On Monday, June 21, 2004, Sports Illustra followed the hot news with the launch of its latest weekly magazine.

The cover is a photo of Lee Woo raising a glass in Staples, and the title is extraordinarily simple:

“GOAT！”

The huge English letters are particularly conspicuous, and this issue of the magazine mainly reviews the performance of the Knicks in the 03~04 season.

In addition to the interviews with the players, there were also presentations from the management and team staff.

D'Antoni also occupies a lot of content, and as long as he continues to win the title next season, the champion coach will become a historical manager.

While some coaches rely on their senior industry experience to gain respect, D'Antoni proves himself with outrageous results.

The Knicks' tactical system also has weaknesses, but unfortunately, Lee Woo, as a core guard, can not only deliver assists, but also the league's best scorer.

This makes a big difference between the Knicks in the regular season and the playoffs, and once the role players are not in good shape, they end up being the strongest tactic.

In the interview, German Antony talked about his tactical philosophy:

"I trust the players' instincts more than the tactics are complicated!"

"In the long regular season, I want the players to be free and just trust their instincts when they get the chance."

"Shooting, breaking, free throws? As long as the player himself feels confident in the attack, he will resolutely implement it. ”

"That's why sometimes the Knicks play a seven-second offense."

Winners are naturally praised, and D'Antoni's basketball philosophy was blown into the sky by Sports Illustrated:

"The Knicks are showing us a different kind of basketball, and it's a cross-era tactic!"

"The future triumphs over the past, and the master tactician changes the NBA league!"

This kind of afterthought makes industry insiders scoff, in the NBA, tactics do matter, but more important is the people who execute them.

Replacing Li You with other core guards has a completely different effect, and those who know the ball know that the Knicks are not replicable.

The Bulls relied on a triangle offense to win the championship, and Phil Jackson made a name for himself.

There were also people who wanted to copy the Bulls, but in the early '90s, no one could succeed because Michael Jordan was unique.

In the same way, D'Antoni, who is also famous, may not have been able to achieve such an achievement if he changed teams to coach, but this assumption is difficult to hold, and the mustache has no intention of proving himself

Knicks fans are happy with this issue, compared to Lakers fans who have been a little worried about the news in the newspaper lately.

O'Neal has one year left on his contract, and Buss Sr. really doesn't seem to plan to renew his contract, which means that the league's No. 1 center is likely to be traded.

This situation is obvious, after all, O'Neal is old, and Kobe Bryant is just entering his prime, and the Lakers, who intend to rebuild, will naturally choose the future.

Perhaps the negotiations with the team broke down again, and O'Neal began to mock again in an interview with the Los Angeles Times:

"Without me, the Lakers wouldn't have won the championship!"

"Kobe Bryant represents the future? He can't do anything without me. ”

"I'm still the best big man in the league, I'm still able to score in the Finals, Wharton knows how to pass the ball to me, and some guys just play hard."

"You know who I'm talking about! He's always trying to prove himself, but he's just an average star, and there's a huge gap between him and MVP. ”

"I've won MVP and FMVP, I deserve a big contract, and that's my attitude towards a contract extension!"

This statement is asking for a big contract, and in the NBA, salary means respect.

O'Neal believes that he is still the league's No. 1 center, and a significant pay cut is simply not possible.

Of course, this is also promoting themselves, and some teams may be looking forward to the future, but there are always teams that want to chase the title right away.

"Change for whole money", there is a high probability that you can improve your performance, and as for the championship, sometimes you need some luck.

After the draft, there will be a freeze period, and the teams will still have time to think about whether to pursue the future or bet on the present.

Compared with O'Neal, who is about to be abandoned by the team, Kobe Bryant has no such troubles, and the Lakers are likely to become his team!

Next season, I thought that I would be the boss of the team, and I felt a lot better after losing in the finals.

It seems that the news of the contract extension has been obtained, Kobe Bryant did not talk too much about his teammates in an interview, but expressed his attitude to Lakers fans:

"I'm not leaving Los Angeles, this is my home!"

"Next season, as the leader of the team, I will continue to lead the Lakers to a championship."

"I'm going to dedicate my time to basketball, and I want my teammates to be as hungry for championships as I am."

Neither of them talked about the loss in the finals, coupled with the "Shaq also did it" storm at the beginning of the season, this infighting seems to mark the end of their friendship.

As the draft approaches, Lakers fans worry about the team's disintegration every day, while Knicks fans are scolding the Bobcats as a "thief."

There are several players on non-guaranteed contracts, and although they don't have many opportunities to play, fans who are poached feel unhappy.

On the afternoon of the 21st, as the Bobcats will have an extended draft tomorrow, the Knicks are also starting to prepare.

Different from the atmosphere group of other teams, on the Knicks' side, several people are a little reluctant to leave the team, and they also get a base salary, and New York can earn more.

But being drafted by the Bobcats isn't necessarily a bad thing!

Trenton Hassell was a member of the towel team with the Knicks, responsible for the daily sparring team, and immediately settled in the starting position after joining the Timberwolves this season.

The Bobcats have more chances, and it can be expected that this team's record will not be too good in the new season, and the selected players will have a chance to show themselves.

At the Tarrytown Training Center, after a morning of discussions, in the afternoon, there were only four people left: Li You, D'Antoni, Mike Malone and Grenfield.

Working as an assistant coach and part-time scouting, Mike Malone knows more about players in this year's draft.

"This year's draft should have about 40 percent of the players being internationals."

"Our second-round picks, the players we drafted most likely won't land in the NBA."

"At the end of the first round, it's hard for us to pick a good rotation player, so it's even more important to stay healthy when there's no salary space."

Mike Malone said this euphemistically, which basically means that there is no chance to pick up the leaks, and at most one player will be added through the draft.

Grunfield had a headache, looked at the championship photos of the Knicks in the office, and suddenly whispered:

"Grant shouldn't have accepted the invitation, I don't even want Gasol to be in the national team, these games will add to the injury risk."

Sitting behind his desk, Grunfield handed D'Antoni the report, which was the medical team's assessment of Stoudemire's knee.

After undergoing minimally invasive surgery, the budding newcomer also had to take extra care of him, Grunfield did not want the "assets" to depreciate, and gave a report as long as it was for D'Antoni to know it.

Frowning and flipping through the report, D'Antoni didn't expect the evaluation given by the medical team to be so bad, but this is all expected and can only be used as a reference:

"We could consider trading Wright, because his form has dropped badly, it's not a squad issue, it's going to affect the attitude of the players."

D'Antoni also gave his opinion, the attitude of "what to be afraid of when you get money" is not suitable for the championship team, after all, it is easy to contagious.

Mike Malone nodded his head on the back, indicating that he also agreed with such a decision.

While the other two assistant coaches were looking to pursue the head coach position, Mike Malone, who was just hired last year, was trusted and agreed with whatever the mustache said.

Grunfield saw Li You swaying by the window drinking coffee, turned his head and asked:

"Lee, what do you think we should do to prepare for next season?"

"It's going to be very difficult for us to make a trade, it's not going to be possible to sign a big free agent, and as for the international game, it won't affect the team."

"We can wait for the All-Star break to work hard, extend the recovery period, and have a decent record, after all, the East is still those old rivals."

Li You leaned against the window and responded simply, after all, it was his big contract that affected the team, and it was basically impossible to strengthen it.

At present, only the middle-class exception can still recruit good players, Wright's transaction Li You is not optimistic, and it is not a simple matter to find someone to take over.

Although D'Antoni wants the team to continue the form of the past two years, he also knows that Lee You is right.

70+ wins are still unreliable, relax appropriately, and 60 wins may be able to reach the top.

Grunfield sighed secretly that the dilemma of big contracts will gradually become apparent in the future.

If the little man Knight can be signed instead of leaving the team as a free agent, then the loss for the team is minimal.

But such a situation is difficult to happen, this part of the salary space is eventually eaten up by Li You, after the big contract covers, as the number of years increases, the team may face the loss of personnel.

Just like the Bulls back then, Michael Jordan's big contract is full of salary caps, and the team is difficult to strengthen except for signings.

When injuries come to the Bulls, the results will naturally fluctuate, fortunately the Knicks are still young, but this will eventually happen in the future, which is the objective development law of a dynasty team.

"Lee, in addition to the players from the University of Connecticut, is there anyone else under Battlestein in this rookie?"

Grenfield took the opportunity to ask Lee directly about Mark Battlestein's recent work on Okafor and hadn't had time to say hello to the team.

"As far as I know, there shouldn't be, at the end of the first round, just choose a random player, after all, next season, there will be no changes to the rotation lineup."

Lee Woo only watched the lottery show introduced by Sports Illustrated magazine, and he didn't pay attention to the last rookie anymore because the rookie didn't help the Knicks in any way.

Now after joining the championship team, the rookie will not get any chance and can only throw the towel.

There are still star players available this offseason, and the Suns will not sign Marbury to a contract extension, who will enter free agency.

Meanwhile, Anfernee Hardaway was also being touted by the Suns, and the other side appeared to be targeting the Mavericks' core guard Steve Nash.

However, if they want to sign Nash, the Suns still have to work hard, they don't have enough salary space, and they are facing the same dilemma as the Knicks, and they have to find a pick-up man

Lee Woo wasn't paying attention to the trio discussing how to send Wright away, and for him, the current lineup was enough to last a few years.

On June 22, the Bobcats started their own action:

Sending the 2004 first-round pick No. 4 and the 2004 second-round pick, he traded up to get the opponent's No. 2 pick from the Clippers.

The Suns also used the opportunity to trade a 2005 first-round pick to the Bobcats, allowing them to draft Jahidi White in the extended draft to help clear salary space.

There was no violation of the rules in this operation, and the Knicks also wanted the other party to help, but unfortunately the other party didn't buy it at all.

It didn't take long for the Bobcats to announce their 19 picks.

Among the crowd of atmosphere players, the Knicks' Lasol Butler was also drafted, while the Kings' Gerard Wallace was also on this list.

This is considered to be the name of the "thief", and New York fans naturally don't like to be brushed off.

In his limited playing time, Butler is also a 3-D seed, and he was selected after being drafted, and the small trade exception did not have any effect on the Knicks.

On the 23rd, the Bobcats trade continued, giving up the scum Pachuria, who was drafted from the Magic, and trading the latter to the Bucks, and getting a second-round pick in 2004.

In the second pick, the Bobcats will not miss Okafor, the core interior line is there, and the team construction has been completed for most of the time.

On June 24th, the 2004 draft will be officially held at 7 p.m., and ESPN will broadcast it live.

An hour before the start of the draft, Madison Square Garden was bustling with activity again.

The Cavaliers' coaching staff and management came out together, and even LeBron James appeared in Manhattan.

James deliberately wore a black suit, with a smile on his face all the time, and he will be able to show his skills next season when the team completes the rebuild.

Mike Tirico, as the host of ESPN, also praised when he noticed that many reporters were surrounding Jeff Van Gundy:

"With the No. 1 pick again, maybe the Cavaliers will rise from the Eastern Conference next season, and Coach Van Gundy is reinventing this team step by step."

"The future belongs to the young, and I believe that under the guidance of the champion, the talented players will live up to their talents."

Van Gundy, who was being interviewed at this time, had a particularly bright smile, and tonight he was dressed in the iconic "red scarf":

"We're going to pick a big man, and in the Cavaliers' system, we need to rotate defensively quickly."

"The big man has to have a certain ability to switch defenses, and more importantly, to be able to complete the task of helping the defense, and he will become the core of the team's defense."

Van Gundy's words are almost clear, and the Cavaliers will definitely pick Dwight Howard.

Tom T. Burdu, who was on the side, missed the atmosphere of the scene a little, and after observing a circle, he didn't see the Knicks in charge, and knew that the other party didn't care about the draft at all.

On the other hand, Bickerstaff, who wears glasses, is also in the spotlight, and the Bobcats are likely to take Okafor after the upward trade.

Although he did not directly reveal the team's selection, Bickerstaff also outlined the team's future plans with a bright smile:

"As a brand new team, I'm looking to the future for the new season, and the rookies who are selected will get more minutes when they join the team."

"The team's goal is to make the playoffs until the end of the rookie contract, and we have a long-term plan for that as well!"

Like Van Gundy's selection, Bickerstaff also believes that Eastern Conference teams should wait.

After the end of his rookie contract, Lee Woo will also be 30 years old, and no one can be sure how the league landscape will change at that time.

This is the safest approach, the new players are about to enter their prime, and the Knicks become an older team, which is the best time for each team to attack the championship.

The Cavaliers and Bobcats chose the same team-building idea, but the Magic, who finished 10th with the 10th pick, had a hard time.

Due to a knee injury, Alan Houston is likely to be reimbursed for the next season.

McCready is not very optimistic about the future of the Magic, and the scorer, who has been the "second man" for a season, has a conflict with management.

The Magic management's assessment of McGrady is also not ideal, and back injuries and back injuries will affect the player's condition.

McGrady has dropped a lot this season due to injuries, and after weighing the pros and cons, the Magic plan to sell the depreciation "assets" in advance and stop losses in time.

Before the news broke, after coming to Madison Square Garden, the Magic team was very low-key.

The draft was about to begin, and James was behind the Cavaliers.

Arriving at Madison Square Garden, James remembered the Knicks' grand championship parade not long ago.

In Times Square, a group of celebrities boasted about Li You, and the atmosphere of the X conference was extremely hot, as if the whole city was cheering for the champion.

James was involved in the Knicks' trip to downtown to pay their respects to the fans, and he was impressed by the frantic atmosphere at the scene.

Lower Manhattan is not in good condition, but the fans are extraordinarily fanatical, which has something to do with the atmosphere of basketball in New York, which is also the envy of James.

As the scene gradually quieted down, David Stern took the stage, and under the expectant gaze of the Cavaliers, Mr. President opened the envelope and announced with a smile on his face:

"The first pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Dwight Howard from Christ College in Southwestern Atlanta."

Everyone on the Cavaliers applauded, and Dwight Howard, dressed in a somewhat oversized dark blue suit, white shirt and silver tie, immediately hugged his family and friends at the sound of his name.

With a smile on his face after taking the stage, and after taking the Cavaliers' hat and putting it on his head, Howard stepped forward to shake hands with David Stern, and the two posed for a commemorative photo.

The two champions join forces, one inside and one outside, and the Cavaliers are likely to rise next season!

High school rookies usually have some problems, but they don't care about that for a rebuilding team with an eye on the future.

The Bobcats, who were the No. 2 pick, selected Emeka Okafor;

The Chicago Bulls, who were the third pick, selected Ben Gordon;

The Los Angeles Clippers, who were the fourth pick, selected Sean Livingston;

The Washington Wizards, who were the fifth pick, selected Devin Harris;

The Atlanta Hawks, who were the sixth pick, selected Josh Childes;

The Phoenix Suns, who were the 7th pick, selected Lore Deng;

The Toronto Raptors, who were the 8th pick, selected Rafael Aruyu;

The Philadelphia 76ers, who were the ninth pick, selected Andre Iguodala;

The Orlando Magic, who were the 10th pick, drafted Luke Jackson.

With the 29th pick, the Knicks drafted Anderson Vallejo.

After the first-round draft, David Stern also took care of Howard when he walked off the stage, which made the latter smile from ear to ear.

The draft continues, and ESPN's interview with Howard has come to an end.

When a reporter asked about this year's finals, Howard sighed without any scheming:

"Incredible, the biggest goal difference in history, I followed the 4 games this year, and Lee performed like Superman!"

"At the end of the year, I'm 19 years old, and the future must be for young people, just like Lee ended the Bulls era, and the Cavaliers beat the Knicks to win the championship."

When the ESPN reporter heard this, he asked maliciously:

"Dwight, we all know that LeBron James is also very young, he is only a year older than you, how many championships can you win as a combination?"

As if thinking of some classic moment, Howard suddenly laughed out loud and replied confidently:

"Not one, two, three, but five and more, I can't wait, and I'm confident that with Coach Van Gundy, we can bring more championships to the Cavaliers!"

“.”

The draft was also a trade moment, as the Bulls traded second-round pick Jackson Walman and a 2005 first-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Lore Deng.

The Mavericks traded Antoine Jamison to the Wizards in exchange for Devin Harris, Christian Leitner and Jerry Starkhouse.

The Nuggets also traded Jamil Nelson to the Magic for a 2005 first-round pick.

No matter how it was traded, the Cavaliers turned out to be the biggest winners in the 2004 draft, and the two champions teamed up for a promising future!

Before the end of the draft, LeBron James, who was interviewed by ESPN, also became extraordinarily confident:

"Coach Van Gundy made the right choice, and the Cavaliers will make the playoffs in the new season."

"Dwight may still need to adapt to the intensity of the game, and we won't rush to prove ourselves because we know how talented we are!"

"Give us some time, I'll lead the Cavaliers to break the spell and we'll definitely bring a championship to Cleveland!"

Every year the Knicks draft a big man at the end of the first round, and this kind of scratching has so far had little effect.

Gazuric is in the rotation, but he can't squeeze out Mutombo, and Vallejo will most likely have to wave a season towel after joining the team, and then have to compete to get playing time.

After the draft, the Cavaliers were in the spotlight, and Jeff Van Gundy looked set to lead the team to another championship shot.

On the morning of the 25th, ESPN reviewed last night's draft meeting, and by the way, also discussed the idea of building a team on the show.

There were only three people in the studio at this time, and Mike Tillrico got a glimpse of the rookies after the draft meeting he hosted last night.

After introducing a few new recruits that could help the team, Mike Tirrico brings up the latest hotly discussed deals:

"If the Lakers choose to trade O'Neal, will the championship-chasing team choose the league's No. 1 center?"

Stephen A. Smith came to his senses when he heard this question, and without looking at Tolbert opposite, he immediately gave his own answer:

"I think there must be a team that does it!"

"The Knicks are strong, but they're not going to win all the time."

"Championship teams will have problems, and Lee's contract this year will put the team in some difficult situations, and the future will be extremely challenging for the management."

"There's always going to be teams that come out on top, maybe they won't be able to dominate like the Knicks for a while, but they're going to win the championship."

The two in the studio were speechless, and the New York critic almost said that there would be a team that "stole the championship".

Tolbert shook his head, he didn't have much inclination, but said very objectively:

"I'm skeptical about O'Neal's physical condition, he's still the best big man in the league, but he's always going to have problems with pick-and-rolls."

"If you want to trade O'Neal and challenge for a championship, the defense will face the dilemma of blocking and pick-and-roll."

"Stephen has a point, we really can't predict the future, let alone know if the Knicks will continue to do this in the future."

"But I think the opportunity is reserved for the prepared team, and there will inevitably be teams that choose to trade for O'Neal."

"It's a success to make the playoffs without thinking about the championship, and of course, the trade also takes into account the wishes of the players, and O'Neal will not allow himself to join a team that has no championship potential."

Maybe it's because the Knicks are too dominant, and the teams always preach "the future is promising".

After ESPN's program was broadcast, it was recognized by many fans:

"Believe in the process!"

This mentality first appeared among Philadelphia fans, who have not beaten the Knicks since '96 and are now completely numb.

On the contrary, the Pacers and Pistons are still struggling, Miller Sr. is still chasing the championship, and Rasheed Wallace, who has been running in for half a season, is not convinced.

On Saturday, June 26, at Blair Cliffe Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, Lee attended Ivana's house reunion.

The 18-hole golf course has a beautiful environment, Li You is wearing a white suit, and his swing posture is also exceptionally beautiful!

Ivana on the side smiled happily, and Tang Qude crushed Li You with his superb ball skills.

"All right, Ivana, go see your brother and brother, and entertain the beautiful girl they have brought."

Tang Qude patted his daughter on the shoulder, and the latter first stepped forward to kiss Li You, leaving a red lip print on his right cheek, and then left with a smile.

Li You shrugged, the white rabbit did it on purpose, but Tang Gude didn't care, and said with a low smile on his cue:

"Lee, you can't wait passively, I know, you think that Spitzer won't be staring at Axes Capital anymore after becoming governor, I want to remind you that this is only a possibility!"

"People on Wall Street seem to be waiting for an opportunity, and he does offend a lot of people, but you also have to realize that time is money."

"You need to use the power of the lobby, this is America, you have to adapt to the rules, and the Wall Street sheriff will compromise. ”

Without waiting for Li You to speak, Tang Qude immediately gave his own solution:

"Roger Stone, conservative political consultant, founder of BMSK, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm, I know you have a lot of money, and billionaires shouldn't compromise!"

Hearing this name, Li You struggled to search for information in his mind, and then asked in a low voice with an inexplicable expression:

"The same lobbyist who suggested in the 2000 presidential election that you openly consider running for reform and to compete with Buchanan?"

When it came to the bad things of the year, Tang Gude felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly tilted his head and said:

“Come on！”

"Don't worry about that, I swear, you're going to fall in love with this guy!"

“.”

(End of chapter)