On the evening of June 10, 1998, Jazz fans finally witnessed the Knicks' award ceremony on their home court.

In last year's Finals, the Bulls received the award at the United Center Arena, and Jazz fans couldn't see the award ceremony, and their hearts were not happy.

But this year, at the Delta Center Arena, Jazz fans couldn't hold back when they saw Ewing roaring, Jeff Van Gundy kept throwing his fists in celebration, and Lee Woo calmly pretending to be X in front of media reporters.

Many people left the stadium disappointed, but there are still some die-hard fans who have stayed on the scene and continue to output.

Karl Malone may have exploded in mentality, and after the game, he simply shook hands with everyone on the Knicks team and walked to the player tunnel without looking back.

Losing key free throws for two years in a row, the power forward couldn't get over it and was heartbroken by the Salt Lake City media.

As the Knicks returned to the visiting locker room, Charles Sr. and team management were cordially greeting the players:

“Good job！”

"We've finally won the championship, so let's enjoy the championship moment!"

The elder Charles, who still retains control of the team, smiled and patted Ewing, who has served the team for many years.

Regardless of past results, there is no need to think back to those experiences of losing to the Bulls, and winning championships in their careers has already surpassed most players.

In the away team's dressing room, it was particularly noisy at this time, and Ewing was still very excited, and after hearing the words of encouragement, he kept hugging everyone.

James Dolan began to share the cigars he had prepared, beckoning Li You and Oakley to smoke together.

It's just that such a move was quickly glared at by the old Charles, and then there was an award ceremony, so I didn't take Mr. President in my eyes

"It's okay, I'll have 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 presence, and added in a low voice.

After winning the championship, Charles Sr. would also host a private party at the hotel, inviting Salt Lake City and New York City city staff.

The Knicks' family and friends will be on the court, and as for Las Vegas, that's a personal preference for James Dolan.

"Cool! Lee, you'll be the youngest Finals MVP in NBA history! ”

"You've broken the record set by Magic Johnson again!"

Ben Davis of the Atmosphere Group was on the side and screaming, and from the moment of the victory over the Jazz, everyone fell into a state of self-satisfaction.

Ben Wallace was also heckling on the sidelines, and soon, the crowd who had changed into the champion T-shirt shouted around Li You:

“MVP！ MVP！ MVP！ ”

The white T-shirt has the Knicks logo on the chest and a championship trophy, and although the print is a little shabby, it doesn't affect the mood of the crowd.

"The award belongs to all of us! It's time for us to claim our prize! ”

Li You smiled and complimented, and then beckoned everyone to return to the arena, and Ewing, who was almost carried away by joy, remembered what he had lost.

The gorilla looked at Li You, who was surrounded by most of the team's players, and Grenfield, the general manager, was also chatting and farting with laughter on the side, and there was a lemon in his heart.

It's just that no matter how sour it is, it is useless to be able to win the championship, and everyone knows that Li You has made a great contribution.

Whether it is the stunner in the Eastern Conference Finals or the 40 points in G4 in the finals, it shows Li You's strength.

Oakley seemed to see the sorrow in Ewing's heart, and whispered indifferently:

"Pat, this is the best ending, with a big contract and a championship!"

Watching everyone cheer out of the locker room, Ewing finally whispered:

"The championship is indeed the best ending!"

The Gorilla is currently a proper winner in life, caught up with the previous salary increase, signed a big contract with the Knicks at the end of his career, and suffered a major wrist injury in his right hand, but instead won the championship.

Oakley wanted that experience at the end of his career, and after so many years in New York, he didn't want to leave the city.

In the center of the field, on the Jazz team logo, the podium has been set up, and all around are major sports media.

Although there was constant boos in the arena, the Knicks who were in a good mood didn't care about that.

NBC host Bob Costas saw that everyone had arrived, and after saying hello to Charles Sr., he immediately took the microphone and said loudly:

"It's a pleasure to witness this historic moment with our fans, and we have NBA Commissioner David Stern present the award to the winning team."

Although the labor negotiations broke down again and the NBA league was about to shut down, David Stern had a smile on his face at this time, first hugged the old Charles, and then said in a brisk tone:

"Thank you to the City of Salt Lake City and the City of New York for their great support of the League, and to the staff at Delta Center and the passionate Jazz fans!"

"Shhhhh

When the Jazz fans who were still in the arena heard this, they immediately booed, and David Stern continued to laugh as if he hadn't heard the sound of the scene:

"Salt Lake City is the best host, and thank you for creating a welcoming and fair atmosphere for the Grand Finals."

"Thank you to the Utah Jazz and the New York Knicks, they are great teams and have put on a wonderful Finals for fans all over the world!"

The Jazz fans who stayed in the stadium always felt that it was a mockery of them, and the mouths were fragrant, and the boos were everywhere, except for a small number of New York fans cheering and shouting.

Looking around the Knicks 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's congratulate them together!"

With a smile on his face, David Stern handed the golden O'Brien Cup to the elder Charles who was clapping his hands on the sidelines.

After the two hugged and greeted, David Stern applauded and Charles Sr. smiled and lifted the trophy.

“Wow！！”

The Knicks behind him began to cheer loudly, the dream came true, and when Charles Sr. smiled and handed the trophy to Jeff Van Gundy on the side, the bald young marshal was so excited that his eyes turned red.

The head coach won the cup again, everyone continued to cheer, Li You signaled to let a few veterans touch the trophy first, and the bald young marshal realized that he had almost done something wrong.

Ewing, who lifted the O'Brien Cup, kept grinning, and Oakley and Starks couldn't stop cheering.

Soon, host Bob Costas interviewed the elder Charles with a smile:

"The third championship in team history, we all know that last year, the Knicks also had some changes, and we all want to hear your thoughts on winning this championship!"

With the addition of metaphysics, old Charles also felt that he had taken great luck, and the managed management had a very good effect:

"I just want to say thank you for this championship 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, thanks to everyone on the Knicks, the championship is inseparable from everyone's efforts. ”

"Coach Van Gundy has successfully activated this team and Glenfeld has given us an important championship cornerstone!"

"I almost forgot, I also want to thank the teams that didn't draft Lee, Philadelphia, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, etc."

"The 18th pick, maybe it's God's will, we got the best player in the draft that year!"

Old Charles's words immediately made a small number of New York fans at the scene shout happily:

“MVP！ MVP！ MVP！ ”

Everyone on the Knicks team also shouted loudly, ignoring the boos at the scene, Li You lifted the hat on his head and applauded with a smile on his face.

Bob Costas saw Jeff Van Gundy, who was about to cry, and immediately greeted with a smile:

"Come on! Jeff, this is also your team, 36 years old championship coach, this is definitely a great achievement! ”

In 1982, at the age of 37, Pat Riley led the Lakers to a championship, and in 1998, at the age of 36, Jeff Van Gundy broke this record and became the youngest champion coach in NBA history!

For Jeff Van Gundy, the experience of these two years was like a dream, and when he took the microphone, he still shed tears and said excitedly:

"I want to thank our players for always supporting me!"

"Lee is a talented player who always controls the tempo of the game and leads the team to win the game."

"Pat, Oakley, John shaped our locker room culture, and thank you to everyone at the Knicks, you guys made it happen."

“.”

The bald young marshal began to think bittersweetly, and after a fierce blow, the Jazz fans at the scene turned their heads and left.

When David Stern took the microphone with a smile again, the Knicks began to heckle loudly, pushing Lee Woo forward by the way.

"20 years and 161 days, it's a pleasure to witness this historic moment tonight, congratulations to Clay-Lee! The Most Valuable Player Award at the Grand Finals is the 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 size of the O'Brien Cup.

When David Stern handed the trophy to Lee Yoo with a smile, the Knicks atmosphere team also shouted along with the small number of New York fans in the scene:

“MVP！ MVP！ MVP！ ”

David Stern patted Li You on the shoulder and sent his blessing with a smile:

"I hope to see you win this award again in the finals in the future!"

"That's what I'm working towards! Thank you for your blessings! ”

After everyone on the Knicks took turns toasting, Alan Houston smiled and handed the O'Brien Cup to Li You.

One in one hand, Li You came to the front of 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 cheering loudly, and the surrounding media reporters began to press their cameras wildly, and the clicking sound was non-stop.

Breaking Magic's Johnson record, as long as they stay healthy, they are about to witness the rise of a superstar again.

Host Bob Costas has commented on a lot of Lee You's games, and this year's playoffs have left a deep impression on him:

"Congratulations, Lee! Unbeatable achievement! It's hard to believe that you're not yet 21 years old. ”

"Coming to the finals for the first time in your career, let's talk about the secret of your success, and I'm sure future young players will look up to you as a role model!"

Li You casually handed the trophy to Ben Wallace of the atmosphere group, and looked at the golden FMVP gold cup, and everyone cheered again and took a group photo.

"The secret to success is to train hard and keep polishing your basketball skills!"

"It was a spur from Coach Calhoun during college, and I followed that teaching."

"To win a championship, thanks to our opponents, they made the Knicks better!"

"Thank you to the fans who have always supported us, to my friends and team-mates, to our coaching staff and to everyone in the team, this award belongs to everyone."

"Finally, I would like to thank Uncle Vargar, who has always helped me in Albuquerque, without their help, I wouldn't be where I am now."

“.”

The Knicks defeated the Jazz 4-1, and Lee Yoo started all five finals.

Played an average of 37.8 minutes per game, averaging 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 and shot 47.0 percent from the field, 8.4 attempts per game from beyond the three-point line and 50.1 percent from three-point range, and 5.6 free throws per game and 84.3 percent from the free throw line.

In an interview with Lee You, NBC also showed this data.

Many fans in front of the TV were shocked to see the 50% three-point shooting rate, and this was the statistic played in Game 5 when the performance from beyond the three-point line was stretched.

Lee Yoo didn't have the same bittersweet memories as the bald young marshal, and several Knicks veterans also got more interview time.

Unlike a bachelor like Lee You, most of his teammates' families were present tonight, and Ewing was also excited and cried when he was interviewed, as if he wanted to vent all his frustration over the years.

In interviews, Alan Houston and Larry Johnson were just happy, and the two had no history of the Knicks' struggle.

Oakley and Starks, on the other hand, bragged about X, and by the way, helped the Knicks loan for next year's championship.

Equipment manager Old Mike was very low-key, just smiled and pulled Li You and the trophy together to take a group photo:

"Like I said, Lee, you're a big star!"

The carnival belonging to the victor made the Jazz fans on the scene completely break the defense, and by the time the Knicks took a group photo, most of the Jazz fans in the Delta Center Arena had already left.

Lee Woo was smiling and holding the FMVP trophy, Ewing was grinning and holding the O'Brien cup, and the two were in the center, and everyone gathered around to complete the group photo.

The photo will definitely appear at the Madison Square Garden arena in the future, and the third championship in team history after Fraser and Reed means a lot to the Knicks.

The Jazz staff didn't like to see the Knicks spilling champagne in the locker room.

The team reached the finals for the second time in its history, only to watch their opponents celebrate wildly at their home stadium.

Jeff Van Gundy was poured cold by everyone and didn't care, and continued to yell unconsciously with the atmosphere group.

After spraying the champagne, Li You and Oakley lit their cigars and began to swallow the clouds.

James Dolan seemed to like the lively atmosphere, and shouted at the same time:

"I love champions! I love the feeling! ”

“.”

At the post-match press conference, Karl Malone looked bitter and hateful, and it seemed that he had not been able to adjust from the loss:

"I know my body, I'm going to keep it that way, and the Jazz will win the championship."

The Utah duo continued to say that they would continue to chase the championship next year, but the media in the audience didn't buy it, the two were too old.

And for everyone on the Knicks, who won the third championship in team history, the press conference was a wild blow:

"The league's No. 1 point guard", "The league's strongest backcourt", "The league's No. 1 center", "The strongest interior combination".

All sorts of titles were thrown at the Knicks.

The media is calm, no one talks about next season, collective bargaining agreements break down, and no one knows if the league will start normally next season.

After returning to the hotel in the evening, it was already late, but everyone present was in good spirits.

This kind of private party is mainly for the purpose of connecting feelings and exchanging information by the way.

Everyone had a smile on their faces at the Champagne-themed Champagne Champions, and in the lavish ballroom, everyone chatted with each other and chuckled from time to time.

The hotel staff are all young and beautiful girls, and they do their best to deliver sweet and delicious champagne to everyone present.

Most of the Knicks are sharing their joy with their families, and Li You, who has changed into a black suit, is no longer a little transparent.

Peter Powers, who served as deputy mayor of New York, and Joseph Luto, who took over the post, also came to be familiar with him.

City Council Chairman Peter Valenty is considered a powerful elected official in New York City, and he also gave Lee You a smile at this time.

The mayors of New York City's five boroughs were also here, and with the addition of Salt Lake City city officials, Charles Sr.'s private party almost turned into a political gathering.

Ruth Messinger, who previously served as Manhattan Borough Mayor, clinked glasses with Champagne and Lee You:

"Lee, you're going to fit in like this, and you can try to be an opinion leader, like Bradley!"

Losing to New York Mayor Giuliani in '97, this white Jewish old lady didn't seem to have given up the toss, and gave Li You personal 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!"

"Oh! Funny lad! ”

After winning the championship, James Dolan first flew straight to Las Vegas with everyone.

After two days of gambling and throwing money around, Knicks fan Steve Kaplan invited everyone to the Golden Club for a celebration party.

In two days, several high-intensity confrontation matches in a row almost made everyone feel uneasy.

Li You also learned more knowledge:

Suspension, windmill, side-impact, rowing, push-table

After this confrontation, Li You didn't have time to get the reward for the finals, and when he returned to his New York apartment on the 16th, he could only sleep to relieve his overdrawn waist.

Receiving news of an official shutdown, the Knicks had to hold a championship parade in advance.

On the morning of June 18, Charles Sr. invited New York city officials to join in the celebration.

Like the 1970 Championship Parade route, it starts on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan and follows Broadway Avenue all the way to Madison Square Garden in Midtown.

The whole of Manhattan was completely boiling on this morning, and MSG broadcast the whole thing.

On the open bus at the front, Li You, who had recovered his spirits, wore a champion T-shirt and kept waving to the fans around him.

"God! How many people are there? The whole of New York seems to be celebrating with the trend. ”

Alan Houston on the side shouted excitedly, there were too many fans around.

Singing "We are champion," happy New York fans followed the bus as they slowly walked toward Madison Square Garden.

After the lively parade, the event continued, and in keeping with the tradition, the Knicks held a grand ceremony at Madison Square Garden.

Everyone on the Knicks team sat in the center of the arena, and most of the audience was old fans, many of whom were wearing old Knicks jerseys and shouting.

Mike Brin and Fraser acted as the temporary hosts, and the trophies were placed in front of everyone, and the cheers in the arena grew louder.

Ewing, Oakley, and Starks enjoyed the moment, standing up and waving to the fans around them, signaling louder.

“Wow！！”

Mike Brin took the microphone with a smile, waved his hand at Li You, and then said loudly:

"Let's welcome the youngest FMVP in the history of the finals!"

Although he felt that the parade was held in a bit of a hurry, after feeling the enthusiasm of the New York fans, Li You also laughed at himself.

After taking the microphone, he stood in the center of the field and put his right hand to his ear to signal that the cheers would be louder.

When the sound finally stopped, Li You took the microphone, smiled, and said loudly:

"I know what people crave!"

"A championship is just the beginning, and trust me, the future belongs to the Knicks!"

"We're going to get more championships, not one, two, three, but four, five, six, seven."

When Li You said seven, the New York fans present shouted happily:

“Wow！！”

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(End of chapter)