On 5 May 2002, at 9:30 a.m., the Talitown Training Centre was again filled with sports media.

As the draw approached, everyone gathered in Manhattan today to attend Lee's press conference and interview the head coach and general manager.

General manager Glenfield is already a big name in the industry, and if he leaves the Knicks one day, all teams in the league will welcome him to join.

With a belly up, a modest gray suit, and a well-groomed beard, the curly-haired Grunfield is a bit more fat than it has been in the past few years.

The New York media gave him the title of "Legendary Manager", and after the departure of "Legendary Coach", Grenfield's limelight has overshadowed the current coaching staff.

Everyone knew that if they wanted to get to know the Knicks in depth, it was useless to interview Thibodeau, and the draft was all in the hands of the general manager.

Before the press conference began, a large number of reporters gathered in front of Grenfield:

"Ernnie, can you tell us which players the Knicks are going to hire?"

"Will the Knicks continue to select big men in this year's draft?"

Hearing everyone's inquiry, Grunfield smiled slightly and answered the question very patiently:

"We're going to have to see the final signing, and our goal is to add the right talent to Lee!"

"The Knicks have a long-term plan, we don't just look at the present, Lee is only 24 years old, he still has a long time to go, and the team has to protect his health."

ESPN's reporters seemed to have heard some gossip and suddenly asked about the coaching staff:

"With the Knicks winning 61 games this season, will Head Coach Thibodeau continue to coach next season?"

Sensing that everyone was more concerned about the question, Grunfield just tilted his head and teased, without giving a real answer:

"Tom is a nice guy, everybody likes him, and of course he has a chance to keep coaching!"

“.”

The press conference is about to begin, and in addition to the Knicks, Lee You also invited several old friends who came to New York this year.

"Angry bag" Walter McCarty has mixed up some playing time with the Celtics in recent seasons, and when he received Li You's invitation, his eyes were red with excitement.

McCarty thought that Lee You, who had become a big star, had forgotten about him, and after receiving the invitation, even his teammates on the Celtics didn't expect that this atmosphere group was still a friend of the MVP.

Not only was it the "gas pack", but Tony Decker and Antoine Walker also received invitations, both of whom were rivals in college, and after entering the league, they were also surface brothers.

Paul Pierce joined in the fun, and when he sat in the audience, he noticed that there were New York celebrities in front of him, and he had a lemon in his heart, and teased his teammates next to him:

"I almost forgot, your rookie season was in New York, and Lee played off the bench back then."

Wearing a formal suit, the "angry bag" thought of the days of suffering in New York, and felt aggrieved, but began to blow X on his lips:

"You know, Lee was my good brother back then! We fought together on the bench and that was the day I miss the most. ”

Antoine Walker pouted quietly, not revealing the old bottom, he knew that Li You and the old guy of the Knicks could play together, and the "gas bag" was a bag at the time.

The players' families and friends were sitting under the stage, and on the far right of the podium, some budding newcomers had never experienced such a scene, and they were also curious about the scene.

When the time came to 10 o'clock, NBA Vice President Russ Grannick appeared at the front, first put the trophy on the podium, and then smiled and said simply:

"Please 01~02 season MVP, four-time NBA champion, league superstar, Clay-Lee!"

When Li You appeared on the podium in a proper dark gray formal suit, and after hugging the vice president, everyone at the scene chirped.

The MVP trophy is indeed more delicate and beautiful, Li You pretended to touch it, and soon looked up and said:

"This year, people don't seem to like my offensive options, and I really appreciate being able to get everyone's votes!"

"It's a great feeling to play in New York, and although Madison Square Garden has been voted the least popular away game this season, I love the results."

"Thank you to the New York fans who have always supported me, although you have made me more unpopular on the road, I feel that with just a few more championships, this problem will be solved!"

The New York media in the audience cheered and applauded, it was okay to play away from home in the Western Conference this season, but when playing at the home of several old rivals, Li You would be booed throughout the game

When the commotion stopped, Li You continued with a smile:

"Thank you to Coach Van Gundy, although he is gone, we have not had a good start to the season, and we have been able to accompany the team through difficult schedules, thank you for his dedication!"

'61 wins, thanks to my team-mates, there have been a lot of new faces in the team this year and I love these guys who play hard.

"And thanks to Tamiya, every time she shows up at Madison Square Garden, Hill does better!"

Seeing his singer wife waving proudly, Grant Hill could only clap his hands and laugh, he was a little embarrassed to lie down too hard last year.

"Shooting 50 percent from the field is not an easy task, and there are four players in the Knicks' starting lineup who are all at that efficiency."

"Hill, Cotter, Paul, they've all played unbeatably this season, and of course, I won't forget Ron, who is the hardest defensive player on the team and he's going to be the DPOY."

"Forget those doubts and stick to your style of play, Ron will be a big star, and this is his third season!"

"The award belongs to all of us, our bench has never been a worry all season and we are the best team in the league in terms of tactical execution."

"Thank you again to all the friends who have always supported me, your support is my biggest motivation, Coach Thibodeau, don't worry, we will reach the finals this year!"

“.”

Sitting in front of the Knicks, Thibodeau also laughed, although coaching a superstar is not an easy task, but leading a team to the Finals is indeed an achievement that many coaches cannot achieve in a lifetime.

A rookie coach who reached the finals in his first season in charge of the team, Thibodeau left all his worries behind him, and it was his turn to enjoy the treatment of a famous coach.

The atmosphere was warm, Li You thanked everyone in a relaxed tone, and the "gas bag" sitting in the audience continued to applaud, and Paul Pierce on the side felt sour in his heart, and the heat brought by the counterattack against the Magic team had dissipated:

"MVP? Next season, I should try it too."

Li You won the MVP for two consecutive seasons, and naturally offended some lemon essence invisibly.

Tim Duncan never personally expresses his displeasure to the sports media, but Popovich has always taken the initiative to speak up for his beloved disciple in order to hug his thighs better.

After the morning press conference, Popovich, who was still preparing to play the Lakers in the afternoon, began to complain in an interview:

"The league always pays more attention to the players in the big ball market, and that's not fair to Tim!"

'We've got 58 wins, Thiem can do anything, he's sacrificed stats for the team in order to win.'

"Tim deserves an MVP because you can't ask him to do more, he's a true leader and I hope the ball critics pay more attention to San Antonio!"

The media in Los Angeles also didn't like Lee, but O'Neal was plagued by injuries this season, and attendance and statistics have dropped a bit, and Excel really can't.

Everyone was unhappy, but fortunately, O'Neal was also a big mouth, and under the infection of Phil Jackson, the shark regained his confidence.

Most of the Lakers who flew to San Antonio in advance were not in the mood for an interview, and only O'Neal confidently stated when he was blocked by sports reporters at the hotel:

"I don't care about MVP, for me, it's enough to get a trophy!"

"I've proven myself in the regular season and now I'm focused on the finals and I'm going to win the championship this year, no matter who the opponent is."

Hearing O'Neal's "trophy overflow theory", some sports reporters subconsciously pulled the corners of their mouths, isn't the more trophies, the better?

Kobe Bryant, who entered the playoffs and began to add drama to himself, also wanted to get attention, but unfortunately most reporters would only interview the team boss.

Kobe, who suddenly became a little transparent again, watched O'Neal grin and accept the interview, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, but fortunately, Phil Jackson immediately sent chicken soup:

"Champions need to be sacrificed, Kobe, you're the core of our outside line, and if you win the championship, you'll get more!"

Maybe he thought of something, Kobe Bryant nodded fiercely, he didn't like O'Neal's attitude of recuperating from small injuries this season.

On the evening of the 5th, Madison Square Garden was lively again.

For many New York fans, awards night is a fun party.

After the two teams came out, President David Stern came to the center of the field, held the microphone and patted Li You next to him, and then said loudly:

"No. 1 in total scoring, No. 1 in steals, No. 1 in true shooting percentage, and a new record for three-point shots!"

"After entering the league, I was accompanied by records, the youngest Mr. 10,000 points, the youngest finals FMVP, and the regular season MVP! He ushered in a new era! ”

"Thank you to the fans who are here tonight, thank you to the New York City Hall for their support to the league, the 2001~2002 regular season MVP winner is Clay-Lee!"

In the cheers, David Stern raised the small bronze man trophy in front of him, handed it to Li You, and hugged and blessed again:

"Lee, it's great to see you achieve something like this, the league needs a player like you!"

Li You, who had already taken off his training uniform and was wearing the white jersey of the Knicks' home court, smiled and greeted him, then raised the trophy and accepted the photos of the surrounding sports media.

“MVP！ MVP！ MVP！ ”

The fans kept shouting happily, and there were also Chinese reporters behind the basketball hoop, watching Li You win the cup again, and his thoughts were flying for a while.

There are also World Championships this year, and if you want to achieve even better results, adding a superstar is the best option.

It's a pity that the more you understand Li You, the more you understand that these are extravagant hopes, and the players on both sides are people from two worlds.

On the NBC commentary seat, Marv Albert, a die-hard Knicks fan, was relieved to watch Lee Woo win the cup, and New York's competitiveness can be maintained for at least 10 years:

"Tonight is another milestone night for Lee, and during the regular season, the Knicks have the advantage!"

"The Celtics continued their previous starting line-up with Kenny Anderson and Paul Pierce in the back, and Eric Williams, Antoine Walker and Tony Barty in the front.

Partnering Mike Fratello turned down TNT's offer to explain the series, and in his opinion, the Celtics have a good chance of being a dark horse:

"The two teams have a very similar roster structure, both sides have a lot of forward players, and the Celtics have better projection!"

"After the baptism of the last round, coach Jim O'Brien seems to have found the key to winning, and maybe the Celtics will be the strongest opponent in the Knicks in the East this year!"

“.”

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(End of chapter)