The long suspension of the NBA in the 1998-1999 season had a huge impact on Philadelphia.
Valentine's Day in 1999 was supposed to be the day for Philadelphia to hold the All-Star Game.
It was originally planned to be a feast of celebrities:
Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain would all gather.
As a result, this day ended up being an ordinary regular season game, and Philadelphia suffered a huge loss!
After Michael Jordan retired, it had an impact on many ball markets, and Philadelphia was one of them.
After broadcasting Michael Jordan's retirement ceremony, Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports, once said a point of view:
"We must create a new generation of stars!"
Philadelphia responded positively to this.
Although the long suspension made fans stay away from the game for a long time, as long as there are stars, there will always be fans who buy tickets to support.
The 76ers had a good idea. Taking advantage of the trend of the NBA's star-making movement, they launched their core player Allen Iverson!
Unfortunately, old fans seem to have become accustomed to the NBA represented by Michael Jordan, and many people don't like this small player with a distinctive personality.
Young fans in Philadelphia like Iverson's unruly character, his increasingly unique hip-hop style, and his wonderful life of partying all night with his followers.
Old-school fans are just the opposite.
The natural opposition between the two sides has led to two extremes in Iverson's evaluation.
On the evening of May 12, after a day of rest, the 76ers, who returned to their home court, lost again.
Allen Iverson played 45 minutes, 13 of 26 shots, 1 of 6 three-pointers, 8 of 9 free throws, and scored 35 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers.
102:90, the Knicks, who rotated multiple players, easily defeated their opponents again.
The score was 3:0, and the 76ers were finally swept.
At the First United Center, Philadelphia fans who had been waiting for many years were a little disappointed.
Without the All-Stars, the expected playoffs ended early, and all expectations were dashed!
Negative comments eventually prevailed.
No matter what data Iverson handed in, most of the voices in the post-match press conference were questioning.
In this round of the series, except for the longer rest time in G2, Iverson has tried his best in the other two games.
"Allen, can you tell me the reason why the team lost? Is it related to your playing style on the court?"
"Did too much nightlife affect your condition?"
"We saw that you didn't seem to fully implement the game plan of coach Larry Brown. Can you explain the reason?"
"Did too much attention to appearance take away your basketball energy?"
"Allen, Lee is about to win the MVP of this season. What do you think about this?"
"."
The last question made Iverson, who was wearing a black casual suit and a gold chain, frown.
He said a few polite words and left the press conference soon.
The Philadelphia media that used to praise him were questioning at this moment.
Iverson could not accept such a result.
It is a traditional skill of media reporters to bring up old accounts after losing.
In the NBA league, losers usually have no say.
Compared with Iverson's treatment, Clay Lee is much better.
In the first round of three games, except for G3, which played a little longer, the other two games were all three quarters.
Averaged 31.0 minutes per game, averaging 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 turnovers in three games.
The shooting percentage is no different from the regular season, and the overall efficiency is a little higher.
Combined with the content of the game, the sports media are all clear that the Knicks did not exert their strength at all, with 9 players rotating, and the two teams are not at the same level.
In the morning, the NBA announced the best coach of the season, and the Trail Blazers' Mike Dunleavy Sr. successfully won the award.
The individual award will soon be the regular season Most Valuable Player Award, so after Lee came to the press conference, the media in the audience followed him and flattered him:
"Lee, congratulations on winning this season's MVP!"
As soon as the New York Post reporter finished speaking, Lee, who was wearing a dark blue suit, smiled and interrupted:
"Thank you for your blessing, but the award has not been announced yet!"
The New York media who followed to Philadelphia laughed again, and everyone knew that there was no suspense about this award.
"The Knicks seem to have found their game form. Lee, tell us about your expectations for the team!"
The Philadelphia media on the side saw the New York Times reporter starting to brag about the team in their own territory, and they were so angry that they stared.
"Of course it's the championship. The Knicks are still the strongest team in the league. We are confident that we can win the championship again!"
Lee also started to brag.
The two sides became more and more excited as they talked.
Seeing that the Philadelphia reporter was extremely annoyed, he secretly blamed the 76ers for not living up to their expectations.
At this time, everyone in the Knicks locker room was also in a state of winning and smiling.
Ewing made 4 of 13 shots in the G2 game, and successfully rebounded tonight, making 7 of 15 shots, and got a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Although the gorilla smiled at this time, he was a little jealous of Lee's achievements.
Ewing was even more sad when he thought that he had not won an MVP in his career, and that he had not won many first-team games.
Larry Johnson did not have so many thoughts.
He was more concerned about the opponent in the next round:
"The Magic are going to lose again. Anfernee Hardaway should not play with an injury. It seems that it is difficult for him to recover to his peak state."
Troubled by a back injury, Larry Johnson felt the same as the second brother of the Nike.
He also bid farewell to the All-Stars because of an injury.
Alan Houston recalled the regular season against the Hawks, and finally responded confidently:
"Although the opponent has Mutombo in the interior, we have won more than we lost in the past two years. The semifinals should not cause too much trouble."
The atmosphere group also began to predict the opponent of the Eastern Conference Finals, and soon everyone reached a consensus:
"The Pacers will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals!"
Sprewell saw that the Knicks were already so inflated that they were just one step away from winning the championship.
He pulled the corner of his mouth and simply kept silent.
On May 13, after the Knicks returned to New York, they resumed their daily training in the afternoon.
The other groups of games in the East were in a relatively tense state, which also gave the Knicks a precious three day rest time.
In the Western Conference, the Trail Blazers swept the Suns and successfully advanced to the semifinals last night.
The coaching staff began to watch the Hawks' recent games.
It was only a matter of time before the Magic lost.
Old Charles and the team management brought the Knicks' legends to the training center in Tarrytown.
The MVP is about to be announced, and everyone has to prepare for the next press conference.
Lee has been very low-key recently.
After expressing his attitude on the May 8 incident, Mark Bartelstein turned down most of the interview requests for him.
Press conferences usually only invite media reporters with good relationships.
On the 11th, the man in the White House apologized publicly, and the protests in New York also ended temporarily.
Staying away from politics, Mark Bartelstein hopes that Lee can be like Michael Jordan, not offending anyone, and making a lot of money with peace of mind.
"The second MVP in team history, Lee, we have prepared the best renewal conditions for you during the offseason."
"Believe me, the Knicks will never treat their own people badly!"
Old Charles, dressed in a formal suit, smiled and made a promise, and Grunfeld also followed suit to make a guarantee.
Everyone took this opportunity to see Lee's attitude.
In the new labor agreement, rookies will become restricted free agents after their contracts are completed, but Lee signed early and was not affected by this rule.
Therefore, winning the MVP in the contract year made Lee a big fish in this offseason.
"The Knicks are of course my first choice. I like life in New York, and the team also takes good care of me. I want to achieve more here!"
Lee just said polite words with a smile.
He plans to take this opportunity to stroll around during the offseason.
Mark Bartelstein will help him get the best treatment.
In the training hall, the Knicks atmosphere group all looked at Lee, and Rashard Lewis showed an envious expression.
The newbies and bottom players are still fighting for contracts, but Lee is going to get the privileges of a superstar.
Willis Reed, the first legendary star in the history of the Knicks to win the MVP, did not speak for the boss at this time.
After the labor agreement, the relationship between players and capital was somewhat tense.
As a player, the butt cannot be crooked.
Willis Reed just smiled and patted Lee on the shoulder, and then tried to smooth things over:
"We all believe in the team's sincerity. New York has the best fans in the league."
"."
On May 14, the NBA announced the MVP of the 98-99 regular season:
Clay Lee of the Knicks successfully won the award!
After the league announced the news, President David Stern also sent his blessings immediately:
"In a difficult season, you led the team to the first record in the league!"
"Historical efficiency, congratulations to Clay Lee for winning the first MVP in his career!"
At the age of 21 years and 134 days, Lee broke the record set by Wes Unseld of the Bullets in the 68-69 season at the age of 23 years and 09 days, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history!
The media hall of the Tarrytown Training Center was crowded with reporters early in the morning.
When they saw Lee appear, they hurriedly handed over the microphone and kept clicking their cameras.
Feeling that the reporters beside him wanted to put the microphone into his mouth, Lee hurriedly said:
"We still have a lot of time, there is no need to rush to interview!"
"."
After the MVP was announced, O'Neal, who was still playing away in Houston, was also surrounded by reporters.
The shark had jumped happily before, and stood up for himself every day, but it was useless and he still failed to win the award in the end.
The fantasy was completely shattered. O'Neal was in a bad mood.
Even if the Lakers got the match point, everyone could see his "unhappy" mood during the interview:
"I don't care about the MVP in the shortened season. Now I just want to win the championship!"
"FMVP may be more suitable for me. I hope to meet the Knicks in the finals. I will prove myself and you will see who is the real MVP."
O'Neal didn't need reporters to ask questions.
He just need an output, but this kind of loan behavior made people unhappy.
The Houston media didn't give the shark a good face:
"The series is not over yet!"
"I will end the Rockets tonight!"
In the game that night, O'Neal, who got the anger buff, completely blew up the Rockets.
He played 44 minutes, made 14 of 22 shots, 9 of 18 free throws, and scored 37 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 turnovers.
Such a violent performance turned the Rockets' home court into a library.
The old Big Three were beaten 98:88 again.
With a score of 3:1, the Lakers successfully advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in Houston.
After the game, O'Neal, who was walking towards the player tunnel, shouted from time to time:
"I am the better one!"
Kobe Bryant, who became a little transparent next to O'Neal, was not in a good mood.
Some people have come to interview him these days, but most of the questions are about who he supports to win the award, and no one pays attention to his progress.
Kobe praised O'Neal, but he always thought of the scene of the Rookie Challenge in his heart.
Thinking of Lee's achievements and looking at O'Neal's back, Kobe Bryant did not feel happy about winning, but made up his mind:
"The tactical core of the team?!"
On the morning of May 15, the front page headlines of the sports section of New York's print media were mostly:
"The future of the Knicks - the youngest MVP in NBA history!"
"The new king of New York - Clay-Lee"
"."
The column articles had roughly the same content, detailing the records set by Lee and reviewing his performance in last year's Eastern Conference Finals.
Ewing was almost furious when he read the newspaper early in the morning.
He hadn't retired yet.
Lee's phone had been ringing non-stop since yesterday, and he had to continue replying to text messages in the morning.
Looking at the Nokia 5210 in his hand, he missed the future smartphone.
Melinda rarely comes to the villa in Tarrytown, after all, it is a bit far away.
Looking at the decoration with obvious personal style, the big girl came to Lee and teased:
"That rich girl is really willing to spend money!"
Happy, the husky, hadn't seen Lee for half a month.
At this time, he was jumping around the two of them, jumping on them from time to time, and then running away again provocatively.
"Stop, Happy! In fact, we are just good friends!"
Lee turned around and hugged Melinda in his arms, saying sweet words, and then hurriedly said:
"Help me think about who else I have missed in school? There are less than two days left."
"."
Before the NBA league will hold a press conference, old Charles will hold a celebration banquet, and Lee has to send invitations one by one.
On the evening of the 16th, in the banquet hall of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, old Charles and Lee entertained visiting friends with a smile.
MVP is good, but many people attend banquets, more to make superficial friends.
Lee laughed so hard that his cheeks ached throughout the whole process, and he managed to get through the celebration banquet.
At 10 a.m. on May 17, the press conference room of Madison Square Garden was crowded with media reporters, and no one wanted to miss this historic moment.
His friend Ivan was wearing a black suit and pretending to be calm and calm, sitting in the front row. Melinda, who was next to him, was wearing black trousers and a blue shirt.
"If it weren't for the lack of some funds, I would even suggest that Lee say goodbye to basketball!"
Melinda heard Ivan's whisper and just laughed and teased:
"Is this the reason why you stayed in the hospital for half a year?"
All the stocks he bought rose sharply.
Technology stocks have been killing crazy in the past few years.
Ivan watched the US dollar rise all the way, and the silver market was getting bigger and bigger.
In the end, he rested for half a year.
He pulled the corners of his mouth, thinking that the experience of being in the hospital was too embarrassing.
Ivan quickly coughed and changed the subject:
"It's about to start!"
Today, the press conference room specially replaced a small podium, and the MVP bronze man trophy was placed on top.
Jeff Van Gundy and the Knicks were sitting at the far right of the podium.
NBA Vice President Russ Granik came to the stage and immediately said with a smile:
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome the youngest Most Valuable Player winner in the NBA league - Clay Lee!"
The media reporters and Knicks staff in the audience began to applaud and cheer.
Perhaps if it were another team, the press conference would not be so grand.
Lee came to the stage in a dark gray suit with a smile on his face and hugged the vice president.
He picked up the trophy with a smile, looked at it, and put it down again.
Lee adjusted the microphone and said in a brisk tone:
"Thank you to the New York fans, thank you to the Knicks, and thank you to the sports media that voted for me!"
"It means a lot to me to get this award. It has been a dream experience from Albuquerque to Hartford, and then to New York."
"You all know that I was not a genius in high school. It was Coach Calhoun who brought me to Connecticut. Thank you for his trust back then!"
Coach Calhoun, who was sitting in the front row, nodded with satisfaction and accepted the applause from the crowd.
The press conference did not turn into a reminiscence of the past.
Lee seemed very happy throughout the whole process.
Jeff Van Gundy also smiled from ear to ear after hearing the thanks.
"After saying so much thanks, I want to express that I am not Michael Jordan and I will not be the next Michael Jordan."
"Of course, I am not Wilt Chamberlain either. After all, I am only 6 feet 4 inches!"
The New York media in the audience immediately followed suit.
Obviously, Lee was teasing the Sharks again .
"I pay tribute to those predecessors, but I just want to be myself. I believe that everyone can be the protagonist of their own life!"
Lee picked up the little bronze man and greeted the audience again with a smile.
The New York media followed suit, and the Los Angeles reporter next to him was a little unhappy.
A Finals Most Valuable Player may not make Lee a superstar, but with an MVP trophy, it is completely different!
Agent Mark Bartelstein, who stood up and applauded, was already laughing.
Thinking about the offseason, he was even more proud and thought:
"The maximum salary contract is not enough! We need more!"
....
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