Chapter 63 The unavoidable Vanity Fair (Part 1)

On January 20, 1997, the Knicks returned to New York to rest for more than a day, and that night welcomed the Washington Bullets at home.

Since the results of the All-Star voting are about to be announced, most players in the league are taking advantage of this stage to express themselves, and the media frequently withdraws the topic from the All-Star Game.

Although Li You is a new player, he has continuously set new records since entering the league, and he has earned enough attention in the past few months.

In the Knicks locker room before the game, the New York media surrounded Li You twice. This kind of scene often happens recently, and the atmosphere team can only silently regret it.

"Lee, will you be selected for this year's All-Star Game? New York fans voted for you!"

Li You, who had just changed into training clothes, saw everyone throwing recording equipment in front of him, and he could only say nonsense:

"Thank you to the New York fans who voted for me, but I am still a rookie player with little game experience and many technical shortcomings."

"It would be great to participate in the Rookie Challenge. For the All-Star Game, I just want to be a spectator and go to the scene to get a few autographs."

Obviously, this answer did not satisfy the reporters at the scene. As little experts in Gonghuo, these reporters hoped to get more exciting news from Li You:

"Now we can conclude that your votes will definitely exceed Tim Hardaway's!"

"The Knicks' current record is also better than that of the Heat. Li, do you think you will be selected for the All-Star reserve team?"

Li You couldn't complain in his heart. The substitute lineup has nothing to do with votes:

"The coaches in the league will give the best answer. Tim Hardaway is a star guard in the league. I have learned a lot of skills from him. He definitely deserves to be selected as an All-Star."

Seeing that Li You didn't stand up for himself loudly, the New York reporters were a little disappointed, but everyone quickly adjusted their mood:

"It doesn't matter how you say it, what matters is how you write it!"

There were also many New York reporters in front of Ewing. These people seemed to have lost their collective memory. They forgot about their disparagement of Ewing in the past few months and began to follow the fancy praise.

The gorilla was also blown away. This year he has reached the peak of his life again. He happily exchanged business blows with the reporters in front of him.

Larry Johnson made a face and remained silent. The All-Star Game will definitely have nothing to do with him. His data has shrunk severely this season, and it is not his turn to be chosen as a substitute.

"Auntie" is out of date!

Perhaps the flattery of the New York media played a role. In the game that night, Ewing had a strong presence and performed well on both offense and defense.

At 32:53, at the end of the half, the Knicks already led by 21 points.

"The 34-year-old Ewing can still dominate the paint! As long as he maintains this state, I believe the Knicks will still be a strong contender for the championship."

In the MSG commentary box, commentator Marv Albert couldn't hold back and started talking about the home team again.

Commentator John Andaris knew that his old partner talked a little too much, so he quietly changed the subject:

"I want to praise Li's performance. It's hard to believe that he has just turned 19 years old. Look at those records. Anyone who doubts him can shut up!"

"Two years of college basketball helped Lee lay a solid foundation. Give him another two years to become stronger. I don't think the Knicks will have to worry about the back line in the next 10 years."

The game that crushed the game made the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden even more heated, but Jeff Van Gundy did not dare to be careless and increased the rotation after the beginning of the second half.

This week's schedule is too intensive, and the coaching staff doesn't want the team to have injuries.

In the end, the Knicks, who returned home, defeated the Bullets 79:100, making this week's game a good start.

Tonight, the Bullets' Chris Webber was sitting on the bench in formal attire. The schedule was about to be halfway through, and he also suffered from injuries.

Madison Square Garden was still very noisy. Ewing, who was in a good mood, took the initiative to greet the injured Webber after the game, while Ben Wallace, who only played 3 minutes in this game, was being taught a lesson by Oakley:

"After coming on the court, you grabbed a rebound and then just turned back and ran?"

Seeing that Wallace remained silent, Oakley turned to introduce Li You:

"If this guy can't get a contract in the future, remember to take him with you when you come to the Knicks."

"Ben is very talented. Of course, I don't mean offensive talent. As long as he has a suitable platform, he can make a name for himself in the league."

Perhaps he felt that his words were unconvincing. Ben Wallace had very little playing time in the past half of the season. When he played against the Knicks, he couldn't even play. Oakley added:

"Defense also requires talent, he just needs a chance!"

Li You looked at Ben Wallace, who had a crew cut and a low eyebrow, and said in a brisk tone:

"You can run, jump and defend. As long as you do these things well, you don't have to worry about statistics. Man, it's definitely not difficult for you!"

Ben Wallace looked at the two of them, and finally nodded obediently. Although it was a bit embarrassing to go through the back door, but he really couldn't sign a contract next season, so this was also a back door.

After the home game, there will be three consecutive away games. That night, everyone from the Knicks flew straight to Chicago and will challenge the Bulls back to back tomorrow.

As the All-Star Game approaches, the topic of the NBA's top 50 superstars has once again become a hot topic.

The American sports media, which likes to watch the excitement, brought up old stories again and revealed Chamberlain's views:

"In my opinion, the greatest basketball player is neither Michael Jordan nor Magic, but Robertson. It is a pity that he did not catch up with a good era."

Of course, the sports media did not forget to mention Bill Russell’s original remarks:

"In the 1960s, many talented players were born in the league, but we didn't catch up with better times at that time, especially Jerry West, who should have had more rings!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Havchak also agreed with Russell's words, and Pat Riley also followed suit. In an interview, he said that Jerry West was the real "key man."

Throughout history, the American sports media has continued to consume Michael Jordan:

"The lucky ones who are protected by the rules" and "enjoy the dividends of modern basketball".

The All-Star Game is approaching, and Magic Johnson also came out to join in the fun. This good old man did not spend time with his friends, but made a more objective statement:

"Basketball is a collective sport. There are five positions on the court. Everyone is indispensable. It is absolutely unfair to regard one player as the best in history!"

The old guys are obviously relying on their old age. In early October 1996, Michael Jordan was so angry that he almost got angry again when the All-Star Game was approaching.

In this context, the Knicks became a doormat. On the afternoon of the 21st, the Chicago media conducted a routine pre-game interview:

"Michael, have you noticed the Knicks rookie? Lee has broken a lot of records since he entered the league!"

Wearing a Bulls training uniform, Michael Jordan, who was in a bad mood, smiled in front of the media and looked for enemies in vain:

"Charles and I talked about Li. He is a very good young man. He has good basic skills, knows the rules and respects the veterans."

"But I don't want to judge young players. We play in different eras. I respect his playing style!"

"Tonight I accept the challenge from young people and I will go all out. It's time for the rookies to undergo a real baptism!"

Michael Jordan's eccentric answer almost made the Chicago media laugh out loud. Obviously, the vengeful Jordan was very concerned about the views of the old guys.

Naturally, the sports media who like to make headlines will not miss this opportunity. Li You, who had finished warming up before the game, was blocked when he returned to the locker room:

"Lee, how many points will you get tonight?"

"?"

Li You had a question mark on his face, and the Chicago media laughed and repeated Jordan's words, emphasizing the "challenge."

Although he knew that the sports media in front of him were exaggerating, Li You was still a little confused. He couldn't remember what he said about challenging the braised eggs:

"Consider it on your own, searching for enemies in the void?"

"."

Thank you book friends for your collection￣﹁￣
Chapter completed!