In early April 2001, the NBA received a proposal from its board of directors that most teams wanted to enforce the new rules next season.

However, some people proposed it, and naturally some people objected, and the elder Bass and James Dolan felt that these rules were vexatious and harmed the interests of the team!

The two sides have been arguing since the beginning of the month, and discussions have not been reached until the end of the regular season in mid-April.

It wasn't until the end of the month that the NBA Board of Directors approved four game rule changes for the sake of the league's health:

Eliminate illegal defenses, add a three-second rule for defense, reduce the half-time dribble from 10 seconds to 8 seconds, and relax the rules for defensive contact.

The above 4 rules will be implemented from the 2001~2002 season, and most teams are happy to accept them, only the Lakers and Knicks are not happy with a hundred.

Although James Dolan doesn't know much about the ball, after the management's science popularization, he also understands the intention of canceling illegal defense and relaxing the rules of defensive contact.

There are more people in the restricted area, and the Knicks' side-rubbing joint defense can be used openly.

Loose defensive touches allow perimeter defenders to get a step further up.

Regardless of the impact on the big guys, these rules are still not good for the "Show time" program.

And for old Buss, this rule is customized for the Lakers!

O'Neal kills all sides on the inside, allowing the joint defense and defense to be added for three seconds, and everyone can better execute the bag, pile up people inside, and bet that the outside line can't be shot.

Eastern Conference teams will only play the Lakers twice a season, which has little impact.

However, Western Conference teams always have to face O'Neal if they want to enter the Finals, so these rules are in the interests of most Western teams.

On Thursday, May 3, the major sports media officially popularized the changes to the rules to fans, but the response was mediocre, and everyone didn't care about these details at all.

ESPN invited several absent coaches to discuss the impact of the new rules on the league;

On the TNT show, Charles Barkley gloated and mocked O'Neal with a big grin:

"In '97 there was a reasonable collision zone, which benefited Shaq, and next season with 3 seconds of defense will definitely make a huge difference for him!"

"Big guys can't crouch under the basket all the time, and I like that."

Kenny Smith shook his head, he couldn't predict the impact of the rules, so he could only say cautiously:

"It's going to have an impact on all the big men in the league, and theoretically, the outside players get more opportunities, but loosening up defensive contact reduces that advantage."

"There's definitely going to be teams going to use more of a combination next season, and you know, a lot of old-school coaches actually really like that."

In the 90s, most teams would more or less use joint defense, changing tricks and limiting superstars with joint defense.

Ernie Johnson naturally lived through that era, and when he thought about the current state of the league's teams, he only kept his opinion neutral:

"Loosening the defensive scale, it depends on the referee's blowing, and I don't think this rule will have too much impact on the outside stars."

"The simplest example, if you look closely at Lee's play, his breakthrough has gone from relying on rhythm at the earliest to now relying more on the explosiveness of the first step to complete the attack."

"Players who are getting to their prime are getting better and better, maybe the rookies still need to adapt, and for the current All-Stars, the rules don't make a big difference."

"Of course, I'm in favor of a change in the rules, which will increase the competition, which is definitely a good thing for the fans!"

Charles Barkley heard the words of the two partners, subconsciously tugged at the tie, pondered slightly, and nodded in agreement:

"Maybe it will have an impact on some small men, and if you want to limit Lee, it depends more on the defensive ability of the players themselves."

"However, after increasing the confrontation, most teams will have less attack, which is definitely not good news for attacking teams."

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the league will do next season!"

On May 4, the NBA announced the Most Valuable Player of the Season Award:

The Knicks' Lee Woo won the MVP for the second time in his career!

After the news was announced, the New York media burst into joy, and Mayor Giuliani immediately congratulated Li You:

"Congratulations to Lee on being elected MVP, this is a victory for New York!"

The mayor used to be a die-hard fan of the New York Yankees, and the team completed three consecutive championships during his tenure and became a die-hard fan of the Knicks.

In the regular season, Mr. Mayor can often be seen watching the game with his young son.

The win has brought the Knicks more attention, and no one likes to lose, at least in New York, where most fans like to win.

In the evening, Lee Woo wore a modest black suit to attend the celebratory party hosted by Mr. Mayor at Gracie-Mancien.

The Mayor's Mansion is a Federal-style wood-framed house that looks unremarkable on the outside, but it is in a prime location in Carl Schultz Park on the Upper East Side, close to the East River, and is a New York landmark.

The elder Charles took his eldest son James Dolan and smiled Li You to start his own social interaction.

Most of the people who participated in the party were elephant party figures and city hall officials, and Blombug, the donkey party, was also there, and the tycoon was actively campaigning, and there was a high probability that he would become the next mayor.

Jin was also wearing a black professional suit, and he whispered some city officials next to Li You, and noticed that the white and slightly bald man next to Giuliani immediately whispered:

"Bernard Krk, New York Police Commissioner who just took over as Saffir last year."

Li You still has an impression of the previous old chief, but after the other party retired, he didn't pay attention to the changes in the New York Police Department.

After recalling the news in the newspaper in his mind, Li You shook hands with the other party with a smile.

Although Giuliani was sick and lost some weight, his mental state was getting better and better after the divorce, and he also smiled at this time:

"Bernard is a big fan of the Knicks, and if he wasn't too busy with his daywork, he wouldn't miss a game."

"Li, you will definitely have a common topic, I remember that there was a burglary in your house, believe me, this kind of thing will not happen again!"

Hearing the mayor's quip, Bernard Krker also smiled and assured:

"Yes, we will continue to maintain law and order in New York, and the Upper East Side is definitely the safest place in Manhattan!

"Lee, it's great to see you achieve something like this! At 23 years old, you're still studying, that's amazing! ”

Thinking of the outside world's comments on this successor, Li You also complimented:

"I've always believed in the police force in New York, and of course, I understand the difficulties of grassroots police officers, and if there is a need, my foundation will also help!"

"Growing together with the city is our common wish."

Bernard Krker understood and remembered the bittersweet feelings, and the two sides began to blow each other in business.

When the two left, Jin reminded Li You in a low voice:

"His tenure should not be too long, excessive law enforcement, abuse of private power, less than a year, there are a lot of problems, Mr. Mayor will step down, and the New York Police Department will also change."

The surroundings were quiet for a while, Li You hugged Jin, and whispered indifferently:

"The foundation does make donations, but I don't have a guarantee that I'll talk about these things in detail when the billionaires take office."

Different players have very different social circles, and for Lee, basketball is not pure, and he is not interested in appreciating the "4 a.m. sun in Manhattan".

When the Ewing era is about to pass, Lee Woo, as the absolute core, the Knicks are about to enter the era of "continue to play, then dance".

With three consecutive championships, there's nothing wrong with enjoying life.

On Saturday, May 5, at 10 a.m., the media room at the Taretown Training Centre was packed with sports reporters.

Early in the morning, major print media in New York reported on last night's party, won the MVP, and seemed to have become a party for the whole city.

Jimmy Fallon, who was sitting in the front row of the audience, straightened his tie and looked at Tina Fey, who was talking and laughing with her boyfriend in a low voice, and couldn't help but complain:

"We said we were all coming alone, maybe I should invite Kirstin, as a partner, I should really get acquainted with it in advance."

At the beginning of June, at the MTV Movie Awards, Jimmy Fallon will partner with Kirsten Dunst as hosts.

This is also an affirmation for Jimmy Fallon, who debuted for a few years.

Tina Fay, who has become the chief screenwriter of the Saturday night show, glanced at her scumbag friend, and Milinda in front of her turned her head and teased:

"That's a big beautiful girl, maybe you can make a spark!"

Kirsten Dunst, who is about to become the heroine of Spider-Man, is a beautiful girl in the eyes of everyone, and at the age of 19, it is also the most beautiful time in her life.

Jimmy Fallon just smiled after being teased, and like Li You, everyone likes to be 18 years old.

The little follower Christen Litt sat next to Milinda and sighed secretly, the modeling career is not going well, and it is difficult to enter the film and television industry compared to the stars who debut as child stars.

As if sensing the emotions of the girl next to her, Milinda put her arms around the shoulders of the little attendant and said with a smile:

"Alyce is beautiful too, I just like brunette girls!"

Looking at the little attendant with a slightly red face, Jin helplessly patted Mi Lin's thigh and reminded that the press conference was about to start.

NBA Vice President Robert Stein walked to the podium with a smile on his face, looked at the reporters in the dark press group in the audience, first touched the Little Bronze Man trophy, and then immediately introduced loudly:

"It's an honor to witness such a historic moment with all of you, and we have Clay-Lee, a three-time FMVP winner, the youngest MVP in NBA history, and a superstar in the league!"

On the right side of the podium, Jeff Van Gundy and the Knicks were all dressed in black suits, and they all took the lead.

Robert Stein, the vice president, is also an old acquaintance of Li You, and the two can meet at the championship awards ceremony every year.

Dressed in a light blue suit, Li You hugged the vice president, came to the podium, and nodded hello to the old Charles father and son and Mayor Giuliani in the front row.

After glancing around, Li You touched the trophy, held the microphone, and said with a smile:

"It's great to be recognized, I love this trophy and I love the feeling of chasing history!"

"Basketball changed my life, and it was unthinkable for a growing Albuquerque kid to succeed in New York."

"Thanks to Uncle Varga and my good brother Nacho, thanks to their care, I was able to grow up healthy."

“.”

Offstage, Manuel Varga, who has been in New Mexico for most of her life, heard Li You's words with red circles in her eyes, she just moved to Tribeca this year, and for her current life, it is simply heaven.

Nacho, who has been active in Connecticut recently, only smiled, but Mike on the side seemed to recall his son of the same age as Li You, and he was completely distracted for a while.

After briefly recalling the bittersweet memories and thanking the Knicks for their tiredness, Lee Woo also began to joke about the rules that the league had recently changed:

"I've taken note of the recent league announcements and what's been buzzed about, and I would like to assure fans in New York that the Knicks won't be affected in any way."

"The new rules will make the game more exciting, the MVP will not be limited by the rules, we will still win big and win, and the victory will always be with New York!"

The New York media in the audience was chirping again, in the early 90s, the Knicks lost hemp, feng shui took turns, and it was their turn to experience the feeling of their old rival Bulls.

When the scene was quiet again, Li You finally said seriously:

"Thank you again to the Knicks opponents who have shaped me into who I am today."

"The second MVP trophy of my career, this is a huge encouragement for me, I hope my opponents can work harder and don't let me get too far ahead!"

Li You raised the small bronze trophy on the side and greeted everyone with a smile again.

The New York media in the audience were smiling, and some reporters in Los Angeles felt uncomfortable and were ridiculed for a year, and no one mentioned the matter of "Chamberlain + Jordan" anymore

The reporters of the Sports Weekly are very interested in Li You's "bittersweet memories", and the luxury life of the star cannot be reported, but the struggle process, readers must love to watch it.

The young reporters were all excited, only Su Qun sighed secretly in his heart, and it seemed impossible for the envisioned thing to happen:

"The national team can't wait for a core defender."

After the MVP award was announced, the first round of the NBA was also over before that.

Spend the most money, get the most beaten!

The star-studded Trail Blazers were eventually swept out by the Lakers.

With a score of 3:1, the Kings also easily defeated the Suns.

In the Western Conference semifinals, old rivals met again, the Lakers vs Kings, which attracted the attention of many fans.

The Spurs also beat the Timberwolves lightly, the twin towers are once again powerful, and Popovich seems to have opened his mind

The Mavericks, who have attracted the attention of Chinese fans, have completed a counterattack!

No one expected that after returning to the home court, the Mavericks were full of momentum, winning two games in a row, and G4 beat the Jazz by 30 points.

In the G5 game, with Karl Malone's shooting iron at the last moment, the Mavericks got through the danger and successfully reached the semifinals 3:2.

On the night of the 5th, there will be a bull and horse war, Chinese fans have mixed feelings, many people are paying attention to the NBA for the first year, and Wang Zhizhi did not get any chance in the series, which is completely inconsistent with everyone's expectations:

"Nowitzki is replaced by Dazhi, and the Mavericks don't have to get through the danger!"

In the life-and-death match, Nowitzki and Nash were 3-of-11, with the former scoring 18 points from the free throw line and the latter scoring only nine points.

It's no wonder that fans complain that the Mavericks are all relying on Michael Finley, and everyone naturally doesn't have a good impression of Nowitzki.

After the morning press conference, in addition to socializing, Li You also received an invitation from Kukchi, a fisherman.

This season, Kukzi on the bench can still contribute 10.1 points per game, pull up from mid-range, and shoot good three-pointers.

Thanks to more abusive games, the three-point shooting percentage soared to 39.6%

The stats can sometimes be deceiving, and most of Cooke's in-form games have gone into garbage time.

At around 1 p.m., Li You followed Kukchi to Jean Georges' French restaurant.

Seeing that the other party chose a restaurant he liked, Li You also smiled and quipped:

"It took a lot of thought, it seems that this favor will definitely not be helpful!"

Known as the best French restaurant in New York, it is naturally not cheap to come here to consume, Kukchi shrugged his shoulders and whispered:

"Anyway, it's not me who pays, I'm only responsible for passing on the word, everyone just wants to hear your opinion."

Interperformances, founded by famed agent Herb Ludoy, signed Kukchi that year.

Most European players will choose this agency when they land in the NBA, and they have been in the industry for more than 23 years and are trusted by European players.

The current president flew to New York, plus a few heads of the United States, and everyone had a happy meal, without mentioning anything work-related.

When the dinner was over and there were only two people left, Cook introduced again:

"Interperformances wants to send Pau Gasol to New York."

"Logging into the NBA requires a buyout fee, and the Knicks are the best option, you know, the team is really generous."

"Gasol is a Spanish genius with a similar technical style to me, but the draft prospects are much better than mine."

"It seems that Coach Van Gundy prefers Tyson Chandler, so we wanted to hear from you."

"You don't have to reply to them, as long as you don't refuse, everyone will know the result, they are all from Europe, I am just doing a small favor."

Li You was a little surprised when he heard what happened, the lottery only started in the middle of the month, and the Bulls' first-round pick didn't know what pick it was.

There are still almost two months to go, and this amount of advance is really early enough.

Li You frowned secretly, and finally responded simply:

"Let's talk about this after the draw is over, we can't control the league's draw ceremony."

When Kukchi heard that Li You didn't refuse at the first time, he was in a good mood for a while, and he also joked:

"I pack the ticket, and the Wizards will definitely get the first pick!"

"The alliance will take care of Maikou, and if it continues to lose, Maikou's patience will be exhausted."

The memory in his mind told Li You that the Wizards did get the top pick, but when he thought of Mai Kou's vision, he also smiled and complained:

"The No. 1 pick can't save the Wizards, I told him a long time ago that he is not suitable to be the director of operations, Hamilton is disliked by him, he should change the standard, otherwise he will continue to lose."

“.”

The Interperformances strategy was still successful, Li You didn't think about these things before, and on the way home, he thought about the internal situation of the team again, and secretly sighed in his heart:

"Are Europeans going to help Europeans?"

Thank you for your subscription and support.

(End of chapter)