On August 15, 2000, the Knicks fans liked to see something happened again, and the Pacers broke up!

With the signing of Mark Jackson by the Raptors and the announcement of Rick Smitz's retirement, the Pacers basically said goodbye to the championship.

The trade wasn't over yet, and the Pacers then sent Dale Davis to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Joe Kline and Jermaine O'Neal.

The deal didn't go unnoticed, with Jermaine O'Neal, who averaged 3.9 points per game in the regular season last season, being a back foul.

And veteran Joe Klein is just a filler, about to say goodbye to the NBA, and neither of them is immediate.

Considering that Reggie Miller is 35 years old, the Pacers have given up the main Dele Davis, and there is a high probability that they will grow up with rookies in the new season.

The old opponent fell, the New York media blossomed, and after the freeze period ended, it seems that only the Knicks can effectively strengthen at present!

After pulling for half a month, the Knicks sent away this year's drafts (from the 2000 Raptors first-round pick) Quentin Richardson and Chris Dudley;

Traded from the Suns for Luke Longley and a 2001 second-round pick.

Longley played steadily for the Suns last season, averaging 6.3 points per game and getting 20 minutes of playing time per game, while Dudley fell out of the rotation completely.

This deal is considered an overdraft for the Knicks, but if they want to compete for a championship, outside players are not in the team's plans.

The heights that New York fans are thinking about have been strengthened, and while Luke Longley is a blue-collar center, the pestle can also be useful under the basket.

Combined with Jack Wascool, who was selected with the 28th pick this year, 2.11m from the University of Connecticut, and Todd Mark Lodge, who was drafted in the second round last year, the Knicks already have four big men over 2.10m.

All the reinforcements are working towards the championship, after all, the Knicks' outside core is too young, and instead of wasting time, it is better to continue studing.

Also charging for the championship are the Trail Blazers, who split up the interior group and traded Sean Kemp from the Cavaliers through a three-way trade.

It's similar to the situation with the Knicks, and without discussing how effective Sean Kemp + Dale Davis is, the Trail Blazers' management did their best.

The Knicks move frequently, and as a competitor, the Lakers can't hold back.

On August 20, the Lakers traded Travis Knight, Glenn Rice, and the 2001 first-round pick to the SuperSonics;

Ended up getting Greg Foster, Horace Grant, Chuck Persson.

A.C. Green was no longer able to play in the high-intensity Finals, was waived by the Lakers, and Glen Rice, who played hard, did not win the trust of Phil Jackson.

Hores-Grant, as a veteran of the Bulls, fully understands the triangle offense, but it is what the Lakers need.

After this transaction happened, the ball critics also gave a high evaluation, and the new season can be expected while tapping the team's potential while continuing to polish the triangle attack!

The knock-on effect of the Knicks' massive personnel change is that Ewing suddenly feels unusually "lonely".

The old guy is gone, most of the teammates who are familiar with him are gone, Grant Hill who joined is incompatible with the team's culture, and most of the new recruits go to pat Li You's ass.

In the last season of his career, Ewing suddenly felt a little bored.

Li You has never expressed his attitude about retiring from touring, but needless to say, the "ruthless" reality has already given an answer:

"No drama on tour!"

There are no veteran players in the team who want to lie flat and decline in form, and the newcomers have to fight for contracts even if they don't fight for the championship, everything is planned, and the position left by the Knicks for the Gorillas in the new era is:

"Defensive core!"

Li You, who has won three consecutive championships, is no longer mixed with the players, there is no old guy in the team, he is completely unpretended, and he is busy with sponsorship activities every day, and for more than two months, Ewing has not received any text messages or phone calls.

Ewing also gave a lot of interviews in the offseason as the core center of the three-time championship, but when the time came to August, the gorillas were silent as their teammates left.

On Thursday, August 24th, Ewing appeared in the TNT studio dressed in a modest black suit with a reserved smile.

Charles Barkley, who retired from the Rockets in April, has officially joined TNT by this time and has become a regular guest.

Facing the camera, Ewing, who was sitting on the sofa in the studio, first waved his hand, and then quickly smiled and greeted Barkley opposite:

"Chuck, it's great to see that you didn't choose to leave basketball!"

Charles Barkley sat with Kenny Smith in a light gray suit, and when he heard the greeting, he immediately reached out and touched his fist:

"TNT gave me a big contract and I have to earn money to support my family!"

The four laughed, and soon Ernnie Johnson, who was sitting on Ewing's right hand, laughed and provoked the topic:

"Pat, we've noticed that the Knicks have sent away a lot of veteran players in the offseason, what do you think about that?"

Hearing this question, Ewing was not polite, and insisted on his point of view and said:

"Grant is really good, but the original lineup, we also remain competitive, and most importantly, there is no need to run in the new season."

"I respect the choice of General Manager Glenfield, you know, winning the championship three years in a row, and our motivation has really taken a bit of a hit."

"But as long as you make the playoffs, everybody will pick themselves up!"

"At the moment, we need to readjust for the new season, and I will do my best to cooperate with the coaching staff, but there is a high probability that there will be some fluctuations in our results."

"The good news is that we don't have many opponents in the East, and as long as the run-in is successful, I believe the team can still reach the Finals."

Kenny Smith quickly heard some questions and continued to ask with a smile:

"We all know that the Knicks have a tough team culture, do you think Grant is going to succeed in New York?"

Ewing also immediately spoke about the scene when he heard this question:

"Grant is a good guy, everybody loves to watch him play, times are different, he's going to fit in with the Knicks."

"If winning the championship is considered a success, I'm sure Grant will do it in the future."

Ernnie Johnson could see Ewing's emotion, and at this time changed the subject again:

"Chuck, why didn't you choose to join the Knicks in the first place? Then you can win the championship too! ”

Charles Barkley was depressed when he heard this question, and Kenny Smith in the studio has been talking about championships for a month:

"Lee did invite me, you know, we played golf together in Chicago, a charity event that McCu did."

"But I turned it down at the time because I didn't like the Knicks, yes, you heard it right, I hated them."

"I also didn't like the media environment in New York, so I decisively refused, and of course, I think Lee was just polite, and I could see that he was very confident in his own strength."

"It's like playing blackjack, he beat all of us, 22 years old, he's a real talent, even if he doesn't play basketball, he's sure to make a name for himself!"

The three of them began to tout again, Ewing almost didn't hold back, and he could meet Li Youchui when he participated in a show.

Ewing felt lonely, and Lee Woo had no one to practice with him this offseason.

Alan Houston and Ray Allen entered the national team training camp in early August, and most of the Knicks' new players also started vacation mode in the offseason.

This year, the Knicks' training camp started late, until the end of the Sydney Olympics.

Therefore, at the end of August, only trainer Tim Grover practiced with Li You.

Without "brotherhood", Li You didn't make real friends after entering the alliance.

He became famous too early, and it was difficult for most players to have a common topic with him, except for a few people in the team, most of them were colleagues.

After the simple recovery training, on the 28th, Li You returned to Hartford, the first day of the fall semester of Connecticut Law School, just in time to report.

On Friday, September 15th, Lee returned to Manhattan to prepare for the second wave of sponsor marketing, and the Saturday night event was about to begin.

Taking advantage of the fact that the fans have been relaxing for half a month, they are bombarded with advertisements again before the start of the new season to continue to maintain the heat.

Tim Grover's training camp has a big reputation, and the high cost can't stop some players from wanting to get stronger!

"White hot space" has become a hot topic in the offseason, and although it is metaphysical, there are still many people who believe in this theory.

When Lee arrived at the Tarrytown training centre on Saturday morning, he saw Rashad Lewis warming up, and knew that most of the newcomers were still on vacation.

Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff weren't there either, just gear manager Mike Sr. and the staff clocking in to work every day.

The Sydney Olympics have begun, and most of the sports media have turned their attention to the national team again.

Tim Grover also noticed the somewhat empty training hall, and when he saw Li You change into his training clothes, he also teased:

"You can see that most players don't want to win championships anymore, Lee, do you want to keep winning?"

"Of course, at least I saw Rashad and that's a good thing, he's just signed a contract, he doesn't have to train so hard at all, that's the desire for a title!"

As soon as Li You's words fell, Lewis collected the ball, scratched his head a little embarrassed, and then told the truth:

"Well, actually, I want to get the starting position, you know Lee, playing with you, can get better statistics, I hope to sign a bigger contract in two seasons!"

Tim Grover and the trainers behind him first looked at each other and then laughed, and without media reporters, the communication between the players was so simple and rude.

Li You didn't care, he was not a child, the players had their own careful thoughts, this is normal, seeing Lewis, who was a little embarrassed, he continued to comfort him:

"American knives and data are also motivation, it's a good thing to have pursuits, believe me, Bro, a player who is a mess, he won't stay with the Knicks for long!"

Thinking that "Big Brother" had been sent away, Rashad Lewis suddenly lost a smile on his face.

Looking at Lee You's smiling face again, Lewis suddenly realized that the Knicks' locker room culture was about to change.

Different veterans have shaped different locker room cultures, with Ewing, Oakley, Starks, and Anthony Mason carrying forward iron-blooded basketball;

As for what will become of the future, only Li You has the final say

Tim Grover didn't gossip much about the inside of the Knicks, looked around the empty training hall again, and asked with a smile:

"Lee, what are you going to focus on? With your current physical condition, it is difficult to have a direction to improve, and staying healthy is the most important thing! ”

Li You patted his chest, although he hadn't touched the ball for more than two months, he felt that his strength was improving.

"People are lying at home, and their skills are rising every day!"

Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, the talent panel does not lie!

[Shaquille O'Neal's extraordinary power] is about to turn copper.

Li You had a hunch that strength training would improve his attributes after two seasons of stagnation.

"Priority strength training, I feel that I haven't reached the limit yet, this month and a half, I want to increase the amount of training to completely activate the body!"

Tim Grover shook his head helplessly, looked at the trainer team behind him and said admonishingly:

"Li, you have to realize that everyone has limits, our bodies are not machines, and there is no way to change parts."

"A lot of times, too much training can also cause some injuries, and that's why I've been letting you relax this offseason."

'You've played a lot more games than a lot of players in the last few years, and two months off isn't enough.

Rashad Lewis on the other side also nodded subconsciously, the boss is so rolled, and the role players are not having a good time

"I understand my body, rest assured, if there is an uncomfortable situation, I promise to communicate in a timely manner."

"It's fun to polish your body, I'm ready for it!"

deliberately cut his hair again, Li You returned to a clean and refreshing style, and the whole person looked full of vitality.

Rashad Lewis looked at Li You's enjoyment of training, and an idea suddenly popped into his heart:

"If you don't perform well, you're going to be traded?"

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(End of chapter)