NBA: The Basketball Miracle

Chapter 512: These Leeks Are No Good Anymore (3086 words)

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On April 19, 2007, major mainstream media sports sections began reporting on the New York Knicks breaking the Celtics' record.

The home record had been sealed for many years, but it finally couldn't escape being broken.

The Celtics have become history.

In modern basketball, they are the biggest losers.

This season, under the leadership of Rivers, the Celtics had an 18-game losing streak, and their 21-61 record directly broke the hearts of Boston fans.

However, when it came to tanking, the Grizzlies were even better with a 20-62 record.

The Grizzlies, who were about to change owners, had already set their sights on the draft, almost shouting, "Greg Oden, here we come!"

The goals of tanking teams are very clear: an excellent big man is the cornerstone of a team's building.

A core guard like Clay Lee is still not as reliable as a player with obvious talent.

That morning, the NBA also announced the leaders in various statistical categories for the season:

With an average of 33.3 points, the unburdened Clay Lee easily crushed everyone to once again win the scoring title.

With an average of 12.8 rebounds, Kevin Garnett won the rebounding title for the fourth consecutive year.

With an average of 11.6 assists, Steve Nash won the assist title for the second time.

With an average of 3.3 blocks, Marcus Camby won the blocking title for the second consecutive year.

With an average of 2.8 steals, Clay Lee once again won the steal title.

After the individual statistics were announced, some were happy and some were sad.

Dwight Howard was just shy of surpassing Kevin Garnett to win an award, and Kobe Bryant, with an average of 31.6 points, was also just a tiny bit short of winning the scoring title.

Unfortunately, both of them ultimately missed out on individual trophies.

No one remembers the second place.

The playoffs will officially begin the day after tomorrow, but there isn't much to watch in the first round, as the record gaps this season are simply too large.

The Eastern Conference playoff matchups are:

73-win New York Knicks vs. 40-win Washington Wizards, 59-win Cavaliers vs. 41-win Nets.

49-win Detroit Pistons vs. 46-win Chicago Bulls, 44-win Heat vs. 47-win Toronto Raptors.

Under the new rules, although the Heat won the division title, they could only secure the fourth seed and did not have home-court advantage in their series against the Toronto Raptors.

The Western Conference playoff matchups are:

68-win Dallas Mavericks vs. 40-win Warriors, 59-win Phoenix Suns vs. 41-win Lakers.

58-win San Antonio Spurs vs. 41-win Denver Nuggets, 50-win Utah Jazz vs. 50-win Houston Rockets.

Aside from the Houston Rockets, the teams in the lower half of the Western Conference did not have ideal records.

The 40-win bottom teams were clearly lacking in strength, which was the fundamental reason why most basketball commentators believed there was no suspense in the first round.

Aside from previewing the playoffs, the Los Angeles Times did not comment much on the Lakers' 7th place finish.

The Lakers, who were preparing for battle, were in low spirits after their morning practice.

The end of the regular season meant the beginning of turmoil.

Many people would leave the team next season.

After the New York Knicks easily secured 73 wins by defeating the Bobcats with their rotation lineup in the final regular season game, a Los Angeles Times column even prematurely predicted a championship that morning:

"The Celtics have officially ended, and the rise of the New York Knicks is unstoppable."

With the best historical record and the best historical home record, easily securing two records, both team and individual statistics made opponents feel desperate.

Phil Jackson knew Kobe was doing extra practice, but the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man didn't like this decision.

He believed the locker room issues were bigger, and a constantly divided team had no hope of winning a championship.

Since the Lakers' game would be held on the 22nd, more than three days of rest allowed the team to adjust calmly.

Phil Jackson stopped Kobe, who was about to leave, and stared at the core player, saying seriously:

"Kobe, you must solve the locker room problem. I don't want to interfere with player conflicts, but you should know that to win, you have to be united."

Most players had already returned to the locker room by this time.

Kobe, who had gained nothing this season, was in a bad mood and scoffed when he heard the coach's words:

"I said long ago to kick those lazy bums out of the team, but you all did nothing."

"This isn't my problem. I'm not interested in working with them. They lack a championship mentality. You know I'm right. I don't want to repeat my previous points. Rob Pelinka warned you all long ago!"

The pep talk had long lost its effect.

Kobe didn't have much respect for the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man either.

The fact that he was willing to work with him again after he wrote a book criticizing him was a sign of his magnanimity.

Seeing Kobe's mocking expression, Phil Jackson also felt a bit annoyed.

His face remained expressionless as he quietly suggested again:

"Don't interfere with team trades. No one likes you doing that. You can't expect every player to be as dedicated as you are. You have to adapt to them."

"I received a text from Kevin, but I didn't reply. He wants to leave Minnesota, so I'll just watch what you guys do!"

"That's my demand. Don't make me compromise with those lazy bums. They must get off the team."

After saying this, Kobe didn't even look at Phil Jackson's grim face.

He knew the playoffs were unlikely to go far, so he focused on next year.

He wanted to interfere with trades.

Kobe turned and left, ultimately showing the Kentucky Fried Chicken Old Man his back.

He remained silent during the afternoon practice and drove home alone after his extra workout.

Since they were departing for Phoenix tomorrow, Kobe entered sage mode after returning home.

On the TV, the ESPN program was still boasting, the records exciting the commentators:

"73 wins are definitely not the New York Knicks' limit. For the home record, they gave up many easily attainable victories."

"I think Clay Lee should be re-elected MVP. Dirk Nowitzki is excellent, but the gap between the two is too big."

"In his 11th season in the league, no team has truly been able to limit Lee. In comparison, Dirk still has a lot of room for improvement."

The late-night SportsCenter was still discussing the MVP selection, with Clay Lee's and Dirk Nowitzki's individual statistics being repeatedly broadcast:

Playing 81 games, Clay Lee averaged 33.4 minutes per game, scoring 33.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.8 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.6 turnovers.

He averaged 18.1 field goal attempts per game, with a 59.6% field goal percentage.

From beyond the arc, he averaged 8.1 attempts per game, with a 46.5% three-point percentage.

He averaged 8.5 free throw attempts per game, with a 92.9% free throw percentage.

"308 three-pointers in a single season," "180 Club," "PER 41.0 breaking historical records"—the voices on the TV started to become grating again.

Kobe stared at the screen expressionlessly.

It was almost midnight.

Vanessa felt helpless watching the flickering light in the living room.

She seriously suspected her husband was having psychological problems.

"This year, Kobe Bryant once again topped the brick-laying list, averaging 12.3 bricks per game. The 81-point scorer even lost his most Specialties (most skilled at) thing to Clay Lee."

"No one expects the Lakers to rise again under his leadership. Shaq's departure was fatal for them."

"They have no chance against the Phoenix Suns. Amare Stoudemire is a beast. He has championship experience, and compared to his time with the New York Knicks, his shooting is even better!"

"..."

Kobe, who had won the title of 'Iron King', looked even worse after hearing the voice from the TV.

Last year, everyone respected him, but in just one year, he became the target of sports reporters' ridicule again.

"Stop watching these boring shows. They don't understand you at all. Most of the news is fake. Let's get some rest early."

Vanessa sat beside her husband, but her comforting words had no effect.

Kobe still stared intently at the TV, as if the mockery and skepticism were right beside him.

"I swear, this is the last time they'll humiliate me!"

Kobe's sudden whisper startled Vanessa.

She still couldn't understand her husband's feelings.

Ending the playoffs early might actually be good, at least they could get more time for vacation and rest.

"Where are we going this year? How about France? The children should love this trip."

Halfway through her sentence, Kobe didn't look at Vanessa, but stared at the TV and said in a deep voice:

"I'm going to play in the Americas Championship qualifiers. I'm going to make these guys who look down on me apologize!"

Hearing this basketball choice, Vanessa opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

Her husband hadn't been right since Christmas.

Perhaps only a psychologist could truly solve the problem.

The townhouse on 82nd Street in Manhattan was also lit up at this time.

Winning awards held no novelty for Lee.

After all, all trophies were the same, just two more minor achievements.

Manchester United had hopes of winning the league championship this year, but Lee sighed inwardly as he flipped through emails.

While a championship was good, he seemed to have hit a "bottleneck."

After the last regular season game against the Bobcats, the Knicks won the Atlantic Division championship.

There were too many reporters last night, and then they celebrated at the hotel, so Lee didn't notice the change in his talent panel.

When he returned home in the morning, he found that he hadn't gained any new talents this time.

He waited for a day, still with no gains.

Lee finally confirmed that the "leeks" in the NBA had been completely harvested by him!

In the study, Lee would occasionally call out the panel while flipping through emails. [Marksman] and [LeBron James' Extraordinary Physique] were displayed there, all alone.

The two deep purple talents indicated that he still had room for improvement, but Lee's prolonged wait for new talents still made him a bit unhappy, so he could only console himself mentally:

"This batch of 'leeks' isn't good. There will be another chance later!"

Thinking of Manchester United winning the championship, Lee had a glimmer of hope again.

Perhaps a football championship would also bring rewards.

Scarlett, wearing a camisole nightgown, had just showered.

When she brought a glass of juice to the study, she saw Lee propping his chin with his right hand, constantly scrolling the mouse wheel.

Placing the juice on the table, barefoot Scarlett moved behind him.

After a "charge with the ball," she hugged Lee from behind, glanced at the computer screen, and whispered:

"Are the earnings down? It's okay, dear, I'm already satisfied with how things are now."

Fragrance and softness enveloped him. Lee heard the succubus whisper, turned his head, and kissed her.

The earnings from "armand de brignac" didn't bother him much, but he wouldn't refuse the girl's comfort.

After some exchange, Scarlett snuggled into Lee's arms.

Only she had abundant energy at home, tirelessly playing some exciting little games.

"Be patient. The potential of a new champagne is more than this. If we win the championship, we can also go to England for an advertisement."

"The earnings have just begun."

Lee's words were interrupted again.

The succubus made the first move.

As her shoulder strap fell, her massive, pale form began to contort.

Soon, Scarlett giggled, completely naked, having transformed into a different kind of knowledge.

The up and down movements, going from deep to shallow, relieved Lee's depression.

Scarlett occasionally whispered provocations until Melinda appeared at the study door, tilting her head and teasing:

"Looks like I came at the wrong time."

Lee embraced the trembling, giggling succubus in his arms, stood up directly, looked at the smirking big-breasted girl, and extended another invitation:

"No, dear, you came at just the right time!"

On Saturday, April 21st, after spending a night at the hotel, the Wizards boarded the bus in the afternoon to Madison Square Garden for warm-ups.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, some self-hyped fans gathered at the arena entrance, loudly protesting Dirk Nowitzki's MVP.

This award was basically a foregone conclusion.

68 wins, a historical record.

The Dallas Mavericks performed exceptionally well this season, and Dirk Nowitzki's award was well-deserved.

However, the New York Media did not recognize the German, just as they had mocked Kevin Garnett and Duncan before.

Many columnists referred to this selection as "charity."

Fortunately, New York fans also knew that 68 wins was difficult, so they no longer called Dirk Nowitzki a "thief."

Except for extreme fans, the protests this year were somewhat quieter than last year.

Gilbert Arenas' injury caused the Wizards to win only one game in April, with their record plummeting, almost losing their playoff spot to the Pacers.

The giant posters outside the Madison Square Garden were also updated.

Lee's second-generation signature shoes, in their latest orange colorway, debuted in the playoffs.

Nike's advance technology even hinted at new surprises for the Finals.

Experiencing the New York playoff atmosphere for the first time, Gilbert Arenas was not in a good mood.

This city was very passionate about basketball, and fans wearing white Knicks jerseys were everywhere.

After a day of observation, most of the Black brothers who liked basketball in Manhattan wore Knicks hats.

Gilbert Arenas didn't see any of his supporters.

It seemed no one cared about his arrival.

Due to his injury, Gilbert Arenas was not on the team's 12-man active roster, which led to an exaggeratedly one-sided prediction for tonight's game, and the hype also decreased.

As the Wizards began to warm up, Antawn Jamison became the focus of New York reporters' observation.

Gilbert Arenas, dressed in a light gray suit, realized no one was paying attention to him, so he took the initiative to strike up a conversation with the reporters, smiling as he watched his teammates from the sidelines and said confidently:

"I believe in Antawn. We won once in the regular season. As long as we get one road win, I guarantee this series will go to Game 7!"

"..."

No one took the bait.

Gilbert Arenas was a bit annoyed.

He had just revealed his return-from-injury timeline, which was big news.

"You should be glad you're injured, otherwise, you'd have a share in the largest point differential record in playoff history!"

"We looked at your stats. 28 points on 41% shooting. In New York, you're just a small-timer. We're not those unsophisticated guys in Washington."

William Rhoden, 56, is a well-known sports journalist and columnist for The New York Times.

He and Stephen A. Smith are the number one "Lee boosters."

The two often partner up, and their identity as Black men allows them to be uninhibited.

Most of their articles and comments take pleasure in ridiculing opponents, making them very popular with New York fans.

Rhoden's words almost made Gilbert Arenas explode with rage.

He watched the old man push up his glasses and then ignore him.

A few people looked back once and continued to whisper, seemingly discussing how to stir up trouble.

Gilbert Arenas was so angry his eyes were bulging.

He finally understood why every team that played in the New York playoffs afterwards had such sour expressions.

With his anger burning, he involuntarily raised his voice:

"Damn it! I'm 4th in scoring, and I made 205 three-pointers, ranking 2nd—"

"Oh! Who remembers 2nd place?"

"..."

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