On October 25, 2002, as the preseason season ended, New York fans began to come alive again.

In the preseason every year, the Knicks usually play against teams in the same division, and the result is naturally a win.

On the night of the 25th, at 83:109, after the big win over the 76ers, Madison Square Garden was boiling again.

The DJ on the second floor didn't forget to play a little hi song at the end of the game, and the fans who liked to watch the fun continued to taunt Aaron Iverson, who didn't play.

As for the big-faced head coach Larry Brown, no one cared at all, but D'Antoni was smiling happily.

In 9 preseason games, the Knicks won against teams in the same division.

The most outrageous thing for D'Antoni is that the Knicks play the same tactic repeatedly in one game, and the success rate is still very high.

Recalling assistant coach Crawford's reminder, the mustache is a first-hand experience:

"In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are the best team"

This kind of abusive game, if it weren't for giving back to the fans who bought tickets, Li You would probably check in one quarter and be able to play for 32 minutes, or because the fans bought high-priced tickets.

The Knicks are not soft on leeks, and after Ewing joined the coaching staff, Madison Square Garden Arena added a lot of gorilla elements.

When the fans climbed to the second floor, in addition to the beautiful posters of the celebrities and Lee You, there was also a commemorative photo frame of Ewing himself.

There are jerseys, trophies, honors from Ewing and some old photos in the frames.

For several preseason games at home, Ewing's pre-game job is to stand next to the photo frame and wait for the fans to take a group photo.

If fans buy a Knicks memorabilia on the first floor, they can also get Ewing benefits:

"My smile is even brighter when I take a group photo!"

An ordinary blue hooded sweatshirt does not have many elements except for the Knicks' logo, and as a result, this dress sells for 69 US dollars.

Add in snacks, parking fees, and other merchandise purchased while watching games, and the Knicks can make a lot of money in the preseason alone.

Under the high ticket price, Li You has to stay on the field even if he fishes, but fortunately, he is sturdy, if he plays 60+ in a season, fans who buy high-priced tickets to watch the game will have to rebel

Ewing was almost involved in a scandal last season because of the Golden Club, but fortunately, the New York media gave the champion center face and basically didn't report much news.

Ewing was originally going to join Van Gundy's coaching staff, but after hearing that the other party was planning to go to Cleveland to coach, the gorillas were not interested.

Of course, he knew that Akron had produced a talented high school student, but LeBron James was not a big man, and Ewing thought it would be better to stay in New York.

The Knicks have young big men in a more prosperous city than Cleveland, and Ewing eventually chose to keep a low profile and continue to make a face in front of New York fans.

The lively atmosphere in the stadium can't be stopped, and there are many people who are engaged in the financial industry who like to come to watch the game on the spot, and the work is depressed, and everyone likes to vent their frustration through the game.

Li You draped himself in a towel and waved goodbye to the enthusiastic fans who were shouting at the top of his voice, Ewing was dressed in a black suit, and followed beside him, and when the two entered the players' tunnel, the gorilla sighed:

"Sure enough, New York is more suitable for me, Coach Van Gundy plans to go to Cleveland next year to coach that talent, I don't like that city, staying in New York is the right choice."

It was the first time Li You had heard the gossip about the bald young marshal, and he was about to walk to the locker room before he completely reacted, and asked with some surprise:

"Cleveland? I thought he was going to Houston, didn't the Rockets owner extend an invitation to him? ”

Ewing, who was about to enter the locker room, stopped, bowed his head at the same time, and gossiped in a low voice:

"The owner of the Rockets is too picky, and it seems that he has not been able to meet Coach Van Gundy's request, but the Cavaliers welcome him!"

"Over there, Van Gundy is expected to be the second Pat Riley."

Hearing such a statement, Li You looked inexplicable, the second Pat Riley is not easy, and being a manager must be ruthless:

"ESPN is really bullish on that high school student, and does the Cavaliers also offer a max contract? It looks like their boss is going to save Cleveland Sports. ”

Ewing nodded, indicating that the two sides were already in contact, and the bald young marshal did get the top salary, but he didn't approve of the "savior", and when he entered the locker room, he began to joke again:

"No matter how the Eastern team strengthens up, it still can't beat the Knicks in the end!"

In the locker room, the new players are in a good mood, professional players, they all like to win, and the taste of victory is more wonderful than failure.

Gasol is still playing Artest to illustrate individual rounds on the pitch, with a brief 4-on-3 after Lee Woo is trapped, adding a part of the big man handling the ball this season.

When D'Antoni returned to the dressing room in a decent black suit, he was followed by two assistant coaches, and when he saw that the players were there, he immediately clapped his hands and encouraged:

'Perfect game, remember, when the opportunity arises, don't hesitate, we have to believe in each other.'

"If you don't shoot, then go back to defense quickly, everyone pays attention to the situation on the court, don't stand still, don't wait for the ball."

"Think back to the advice in training sessions and make it easy to play basketball."

“.”

The manager's words were of course for the newcomers on the bench, and Stoudemire was really physical, but the offensive and defensive options were terrible.

Fortunately, he didn't have to do much off the bench, just put the ball in the basket.

On the contrary, Prince, who is quiet, has adapted well to the team, and his experience at the University of Kentucky has helped him a lot.

The Knicks are more collegiate on the offensive end, and after D'Antoni emphasized discipline, the division of players is more clear, which is somewhat similar to the NCAA and more skewed towards European basketball.

By the time D'Antoni finished his instructions, Stoudemire had a bit of a big head:

"It's so hard to get into the starting lineup?!"

On Sunday, October 27, the Knicks chose to take a day off, and there was an opening game on the 29th.

On Sunday's morning news, New Yorkers saw Mayor Bloomberg announce that 10,000 city employees will be cut over the next four years to ease the crisis in public finances.

Li You also saw the news at his home in Manhattan, and when he thought of the bad things after taking over, he could only sigh that the bad luck was not good.

On Sunday, when Milinda appeared at the table with sleepy eyes, she also complained twice:

"With an average of 2,500 government employees leaving their jobs a year, it looks like our new mayor is going to offend people again, and will he be re-elected?"

While eating the salad, Jin looked at the mark near Milinda's neck, quietly glanced at Li You, and then took over the conversation:

"The people of New York are not going to react much to this news, and maybe there will be strong support."

"As long as he can create more jobs, re-election should not be a problem."

Milinda didn't care either, she first leaned over to Li You and kissed her, and then sat down on the side, eating an omelette, and asked curiously:

"Clay, how much money did you make on Enron, Bobby actually plans to cooperate with Skadden Law Firm in depth, and our fees are the most expensive in New York."

Li You ate his own custom-made breakfast, looked at the girl beside him who was becoming more and more turbulent, and said in a calm tone:

"We made enough money to buy a football club, but in the end we were only three-quarters left."

"Enron's president, Kenneth Lai, was very energetic, he had already cashed out most of his shares, and in the end we made up for some of the losses to the Elephants."

In mid-October, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against Arthur Andersen, accusing it of destroying a large number of audit documents for Enron.

Naturally, Arthur Andersen denied the accusation and even expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Securities Commission's investigation.

Even if the president signed the new bill, Enron's executives were not afraid at all, the company did go bankrupt, and the stock was shorted, but most of them had already made money, and the people who were harvested were the people who entered the market with confidence.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's accusations have made Axes Capital popular in the circle, and the analysis reports that broke the news in the early days have become reasonable and well-founded after being re-examined.

The knock-on effect is that Axes Capital has more investors, and for many people, they are only interested in the final return, and as for the process, no one cares.

Milinda quietly wrinkled her nose, rolled her big eyes, and saw that Kim was still watching the news seriously, and suddenly said with a smile:

"Let's stay home on Sunday, it's been a long time since we've taken a shower together!"

“.”

Li You has resumed training since September this year, and the New York media naturally knows that the new season is about to begin, and several mainstream media have set the tone for this season:

"Revenge!"

Last season's Finals whistle was actually unfriendly, but that was to be expected.

Everyone knows that four consecutive championships are the limit, and unless president David Stern has Alzheimer's, the league will never have the Celtics like that again

The referee factor is negligible, and the New York media hope to play another game this year!

It's just that the people who eat melons are disappointed that after winning the championship, O'Neal swelled to the sky, and after the start of the new season, due to injury, there is a high probability that he will miss another half a month.

With the squads of each team confirmed, the salary situation of the team has also made fans talk about it.

In the 02~03 season, the salary of the Trail Blazers has gone against the sky:

"$106 million!"

Even if the boss Paul Allen is rich, such a salary is off the charts!

What's more, the Trail Blazers may seem to have a strong lineup, but their record is far from ideal.

Spend the most money, get the most beaten!

Before the new season even began, the Trail Blazers were ridiculed by the crowd, and no one thought they could win the championship.

The Mavericks' Mark Cuban does love basketball, and his salary this season has exceeded 72 million, ranking second.

Under the leadership of Nelson Sr., the Mavericks basically embarked on the path of blind chickens.

It's common to play 90 rounds in a game, and Dallas fans love it, and it's more fun to watch the goals when the defensive battle is boring.

In third place in terms of salary is the Kings, who just exceeded 70 million, and considering that they reached the Western Conference Finals last season, commentators felt that the money was well spent.

The attendance at the Kings' home court is also very good, and as long as they win a championship and establish a winning culture, the Kings will be on the right track.

Although the 76ers are often beaten by the Knicks, the management has really done their best, and the 76ers' salary has exceeded 64 million this season.

It's just that when looking at such data, most ball critics give only one suggestion:

"Want a championship, trade Allen Iverson and rebuild early!"

The Lakers didn't make a big move in the offseason, adding a group of atmosphere groups, but the salary still exceeded 63 million.

O'Neal alone has a salary of 23.57 million, and general manager Kupchak is indeed saving money for the owner, except for Kobe's annual salary of 10 million, most role players have a salary of less than 5 million US dollars.

The Grizzlies, Nets, Timberwolves, and Bucks all have salaries of more than 58 million, and the most outrageous thing for ball critics is that for two consecutive seasons, the Knicks' salary has not exceeded the luxury tax line:

"In the 2002~2003 season, the Knicks' salary was 57.67 million US dollars."

After the news broke, many people's faces turned green, and they dominated the Eastern Conference without exceeding the luxury tax line, and with the addition of a star player, do other teams still have to play?

In the Knicks' lineup this season, most of the atmosphere group has a base salary of 350,000 US dollars.

Big man Wright has a bit of a salary premium, and general manager Glenfield has actually been looking for a trade to get an All-Star caliber player.

The general managers of each team knew it, but everyone didn't pay attention to the Knicks.

Not long ago, Spurs head coach Popovich made a public statement after a preseason game:

"Tim will always be in San Antonio, he's happy here!"

"Not everybody aspires to New York, and Tim isn't interested in playing with Lee."

The Knicks did ask the Spurs for the price, and the current balanced interior big man in the league is Tim Duncan, which New York has coveted for a long time.

Unfortunately, this deal is not destined to happen, and the league will not agree to two rising MVP-level stars joining forces

In addition to warming up for the three openers, the NBA didn't forget to promote the 2003 Atlanta All-Star Game.

There is another gimmick in this year's All-Star Game, and that is the last All-Star of Mycu.

Perhaps disappointed with the Wizards, or heartbroken by management, Michael Jordan publicly stated his attitude in an interview not long ago:

"This will be my last season, and even though I still love basketball, my body really can't support the high intensity of the game anymore."

'I didn't like my performance and that's why I made the choice and this season for me was more about enjoying the game.

After the Wizards made the trade, the new signings didn't seem to live up to the expectations of the dunk.

In addition to consuming him, no one in the sports media expects him to win the championship anymore.

Tasting defeat again, Michael Jordan eventually chose to leave.

The Atlanta All-Star Game was in the spotlight since the announcement, and no matter what choice he makes, he still has a huge impact, and fans want to see the final moment of his career.

On Monday morning on the 28th, the Knicks had an open practice session in the morning for interviews with the New York media.

Towards the end of the training session, reporters from several mainstream media in New York gathered around Li You.

Throughout the training session, Li You was mostly directing traffic, beckoning teammates to run, and occasionally attacking a few times, it can also be seen that his physical condition is very good.

At the time of the interview, Li Youhan, who was wearing a blue Knicks training uniform, did not come out, and several veteran reporters were no stranger to this situation:

"Lee, can the Knicks get their revenge and defeat their archrivals this season? The lads look really good! ”

When a reporter from the New York Post asked a question, everyone moved the recording equipment in front of Li You.

Li You first pointed to the championship flags around the training hall, and then said in a relaxed tone:

"I don't like rivals because the Lakers have only won one championship since I entered the league."

"But I like revenge, and that gives you extra motivation, but the Lakers have to make it to the Finals first."

"Compared to last season, our rookies have gained valuable game experience, and if the opponent is still the Lakers, we are confident that we can win back."

The New York Times reporter was very happy to hear the answer, but when he asked the question, he was not polite:

"Lee, the sports media in Los Angeles thought you were a failure last season, what would you say about that?"

Such news was very popular in the offseason, and Li You naturally saw it, and just smiled at it:

"For me personally, to reach the finals, not to win a single away game, to lose to an opponent, is really a failure."

'Some fans may be disappointed that they always want their favorite players to win big and I understand that and I accept that criticism because I need to be more demanding of myself.

'But from a team perspective, I don't think last season was a losing season.

"I respect every opponent and to be able to get to the division finals, to be able to reach the finals, and everyone in the team has worked hard for that."

"It's better to lose on a higher stage than to fall in a divisional game, and that kind of defeat makes the team grow, and I think it's helpful for the rookie players."

"I still have a long career ahead of me, maybe I'm going to keep going to the Finals in the future, and losing is part of the game of basketball, so I'm ready for that."

The ESPN reporter also nodded, and then, as usual, asked the necessary questions before the game:

"In the first game of the new season, the Knicks will play the 76ers at home, Lee, tomorrow night's game, what are your expectations?"

After the question was asked, everyone looked at the young reporter with freckles on his face, and the media reporter in New York had a mocking expression on his face, as if to say, "You are stupid!" Child".

Just defeated his opponent two days ago, Li You didn't expect the other party to ask such a question honestly, shrugged his shoulders, and reluctantly said the scene:

"I'm expecting opponents to score more than 90 points, maybe they'll lose better!"

"Hah!"

The surrounding New York media immediately burst into laughter, reminding everyone of the New York fans cheering on their opponents last season.

On October 29th, the 02~03 season officially started, and there were three games in the opening game of the day:

Spurs vs. Lakers, 76ers vs. Knicks, Cavaliers vs. Kings.

The Lakers will hold a championship ceremony to award the players championship rings.

O'Neal has confirmed that he is out of action due to injury, and this game is led by Kobe Bryant alone.

For three games, the Knicks kick off at 19:30 that night, and in the other two games, the Cavaliers and Kings kick off at 10 p.m., and the Spurs and Lakers kick off at 22:30

Such broadcast times are not friendly, at least many fans are complaining.

If the game is played slowly, there is a high probability that it will be close to zero after the game.

New York fans didn't have to worry about this, and everyone went straight to the stadium after work.

Although there was no championship ceremony, everyone knew that tonight was destined to be a big win, and the Fun People couldn't wait to mock the hapless 76ers.

Before 7 p.m., Madison Square Garden was almost full.

Tuesday's games are usually broadcast by TNT, and Mike Flatello has been the Heat's home commentator this season, but will also come to TNT when there are no games.

Mav-Albert returned to his familiar position, felt the lively atmosphere of the arena, and said with a smile for a while:

"It seems that New York fans have not been affected by last season's defeat!"

"I don't like the offseason news that Lee has reached the Finals five years in a row and won four in a row, and such an achievement can be called a failure?"

"I respect every player, but a lot of times, the division finals represent success."

"Lee will continue to lead the team to the finals in the future, and there is no guarantee that they will win all the time, and some commentators should calm down."

Although Mike Flatello is often turned into a wallgrass, he has always been a staunch Lee Woo-chui:

"The failure just proves that basketball is 5 people, and the Knicks had a big problem with their interior defense last season!"

"But at the World Championships, Pau Gasol did very well and you can see that the experience in the finals helped him a lot."

The two chatted freely in the commentary seat, and Iverson, who came to the venue to warm up on the other side, pulled a big face.

It would have been a good thing to be able to play the opener, but the 76ers' meeting with the Knicks gave Iverson a bad premonition.

The team's new signings, Van Horn and McCulcule, big men, were with the Nets last season, and everyone knows what it will be like to meet the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

This evening, the 76ers' starting lineup Iverson and Eric Snowe partnered in the backcourt, and the front three were Aaron McGee, Van Horn, and McLodge.

Iverson was very unhappy with this lineup, and he also had a big problem with the management's operation in the offseason, and always felt that the team did not strengthen around him.

As the noisy appearance ceremony ended, Madison Square Garden became more and more lively, but this atmosphere did not bring a good mood to the 76ers.

Larry Brown looked at Iverson, who had been silent, and felt helpless, since the conflict between the two in the offseason was made public, the relationship between the two sides has completely broken down.

The noise grew louder and louder, and Larry Brown had to raise his voice, holding the tactical board and admonishing again:

"Let's get the ball moving, miss the shot, be fast, we have to play cautiously, Snow, control the pace of the game!"

Looking at the head coach's serious expression, Eric Snow hurriedly responded.

On the other side, Li You was greeting his superficial friends who came to the front row to watch the game, and the director frequently focused the camera on D'Antoni, and the mustache just sat on the bench with a smile on his face, showing a confident look.

Ewing was wearing a training uniform, and he was cheering everyone up at this time, but he didn't mention tactics at all, just waved his fist and said loudly:

"Give that kid a little color! Pau, Kurt, this guy broke through to the paint zone and left him lying on the floor! ”

"Do you have to change your playing habits and know why you lost last season? It's because your defenses lack deterrence. ”

"Lee may not bother to remind you, but I'll do my job."

The mellow Ewing is still very stylish to put on a Knicks celebrity stand, and Gasol nodded hurriedly, but in terms of his playing habits, this matter will ultimately fall to Kurt Thomas.

When encountering O'Neal's inexplicable power fat man, Kurt Thomas really can't do anything, but helping to defend small men is what he is good at.

After a complex gesture, Kurt Thomas patted his chest with a confident expression:

"Leave it to me! They don't want to score 90 points tonight. ”

Before the start of the game, Iverson, who was wearing a headband and arm guards, held his head slightly high, showing a star appearance, and greeted everyone on the Knicks.

And in the minutes after the start of the game, the small defender felt a strong sense of malice.

After the opening, in the first round, Lee Woo launched a block on the right flank, and the big man McCulkey followed the coach's instructions to cooperate with Snow for a big delay.

Before the two could complete the encirclement near the top of the arc, Li You, who was pulling the defense horizontally, jumped up and passed the ball to Gasol who was down.

Before Van Horn could shrink, Gasol, who received the ball, grabbed the ball with his left hand and strode straight to the basket.

Aaron McKi, who was guarding near the baseline on the right side, wanted to help defend the basket, but the height difference was too big, and finally watched Gasol easily complete a one-handed split!

“Wow！”

The dunk ignited the atmosphere of the scene, and then when the 76 team attacked, Iverson received the ball on the right sideline, and was forced to stop the ball by Li You under the strong basket along the bottom line, and the coaxing became louder and louder.

The 76ers are still the same old routine, Iverson slipped the bottom line, and Snow dealt cards at the top of the arc.

Forced to stop the ball, Iverson had no choice but to return the ball to Van Horn, who was receiving from the elbow on the left side of the free throw line, and then ran off the ball again in an attempt to regain the ball.

It doesn't take Lee to say hello, Kurt Thomas knows what tactics the 76ers want to play.

Just as he expected, Iverson received a hand-handed pass at the left elbow and immediately lowered his center of gravity and went straight to the basket.

Kurt Thomas, who had been prepared for a long time, retracted early to help the defense, and at the same time, Gasol on the right side near the baseline also moved to the basket.

There was physical contact, Iverson slowed down slightly, sensed the defensive movement, adjusted his pace, and tried to make an early shot.

Jumping into the paint zone during the march, Iverson drifted to the right rear in an attempt to evade the defense.

Sensing something was wrong in mid-air, Li You behind him jumped high, and as soon as Iverson made a move, he ushered in a big hat that split his head and covered his face

After dropping the ball, Iverson lost his center of gravity and fell to the floor, only to feel a cheer in his ears, and then saw Li You control the ball, and his right hand threw the ball vigorously at will, and the basketball flew over the half court.

Although Eriksno was very active in defending, he had no choice but to have a large gap in size, and Grant Hill, who rushed through the half court and easily scooped the ball, leaned on the opponent and came to the basket to quickly release the basket!

The game quickly entered Iverson's rhythm, hitting the iron with a mid-range jumper, breaking through to the basket and missing the basket, breaking through to the basket and lying on the floor.

It was easier than the preseason games of the previous two days, without complicated tactics, and with a few consecutive counterattacks, the Knicks easily opened up the difference.

In the positional attack, Li You arced at the top and Gasol made a simple block, accelerated to the basket with the ball in his right hand, jumped with both feet in the paint area, and Van Horn, who was carrying the defense, scored the ball.

2:12, a double-digit lead, made the scene boil again.

“Wow！”

Amid the cheers of the fans, head coach Larry Brown called a timeout with his arms folded, and with 8:11 left in the first quarter, the 76ers were defenseless.

The teammates were not in high spirits, and Iverson didn't say anything, just returned to the bench and threw the towel angrily

Li You casually high-fived his teammates in celebration, and Coach D'Antoni also stood up with a tactical board on his face, and recalled the words of the assistant coach again:

"The Knicks have no opponent in the East!."

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(End of chapter)