an hour later, the interview ended, Liu Mang breathed a sigh of relief, his throat was dry, so it was crowded, and he didn't have a chance to ask the staff brother to get a bottle of water.

However, other non-popular rookies other than Gasol are very reluctant, this feeling of being surrounded by the media, except for Gasol and Liu Mang, it is difficult for a third person in this rookie to have such a chance.

Even Gasol rarely saw such a battle, a little excited, and the elegance of the Spaniards was gone.

Interviews are like wars!

The process in the morning is this file, first take pictures, then interview, after lunch at noon, in the afternoon, there are more than 40 participants in the All-Star Game and the three-point contest and the dunk contest, respectively, to go to orphanages, nursing homes, schools for the disabled and other places to carry out public welfare activities.

This year's All-Star charity event is to care for the disadvantaged, and all event winnings are donated to charity.

The morning's activities were finally over, and as soon as Liu Mang returned to the locker room with the group to change clothes, the very active Jason Richardson and Tinsley got up.

"Ace, you want to win the MVP of the rookie game? I'm sticking with you! "Jason Richardson seems to take this matter more seriously than Liu Mang.

"Uh......" Liu Mang was a little confused, he hadn't said anything about it yet, probably because he heard the interview, Liu Mang didn't deny it, and said: "Thank you!" ”

"I also support Ace as MVP!" Gasol, the good old guy type, was the first to show his support.

"I've been in the same position with Ace the most times, I know how strong you are, count me in!" Contemporary Jordan was convinced by Liu Mang from the beginning.

Kirilenko and Parker from Europe don't have much right to speak, everyone supports it, they all support it, and Haywood, the center in the class of 2001, really can't jump out of the random selection from Eddie Curry, Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, and they don't have much right to speak, everyone supports it.

Speaking of Kwame Brown, the first No. 1 pick didn't make it to the rookie game, the first time since the rookie game in 1994, and even the '98 Olowo Candi made his debut in the 2000 rookie game.

However, there is always a lack of self-confidence that will spoil the atmosphere, and Battier said very unconfidently: "It's okay for us to help Ace, but it's not easy for us to win the second-year players......"

Liu Mang wonders if this President Battier is fake!

What about the Heat's president who was confident in his key ball in the Finals?

"Sean, that group of second-year students is not very strong, they just played for one more year, and the strongest of them is not as good as you, don't worry." Liu Mang had no choice but to cheer up his teammates.

It's so hard for Nima to be the best player on a team! He finally understood the pain of Kobe Bryant and Wade leading the team alone, and he became a father and a mother.

"Impossible......" The rookie president felt that this was beyond his comprehension.

Liu Mang said that he had to get used to it, and it was his own job to become the boss one day, and he mobilized his emotions and said: "Of course, Sean, you remember, you are better than the best of those rookies in 2000!" You see, you're still a rookie, you're averaging 14 points and 5 rebounds per game, and their best Kenyon Martin is 14 points and 5 rebounds, you're going to be better than him! ”

Liu Mang's words made Battier suddenly realize, it seems that this is really the truth! I think I'm really good! Self-confidence was built up all at once.

Merely...... Liu Mang still hasn't said a word, that is, this seems to be the peak year of your data......

……

……

In the first grade, I was discussing who was better than the second grade, and I found that I was really good! Finding self-confidence in people who are weaker than you is the best way to do it.

And here in the second-year locker room, the atmosphere is a bit bad.

"Kenyon, I just went to their locker room and heard it, and sure enough, the rookies wanted to beat us, especially that Ace Liu, who didn't take us seriously at all! It's all about who is better than our data! "Quentin Richardson, a very dog-legged big Q, said to Kenyon Martin, who is the boss in stats and records in the second grade.

These words not only made one or two or several people in the second grade angry, but everyone felt humiliated.

Yes, since the 2000 draft even started, since 1999, when high school students across the United States entered college, people were talking about how bad the 2000 draft didn't know, and they were used to hearing that.

But that doesn't mean they won't be angry!

Especially the group of 2001 rookies who were also in the draft year looked down on them so much, and they all expressed their anger!

Not long ago, news interviews have already come out, and although the evening newspaper or tomorrow's morning newspaper will only come out, there is already news on the Internet, and TV news has also been broadcast!

Even after the media knew that Liu Mang would not retire from the game, they all said that this was the performance time for Liu Mang and Gasol, and speculated that according to Gasol's gentle temper, Liu Mang won the MVP of the All-Star Rookie Game this time, completely ignoring the feelings of the sophomore players.

"They all look down on us, we have to let them know that we are seniors no matter what, and we want those rookies to know that we are powerful!" Kenyon Martin speaks to the hearts of all sophomores!

……

……

In the first-year locker room, watching his teammates compare their performance in the NBA with that of the second-year team this season, and they all found a sense of superiority and self-confidence, Liu Mang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In terms of strength, the first-year is not cowardly, plays hard, has the two cores of him and Gasol, as well as the two defensive giants of Batil and Kirilenko, and there is no problem at all in winning the second year.

Just when Liu Mang was changing clothes easily, suddenly his hands trembled, and he almost didn't grasp his clothes steadily!

"Ding...... Temporary mission, second-year counterattack. ”

Not good!

Hearing this voice, Liu Mang knew that something bad must be happening.

"Sophomore counterattack: Due to being ignored by the rookies, ignored by the media, and ignored by everyone, the rookies of the class of 2000 worked hard collectively to temporarily produce the most perfect team state, and the overall ability value of all sophomore players increased by 10%. The host needs to lead the rookie team to defeat the sophomore team, and the task reward: pretending to be forced must be a card, and the mission failing: admitting that he is not as good as the sophomore player. ”