On June 12, 1999, the Knicks returned to New York with the division championship trophy, and many fans who came to pick up the airport began to cheer themselves again.

Holding the small tabula rasa of "Fight for Ewing", many old fans grew up watching the gorilla's ball, and for them, they all hoped that Ewing could get a decent ending.

Before boarding the bus, Ewing was still holding the trophy and taking a group photo with the fans, and the atmosphere was warm, I didn't know if I thought it was a gorilla's farewell party

The overzealous enthusiasm of the old fans in New York actually wanted to help the gorilla, and the right Achilles tendon was torn, although there was no need for surgery, but the athleticism would inevitably decline.

Considering that most of the team's current main lineup is under the age of 30, everyone wants to do their best, hoping that Ewing can retire in New York.

General Manager Grenfield was also on the bus at this time.

Most of the time, he doesn't mingle with the players, and he doesn't have the interest to walk in front of the stage like the Bulls' Klaws.

The general manager and management need to be tight and the division of power has to be clear, and Grenfield has done that, with Jeff Van Gundy left speechless in front of him.

"Come on! Pat, you're going to win two championships like Olajuwon! ”

"Pat, we've got your back!"

“.”

Grunfield, who was sitting at the front of the bus, shook his head secretly when he saw such a scene.

It is not difficult to trade an older center with a big injury, a big contract, a little out of shape, and a decline in independent offensive ability, but the chips that can be exchanged are limited.

Lee Woo looked at the sports illustrated magazine in his hand in the back row of the bus, and the main content of this issue was Tim Duncan.

Oakley, who was sitting in the front, was shaking his head with headphones and snorting along to the music.

The old guy is going to be a defensive tool in the playoffs this year, but Oakley doesn't care about that.

Li You divided the ball cake very well, as long as he felt good, he could still get eight or nine shots in a game.

Oakley, who was shaking his head, noticed the magazine in Li You's hand, took off his headphones, and said loudly:

"Don't worry about the Spurs, David Robinson is a softie, Tim Duncan is just a rookie."

"Hey! We're going to win the championship, Lee, come to me in the evening, let's have another party! ”

When several people in the atmosphere group heard that there was still overtime, they all responded positively, Li You closed the magazine in his hand, simply waved the American knife, and said loudly:

"It's time to relax, I'm in for a treat tonight!"

Back at the training centre in Tarrytown, the players went home for the holidays to rest, but Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff couldn't.

The Spurs crushed all the way, and the interior line of the Western Conference fell under the twin towers, but after watching the videotape, Jeff Van Gundy didn't react much:

"But that's it."

In most games, the Spurs' offensive routine is that the defender dribbles over the halfcourt, Tim Duncan blocks the area with his back to receive the ball, and then scores and plays.

Then there is the David Robinson elbow catch, jumper or strong inside.

There is also a connection between the twin towers, but there are not many within the inner story.

Thibodeau, the assistant coach who likes to watch videos the most, sees the Spurs' defense.

In the paint zone, two big men with strong mobility can complete the sweep, cover and change defenses, and the speed is extremely fast.

Assistant coach Don Channey looked at the technical statistics in his hand, and after the video was over, he said in a rather relaxed tone:

"By the playoffs, they're averaging about 70 shots per game, and they're slower than the Hawks, and I don't think that will affect our offense."

"Houston can be a lot easier, at least he doesn't have to run after the opposing player anymore."

"Sprewell should be able to teach rookie Daniels on the opposite bench a lesson."

Several members of the coaching staff began to communicate in low voices, but Jeff Van Gundy began to wander into the world.

Assistant coach Thibodeau stabbed the bald young marshal, and Jeff Van Gundy said:

"In the past few days, tell Kurt and Ben to control the fouls, we don't have to adjust too much, just prepare for the game step by step."

As soon as a few people heard Van Gundy's words, they knew that this was going to hang up again, and after thinking about it, there was really nothing to prepare.

34-year-old "Little General" Avery Johnson, 35-year-old Mario Ealie, and 31-year-old Sean Elliott make up the Spurs outside line.

After watching the video, several members of the coaching staff did not mention the outside of the Spurs at all, and everyone subconsciously reached a consensus:

"These people won't bother Lee at all!"

As for interior defense, the Pacers' Rick Schmitz and Dale Davis did well, blowing up Cotter and Ben, but the Knicks won.

Doomed to not be able to limit the Spurs' interior, it was enough to try to defend as much as possible.

NBC is still responsible for the broadcast of the Finals this year, and in the past few days, in addition to training as usual, the Knicks have to be interviewed, which can be regarded as a package for the Finals.

On the morning of the 13th, Ewing was dressed in a black suit and was interviewed in the media room of the Tarrytown Training Center.

"Pat, congratulations, this is the third time you've reached the finals in your career!"

"It's a shame that you're going to miss this series due to injury, and that's a shame for the fans, a lot of people want to see you face off against David Robinson."

Hearing this, Ewing suddenly laughed, shook his head, and said seriously:

"The young guys don't like us old guys anymore, David is very good, but unfortunately we will still win the championship this year."

Jim Gray, a famous journalist sitting across from him, also smiled when he heard the gorilla's confident response, and asked again:

"We all know that Lee won the MVP this year, what kind of performance do you think he will play in the Finals?"

Hearing the MVP, the gorilla's heart was sour, and then he continued to blow X confidently:

"Lee will blow up all the defenders on the other side, I'm serious, maybe a lot of people haven't realized what we went through last year."

"Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, against the league's best outside defense, Lee can still contribute 29 points per game."

"Some people may question his efficiency, 44 percent shooting is really not high, but imagine what kind of performance they can play against any guard in the league?"

"I'll always remember last year's Eastern Conference Finals, I remember every round on the court, the Knicks used to have the best interior defense in the league, and now, we have the best backcourt combination in the league!"

“.”

Every player was given an interview, and Ben Davies of the atmosphere group was as crazy as ever;

Rashad Lewis, who has carried bags for the Knicks for most of the year, reminisces bittersweetly about the atmosphere in the Knicks.

The new Lewis does have the ability, Oakley didn't bother him too much, the old guy saw people very accurately, and thought that this big shooter with a soft ball style could at least get a contract in the league.

Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace are not small transparent, even if there are not many scenes on the offensive end, but the two on the defensive end are definitely full.

"I don't care about the stats, I don't care what other people say about me, I just want to win, I've seen big scenes, don't try to score easily with me!"

Looking at Ben Wallace's excited answer with an exploding head, Jim Gray realized that he also won the championship with the team last year.

Oakley, who was interviewed, once again expressed disdain when he heard the question against Tim Duncan, only emphasized:

"He's just a rookie! A rookie who played the finals for the first time! ”

Alan Houston was still a friendly greeting and very modest, while Larry Johnson and Sprewell both meant the same thing:

"We're going to beat the Spurs out of the!"

Visibly looking down on each other, these two former All-Stars didn't take the Spurs perimeter players seriously at all.

Jim Gray rubbed his eyebrows, these interview clips will be released one by one before the finals, and he can already anticipate the reaction of the fans on both sides.

When Li You came to the media room in a training suit, Jim Gray breathed a sigh of relief, got up to shake hands, and asked with a smile:

"Lee, congratulations on winning the MVP, reaching the finals for two consecutive years in your rookie season, which is a great achievement!"

"What are your expectations for this year's finals?"

Hearing such a question, Li You also confidently replied:

"The Spurs are a good team and I'm excited to meet someone like this in the Finals!"

"I want to thank the New York fans for their support and thank the Knicks for being tired, it's been a tough season for us as well."

'The intensive schedule, Pat's injury, also made us a little bit of form, but in the end we got over it'

Jim Gray was still smiling at first, but he always felt that this was a little familiar when he listened to it, and then he immediately reacted, and he was speechless for a while:

"Got an acceptance speech in advance?"

“.”

With the Spurs sweeping through their opponents and getting a longer break, NBC's interview was long over.

These days, fans can see the modest statements of the Spurs on the TV.

David Robinson is indeed a good person, and after blessing Ewing, he remembered bittersweetly, and kept touting Tim Duncan:

"Lee got the FMVP in his second year as a rookie, and now Tim has a chance to do that."

"In my mind, Tim is the MVP of the Spurs this season, and he's better than you think."

"I don't care about the stats, now I just want to win the first championship in franchise history for the Spurs!"

“.”

TNT is also warming up for the Grand Finals, with McHale and Kenny Smith representing Tim Duncan and Lee Yow respectively, and in recent days, the two have their own opinions:

"I have a lot of respect for Avery Johnson, but we've all seen what kind of performance Murch Blaylock plays against Lee."

"I don't think the Spurs' perimeter defense is going to be much better than the Hawks."

Kenny Smith has been very clear these days that the Knicks' three-guard guard will blow up opponents.

McHale shook his head and insisted on his point of view:

'There is no comparison between the two teams, Mutombo can't take on too many attacking tasks, while Thiem can carry the team's attack.

"Defensively, the Spurs' two big men are also very flexible, and the Knicks' guards can't score efficiently on the inside."

"The closer you get to the basket, the higher your shooting percentage, that's a basketball truth, and no one on the Knicks can limit Tim Duncan."

“.”

Lee Woo didn't pay attention to these media reports and was busy entertaining Ray Allen and a few college teammates these days.

Due to its proximity to New York, many Connecticut students are joining in the fun.

Coach Calhoun led the team to a championship, and the University of Connecticut won its second championship in franchise history.

It's a pity that there were too many Knicks games in March and April, and Li You didn't have time to watch the game at all.

On the evening of the 14th, Li You held a small party at his home in Tarry Town to entertain his friends from the university.

The party company set up cold meals and barbecues on site, and also planted some small flags of the husky team by the way.

Coach Calhoun was smiling and touching the dog's head at this time, and the husky Happy was not afraid of people, and he smiled at everyone.

Ray Allen took his girlfriend to the sidelines laughing and listening to his friend blow X.

The Bucks played well in this year's playoffs, and although they were swept by the Pacers, he was the best player on the team.

Travis Knight is on the Lakers' atmosphere team and is blowing all the rage at this time:

"Tim Duncan is really strong, but Lee will definitely win the championship again!"

"Believe me, if the Lakers had a point guard like Lee, they would never lose to the Spurs this year."

Hamilton, on the other side, immediately quipped:

"O'Neal definitely won't like to partner with Lee, there is only one MVP!"

Everyone laughed, and Li You on the side also shook his head with a smile.

Although Hamilton got the MOP, he looked at Li You with envious eyes at this time and asked loudly:

"Lee, will you win the championship again this year?"

Li You raised the champagne in his hand, saluted everyone, and replied confidently:

"Of course, just this month, at the end of the month, everyone can come to the championship parade!"

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(End of chapter)