On June 29, 2004, as the Rockets sent off the team leader, Houston fans "celebrated the New Year".

In the end, the Magic chose to stop the loss in time and gave up the "second man" McGrady.

The Rockets sent Kelvin Cato, Steve Francis, and Catino Mobley in exchange for Reece Gaines, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Tracy McGrady from the Magic.

The Rockets also used a few tricks to close the deal when the salary cap allowed.

It's not that Francis isn't good enough, it's that McGrady is more popular!

After the morning deal broke, most of the ball critics gave it a high rating.

Although many media outlets broke the news that McGrady is still suffering from back injuries and back injuries, the "second man" has also made Rockets fans look at it

Of course, the Rockets are definitely not at a loss, and Francis also has some injuries, and as a guard who relies heavily on physical fitness, this deal is essentially a "timely stop-loss".

The happiest are the Chinese Rockets fans, who have impressed Chinese fans since CCTV Sports broadcast the Magic and Knicks playoffs.

As the "second person" of the season, during the playoffs, McGrady's classic "White Horse Silver Gun" skin was eye-catching.

With hazy eyes, ecstatic calves, and beautiful movements of holding the ball in one hand in some rounds, McGrady has really won the love of many Chinese fans!

Although domestic magazines rarely introduce high-end data, the name of "second person" still spread to China, and Chinese fans are very satisfied with Yao Ming's new partner.

Even with the owner of the Rockets, Alexander, has become a "great benevolent", and before the new season has even begun, the Chinese sports media are ready to chant:

"The Houston Rockets are aiming for the championship in the new season!"

“.”

Alan Houston is very likely to be reimbursed next season due to a knee injury, and the Magic team has ushered in a rebuild by trading away the team's high-quality "assets".

The Orlando Sentinel didn't say much about the deal, after all, Magic fans still love McGrady.

As the largest local daily newspaper, it is naturally very well-informed, and many columns in the morning newspaper quoted Houston in an interview:

"Business is business, I love the city of Orlando, and I will stay here until the end of my career!"

"I think the Magic still have a chance to compete for a championship, and the Knicks' experience has taught me that opportunities are reserved for teams that are prepared, and I will take on the responsibility of being a leader in the locker room."

Houston's very professional statement won unanimous praise from local fans in Orlando.

However, there are two sides to everything, and Houston is more likely to lie flat, and this season for the playoffs, which aggravated his knee injury, he can say with a clear conscience:

"I gave it my all for the team!"

In the wake of the trade, some critics began to mock McGrady's choice:

"He knew he couldn't beat Lee and ended up leaving the Eastern Conference."

"True superstars shouldn't be timid, they should rise to the occasion and challenge the defending champions!"

Several Yahoo Sports articles on the Internet sparked a war of words among fans, in response to which some New York fans nicknamed McGrady:

“Chicken！”

Cowards and weak chickens are the names given to the "second man" by New York fans.

Iverson has been beaten up for 8 years and hasn't run, lost once in the playoffs, McGrady ran away, and the nature of the deal has suddenly changed after the fermentation of the Internet

Some of the reviews on the internet did influence McGrady.

Although Facebook is currently only for college students, this does not prevent young people from expressing their opinions on the homepage, and many memes are also circulating.

After a day of fermentation, McGrady, who was traded to Houston, made a statement to the media:

"I'm the best shooting guard in the league, and I'm grateful to the fans in Orlando and to the Magic for sending me to the Rockets."

"I'm going to win big in Houston next season, and we're going to make it to the Finals!"

"You can judge me as much as you want, but the numbers don't lie, and I'll prove myself with a championship."

Perhaps because of the imminent disintegration of the Lakers, McGrady, who was traded to the Western Conference, appeared very confident in the interview.

Bill Simmons, who has long been known as the "Boston Sportsman," joined ESPN in 2001, moved to California, and did not give up writing on the Internet.

After ESPN's interview with McCradi, Bill Simmons didn't follow the crowd and gave his own prediction through exhaustive data analysis:

"It's hard for McGrady to really hold up a team's offense, and he's just an average All-Star who can digest the ball but is very inefficient compared to a real superstar."

On the night of the 30th, Lee Woo did not pay attention to the debate of the ball critics in the past two days, and for him, McGrady, who was plagued by injuries, was already out of breath.

Maybe McGrady can still play some good performances in the regular season, but it is difficult for him to appear on the stage of the finals, and Li You is naturally not interested in paying attention to the leftovers.

Today happens to be the release time of "Spider-Man 2", and when I returned to my home on 82nd Street after watching the movie in the evening, Scarlett and Christen Rit were still complaining about the bad emotional scenes in the movie.

"Christine is not suitable for such a role, superhero movies are all about special effects!"

"Why do Peter Parker and Harry like Mary Jane, I wondered when I read the comics, Harry is a billionaire!"

The two of you complain about the movie with every word, obviously this superhero commercial blockbuster is not the dish of the two.

But judging from the feedback from the scene, Sony's film will be a great success again, and the box office in the first week will definitely not be bad.

Li You, who watched the classic old movie, was in a much better mood, and while the two were chatting about movies and changing clothes, Milinda handed over a glass of juice in her pajamas.

Li You, who was leaning on the sofa, enjoyed the kneading behind him, and said in a low voice:

"Roger Stone, I always felt that he was interested in reaching out to us, and judging from the data, he doesn't have a good reputation."

Milinda, who had her blonde hair, kneaded Li You's shoulders and whispered:

"It's not good, he's been involved in a lot of political events, and there's news that maybe Spitzer will announce that he's going to run for governor at the end of the year, maybe he wants to plan something ahead."

"Roger Stone also has a good relationship with Thomas Grisano."

"The billionaire is one of the founders of the New York Independence Party, and he ran for governor of New York three times, spending more than $90 million."

"By the way, Grissano is also a co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and the Buffalo Bandits (NLL)."

"Maybe Roger Stone thinks you're just like Grisano, you like sports and politics, so he's targeting you."

Li You hugged Milinda, who came to him, who laughed and squeezed into his arms, and then leaned into his ear and whispered:

"Hoping that the rich will be supported with funds and calling on ordinary people to vote actively, these lobbyists and politicians are essentially liars, trying to convince both sides that they will stand up for their interests."

Li You lowered his head and kissed the girl in his arms, he hadn't thought about whether to accept help yet.

Through Roger Stone, it can indeed make him closer to Don Qude and others, because this lobbyist with a lot of energy can also influence some people in the Elephant Party.

Having too much wealth is not necessarily a good thing, and some people always want to come up and get a piece of the pie

Milinda was still whispering the news she had gotten, and Scarlett, who was wearing a white suspender, soon squeezed to Li You's side.

The girl doesn't have so many worries, but recently without her mother's discipline, her mood is becoming more and more beautiful, tearing off the thin strap on one shoulder, Scarlett also talked about her troubles:

"My back seems to have thickened a bit and some of my clothes don't fit!"

Twisting to reveal her whiteness, Scarlett asked Milinda to look at her back.

The little attendant who came out of the bedroom tied up his black hair and said angrily:

"Who made you grow so fast!"

Christen-Ritter has witnessed the girl's white rabbit grow bigger as she gets older, she doesn't have those troubles, she is slim, and she never looks "strong" in clothes.

Milinda rubbed her hand twice, causing the other party to snort twice, and then stood up with a smile and pulled Scarlett into her arms again:

"Just add some loose clothes, let's go! Let's go to the bathroom and relax! ”

The girl looked at Christen-Rit triumphantly holding up the prepared red wine, and her face was slightly red.

Li You got up and hugged the little attendant, no longer thinking about troubles, kissed the girl who was smiling evilly, and said with a smile:

"Celebrate Milinda's birthday early and have a good drink tonight!"

On July 1, the NBA league announced the salary cap for the 2004~05 season:

"$43.87 million."

Compared to last season, the salary cap has only increased by a small amount, and the luxury tax line has not changed much.

The collective bargaining agreement is about to expire, and current players' union president Michael Corey spoke in an interview about the new agreement:

"In order to encourage good young players, we will add a series of special provisions."

"When signing his second career contract after completing his rookie contract, a player who has won the MVP can sign a contract with a maximum salary of 30% of the team's salary cap."

"Players under the age of 30 who have won the MVP for three consecutive years can also sign a contract with the team that accounts for 35% of the team's salary cap."

"Good players don't have to follow age limits anymore, it's a win-win clause for players and teams."

The newly added special clause is obviously saying that for ordinary players, to get a starting salary contract that accounts for 35% of the salary cap, they must play in the NBA league for more than 10 years.

Winning the MVP during the rookie contract is also a bit outrageous, and it is not easy to get a 30% salary cap starting salary contract.

Michael Corey was mediocre when he played for the Pistons, but he had a lot of support from ordinary players within the guild.

The special terms revealed during the interview have basically been finalized and approved by the NBA leagues and teams.

The sports media named the new special clause (Lee), and the purpose of the clause was to allow Lee to occupy some of the salary cap.

While encouraging players, it is also to prevent the emergence of a team like the Knicks who eat rookie bonuses.

Although the conditions are a bit harsh, for NBA players, they are more motivated to play, especially the newcomers, who have been given a strong injection!

This is a real American knife, and the second contract of his career will affect the salary of the player, in other words, it may affect the player's entire career.

Michael Corey has received unanimous praise from the players, and this is a good chairman for everyone's welfare

Early in the morning, Li You's mobile phone received a large number of blessing text messages, making a lot of money is a big event worth celebrating!

Last night's confrontation was a bit intense, and Milinda and the little henchman had to go out to work, and when it was almost 10 o'clock, Li You and Scarlett were still in bed.

The text messages were one after another, and Li You had to pick up his mobile phone to reply one by one.

Although the collective bargaining agreement will only come into effect next year, Li You can sign a 1+1 first, which is also a decision to maximize benefits.

Scarlett of Chiguoguo is still a little confused, she consumed too much physical energy last night, and she only woke up until she slept until now.

Seeing Li You sitting on the head of the bed and texting, he twisted into his arms again, lying on his chest and drawing circles while his hands began to move dishonestly.

"Clay, are we going back to Greenwich today? I want to sunbathe. ”

Li You, who was typing with one hand, rubbed the stiff white greasy, and when he heard the hoarse whisper of the girl's voice, he immediately agreed:

"It's just the right time to go back and look at the yachts, Alyce picks a few, and everyone will come to check them out on the weekend."

Quietly glanced at Li You, Scarlett had long known about the yacht, she and her little follower had been selected for a long time, and the dock of the Peninsula Manor could also be put into use, and this summer, she planned to have a good time there.

Lee, who was replying to a text message, soon received a call from his agent, Mark Battlestein.

patted off the little hand rubbed on his chest and gave Scarlett a look, Li You propped up his upper body, and then picked up the phone.

The confirmation of the special terms made Mark Battlestein extremely excited, and before Li You could speak, the voice on the phone rang:

"Li, this is definitely a great thing, I'm not talking about the 1+1 contract, but about next year's salary cap!"

"I got the news that in the 05~06 season, the salary cap should rise significantly, and under the new collective bargaining agreement, your starting salary can even exceed 17 million US dollars."

"This is definitely the biggest contract ever won by a 27-year-old player in NBA history!"

"Now we've got a little problem, we've got to confirm the length of your contract with the Knicks, and that's important, it's about the last contract of your career."

Li You couldn't interject at all, Mark Battlestein spoke quickly, and as an agent who has been in the industry for many years, this is the first time he has personally experienced this kind of special terms for individuals.

Scarlett, who was completely sober, looked at Li You listening to the phone and smiled, and knew that it must be a good thing, so she simply stepped over.

Biting his shoulder, he snorted, feeling Li You hugging his waist tightly and not wanting her to twist, and laughed in his ear again.

Li You, who had to concentrate, was also trying to search his memory when he heard the starting salary of 1,700 US dollars.

In his memory, it seems that the future league will experience a shutdown, but the salary cap has not changed much, and when Li You thinks of this, he can only sigh that he is unlucky:

"We will discuss the issue of contract length in the afternoon, and judging from the current collective bargaining agreement that favors the employer, there may be a shutdown in the future."

"We need to be prepared in advance!"

When I hung up, there was soon laughter in the bedroom, followed by exclamations and rhythmic frolicisms.

Neither of them plans to have lunch at noon today.

In the NBA, salary is a sign of respect, and O'Neal believes that he is the league's No. 1 center, and the last big contract of his career, and he should not be compromised.

The same is true for Lee Yoo, the Knicks are his parent team, and although the big contract is destined to affect the team's roster structure, he still insists on maximizing benefits.

If the salary is calculated according to special terms, it is very likely that in the future, Lee You's personal salary will account for half of the Knicks' salary cap.

If his career is long enough, Lee's annual increase in his salary will cause the Knicks to pay a large luxury tax year after year.

On the other side of the ocean, China is also reporting news about Li You's salary.

Most ordinary fans don't know what kind of impact the terms will have on the team, but everyone knows that Li You, who makes a lot of money, is indeed "a heifer who doesn't give birth to cubs-".

From the end of June to the beginning of July, the Chinese men's basketball team will conduct the first phase of training in Qingdao in order to prepare for the Athens Olympic Games.

On July 10, the Chinese men's basketball team will also hold the Four Nations Invitational Tournament to complete the warm-up, and will participate in the Diamond Cup Invitational Tournament held in Serbia and Montenegro before the Olympic Games to continue the warm-up.

At this time, the quality of the warm-up games was not bad, and the situation of the tourist team rarely appeared, and Yao Ming, as the core of the men's basketball team, would naturally participate.

Because McGrady joined the Rockets, Yao Ming has also been interviewed frequently in recent days to express his determination to the Chinese media.

Sina Sports reporters are very fond of gossip about NBA news, and after the day's training session, they asked about the new season when they interviewed Yao Ming:

"Da Yao, the Lakers seem to be entering a rebuilding period, with McGrady joining, do you think the Rockets can beat the Knicks?"

Skipped the playoffs all of a sudden, thought of the strong teams in the Western Conference, and then thought of the Rockets' rotation lineup, Yao Ming was a little crying and laughing, he didn't understand why the domestic media was always so confident:

"It's hard, and sometimes you need some luck to win a championship in the NBA."

"The most important thing is that entering the playoffs will test the depth of the team's roster, and there should be no team in the league that can match the Knicks."

Li You's existence has made many domestic media confident.

is also a yellow race, Li You, who is in his early 1.9 meters, can succeed, but it makes no sense that Yao Ming, who is 2.26 meters, cannot.

The reporter of the Sports Weekly felt that Yao Ming was too modest, and then asked out loud:

"Yao Ming, have you considered MVP? After the Rockets are reinforced, as long as they get the first place in the West, you should also have a chance to win this award. ”

After McGrady joined the Rockets, it was uncertain who the team boss would be, Yao Ming was a little helpless, so he could only talk about the scene again:

"Of course I want to be the MVP! But I'm still a rookie, and I'm more interested in thinking about how to make it through the first round of the playoffs. ”

The first stop of Li You's Asia tour was BJ, although it was a commercial activity of the hook, but the General Administration of Sports of the People's Republic of China stepped in and gave the highest treatment.

In May, Michael Jordan came to China in his personal capacity, and he was also received by the General Administration of Sports at that time, and the two were treated the same, which made some sports reporters feel a little unhappy.

There are always some media people who can't see Li You's good life with the same skin color, this psychology is very strange, but it can be reflected in some reports.

Yao Ming said a lot on the scene, he really didn't want to carry the burden of "if you don't win the championship, you will lose".

With Li You winning his 6th championship, the championship theory is currently prevalent, and Chinese fans are more and more looking forward to Yao Ming to win the trophy in the NBA!

At the Athens Olympics, the head coach of the Chinese men's basketball team is Silver Fox Harris, who once served as the head coach of the Lakers, but he coached the "OK" combination but did not win the championship.

These days of training have left Harris somewhat unhappy, and the Chinese news media is always reporting on the selection of candidates, which seems to be questioning his selection.

In the second phase of the training camp, the Chinese men's basketball team will go to the United States for training, and when interviewed, the silver-haired Harris was not polite, and continued to tell the truth in front of everyone:

"In a few months, a team made a real difference."

'In my opinion, a lot of people in the team are not tough enough, sometimes they are too civilized on the court and they don't play fiercely enough.

'We've also gained a lot in the last few months, the team is more mature physically and mentally, and we spend a lot of time in the gym looking at the lads' muscles, which gives them confidence.

The Athens Olympics set the stage for the Beijing Olympics on their doorstep four years later, and the Chinese sports media are hoping that the men's basketball team will break through history and win a medal, even better.

When asked by a reporter from Sina Sports about the possibility of winning a medal in the 08 Olympics, Harris glanced at everyone, and finally shook his head slightly and said in a low voice:

"This Chinese team still has a big weakness, and it is difficult for us to play at the level we should in the face of tall defenders on the international stage."

"The whole team was too reliant on Yao, and our pitchers lacked the ability to shoot on the move."

"If you want to win a medal, unless you let Clay-Lee lead this team, a superstar can change the game, even though he hasn't played internationally, I believe Lee can lead this team to a medal."

Assistant coach Younas nodded again and again when he heard this, he agreed with this point of view, it is impossible to rely on Yao Ming to win a medal alone.

Everyone was bored when they heard this, isn't this just saying that Yao Ming is not as good as Li You?

Harris sensed that the atmosphere was not right, and began to talk about the scene, he also wanted to lead the Chinese team to win medals, but the strength really did not allow it.

Michael Jordan, who completed his trip to China, was in a good mood, but with the Knicks winning the championship and Li You getting his sixth FMVP trophy, Mai Dunk was a little unhappy.

Having stepped down as president and shareholder of the Wizards, Michael Jordan still wants to own an NBA team.

On Friday, July 2, Michael Jordan, back in Chicago, began preparing for next week's charity golf event.

When he had to appear in front of the media, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune asked a question that made Michael Jordan particularly unhappy:

"Maikou, have you been following this year's finals?

"Lee has won his sixth championship, does that mean he has completely surpassed you to become the best player of all time?"

The record belonging to Michael Jordan is being broken by Li You one by one, although Jordan, who is dressed in AJ sports clothes, is unhappy, but he still praises when he answers:

"I did follow Lee's game, outscoring opponents by an average of 29 points per game, and I have to say, the Knicks showed their dominance."

"I've always stuck to the idea that every era produces different stars."

"You know, I don't think I'm the all-time best, I just had good results in the '90s, and it's really hard to compare the stars of different eras."

Michael Jordan didn't answer the question directly, and soon ESPN's reporter followed suit:

"We all know that in '98, Lee led the team to a victory over the Bulls and reached the first championship of his career."

"Entering the league in '96, Lee is also a star of the '90s."

"6 is greater than 5, if Lee continues to win championships in the future, does that mean he will completely surpass what you have achieved?"

Michael Jordan, who was wearing a white wide T-shirt, was immediately laughed at angrily, but he was powerless to refute, and finally could only respond simply:

"Records are meant to be broken, Lee is very good, and I am sure he will surpass me to achieve even more!"

“.”

There was a lot of talk on the scene, but everyone just didn't hear the phrase "Lee is the best in history" from Michael Jordan's mouth.

Everyone knows that Mai Buckle is not convinced, and he does not admit that Li You is a GOAT.

It can be expected that more and more sports media will ask the same questions about Michael Jordan as the golf charity tournament takes place.

Thinking of Mai Buckle's reluctant compliment, everyone was in a good mood:

"Michael Jordan is out of gas!"

On July 3rd, the hook once again warmed up for Li You's Asian trip, followed by Upper Deck, McDonald's, Pepsi, and Ray-Ban.

Cadillac is also preparing to place more advertisements in the Asian market, and Amex has already advertised that it has prepared a luxury private jet Gulfstream G550 for the distinguished "black card" user Li You

The brand began to exert its efforts, and this weekend, Li You also began to prepare for the follow-up itinerary.

At the end of more than two weeks of his trip to Asia, Li You has to return to New York at the end of the month to participate in a basketball celebrity game, which is also an event.

On the morning of Sunday on the 4th, Li You, Milinda, and Mike Sr. appeared at JFK Airport.

Private lawyers, security personnel, Li You didn't bring a beautiful girl here, and the impact of the domestic silver party was not good

On the hook side, Matt Parker will be involved in this event, and although there will be some changes in the company's management, it will not affect Lee's subsequent lifetime contract.

The interior facilities of the Gulfstream, which can accommodate 19 people, are luxurious, but Li You, who is sitting by the window, does not care about the environment, and the plane is stunned after taking off.

Old Mike had been by Li You's side for many years, and sat on the other side to give Milinda a look.

Smelling the familiar smell of perfume, Li You hugged the girl next to him tightly, and suddenly laughed:

"26 years, time flies so fast, I'm going home!"

(End of chapter)