Oakland's All-Star weekend chilled Starks' heart.

The "road home" was tougher than he had imagined, and Starks didn't like the Bay Area, he missed life in New York, and he liked the atmosphere of the Knicks.

In New York, there are old fans who support him, and everyone in the team gives him face, while in the Warriors, Starks only feels that he has lost, and no one wants to listen to him.

Antoine Jamison is the future of the Warriors, and Starks, who is at the end of his career, is not in the team's plans.

On February 13, the last day of All-Star Weekend, near noon, while Lee Woo was still attending a sponsor's event, Ewing and Oakley also had a small gathering at Starks' house.

Not far from the Oakland Arena, Starks rented an apartment, his wife and children were in New York, and he didn't make it his home.

"As I expected, Glenfield wasn't going to make a trade with the Warriors at all."

"Even if it's a draft pick, the team won't give up the current roster, and unless the Warriors trade Dudley, it's okay."

Oakley sat back in his chair and drank coffee, and he could only rely on this thing to refresh himself after two days of high-intensity practice.

Dudley's playing time is compressed, with a salary of $7.1 million, and no team is willing to take over, even if the Knicks are willing to give away their draft picks, it's still no deal.

Ewing was in good spirits at this time, and when he was older, he fell asleep in the middle of the night last night.

The Gorillas want to see old friends return to the Knicks, who are mostly new faces at the moment:

"It's also a good thing that John is back in the team, Cook is also inconsistent, or his own people will work hard for the team!"

Bulls-born Cookcic didn't get much of a hit with the Knicks.

And Kukchi, who has won the championship, is not interested in getting close to the old guys.

Fools know who the future of the team is, and the outdated Ewing can't scare Cooke.

Oakley didn't say anything more, since he knew that the Warriors were planning to trade Starks, Ewing didn't get a phone call, and there was no news in the media, and the old guy knew that Lee Yoo must have said "no".

The general manager will communicate with the core players, and if Li You doesn't nod, there is a high probability that this thing will not be successful.

The three of them actually knew this in their hearts, and Starks had not been notified until now, and the results were self-evident.

talked about the feelings of the champion, and everyone didn't make this matter clear, but also for the sake of seeing each other in the future.

Looking at Ewing's round fat face, Starks sighed secretly, Big Brother was out of breath:

"It may take some time, but I'm not hopeful that the Knicks will win the championship this year."

“.”

Vince Carter once again proved his talent to the world with his stretched dunk.

Before the All-Star Game began, Carter had already sucked all the heat away.

In the '98 New York All-Stars, because the slam dunk contest was so boring, at the suggestion of the fans, the league finally canceled this single event.

And this year's slam dunk contest made everyone feel the long-lost passion again.

It's not that the single competition is bad, it's the players who have pulled their hips in recent years!

On the evening of the 13th, the All-Star Game was about to begin, and after the fan activities in the afternoon, several newcomers who participated in the All-Star Game for the first time were also familiar in front of everyone.

Grant Hill is still polite, chatting and farting with everyone in the locker room.

Mutombo, who has already tied his feet and changed into his Hawks jersey, is still praising Carter's performance in the slam dunk contest:

"I promise God, your dunk will definitely not lose to the dunk, it's so exciting, this is definitely the best slam dunk contest in recent years!"

Mo Ning also supported his big brother, and joked on the side:

"It's hard to imagine that there will be players who will surpass this slam dunk contest in the future, I will treasure the footage and watch it twice when I have time!"

Carter, who is not ostentatious, just accepts praise with a smile on his face, and Reggie Miller on the other side is still pretending to be X and saying cool things:

"This year's three-point contest is so ugly, maybe I should agree to the league's request!"

Everyone could do it as an afterthought, and everyone laughed along, only Iverson's face turned black, and he pursed his lips and didn't speak, and he was by Miller.

Lee and Larry Bird were interviewed by NBC reporter Jim Gray and returned to the locker room to hear laughter.

smiling and clinking fists with everyone, then Li You said with a smile:

"The strongest frontcourt in history, seriously, we're in trouble!"

Before Larry Bird could speak, Reggie Miller immediately picked up:

"Strengthen the projection, if you can't shoot, you will lose, and we will most likely not be able to grab the rebound."

Several newcomers didn't speak to express their opinions, and there was no real No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference starting lineup.

There is a huge disadvantage in height, after all, Mo Ning is a short center, and the three long people opposite, the starting lineup is indeed difficult to withstand the opponent's low attack.

Larry Bird doesn't say anything discouraged, clapping his hands and simply encouraging:

"Play to our strengths, the big man on the opposite side can't stop us!"

The Oakland Arena was packed to capacity tonight, and this year's All-Star Game halftime show was more down-to-earth, with some big-name singers invited.

Martina McBride for country music, LL Cool J for chanting, Montel Jordan, Mary Bligie.

Def Jam is also in New York, but Li You really can't appreciate these chanting music, and he is a nod to the hip-hop singers in New York.

Many people buy tickets not only to watch the game, but also to watch the halftime show.

When the players on both sides came out, in addition to the DJs on the scene shouting, there were also cheerleading girls on both sides who jumped in the atmosphere group.

When introducing Lee Woo, the last of the Eastern Conference All-Stars, there was a clear difference from other players:

"The youngest MVP in the NBA, a two-time FMVP winner, 6'4" tall, Clay from the Knicks - Lee!"

“Wow！”

Hearing these salutations and cheers, the Western Conference All-Star starters lost their smiles.

Wearing the blue training jersey of the Knicks, Lee Woo smiled and high-fived everyone in the Eastern All-Stars after appearing, and then stood at the back of the line.

After the singing session, the atmosphere in the stadium became more and more hot.

When the players of both sides warmed up, the director frequently gave the camera to the core players of both sides, and the "strongest frontcourt in history" attracted much attention.

Johnson, a magician who chats and laughs with friends from time to time, is also particularly eye-catching.

On the NBC commentary box, Doug Collins was still praising the frontcourt combination of the Western All-Stars:

"If a team had that kind of frontcourt combination, I even think they could do what the Celtics did!"

"Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan will keep the box airtight, and even if they pass the two, they will have O'Neal under the basket inside."

"Kidd and Kobe Bryant on the outside are also excellent defensive backcourt combinations, this lineup is too perfect!"

Bob Costas looked at the Eastern All-Stars, who were significantly shorter, and could only say encouragement:

"Lee and Iverson can definitely respond on the offensive end, but on the defensive end they have too little impact."

"As for Carter and Grant, it's a pity that they really can't handle the big guys, and the difference in size is too big."

"But I'm sure the Eastern Conference All-Stars will play a beautiful offense!"

As the referee beckoned the players from both sides to the center of the field, the cheers grew louder and louder.

O'Neal couldn't help but smile confidently when he saw Mourning on the opposite side, and when he jumped the ball, he easily dialed the ball to his own half.

Kidd controlled possession and then pushed forward quickly to the left flank, where Lee Woo symbolically led the defense.

O'Neal immediately asked for the ball in the low post on the left side after halftime, and after receiving a pass from Kidd, he took a step towards the basket with his right hand, carried Mourning, and easily threw it away.

Phil Jackson smiled at the retreating O'Neal, who was tasked with giving the AMVP trophy to the Sharks tonight

In the backcourt of the Eastern All-Star team, Li You and Iverson both wore white home jerseys, and they both wore white arm guards when they were "fully armed".

Kidd and Kobe Bryant on the other side are wearing elbow pads, which are still the classic clothes of Michael Jordan.

When all the young players didn't achieve much, everyone might still giggle and play exhibition games, but this time the All-Star situation was different, and Kidd's defense was not perfunctory at all.

There was only Mourning under the basket, and everyone else pulled away, quickly standing outside the three-point line.

Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand at the top of the arc, suddenly stepped on the air after slowing down, and suddenly leaned over to accelerate after a quick "scissor step".

The fancy action suddenly made the scene burst into an exclamation, Kidd hurriedly slid to the right rear, the two collided with each other, Li You immediately stopped urgently, and quickly changed direction after vigorously blowing the ball on the spot.

Near the free throw line, Kidd was first hit by Li You's ball protector, and then when he wanted to slide to adjust his center of gravity, Li You had already broken through with his shoulders, and in the blink of an eye, he had already rushed up in three steps in the paint area.

O'Neal was closest to the basket, moved quickly, and jumped up to help defend.

It's just that Li You broke through too fast, and the jumping position was too close to the basket, and Oriel, who couldn't fully jump, found that Li You grabbed the ball with his right hand after the aerial confrontation and easily dodged his block.

In the second exclamation of the fans, Li Youkong twisted slightly, completely dodged the cover, twisted his body, and threw the ball to the rebound with his right hand!

"Squeak!"

The whistle blows and the ball goes in, and after hitting the high board, the basketball falls into the basket accurately.

The beautiful goal suddenly made the Oakland Arena Arena boil.

On the bench, Mutombo immediately stood up and led the crowd to applaud and cheer loudly.

received a foul at the beginning, and O'Neill didn't complain to the referee, just watched Li You smiling and closing his eyes to score the ball, and was immediately angry and scolded.

Oakley and Ewing, who were sitting in the front row, grinned along with it, and it almost became a regular feature for the Knicks to taunt the sharks!

The fans also followed loudly, and no one liked to see the two sides tacitly brushing each other.

Doug Collins on the commentary bench also laughed, and when he saw O'Neal taking the initiative to ask for the ball, he immediately said loudly:

"It seems that Shaq is going to make a force in advance, and if he doesn't wrap up, it's not good news for Mourning."

Although Li You tried his best to interfere with Kidd, who came to the right wing, and Mourning also cooperated with the half-wound front defense, Oriel suddenly deftly swiped the basket, and Kidd sent a high hanging pass.

Receiving the ball too deep, Mo Ning had no way, watching O'Neal grab the ball with his left hand, and directly came to a wheel arm smashing buckle!

"Boom!"

The basket was dragged by O'Neal with a bang, showing the power of this dunk.

X made Li You pretend, and Mo Ning, who was almost detained, breathed a sigh of relief

It didn't take long for the two teams to show very different styles of play.

Lee Yo and Iverson can make sudden passes, Carter and Hill are super athletic, and the Eastern Conference All-Stars have been continuously bombing the basket for a period of time!

The Western All-Stars, who are completely serious, naturally frequently give the ball to the inside, and the short forward line can't withstand Duncan's impact.

Garnett, on the other hand, continued to rush for frontcourt rebounds and suppressed the transition offense on the side of the Eastern All-Stars.

The two sides fought with gunpowder, and the annoyed Mourning even chose to foul O'Neal when he was in position.

Li You cut 45 degrees to the left, and without waiting for the breakthrough to break through to the blocking position, he immediately threw the ball to the upper right of the basket.

Carter, who slipped to the bottom line and cut in first, jumped up and fished the ball in the air, easily completing a reflexive back dunk!

“Wow！”

The fans were still cheering loudly, fast to serve the baseline ball, Kidd was extremely fast on the ball, on the right wing, Kobe Bryant received the ball and broke through, watching Iverson's defense, and threw the ball to the basket in front of him.

Garnett, who cut in, also jumped high, and after scooping the ball with two balls in the air, he immediately poured the basket vigorously!

The two sides went back and forth, and no one threw three points, and the players knew that the fans still liked to watch dunks and passes, and the defensive intensity was slightly reduced, and everyone took turns to show off.

The game was extremely fast-paced, and even though the Western All-Stars had three big men, all three could run along.

With 6:56 left in the first quarter, Phil Jackson was the first to call a timeout and the rotation began to come in.

The turning point of the game also began to appear at this time, and the rotation lineup after the debut, on the Eastern Conference side, Reggie Miller and Glenn Robinson were several players playing iron.

The Western Conference All-Stars were still a bunch of big men at this time, with David Robinson, Karl Malone, and Rashid Wallace all there, and the backcourt became Stockton and Gary Payton.

Li You, who had returned to the bench, looked at the big man opposite who was as fierce as a tiger, and he was a little helpless for a while.

Grant Hill was very open to the outcome of the game, noticing that the score was being overtaken, and instead laughed and joked from the bench:

"Big men can also play fast breaks, and this year's opposite lineup perfectly restrained us."

"In terms of running and jumping ability, the other party doesn't lose too much to us, Lee, enjoy the game!"

Li You shook his head helplessly, and Iverson on the side also didn't want to lose, so he simply suggested loudly:

"Let's play a little bit faster, add some three-pointers in the next games, and like Miller said, as long as you can shoot, you can still win the opponent."

Miller's advice was good, but he took the lead in striking iron after his debut.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was fixed at 28:34, and the Western Conference All-Stars led by six points.

Carl Malone and Stockton are here to make soy sauce, but the three big men, David Robinson, Chris Webb, and Rasheed Wallace, have no intention of letting the water out.

Michael Finley is also full of motivation, and Gary Payton is still thinking about giving Lee Yoyo against that

Mutombo was invincible with two fists and four hands, and there were too few big men in the Eastern All-Stars, and he was soon completely blown up by his opponents.

Beautiful basketball sometimes can't win games, and Lee and Iverson's flying pies sometimes can't be converted into scoring.

The game was lively, and as the backcourt rebounds began to be snatched away by the opponent, Li You knew that there was a high probability that it would be cold tonight.

If you can't shoot, there is a high probability that the opponent will score points steadily, and in the end, the big men in the West will have the last laugh in this lively All-Star Game.

At 131:137, the Eastern All-Stars who failed to fill the hole had no choice but to lose.

Tim Duncan was 12-of-15 from the field and finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 2 turnovers;

O'Neal was 11-of-20 from the field and finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 4 turnovers.

When President David Stern announced that the two would share this year's All-Star Game MVP, both Duncan and O'Neal had smiles on their faces.

After the two held the cup together, O'Neill, who was in a good mood, began to pretend to be X again:

"My goal this year is to win two more trophies, the All-Star Game trophies, which can be given to Tim!"

“.”

Played 26 minutes, 10-of-16, 3-of-6 from beyond the three-point line, 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, 28 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers.

Also played 26 minutes, Iverson was 9-of-16, 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point line, 4-of-5 from the free throw line, and finished with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers.

Seeing the business blows of everyone in front of him, Iverson was a little envious, and suddenly whispered to Li You beside him:

"Shet! With a little more playing time, we can win the game! ”

On the other side, Duncan played 35 minutes, O'Neal also played 31 minutes, and Phil Jackson didn't play egalitarianism like the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

Lee Woo shrugged, an exhibition game, and everyone gave Larry Bird face:

"It's just that you can't shoot, and if you make a few more three-pointers, the game will be completely different!"

After the All-Star break, all the ball critics changed their tune:

"Athletic big men are the future of the league!"

The media in Los Angeles even flagged about the shark's performance:

"The time for O'Neill is coming!"

No one will doubt that, and regardless of the team's wins or losses, O'Neal's current dominance under the basket is the first in the league.

On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, the local sports media in Oakland suddenly "dug up" a planned trade for the Warriors.

New York fans who were busy with the holidays did not forget to eat melons at this time, and some old fans were very excited to see the news that Starks had the opportunity to return to the Knicks.

General Manager Grenfield immediately issued a statement after seeing the news:

"The team has no plans to change the roster, and the Knicks are getting better at the moment and there is good chemistry between the players."

After giving a clear answer, some old fans were a little dissatisfied, and some tabloids also followed the gossip:

"Lee blocked the deal, and John would have had a chance to go home."

There are also some complaints from old fans who are particular about feelings, mainly because Cook was not consistent enough in the first half of the game.

Players who don't join the team are always the best, that's the opinion of the fans.

TNT was also discussing the three-way deal that failed to materialize, and Kenny Smith believes the Knicks made the right choice:

"There may be some fans who are expecting Starks to return to being the team's sixth man."

"But I think management made the right choice, the Knicks need big men at the moment!"

Mike Fratello also spoke about the deal from a coach's point of view:

"Cookic can enrich the Knicks' tactical play, and Coach Van Gundy has designed several tactics for him, and it seems to be working very well so far."

"As a response point, Cookic is the best fit for the Knicks under the current conditions."

Ernnie Johnson flipped through the information in his hand, then asked with a smile:

"How's the pick? In the 2000 draft, scouts gave high marks! ”

Kenny Smith immediately shook his head, he also won the championship with the Rockets, and he understands the Knicks' recent situation:

"I don't think Starks' current physical condition can sustain the Knicks' bench offense."

"There are no other complicated reasons, and from a basketball point of view, this is the right decision!"

“.”

In the afternoon, as the news spread, there were some gossip claiming to be Li You's "Say no".

The news that suddenly broke the news hurt Li You's reputation, and some small media put the label of "ruthless" on Li You's head.

The trade didn't just affect the Warriors and Knicks, the 76ers as well.

Larry Hughes learns that he has been put on the shelf, and his heart is naturally not good.

Business is business and the players are in this situation.

At the All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant behaved decently, but the media in Los Angeles was blowing it all over:

"Kobe Bryant has grown into a first-class guard in the league!"

O'Neal, who got the AMVP, was also a little nervous, and when he returned to Los Angeles, he shouted:

"The Lakers will continue to work hard in the second half, and I will get my MVP!"

"As for the championship, the team will not disappoint the fans! We've got enough talent, and we've got the best manager in the league! ”

“.”

No matter what the outside world will become, during the rare holiday, Li You is very low-key.

Since the end of January, Li You has been selling off the remaining stocks.

The media couldn't interview Li You, and Ewing and Oakley and others kept talking about the scene.

On the evening of February 16, the media in New York finally saw the smiling Lee Woo in the locker room.

Larry Johnson noticed that everyone surrounded Li You, and for a while whispered:

"Why are there such trade rumors, John's attendance this season is average, and his efficiency is very average, aside from his feelings, he is no longer suitable for the current Knicks."

"Big Mom" doesn't plan to take the emotional route, his physical condition has declined, and now he just wants to win three consecutive championships first.

Alan Houston had an average performance in the All-Star Game, but he didn't care about the stats, and said in a serious and serious voice:

"At the end of my career, I want to go back to New York, understandably!"

"But I think the team made the right choice, and I support Lee!"

Sitting on the other side of the locker room, Kukchi looked calm, listening to the whispered gossip of the atmosphere group, no one came to interview him, and no one seemed to care about his feelings.

When everyone came to the players' tunnel and was about to officially debut, Li You patted Cooke with a smile and comforted:

"Tony, don't pay attention to those rumors, everyone believes in your strength!"

Cookch smiled, feeling a little better, and then also promised:

"In the second half of the race, I will do my best!"

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(End of chapter)