The long shutdown of the NBA league in the 98~99 season had a huge impact on Philadelphia.

Valentine's Day in 1999 was supposed to be an all-star day in Philadelphia, and it was planned to be a celebrity feast:

Moses Malone, Juliet Owen, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain will all be on the spot.

As a result, the day ended up being an ordinary regular season, and Philadelphia lost blood!

After Michael Jordan retired, he had a shock on many ball markets, and Philadelphia was one of them.

Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports, once said a point after broadcasting Mycuel's retirement ceremony:

"We've got to build a new generation of stars!"

Philadelphia responded positively, and although the long shutdown has left fans for a long time, as long as there are stars, there will always be fans who buy tickets to support them.

The 76ers have a good plan to take advantage of the NBA league's star-making movement to launch their own core player Aaron Iverson!

It's a pity that old fans seem to have gotten used to Michael Jordan's NBA, and many people don't like this small player with a strong personality.

Young Philadelphia fans love Iverson's unruly personality, his increasingly distinctive hip-hop dress, and the beautiful life he wears with his followers all night long.

Old-school fans are the opposite, and the two sides are naturally opposed, which makes Iverson's evaluation appear to two extremes.

On the evening of May 12, after a full day's rest, the 76ers lost again when they returned to their home court.

Allen Iverson played 45 minutes, shooting 13-of-26, 1-of-6 from beyond the three-point line, and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line to finish with 35 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 turnovers.

At 102:90, the multi-player rotation Knicks once again easily defeated their opponents.

With a big score of 3:0, the 76ers were finally swept away.

The First United Center Arena, Philadelphia fans who have been waiting for many years are a little disappointed.

Without All-Stars, the long-awaited playoffs ended early, and all expectations were disappointed!

Negative reviews eventually prevailed, and no matter what kind of data Iverson handed over, most of the post-match press conferences were skeptical.

In this round of the series, except for G2, which has a long break, Iverson has done his best in the other two games.

"Allen, can you tell us why the team lost? Does it have anything to do with the way you play on the pitch? ”

"Is too much nightlife affecting your state?"

"We see that you don't seem to be fully executing Coach Larry Brown's game plan, can you explain why?"

"Does paying too much attention to appearance take away your basketball energy?"

"Allen, Lee is about to win the MVP of the season, what do you think about that?"

“.”

The last question made Iverson, who was dressed in a casual black suit and a gold chain, frown, scribble a few words, and quickly left the press conference.

The Philadelphia media, which had touted him in the past, was questioning at this moment, and Iverson could not accept such an outcome.

Losing and settling old scores is a traditional art of media reporters, and in the NBA, losers usually don't have a say.

Compared to Iverson's treatment, Li You is much better.

In the first round of three games, except for G3, which played a little longer, the other two games were all three-quarter check-ins.

He averaged 31.0 minutes per game, and averaged 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 turnovers per game in three games.

The shooting percentage is no different from the regular season, and the overall efficiency is a little higher.

Combined with the content of the game, the sports media are clear that the Knicks have no strength at all, with a nine-man rotation, and the two sides are not at the same level at all

In the morning, the NBA league announced the best coach of the season, and head coach Mike Dunleavy of the Trail Blazers successfully won the award.

The individual award will soon be the Most Valuable Player Award in the regular season, so after Li You came to the press conference, the media in the audience followed suit:

"Lee, congratulations on winning this season's MVP!"

As soon as the New York Post reporter's voice fell, Li You, who was wearing a dark blue suit, interrupted with a smile:

"Thank you for your blessings, but the award hasn't been announced yet!"

The New York media who came to Philadelphia laughed again, and everyone knew that there was no suspense about this award.

"The Knicks seem to have found their game, Lee, talk about what you expect from the team!"

The Philadelphia media on the side were so angry that they glared at each other when they saw that the New York Times reporters began to blow each other on their own turf.

"Of course it's the championship, the Knicks are still the strongest team in the league, and we are all confident that we will win the championship again!"

Li You also cooperated and began to blow X, the more the two sides chatted, the more they chatted, seeing that the Philadelphia reporter was extremely annoyed, and secretly blamed the 76ers for not being angry.

At this time, in the Knicks locker room, everyone was also in a state of winning and smiling.

Ewing was 4-of-13 in G2 and bounced back tonight to go 7-of-15 for a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Although the gorilla also smiled at this time, there was some jealousy of Li You's achievements in his heart.

Thinking that he hadn't won an MVP in his career for a while, it wasn't much for a while, and Ewing was even more sad

Larry Johnson doesn't think so much, he's more focused on his opponent in the next round:

"The Magic are going to lose again, and Anfernee Hardaway shouldn't be playing with an injury, and it seems like he's going to have a hard time getting back to his peak at the moment."

Plagued by a back injury, Larry Johnson can be regarded as empathetic to the second brother of the hook, and he also said goodbye to the All-Star because of the injury.

Alan Houston reflected on his regular season against the Hawks and finally confidently responded:

"Although the opponent has Mutombo on the inside, in the past two years, there have been more wins and fewer losses, and the semi-finals should not cause too much trouble."

The atmosphere group also began to predict the opponent of the Eastern Conference Finals, and soon everyone agreed:

"The Pacers will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals!"

Seeing that the Knicks were already inflated to the sky, Sprewell was close to the championship of the loan, pulled the corners of his mouth, and simply stopped talking.

On May 13, after the Knicks returned to New York, they returned to their daily training in the afternoon.

Several other sets of games in the East have fallen into a relatively anxious state, which also gives the Knicks a valuable 3 days of rest.

In the Western Conference games, the Trail Blazers swept the Suns and successfully advanced to the semifinals last night.

The coaching staff began to look at the footage of the Hawks' last few games, and it was only a matter of time before the Magic lost.

Charles Sr. and team management brought the Knicks legends to the training center in Tarrytown, where the MVP was about to be announced, and everyone had to prepare for the next press conference.

Li You was actually very low-key during this time, and after the May 8 incident, after expressing his attitude, Mark Battlestein turned down most of his interview requests for him.

Press conferences are usually only held by well-connected media reporters.

On the 11th, the White House publicly apologized, and the protests in New York ended temporarily.

Staying away from politics, Mark Battlestein hopes that Lee Woo can be like Michael Jordan, no one will be offended, and he will make a lot of money with peace of mind.

"The second MVP in team history, Lee, we have prepared the best contract extension conditions for you this offseason."

"Trust me, the Knicks never treat their own people badly!"

The old Charles, who was dressed in a formal suit, smiled and gave a promise, and Grunfield also followed suit, and everyone took this opportunity to see Li You's attitude.

In the new collective bargaining agreement, he will become a restricted free agent after his rookie contract, but Lee Woo signed early and is not affected by this rule.

Therefore, winning the MVP in the contract year made Lee Woo a big fish this offseason.

"The Knicks are certainly my first choice, I love life in New York, the team takes good care of me, and I want to achieve more here!"

Lee Woo just smiled and said that he was going to take the opportunity to take a walk around this offseason, and Mark Battlestein would help him get the best treatment.

In the training hall, the Knicks' atmosphere team looked at Li You's side, and Rashard Lewis showed an envious expression.

Meng Xin and the low-level players are still fighting for contracts, but Li You is about to get the privilege of being a superstar.

Willis Reed, as the first legendary legend in Knicks history to win the MVP, did not speak for the owner at this time.

After the collective bargaining agreement, the relationship between the player and the management was a little strained, and as a player, the butt should not be crooked.

Willis Reed just smiled and patted Li You on the shoulder, followed with the mud:

"We all believe in the sincerity of the team, and New York has the best fans in the league."

“.”

On May 14th, the NBA league announced the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the regular season in the 98~99 season:

The Knicks' Lee Woo successfully won the award!

After the announcement of the alliance, President David Stern also sent his blessings at the first time:

"In a difficult season, lead the team to the first record in the league!"

"Historic level efficiency, congratulations to Lee for winning the first MVP of his career!"

At the age of 21 years and 134 days, Li You broke the record set by Wes Unseld of the Bullets in the 68~69 season at 23 years and 09 days, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history!

The media hall of the Talitown training center was crowded with reporters early in the morning, and when they saw Li You appear, everyone hurriedly handed over the microphone, and at the same time, the camera in their hands clicked non-stop.

Feeling that the reporter next to him was eager to put the microphone into his mouth, Li You hurriedly said:

"We still have a lot of time, so there's no need to rush the interview!"

“.”

After the MVP was announced, O'Neal, who was still playing away from Houston, was also surrounded by reporters.

The shark jumped happily before, standing up for himself every day, but it was useless, and in the end he still failed to win the award.

The illusion is completely shattered, O'Neal is in a bad mood, even if the Lakers get the match point, in an interview, everyone can see the "unhappy" mood:

"I don't care about the MVP of the season, now I just want to win the championship!"

"The FMVP is probably a better fit for me, and I hope to meet the Knicks in the Finals, and I'll prove myself, and you'll see who's the real MVP."

There is no need for reporters to ask, O'Neal is an output, but this kind of loan behavior is unpleasant, and the media in Houston did not give the shark a good face:

"The series isn't over yet!"

"I'm going to finish Team Rocket tonight!"

In the game that night, O'Neal, who got the anger buff, completely broke the Rockets.

Played 44 minutes, 14-of-22, 9-of-18 free throws, and slashed 37 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 turnovers.

Such a furious performance turned the Rockets' home court into a library, and the elderly triumvirate was blown up again

At 98:88, the big score was 3:1, and the Lakers successfully advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in Houston.

At the end of the game, O'Neal, who walked to the players' tunnel, shouted two voices from time to time:

"I'm the better one!"

Kobe Bryant, who has become a little transparent next to O'Neal, is also not in a beautiful mood.

In the past few days, people have also come to interview him, but most of the questions are asking who he supports to win the award, and no one pays attention to his progress at all.

Kobe praised O'Neal, but he always remembered the scene of the rookie challenge.

Thinking of Li You's achievements and looking at O'Neal's back, Kobe Bryant did not have the joy of winning, but made up his mind:

"The tactical core of the team?!"

On the morning of May 15, most of the headlines on the front page of the New York print media education section were:

"The future of the Knicks – the youngest MVP in NBA history!"

"The New King of New York – Clay-Lee"

“.”

The content of the column is much the same, taking a detailed inventory of the record set by Lee You, and by the way, a review of last year's Eastern Conference Finals performance.

Ewing was almost full of anger when he read the newspaper early in the morning, and he hadn't retired yet

Li You has been ringing non-stop since yesterday, and he has to continue to reply to text messages in the morning, looking at the Nokia 5210 in his hand, he misses the smartphone of the future.

Milinda rarely comes to the villa here in Tarrytown, after all, the distance is a bit far, looking at the layout with an obvious personal style, the big wave girl came to Li You's side and teased:

"That rich girl is really willing to spend money!"

Husky Happy hadn't seen Li You for half a month, and at this time he was jumping around the two, pounced on him from time to time, and then ran away again with a provocation

"Stop, Happy! Actually, we're just good friends! ”

Li You reflexively hugged Milinda in his arms, said sweetly, and hurriedly said:

"Help me think about who else I missed in school? There are less than two days left. ”

“.”

Before the NBA league will hold a press conference, Charles Sr. will also hold a celebratory banquet, and Lee Youde will send out invitations one by one.

On the evening of the 16th, in the banquet hall of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, Charles Sr. and Li You entertained visiting friends with a smile.

The MVP is good, but a lot of people go to the banquet and are more about making superficial friends.

Li You laughed so hard that his cheeks were sour the whole time, and he mixed up this celebration banquet

At 10 a.m. on Monday, May 17, in the press room of Madison Square Garden, reporters sat in the dark, and everyone did not want to miss this historic moment.

My friend Evan sat in the front row in a black suit, pretending to be calm, and Milinda next to her was dressed in a blue shirt with black trousers.

"If it weren't for the lack of some funds, I would even like to suggest that Lee say goodbye to basketball!"

When Milinda heard Evan's whisper, she just chuckled and teased:

"That's why you've been hospitalized for half a year?"

The stocks I bought have all risen sharply, and technology stocks have gone crazy in the past few years, Ai Wen watched the American knife rise all the way, and the silver party also opened bigger and bigger, and finally recuperated for more than half a year.

Pulling the corners of his mouth, the experience of floating to the hospital was too embarrassing, Ai Wen hurriedly coughed lightly and changed the topic:

"It's going to begin!"

Today, the press conference hall deliberately changed a small podium, and the MVP's small bronze trophy was placed above.

Jeff Van Gundy and the Knicks were sitting on the far right of the podium, and NBA Vice President Russ Greck came to the stage and immediately smiled and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the NBA's youngest MVP recipient – Clay-Lee!"

The media reporters and Knicks staff in the audience began to applaud and cheer.

Maybe if you change the team, the press conference will not be so grand, Li You came to the stage in a dark gray suit, smiling, and hugged the vice president.

Picking up the trophy with a smile, looking at it and putting it down, Li You straightened the microphone and said in a brisk tone:

"Thank you to the New York fans, thank you to the Knicks, and thank you to the sports media who voted for me!"

"Winning this award means a lot to me, and it's been a fantastic experience to go from Albuquerque to Hartford to New York."

"You know, I wasn't a gifted high school student, it was Coach Calhoun who brought me to Connecticut, and thank him for his trust!"

Coach Calhoun, who was sitting in the front row, nodded in satisfaction and accepted the applause of the crowd.

Instead of turning the press conference into a bittersweet meeting, Li You looked very happy throughout the whole process, and Jeff Van Gundy also smiled from ear to ear after hearing the thanks

“.”

"Having said so much thanks, I would like to conclude by saying that I am not Michael Jordan and will not be the next McDunk."

"Of course, I'm not Wilt Chamberlain, after all, I'm only 6'4"!"

The New York media in the audience immediately followed suit, and obviously, Li You was ridiculing the shark again

"Hats off to those seniors, but I just want to be myself, and I believe that everyone can be the protagonist of their own life!"

Li You picked up the little bronze man and greeted everyone in the audience again with a smile on his face, the New York media followed suit, and the Los Angeles reporters on the side were a little unhappy.

A Finals MVP may not make Lee Woo a superstar, but with the addition of an MVP trophy, it's completely different!

Agent Mark Battlestein, who stood up and applauded with him, was already smiling, and when he thought about the offseason, he thought even more proudly:

"The max salary contract is not enough! We need more! ”

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