The two Chinese preseason games in October 2004 should be the most carefully organized games in the NBA league in recent years.

The two games were broadcast to 177 countries and territories around the world in eight languages, the first time in the history of the NBA.

David Stern followed the whole process, and with the NBA league's ratings declining year by year, he naturally paid special attention to the Chinese market.

Fortunately, Yao is really competitive, and his personal strength is also in line with the identity of the champion show, if he is replaced by other players, it is difficult to say, after all, Chinese fans will not like their own players to lose face in the United States.

On the night of the 17th, at the BJ Arena, the Rockets lost again by a large score.

Compared to the previous game, Li You's personal projection form has rebounded visibly, and the Chinese sports media have once again experienced why Charles Barkley always shouts that "the star is not enough".

For Chinese fans, after buying high-priced tickets, everyone doesn't care about the data, it is enough to have a good posture and play chic!

In the BJ game, McGrady wore the Rockets' red jersey away, wearing a white elbow pad on his left arm and a white legging guard on his left calf.

Although the game was frequently ironed, anyone who watched McGrady's pull-up jumper would say:

"So handsome!"

For the Knicks, it was obvious to everyone that McGrady's physical condition was declining.

Perhaps it was because of the big break in the offseason, or maybe it was a back injury and back injury that still plagued the former "second man", and McGrady struggled with Artest's defense in both games.

But it's a good thing for the fans, and everyone applauds watching McGrady hit a difficult goal, and as for the stats, it doesn't matter.

At 88:110, the BJ Knicks once again relied on continuous switching offenses and easily defeated the opponent.

Played 36 minutes, 6-of-19, 0-of-4 from beyond the three-point line, 2-of-4 from the free throw line, and finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 turnovers.

At the end of the game, McGrady's face was a little ugly, but fortunately, the enthusiastic fans at the stadium didn't care about his stats.

In the same way that most fans have a hard time watching a game in its entirety, half of the people who follow the NBA watch highlights.

Although some people will find it strange, the fans at the scene will still chant "Niu X" after watching the game!

For the players of the Rockets, Chinese fans are like a treasure, after all, when CCTV Sports broadcasts on the second, third, sixth and second day, as long as there is a home team's game, they will not miss it.

The new season hasn't even started yet, and the domestic sports media has already blown McGrady into the sky.

There was not much reaction from fans in the two games, but many practitioners could see it:

"The Rockets missed the championship, and McGrady's strength was far from Li You."

On the morning of the 18th, the two teams continued to participate in activities in China, which can be regarded as a cultural exchange between China and the United States.

Taking a group photo in front of Tiananmen Square and climbing the Great Wall to commemorate the occasion, although the weather is a little hotter, everyone on the Knicks still insists on wearing formal clothes, which is also something that David Stern strongly advocates.

The Knicks are all light gray checked suits, white shirts and red scarves, and the Rockets can just wear red training jerseys on the road.

After the two preseason games, the Chinese media did not "point to the championship" again, and this matter could not be blown away.

Before returning, McGrady, who was interviewed, did not live up to the expectations of the fans, and once again boasted:

'It's a good thing to lose, we've just joined the team, we've been training together for less than a month, and losing games allows us to find problems.

"I believe in the strength of the team, and in the new season, the Rockets will attack the championship!"

Compared with McGrady, Yao Ming will talk every day, and the Olympic team led the team to an 8th place, which made him receive more attention.

Fans are starting to expect Yao Ming to go one step further and make a difference in the playoffs, preferably with a championship!

Lee Woo is still the same, he doesn't like fanatical fans, he can accept Japanese fans kneeling, but he doesn't want to see the same scene in China.

In addition to indicating that the team will complete the defense of the title, Li You will leave more opportunities to his teammates.

In this familiar land, Li You has many fans, and there are also those who don't like him.

CCTV host Yu Jia shared his story with Li You, after the Bulls were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals in 98, many Chinese fans cried:

"Michael Jordan lost!"

At that time, the broadcast conditions were not very good, but this one still sparked heated discussions among fans, Yu Jia and many of his peers were Jordan fans, and the Knicks were villains at that time.

After returning to the hotel that night, Li You said goodbye to the Chinese sports reporter and said simply and bluntly:

"Basketball stars are just ordinary people, we are no different, and from another point of view, basketball is just an ordinary job."

"Of course, the media reporters won't report like that, don't listen to Rassad's nonsense, that's Michael Jordan's royal correspondent."

Looking at Li You, who waved goodbye, everyone felt that maybe it was the recent report that caused the trouble.

China's sports media has always liked to package their stars as perfect characters, but the New York Times reports are relatively truthful.

It's not so much about his love for basketball as about enjoying the feeling of victory and success.

After the 2003 All-Star Game, the New York Times reported on a letter from Michael Jordan to fans:

“《Love and Respect》”

The content is to express his love for basketball, which was widely reported by the Chinese sports media, while the New York Post ridiculed Mai Buckle:

"He knew he was going to be surpassed by Lee, and he didn't show us his 5 rings anymore!"

"We believe Michael Jordan really loves basketball, but he's a nasty bastard at times!"

This kind of reporting never appears in the Chinese sports media, and the small essays of various magazines are chicken soup, and Li You's personal image is now severed.

The basketball media will not report on the estimated net worth of Li You on the Forbes 400, let alone the luxurious life revealed by the Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and other media.

In contrast, it is the Chinese fans who follow Manchester United that know the other side of Li You better.

Sina Sports' football report was very personal at this time, and the editors were brilliant.

The Sun likes to educate British fans about Li You's financial resources, life, and personal preferences, and even the Sina Sports football sector has also benefited.

There has already been a split in the personality, and as for what will happen in the future, it will only be left to time.

On October 20, the mainstream media in the United States were reporting on this grand preseason, and news channels like CNN also joined in the fun:

"American sports culture is taking the Chinese market by storm!"

Many mainstream media believe that this is a victory for American culture, and the scene of thousands of empty alleys has made many people who eat melons happy.

After returning to Manhattan, Li You secretly shook his head at these news full of superiority, he didn't like such news reports.

In contrast, it was the New York Times' essay that made him laugh, and the ball critic's op-ed commented on the performances of the two preseason games in a joking tone:

"We hope Scarlett Johansson can stay in Los Angeles for a while longer."

Obviously, this is ridiculing Li You before taking the girl to watch the ball, the old Yankee Stadium, the New York reporter took a photo of the two kissing.

The New York Yankees didn't make it to the World Series this year, and the fans were a little disappointed that they wanted to continue to participate in the championship party, even though they performed well in the regular season!

There are also some tabloid revelations that interest New York fans:

"Knicks general manager Glenfield is suspected of having an extramarital affair."

There are no secrets in New York, and although the Knicks flew across the ocean, reporters dug up the news.

In the past few days back in New York, Grenfield has become numb, and he never expected that one day, he would also be in the spotlight.

These gossip news made the melon-eating crowd addicted, which was much more interesting than Artest's raid on Rock Park!

On the evening of the 20th, Lee Woo and Kim were invited to a routine dinner at Tina Fey's house.

After Richmond met Tina Fey in Chicago, the two fell in love, and their relationship was stable after marriage.

Although I bought a house on the Upper East Side, the area is not large, and the home is quite warmly furnished, with sofas and carpets in beige.

It's just that after Li You opened the refrigerator and saw a bunch of fast food, he knew that there was a high probability that the two of them rarely cooked in person.

Richmond has been in good shape in recent years, and after the composer was driven into the living room, he took the beer thrown by Li You, and complained helplessly:

"Jimmy left SNL, Tina should also make the right choice, the work pressure is too much, we are planning to have a child, and it has dragged on until now."

In May, Jimmy Fallon left Saturday Night and Tina Fay had thoughts of leaving, but was still hesitating.

Li You looked at Richmond, who had black curly hair, and spat out his bitterness, telling about the inhuman work pressure of Saturday night, and couldn't help but joke:

"Jeff, I think you should keep yourself in shape, you look more like the one who has been crushed by pressure."

Looking at his obvious beer belly, Richmond sighed helplessly, love also has an expiration date, he is indeed slacking off.

Around 2000, the two were living in poverty, Li You reached out to help, and now the conditions are better, but there are some minor problems in the relationship.

Tina Fi, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, could guess what her husband was complaining about, and Kim was a year younger than her, but from the outside, she looked more like a 25-year-old.

"Kim, when are you going to have a baby? I don't know if I should quit my job, my life has been a mess lately. ”

Jin, who was wearing a blue wide David robe, knew the purpose of tonight's dinner, looked at his friend with a tangled expression, and said in a relaxed tone:

"I think it's next year! You should also think about leaving SNL and relieving the pressure, and Jeff will definitely agree. ”

Although Lee Woo's love life is a bit chaotic, Tina Fey is beginning to understand Kim's choice.

The two whispered, Jin's face was slightly red, he shook the ponytail behind his head, and complained in a low voice:

"Clay has always wanted to fill Peninsula Manor!"

“.”

After the warm family dinner, Li You drove home, and Jin, who was sitting in the co-pilot, twisted his body, pretended not to care and said:

"Milinda isn't here tonight"

Without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Li You interrupted:

"I know, tonight I promise it's a sleepless night!"

"You're such a little bastard!"

The waist was twisted, Li You laughed instead, every girl has a different way of invitation, this year everyone rarely does safety protection, and the population is expected to increase next year.

Ahead of the start of the new season, Philadelphia's sports media broke the defense again.

In the preseason game on the night of the 29th, the 76ers were blown up again!

At 109:81, the 76ers playing at home were powerless.

Since '96, there have been 32 losses in the regular season and 8 in the preseason.

Regardless of the playoffs, the 76ers have not won a single game in these games with little intensity

Iverson has stopped talking in recent years, and he did not play in this year's preseason, and sat on the bench to watch the game with a big face throughout the whole process.

Philadelphia fans were also expecting Iverson to make a statement after the game, but the man left the game early after the game and appeared to be avoiding an interview with a sports reporter.

The New York Post did not miss this opportunity, and after the big win over the opponent, the column on the second day mocked in the face:

"Allen Iverson seems to be out of his injury and the 76ers operator will be waiting to answer the call!"

"It's a shame that the Knicks won't make an offer, and Fisher is a better fit for the team than Iverson."

Fred Cober's columns are always taunting opponents, and he said something similar after the game against the Nets two days ago

Kidd underwent surgery on his knee, and the New York media has been believing that the Nets will eventually choose to trade the 31-year-old point guard.

Perhaps because the opponent was too weak, Gran Tehill's injury didn't affect the team too much.

In 4 preseason games, the New York media has gradually become presumptuous, and it has now returned to a state of crazy blowing X.

Li You, who was interviewed, didn't want to talk too much about the game with rookie, but he still drew a big pie for New York fans:

'The team is in great shape, there are 13 games in November and we intend to warm up before Christmas.

"Maybe we won't have 70 wins this season, but I don't think 60 wins should be a problem."

"There are a lot of young players in the squad and we plan to continue to strengthen the attack in the new season and coach D'Antoni will completely activate the team!"

Although Laga Bell will increase the usage rate of Li You, the degree of adaptation is excellent.

The offseason shooting practice still had an effect, and after observing 4 games, D'Antoni couldn't help but swell:

"You can complete an attack in 7 seconds, I believe in Lee's offensive choice!"

"If we get a pass in the open space, all we have to do is make a decisive shot, the new rules are good for attack, it's time to cut down on those ineffective passes!"

In the offseason, the two owners, James Dolan and Mark Cuban, sent another request to the league, and this time the league did not refuse again.

The Handcheck rule will be abolished in the new season, and although the referee will have to adjust the blowing scale, the outside stars are destined to be strengthened!

Li You and D'Antoni blew X, and Ewing, who had just gotten rid of the emotional crisis, also waved his flag and shouted.

The Gorilla nearly divorced his wife in the offseason, the impact of the Gold Club affair gradually diminished, and Ewing began to let himself go again.

The reason why Ewing didn't fly to China was also to save the marriage, but fortunately, the knife worked, and in the end, his wife chose to forgive.

On Friday, October 29, in a survey, the league's general managers voted Ron Artest the best defender;

At the same time, Artest also won the title of the league's toughest player.

Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons finished just No. 2 in both polls.

This news made Artest swell again, and even the New York media followed suit.

The NHL (hockey) next door has recently been shut down, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement has not yet been agreed upon, and the New York Times also reported on David Stern's recent conference call:

"The NHL is an example of this, and we should reach an agreement as soon as possible."

The disagreement over the new collective bargaining agreement was that the owners wanted to change the maximum duration of the contract to four years, which was strongly opposed by the players' union.

On November 1st, the NBA league continued to preview the new season, and tomorrow's opener, the league prepared three games for fans.

Rockets vs. Mavericks, Nuggets vs. Lakers, Pistons vs. Knicks.

The new season has added some ceremonial touches to the league, unlike the usual opener with a draw of 10 games a day.

The highlight of the Rockets is naturally the "Yao Mai Combination", on the Lakers' side, Tom Janovic finally took over the team.

Under the guidance of this famous coach, fans are also very much looking forward to what kind of performance Kobe Bryant can play.

As for the game between the Pistons and the Knicks, it is a continuation after the Eastern Conference Finals.

Before the game even started, the sports media on both sides were already in a battle.

The New York Post, while mocking its opponents, did not forget to continue the gossip:

'Charles Barkley probably won't be with TNT for long, and he wants to come back to the league again, not as a player, but more in management.

For such gossip reports, in the morning TNT program, Charles Barkley personally confirmed:

"I'm going to be the general manager of a team sooner or later, I'm not in a hurry about that, I'm absolutely confident!"

"I pack the ticket, I can go anywhere, and the reason is simple, I can do better than the current management!"

"If I were the general manager of the 76ers, I would give up Iverson completely, and believe me it was definitely the right choice."

'He's no longer fit to lead the team, he's completely destroyed by Lee and I don't see any desire to win in his eyes.

"The shit-like performance of the Olympics didn't motivate him either, and if I were the general manager, I would trade him away immediately!"

It's not uncommon for NBA star players to hold general manager and head coach positions, and not just Barkley, but Michael Jordan is also working on it

Kenny Smith watched his partner's output and couldn't help but interrupt:

"Trade Iverson, there is simply no better defender in the market than him."

"I think the 76ers are right in their strategy, they should continue to build talent!"

Ernnie Johnson was not worried about the two arguing on the show, but instead asked at this time:

"Does the 76ers have a chance to make the playoffs this season? After such a long break, Iverson should be back in shape. ”

Charles Barkley was a little upset when he was interrupted by the two, and replied without hesitation when he heard the question:

"Without any chance, Iverson is not a qualified leader."

"I'm more bullish on the Cavaliers, they did well in the preseason, Coach Van Gundy changed the Cavaliers' defense, they're going to be a no-fly team!"

"Among the rookie players, LeBron James and Wade have the opportunity to challenge Lee and beat Lee to win the championship after his rookie contract ends, and I'm happy to see that."

Kenny Smith and his partner are on the same page, and the Cavaliers have really shown great form of the game:

"Coach Van Gundy is delivering on his promise to win championships defensively, and I'm just as bullish on the Cavaliers as they are in the new season."

“.”

In the preseason, in order to adjust the state, each team will also exert strength, compared to the 76ers, the Cavaliers have maintained a full win in the preseason.

Despite all the buzz in Cleveland's sports media, Van Gundy still has some troubles:

"The new Howard is rougher than he thought"

Ewing can digest the ball, and Howard doesn't see that potential at the moment.

If Howard takes 15 shots in a game, then half of the rounds will be eaten and some rebounds will be second.

The low-post singles job is still too difficult for Howard at the moment.

The ripple effect of this situation is that the usage of LeBron James has skyrocketed.

Fortunately, the team's defense is on the line, and in the preseason, they relied on their individual ability to counterattack and blow up the opponent.

On the Sport Center show, the highlight goal of the preseason was James's.

In the game against the Pacers, James collected the rebound in the backcourt, chased the opponent's ass all the way to the paint area, and finally completed the layup against the defense.

Although the Pacers had completed the retreat, James seized the opportunity to gain a stable foothold, and relied on his personal impact to complete the score.

The Cavaliers' tactics are not complicated, try to reduce the number of rounds, create more counter-attack opportunities, shoot badly, rebound the ball.

Translated into simple basketball terms, it can also be summed up in one word:

"Loot."

Perhaps seeing the hope of making the playoffs, LeBron James and Howard are not as bitter and bitter as Iverson, and they giggle and play happy basketball when they are interviewed.

Although he was not able to participate in the opening game, James was still in a good mood in an interview with Cleveland Sports Media:

"It's a brand new team and we're enjoying the game!"

"Dwight is so talented that I just have to break into the paint and throw the ball into the air and then I can see him do the aerial relay under the basket."

"We're confident we're back in the playoffs this season!"

Van Gundy was also very happy with the current state of the Cavaliers, his plan worked, and he became extra confident in the midst of the hype:

'Now all we have to do is go through more games and give it our all every game.'

"When the rookie players are fully adapted to the league, the Cavaliers will change qualitatively, and we're ready for that!"

Although the sports media knew that the Cavaliers would most likely not cause much trouble to the Knicks, in order to create a buzz, ball commentators began to open their eyes and talk nonsense again:

"In the new season, the Cavaliers led by Van Gundy will be the biggest opponent on the way to the Knicks' title defense!"

These words were applied to the Heat not long ago, and the sports media in Miami have long shouted:

"Heat championship!"

On November 2nd, Madison Square Garden will usher in the championship award ceremony at 7 p.m. that night.

During the preseason in October, there were no commentators commenting on the strength of the Knicks, and there were just teams laughing at their local fans.

Detroit's sports media stopped choking back in November, leaving New York's newspapers to the odds.

Grant Hill's injury did have some ripple effects, at least Eastern Conference fans felt like the home team had a chance!

In the afternoon, the Knicks warmed up early for the crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Li You wore a new style of compression clothing and smiled to sell products to sports reporters:

"The HeatGear series is more breathable and can provide wrap and support for the muscles!"

"Don't underestimate the sports gear, that's my secret to staying healthy."

Although everyone didn't believe it, they praised this beautiful compression suit.

Under the pure white compression clothes, the muscle outline of Li You's upper body can be clearly seen, and the biceps brachii of the shoulders and arms are particularly obvious.

If you look closely, you can still see 6-pack abs under the pectoral muscles.

Every year after the start of the new season, Li You will cut his hair shorter, although he has become stronger, but he has not become bald, and the whole person looks strong and capable.

Under Armour's compression clothing line sold well, and even the stock price stabilized.

After seeing Lee You's figure, many sports reporters felt that he did not relax his requirements for himself in the offseason.

After all, the body doesn't lie, and the Los Angeles Times report is definitely deliberately smeared, just to highlight Kobe Bryant, who trains hard

The Knicks, who were still warming up for their shots, looked relaxed, and although their opponent tonight was the Pistons, everyone was confident that they would win on awards night.

After some business blowing, an ESPN reporter suddenly asked Li You about the gossip news:

"Lee, Sprewell still hasn't been able to reach a contract extension with the Timberwolves."

"We've been told that Sprewell thinks he deserves a big contract and that he seems intent on returning to New York as a free agent if he ultimately fails to reach an agreement with the team."

Last Thursday, Sprewell did not attend the Timberwolves' mandatory dinner party.

Although Kassel was also absent from the dinner, the aliens were absent because of the flu.

What's even more outrageous is that when Minnesota's sports media interviewed Sprewell, the championship guard didn't make any excuses and generously admitted:

"I wasn't going to go to the dinner in the first place, I just wanted to see how the management reacted."

"Unfortunately, I haven't received any response at the moment."

"I'm a championship guard, and with my help, the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals last season."

"I shared my championship experience with the Knicks without reservation, and I told everyone how Lee took on the responsibility of leadership!"

"Obviously it worked, and Kevin got his first career MVP trophy."

"In the Timberwolves, I consider myself indispensable, I gave everything for the team, and now I just want to get a contract that matches my status."

"If I don't end up with a deal, I'm going to leave this team as a free agent, and maybe it's better to go back to New York."

Although the Timberwolves press officer said that the contract issue will not affect Sprewell's ability to play, there is no guarantee that the championship guard will play any tricks.

ESPN recently reported on this incident, and the people who eat melons watched the news and followed suit.

Regarding the remarks of the champion defender, Li You also felt outrageous, this kind of unparalleled self-confidence, it was difficult for him to evaluate:

"Sprewell was really good last season, I know what he's capable of, and the Timberwolves will make a deal with him, it's a win-win signing!"

"I'm also very welcoming to Sprewell back to New York, we've won the title together and the fans won't forget his contribution."

“.”

It's hard for the Knicks to offer another big contract, and sports reporters are aware of the team's salary space next season, and Lee Yoo is talking all about the scene.

After the interview, Li You, who came to the sidelines, looked at Stoudemire, who was focusing on the warm-up, and thought of Grunfield's entrustment, and suddenly felt that he should send more cakes:

"It's a win-win for this season!"

“.”

(End of chapter)