On the evening of June 5, 2002, Thibodeau won the first final of his coaching career.

After the game, the rookie coach was in a good mood when he attended the press conference, and took the initiative to admit it:

"Tonight's match was beyond our pre-match plan and Lee controlled the tempo perfectly."

"Lee is too good, maybe the Lakers have some physical problems, but this is the advantage of the Knicks, and we will continue this game strategy in the next series!"

95:113, a big win, to the New York media rejoice, although the fat man on the opposite side is still unstoppable, but the Lakers did not play the expected dominance.

The trend of the series is also as Thibodeau head coach said, after G1 is over, there is only more than a day to rest, leaving little room for the Lakers to adjust.

On the night of the 7th, at 97:104, the Knicks won one more game, bringing the number of rounds in two consecutive games to 93, although the team's shooting percentage was not high, but the Lakers were a little unable to keep up with the pace of the game.

On the evening of June 14, in the Finals G5, Staples Arena, Lakers fans boiled as Robert Horry hit a three-pointer on the left wing.

With 10.7 seconds left in the game, the score came to 90:96, and the Lakers finally hit this three-pointer when the offensive time was about to run out.

Coach Thibodeau reluctantly asked for a timeout, and everyone on the Knicks who walked to the bench also looked up at the game, and then sighed depressedly.

The Knicks used the last timeout, and Li You naturally knew that there was not enough time, and assistant coach Don Channey continued to draw sideline ball tactics on the tactical board, and everyone still hadn't given up.

It's just that the Lakers didn't make any more mistakes, as the sideline ball was released, Li You received the ball, Kobe Bryant, who came up, immediately fouled, the referee blew the whistle, and Phil Jackson couldn't help but wave his fists on the sidelines in celebration.

The Lakers fans at the scene all stood up and applauded Kobe Bryant who left the court with six fouls, and on the NBC commentary seat, Marv Albert also sighed regretfully:

"The Knicks are only 1 second away from being able to complete the defense, and Horry's big heart has helped the Lakers again!"

Mike Dunleavy saw that after Li You hit two free throws, the Knicks could only adopt foul tactics, and also shook his head and added:

"The Lakers took their chances at home, and O'Neal responded with a free throw that fouled him."

"The Knicks still have a chance, and then it's their home court, so they should make it a little more difficult for O'Neal."

92:98, at the last moment, Fisher also withstood the pressure, with Li You's three-point shot missed, at the end of the game, O'Neal hugged Horry and shouted unconsciously with excitement.

Throughout the game, the Lakers were 6-of-25 from beyond the three-point line, and Horry, who was in the Iron Series for a series, played the role of Mr. Key.

The Knicks were 8-of-26 from beyond the three-point line, continuing the shooting touch of the series as always.

O'Neal, who walked towards the players' tunnel, kept hugging Horry, kept high-fives with the fans on both sides, and finally simply stopped, took off his jersey, and shouted happily:

"Oh!!"

Phil Jackson also kept high-fives, with a smile on his face and a lot of emotion.

Winning the crucial battle of Tianwang Mountain, the Lakers got the match point, and the championship was indeed beckoning to them.

Played 44 minutes, 15-of-24, 12-of-15 free throws, and finished with 42 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 4 turnovers.

O'Neal, who no longer pulled his hips from the free throws, still couldn't calm down when he attended the press conference, and said loudly when he came to the scene:

"I won! I won G5, I love Robert, God didn't abandon me! ”

The free throw shooting rate came to 80%, and in such a key game, O'Neal was particularly excited to not be held back by free throws.

"Shaq, can you talk about the next game? Now we've got the match point! ”

The Los Angeles Times reporter can't wait to see the Lakers lift the cup!

Sitting in his seat, O'Neill grabbed the microphone and immediately said confidently in a deep voice:

"yes, we're going to end the series the night after tomorrow, I know what you guys want to ask, I don't feel tired, I've been waiting for this day too long."

“.”

Regaining the demeanor of the champion coach, in an interview, Phil Jackson returned to the personable appearance of his earlier years:

'All we have to do is settle the pace of the game and get the ball to Shaq.

"70 rounds? I don't care about that, we have a huge advantage on the inside, and the Lakers will stick to that strategy. ”

After returning to their home court, the Lakers' number of rounds dropped further, and they were more patient on the offensive end, giving O'Neal hands every round.

Phil Jackson has long been aware that the Knicks' interior line is all paper tigers, and after the "Sharks Meeting", the Lakers completely unified their thinking

Although the media in Los Angeles did not swell, anyone could see the joy on their faces.

Lee Woo played another 45 minutes tonight, shooting 16-of-27, 8-of-14 from beyond the three-point line, and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line, finishing with 47 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers.

Individually taking all of the Knicks' three-point shots, this situation is indeed a bit embarrassing

The New York Post reporter was a little nervous, and when he saw Li You sitting on the stage, he immediately asked a question:

"Lee, we've noticed that there seems to be a problem with our projection in these games."

"Someone else was 0-of-12 from beyond the three-point line tonight, is that the reason we lost?"

Sensing that the other party seemed to want to have a meeting, Li You did not have a "teammate CBA", but replied seriously:

"We lost only because we didn't do as well as our opponents in the details."

"Three-pointers are never the main reason for losing, because opponents don't shoot well from beyond the three-point line."

"We trailed by six points in rebounds, and there were some rounds where we couldn't defend well and were easily scored."

'That's the way basketball is the game, it's all about response, and tonight the opponent was really good, they did a really good job of making free throws.

The New York Times reporter did not look back on these away games, and everyone is looking forward to the next games:

"Lee, how should we adjust the home game in the back?"

Li You thought about it for a while, and continued to answer seriously:

"We're going to have to make O'Neal play a little harder, at least to make him shoot around 50 percent from the free-throw line."

"Every round is very important and we have to stick to our strategy."

On June 15th, the heat of the finals is still rising, although many people who eat melons say that they are tired of watching the duel between the two, but when the Knicks are about to lose, the fun people come to the spirit.

On TNT, Jeff Van Gundy is already superb, and the series is exactly the same as the bald young marshal's prediction!

In the studio, the trio looked at Jeff Van Gundy with a respectful expression, and the championship coach lived up to his name.

Still wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie, with the Knicks losing the battle of Tianwang Mountain, Jeff Van Gundy seems to have been beaten with chicken blood, and he has been radiant recently.

"The Knicks' perimeter defense was excellent, and in a couple of games, Lynch Hunter, Fisher, Devin George missed three-pointers."

"So far in the series, the Lakers' shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line has not exceeded 30%, but a lot of pressure on ball carriers has further reduced the shooting percentage of the Knicks."

"When the outside projection of both sides is back on the same level, the test is scoring consistency, and this year the Knicks' interior defensive intensity has dropped dramatically, and this problem can only be solved through trade."

As soon as Jeff Van Gundy finished speaking, Charles Barkley, who was sitting on the sofa on the other side of the studio, asked with a serious expression:

"Can the Lakers end the series tomorrow night, and what adjustments do they need to make?"

Noticing the respectful gazes of the three, Jeff Van Gundy felt particularly comfortable in his heart, facing the camera, and replied in a loud voice:

"Coach Phil Jackson just needs to stick to this strategy and control the end of the game, and they have a good chance of winning the game."

"Lee is not a robot, and when he finds his shooting touch, he can really hit consecutive shots from beyond the three-point line."

"The Lakers' choice to wrap up and let someone else handle the ball is definitely the right choice, and the more critical the round, the more it can slow down the Knicks' offensive tempo."

"Coupled with the fact that the Lakers can also take advantage of some long rebounds to score easily, they have a good chance of winning a championship this year."

Kenny Smith nodded again and again, only to feel that the bald young handsome man was god, the Knicks won two home games in a row, but he predicted that the Lakers would fight back, and the result was not bad at all:

"Do the Knicks still have a chance? Or how can they adjust and drag the series into a tie-break? ”

Jeff Van Gundy smiled slightly, looked more confident, and said in a firm tone:

"It's a bit of a performance like that, and it's hard for Gasol and Thomas to score efficiently in attack."

"The integration of offense and defense is too demanding for them."

"Back at home, the Knicks should continue to attack the interior and make sure they don't have a problem responding to the ball."

"I'm sure Lee can still get good numbers, but in this series, defense is the focus, and the Knicks still need time."

The live director duly gave the stats of Pau Gasol in 5 matches:

He averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 blocks and 2.2 turnovers per game while shooting 42.0% from the field and 80.0% from the free throw line.

With an average of 11.2 shots per game, the efficiency of the newcomer plummeted from before, and there were problems eating cakes under the basket.

Ernnie Johnson was also completely convinced by the bald young marshal's comments, and then followed up with a question:

"Jeff, do you think the Knicks' role players will have a burst when they return to their home court?"

Pretending to recall the player's performance, Jeff Van Gundy replied confidently again:

"From a technical style standpoint, Hill and a couple of other starters have had a hard time exploding."

"The Knicks' problem is defense, and they haven't been able to wear down the opponent completely."

"The Lakers have the same problem with role players, maybe Kobe Bryant is going to explode, but in this series, getting fewer and fewer opportunities, he's making sacrifices for the team."

"Winning is still about the details and the defense, and I'm looking forward to the G6 game."

The live director was quick to give Grant Hill's stats as well:

He averaged 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.4 turnovers per game while shooting 49.0% from the field and 81.0% from the free throw line.

Averaging 15.2 shots per game, Grant Hill is steady and efficient, but overall it does lack scoring explosiveness as Jeff Van Gundy commented.

Especially on the road, the Knicks began to shoot fewer free throws across the team, and Grant Hill looked even more unremarkable.

In the studio, the four quickly began to discuss the performance of the Lakers again, and at the end of the show, Jeff Van Gundy did not forget the yin and yang weirdness of the Knicks management:

"This offseason, if the Knicks want to continue to compete for championships, they will have to restructure their bench lineup."

"Relying too much on the starting lineup is also a problem exposed in this year's playoffs, and it has been difficult for substitutes to find game form in their limited playing time."

"The Knicks are still in a rebuilding period, which is great news for Eastern Conference teams, and they have a chance to make the Finals next season."

The bald young marshal didn't forget to remind the general managers of the Eastern Conference teams, the threat of the Knicks.

The trio on the side didn't feel wrong, Jeff Van Gundy was in a happier mood, showing a slight look of smugness, and came to a tactical back:

"What is a champion coach!"

On June 16, when the Knicks returned to their home court, the projection also recovered.

In the final quarter of the game, when watching O'Neal, who frequently stood on the free throw line, hit the free throws steadily, the boos couldn't stop for a while.

At the free-throw line, O'Neal sent the ball to the basket again, Coach Thibodeau called a timeout, and the shark jumped happily and trotted all the way back to the bench.

At 106:102, with 11.8 seconds left in the game, the Knicks used their final timeout.

The referee, who obviously wanted to add a play, also looked at each other at this time, and rarely blew O'Neal's foul, but the opponent really hit both free throws.

The Lakers didn't have a timeout at this time, and the game wasn't over yet, Phil Jackson was still very nervous, his eyes widened, he put the tactical board aside, squatted in front of everyone and said loudly:

"Foul, time is on our side! Foul immediately after the opponent sends the ball! ”

Looking at the head coach's cannibalistic eyes, everyone in the Lakers team also restrained their excitement, O'Neal was replaced, and kept clapping his hands on the sidelines, loudly reminding his teammates.

The Knicks were huddled at the free throw line, and instead of moving to the line, Lee Woo took cover after the referee's whistle and suddenly ran to the far left touchline.

Gasol, who kicked off the ball from the baseline, successfully threw the ball, and Kobe, who was chasing the defense, gritted his teeth and saved under the reminder of his teammates.

In the bottom corner of the left side, the moment Li You received the ball, Kobe Bryant pounced on him, and the referee immediately blew the whistle.

Although he had already taken the shot after receiving the ball, after the referee made two penalty gestures, Thibodeau and the atmosphere team on the sidelines began to complain loudly.

"Shh

The fans at the scene also cooperated with Li You to put pressure on the referee, and the fans on both sides surrounded the linesman and complained at the same time.

After a few minutes of grinding, the referee still signaled two free throws after the technical desk looked back.

On the NBC commentary bench, Marv Albert was a little disappointed:

"There is no timeout between the two sides, and if it is just two free throws, and the Lakers don't make mistakes and hit the free throws in the next round, then it will be too late."

Mike Dunleavy glanced at the technical stats and commented briefly:

"Even if the game goes into overtime, on the Knicks' side, Wright has already left the court with 6 fouls, and Gasol has 5 fouls."

"O'Neal controlled the foul count very well tonight, and of course, I would like to praise him for his free throws!"

After hitting both free throws, the score came to 106-104.

The Lakers barely got a sideline shot, and in the end, Lee Yoo sent Fisher to the free-throw line.

With 8.2 seconds left in the game, "Little Fish" was so nervous that he was sweating, his headband had already been thrown aside, and he racketed the ball at the free throw line for a long time, and in the boos of the New York fans, the basketball finally stumbled and fell into the basket.

After making sure he didn't lose, Filscher visibly relaxed and hit the second penalty safely.

At the last moment, the Lakers collectively pounced on Li You, made another free throw, Madison Square Garden, and the New York fans booed wildly.

Although they were ready to lose, watching the people on the Lakers bench celebrate wildly, the New York fans who watched the game were naturally not in a beautiful mood.

In the penalty shootout, neither side missed any free throws, and at the last moment, Kobe Bryant hit both free throws, Li Youchao missed three points, and everyone in the Lakers rushed to the court and hugged each other.

110:106, in the end, the Knicks still lost the game.

O'Neal burst into tears after yelling at Phil Jackson, and in the two most crucial games, he finally redeemed himself with free throws.

Bryant raised his hands in celebration and sat in the center of the field, covering his face with his hands and crying uncontrollably.

Li You was not in a beautiful mood, but when he saw the Lakers suddenly crying, he looked strange for a while, which should obviously be his script

Fisher was the first to step forward and hug Li You.

"Xiaoyu" first hugged Li You, didn't wait to say anything, and then began to cry, Li You looked at the other party holding himself and crying, pushed twice and didn't push away, helplessly comforted:

"Congratulations, Bro! You guys played a perfect game! ”

Sensing that the sports media were all around, Fisher was embarrassed to touch his fists:

"I was so excited, I thought we were going to keep losing, sorry, Lee, I was so excited"

On the Knicks bench, Artest shut himself up.

Although the opponent was still struggling with 4-of-15 shooting from beyond the three-point line tonight, Kobe Bryant was 10-of-21 from the field and 11-of-11 from the free-throw line, scoring 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover.

In the key game, the opponent found his shooting touch, but he performed a crotch pull, and Artest, who was about to be in the team option, was extremely uncomfortable.

Stephen Jackson on the side comforted his good brother, and this way of losing only one or two rounds is really frustrating.

The players on both sides briefly shook hands, O'Neill had red eyes, bumped fists with Li You, and finally laughed and said:

"It's my turn to win! I'll defend my title next year, and there's no one in the Eastern Conference who is our opponent! ”

"Congratulations, Shaq! We look forward to meeting again in the Grand Finals and enjoy your victory! ”

Li You simply sent his blessings, and he didn't know the specific situation of the Lakers, and it was still unknown whether the other party could break out of the Western Conference again

Soon O'Neal began to hug people, and Kobe, who had adjusted his emotions, saw that the "sworn enemy" had a calm face, and his mood was not beautiful again.

In the finals, his data is naturally not as good as O'Neal's, and the FMVP matter will definitely not be his turn, Kobe Bryant has a little more caution after being excited.

"Congratulations, Bro! It seems that you have mastered how to enter the white hot space, and it is great to see your growth. ”

Li You patted Kobe, who was even more unbeautiful when he heard the "white hot space".

Kobe, who is training hard, has never felt any "space", but every time he sees Li You's data, he believes in this theory.

Played 46 minutes, 17-of-29, 7-of-15 from beyond the three-point line, 10-of-12 from the free throw line, 51 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers.

In the whole round of the series, Li You's shooting rate was less than 50% in G3, and the more critical the game, the more he shot, the higher the shooting rate

Kobe Bryant was speechless when he thought of this, but on the surface, he put on a look of "I also entered the space", and responded confidently:

"Yes, I did! Soon I will be able to catch up with your achievements, I will always win, sorry, the time behind is mine! ”

Kobe Bryant, who had adjusted his emotions, smiled, tilted his head and laughed, and after some business blowing, Li You patted the other party's shoulder again and blessed him loudly:

"Come on! Bro, the future is yours! ”

“.”

Phil Jackson is in a good mood, and without Jeff Van Gundy's smug and stinky face, he is the head coach of the championship again.

After the game, he blessed everyone on the Knicks one by one with great grace, and the old man of "KFC" proved himself again this year.

The poisonous chicken soup of "KFC" made Li You tired for a while, although he didn't like Van Gundy, but as a famous member of the Knicks, he also had some prestige in New York.

Finally got rid of the Lakers, and when Li You walked to the players' tunnel, the fans on both sides were still shouting his name and constantly sending applause.

James Dolan stood by the entrance of the players' tunnel, and there were some regrets in his heart, if O'Neal's free throw missed in the end, maybe there would be a tie-break:

"Don't worry, Lee! In two seasons, we'll have All-Stars on the team and we'll be champions again! ”

The curly-haired boss hugged Li You, and the staff on the side also began to send chicken soup.

Madison Square Garden, New York fans will naturally not leave the court, everyone continues to boo for the Lakers, as long as the other party is not happy, everyone is comfortable

David Stern also has some regrets in his heart, if it can be dragged to the tiebreaker, the ratings will definitely skyrocket!

NBC is likely to broadcast for the last time, and it is still unknown whether the broadcast effect can be maintained after the subsequent broadcasters take over.

Smiling and greeting the owner of the Lakers, Old Buss was very excited, if there was no one around, he wanted to lift the trophy directly at this time.

After 6 seasons, the "OK combination" finally won a championship, and the Lakers management also breathed a sigh of relief, and if they lose again, the team will have to rebuild.

Watching the Lakers everyone reminisce about the bittersweet memories, the New York fans continued to boo, and the old Buss was unaffected, lifting the O'Brien Cup high to the cheers of the players.

Soon, O'Neill got the trophy, remembered the experience over the years, and couldn't help but cry again, holding the trophy and not letting go.

Phil Jackson also applauded on the sidelines, and he did it for his 6th championship trophy, 6 was greater than 4, overpowering Jeff Van Gundy, and he was in a particularly good mood.

Kobe Bryant wore a championship hat from the Lakers and a championship T-shirt looking at the trophy with his eyes in his eyes, especially after seeing the golden spherical FMVP trophy, he showed a longing gaze.

What he was expecting didn't happen, and Kobe Bryant heard David Stern take the microphone and say:

"Entered the finals for three consecutive years, and finally won the championship after consecutive failures!"

"Averaged 37.7 points, 13.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, unparalleled performance, the 01~02 season finals FMVP belongs to Shaquille O'Neal!"

After scoring 40+ in two consecutive key games, shooting 57.3% from the field and 63.8% from the free throw line in six games, O'Neal finally completed the redemption through free throws.

Holding the two trophies, O'Neill finally showed a happy smile and shouted emotionally in front of the sports media in the audience:

“Yee！！”

The away team's locker room will naturally be filled with the smell of champagne tonight, and when Li You returned to the locker room, he noticed that Artest was still in a state of self-isolation, and finally spoke to reassure the other party:

"Okay, Ron, if you lose, you lose, and we don't lose on your play."

"We did a good job defensively, and we never shot more than 30 percent from the outside."

"The team option will be exercised in the offseason, no one will give up a DPOY, and of course, what kind of contract you get depends on your stats for next year."

Hearing Li You's words, Artest was relieved, relatives and friends are here, and it is convenient to pretend to be X, he doesn't want to leave Manhattan.

"I'm going to throw myself in the gym in the offseason and I'm going to make sure I'll hit those open spots next year."

Artest hurriedly stated that he knew too well the result of the decline, and without Li You's voice, the fans in New York would spray him to death first, and then the management would trade him away without hesitation.

Gasol, who turned into a "paper man" in the series, was also depressed, and his performance naturally did not satisfy the fans who followed him in Spain.

Soon everyone began to imagine the future, and Li You didn't care, he never expected new players to sprout, nor did he expect role players to save the team in key games.

Grant Hill is also not in a beautiful mood, but he can't do such a tasteless thing as complaining about his teammates when he loses:

"Lee, will you accept an invitation from the national team in the offseason?"

Hill's words attracted everyone's attention, and Li You pointed to the scars on his body and shrugged his shoulders:

"I'm going to have a good rest, I've played too many games, and my body is wearing out, and these guys are not easy to do!"

The Lakers naturally have a lot of physical collisions, but some hard injuries Li You mostly ignored, and he was not interested in playing in the World Championships in the offseason

Grant Hill also received the invitation, hesitated before, and when he heard Li You's words, he made up his mind to refuse to play.

Instead of attending training camp, it is better to continue to hone his shooting, even O'Neal can shoot more than 60% of his free throws, and Grant Hill feels that his three-point shot can also throw an average level.

When Coach Thibodeau came to the locker room, he could naturally detect the apprehension of several people in the atmosphere group.

In this year's finals, the Knicks are almost a seven-man rotation, stumbling on the main team, Thibodeau does not believe in rookies, and the playing time of the main lineup is directly full.

As a head coach, he should have encouraged everyone and calmed the emotions of the role players, but Thibodeau didn't know if he could continue to be the head coach, so he naturally couldn't paint a big pie for everyone:

"Thank you all for your hard work, although we lost the game, but there is still a prize money this year, Lee and Hill gave up their share, everyone don't forget to thank them!"

Hearing that there was still a beautiful knife, the atmosphere group became active again, and then there was a strong reluctance in my heart, if it was traded and changed to a team, it might not be this treatment.

"I'm afraid that my brother will have a hard time, and I'm afraid that my brother will drive a Land Rover", Li You, who lost the game, received a large number of text messages, and to his surprise, the apparent brother actually returned.

Attending the post-game press conference, Li You had already changed into a dark gray suit, and when he sat on the stage, the press officer clicked on the Los Angeles Times reporter:

"Lee, after being terminated, how do you feel now?"

The sports media in Los Angeles were in a happy mood, and after asking questions, several people still had smiles on their faces, and Li You just responded calmly:

"Basketball is round, it's good to win back if you lose, the team is still very young, and time is still on our side."

The ESPN reporter could also feel Li You's relatively calm mood, and at this time quietly asked:

"Lee, does the loss have anything to do with your attacking options? The Lakers got a lot of opportunities to switch offense and score easily. ”

In 6 games, he averaged 44.2 minutes per game, averaging 42.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.8 turnovers per game.

He shot 53.6 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from three-point range and 91.4 percent from the free throw line.

The sports media apparently took note of Lee's outrageous 12.7 shots per game from beyond the three-point line

"A lot of three-point shots will inevitably give the opponent a chance to switch offense, but I won't change the style of play."

"Because more and more teams choose to trap me, in the playoffs, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to block with the ball, and it is difficult to appear in singles."

Li You held his chin and pondered for a while, and finally added seriously:

"It's probably because I'm not shooting well enough and I'm going to increase the range and that should give me an easy chance to score."

The sports media in the audience listened to it in a daze, increasing the range, and everyone thought that Li You would say that he would increase the middle distance.

TNT's reporter looked at Li You, who had a serious face, and felt that this was not a joke, and he couldn't comment on it, so he simply changed the topic and asked:

"Lee, losing to the Lakers, how do you think the team should adjust in the offseason? Will you be looking for a deal? ”

This question made everyone's ears pricked up, and Li You didn't think too much about it, and immediately replied:

'It's the first year you've been in the team and I think we've done really well this season.

"If you want to be successful in the NBA, you should play to your strengths, we have good perimeter defense, and big men need time to grow."

"Of course, the team will add to the rotation in the offseason, which will improve the margin for error."

Hearing this answer, the sports media in the audience felt a little regretful, thinking that there would be a big melon.

Later, when O'Neal appeared in front of everyone with a champagne-scented look and two trophies in his arms, the Los Angeles media began to pat himself again.

O'Neill, who was already excited, felt that he was going to heaven tonight, put the two trophies in front of him, straightened the microphone, and said loudly with a big grin:

"From this moment on, the time for Shaq has arrived!"

"I fulfilled my promise and this year's MVP is home!"

The loss rendered the record meaningless, and the New York media liked to entertain themselves and continue to tout and continue to hi.

The tearing war of young fans has just begun, and the fans of "the Knicks lost, Lee You didn't lose" decided to fight the inflated Lakers fans to the end this offseason!

On June 21, the Lakers returned to Los Angeles and held a grand championship parade.

The whole city was boiling, and O'Neill was still in a state of expansion.

In the end, when he gave a speech at the end of Nanzhou University, the shark did not forget to give his promise, and by the way, he mocked a wave of Li You:

"I know you're not satisfied, the era of belonging to the Lakers has just begun!"

"I promise everyone that I will always stay in Los Angeles, I love it here!"

"We're going to keep winning championships!"

“Not one、 Not two、Not three”

The Los Angeles fans in the audience also shouted with joy until Seven

On the other side, Kobe Bryant and his teammates looked at the shark who started RAP, and their moods were different.

"Little Fish" is very happy, he will also be a champion point guard in the future, and Fox, Horry, and Brian Shaw also can't stop laughing.

Only Kobe Bryant didn't seem to be happy, even if Vanessa next to him hugged him and laughed non-stop, Kobe Bryant still didn't feel the happiness he imagined after winning the championship

"Old Man KFC" also laughed non-stop, won the championship, and Phil Jackson regained respect!

The Lakers were busy celebrating, and the Knicks were naturally busy with the draft at this time.

With the Gold Club completely shut down by the FBI, Kaplan tried to donate money, but he was unable to escape sanctions

The ripple effect is that Ewing, who once had a high-profile prostitution, is also in trouble.

As a big fan of the Knicks, Kaplan does often introduce girls to the gorillas, and the others go and play in a low-key manner, while Ewing calls friends and has a big swing.

Fortunately, after having the championship, Ewing's reputation in New York reversed, otherwise the New York media who like to watch fun at this time would probably have to turn on the group ridicule mode.

On the morning of the 21st, at the Tarytown Training Center, although Ewing failed to enter the coaching staff as scheduled due to wind comments, as a team celebrity who had just retired, he naturally participated in the construction of the team at this time.

In the office of general manager Grunfield, the fat Ewing sat on the sofa and complained about the finals:

"As long as O'Neal shoots around 50 percent from the free-throw line, I can guarantee that we're the ones who are doing the championship parade now!"

"It's not important that we can't make shots, it's important that we make the opponent lose their shooting touch."

"Pau Gasol is still too young, and it is difficult for him to limit the super center except for fouling, and Cotter has to help him defend, which leads to a good performance among the Lakers' role players."

"In this year's draft, we should pick a big man and let Gasol play power forward, maybe it's the best choice."

"He's got a lot of technique and he can attack on both the left and right, so he's going to need a tall interior defender to partner with him."

The gorilla posed as an expert, and Grenfield, the general manager, nodded secretly, but he was a little powerless to complain in his heart.

Ewing complained that Gasol was a little softer, but referring to this man's playoff experience, it wasn't hard either.

"Lee, what do you think? Let's pick a number 5 and there are really a couple of nice big guys this year! ”

Hearing the general manager's inquiry, Li You on the other side looked at the information in his hand, frowned slightly, and said helplessly:

"The 8th pick, you can't choose these big men as noted."

"Let's go according to the team's original plan!"

Nene and Gooden, the two big men, can't take the turn of the Knicks, and the other side is not active in tryouts, obviously they have been committed.

Ewing has some disdain for high school rookies, and the Gorilla always thinks that there is a high probability that he will pull a cross if he has not played in the NCAA:

"Lacking tactical literacy, I even doubt that this little guy can understand those tactics."

"Basketball isn't just about physical fitness, big guys who can dunk can't survive in the league."

Li You was dressed casually today, and when he saw Ewing posing as a big guy again, he couldn't help but quip:

"Pat, maybe this guy doesn't fit into the Knicks, but talented people just get more favor."

"It's like Kwame Brown, even though he's been very bad with the Wizards this season, there's still a lot of expectation for him."

"My agent told me that the Wizards have a lot of options if they trade."

Ewing shook his head slightly, although he has been particularly low-key recently, he has still been paying attention to the gossip of the alliance:

"Mai Buckle is not suitable for rookies, and neither is you, Gasol has played in the professional league, and high school students don't have that much game experience."

"But the Knicks are really different, and it's a good try."

When General Manager Grunfeld heard the small talk between the two, he remembered the advice of the curly-haired boss in his heart, and suddenly felt that this budding newcomer had no bright future.

If you don't show instant combat power, you will only be traded in the end.

On June 26, the 2002 NBA Draft was held at Madison Square Garden.

That evening, Lee You, Ewing, and General Manager Grunfield appeared on the scene.

The Huskies' new recruit, Caron Butler, didn't forget to say hello to Lee You.

Every rookie who goes through the draft is nervous, but Butler has very good stats, great physical fitness, and no pressure in the lotto zone.

Maybe it's because of the poor record in the first season of the comeback, and the champion he picked is also watery, and there is no dunk on the Wizards' side tonight.

After saying hello to the staff who knew him well, Li You saw Jeff Van Gundy on the other side pulling Ewing to talk non-stop.

The bald young marshal has been in the limelight lately, and tonight he will cooperate with the TNT broadcaster to interpret the rookie.

Jeff Van Gundy just said hello before, and General Manager Grunfeld was a little dissatisfied with the other party's performance, and then whispered beside Li You:

"Jeff seems to want Pat on his coaching staff, you know, Lee! The boss doesn't like Ewing's recent troubles, which will affect the team's image. ”

Collective prostitution X naturally can't be admitted, this thing is really negative

Noticing the jubilant appearance of the crew of the Rocket team at the scene, Grenfield began to gossip again:

"It's said that the big man across the ocean asked to be the first to be drafted to play in the NBA."

"The promise given by Team Rocket, and then a miracle was born!"

Such gossip news has long spread to the American sports circle, and of course, limited by the domestic environment, there are naturally some other "unequal treaties".

"Yao Ming, deserves a first priority, hasn't the alliance always looked forward to completely opening up the international market? And that's a good thing. ”

Li You replied casually, and then noticed the depressed expressions of several people on the Suns' side

As remembered, when David Stern announced that the Rockets had selected Yao Ming from China's Shanghai Sharks with the first pick, the broadcaster cut to the opposite side.

The young Yao Ming and his family hugged each other wearing Rockets hats, and the NBA league staff behind them were also applauding.

The second-overall pick of the Bulls drafted Jay Williams of Duke University;

The third-overall Warriors selected Mike Deng Levier Jr. from Duke University.

As the Knicks expected, the Grizzlies drafted Drew Gooden and the Nuggets drafted Nene Hilario.

In the end, the Knicks drafted Amare Stoudamire with the eighth pick.

Hearing that he was selected, this cute newcomer took the stage and put on the hat of the Knicks, and smiled from ear to ear for a while.

Not long ago, at the McDonald's National High School League held at Madison Square Garden, Li You greeted this budding newcomer.

The Florida basketball man was surrounded by New York media as he stepped down the stage.

General manager Grunfield noticed that Li You was just smiling and beckoning, and then thinking of the Knicks' internal competitive environment and the rough skills of high school rookies, he silently thought in his heart:

"Good luck, kid!"

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(End of chapter)