In the 1998 All-Star Weekend, Clay Lee was the biggest winner!
The young players were criticized, and a certain old guy was unhappy, but on the surface he had to praise generously and show his superstar style:
"I am very happy to see young players making their mark on the All-Star stage. Congratulations to Lee, he played the performance that the fans expected."
Michael Jordan smiled when he was interviewed after the game, showing that he did not value the trophy.
It's just that some New York media took some photos, and the content is not what Michael said.
When David Stern presented the award to Lee, the old man couldn't hide his threatening look!
With 10 of 16 shots, Michael Jordan took the most shots in the Eastern Conference All-Stars, scoring 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 turnovers.
This performance is also for the MVP!
Kobe, who was frequently dunked on the court, also had the illusion that he was the protagonist.
It was not until the awards ceremony after the game that Kobe Bryant realized that he had overthought and that Lee had done a lot of things that offended people.
However, at the post-game press conference, he was still very happy:
"Michael Jordan is not the Suns. Who says we have to revolve around him?"
"It's none of my business if Mike is unhappy!"
Lee stopped pretending and put on an attitude of being the boss in his home court.
He accepted the interview in a carefree manner:
"At 20 years and 39 days old, Lee, congratulations on becoming the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA All-Star Game!"
"Can you talk about the Knicks' record after the All-Star break? Will we still be in first place?"
The reporter from the New York Post was also in a state of smiling as he received the award.
He didn't have to worry about tomorrow's news!
"The record is not important. After the All-Star Game, we will definitely maintain the first place."
"We need to have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. I mean, we need home-court advantage in the finals as well!"
"For this goal, the whole team will go all out!"
Lee's serious answer made the New York media in the audience excited again:
"We are going to make it to the finals!"
The more they boasted, the happier they became.
Soon, someone asked cheerfully,
"Lee, you have a chance to win the MVP this season. What are your expectations for this award?"
Although he is currently ranked first in the MVP rankings, Lee is not optimistic about himself because he scores too few points:
"I am not a scorer! As a point guard on the court, I hope to lead my teammates!"
"Of course, if there is an opportunity to exchange the crystal trophy for a bronze trophy, I will also gladly accept it."
Lee answered with a smile, and the New York media in the audience laughed again, while some reporters were speechless.
Not a scorer, Clay Lee became the youngest player in NBA history to score 1,000 points, and also the youngest player in history to score 2,000 points.
Although this small achievement is not important, everyone has reported it.
Looking at the two groups of people on and off the stage bragging about each other, some Chicago media whispered:
"The Bulls will successfully defend their title."
There is still one day of holiday after the All-Star Weekend, and many teams have also made some moves.
On the Knicks side, several atmosphere group members signed contracts until the end of the season, and they have barely established a foothold in the team.
The Pistons changed their head coach and Alvin Gentry officially took over.
After the 76ers sent away Jerry Stackhouse, who failed to compete for the top spot, in December, they used the 1998 second-round draft pick to trade Eric Snow from the SuperSonics after the All-Star Weekend.
On the morning of February 9, when Lee looked at these familiar names, some memories in his mind were activated again.
Driving to the training hall in the afternoon, Lee just arrived at the locker room and found Larry Johnson with a constipated expression on his face.
"Back injury flared up? Are you still training during these days off?"
The "Grandmama" complained helplessly after hearing what Lee said:
"I just moved my body a little, who knew it would end up like this."
Alan Houston took advantage of the holidays to fly to Miami with his family for vacation.
Life is more important than basketball.
During this rare vacation, we should enjoy life first.
"Fortunately, the schedule isn't too tight, so it's okay to take a few breaks!"
After his shot count increased, Alan Houston also found his confidence and was confident that he could support the team's offense.
As everyone arrived at the training hall, the noise became louder and louder, and everyone congratulated Lee on winning the award.
Jeff Van Gundy's feet were floating, and it seemed that he had not yet recovered from the great joy.
The bald young coach vented his anger in this year's All-Star Game. Seeing that Michael Jordan was unhappy, he was happy:
"We need to get into the game as soon as possible, we need to be more nervous and strive to maintain our first place in the league!"
The bald young coach began to nag and offer chicken soup again.
Although the team did not strengthen the inside as he hoped, complaining is useless at this time.
He can only firmly believe that persistence is victory.
In the first week after the All-Star Weekend, the Knicks have a total of 3 games to play.
Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff were worried that the players would not be able to get into shape early, but as the game progressed, all concerns disappeared.
After easily defeating the Hornets and Magic, on the evening of the 15th, at Madison Square Garden, New York fans witnessed Alan Houston's sudden outburst!
91:104, in the game against the Cavaliers, Alan Houston played 36 minutes, made 12 of 18 shots, 4 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, 8 of 10 free throws, and scored 36 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.
It was a game that almost lasted three quarters, and with Alan Houston's efficient performance, the New York fans at the scene were excited again!
After the game, the two people in the MSG commentary booth also took the opportunity to interview Alan Houston.
Knicks legend Walt Frazier asked with a smile:
"With a hit rate of over 60% and 30+ points, I think the fans are curious about how you can stay hot?"
Alan Houston, who has played efficiently in several consecutive games, answered confidently:
"I just play according to the tactical requirements. As long as I run to the designated position in time, I can get the pass. The rest of the work is to get the ball into the basket."
"Lee is an excellent commander. He can always find the right offensive rhythm for us. I only need to think about scoring. This is the secret to my efficient game!"
"."
In this game, Lee scored a big double double of 20 points, 3 rebounds, 16 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.
His offensive coordination became more and more skillful, and his statistics began to rise a little bit.
In the subsequent Western Conference road trip, the Knicks' record fluctuated.
First, they lost back-to-back to the Jazz, and then after returning home on Sunday, they lost to the Rockets, a team of the old Big Three.
Just as Jeff Van Gundy worried, Chris Dudley's dunking skills were average, and he didn't have much of a defense when facing star inside players.
In the previous away game, he fouled out after 21 minutes, but tonight he was robbed by Olajuwon and Barkley who had just returned from injury.
Despite losing two games, New York fans didn't care because their opponents also lost.
The Pacers first lost to the bottom-ranked Mavericks, and then lost to the Bulls and Magic.
After the All-Star Game, the Knicks relied on their stable ability to bully weak teams and opened up another winning streak.
On the evening of the 22nd, after the game, commentator Mike Breen suddenly sighed and said:
"Pippen is officially back, the Bulls haven't lost a game yet, and the defending champions are still going strong!"
After the All-Star Game, most teams began to sprint for better results.
Not only the Bulls, but the Jazz also became more and more courageous. Karl Malone won the Player of the Week again.
Walt Frazier is not worried about the Knicks' situation.
It is normal for a team that relies on outside shooting to have fluctuations in its shooting touch.
He is more concerned about Lee's performance:
"After the All-Star Game, Li's condition has been getting better and better, with double-digit assists in four consecutive games."
"The new tactical system created by coach Van Gundy is working."
"Open up the offense, less post-ups, quicker ball movement, more transition offense."
"Although we still need to solve some rebounding problems, I believe we can maintain our current ranking!"
Oakley was not in a good mood after losing to the Rockets, but facing the declining form of Olajuwon and Barkley, the Knicks' inside line still couldn't hold on:
"The win gap is narrowing, the Bulls are going to surpass the Pacers, and I know Michael Jordan won't give up."
Oakley's words caused the atmosphere group to start discussing again.
They thought the opponent was no longer good, but they did not expect that at the end of the season, the Bulls began to exert their strength.
"We still have a chance. As long as we can get the first place in the Eastern Conference, the schedule will become very easy."
"The second place is the Bulls, and they will probably face the Pacers in the semifinals. I like to see this kind of matchup!"
Lee returned to his seat and painted a pie in the sky for everyone.
The 19-game winning streak at the start of the new season played a role.
The first place in the Eastern Conference is too important, and Lee doesn't want to face the Pacers.
Without the three-second defense, the opponent's two big men combined with the outside shooters who can run, the balance between inside and outside, is very difficult to deal with.
If you want to accumulate advantages in the playoffs, you have to start from the regular season.
The Knicks also know that this is a critical moment:
"To keep the first place, we must fight hard!"
In the last two games of February, the Knicks did not waste any opportunities when they returned to their home court, defeating the Warriors and the Bucks by large margins.
On the evening of the 26th, the Bucks lost by a large margin, but Ray Allen played the full 48 minutes.
The Bucks' record has fluctuated since All-Star point guard Terrell Brandon was injured.
After losing tonight, the team is now 28-28 and has dropped to 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Ray Allen also took on some organizational tasks tonight.
It was just that the tactical intentions were too obvious in some rounds and the quality of the ball was not high, which led to 7 turnovers in the end.
On the morning of the 27th, Lee was able to entertain his friend at home.
The Bucks have had a very easy schedule recently, with three games in a week, and the coaching staff took the opportunity to let the players move freely in New York.
Ray Allen looked at Lee's trophy in his study with envy.
He had never won an award since entering the league.
"Mark suggests you move to a big city. Milwaukee's exposure is worse than you think!"
"Honestly, this is the better choice."
Agent Mark Bartelstein recently proposed that Ray Allen leave Milwaukee, and Lee also thought it was a feasible idea.
As if impressed by the core player status this season, Ray Allen said in a relaxed tone, rejecting the offer:
"I still want to stay with the Bucks. I have more playing time and my statistics have improved a lot this season. I don't want to leave Milwaukee."
With such a straightforward rejection, Lee felt that the Brothers Basketball game could not be played:
"If you want to enter the playoffs, you must first stabilize your record. If you continue to lose, you will be eliminated."
Ray Allen also knows that the Bucks' record has begun to decline, but looking at these trophies, he feels motivated again:
"Every team has a low period, this is also an experience, believe in the process."
In the last week of February, the Spurs had a 3-1 record and Tim Duncan was named Player of the Week.
He averaged 24.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 4.3 blocks and 4.3 turnovers per game, with a shooting percentage of 47.9% and a free throw percentage of 74.3%.
Duncan has won the Rookie of the Month award since entering the league, and the Rookie Wall does not exist at all.
San Antonio fans are very happy about this.
Duncan is their future, with his talent visible to the naked eye!
ESPN also took advantage of this popularity to announce Lee's February statistics, preparing to compare him with Duncan.
The Knicks had a 9-3 record in February, with Lee averaging 34.5 minutes per game, averaging 21.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 turnovers;
He averaged 15.7 shots per game with a shooting percentage of 47.4%, 6.4 shots from beyond the three-point line with a three-point shooting percentage of 39.7%, and 4.2 free throws per game with a free throw shooting percentage of 89.7%.
After winning the three-point contest, it still had a little impact on Lee.
Everyone wanted to strengthen the championship.
In February, Lee averaged 20+10 per game, but he was surpassed by Michael Jordan in the MVP rankings.
"Lee is excellent, and the Knicks have played well, but the Bulls have won a series of games and have narrowed the gap in wins."
43 wins and 16 losses, February ends, the Bulls are chasing strongly, and the Knicks currently have a record of 43 wins and 12 losses.
On TV, ESPN's commentators were praising the Bulls like crazy.
While watching the show, Lee silently calculated:
"The schedule is relatively tight, but 60+ wins won't be a problem!"
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