Chapter 72 The trouble caused by MVP (10,000-word chapter)

On March 1, 1997, the NBA announced its Player of the Month for February, and Glen Rice of the Charlotte Hornets successfully won the award!

The Hornets achieved a record of 10 wins and 3 losses in February. Glen Rice averaged 42.7 minutes per game, 28.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.0 turnovers per game;

He averaged 20.3 shots per game, shooting 47.7% from the field, 5.2 shots from outside the three-point line, 56.7% from three-point range, 7.4 free throws per game, and 88.5% from the field.

The data exploded, Glenn Rice ate dumplings in February!

The league awarded the Rookie of the Month in February to Li You of the Knicks;

The Knicks also had a record of 10 wins and 3 losses in February. Li You played 35.9 minutes per game, averaging 16.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.0 turnovers per game;

He averaged 12.3 shots per game, shooting 47.8% from the field, 5.1 shots from outside the three-point line, 41.0% from three-point range, 3.6 free throws per game, and 82.1% from the field.

When all the rookie guards were exhausted, Li You, who got the starting position, bucked the trend and once again played All-Star level point guard data!

Except for commentators from major sports media lamenting that Glenn Rice will become the next superstar, no one is teasing Li You as a "star-making product" anymore.

With data close to a double-double, he is definitely among the best among point guards, and he deserves to be an All-Star.

Of course, Raheem of the Vancouver Grizzlies also has very good statistics this month, averaging 24.5 points per game, but the Grizzlies have a record of 3 wins and 10 losses, which greatly lowers their impression points.

Even if the media in Vancouver followed suit, they did not deny Li You's performance. This level is almost catching up with Kevin Johnson at his peak!

The media in New York also followed the carnival. In addition to the print media following the trend, Sports Illustrated also took advantage of the popularity to conduct an exclusive interview with Li You. The cover of the next issue of the magazine also happened to be Li You.

After returning to New York on March 1, Li You originally planned to stay at home. However, in the game against the Nuggets on the 28th, the two sides went to two overtimes, but the Knicks lost.

Li You almost vomited from exhaustion after 48 minutes of playing time. In the next two away games, the entire Knicks team struggled, playing six consecutive away games. This is not something humans do.

In the afternoon, agent Mark Bartelstein, who flew to New York, saw Li You looking like his kidneys were overdrawn, and said helplessly:

"Jeff Van Gundy's employment is too extreme, but it is a good thing for rookie players. Only when they have playing time can they realize their talents, and it is easier to find their form in the starting lineup."

Seemingly thinking of Ray Allen's situation again, Mark Bartelstan paused and sighed again:

"Ray is not as lucky as you. No one pays attention to Milwaukee. There are two talented rookies on the team, but the head coach limits his number of shots."

"I should have said harsh words at the beginning. This is my problem, otherwise Ray should have played with the Celtics."

When thinking about Antoine Walker's special performance in the Celtics, Li You also felt that Ray Allen was indeed unlucky:

"Perhaps the Bucks will make a deal during the offseason and they will always be able to survive!"

The two stopped talking about the unlucky Ray Allen and had to tidy up for the afternoon interview.

He had just joined Sports Illustrated as executive editor in 1995. In early 1997, he was appointed editor-in-chief. At the age of 43, Bill Colhoun was at the peak of his life.

A typical elite white man, who maintains a good figure and treats others kindly. In order to get to know Li You better in life, this interview was completed directly in his apartment in Manhattan.

The accompanying staff were taking photos of some rooms, but Bill Colhoun, who was wearing a black formal suit, asked curiously:

"Li, do you still plan to continue to complete your studies? This is really rare. After all, many players use college as a springboard."

Li You also changed into a light gray formal suit. When he saw the staff taking photos of the study room, he responded casually:

"I have a very good memory. Reading more is not a bad thing. I naturally have to complete my studies within my ability. In fact, reading is a way of recreation for me."

Bill Colhoun nodded in agreement. The times are developing rapidly, and the fact that he can take the position of editor-in-chief is also related to the fact that the old guys have fallen behind:

"Lee, did you notice the last swimsuit issue? We chose supermodel Tyra Banks for the cover. She was the first African-American to appear on the cover of a swimsuit issue."

When Li You heard such meaningful words, he smiled and nodded:

"Of course, I will never miss the swimsuit special issue of every issue. Banksy is very beautiful. I think this issue of the magazine will be very popular!"

"."

The exclusive interview is more about talking about life, studies, and things other than basketball. Fans can see the performance on the court, but everything outside the court is shaped by the media.

For fans who like to watch NCAA games, Li You became well known in his freshman year. His special skin color made him a "giant panda" in the league at that time.

As Connecticut won the championship, Li You often appeared on TV and became a regular on the top ten teams after entering the NBA, and his popularity naturally grew.

In this era, players attach great importance to honors. This is also related to the fact that there are too few awards. For example, the Rookie of the Month award has not yet been divided into the East and West, and the gold content is much higher than in the future.

The Philadelphia media was originally quite satisfied with Iverson's performance, but they were afraid of comparisons. The No. 1 pick started high but fell short, and his performance in February was particularly impressive.

At the end of February, the 76ers first lost to the Heat, and Tim Hardaway taught the newbie a lesson. Iverson made 2 of 13 shots and scored 10 points on free throws.

In the subsequent game against the Suns, Kevin Johnson and Kidd even beat up Iverson!

In this duel of guards, Kevin Johnson made 13 of 22 shots and scored 36 points. Kidd made 7 of 15 shots, scored 19 points and sent 6 steals. The two together contributed 21 assists and had a total of 3 turnovers.

Second-rate.

Iverson made 3 of 15 shots, scored only 8 points, and had 4 turnovers.

"No one can restrain me one on one!"

Throughout February, Iverson's scoring average dropped to 16.4 points per game, his field goal percentage dropped to only 32.4%, and his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 20.3%.

Iverson's boomerang eventually hit him in the face, slapping him in the face, and he has become the subject of ridicule in the media recently.

On the night of March 2nd, the 76ers were beaten again as a guest at Madison Square Garden!

96:111, the Knicks defeated their opponents and ended the last game of the week.

Before the game, watching Li You receive the award amidst the cheers of the New York fans, Iverson took the lemon and kept taking shots after the game started.

As a result, he played 45 minutes, shooting 9 of 24, 3 of 7 from beyond the arc, and 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 22 points.

Too many long two-point shots affected the overall efficiency, with a shooting percentage of less than 40%. After the loss, Iverson left the game lonely.

After returning to the home court to win, MSG interviewed Li You immediately after the game:

"Li, congratulations on winning Rookie of the Month again. I'm glad to see the team ended this week's game with an excellent record. Have you paid attention to the recent MVP news?"

The media in New York are all promoting the gorilla, and commentator John Andaris is no exception.

"Of course, the whole team supports Pat. Our record is better and the team's condition is getting better and better!"

Li You also deliberately ignored the Bulls and continued to support the Gorillas. The two parties made a tacit agreement not to talk about Michael Jordan, and started a wave of business exchanges.

At Madison Square Garden, after the game, there were still a large number of fans who did not leave the stadium. Everyone shouted Li You's name, trying to attract attention.

After the interview, Li You, who was wearing a white home jersey, walked slowly towards the player tunnel and high-fived the fans on both sides:

"The vindictive Maikou is probably going to explode with rage."

On March 4th, the Bucks visited New York back-to-back. The Eastern Conference teams were making great efforts after the All-Star Game, but at this time, the Bucks began to fall behind.

With 25 wins and 33 losses, if they want to reach the playoffs, they need at least a winning streak. However, the Bucks have lost one after another recently, and last night they lost miserably to the Bulls.

Dennis Rodman has been on TV frequently recently, grabbing at least 15 rebounds in 16 consecutive games. After the suspension, Rodman's condition has been explosive.

Ray Allen seemed to have not recovered from the defeat in the previous game. He faced Michael Jordan and was completely defeated.

"Your coach's demands are completely unrealistic. No matter who defends, McDunner will score so many points."

"So don't worry about the defensive failure at all. If someone in the league's team could limit him, the Bulls wouldn't have won 72 games."

Li You entertained his friend at home. Seeing that the other party still looked a little depressed, he told a cruel truth.

"I just wanted to try, but the defense was useless and he kept scoring on my head."

Ray Allen shrugged his shoulders. He always wanted to challenge his idol, but every time they played against him, he was beaten off early.

As Li You said, no matter how the Bucks change defenders, as long as Lu Dan wants to score, it will be the same who will defend.

"Ewing will not win the MVP. The Bulls still have a chance to win 70 games. In this case, there is no suspense about the award."

Despite the overwhelming publicity from the New York media, Ray Allen dismissed it and still believed that his idol would win the award.

This was not the first time Li You heard such words. He did not defend himself, but just smiled and said:

"Everything is possible, the NBA is sometimes a big show!"

"."

On the night of the 4th, Patrick Ewing, who was in high spirits after returning to New York, continued his efficient performance.

Although he played like a forward, after the start, he hit several jump shots near the paint area easily.

In the third quarter of the game, when Gorilla took a free throw, the New York fans at the scene even shouted crazily:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

At the end of the third quarter, 61:76, the Knicks, playing at home, already led by 15 points.

Glenn Robinson had no touch in back-to-back games. He kept taking shots after the start, but he hit the ball like crazy.

During the break, Larry Johnson had another lemon. He had enjoyed this kind of "MVP" shouting when he was with the Hornets.

"You don't really think you're going to win the award, do you? Are the fans and media in New York crazy?"

Covering her mouth with a towel, "Auntie" whispered something next to Li You. After Li You stabilized his starting position, Larry Johnson's data also began to rise.

"Having fun is the most important thing! Look at the fans at the scene, everyone likes to participate in the event, enjoy the process!"

Li You responded in a low voice and expressed his feelings. The whole city united as one to help the players build momentum. This was also the first time he had personally experienced this kind of thing.

The Bucks did not resist in the end and played step by step in the 4th quarter. In the end, 86:100, they gave the Knicks another big victory!
To be continued...